No to demagogues!
I have time and again told my friends that I share my Muslim brothers' contempt for the blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad but I do not agree that lex taliones should be used to address the issue. The problem is that many of those who have taken it upon themselves to speak up on the issue are nothing but demagogues. Reason has no space for these people.
In today's GDN, I read a letter from a concerned Bahraini condemning one such demagogue:
Shameful behaviour!
NO country can allow its members of parliament to burn the flag of another nation when, for all intents and purposes, those two nations are not at war.
For MP Mohammed Khalid to be not only condoning but also actively participating in such actions is to suggest to the people of Bahrain that he supports aggressive attacks on the people and property of another nation. To appear in a photograph in the leading English language newspaper of Bahrain participating in these activities is beyond comprehension.
I do not support the publication of the cartoons and neither do I support the violent reactions that have gripped most of the Muslim world in the last few weeks.
Mohammed Khalid - you need to apologise to your government and to the people of Bahrain. You also need to display to this country (and to all other Muslim peoples) that non-violent action is the best way to proceed.
Concerned Bahraini
posted by Meandering Shawarma @ 10:39 AM
2 Comments:
Image damaged
FOR the past two weeks, the whole Islamic world has erupted in anger and condemnation against the countries responsible for the outrageous cartoons of our beloved Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), in the Norwegian and Danish newspapers.
Some retaliation has been reasonable, in terms of peaceful demonstrations, civilised banners and by boycotting their products.
The rest has been damaging to the image of Islam and if any, it is reinforcing the West's beliefs that Islam is savage, cruel and incites terrorism.
What happened in Syria and Lebanon was completely unacceptable by any Muslim, moderate or extreme. Having some men in the demonstrations carrying guns and portraying them on international TV is unacceptable, some demonstrators in London were threatening another 9/11.
The problem is up to this day and from what I have been seeing on SKY, CNN, or the BBC many Europeans do not understand "what the big deal is?" and most of them think that we as Muslims have gone mad. They cannot comprehend this sacred bond.
Therefore, the issue here is to redirect this anger and rage into educating non-Muslims of the relationship and the love we have for our Prophet Mohammed. We have to enlighten them why this relationship is so sacred, more so than any love for a mother, father, or a child.
Only with rationale and compelling arguments, others will believe in our religion and Prophet, not by tarnishing their embassies and their local properties. Economists these days are sending and writing all sorts of warnings about our area and the hows and whys they should stay away, and to start disinvesting and how Muslims cannot be trusted, and if this is their reaction to a cartoon, how the oil is in the hands of lunatics and how the prices will go up.
I tell you, the things we read nowadays are mind-boggling. This only reflects that their understanding of Muslims and Islam is very limited, and we cannot blame them, for we have not informed and enlightened them. Foreigners live amongst us for ages and yet we tend to give them the wrong image about our Islam through our wrong doings.
Please do not try to deny it.
If every kid that goes abroad to study will give five minutes of his day to tell another student about Islam, we would do the job. We are not converting them, we are only educating them, so they would respect our religion the same way we respect theirs.
Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is commenting about the Muslim reaction. Jay Leno and David Letterman on TV were mentioning it, not with sympathy or apology but by making fun of Muslims. I ask you here, is this the reaction and the apology we were looking for? The answer is no and that is because we have tackled the issue in the wrong way. We as individuals can do a lot but whatever we do, will not be enough and will not serve the whole purpose. Things have to be done also on a state and foreign affairs levels. Comment I hear on TV is that these nations are oppressed and they are taking this opportunity to vent their anger through these demonstrations.
Apparently, they have not come to Bahrain!
Freedom of speech is a privilege and I wish we had that freedom in our countries for the journalists and editors to write their own real prospectus of the issues at hand but freedom should not tarnish any religion and everyone no matter what his or her beliefs are should be respected.
Let us all put our hands and thoughts together to correct the image that many politicians in the US and a few in Europe have managed to tarnish. Not to mention Osama bin Laden. I think he has done the most damage to Islam.
We as Muslims have to correct this image, start with our neighbours, foreign or not, and educate them through our own compassion, and peaceful attitude towards them and towards each other, not by threatening and promising them with another 9/11.
Please let us give a message of love, harmony, and forgiveness just like our beloved Prophet Mohammed and leave the judgments for the only judge, Allah.
A Muslim
Perfect role model for the world
THE publication of anti-Prophet caricatures in some European print media has indeed created a worldwide disturbance in the minds of Muslims who love and venerate Prophet Mohammed. For, as recorded history testifies, it was embodied in him, the wisdom of Abraham, the patience of Jacob, the chastity of Joseph, the strength of Moses, and the charity of Jesus.
The Seal of the Prophets, assuming no holiness, personified ultimate human majesty.
Despite losing his dear family members at a young age, he grew up to be 'A Mercy to All the Worlds'. His love extended from his family members, to believers, to non-believers, and even to animals. As a family man, he raised children, and cherished the memory of his wife Khadijah to the end of his life. He taught that feeding an animal can take one to Heaven whereas mistreating it could take one to Hell.
Unlike the figure in the cartoons published, upon his victorious return to Mecca, he entered into the city lowering his head in humbleness and set all his enemies from the Quraish tribe free. On that day when one of his companions said, "Today is the day of the battle. Today Allah humiliates the Quraish," the Prophet protested, "Today is the day of mercy. Today Allah honours the Quraish."
Whenever the Quraish attacked him he would supplicate Allah: "Please Allah, guide my people, for they don't know." On his way back from Taif, where the villagers stoned him until he bled, an angel appeared and offered to punish the transgressors. The Prophet declined, because maybe one day one of his assailants would be guided.
Because of this magnanimous character, Muslims (irrespective of whether he was born a Muslim or accepted Islam at a later stage) hold Prophet Mohammed so dear to their hearts that even a single unfounded insult against him would hurt their feelings. For, he is such a perfect noble man than their own selves.
While the reaction to the Danish cartoons in the Muslim world range from silent protests, boycotts, and to violent rallies, I saw a worthy response from an Islamic organisation in East Riffa last Friday.
The Imam of the mosque "Masjid Nusuf" announced after the Friday prayers that an Arabic language booklet titled "Prophet Mohammed; Mercy to Humankind" is due to be translated into four languages (English, Danish, French and German) and to be dispatched to the said countries within a very short period of time. The booklet - which was written specifically to enlighten the members of other faiths - speaks on the role of Prophet Mohammed in this world, proofs for his Prophethood, his salient features, qualities, excellent morals and his examples in guiding the human kind from peril to light.
According to Imam Adil's announcement, the cost for the re-printing of each book is just 100 fils and they intend to publish large quantities. Donations are accepted throughout this week for the publication. The aim of this worthy response is to let the cartoon publishers understand the grave mistake they did in identifying an innocuous yet perfect role model in the world history.
Well Done, Imam Adil Hasan!
Abu Muneeb
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