Inhuman but Islamic Indeed!

 

By Syed Kamran Mirza

NYC, USA

[email protected] 

 

Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq (MOF) has finally outdone me in this race of posting the most sensational news about the Islamic paradise—Saudi Arabia.  I was getting ready to give this unbelievable, horrendous, and inhuman news to the NFB forum.  However, brother MOF has done it ahead of me.  I thank him very much.  Well-done brother MOF.  If he continues in this fashion, then, NFB forum will not need writers such as Fatemollah, Abul Kasem, or me.  This is not an understatement by any means.  Given the brutality of the incidence and the message it gave, it is too late for me to present this horrific incident only as the breaking news as reported by various news agencies worldwide.  Therefore, I decided to make an insight analysis of this incident.  For those who did not get to read this horrific news, let me post the gist of the news:

 

(BBC News)

 

“According to the al-Eqtisadiah daily, firemen confronted police after they tried to keep the girls inside because they were not wearing the headscarves and abayas (black robes) required by the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islam. One witness said he saw three policemen "beating young girls to prevent them from leaving the school because they were not wearing the abaya".

Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”

 

“The newspapers accused members of the religious police ― the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice ― of blocking rescue attempts by male firefighters and paramedics because some of the girls were not wearing the mandatory Islamic dress, which covers the entire body and hair. “They forced the girls to remain inside the school and didn’t allow them to leave, saying that their hair wasn’t covered and they weren’t wearing the abaya (long robe),” the Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper said, citing firefighters and police.”

(Washingtonpost)
Firefighters told the Saudi press that morality police forced girls to stay inside the burning building because they were not wearing the head scarves and black cloaks known as abayas that women must wear in public in that kingdom. One Saudi paper said the morality police stopped men who tried to help the girls escape the building, saying, "It is sinful to approach them."

 

The above horrendous incident in Saudi Arabia may sound inhuman to modern society, but it was surely an Islamic act indeed. Saudi Arabia is governed by the constitution purely based on Qur’an.  The religious police (Mutaween, or Mutawallees) are supremely powerful and widely feared in Saudi Arabia or any other Shariaat-infested countries as the most brutal force, who widely and freely exercise their power in intimidating, harassing, abusing, and detaining citizenry.  They roam the streets enforcing dress codes and sex segregation, and ensuring prayers are performed on time.  Those who refuse to obey their orders are often beaten and sometimes thrown in jail.  We have seen it how Afghan Talibans were enforcing Islamic values all through the courtesy of CNN or MSNBC.  These religious police (Mutaween) fear nobody but Allah and they act like the soldiers of Allah on earth.  Their utmost duty is to satisfy Allah.  And to do that they exercise their 100% strength and desire to protect the virtues of Islam.  To their support—they have Holy Qur’an and thousands of sahi hadiths behind them.  Human lives have no value over the Islamic virtue.  That is why any fanatical Islamists can kill somebody so easily and precisely.  Because they are doing it for Allah and Allah only.  The essence of Islam is to submit before Allah.  Islam means submission before Allah.  Therefore, the Mutawallees think they are following the dictums of Allah.  They have no fear whatsoever in enforcing Islamic values in Saudi society. 

 

The Terrible Mutawallees have Islamic Demeanor Written all over their Faces!  In the land of Prophet Muhammad (Saudi Arabia), members of the religious police routinely roam the streets and shopping malls, beating women who were not covered according to Islamic teaching.  In 1990, at the height of the Gulf War, religious policemen attacked American servicewomen who walked around in shorts in public in the capital, Riyadh.  Therefore, the above news though sound very much out of norms and inhuman—was not at all an impossible news for the Islamic paradise.

 

The above sadistic action of Mutawalli reminds me one similar true story happened in my native Bangladesh, in mid fifties.  The interesting story was: It was the time of Union Parishad (Union Council) election in our union (the administrative and political seat of governance).  A village (poor) peasant named Razab Ali was very keen to vote his candidate of his choice.  But vote center was situated on the other side of the river, and Razab Ali needed to cross the river to reach the voting center.  He was extremely poor and could not bear the cost of “Kheya mazhi” (small river transport).  So, he decided to cross the river by swimming.  Accordingly, he started to swim in order to cross the river, but the strong current of the river water snatched his Lungi that got loose during his forceful swimming against the turbulent current.  And he ended up to the other bank of the river naked.  Having no cloth to wear, he was standing in the chest-deep water and was begging to the passerby to give him a cloth so that he could go to the voting center.  LIKEWISE, THESE UNFORTUNATE SAUDI GIRLS WERE STANDING AMIDST NECK-DEEP BLAZING FIRE AND POSSIBLY WERE BEGGING FOR A BURKHA (ABBYA) SO THAT THEY COULD GET OUT OF THE BURNING BUILDING WITH THEIR LIVES!

 

Where is the real Islam?  :

 

Brother MOF was shocked and terribly angry by this horrendous incident in Saudi Arabia—the motherland of Holy Islam.  He wrote: “What is being done in the name of religion, and in this case, Islam, is simply monstrous. The sad part is that what is being perpetrated in the name of religion is just the opposite of what Islam teaches and stands for.”

 

It is quite sickening to hear this repeated pronouncement of so called “real Islam.”  One after another Islamic actions are happening throughout the world, and Islamists are beating the drum of real Islam!  Daniel Pearl was beheaded like a Qurbani (sacrificial) cow—yet it was not Islamic; WTC was demolished in the name of Islam—yet it was not Islamic!  Now this horrendous incident in Saudi Arabia—of course it is not Islamic!  Questions are, what is the real Islam, and where is it present today?  Or, was it present in the past any where in the whole world at all?  If so, could brother MOF kindly give an example of a real Islam?  What are the good things that Qur’an or Hadiths teach?  Could we see any example of the true or real Islam?

 

What is inhuman and what is Islamic (?):

 

Brother MOF said that the Saudi incident is inhuman and un-Islamic!  Now let me explore Holy Qur’an and Hadiths (Sunnah) to learn about Islamic stuffs.  Holy Qur’an, as we read, is full of heinous, inhuman, and utterly dreadful cruel verses.  The main themes of Qur’anic or scriptural instruction are: pursuance by advice, then by intimidation/coercion, then by force (killing, fighting, maiming etc), and plenty of heavenly reward from Allah.  We can find hundreds of cruel hateful and utterly inhuman verses throughout the Qur’an and, thousands of cruel sahi hadiths.  Readers, please allow me to bring a few only to the fore just to give some examples:

 

(All Qur’anic verses from Yousuf Ali’s translation)

  • Quran: 9:23: "O ye who believe! take not for protectors your fathers and your brothers if they love Infidelity above Faith: if any of you do so, they do wrong". 

  • Quran:  3:28: “Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah”

     
  • Quran: 9:29: “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and….”

     

  • Quran:  8:12: “ …I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers; smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.”

     

  • Quran:  5:45:  We ordained therein for them: “Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear. Tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal.” (Does this verse sounds human?)

     

  • Quran: 9:111, Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur’an

 

Quran tells us to: "not to make friendship with Jews and Christians" (5:51), fight them "until they pay the Jizya (a penalty tax for the non-Muslims living under Islamic rules) with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" (9:29).  "kill the disbelievers wherever we find them" (2:191), "murder them and treat them harshly" (9:123), "fight and slay the Pagans, seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem" (9:5), “ kill and be killed “(9:111). 

 

ARE THESE ABOVE VERSES SOUND “HUMANE” TO ANYBODY?  OR COULD OUR BROTHER MOF OR ANY OTHER ISLAMISTS CAN CALL THEM “UNISLAMIC”?

 

These above verses are 100% Islamic, yet they are utterly inhuman.  Please don’t come to tell us those common phrases: “out of context,” “mistranslation,” or “misinterpretation” for heaven sake!  These stale phrases cannot hide the inability of the Islamists to defend their scriptural dictums.

 

Now a few samples of Sahi Hadiths:

 

 

Case No. 1: An unwed mother was stoned to death after she delivered the baby even though she repented profusely.

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn: Book 38, Number 4426:

A woman belonging to the tribe of Juhaynah (according to the version of Aban) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said that she had committed fornication and that she was pregnant. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) called her guardian. Then the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said to him: Be good to her, and when she bears a child, bring her (to me). When she gave birth to the child, he brought her (to him). The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) gave orders regarding her, and her clothes were tied to her. He then commanded regarding her and she was stoned to death. (Does this judgment of Prophet Muhammad sound humane?)

 

Case No. 2:  Narrated by Muhayyisah (Abu Dawud, Book 19, Number 2996):

 

The Apostle of Allah said: If you gain a victory over the men of Jews, kill them. So Muhayyisah jumped over Shubaybah, a man of the Jewish merchants. He had close relations with them. He then killed him. At that time Huwayyisah (brother of Muhayyisah) had not embraced Islam. He was older than Muhayyisah. When he killed him, Huwayyisah beat him and said: O enemy of Allah, I swear by Allah, you have a good deal of fat in your belly from his wealth.

  

Case No. 3:  From a contemporary Muslim scholar - Ali Dashti's "23 Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad", [5], page 100: "Abu Afak, a man of great age (reputedly 120 years) was killed because he had lampooned Mohammad. The deed was done by Salem b. Omayr at the behest of the Prophet, who had asked, "Who will deal with this rascal for me?" The killing of such an old man moved a poetess, Asma b. Marwan, to compose disrespectful verses about the Prophet, and she too was assassinated."

 

 Case No. 4:  Volume 9, Book 93, Number 633: Narrated Ibn Umar"

 

"A Jew and Jewess were brought to the prophet on a charge of committing an illegal sexual intercourse. The prophet asked the jews, "what do you (usually) do with them?" They said, "we blacken their faces and disgrace them." He said, "bring here the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful." They (fetched it and) came and as ked a one-eyed man to recite. He went on reciting till he reached a portion on which he put his hand. The prophet said, "lift up your hand!" He lifted his hand up and behold, there appeared the verse of Ar-Rajm (stoning of the adulterer to death). Then he said, "O Muhammad! they should be stoned to death but we conceal this divine law among ourselves." Then the prophet ordered that the two sinners be stoned to death and they were stoned to death, and I saw the man protecting the woman from the stones. (see hadith no. 809, vol. 8)"

 

Another narration of the same (case# 4) Sahi Hadiths:

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 413:Narrated '
Abdullah bin 'Umar : The Jew brought to the Prophet a man and a woman from amongst them who have committed (adultery) illegal sexual intercourse. He ordered both of them to be stoned (to death), near the place of offering the funeral prayers beside the mosque."

 

Now, honorable readers, please help me to decide which one of these above quoted Sahi hadiths sound “human” to you?  And who can tell me that these hadiths are not ISLAMIC?

 

I have been telling in my various essays in the past that—true followers of Islam (Qur’an and sunnah) should not take these verses and hadiths literally.  They try to follow them 100%.  No one can challenge them.  Because there is no central body like Papacy in Christianity exists in Islam.  Every Muslim has the freedom to interpret and understand Islamic scriptures at his own discretion.  Result is the same so-called “inhuman” acts by the Muslims.  We have just witnessed one in Saudi Arabia.  We have seen the same results in Iran and Afghanistan.  If we establish Islamic Sharriaat Laws in Bangladesh or anywhere in the world—the result will be identical to Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan.  Because there is only one Qur’an and one Hadiths system, hence one pure Sharia Laws will be enforced.  Undoubtedly, the Islamic laws of Sharia are simply draconian and undemocratic for any human society by today’s standard.

 

Contrary to western belief, this famous Sharia Law was not changed by anybody in the last fourteen hundred years.  It is the same Sharia laws by which Prophet Muhammad and his lieutenants (Khulafa-e-Rashideen) ruled Arabia.  Only difference is the time—7th century versus 21st century.  What was superbly good then, is inhuman today.  Time teaches us many new things.  We are civilized today and learned many good things like democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, humanity etc.  In those days of 7th or 8th century, these words did not exist. God or Allah was the only dream and heaven was the only destination.  Therefore, the Sharia Laws were good and nothing but good for those heaven-hungry uncivilized Bedouin Muslims.  Why am I telling this?  Because, Qura’nic scriptures and sahi hadiths very well dictate me to say like this.  Hadiths and Qura’nic scriptures are the witnesses of the past Islamic paradise.

 

Now some analysis of brother MOF’s comments:

 

Brother MOF said:  This version - rather perversion - of Islam is a clear danger even to Islam and Muslims themselves, and it needs to be boldly and concertedly confronted and exposed.”

 

I wonder who does say that Saudis are practicing pervasive Islam?  How the world can confront the guardian of Islam, and with what authority?  If the people of Islam’s birth place (Makka) do not know the real Islam, then who should know about real Islam?  It is like telling that—the British do not know the inherent meaning of Magna Carta, or a Sanskrit versed Pundit does not know the meaning of Upanishad.  This is purely ridiculous indeed!

Brother MOF said: “It is much more saddening as well as outrageous that it has happened in the heartland of Islam, where lies "the House (at Makka) a resort for mankind and sanctuary" [2/al-Baqarah/125] Makkah and Madina, the heartland of Islam, are now hostage in the hands of such perversions of Islam. Muslims need to mount a global campaign to free Islam and themselves from such "policing" version of Islam and a "police state".

 

The above statement is simply incongruous!  Where is the real Islam resides in the world?  Could brother MOF name one such country?  What are the sources of real Islam, is it not the Qur’an and hadiths, or something else?  If it is the Qur’an and hadiths—then, there is no chance that we ever will taste the so-called real Islam.  If the people of heartland of Islam (Makka) do not know, or cannot understand well, as to, what is the real Islam, then, who should know the real Islam?  I hope it is not a Mullah from Choumohini or Feni, Bangladesh.  Why then the ruler of Islamic paradise of Saudi Arabia does not declare that they are not practicing “the real Islam”?  And also we should go to the place where lies the real Islam.

 

Brother MOF must think twice what he is talking about!  How can he separate or free Islam from those Mutawalli police of Islam?  How can he free Islam from the people of Saudi Arabia, the guardian angel of Islam since the six-century?  Is there any Islamic country without Muttawalli police?  Does Islam ever dictate freedom of choice, or does Islam ever respect democracy?  IT IS NOT A VALID QUESTION TO FREE ISLAM FROM SAUDIS, TALIBANS, OR FROM ANYBODY.  RATHER IT HAS BECOME AN ARDENT NECESSITY TODAY TO FREE THE MUSLIMS FROM ISLAM.

 

Brother MOF said: “Let me ask: Would you care to join a campaign to demand that "religious police" (Mutaween) be disbanded anywhere in the Muslim world, beginning with the heartland of Islam?”

 

Brother MOF, would you please outline the tasks which may help us achieve the cherish goal of your noble proposal?  How are you going to compare the Saudi Islam with the so-called your version of real Islam?  Do you have any country on earth that practices such “real Islam”?

 

One can claim that we should follow the true democracy of the world, and he can easily cite some good examples of true democracy.  At least one can cite some western democratic constitutions that are usually flawless for the general public.  On the contrary, to my knowledge there is none so-called “true Islam” Shariaat constitution that does exist anywhere in the world.  Does Islam have any such flawless Shariaat constitution anywhere in the whole world brother MOF?  Please, please do tell us where could we get one?  I am all ears to hear your reply.

 

True Islam could only be generated from holy Qur’an and Sunnah, which I call the scriptural Islam.  As long as Muslims would cling to holy Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, manifestation of Islamic state will be just like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Talibani Afghanistan.  Period.  Islamic Shariaat states were never better off than what we are experiencing in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Talibani Afghanistan today.  Nobody can change Qur’an and Sunnah, hence no change of Shariaat constitution.  To get one humane Islamic constitution, we need to change the Qur’an and Sunnah.  Now that could only happen over our dead body.  Do not kid yourself, brother MOF!  Or the other best alternative would be to simply prohibit any Shariaat Law for any Muslim nation.  Religion Islam should stay as the personal business as is the case for Christianity in secular nations all over the world.  Secularism and democracy should be our only cherished goal.  Only then, can we free our Muslim brothers and sisters from the evil clutch of any Muttawalli police.  With this concluding remarks I rest my case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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