"I am amazed at how millions of Americans who are decent and honorable can watch this happen. No matter how ugly the act the constitution permits this, is not an acceptable excuse. The constitution does not permit this. The constitution forbids cruel and unusual punishment. For Muslims this is worse than torture."
What would you have us do?BY MUQTEDAR KHAN, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
What would you have us do?
|  |
| |
Southern hospitality? |
NEWARK, DELAWARE |
On May 10th, 1933 the Nazis burned 25,000 books - including those written by Jewish poet Heinrich Heine, who had predicted in 1820 that “where books are burned in the end people will burn,” – and eight years later the Holocaust began.
The connection is not too difficult to discern. Books are repositories of histories, of identities, of values. They are the soul of civilization. A society must abandon basic decencies in order to muster the immoral courage to burn books as a celebratory act. Once it starts burning the souls of civilization, human souls will not be left behind.
On September 11, 2010, some misguided Americans plan to burn the Holy Qur'an, the only book in the entire heritage of humanity that claims to be solely the word of God. This dastardly act is the brainchild of Terry Jones, a Christian Pastor from Florida. This act is not just some symbolic gesture of defiance. It is an act of egregious violence against the beliefs and the sacred symbols of one fourth of humanity. The act will scorch Muslim hearts everywhere. The searing pain will never be forgotten.
Along with the idea of God and prophets, the Qur'an is the thing that Muslims hold the dearest. My children have been listening to it since even before they were born. I use to recite it to them while they were still in the womb. Their children will be reciting it to them when they will be lowered in to their tomb. Believe me, there is nothing more precious to Muslims than the Qur'an, and watching people toss it into fire, will be horrifying. I would rather burn in fire myself, than watch a Qur'an burn.
I am amazed at how millions of Americans who are decent and honorable can watch this happen. No matter how ugly the act the constitution permits this, is not an acceptable excuse. The constitution does not permit this. The constitution forbids cruel and unusual punishment. For Muslims this is worse than torture.
I have been agonizing over this since I heard about it. My feelings are mixed. Sometimes I feel dismayed at having to suffer this. At other times I feel betrayed, for I think Muslims may have invited this through their own hateful zealotry. In the past few years alone so many churches have been desecrated in the Muslim world, many missionaries were murdered, nuns stabbed to death and the worst of all, the 1500 year old Buddhas of Bamiyan were intentionally dynamited. It was an ugly blow against not just religion, but also a major landmark of human history. I can now begin to imagine how millions of devout Buddhists must have suffered.
The Quran explicitly forbids all such acts. They merely chronicle the savagery and meanness that Muslims these days display towards others and now it is unfortunately our turn to get a taste of our own medicine.
As a reminder to Muslims, who still appreciate what the Taliban did, let me quote the relevant Quranic source: “Do not insult their Gods, lest out of ignorance they insult Allah” (6:108).
Those determined to burn the Qur'an are doing so as a way to either hurt or get even with Muslims. They however are laboring under the illusion that Qur'an belongs to Muslims. Yes, Muslims attach unimaginable value to it, but the Qur'an belongs to all people, it is part of the human treasury and the Qur'an attests that it was sent, not to Muslims, but to the entire humanity: “It is nothing less than a message to all nations” (Qur'an 68:52). It belongs as much to Terry Jones as it does to Muslims. The only difference being, some have built great civilizations on its basis others may burn their own values along with it.
When images of Qur'an burning will be flashed around the globe, it will excite Muslim anger. I want Muslim leaders everywhere to council their communities. Recognize this provocation for what it is and ignore it. And remember do not let this become a source for anger and hatred towards Christians. Remind your congregations what the Qur'an tells Muslims about Christians:
“…Forgive them and overlook their misdeeds, for Allah loves those who are kind (Quran 5:13).
If Muslims react with anger and indiscriminate violence then one of Terry Jones’ goals will be fulfilled. He would have shown the world that some Muslims are more barbaric than even he is. Be patient, encourage everyone to be patient, let Terry Jones enjoy the monopoly on barbarity for a while.
“True believers are those who show patience, firmness and self-control (Qur'an 3:17) and indeed God is with those who are patient (Qur'an 2:153).”
Dr. Muqtedar Khan is a contributing writer to altmuslim.com, Associate Professor at the University of Delaware, and a Fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. His website ishttp://www.ijtihad.org.
Muslims across world held mass rallies for al-Quds occupied by Israel for decades in the last 
Muslims across world, including Turkey held mass rallies for al-Quds occupied by Israel for decades in the last Friday prayers of Ramadan.Tens of thousands of Muslims poured into the heavily guarded Al-Aqsa mosque compound inJerusalem for the last Friday prayers of Ramadan as Palestinians protested over newly relaunched peace talks.
Some 2,000 Israeli Border Police troops and volunteers deployed in Jerusalem Friday morning, surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City.
Restrictions were tighter then usual as Israeli forces around the city prohibited men under 50 andwomen under 40 from enteringthe Haram Ash-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock sit in a large plaza. Those under the age limit with special permits were also permitted in.
Thousands were turned away, and are expected to perform theirprayers under heavy guard in the streets surrounding the Old City.
Checkpoints around the West Bank were again overwhelmed, with tens of thousands of men and women lining up from the early hours of the morning, waiting to access Jerusalem.
The sprawling mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.
The compound is inside the famed Old City in Arab east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in a move condemned by the international community.
The fate of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues in the Middle East peace process, with the Palestinians demanding east Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state and Israel claiming the entire city as its capital.
Israeli police put the number of worshippers at 160,000 to 170,000, while "Al-Quds day"
The Al-Quds day was launched byIran 's 1979 Islamic revolution founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. It is held on the lastFriday of the Muslim holy fastingmonth of Ramadan.
State television said millions marched in a nationwide rally to mark the day.
Women with small children clutching balloons emblazoned "Death to Israel" were among those flocking the streets of central Tehran.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged Palestinians to keep up their armed struggle against Israeli occupation .
Ahmadinejad said that the talks would once again fail. He criticised some Muslim leaders for not providing all-out support to the Palestinians in their revolt against Israel.
"The Palestine's issue cannot be resolved through talks with the enemies of the Palestinian nation. Resisting is the only way to rescue the Palestinians," Ahmadinejad told worshippers at Tehran University in a live broadcast to mark the annual Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in the Islamic Republic.
"How can these talks succeed when the mediators are those who created this conflict," he added.
In Gaza , several thousand Palestinians rallied to mark Jerusalem Day and condemn the peace negotiations.
"Jerusalem cannot be liberated through negotiations or dialogue ... resistance and Jihad is the only way to liberate Jerusalem from the dirt of the Zionist occupation," said senior Hamas figure Ismail Al-Ashqar.
Indian and Kashmiri Muslims also marked the day.
Call for the observance of the Day had been given by the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani.
Indonesian Muslims waved Palestinian flags during the protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to support to the Palestinians and emphasizing the importance of Al-Quds.
No comments:
Post a Comment