"Turning
Swords into Bombs"
By Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed
President, Islamic Research Foundation International,
Inc.
Louisville, KY
and A. R. Tak, MD
President, Islamic Center of Louisville
Louisville, KY
This
is in reference to an Op-Ed titled "Turning
Swords into Bombs" written by Suzanne Fields,
a columnist with The Washing Times and published
in newspapers across America on October 17, 2006.
In Newspapers published in America on October
17, 2006, one could read about suicide bombers
ramming a truck laden with explosives into a Sri
Lankan naval bus convoy, killing 97 people and
injuring more than 100 others. These suicide bombers
were not Muslims. In the aftermath of 9/11 every
Tom, Dick and Harry has become an expert on Islam
and "Islamic terrorism" or "Islamic
fascists". There are some who have even become
advisors to the National Security Agency, White
House, print and electronic Media. A critical
analysis shows their hollowness.
The scholars, the writer (Suzanne Fields) quoted
to belittle Islam are of her own tribe. She did
not quote scholars like Philip K. Hitti, Gibbon,
Thomas Carlyle, Stanley Lane Poole, Washington
Irving, W. Montgomery Watt, Bertrand Russell,
Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, at al.
The Muslim world extends from Indonesia to Morocco
and beyond. The decline of Muslim fortunes has
nothing to do with the fall of the Ottoman Empire,
because the Ottoman Empire did not rule the entire
Muslim world. The main reason for their decline
is the rise of Western colonialism which depleted
the wealth and natural resources of Muslim countries.
The Muslims had to fight for a few hundred years
to liberate themselves from the occupying Western
powers. This led to the decline of the Muslims
as well as non-Muslims who were under Colonial
rule, such as India, African countries, China,
etc.
The Muslim countries achieved independence in
the last 50 years. Muslims love freedom, democracy,
affluence, modernity and intellectual achievements.
The problem is they are ruled by despots (kings
and presidents) supported and financed by Western
countries for decades. Muslim countries are manipulated
by the West to fight one another. The West sells
arms and ammunition to both sides. The Muslim
countries are armed to the teeth and the major
share of their budget is allocated to Defense/Military.
The budget allocation for education, health, eradication
of poverty, employment, science and technology
is marginal. Those who are under occupation want
freedom and are relentlessly fighting as freedom
fighters but are labeled as "terrorists"
by the West. Many countries fought for their freedom
including our own the United States of America.
There was no religion involved in their freedom
struggle.
The last sermon of the Prophet, or farewell address
known as Khutbatul Wada', was delivered in 632
CE on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah on the plains
of Arafat near Makkah.
In his Farewell Address the Prophet never ordered
or asked "… to fight all men until
they submit with the assertion that ‘There
is no god but Allah’ ".
Fighting all men to assert that "there is
no god but Allah" is meaningless. The word
Allah means "The God". The non-Muslims,
such as Christians and Jews, whose mother tongue
is Arabic call "God" "Allah"
and also assert that "there is no god but
Allah". This is a statement of monotheism
and Christians and Jews adhere to monotheism.
It was asserted before the inception of Islam.
Furthermore, conversion by force goes against
the teachings of the Qur’an.
The Qur’an states in Surah (chapter) al-Nahl,
v. 134, "Invite to the path of thy Lord with
wisdom and good advice, and argue with them kindly,
for Thy Lord is well aware of those who go astray
and He is aware of those who follow true guidance."
Indeed, the very next verse states that "if
thou should punish (aggressors) punish only in
proportion to the aggression inflicted upon you,
but if ye be patient, it will be better for the
patient."
In his last sermon the Prophet said, "Hurt
no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that
you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will
indeed reckon your deeds."
In the light of the foregoing what Osama Bin Laden
said is his own distorted opinion to achieve his
own agenda and has nothing to do with the teachings
of Islam.
The writer claimed, "When the Jews of Medina
resisted Muhammad in the 7th Century; he beheaded
the men and sold their women and children into
slavery." This is a completely distorted
story with the prejudiced, subjective personal
opinion of the writer.
In 627, the army of Mecca attacked Medina (where
Muslims and Muhammad lived) under the command
of Abu Sufyan. This is called the battle of the
Trench. Abu Sufyan asked the Banu Qurayza (a Jewish)
tribe to help them conquer Medina by attacking
the Muslims from behind the lines or letting them
into the town.
According to one early historian, Ibn Ishaq, the
Banu Qurayza chief, Ka'b, was initially reluctant,
but eventually decided to support the Meccans,
being persuaded by Huyayy ibn Akhtab, chief of
the Banu al-Nadir (a Jewish tribe).
This was the second time Bani Qurayza had broken
the peace treaty with the Muslims and had allied
with Banu Al-Nadir against the Muslims; the first
time, Banu Qurayza suffered no loss and were allowed
to stay in Medina.
However, Abu Sufyan's forces were defeated in
the Battle of the Trench, and retreated, abandoning
their allies to the victors. The very day of the
victory, Muhammad led the Muslim troops to the
Banu Qurayza neighborhood. The Banu Qurayza retreated
into their stronghold and contemplated their alternatives.
As the Banu Qurayza morale waned (according to
early historian Ibn Ishaq), their chief made a
speech to them, suggesting three ways out of their
predicament: embrace Islam; kill their own children
and women, then rush out for a "kamikaze"
charge to either win or die; or make a surprise
attack on Saturday (the Sabbath, when by mutual
understanding no fighting would take place). But
it seems that none of these options was accepted.
After a siege that lasted several weeks, the Banu
Qurayza surrendered unconditionally.
According to Muslim accounts, Aws (an Arab tribe
allied with the Jews) pleaded to Muhammad for
Banu Qurayza and asked Muhammad to appoint Sa'd
ibn Mu'adh as an arbitrator to decide their fate.
Their request was accepted. Since, at that time,
no specific punishment had been revealed in the
Qur’an about the fate of the Jews, Sa'd
ibn Mu'adh announced his verdict in accordance
with the Torah. As per the Torah, the punishment
for treason was that all men should be put to
death; the women and children should be made slaves
and the wealth of the whole nation should be distributed
among the conquerors. In accordance with this
verdict, all men were executed. John Esposito
(Director for the Center for Christian-Muslim
Understanding at the Georgetown University) writes
that Muhammad's use of warfare in general was
alien neither to Arab custom nor to that of the
Hebrew prophets, as both believed that God had
sanctioned battle with the enemies of the Lord.
In contrast with the Jews, the Christians in Arabia
had remained neutral, and had not sided with any
party. The Prophet gave them a Charter which was
a monument of enlightenment and tolerance. The
Charter provided that the Christians were not
to be unfairly taxed; that no bishop was to be
expelled from the monasteries; that no Christian
was to be restrained from the performance of pilgrimage;
that no Christian churches were to be pulled down;
and that where a Christian woman was married to
a Muslim, she could retain her religion and go
to her Church, even after marriage.
Christians and Jews are treated as People of the
Book (Scriptures of Jews, Christians and Muslims).
Christians and Jews prospered under Muslim rule.
Leaders like Suleiman the magnificent of the Ottoman
Empire, contributed to our notions of tolerance
and civic leadership. And perhaps we can learn
a lesson from his example: It was leadership based
on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership
that harnessed the full capabilities of a very
diverse population - that included Christianity,
Islamic, and Jewish traditions.
The US administration has spent over 300 billion
dollars on the war on terrorism. It is worth every
penny to invest money on the weapons of anti-terrorism.
The weapons of anti-terrorism spell out freedom
from occupation, freedom from dictatorships, elimination
of corruption (6 of the top 10 most corrupt countries
are Muslim countries), giving opportunities to
the Muslim population in political activity, imparting
education (65 per cent are illiterate) and employment
(a staggering 40 to 60 % are unemployed in Muslim
countries).
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