Islam, the Multicultural Cemetery ― An Open Letter to an Educated
Liberal by Alexander Maistrovoy
09 Jul, 2007
"And for the first time, with a sudden shiver, came the clear knowledge of what
the meat I had seen in the Underworld might be. These careless Eloi were mere
fatted cattle, which the ant-like Morlocks preserved and preyed upon." "The
Time Machine" of Herbert George Wells
My dear brainy friend!
The communist slogan in the former Soviet Union was: "We say Lenin, we mean
the Party, we say the Party, we mean Lenin". For you it could sound like this:
"We say multiculturalism, we mean Islam, we say Islam, we mean
multiculturalism". The Muslim world is the last and sole barrier on the way to
your dream about cultural pluralistic society. "Even Spanish (?!) can be
French"*. An Arab cannot be. In despair you are ready to fasten on a kaffiyeh
on yourself and a yashmak on your wife in order to drag a Muslim into your
Cloud Castle.
Its your fixed idea, your choice. I will only remind you, my starry-eyed
friend, what a role of a "true believer" is in the multicultural society, when
he comes there invited or uninvited. For hundreds of years the Middle East was
the embodiment of real multicultural ideal, the thesaurus of spiritual and
philosophical knowledge. Antique mystery religions and Zoroastrism; the
Ebonites and the first Christian sects; Gnosticism and Kabbalistic teachings;
the Neoplatonics and the Manichees, the Arians and the Nestorians â all of
them had co-existed in harmony. They conveyed their ideas and viewing of the
world from one to another in this gigantic melting-pot of human spirit. Whether
you know about it or not, it was from this fathomless source, that European
philosophy, theology and learning got strength which paved the way to freedom
and liberal values.
One of the first acts of triumphant Islam was the burning of the famous
Alexandrine library. But it was only the beginning, because at that time Islam
was relatively tolerant and noble. And what is more, it joined this melting-pot
(so, my dear friend, don't blame me of jaundice). Islam showed the world the
mysticism of Sufis with their poetry of Life and extenuation of material
benefits, expressed in Druze religion. Much later, the most humanistic religion
of the present times (the Bahá'­ Faith) arose from Islam. It also gave
birth to Ahmadiyya movement, which believed in the improvement of the world
through love. Unfortunately, obsession and obscurantism intensified. First,
Sunni in Saudi Arabia found themselves under the dogmatic and obscure Wahhabite
rule, then Salafies and Muslim brothers appeared. Formerly latent Utopias in
Shi'a Islam turned into paranoia before our eyes.
Even in the time of medieval inquisition in Europe fresh ideas existed. There
were different philosophic schools: from Albert the Great to Thomas Aquinas to
Meister Eckhart to Roger Bacon. There was Italian Proto-Renaissance with Dante
Alighieri, Giovanni Pisano and Giotto. There was craving for freedom,
personified in the Katars, Waldenses, Czech Hussites, and Lollards. And now
tell me, my clever friend, what kinds of philosophic, spiritual schools do you
know in the modern Islamic world? Enlighten me, I will be happy! There are few
courageous people, who denounce dogmatic Wahhabites, like Sheikh Abdul Hadi
Palazzi and Dr. Taufik Hamid from Egypt. But they are social outcasts of the
Muslim world and they live beyond the bounds of it.
Let me ask you: what has remained from the multicultural world of the Middle
East? Do the Zoroastrians and Bahá'­s stay in Iran, their homeland? It
will be easer to find them in a cemetery in that country, than living. Those
who could escape flew to India and the West. Had the Sufis remained in Saudi
Arabia? No, they were annihilated by the regime as the enemies of "true Islam".
Can you find a branch of Ahmadiyya movement at least in one of the countries of
the Middle East?
You can do it only in one place: so hated by you Israel (although I make no
question of you being a Jew), the "state-of-racism-apartheid-and-coercion".
Their centre is in Haifa. So is the famous Bahá'­ sanctuary. The Sufis are
free in Israel, and the Druzes are enjoying full civic rights in Israel.
Not long ago the Arabian East was a palette of ancient and unique Christian
sects. Waves of Islamic fanaticism swept away all of them. The Christians of
Iraq and the West Bank escaped to the USA and Canada. Copts left Egypt. It may
happen to the Maronites in Lebanon: the country is on the verge of the "Green
revolt". Iraqi Gnostics-Mandaeans are exposed to genocide and on the on the
verge of annihilation. Not mentioning about Darfur. And you don't see it!
Because the Mandaeans are not the beloved Palestinians, who claim for your
special attention! In 20-30 years the Middle East will turn into a
multicultural cemetery with an oasis in the form of Israel. If only you, my
brainy friend, will not do your best to help the desert to swallow up this
oasis. But you will, I have no doubts.
One more step, and instead of the cradle of humanity only a scorched desert
of hatred will be left here. And this desert will spread to the North and
South, to the East and West. It will enter the open doors of your house; devour
you and your family, yours clubs, cafes, libraries, theaters, and galleries.
You have got used to freedom; you don't know what the world without freedom is.
I know it because I have grown up in communist Moscow. But I also know the
Middle East. And believe me, in comparison to the new Caliphate the Soviet
empire of the 60ies and 70ies would seem a paradise. The new rulers of the
world will not only shut your mouth, but turn your soul inside out.
I pity you. Though, sorry. Not any longer.
"To be French today means to be not only ethnic French, but Italian,
Vietnamese, Chinese, Jew, Arab and even Spanish" (Francois Mitterrand)
sFe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Pemerintah: Al-Qiyadah Menyimpang dari
Tauhid Islam Selasa, 30 Okt 07 18:31 WIB
Pemerintah, dalam hal ini, Departemen Agama (Depag) tak akan memberikan
toleransi dengan semua aliran yang nyata-nyata menyimpang dari tauhid Islam,
alias sesat seperti Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah.
Demikian Dirjen Bimbingan Masyarakat Islam Nasaruddin Umar menanggapi
keberadaan Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah yang dinyatakan sebagai aliran sesat oleh
Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), dan dinilai terlarang oleh Kejaksaan Tinggi DKI
Jakarta.
Ia menyatakan, Depag akan tegas menindak aliran sesat itu. "Sikap kita dalam
masalah aliran sesat tegas, karena ada kepastian hukum, " kata Nasaruddin.
Kendati begitu, terang dia, Direktorat Jenderal Bimas Islam akan tetap
melakukan penyadaran kepada para penganut aliran sesat. Karena bisa saja mereka
masuk sebuah aliran karena ketidaktahuan atau sebagainya. Upaya itu dilakukan
melalui pendekatan terpadu, baik melalui pendekatan dakwah maupun pendekatan
hukum.
"Untuk itu kepada pengikut Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah untuk minta maaf dan
melakukan syahadat ulang, agar tidak terjerat pasal penistaan agama, " kata
Nazaruddin yang juga Rektor Perguruan Tinggi Ilmu al-Quran ini.
Mengenai Tim Kecil Depag yang dibentuk untuk meneliti Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah,
ia menjelaskan, tim itu sudah membuat laporan yang hasilnya akan dijadikan
rekomendasi Depag kepada instansi terkait seperti Kepolisian dan Kejaksaan
Agung.
Menurutnya, dari penelitian tim itu semakin jelas, bahwa Al-Qiyadah
Al-Islamiyah melakukan penyimpangan dari ajaran Islam yang benar seperti
syahadat barunya Asyhadu an-lailaha illallah wa asyhadu anna al-masih al-mau'du
rasulullah yang menimbulkan kontroversi. Juga menyatakan tugas Nabi Muhammad
sudah selesai dan ada nabi yang baru.
"Dibanding dengan Ahmadiyah, kita mendapatkan klarifikasi dan ada titik-titik
temu sehingga diperoleh kesepakatan. Tapi karena syahadat al-Qiyadah
al-Islamiyah demikian vulgar, jadi tidak ada dialog. Maka kami membenarkan
fatwa yang dikeluarkan MUI, " papar Nasaruddin.
Sumber Tim Kecil menyebutkan pusat kegiatan Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah berlokasi
di Desa Gunungbunder, kampung Gunungsari, kabupaten Bogor. Tim berhasil
mencapai lokasi itu yang berada sekitar 40-an kilometer di bagian barat kota
Bogor.
Di lokasi itu terdapat sebuah bangunan vila yang oleh masyarakat di sekitarnya
disebut sebagai "vila pink" karena warnanya memang pink. Umat Al-Qiyadah
memercayai, bahwa di tempat itulah pemimpin Al-Qiyadah, Abu Salam alias Ahmad
Mushadiq "dilantik" menjadi rasul. (dina)
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