To Everyone

Submitted by Mu'een Ud Deen (United Kingdom), Mar 20, 2006 at 05:08

'So now it's cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed with a bomb-shaped turban. Ambassadors are withdrawn from Denmark, Gulf nations clear their shelves of Danish produce, Gaza gunmen threaten the European Union. In Denmark, Fleming Rose, the "culture" editor of the pip-squeak newspaper which published these silly cartoons - last September, for heaven's sake - announces that we are witnessing a "clash of civilisations" between secular Western democracies and Islamic societies. This does prove, I suppose, that Danish journalists follow in the tradition of Hans Christian Anderson. Oh lordy, lordy. What we're witnessing is the childishness of civilisations.

So let's start off with the Department of Home Truths. This is not an issue of secularism versus Islam. For Muslims, the Prophet is the man who received divine words directly from God. We see our prophets as faintly historical figures, at odds with our high-tech human rights, almost cariacatures of themselves. The fact is that Muslims live their religion. We do not. They have kept their faith through innumerable historical vicissitudes. We have lost our faith ever since Matthew Arnold wrote about the sea's "long, withdrawing roar". That's why we talk about "the West versus Islam" rather than "Christians versus Islam" - because there aren't an awful lot of Christians left in Europe. There is no way we can get round this by setting up all the other world religions and asking why we are not allowed to make fun of Mohamed.'

This was written by a journalist (Robert Fisk). It clearly addresses the problems between the 'west' and Islam. So many people on this forum feel as though they know everything about Islam yet they use internet address where verses (ayats) of the Qur'an are available and 'copy and paste' to make their point. I don't blame these people because it is the media's portrayal of Islam (it sells big). So many people in this forum have prejudice which effect their judgement and shows ignorance beyond belief. I have studied Islam for (so so) many years and it angers me to see mediocre people telling me about Islam when they know little - is that not arrogance.

The problem and the reason for terrorist attacks lays dormant in the racial/religious division - Islam places more emphasis on 'the will of God' whilst western secular values preach 'freedom of speech' and 'acceptance of various contrasting belief.' This divide will never resolve until one side come to their senses. Personally, I feel (the majority of) humanity is damned and I have lost faith in people.

Many Muslims believe that mankind will be responsible for its own destruction - not god. We will decide when the 'day of judgement' will come however Allah (God) will know when...

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