Category Archives: Muslim and Non-Muslim Dialogue

Bookish Ignorance

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بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ,

While reading Mortimer Adler’s, “How to Read a Book”, I came across a paragraph that struck me as nothing short of pure brilliance.

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The one person who immediately came to my mind was James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries. In as much as he tries to appear to be well read, his ignorance of Islamic theology, scripture and study is quite apparent to the most basically of educated Muslims. It’s ironic because in his videos he stands in front of what appears to be a library of books. The same can be said for the AI and AM teams. What I’ve taken from this book and especially this quote is despite people owning books and having read them, it does not make this person educated and surely in the cases of the men and groups I’ve mentioned previously, this is surely the reality of their situation(s).

wa Allaahu ‘Alam.

“Paedophiles are not criminals” says Catholic cardinal

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بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ,

In a shocking revelation, a Cardinal who earlier this week elected Pope Francis to the Papacy has indicated that not all Paedophiles are in fact…..criminals or responsible for their actions. The problem here is while it is understandable that some persons who are abused as children do go on to repeat these horrendous acts, shouldn’t the Church instead of justifying these acts by pinning them on psychological illnesses, not reform the Churches by not allowing psychologically ill Catholics to assume ordained positions?

“The shocking and controversial comments have caused uproar and will bring an unwelcome spotlight back to the Catholic Church’s vast history of child sexual abuse and child rape during a week when the curia had hoped for some respite from the ongoing stream of scandal. The elevation of Pope Francis, and revelations about his past, may have drawn our attention for a little while but thanks to Cardinal Napier the eyes of the world are once again squarely on his church’s repellant attitude towards child abuse and child abusers.

“What do you do with disorders?” asked Cardinal Napier.

“You have got to try and put them right. If I as a normal being choose to break the law knowing that I am breaking the law, then I think I need to be punished (but) from my experience paedophilia is actually an illness, it is not a criminal condition.”

Read the full report here or via the BBC UK.

wa Allaahu ‘Alam.

Who is the New Pope? A Quick Rundown

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بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ,

Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergoglio, now Pope Francesco/ Francis (I) has a significantly worst history than that of the previous ex-Nazi Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict). According to several news reports, he has been a public defender in the Argentinian Dictatorship, aided in the kidnapping of babies, helped pedophile priests skip jail time and was even implicated in the murder of two other Catholic Priests!

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  • Pagina 12 – April 18th, 2010.  –“Five new testimonies, offered spontaneously, following the article “Your past is condemned”, confirmed the role of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, in the military government’s crackdown on the ranks of the Catholic Church, including the disappearance of priests . Those speaking are a theologian who for decades taught catechism in schools of the diocese of Morón, former superior of a priestly fraternity (that was decimated by enforced disappearances), a layman of the same fraternity who reported the cases to the Vatican, a priest and a layman abducted and tortured.”
  • Tiempo Argentino – May 3rd, 2011. – “Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio could be called to testify again in a case involving crimes against humanity, this time before the Federal Court in June, for the systematic plan to steal babies.”
  • Infobae (Latin America) – October 18th, 2012. – The now Pope is implicated in aiding/ defending an accused Priest of escaping prosecution for the sexual abuse of children.

A book documenting the complicity of Cardinal Jordge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) in the crimes of the Argentinian Dictatorial regime is well documented in the book by veteran Argentinian Journalist,  Horacio Verbitskys in his book, “The Flight: Confessions of an Argentine Dirty Warrior”. More to come as the history of the newest leader of 1.2 billion Catholics is examined and critiqued.

wa Allaahu ‘Alam.

Christians in Sudan: Child Marriages En Masse

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بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ,

 In the Christian majority nation of South Sudan, which broke away from the Muslim Shari’ah enforced Sudan, child marriages have become a religious and cultural mainstay. Despite the misconception that Islam promotes child marriages, it is not in the Muslim Shari’ah ruled Sudan that such a case of this magnitude is prevalent, but in the Christian majority South. The Digital Journal reports:

A newly released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, entitled “This Old Man Can Feed Us, You Will Marry Him:’ Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan,” calls on the government of South Sudan to adopt measures to protect girls from child marriage.

In a country where at least 48 percent of young girls between 15 and 19 are married, with some marrying as young as 12, child marriage further widens gender gaps in school enrollment, contributes to rampant mortality rates and prevents girls from being free from violence.

The report’s information was collected through interviews with 87 girls and women in Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, and Jonglei states, as well as with government officials, traditional leaders, health care workers, legal experts, teachers, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations.

I wonder how the Christians who praised the Christian South from breaking away from the ‘evil’ Muslim Sudan, will now justify and excuse almost 50% of all marriages being child marriages in the country which they so wholeheartedly support! Would David Wood, Robert Spence or Sham the Shamoun highlight this issue and try to combat ‘child marriages’ among their peoples, or is it only wrong when a report of a Muslim doing it makes news?

wa Allaahu ‘Alam.

 

Who AM I? I AM….

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Who am I?

I am not mad but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
I am the Lord’s.

I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
I am a stranger with thee.
I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed.

I am ordained a preacher.
I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, is found a truth.
I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.

Verses Used:

Exposition:

Christians often equate ‘I am’ with a declaration of deity, so I have respectfully taken the ‘I am’ statements littered throughout the Old and New Testaments and have developed them into a poem – professing monotheism, acknowledging their hate for those who preach monotheism and that which rhetorically answers their anti-monotheistic claims with their own scripture.

Verse 1: They may call me crazy, but the words I speak are the truth and meant to bring sobriety to their misguided/ drunken arguments.
Verse 2: I do this not for my own gain, but because God has commanded us monotheists to profess His monotheism.
Verse 3: I intend to give Christians understanding of God, true knowledge.
Verse 4: For I belong to the true God.

Verse 5: Like you, I am also a servant of God, a child of Prophet Adam (alayhi as salaam) and I call you to worship God and Him alone.
Verse 6: I am strange to you because I do not subscribe to your polytheism.
Verse 7: My words are meant to bring peace, but when I speak of monotheism it infuriates you Trinitarians.
Verse 8: I am not ashamed despite the insults you cast upon me, for I am certain of the one God I believe in.

Verse 9: I am ordained by God to spread His message.
Verse 10: I continue to not be ashamed, despite your mockery for I only boast of God’s truth.
Verse 11: I have certainty in God’s monotheism, despite you thinking of me misguided.
Verse 12: Just as I have sacrificed and submitted to the true God, I call you to submit to His glory and truth.

wa Allaahu ‘Alam.

Debate: Was Muhammad (peace be upon him) Foretold in the Bible? Zakir Hussein vs Samuel Green

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بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ,

Another excellent debate from the up and coming debater, Br. Zakir Hussein. Eloquent in his speech, spot on in his arguments, well articulated rebuttals and most importantly he stayed on topic. Samuel Green attempted to refute him a few times, but got carried away, you’ll notice that Br. Zakir played a bit of logic on Samuel and used the same method of finding prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament and applied it to his own agenda. Thereby allowing Samuel to argue against his own methodology, pure brilliance from Br. Zakir.

wa Allaahu ‘Alam.

Burning of Christian Homes in Pakistan

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بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ,

Recently in Pakistan, a serious case of oppression against Christians by mob behaviour has taken the headlines. As Muslims we must condemn such acts of violence as they encroach upon the rights of non-Muslims as enshrined in the Shari’ah of Islam. To understand the rights that non-Muslims have over Muslims, we read the following from Shaykh Abd al Aziz ibn Baz:

“He should not wrong him, with regard to his physical well being, his wealth or his honour. If he is a dhimmi (non-Muslim living under Muslim rule), musta’man (one who is granted security in a Muslim land) or mu‘aahid (one with whose country the Muslims have a peace deal), then he should give him his due rights, and not transgress against his wealth by stealing, betraying or deceiving, and he should not harm him physically by striking or killing him, because the fact that he is a mu‘aahid or dhimmi, or musta’man, means that he is protected by sharee‘ah.”

“Another right is being a good neighbour. So if he is a neighbour, be kind to him and do not annoy him; give charity to him if he is poor, give him gifts, give him beneficial advice, because these are things that will attract him to Islam and to become Muslim; and because the neighbour has rights. The Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Jibreel kept urging me to be kind to my neighbour until I thought that he would make him my heir.” Saheeh – agreed upon. If the neighbour is a kaafir, he still has the rights of a neighbour; if he is both a relative and a kaafir, then he has two rights: the rights of a neighbour and the rights of a relative. ” – Shaykh Abd al Azeez ibn Baz, “Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb, 1/289-291.”

Here is some advice offered by Mufti Ebrahim Desai (damaat barakatahum) concerning blasphemy to the Prophet (peace be upon him) by the disbelievers and what the Muslim reaction should and should not be:

1. Consult with Ulama and responsible people before doing anything. Do not do anything by yourself. Shura and consultation is vital in such an issue.

2. Express anger and disgust within the framework of the law of the country. Use the law of the country to its full capacity.

3. Do not be violent in any way and do not burn buildings, cars, etc.

4. Boycott all Danish products and products of anyone else who support Denmark in this issue or even sympathise with Denmark.

5. Do not confine expression of anger to the cartoon issue. Use the opportunity to express the disgust on Islamophobia in general and highlight some pertinent issues.

6. The most important in this is the issue of Da’awah. Use the opportunity to explain to the world the great personality of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. His lifestyle and character should be printed and published all around the world. This will be an eye opener to many ignorant people and a means of guidance. Take out the positive aspects from a negative one and use the situation to our advantage. Every Muslim should say and write something about our beloved Rasul [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam].

7. It is of utmost importance that we engage in lots of du’aa and Dhikr, Fasting and Sadaqaat. Make du’aa that Allah guide the Ummah in this trying times.

8. Do not conduct ourselves with our fellow non-Muslim citizens in a way that offend them and look for an opportunity to get back at us. We will then be the cause of them showing disrespect to Islam and Islamic values. Always express good character and conduct to all.

9. The most important issue in expressing our love and honour for Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] is following his Sunnah. Expressing our anger at the disrespect to Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] is important but it will be hypocritical if we do not emulate the outward appearance, beard, dressing, etc. and noble character of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. Every one should obtain a kitaab on the Sunnats of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] and implement that in our lives and pass this over to others.

Even the scholars of the Indo-Pak region have stated the same (in responses to a non-Muslim’s blasphemy):

“Punishing a criminal or a guilty is the duty of a government not individuals like we and you. In India, though we do not have an Islamic government, but we should try our level best to get such a perpetrator punished according to the Indian Constitution.” – Darul Iftaa, Darul Uloom Deoband (Fatwa: 1386/1226=B).

It is important to remember, that there is no verse in the Qur’aan or Hadith which permits the crowd/ mob justice against a non-Muslim or Muslim for any reason. If there is a legitimate issue, then there are courts where a Judge can preside over such issues. To act violently as those persons have done in Pakistan, contravenes the sanctity of the relations between Muslims and non-Muslims and disrupts the lives of these victims while causing harm to them and their property, this is certainly haram (impermissible in Islam) and for anyone to claim that this is something which Islam encourages, then such people are only adding flames to the fire and are causing more unrest. The fact of the matter is, such acts are reprehensible and against the teachings as found in the Qur’aan and Sunnah as outlined and stipulated by the Ulama (religious scholars) in their statements (as given above).

wa Allaahu ‘Alam.

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