Shared by Dr. Nasik Elahi
| Geller whips up xenophobia by projecting muslim stereotypes to further her anti-Islamic agenda. My Jihad has to counter the negative stereotypes by showing the diversity of US muslims and not just the stereotypes dressed in head scarves. |
|
| Sent by nasikelahi@yahoo.com: |
 |
 |
By STEVEN YACCINO and POH SI TENG
Two advocacy groups in Chicago are running dueling ads over the meaning of jihad: one campaign is focused on a nonviolent interpretation of the word, the other on its association with terrorism. |
|
| Or, copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://nyti.ms/Zh9K5w |
Related
Dear Mr. Rehab (rehab@cair.org)
The NY Times article and video show a laudable effort by CAIR that unfortunately does not resonate in the US. Xenophobes like Geller have honed their campaign of anti-Muslim fervor by putting together words, phrases and stereotypical images. CAIR has centered its campaign using two very ineffective tactics. Explaining jihad in simple terms by bright but stereotypical Muslims. It does not work. Instead, CAIR should highlight the diversity of Muslims in America —black, white, brown, drawn from all corners of the world for the past hundred plus years—and their contributions to the society. Only when the Americans begin to recognize Muslims as one of them rather than as aliens would campaigns to counter the negatives stressed by Geller and her supporters, be successful. Your ads should introduce the range of Muslims and their contributions as lawyers, doctors, professors, professionals, business, community affairs who are not hidebound in either their beliefs, dress codes or activities.
Nasik Elahi, M.Sc., M.S.,Ph.D.
I think organizations like CAIR should educate Muslims all over the world to stop supporting political Muslims parties and must adopt separation of religion and state. Any efforts to convince Americans/Westerners that Islam is a peaceful religion are useless while many Muslims groups in the world are fighting to implement sharia. And countries like Pakistan are cultivating violence by having (unfair) religious laws.
Muslims are fundamentalist by definition. You are not a Muslim if you believe that a word of the Koran can be altered, reinterpreted along the norms of the times.
Muslims who claim to be enlightened and educated ought to stop deluding themselves that they can reform Islam. All they can do is to create another creed.
Dr. Syed Ehtisham 03/10/2013 07:05 PM
It is true that Qur’an is divine, revealed in Arabic and cannot be changed by humans. It is also widely acknowledged that Arabic cannot be translated by any known language, hence a problem in translating and interpreting the Qur’an accurately. Sharia laws were compiled by the five primary schools of Islamic jurisprudence scholars: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi, Hanbali and Jafari, all born and raised in a tribal and patriarchal society 1100 years ago when physical abuse towards women was a norm, obviously not acceptable in Islam. Ever since, almost all translations and interpretations were done by male Muslim scholars following the earlier lead, and expounding the laws of jurisprudence, as they understood. For example: the word “daraba” in Chapter 4, Verse 34 relating to domestic dispute has been invariably translated as “hit” or “beat” but no scholar has ever cited an example of the Prophet engaging in such as act. Some even tried to mollify by saying “hit lightly not leaving any physical bruising marks”. Now at least two female scholars: Laleh Bakhtiar and Ingrid Mattson believe that the word “daraba” should be translated as “leave” as this will make more sense to help soothe feelings and make arbitration between husband and wife easier. This is obviously an awakening, a positive change, and I hope this continues and Muslims move forward.
Ahmedis have already been declared non-muslims.
Shias are now termed and treated practically as “Wajibul Qatl”.
In foreseeable future the great majority of Non-Wahabi Muslims too are likely to be decreed Non-Muslims, perhaps through a Fatwa issued by the Chief Salafi cleric of Makkah.
Islam will finally “triumph” as a single sect religion of Wahabis, aka Alqaida.
Once that happens, and I hope it does, the remaining sects can perhaps regroup as illicit/counterfeit Muslims, for survival.
I hope it happens sooner rather than later because all the non-Wahabi sects can then develop consensus to be secular, liberal and contemporaneous in social contract.
The comity of nations will acknowledge them as the worst victims deserving sympathy, and recognize them as completely different people from the intolerant/dogmatic/extremist/jihadist and rabidly religious fundamentalists.
Dear Faruki Sahib,
What you say is true, but facts on the ground are different. And what you say does not detract from the fact that Muslims are by definition, fundamentalist as are Christians and Jews who believe in their religion.
But a vastly greater % of Muslims believe in their religion than Christians and Jews do. This will not change till the % of educated Muslims (not literate)rises substantially. That will not happen till the means of production in Muslim countries changes from agricultural to mercantile to capitalist.
Industrialists in Muslim countries are crony, not true capitalists.
Dr. Syed Ehtisham
With all due respect this is a false premise. Every religion has its fundamentalists and purists. Muslims are no different. It is true that Muslims have adamantly defended Koranic text. It is equally true that divergent theological schools of thought has a long history. To mix the two together is a disingenuous exercise that only serve ideas of righteousness but not faith.
Nasik