Cartoonish
Extremists
By Sir Cam
Cambridge, England
I now know what the Danish flag looks like. Especially
when it's on fire. I also know what the extremists
(let's not bring Islam into it here) look like.
Especially the pretend suicide bomber-type marching
in London. And, equally, I've had a bellyful of
those Liberal Extremists ranting on about "freedom
of expression" as if it was an absolute value,
applied to others but not to themselves. Like
you, I'm sickened by the hypocrisy of it all.
But, how did we get here? I thought we had got
wiser since that F-word of years ago. Haven't
we gone through all this hullabaloo before? Rewind
to September 1988: Rushdies Islamophobic Satanic
Verses gets published. And, four months later,
in February 1989 the FATWA gets issued. Fast-forward
seventeen years, to 2005, and once again by some
strange coincidence in September again, the Islamophobic
cartoons are published. And, by another strange
coincidence, four months down the line, in February
2006, all hell breaks out. Oh, will we ever learn!
Funny, if that's the right word, how Ayatollah
Khomeini uttered his F-word, the famous Fatwa
of death for the apostate Rushdie, on February
14, the day of love. Since then Iranian couples
issue Fatwas to each other on this day instead
of exchanging Valentine cards. You'd be silly
to take the last sentence seriously. I resolve
to exercise self-censorship next time. No, seriously,
it's worth exploring this love theme a bit more.
It's at the heart (that's where the love is) of
this issue.
Just why are Muslims so touchy about Prophet Muhammad?
What's all the fuss about? They're "only
cartoons" aren't they? Actually, it's not
only, or mainly, about depicting Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH). This issue goes deeper, right to the core
of every Muslims soul. All Muslims -- even the
not so practicing ones, the drunks, the druggies,
the gangsters, the fornicators -- the lot -- are
touched and stirred by any slur or slander against
their Rasool-Allah, Messenger of Allah (s). There
is zero tolerance over this issue.
Islam is formulated around "La ilaha il-Allah,
Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah": one part to do
with the Oneness of God, and the other with the
Prophethood of Muhammad (s). Love for Prophet
Muhammad resides in every Muslims heart. Even
the tiniest flicker of faith in a believer will
burst into a flame when Muhammad (s) is attacked.
In my Sufi mood: ask ye how the lover feels when
the beloved is attacked. Intolerable!
Let's turn to the Islamic sources to understand
this, then. "Say [O Prophet]: ' If you love
God, follow me, [and] God will love you..."
(Qur'an, 3:31-32). That is, love of God, love
of Prophet Muhammad -- "La ilaha il-Allah,
Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah". In the hadith
we have: the Prophet (s) said: "None of you
will believe until I am dearer to him than his
own soul". Yes, deep down in the soul. Another
saying of the Prophet (s) goes, ""None
of you will believe until I am more beloved to
him than his children, his father and all people".
According to Muslims, Prophet Muhammad (s) is
the perfect human being, the best role model,
the only one to be emulated in every deed or action.
In the Qur'an (68:4) he is mentioned as "khuluqin
'azim", the one with "tremendous character".
Again, "Ye have indeed in the Messenger of
Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) (uswatun
hasanah)" (33:21). And, Muhammad is a mercy
for mankind -- rahmatalil alameen -- (21:107).
The believers praise and bless the Prophet (s),
every time his name is mentioned (my abbreviation
's': sallalaho alaihi wasallam) and generally
as well (see 33:56).
Such Qur'anic verses and hadith emphasize the
place of Prophet Muhammad (s) in every Muslims
heart and daily life. So, it doesn't take much
to appreciate how Muslims feel when they read,
see or hear their beloved Rasool-Allah (s) being
insulted. The hurt, the offence pierces through
their very being.
At another level, many Muslims are beginning to
perceive themselves as the new Jews of the West
(remember the medieval inquisitions, the pogroms,
the holocaust?). They and their faith can be insulted,
attacked with impunity. Islamophobia is the order
of the day. However, Muslims themselves have a
fair bit of work to do as images of violent reaction
and inflammatory protests don't help their cause.
What now? Ringo Starr where are you? "Oh
I can get by with a little help from my friends"
[and foes, I might add]. A little respect, understanding,
and sensitivity all around would help.
Deep breath, please! Freedom of expression doesn't
mean hurling gratuitous insults against a whole
people nor protesting insensitively or violently.
That is freedumb. At the end of the day, it is
bridge-building that we need rather than burning
the bridges and links between our different communities.
Finally, Islam: peace!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
