WITH MUSLIMS being portrayed as blood-thirsty militants, it’s time to clear up some myths.
Non-Muslims cannot fathom the continued, astronomical rise of Islam despite all odds and with no great missionary effort.
HISTORICAL FACTS have been bent to make it seem that Muslims forced conversion to Islam.
De Lacy O’Leary writes in "Islam at the Cross Road":
"History makes it clear that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated."
CONSIDER THE following:
Indonesia has the most Muslims in the world. The majority of Malaysia is Muslim. May one ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"
Similarly, Islam spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. Again, if Islam was spread by the sword, "Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"
The Reader’s Digest Almanac 1986, gave the increase of the major religions from 1934 to 1984. Islam increased by 235%, and Christianity by 47%. Which war took place in this century to convert millions of people to Islam?
THE MASSACRES suffered at the hands of non-Muslims bear mention. A cursory reading turns up the Jerusalem massacre by Christian Crusaders; mass extermination in Spain and the slaughter of a million Muslims by the French in Algeria.
The truth is that Islam alone prescribes the most humane and ethical laws for even such a thing as waging of war.
Was Islam Spread by the Sword?
Environmental Concerns: Showing Gratitude
ISLAM ADVOCATES an environmental outlook which is between two extremes: total disregard and protecting it in the absolute sense.
TREES: Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anh) instructed a departing army not to cut down flowering trees, nor burn any oasis. (Muwatta of Imam Malik)
ANIMALS: A narration in Abu Dawud reports the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as commanding the return of two chicks to the mother bird which was in distress at their loss.
NATURAL RESERVE: Cutting trees of the area around the Ka’bah, the Haram, and the hunting of game is prohibited. This is the first protected reserve in humanity’s history.
WATER POLLUTION: Muslims are prohibited from relieving themselves in stagnant water. (Abu Dawud)
Christmas: In celebration of Christmas hundreds of trees are cut down. It is a senseless destruction of natural resources with no sanction in Christianity.
Muslims have always been conscious of caring for the environment because of Islamic teachings:
Not to waste / Not to destroy
ISLAM’S WORLD-VIEW IS COMPREHENSIVE AND CAN LIVE UP TO ANY CHALLENGE THAT FACES HUMANITY.
Aids: A Leaf from our Book
UGANDA HAS dramatically reduced Aids. How? An answer that Islam always had.
SOCIAL VACCINE
By abstaining from sex before marriage and remaining faithful to one’s spouse, Ugandans have cut the Aids rate to 5%. South Africa’s stands at 20%.
This system of abstention strikes at the heart of Aids: the disease is spread mainly through unprotected sex and sleeping with many partners.
MESSAGE
The message is spreading that illicit sex is not worth dying for.
And people are listening. They are changing their approach to relationships.
Praise has been pouring in. The system has been called more potent than vaccines. A research scientist at Harvard said, "The genius of the system is that it doesn’t focus just on Western drugs and condoms and it costs very little."
CONDOMS
The Western notion of allowing a problem and then addressing the results rather than the root has led to illicit sex being promoted on TV, movies, in magazines and on computer games.
Then condoms are touted as the solution. Figures speak otherwise. African countries where condoms have been most available - such as Botswana (38%) and Zimbabwe (33%) - are the ones with the highest Aids rates.
BEING OPEN
AIDS IS A sex problem that many are shy to confront. Being frank now is better than being dead and others suffering reduced production, overloaded hospitals and millions of orphans.
Islam outlined this solution centuries ago. Uganda has, unwittingly, adopted it and is reaping the fruit. Let’s not be left behind in realising Islam’s benefits ourselves.
Counter Strike
ONE OF THE MOST POTENT MEDIUMS OF INTELLECTUAL ATTACK IN THE ARABIA OF THE SAHAABA WAS VIA POETRY.
POETRY
Non-Muslims wrote verses against Islam and the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). The Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum) countered with poetry as well.
POWERFUL MEDIUM
In today’s world, the media plays a significant and inescapable role. It fashions world opinion. Therefore, it is imperative to counter its attacks in a like manner.
PHILOSOPHY
There was a time when Muslims became enraptured by philosophy and started subjecting Islamic beliefs to rational arguments. People like Imam Ghazali answered this threat through philosophical arguments.
FORESIGHT
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) utilized the services of local Jews when writing to Jews outside Madinah. He apprehended mischief from them and instructed Zaid bin Thabit (radhiallahu anh) to learn Hebrew.
We need to counter the threat to Islam using the best means available.
BEAR IN MIND THAT WHATEVER MEANS ARE USED MUST BE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF ISLAM TO BE EFFECTIVE.
Terror Trouble
WITH RECENT events around the world, even Muslims seem confused as to whether attacks on civilians are Islamic. Clearly it is unIslamic.
Anything we do as Muslims is acceptable only if done within the framework of Islamic Laws.
The same goes for waging war. There are stringent rules which need to be adhered to.
And fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors. (Holy Qur’aan, 2:190)
Fighting in the defence of Islam, oppressed Muslims and for the liberation of Muslim lands needs to be carried out within the parameters of Islam for it to be effective and accepted by Allah Ta’ala.
Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anh) gave an army these instructions: Do not kill any woman, child or old person. He even forbade the destruction of trees, inhabited places, oasis and the unnecessary killing of animals.
Islam does not allow merciless slaughter of innocents.
Focus on the Church: HISTORY OF ABUSE
IN 1621 Father Calasanz started the Piarist Order for educating the poorest children in Rome. Work flourished but in 1646 the order was abolished by the Pope. The reason:
Child molestation by priests.
Many children were sexually abused repeatedly by leading priests in the order.
AIDING IN SIN
POPE INNOCENT X knowingly placed a man known to be one of the most prolific abusers of children in charge of the order! Despite protests. Despite warnings. Despite irrefutable proof.
Calasanz was elevated to "Celestial Patron before God of all popular schools in the world" by Pope Pius XII even though Calasanz aided in trying to cover up the scandal.
ABUSE TODAY
IN THE LAST chapter, Liebrich, the author, draws obvious parallels with the present-day sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church.
The Archbishop of Westminster appointed a priest he knew was suspected of paedophile activities and was later found guilty of nine sexual attacks.
This pattern in Britain is found in France, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Poland, Nigeria, Chile, Italy, Canada, Australia (where 51 priests were sentenced 1993-2002) and, most famously, in America with the cover-ups by Cardinal Law. By 1999 the Roman Catholic Church had paid out one billion dollars in compensation and this is just the beginning. Every state in the US has been affected.
FROM THE TOP
IN 1962 A document was sent to all bishops world-wide with Pope John XXIII’s seal where they were told to deal with sex abuse "in the most secretive way". The same abuse of the past continues today.
The Cage Prisoners of Guantanamo Bay
of illegal imprisonment by April 14
Here’s a small reminder to remember the Muslims illegally detained in the ‘war on terror’ at the US concentration camp in Guantanamo, far from their families, deprived of basic human rights.
Some tips on how to help them:
1. Visit www.cageprisoners.com, a site dedicated to serving the caged prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. You’ll find lots of resources.
2. Subscribe to Cageprisoners’ weekly mailing list to keep up to date with the latest news, articles and action alerts.
3. Write to the prisoners and their families. Remind them that they are not forgotten and to boost their morale. Show them that people still care. Check the website on how to do this.
4. Support Hhugs, a UK charity setup to support the families of prisoners who are struggling to make ends meet and who often have to raise numerous children single-handedly. Contribute towards legal costs by in Cageprisoners’ campaigns.
5. Encourage your children to make cards for the prisoners, former detainees and their families. Scan their artwork and send them to Cageprisoners.
6. Teachers should ask kids to do a project, essay or presentation on the topic.
7. Imams can write an easy-to-read poster for the Musjid noticeboard.
8. Most of all, don’t forget to make dua for those illegally held.
