A lot of the people hold bleak view about Islam. Recently, I had a discussion with someone having such an outlook. The conversation started with the primary question about what is Islam. I said that Islam is a religion to be understood, that it a way of life. Being a simplistic answer as it is, the person expressed the notion that is generally held by people who are not positive of Islam’s potential for human guidance. The person said that it is a geo-political belief system which has world domination as its ultimate aim.
Now, what does a Muslim say to that, or for that matter, anyone who knows Islam and its teachings, how can one explain a view being associated with it, which is in essence completely contrary to its basic preaching? The briefest answer that I could have given at the time to comprehensively sum up the whole view which is right, and which ought to be linked with any religion, is that no religion in its essence seeks the world. Thinking of this very idea of world domination is against the concept of religion itself.
Still in disagreement, the person came up with another more exaggerated view saying that it has its source in the Koran itself. The person asked me to pick up the Koran and read it and further presented me with a request, not in a polite way, saying that I should go on reading the Koran instead of making “stupid” statements. To such a thing, I could only politely reply that I am a Muslim and have read the Koran many times over. It is a book to be read time and again so that each time a deeper meaning to its highest messages could be understood. I further asked her pointing out the intolerance in her behavior to show some tolerance of discussion on this social forum, which has essentially been created to discuss various things. Such people often miss the hypocrisy of their own act when they call Muslims intolerant and don’t have the nerve to discuss when the truth not to their liking is being told.
After listening to all this, the person went back again to the initial point, which she thought was a strong one and worth reiterating that “Tell me that the aim of Islam is not world domination. Tell me that it does not require the destruction of all infidels, who will not convert to Islam.” If such a distorted view is something that she is willing to adhere to without knowing the facts, then nothing could be done to help elaborate the truth. All one could explain is that Islam is not a religion asking for world domination and neither infidels should be killed for practicing the freedom of belief system that the Lord has granted them with. To realize this approach of Islam, I think one has to read its history, its real concepts and its real philosophy. Islam is not a religion of force, neither was it spread through sword.
The level of knowledge with such allegations she had shown about Islam is a definite telling that she knows nothing about the religion in actuality. I did express to her what I inferred through her comments. To which she did not flinch a bit calling me a liar. Ironic, is not it? She can choose not to believe me, it is of course her right. But if someone really wants to know about Islam, not from the one who has been following it with an understanding of its concepts, then they should read the books that have been written on the subject, watch the documentaries that have been made covering its stories and ideas, study the works of scholars that have presented Islam not with an exaggerated rosy image, but with what its truthful teachings are. The works of authentic scholars go a long way in establishing something for certain, but only if their efforts to understand are understood and the things that they understood as men of higher learning be understood, the purpose of their works will be served well in this way.
Considering the conversation she was making, I told her that one should be knowledgeable before passing statements. In order to support her statements, she shared an article written by some W. Armenious from the USA on July 14, 2002, in which it was mentioned how brutal Muslims are. That they prosecute non-Muslims in their own territories and that the Koran supports their inhumane behavior. Perhaps the point has not been established. I am not so sure when it will. Because the day that it does amongst those people who question Islam’s teachings, the world would really be a better place with an understandable environment and with an air of tolerance and co-existence. For someone choosing to believe that Islam is a religion of violence and that Muslims are violent people, though it is impossible for any nation, let alone Muslims or Islam, to be that uncivilized, it is again their freedom to think. It is useless to convince such people otherwise.
But, for the one who seeks the truth about one of the most important global matters that effect societies, then one must get educated about the people involved and about their issues, about Muslims and their problems. To begin with, “Islam” by Karen Armstrong is not a bad 101 course in getting introduced to one of the largest faiths in this world. And like this one, there are plenty of other authentic sources available to get informed by. Since there is a lot of propaganda involved as well, one has to be very careful in what one is relying on when learning about anything. But for sure, common sense does say that it is utterly wrong to go on believing in something which is false. It is in the end self-deceptive to continue to do so.
After explaining her whatever her thoughts about Islam are, are all based on false notions which have been propagated to incur hatred against the religion and its followers, and after requesting her to be tolerant in discussing the matter with patience and open-mindedness, she still told me to “Get away from me with your nonsense. We can all see what is going on in Egypt with Coptic Christians being slaughtered, and the same thing in Sudan. Your religion of peace is indeed a religion of Satan.”
To again corroborate her outrageous behavior, views, and false statements, she presented another article from the same author which said more or less the same things. The level of her outrage did not end here. To show her own level of low tolerance for understanding Muslims and their religion and her attempts to defame it, she blocked me so that no further correspondence could take place on that social platform and whatever that she has written be there with no replies from me, a Muslim, to defend her religion, her faith, and her fellow Muslims. It goes to show, who is tolerant and who is not, whose teachings and traditions have taught them to give a hand to others in guidance towards the truth and whose not.
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2 comments
Saeed says:
November 28, 2011 at 10:14 am (UTC 5)
Ironic? I’d actually add moronic to describe that sort of an attitude.
To understand any concept, it is necessary for one to let their mind be accepting and receptive to the knowledge around them. And this does not apply only to religion but to science as well. It is always the individual who has ventured to be receptive to stimuli and facts around him and then proceeded to think out of the box who has come up with new inventions.
Alas, pepole can have such tunnel vision at times. And till they open up their minds, one must sadly admit that there is no helping them.
Thank you for sharing your experience and views, Sidrah.
Sidrah Zaheer says:
November 28, 2011 at 11:32 am (UTC 5)
I agree with you.
Hopefully, those who read this, whether they be Muslim or Non-Muslims, keep an open mind toward any view whether scientific or a-scientific, whether religious or a-religious.
The whole point of the article is to show through my own personal experience, and this is not the first one by the way, is that the prevalent image of only Muslims not trying to understand the West, whereas the West is making the effort, is incorrect. We need to understand that there are people on both sides who are not open to understanding and are intolerant in themselves by nature and their approach should not be generalised.
No where in my article did I say that the West is not understanding, but I said such people are not understanding. So there does not exist complete tolerance towards Muslim, there are some extremists in the West too, who could be Christians or atheists or plain theists.
Thank you for appreciating my article. : )