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Ahmed Jawed is inviting the Muslims to think what we should do and what we should not do in response to offensive activities committed by anti-Islam elements in the West like the recent burning of the Holy Quran by self-styled priest Terry Jones. He writes: Should the Muslims also burn the Bible? Should they insult the Taurat (The Old Testament) and the Gospel? Should they attack the churches? Should they target the personages of the Christians? Should they denigrate their centres of reverence? If the Quran and Islam itself be consulted, the answer to our questions will be in the negative. The tradition of the Prophet of Islam never allows them for this. They neither can burn the Bible, nor can they attack the churches, nor can they accuse the holy personalities of the Christian religion and the centres of homage of the Christians, because, for the Muslims, the Taurat and the Bible are also as revered, as any other revealed book, or the Holy Quran
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| Burning of the Holy Quran: What should the Muslims Do? | |
By Ahmed Jawed Translated from Urdu by Md. Sadique Hussain, NewAgeIslam.com Damned Terry Jones, the insane, fanatic Christian and self-styled priest of a new originated sect of America, recently attributed abominable blame to the Holy Quran, prosecuted litigation, convened an assembly and set a copy of the Holy Quran on fire. Again, he publicised and propagated this heart rending activity throughout the World. The entire world was stirred. The one and a half billion Muslims of the world are in a great fix and the cursed man is telling, we seek refuge of God that he shall also do all these very things even to the Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) who shall also be prosecuted and punished. But, here the question arises, "What should the Muslims do"? Should the Muslims also burn the Bible? Should they insult the Taurat (The Old Testament) and the Gospel? Should they attack the churches? Should they target the personages of the Christians? Should they denigrate their centres of reverence? If the Quran and Islam itself be consulted, the answer to our questions will be in the negative. The tradition of the Prophet of Islam never allows them for this. They neither can burn the Bible, nor can they attack the churches, nor can they accuse the holy personalities of the Christian religion and the centres of homage of the Christians, because, for the Muslims, the Taurat and the Bible are also as revered, as any other revealed book, or the Holy Quran. The Muslims believe in the last messengers and prophets also, revere them and commend Darud wa salam to them, as they revere their own prophet (PBUH) and his progenies and companions and commend Darud wa salam to them. How can they even think of insulting Jesus Christ, Hazrat Moses, Hazrat Dawood, Hazrat Soleman, Hazrat Virgin Mary? It does not matter to which religion the particular places of worship belong. Islam does not allow to attack a church, and to use sword against the ascetic worshippers in a monastery, even during a battle. How can they perpetrate this sin in normal conditions then? The question nevertheless is what should they do? This question becomes even more important when this provocation bursts into violence. It is obvious that such activity is meant to infuriate and provoke Muslims to become overpowered by their own emotions and pay them back in the same coin. Once this happens, the anti-Islam elements would find a suitable excuse to prove Muslims to be fanatic and insane. Muslims cannot tolerate dissidence, it would be shouted from the rooftops. They are always ready to die or kill in order to reply words through violence. They are always ready to counteract the arguments through violence. They are violence loving and want to silence the opponents through use of force. In 1861 one the greatest historical clash between the East and the West took place. Sir William Muir, Governor of the United Province of the then India, wrote an extremely insulting book on the holy life of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH). History is now repeating itself. Even today, the perspective is less or more or less the same as it was in the middle of the 19th century, when the cultural clash between the East and the West was at its zenith (on the highest point of its progress). And on one hand, where, the western empire was using its military force and weapons in order to crush the resistances, at the same time, on the other hand, it was targeting Islam and the customs of Islam, was busy at maligning the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) and the Holy Quran. Anyhow, the Muslims of the sub-continent became agitated on the publication of the book of William Muir, and the Ulema (the religious scholars), teachers, Muslim Jurists and the general Muslims reacted to it vehemently. In the protest, they announced the boycott of English Education, English books, English teachers and priests. The revered religious scholars (Ulama-i-Kiram) used to gather and sit in the mosques throughout the day consecutively, and continue to denounce the English language, dooming it to hell. The Muslim youths used to plan to attack the churches, whereas the general citizens boycotted the services being provided by the English government. A drive for collecting contribution was also started throughout India. The Muslims constituted a secret organization also, which was meant to prepare Fidayeen to cleanse the world of Willium Muir and the likes of him. They continued to collect contribution for a long time, but to no avail. The Indian Muslims withdrew their children from the government schools. They were saying that they would not send their children to schools, unless Willium Muir offered an apology, sought their pardon and withdrew his book. But amongst all these chaos, there was also a person who has decided to answer the book through another book. It was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who guessed that it will matter nothing to the English whether any child of India goes to school, or the religious scholars would spend their whole lifetime denouncing English language and cursing them by sitting in the mosques. Armed resistance, violent protest, sabotage and murderous and killing attacks will only damage the Muslims. And the Muslims have already suffered this harm to a great extent. But, if any scholar answers the book of Willium Muir, it will influence the English society, the English scholars and the western educated sects, considerably. So, Sir Syed Ahmed went to London crossing oceans and began to labour hard searching things in the English libraries. He used to spend the whole day surviving only on a slice of bread and a cup of coffee. In the snowy mornings, he would reach the library only in a shirt and trousers. He improved his English by living there, and wrote a book 'Maarakatul Aaraa' after 8 year’s hard work. This book stirred and influenced not only the conscious sect of Europe, but also stopped the impudent efforts of the rude authors for a considerable period. This book of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan proved that the response to impudence is neither impudence, nor violence, nor denunciations to the impudent persons by sitting in the mosques and seminaries (and blackening a lot of pages of Urdu newspapers). The answer to a book is a book, and the counteraction of arguments is an argument. The person throwing mud to the sun blackens his own face. But, the light, which is needed to show the blackness of his face to the world, is to be spread, and that is not possible by spreading obscurity in response to obscurity, and by spreading darkness in response to darkness. This is not 19th century; rather we are living in the 21st century. The journey is not so difficult as it was in the age of Sir Syed Ahmed. Neither the resources are so limited, nor is it the old period of oppression, tyranny and despotism, nor is there any shortage even of linguists, scholars and learned persons today. What is needed today is that, not only one but hundreds of Sir Syed Ahmeds arise. and instead of cursing, denouncing to hell and starting, stretching and prolonging a series of violent protest against the insolence of Terry Jones, they spread and communicate the light, illuminations, teachings and instructions of the Holy Quran to the far corners of the Western societies and cultures. If light comes, obscurities would automatically vanish and darkness would disappear. In today’s world, there are two effective devices of protest. The first is that of boycott and the second one is that of confrontation. Those who can confront by entering the field, they should confront, answer the accusations convincingly and reasonably, and dismantle the accusation and impudence through argument and proofs. They should render the luminous teachings of the Quran directly and easily accessible to them. The persons, whom, the elements like Terry Jones, are trying to prevent, can do so even by writing books, using the Social Networking Websites, contacting people individually. They can do so even by publishing small booklets and pamphlets. And even by using the website providing the information of Islam and the Quran, and even by organizing addresses, discussions, dialogues, argumentations and speeches. But those who do not find themselves to be eligible for it, they should boycott the impudent persons and their supporters. They should not agree to any work reinforcing them. When you are overpowered by emotions over the offensive activities committed by Terry Jones or any other person, you begin to make noise, discuss them, highlight them in media, blacken the pages of newspapers, inform the unknowing persons and include more and more people in your protest and reaction. They, actually, fulfil their purpose knowingly or un-knowingly by so doing. The media also attach extraordinary importance to those condemnable activities due to the reaction of this very sort. If protest is to be carried out effectively, the Muslim countries should pressurize the countries where these provocative activities are being committed. Ultimately, the blasphemer is a citizen of any country or state; he is no doubt ruled over or regulated by some law. If that country and state does not control and suppress his impudence, our governments should review their relationships with it. We should never lose our sense of proportion and rationality. Recently Face Book launched a campaign on impudence and blasphemy to the dignity and status of the Prophet of Islam (Peace Be upon Him). Earlier, a newspaper of Denmark and its cartoonists had conducted the same mission. Now Terry Jones is carrying out this expedition and the media has left no stone unturned in propagating and publicizing his provocative activities. Earlier also such types of campaign have continuously been carried out, and, in future also, it would continue to happen. In the near future, no signs of its being stopped are visible, unless numerous Sir Syed Ahmads are born amongst us and answer those insults as convincingly, cogently, rationally and reasonably that they spread panic into the underground cells and basements of the West, as had happened when William Muiur’s book was answered to. Things happen very fast today. The time we are devoting to and spending in processions, gatherings, demonstrations and in writing in the pages of Urdu, Persian and Arabic newspapers, is just wasting our energy and strength, if we use that very time, energy and strength in propagation and promulgation of Islam and the Holy Quran, and make the access of the educated classes of the West to the teachings of Islam easy and easier, revolution may occur in the world, obscurities may vanish and light of Islam may spread all over the world. Source: Hindustan Express URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamAndTolerance_1.aspx?ArticleID=4634
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11:03 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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