A Controversy or Misunderstanding?

Islam and Muslims Are Facing Racism, Sexism, and Islamophobia.

Ben Affleck takes a lot of heat for saying that comments by Harris or others are racist and is quickly dismissed because he is an actor.

The fact is, I argued recently in the YouTube section of the video posted on someone’s channel, that it is racism when people say things like “go home” and they are assuming that the Muslim they are speaking to is “from Africa or the Middle East” or call someone a “camel jockey” or ask a Muslim his origin, where he was born, or tell him he’s “backwards” or a “f---tard”, and so on. It doesn’t even matter if the Muslims are born in the west or not, or what their background, ethnicity, race or nationality is. The speech is almost always ‘racist’ or has racist undertones. If the Muslim answers that he is born in the West, he is further insulted or threatened, and told that he is a member of an enemy camp.

 I would rather we call this “Islamophobia” but there are those out there who also say this isn’t even a thing. But do such non-Muslim extremists really fear Muslims or do they fear Islam? Or do they just hate both Islam and Muslims? Whether or not they are truly racist is not the most important question, but whether the system in Western or European countries can properly deal with Islamophobia. Will non-Muslim states continue sweeping the problem under the carpet?

Muslim women are also treated less than kindly. Feelings for them range from pity to disgust and can be described as misogyny. Women are discussed in terms of their gender almost exclusively; they are often called “cunts” or “whores”. Muslim men receive sexually explicit insults as well, but it seems to be the case that women receive predominantly sexist comments. Of course, many ignorant Muslims also use such insults right back on the internet. This is a truly unfortunate situation, volatile and an emergency.

It doesn’t matter if she’s a neuro-scientist for God’s sake! Muslim women often get questioned or insulted because of their faith; even they say they are harassed daily in public. I was shocked by a video in which a woman wearing western dress with a veil, minding her own business, was knocked onto the pavement and then she lay unconscious, with no one to protect her, and possibly permanently affected; definitely the probability of a fear of further attacks will remain with her for a long time. Did the person attacking her believe she was a foreigner? Or did they just want to show her that they hate all Muslims? Did she deserve to be targeted? She didn’t appear to be a delinquent or a threat.

Are Muslim women generally regarded with such contempt or fear? Is there proof they are a growing danger to society, as many reports by some media outlets seem to suggest; such stories as “sleepers” and the “indoctrination” of families, seems to be a reality in some people’s minds, though it is likely much more true to say that “Jihad brides” or whatever they are called are not something we should be worried about in the West. Whatever the impetus for the choice young women have made to go join ISIS or other groups, the treatment of these women in reporting is generally less sympathetic and more hateful. But they are more a danger to themselves than to the West, possibly they are used or volunteer for suicide missions. Possibly no-one in the echelons of power really cares if they are killing other Muslims, so let’s put that aside.

It is rather obvious that “Jihad brides” is both derogatory to Muslim women and politically motivated, because it suggests that these women who are supposedly going to join a “jihad” are actually being used by someone, their husband or a group, and don’t know what they are doing or it suggests that they have been brainwashed. The term Jihad bride, usually in quotes, insinuates a master-slave relationship or sexual exploitation on top of the usual accusations (e.g. Muslims are stupid and backwards or Islam is a dangerous ideology and Muslims are dangerous fanatics).

One such suspected terrorist took a flight to Turkey and then it is said that she joined ISIS, but where is actual proof of that? (I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but proof is something that we definitely need to see when people’s lives are being scrutinized and Muslims raked over the coals for it). The facts show that governments and male dominated society or institutions care less about women’s rights and more about domination or securing economical, political or geographical gains. (In the case of powerful men, those who have taken their control to the extreme, they seek sexual favors from women - Bill Clinton, JFK and other well known public figures have done so in the past). The rights of women worldwide are not upheld; women are often living deplorable lives, a brute existence and cannot see a way out for themselves or their children. Western women are still undervalued, treated as sex objects and denied equal rights or sometimes even justice in criminal trials. The same is true for visible minorities.

Finally, I want to also point out that Harris says many inflammatory and frankly ridiculous things. Islam is not “more violent” than other religions, for example, no matter how often it is said or by who. Million of Muslims in the world who live peacefully while practicing their religion, or claiming to be Muslims even if  showing less conviction or perhaps less faith (this isn’t really the subject of debate/arguments) are still accused of extremism or ascribing to an extremist ideology. The truth is far from what Maher and Harris insist about Islam is reality.  

Yes, by all means look at history and look at the rise of extremist groups, but don’t blame Islam for something fairly recent and possibly even, in the case of some extremist groups a creation of any government intent on destroying the fabric of Muslim societies.

The likes of Maher or Harris or others who think like them say that Muslims must stop defending verses of the Quran, or that we should not support Jihad no matter what. It is very dangerous when governments, let alone private citizens or popular program hosts (their lobbying is taken seriously, whether the verses in question are understood in their proper light or not), begin to dictate what we can believe, whether or not we are peaceful or not. There is a real danger that “Big Brother” is poised to take away even more of our freedoms, which began with the banning of the face veil, head scarf (in France, or in government buildings or Universities, even in Turkey) and burqa, what they call “religious symbols”. I’m afraid to ask - to what extent are they willing to go to protect their “Western values”. Guantanamo Bay is still in our recent memory, an example of what the West is capable of.

Look forward to my next short post on another topic, coming soon.

Islamic or a crime?

http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2014/02/islamic-rape-wave-continues-in.html

I visited the comments section on David Wood's bog,  not sure if it will see the light of day or not, so I'll include it in this brief update.

What I'm doing the rest of the day, lots of writing; some of it requires more research, which is frustrating, I just don't have enough info to answer all kinds of questions, but I always try my best to be honest and get my point across. I think that's more important than convincing people of  Islam or appearing to be a very learned person. I haven't studied in depth, but I have lived half my life as a Muslim which means I have a lot of personal experience and also knowledge of the basics.

I don't get why these Christian fundamentalists continually, and very aggressively run a smear campaign against Islam, when it isn't like they honestly believe that they are "telling the truth about Islam" or doing it because "we love you". I guess, its the fame or the money, or something else then.

My comment -

"Islamic"? That's not how I see it or how I would describe a crime such as rape or murder. You are as usual, deliberately inciting hatred. It is one thing to quote hadiths which are 1400 yrs. old about things which happened in another time (a very different era) and to call rape by people with Muslim names, who may or may not be Muslims, something which is "Islamic" - which implies it is okay according to Islam.

 

Rape is punishable by death in Islam. (The victims of rape or victims of sodomy are not punished, because it’s not their fault, they didn't ask for it.)

 

Many people would love that Islamic law for rape is applied. Unfortunately, most rapists get a slap on the wrist in the West and in states with similar lenient punishments to what exist in the West.

I'm Just A Muslim

There is a common misconception today, that Muslims are not also Salafis. This labeling the majority of Sunnis as "Salafists" or "Wahhabis" is starting to border on hate speech, so I have to clear something up now. Firstly, Sunnis and Sufis all call themselves Muslims, and hardly do they get into discussions about their differences, except as an educational exercise. We are very united in our views and aspirations, but appear to be disunited; the media perpetrates the appearance of great schisms, which don't really exist (or result in disunity) among Muslims in their daily relationships with each other.

Secondly, just as people find Sufis loveable, so are the general Muslims loveable. They are not murderers, bigots, rapists, haters; they are people with religious convictions and beliefs, which reflect their upbringing and also their love of God Almighty and Muhammad, and Islam. Their goal in life isn’t to cause others pain and suffering. They are just as kind and compassionate as anybody else. I really resent these labels, which America and the media are attaching to Sunni Muslims.

All Muslims call themselves Muslims, and don’t believe they need any labels apart from that to be counted among the true believers. Some words, such as “Hanbali” or “Maaliki” denote the school of thought a person might adhere to in his daily practice and way of worship, such that his hands are placed a certain way, or he makes certain specific actions in the prayer, which other Sunnis who are not from the same school, or raised in the same country or region where he would have learned the same traditions don't all do - but which are all based on Islamic traditions found in the books, such as Sahih Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, and others. When someone has studied under a scholar he may change the way he practices in some small ways, which might reflect more closely how the Prophet did things, compared to many others who have learned Islam from their parents or an older sibling or their cousins. None of this is dangerous or removes one out of the fold of Islam. Most common people don’t know about the finer points or the discussions which are held in classrooms as intellectual exercises, or to discover which traditions match more closely with what the early Muslims did, who we call in Islamic terminology, “the salaf”. (If you understand what “the salaf” means, then you should be careful of using the term “salafi”) It is not to refer to bad or evil Muslims who you fear are the enemy, because such "salafists" don’t exist~!! There is no evil “salafi” because a “salafi” person is one who tries his best to be a Muslim in the tradition of the earliest Muslims, who are all our best examples.

Non-Muslims and especially the media want to “label” many of the Muslims as terrorists, and using the label Salafi for Muslims as though they are evil, and as though the word “Salafi” means something which it doesn’t or a bad person, or a bad “cult”(which it really doesn’t in the original usage) Salafi is just another way to say a person who follows the way of the Prophet Muhammad and the early generations of Muslims.

If someone is afraid of Muslims in general, without good reason, then he is an Islamophobe, and there is little hope he will learn the truth of Islam and what Muslims really believe. But if someone is just confused by labels, they should try to discover the truth about Islam and Muslims by reading or going to proper Islamic websites, and ask a Muslim about their concerns. I for one am willing to entertain anyone who is sincere about learning more about any issue related to Islam and Muslims. If I can give evidence or at least tell my personal beliefs, which I can say are the mainstream, then I’m happy to oblige. I don’t insist someone has to become a Muslim. I am not preaching Islam to convert people, though that would please me, but I am really more interested in explaining the true meaning of Islam and teaching others about what I really believe. Islam is not “of the devil” or a strange “cult”; it is a “religion” in the truest and best sense of the word.