Misunderstandings - 1
Open Letter from Christian
A Christian:-
Open Letter to Our Muslim Friends:
Unlike many other religious
founders and leaders of the past, Jesus calls His betrayer "friend", and
commands His followers to put down their swords in submission to the will of
God.
And, some of you by now have
perceived the radical difference between the message of this Jesus and some
aspects of your faith.
I encourage you to face this
uneasiness in your heart, and take a fresh look at this Jesus - NOT at His
followers in history - and see for yourselves why His offer of freedom and life
was NOT couched in words of conquest and violence, but in words such as these:
"But I say to you who hear,
love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6.27-28)
"Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest or your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11.28-30)
Comment:-
We Muslims honour Jesus (saw), as
we do Moses (saw), Muhammad (saw) and the other Prophets. All were sent by God
with the same message but also with specific missions. We accept them all. But
we reject the misinterpretations and distortions of their teachings.
Muhammad (saw), like Moses (saw)
were founding a nation, a kingdom
of God in this world. Jesus
was not. That is the difference.
But the mission of Jesus was not
complete. He was to return. The book of revelations tells us something about
what he would do when he returns. Nor was Jesus as peaceful and sentimental as
you like to think.
He did say:-
"Think not that I am come
to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." Matthew
10:34
"Then said he unto them,
But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he
that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." Luke 22:36
And he did upset the Pharisees and
the merchants in the temple.
But yes the task Muslims have is
much harder than that of Christians.
We are required to resist and
fight evil and oppression, but we are forbidden to be aggressive and we are
required to be just even against ourselves. And there is to be no compulsion in
religion because it is a spiritual matter and we have no central authority to
tell us what to do but are responsible for ourselves.
So apart from the fact that many
who are called Muslims have not followed their religion, or been carried to
excesses and been unjustly violent, or are politically or economically or
culturally motivated, or are real criminals, there are some who are sincere but
misguided and some who are truly fighting oppression and evil.
You will note, however, that by
far the greatest number of Muslims, like Christians, probably 99.9%, are wholly
peaceful and that might also mean that they are apathetic and indifferent to
their religion to various degrees or just cowardly or impotent to do anything
against undoubted global injustices, evils and oppression.
But why are you addressing Muslims
and not Christians?
Do you think that the troops that
the Western Christian nations sent to kill Afghans and Iraqis and those who
sent them were conforming to the teachings of Jesus and will not be held
responsible for their actions on the Day of Judgement?
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Fine People
Critic:-
There is no inconsistency between finding
the Muslims one knows fine people and believing that Islam is a misfortune - a
universal disaster, as the present state of affairs shows - for Muslims.
Comment:-
There are several inconsistencies,
fallacies, ambiguities and tragedies in this attitude.
What is meant by "fine
people"? Is it those whom you approve of because they conform to your
prejudices?
Do you distinguish a teaching
(Islam) from people (Muslims) who may adhere to the religion to various degrees
or not at all?
Do you know and understand Islam
or simply hang your prejudices on it? Do you even want to understand it?
If not, as we can all see, then
how can you judge Muslims?
The fact is, as has been pointed
out several times, that understanding Islam or anything else requires a positive
attitude, one that wants to understand and makes the appropriate efforts and
not a negative one that wants to find fault and criticise.
People find what they are looking
for and their opinions reflect their own mentalities. This in a nut shell is
the answers to every one of your posts.
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Shariah
Question:-
I don't know if all Muslims agree
on this, but I have seen it frequently stated that the Islamic Shariah applies
only to Muslims. If that is the case, then a non-Muslim community with its own
judicial code could be embedded in a Muslim country that follows the Shariah.
But a Western judicial code
applies to everyone. Practically by definition. This would make an embedded
community little more than a matter of nomenclature.
Comment:-
I am sure Muslims know the
difference between Western Law and the Islamic Shariah, and that it is part of
the Shariah to accept the principle that other non-Muslim communities can
follow their own Shariahs.
The one (the Western) is made on
subjective whims, cultural conditioning or political grounds, an outcome of the
vagaries and expediencies of a power struggle and, though created by persons
who hold power supported by minorities, is imposed on the whole community which
has no say in it. The other (the Islamic) is based or ought to be based on
objective or impersonal grounds by persons who have or ought to have the
knowledge, virtue and ability and is applicable only to those who accept the
system on which it is based. This allows for the coexistence of several
different systems of life and the migration of people to what suits them best.
Freedom of thought and speech,
appears to be a hypocritical idea when there is no freedom of action or
behaviour, particularly as opposing ideas simply cancel each other out allowing
the authorities to do what ever they like. They do this by manipulating opinion
by emotional means, controlling information through secrecy, distortion and
invention. In fact governments of States, though called Democratic, do a great
amount that the people have no knowledge of or control over. This includes
experimenting on citizens and sacrificing them for the profit of the few. The
power of those who control States is increasing and we have an increasingly
powerful hidden dictatorship. This threatens to become a global State that will
destroy the ability of humanity to adapt and develop.
There seems to be no alternative
for people but either to submit and conform or to revolt with violence. Hence
increasing disillusionment with Politics and increasing apathy.
Muslims, those who accept the
Shariah, believe that it is, or has the potentiality of being a far better
system than the Western one. However, it is true that the Shariah has
stagnated, being interpreted according to past conditions, and has, therefore,
become maladapted to modern conditions. There is absolutely no justification
for this.
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Labanese Politics
Question:-
What do Muslims make of this
Christian-Sunni Muslim coalition that is active in Lebanon politics at this present
time?
Comment:-
Such a coalition is undoubtedly
seen as a threat to Israel
and US interests. Causing a rift between these and between these and the Shias
and their organisation, Hisbullah, is probably a major Israely and US
policy. This appears to have been achieved by the assassination of the
anti-Syrian politicians in Labanon that has caused much political tension. It
is obvious that such an assassination could not possibly have been in the
interest of Syria (or Iran
which is also accused of provoking this).
Unfortunate politically naive
people keep falling for such tricks, and Muslims are so easily manipulated into
unthinking hysterical reactions that divide and weaken them. Hopefully, they will
wake up before the resulting suffering reaches an irreversible point.
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Pakistani Politics
A Muslim:-
The President of Pakistan, General
Musharraf thinks like a Kaffir.
Critic:-
Would it not be more productive if
you used your God given talents to expose the evils of Nazism rather than
criticising and damning fellow Muslims?
Comment:-
As far as I know Nazism has
nothing to do with Islam.
As far
as I know Musharraf, though he has a Muslim name, is an Atheist. He also runs
an American puppet regime, like those in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
- It is US money that keeps
his military dictatorship in control, and it is an extension of US
global terrorism. But these regimes are not likely to last, they are inherently
unsustainable.
On the
other hand he has prevented Pakistan
from going the same way as Iraq,
where the Dictator defied the USA
and was invaded, and many thousands of its killed, the country destroyed and the
people are now much worse off than before. So................
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A Problematic Verse in the
Quran
A Muslim Woman:-
Re: Quran 65:4, I can not help,
but almost every translation of this verse seems to indicate that marriage with
a premature girl is allowed according to the Quran, because how else could
there be talk of divorce from a premature girl when there has been no preceding
marriage?
What I wonder about is that hardly
any commentary available on the internet seems to care for the grave
implications and interpretations of this verse. The question is: When does
marriage begin?
Comment:-
I do not see any problem.
The verses 65:1-7 are speaking
about the treatment of wives after divorce. As verse 1 shows, it is addressed
particularly to the Prophet. Wives cannot be turned out of the house unless
they commit lewd acts until a prescribed period (iddat) has ended. This is
three month whether or not they have a "period" of menstruation. If
they are pregnant then it is until they give birth. Nothing is being said about
restrictions to a marriageable age. There is no such concept.
Marriage is a contract that binds
lives together and gives the spouses mutual duties. The rules that apply are
given in 4:1-28 and 65:2, 6, 7
Note the following:-
"O you who believe! It is
not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; nor to restrain them so
that you may take away part of what you gave them, unless they commit flagrant
lewdness; but associate with them with kindness and equity, for if you dislike
them, it may be that you dislike something wherein Allah has put much good for
you." 4:19
"...So seek them with your
wealth in honest marriage and not lust. But such of them from whom you seek
comfort, give them their portions as a duty; and there is no crime in what you
do by mutual agreement after the duty has been done. Verily, Allah is ever
Knower and Wise." 4:24
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The Veil
Critic:-
A look at the news gives a picture
of the situation in Egypt.
Three decades ago, one could hardly see a woman dressed in veil but today the society
has almost converted, claiming that the veil is a mandatory sign of faith in
God as if Egyptian has not had faith in God for the past century when women
stopped dressing up in veils.
Comment:-
The veil is not a "sign"
or "symbol" of faith but an instruction in the Quran (when that is
properly followed). It is like any other moral instruction such as not to
steal, murder or fornicate.
However, it may be used for all
kinds of ulterior motives such as political statements, group solidarity etc.
rather than because of Surrender, obedience to Allah. That would be hypocrisy.
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Imposing Islam
Question:-
Should Muslims Be Allowed To
Impose Islam On Other Americans?
Many Muslim cab drivers in Minneapolis are refusing
to allow passengers carrying alcohol in their cabs, saying it is against the
Islamic Shariah [law] to do so. More than half the taxi drivers on the airport
are Muslims, and as soon as they got a majority, they have resorted to imposing
their beliefs on others.
Comment:-
Here we have muddled thinking!
Refusing to carry alcohol is not
imposing Islam on people. There is no compulsion in religion. Muslims cannot
impose Islam on others. But Muslims are required to abide by Islamic rules.
Muslims, like others, have rights that affect them.
It is the right of cabdrivers to
refuse to carry alcohol in their cabs as it is to refuse drugs, criminals,
drunks etc. It is not a right of Americans or anyone else to force cab drivers
to carry anything against their will. Americans and others are free not to
carry alcohol or to go to cabs that allow the carrying of alcohol.
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