28 May 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
Not helping the matter - Media should get Islam right
The Prophet was
keen on establishing relations based on respect, equality and justice with
non-Muslims, and recommended that they be treated well. He said: "He who hurts
[non-Muslims] is my enemy until Judgment Day" and "He who killed a person under
a treaty shall never go to heaven." This respect is also reinforced in the
hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad) by the Prophet's companion
Jaber Ibn Abdellah: "A funeral passed by, and the Prophet stood up in respect.
We said to him, 'It is a Jewish man's funeral.' He said: 'If you see a funeral,
you shall stand up. Is it not a soul?'" -- Hind Al-Subai
Al-Idrisi
By Hind Al-Subai Al-Idrisi
Given the amount of violence and
instability in countries with Muslim majorities, such as Iraq and Afghanistan,
some people mistakenly assume the violence stems from Islamic teachings, when in
fact Islam does not condone such actions. The media does not help the matter,
often focusing on the activities of terrorists who claim to be Muslims, instead
of identifying these individuals as criminals and shedding light on the true
essence of Islam.
The media shows Muslim
terrorists with guns performing prayers but rarely associates terms like
terrorist, fanatic and fundamentalist with any other religious group. For
instance, the phrase "Hindu fanatics" or "Jewish terrorists" are seldom used
even though in each faith there are people that do not represent the larger
group.
The vast majority of Muslims are
peace loving and coexist harmoniously with those around them; they would say
that the core of Islam is tolerance, co-existence and respect for all religions.
In fact, Prophet Muhammad was known for his superior manners, merciful demeanor
and tolerance toward all people, regardless of their race or
religion.
Islam is a universal religion,
for all times and places. It encourages tolerance and respect for differences.
As our world becomes a global village, with technology bringing cultures
together and increasing interaction among civilisations, we must embrace
religious tolerance as one of the basic principles behind flourishing democratic
societies.
There are many verses in the
Qur'an that support this message of peaceful coexistence and harmony. Among the
basic features of Islam is freedom of religion and non-compulsion: "Let there be
no compulsion in religion" (2:256) and "If it had been the Lord's will, they
would all have believed - all who are on earth. Wilt thou then compel mankind,
against their will to believe?" (10:99).
When the Prophet Muhammad
established the first Muslim community in Mecca, he guaranteed freedom of
religion, the sanctity of the human soul, and the right to security for
non-Muslims, including Christians and Jews - the "People of the Book", as
they're referred to in the Qur'an. They were privy to the same rights and
subject to the same duties as Muslims, and were granted protection from outside
threats.
In addition to recognising the
right of freedom of religion for non-Muslims, Islam calls for respecting Jews
and Christians and their faiths, noting that faith is a personal matter between
the individual and his or her Lord.
Most Muslims respect the idea of
religious freedom established in the Qur'an. I see this idea lived out in my own
country, Morocco, a Muslim-majority country where Jews have lived for centuries
and practiced their faith freely. The Moroccan Jewish community has its own
judges for family law, covering things such as inheritance, marriage and
divorce, and demonstrating one way that religious tolerance can be lived
out.
The Prophet was keen on
establishing relations based on respect, equality and justice with non-Muslims,
and recommended that they be treated well. He said: "He who hurts [non-Muslims]
is my enemy until Judgment Day" and "He who killed a person under a treaty shall
never go to heaven." This respect is also reinforced in the hadith (sayings and
actions of the Prophet Muhammad) by the Prophet's companion Jaber Ibn Abdellah:
"A funeral passed by, and the Prophet stood up in respect. We said to him, 'It
is a Jewish man's funeral.' He said: 'If you see a funeral, you shall stand up.
Is it not a soul?'"
The teachings of Islam encourage
acquaintance and communication among all people, as well as the blending among
societies: "O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made
you nations and tribes that ye may know one another" (49:13).
It is important today for
everyone - and especially the media - to move away from discussing Islam only in
association with terrorism, and toward spreading an understanding of Islam in
all its diversity.
Global Arab
Network
* Hind Al-Subai Al-Idrisi is a
Moroccan blogger who participated in a Rabat-based workshop for bloggers
organised by the international conflict transformation organisation Search for
Common Ground. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service
(CGNews).
9:50 PM
Sultan Shahin
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