Bizarre Press Conference by Muslim "Leaders"
What does Islam say about Cooperation with Oppressors?
Can Such People Claim to be Followers of Islam? They Want to be
'Snitches' {spies} Against Muslim Communities.
by Kaukab Siddique, Ph.D.
New Trend
Jamada al-thani 21, 1426/July 27, 2005
http://www.newtrendmag.org/ntmfnewslatestissue145.html
America's Muslims are getting used to degrading and demeaning behavior
by their self-appointed 'leaders' but a press conference by a group
which calls itself MAS Freedom outcaired Cair in its anti-Islam teachings.
The conference was held at the National Press Building in Washington
DC, starting at 9.40 AM on July 25, and was addressed by a person
named Mahdi Bray, who seemed to be in charge, Esam Omeish, who was
introduced as the President of MAS, Imam Johari Abdul Malik, a
supporter of W.D. Muhammad, and others.
Some of the statements made were as follows:
* We want to be included in Homeland Security.
* We want to be part of Bush's policy decisions [in the middle east.]
* We will not only denounce "terrorism," we will actively work
within Muslim communities to root out extremists.
* We will teach Muslims to alienate themselves from extremists and
report them to the authorities.
* We are such great patriots that we had gathered to meet
President Bush when 9.11 happened.
* There are dangerous influences in the American Muslim
communities and we will stop them. [This was from Johari.]
* The W.D. man [Johari] claimed that he had actually been
approached by a man who had met a "bad guy" and the man left before he
[Johari] could report him.
* Our Imams should be "trained" to be"moderate." [Training of
imams [as in Egypt?] is envisaged. Perhaps they'll be given acceptable
khutbas to read.]
* It doesn't matter what happened in Iraq, Afghamnistan,
Palestine, etc.; we have to oppose "terrorism" at any cost.
* Throughout the one hour long program NOT ONE WORD WAS SPOKEN
AGAINST Israel.
* MAS is a "grassroots organization" with 50 chapters all over
America. [A ridiculous claim when hardly anyone knows these people.]
These people are mediocrities and definitely do not represent
America's deep Islamic culture which is thoroughly with the Muslims of
Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq. My concern is not with these persons
but with the falsehoods they are spreading about Islam.
Are Bush and the American power structure not the biggest oppressors
and exploiters in the world? Let alone Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq,
Sudan, Kashmir, Chechnia, think of what is happening right here in
America. How can any persons claim to be Muslim in America and not
have these cases of oppression at the center of their program:
* Imam Jamil al-Amin, America's Imam, given a life sentence on
fake charges.
* Dr. Omar 'Abdel Rahman, the blind Shaikh, railroaded by a
Zionist judge to life in prison on ridiculous conspiracy charges when
the only witness was an FBI agent.
* Lynne Stewart, leading U.S. human rights attorney convicted on
"terrorism" charges, a blow aimed at client-attorney privilege which
is a major plank in the rule of law in the U.S.
* Ahmed Abdel Sattar convicted of speaking to people opposed to
the Hosni Mubarak tyranny.
* The innocents of Virginia given obscene prison terms for
visiting Pakistan and talking to Islamists.
* The innocents of Lackawanna [Yemenis] imprisoned for attempts to
travel to Afghanistan.
* The endless imprisonment of Jose Padilla without charge
* USA has the largest number of prisoners in the world.
* Thousands of Muslim immigrants arrested, mistreated, humiliated
and deported just because they were Muslims.
* I won't go into the terrible atrocities committed against
Muslims in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan.
* The power structure is racist and is built on 400 years of
slavery and before that the Holocaust of American "Indians" [Native
Americans].
Can there be any doubt that this is a government of oppressors? What
does the Qur'an say about cooperation with such people?
" ...Stand firm as you are commanded, you and those with you: turn
[unto Allah], and trangress not (from the path), for He sees well all
that you do. And INCLINE NOT towards those who oppress, or the Fire
will touch you, and ye [shall] have no protectors other than Allah,
nor shall ye be helped."
[The Qur'an 11:112-113]
Scholars have noticed that these verses are condemning not only
cooperation with oppressors but even an INCLINATION towards
oppressors. Classical commentaries on the Qur'an discuss the depth of
meaning in the Arabic text of this verse "wa la taraknu" [do not
incline or bend or have the slightest positive feeling] for oppressors.
Commentators as varied as Zamakhshari and Beidawi agree that "wa la
taraknu" is about the stage before actual physical cooperation takes
place. The desire to bend slightly towards the oppressors becomes
punishable by the Fire.
Qurtubi, another classical scholar, points out that this "inclination"
includes dependence and a LIKING for the oppressors. These meanings
are supported by the comments of Ibn Abbas, r.a., one of the
companions of the Prophet, who was the earliest mufassir of the
Qur'an. He says that this verse also implies that one should not keep
quiet when one observes oppression being carried out.
[Such as in our times the destruction of Fallujah during Ramadan or
the degradation of the great scholar of Islam, Shaikh Omar 'Abdel
Rahman, or the 'cavity search' of Imam Jamil.]
Qatada and 'Ikrima, of the first generation after the Sahaba
[companions of the Prophet, pbuh] say that such inclination towards
oppressors also implies obedience to them
[such as the happiness of these "leaders" that they were called to
meet Bush and rushed to meet him].
Imam 'Auzai, from the first generation of Islam after the sahaba, says
that his understanding of hadith on these verses is that NOTHING IS
MORE CONDEMNABLE WITH ALLAH THAN A PERSON WHO CLAIMS TO BE AN IMAM [or
'Alim] BUT MEETS AN OPPRESSOR, be it a king or his functionaries. In
the Arabic there is a play on the words 'Alim [Islamic scholar] and
'Amil [functionary].
The best comment comes from a classical Hadith scholar of the first
era, Muhammad ibn Maslama, that:
"The approach of one who recites the Qur'an to the door of oppressors
is WORSE THAN the likeness of the FLY WHO SITS on SHIT."
In our own tmes, Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani, the Islamic teacher of
Mohomed Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, wrote the following note on
11:113 in his tafseer:
"Do not be inclined or attracted to the oppressors [those who have
broken the bounds of Islam] in the slightest. Do your best to stay
away from their friendship and companionship, refrain from respecting
and honoring them, praising or exalting them, looking like them in
appearance, jointly working with them, in short everything to do with
oppressors, otherwise the fire will envelop you and you will find that
you have no helper and Allah will no longer help you."
The learned Maulana then points to the solution for Muslims, given in
11:114, which we have not quoted, which is to incline towards Allah
and to worship Allah morning and evening ..
The Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, too has given us clear Hadith not to
cooperate with oppressors. These are general teachings, in addition to
the specific verses from the Qur'an:
>From Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, r.a. the Prophet, pbuh, said: ...."By him in
whose hand is my life, you will not achieve salvation unless you stop
the oppressor and give the oppressed their right."
[Hadith, Jami Tirmidhi, Abwab tafseer al-Qur'an]
>From Abu Bakr Siddiq, r.a. .....I heard the messenger of Allah, pbuh,
say, When people see an oppressor and do not stop him with both their
hands, sooner or later the punishment of Allah will overtake them [the
passive ones] too. [Hadith Jami Tirmidhi, Ibid.]
When such are the rules for non-cooperation with "Muslims" who become
oppressors, there is absolutely NO BASIS in Islam for cooperation with
oppressors who in addition to being oppressors are also kuffar.
I would urge the misled people of MAS and others like them, repent, do
Tawba, do not become snitches and tools of the oppressors. If you are
going to go ahead in any case, then stop claiming to be Muslims. In
that case you are spies, hiding among the Muslims, and no more.
***************************************************************************
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I
am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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