This article was first Published on Sunday, March 30, 2008 at – :
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2008/03/debate-on-islamic-state.html
I just received an email about the upcoming debate on Islamic state, and I was completely taken back at the fiction Mr. Zuhdi Jasser is concoting and then solving it, and of course becoming a darling to the Neo-cons* (http://hatesermons.blogspot.com/2008/03/neocons.html )
First of all, I must acknowledge my respect for Mr. Zhudi Jasser for the 99 good things he does, but on this upcoming debate, he is wrong, per the information presented in the item received from him.
He seems to have a misunderstanding of Main stream Muslims and I have to call him on this. He once stated that all mosques in America deliver hate sermons, I asked him to prove it. Which he corrected to at least not the mosques he had visited. Even Wall Street Journal had printed that a while back, I wrote to them to prove it. Both have passed out this rumor as a fact. It is not building healthy and truthful and peaceful societies.
I hope we can work on legislation that would require all public lectures and sermons to be recorded and made available through internet and public archives. Any hate sermon, any incitement or whole sale prejudices must be called to justify. Just as one cannot shout “Fire” in a public place to disrupt peace, one should not be allowed to spew hate in public. This applies to all places of worship and non profits that are using public benefit through tax exemption. http://hatesermons.blogspot.com/2008/03/hate-sermons-from-pulpit.html
A statement is ascribed to Mr. Zuhdi Jasser as “a self-proclaimed ‘Moderate’ Muslim from Arizona…and whose views on Islam are well outside the scope of the mainstream Muslim world”. Indeed, his understanding appears to be outside the scope of the Mainstream Muslim World. Mr. Zuhdi Jasser is not in touch.
The mainstream Americans, Main stream British, Indians or Main stream Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Jews are moderate people who want to get along with all. They are no bigots, they believe in living their life and letting others live theirs. The do not aspire or conspire for secretive societies, they do not want to rule by injustice and push their ideas on to others, as they believe, if you are unjust, you are going to pay. They are law abiding citizens, where as the Neocons are not. Every one of them has fouled or still to be caught.
Mr. Zuhdi lacks understanding of the mainstream Muslim world, let alone mainstream America. Extremism is not a mainstream staple, it is a fringe of the society. Neocons and Islamists are indeed fringe elements of the society. They are incapable of dialogue, they rather use the megaphones or gunpowder and bulldoze all who oppose them, because they are insecure and abuse the power they have by pushing others. They will silence you by calling you unpatriotic if you question them. Their time is up now, thank God.
The Neocons, the Islamists, the Zionists and the Hindutvadis are a tiny-weenie minority driving the world by frightening the crap out of constipated men. Their time is up too and I pray that the see the benefit in dialogue and conflict mitigation as a path to peace, peace to them and every one around them. I pray that they jump on this path to bring peace, I know they will succeed, as they have the passion and funds to do it.
The mainstream Muslims do not aspire or have any thing to do with “Is the Ideological Desire to Establish an Islamic State a Clear and Present Danger to the U.S.?” They have come to America to be free and not have another lawless society in the name of any religion, be it their own.
The words appeal to the money throwing Neocons, who love the above words ” clear and present danger”. It is a frightening tactic to keep their grip.
The main stream Muslim knows deeply in his hearts that, democracy is the right form of governance. No doubt, there are a few out there, who dream Islamic form of government, which is about justice, but by no stretch of imagination they are main stream.
Even those in the Mainstream Muslims who may dream of the Islamic rule, will not do anything to make it happen, as no form of current label of Islamic rule works. None of the Saudi, Irani, Afghani or Sudanese brand will work. They would rather opt for the democracy as in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan (now), Turkey, Bangladesh and India – together Muslims in these democracies make about 2/3rds of Muslim world.
Main stream Muslims do want democracy, and a nation where justice prevails. They do not want the kind of Khilafat that is projected by the Neocons “they are here to dominate and subjugate others.” Absolute baloney! No significant group of Muslims wants that. However, they do wish a Pope like figure who can make small petty decisions and give relief to apostates, rape victims, divorce and other issues, but it ain’t going to happen.
Islam is not designed to have a pope. Neither the Qur’aan nor the Prophet assigned a person to interpret the Qur’aan for the Muslims. The prophet said, you are individually accountable on the day of reckoning, so it is your responsibility to read and understand the book I am leaving behind for you. Islam took the priesthood off from controlling the knowledge and influencing the masses, the community is free to learn and practice their religion on their own. It was like internet in 612 AD, Prophet Muhammad making the knowledge available to every one.To be a Muslim is to be a peace maker; one who constantly seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for co-existence and world peace – God wants his creation to be in peace and harmony, and that is the chief purpose of religion.
Thus the role of the Caliph was state administration, but people opted to seek knowledge from them, as the first four rightly guided caliphs had a full understanding of the religion. (Read the balance created between the Scholars and the Caliphs from 9th Centurn onwards –http://sharialaws.blogspot.com/2008/03/why-shariah.html)
In essence there is a separation of church and state. Muslims had a plurlistic society during the Prophet’s time, infact the Madina declaration may be first of its kind where state signed a joint treaty among the people of different faiths to practice their faith freely. Muslims never had that opportunity until the mid of the last century. Indeed, America was the only nation on the earth that had democracy some 225 years ago, every nation on the earth until recently was a colony, tyranny, monarchy or dictatorship. Neocons are a hurdle for democracy, if God can help put Obama in place, we can see democracies around the world flourishing, it is his attitude, lack of arrogance and the desire to accommodate that will change the world for Good. Presently 2/3rds of Muslims live in democracy; it may go up to 75% or higher while still a whole lot of world needs to embrace democracy including our current president.
In conclusion, the debate is healthy and would be an opportunity to establish that Mainstream Muslims do not want any form of governance other than democracy.
Mike Ghouse is a Speaker, Thinker, Writer and a Moderator. He is a frequent guest on talk radio and local television network discussing Pluralism, politics, Islam, Religion, Terrorism, India and civic issues. His comments, news analysis, opinions and columns can be found on the Websites and Blogs listed at his personal website www.MikeGhouse.net. He can be reached at [email protected] or (214) 325-1916