The Pope's comments are nothing new so I don't really understand what all the fuss is about. I mean, what did you expect the Head of the Catholic sect of Christians to say about Sayyidina Muhammad (s)?
In fact, it's amazing he hasn't said so much more and worse considering our turbulent history, and in particular between the Muslim Empire and the Byzantine Empire back in the good 'ole days.
I was more impressed with his speech which has valuable points and interesting observations although littered with sloppy factual mistakes.
I also liked his focus on the "Dehellenisation" of Christianity - this is something I like to think some of our own super-scholars tried to do such as Ghazzali and Ibn Taymiyyah with all the best intentions in the world, perhaps inadvertently getting a bit too caught up in the means and methods and flirting with plenty of danger; this danger has taken many victims throughout Islamic History from the People of 'Aql and Bid'ah.
But back to the anger from Muslims due to the Pope's speech. I think the 'shock' witnessed at his comments from Muslims in the West is a tad naive, and a direct result of the false lull of security and 'peace' we have got used to through the plethora of "inter-faith" events that we have here in the UK and US.
Although these may be intrinsically good things to have and communities do need something to ensure happy smiles all around and we especially need the support of well-established faith groups to ensure increased rights and protection for the Muslim community, indeed I'm involved in one this coming Wednesday (Lloyds Hotel, Chorlton, 7pm), but the danger is that it just becomes a night of self-praise, adulation, pat each others backs, lovey-dovey speech and see you guys next year. Take care, bye!
It instills a laziness to Da'wah, something which I have noticed over the last few years. Muslims don't want to rock the boat by speaking the truth or calling our panel members to Guidance, but rather feel happier to praise their activities and love and peace and all the rest of it. And I'm getting tired of all this bakwas. I don't know how long I can keep this up.
To strike the balance has to be the imperative in our relations with non-Muslims, ensuring that pure quality Da'wah is given serious priority as well as joint peace events and other inter-faith forum behaviour. It is because the latter has become the norm to so many Muslims in the West that they are suddenly shocked to find the Christians have 'rocked the boat' so publicly and blatantly.
We should know different by now.
In fact, it's amazing he hasn't said so much more and worse considering our turbulent history, and in particular between the Muslim Empire and the Byzantine Empire back in the good 'ole days.
I was more impressed with his speech which has valuable points and interesting observations although littered with sloppy factual mistakes.
I also liked his focus on the "Dehellenisation" of Christianity - this is something I like to think some of our own super-scholars tried to do such as Ghazzali and Ibn Taymiyyah with all the best intentions in the world, perhaps inadvertently getting a bit too caught up in the means and methods and flirting with plenty of danger; this danger has taken many victims throughout Islamic History from the People of 'Aql and Bid'ah.
But back to the anger from Muslims due to the Pope's speech. I think the 'shock' witnessed at his comments from Muslims in the West is a tad naive, and a direct result of the false lull of security and 'peace' we have got used to through the plethora of "inter-faith" events that we have here in the UK and US.
Although these may be intrinsically good things to have and communities do need something to ensure happy smiles all around and we especially need the support of well-established faith groups to ensure increased rights and protection for the Muslim community, indeed I'm involved in one this coming Wednesday (Lloyds Hotel, Chorlton, 7pm), but the danger is that it just becomes a night of self-praise, adulation, pat each others backs, lovey-dovey speech and see you guys next year. Take care, bye!
It instills a laziness to Da'wah, something which I have noticed over the last few years. Muslims don't want to rock the boat by speaking the truth or calling our panel members to Guidance, but rather feel happier to praise their activities and love and peace and all the rest of it. And I'm getting tired of all this bakwas. I don't know how long I can keep this up.
To strike the balance has to be the imperative in our relations with non-Muslims, ensuring that pure quality Da'wah is given serious priority as well as joint peace events and other inter-faith forum behaviour. It is because the latter has become the norm to so many Muslims in the West that they are suddenly shocked to find the Christians have 'rocked the boat' so publicly and blatantly.
We should know different by now.
posted by Abu Eesa at 10:30 PM
12 Comments:
asSalamu alaykum,
What does ibn Taymiyya have to do with 'de-hellenizing' Christianity? Why is he a person of "bid'a" and "'aql"? WHo are you anyway, Mr Majhool, to come out with these sweeping slanders about our scholars? When did IT ever "flirt with danger"? btw, Ibn "Hazn" (Hazm) was a Jahmiyy and not a Sunni, and that is why he believed all those ridiculous things. How dare you suggest the Muslims not be offended.
Yes how dare he, on his own blog, suggest anything of the sort :-P
Anyhoo - can you please give me some advice on how students should approach interfaith forums on campus? Like top ten tips type thing. Jazakallahu Khayr.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
lol, if anyone asked me to write a classic ______ (fill in as appropriate) reply to the post, I would've written the above. I suppose even un-anonymous-ing won't stop everyone.
Anyway, regarding this topic, I think the problem is that Muslims don't know how to react. Be offended by all means, but kick back where it hurts, and I don't mean burning up dummies of the pope or the usual islam-means-peace-we-are-not-terrorists-im-a-moderate-muslim-and-you've-upset-me-please-say-sorry bakwaas. The christians hardly have a bloodless history; if they don't want to remember, let's remind them!
I thought by far the best comment on the bbc was this:
SALIH KAPUSUZ, DEPUTY LEADER OF TURKEY'S RULING AK PARTY
The owner of those unfortunate and arrogant comments, Benedict XVI, has gone down in history, but in the same category as Hitler and Mussolini.
He seems to have a mindset that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages. He is a poor thing that has not benefited from the spirit of reform in the Christian world. It looks like an effort to revive the mentality of the Crusades.
The poor thing!
Salam Alaykum
Yes, the Pope's comments were out of line but your blog touched upon some very important points.
The bbc 'have your save' on this latest Pope-agate is rather interesting. The usual pros and cons are given, but if you look at the recommended comments, not one pro muslim statement in at least the top 50 comments. A straw poll indication (like we needed one), that we got our work cut out in dawah. The average man holds a lot of resentment.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14988.htm
salaamalaykum I recomend that you all take a look at this short film
Dam right the pope comments are nothing’ compared with what he had for breakfast “picks up a piece of bread that’s roughly about the same size as a ten pence piece puts it in his mouth and says “body of Christ” then says a few hail Mary’s for those who don’t know the prayer.” “Hail Mary MOTHER OF GOD! Blessed art thou and the fruit of thy womb “Jesus” “really I think his comments were water off a ducks back in comparison to the catholic Ideas and beliefs. I mean “Hitler said he was doing god and mankind a favor by killing Jews” nobody in Europe bat an eye lid over that remark in Germany’ pope didn’t say anything to Hitler! and by the way Hitler was a good catholic” when you have to go back and dig up the dirt from the 14th century from a guy who was so muted from the Othman caliphate’ Catholicism had lost many of its patronage people to Islam, literally in converts. these remarks are only inline with the present war on terror crescendo by Bush & Blair crusaders. Give Us a War Incorporated Crew. that’s told the media to highlight the new pope to get the Catholics to enroll in the army. God wills it! This sorts out any future threat from would be I.R.A partisans because we’ll all be fighting for blighty for good old England’ King George and the lads! Lets bash the Muslims’ its going so wrong for us Europeans in the Middle East where getting our arses kicked in Iraq and Afghanistan bleat! Bleat! Bleat! Let’s rain in the thugs and rally Christianity and whip up some religious fervor sigh! Let’s get the inquisition involved bring the comfy chair No! Not the comfy chair! Sorry for all of you who missed out on Monty Python…..
The only credible way to fight hatred and bigotry is to confront it and by confronting it you’re fulfilling an obligation on two fronts that is your using your tongue for what it was supposed to do and you’re breaking the silence to speak the truth which people are waiting to hear, dawah is more an obligation now than it ever was especially now people have been roused into thinking Muslims are barbarians kill kill kill blah blah blah ! A claim which if you look at the news in close examination by the media evidence refutes its self.
The world leaders have killed more Muslims this century than at any other time under the precipice of fighting terror. What is becoming clearer to us more and more is the lack of concern by Muslims to their own situation that is’ the present climate of fear that is being exacerbated by there lack of political will’ to even try and engage the public or reach out to people by hosting open days or forums for getting involved with non Muslims in order to facilitate dawah.
To there own blame they are tightening the nose around there own necks. Your silence is being observed and interpreted to be guilty! If you really want to change your outlook then you have to do more’ none of us can close our doors anymore’ the doors must become open’ your life must be like an open book’ so everyone who wants to can come and take a look, the more you confine yourselves to cultural and group partisan mentality the more you will debilitate yours selves from the achieving the victory.
The victory in this sense is hearts and minds so what comes from the heart will reach the heart if peace is to be pursued then talk peace until the goal becomes achieved and if there is a stumbling block may I suggest you remove it! if you’ve called to the people to the knowledge of what is the truth’ religion’ Islam’ revelation’ the messengers’ and you have exhausted all avenues then call again, 10,000 may fall on your right and ten thousand on your left but the but the hearts of the people are between good and bad the means of dawah is as you wish people skills is what is needed broad shoulders’ and the remembrance that Noah called to his people for nine hundred years.
The month of blessings is soon to be here where our actions are aided by Him who commanded and chained the shiateen to hold them back from doing there worst’ we are aided by Allah and his angels in facilitating the good and fasting’ to energise our souls to righteous deeds and help us take control of our naffs and renew our covenant and fulfil His rights and thank Allah for his favour upon us.
We still have the window of opportunity to do good all be it marred by dubious folk but as Noam Chomsky said that over all people interact with each other more personally than the media ever will and the greatest way of educating people is by talking on the street level and be it at the bus stop or at work but what ever sphere of life people meet they see you and your smiling face and they value your right to differ so as to destroy the media stereo type.
Religion of peace has some violent proponents... please join me in pacifying those who would spread violence. Recent actions by Muslims throughout the world have shown the face of a violent people... Can you denounce those who are spreading hatred against the Pope?
If the post by idriss means anything... I would like to meet some smiling muslims on the street who were not burning someone or something and spewing violence over an a statement that speaks to peace not violence... when will you be honest about the violence that is so near the mouth of islam?
Wa 'alaykum salam
Baji: Unfortunately I don't think I can really help with your query, because I strongly believe there is no top ten list of points or do's and don't's.
Da'wah has to come naturally, and I think that all practising Muslims do a great job of that just being normal and interacting with all and sundry as per the Sunnah. That means therefore to treat all people very well, to engage those who are 'open-minded' in a deep and intellectual fashion, and to respond to the attacks of those not so open-minded in a way which reflects their intellect.
As for organising events and the like then there has to be a mix - we do need inter-faith events to show these religions we have so much in common with them, and we can build upon that. In our state of weakness, we need their support against the overwhelming might of the secular humanist lobby.
Yet at the same time, we musn't forget the nobility of calling to the Deen of Allah, proudly and honourably, without descending to cheap soundbites and events but with a manner which befits the particular audience in question.
I honestly believe that we have fallen away massively in this responsibility post 9/11 and it is reflected in our more 'pacifist' attitude to life - a greater balance in our da'wah between mutual back-slapping inter-faith events and events which proudly promote the Deen presented by the best and most qualified Du'at is the only answer to this.
And Allah knows best.
Post a Comment
<< Home