Stop Religious Courts in Canada
http://www.muslimchronicle.blogspot.com
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September 6, 2005
Our heritage at stake
By Irfan Husain
The Daily DAWN, Karachi
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/mazdak/mazdak.htm
ALTHOUGH 13 years have passed since the destruction of Babri Masjid in
Ayodhya, the desecration still reverberates in both Muslim and secular
Indian minds.
At the time, protestors rioted across the subcontinent; furious editorials
and op-ed articles were written; and Muslim countries formally registered
their protests with the Indian government. But now, a far worse act of
disrespect and desecration is about to take place, and there has not been a
single mention or objection from anybody that I know of, at least here in
Pakistan.
It took an article in the Toronto Star, e-mailed to me by a reader, to alert
me to the fact that the Saudi government plans to demolish the Prophet
Mohammads [PBUH] 1,400-years old home in Makkah. According to the article,
written by Tarek Fatah, a founding member of the Muslim Canadian Council,
the house is being destroyed to make way for a parking lot, two 50-storey
hotel towers and seven 35-storey apartment blocks as part of the Jabal Omar
Scheme, just around the corner from the Grand Mosque.
I must confess that I have not made the pilgrimage to Makkah, but the idea
of the religious cradle and centre of the Muslim world being dominated by a
crassly commercial project is repugnant. The Saudi royal family claims to be
guardians of the holy places of Islam, and profit hugely from the
centuries-old traffic of believers to Makkah and Madina. And yet, they are
party to this barbaric desecration of the holiest sites in the Islamic
world.
In the 1920s, the Saudis levelled the graveyard in Madina that contained the
graves of the family and companions of the Prophet. A few years ago, they
demolished an old Ottoman fort in Makkah, in spite of the protests of the
Turkish government. This disrespect for ancient monuments is a hallmark of
Wahabi thought, but one would have thought the Prophets home would have
been exempt. Clearly, the interests of property developers outweigh
religious or historical considerations.
Why has there not been a single significant protest from anywhere in the
Muslim world? Or, as Tarek Fatah asks, Why is it that when the Babri mosque
was demolished, hundreds of thousands of Muslims worldwide took to the
streets to protest, but when Saudi authorities plan to demolish the home of
our beloved Prophet, not a whisper is heard?
The writer speculates on the reason for this silence: Is it because Muslims
have become so overwhelmed by the power of the Saudi riyal currency that we
have lost all courage and self-respect? Or is it because we feel a need to
cover up Muslim-on-Muslim violence; Muslim-on-Muslim terror;
Muslim-on-Muslim oppression?
I suspect all of the above is the right answer. We constantly rail against
any wrongs inflicted on fellow-Muslims by non-believers, but hold our peace
when Muslims kill, exploit and terrorize other Muslims. Thus, when the
Americans kill Iraqis, or the Russians persecute Chechens, we are rightly
indignant. But when Saddam Hussein slaughtered Kurds and Shias for years,
Muslims around the world maintained a discreet silence. Ditto for other
dictators in most of the Muslim world.
In his article, Fatah quotes Niaz Salimi, president of the MCC, from a
letter she wrote to the Saudi envoy in Canada: The sacred places of Islam,
regardless of where they are located, belong to the Muslim community
worldwide. The countries where they are located are simply trustees and have
no right to destroy them.
A Google search on the internet led me to an article by Mirza Beg, posted on
the Web on August 21. Writes Beg:
...destroying our precious heritage because of less than perfect
understanding of some Muslims [read Wahabis], would be a great loss to the
Islamic civilization, ethos, history and the future generations of Muslims.
Destruction of the most precious sites of Islam for fear of idolatry by
some, is akin to killing a child for fear that he may grow up to be less
than pious...
Now obviously, the Saudis are free to fill their cities with tasteless
buildings. But considering the size of the country, one would expect them to
show some respect for our collective heritage and build their new,
ostentatious plazas, hotels and shopping malls on the outskirts of ancient
cities like Makkah and Madina.
But we all know the Saudi mindset, and given their recent windfall in the
shape of unprecedented oil prices, it is unlikely that they will listen to
reason. What concerns me more is our reluctance to criticize this uncouth
behaviour. Our Islamic parties, for instance, are so eager to take up real
and imaginary Muslim causes, but have not uttered a squeak in the face of
this flagrant contempt for our history and the Prophets memory.
What explains this blatant hypocrisy? While many of our major religious
politicians have long been recipients of Saudi largesse (allegedly often in
the shape of visas and work permits that they sell), what explains the
silence of people and parties who are not influenced by petro-dollars?
Fortunately for us, Pakistan has a (relatively) free media, but I have yet
to come across any news or commentary relating to this impending horror in
either the newspapers, or the private TV channels. So why this conspiracy of
silence? This question brings us back to our reluctance to criticize other
Muslims, while screaming threats at non-Muslims.
Thousands demonstrated against the alleged desecration of the Holy Book at
Guantanamo a few months ago. Several people were killed in the accompanying
violence. Where are those zealots now? Why arent preachers at mosques
demanding that the Saudi government halt their destructive plans?
Alas, these double standards are what now define the ummah. We have become
completely neutered when it comes to criticizing other Muslims. I have often
received e-mails from readers, accusing me of washing our dirty linen in
public when I have written of the many problems afflicting the Islamic
world. But these things need to be said out loud and often.
According to Mirza Beg, if you want to protest against the destruction of
historical sites in Makkah, you can log on to the following website:
www.petitiononline.com/rasul/petition.html
But while I am going to do my bit, I do not plan to hold my breath...
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{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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