Monday, January 25, 2010

Change the reality and perception abbout Islam

Recently, in reaction to some of the events surrounding some Muslim youths that have been in the spotlight due to being supposedly involved with terroristic activity, Sister Jannah wrote a "letter" aimed at such individuals, expressing how much their actions are not in tune with Islam and how it hurts the Ummah as a whole. As you can imagine, this sparked some strongly-worded and harsh comments by some individuals, accusing Sister Jannah wrongfully. Given that statement, you can correctly assume that I was in full support of the sentiments that Sister Jannah expressed in this "letter," which I have, with her permission, reproduced below. Please let me know what you think and check out her blog here.

Ma'salaam / Peace be with you.


A letter to a would-be terrorist.
***
Dear 'Muslim' Terrorist,

What exactly did you think you'd be gaining? Like for real, did you think your name would be up in lights? Did you think people would think you're the savior of the Muslim world or something? Did you think you were correcting all the injustices against Muslims in the world or even avenging them?

No you're rather pathetic. First of all you did not think at all when you 'concocted' your stupid plan. Did you even bother to read about what Islam said about the issue? Yeah, don't bother reading some lone crazy Fatwa someone like you with wack ideas and has no backing came up with. But did you even bother to ask a single real scholar of Islam? Like the hundreds and thousands of mainstream Islamic scholars out there. --Guess what they say-- That killing innocent people is Haram. Wow didn't get that bulletin did you. What's that you say, the whole world is against Islam, so it's ok to kill indiscriminately. Yeah so why don't you just kill yourself then (somewhere alone). You know why. Yes, it's because killing yourself is also Haram in Islam!! Life is sacred in Islam and belongs to God, not people! Yet you still dare to go against that and do it to others?!

Anyways I just don't get it. These young "Muslim" guys had so much going for them. They could have done so much to change society and the world around them. To spread the real message of Islam and justice. Justice does not come from violence. It doesn't. Justice comes from change. Change in thought and ideas. And you cannot get this change by violence. Especially stupid plans like blowing up planes and killing innocent people.

Really, what did those five boys from Virginia get for traveling to Pakistan to supposedly join up with some 'Jihad camp'. Did they save the Muslim world? They destroyed five families and an entire community. What did the Ft. Hood shooter get? Nothing except probable torture and execution. Did he make a point? Besides that Muslims can't be trusted anywhere. No he did not. The 7th July English bombers? The Mumbai bombers? Zip except a whole lot more problems for the Muslims in their countries. What did the 'underwear' bomber get. Nothing except a humiliating nickname and the same as above. Even if he had been successful what would he get? Nothing except a lot of hate. From every Muslim in the United States and every non-Muslim. Thanks a lot buddy. Every amount of progress we had made since Obama came into office just went down the toilet. What point were you trying to make again? No one has heard it because we now have to stand in line two hours more for every flight undergoing invasive full body scans at every airport thanks to you! Now every innocent person from 13 Muslim countries will endure more hardship because of you. Now every single person in Yemen (an entire country! and not even your country!) will suffer because of you.

This kind of "Jihad" just does not work. It does not help our brothers and sisters dying every day in Iraq and Afghanistan and Palestine and everywhere else. It just doesn't. A terrorist might think they are bringing the oppression over there to the forefront of people's minds here. But it's actually just making them feel more justified. The "threat' is what made them go over there in the first place and you are just adding more proof to their argument. Did the "vengeance" you caused make them sit down and chat about making things better for Muslims? Or did it allow them to cause more oppression?

How did the 9/11 terrorists help Muslims? By killing 3,000 innocent lives (which BTW included some Muslims) and then by causing the killing of hundreds of thousands of lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and Gaza. Yes, all justified by 9/11. Who is to blame if your action causes great tragedy and injustice. They might carry it out but it is YOU who caused it by your stupid wrong actions. You must understand, this is not a level playing field. It may be unfair, but Muslim blood is cheap. And other's suffering causes them to seek vengeance upon us tenfold. Terrorism as a strategy does not work. It will never bring about the justice we are looking for.

See it's like that movie Umar Mukhtar... the colonizers were there all raping/killing and the Muslim army captures two as prisoners and one of the Muslim soldiers wants to just kill them. He raises his gun and Umar Mukhtar puts his hands over the rifle and pushes it down. "We do not kill prisoners" (an Islamic principle), he says. Well "*They* do it to *us*!" is the answer. Umar Mukhtar says, "They" are not our *teachers*!

Do you see? They are not our teachers. See we EXPECT retartedness from them. We expect wrong and evil and oppression. This is expected in the world. A lot of people do not like justice or fairness or the way of life that is Islam. That is how it is. But how can we become them? How can we compromise our Deen taught to us by our beloved Prophet (s) and our Holy Quran. Can you imagine if you said to Muhammad (s): Yeah they're killing us so I'm just going to go over there and blow up a mall/plane/business full of innocent people... men, women, children, xtian, muslim or jew... doesn't matter... it probably won't even help our cause and just makes things worse...but who cares... i might be doing it out of revenge or because i'm depressed or messed up psychologically but hey..._I'm doing it for you._ Does that make any sense to you? Can you imagine what he (s) would say.

That you're an idiot. Yes. Even worse... you are a person that does not think. And Islam, above many things, is especially a religion for those who think. We are taught to think about our actions and reactions and responses. That's what it's all about isn't it? Actions = hereafter. Doing sins has a response, we're accountable for it. The grave and dust is not the end of all things. "All this" means something. And one day we will see the truth of everything. So why didn't you think? Why didn't you think of the consequences? About whether or not you were actually helping Muslims? Why didn't you think of better ways that can bring about change in this world? To show people what Islam is really about? To work on yourself first and become a better Muslim? To help the community around you and the larger Muslim community that is suffering... instead of making it suffer more? I mean can we not THINK as Muslims and come up with rational, real effective ways of helping Muslims overseas. Why can't you do that instead of coming up with stupid irrational vigilante justice scenarios.

Ok I'm done now. My anger is spent. It's not even for myself. I expect this life not to be easy for a Muslim. We will have hardships and challenges and we will have to live through them and gain our resolve and fight for justice in *thinking* ways. And in the end we may have to wait for our justice in the Hereafter. But it just upsets me that you would damage the name of our beautiful Deen and the image of Muslims. Another crime in so many crimes, and yet you still think you're in the right?

Sincerely, your friend and fellow Muslim (as long as you don't turn into a terrorist),

Jannah

Reference:
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=22661

1 comment:

Abu Muhammad el-Merbawiy said...

Terrorism VS Islam - Salaam

Abu Amrullah Muhammad ADIS
El-Merbawiy, MY

Thanks for your meaningful letter to the world. Islam had from the beginning taught all Muslims to counter every inches of unjustified actions with the justifiable some. This is we called it as - ad'uu ilaLlah 'ala Baseeratin, means that I would propagated people into Islam with the very accurate proof or demonstrative one. Even the wars forcefully took place among Muslim lands nowadays like in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Chechenya, Palestine etc.,are still considered as sticked to the demonstrative proof to defense Muslim rights upon our own lands as taught in the Quran and Sunnah pbuh. These might justify to the world sooner or latter, that Islam and Muslims must be recognized their excellent position and the right of humanity at last. Thanks very much Sister Jannah.

Dungun MALAYSIA
Saturday, January 23, 2010 07:49
Every one have tounderstand

Miftah

Thanks for your post. I also agree with you. I think this post is very transparent about terrorist activities. But I think this is not all we can say to them, because when any muslim see the injustice against them and Islamic law is sold for money they want to do something to proof themselves. "WE HAVE TO SHOW THEM A WAY THAT IS POSITIVE FOR ISLAM" "We have to make them understand that Islam was spreaded through Dawah not through war"

Saturday, January 23, 2010 08:27
your letter is Fantastic!!!!

Sarinsky

Thank you for posting your letter regarding the terrorists! I feel the same as you do about these people who think they are doing good by killing innocent people. What possible good can happen? It only hurts the Islamic people and makes us non-muslims so afraid of people who look like they might be Islamic. How sad and so unnecessary. How can we change the world for the better when there is so much hate! Love thy neighbor as thy self! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Please, please, please....help!

Sunday, January 17, 2010 16:02