Pride and Arrogance amongst Muslims

As ignorance increases amongst the Muslim community, so does pride and arrogance, representing the character of Satan in refusing to recognize the position of mankind’s father – Adam. Family pride and honour, tribal loyalty, anger and its follow-up revenge at perceived insults – all of these attitudes and behaviors that the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w moved against in his own community.

 Muhammad s.a.w., as with all God’s messengers, was sent to bring justice. “We sent aforetime our messengers with clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that men may stand forth in Justice.” (Al Hadeed 57:25)

Honour killings are part of this same trend – that a family, group or tribe has not been rejected by a decision made by one of them. There have been many great scholars and leaders who went against the desires of their community – and made great contributions as a result.

 There is no justification in Islam, in Christianity, in Judaism, or in any of the revealed religions for tribal, family or group ‘honour’ against the rights of the individual. The law is as revealed and is just, and must be maintained with justice.

 Unfortunately those who are ignorant about their religion like to use their religion to justify injustice – to their own disgrace.

Investment in Islamic Schools

This was part of a talk given at Curtin University Dec 13

As Muslims living in the West we do well to look at our colleagues to see how they have progressed. Christian and Jewish schools have developed their schools by investing in them – often through leaving substantial inheritance in shares, property or what we would call Waqf.  Of course

When did defending innocents become radical?

Every night I listen to the increasing death toll of children and civilians in a brutal, now sectarian civil war. I think of my friends who are desperately trying to get their families out of Syria, and of Bob Carr's comment about the unusual aspect of 33% of Syrian homes being razed by the government forces.

I know how far I will go in order to protect my children - and I am not a radical. I feel the pain of my friends whose extended families flee for their lives or are callously butchered.

The Rohingya tragedy
Here is some information that was sent to me by Kuranda Seyit from Fair

- truly an appalling situation that needs our immediate attention, internationally.
No-where to go….
By Kuranda Seyit

The Rohingyas are an Indo-Arayan people based in Arakan (today referred to as Rakhine state in Myanmar) and their history dates back to the 8th century CE. Over the centuries Persian, Arab and Turkish sea traders came to the area, bringing with them Islam. This land was given the name Arakan, which is a Persian word.  Likewise the Rakhine people have been in the region since the 8th century, however they are a Sino-Tibetan people and follow Buddhism.
The Rakhine and Rohingya lived side by side in peace.  It was not until the Burmese invaded in 1789,

A Silver Lining to a Tumultuous Grey Cloud

(Photo from The Australian 18 Sept)

No one could say that the Sydney or the international riots - which occurred in response to what I have called ‘the wretched film’ - that this behavior does any credit to the Muslim community, is in keeping with the example of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., is instrumental in improving the overall welfare of the Muslim community or will actually do anything to discredit the film itself.

Of course the opposite is true – uncontrolled anger and violence, the killing of innocents was exactly the opposite of what the Prophet s.a.w. taught and demonstrated throughout his lifetime. Such behavior

AFIC, Islamic Schools and ethics

It is with great sadness but with some relief that the fortress holding some of the largest assets belonging to the Muslim community in Australia is finally being challenged. Of course I am referring to the recent loss of funding and accountability demands of Malek Fahd Islamic College and its owner the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. Unfortunately, this has not come about by legitimate leadership challenges from within the community or internal accountability processes but by the hand of outsiders to the Muslim community - the State government which has for years poured millions of dollars into this school.

For some time I have wondered about my community's willingness to turn a blind eye to the lack of ethical Islamic tenets in such organisations,

Hold of terrorism is weakening

The Muslim community has been subjected to a combination of debilitating mind games for most of the last century. Still struggling from the after-effects of colonialism, they have been oppressed by dictators installed by the retreating colonialists, and disempowered by their sweet talk of nationalism. Conspiracy theories have added to their impotency, leading to a mindless, hopeless and mutually destructive tendency to violent revenge. With their scholars imprisoned and replaced by Western educated bureaucrats, their religious schools filled with the least capable of learners and funded by bedouin theology, the ignorant have become leaders, contributing through unaccountable underground networks and the harsh yelling of Friday sermons to a combined sense of emasculation. Hence the easy recourse to terrorism.
But the hold of terrorism is weakening.
There has been no benefit to any group from the mindless terror of suicide bombs, market bombs and the eradication of alternative views. Over the past few decades millions of families - mostly Muslim - have suffered devastating injury, crippling fear, and the irreparable loss of loved ones.