Asserting Muslim Moderation

I appreciate your note, “Would you care to comment on these stories?  Would you say that the media quoted are propagating anti-Muslim sentiments or would you say that some of the difficulties Muslims are facing emanates from their own misguided clerics? “

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Dear Dr. Peerwani,

I am pleased to repeat my quote, “Unfortunately, the media mirrors the stories generated by less than 1/100th of 1% of population and dumps on the rest of the population as though it is 'their' story, and the public on the other hand has not demonstrated their support for scrutiny and good news. “

Sadly we have encouraged media by giving them the ratings and watching tragic and terror stories in highest numbers.  Media has slipped from their social responsibility to survival mode, they have to make money to stay afloat and they will deliver what sells.

The “misguided clerics” thrive because the guided ones do nothing about it, to the misguided it is a tacit approval. There is an apt expression in Urdu “ Un kay moo kaun lagega” who want to entangle themselves with them?

Muslims, particularly some of our Imams and the Mosque heads are gutless souls, they are afraid of losing their position or a paycheck and are not willing to speak up when they see something wrong. They are not leaders but herds shepherded by the ones who fund them. Prophet had wisely guided us, let not one hand know the other who you give the charity to, there is a ton of wisdom in it and support the idea of free will in Islam.

All of us, the extremists, the left and the moderate majority are seeking solutions for a cohesive society. We have to find avenues of expression and avenues of gratification and bring a balance back to the society. 

There is a deeper societal issue at work in the instances you have quoted below. The Pakistani people have taken a lot of beating from their governments since independence, there is hopelessness out there and the avenues of drawing satisfaction (pleasure) are limited and are disappearing for them. A few aspects of the make up of the society are comparable to the aspects of Palestine. They see a different picture for Indians next door; they see the progress of South Korea that is about the same age. They are utterly helpless.

Given the goal of creating peace and prosperity for every one in Pakistan, we have to carefully craft a dialogue to find solution. We cannot afford to have the passionate religious people to dig in their heels and bring an impasse.  Quraan offers wise guidance to find solutions, let there be no compulsion, as it is not sustainable.

There is a great hope though, I watched the debates on Pakistan TV show which  are listed on the right panel at www.BlasphemyLaws.com  in three segments – I felt hope for Pakistan watching those debates, my emotion was the same ‘tears of joy” that I had when Mandela was released from Prison and Obama’s election night. The debates were honest, sincere, and opposing views discussed with civility.

When a child is incapable of standing up to the bully, the only way of getting that pleasure is through destruction; he has fewer choices of receiving that gratification other than being destructive. A few in Pakistan have reached that boiling point to harm, hurt or destroy the symbol of that Goliath infrastructure represented by Taseer. Justifications will be produced but they have no choice to end the gloom and it may be an expression of such desperation. Allah knows the truth and perhaps our psychologist can analyze this and share with us.

Mike Ghouse

http://www.mikeghouse.net/

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From Dr. Nizam Peerwani

Dear Mike,

Thank you being the voice of moderation in this troubled times and for standing up for Muslims, and also for sharing this story with me. Since you have been following the story of Salmaan Taseer closely, I am sure you must have come across the following three segments which I have quoted below with citations.

"Qadri told a judge Monday in written testimony that he decided to kill Taseer after he attended a gathering on Dec. 31 organized by Shahab-e-Islam, a small group that operated in his neighborhood in Rawalpindi, just outside Islamabad. He said speeches given by a cleric leading the group, Qari Hanif, and another member, Ishtiaq Shah, played a major role in his decision."[1] "A group of over 500 Pakistani scholars and clerics have described the policeman who gunned down the Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer as a 'Ghazi' and have warned against any expression of sympathy for slain PPP leader, saying it would tantamount to an act of blasphemy. Warning the people not to lead or offer funeral prayers for Taseer, 66, the clerics part of Jamaat-e-Ahl-e -Sunnat Pakistan, a grouping representing the moderate Barelvi sect of Sunni Muslims praised the Elite Force policeman Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri and called him a 'Ghazi', an Islamic warrior."[2] " Several top clerics today refused to lead the funeral prayer for slain Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, who was opposed to the controversial blasphemy law, following a call by an influential Islamic body in Pakistan. 

 

The funeral prayer, scheduled for 1 pm local time, was delayed by almost an hour as the imam of Lahore's Shahi Masjid and the cleric of the mosque at the Governor's House along with several others refused to lead it, sources said."[3]

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[1] Arabnews.com, Tuesday, 11 January 2011  |  Safar 6, 1432  [2] Indianexpress.com, Posted: Wed Jan 05 2011, 18:14 hrs[3] Deccan Herald. Tuesday 11 January 2011

Would you care to comment on these stories?  Would you say that the media quoted are propagating anti-Muslim sentiments or would  you say that some of the difficulties Muslims are facing emanates from their own misguided clerics?

Just wondering. Best wishes,

Nizam P.

-----Original Message-----

From: Mike Ghouse

To: worldmuslimcongress@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tue, Jan 11, 2011 11:34 am

Subject: MuslimAgenda :: Asserting the fact that Muslims are moderate Qoum.

It is important that we assert the fact that the majority of Muslims (and Pakistanis) are moderate people.

Unfortunately, the media mirrors the stories generated by less than 1/100th of 1% of population and dumps on the rest of the population as though it is 'their' story, and the public on the other hand has not demonstrated their support for scrutiny and good news.

Islam forbids killing anyone, unless it is in self-defense and it is indeed a morbid sin to commit suicide. This statement breeds an enormous confusion among a few Muslims and non-Muslims, they want to know what to believe, what the radicals are doing in the name of Islam or the ones who say they are misrepresenting it.

Full article at:

Taseer’s killer, media and the Muslim majority

http://arabnews.com/world/article232984.ece