Distorted interpretations of Islam that emphasize martyrdom, violence toward others and disrespect for women and non-believers are simply an excuse for lashing out.
 |
| In this file photo, Imam Hanan_Sobhi (R) is seen with Imam Farhan Iqbal at a Q&A at McMaster University. |
Source/Credit: Simcoe Reformer
By Monte Sonnenberg | January 26, 2015
PORT DOVER - A group of Muslims came to Port Dover this weekend hoping to spread understanding about their faith.
Joseph Beattie of Port Dover, an ex-member of the Canadian Armed Forces, was waiting to speak to them.
For a couple hours Saturday afternoon, Beattie engaged Hanan Sobhi, Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Hamilton, in a debate at the Port Dover Library about Islam and what he sees as its shortcomings. The discussion was civilized, but Beattie didn’t mince words about his position.
“If there are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, why aren’t they demonstrating in the street because their religion has been hijacked?” he said. “Why aren’t they demonstrating every day? They demonstrate every time something happens with the Palestinians. Why don’t they protest like that when it comes to terrorism?”
It bothers Beattie that Muslims erupt with emotion when someone produces a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed but have nothing to say when Islamic extremists behead foreign hostages and post it on the Internet.
Beattie also criticized sharia law – a civil code based on Muslim teachings – as oppressive to women and non-believers. Beattie added that Islam’s hostility to publications that mock or criticize religion contradicts western tenets of free speech.
Sobhi responded to all comments and questions calmly and thoughtfully. He explained that Islam is a religion of many beliefs, with as many as 73 distinct sects world-wide. The Ahmadiyya denomination he represents, he said, is anti-violence, anti-extremism and anti-terrorism.
“We targeted these communities where there are not many Muslims so we can talk to people about real Muslims,” Sobhi said of his visit. “We want to show people that Muslims are a peaceful people and that we too condemn acts of terrorism.”
Sobhi was born in Pakistan and came to Canada at age 4. He subscribes to the view that violent terrorists come to religion with pre-existing mental problems. He said distorted interpretations of Islam that emphasize martyrdom, violence toward others and disrespect for women and non-believers are simply an excuse for lashing out.
Beattie doesn’t buy it. Even if a small percentage of Muslims are sympathetic to extremism, he said that represents millions of potential terrorists. Given the lone wolf attacks that claimed the lives of two Canadian soldiers in Ottawa and Quebec last year, Beattie said it is starting to hit too close to home.
“We’re not taking action against this fast enough,” he said. “This stuff is coming out of the woodwork like crazy. It is a real threat. We need millions of Muslims in the street right now protesting what is happening in the Middle East.”
Sobhi pointed out that Muslims have mounted modest protests of this sort in Hamilton and Toronto in recent weeks. He conceded that moderate voices need to speak up.
“We have to separate extremist ideology from religion,” he said. “We are mad too about what is going on in the name of Islam.”
Sobhi also condemned the recent violence in Paris, France where a dozen were killed and nearly 20 injured after Islamic gunmen stormed the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The magazine regularly prints cartoons mocking religion that Muslims and others find offensive.
While Sobhi condemns the violence, he said Muslims’ are entitled to their feelings. Graphically mocking the prophet Mohammed, he said, is as offensive to devout Muslims as anti-Semitic speech is to Jews or the use of certain derogatory terms are to blacks. Sobhi says this type of humour should be treated as hate speech.
“People should be free to say what they want,” he said. “But they shouldn’t be able to hurt the sentiments of Muslims. That kind of speech damages the harmony of society. People have the right to say what they want. But we are part of the fabric of the community.”
The Ahmadiyya visit didn’t attract a large crowd. But those who attended seemed to enjoy the back-and-forth between Beattie and Sobhi. Asked what he thought, Don Tomlinson of Port Dover said “All Germans are not Nazis.”
Monte Sonnenberg
519-426-3528 ext. 150
monte.sonnenberg@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/montereformer
Read original post here: Canada: Ahmadi Muslims seek understanding in Port Dover
This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Ahmadiyya Times.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. Any comments irrelevant to the post's subject matter, containing abuses, and/or vulgar language will not be approved.