Demolish Kafir/ Mushrik/ Munafiq-manufacturing factories, says Sultan Shahin, defending New Age Islam against Talibani onslaught

Ijtihad, Rethinking Islam
22 Jan 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com
Demolish Kafir/ Mushrik/ Munafiq-manufacturing factories, says Sultan Shahin, defending New Age Islam against Talibani onslaught

As a community we are more reactionary and obscurantist that positive and progressive. We live in fear and denial. There is noting wrong with us; it’s all Jewish conspiracy, Hindu conspiracy, Western imperialist conspiracy, etc. etc. We love living in the past, in the land of pointlessness. So our discussions too are not so much about issues of today as about the bygone past. We revel in discussing ad infinitum the dirty politics of seventh century Arabia and taking sides with one or the other party. We have no present and no plans for the future. As a community, that is. Some individuals, of course, do have plans for themselves as well as for the community and a vision of regeneration for Islam and the Muslim community. But they are reviled for thinking of this word rather than the other world where 72 houris are waiting for them impatiently in a land of milk and honey and of course, plenty of liquor. (In the case of poor women, of course, only their husbands, if any, would be waiting there, and yet some of them become suicide bombers, for some reason.)

Sultan Shahin, editor, New Age Islam
URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1143
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Demolish Kafir/ Mushrik/ Munafiq-manufacturing factories, says Sultan Shahin, defending New Age Islam against Talibani onslaught

Dear Mr. Yousaf,

This site is not about me and I am not the only writer, though I would like to write more. Unfortunately running a site is a rather demanding job, more demanding than I had thought when I started it. This is a platform for all Muslims to participate in discussions on any subject relevant to the state of Islam or Muslims. I do indeed consider myself a forward-looking person and find it fruitless to live in the past and engage in mostly pointless discussions about the dirty Arab politics of the past. For me, the definition of a Muslim is simply any one who says, just says, - for we have no right to speculate about his or her motives and there is no way we can divine his or her intentions – that God is one and Mohammad (PBUH) is His prophet. So, as you can see, I do have a rather individualistic view of things, but as an editor, I never try to impose these views. Yes, these views maybe affecting my choice of the articles I print and the subjects I raise for debate. But the reader is absolutely free to comment within the bounds of decency. Some readers cross this boundary and sometimes I find it difficult to delete offensive expressions like “Lanati” and “Yazid ke aulad”, etc. as they are interspersed in the thoughts of those readers. I truly suffer from a horror of censorship, though, that may become necessary in some cases, but only to remove offensive, unseemly language.

By the way, I learned these offending expressions only on the site. It shows the depth of hatred we carry in our hearts against one another. If the believers in Allah and followers of Prophet Mohammad are not safe from us and our sectarian mean-spiritedness, what can followers of previous prophets like Hindus, Biddhists, Jains, Christians, Jews, etc. expect from us? With what face do we indeed go to them and claim to be followers of a religion of peace and forgiveness, amity and total surrender to the Almighty.

Coming back, if you have an issue with any views expressed by any writers, you are free to take them up and if your views are censored you my have legitimate cause for complaint. God has not appointed you a commissar, however, as far as I know, and you should be a bit careful in calling people kafir or munafiq, etc. This merely shows that you have no arguments. You might be displeasing Allah too by doing so. For He alone is the Judge. Even the Prophet never called the munafiqeen abusive names, never restricted them from prayers and even participated in the funeral prayers for the salvation of the soul of the chief munafiq. All this when Allah had warned him about them and the Prophet knew they were harming the religion at a very crucial point in its history, actually in its infancy, when even its survival may have appeared difficult to some.

As far as the Muslims of today are concerned, we may have our own ideas about who is a kafir or a munafiq or whatever but we shouldn’t be expressing them as this only makes us a kafir or a munafiq. It is for God to judge. Not you. Don’t assume divine powers, please, even if you think, you are gifted with a third eye and can divine people’s intentions and motivations just by going through their editorial work.

I do even publish the views of people I disagree with, not too often, of course, but occasionally I do give representation to people whom I consider having obscurantist and fundamentalist views as well. Only recently I went to the extent of getting translated from Urdu an article I thought defended fundamentalism and obscurantism rather well, just so people like you do not feel left out on the site. Please see:
In defence of Islamic fundamentalism - Maulana Nadeem-ul-Wajedi
http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1099

You are welcome to suggest any well-written, well-argued articles that go against the basic thrust of the site and I will carry that. In fact in the comments section of most articles you must have found more retrogressive views than progressive. The reason is not difficult to see. As a community we are more reactionary and obscurantist that positive and progressive. We live in fear and denial. There is noting wrong with us; it’s all Jewish conspiracy, Hindu conspiracy, Western imperialist conspiracy, etc. etc. We love living in the past, in the land of pointlessness. So our discussions too are not so much about issues of today as about the bygone past. We revel in discussing ad infinitum the dirty politics of seventh century Arabia and taking sides with one or the other party. We have no present and no plans for the future. As a community, that is. Some individuals, of course, do have plans for themselves as well as for the community and a vision of regeneration for Islam and the Muslim community. But they are reviled for thinking of this word rather than the other world where 72 houris are waiting for them in a land of milk and honey and of course, plenty of liquor. (In the case of poor women, of course, only their husbands, if any, would be waiting there, and yet some of them become suicide bombers, for some reason.)

So, Mr. Yousaf, pick up a pen, well, more likely a keyboard and enlighten us with your views on the issues covered on the site. You can even write in defence of Talibani/Jihadi brutality or against Muslim girl’s education, in defence of beard as most vital Islamic institution, whatever, and the site will not deny you space. You will find a lot of applause too. New Age Islam has many readers who express their retrogressive, reactionary views regularly. As I told you before I learned several terms of Islamic abuse on the site. We welcome both those who call Dr Zakir Nayak a kafir and those who warn against the kafir-manufacturing factories rampant in Muslim lands. You will find here people who call Yazid Lanati (accursed) and also those who call him Rahmatullah Alaih, both arguing and contesting each others’ points of view fiercely. Personally I would like to demolish all kafir/Mushrik/Munafiq-manufacturing factories. I consider them highly offensive and completely against the Islamic ethos. But as they constitute a significant and influential section of the community, I do not even deny them space. So welcome, Mr. Yousaf. Just remember, New Age Islam is not about me; it is about you. I am merely a moderator in the discussions. I do give you subjects to discuss, but you as free to add your own subjects, as many readers do. As for my Imaan, let Allah judge that; think a little about yourself.

Sultan Shahin, editor, New Age Islam
http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1143

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yousaf
20/2009 8:32:05 PM

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Mr. Sultan Shahin

Suddenly I came across your website. since then in last three four days I have gone through it and these are my comments
You write a Muslim name and pretend to be as such as your website name suggest, but let me tell you that in the time of holy prophet there were certain people who by face pretended to be Muslims where as actually they were not. These were the people who had extreme hatred for the religion but they were cowards, greedy, mischief-mongers, followers of Satan. They were called munafiqs or munafiqeen. They had no moral guts to show their true faces. About them ALMIGHTY ALLAH says in holy book that they will be in the worst and deepest part of hell. So I have no doubt about you. you are like a hungry and lusty Dog to acquire the world by your this deceit nature. I do not have a doubt that you are not a Muslim but at the same time I don’t know who are you and what is your mission. as it seems that like a Hindu about whom it is said that ' munh mein Ram Ram aur baghal mein churi" means "Say Ram Ram from the mouth while hiding knife under his arm to stab you when get an opportunity. I can assure you people with deceit nature have no respect in any religion or any society.

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/Controlpanel/AddArticles.aspx?Article_ID=1143

COMMENTS
1/29/2009 11:59:17 PM
Ashok Chowgule
From Ashok Chowgule
To: Sultan Shahin
date 29 January 2009 15:26

Understanding the Muslim Mind
Author: Dr Omar Zia
Publication: Islam Watch
Date: January 29, 2009
URL: http://www.islam-watch.org/Omar.Zia/Understanding-the-Muslim-Mind.htm
29 Jan, 2009

Continuing with my last topic of evolution, or lack thereof, in a Muslim mind, let me give you three real-life examples of how I observed Islam’s toxic effect on the mind of Muslims and how, in my view, they will effect the world around us in the foreseeable future.

1. Mind of a Sri Lankan Muslim

Two years ago while travelling through Sri Lanka I befriended a taxi driver in Colombo.

He was a young devout Muslim from a family of ten: two aged parents and eight grown-up children. He was the youngest member of the family born and bred in Sri Lanka. From my chats with him during several excursions in the city, I pieced together a detailed picture of the conditions and aspirations of Muslims in Sri Lanka.

Muslims constituted only 7% of the population in Sri Lanka. This boy of 22 knew that. He told me in a meaningful way that non-Muslim Sri Lankans are too cautious when it comes to raising a family. They worry about the education and upbringing of their offspring too much; for that reason, birth-rate amongst non-Muslims is quite low. Muslims in Sri Lanka, on the other hand, believe that Allah will provide everything and do not care how many children they have. This boy was prophetic. Current Muslim population of Sri Lanka is listed as 9% according to many guide-books.

Upon my enquiry as to how he got along with his non-Muslim neighbours, he praised them for their placidity and then complained that he found it quite annoying that Muslims had to take their cowardly neighbour religious sensitivity into account and slaughter animals hidden from the public eye. He assured me that as soon as Muslims were in ascendancy in his country, which, he was sure, would happen in his lifetime, one of the first laws to be passed will be sanctioning of slaughtering of animals in the open, like in any Muslim country. While visiting Hindu temples with me, he proudly informed me that Muslims never allow non-Muslim Sri Lankans to enter mosques, as they were unclean. He was also quite sure that if allowed, Muslims being the worthy fighters and jihadis, can sort out the Tamils within a very short time.

In order to understand better the Muslim society in Sri Lanka, I even accepted his offer of a cuppa at his house towards the end of my stay. All that I had heard from this young ‘time bomb’ proved absolutely certain. Indeed, the visit proved even more shocking: the rest of his family members appeared even more radicalized and angrier at their majority countrymen. I felt absolutely horrified at the prospect of what is in store for the affable, but oblivious to danger, non-Muslim Sri Lankans.

2. Mind of my young, ambitious nephew

On my last visit to Pakistan, my 18 year nephew visited me and implored to arrange a visa for him to go to England. He was close to completing his schooling but was quite despondent of his future prospects in Pakistan. I explained to him that even though I will endeavour to help him all I can, the final word would rest with the British consulate and it would be his academic records, which, in the end, would decide his fate. My motive was to inspire him to study harder as he seemed quite lacking in knowledge for his age. I also told him that he would have to supplement his studies in England with menial jobs. He seemed absolutely comfortable with that news.

As I was once analyzing a disturbing verse from the Quran (9:29), he arrived. I decided to test him on his humanity and asked if he had ever read Quran. He proudly replied that he had, several times, but only in Arabic and therefore did not understand any of it. I explained the verse to him and asked for his thoughts on this fascist verse. Without any hesitation, he responded that he absolutely believes it is correct. Upon my flustered query as to how can he think of subjugating or killing his hosts in England, he replied to my astonishment that once Islam has overwhelmed England, this verse would become mandatory and Allah’s deed must be carried out. I couldn’t help but feel awed at the corrupting power of Islam.

3. Mind of my educated, progressive, and nonreligious Muslim brother

The third incident, which I wish to relate, came soon after the above incidence during a dinner chat with my progressive, highly educated and largely non-religious brother. I was lamenting to him at the Taliban’s tactics of usurping power in Pakistan. He coolly informed me that Taliban are good people except that they have interpreted Islam wrongly and all true Muslims harbour a Taliban within them. Much shocked at this statement, I asked him to show me what part Taliban had misinterpreted from the Quran. Noticing that he was attempting to change the subject, I persisted and asked him if he had read the Quran with the understanding of it meaning. Not surprisingly, the answer was a somewhat embarrassing "NO".

After the dinner, I asked him to bring out his translated copy of the Quran. He did not possess one. What he luckily did have though was a functioning computer in his son’s room. I persuaded him to sit with me and I got out the verses which were being used, with proof and through their own mouth by Osama, Naik, Israr and many other unabashed fascist nuts. I showed him ahadees, which corroborated those verses from the Bukhari and Muslim collection. I could almost hear his Islamic world collapsing inside him and heard his heartbeat rising. I knew that I was very near to my goal of making him see the truth. It was just seconds away when all of a sudden he almost toppled the monitor and got up in a rage screaming that it was all western propaganda. He started an incoherent, and increasingly alarming, tirade against the Jews, the West and America and eventually blamed me for being an instrument in the hands of some Western think-tank. Suffice it to say that I left his house with a heavy heart that there is little no hope for a peaceable future for our globe.
Dr. Omar Zia is a Pakistani-born ex-Muslim.
http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1143