Faith and practice: ‘The great debate over Islam’

Our peaceful voices are drowned by Muslim leaders when they remain silent on issues like loyalty to one’s country of residence, punishment for apostasy, and separation of church and state.

Fatwā issued at Al-Azhar University in Cairo for death to apostates

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily Dawn | Pakistan | Letters
By Faheem Younus | October 15, 2010

THIS is apropos of Irfan Husain’s article ‘The great debate over Islam’ (Oct 13).

Mr Husain is spot on in his analysis of Islam in the West. As a US Muslim of Pakistani descent, I have tried to promote the peaceful teachings of Islam through media interviews, newspaper articles and giving non-credit courses in community colleges.

But our peaceful voices are drowned by Muslim leaders when they remain silent on issues like loyalty to one’s country of residence, punishment for apostasy, and separation of church and state.

Case in point: During my last course at the community college a Caucasian student asked me if Islam supported death penalty for a Muslim who decided to leave Islam (apostasy).


It took me 30 seconds to say ‘no’ and support my answer with data.

But it took another 30 minutes to explain why Dr Mohammed Mukadam, the chairman of the Association of Muslim Schools in Britain, could not say no to the same question when posed by the famous atheist Richard Dawkins on National TV during a similar debate.

The West could swallow our burkas and ragged beards as a bitter pill under their constitutional freedoms.

But they would not buy the notion of death for apostates in the name of God. Neither would Muslims like me.



FAHEEM YOUNUS, Baltimore 




Read original post here: ‘The great debate over Islam’