Zabaniyah
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- Apr 24, 2011
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I still wonder what was going through their minds when they carried out the unspeakably evil act. I'm very puzzled as to where the moral voice of the Muslim World stands on the problem of extremism.
It should be heartening that there was widespread condemnation from Muslim majority nations (including mine) given our divisive and messy politics. However, our religious leaders have been eerily quiet. As I went to Friday prayers today, I expected that the imam raises the tragedy, and consequences around it. Nothing....not even a prayer for the departed pure souls. I find this silence from the religious community disturbing. I do not know about other countries though. However in mine, not a single Islamic scholar said anything!
I am not an expert on Islamic matters, but what I do know is that Islam does have a great tradition of religious scholarly. The Ulema have guided its followers with the correct interpretations and defend from any misinterpretation.
Given the current state of affairs, I believe it is very critical for religious scholars from all corners of the world to take a far more aggressive approach against those who are in fact using the religion for their own political ends which are often violent.
It is understandable that there is a lot of anger against the West (particularly in the Middle East) over its hypocrisy in several matters such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Afghanistan War, the Iraq War, and perhaps others. The root of the anger is however the first - The unconditional support for Israel. Israel's assault on Gaza is bloody leading to many civilian casualties, and many Israelis are openly racist against Arabs.
In light of the Western duplicity on the range of subjects, it does not warrant the distortion of the values prescribed by Islam. I sense that there is a degree of hesitance is condemning terrorist acts, and somehow there is a misleading sense promoting the 'Muslim cause'. They are doing the exact opposite.
I still remember that there was a degree of jubilation among Muslims that America had finally been taught a lesson on 9/11, but what they were forgetting that many innocent lives have been lost in that catastrophe. Was it not our prophet who said "Killing one innocent person is like killing a part of Humanity."? I would say that same thing about suicide bomb attacks against Israeli civilians. Such ugly violence on desperate whims brings more violence to one's doorstep.
We must condemn those who commit unspeakable acts of violence as much as those trying to destroy us. Just because those acts were professed by Muslim does not mean that they are not to be condemned. It is also a matter of one's credibility.
Destroying the Taliban (both Afghan and Pakistani) and a bunch of low-lives like ISIS is one thing. Though, universally condemning violence against innocents in the name of Islam with one voice is another. This condemnation must not to be based off one individual nation's convenience. And it is high time that this starts right now on part of Muslims. Islamic scholars and parties need to take a stronger approach.
If we continue to deny the reality we live in, there will be long-term consequences which we have to live with.
It should be heartening that there was widespread condemnation from Muslim majority nations (including mine) given our divisive and messy politics. However, our religious leaders have been eerily quiet. As I went to Friday prayers today, I expected that the imam raises the tragedy, and consequences around it. Nothing....not even a prayer for the departed pure souls. I find this silence from the religious community disturbing. I do not know about other countries though. However in mine, not a single Islamic scholar said anything!
I am not an expert on Islamic matters, but what I do know is that Islam does have a great tradition of religious scholarly. The Ulema have guided its followers with the correct interpretations and defend from any misinterpretation.
Given the current state of affairs, I believe it is very critical for religious scholars from all corners of the world to take a far more aggressive approach against those who are in fact using the religion for their own political ends which are often violent.
It is understandable that there is a lot of anger against the West (particularly in the Middle East) over its hypocrisy in several matters such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Afghanistan War, the Iraq War, and perhaps others. The root of the anger is however the first - The unconditional support for Israel. Israel's assault on Gaza is bloody leading to many civilian casualties, and many Israelis are openly racist against Arabs.
In light of the Western duplicity on the range of subjects, it does not warrant the distortion of the values prescribed by Islam. I sense that there is a degree of hesitance is condemning terrorist acts, and somehow there is a misleading sense promoting the 'Muslim cause'. They are doing the exact opposite.
I still remember that there was a degree of jubilation among Muslims that America had finally been taught a lesson on 9/11, but what they were forgetting that many innocent lives have been lost in that catastrophe. Was it not our prophet who said "Killing one innocent person is like killing a part of Humanity."? I would say that same thing about suicide bomb attacks against Israeli civilians. Such ugly violence on desperate whims brings more violence to one's doorstep.
We must condemn those who commit unspeakable acts of violence as much as those trying to destroy us. Just because those acts were professed by Muslim does not mean that they are not to be condemned. It is also a matter of one's credibility.
Destroying the Taliban (both Afghan and Pakistani) and a bunch of low-lives like ISIS is one thing. Though, universally condemning violence against innocents in the name of Islam with one voice is another. This condemnation must not to be based off one individual nation's convenience. And it is high time that this starts right now on part of Muslims. Islamic scholars and parties need to take a stronger approach.
If we continue to deny the reality we live in, there will be long-term consequences which we have to live with.
