Perspective: Don’t you dare call it Islam! / Op-Ed

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Tell me this, where does Islam give you the right to torch vehicles and create chaos on the streets? It is very clear what your priorities are. For one thing, I can say this is not Islam but something else.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Dhaka Tribune | Op-Ed
By Nahiyan Asadullah | July 22, 2013

We do not become Muslims by simply putting caps on our heads and sporting beards

Is this what you call Islam? Is this what Islam teaches us? Vandalising in the holy month of Ramadan? This is a month of worship, a month of drawing closer to Allah.

But I don't really think you care, all you want is to manipulate religion for political gains . You say you are the revolutionaries and revivalists of Islam, yet you do things, which in plain words, are nothing but a disservice to Islam.

Tell me this, where does Islam give you the right to torch vehicles and create chaos on the streets? It is very clear what your priorities are. For one thing, I can say this is not Islam but something else. I want to tell you that your fundamentals are totally messed up.

What can be expected of someone who doesn’t appreciate Ramadan, which is a precious gift to the believers? It is a gift, and the importance of giving it its due respect cannot be overstated. Yet you couldn't care less.

I find myself without enough diction when I try to explain why they ( the people who vandalised) do what they do. I, for one, am a practising Muslim and my fundamentals are based on the early teachings of Islam. In other words, I try to adhere to orthodox Islam as much as I possibly can. There is a concept of jihad in Islam and it is part of the orthodoxy, but I do not recognise the actions of these hooligans as jihad.

Let me tell you what my understanding of jihad is. My jihad does not kill innocent people, my jihad does not preach hasty violence, my jihad does not tolerate oppression, my jihad protects human rights, including women’s right to education and their other rights as well.

My jihad does not fear the scorn of the finger-pointers, as there is nothing objectionable in my understanding of what should be protected and fought for.

We do not become Muslims by simply putting caps on our heads and sporting beards.  Islam requires us to be tolerant and understanding of others. Nowhere does it tell us to cause difficulty to innocent people, which is exactly what some groups are doing. However, in spite of these grave offenses, they are still Muslims as they remain in the realm of belief, and have not become unbelievers.

Therefore, we should pray for them sincerely and ask Allah to guide them to the truth. I hope they will mend their ways for good, and appreciate the beauty of living with people of every faith in harmony.

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