of torching the Embassies
Assalam Alikom wa rahmat ALLAH
Peace and Blessings be upon you
Hello Everybody
We saw in the news that the Danish Embassy and Norway Embassy in Syria + Danish Consulate in Lebanon were attacked by angry protests. Well, as I mentioned in the previous post, in point No (6), violence is not accepted in the current cartoon crises; wither against Muslims - via burning the Qur’an or anything else - or against the European citizens - via burning their Embassies or anything else.
I’m always 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 we find everybody is loosing.
In parallel, Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) never used violence by any mean to solve problems he faced with the pagans, simply because He came as Mercy upon Mankind, therefore this is not from real Islamic Manners at all. We are all humans at last, and if any Muslim or Non-Muslim thinks that violence will solve this crisis, he/she is totally wrong; neither burning the Embassies - via angry Muslims - nor burning the Holy Qur’an - via angry Nazis - will solve this crisis.
On the other hand, No need to mention that I’m still supporting boycotting until the Danish leaders and other European leaders take real actions to solve this crises in cooperation with other Muslim Leaders; as Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) is the symbol for Muslims after the Holy Qur’an, and we can not stop while he’s being insulted in this offensive way.
Those cartoons published via Jyllands-Posten magazine are very offensive and unacceptable if they are describing any regular Muslim, so what about describing Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) himself? That’s why we - Muslims - felt that angry, insulted and boycotting. This can tell why those angry protests burn the embassies; however this not an excuse to act violently at all, and I’m not supporting this by any mean.
Finally, a word for everyone - Muslims & Non - who don’t see that they are offensive, and they are representing Freedom; for sure you are free to believe in what you think; however it is your own problem if you can not differentiate between Liberty and Insulting symbols of other Nations. In case you are Muslim, the problem is doubled because what we are talking about is not a regular person who is subjected to right and wrong; rather it’s your prophet (PBUH).
I hope to see real actions to be taken in the near future, because this crisis is not that easy to be solved via apology. It’s all via Danish + European Leaders now.
MISC
1. The theme for the next issue of I-MAG (7th/Spring 2006) will be about Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). We are welcoming contributions from all prisms. Deadline for sending materials is February 13th, 2006. E-mail is placed via I-MAG website.
2. Amr Khaled, the Egyptian preacher, had placed a speech for this crisis. You can download it (in Arabic) + read it also.
Related Posts
Related Links
- I-MAG Magazine
- Amr Khaled’s speech [article/EN]
- Amr Khaled’s speech [download/AR]
Salam,
Hicham.
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A blog that renders the perspective of a Muslim Egyptian guy living on planet Earth, who believes that Imagination is more important than knowledge, yet the possession of knowledge dose not kill the sense of wonder!
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February 6th, 2006 01:52
Salaam Everybody For sure, this post is directly related to the 2 previous ones, so kindly refere 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 improvments + 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.