Islamic knowledge is the best alternative for

Transcription

Letter From the Editor
Islamic knowledge is the best
alternative for peaceful environment
We should not hesitate to accept anything from
the West if it is found beneficial to us. The West,
too, should not hesitate to accept anything from
the East if it is found beneficial to them. History
bears testimony that the West received a variety
of knowledge and science from the East during
the golden era of the Muslims. In course of time
the Muslim East ignored the importance of research and taking necessary steps for technological advancement. On the other hand, the West
went on improving what they got from the Muslim East. Soon the course of history reversed and
the Muslims started borrowing technological
know-how from the West.
Once the West borrowed knowledge from
the Muslim East. Now the Muslim East borrows
technical knowledge from the West. But even today the West has a valuable thing to borrow from
the Muslim East. The Muslim East has succeeded in preserving the knowledge of the Qur’an
and the Sunnah, the revealed knowledge. In this
field, the West failed miserably.
It has been amply proved that mere technological advancement cannot ensure peace and
happiness for humanity. The West is hungry
spiritually. If the technologically advanced West
accepts the spiritual guidance of the Qur’an and
the Sunnah, it can offer the world the best alternative for a harmoniously developed and peaceful environment.
Some Muslims with scholarly leanings continue doing commendable jobs by bringing up
issues of Islamic importance and which are relevant to the mankind on the whole even in this
21st century. Such articles written by Mukhtar
Umar Bunza and Professor Mahmoud Dhaouadi
on Glorious Qur’an which we have reproduced
in this issue is of immense importance. They analyzes the Understanding the Meaning and Message of the Holy Qur’an.
Besides, this issue has many stories relevant
to the present situation in the Muslim world,
which you will find of great interest and beneficial information.
The article, Islam and Democracy: Malaysia
in Comparative Perspective, lecture given by
Anwar Ibrahim, Leader of Opposition Malaysia
& former Deputy Prime Minister for instance, is
one more example of the hugely important for
the Islam and Democracy.
Hope you will find this issue an important reading
for the contemporary world as well.
l Rabi al-Thani 1436/February 2015 l
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No.4
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Dr. Abdul Rahman A. Al-Zaid
Assistant Secretary
The Global Islamic Conference: UN rejects Palestinian resolution to end Israel’s
Counter Terrorism
occupation
Rabi Al-Thani 1436/February 2015
Journal
The Muslim World League
Secretary-General
Dr. Abdullah A. Mohsin Al-Turki
CON
Supervisor General
Media & Culture and
Chief Editor
Dr. Hassan Al-Ahdal
Director
Culture & Media Dept.
Abdullah Ali Al-Nemary
Editor
Mohammad Zakir Hossain
The Muslim World League Journal
P.O. Box: 537
Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Tel/ Fax: 00966 (012) 5600923
2 E-mail:
[email protected]
www.themwl.org
Vol.43
Graphic Designer
Khaled Awad Al-Muazzin
Letter from the Editor
Islamic knowledge is the best alternative...................................1
Guidance from Qur’an and Sunnah...........................................4
OIC Chief: Muslims have right to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque.........7
Masjid Al-Aqsa – Its Significance and Understanding
Dr. Mozammel Haque...................................................................10
Syria’s war enters new year more fragmented than ever.......18
Narendra Modi’s Government and the Indian Secular
Inclusive Democracy
Dr. Mozammel Haque..................................................................20
The State of Niqab in Europe
Souheila al-Jadda........................................................................38
TENTS
Islam and Democracy:
Malaysia in Comparative
Perspective
22
14
Renewal of Islamic Media
Discourse:
Style, Content and Form
39
26
Annual Subscription Rates
Saudi Arabia
Individual subscribers: SR. 36
Organizations: SR. 100
Other Countries
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Cheques payable to Muslim
World League may be sent to
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All articles and correspondence
may please be addressed to Chief
Editor, The Muslim World League
Journal. While we reserve the right
to edit, summarise or reject any contribution, no article, report or letter
will be returned to the sender.
Understanding the Meaning and Message of the Holy Qur’an
Mukhtar Umar Bunza..................................................................42
The Other miracle of the Qur’an
Professor Mahmoud Dhaouadi ..................................................48
What Mother Mary Means to Me
Afeefa Syeed................................................................................50
Around the Muslim World.......................................................52
Bangladesh opposition supporters shot dead.........................62
German anti-Islam rally triggers massive counter protests..63
Rabita Roundup
Mohammad Zakir Hossain..........................................................64
Views expressed in The Muslim
World League Journal do not necessarily represent those of the Muslim
World League. Articles published
may, however, be reproduced with
acknowledgement.
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Guidance from
Shariah and Astronomy
Q u r’ a n and S u n n a h
The Quran
“They ask you about the waxing and waning phases of
the crescent moons, say they are to mark fixed times for
mankind and Hajj.” (2:189)
“And He who made the night for rest and sun and moon
for reckoning of time. This is the decree of the Exalted,
the All-knowing.” (6:96)
“Allah is He, who created the sun, the moon, and the
stars (all) governed by laws under His commandment.”
(7:54)
“The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve
(in a year) so ordained by Him the day He created the
heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred; that is
the straight usage.......Verily the transposing (of a prohibited month) is an addition to unbelief: the unbelievers are led to wrong thereby: for they make it lawful one
year and forbidden another year in order to adjust the
number of months forbidden by Allah and make such
forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their course seems
pleasing to them. But Allah guideth not those who reject
faith.” (9:36-37)
“It is He who made sun a lamp, and moon a light and
measured stages so you know number of years and count
(of time).” (10:5)
“Allah is He who raised heavens without pillars that
you can see; Then He established Himself on the throne;
And He subjected the sun and the moon (to his law);
each one runs its course for a term appointed.” (13:2)
9) Allah created Sun and moon, and He made them subject to you:
“It is Allah Who hath created the heavens and the earth
and sendeth down rain from the skies......... He has made
subject to you, the night and the day; the sun and the
moon; and the stars in subjection by His command.”
(14:32-33)
“He has made subject to you, the night and the day; the
sun and the moon; and the stars in subjection by His
command.” (16:12)
“See you not that to Allah bow down in worship all
things in the heavens and on earth, the sun, the moon,
the stars.” (22:18)
“Blessed is He who made constellations in the skies,
and placed therein a lamp and a moon reflecting light
(25:61)
If indeed thou ask them Who has created the heavens
and the earth and subjected (to His Law), they will certainly reply, “Allah”. How are they then deluded away
(from the truth)? (29:61)
“See you not Allah merges night into day and day into
night; And subjected the sun and the moon (to His Law);
each one runs its course for a term appointed.” (31:29)
“He merges night into day and day into night; And subjected the sun and the moon (to His Law); each one runs
its course for a term appointed.” (35:13)
“And the moon, we have measured for her mansions
(to traverse) till she returns like the old, (withered, and
curved-up like a sickle) date-palm. It is not permitted
for sun to catch-up the moon, nor can the night outstrip
the day; each swims along in (its own) orbit.” (36:3940)
“He created heavens and the earth in true proportions;
He makes night overlap day and day overlap night and
subjected the sun and the moon (to His Law); each one
runs its course for a term appointed.” (39:5)
Hadith
The beloved Prophet (peace be
upon) said, “See the moon and commence fasting and see the moon and
end fasting (make Eid) and if the skies
are overcast, then complete the counting of thirty (days).”
Ibn Umar reported, I heard the beloved
Prophet (peace be upon him) saying, “When you see the crescent (of
the month of Ramadan), start fasting,
and when you see the crescent (of the
month of Shawwal), stop fasting; and
if the sky is overcast (and you can’t see
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It) then regard the crescent (month) of
Ramadan (as of 30 days, in other words
complete 30 days)”. [Bukhari]
Abdullah bin Umar reported that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“The month (can be) 29 nights (i.e.
days), and do not fast till you see the
moon, and if the sky is overcast, then
complete Sha’ban as thirty days.”
[Bukhari]
Abu Hurayrah reported tha the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Start
fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ral Rabi al-Thani 1436/February 2015 l
madhan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if
the sky is overcast (and you cannot see
it), complete thirty days of Sha’ban.”
[Bukhari]
Huzayfah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not
fast (for Ramadhan) before the coming of the month until you sight the
moon or complete the number (of
thirty days); then fast until you sight
the moon or complete the number (of
thirty days). [Abu Dawood]
The Global Islamic
Conference:
Counter Terrorism
A major international conference, which will be held
at the Muslim World League (MWL) headquarters
in Makkah during 22-24 February 2015, will discuss
solutions to tackle the issue of growing extremism
among Muslim youth. The conference will also confront the challenges posed by terrorism.
“The conference will try to counteract erroneous
perceptions among Muslim youth by providing them
with proper guidance,” said Abdullah Al-Turki, Secretary General of the MWL.
Makkah Governor Prince Misha’al bin Abdullah
bin Abdul Aziz will launch the three-day conference,
entitled “The Global Islamic Conference: Counter
Terrorism” on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Abdullah.
“The main reason for the increase in extremism and
terrorism among some Muslim groups is their ignorance of the true teachings of Islam,” Al-Turki told.
He said it was the joint responsibility of governments, Islamic scholars and the media to fight extremism in Muslim communities.
The conference will discuss recent call urging the
Islamic scholars to stand up to terrorism and extremism, he pointed out.
He said the conference would bring together a
large number of prominent Islamic scholars from the
Kingdom and other parts of the Muslim world.
“The conference will enlighten the Muslim nation
on the need to take more care of its youth and protect
them from foreign deviant thoughts and ideologies,”
the MWL Secretary General said.
He said the conference would have a big global im-
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pact, with the participation of nearly 1,000 delegates,
Al-Turki said the conference would also contribute to
strengthening Muslim unity, which is essential for the
success of the Ummah.
Research papers will be presented on terrorism and
extremism; division, conflict, and intolerance; ignorance and backwardness, and absence of Islamic reference and unity of the Muslim nation.
Topics of Counter-Terrorism Conference
Topic 1- The Concept
1. The definition of Terrorism through the Shari’ah
point of view.
2. The Definition of Terrorism from the
International Perspective.
3. The use of religion as a pretext for terrorism (models of
Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).
5. Financial and Administrative Corruption.
Topic 4- Educational, cultural and media reasons
1. Flaws of the Curriculum in Providing a Balanced Culture.
2. Weakness of the Media in Raising the Levels of
Awareness and Education.
3. Secular and Liberal Extremism.
4. Weakness of the Culture of Dialogue and its
Paradigm, and the Lack of Instilling the Culture
Difference.
Topic 5- Terrorism and regional and global interests
1. Unfair Bias towards Muslim Issues.
2. Provocation of sectarian strife
and sedition among countries
and societies of the Muslim world.
3. Use of terrorism for regional, global and sectarian
Interests.
Topic 2- Religious reasons for terrorism
1. Ignorance of the Purposes of Shari’ah and its
Provisions.
2. Fanaticism and Sectarian
Partisanship.
3. Erroneous Interpretation of Islamic Concepts of (Jihad, Loyalty and
Abjuration, Atonement, Indoctrination and Revelation.).
4. Non-application of Islamic law.
5. Weakness of Da’wah Institutions.
6. The Reality of Religious Discourse.
Topic 3- Social and economic reasons
1. Social Problems: Unemployment, Poverty, Deprivation, Lack of Equal Opportunities.
2. Weak Legislation and Laws to Deal with new
Developments, particularly Issues regarding Human Rights.
3. The family’s Inefficiency in Proper Socialization.
4. Weakness of civil Society’s Institutions.
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Topic 6- Effects of terrorism
1. Tarnishing the Image of Islam and Muslims in the Education
Curricula and the Media.
2. Frequent Sedition and Shedding of Innocent People’s Blood. 3. Lack of Interest in Islamic Nation’s Issues.
4. Increase in Global Tension.
Workshops
1. The Application of Islamic Shari’ah and sensible
Islamic governance.
2. Contemporary Islamic Vision of an Islamic
State.
3. The concept of Jihad in Islamic Law (controls,
provisions, etiquette).
4. The Best Means to Deal with Terrorism (practical programs to combat it).
5. Counter-terrorism Experience (Saudi Arabia’s
efforts as model).
6- Role of the Media in Combating Terrorism.
OIC Chief: Muslims have right to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary
General Iyad Madani said Monday that he had the
right to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.
“Every other Muslim has the right to come here as
well,” Madani said at the iconic mosque. “I, and every
other Muslim, have the right to pray at the mosque as
well.” Madani is currently on a visit to East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He described the visit
as “something Muslims have long been deprived of.”
At the mosque, Madani was received by several AlAqsa Mosque and religious endowment officials. He
was given a briefing about conditions at the mosque,
especially in relation to continued Israeli violations
against it and attempts by the Israeli government to
Judaize it. Madani had earlier performed prayers at the
Dome of the Rock Mosque before touring the historical house of worship. It is Madani’s first-ever visit to
the mosque, but the second by an OIC chief. Former
OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu visited
the flashpoint site in 2013. Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital
of the self-proclaimed Jewish state in a move never
recognized by the international community.
Earlier, addressing the opening session of an exhibition on Jerusalem, Madani on Sunday renewed invitations for Muslims from all over the world to visit
Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. He called on Arabs
and Muslims to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem to safeguard the holy sites’ Islamic identities.
The OIC chief said obstacles encountered by Arabs
and Muslims on the way to the holy site would show
the world that they were not ready to abandon them.
Madani also called on travel and tourism agencies
to provide the opportunity for Muslim tourists who
want to visit Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Madani
called for connecting Umrah season with the pilgrimage to Al-Aqsa mosque, saying that he hopes to attract
200,000 visitors to Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa in the
first year. The OIC chief also announced Jerusalem as
Capital of Islamic Culture for 2015.
The Exhibition titled “Jerusalem in memory,” was
inaugurated by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The Exhibition, which was organized by the Research Center for
Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), and the
Palestinian Ministry of Culture, displays mainly historical pictures of Jerusalem. --IINA
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UN rejects Palestinian resolution to
end Israel’s occupation
The United Nations Security Council rejected a Palestinian resolution demanding an end to Israeli occupation
within three years, a blow to an Arab campaign to get
the UN’s most powerful body to take action to achieve
an independent state of Palestine.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, had made
clear its opposition to the draft resolution, insisting on a
negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, not an imposed timetable. It would have used
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its veto if necessary but it didn’t have to because the
resolution failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes
required for adoption by the 15-member council. The
resolution received eight “yes” votes, two “no” votes —
one from the United States and the other from Australia
— and five abstentions. “We voted against this resolution not because we are comfortable with the status quo.
We voted against it because ... peace must come from
hard compromises that occur at the negotiating table,”
US Ambassador Samantha Power
said.
She criticized the decision to
bring the draft resolution to a vote
as a “staged confrontation that will
not bring the parties closer.” She
added that the resolution was “deeply unbalanced” and didn’t take into
account Israel’s security concerns.
“Our effort was a serious effort,
genuine effort, to open the door for
peace,” said Riyad Mansour, the
Palestinian UN ambassador. “Unfortunately, the Security Council
is not ready to listen to that message.” Until shortly before the vote,
council diplomats had expected the
resolution to get nine “yes” votes.
But Nigeria, which was believed to
support the resolution, abstained. Its
ambassador, U. Joy Ogwu, echoed
the US position saying the ultimate
path to peace lies “in a negotiated
solution.” The Palestinians, nonetheless, could point to support from
two European nations, France and
Luxembourg, reflecting the growing impatience especially in Europe
over the lack of progress in achieving a two-state solution, and the increasing pressure on governments to
do something to end the decades-old
conflict.
This impatience, and frustration
over the Security Council’s paralysis in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was echoed by many
on the council, including the United
States. Jordan’s UN Ambassador
Dina Kawar, the Arab representative
on the council, said after the vote:
“The fact that this draft resolution
was not adopted will not at all prevent us from proceeding to push the
international community, specifically the United Nations, toward an
effective involvement to achieving
a resolution to this conflict.” Mansour said Palestinian leaders will be
meeting “and will decide on next
steps.” Before the vote, Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the
Palestinians can return again to the
Security Council, which will have
five new members who are viewed
as more sympathetic to their cause.
If the council says “no” again,
he said, the Palestinians will seek
to join the International Criminal
Court. They could then press charges against Israel for war crimes and
crimes against humanity. France had
put forward a draft resolution setting
the outlines for a peace agreement
and setting a two-year deadline for
negotiations — and French Ambassador Francois Delattre told the
council he will be pursuing council
action to resolve the conflict.
Israel’s image and its standing,
especially in Europe, have come under increasing pressure as a result of
this summer’s Gaza war and its refusal to halt settlement building. Israel Nitzan, the Middle East adviser
at Israel’s UN Mission, delivered a
brief message to the Palestinians after the vote: “You cannot agitate ...
your way to a state.”
Palestinian President Mahmud
Abbas found himself under pressure
at home to proceed with a UN vote
and to take other measures after
months of unrest with Israel. Pressure increased earlier this month
after a Palestinian minister died
from a heart attack after scuffling
with Israeli security forces in the
West Bank at a protest against settlements. That incident came after
months of tensions that included the
collapse of the latest round of USbacked peace talks, a 50-day war
between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, Israeli security measures that restricted Muslim
access to a revered holy site in Jerusalem and a spate of Palestinian attacks that killed 11 people. The violence seems to have mostly subsided
in recent weeks but attacks persist.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly
Churkin, a strong supporter of the
resolution, took issue with the US
and others who said it undermined
prospects for negotiations. “We believe this to be a strategic mistake,”
Churkin said, “just as casting off our
proposals to do brainstorming in the
council in order to determine ways
to reinvigorate the negotiating process, including sending to the Middle
East a council mission.”
--Agencies
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Masjid Al-Aqsa – Its Significance and
Understanding
Dr. Mozammel Haque
Adviser
Islamic Cultural Centre, London
On Monday, the 8th of December 2014 there was a discussion on the significance and importance of Masjid
al-Aqsa and the situation and what is happening on the
ground at Masjid al-Aqsa today. There were parliamentarians who spoke about what is happening there and
what is the present situation in that region. The chair
felt the need to bring the issue of Al-Aqsa to the heart
of British politics; need to bring the issue of Masjid alAqsa and its significance to the heart of democracy the
parliament today. He said, “We know what is happening
in Jerusalem, what is happening to Al-Aqsa.”
Millions of Muslims in the UK and around the world
share Palestinian concerns about increasing incursions
and trespasses within the sacred Al-Aqsa sanctuary in
Jerusalem. In recent months, Israel has taken a number
of steps to undermine Palestinian sovereignty to the
site, which is a place of enormous religious and cultural
significance.
There are distinguished Members of Parliament who
spoke about their opinions and also the chair of Masjid al-Aqsa who delivered his briefing on why Masjid
al-Aqsa is significant and why it is important and also
outline the political reality of what is current on the
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ground.
David Jones, MP
David Jones, Conservative Member of Parliament from
Wales who recently returned from Jordan where he met
a group of MPs and a group of Observers, visited refugee camps and had discussions with senior figures from
the Jordanian Government including His Majesty the
King Abdullah, his Prime Minister, Foreign Minister,
and Interior Minister. He said, “It was very clear that
the issue of Al-Aqsa was the predominant one that the
Jordanian authority was considering at that time. I like
to put the issue of Al-Aqsa in the context of what else I
was doing during my period.”
Conservative Parliamentarian Jones visited refugee
camps and speaking about his experience, he said, “We
visited one Palestinian camp Higgins which has been
established since the late 1940s,” Mr. Jones met one of
the refugees who is 85-years old; and he was told that
she has been refugee since the age of 19 years old.
Speaking about Al-Aqsa incursion, David Jones
Conservative parliamentarian said, “The Hashemite
Monarchy of course are regarded as the Custodian of
the Al-Aqsa and there was no doubt at all in my mind
that they regarded the incursion to that Al-Aqsa as a
matter of serious as much serious for them as you probably know that they had withdrawn their ambassador
from Israel. And that was regarded as a very significant
step indeed because there had been provocations from
large longer years when you regarded the most recently
incursion such serious matter that they could not but
rather have to recall their ambassador. I think that was
a very wise part of the Jordanian authorities.”
Parliamentarian Jones also said, “We had the horror
of Gaza followed by the announcement that there are to
be more Israeli settlement; constructed over West Bank
and the more recently had the announcement by the
Israeli cabinet that they proposed to change the Constitution frankly and covertly reduce Palestinians what
can be described as second class citizens within Israel.
So there is continuing provocations on the part of Israel. And that will continue certainly until general elections.”
But MP Jones maintained, “However, there is optimistic sign; I think the most optimistic sign is the readiness of Parliaments right across Europe to recognise
Palestinian statehood; Sweden, Spain, most recently
France and of course the House of Commons noted
most recently to recognise the Palestinian Statehood. I
hope similar vote would be in the European parliament
shortly.”
Marcus Jones, MP.
Conservative MP from Nuneaton, Marcus Jones, said,
“I think you can all probably agree in this room some of
the things that happened across the summer and some
of the things that happened today have been disproportionate.”
He also said, “What I am thinking is to make sure
that from this Parliament and from other Parliaments
across Europe we might sign this and make loud and
clear that we are not willing to accept this situation
where this situation is consistently one way situation
where the people of Palestine constantly under pressure
and I hope to work with my constituency to put that
view across towns and colleagues.”
Andy Slaughter MP from Hammersmith
Labour MP for Hammersmith Andy Slaughter, mentioned that we have identified some of the issues; the
very key issues: the very changing, very dangerous situation in the occupied territories at the moment. He said,
“I think the threat to Al-Aqsa is possibly the most seri-
ous threat potentially and one of the most, I think, one
of the most understood least in the West and the restrictions on access for prayers that happened on end of October and equally along side that the effective siphoning
of extremist settlers who want to go to the Haram Sharif
to pray which is not something which is permitted and
which is now happening I understand on daily basis.”
Labour MP Slaughter said, “This is the background
what is happening on daily basis. This shows there has
been quite a radical change in the outlook of the Israeli
in particular over the time Netanyahu is in government
this time.”
Parliamentarian Slaughter also mentioned about the
settlement building. He said, “The fact that the settlement building goes on apace and living aside what happened in Gaza; the barbarity and attacking on civilians.
This is happening every month, not on the same scale
but the murder of Palestinians, in prison without trial;
and the daily persecution that way and the besieged going on that is something not just constant which has the
cumulative effect in that way. It is a powder cake mentality.”
Talking about what is happening in Jerusalem, MP
Slaughter mentioned, “What is happening in Jerusalem
itself gets worse and worse and particularly the attempt
to Judaisation of Jerusalem; the inclusion and encircling
the Jerusalem as well as the various attacks on the site
of Al-Aqsa. This is now a consertive campaign and it
reflects the extremism that brought up within the Israeli
government.”
Labour MP Slaughter said he did not see any positive signs. He said, “I am afraid I don’t see many positive signs; you are absolutely right that the votes that
are taking place across Europe including around the
two places; they are absolutely important, particularly
the votes at the House of Commons, given the baggage
the UK has in relation to the Balfour Declaration under
mandate and also the fact that we have under both the
parties had very pro-Israeli government for the past generations here. That changed with the Labour party under
Ed Miliband but it has also changed in other parties as
well. We have 40 MPs voting for recognition and quite
senior MPs as well in that way. Those are important;
they are more than symbolic. We will have recognition
and I am sure within a foreseeable future.”
Speaking about response, Mr. Slaughter said, “It is
rather a half-hearted response. Nobody is talking about
even for example banning settlement goods.”
Talking about the Settlements, MP. Slaughter said,
“Settlements are illegal; they are illegal under inter-
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national law; it is not about boycott; we have another
discussion about boycott; this is about banning illegal
projects; which by definition it is illegal. We are not
even talking about today against the events I mentioned
going on. Although I think there is now much great
understanding; certainly among British people who
are overwhelmingly able to understand the Palestinian
cause even politicians are catching up; they sometimes
do public opinion.”
But still there is disparity there. Andy Slaughter
mentioned about the Jeremy Bowen programme, a good
programme on olive trees. He said, “if you have heard
the programme Jeremy Bowen programme yesterday;
it’s a good programme on olive about the settler’s deliberate destruction of the olive trees, how Palestinian
farmers cannot sustain themselves; but there are far
more symbolic people; it is a good programme and if
you listen to that programme you will have a pretty
clear idea of Palestine but what it did not do; it did not
make clear; it did not address this is only happening because of illegal occupation; it might have mentioned, I
have not heard it.”
“Why it is happening; that dimension, that overview
situation; missing the political discourse; that’s why
we have to keep talking about the issue in the House;
that’s why we have to keep informing everyday to see
whether justice is kept on line,” Labour MP Slaughter
concluded.
Mr. Ismail Patel
Mr. Ismail Patel of chair of the Al-Aqsa explained the
importance and the significance of Masjid Al-Aqsa and
informed what is happening on the ground. First of all
Al-Aqsa what it is? Dome of Rock and finally how it
explained and how it transpired into global arena and
why it is possible for Israel to get away with.
Al-Aqsa is a piece of land
Ismail Patel first of all gave a brief description of AlAqsa. He said, “Al-Aqsa, contrary to lot of myths, it is
not a building; Al-Aqsa is a piece of land; approximately
35 acres; it referred to in the media Temple Mount and
within this piece of land, which we refer to as Al-Aqsa,
there are four mosques, 40 domes; 11 water wells; 3
minars; and whatever within that complex, the Al-Aqsa
sanctuary is known as Al-Aqsa mosque. The building
of course, has four connotations, four significance and
they have all relevant stood in the Islamic history era of
the place of the region.”
Mr. Patel also mentioned about that piece of land
12
blessed by God and which is for the whole of creation.
He said, “When you talk about al-Aqsa the first thing
you have to clear our mind with what we are talking
about is a piece of land; a land which has been blessed, according to Muslims, by God for the whole of the
creation. This is another very important factor ; there is
no exclusive right to the Islamic teaching; that Islam is
only blessed to a certain group of people; it is blessed
for everybody; anybody who resides there and benefits
from it will ripe with the rewards.”
Dome of Rock
Speaking about the Dome of Rock, Mr. Patel mentioned, “Within the Al-Aqsa complex and if you visit
Jerusalem, the immediate picture on most of the people’s mind will be the beautiful magnificent enigmatic
Dome of the Rock. This is in the centre of the Al-Aqsa
complex; it was built in the 7th century; it was one of
the longest historical buildings in the region that is in
existence in use. We are talking about the heritage and
the history that stretches back over a thousand years.
This building which was built is an Islamic masterpiece
and it has captured minds not only of the believers but
of scholars, archaeologists, poets, and it captured them
because of magnificent and what it transpires, what it
tells us, it is the testimony that Muslims love and devotion to Jerusalem. In fact, what Muslims tried to do is
to encapsulate their love for Jerusalem through bricks
and mortar.”
Why Muslims love Jerusalem
Mr. Patel spoke on why Muslims love Jerusalem. He
went back to the Islamic heritage and mentioned, “Jerusalem has not only inspired Muslims because of the fact
that it is mentioned in the Qur’an but it links Islamic
heritage and history not only from the time of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) but from the time of
the creation of mankind itself. We believe that when the
first Man put on this planet he built two Houses of Worship created by God, one is in Makkah and the second
one is in Jerusalem. Hence we see the heritage from the
time of humanity. Thus those who belief in faith it eminence from Jerusalem and this brings Muslims very very
close whether they are part and parcel of new modern
day state of Palestine or not. It transcends modernity; it
transcends nation-state; and it brings in humanity either
because of its love of architecture, through its love of poetry, through its history or faith to Jerusalem and hence
finally millions of Muslims, right of billions throughout
the globe attached to Jerusalem and what happened to
Palestine becomes significant.”
Palestine has a special place in the problems of the
world. Mr. Patel said, “Despite all the problems that we
have around the globe , Palestine finds a special place
that I mentioned earlier, Jerusalem is not exclusive to
Muslims; Muslims has never in its history claim their
sovereignty devoid of any other people. In fact, when
substantially Muslims liberated Jerusalem; it was the
Jewish people who ended their diasporas ended that
started in 1718 Jewish who had been expelled by the
Romans. So when Muslims came in 637 they allowed
the Jewish people to return back. Thousands years of
diasporas the exiled was ended by the Muslims. If you
looked at the Judaize State within the first month of
Muslims liberated Jerusalem, certainly 70 Jewish family for the first time started residing in Jerusalem.”
Liberation of Jerusalem for the humanity
Patel spoke about the liberation of Jerusalem for humanity. He said, “The liberation of Jerusalem not for Muslims, not for the Palestinians but for the humanity. Everybody can enjoy Jerusalem. That should always remind
all of us. Also we understand Jerusalem is occupied;
particularly East Jerusalem is occupied territory under
the international law; under the UN Conventions, under
the Geneva Conventions. We even the British government does not accept Israel’s presence in east Jerusalem
and within east Jerusalem the Masjid al-Aqsa.”
“But this military occupation has been aided and
abetted by the dehumanised Palestinian people. And it
has been done through linguistic through double speech
through long words which is very important for us to
understand,” mentioned Mr. Patel and added, “This language is extremely important. Palestinians are no longer
humans; they are targets, death and killing and elimination under act of killing itself become normal. So we see
this language and how it refers and how it transposed
and how international community people like us, all
parliamentarians.”
Sharing the Blessed place
Mr. Patel explained why he mentioned about language.
He said, “Why I am mentioning to you about language;
the reason I am mentioning about language; because
now the extremist Israeli settlers talk about sharing the
Masjid al-Aqsa. How noble. Why don’t we share the
blessed place Masjid al-Aqsa? How blessed place has
got into We want to share it; Share what? Share an occupied territory? That is illegal under international law;
that is not belonged to Israeli under any circumstances.
This is what they wish. Share what? Let look at the Ibrahimi Mosque al-Khalili in Hebron. This happened in
couple of years ago. They said; just share it, just split in
half and then they say on our holiday Muslims cannot
come. And then now today Muslims cannot use it even
on Friday. That is what sharing left.”
What is going to happen to Al-Aqsa
Mr. Patel said, “This language in the history is important. Masjid al-Aqsa has been mentioned by almost
all the speakers I think this war has been pushing too
far. Because what is going to happen; in the history of
Palestine; it has happened before; when Al-Aqsa was
lost. It galvanised not only the people of the region but
without an exaggeration, the people of the globe and
we have also the mirror in front of us when the Crusaders came in they destroyed the holy sites of Muslims
and the Jewish people; and it took Salahuddin Ayubi to
liberate it and liberated it again for what? And I want to
put it. They liberated it for humanity. Christians are allowed to respite despite the Crusaders and definitely the
Jewish people are allowed to come back.”
Concluding his speech in a negative tone, Mr. Patel said, “Now under the Zionist occupation of Jerusalem, particularly the Masjid al-Aqsa, we have the reverse situation; when the Christians are suffering and
the Muslims are suffering. And I have mentioned now;
two-state solution is not talked about. If they do not talk
about two-state solution, then the world will have left
with no option but to move forward and therefore it is
imperative for the Members of Parliament here those
who have joined pass the message .to make sure the
people do understand; make your friend understand that
the way forward is to respect and that respect comes
from acknowledging the right of the people; until and
unless that comes, the problem will be there.”
Palestine Election Pledge
At the end of the event, the following Palestine Election
pledge was announced:
“My voting decision in the general election in May
2015 will depend on the candidate’s (PPC) position on
Palestine.
“I will be more likely to vote for a candidate to become an MP who:
1. Calls for an end of the siege of Gaza.
2. Calls for the protection of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem
against extremist Israeli settler attacks.
3. Calls for the immediate and unconditional end to
the occupation.
13
Islam and Democracy:
Malaysia in Comparative Perspective
Anwar Ibrahim
Leader of Opposition Malaysia
& former Deputy Prime Minister
Lectured at the Stanford University on November 20, 2014 hostedby Centre for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) and Muslim Student Association
I begin by making some bold assertions. We, as in we
all, regardless whether it is the Muslim world or the
West or Asia, are facing great challenges. This is no
time for equivocation.
So, let me first state firmly: Islam and democracy are
fully compatible. The contention that they are diametrically opposed to each other is without foundation.
Secondly, Boko Haram, al-Shabab, ISIS and all oth-
14
er terrorist organizations that resort to killing innocent
people, raping, kidnapping and forced conversions have
no legitimacy whatsoever and the term Islam or Islamic
state cannot be ascribed to them. Period.
Thirdly, the ulema, Muslim clerics, influential Muslim organizations and all eminent Muslim democrats
must condemn not just these extreme and violent groups
but also the dictatorships and autocratic regimes in the
Muslim world that have persistently denied democratic
rights to their citizens, and whose human rights record
could put even North Korea to shame.
Fourthly, even as the tentacles of ISIS appear to be
spreading across Syria and Iraq, Islamophobia is spreading at an even faster pace all around the world. In consequence, bona fide Muslim organizations and Muslim
democrats become targets even as ordinary Muslims
fall prey to ‘hate crimes’.
Islam and freedom
It is true that there is no democracy without freedom.
And detractors are quick to point out that on this alone,
Islam is left at the starting blocks when measured against
democracy. According to them, this is because there is
no freedom in religion.
This is simply not true. Within Islam, freedom of
faith is one of the five higher objectives of the divine
law, the maqasid al-Shari’ah, together with the protection of life, family and lineage, intellectual well-being,
and property rights.
All persons must rely on their convictions about
what is right and what is wrong – freely, without any
form of duress, intimidation or compulsion. The Holy
Qur’an is explicitly unequivocal about this:
“There shall be no compulsion in religion.” AlBaqara:256
That means you cannot force a person to become a
Muslim. Freedom of faith is allowed.
That is why the same elements in a constitutional democracy become moral imperatives in Islam - freedom
of conscience, freedom to speak out against tyranny, a
call for reform and the right to property.
In Islam, freedom must go together with justice,
hence the doctrine of al-Hurriya wal-Adala. This doctrine is fundamental for moral and social reform in as
much as it is a cornerstone in the Western concept of
democracy.
Equity and justice is ordained in Surat al-Ma‘idah:
8:
“O believers, be you securers of justice, witnesses
for God. Let not detestation for a people move you not
to be equitable; be equitable-that is nearer to being
God-fearing. And fear Allah; surely Allah is aware of
the things you do”. And in Sura al-An’am:115
“And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in
truth and in justice.”
The Rule of Law
Islam enjoins rule of law. Firstly, the expropriation of an
individual right by the state constitutes an infringement.
Secondly, a judge must exercise caution and discretion
in his pronouncements and not allow personal prejudices or animosity to come in the way. And thirdly, and
perhaps most significantly, is the principle that all men
are equal before the law and that society has rights even
as against the state.
In Two Treatises of Government, John Locke sums
up the consequences of a breakdown in the rule of law:
“Wherever law ends, tyranny begins, if the law be transgressed to another’s harm; and whosoever in authority
exceeds the power given him by the law…(he) may be
opposed…”
Joseph Raz adds that laws should be prospective,
stable and not subject to frequent changes, that the discretionary power in law enforcement agencies should
not be allowed to pervert the law and most significantly
that the independence of the judiciary must be guaranteed.
I submit these are totally in line with Islam. The idea
that the whole of Islamic law can be reduced to the application of criminal laws and penalties is an aberrant
approach that has proliferated in the modern period.
The great Muslim scholars from Ibn al-Muqaffa to alMawardi to ibn Taymiyyah and al-Ghazzali have spilled
much ink on the topic of siyasa, what the Arabic language calls the “Art of Governance” and what we refer
to more colloquially as public policy. Interestingly, the
most intense debates on siyasa took place at times when
the Muslim world was in crisis – and such a debate is of
critical importance in the current period.
Islam and governance
In Islam, power is trust and those who have power to
rule must be held accountable for their actions and decisions.
Elected representatives, particularly those in power,
must therefore answer for decisions made. This is an
essential element in good governance.
Governance therefore must go beyond mere democracy and accountability here must go beyond mere electoral accountability.
It is not surprising therefore that we hear that the
specter that is haunting democracy in the world today is
bad governance.
That means governance that serves only the interests
of cronies and relatives and the political elite. It means
patronage and the lack of transparency in the dispensation of government funds and projects. It means governance that turns a deaf ear to the demands for social
justice. It means abuse of power and corruption.
But seriously, solving a country’s governance is
therefore the key to attaining quality democracy and
this takes precedence over the economy. This is because
economic growth will not be sustainable without significant improvements in governance. Again, to quote
a prominent Stanford professor, “for democratic structures to endure…they must listen to their citizens’ voic-
15
es, engage their participation, tolerate their protests,
protect their freedoms, and respond to their needs.”
Overlapping consensus and dialogue with the ruling
party
In advancing our constitutional rights and other legitimate demands and expectations, we should remember
that there are competing claims from different segments
of society. Rawls reminds us that despite “considerable
differences in citizens’ conceptions of justice there can
still be consensus provided that these conceptions lead
to similar political judgments.” This doctrine of overlapping consensus is of particular significance in practical terms for a society like
Malaysia’s that is multiracial and multi-religious. But
the consensus can only be realized by the respective
contending parties refraining from cantankerous and
open disputes regarding religion and philosophy.
Rawls does not suggest that society can or should do
away with its diversity in religion and philosophy but
the overlapping consensus on principles of justice is the
common platform founded on morality that will cement
the multiplicity of groups with diverse doctrines.
It is true that democracy requires compromise and
groups with different agendas and views must be prepared to enter into dialogue setting aside immediate differences.
The humane economy
Drawing inspiration from the principles of Islam, social
justice can only be realized through a ‘humane economy’. From the standpoint of such an economy, there is
no clash between the pursuit of wealth and the dispensation of social justice: the right to ownership of property
endures and while Islam encourages wealthy individuals to contribute to society there is no compulsion apart
from the obligatory taxation on wealth imposed across
the board.
The Islamic position on charity, however, is that it
is supererogatory, i.e. one is not enjoined to do it but
to do it is part of a higher calling to please God and to
earn greater merit in the Hereafter. But the Islamic imperative on the State’s administration of public wealth
is clear: The redistribution of this wealth is to be undertaken by the State with the condition precedent that it
is done in a transparent way with officials being held
completely accountable.
But this is not to say that since charity is not obligatory social justice can be done away with. In the context
of democracy and governance, in the Islamic conception, social justice is an imperative to be followed by
the state. Again, the maqasid al-Shari’ah enjoin those
in charge of the state to ensure society’s sustained wellbeing. Gross inequalities of wealth, poverty, and the
16
deprivation of fundamental social necessities such as
health care, education and housing cannot constitute society’s sustained well-being.
Islam and the Arab Spring
The euphoria many felt in the wake of the Arab Spring
seems like such a distant memory that some of us are
left scratching our heads. Did that even happen?
Watching on television as thousands of Egyptians
took over Tahrir Square and in doing so literally took
back their country. But it was not long before thousands more marched in the streets of Cairo in a stunning, almost baffling reversal of fortune. They fought
tooth and nail not for freedom per se but to hand the
reins of power right back to the military – where it will
most likely rest for generations to come. The regime in
power in Egypt today is demonstrably more repressive
than anything we saw under Mubarak.
The Arab revolutions have largely unraveled – if one
can even call them revolutions at all. Some countries
have imposed severe authoritarian strictures in hopes of
stuffing back into Pandora’s Box what was unleashed in
December 2010 by the Tunisian street vendor Muhammad Bouazizi. Other countries have literally crumbled
in the wake of protest, uprising and civil war.
As if democracy was simply a thing that happens to
good people when the time is right, there are those who
look at the past few years and conclude that the Muslim
world is simply not ready for a democratic change.
Is this really the lesson we should draw: that democracy is not worth the price one must pay in hopes of
achieving it. I would argue emphatically to the contrary.
I have tabulated the essential values enjoined in Islam that are fully compatible with democracy. Unfortunately, between what ought to be and what is lies a deep
chasm. Or as T.S. Eliot has so eloquently put it:
“Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the shadow.”
Thus, freedom of religion and conscience, freedom
of speech, the fundamental liberties, sanctity of property, dignity of man, justice and rule of law – the things
that ought to be are just so sorely lacking in Muslim
societies that while the theory is right the reality bites
hard.
The authoritarians that have survived this latest
bout of democratic fury are generally speaking more
clever and cunning. The brutality of their rule is carefully masked by expensive public relations exercises
and carefully scripted appearances in the international
media.
General Sisi knows that to scuttle the democratic aspirations of a nation of 80 million requires careful strategy that has world leaders lining up to praise his coup as
a triumph of democracy in the Middle East. The irony is
so implausible I can only think of Malcolm X who said
that “if you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you
hating the people who are being oppressed and loving
the people who are doing the oppressing.”
In the recent period Malaysia has seen a rise in exclusivist politics. What has been a relatively peaceful
and multi ethnic nation is being fractured by competing voices of intolerance suggesting that citizenship is
no longer based on the belief in a nation but rather in
the absolute supremacy of a single religious or ethnic
group. We no longer live in a world where rights are to
be shared harmoniously.
This is in part due to ignorance. But it does not take a
doctoral degree in Islamic law or history to demonstrate
the religion’s pluralistic outlook – and Muslim teachers
well versed in the tradition should be at the forefront of
debunking this racist agenda.
So what is at play in places like Malaysia where bigotry is sanctioned in the name of Islam? Why else are
some religious authorities playing this dangerous game
other than to kow-tow to political masters who cling to
power through diabolical tactics of divide-and-rule.
This should be deeply distressing for everyone. Certainly the nation remains relatively at peace. But religious and racial bigotry are a slippery slope. In America
Islamophobia starts with a few isolated incidents of discrimination and violence; then - a gradual sense of fear
and mistrust; followed by full blown institutionalized
racism. If the NYPD can legally pursue a policy of surveillance of an entire community based on their ethnic
or religious belief without any reasonable cause, then
the possibility of suspending other Constitutional provisions becomes much easier.
These actions sow the seeds for mistrust and discord,
tearing away at the fabric of a nation. If those chauvinists and bigots are not taken to task for undermining
what are constitutional guarantees then the entire system of rights and responsibilities decays by this cancer.
The selective application of laws to protect just a few
– those who support the government - leads to violence
and empowers those who would seek to take the laws
into their own hands. You project this to its eventual
conclusion and you have disasters such as that which is
unfolding in Syria and Iraq. I hope Malaysia can correct
its course. The antidote to this disease is a version of
statehood that is inclusive and accountable to the hopes
and aspirations of its own people.
Conclusion
Some great heroes have emerged in recent years. People
whose sacrifice gives truth to adage “Give me liberty or
give me death.” Their work – frequently highlighted by
this Centre – is worth noting. These weighty concepts of
freedom, justice, rule of law are not just theoretical concepts to be discussed in the halls of academia. For many
around the world – they are quite literally the difference
between life and death. In closing I offer to you a few
lines from Abu al-Qasim al-Shabbi, a colonial-era Tunisian poet whose verses inspired men to move mountains
in search of freedom.
If the people will to live
Providence is destined to favourably respond
And night is destined to fold
And the chains are certain to be broken
And he who has not embraced the love of life
Will evaporate in its atmosphere and disappear
Thank you.
Two Treatises of Government, edited by Peter Laslett,
New York: Mentor, 1965, Ch. XVIII
Raz, Joseph. “The Rule of Law and Its Virtue”, The
Law Quarterly Review, volume 93, page 195 (1977)
Larry Diamond’s address of the National Endowment
for Democracy’s 25 years of operations, 2007
Larry Diamond, The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World.
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2008
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice. (Revised Ed.) Harvard University Press, 1971, 1999, p. 340.
The Hollow Men
17
Syria’s war enters new year more fragmented than ever
MWLJ Desk Report
Deep into its fourth year of conflict,
Syria looks less and less like a state
than a patchwork of warring fiefdoms,
making outside powers more reluctant
to intervene even as it becomes more
destabilizing for the region, Reuters
reported.
The United States finally entered
Syria’s war this year, three years after
President Barack Obama said Bashar
al-Assad must leave power. But it did
so only reluctantly, to staunch advances by Islamic State fighters in neighbouring Iraq, and without challenging
Assad. With over 200,000 now dead
and millions displaced, Syria’s disintegration may worsen even further due
to the surprising drop in oil prices in
December. Added economic pressure
may make it tougher for any faction
to gain a decisive advantage. Attempts
to find a “political solution” which international powers say is the only way
forward - possibly in the form of a
settlement between Assad and his op-
18
ponents - have gone nowhere. Now it
is not even clear who would be party
to any future solution. The strongest
anti-Assad forces are mainly hardline
Islamists such as Islamic State, also
known as ISIS, and al Qaeda’s Syrian
affiliate, the Nusra Front, who are as
abhorrent to the West as they are to
Assad’s backers Russia and Iran.
Many analysts say Western powers
and even staunch regional Assad opponents such as Saudi Arabia now see
the war’s dominant factions as groups
they cannot support, limiting their options. “The idea of the opposition has
evaporated for Saudi Arabia,” said
Nasser Qandil, a Lebanese newspaper
editor and former lawmaker with good
relations with Damascus. “They know
that the option is ISIS and Nusra or
the regime. There’s no third option.”
Instead, he says, many regional players, and perhaps even Western powers,
are choosing what he called a strategy
of “retreat” - essentially leaving Syrl Rabi al-Thani 1436/February 2015 l
ia’s combatants to fight it out on their
own. Washington says supporting Assad’s “moderate” opponents is part of
its strategy. But by bombing Islamic
State positions daily and carrying out
a handful of strikes against Nusra
Front, it has freed Assad’s air force to
hit other opponents elsewhere.
The opposition forces that Western
powers have half-heartedly supported
are now splintered into hundreds of
groups, many with competing ideologies and interests. Kurdish militias in
the northeast have fought against Islamic State in coordination with the
U.S.-led coalition - as in the more than
three-month battle for the border town
of Kobani - but play little role outside
their ethnic enclave. Pro-Assad militias are also playing a larger role in
the conflict than ever before. “More
and more warlords are rising in Syria,
who are becoming difficult for the regime to control, which of course adds
pressure on the Assad regime,” said
Lina Khatib, director of the Carnegie
Middle East Centre in Beirut. “I think
basically 2015 will be total chaos for
Syria.” Fractious militias.
Many analysts say U.S. air strikes
against Islamic State will do little
more than contain the group, which
has thoroughly embedded itself in the
parts of Syria it controls. Some “moderate” or non-jihadist rebels appear to
be pinning hopes to the idea that U.S.
military action could be turned against
Assad - perhaps at the urging of regional allies Turkey and Saudi Arabia, both staunch Assad opponents.
Obama’s administration is planning to
carry out a multiyear program to train
and equip “moderate” rebels and field
local forces. Turkey also wants the
United States to set up a “buffer zone”
along the Syrian-Turkish border to
protect moderate rebels, although U.S.
officials have played down the idea.
Even with a safe zone, it would take
far more resources than the United
States has committed to “take a handful of fractious militias that own may
be 1 or 2 percent of Syria and turn
them into the conquerors of the entire
land,” said Joshua Landis, an expert
on Syria at the University of Oklahoma. He pointed to the hundreds of bil-
lions of dollars and years of military
occupation the United States spent
in Iraq, where the government is still
struggling. “Nobody’s going to do that
for Syria ... All sides, all these proxy
armies in Syria - their supporters are
willing to spend enough money so that
they don’t lose and not enough money
that they can win,” Landis said.
The sharp drop in oil prices this
year could put pressure on Assad’s
main backers, Iran and Russia, although it is unlikely they would halt
support altogether. And the price decline may also affect Assad’s opponents, many of whom draw support
from oil-rich Gulf Arab countries.
But the fate of Assad himself seems
no closer to being resolved. The leader has hung on far longer than many
observers predicted when the revolt
broke out and shows no sign of leaving power. Even if Assad were to lose
favour with his foreign backers, they
would struggle to find an alternative.
The United Nations peace envoy to
Syria, Staffan de Mistura - who took
the position after two earlier envoys
quit in frustration - seems to acknowledge the impracticality of finding a
broad solution for Syria’s conflict at
this stage.
Instead of a grand bargain, he has
focused instead on brokering “freeze
zones,” or local truces, in the northern
city of Aleppo, a plan which seems to
acknowledge the reality of a country
divided between hundreds of local
factions. In the meantime, Syria’s disintegration continues, a process that
seems to benefit one player above all:
Islamic State, which has proven adept
at setting up administrative structures
to fill the chaotic vacuum left by the
war. An op-ed in the pan-Arab daily
al-Hayat put it bluntly: “Of all the
forces fighting in Syria and for it, only
ISIS has a clearly defined strategy for
the present and future.
19
PLAIN TRUTH
Narendra Modi’s Government and
The Indian Secular Inclusive Democracy
Dr. Mozammel Haque
Adviser
Islamic Cultural Centre, London
The 63-year-old Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi secured the strongest
mandate of any Indian leader for 30 years, after Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) won 282 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha (Lower House of
Parliament). Ten days after his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the
first parliamentary majority since 1984, for 30 years, promising to forge
a “strong and inclusive” country on a first day that signalled his bold
intentions. “Let us together dream of a strong, developed and inclusive
India that actively engages with the global community to strengthen the
cause of world peace and development,” the statement said. While Modi
said in a speech on Friday that he would ensure that he governed on
behalf of all of India’s 1.2 billion people, the Times of India pointed out
that the new parliament would contain just 24 Muslim MPs, the lowest
number since 1952.
20
Modi government was formed
The former tea boy has risen
through the ranks of right-wing
Hindu organization. He formed a
government of 45 members, a cut
of 26 from that of his predecessor
Manmohan Singh, to try to speed
up decision-making. Senior members in his government are Arun
Jaitley, tipped as finance minister,
Sushma Swaraj, as foreign minister, and Rajnath Singh, for the
home portfolio. Figures such as
Uma Bharti, a hard-liner once expelled from the BJP after accusing the party of abandoning core
Hindu concerns, indicated that the
religious right would retain some
influence.
Modi seems to be an ideologue
and has the strength with the support of NDA; the BJP could even
amend and change the constitution
to reflect its own saffron-tinted
worldview. The Congress has been
reduced to double digits so much
so it does not even qualify for the
status of opposition in Parliament.
Now the question is what Prime
Minister Modi is going to do. The
future of Indian secular democracy
depends mainly on his attitude and
commitment to the Indian public
as a whole; the RSS influence on
the BJP government and Narendra
Modi’s promise for development
and economy for an inclusive secular India.
Narendra Modi’s Background
Modi has humble roots, son of a
railway station tea-seller. Modi left
home at 18 after school, leaving behind a young bride, virtually cutting
off all family ties. Writing about his
early family background, Londonbased New Statesman’s India Correspondent, William Dalrymple,
whose most recent book is “Return
of a King: The Battle for Afghani-
stan”, wrote: “He (Narendra Modi)
was the third of six children born to
a family from the low, oil-presser
Ganchi caste in the small town of
Vadnagar, in the heart of Gujarat;
to provide for his large family,
Modi’s father also ran a tea stall
at Vadnagar railway station. Modi
used to help his father in the early
mornings at the station, then cross
over the tracks to go to school.”
About his marital and family
life, Dalrymple wrote, “Modi has
always talked of himself as single,
but when he filed his papers to
stand for this election, he declared
for the first time that he was in fact
married. According to the custom
of his caste, he had been engaged
at the age of three or four, underwent a religious ceremony at 14,
and began cohabiting at the age of
17. After three months, he walked
out to go on pilgrimage in the Himalayas and never came back.”
“His elder brother issued a
statement saying that “45-50 years
ago our family . . . led a rather ordinary and poverty-stricken life. We
belong to a family which was then
bound by orthodoxy and plagued
by social, educational and financial backwardness . . . Our parents
were not very literate and that is
why they thought Narendrabhai
was like all the other children. Our
parents earned a livelihood and led
a life according to their intellectual
capabilities and conditions. It was
this which later saw our parents get
Narendrabhai married at a rather
young age . . . Today Narendrabhai remains as detached from his
family as he was then,” added Dalrymple.
Modi’s Training at RSS
Modi found his calling in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a
right wing organisation that serves
as the ideological parent of Hindu
groups and the BJP. Its members,
who hold military-style drills and
indoctrination sessions at grounds
across the country each morning,
seek to make India a great power,
militarily strong and economically
prosperous. In an interview he has
said that his real education took
place in the RSS and that he owed
everything to the organisation.
Mehdi Hasan, political editor
of the Huffington Post UK and the
presenter of al-Jazeera English’s
The Cafe, observed in his article,
“Modi, who is 63, is a card-carrying member of the far-right, Hindu
nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS); he started volunteering for the group at the age
of eight and became a full-time
pracharak (propagandist) for it at
the age of 20. “The RSS is a secretive, militaristic, masculine cult; a
distinct Indian form of fascism that
was directly inspired by Italian Fascist youth movements,” Professor
Chetan Bhatt, director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights
at the LSE, tells me. “Its founders
greatly admired Hitler and Mussolini.” In Modi’s Gujarat, Adolf Hitler is glorified in secondary-school
textbooks.”
RSS and its ideology
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) is a millions-strong network
of activists who are united by a belief that India should be a Hindu
nation and that minorities, including 180 million Muslims, should
accept Hindu hegemony. Indeed,
some go further. A report in India’s Caravan magazine claimed
that Yadavrao Joshi, leader of the
RSS in southern India, had told
a training camp of volunteers in
the early 1970s that once the RSS
was strong enough, they would
21
tell Muslims and Christians “that
if you want to live in India and if
you love this country, you accept
that some generations earlier you
were Hindus and come back to the
Hindu fold.”
The RSS has twice been
banned, but several other senior
members of Modi’s BJP who are
expected to take up important posts
in his new government are also former members of the organisation.
While writing about Modi’s
training and association with RSS,
Gulf -based writer Aijaz Zaka Syed,
observed, “Modi spent all his life
in the ideological trenches of hardline Hindutva. He left home at 18,
leaving behind a young bride, to
become full-time pracharak (propagandist) of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological parent. He was parachuted
into Ahmedabad as Gujarat chief
minister in 2001 by the BJP on the
orders o RSS. It’s hardly a secret
that the RSS believes in one nation
22
and one religion under one god.
Others are welcome to live in the
Hindutva paradise as long as they
embrace the ‘Hindu way of life’
and as second class citizens.”
To some, his background in the
Hindu group and his handling of
the riots in Gujarat remain a cause
of concern. Critics say the RSS is
deeply opposed to Muslims and
that its objective of a Hindu India
was a challenge to India’s secular
traditions.
Modi’s Past Performances: Gujarat Riots
As regards Modi’s past performance and activities, observers
mentioned about Gujarat riots during his chief ministership. Modi
has been accused of failing to stop
the rioting in Gujarat, which killed
mostly Muslims and prompted the
US to deny him a visa. He has repeatedly denied the accusations and
a Supreme Court-appointed panel
found no evidence he gave orders
that prevented assistance from
reaching those being attacked.
Mentioning about Gujarat riots,
Mehdi Hasan wrote in his write-up
in New Statesman: “A chilling report published by Human Rights
Watch (HRW) in April 2002 documented how the orgy of killing,
burning, raping and looting had
been “actively supported by state
government officials”. It spoke of
how a pregnant Muslim teenager
had had her womb “cut open with a
sharp weapon . . . the unborn baby
was taken out and both mother and
the child were burnt dead”. Several
witnesses were told by police: “We
have no orders to save you.”
“As a result, India’s Supreme
Court described Modi as a “modern-day Nero”, fiddling while Gujarat burned. The National Human
Rights Commission concluded that
“there was a comprehensive failure
on the part of the state government
to control the persistent violation of
the rights to life . . . and dignity of
the people of the state”. The bloodstained buck stopped with the BJP
chief minister,” added Hasan.
Another writer, Dalrymple,
mentioned earlier, also wrote
in New Statesman: “In 2002, the
year after Modi became chief minister of Gujarat, as many as 2,000
people, most of them Muslims,
were killed and about 200,000 more
displaced in an intercommunal
bloodbath. Large numbers of girls
were raped; men were cut to pieces
and burned alive with kerosene or
burning tyres. Pregnant women
had their womb slit open and the
foetuses smashed in front of their
eyes. Modi, who prides himself on
his hands-on administrative skills,
was accused of allowing the 2002
riots to happen, or even of ordering
the police to let the rioters get on
with their work – something he has
denied.”
“A report by Human Rights
Watch asserted that his administration was complicit in the massacres.
“The attacks were planned in advance,” a senior researcher for the
organisation said, “and organised
with the extensive participation of
the police and state government officials.” mentioned Dalrymple.
Modi’s Cabinet
Modi was sworn in as 15th Prime
Minister of India on Monday,
26th of May, 2014 after winning
282 of the 543-elected seats in India’s Lower House of Parliament.
The size of his cabinet, the government’s highest decision making
body, is 24, smaller than the outgoing Manmohan Singh cabinet that
had 28 members. There are some
big names Arun Jaitley was put
in charge of finance, corporate affairs and defence; Rajnath Singh of
home affairs; and Sushma Swaraj
of external affairs and overseas In-
dian affairs, for example.
Modi has navigated his way
through his friends carefully but
has stopped short of compromising to please them. Nitin Gadkari,
the new minister for road transport, highways and shipping, gives
the Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh a place in the cabinet. But
the Shiv Sena is less pleased with
its single leader in the team, Anant
Geete, who has been put in charge
of heavy industries and public enterprises.
The number of ministers from
Uttar Pradesh reflects the 71 seats
the BJP won in the vast state. But
the regional representation in the
cabinet it also strategic, with an
eye on upcoming elections in certain states. Apart from the size, there are
five ways in which Modi’s cabinet
is different from the outgoing one.
According to The Hindu’s analysis
of data from the Rajya Sabha and
Lok Sabha websites, the Association for Democratic Reforms and
PRS Legislative Research.:
1) Its a younger team The average age of the new cabinet is just
over 60, three years less than the
average age that MPs of the outgoing cabinet were at the start of
their term. Cabinet Minister Najma
Heptullah, at 74, is the oldest and
first-time Rajya Sabha MP Smriti
Irani at the age of 38 is the youngest.
2) Women are much better
represented: The new Council of
ministers has seven women among
its 46, six of them of with cabinet
rank and one with Minister of State
rank with independent charge. The
outgoing Council of Ministers had
nine women among its 71, but just
two of them were of cabinet rank.
3) Less wealthy. The new cabinet is worth Rs. 429 crores put tol Rabi al-Thani 1436/February 2015 l
gether (minus Thawar Chand Gehlot, whose financial information
was not immediately available), at
an average of Rs. 18.66 crore per
minister. The new Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is the richest, worth
over Rs 113 crore, while Lok Jan
Shakti Party leader Ramvilas Paswan is the only non-crorepati minister, with assets of Rs96 lakh.
4) Entirely educated at
home. All but seven of the cabinet
ministers are graduates and above.
Nearly half the cabinet lists ‘politics’ as its profession, and there is
one ‘landlord’ (Mr. Raju) and one
actor (Ms. Irani).
Criminal record: Cabinet minister Uma Bharti has the longest
list of criminal cases against her —
13 cases including two charges of
attempt to murder and one charge
of creating enmity between communities. Nitin Gadkari follows
with four criminal charges.
RSS representation
The Hindu English-language daily
newspapers compiled Maharashtra
state’s representation. Maharashtra,
which contributed the second largest number of seats to the NDA’s
kitty (42) after Uttar Pradesh (73)
secured six berths in the Narendra
Modi-led Union council of ministers with Rajya Sabha MP Piyush
Goyal representing the country’s financial capital in the cabinet. Others
include Maharashtra BJP’s strongman Gopinath Munde, whose chief
ministerial ambitions are no secret;
RSS Swayamsewak and former
BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, who notched up his maiden
Lok Sabha victory from Nagpur;
Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete who
trounced NCP minister Sunil Tatkare from Raigad in a close fight;
Raosaheb Danve Patil, a four-term
MP from Jalna, Marathwada, who
23
has an RSS background, and former Rajya Sabha MP and party
spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.
Some observations about the future
Speaking about the future, it may
be mentioned there are three important issues, which are part of
RSS’s agenda and now become part
of BJP’s manifestoes. These are: i)
Abolishing Article 370 in Jammu
and Kashmir, ii) Bringing in a Uniform Civil Code; iii) Building Ram
Mandir in Ayodhya etc.
“A few of the RSS agendas
even found their way in the BJP
manifesto, with renewed vigour,
this time around. This includes
their favourite themes of pursuing a
uniform civil code in India- which
invariably hinges on the plank of
stifling non-Hindu religious and
cultural freedoms, abolishing Article 370 that gives autonomy to
the state of Jammu and Kashmir,
building the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, cow protection, etc. In fact,
the manifesto even declared India
to be a “natural home for persecuted Hindus” who shall be “welcome
24
to seek refuge here.” So a Nepali
Hindu could very well make India
his home but if a Keralite Christian with a UK passport was being
persecuted, he wouldn’t get refuge
in India as per the current formulation in the BJP manifesto,” wrote
Shehzad Poonawalla, 26-year-old
lawyer-activist engaged in politics
and civil rights movement. He is
the youngest Additional Private
Secretary to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of
India.
Mr. Poonawallah also mentioned, “The ultimate agenda of the
RSS is to see the creation of a Hindu Rashtra or a Hindu state. This
would require the “undoing” of
the current Constitutional scheme
of “secularism” – an idea which
has always been under attack by
the Sangh Parivar. The RSS would
require a Modi-led government to
systematically “harmonize” independent institutions that can pose
a challenge to the accomplishment
of this goal.”
Rajeev Sharma, New Delhibased independent journalist and
political commentator mentioned
that RSS leaders like Mohan Vaidya
have already started making noises
about the saffron agenda and demanded concrete steps from the
Modi government in this context.
He also said hours after Modi’s inauguration, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s
Office, came up with a highly controversial statement. “The process
of repealing Article 370 has started.
We are speaking to the stakeholders.” Singh’s statement hints at the
BJP’s well-known larger agenda,
which the party has been trying
unsuccessfully for decades. Again,
the people of India had voted on
the sole plank of development and
clean government rather than raking up controversial issues like the
repeal of Article 370.”
Sharma said, “Modi will be
committing a blunder by taking up
three core Hindutva issues: Temple
in Ayodhya, repeal of Article 370
in Jammu and Kashmir which accords a special status to the state,
and bringing in a Uniform Civil
Code aimed at drastically amending Muslim personal laws. Nobody
will realize it better than Modi that
divisive politics does not pay in the
long run.”
Conclusion
I am concluding this write-up with
some wise advice from Indian citizen, administrator and academic,
for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as for Indian
public. Gopalkrishna Gandhi is a
former administrator and diplomat.
He was Governor of West Bengal,
2004-2009, and officiating Governor of Bihar, 2005-2006.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi wrote
an Open Letter to Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi wherein
he said, “No one should have the
impudence to speak the monarchist language of uniformism to a
republic of pluralism, the vocabulary of “oneness” to an imagination
of many-nesses, the grammar of
consolidation to a sensibility that
thrives in and on its variations. India is a diverse forest. It wants you
to nurture the humus that sustains
its great variety, not place before it
the monochromatic monoculturalism of a political monotheism.”
He added, “What has been taken as your stand on Article 370 of
the Constitution, the old and hackneyed demand for a Uniform Civil
Code, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,
and what the media have reported
as your statements about “Hindu
refugees” in our North and NorthWest and “Muslim refugees” in our
East and North-East, strikes fear,
not trust. Mass fear, Mr. Modi, cannot be an attribute of the Republic
of India. And, as Prime Minister of
India, you are the Republic’s alter
ego.”
“India’s minorities are not a
segment of India, they are an infusion in the main. Anyone can burn
rope to cinder, no one can take the
twist out of it. Bharat mata ki jai,
sure, Mr. Modi, but not superseding the compelling urgency of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s clarion
— Jai Hind!” Gandhi concluded
his open letter by saying that.
Another advice is from an
academic: Muslims should wait
and watch how Narendra Modi,
BJP leader and India’s next prime
minister, uses this opportunity to
change himself from a polarizing
figure with divisive ideology to a
leader with an inclusive approach,
according to Manzoor Alam, general secretary of All India Milli
Council, who is also chairman of
the New Delhi-based Institute of
Objective Studies (IOS). He was
speaking at a talk on “The role of
Indian Muslims in nation building:
Exploring threats and opportunities
Muslims will face post-election
2014.”
He said the coming three months
would be very crucial to judge the
Modi-led government. He welcomed BJP President Rajnath
Singh’s post-victory statement that
“the NDA government would take
along everyone in the country’s
journey toward development.”
Alam hoped Modi will not replicate the policy of Gujarat where he
has completely marginalized Muslims. “If majority communalism
dominates, it will certainly make
way for tyranny,” he stressed.
The new Indian Minority Affairs Minister Dr. Najma Heptullah
has an arduous task at hand. She
is the lone Muslim face of Modi’s
Cabinet. She, being grandniece of
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who
fought diligently for the upliftment
of disadvantaged people throughout his life — will be at the helm
of a concerted effort to bring the
socially and economically laggard
segment of Muslim community on
a par with wealthy and privileged
Indian.
Kolkata-based journalist and
columnist, Seema Sengupta, wrote
in her article: “The Minority Affairs Ministry must strive to bridge
the trust deficit at the ground level.
Why is it that only 7 percent of
Muslims are part of the established
workforce in India? It is time for
the nation to acknowledge that it
has something to do with our mindset of stereotyping the community
and consolidating a surreptitious
process of ghettoization. Let us for
heavens’ sake admit that India is
indeed living together separately.
Muslim families are not only finding it difficult to rent houses in
areas dominated by Hindus, communal categorization has robbed
Muslim youths of their educational
rights in the mainstream system
and with it the prospect of having
a prosperous future. We will be doing ourselves a great disservice if
we are to deny that Muslim community has been socioeconomically deprived and marginalized since
independence.”
“It is time for introspection
and Modi and his ideologues in
the Rashtriya Sayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) needs to re-examine their
version of cultural nationalism in
the context of the present day societal tension arising out of communal segregation. Modi must
be reminded that unlike the religiously homogeneous West, secularism in India has its plinth in a
multi-religious society. As Modi’s
spiritual influencer Swami Vivekananda once advocated, India must
fight against caste hierarchy and
religious bullyism of the majority
community simultaneously to ensure equal participation of minorities in nation building,” mentioned
Sengupta.
25
Renewal of Islamic Media Discourse:
Style, Content, and Form
Azhar Arsyad
(Professor of Arabic and Management Universitas
Islam Negeri (UIN), Alauddin, Makassar)
“The question of renewing contemporary Islamic discourse
has, without doubt, today become an existential issue, one
of life or death. If it is not able to dislodge the rust from its
joints that have calcified and worn out, it will not be able
to contribute thought and culture to world production. If it
does not leave its isolation to join the vast arena of human
knowledge, it will continue to ruminate its sayings that
have been incessantly repeated for decades.”2
One day, the North Wind and the Sun were arguing.
They were trying to decide which one of them was stronger.
When a traveller came along wrapped up in his overcoat,
they agreed that the one who could make the traveller take
off his coat would be declared the stronger of the two. The
26
North Wind began. He blew as hard as he could, but the
harder he blew, the tighter the traveller wrapped his coat
around himself. Finally, the North Wind gave up. Then the
Sun began to shine with intense heat and, right away, the
traveller took off his coat. The North Wind had to concede;
the Sun was stronger than he was. Source unknown.3
Background
At various times during Sept. 11 event, in addition to 1990
and 1993s, Islam in America has been the feature of national media coverage. When Time magazine announced that
Islam was (and is) the fastest growing religion in America
and that its membership would surpass that of the second
largest religion, i.e. Judaism by the turn of the century, it
was Islam in juxtaposition to Judaism that provided the
contextual significance.
By the time the Gulf crisis unfolded and the national
networks found that they had surplus time and few experts
to plug the gaps, it became fashionable them to integrate
Islam into the framework of daily news. Middle Eastern
studies departments, religious editors and instant street
experts combined to give Islam more exposure than ever.
Of course, some subjects were carefully avoided. For instance, no one addressed the subject of the percentage
of African slaves who were Muslims when they came to
America; why Islam was raging “out of control” among
African Americans; or the number of American converts to
Islam in Saudi Arabia when they were asked to help Saudi
government at the time of crisis.
Despite the fact that prejudice, intimidation, discrimination, misunderstanding, and lack of publicity have become an American religious phenomenon, probably, not
many Americans are aware of the existence of a sizeable
number of Muslims in that country. Nonetheless, some of
them may experience direct or indirect contacts with Islam and Muslims. Some know Islam through their friends
and companions; others read books and print media; others
meet Muslims on the street and public places; and the rest
listen to Islam being associated with notorious activities in
the media like terrorism, anti modernization, oppression,
anti-democracy and violation of human rights. However,
many Americans have shown their eagerness to learn more
about Islam and a few have even decided to embrace this
religion.
There are several means by which new converts begin
to have contact with Islam. First, Muslim students play an
important role in awakening other students’ curiosity (especially women) of different religions and beliefs on one
campus to be attached to live peacefully under the banner
of Islam. One female student who eventually embraced
Islam from Boston University4 stated: “The first thing I
learned about Islam was its prohibition of eating pork. I
was in a restaurant with a friend who did not want to eat
pork. When I asked the reason she said she was a Muslim.”
Another woman said: “When I was in the college, I had
a friend whom I met constantly in the bathroom washing
herself. The way of washing was very strange to me. When
I asked her, she said she was doing ablution, and explained
to me that Islam requires washing before prayer.”
Another type of communication by which new converts
get to know Islam is through media; TV, new sprint, and
academic work. TV and newspapers play a significant role
in shaping public awareness of the existence of Islam. One
of the female students who later embraced Islam in 1991
and who had been searching for something other than her
own religion, stated; “I saw a Muslim woman on TV. She
had a lot of dignity and peace. She had veil (hijab) and
she had herself respect. You know, I tried to find out more
about Islam.” Not at all these media, however, have publicized the nature of Islamic faith fairly; most of them to
some extent misinterpret and have prejudice toward Islam
consciously or unconsciously, and then represent the misconception to the public. Islam in Western countries still
has minority status and is often misunderstood in spite of
the efforts of various Islamic organizations as one convert
said, as he was once the victim of religious prejudice, because of this misunderstanding5. However, these prejudices and misconceptions do not prevent some others from
finding Islam as it is understood by Muslims.
Academic works on Islam, which are readily available
to the public, have certainly increased people’s knowledge
of Islam. As other media, not all academic works are objective towards Islam and Muslims, though they still provide a
lot of information about Islam and draw others’ awareness.
Salman Rushdie’s controversial book, The Satanic Verses,
and the Muslims’ rejection as well as their protest against
the book motivated many Americans to pour into book
stores. They bought not only Rushdie’s book, which became among the bestsellers of the year, but also the Qur’an
and other books on Islam.6 Six out of 10 whom Hasnah
Husein interviewed recognize that books have played a
certain role in increasing their knowledge on Islam and in
directing their conversion.7
Third, the other means of information about Islam is
professional contact; teacher-student, doctor-patient, and
social worker-client. This contact has brought about the
awareness of the presence of Islam in America, as far as
Hasnah’s research was concerned.
Finally, the fourth medium by which these women got
acquainted with Islam was their husbands. These men also
played a crucial role in some of these women’s conversion
to Islam. The following statements were made by the new
convert that Hasnah interviewed in Boston: “I had been
searching for something when I met my husband. He wanted me to know about Islam. So he took me to an Islamic
picnic. When I sat down with other sisters, I felt comfortable. It was a peace, a peaceful feeling inside. Oh….This is
Islam. I think I want it”.8
These background explanations at least could help
those who are interested in discussing the renewal of Islamic media discourse; content, style, and form a little bit
grasp and understand the psychology and sociology of the
matter.
27
Media images of Islam in the west
We would agree, probably, that the mass media can convey
stereotypical images. According to Harper9, stereotype
is defined as “an oversimplified image of (usually) some
category of person, institution, people, or event which is
shared in essential features by large numbers of people…
.”stereotypes are commonly, but not necessarily, accompanied by prejudice. Our attitudes toward others are, in many
cases, influenced by media images.”
Despite increase in the number of Muslims in the West,
misinformation about Islam is widespread. This misinformation also finds its way into text books and media published in Asian and African countries including Muslim
countries themselves with all its impact on growing young
generations all over the world. Misinformation is prevalent
in text books, fiction and non-fiction material, reference
books, encyclopedias, magazines, journals, newspapers,
television, and radio shows. Let us look at a few examples
below:
A medical encyclopedia published in Chicago, Illinois,
mentions the Prophet Muhammad’s name (peace be upon
him) among those famous people who were epileptic. A
church publication in 1981 mentioned the rise of Islam
in its early period in the following words: “….the moral
looseness of the new faith, the might of the sword, the fanaticism of the new religion, the shrewdness of Muhammad, the hope of plunder, the love of wealth, and the idea
of a sensual paradise have been among the causes for the
spread of Islam which is today embraced by one sixth of
the world’s population.”
A fourth grade history text book published in US had an
article about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
and its topic is, “A camel driver”. The same article tells the
children of 9-10 years of age about the status of women
in Islam in the following words: “…..They believed that
women should be slaves to men and that they thought that
a man might have as many wives as he wished, all at one
time…”. “Very soon they began to force others to become
Muslims whether they wanted or not. Like the high way
robber who says, “money or your life” they gave everyone
a choice, “money or your life, or be a Muslim.”
It is obvious that adults and children who read this kind
of material would not want to know anything more about
Islam. It is every Muslim’s responsibility to open the minds
of people so that they read and learn discourses about Islam before they even think about accepting it. Casual readers of the daily newspapers including those in Indonesia
could be forgiven for thinking that the word “Moslem” is
an adjective used to explain violent events in remote parts
28
of the world. Some of the examples are “Moslem Leftists”
make war in Lebanon, “Moslem separatists” rebel in the
Philippines, “Moslem insurgents” fight the Soviet Union’s
troops in Afghanistan, “Moslem militants hold hostages
in Iran, “Moslem extremists assassinate officials in Syria,
“Moslem cultists “make trouble in Nigeria. “Moslem fundamentalists” struggle to establish Islamic state in Indonesia, etc.10
This journalistic shorthand, however, according to
Lippman, is misleading, unfair and potentially dangerous,
because it distorts our understanding. It fosters the impression that Moslem – that is, those who practice the religion
of Islam – are generally troublemaking fanatics whose penchant for working out religious conflict through violence is
a menace to the rest of the world. It validates the belief that
Islam promotes violence. However, press accounts of the
turmoil in El-Salvador do not, for example, describe the
right wing hard-liners as “Christian extremists”.
Muslims are everywhere in the world. They are of every race, from east to the west, from south to the north,
and some six million Americans as well. While the adherents share common religious beliefs, they naturally differ
widely in behavior. Most of them are not leftists or blind
fanatics or extremists; they cannot be stereotyped in the
image of one race or one kind of political or social conduct.
The vast majority of Muslims are not Arabs. The biggest
Muslim nation is Indonesia with about more 200 million
Muslims 11.
Every Muslim would be astonished as they read the
media such as the one from The Christian Science Monitor. The contents are full of lies and slender. The followings
are some quotations from The Christian Science Monitor,
Monday, April 26, 1993. The title is ‘The Roots of Terrorism’: “…(Muslims) have raped, tortured and murdered
Israeli Jews and Arabs..Yet Americans, from our comfortable distance, validate the PLO, an organization founded
on murder. In short, we succeeded in rewarding terrorism”.12
Testimonial in some Western books
In the 14 centuries, subsequently Islam was established
more formally, it has often been considered by the Western
media in the 20th century, a source of conflict, violence and
fanaticism, but Thomas Lippman, a well known American
journalist says it has also been a source of beauty, generosity, thought and inspiration. Its record does not compare unfavorably with that of Christianity. The performance of the
Muslim Arabs when they conquered Egypt in the seventh
century, for example, is a model of benevolence compared
to that of the Catholic Spaniards in Mexico and Peru.13
The Qur’an according to the understanding of Lippman prescribes struggle and fighting only in defense of the
faith and teaches that those who join the struggle are more
likely to be admitted to Paradise than those who only stay
at home. The Qur’an ordains justice, charity, mercy, selfdenial, and tolerance. Those who count themselves Moslems are not, in their daily lives, more prone to violence or
aggression than non-Muslims.
A quarter of the population of present-day India belongs
to the Muslims. But the Hindu fundamentalists (and not
called so by the Western media) accompanied by its government have overtly destructed the Babri mosque. Isn’t
this an example of violence made by non-Muslims? Look
at the Moros in the Philippines in the era of Marcos. Look
at Bosnia. Thousands of women were raped by the soldiers
of its neighbor; millions rendered homeless. Thousands of
young girls were made sex slaves. Muslims were burned
alive by the Christian Serbs.
Through the international media, Muslims and Islam
are occasionally associated with terrorism. However,
Noam Chomsky, a long time political activist, a writer, and
a professor of Linguistics at M.I.T. has described that actually the great terrorist in the real world is the US itself. He
made the following statement:
St. Augustine tells the story of a pirate captured by Alexander the Great, who asked him “how he dares molest
the sea.” “How dare you molest the whole world? The pirate replied: “because I do it with a little ship only, I am
called a thief; you, doing it with a great navy, are called an
emperor.” The pirate’s answer, Chomsky explained, was
“elegant and excellent.” It captures with some accuracy the
current relations between the US and various minor actors
on the stage of international terrorism: Libya, PLO and others. It is actually a kind of supreme cynicism. The concept
of international terrorism is actually used as a cover for
Western violence. It is necessary to add a second feature,
which is an act of terrorism enters the conon only if it is
committed by “their side” (the Moslem’s side or formerly
the Soviet side. Not ours (Western side).14
When Israel bombs Palestinian refugee camps killing
many civilians or sends its troops into Lebanese villages in
‘counter terror’ operations where they murder and destroy,
or hijacks ships and places hundreds of hostages in Prison
camps under horrifying conditions, this is not terrorism according to the West, said Chomsky, sarcastically.
Correcting the image of Islam
I would suggest some broad lines of the work, without going into its minute details which have to be tailored according to the prevailing situation15:
“Encourage the dialogue between Muslims and the followers of other faiths, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism,
Buddhism, and others. It is, however, pertinent that those
representing the Muslims, are totally loyal to Islamic ideology on the first hand, and are fully aware of the nature of
the conflict and its political dimensions, on the other. Such
a dialogue will provide us a chance of reaching a selected
type of audience and we can convey really Islamic massage in a serious manner. By doing, hopefully, it will appeal to some of non-Muslims.
The Muslim missionaries to the West must be fully
aware of the Western outlook of Islam and they should be
capable of addressing such an audience. The Islamic media
discourse, by and large, happens to be the best and most
useful tool of correcting distorted image of Islam. Islamic
organizations should endeavor to make a selected and authentic set of such literature in various languages available.
Its distribution should be on a very large scale, not limited
to only those who ask for it.
The freedom of expression usually guaranteed in the
West and it provides us with a very good opportunity for
dakwah. All possible channels and media as well as the
new media should be exploited to convey Islamic massage.
The new “converts” to Islam from the indigenous West
should be properly taken care of. If we succeed in enthusing in them the correct Islamic ideas, they can bother influence their relatives, friends and community. Space in the
western media and time on air can be bought to convey the
message of Islam occasionally to create a curiosity among
the readers/listeners.
The last, but the most important measure to brighten
the image of Islam is by presenting a live model of Islam
through our noble character individually and as a community. No other means can supersede or even compare this
tool of communication which has mainly been responsible
for attracting people to Islam and it will continue to do
so in the future. Mere rhetoric without the support of live
model of Islamic personality will simply fall flat on the
audience with no tangible results.
In the end, as suggested by Ilyas Ba-Yunus16, it is not
recommended that Muslims organize a segregated community. Living in a non-Muslim society, Muslims have to
exhibit the principle of cooperation and humanistic altruism to the world that is fast becoming conflict oriented. By
definition, the Islamic community has to reach out and be
open ended.
Media in the Muslim world
Despite written in 1993, It’s interesting to read the conclusion of the article presented by Abdelwahab El-Affendi17
29
about “The Media in the Muslim World” and Professor S.
Abdullah Schleifer’s critique18 as Follow: “Schleifer’s
thought-provoking critique of the media raises important
and fundamental questions about how an ideal Islamic society should regard the role of the mass media. Whether the
Western-defined modern mass media and its accompanying
values are appropriate for Muslim societies is an important
issue that the Ummah must eventually address. The main
problem facing the Muslims today, however, is not that the
media are corrupting them. Rather, they have corrupted the
media, or their leaders have done so and blinded the reason
of the community. One can thus sum up the problem of
the modern Muslim world in the absence of free debate,
a failure made more poignant and glaring by the inability
of the Muslim world to develop a mass media capable of
articulating the truth about itself and the world.”
Since the new era after the era of the new order government, Indonesia has given the extremely full freedom to
the media association and organization to publish and issue
whatever possible as we see nowadays. Talking about giving freedom to the media association, Schleifer stated:
“To avert the catastrophic disintegration of Muslim society, the credibility of its leadership must be restored. The
easiest way to do this is to restore the health and freedom
of the media. There is no alternative to the institution in
all Muslim countries of a pluralistic system, giving full
freedom of association and organization. A multiplicity of
organizations supporting the protection of human rights
and the freedom of the press must be allowed to form and
30
work unhindered. The cornerstone of such systems must
be freedom of the press. Not only must independent media
organization be permitted, but they should be encouraged
by unconditional government financial support, preferably
dispensed through impartial institutions in accordance with
agreed criteria and safeguards. The small ruling elites who
fear the consequences of democracy for their lifestyle and
freedoms should hasten to conclude a deal with the rising
forces in society that would guarantee them a minimum of
rights and freedoms before it is too late. Societies could
thus be reconstructed around the formal guarantee of basic
civil and political rights for all groups, and an undertaking
of the democratization process.”
The beginnings of such developments according to
Schleifer further may already be evident in a number of
Muslim countries, such as the Arab countries of Yemen and
Jordan, and Malaysia. Malaysia, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country with a slim Muslim majority has overcome
most of the impediments to democratization in its history
and boasts a rapidly industrializing economy. While some
have argued – not without justification – that Malaysia’s
democracy is not perfect, it outshines any other Muslim
country and most Third World nations, allowing relatively
free elections and reasonable press freedoms, and with exemplary policies of religious tolerance. Malaysia also has
thriving political movements; its Islamic party has attained
power in at least one state, and has been legal since independence.
El-Affendi then added that the ethical imperative for
the Muslims at this juncture is to exploit mass media potential to the fullest in order to launch a multiplicity of
long-overdue debates over how the Ummah should chart
its future course. Our problems and moral failings are
not from unnecessarily publicizing our shortcomings, but
of remaining silent in the face of horrendous crimes being committed against that very existence of the Ummah.
The role of a community that was designated as a “witness
unto mankind” is being subverted not only by its failure to
give humanity moral decadence and corruption. Our moral
shortcomings are crying out of their own accord, without
the need for any mass media outlets to spell them out. We
need an unfettered and inquisitive media, not to condemn
what has already been condemned, but to seek the way out
of the abyss and shed light on the road along the way”.19
Islamic media discourse at present
Today, the Islamic discourse is influenced by the political, intellectual and cultural circumstances prevailing in
the Islamic world and the economic and social conditions
experienced by Muslim societies. The implications of the
general conditions in the Islamic world impact on the general intellectual, scientific, cultural and information action
of which the Islamic discourse is part and parcel.
Being an expression of the general Islamic conditions,
the Islamic discourse swings between strength and weakness, moderation and extremism, ability and feebleness,
adequacy and inadequacy, depending on the environment,
the society, and the internal to the external circumstances
in which it evolves. Four main aspects as far as Al-Twaijiri
is concerned could be distinguished here:
First: The general weakness marking most patterns of
the Islamic discourse at the level of its content. This is epitomized in the regression of knowledge against a sweeping
ignorance, or what is conventionally referred to as religious illiteracy, reflected in the frailty of the content and
the failing perception of the matters and issues addressed
from an Islamic angle and presented to the public opinion
within the Islamic world, as well as the international public
opinion.
Second: Improvisation and spontaneity resulting from
lack of planning, disregard of the scientific approach commanding specialized study of all issues, topics and situations at hand, reliance on individual capacities in most
cases, to the detriment of cooperation, complementarity
and coordination of efforts, and the waiver to collective
action with regard to new developments and emerging situation that require a unified position.
Third: Narrow-mindedness and focus on the transient
in a total disregard for the future and for the medium and
long ranges. This accounts largely for the fact that many
patterns of Islamic discourse are confined to the circle of
counter-reaction, and for the quasi total absence of initiative.
Fourth: Reflection of the doctrinal, intellectual and cultural differences as well as the local, regional and international conflicts on the Islamic discourse in its entirely,
making it disjointed, contradictory, plagued by multiple
visions and lacking in harmony and co-ordination20.
These negative aspects impact on general conditions in
the Islamic world, as well as on the image of Islam and
Muslims in the world, and on the capacity to meet challenges and fend off ill-intentioned campaigns that target the
Islamic Ummah, threatening its existence, the sovereignty
of its states, the stability of its peoples and their prosperity
and development.
In addition to these negative conditions, the Islamic discourse is influenced by the state of backwardness where the
Islamic world wallows to the extent where this discourse
loses credibility effectiveness and influence, and becomes
negative and no better than hollow and fake words.
In many of its aspects, the modern discourse is no reflection of the true shining image of Islam, but for a few limited
cases, in odd instances and at varying endeavors. The inadequacy of he Islamic discourse, in addition to the negative
aspects that we have described in detail earlier, lies in the
overwhelming challenges that the Islamic Ummah has to
meet. These challenges fall into two categories: challenges
of which the source is internal and other that hail from the
outside world, although the internal challenges are much
more daunting. These are clear in the state of division and
alienation that prevails within the Islamic world, as well
as in the state of poverty and backwardness that cripple
many sectors in many parts of the Islamic world, as well as
in the failure to activate and entrench Islamic solidarity in
public Islamic life. They also take the form of an instability
that marks the political, economic, administrative, cultural,
technological and information realms and which impedes
development efforts. All of these challenges impact heavily on the performance level of the Islamic discourse, and
on the effectiveness of its mission within the Islamic world
as well as on the regional and international arena.
This is the status prevailing internally and externally
within the Islamic discourse at the current juncture. At the
internal level, and in view of local conditions, some forms
of Islamic discourse emerge with the purpose of destroying
unity instead of fostering it and sowing discord and conflict instead of trust, mutual respect and brotherhood. This
category of Islamic discourse causes further weakness to
the Ummah, scatters its efforts apart, and provides external
31
forces with the opportunity to undermine its rights in one
way or another.
At the external level, the weak Islamic discourse, with
frail sense of belonging, and a heavy load of differences,
does nothing but consecrate the stereotypical distorted image of Islam and Muslims, and provides the enemies of
Islam and those who support them with the pretexts to
double up efforts in plotting against the Islamic Ummah,
undermining its rights, subjecting it to tyranny and imposing the new colonial hegemony over Islamic countries.
At the internal level, and in view of local conditions,
some forms of Islamic discourse emerge with the purpose
of destroying unity instead of fostering it and sowing discord and conflict instead of trust, mutual respect and brotherhood. This category of Islamic discourse causes further
weakness to the Ummah, scatters its efforts apart, and provides external forces with the opportunity to undermine its
rights in one way or another.
In fact, an Islamic discourse that lacks in scientific and
professional prerequisites could turn to be of a boomerang
effect, entailing, therefore, counter-productive results, the
more it goes astray of the wisdom, gentle exhortation and
fair practice of dialogue.21
Communication: Efforts and endeavors
In the contemporary world the mass media provide the
meeting ground for our interactions with others beyond our
“world”. The media supply the role models and the scenarios for our encounters with others. What we see, what
we say, and what we do when we encounter foreigners,
for instance at home and abroad, are shaped by media images.22 And the media -also new media23- could distort
the image.
Approximately one century ago, the word “neighbor”
referred to people very much like one’s self—similar in
dress, in diet, in custom, in language—who happened to
live next door. Today, relatively few people are surrounded
by neighbors who are cultural replicas of themselves. Tomorrow we can expect to spend most of our lives in the
company of neighbors who will speak in a different language, have different values, move at a different pace, and
interact according to a different script.
Dean C Barlund24 wrote that within no longer than a
decade or two the probability of spending part of one’s life
in a foreign culture will exceed the probability a hundred
years ago of ever leaving the town in which one was inborn.
As our world is transformed, our neighbors will be people
whose life styles contrast sharply with our own. Barlund
even said long ago that the technological feasibility of such
a global village is no longer in doubt. The means already
32
exist: In telecommunication systems linking the world by
satellite, in aircraft capable of moving faster than the speed
of sound, in computers which can disgorge facts more rapidly than men can formulate their questions. The methods
for bringing people closer physically and electronically are
clearly at hand. What is in doubt is whether the erosion of
cultural boundaries through technology will bring the realization of a dream or a nightmare. Will a global village be
a mere collection or a true community of men?25 Will its
residents be neighbors capable of respecting and utilizing
their differences, or clusters of strangers living in ghettos
and united only in their antipathies for others?
One thing that one should pay attention to is that communication, especially the among the Arab and the Muslim
Worlds in one’s effort to have collaboration needs mutual effort, benefit and goodwill, sincerity, friendship, and
brotherhood. It is easy to be misled by instant friendship
which may appear to be deep and personal but are really
superficial. The effort is superficial, the good will is not
sincerely intended, and in many cases the benefit is felt by
the other side to be not just. Friendship and friendliness
are not synonymous. Friendliness characterizes much of
some people daily interaction but is not always an indication of friendship.26 Characterizing instant friendships is
the appearance of two parties becoming close but, in reality, there is no strong bond between them. We do not want
this case to happen. Communication should be affective
(not only effective) in which head and heart or reason and
emotion are expected to be kept. Affective communication
in collaboration among the Arab and the Muslim worlds is
the communication of feelings, of honest, heart-felt emotions. 27
Renewing Islamic media discourse28
Before discussing the renewal of Islamic Media discourse
in detail, Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri29 was very blunt
in addressing the issue. The following statements in his article about “Islamic Discourse between Tradition and Modernity” hopefully would help us grasp the issue: “One of
the prerequisites of an active interaction with the multiple
changes witnessed by our world is a reconsideration of the
systems and patterns adopted in our intellectual and cultural life, and a rethinking of the positions we adopt and
the choices we make in all political and economic matters.
Only through such a review that we would be able to assess
our work, meet the needs, redress and correct eventual errors, and rationalize, strengthen and steer our march in the
right direction.”
This reconsideration would pave the way for us to renovate, develop, modernize and keep pace with the swift
changes occurring in the various fields of life. It would
help us achieve higher levels of global development in a
way conducive to a better life, and that aims at developing
society, enriching man and edifying civilization. Further,
It’s very interesting to quote the expression of the late Abu
Rabi when he talked about “civilization” in the Muslim
world today as follow:
To put bluntly, the Arab and the Muslim Worlds cannot boast an Arab or Muslim civilization at present. The
political and economic elite in the Arab or Muslim Worlds,
regardless of their culture, are true participants in the civilization of capitalism. True, there is an Arab or Muslim culture, but it is currently dominated by the larger capitalist
civilization. We cannot compare a normative civilization
(Islamic worldview) to a concrete and historically present
civilization; that is, the global capitalist civilization. That
is to say that it is impossible to fathom modern global identity outside the rubric of capitalism. In other words, we
cannot view religious identity outside the domination of
the capitalist system. Capitalists (proponents of a capitalist
civilization) can be found all over the world, including the
Muslim World, and class conflict still defines social relation. Furthermore, the Muslim World, unlike Europe, has
failed to develop its capitalist system in the modern period
and has thus become dependent on the world capitalist system, which has been pioneered by the West. The Muslim
World has culture but lacks civilization.30
Thus, renewing the Islamic discourse to establish a harmony between tradition and modernity entails renewing the
civilizational edifice of the Islamic world by strengthening
and immunizing the self, reaching high levels in knowledge
and science and being creative in these fields, instilling the
spirit of Islamic solidarity for the latter to become a force
of advancement and civilizational competitiveness, and a
source of inspiration and impetus for progress in all fields.
In fact, an Islamic discourse that lacks in scientific and
professional prerequisites could turn to be of a boomerang
effect, entailing, therefore, counter-productive results, the
more it goes astray of the wisdom, gentle exhortation and
fair practice of dialogue.
Among the endeavors to rethink patterns and systems,
working methods, stances, choices and policies is the review of the Islamic discourse at its various levels. This discourse is indeed the mirror of the Islamic entity, a vehicle
of Islamic call and an instrument for highlighting the truths
of Islam, refuting the allegations leveled at it and the doubts
cast on it in many ways. This discourse is furthermore the
only tool available for the sage, the thinkers, the reformers
and the decision and opinion makers of the Ummah to defend its existence before the escalating hostile campaigns
that strive to distort the image of Islam and denigrate Muslims, undermine the vital interests of the Islamic world and
subjugate it to hegemonic policies that serve the designs of
the New World Order imposed by the unique pole on the
rest of the international community and which hold the rein
of international policy at this stage in history.
In form and content, the Islamic discourse is a human
discourse using all media forms : media technologies,
including the internet, video games themselves having
developed into a mass form of media. Traditional media
forms such as the printing press, computer, even plastic
as a media form, CD, DVD, etc., including the new media
which has something to do with electronic and the internet. The content seeks to promote dialogue, understanding, co-existence and cooperation with all the parties of the
international community, in order to spread the values of
justice, peace and welfare. With Islam as its reference, the
Islamic discourse shuns violence and extremism, calls for
the respect and preservation of human rights, and for banishing injustice, hegemony and the earth’s spoliation.
Conclusion
Islamic discourse should not be limited to preaching. It is
every form of discourse that expresses the specificities of
the Islamic Ummah, defends the supreme interests of the
Islamic world, presents the true image of Islam and Muslims, rectifies errors, dispels suspicions, refutes accusations, and stands up, armed with knowledge, logic and the
appropriate language, to the malicious campaigns waged
against all Islamic countries, no exceptions made.
When the Islamic discourse comes under discussion,
the concept should be applicable to the cultural discourse,
the literary discourse, the artistic discourse and the information discourse, though the latter can be of more comprehensive nature and encompass all other levels of discourse,
in such a way as to become for example the religious information discourse, the philosophical information discourse,
the political information discourse, etc.
The latter as Othman Al-Twaijiri mentions, being the
way Muslims address the rest of the world, the mould that
shapes their ideas, opinions and the standpoints that they
wish to convey to the international public opinion. Based
on this, we can safely argue that the Islamic discourse is
the larger framework of Islamic Da’awa, practiced at its
deepest and most comprehensive levels.
Many of the acceptable modes and techniques of modern journalism must be particularly repugnant to an Islamic
perspective as noted by Schleifer. Spying and seeking to
confirm suspicions (e.g. most investigative reporting) are
forbidden by Qur’an and Hadith (the reported sayings of
33
the Prophet) as are slander and backbiting, which means
spreading stories, even though true, which injure the feeling and honor of a Muslim. Slander is not simply a legal error or an occupational hazard; it is a great sin. In numerous
hadiths the Muslims are forbidden to publicize their own
and others’ faults; on the contrary, the Muslim is urged to
cover up or hide faults31.
As pointed out further by Al-Twaijiri32, the articulation
of Islamic discourse in term of content must be genuine,
truthful, honest, serving first and foremost the Islamic interests, moderate, fair, equitable and derived from the principles, virtues and moral values of Islam. This discourse
must be universal. It must be relevant to all human societies, upholding humanity’s interests, achieving co-existence
and cooperation among nations and peoples for the welfare
of all humanity, and fostering the principles of justice, equity and peace. It must also be flexible, renewable, well
formulated and fulfill all the objective conditions required
when addressing people in a language understood by all,
with a sound and acceptable logic that is compatible with
he conditions of every environment and every category of
people. It must be constructive, beneficial and purposeful,
and must aim at reforming, renewing and developing at the
internal level. It has also to strive to clarify and highlight
the truths of Islam and dispel the doubts harbored about it,
in a moderate, gentle and flexible way that shuns all forms
of extremism, violence, vehemence and zeal, inviting to
the righteous path without being impulsive, undermining
the interests of the target audience or offending the latter.
The discourse must be sublime and elegant in form and
content. It must be free of imitation and must transcend
ephemeral trends or overwhelming currents, in such a way
as to preserve its independence and its distinction. Last but
not the least, It must be open unto dialogue, and mutual
understanding, and must be receptive to the regional and
international environment, fully assimilating changes and
new developments.
Finally, the content, again as mentioned before using all
media forms, should seek to promote dialogue, understanding, co-existence and cooperation with all the parties of the
international community, in order to spread the values of
justice, peace and welfare. With Islam as its reference, the
Islamic discourse shuns violence and extremism, calls for
the respect and preservation of human rights, and for banishing injustice, hegemony and the earth’s spoliation. In
term of Style, the writer’s choice of words should be full
of wisdom using deep, amazing, and meaningful imagery
which is the evoking of any experience of the senses, as
well as good order of words in sentences and paragraph.
Wallahu a’lamu bishawaab.
34
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Footnotes
1 By Style, we are concerned specifically with what might
be called the texture of writing or speech, with such
matters of verbal detail as diction, imagery, syntax, and
sound. Diction, the first of these elements that make
up style, means simply the writer’s choice of words.
Another aspect of a writer’s style and one which often seems especially important is imagery. It ordinarily means the evoking of any experience of the senses.
Many writers when they refer to imagery, are concerned with metaphorical objects. The order of words
in sentences, along with the lengths of sentences and
paragraphs, makes up an important part of prose style,
the element called syntax –from a Greek word meaning “to put in order”. (see an Introduction to the study
of literature by Marlies K.Danziger & W. Stacy Johnson, Boston, D.C. Heath and Company, 1961. By Content, according to Mario Pei and Frank Gaynor In their
Dictionary of Linguistics, 1969, Littlefield, Adams &
Co, is the intrinsic meaning of a linguistic symbol. In
The Study of Multimedia, However, The term content
is something within materials to be presented. It is the
meaning and information which is denoted by the materials, words, and pictures being presented to influence
others’ images cognitively. Form of media refers collectively to all media technologies, including the internet, video games themselves having developed into a
mass form of media. Traditional media forms refer to
the printing press, computer, plastic as a media form,
CD, DVD, etc., and “new media” has something to do
with electronic media and internet.
2 Ridwan Ziyada, “Renewing of religious discourse
through a departure from Arab-centrism”, Alexandria,
18-20 April Conference on Human Rights and Renewing of Religious Discourse: How Can the Arab World
benefit from the Experiences of the non-Arab Islamic
World?
3 This story is quoted from A. Arsyad in Step by Step:
Readings in English, Pustaka pelajar, Yogyakarta,
2008, P.53.
4 Hasnah Husain, 1992, The Dynamics of Conversion to
Islam among White Americans, unpublished paper.
5 Ibid.p. 4
6 Emily Kalled Lovell, 1983,”Islam in The United States:
Past and Present”. In Earle H. Waugh.Baha Abu
Laban,and Regula E.Qureshi. The Muslim Community
in North America.Alberta : The University of Alberta
Press. P.93
7 Hasnah Husain, loc.cit.
8 Hasnah Husain, op.cit., p.6
9 Harper Dictionary of Modern Thought, New York: Harper and Row, 1977
10 Thomas W Lippman, 1982, Understanding Islam: An
35
Introduction to the Moslem World. A Mentor book,
New York: New American Library.
11 Omar Ahmed, 1993,”Muslim demographics” in Al
Talib, The Muslim Newsmagazine at UCLA, March
1993.
12 “The Roots of Terrorism” in “The Christian Science
Monitor”, Monday, April 26, 1993. Other articles and
statements seem to be very offending and sarcastic
like “Can an Islamic Government Foster Democratic
Rights” (The Christian Science Monitor, April 28, 1993
p. 10-11), “The Dilemma for Arab Democrats. Those
seeking political freedom worry it will whether if Islamist win” and in (TCSM, April 27, 1993 p.6), “Islam
Extremism: Fundamentalists’ clout overestimated by
US”.
13 Thomas Lippman, loc.cit.
14 Noam Chomsky, 1990, Pirates and Emperora : International Terrorism in the Real World. Vermont: Amana
Books.
15 See also The Future Monthly, July 1988. A.D.Vol.3.
Nos. 9,10. Riyadh: World Assembly of Muslim Youth.
16 Ilyas Ba Yunus, 1987, Muslims in North America:
Problems and Prospects, Takoma Park, Maryland : The
Muslim Students Association of the United States &
Canada.
17 Abdelwahab El-Affendi, “Eclipse of Reason: The Media in the Muslim World,” in Journal of International
Affairs, Summer 1993, 47, no. 1. The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York 164-193.
18 See also S.Abdullah Schleifer, “Mass Communication
and the Technicalization of Muslim Societies,” paper
delivered at the Second Annual Conference of for Promoting Understanding & Unity in the Islamic World
(Istanbul : October 1986) p. 2.
19 Abdelwahab El-Affendi, Eclipse of Reason : The Media in the Muslim World, in Journal of International Affairs, Summer 1993, 47, no. 1. The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York 164-193.
20 Abdul Aziz Othman al-Twaijiri, Islamic Discourse
Between Tradition and Modernity” in Future Islam,
A journal of Future Ideology that shapes Today The
World of Tomorrow, 2004.
21 Ibid.
22 See Gary Gumpert and Robert Cathcart, Media Stereotyping: Images of the Foreigner, in Larry A. Samovar
& Richard E. Porter, Intercultural Communication: A
Reader, Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc. Belmont, California, 1992, p.349.
23 New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged
in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new
36
media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to
content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device, as
well as interactive user feedback, creative participation
and community formation around the media content.
Another important promise of new media is the “democratization” of the creation, publishing, distribution
and consumption of media content. What distinguishes
new media from traditional media is the digitizing of
content into bits. There is also a dynamic aspect of
content production which can be done in real time, but
these offerings lack standards and have yet to gain traction. Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, is an example,
combining Internet accessible digital text, images and
video with web-links, creative participation of contributors, interactive feedback of users and formation
of a participant community of editors and donors for
the benefit of non-community readers. Facebook is an
example of the social media model, in which most users are also participants. Most technologies described
as “new media” are digital, often having characteristics
of being manipulated, networkable, dense, compressible, and interactive. Some examples may be the Internet, websites, computer multimedia, computer games,
CD-ROMS, and DVDs. New media does not include
television programs, feature films, magazines, books,
or paper-based publications – unless they contain technologies that enable digital interactivity. See Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
24 See Dean C. Barnlund,’ “Communication in a Global
Village” in Larry A. Samovar & Richard E. Porter,
Intercultural Communication : A Reader, Wadsworth
Publishing Company, Inc. Belmont, California, 1992.
25 See Azhar, Arsyad, “Musaahamatul Qiyam al-Diiniyyah
fi al-Tafaahum wa Ishlahi al-alam al-Mumazzaq”, NESIL in Mumaarasatu Hayyatin IImaniyyatin Fa’aalatin
,International Symposium in Istambul, Turkey, 2004. P.
396.
26 See Deena R. Levine & Mara B. Abdelman. Beyond
Language: Intercultural Communication, PrenticeHall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1982. See
also Daniel Coleman, Social Intelligence: The New
Science of Human Relationships, Bantam Dell, New
York, 2006 p.51
27 See John C. Condon and Fathi Yousef, An Introduction
to intercultural Communication, Bobbs-Merrill Educational Publishing, Indianapolis, 1979.
28 Abdul Aziz Othman al-Twaijiri explains that discourse
or “wacana” in bahasa Indonesia and “khitab” in Ara-
bic has two meanings. The first one is pure, consistent
and simple. It was recognised by the Arabs and mentioned in the Holy Quran, the Hadiths of the Prophet
(PBUH), and the early dictionaries. The second one is
a contemporary concept, much complex in nature and
goes beyond the linguistic information-related. Clear
distinctions can be observed in the various connotations of discourse and which vary according to the
contexts in which they occur. First : At the linguistic
Level : Lisan Al Arab defines discourse (Khitab and
Mukhataba) as the exchange of speech. Speech is described as the medium of Khitab and Mukhataba, and
two interlocutors, engage in a discourse (yatakhataban). It is also defined as a medium of differentiation
between two opposites: between right and wrong and
the means of distinguishing between a rule and its opposite (See also Ibn Manzur, Lisan Alarab, Volume 2,
page 856, Edition of Dar Al Jeel and Dar Lisan Al Arab,
Beirut, 1988). Discourse, as defined in Kitab Al Kulliyat, is the speech or the words of which the purpose is
to clarify a matter to those able to understand. Words
that do not serve the purpose of clarifying a matter to
the listener cannot be termed as discourse (see Abu Albaqaa Al Kafawi, Al Kulliyat, page 419. Edition of Arrisala Institution. Dr Adnan Drawiche and Muhammed
Al Basri. Beirut, 1992).Second : At the Quranic Level
: The term “speech” in the form of ‘Khatb’ occurred
nine times in the Holy Quran and three times in the
form of Khitab. The latter incidences are Allah’s verse
‘And He said : Entrust it to me, and he conquered me
in speech’ (Sad, verse 23).In his verse : ‘And we made
his kingdom strong and gave him wisdom and decisive
speech’ (Sad verse 20) , and in the following verse:
‘Lord of the Heavens and the earth, and (all) that is
between them, the Beneficent; with whom none can
converse’ Annabae, verse 37) He further mentions that
in the Dictionary of Quranic Terms, the words khatabahu, mukhatabatan’ and ‘Alkhatb’ are defined as: to
speak and converse, while Al Khatb is the matter about
which the conversation takes place (Moujame Al-Fath
Al Qorane Al-Karim, V.2, Arabic Language Academy,
General Body in charge of the Emiral Libraries Affairs,
Cairo, 1996). In the above-mentioned three Quranic instances, the speech is often associated with pride and
honour, might, and wisdom, as well as with magnanimity and eminence of Allah, Exalted be His Name. This
association provides a good opportunity to ponder the
deep meaning of discourse that transcends the original
synonym of discourse as the exchange of speech or the
desire to enlighten the other, to a much loftier sense
closely associated with sublime notions that range from
pride and honour “he conquered me in speech’, wisdom
‘And we gave him wisdom and decisive speech’, and
divine greatness and eminence: ‘Lord of the Heavens
and earth, and (all) that is between them, the Beneficent;
with whom none can converse’. Both the linguistic and
Quranic connotations affirm the noble significance of
discourse for decisive speech can only become ideal if
associated with wisdom, and if the purpose behind it
is to shed light on truth. Third: At the level of modern
Concepts : Discourse is a philosophical term (See Al
Amadi, Al ahkam Fi Usul Al Ahkam, Part 1, page 136,
Dar Al Kutub Al Ilmiyya, Beirut 1980, Al Amadi says
in this book ‘Discourse is the term agreed upon to mean
explain a matter to he who is receptive and ready to
understand it’, Dr Taha Abdulrahlane says in his book’
Al-Lisan Wal Mizan’, page 215 (edition of the Arab
Cultural Centre-Casablanca 1998): “What is spokenthe speech or discourse- and is fit to be considered as
speech, is what serves the purposes of communication
that are compulsory in what is referred to as discourses.
Discourse is no more than every utterance addressed to
the other with the purpose of explaining to him a given
idea), that is closer in meaning to the philosophical
theory or thesis. The philosophical discourse of a person is his way of thinking, perceiving and expressing
his ideas and conceptions. This discourse can either be
in line with or opposed to the philosophical discourse
of another person. When this concept became part of
modern political thought, it gave rise to the political
discourse which carries and intellectual weight as well
as an ideological content. Thus, the political discourse
of a group becomes the expression of its political creed
and its choices. It becomes in this case more than a way
of communication or the expression of an opinion, to
become the receptacle that stands for spirit, creed, philosophy and doctrine. See further Abdul Aziz Othman
al-Twaijiri, Islamic Discourse Between Tradition and
Modernity” in Future Islam, A journal of Future Ideology that shapes Today The World of Tomorrow, 2004.
29 Ibid.
30 Ibrahim Abu Rabi, “The Muslim World in the Twenty
First Century” in Kustiwan et.al (eds.) , Islam, The
West and the Rest, Makassar, Alauddin Press, 2009, p.
54..
31 See S.Abdullah Schleifer, “Islam and Information:
Need, Feasibility, and Limitations of an Independent
Islamic News Agency,” American Journal of Islamic
Social Sciences 3, no.1 (Spring 1986)pp. 122-3
32 See Abdul Aziz Othman al-Twaijiri, op.cit.
37
The State of Niqab in Europe
Souheila al-Jadda
Editorial Director
The Islamic Monthly
In 2010, the French ban of the niqab (also known
as the burqa or face veil) worn by Muslim women
underscored an alarming trend of Islamophobia,
now dubbed “burqaphobia,” that has resurged
in Europe. The niqab debate in Europe is merely
a symptom of a greater ailment afflicting various
Western societies: fear of Islam. Throughout the
region, Islam manifests itself in various cultural
and ethno-religious ways and there is no denying
38
a rising number of Muslim populations in the region through immigration and higher birth rates.
The reactions to these changes have been resoundingly similar: legal prohibitions. Today, European
public officials offer various justifications for dictating what Muslim women should or should not
wear, including security issues, women’s rights, integration of Muslim communities and maintaining
democratic values.
However, implementing discriminatory restrictions on Muslims
does little to promote democracy,
integration, empowerment or security, as policymakers claim. Rather,
it only serves to fan the flames of
intolerance and alienate local Muslim populations. Meanwhile, all
citizens’ religious freedoms are at
risk so long as Muslim women’s
right to wear the burqa in accordance to their belief remains under
threat throughout Europe.
FRANCE
In 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the burqa was
not welcomed in France and went
so far as to describe it as a “prison behind a screen.” The niqab is
considered by many as antithetical
to French culture and values. In
September 2010, the French parliament passed legislation banning
the face veil. This ban effectively
denies any woman wearing a niqab
access to hospitals, buses, welfare
offices, supermarkets and other
public facilities. The law imposes
a fine of 150 Euros (about $200) to
anyone who wears the veil. They
must also go through a citizenship
course as punishment. Those who
force women to wear the veil will
be punished with a year in prison
or a 15,000 Euro (about $20,000)
fine. Of course, this law affects
only a small population of Muslim
women. Of the 5 million Muslims
in France, only an estimated 2,000
women don the full veil. But the issue of the niqab gave French politicians a cause to rally around and
unify their political base. It also
exposed their underlying fears of
the growing number of Muslims
within the French borders, now estimated at 5 percent of the population. Islam is also France’s No. 2
religion.
According to a survey by the
Pew Research Centre’s Global Attitudes Project, 82 percent of the
French public supports the ban.
Certainly, local Muslim leaders
oppose the ban but their voices are
often muted amid the ramblings of
politicians and pundits. Nonetheless, some protesters have come
up with creative ways to oppose
the ban. One French protester’s
tactic has gained much notice.
Princess Hijab (religious affiliation
unknown), an anonymous graffiti artist, has been spray-painting
black hijabs and niqabs on women
featured on billboards and posters
on the streets of Paris. Her work,
which she dubbs “hijabisation” or
“niqabisation,” has gotten the attention of the international media.
She chooses a billboard, stealthily
sprays it and takes a picture, which
she uploads online. She had a Facebook page that the social networking site has since removed. She
told the Guardian newspaper that
her graffiti is a challenge to society
to better recognize minority rights.
“If it was only about the burqa
ban, my work wouldn’t have a resonance for very long. But I think
the burqa ban has given a global
visibility to the issue of integration
in France,” she told the newspaper.
“We definitely can’t keep closing
off and putting groups in boxes,
always reducing them to the same
old questions about religion or urban violence. Education levels are
better and we can’t have the old
Manichean discourse anymore.”
Meanwhile, two French students protested the ban by donning
the top head-tot or so portion of the
black burqa and wearing high heels
and daisy duke spandex shorts underneath. They videotaped themselves walking down French
streets and recording people’s reactions. Their video, Niqabitch,
has been posted on YouTube. But
a few flamboyant French protesters
do not make for a mass opposition
movement. French society has long
taken pride in its culture and democratic values. Despite these ideals,
it may take many more years and
many more Muslim protesters in
that country before the French
truly live by their national motto:
“Liberty, égalité, fraternity.”
BRITAIN
British Secretary of State and
Chancellor Jack Straw publicly
39
apologized for comments he made
about the niqab in 2006. On numerous occasions, he said Muslim women should not cover their
faces. When asked if he would
support a ban on face veils, Straw
stated, “Yes. It needs to be made
clear I am not talking about being
prescriptive, but with all the caveats, yes, I would rather.”
In April 2010, Straw apologized
for his comments, saying:
“To be blunt, if I had realized
the scale of publicity that they (his
comments) received in October
2006, I wouldn’t have made them
and I am sorry that it has caused
problems and I offer that apology.
Can I just say, this is about an issue of communication (you understand). I wasn’t raising it to say
it (the burqa) should be banned –
quite the opposite. Let me say, I’m
not responsible for those in France
or Germany or in this country pursuing this. That is their business. I
am fundamentally opposed to what
they are doing. But if you ask me
the specific question: Do I regret
the fact that it (my comments) had
then got taken round the world and
taken out of context? Yes of course
I do and I go on seeing people –
Muslim women, wearing the full
veil in my constituency/advice surgery. I wouldn’t dream of treating
them other than with respect and I
think they know from me that I do
give them respect and I give them
as much help as I give anybody
else whatever their faith. And I am
really glad to have had that opportunity to clear that up.”
This came after a Muslim high
school student, Shabina Begum,
sued her school for not allowing
her to wear a jilbab, a long loose
robe, to school rather than the traditional shalwar kameez uniform
given to Muslim girls. She lost the
40
suit despite the fact that her defence lawyer was Cherie Booth, the
wife of then Prime Minister Tony
Blair. In 2006, after they won the
case on appeal, the House of Lords
overturned the decision saying the
school had already “taken immense
pains to devise a uniform policy
which respected Muslim beliefs,”
noting that Begum could have gone
to other schools that allowed the
jilbab. There are an estimated 1.5
million Muslims in Britain.
BELGIUM
In April 2010, the Lower House of
Parliament voted to ban the burqa
and the measure still needs Senate
approval. Under the proposed law,
women wearing the burqa would
face a fine of 250 Euros and up to
a week in jail. Belgians have been
among the most vocal about their
opposition to the face veil. Efforts
to ban the burqa began as early as
2004, when the Belgian interior
minister drafted a standard ban of
the face veil and sent it to the more
than 300 municipalities in Flanders
to adopt voluntarily. Six have implemented the all out ban. In 2009,
Brussels fined 29 Muslim women
for wearing the burqa. According
to the BBC, only about 30 women
in Belgium wear the full veil out of
a population of 500,000 Muslims.
SWITZERLAND
In May 2010, one Swiss canton
proposed a ban on the burqa, claiming that it prevents integration into
Swiss society. This, despite the fact
that only an estimated 100 women
wear the niqab in Switzerland. In
November 2009, 58 percent of
Swiss citizens voted in favour of
a referendum to ban the building
of mosque minarets in the country. Among a population of some
7.5 million, there are an estimated
400,000 Muslims in Switzerland
and seven minarets.
SPAIN
In December 2010, the Catalonian
town of Llieda became the first in
the country to ban face coverings
in municipal buildings. Whoever
repeatedly violates this law will
be fined 600 Euroes (about $800).
The town’s mayor, Angel Ros,
explained the rationale behind
the prohibition to Agence FrancePresse: “I believe the burqa and the
ment in 2003 only to be forced to
resign due to questions about her
citizenship. Hirsi Ali wrote the
screenplay for Theo Van Gogh’s
highly controversial and antiMuslim short film, “Submission,”
which features naked women with
verses of the Qur’an written on
their bodies. Her anti-Islam rhetoric took root in the country and beyond. She continues her criticism
from the United States, where she
is a fellow for the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think
tank in Washington, D.C.
hijab, as well as similar garments
that completely cover the face, are
an attack against equality between
men and women, they are an attack
against women’s dignity.”
An estimated 5.7 million Muslims live in Spain, which has a
population of 47 million people.
GERMANY
Last year, Silvana Koch-Mehrin, a
member of Germany’s Free Democratic Party and vice president of
the European Parliament, called
for a Europe-wide ban on the face
veil.
In an editorial outlining her position, Koch-Mehrin argued that,
“The burqa is a massive attack on
the rights of women. It is a mobile
prison.”
Sixteen German states have
some sort of restriction on the hijab. In 2003, the German federal
court ruled that states have the right
to ban teachers from wearing the
hijab in schools. In Baden-Württemberg, Muslim women in headscarves are banned from teaching
in classrooms. Women in burqas or
chadors are prohibited from driving vehicles for safety reasons.
There are an estimated 3.5 million
Muslims living in Germany.
NETHERLANDS
In December 2010, Home Affairs Minister Piet Hein Donner
drafted legislation for a ban on
full face veils, which will be debated in 2011. The Dutch country
has debated the issue since 2003,
when two women were prevented
from entering a college wearing
the burqa because the dress violated the school’s clothing policy.
One woman had her veil forcibly
removed, drawing international
media attention. The country’s
Equality Commission sided with
the school and enforced the ban.
Since then, calls for a nationwide
burqa ban have continued. A 2007
poll indicated that 66 percent of the
local population supported such a
prohibition.
Of course, this is the country
that produced Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a
Somali-Dutch feminist who is a
fierce critic of Islam. In 2002, after
renouncing Islam and becoming an
atheist, she began actively writing
papers critical of the religion. She
was elected into the Dutch parlial Rabi al-Thani 1436/February 2015 l
THE DEBATE GOES ON
Last year, proposals for a burqa
ban were also introduced in parts
of Sweden, Italy, Norway and as
far away as Canada. The debate
over banning the niqab in Europe
will likely continue for many years.
How governments address the issue remains to be seen but all signs
point to further legal prohibitions
similar to France’s law.
However, amid all the burqaphobia, there is a glimmer of hope
coming out of Vatican City. In November 2010, the Vatican came out
against the French face veil ban.
Pope Benedict XVI is reported as
saying, “As far as the burqa is concerned, I do not see a reason for a
general ban. Some women do not
wear the burqa entirely voluntarily
and it is correct to talk of a violation
against that woman. Of course one
cannot agree with that. But if they
want to wear it voluntarily, I don’t
know why one must ban them.”
(Souheila Al-Jadda is a Peabody
award-winning producer and
journalist. She produced the Who
Speaks for Islam? series on Link
TV. She is the Senior Editor for The
Islamic Monthly).
41
UNDERSTANDING THE
MEANING AND MESSAGE
OF THE HOLY QUR’AN
Mukhtar Umar Bunza
Prof. Department of History,
Usmanu Danfodiyo University
Sokoto/NIGERIA
Abstract
Understanding the meaning and message of the Holy
Qur’an requires the application of different methodologies: linguistic, scientific, cultural, anthropological, as
well as historical approaches and endeavors. The message and meaning of some verses of the Qur’an could
only be clearly understood by use of high level scientific,
mathematical and technological means. Such verses that
discuss on human reproductive processes, iron/metal as a
means of warfare and societal development, germination
and fruition of plants, formation of clouds and rainfall,
alternation of day and night, movement of the sun and
moon on their orbit, aquatic life and activities, and their
like, abound in the Qur’an entailan extensive application
of scientific method to be explicated for fuller comprehension.
In the same vein, some verses are historical in nature
and content; therefore, understanding them within the
framework of the Holy Qur’an necessitates historical
methodology and technique for appropriate elucidation.
A number of verses requires historical account to give
meaning and sense to the message they present; others
present history in order to teach Tauhid- confirm the Risala of the Holy Prophet, or authenticate the Qur’an, some
use history to motivate, send warning, and at the same
develop moral and psychological stamina through the historical accounts contained in them.
In this light therefore, this paper intends to examine
some verses that require historical addendum, method
and adage for their comprehension and explanation, and
also attempts to apply historical similes demonstrated in
various places in the Holy Book to deduce the in-depth
wisdom and contemporary relevance of the Holy Qur’an
in the 21st century.
42
I. The Qur’an, History and Humanity
The principal target of the message of the Qur’an has
consistently been the humanity. The Qur’an is singularly
directs its laws and application to humankind and its general transaction on earth, the outcome of which will be
realized in the next world. Simply, the Qur’an claims to
provide a general guideline, manual and modus operandi
for the life on this planet, which serves as transit to the
next life. In the context of the Qur’an, life without the
revealed guidance it presents ends up in confusion and
anarchy, as well as social contradiction and moral decay,
in spite of whatever physical, scientific, or technological
attainments. Deliberately the Qur’an maintains that role
and responsibility as it attests: ‘This is Book which We
have revealed to you, in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness into light by their Lord’s leave to the
path of the Almighty, the Owner of all Praise’(Q:14:1).
The historical linkage and continuity of the divine
messages exemplified by the Qur’an shows that the message brought by the messengers, and generations they
lived with, as well as the encounters between the messengers and their people as part of historical principle
binding humanity together till end of time. That has been
epitomized by the Qur’an as binding historical chain and
dynamics of humankind, where it stresses that “And verily, We have sent among every generation a Messenger
(proclaiming); Worship Allah (alone), and avoid false
deities”, (Q; 16:36). It was under this premise that the
Qur’an presents its message as the foundation of justice,
strengthening the resolve of the weak against oppression
and continuous struggle between right and wrong as inescapable historical reality.
History on the other hand, from its definition, essence
and relevance squarely revolves round dynamics and
transformation of humankind from one historical stage
to another. It is an unending dialogue for humanity. Arthur Marwick considers history as ‘every trace and every vestige of everything that man has done or thought
since he first appeared on the earth planet.1 Therefore,
history is an organized study of such past activities of
human beings as has produced significant effect on subsequent course of events or on other human beings in the
course of events. It is not just a study of the past, nor
is it an uncritical cataloging of significant past events’.2
The philosophy and wisdom behind relating historical
epochs as well as events of past to the present, is ‘teaching by example how to conduct ourselves in all the situations of private and public life, that therefore we apply
ourselves to it in a philosophical spirit and manner, that
we must rise from particular to general knowledge, and
that we must fit ourselves for the society and business
of mankind.3 According to Marc Bloch, a French Historian, ‘misunderstanding of the present is the inevitable
consequences of ignorance of the past. But a man may
wear himself out just as fruitless in seeking to understand
the past, if he is totally ignorant of the present…’.4 Fafunwa aptly captured the relevance of history to humanity where he confirms that, ‘history is to a people what
memory is to the individual. A people with no knowledge
of their past would suffer from collective amnesia, groping blindly into the future without guide-posts of precedence to shape their course.5That was because, ‘men are
made according to the law of imitation, under the influence of the behavior, treatment, resolution, moral habits
and companionship of their fellowmen.6It is for this reason that the Qur’an has paid an extraordinary attention
to the history of the nations and civilizations to serve as
lessons and method of teaching and guidance for subsequent generations. This, the Qur’an has done so perfectly
in order to give opportunity to the people to derive from
the laws of history the best systems suited to them based
on records of experiences of the past generations. History helps man in deriving general laws.7 Through understanding and taken cognizance of the past accounts
of historical happenings, Hockett asserts the relevance of
history as a means and vehicle for overcoming of personal and communal problems, training, self-understanding
and self-respect as well as intellectual honesty are the end
result of history in human society.8Professor Kenneth
Dike stresses that: ‘The nation suffers which has no sense
on history. Its values remain superficial and a perception
of success and achievement that transcends acquisition of
temporary power or transient wealth. Such a nation cannot achieve a sense of purpose or direction or stability,
and without them the future is bleak’.
It was in consideration and appreciation of this fact
in relation between history and humanity as inseparable
component that Qur’an bluntly acknowledges utiliza-
tion of history to extend its message and teachings in all
facets and ramifications. Categorically Qur’an affirms:
“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an in order that you may understand. We relate to you the best of
stories through our Revelations to you, of this Qur’an.
And before this you are among those who knew nothing
about it (Q: 12:2-3). “Indeed in their stories (related in
the Qur’an), there is a lesson for men of understanding.
It (Qur’an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation
of Allah’s existing Books, which were before it, and other
scriptures of Allah, and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a mercy for a people who believe’
Q;12;111).
That was the reason why the Qur’an maintains continuity and direct attachment to the historical accounts it
relates and appeals consistently that people should take
lessons out of them. Aptly that was captured in the following conclusion, So the Qur’an teaches us a new way
to look upon history. It is not “ancient stories” but living
truths. It teaches us to erase the distance between ourselves and the past and to call forth the past like memories, till a total picture of the history of truth is formed- a
history which spans all times and all places and is not
restricted by any chronology. Memories are not distinct
from us; they are an integral part of us. They define and
shape us; they are not intellectual abstractions butare a
living part of us, shaping our consciousness and our personalities.
Unlike the position of Angelika Neuwirth,11 there
was no complexity or difficulty in relationship between
Qur’an and history. The history of the Qur’an is the record of human encounter with divine message, relations
between humans and free will to discern or to act on particular way and behavior. It is thus a historical process
that extends both the later and the former, thus, historical forces continue to influence the community guided by
certain laws of history. The prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) was instructed to follow and observe the
teaching of Abraham, the same chain of historical tradition of Ummah/ community which was extended to Isaac,
Jacob, Noah, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Zachariah, John, Jesus, Elias, Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah,
and Lot (Qur’an6:83-86). Thus, the Qur’anic message
considers itself as the same in purpose and tenacity with
the preceding messengers, and further claims finality and
perfection of such revelations to humanity. History therefore, in the acuity of the holy Qur’an is the milestone,
signposts, and yardstick through which the society assesses itself, being a by product of historical processes.
II. Historical Accounts as Embodiment of Qur’anic
Message
The application of history by the Qur’an to teach and
expound its message is immeasurable. Qur’an is not a
43
book of history however does not locate itself outside history or beyond history;12 but uses history to buttress and
strengthen its mission, message and purpose. The major
messages of the holy Qur’an are three. Fundamentally
and primarily Tauheed, the oneness of Allah, followed
by issues of law- the Shari’ah, and Mu’amalah- social
relations. The same way the Qur’an uses direct call and
commanding language exhorting people to heed to its
command, so it applies the melodious historical tune to
appeal in the same direction. In this regard, historical accounts are consistently and repeatedly used in the Qur’an
in order to send forth its message and teaching to humanity.
In the story of Prophet Joseph –Yusuf- with all the
length and sequence of presentation of what transpired
between him and his brothers up to his imprisonment,
and enthronement, the Qur’an remained conscious of
its tauheed message, and way of sending it through the
narrative. Yusuf was imprisoned together with other inmates. His fame and dignity grew in considerable proportion, and was highly respected among the inmates
and was always consulted by them, seeking guidance on
all their affairs private or public. The two inmates asked
about the interpretation of their dreams from Yusuf, the
stories which aim among other several issues to teach the
listeners the relevance of tauheed advanced in the story
where it says:
No food will come to you (in wakefulness or in dream)
as your provision, but I will inform you its interpretation
before it comes. This is of that which my Lord has taught
me. Verily, I have abandoned the religion of a people that
believe not in Allah and are disbelievers in the hereafter.
And I followed the religion of my father, Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq, (Isaac) and Ya’qub, (Jacob) and never could
we attribute any partners whatsoever to Allah. This is
from the grace of Allah to us and to mankind, but most
men thank not. Oh two companions of the prison. Are
many different gods better or Allah the One, the Irresistible? (Q: 12:37-39).
Through this story the fundamental teaching of the
Qur’an of establishing the supremacy of Allah over all
other false gods has been established. In addition, there
are a number of lessons the story as obtainable in this
chapter represent. Maududi in his tafsir Tafhim al-Qur’an
- The Meaning of the Qur’an, explained some major lessons that could be deduced in the historical account during the period of revelation and to the present moment
and beyond.13 At the end of the account Prophet Joseph
concludes again with tauheed message to terminate the
entire scenario, he says: “My Lord. You have indeed bestowed on me the sovereignty, and taught me of the interpretation of dreams- the only Creator of heavens and
the earth. You are my Helper, Supporter, and Guardian in
44
this world and the hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim
and join me with the righteous” (Q12: 101). Ordinarily
this conclusion should not have served as the end this
story if not of the Qur’anic way and manner of extending its teaching and message in the most specialized and
systematic approach.
The same tauheed message could be found in the
accounts of the story of Abraham, when he said to his
father, ‘Do you take idols as gods…’, he continued to
challenge his people in a very logical manner by calling
their attention to the sun, moon, and stars and their inconsistency and inefficiency thereby concluding to them
as Yusuf did say, “I have turned my face towards Him
who has created the heavens and the earth, Hanif, and
I am not polytheists”(Q:6:74-79). Whatever, the object
of the story, the primary duty of calling humanity to the
unalloyed worship of Allah a lone has been fulfilled. In a
related account in Sura al-Shua’ara’ teaching of tauheed
was explicated as seem it was the theme of the scene. It
says;
Recite to them the story of Ibrahim-Abraham. When
he said to his father and his people, what do you worship? They said: We worship idols, and to them we are
ever devoted. He said: Do they hear you, when you call
them? Or do they benefit you or do they harm you? They
said (Nay) but we found our fathers doing so. He said do
you observe that which you have been worshipping- you
and your ancient fathers? Verily, they are enemies to me
except the Lord of the worlds, who has created me, and
it is He who guides me, and it is He who feeds me and
gives me drink, and when I am ill, it is He who cures me
and who will cause me to die and then bring me to life
again…’ (Q: 26:69-81).
The above accounts apart from relating the encounter
between Abraham and his people, identified some unique
qualities and attributes of Allah such as creation, power
to cause illness, harm and cure, death and resurrection as
singularly under the sole control of the God of Abraham,
which the false gods of his people did not have the authority. Similar teaching was embodied in the account of
Abraham which begins with the statement: “Have you not
considered (the story of) the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord [merely] because Allah had given
him kingship?...” Q: 2: 257. In the account of the encounter with Nimrud or Biblical Nimrod of the ancient city
of Mesopotamia the aim of the story was to expose the
deficiency and incapability of the emperor, who claimed
powers that were exclusively of Allah. Abraham challenged him vehemently, and at the end of the account the
emperor was overwhelmed with logical evidence and superior argument and was flabbergasted.
Historical accounts in the Qur’an also convey approval, disapproval, and correction of given verdicts in
the administration of justice without losing its structure,
form, and style of presentation. The account of David and
his son Solomon has been presented to fill certain gaps in
the adjudication of justice. The verse starts saying: “Has
the story of the litigants reached you?..., The story which
the Qur’an relates, aims at teaching those charged with
judicial duties to avoid some identified mistakes as indicated in the account. Primarily, a judge must listen to
all parties and critically and impartially examines all the
versions before passing a judgment. It is also pointed out
in the story that sympathy of the weak had influenced the
decision of Prophet David. Thus in concluding the narrative, a specific and general call was made in the following: “O Dawud (David)! Verily, We have placed you as a
successor on earth; so judge you between men in truth
(and justice) and follow not your desire for it will mislead you from the path of Allah”, (Q:38:26). In surah alAnbiya’a, a similar account where a case was brought to
Prophet David against shepherd and farmers. The sheep
had postured at night and destroyed crops of the farmers,
David passed the judgment, which his son Solomon held
a contrary view. In the two historical accounts Ibn Kathir
reported in his tafsir that the lessons to be deduced from
the accounts are: “judges not to allow themselves to sell
thereby for some miserable price, not to follow their own
whims and desires, and not to fear anyone concerning
their judgments’.14These and similar accounts abound in
the Qur’an principally to redress and teach humanity the
way to administer justice and equitably.
In the field of mu’amalah, social relations, also a
number of historical accounts thrive in the Qur’an with
the aim of redirecting people to what is acceptable and
blameless for emulation. Two examples in Surah al-Kahfand Surah al-Qalam could suffice for making a case in
this direction. In Kahf Q: 18: 32-44 the account starts:
“Put forward to them the example of two men…”. This
is an account of two men (possibly friends), one of them
was endowed with bounteous garden full of grapes, and
surrounded with dates-palms. The wealthy of the two
men continued to be pompous and boastful in arrogance
to the other man who had not. Again, he refused to consider the rights of needy and destitute by denying giving
out charity. Finally, the account shows that as a result of
this unruly behavior, oppressive nature and miserliness
he lost all his belonging. In surah al-Qalam Q: 68:17-30,
another allegory was given similar to the one in Kahf. The
owners of a garden were reported to have prevented the
poor in their society from benefiting from the products of
their farm in spite of the fact they were in dare need of
assistance and help from the wealthy. Consequent upon
that act of transgression by the wealthy in the community against the poor and weak, their garden which was
the source of their wealth and possessions was destroyed.
The aim and message of these stories were to sensitize
people towards their social responsibilities in the society
especially to the weak and indigent.
Warning against exploitative tendencies of the
wealthy persons against the poor and less privileged in
the society has been one of the Qur’anic philosophies
of teaching through historical accounts. In a narrative of
Qarun-or Korah who was hitherto a companion of Moses, but was distracted and deceived by his wealth to
rebel against his cousin and messenger of Allah Moses
and boasted that accumulation of his wealth was due to
his knowledge and expertise, thus nothing out of it goes
to charity and social services. The account says: “Verily,
Qarun was of Musa’s people, but he behaved arrogantly
towards them…” (Q28:76-83). Fundamentally, he denied
using his of wealth in the propagation of truth and helping the poor on the basis that he acquired his wealth and
fortune through his personal expertise, business acumen
and know how. According to Maududi, ‘This moral of
the story of Qarun/Korah has been mentioned only in the
Qur’an. The Bible and the Talmud are without it’. The
historical accounts helps in understanding the meaning
and message of the Qur’an in the following: People are
encouraged to seek wealth lawfully and use it judiciously
in the right course, and seek through it the life after, by
spending on the need of the poor and avoid excess affluent spending pageantry and show off. Refusal to heed to
this by Qarun, he was decisively dealt with and finally
swallowed by earth.
The Qur’an intends to teach and lay bare some moral
codes and ethics in historical accounts in addition to a
number strong unequivocal comments and commands.
A narrative of Luqman was presented in only one place
in the Qur’an. Luqman was presented as an actor advising and admonishing his son guiding him in many issues of personal and public significance. The story is not
presented in order to give a story alone but to inculcate
virtues through it. In its usual historical teaching, the
Qur’an commands, ‘Remember when Luqman said to
his son when he was advising him…(Q: 31:12-29)’ Some
major lessons in the account include merits of goodness
to parents, godconsciousness, enjoin good and forbidden
evil, shunning away from arrogance, pride and insolence,
as well as imbibing the style of moderation in all affairs.
The tale presents Luqman addressing his son and imparting the moral message conveyed to humanity by the
Qur’an in a most pleasant tune and scenery.
III. Imperative of Historical accounts for explaining
of some verses of the Holy Qur’an
Due to the importance and significance of history in
Qur’anic perspective, some verses are deliberately not
expounded enough in the text of the Qur’an, but allowed
45
some further information to come either from other verses in the Qur’an to supplement the required part of information, or from the Prophetic accounts, i. e. Hadith. The
Qur’anic narratives always centered on the provision of
the most important aspects or most critical parts of the
story, while elaborate details to be sourced from other authentic sources.
We observe quite a number of verses that need supplementary and marginal addendum from some historical
account to convey adequate meaning and message. These
types of instances abound in the Qur’an, which require
historical account to provide name of actors, place of the
acts, period, or sometimes circumstances surrounding the
events, in order to provide a comprehensive picture and
view of the episodes. For instances in Surah al-Baqarah,
(chapter two of the Holy Qur’an) an account has been
narrated inter alia: Have you not considered (the story of)
those who left their homes in many thousands, fearing
death? Allah said to them, “Die”; then He restored them
to life. And Allah is full of bounty to the people, but most
of the people do not show gratitude.2:244
The likely questions that the listener or reader would
possibly ask are: who were these people? Where were
they from? And when did the event take place? All these
answers are not provided in this account in the text of the
Qur’an. It is the application of the further historical information that will avail the reader or logical questioner
of this curiosity. According Ibn Katheer these thousands
of people were from a city during the time of the children of Israel. Epidemic broke out in the city due to bad
weather and they fled out of the city for fear of death. And
God caused them to die instantly, but were returned to
life again during the time of Prophet Hizqil (Ezekiel). In
a similar occurrence the Qur’an calls our attention to an
event in Baqarah Q2:258 that: “Have you not considered
(the story of) the one who argued with Abraham about his
Lord [merely] because Allah had given him kingship”?
The Qur’an did not tell us about the person that challenged Abraham about his lord; although that information
was very important in understanding the complete message and significance of this verse. Again, Ibn Katheer
reporting from Mujahid in another chain of narration, that
it was King Nimrod, son of Canaan, son of Kush, son of
Sam, son of Noah.17His challenge to Abraham was in
his attempt to arrogate power of life and death to himself.
In a very simple logical and rational disposition he was
routed. The Qur’an was more interested in sending the
message and consequences of the action, as well as lessons that could be derived out of them than the details
about characters and persons.
Information provided in tafsir books, hadiths, and
sirah, shed further light and add significantly towards
understanding the meaning and message of the referred
46
verses.
Another important account was presented as a parable
to show the power of Allah in raising the dead at any time
He decreed. The episode was presented in a historical account without mentioning the name of the principal actor,
the town/ place in which the act took place, and the period of action. The account reads: “Or [consider such an
example] as the one who passed by a township which had
fallen into ruin. He said, “How will Allah bring this to life
after its death?” So Allah caused him to die for a hundred
years; then He revived him…”(Q2:259). According to
some commentators of the Qur’an, the person who asked
the question and was caused to die was (Uzayr) Ezra. Detail history about the town that was in ruin, name of the
person, his position, period of time and what followed
after he was raised again into life were provided in Sira
and tafsir books. Indeed, the information provided significantly help in understanding the meaning of the verse.
Ali Ibn Abi Talib was reported saying that the man was
Uzayr-Ezra, and the town was Jerusalem, and period was
when it was destroyed, and its people killed by Nebuchadnezzar. That was also reported by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari
in his Tafsir.18
Some verses such as one referred in Q6:6:“Do they
not see that We destroyed before them many a people
who were dominant in the world during their time? We
had given them such power in the land as We have not
given you. We sent down for them abundant rains from
heavens and made canals flow beneath them. But (when
they showed ingratitude), We destroyed them because
of their sins and raised up other people in their place”.
To complement the meaning and expound the message
of these verses more clearly some examples of those
strong and well established generations that had passed
away and were decisively dealt with by Allah such as Ad,
Thamud, and Pharaoh, are significant parables to expatiate on the content and message they set forth.
With specific reference to the challenges faced by
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), from tyrannical opposition against him during the Makkan period.
The Qur’an exhorts him as follows: Many Messengers
before you have also been treated as impostors, but they
bore with fortitude the charge of imposture and persecution (by the disbelievers), till Our help came down to
them. None has the power to change the Law of Allah
and you have already received the (history) news of what
happened to the Messengers before you. (Q6:34).
The text of this particular verse did not provide illustrations of such generations or communities that treated
their prophets unfairly and cruelly; because several cases
were presented in some selected places in the Qur’an. In
elucidating this verse and explaining it content it is necessary to explore such variety of examples as narrated in
different cases and time epochs in the history of messengers and their encounters.
In al-Ahqaf, Q47:35, another exhortation was directed
to the Prophet and was attached to the past occurrences
against the previous prophets like him who endured the
severity of the persecution of their people against them.
The verse says: “Therefore, be patient (O Muhammad)
as did the messengers of strong will…”. The common inquiries with regard to the content of this verse are: who
are those messengers of strong will, and what were their
pattern and nature of patients which the Prophet, and
by implication, his followers should emulate? The answers were not available in the verse. But in reference
to the historical accounts presented in various places in
the Qur’an will provide a more comprehensive narrative
and well explained message that could be deduced from
the verse. Therefore understanding even if briefly about
those great messengers, people of high esteem, tolerance,
forbearance, patience and leniency, is a prerequisite to
knowing the meaning of the verse.19According to Ibn
Katheer, those of great determination among messengers
are: Noah, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad (peace be
upon him).
In a case where a woman complained to the Prophet
about her husband, and argued with him thoroughly in her
case, more complementary information are required to
portray clearer meaning of the verse. The Qur’an states:
“Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that disputes
with you concerning her husband, and complaints to Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both”
(Q58:1). It adds to a thorough understanding of the verse
to know who were that woman and her husband; and what
was the nature of her case? Sources around the Qur’anHadith and Sirah give the name of the woman as Khaulat
bint Tha’alabah, and husband was Aus bin Al-Samit. This
is a very important historical event which served a land
mark in the history of Islam regarding the right and freedom of women. Khaulat or Khuwailat did not only approach the Prophet publicly about her case, but refused
to accept his initial verdict demanding some much better
than the previous offer, until a divine intervention arrived,
and she was vindicated in the revelation as shown above.
The detail of the case, names of actors and circumstances
surrounding the whole episode are supplied from a different source in a wider historical scope to fully expound the
meaning and the message of the verse.
A metaphor describing an anonymous person was
presented in Surat al-Qalam - Nuun, the verses indirectly
described an individual among the Makkan Quraish who
was a staunch opponent of the Prophet. The verse did not
mention any name but characters and even some physical
features of the particular person. However, further historical support is necessary to complement the provision of
the verse in conveying its message to readers, especially
for the latter generations of Qur’an reciters. The account
is presented thus:
Therefore, do not at all yield to the believers of the
Truth. They indeed wish that you should compromise a
little, then they also would compromises Do not at all
yield to any mean swearer of many oaths, who is a slanderer and a backbiter, a hinderer of good and a transgressor, wicked and oppressive, and above all, ignoble
by birth, only because he has abundance of wealth and
children. When Our Revelations are recited to him, he
says, “These are tales of the ancient times.” Soon We
shall brand him on the snout.
In order to provide the corresponding name of the
referred character Maududi shows that there are varying
opinions as who was the exact person described in the
verse. He says: “The views of the commentators with regard to the person who has been described in these verses
are different. Someone says it was Walid bin Mughirah;
another one says it was Aswad bin ‘Abd-i Yaghuth, and
still another has applied this description to Akhnas bin
Shurayq, and some other people have pointed to some
other persons. But the Qur’an has only described his attributes without naming him. This shows that in Makkah
the man concerned was so notorious for his such qualities
that there was no need to name him definitely. Hearing
his description every person could understand who was
being referred to”.21This is for those who were contemporaries of the event. The information regarding who really was the actual person, as suggested above, although
not provided in the Qur’an is very useful in understanding the meaning of the verses. There are quite a number
of such verses in the Qur’an, that really need additional
historical information for understanding the meaning and
message of the Qur’an, thus the imperative of historical
accounts in explaining the meaning of the Holy Qur’an.
IV. Conclusion
The paper attempted to relate the position accorded to
history in the Qur’an as a medium of communicating,
extending, and expounding its message and meaning of
some verses. It also established that, based on the available examples, parables and episodes contained in the
Qur’an hardly some verses could be clearly understood
without given reference to historical background related
to them to provide further auxiliary detail which always
the Qur’an curtails. Further, the paper submits that, similar to understanding some linguistic as well as technical
methods in providing commentaries of the Qur’an, the
imperativeness of knowing basic historical and cultural
milieu circumstantial to the revelation of some verses and
chapters help in attaining balance and clear message of
the Qur’an.
47
The Other miracle of the Qur’an
Professor Mahmoud Dhaouadi
Sociologist- University of Tunis
Language sign of humanity
Language in its spoken and written forms is a unique
distinguishing feature of the human race. One can say
in a Descartian formula: I use language, therefore, I am
human. This ought to be loudly celebrated in the very
last divine revelation to humanity. According to social
sciences perspective, without language humans cannot
be cultural beings having minds, the skills for learning
science and knowledge and the ability to develop them.
Such distinctive features make the human race the only
legitimate candidate for God’s Khilafa/ vicarship on
earth. Thus, language is the master piece for the special
distinct status of humans among all creatures. It deserves rightly so to be applauded by the divine as well
as by humans. This is fully found in the Quran’s revelations. The Quran’s use of Arabic could be interpreted
as having two aspects of miracles (‘Ejaz): the manifest
and the latent: 1- the manifested traditional one is represented by its beautiful eloquence (balagha) of expressions styles in its verses throughout the Quran’s 114
Surats and 2- the latent miraculous side is conveyed in
considering language as the top human symbol per excellence for the making of the very humanity of the human species, as stressed above (I use language, therefore, I am a human).
The Quran’s double purposes
Consequently, the Qur’an’s use of Arabic appears to
reach out for a double target: to challenge, on the one
hand, the Arabic speaking population in the art of the
Arabic language perfect eloquent use, and to show, on
the other hand, that the hidden miracle of the Quran’s
Arabic is folded and signaled in strongly drawing the
full attention of humans to the highest importance of
language as the most noble human symbol which legitimately offers humans their very unique humanity which
distinguishes them from the rest of the living species
and give them overwhelming superiority and control
48
(Khilafa) on the rest of the creatures on earth. In other
words, language is the first source for making Adam
a full blown cultural being who is privileged to have
knowledge and science which even the angels do not
have as the Qur’anic verses explicitly state: “ Behold,
thy Lord said to the angels I will create a vicegerent
on earth. They said: Will Thou place therein one who
will make Mischief therein and shed blood ? while we
celebrate Thy praise and glorify Thy holy (name). He
said: I know what ye know not. And He taught Adam
the names of all things ; then He placed them before
the angels and said: Tell Me the names of these if ye
are right. They said: Glory to Thee: of knowledge We
have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: in truth it
is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom. He
said: O Adam tell them their Names. When he had told
them their names, Allah said: Did I not tell you that I
know the secret of heavens and earth, and I know what
ye reveal and what ye conceal. And behold, We said to
the angels: bow down to Adam “ Al Baqarah :30-34.
The Concept of Cultural Symbols/CS
Language in its spoken and written forms is the key
for knowledge acquisition and production among humans. In order to grasp the meaning of this we need
to know the system of what I call Cultural Symbols/
CS ( language, thought, religion, knowledge/science,
myths, laws cultural values and norms). My cultural
thesis (humans are cultural symbolic beings by nature)
is based on a set of five observations/concepts. To my
knowledge, my demonstration of the centrality of CS in
the human identity, as illustrated in the drawing below,
is utterly new and innovative in contemporary social
sciences. My conceptualization of culture and its place
in Man’s identity has practically no match in those social sciences. Here is how I have been led to develop
this fresh conceptualization of culture:
1-The process of the human body growth and mat-
uration is slow compared with those of other living
beings. For instance, on average human babies begin
walking at the age of one year, while animal babies
may walk right away or within few hours or days after
their birth.
2- In general, humans have longer lifespan than
most animals.
3-The human race has an uncontested dominant role
on this planet.
4-Humans are privileged by what I have already
called CS.
5- In my own conceptualization, the human identity
is made up of two parts: the body and CS. Thus, it is
fully a dualistic identity which is often referred to in
religions and philosophy as an identity made of body
and soul.
CS Insightful Explanation
The slow human body growth and maturation could
be accounted for by the fact that human global growth
and maturation involve two fronts: The body front and
that of CS. In short, the growth and maturation of nonhuman species are uni-dimensional (body) because of
their lack of CS in the most complex human sense of
the term. In contrast, the growth and maturation of humans are bi-dimensional. They involve two levels: the
body level and the CS level. So, this process of two
levels is seen to be behind the human slow body growth
and maturation. That is, the process of the human body
growth and maturation is slowed down, so to speak,
among humans because humans are involved in a second process of growth and maturation represented by
CS. This interpretation has an insightful quality and
certainly a lot of novel spirit which are more likely to
promote its scientific credibility. To my knowledge, I
have never encountered this idea in the literature of
contemporary social sciences: why the walking of human babies is delayed compared with that of the animal
babies and how CS/culture can offer a sound explanation to this phenomenon (Dhaouadi 2013). The following drawing describes the central position and role of
CS in the making of the human identity.
1. The human body’s slow growth
2. The human’s longer lifespan
3. Humanity’s dominant role
4.CS central impact on the human identity
5. The human’s dual identity
Language the Mother of CS
Based on the concept of CS, it is quite legitimate to
look for the origin of human culture which distinguishes the human race from the rest of the other species.
The human spoken and written language appears to be
the most likely human factor behind the emergence of
the phenomenon of CS/culture. It is hard to imagine the
existence of the remaining elements of the CS system
like religion, science, thought without the presence of
the spoken language at least. This is why I consider
language as the Mother of all CS. Given the central
role of spoken and written language in the birth as well
as in the making of the CS system/culture as defined
by anthropologists and sociologists in particular, it becomes strongly appropriate to endorse the widely cited
description of philosophers and social thinkers who
have seen Man as a speaking animal. As such, human
language is not only the source on which depends the
emergence of human culture, but it is also at the origin
of the human race`s Khilafa/domination over the rest
of the living species through the human sophisticated
and complex cultural system. The debate on the origin
of culture is widely discussed today by social scientists.
Though there are small differences between them, yet
there is a consensus that language is the first determining factor for the emergence of human culture (Dortier:
2005-2006:26-94).
Language is Humanity sealing
As argued above, language in its spoken and written
forms is a distinct human quality which is the very
source for the origin of human culture which makes
humans different from the rest of the species and gives
them domination over them. As such, the second miracle (Ijaz) of Arabic the language of the Qur’an is not
seen only in the Qur’anic Arabic per se, but especially
in the use of language per se; the most noble sign of
Man’s Humanity in the last divine message to the human race. This is what I referred to earlier as the double
purpose intended in the Quran’s divine revelation in the
Arabic language. One can claim that the second latent
miracle of the Qur’an is superior to the first manifested
miracle because language is the sealing privileged sign
of Humanity.
References
Dhaouadi, M (2013) Cultural Sociology within Innovative Treatise: Islamic Insights on Human Symbols,
Lanham, University Press of America Inc.
Dortier, J-F (2oo5-2006) L’origine des cultures in Les
Grands Dossiers des Sciences Humaines, no.1.
49
What Mother Mary Means to Me
By Afeefa Syeed
The house in which Mary is purported to have lived her last years, located in Mt. Koressos in the vicinity of Ephesus, near Selçuk in Turkey.
At Christmas time I was along to
the Little Drummer Boy song. I
always wanted to be that drummer
who gave a gift to the new born
King and makes Mary smile. And
I’m reminded again that the more
I learn and reflect about the many
manifestations of Mary, mother of
Jesus, the more I am in awe of her.
Her story and place in history
has been a source of strength for
my soul and life, especially as a
woman and as a mother. Although
my understanding of Mary’s story
is based on the Quran’s telling of
her role – an entire chapter, Maryam, is named after her — I’ve also
gathered inspiration from women
I’ve met, who interpret her story for
their own lives. I’ve revisited her
through various stages of my life
50
and find ways that I might fill the
gaps in how much we really know
about someone who lived centuries
ago.
The story starts with Hanna,
Mary’s mother who made a vow
while pregnant, dedicating her unborn child to God for the benefit of
humanity:
“Oh my Lord! I do dedicate unto
You what is in my womb for thy special service. So accept this of me,
for You hear and know all things.”
(Qur’an 3:35)
At that time, this dedication
would mean sending the child to
the temple to live, serve and be
raised. Besides a consecration to
the physical temple, this conscious
act of dedication reminds us as
mothers-to-be that the collection of
our thoughts, actions and mindfulness during pregnancy has bearing
on our wombs and what develops
within. We are not just vessels to
carry a life into the world, but how
we think about the child and how
we treat our bodies can have consequences on the emotional, mental
and physical development of a fetus.
During each of my three pregnancies, I read Hanna’s prayer and
imbibed the notion that what I felt
could be transferred to my unborn
child. This moved me to write notes
to each child somersaulting inside
me, become more in tune with how
my body was behaving and observe
closely what each yet-to-be born
little one was exposed to.
When Hanna’s child was born
and turned out to be a girl, she did
not step away from her vow. She
insisted that she had dedicated
the child in her womb, not differentiating between a boy or girl. She is
told that although the societal norm
did not grant females such a ranking, God accepts her dedication.
Hanna says:
“…I have named her Mary and
I commend her and her offspring to
Your protection from any Evil.”…
Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty.” (3:36-37)
This is the basis for shattering
double standards as a practice; that
roles for benefit of society or in service of God can be performed by
anyone dedicated to doing so. And
this also speaks to the responsibility
of each to assert this equality either
for themselves or to advocate for
others who cannot. Working in international development, I’ve heard
Hanna’s example resonate in various women’s empowerment programs and efforts embedded with
worldviews that respect and honor
the role of Mary.
As she grows, Mary spends a
great deal of time in a space in the
temple called the mihrab, or niche.
She passes her time praying and
communing with a higher presence
regularly, without intermediaries,
she has direct connection and contact with the divine. But even more
so I imagine her as a student and
aspiring scholar who learns independently.
She must also have been cognizant of the temple’s many dimensions of influence and power, which
eventually will come to be seen as
monopolizing of religious authority
in that society. She chooses to separate from politics and social hierarchy and instead create a sanctuary
and focus on bettering herself while
considering solutions to what may
be happening outside her sacred
space.
Although she is to be the mother
of Jesus, this is the span of time I realize that she herself has importance
and value in how she made her own
mark in society. To this day, that
safe space Mary created for connectivity with God, the mihrab, is
honored in mosques. In fact, it is
also the spot from where community leaders deliver sermons, which
should ideally uphold the call for
justice and equality.
After it is revealed to her that
she will carry a child, Mary submits to her destiny after hearing
from Gabriel that it is the Creator’s
will. She has that unshakeable
faith. However, when she goes into
the throes of labor, she cries out:
“Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a
thing forgotten and out of sight!”
(19-23)
She realizes that that the responsibility of explaining her condition
will be great and that the pain she
endures is overwhelming. This plea
from her reminds me that it is acceptable, even for someone who has
received God’s grace and blessings,
to not only doubt herself, but wonder if what she is being called for is
even possible physically, mentally
or emotionally. Of course this well
resonates with so many of us who,
in the midst of labor, have shouted
out all sorts of pleas and heartfelt
cries!
In response to her cries of suffering through childbirth, Mary receives revelation telling her to hold
fast to the trunk of a nearby palm
tree as the pain crescendos and
she is alone. She’s told to eat dates
and drink from the stream running
nearby to keep her strength. This set
of directives assures me that while
prayer is powerful and important,
solutions are linked to our own action and taking responsibility for
our condition. Her pain could have
been easily eliminated in response
to her prayers, or not have even
been necessary since she was under
divine protection.
But to me, the lesson here is to
understand what we can have control over, what is beneficial knowledge for us to have on hand, and
how our actions can make a difference. In addition, for both men and
women to understand that the experience of childbirth is grounded in
the physical realm and needs to be
recognized as a difficult process, in
this case even for the mother Jesus.
In fact, centuries later, Prophet Muhammad would equate the pains of
labor with battles to fight injustice
– the reward for dying during both
are that of being a martyr in the
cause of serving God.
Mary’s role does not end with
the birth of Jesus. She continues
as a devout believer in the greater
good and as a dedicated teacher
who imparts on her growing son
values of quiet empathy, recognizing imbalanced influences of power
structures, and the persistent potency of prayer. Some 30 years of
learning from his mother and this
diligent upbringing, coupled with
the Divine’s destiny for him, Jesus
becomes the Christ who himself
teaches principles of equality and
justice – to serve the poor and give
voice to the oppressed.
He also came to confront and
question the monopoly and hegemony of religious institutions that
had taken access to God away from
everyday people. He spoke truth
to power that was masquerading
as religious dogma and authority.
In part, it has been argued that the
reason Jesus was born without a father was to demonstrate to the religious leaders that their projection
of being over protective fathers of
the masses was misinformed and
against divine precepts.
The Biblical and Qur’anic stories of Mary are especially moving
to me, as I’ve interpreted them to
see her as a fellow woman aspiring to spiritual connectivity, who
creates her own space and place for
understanding of all things Divine
and worldly, and finally being able
to impart these to others who, for
her, included the Prophet of Peace,
Jesus Christ.
As my sons grow into themselves
and explore spiritual relationships
on their own terms, Mary continues to teach me the value of sharing the practice of perseverance and
patience. And even more, as I myself continue to evolve as a person,
I realize that stories such as Mary’s
are much deeper and resonate more
when we make them a part of our
lives in practice, beyond being frozen on an unreachable pedestal.
(Afeefa Syeed is a cultural anthropologist working in international
development based in Washington,
D.C.)
51
Around the Muslim World
King Abdullah approves project for
Haram Mosque sunshades
absorbed by the stone floors and walls to escape back
into the atmosphere. The process is reversed in winter.
When temperatures are relatively low, umbrellas are
closed during the day to allow the winter sun to warm
the site, and opened at night to retain heat near ground
level. The mosque itself is air-conditioned. Lowering
temperatures in the surrounding courtyards reduces the
demand for cooling inside. Shading the courtyards accomplishes this, plus providing more comfortable areas
for pilgrims and worshippers.
Sheikh Al-Sudais praises budget’s
appropriations for The Two Holy
Mosques
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah
has approved a project to install about 300 sunshades in
the courtyards of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, similar
to the ones at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah thanked
the king for the royal gesture that would reduce the
difficulties of worshippers who pray in the mosque’s
courtyards under the scorching sun. “We have decided
to install more than 300 umbrellas in the courtyards
around the Grand Mosque including the newly expanded areas,” said Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head
of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques. He said
the umbrellas would cover about 275,000 square metres
of open space surrounding the mosque. The Prophet’s
Mosque in Madinah has nearly 250 umbrellas for the
comfort of the pilgrims. Like blooming flowers, the umbrellas are programmed to fold and unfold in minutely
delayed sequence to avoid collision between their moving parts. Their near-silent operation is automatically
aligned with changes in the daily temperature. They
open each morning, creating a translucent ceiling, and
retract each evening in less than three minutes.
In summer, the open umbrellas provide daytime
shade and reflect away much of the sun’s radiant energy. When closed at night, they allow residual heat
52
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy
Mosques, expressed his gratitude and appreciation of
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah,
the Crown Prince Salman and Deputy Crown Prince
Muqrin for their unlimited support for the Presidency
in the service of the two holy mosques and their visitors, especially the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
In a statement on the occasion of the announcement
of the Kingdom’s new general budget, Sudais commended the budget’s appropriations for the presidency,
considering it as a proof of the leadership’s keenness on
the holy mosques and the ongoing largest ever expansion in their history. Jordanian Awqaf Minister condemns calls
for allocating part of Al-Aqsa to Jews
Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of Jordan Hayel
Dawood condemned the media reports that called for
allowing the Jews to pray in some parts of Al-Aqsa
Mosque compound and for dividing and allocating a
part of the compound for Jews, Petra news agency reported.
Speaking to Petra, Dawood stressed Jordan’s constant stand as per which it considered Al-Aqsa compound as the one surrounded by a wall around an area
of 144 donum and all the mosques, yards and domes
within it.
He added that the compound is a completely Islamic
endowment for Muslims and Al-Aqsa is completely indivisible.
Dawood also added that the status quo of Al-Aqsa
is determined by global organizations and international
legitimacy instruments that consider the city of Jerusalem as an occupied one and, in its current situation, is
not subject to change.
24 of them had been destroyed, 104 severely damaged,
85 moderately damaged and 77 possibly damaged.
The United Nations said the report was “alarming testimony of the ongoing damage that is happening to
Syria’s vast cultural heritage” and called for efforts to
scale up their protection. The satellite images were put
together by UNOSAT, a Geneva-based UN institute.
“It is very sad for Syria as well as the world that this
is happening,” said UNOSAT director Einar Bjorgo.
“Humankind is losing hundreds and thousands of years
of heritage,” he told AFP. “Perhaps some of it can be
rebuilt, but what is looted may be lost, unless it resurfaces and is given back.”
Nearly 300 heritage sites
hit by Syria war: UN
Anti-Muslim sentiments rise in Germany
Nearly 300 cultural heritage sites have been destroyed,
damaged and looted in Syria since its conflict broke
out in 2011, the UN said in a report citing satellite evidence.
Among the areas exposed to major damage were
UNESCO world heritage sites such as Aleppo, where
settlements have been in place for 7,000 years, and the
fabled desert Greco-Roman oasis of Palmyra. “Looting,
destruction from aerial bombardment and other explosions, as well as infrastructure construction at cultural
sites significantly threatens the heritage to future generations of these historic structures and objects,” the UN
said in a statement. The report focused on 18 areas, of
which six are UNESCO-listed: the Old City of Aleppo;
Bosra; Damascus, the Dead Cities of northern Syria;
Crac des Chevaliers and Palmyra. Detailed analysis of
satellite imagery of 290 locations at these sites showed
German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces challenges
from allies and rivals to confront a rising tide of antiimmigrant sentiment driving increasingly popular antiIslam marches in the city of Dresden every Monday.
With thousands expected at the next march, Merkel is
in a dilemma. Her security officials are warning of an
increase in hate crimes, while opinion polls show support for the marchers’ calls for a tougher German immigration policy. “There is a visible rise in xenophobic
crime countrywide,” police chief Holger Muench told
Welt a.m. Sonntag, which like most German Sunday
newspapers focused on Monday’s march by a group
calling itself PEGIDA — an acronym for “Patriotic
Europeans against the Islamization of the West.” There
has been a spike in both anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic
sentiment this year, with right-wingers joining soccer
hooligans to fight Muslims and a spate of attacks on
Jews. At the same time, with record levels of immigration, Germany has become Europe’s biggest recipient
of asylum-seekers.
Merkel said there was “no place in Germany” for
hatred of Muslims or any other minority. But her Social
Democrat (SPD) coalition allies, the opposition Greens
and the fast-growing Euroskeptic party Alternative for
Germany (AfD) all seem to have spotted a chance to
undermine the popular chancellor, whose approval rating was 76 percent in a poll in the Bild a.m. Sonntag
newspaper. The SPD, seething at Merkel’s remarks that
they had declared political bankruptcy by allying with
former communists in one eastern state, challenged her
to respond to what senior SPD lawmaker Thomas Oppermann called “probably the biggest issue of the next
decade.” Greens leader Cem Oezdemir, who will join
53
a counter-protest in Dresden, urged her “to recognize
clearly that Germany is a country for immigrants and
benefits from them.” In fact, Merkel often says Germany needs more immigrants to boost its workforce.
Massive sympathy with Sweden Muslims after arson attack on mosque
Hundreds of Swedes took to the streets to denounce an
arson attack on a mosque in which five people were
injured.
A firebomb was thrown through a closed window of
the mosque in the central city of Eskilstuna Thursday
injuring five of the nearly 70 worshippers inside. Two
of the injured have been hospitalized on Friday.
Answering calls to denounce the attack by the “Together for Eskilstuna” Facebook page, a large group
of people converged on the damaged mosque to show
their support.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, but the authorities until now hasn’t been able to
arrest any suspect. An official spokesman for the Swedish police said the Swedish intelligence agency is going
to take part in the investigation of this incident.
In September elections, the extreme rightist anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party became the thirdlargest party in the parliament by winning 12.9 percent
of the vote.
According to a recent mock election poll for radio
station SR, Sweden Democrats has increased its September showing by a full point to 13.9 percent with
other surveys showing support of nearly 16 percent.
The latest opinion poll published by the Radio SR
showed that xenophobia rate has risen so much over the
past years. The head of Muslim Association of Sweden
Omar Mustafa lamented the rise of the hostility towards
foreigners and Muslims without genuine reasons.
Libya: UN urges end to cycle of violence
as country reels from latest attack
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemned the latest spate of violence
54
in the country as unidentified gunmen renewed
attacks against Libyan oil installations, leaving
numerous storage tanks ablaze and further destabilizing the security situation in the war-torn nation.
“These attacks are in clear violation of UN
Security Council resolutions on Libya,” UNSMIL said in a statement issued on Saturday as the
Mission called for an “immediate halt to these attacks.”
“Libyan oil belongs to all the Libyan people
and is the country’s economic lifeline,” the statement continued. “The Mission reiterates its call on
all sides to safeguard Libya’s oil installations and
to desist from any action that endangers this strategic national asset.”
According to reports, unknown assailants attacked
Libyan oil installations at the Sidra oil terminal
on December 25, igniting three storage tanks and
killing more than 20 soldiers in the process.
In addition, UNSMIL noted another attack by
unidentified gunmen on the same day claimed the
lives of an undisclosed number of guards on duty
at a power station near the city of Sirte, along the
Mediterranean coast.
“UNSMIL urges Libya’s influential actors to
make every effort to bring an end to this senseless
cycle of violence,” the statement said.
“The Mission stresses that there can be no winners in the current conflict, and that the continuing
violence in the Oil Crescent area, Benghazi and
elsewhere in Libya will only deepen the rift among
the Libyans and further destroy their country’s infrastructure and state institutions,” it added.
UN condemns military escalation in Libya, calls on all parties to join dialogue
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned the sharp escalation in violence in
the country and called on both sides to cease military
operations immediately and give political dialogue a
chance.
“We consider the military escalation as a direct attempt to undermine the political dialogue efforts,”
UNSMIL said in a statement on the escalation. “Those
behind it clearly aim to scuttle the work to reach a political solution.”
Calling on all political actors to “shoulder their
responsibilities with courage and determination”, the
statement stressed that that the country’s transition is
at a critical juncture and called on the various Libyan
stakeholders to put national interests above all other
considerations and to work towards achieving a consensus political solution that ensures Libya’s long-term
stability and safeguards its sovereignty and territorial
integrity.
“There can be no winner in the current military conflict and the use of violence and the force of arms will
not succeed in achieving political objectives,” the Mission said. “The latest military escalation is evidence
that dialogue to reach a consensus is all too necessary
and should be pursued with stronger determination.”
The political dialogue aims to reach agreement on the
management of the remainder of the transitional period,
until adoption of a new permanent constitution. That
statement pointed to progress made towards convening
a session soon and noted that discussion would focus
on solving the on-going crisis in the country.
Talks would also provide a forum for political parties, tribal forces and armed groups to be active partners in searching for agreement and in establishing the
necessary security arrangements to end the armed hostilities raging in different parts of the country.
“The Mission continues to consult with the parties,
and is working on finalizing the necessary arrangements
to ensure a successful convening of the Libyan political
dialogue,” the statement said, underlining the fact that
“the vast majority of Libyans” demanded dialogue and
that those involved in military activities were violating
the UN Security Council resolution 2174 (2014), and
could face targeted sanctions.
UN urges Myanmar to grant citizenship
to Rohingya Muslims
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution urging
Myanmar to grant citizenship to its Rohingya Muslim
minority as well as as equal access to services, news
agencies reported.
The non-binding resolution was adopted by consensus in the 193-nation assembly on Monday, a month
after it was approved by the assembly’s rights committee. The UN Assembly expressed serious concern over
the plight of the Rohingya in Rakhine state, where
140,000 people live in squalid camps after violence
erupted between Buddhists and Muslims in 2012. Under a controversial government-backed plan the Rohingya would be forced to identify themselves as Bengali - a term seen as disparaging in order to apply for
citizenship. Those who refuse would be forced to live
in camps.
The resolution urges the government to protect the
rights of all inhabitants of Rakhine state and allow
equal access to full citizenship for the Rohingya minority, to allow self-identification and ensure equal access
to services.
The measure drafted by the European Union was
adopted by consensus after Myanmar did not request
a vote on the measure. A vote is held if the country
targeted by the resolution requests it. Despite criticism
of the Rohingya’s treatment, the resolution welcomes
continued positive developments in Myanmar toward
reform and notes that the government is making efforts
to address the complex situation in Rakhine state.
55
It calls for an office of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights to open without delay in Myanmar.
Tsunami survivors recall how
mosques stood firm
When a powerful tsunami smashed into this Indonesian
city ten years ago, the only structures left standing in
many neighborhoods were mosques. For the hundreds
who found refuge within their walls, the buildings’ lifesaving role has not been forgotten — and for many, that
experience strengthened their faith.
Architectural experts say the mosques in Banda
Aceh survived because they were sturdily built and
had stronger foundations than surrounding structures,
many of which were likely constructed of shoddier materials. But many survivors believe the mosques were
spared by divine intervention. “It’s because the mosque
is the house of Allah, the creator of such a tsunami. It’s
protected,” said Ahmad Junaidi, a survivor who fled to
safety in the majestic Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, a
major landmark in the city with its 35-meter (115-foot)
minarets, white walls and seven black domes.
The mosque, built by Dutch colonizers and completed in 1881, was virtually unscathed by the Dec.
26, 2004, tsunami, which devastated the city and killed
more than 230,000 people in more than a dozen nations
around the Indian Ocean. As an 18-year-old, Reza Nasir found refuge from the disaster by climbing onto one
of the Grand Mosque’s black domes. From there, he
saw the ocean flood into the city and over the mosque’s
outside walls, leaving hundreds of bodies in the courtyard. He had never seen so many corpses. That was
also when he started to pray five times a day, one of the
five pillars of Islam.
Many residents of Aceh, the most dominantly Muslim province in all of Indonesia, viewed the disaster as
punishment for their lack of devotion to God. The tsunami has actually made many more devout, said Faisal
Ali, a prominent cleric. “It encouraged Acehnese to renew their dedication to their faith,” Ali said.
With the renewed religious fervor among many in
Aceh, the region on the northern tip of Sumatra also
has become the only region of Indonesia governed by
Islamic Shariah law — part of a peace agreement with
the government to end a decades-long separatist war
that granted the region some autonomy.
Mirza Irwansyah, an architectural expert from Banda Aceh’s state-run Syiah Kuala University, said that
at least 27 mosques in the city survived the tsunami,
often the only buildings in their neighborhoods to do
56
so. Photos of the structures standing amid the debris
circulated on the Internet after the disaster, with many
calling their survival a miracle, he said. But they stood
firm mostly because of their solid construction compared to surrounding buildings, he said. Albania: ‘The Mosque of Two Girls’
inaugurated in Shkodër
A new mosque, called “The Mosque of Two Girls; Sara
& Shehd” was inaugurated on December 12 in the city
of Shkodër, in northwestern Albania.
The ceremony was graced by Imam Muhamed Sytari, Mufti of Shkodër, Maxhid Cungu, president of the
Regional Council Shkodër, Ilir Hoxholli, chairman of
the State Committee on Cults, Ramiz Zekaj, president
of Albanian Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (AIITC) and Ahmed Al-Shaye, representative of
the Kuwaiti donor’s family. After the inauguration, the
participants performed the first Friday prayers in the
new mosque.
It is noteworthy that the mosque bears the names of
‘Sarah and Shehd,’ who died about two years ago in a
painful accident, and whose father, Ahmed Al-Shaye,
decided to build an act of charity for the rest of their
souls.
Task Force of eminent Muslim scientists kicked off in Malaysia
Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, the Science advisor to the
Prime Minister of Malaysia, kicked off the meeting of
the Task Force on Science at Universities in the Muslim World, with an emphasis on education issues, Bernama news agency reported.
The initiative, launched by Muslim-Science.Com,
seeks to jumpstart a serious discussion on critical issues and big questions at the intersection of science and
religion within the Islamic World.
The Task Force focuses on science education,
bringing together 13 leading global experts from the
Islamic World and beyond to explore the big question
of whether universities are contributing to the impoverished state of scientific development in the Muslim
world, the participants will explore the positive roles
that should be undertaken by the universities.
Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, the chairperson for the
Task Force, reiterated the importance of kicking off this
initiative saying, “We hope this Task Force will bring
forth a consensus that could lead to policy action across
the Islamic World”.
The task force is hosted by the Malaysian IndustryGovernment Group for High Technology (MIGHT).
Prof. Nidhal Guessoum of the American University of
Sharjah (UAE) is the Coordinator of the Task Force, and
Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, President and CEO
of MIGHT is the Co-Convenor of the Task Force.
A launch event will take place in June 2015 to formally
release the report of the Task Force and to seek partners
that will work with the Task Force to implement the
recommendations.
Churchill found Islam tempting: Report
A recently discovered letter showed famed British wartime leader Winston Churchill not only desired to be
an Ottoman-style pasha, but was fascinated by Islamic
culture, prompting one of his relatives to be concerned
and begged him not to convert to Islam, The Indepen-
dent daily reported.
Churchill’s soon to be sister-in-law urged him in a
letter - dated August 1907 - not to convert to Islam.
“Please don’t become converted to Islam; I have noticed in your disposition a tendency to orientalize, Pasha-like tendencies, I really have,” wrote Lady Gwendoline Bertie, who married Churchill’s brother Jack, in
a letter that was discovered by a history research fellow
at Cambridge University, Warren Dockter. Bertie added: “If you come into contact with Islam your conversion might be effected with greater ease than you might
have supposed, call of the blood, don’t you know what
I mean, do fight against it.”
It was Islamic culture, rather than theology, that gave
Churchill - who was Britain’s prime minister through
much of World War 2 - his interest in Islam, according
to Dockter. “Churchill never seriously considered converting,” Dockter told The Independent. “He was more
or less an atheist by this time anyway. He did however have a fascination with Islamic culture which was
common among Victorians.” In another letter, which
was written to Lady Lytton in 1907, Churchill said he
“wished he were” a Pasha. A person was bestowed the
title Pasha as a higher rank distinction in the Ottoman
Empire. Churchill, who previously served as an officer
of the British Army in Sudan, sometimes donned Arabic traditional garments in private, which were sartorial
fascination also shared with his good friend Wilfrid S.
Blunt.
In further evidence that Churchill was fascinated
with Islamic culture as opposed to the religion, he wrote
in his 1899 account of Sudan, “The River War,” that
“the fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must
belong to some man as his absolute property, either as
a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to
be a great power among men.” He added: “Individual
Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralizes the social development of
those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists
in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith.”
According to Dockter, Churchill’s family should
not have worried about his interest in Islam. He said:
“(Lady Gwendoline Bertie) would have been worried
because Churchill was leaving for an African tour and
she would have known Churchill had been seeing his
friend, Wilfrid S. Blunt, who was a renowned Arabist,
anti-imperialist and poet. Though he and Churchill
were friends and dressed in Arabian dress at times for
Blunt’s eccentric parties, they rarely agreed.”
--IINA
57
Beautiful Qualities of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him)‫‏‬
Mercy to all mankind
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him) was asked to curse the infidels. He said, “I have not
been sent to curse people but as a mercy to all mankind.”
(Muslim)
Mother of faithful believers Hadrat Aisha (may Allah
be pleased with her) said that she once asked the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him): ‘Did
you face a day severer than the day of the battle of Uhud?
‘He answered: ‘Yes I have experienced such things at
the hands of your people and such a day was the day of
Aqabah. On this day I presented myself to Abdi lail bin
Abd Kulal and offered him Islam, but he failed to make
58
any responce to what I had offered to him. I therefore, left
with a heavy heart and depressed. I felt some relieft only
when I reached Qarn Sa’alib. Here I looked up and saw a
cloud covering me. In this cloud I saw Angel Jibril (peace
be upon him) who called me and said: Allah, the Most
High, has heard what your people have said to you and
the response to your offer. Allah has now sent the Angel
of the Mountains to you to carry out your orders to do
what you might like to be done to them. Then the Angel of
the Mountains addressed me greeting with Salam and then
said: ‘Muhammad! Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)
has heard what your people have said to you. I am the Angel of the Mountains and my Lord has sent me to you to
carry out your orders. What do you want now to be done?
If you like I may crush them between the two mountains
encircling the city of Makkah. The Prophet (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him) replied: (I do not want
their destruction) I am still hopeful that Allah will make
some of their children (good Muslims) who would worship Allah, the One, without associating anybody with
Him. (Bukhari and Muslim).
His forgiveness
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a Jewess came to Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him) with poisoned mutton and he took of
what had been brought to him. (When the effect of his poison were felt by him) he called for her and asked her about
that, whereupon she said: I had determined to kill you.
Thereupon he said: Allah will never give you the power to
do it. He (the narrator) said that they (the Companions of
the Holy Prophet) said: Should we not kill her? Thereupon
he said: No. He (Anas) said: I felt (the effects of this poison) on the uvula of Allah’s Messenger. (Muslim)
It has been narrated on the authority of Hadrat Anas bin
Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that eighty persons
from the inhabitants of Makkah swooped down upon Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him) from the mountain of Tan’im. They were armed and
wanted to attack the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him) and his Companions unawares. He
(the Holy Prophet) captured them but spared their lives.
So, Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) revealed the
verse: “And It is He Who restrained your hands from them
and their hands from you in the valley of Makkah after He
had given you a victory over them.” (48:24) (Muslim)
His trust in Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)
It has been narrated on the authority of Hadrat Anas (may
Allah be pleased with him) that, on the Day of Hunain,
Umm Sulaim took out a dagger she had in her possession.
Hadrat Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) saw
her and said: Messenger of Allah, this is Umm Sulaim.
She is holding a dagger. Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him) asked (her): What for
are you holding that dagger? She said: I took it up so that
I may tear open the belly of a polytheist who comes near
me. Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace
be upon him) began to smile (at those words). She said:
Messenger of Allah, kill all those people-other than uswhom thou hast declared to be free (on the day of the
Conquest of Makka). (They embraced Islam because) they
were defeated at your hands (and as such their Islam is
not dependable). Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: Umm Sulaim, Allah
is sufficient (against the mischief of the polytheists) and
He will be kind to us (so you need not carry this dagger).
(Muslim)
He fought only for Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)
Mother of faithful believers, Hadrat Aisha (may Allah be
pleased with her) said that the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him) never struck anybody
with his hand, neither a servant nor a women, but he did
fight (jihad) in the cause of Allah. He never avenged any
wrong done to him personally, but he did avenge a wrong
violating divine commandments. (Muslim)
Closer to the believers than their ownselves
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said
that a man who had died in debt would be brought to Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him) and he would ask whether he had left anything to
discharge his debt. If he was told that he had left enough
he would pray, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to
pray over their friend. But when Allah (The Glorified and
the Exalted) wrought the conquests at his hands he stood
up and said, “I am closer to the believers than their own
selves,* so if any of the believers dies leaving a debt I
shall be responsible for paying it, and if anyone leaves
property it goes to his heirs.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
He prayed for the leader of the Munafiqeen (Hypocrites)
Narrated Hadrat Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with
him): When ‘Abdullah bin ‘Ubai died, his son ‘Abdullah
came to Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him) and asked him to give him his shirt
in order to shroud his father in it. He gave it to him and
then ‘Abdullah asked the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him) to offer the funeral prayer for him
(his father). Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him) got up to offer the funeral prayer
for him, Sayyidina ‘Umar got up too and got hold of the
garment of Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Will
you offer the funeral prayer for him though your Lord has
forbidden you to offer the prayer for him?” Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him)
said, “But Allah has given me the choice by saying:‘Whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask
forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them
seventy times....’ (9:80)
So I will ask more than seventy times.” Sayyidina
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “But he
(Abdullah bin ‘Ubai) is a hypocrite!” However, Allah’s
Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
59
him) did offer the funeral prayer for him whereupon Allah
revealed:‘And never (O Muhammad) pray for anyone of them
that dies, nor stand at his grave.’ (9:84) * (Bukhari)
*The complete verse is: “And never (O Muhammad)
pray for anyone of them that dies nor stand at his grave.
Lo! they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and they
died while they were evil-doers.” (9:84)
His gentleness
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: While we
were in the mosque with Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him) a desert Arab came and
began to pass water in the mosque. The companions of
Allah’s Messenger said, “Stop! Stop!” but Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him)
said, “Don’t interrupt him; leave him alone.” They left
him alone, and when he had finished, Allah’s Messenger
(may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) called him
and said to him, “These mosques are not suitable places
for urine and filth, but are only for remembrance of Allah, prayer and recitation of the Qur’an,” or however Allah’s Messenger expressed it.* Hadrat Anas (may Allah be
pleased with him) said that he then gave orders to one of
the people who brought a bucket and poured water over it.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
*Indicating that the transmitter is not sure of the exact
words.
His concern for the people
Abu Qatadah Haris Ibn Rib’i (may Allah be pleased with
him) relates that the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him) said: I stand up for Prayer [Salat]
intending to prolong it. In the meantime I hear the wailing
of a baby and I have to shorten my prayer, being apprehensive lest my recitation of a long verse may tell upon the
baby’s mother. (Bukhari)
He established rights for animals
Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him) said, “One of the rights is that she camels should be
milked at places of water.” (Bukhari)
His tender heart
Abdallah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him)
reports as follows:- Once the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him) asked me to recite the
Qur’an to him. I said: “O Messenger of Allah! The Holy
Qur’an has been revealed to you and you ask me to recite
it to you!” “It is my wish, “ he said, “that I hear it from
some other person”. So I began to recite, beginning from
60
the Sura an-Nisa, and when I reached this verse: “But how
(will it be with them) when, We bring of every people
a witness, and We bring thee (O Muhammad) a witness
against these,” (4:41). I chanced to glance at his auspicious face and saw that tears were rolling down from his
eyes. (Tirmidhi)
He was the bravest of men
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported
that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace
be upon him) was the sublimest among people (in character) and the most generous amongst them and he was the
bravest of men. One night people of Madina felt disturbed
and set forth in the direction of a sound when Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) met
them on his way back as he had gone towards that sound
ahead of them. He was on the horse of Hadrat Abu Talha
(may Allah be pleased with him) which had no sadle over
it, and a sword was slung round his neck, and he was saying: There was nothing to be afraid of, and he also said:
We found it (this horse) like a torrent of water (indicating
its swiftfootedness), whereas the horse had been slow before that time. (Muslim)
His generosity
Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that
Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be
upon him) was the most generous of people in charity, but
he was generous to the utmost in the month of Ramadan.
Hazat Jibril (peace be upon him) would meet him every
year during the month of Ramadan until it ended, and Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him) recited to him the Qur’an; and when Jibril (peace
be upon him) met him, Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him) was most generous in
giving charity like the blowing wind. (Muslim)
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a person requested Allah’s Messenger (may
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) to give him a
very large flock (of sheep) and he gave that to him. He
came to his tribe and said: O people, embrace Islam. By
Allah, Muhammad donates so much as if he did not fear
want. Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said
that the person embraced Islam for the sake of the world
but later he became Muslim until Islam became dearer to
him than the world and what it contains. (Muslim)
He did not take sadaqah
Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that
when the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace
be upon him) emigrated to Madina, Hadrat Salman Farsi
(may Allah be pleased with him) brought a tray full of
fresh dates and offered it to him. He asked , “What is this?”
Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “It
is a sacrifice (sadaqah) for you and your Companions.”
He said: “We do not eat sadaqah”. On the second day too
Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) came with
a tray of dates and said: “These dates are a gift.” Then the
Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him) and the Companions ate of those dates. Thereafter
Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) saw the
Seal of Prophethood (in between his shoulders) and embraced Islam. (Tirmidhi)
His true nature
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported
that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace
be upon him) was presented two cups at Bayt al-Maqdis
on the night of the Heavenly Journey, one containing wine
and the other containing milk. He looked at both of them,
and he took the one containing milk, whereupon Hadrat
Jibril (peace be upon him) said: Praise is due to Allah Who
guided you to the true nature; had you taken the one containing wine, your Umma would have gone astray. (Muslim)
He did not speak to please but always said the truth
‘Amr ibn al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports
that the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be
upon him) in his special talk, used to pay attention even
to the worst man in the community with a view to win
his heart. “Towards me also,” states Hadrat ‘Amr (may
Allah be pleased with him), “he used to pay much attention, addressing me more than he did others, wherefore I
began to think that I was the best man in the community.
So under this impression, one day I asked him: “Am I superior or Hadrat Umar?” He said, ‘Umar’. Again I asked
him clearly, he told me correctly, without fear or favour,
and later on I thought I should not have asked him such
things.” (Tirmidhi)
His manners
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
“The Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be
upon him) had the best manners among all the human beings” (Bukhari and Muslim)
He would take permission from a small boy
Sahl bin Sa’d Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that milk was brought to the Prophet (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him). He drank it. On his
right was a boy and on the left elderly persons. He said
to the boy: If you permit, I shall give first to these (on the
left). The boy said: No, by Lord, Messenger of Allah, I do
not want to let anyone have my share of what is left from
your lips. Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him) then gave it first to him. (Malik)
His left over food a healing
Abu Omamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that
a woman used to rattle on ceaselessly and unrestrained.
She came to the Holy Prophet’s (may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him) presence. He was eating mutton
at that time and so he gave her a piece of it. The woman
asked him to give her that piece which was in his auspicious mouth. So he took it out and gave it to her. She ate it
up, whereby she became alright, her tongue became controllable and she ceased to run off at the mouth and lather.
(Tirmidhi)
His saliva a healing
Narrated Yazid bin Abi ‘Ubaid: I saw the trace of a wound
in Salama’s (may Allah be pleased with him) leg. I said
to him, O Abu Muslim! What is this wound?” He said,
“This was inflicted on me on the day of Khaibar and the
people said, “Salama has been wounded.’ Then I went to
the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him) and he puffed his saliva in it (i.e. the wound) thrice,
and since then I have not had any pain in it till this hour.”
(Bukhari)
Satan cannot imitate him
Abdallah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him)
reports the Prophetic statement that, “He who saw me in
dream, he saw me really, for Satan cannot make his face
like mine.” (Tirmidhi)
His exalted position
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): On
the Day of Resurrection the people will fall on their knees
and every nation will follow their prophet and they will
say, “O so-and-so! Intercede (for us with Allah), “till (the
right) intercession is given to Prophet Muhammad (may
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) and that will be
the day when Allah will raise him to a station of praise and
glory (i.e. Al-Maqam -al-Mahmud). (Bukhari)
The merit of his Ziyara
Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that Rasulullah (may Allah’s blessings and peace be
upon him) said: Whoever visits my grave, my intercession
becomes obligatory for him.” (Dar-Qutni)
Courtesy: The Qur’an Foundation
61
Bangladesh opposition supporters shot dead
Two activists from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party have been shot dead in clashes with ruling
party supporters after their leader called for protests on the
first anniversary of elections her party boycotted, police
said.
Clashes came as BNP’s leader Khaleda Zia remains
confined to her office in the capital Dhaka in what is seen
as attempts by the authorities to prevent her from staging protests, Al Jazeera reported. The two activists were
killed in the northern town of Natore in what police said
were clashes with Awami League supporters. The victims
were identified as men in their 20s and shot by assailants
on motorbikes. The attack happened as authorities stepped
up their siege of Zia’s Gulshan office, parking trucks laden
with sand and bricks to block the road leading to the office. Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from Dhaka, said Zia was trying to force her way out. “Khaleda Zia
is planning to come out of her office any time now, [but]
the main gate is locked and (the) entire area is cordoned
off and barricaded by trucks,” he said. Police said the office had been cordoned off “In an effort to step up her
security”.
Our correspondent said Rawshan Ershad, the leader
of parliamentary opposition, was threatening to withdraw
her ministers from the cabinet. Ershad made the comments
while addressing a news conference in Dhaka at the parliament building. It was not clear whether the threat was
linked to restrictions placed on Zia. Local media reported
clashes in various parts of the country that have left dozens
injured by rubber bullets fired by security forces. There
were also media reports of crowds setting fire to the office
of the ruling Awami League in the district of Rajshahi, but
the reports could not be independently verified. Zia has
urged activists to take to the streets in their thousands as
part of a campaign to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
to hold fresh multi-party polls, describing as “Democracy
Killing Day”. “She has urged people to join a mass rally.
She would also try to join the protest,” Zia’s spokesman
Maruf Kamal Khan told reporters.
Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, was reelected on January 5, 2014, in what was effectively a onehorse race after the BNP and around 20 other opposition
parties boycotted the polls over rigging fears. Zia’s boycott was sparked by her arch rival’s refusal to step down
62
ahead of the election and allow the contest to be organised
by a neutral caretaker administration which has organized
previous polls. The boycott by the BNP-Jamaat and its allies meant a majority of members in the 300-seat parliament were returned unopposed, ensuring Hasina’s Awami
League party another five years in power. The opposition
has since maintained that the poll was a sham.
In the January 2014 election, voting was overshadowed by firebomb attacks on polling booths and clashes
between police and opposition activists on and before
election day. About 500 people were reportedly killed in
the run-up to the poll. Many of the BNP’s top leaders have
since either been detained or charged in connection with
the election violence, hampering efforts to press their case
for new polls.
--IINA
German anti-Islam rally
triggers massive counter protests
MWLJ Desk Report
At least 18,000 people in the eastern German city
of Dresden have taken part in rallies opposing
Islamic influence in Western nations, prompting
massive counter-protests in several cities.
The record number of people that took to
streets in support of the right-wing populist movement known as the “Patriotic Europeans Against
the Islamization of the Occident” (PEGIDA) on
Monday came despite a call by Chancellor Angela
Merkel to snub such demonstrations deemed racist by many. Organizers of the opposing demonstrations in Berlin, Stuttgart, Cologne and Dresden said they were rallying against discrimination
and xenophobia to instead promote a message of
tolerance. Businesses, churches, Cologne city’s
power company and others were planning to keep
their buildings and other facilities dark in solidarity with the demonstrations against the ongoing
protests by PEGIDA.
Over the last three months, the crowds at PEGIDA’s demonstrations in the eastern city of Dresden, a region that has few immigrants or Muslims,
have swelled from a few hundred to 17,500 just
before Christmas. Police said a similar number
were expected again later on Monday night. The
Dresden demonstrations have spawned smaller
PEGIDA rallies elsewhere, including gatherings
planned in Berlin and Cologne on Monday night
where several hundred were expected to be on
hand. By contrast, about 10,000 counter-demonstrators were expected in Berlin, 2,000 in Cologne
and another 5,000 in Stuttgart where there was no
PEGIDA protest planned.
PEGIDA has broadened its appeal by distancing
itself from the far right, saying in its position paper
posted on Facebook that it is against “preachers
of hate, regardless of what religion” and “radicalism, regardless of whether religiously or politically motivated”. “PEGIDA is for resistance against
an anti-woman political ideology that emphasizes
violence, but not against integrated Muslims living
here,” the group said. It has also banned neo-Nazi
symbols and slogans at its rallies, though critics
have noted the praise and support it has received
from known neo-Nazi groups. Lutz Bachmann,
PEGIDA’s main organizer, refused to comment
further about his party’s platform when approached
by the AP news agency at a recent rally.
63
Rabita Roundup
Muslim World League Condemns Terrorist
Attack on Saudi Northern Border Region
Secretariat General of the Muslim World League
(MWL) expressed deep condemnation of the heinous
terrorist assault against one of the border guards at Suef
centre in the northern border region of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, which was carried out by a handful of
the deviant group, resulted in the martyrdom of three
security men.
It also expressed deep grief at this tragic misfortune,
and extended its sincere condolences to the leadership
and people of the Kingdom, and the families of the
martyrs, asking Allah Almighty to bestow forgiveness
and compassion upon them with safety and a speedy
recovery for the injured.
This came in a statement issued by the MWL Secretary General, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki
in which he said: ‘This attack is considered as one of
the banditry crimes, which were described by Allah
Almighty as a corruption on earth for its pan harm and
seriousness and for that it deserves the harshest penalties.’
MWL official arrives in Khartoum to take part in meetings
of Council of Trustees of Africa International University
Assistant Secretary General of
Makkah-based Muslim World League
arrived in Khartoum to take part in
meetings of the Council of Trustees
of Africa International University.
At Khartoum International Airport, he was received by ambassador
Faisal bin Hamid Mualla of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to The Sudan
and a representative of the Sudanese
Presidency Protocol.
The participants were briefed on
the progress of implementation of
the resolutions of the last meeting in
addition to listening to performance
report on 2014 and 2015 plan to be
presented by the university’s Principal Dr. Kamal Obaid.
64

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