of torching the Embassies
Assalam Alaikum wa rahmat Allah.
Peace be upon you dear visitor.
I saw the news reporting about attacking and torching the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria plus the Danish consulate in Lebanon. I am not supporting and hence criticizing this as clearly mentioned in point #9 under of Prophet Muhammed 12 insulting Cartoons post. Violence is not accepted in the current cartoon crises on both sides: against Muslims through burning the Holy Quran or against the European citizens -through burning their embassies or anything else.
Prophet Muhammad: Danish Cartoon Crisis
I am against using violence simply because this will not solve any crises. I consider violence as a catalyst for increasing hate between nations, and at the end of the day we find everybody is loosing. Consequently, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had never reacted in a violence way by any mean to solve the various problems that he faced with the pagans who were found during this time.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came as mercy upon Mankind; therefore what happened does not represent Islamic faith, manners and beliefs. We are all humans in the first place, hence some Muslims or Non-Muslims think that violence will solve this crisis, they are totally wrong; neither burning the embassies from angry Muslims nor burning the Holy Quran from angry Nazis shall solve this crisis.
Nevertheless, I am emphasizing on supporting the boycott until the Danish and other European leaders take real actions to solve this crisis in cooperation with Muslim leaders, and here -again- I highlight on my previously note that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the second source of legislation in Islam after the Holy Quran and Muslims cannot wait and watch while he is being insulted in this offensive way.
These cartoons published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten are very offensive and unacceptable if they are describing any regular Muslim because they are using the stereotype image and misconceptions about Islam, so what about describing The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself? That is why Muslims felt that angry, insulted and went through the boycotting process. Maybe this can tell why those angry protests burn the embassies; however for me and other Muslims who understand Islam, this not an excuse to act violently at all, and I am not supporting this by any mean.
A Final word for Muslims and Non-Muslims who do not see that these cartoons are offensive because they are representing freedom of speech:
- Non-Muslims: you are free to believe in whatever you think; however it is your own problem if you can not differentiate between freedom and insulting what others believe in especially in Religion.
- Muslims: you are also free to believe in whatever you think; however your problem is doubled because what we are talking about is not a regular person who is subjected criticism; rather it is your Prophet who was insulted.
Finally, I am looking forward to seeing real actions t in the near future for solving this crisis which is not only about placing an apology as I mentioned in the previous post; it is rather about understanding!
Notes:
- I-MAG Magazines is calling for contributions who are interested in publishing in the next issue (7th issue – Spring 2006). The theme will be about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and we are welcoming contributions from all prisms. The deadline for sending materials is the 13th of February 2006. Check their website has more details.
- Amr Khaled, the Egyptian preacher issued a speech about this crisis. You can either read or watch over his website in Arabic.
What a world we live in nowadays!
Salam,
Hicham
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Published by Hicham Maged on February 6, 2006 - 1:36 AM
About Author: I am a Muslim-Arab-Egyptian person living on planet Earth; since I wonder and ponder therefore I am!
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February 6th, 2006 @ 01:52
Salam Everybody For sure, this post is directly related to the 2 previous ones, so kindly refer to them to complete the whole scope.
February 6th, 2006 @ 02:04
Totally unrelated: Firefox 1.5.0.1 has been released on Feb 01. It’s recommended to upgrade your current version to the new one, as it contains several improvements + security issues.
February 6th, 2006 @ 02:56
My question is simple. Why the double standard?
If the Muslim world truly believed that printing offensive political cartoons legitimized violent and non-violent retaliation, why not act against the slew of anti-semetic and anti-christian pictures that pepper most Arab newspapers on a daily basis?
The double standard screams hypocrisy. Why is it that their is an uproar over a cartoon printed 5 months ago in an unknown newspaper and no uproar over a greatly publicized beheading or suicide bombing?
I think anyone with the ability to reason will quickly realize that a masked man beheading a journalist in the name of Islam does far more damage to a peaceful faith than a cartoon printed in some small newspaper in some small corner of the world.
February 6th, 2006 @ 05:04
Salaam alaikum dear brother,
Thank you for adding my blog to your links. I really like your blog. I also totally disagree with torching embassies, but agree with boycott of Danish goods.
In response to lonely Canuck, I will say that it is true, and anti-Jewish cartoons published in the Arab world should be stopped. But I will add that no one in the Arab world has the audacity to publish cartoons of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, not because he is considered a prophet but no religious figures as right-minded Muslims known should be disparaged on the idea of belief. But I as a Muslim fully agree that the Muslims need to do some introspection.
This controversy doesn’t concern only the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and is much more compicated than the anti-Israeli cartoons you speak of. Before the Holocaust, Jews were demonised similarly in Europe. And that is what scares me and other Muslims.
February 6th, 2006 @ 20:51
Aiman, you haven’t responded to Lonely Canuck. There’s an obvious reason why Muslims would never publish insulting cartoons of Musa (PBUH): he is, like Muhammad al-Rasul (PBUHA), a holy prophet, praised in the Holy Qur’an. Likewise Isa al-Masi (PBUHA).
Christian theologians distinguish between hypocrisy and akrasia, or weakness. It seems to me this entire matter is not about cartoons, which are not and cannot possibly be, about cartoons. Seriously, if this is about observing Islam–and this goes for the boycott also–then why punish random Danes, or, indeed, random Europeans merely because of you are disastisfied with the diplomatic finetuning? Clearly, your pretensions of virtue are pure akrasia. There is absolutely zero fairness or rashid to the boycott OR the embassy burnings, since it is all intended to get back at cartoonists, not embassy staff, not regular Danes or Europeans, AND YOU KNOW IT.
Admit it, there’s nothing PM Rasmussen could do in this or any alternative universe to please you. You are merely doing this because it is AN outlet for your hurt and frustration. You are defaming Islam and insulting the Prophet (pbuh) by committing fitna in his name, without any regard for the congruence of the offense or the subject of your revenge.
And that goes for the quda who are just going along with the flow of public wrath. It takes strength and confidence in fiqh to stand against the general tide of fitna. Many evidently have shown themselves lacking. Ensha’allah they will come into more!
———————
PBUHA = peace be upon him also
February 7th, 2006 @ 11:27
Salam Everybody – Thanks for passing by, and for this thoughtful comments, and here’s mine.
If you asked me what you hate in this world, my answer will be: double standards without hesitation; as it leads to loosing justice more and more.
Talking generally, Cartoon is a good way to criticize people – whether Muslims or non – because of their acts is not wrong; either politicians, socials, ..etc. People are always subjected to make right and wrong, therefore criticizing acts is normal and healthy too as its one mean of telling your opinion, and no one can accuse anybody from telling his opinion, that’s Freedom that I understand.
However if we are talking about Prophets – whether Muhammed (PBUH) or others – limits must be placed. Prophets are not normal people who are subjected to right and wrong, rather they are the messengers of ALLAH (swt) – GOD – to Mankind, and Islam – as I told in the 3 previous posts – respect all prophets and had ordered Muslims to believe that they are the messengers to Mankind before the final prophet, Muhammed (PBUH). That’s why Islam denies portraying any prophet – not only Muhammed (PBUH), and it’s a basic law in Islamic Culture that must be totally understood.
Therefore, Islam respects the followers of other religions – Jewish + Christians – and can not criticize them because they are not following Islam. If anyone do this, he didn’t understand Islam well, simply because that’s not from real Islamic teaching, and Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) never forced any non Muslim to follow Islam.
On the other hand, I think that Lonely Canuck means anti-Zionist cartoons not anti-Jewish. Due to the Palestine-Israeli conflict, criticizing will last – from both sides – as this is normal, and this happens in any conflict.
Also, I can’t tell that boycotting = burning embassies; which means I can’t tell like jokhannan that there is absolutely zero fairness in boycotting or the embassy burning; is the first one – boycotting – is a legal act as I said in the previous post, while the other one – burning embassies or attacking any European citizen is not legal at all, and Islam dines threatening people, wither Muslims or Non. That’s why al-Qaeda acts are not welcomed among the majority who understand real concept of Islam which can be summarized in the following statement.
Islam came for the peace and mercy of Mankind, not to spread hate or violence.
Again as I told in the post: what had happened is insulting for Islamic symbol, not a normal person. That’s why everyday new demonstrations worldwide are raised. It’s important that real efforts should be taken to solve this problem.
Finally, violence is not from Islamic Teaching, and Muslims who act violently didn’t understand real Islam, and their acts are unacceptable. In parallel, Non-Muslims who think to burn the Holy Qur’an are totally wrong and will increase the problem.
PS: I hope that new readers read the last two posts too, because this post is related to them and can not be separated.