Dear RN list, Here is a bit of a break from all the criticism of "our side". However, for people like me, who feel that all world religions are worthy of our respect and interest, the Muslim world can be seen as part of "our side". One of my friends has an interesting perspective, actually: that for the Muslim world to respect and treat women with love will be of vital importance for the spiritual developmnt of the whole world. Another interesting perspective is offered by an Israeli writer named Israel Shamir. He considers himself a Palestinian (!) and argues that this war boils down to a war between believers in Mammon and whatever opposes that (I suppose it is belief in God? or love?). This point of view is movingly developed in his essay "On the Move". His articles can be found on the site www.israelshamir.net and www.israelshamir.com You can write to him at: •••@••.••• . all the best, Jan ********************************************************* Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 20:04:51 -0700 From: CyberBrook <•••@••.•••> Subject: A Muslim call for soul-searching >A Memo to American Muslims >M. A. Muqtedar Khan > >In the name of Allah, the most Benevolent and the Most Merciful. May >thismemo find you in the shade of Islam enjoying the mercy, the >protection and the grace of Allah. > >I am writing this memo to you all with the explicit purpose of >inviting you to lead the American Muslim community in soul searching, >reflection and reassessment. > >What happened on September 11th in New York and Washington DC will >forever remain a horrible scar on the history of Islam and humanity. >No matter how much we condemn it, and point to the Quran and the >Sunnah to argue that Islam forbids the killing of innocent people, >the fact remains that the perpetrators of this crime against humanity >have indicated that their actions are sanctioned by Islamic values. > >The fact that even now several Muslim scholars and thousands of >Muslims defend the accused is indicative that not all Muslims believe >that the attacks are unIslamic. This is truly sad. > >Even if it were true that Israel and the US are enemies of the Muslim >World,wonder what is preventing them from unleashing their nuclear >arsenal against Muslims, a response that mercilessly murders >thousands of innocent people,including hundreds of Muslims is >absolutely indefensible. If anywhere in your hearts there is any >sympathy or understanding with those who committed this act, I invite >you to ask yourself this question, would Muhammad (pbuh)sanction such >an act? > >While encouraging Muslims to struggle against injustice (Al Quran >4:135), Allah also imposes strict rules of engagement. He says in >unequivocal terms that to kill an innocent being is like killing >entire humanity (Al Quran 5:32). He also encourages Muslims to >forgive Jews and Christians if they have committed injustices against >us (Al Quran 2:109, 3:159, 5:85). > >Muslims, including American Muslims have been practicing hypocrisy on >a grand scale. They protest against the discriminatory practices of >Israel but are silent against the discriminatory practices in Muslim >states. In the Gulf one can see how laws and even salaries are based >on ethnic origin. This is racism, but we never hear of Muslims >protesting against them at International fora. > >The Israeli occupation of Palestine is perhaps central to Muslim >grievance against the West. While acknowledging that, I must remind >you that Israel treats its one million Arab citizens with greater >respect and dignity than most Arab nations treat their citizens. >Today Palestinian refugees can settle and become citizens of the >United States but in spite of all the tall rhetoric of the Arab world >and Quranic injunctions (24:22) no Muslim country except Jordan >extends this support to them. > >While we loudly and consistently condemn Israel for its ill treatment >of Palestinians we are silent when Muslim regimes abuse the rights of >Muslims and slaughter thousands of them. Remember Saddam and his use >of chemical weapons against Muslims (Kurds)?. Remember Pakistani >army's excesses against Muslims (Bengalis)?. Remember the Mujahideen >of Afghanistan and their mutual slaughter? Have we ever condemned >them for their excesses? Have we demanded international intervention >or retribution against them? Do you know how the Saudis treat their >minority Shiis? Have we protested the violation of their rights? But >we all are eager to condemn Israel; not because we care for >rights and lives of the Palestinians, we don't. We condemn Israel >because we hate them". > >Muslims love to live in the US but also love to hate it. Many openly >claim that the US is a terrorist state but they continue to live in >it. Their decision to live here is testimony that they would rather >live here than anywhere else. As an Indian Muslim, I know for sure >that nowhere on earth, including India, will I get the same sense of >dignity and respect that I have received in the US. No Muslim >country will treat me as well as the US has. If what happened on >september 11th had happened in India, the biggest democracy, >thousands of Muslims would have been slaughterred in riots on mere >suspicion and there would be another slaughter after confirmation. >But in the US, bigotry and xenophobia has been kept in check by media >and leaders. In many places hundreds of Americans have gathered >around Islamic centers in symbolic gestures of protection and embrace >of American Muslims. In many cities Christian congregations have >started wearing hijab to identify with fellow Muslim women. In >patience and in tolerance ordinary Americans have demonstrated their >extraordinary virtues. > >It is time that we acknowledge that the freedoms we enjoy in the US >are more desirable to us than superficial solidarity with the Muslim >World. If you disagree than prove it by packing your bags and going >to whichever Muslim country you identify with. If you do not leave >and do not acknowledge that you would rather live here than anywhere >else, know that you are being hypocritical. > >It is time that we faced these hypocritical practices and struggled to >transcend them. It is time that American Muslim leaders fought to >purify their own lot. > >For over a decade we have watched as Muslims in the name of Islam have >committed violence against other Muslims and other peoples. We have >always found a way to reconcile the vast distance between Islamic >values and Muslim practices by pointing out to the injustices >committed upon Muslims by others. The point however is this ? our >belief in Islam and commitment to Islamic values is not contingent on >the moral conduct of the US or Israel. And as Muslims can we condone >such inhuman and senseless waste of life in the name of Islam? > >The biggest victims of hate filled politics as embodied in the >actions of several Muslim militias all over the world are Muslims >themselves. Hate is the extreme form of intolerance and when >individuals and groups succumb to it they can do nothing >constructive. Militias like the Taliban have allowed their hate for >the West to override their obligation to pursue the welfare of >their people and as a result of their actions not only have thousands >of innocent people died in America, but thousands of people will die >in the Muslim World. > >Already, half a million Afghans have had to leave their homes and >their country. The war has not yet begun. It will only get worst. >Hamas and Islamic Jihad may kill a few Jews, women and children >included, with their suicide bombs and temporarily satisfy their lust >for Jewish blood, but thousands of Palestinians then pay the price >for their actions. > >The culture of hate and killing is tearing away at the moral fabric >of the Muslim society. We are more focused on the others and have >completely forgotten our duty to Allah. In pursuit of the inferior >jihad we have sacrificed the superior jihad. > >Islamic resurgence, the cherished ideals of which pursued the >ultimate goal of a universally just and moral society has been >hijacked by hate and call for murder and mayhem. If Binladen were an >individual then we would have no problem. But unfortunately Binladen >has become a phenomenon -- a cancer eating away at the morality of >our youth, and undermining the spiritual health of our future. > >Today the century old Islamic revival is in jeopardy because we have >allowed insanity to prevail over our better judgment. Yes, the US has >played a hand in the creation of Binladen and the Taliban, but it is >we who have allowed them to grow and gain such a foothold. It is our >duty to police our world. It is our responsibility to prevent people >from abusing Islam. It is our job to ensure that Islam is not >misrepresented. We should have made sure that whathappened on Sept. >11th should never have happened. > >It is time the leaders of the American Muslim community woke up and >realized that there is more to life than competing with the American >Jewish lobby for power over US foreign policy. Islam is not about >defeating Jews or conquering Jerusalem. It is about mercy, about >virtue, about sacrifice and about duty. Above all it is the pursuit >of moral perfection. Nothing can be further away from moral >perfection than the wanton slaughter of thousands of unsuspecting >innocent people. > >I hope that we will now rededicate our lives and our institutions to >the search for harmony, peace and tolerance. Let us be prepared to >suffer injustice rather than commit injustices. After all it is we >who carry the divine burden of Islam and not others. We have to be >morally better, more forgiving, more sacrificing than others, if we >wish to convince the world about the truth of our message. We cannot >even be equal to others in virtue, we must excel. > >It is time for soul searching. How can the message of Muhammad (pbuh) >who was sent as mercy to mankind become a source of horror and fear? >How can Islam inspire thousands of youth to dedicate their lives to >killing others? We are supposed to invite people to Islam not murder them. > >The worst exhibition of Islam happened on our turf. We must take first >responsibility to undo the evil it has manifest. This is our mandate, >ourburden and also our opportunity. > >Muqtedar Khan, Ph.D., Director of International Studies, Adrian >College, MI, Association of Muslim Social Scientists Center for the >Study of Islam and Democracy.
