Thursday, April 12, 2007
The rethinking of Islam
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Editor, The Indian Express, India
RE: The rethinking of Islam
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/28071.html
Javed Anand, in his article: The rethinking of Islam (IE, April 12, 2007), finds fault with Dr. Zakir Naik’s defense of the denial of non-Muslims the right to practice their faith in Saudia, though fails to bring out the fact that Saudi Arabia, unlike India or the US, is a theocratic state with Islam as a state religion. It is a sovereign nation and a member of United Nation. Since its citizens are 100 percent Muslims --- Sunnis as well as Shias, it has no need to accommodate any other religion within its territory, especially as the status quo has been there for last 14 centuries. The non-Muslims that have been residing and working in Saudia are all guest workers and have been granted only temporary resident permits renewable from time to time, at the discretion of the state. They are not the citizens of Saudi Arabia and were fully aware of the nature of Islamic state, when they had accepted employment in the Kingdom. If they find, Saudi’s religious restrictions unacceptable, they can always leave. There is no compulsion for them to live in the country. Saudi people and their government have every right to abide by the choice of their people to accept and proclaim that Islam is the official religion of the country and that no other religion can be practiced publicly in its territory.
Anand is not comfortable with the notions that Muslims when in majority act differently from when they are in minority. It should not be difficult for him to understand, that where Muslims are in power, they have every right to choose the way they want. In the countries, where Muslims are in minority, they have to abide by the laws of the land, but wherever the state is secular and democratic, they are perfectly in the clear to demand whatever they want is best for them. Any reference to the neighbors next door is superfluous and untenable. This is nothing to do with the religion of Islam, it is the real-politick.
The rethinking in Islam that is so palpable source of rejoicing for Javed Anand, (after all Anand is rejoicing), is most welcome as long as it is not married to anti-Muslim agenda of some Islamophobes. In Islam, the niyah, or intention has a pivotal role in all thoughts and actions. If the intention is to subvert and subjugate Islam or Muslims in the name of reforms, Muslims are right to suspect and oppose all such mischief-mongering. The way a whole armada of thinkers, writers, intellectuals and political strategists are bent thrashing out their own brand of Islam, the end product need not be to the liking of the majority of Muslims of the world. After all whatever is offered for the masses to accept and to adopt, has to be acceptable to them. There can be no compulsion in religion. If there has to be any compulsion, it should be internal, born of inner conviction and belief. Any external compulsion will never survive. Islam has survived reforms and revivals, rejections, repressions and resurrections, all throughout its history extending over a millennium. Its prospects in India are hampered only by temporary political constraints. At the level of Da’wah, India has never before been as open to embrace Islam, as it is at this moment in history. Rethinking or no thinking, Islam is here to stay.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
www.ghulammuhammed.blogspot.com
The Editor, The Indian Express, India
RE: The rethinking of Islam
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/28071.html
Javed Anand, in his article: The rethinking of Islam (IE, April 12, 2007), finds fault with Dr. Zakir Naik’s defense of the denial of non-Muslims the right to practice their faith in Saudia, though fails to bring out the fact that Saudi Arabia, unlike India or the US, is a theocratic state with Islam as a state religion. It is a sovereign nation and a member of United Nation. Since its citizens are 100 percent Muslims --- Sunnis as well as Shias, it has no need to accommodate any other religion within its territory, especially as the status quo has been there for last 14 centuries. The non-Muslims that have been residing and working in Saudia are all guest workers and have been granted only temporary resident permits renewable from time to time, at the discretion of the state. They are not the citizens of Saudi Arabia and were fully aware of the nature of Islamic state, when they had accepted employment in the Kingdom. If they find, Saudi’s religious restrictions unacceptable, they can always leave. There is no compulsion for them to live in the country. Saudi people and their government have every right to abide by the choice of their people to accept and proclaim that Islam is the official religion of the country and that no other religion can be practiced publicly in its territory.
Anand is not comfortable with the notions that Muslims when in majority act differently from when they are in minority. It should not be difficult for him to understand, that where Muslims are in power, they have every right to choose the way they want. In the countries, where Muslims are in minority, they have to abide by the laws of the land, but wherever the state is secular and democratic, they are perfectly in the clear to demand whatever they want is best for them. Any reference to the neighbors next door is superfluous and untenable. This is nothing to do with the religion of Islam, it is the real-politick.
The rethinking in Islam that is so palpable source of rejoicing for Javed Anand, (after all Anand is rejoicing), is most welcome as long as it is not married to anti-Muslim agenda of some Islamophobes. In Islam, the niyah, or intention has a pivotal role in all thoughts and actions. If the intention is to subvert and subjugate Islam or Muslims in the name of reforms, Muslims are right to suspect and oppose all such mischief-mongering. The way a whole armada of thinkers, writers, intellectuals and political strategists are bent thrashing out their own brand of Islam, the end product need not be to the liking of the majority of Muslims of the world. After all whatever is offered for the masses to accept and to adopt, has to be acceptable to them. There can be no compulsion in religion. If there has to be any compulsion, it should be internal, born of inner conviction and belief. Any external compulsion will never survive. Islam has survived reforms and revivals, rejections, repressions and resurrections, all throughout its history extending over a millennium. Its prospects in India are hampered only by temporary political constraints. At the level of Da’wah, India has never before been as open to embrace Islam, as it is at this moment in history. Rethinking or no thinking, Islam is here to stay.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
www.ghulammuhammed.blogspot.com
