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December 01, 2003
Muslim heroes
Another brave voice from within Saudi Arabia tries to tell the truth. Dr Muhammed Talal al Rashid has written an article in the Saudi Gazette in response to the murder of Saudi Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rasheed of Hail by 'Islamists' in Algeria. It is not enough, says al Rashid, to tell the world that the Saudis are victims of terrorism too: 'We have bred monsters. We alone are responsible for it. I have written as much before my personal tragedy and will continue to do so for as long as it takes. We are the problem and not America or the penguins of the North Pole or those who live in caves in Afghanistan. We are it, and those who cannot see this are the ones to blame. Castrated as we are, we look to America. Why? Because they went into Iraq and made a difference. Better or worse is another point. Once America has demonstrated its willingness to do something, the moral imperative is that it should not stop at the first station along the road. The majority of us are sick and tired of this carnage and President Bush, wrong on just about everything else, is right on this one. Does he have the (courage) to finish the job? I wonder'. Hang your heads in shame, all you Bush-loathers and fellow-travellers of terror. You are on the other side to this courageous man. No chance, of course, of such heroism ever being reported by our sick media. Meanwhile, Irshad Manji, a Canadian broadcaster who describes herself as an observant Muslim, has told an even more dangerous and wider truth in her book, 'The Trouble With Islam: A Wake Up Call for Honesty and Change'. A best-seller in Canada, it has earned her death threats, and this is why: 'The charismatic and self-assured Manji, an avowed feminist and a lesbian, shocked her audience by describing how she visited local mosques incognito, dressed in a full-length burka, and heard the clergy talk of a "Western, Jewish-led conspiracy against Islam and declare that it is the responsibility of Muslims in the West to support the jihadis, with their money, if not with their sons." 'Manji emphasized the need for Muslims to revive the concept of ijtihad, or self-jihad, an Islamic tradition of independent thinking, in which Muslims study the Koran and reach their own interpretations, which she called an "almost Talmudic process." The Koran includes harsh commentaries on Jews, she said, "but it also reminds us of the Jews' 'exalted nationhood' and validates the sovereign role of Jews in the Holy Land." 'The Koran "gives ample opportunities to be respectful of Jews; it's a matter of what to emphasize and what to downplay," she said, "so why have so many Muslims chosen hate?" She said that independent thinking in Muslim scholarship disappeared by the 11th century, "as unity came to be confused with uniformity." For 1,000 years, "Muslim scholars have been imitating each other's prejudices." 'Manji predicted that the Islamic Reformation that she advocates "may very well begin in the West, where we enjoy the precious freedoms to think, challenge and be challenged without fear of state reprisals." She was careful to include Israel, which she has visited, among the multiethnic, pluralistic states she admires. "Mainstream Israel bathes itself in self-examination, as it should. It's time for mainstream Islam to catch up." Wow. These people must be protected and supported. Their words must be broadcast as widely as possible. They, and they alone, are the route to ending the madness which we are all fighting.
Posted by melanie at December 1, 2003
Comments
1,000 years? For 1,000 years Muslim scholars have been imitating each other's prejudices. It's true. The last Islamic scholar of wide repute to suggest anything other than a fundamentalist reading of The Koran was Averroes who worked in Spain and was born in 1126. Averroes suggested that there were three methods for interpreting scripture: 1) fundamentally, for the uneducated; 2) allegorically, for the educated middle class; and, 3) openly by the intelligencia. No go. This has left Muslim scholars with only one way to reconcile inconsistencies and contradicitons in their holy words - temporal priority. Later statements trump earlier ones. Sadly, the irenic portions of The Koran were written before the bellicose portions. Posted by: Theodopoulos Pherecydes at December 1, 2003 03:48 PMCan anyone give me an example of what the Islamic world has come up with in say the last 500 years outside of hijackings and suicide bombings? Are there any great medical schools or schools of science and technology in Arab/Islamic countries? Where is the Egyptian or Syrian equivalent of M.I.T. or the Weizmann Institute of Science? Posted by: Marcus at December 1, 2003 04:19 PMGreat post, Melanie...agreed...these brave people should be supported...even by word of mouth in discussions on these issues. People are generally becoming more distrustful of the usual and predictable BBC line on these issues. More people in the British and American media are also starting to speak out more forcibly. Perhaps if the message can be conveyed back to Israel that IT needs to start being far more savvy in terms of international public relations then the combination of all these voices will start to have a real, cumulative weight that will force the start of a change in the general public (and intelligensia's?) perceptions? Posted by: David at December 1, 2003 04:57 PMYes David. Maybe the Israeli Govt can get some English speakers who are smooth, polite, and do not snarl and threaten like that guy Gold who sounds like a gangster. Be like the Russians, silver-tongued and polished; it makes such a good impression. Too much of the Israeli Media presentation comes over with the undercurrent of menace and thuggery. It used to be so polished, so smooth, so believable. Posted by: Trianon at December 1, 2003 06:16 PMThe trouble with Islam is that the Islamists demand, "Say we are the Religion of Peace or we'll kill you." And they are not kidding! Note that every time anyone, especially one of their own, criticizes Islam there are death threats from "tolerant" Islam. Good that in these times of instant, world-wide communications these things come to light. I have been of the conviction that the more terrorist attacks there are against innocents of any persuasion, the more people will learn about Islam and its fascist agenda for world domination by reading Islamic literature—particularly the Qu'ran and the hadiths. I am glad to see even a few people of the Muslim faith, here and there, call for a Reformation in Islam. OMHO what they need is a Martin Attaturk—a reformist with an army. Without a bona fide Islamic Reformation in which the violent, intolerant passages of the Qu'ran against the "other" are formally repudiated by the masses, there can be no peace. When Muslims world-wide demonstrate and march for peace instead of celebrating terror, then maybe. When Muslims use their zakat donations to develop their failed societies, instead of funding Islamic terror, then maybe. When islamic clerics world-wide stop preaching hate and violence against the "other" and the Jews, then maybe. When Muslim children are no longer taught murderous jihad in the madrassas and begin to learn literature, history, science and math, then maybe. When Muslims stop believing that Islam is superior to all other faiths, then maybe. Until then, legions of innocents will die before this is over. Lili Posted by: Lilith at December 1, 2003 11:28 PMI know Ms. Manji here in Canada quite well from her appearances on TV and talking to her via email and the such and she is indeed brave!! BUT, the reason that the vast majority of Muslims focus on the negative verses on the Jews and other horrible Islamic teachings is that they abrogated the earlier mellow teachings of Muhammed while in Mecca......Islam sadly is inherently violent and nasty......Manji knows that and she attacks Islam's core doctrines in her book and much too her credit.......Reformation is impossible unless you get the vast majority of Muslims to allegorize the Quran and Hadiths and that is not going to happen and it would not be honest to Muhammed's original vision........ That is the sad reality folks......that is why Bin Ladin is the worlds most popular Muslim....that is why you never see marches for peace and demonstrations against Islamic terrorism in the Islamic world......to be against violence is to be against Islam.....folks, they are one and the same.......and kudos to those Muslims that ignore these brutal dictates but they are the ones that are not being honest......Hamas and the Taliban are exegetically honest with Islam's primary sources.........and that is horrific!! Thanks Posted by: Devon Hill at December 2, 2003 07:17 AM"the reason that the vast majority of Muslims focus on the negative verses on the Jews and other horrible Islamic teachings is that they abrogated the earlier mellow teachings of Muhammed while in Mecca . . ." Absolutely, Devon. Mohammed could not get anywhere with the Christian model of "love thy neighbor" and "forgiveness" so he began to assemble his war machine after having been driven to Medina. There is no question that Islam was born of the sword and hasn't been peaceful since! The reason the vast majority of Muslims don't speak out against the violence is because countering Islam is considered apostasy–a "crime" punishable by death.
The best way we can counter this is with information to educate them that life is not ugly everywhere, that people live in peace and have values, that Islam is not the only religion that brings comfort, that the West is not as corrupt as they believe, that people love their families and work for their communities, etc. Flood the Islamic world with information via all media including the net. Retaliatory violence can only do so much. It's the "Muslim street" that has to be convinced life is worth living here and now rather than longing for a quick trip to "paradise." It's going to be a long war folks! Lili Posted by: Lilith at December 2, 2003 05:59 PMI agree 100 percent Lilith.......and we are flooding the Islamic world with material on destroying the teachings of Muhammed and we are having wonderful effects......Millions of Persians and African Muslims have left Islam in the last 10 years or so......and it is because maninly ex muslims are exposing Islam as brutal....... Depending on your outlook there are 2 brilliant sites......one from a more secular pov.... Both are wonderful.... Devon Posted by: Devon Hill at December 3, 2003 02:43 AMRight, Devon! The book, "Why I am not a Muslim" by Ibn Warraq: is an excellent, well documented, read. The translation into French is currently being "protested" by Muslims. The publisher has withdrawn it due to death threats against the translator. Here is a great interview with Warraq: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s386913.htm "Say we are the 'Religion of Peace' or we'll kill you!" It is rather funny once you get past the finality. LOL There are scores of books exposing the truth about Islam the least of which is the Qu'ran. It's just a matter of time. Too bad most of the Islamic world is illiterate. But, they do memorize the Qu'ran. . . Lili Posted by: Lilith at December 3, 2003 05:09 PMFirst of all, as a Muslim Let me state the fact about Ms Manji. 1- Islam & Quran does not states any where that Homosexuality is allowed. There are verses that do recall past civilizations that were destroyed since they promoted Homosexuality. So how can Ms Manji be an observant Muslim if she is having a relationship with a Women? She does not even realizes the basics of her religion. 2- Islam states its a right to defend and that is called Jihad. Every religion allows for this we just have different names for it. Even American constitution justifies the action of self defence against an attacker who may kill you. Our people (Muslims) are being killed in Palastine, while its not clear to many people in USA that since CNN does not shows young Muslims in Palastine not having a job , or them loosing their homes because Israel wants to build a barrier around them put them in cages.
"Can anyone give me an example of what the Islamic world has come up with in say the last 500 years outside of hijackings and suicide bombings? Are there any great medical schools or schools of science and technology in Arab/Islamic countries? Where is the Egyptian or Syrian equivalent of M.I.T. or the Weizmann Institute of Science?" Answer: Softwares running your Windows, Outlook and Word has a guarenteed contribution form Muslim engineers as well. Muslim Engineers are working in consulting firm where we build and make life better for people. Muslim doctors help people every day with a smile. If you cannot find MIT equivalant that does not mean that such institutes does not exist in Muslim World, it just means that your knowledge is limited to with a certain frame of mind and you may not know about their existance. Its more a case of superiority complex then anything else. You will be surprised how many Muslim CEOs are in North America alone, trust me not all of them are MIT graduates. And they need not to be one. So lets not even question what Muslims are capable in term of intelligence and an open debate. I do not hate Jews , or do I take any joy as I know just like any tribe and country there are good and bad people. There are peace loving jews as well. But I do feel sad seeing a whole nation being put in a cage. But its sorta not right to take a cheap shot at somebody's religious beliefs What do you know? Have you seen god? Question : Is Islam a religion of Peace? or not Well I read the interesting comment about Prophet Mohammed (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) that he favoured war? That notion is not true if you study his teaching and follow his life style you will see that he was a humble fellow. Alas , we take cheap shots at others with out even studying about the facts first. Islam does not teaches hate and killing. But it does not says you should stay home and do nothing when you know innocent people are dying. A person who is Mujahid is no different then Samurai warriors that fear nothing. A great debate arises what about suacide bombers. Answers: No its is not allowed for a Mujahid to take innocent lives. Jihad is allowed only against tyrants people who abuse civil rights. But if I may ask , some day you come home and you find that your brother was shot dead in the street would you not want to take revenge? Will you wait for the govenment to come and tell you that the soldier that killed you relative is free to go or will you take action. That is a usual scenario in What they have is ...tears. When a son looses father or a mother he grows with that hate... and with time ... he hates the word Jew... its branded in his mind. Finaly he snaps and .. decides that life is meaning less and .. A suicide bomber is born! That is not a Mujahid ... but if he decides to attack an army that is responsible for deaths of his relatives ... its fair (ONLY ATTACKING ARMY NOT CIVILIANS..) . Why ???? BECAUSE THEY TOOK AWAY HIS/HER FREEDOM TO LIVE A DIGNIFYING LIFE. Posted by: Sheraz at December 15, 2003 05:45 AMArticle from Saudi Gazette is now at: |
