The Arrogance and Ill-Will of Silence – When Islam is Utilized to Justify Political Apathy

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NOTE: I pose this question as a layman Muslim who strive to find a balance between the need to increase my spirituality and engaging the world around us. Anything that is wrong is my mistake and anything that is correct is from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). This is a question I constantly ask myself. I target myself with this article first and foremost.
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Why are we so concerned with being seen as “moderates” and not as “radicals or extremists”?

What do these terms even mean?

What are the implications of adapting them?

There is nothing wrong with adopting them if one chooses to, but have you ever stopped and thought about what you have just applied to yourself? For most Muslims this is why they either clearly define it before they refer to themselves as such (whether in their head or publicly) or they choose not to. They think about the implications of adopting the language of those who may not have their best interest in mind. Some would even go as far as calling themselves “extremists” as loudly as possible just to assert their right to define themselves – of course, providing some ever-so-entertaining soundbites for the media as a result. Then there are those who just use them without thinking any further: “I am a moderate Muslim. That is all.”

Then you will get people who think it is inappropriate to even exercise your intellect in this manner. They will utilize our Islamic sources selectively in order to justify their intellectual ineptness and the resulting apathy toward injustice that follows. They will tell you that we should forgive and hide the fault of others while completely ignoring what the Prophet (saw) did when faced with oppression. You cannot erase the political example of the Prophet by turning his life into a hippy-like folk song. It is a lot more complex than that. Love and forgiveness was seen in light of everything else, not on their own. He was a revolutionary in every sense of the word who was ultimately guided by love and forgiveness. Anyone who thinks otherwise is completely misguided. I cannot even fathom how a practicing Muslim could do such a thing. Reading the seerah of the Prophet leaves no room for such simple-mindedness. Any layman Muslim like myself should be able to understand that.

They speak of “justice” but they have no idea what that is, how to attain it nor would they even try to increase their understanding. Not to mention the impending destruction that is to fall upon their brothers and sisters because they choose to turn their heads toward more pleasant things. They do not see it to be a necessary struggle to comprehend the issues that befall us. They will sign their treaties with whoever would simplify their lives. To them, their spiritual growth will only grow if they divorced themselves from the world. If someone calls them out on it, they will label you to be someone of arrogance and hell-bent on committing ill-will against others. How about the arrogance and the ill-will of your silence? What destruction has that committed?

People talk about how we are extremely divided in terms of theological beliefs as a Muslim community (we definitely are on a lot of issues). Students of well-known schools went at each other to such an extent that their instructors had to sign a treaty so they could stop acting like children. Even then, there are those who refuse to fall in-line, but that is their prerogative. There is no harm in refusing to agree with someone else.

It makes you wonder though. How was the Prophet Muhammad (saw) capable of creating alliances and live in harmony with those who did not even believe his prophethood? The answer is simple and is quite obvious: he made political alliances for the mutual benefit of everyone, in the interest of protecting each other.

It is not even theological issues we find ourselves divided on. It goes far beyond that. Politically, we are so unaware of the issues that we just jump at the first alliance that come at us – the alliances that can protect our own behinds in the short term. We look to apply any criteria that untrustworthy sources have imposed upon us. The very same ones who have come to define the limits of intellectual discourse in a way that limits our thinking and the solutions we come up with. This is exactly the case with this so-called domestic “War On Terror”.

The Prophet did not just make any sort of alliance with anyone. He looked at who truly had the best interest of the community in mind (whether they were Muslim or not). Regardless, there are people who will attempt to mislead you for their own benefit. In today’s world, there are those  who truly want to ensure that our community is safe. While we may not agree with them on everything (that includes politically), we should find points of agreement about a common grievance and work together. Anything else beyond that is judged on a case by case basis. While there will be those who cannot control their emotions and attempt to shove other things down your throat, no one is asking you to hold hands with them on every single issue. This logic of judgement is applied to Muslims and non-Muslims that we have chosen as our allies. You do not jump at the first person who claim to have your best interest in mind without thinking about it.

When the Prophet accepted the treaty in Medina, there were those who converted to Islam. There were those who truly meant it and those who did it for political, economic and social reasons. One of these men was Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy who did so because he was aware of his declining reputation. The night before the Battle of Uhud, he left the Prophet and those who were loyal to him as he turned back 300 of his fellow hypocrites as Ibn-Ubayy saw nothing to gain in honouring his pledge by defending the people of Medina and the Prophet.

When we create our alliances, do we think long and hard about the issues at hand before we make them?

“They will do all they can to ruin you, and they love to cause you trouble. Their hatred is clear from what their mouths utter, and what their breasts conceal is greater.” (3:18)

To truly apply the warnings that have been given to us takes a relative amount of understanding of various interrelated political, economic and social issues. We need to know the correct questions to ask and reflect upon.

In the case of the domestic war on terror, who has the Canadian community’s interest in mind? Do we look at the destructive path that our potential allies have created behind them on their time on this planet? Do the solutions they propose increase or decrease terrorism? What are the long-term effects of the solutions they provide? Negative or positive? What are the root causes of terrorism? Is it really because someone is getting “radicalized” by a “firebrand Imam” or because they hate Canadian “freedoms”? What is wrong with the previous question? How does it limit the range of intellectual discourse? Do we adopt such limits or do we dare to exercise the full potential of our minds and actually look at the issue honestly? Are the grievances of “terrorists” legitimate? Is it important that they are addressed without justifying the acts themselves? Is that even possible? Are we capable of understanding every accusations of “terrorism” on a case by case basis and not fall into the trap of fear mongering by the jingoists who slings them? Thus, resulting in our massive generalizations and the simplistic solutions that are vomited from them. At the end of the day, are we unified enough that we can ensure we are not treading on a slippery slope if we attempt to codify, in some shape or form, what can be considered a “radical extremist”? What are the successes of other communities in this regard?

I do not believe that there has been a case in history of any community doing such a thing without such solutions turning into an all out witch hunt. I would refer to some of the worst examples in history but I think it is pretty obvious what would happen. While we may feel in control at the moment — giving credence to allies that are known to cast a wide net as to who is considered a threat to the Canadian way of life, allies that are guided by illogical and extremely flawed ways of thinking — if history teaches us anything, that power can be snatched away from us in some shape or form.

When we make our political treaties, do we consider any of these questions? Or are we content with finding out on the battlefield who our true allies are? To wait until it is too late to raise our voices.

We Should Not Be Cowards

BACKGROUND

Adil Charkoui is a Morocco-born permanent resident of Canada, graduated with an MA from Université de Montréal and is a French teacher. He is married and has three children. He was arrested by the Canadian government under a security certificate in May 2003. He is now completely exonerated of everything that CSIS has charged him with, alhumdullillah.

I need you guys to quickly watch this video (the first 10 seconds or so): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNIEkE3QL0c

QUESTIONS & REFLECTION

First of all, let me get this out of the way: props to all the hard-nosed Imams/Shaykhs out there who do put themselves on the line for the sake of speaking the truth about injustice. To put in the effort to understand the domestic political situation here in Canada, speak out about it or assist activists around the issue in some way. Everything but act as a hindrance to those who are trying to make a difference.

As you may have caught in the beginning, Charkoui talks about how he approached a mosque for its help after he started to have his legal problems with CSIS. The Imam/Shaykh (I don’t know who exactly, I’m curious but it’s not important) offered to make dua and promptly walked away from him because … well … let’s face it … because he was SCARED.

Am I wrong for expecting more from our Imams and Shaykhs? The Prophet (pbuh) was a revered leader in every way possible. That is not even debatable regardless of what type of Muslim you consider yourself to be (well, except the Tarek Fatah’ites). The Prophet was not merely the spiritual leader of Muslims but also the political leader. Did he not have the ability, or saw it as his responsibility, to handle issues in which the lives of his brothers and sisters are at such a risk?

I mean, we’re not asking these Imams/Shaykhs to make a legal opinion on the “innocence” or “guilt” of people here, know what I mean. These cases need to be judged based on evidence and all angles have to be studied, to make that their responsibility is unfair. The least you can do though is speak to the accused in some way and try to comprehend their side of the story.

All of that said, as it relates to CSIS, the facts are so overwhelmingly against them — in particular, that they are the most vile abusers of Canadian human rights (yes, Pakistanis, Arabs and Muslims in general are primary targets along with other Canadian communities) — that you would think that these Imams/Shaykhs would be aware of the most BASIC facts about a group that is harming so many in the Muslim community. Unfortunately, not many are aware (nor even care it seems). I’ve met some who just plain don’t like them but this does not seem to be the norm at all.

Are they cowards? Lazy? Incapable of comprehending anything beyond the so-called “religious”? Scared of confrontation (in a purely intellectual sense of course)?

I entered Islam after learning so much about the ability of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to mobilize people against injustice. The ability to work with non-Muslims in order to ensure that everyone understands that an injustice to one is an injustice to all. Was that all a lie or what? I really don’t think so.

I don’t know … I’m trying to count how many coward “Muslim leaders” are out there running scared from their responsibility to lead their community but I’m still quietly analyzing the situation. I only have so much fingers and toes to count with. There are the occasional “Woah! What a brave and politically aware Imam/Shaykh!” but that’s extremely rare. Of course, there are some safe issues to fall back on though when the pressure to say something of political significance becomes too much, such as:

i. Palestine-Israel Conflict
ii. Guantanamo
iii. Islamophobia
iv. Foreign Wars
v. Blasting Tarek Fatah and Irshad Manji

Unless you say something like “Hamas/Hezbollah has the right to defend itself”, making SPECIFIC political arguments, or something along that line you are relatively safe. What happened to dealing with actual cases of those that come to jumuah every Friday listening to your sermon, looking to implement your advice into their daily lives? You know, touching on the ‘non-safe’ issues like the one Brother Charkaoui had to deal with. Issues that could possibly have CSIS tap-dancing at your doorstep.

And no, “It is a problem with society in general” is not an excuse. The fact that is true does not excuse any of us for sitting idly by as injustice is committed on other human beings. All of you will be held accountable in this life and in the hereafter about how you handled all this. Straight up, that specially goes for our so-called “Muslim Leaders” the most. Masha’Allah, we respect your knowledge about Islam a lot but that is not enough. We want you to embrace the example set by the Prophet in its entirety, not selectively.

Everyone has their own flock, I get that, but you guys have the biggest flock of them all. If you don’t care about these issues, not even to study them a bit, to gather some sort of minimal understanding, how do you expect the community to reflect it back?

No wonder we have so much apathy in the community.

Music, the Evils of Hip Hop & Muslim Scholars Who Overstep Their Authority

Look, I’m quite aware that there are differences of opinion regarding music in Islam. As to which opinion you go with, I personally don’t care.

Yes, I know the deal regarding the situation with hip hop music right now, I’m not going to deny that. I’m not here to discuss what’s going on with it. Whether you think hip hop is merely reflecting the larger issue of misogyny, materialism, violence, etc. in society (an agent) or acting as the primary catalyst for all of these things, I honestly don’t care either. Just keep in mind that this whole “black and white” blanket generalization regarding this genre/sub-culture is completely inappropriate and is not in-line with the facts on the ground. Like anything else, we have to be aware of the sensitive nuances. I don’t think any rational minded individual would think that it will provide some type of miracle solution to the world’s problems. No, it needs to be supplemented by concrete actions at the grassroots level like everything else. Putting aside the debate on whether it’s permissible or not, there are positive and negative aspects of everything including “hip hop”.

I’m not a spokesperson for anyone but myself. I can only be held accountable for my own actions. I’m not here to discuss artists who are trying to turn hip hop into some type of religion. I’m not here to defend the incredibly insulting and misogynistic songs in circulation. I’m not here to defend the glorification of drugs and violence. I’m not here to defend the hippie-type rappers/musicians who think “music/spoken word/poetry” is the solution to everything. I’m not here to defend Muslim rappers who manages to make hijabis shake their rumps at some “Islamic” concert somewhere. I’m not here to defend Muslim teeny-boppers and the thugged out “gangsters” with some major chip on their shoulder. Again, I’m only responsible for my own actions.

I’ve been Muslim long enough to know that a lot of people are extremely passionate about the whole music issue — on its theological permissibility or not. Every single time that I would think that I finally left it behind, there are always people ramming it back into the forefront of my life, trying to make it an issue.I haven’t even recorded anything for years and I’ve only been performing sporadically because I’m trying to hold down other things in life like trying to graduate from university and a 9 to 5 job. While I appreciate the fact that you are telling me that it could very well land me in hell (that’s fine, you can have that opinion, thank you for the encouragement),  I would very much appreciate it if you respect my decision to go ahead with it. No, I don’t want to read some article or listen to a lecture that you are privately PM’ing me with.

Some Imam/Shaykh has it out for hip hop music or me in particular because he thinks I’m causing ruckus in the Muslim community because of my political opinions? That’s fine if he wants to fire-up a bazooka condemning hip hop music but what does that have to do with me? What does that have to do with hip hop if he has an issue with my political opinions? I’m not a fan of Muslim boybands, but if Native Deen suddenly starts dropping some major political opinions I’m going to judge them based on those and not on how they sounded in their song “Sakina”. What is their evidence and how did they come to what I presume to be a logical conclusion? I don’t muddle or subvert the issue by discussing the field they choose to submerge themselves in.

While I have the highest respect for the knowledge of our religious leaders (believe it or not, I do consistently follow what they speak about), please … don’t try to extend your reach into territories where you are completely out of your league. Or worst, take it as an insult when you are challenged by a layman like myself. In the realm of politics, everyone is a layman with the exception of the scholars in specific fields. I’m not dropping fatwas here nor am I challenging any theological opinions. If you want to make comments regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict, yes, I do reserve my right to shoot right back with the things that I have learned from other scholarly sources. The same goes with other political issues. What does politics have anything to do with hip hop or music? Does it somehow speak of my debauchery, thus, people should stop listening? A way to undercut whatever influence I might hold over people?

For all the brothers and sisters who are planning to keep giving me advice, thank you for your concern, but please stop pestering me with them. The moment you hear me rapping about “money, cash and hoes” or actively promote for hijabis to dance to my music then perhaps … maybe send me some wild condemnation. I highly doubt any of these sisters are dying to wave their hijabs in the air like they just don’t care when I’m rapping about the irrationality of Third World Debt and how Latin America was turned into a literal hell on earth by the United States throughout its history. These are not exactly clubbing songs nor songs that I can fill with much sexual innuendos to get people grinding on the dance floor. Even if I do choose to do that, you can dislike it or think it’s wrong all you want, but what does that have to do with the validity of my political opinions?

Again, I haven’t even recorded in a while. I have just been consistently putting out articles about politics and my analysis of the Muslim community in Canada. I would rather have people make comments on those.

What do you think about my analysis on Barack Obama’s foreign policy? U.S. foreign policy in general? On comments regarding Muslims who act like pure Uncle Tom’s when it comes to every single one of Obama’s speech? The Palestine-Israel conflict? CSIS and their associates in the Muslim community? Toronto 18? Omar Khadr? Guantanamo? Tarek Fatah and the Canadian Arab Federation? The so-called ‘War On Terror’? Afghanistan? Latin America? Philippines? Sri Lanka? Toronto 18? Capitalism? And so on.

I think I’ve spoken enough about many political issues on my website (not even counting this particular blog who I really don’t care who I’m targetting – “Salafis, Sufis, Wahhabi, Securalist” or whatever) to distinguish myself as a non-misogynistic rapper or whatever other negative connotation that some try to attach to me in the spirit of “black and white, blanket generalizations”. People who know me personally know that it’s not all talk either because I do actively engage in grassroots activism as well. I love rapping and it’s an excellent outlet for my opinions. I think that’s a completely legitimate reason to keep doing it. It also extends my realm of influence as well. And yes, I do go with the opinion that it’s completely permissible. And no, I don’t need to justify it with anyone else but Allah (swt). If you want to engage in arrogant judgementalism as it relates to the condition of my soul and assume that I lack knowledge in the deen … well, there’s nothing much I can do about that.

Again, you have an issue with me? Go at me directly based on the things that I have put out there. I’m just some guy that raps who happens to be very opinionated about politics and active within the community. You either like me or you don’t, but judge me on fair terms.

In the spirit of resistance,
Critical Mood

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A Testament to the Vibrancy of the Canadian Muslim Community – The Healthy Competition Between “Journey of Faith” and “Reviving the Islamic Spirit”

This year’s Journey of Faith Conference was absolutely amazing. While I enjoyed it on a personal level because I’m rarely around Muslims and it’s a huge boost to see that amount in one place (the perks of being a convert, with the exception of jumuah and seeing my friends of course), the scholars and the organization were phenomenal.

I particularly appreciated the inclusion of Dr. Hakim Quick and Shaykh Yasir Qadhi to the line-up. The former highlighted the need for Muslims to have versatility in their knowledge (including historical and political) in order to engage the world around them and the latter is well-known for his initiatives to build bridges in the Muslim community. Qadhi initiated MuslimMatters.org which touches on various issues that Muslims should know and be involved in. Despite negative reactions from many circles that formerly supported him, the website also outreaches to scholars who hold dramatically different views (theologically speaking) from himself such as Imam Zaid Shakir of the Zaytuna Institute — it is a show of unity despite the disagreements. Qadhi along with other Al-Maghrib scholars also participated in an initiative with Zaytuna Institute in order to ensure that their students halt their ridiculous head-hunting schemes to bring who they view as “rivals” down.

I maintain to the same opinion that the differences between Reviving the Islamic Spirit and Journey of Faith are in the specifics. I highlighted many of them in previous posts. The opinions expressed by scholars at each conference lead to particular political arguments. I think it’s completely ridiculous for people to say that it doesn’t exist. There is nothing negative about the fact that exists, it is a good thing. It’s all about consensus building and it is an amazing thing that it exists in such a vibrant manner within the Muslim community in Canada (at least, now it truly does).

Even from superficial observations, it seems that RIS bolsters a large number of Arab attendees while JOF bolsters a large Somali base — insha’Allah that will change in the future. I’m quite sure it is related to who the scholars from each convention attracts and political trends in the countries that the attendees come from. As it relates to the environment, reading the convention booklet, the rules are more clearly and specifically laid out but this is not a negative thing by any means. I personally liked it because while there was no police-like presence of people keeping everyone in check (with the exception of the lecture hall but it’s also done at RIS), everyone seemed to have adhered to them. RIS has a much more laid back attitude but that also works to its advantage as people generally respect the rules which are not as explicitly stated (not-withstanding handful of individuals who take advantage and ‘mack’ away).  The difference in this regard is so obvious that you must be completely delusional to not see it. I’m not saying this to piss people off, I’m just being honest with my observation which I don’t mind sharing with people.

The Muslim Fest booth I must say was a bit out of place during such a convention though. Every time I walked by there were people making negative remarks as to why they’re there. I love attending Muslim Fest but even I was wondering that. That was a completely understandable reaction. I must say, it is a brave initiative though to reach out at a convention that bluntly rejects engaging in music as completely haraam. The booklet also states that it does not condone any misguided methodology that is promoted by groups in the bazaar area. While it could very well be business as always (booth spaces are paid for), I saw it as an acknowledgement that Muslims who hold to such opinions do exist and cannot be shut out.

Journey of Faith and Reviving the Islamic Spirit both collectively represent the mainstream Muslim community here in Canada (in fact, in North America). People should rejoice that there is a healthy competition going on between the two as RIS has long held the monopoly on ‘big-conventions’ (in addition to ISNA in the U.S. – it’s held during the same time by the way).  It can’t be ignored that many have felt that RIS has fallen short of promising an eclectic blend of different scholars, adhering to different opinions (such as getting scholars that attend JOF), at their yearly convention. While they have definitely made strides in getting those scholars (such as Zakir Naik), there is an overtly ‘Zaytuna Institute’ feel to the entire thing. When you attend the Knowledge Retreat that is definitely the case and I can’t help but feeling that it is a ‘sly’ effort to win people over to that opinion: open people up to the fact that “Yeah, we’re open to your scholars also” but win them completely over to our side with this. Being there personally at JOF, you will grow sympathetic as to why those who attend this convention feel shut out. While the RIS convention does a much better job in trying to get an eclectic blend of scholars, it’s laughable if one tries to make the same claim regarding the Knowledge Retreat. All of that said, I highly doubt JOF would be inviting Hamza Yusuf anytime soon nor should people expect that. That’s completely fine. How much they’ll attempt at their own “B-” effort in that regard is still up in the air.

I would give RIS a “B-” for effort (it would have been a “B” in previous years) but that is enough to leave people disgruntled. The recent injection of JOF and the strong existence of RIS should act as a powerful check-and-balance for both sides while both engage in consensus building. People from both sides can get extremely annoying if their egos are not kept in check. This is how it is done. This is how it should be.

I really hope that JOF expands in the same manner as RIS (which I’m sure they will). If I could make a suggestion, I would make it a three day conference and I would also tack on a week-long retreat as well. They should expand by doing various events throughout the year leading up to the convention (not just the week before it). Bring on the heat. Be straight with people regarding your opinions and then let them decide. This is healthy competition, this is healthy consensus building. As Muslims we should be proud that our community is this vibrant.

Nevertheless, I can’t help but think about whether or not RIS will get affected by the existence of JOF. Now that there is an obvious split with the two conventions, as I said before, RIS just might make the scholars they draw from a lot smaller. Now that an entire convention exists to give voice to opinions they only gave a “B-” effort to outreach to, they might abandon the initiative altogether.  That is a possibility and we shall have to see in December. One thing is for sure both conventions should not shy away from making political commentaries on various issues. People dig honesty. That never goes out of style. On a personal level, depending on the issues, I find myself agreeing with scholars from JOF and RIS. I’m sure many people are in the same boat. While others see this as a negative thing, I don’t think it is.

The existence of these conventions are strong statements about the vibrancy of the Muslim community and how it cannot be simplified or be taken advantage of by individuals such as Tarek Fatah, Irshad Manji , Mubin Sheikh and Ahmed Amiruddin who would view both conventions as “extremists” based on their own ridiculous outlooks. It’s unfortunate the media pays attention to these individuals while a gathering of tens of thousands (each convention both packing house) are completely ignored.

On a simplistic, “not thinking too much about it” level, I just love that there is now two conventions I can attend and have an amazing time at with my friends.

The Intellect & “Spiritual Experience”

This is a short post as the point I am going to try to get across is pretty simple. When it comes to what can be called the “spiritual/religious experience”, each individual has his/her own way of getting there. For a lot of people, the way for them to get there must go through an intellectual experience first. Before I took Islam seriously, I wanted to learn about the political and historical issues that surrounded it. When people came up to me trying to appeal to me emotionally, I did not want to listen to them AT ALL. It was annoying and generally terrible dawah for Muslims to engage in (I think for any religion in general actually). When I watched “Empire of Faith” , subhan’Allah, it opened up new doors that I did not even know existed. Every time I learn about the struggles of others, it forces me to turn to Allah subhana wa’taalah for comfort through dua and the five daily prayers. Once I am there, I will go above and beyond to learn about Islam. It eventually gets to my emotions and my spirit. Thus, for me it is a complete experience. In this state, turned towards the kaaba, my sense of closeness to Allah (swt) becomes that much more powerful.

While many people would discount it as unimportant in that they would prefer going straight to their heart/emotions, with little need for intellectual stimulation in the sense I speak of, it does not work like that for many. Personally, something needs to make sense to me first before it could bring me to a spiritual high. While I cannot relate to people who do not function like this, I respect their own way of getting there.

Nevertheless, when it comes to discussing issues relating to politics and history (many of which are extremely relevant to Islam and Muslims), things must be discussed on the level of SPECIFICS. One cannot get away with speaking in vague abstract thoughts which does nothing more than bog down important issues under layers and layers (to state bluntly) of useless crap. If it’s in a song/poem or whatever, that is a different story. Just do not pretend that it is something else (ie. a well-reasoned argument). People have to avoid confusing religious rhetoric with something else.  Useless thoughts that rests not on concrete reasoning but on pure emotions are deemed appropriate for political/historical issues. It is nothing but an excuse for being lazy. At the end of the day, it encourages the further brutalization of the oppressed. Whether you consider yourself a certain whatever type of Muslim (“Secular”, “Sufi” or “Salafi”), if you are incapable of speaking in specifics when it comes to these issues, I would suggest that you just refrain from speaking altogether rather than contributing your non-contribution. It’s absolutely embarassing.

Intellectual Hackery, the Importance of Context and the Rise of ‘Fried Chicken’ in Saudi Arabia

This post was inspired by this website: ‘The Wahhabi Myth’

Everybody is always reaching around for the next paradigm in order to control people. When something is being pushed with absolute confidence it is always good to start with the facts and to look at the larger historical and political context that gave rise to them – both of which cannot be seen in isolated pockets. For example, as it relates to the concept of the “Clash of Civilization” – in particular, the new boogeyman of the 21st century: Islam – analyzing the factual basis of this argument is quite simple. Many of the ethnic conflicts that we see today went right through the Cold War but no one was interested enough to really discuss them back then as it could not function in support of the official doctrine. That is standard for any powerful state that has tight control on the socio-economic and political institutions of any country. There is nothing surprising there. The recent Saddam Hussein example is a straightforward case. His worst atrocities against Shias and Kurds were perpetrated during a time when the Iraqi government under Saddam was in a close alliance with the United States. Years later these atrocities were being touted as a justification on national television in order to push an invasion of Iraq amongst other ludicrous arguments.

As it relates to the clash between Islam and the West, to mention an obvious example, Saudi Arabia is one of its most protected and key allies. It is no secret that Saudi Arabia is as extreme of an example you can get of “Islamic fundamentalism” (known as “Wahhabism” — distinguished as different from “Salafism” in this article) and it is quite clear that there is no conflict there whatsoever. The family dictatorship in place there is a United States client and they are kept in power because they keep the money from the oil away from the region’s population. Lastly, there is Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban who were given their power by the United States to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. Again, clearly there is no clash of civilization there. Therefore, the concept of an impending or on-going battle between the West and Islam, when placed into proper context, falls apart. Factually speaking, it holds very little ground. In principles, the same can be said, it is absolute hypocrisy and a cynical fraud. The term all together can be discounted.

When it comes to the term “Islamic Fundamentalism”, while I did not specify what context I used it in, it is clear that the definition I am using pertains to: Saudi Arabia’s domestic policy as it relates to the unique interpretation of Shariah Law that is in place in the country through its legal system and unofficial practices. Many of which are identified here (keeping in mind that there are challenges to such interpretations, legitimate or not is another discussion):

Wahhabism: Imam Muhammad Abu Zahra Explains
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=918&CATE=1

In my use of the term ‘Islamic Fundamentalism’, It is not a blanket statement regarding other interpretations nor is it an over-generalization in light of how specific my target is. It is within this context that I used the term ‘Wahhabism’ in also. I did not use it in a derogatory manner by equating it to terrorism or anything of that sort. Context means everything and once these words are removed from their intended purpose it can of course be shaped into anything including one that is shaped by a poor exercise in logic and rationality on the same level as someone like Bill O’Reilly.

The reason why I went through all this short history is to show the importance of historical and political contexts. Sadly, there are people who participate in the task of intellectual hackery when it comes to the issue of Wahhabism and trying to dispel its existence in a historical and political vacuum. It is extremely ignorant to do so and it is a task that can be best described as hairsplitting an issue that is not there. It is much like a paradigm being introduced as the next big rebellious counter for Muslims and non-Muslims against the “ignorant masses” but it lacks relevance, proper understanding of academia and the importance of contexts, politics and history. More specifically, how “terms” rise out historical timelines and come into existence into our vocabulary. To engage in such a task like attacking anyone who uses this term, regardless of context, is subverting the issue all together. In nutshell, it is an absolute waste of time and is a complete distraction (I personally believe that it is an intended one) to the real issues at hand.

We can call it whatever we want and it does not change anything nor does it address the issues. We can call it Fried Chicken and it will not make a finger lickin’ difference, the context will remain. Many of the people who engage in such a ridiculous focus are much like the 9-11 conspiracy theorists, completely distracting from the real issues. It bugged me when I saw a group of 9-11 conspiracy theorists – as to what their arguments are I do not really care – at the Omar Khadr rally. It was a poor judgment in activism that subverted the issue of the rally in a lot of ways.

We can say: the Saudi government and ulema puts forth a Fried Chicken interpretation of Islam as seen in official practice in its domestic policies and legal system along with non-official ones but are still culturally practiced. The word means nothing as It is still identifiable by certain criterions (see link to SunniPath.com article from qualified scholars above again) and it needs a term to go along with it. Of course, there are more apt alternative terms that can be used and effectively argued but it does not make a difference.

It would not surprise me at all that many of the proponents of such a campaign are trying to divert attention from the inconvenient truth: that certain beliefs held by them are along the same line of thinking as the perspectives that have come to inform Saudi’s version of “Shariah Law”. Thus, it is convenient to just deny the term all together, engage in intellectual hackery and waste everyone’s time or just somehow shift the term ‘Wahhabi’ to other groups of identifiable Muslims that they ideologically, theologically and politically oppose — in this case, Sufis. There are many Muslims who use this as a boogeyman word and they can go ahead and do that. Nevertheless, for the majority of these people who do use it in negative manner, they will often buckle at the knees and will not be able to define what they exactly mean by that term. What context is the person utilizing the term “Sufi” in? Context means everything. Without context, if we call it Fried Chicken it would still mean Fried Chicken because it lacks the most important part to make sense. Likewise, the same applies when people abuse the term “Wahhabism”.

When context is clearly identified then there is room for discussion and negotiation. Therefore, someone can explain why he or she does not believe it should be used and it is completely reasonable. As long as context is provided and it is appropriate in its intended purpose then use it all you want.

The term is no more offensive than “Castroism” or other terms that have come to be attached to a particular personality. In the case of Wahhabism and Castroism, absent of context, both just sound like people’s last names. Of course, arguments can be made regarding whether or not the terms accurately portray the perspectives of either Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab or Fidel Castro but context is needed in order for such a discussion to even begin.

Is it fair? Of course it is not fair sometimes as such terms can function within a million different context. Personally, I took a political approach while SunniPath.com has taken a more historical and theological one in identifying how Wahhabis came to be and how they differ in aqeedah, fiqh and so forth.

I dislike terms such as radical, moderate, extremists and fundamentalists but within the proper context I would let them slide. Do I personally use these words? Yes, sporadically but I do not freak when I hear them. I can either spend my time trying to stop people from using such words – a complete waste of time in real world politics — or I can discuss the issues at hand. It is a fatal mistake in intellectual exercise to treat such terms in a monolithic manner in a political and historical vacuum. Again, replace these words with something else but the context is the most important and vital part. Have a party, replace it with bubble gum flavors, it does not change anything.

The Bodies of Women As Battlegrounds in the Struggle of Power Amongst Men

Assalamu-aleykum sisters,

The disappearance of Etidal Abdullah got me thinking about a lot of things. While I hope that she had just runaway and will eventually come back, it is difficult to let go of the idea that she might have been abducted and this may turn out like a lot of abduction cases that have occurred before. The fact that it is Ramadan makes it even harder to let go. I want to sacrifice all of my wants and things I have been praying to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for in these many years just so that she can come home. I know that I am not alone in wanting that trade off as this is hard for many to hear. Having her picture so readily available in news reports makes it that much easier to have it etched in your mind. It has been over 7 hours since I first read about it and I still cannot stop thinking about it.

I know I may be over-thinking this but her disappearance got me reflecting on issues that all women – in particular, my target for this, Muslim women – face in their daily lives. Generally, they face the brunt, historically speaking as well, of hostilities as their bodies are turned into weapons for all sides in the struggle for power amongst men. While I am going to address this issue in a larger sense, I would like to end this article with some general advice to Muslim sisters in how to keep safe in the practical sense. While I am definitely not a sister, I think my life experience has some relevant information that all of you may find useful.

I know that it is important to be independent and to be as autonomous as possible in your daily lives. In fact, it is important for any human being regardless of gender. For women, independence and autonomy takes a particular symbolic importance due to all the barriers you have to overcome in order to gain social, cultural, religious and political empowerment that men have historically enjoyed over women. You have gone a long way in raising your standards of living and fighting against the most chauvinistic forces trying to subjugate you under their false sense of superiority and it still goes on in many places in the world (sadly, a lot of which are self-proclaimed “Islamic” countries). This is particularly true for Muslim women and those that I have met since I converted three years ago. There is tremendous diversity in personality and many of you are extremely strong willed and vocal in asserting your self-empowerment (as you should be). That being said, there is the reality of the world we live in that must come face to face with this assertion.

As much as I love to cheer on a niqaabi blogger challenging the entire Saudi government in its policies, a hijabi winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, a woman speaking out at the mosque due to improper accommodations and so on … I cannot ignore the reality of the world. These are minor achievements in comparison to more inspiring examples of Muslim women finding triumph against the most morbid, sickening and twisted actions committed by brutal men (so-called “Muslims” and non-Muslims) fulfilling the historical role of warlords. From women speaking out in order to bring awareness to barbaric practices of honor crimes after getting gang raped by relatives to challenging a problematic justice system after getting gang raped and condemned to be punished despite being the victim, the examples are endless. Nevertheless, while it would be far too idealistic to think that such evils can be rooted out of humanity completely before the Day of Judgment, we have to do what we can to make sure that people are safe. In this case, I am speaking to the sisters to keep yourselves safe from the clutches of such brutality.

There are sick people out there who target women. In the context of the world we live in, there are those who will target Muslim women specifically. In my involvement in various campaigns in the fight against Islamophobia, women made up the large part of those that were targeted — especially when they wear the hijab, niqaab, abaya and other traditional garbs. Ignorant people will spot the most superficial things they can observe and they will target it to assert their superiority. Regardless of how strong you are in every which sense possible, the egos of some men will automatically label you as weak and you will be targeted.

Historically and psychologically speaking, women are considered to be the embodiment of the soul of a people whether defined according to nation, race, culture or religion. This reality is well-known to the sickest of minds and it should not be unknown for the sanest of minds, yours.

I am personally not excused from the perspective that the best way to hurt a man is through a woman – in particular, one that he holds dear. This is a perspective that has long existed way before I converted to Islam and I know it would never disappear. It is deeply embedded in every culture one way or another. If there is anything that would drive my otherwise rational mind to murder it would be to perpetrate such crimes on my mother or sister. Again, this is a reality for all humans that have been exploited time and time again by morally bankrupt minds.

I have been reading about human rights abuses in the Philippines, Latin America, Indonesia and so on for as long as I can remember and nothing angers me more than men exerting their superiority over women — whether out of sheer brutality, neglect, stupidity or as a part of a more complex perspective that incorporates oppression of women as a vital component (intended or not). Lately, I have been reading about the Bosnian genocide — in particular, the mass rape of Muslim women that was used as a tool of psychological warfare by the Serbian military — and it rips me apart every single time I go through this process. Reading, stopping and trying to get in touch with what was going through a victim’s head when she realized that such brutal acts are about to be perpetrated and that she will be the victim this time unlike the stories she has heard and have always hoped to be nothing more than tall-tales. The rumor of rape camps that passed on from ear to ear, never falling to a deaf one by any means but too barbaric to even contemplate to be true, suddenly becomes as real as the knife being held to her neck as her daughter watches not knowing she would be next.

People ask me why I do not oppose the death penalty in principle and it is because of crimes like this. While it is one thing to explain why the death penalty in the United States should be abolished due to its disproportionate targeting of African Americans, it is another to ask me to oppose in principle the best way to rid humanity of such cancers.

Every single account reinforces my understanding of the grievances that would lead irrational and brutal men waging war on entire nations on the reasoning that his people’s women have been disrespected. Obviously, my knowledge, logic and rationality do not allow me to entertain such idiotic thoughts but it does allow me to peer into the emotions that would drive such mad men into a war littered with generalities, vagueness and all the innocent civilians that these two fatal flaws would eventually take with them.

I have read about the Bosnian genocide before and it never ceases to hurt. After reading an article or a human rights report I would always search on Google for videos and pictures so that such stories of brutality would be accompanied by faces. I did it when a U.S. soldier raped an Iraqi girl and I did the same for every single case of rape and torture that I read about when the United States turned Guatemala and El Salvador into a literal hell on earth in the 1980s, both men and women. I did it when Steven Biko was tortured to his eventual death in Apartheid South Africa as it reminds me that these are not tall-tales. It reminds me to be humble and thankful for what I have despite how hard things may be in the context of my own life – a sad little bubble filled with idealistic and selfish dreams. I am not them but out of respect I try to understand what they have gone through. I am not the men (and, in some cases, women) that committed such atrocities. These are not statistics to me that would suffice my curiosity with a simple body count. When I cannot find a face that would accompany an account that I have read about, every single woman that I see – depending on what identifying factor that I would use (race, culture or religion) – becomes that person.

These are human beings that I have been reading about and they deserve to be seen as such. I search for pictures to accompany the things that I have read regarding the men who perpetrated such brutality and it is difficult to comprehend how such a human being can commit such atrocities. To be so sick as to force himself upon a woman, rape her and have her live with it for the rest of her life. In the Bosnian case, mothers and daughters in pairs, wives, mothers and daughters raped in front of the men in their family in order to exert their control and to somehow see it as a tool to push nationalistic interests.

My dear sisters in Islam, many of you are strong individuals and can do more than defend yourselves intellectually, emotionally and physically. That being said, there are those out there who have no heart and you have to take every precaution that you can in order to ensure your safety. In light of the context of the world we live in today, where Muslims face tremendous amount of hostilities, you should all take extra precautions especially if you are visibly Muslim. Looks matter and I know that far too well. Not because I look like a Muslim (far from it) but because, I admit, I look like a high school hooligan sometimes. I take precautions when I am outside because I am aware of what kind of attention I will attract. If anyone has ever seen me walk around downtown Toronto and even in Mississauga, give me 10 minutes and you will see someone asking me for drugs. There will be “thugs” playing chicken with me on the sidewalk because I look like a rival gang member from some other wannabe-gang. If I swing by a mall there will be no shortage of high school kids eye-balling me because they think I was the guy that cussed them out a couple of weeks ago at some house party somewhere. Or, when I walk into a store with expensive products there is definitely no shortage of workers following me around waiting for me to try and shoplift. While I have definitely made major changes in the way I dress and act (you cannot do the same with the hijab), I still attract such attention. Perhaps it is the way I speak, walk or maybe it is my past high school life still catching up to me, but it is still there. For you sisters, unwanted and potentially dangerous attention will always be there keeping the psychological and historical factors in mind.

There is nothing wrong with taking precautions. It is not a hindrance to your independence or your autonomy when you make sure that you come home before it gets too late or if you make sure that you do not walk around in an area devoid of other human beings. When I see a group of “thugs” making a commotion somewhere, keeping in mind that I look like them and will be treated as such, I think of a way of making sure that no conflict will arise. I may cross the street or just keep walking and just ignore a stupid comment that gets lobbed at me. When someone does say something if I do walk by, I just keep on walking. There is no sense in bringing back high school incidents when someone says something stupid, you chime back and next thing you know someone is trying to knife you. If I told you of all the insane things that I have seen and gone through as a juvenile delinquent you would understand why I am like this. I know of a high school kid who got pummeled with beer bottles by a group of wannabe “thugs” (yes, we make fun of them for posing but they do pose a very real and serious threat a lot of times and they come in packs), the kid goes home, takes a shower, goes to sleep and never wakes up again because of a brain hemorrhage. My own cousin had to move around Ontario because he witnessed a friend of his get stabbed by gang members (all “wannabes” but still dangerous) and they searched him out for years. Just because you are women and that you hang around a generally good crowd, do not think that you are free from such stupidities as you will come across them from time to time. When people speak I always tell them to be mindful of who is around because I have seen people get jumped – men, women, boys, girls, teenagers, adults and senior citizens – and beaten for something that they have said that one person may understand but others do not. For example, while I may understand it when a friend repeats a Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle joke to me and they are not black, it is a different context when the same person is telling it and there are others around not familiar with them. There is no such thing as complete freedom, just because it is your home does not mean that you can make any noise you want. Just because you are expressing yourself artistically does not it make it okay to offend everyone else. Asserting independence and autonomy does not mean to refuse to pay heed to the possible dangers around us.

If someone is playing chicken with you on the sidewalk, move to the side and let their own ego implode under the weight of their ignorance. If I ever shared the sheer amount of unnecessary confrontations I have found myself in my entire life before my conversion to Islam I would have various novels in the making. Some people call me paranoid when I scope out possible confrontations that may arise in advance and I do my best to avoid them but it is better to be safe than sorry. And no, it is not a hindrance to my independence or autonomy.

Relating it back to the sisters, as heroic as Mukhtar Mai may be and other women victims of violent crimes, we should do our best to avoid creating the environment that would create such amazing heroes. As inspiring as she is, her life did not need to be destroyed.

While there is very little known about the circumstances that are involved in the disappearance, with this I can only pray that sister Etidal Abdullah would come home safe and sound to her family this Ramadan. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) protect her and bestow mercy and tranquility upon her family. Ameen. Please keep Etidal in your duas.

Please watch and spread this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRtU5JQpuuw

Sincerely,
Critical Mood

9-11 Firefighters Mujahids? – An Advice to Fellow Muslims

Assalamu-aleykum,

This post is for the purpose of making a quick clarification. A lot of the ‘deviant’ claims resulted from an interview that Hamza Yusuf did with PBS regarding how 9-11 firefighters were mujahids. While it was obvious to many who watched/read the interview what he meant from the get-go, it was not obvious at all to some. Here is a point of clarification that I hope would be the last, despite being the first time I’m bringing it up, in my own circle.

In the literal sense of the word they can be labeled as that. As Shaykh Haddad and Rabbani explains it extremely well in their response to Yusuf Estes at SunniPath.com. A “mujahid” is the one who struggles and exert. Clearly he meant it in a ‘linguistic’ sense. We should be careful as Muslims to understand the intent of the person before we judge them. Muslims in the world know very well what kind of damage that can cause. Again, contextually, he was not referring to the technical (shariah) connotation of the word. In the sense I explained already, linguistically it does qualify and he is only seeking to have “Westerners” understand with the use of parallels — a task that many of our scholars fail at due to narrow tactics or linguistic barriers. In the case of the latter, it is completely understandable but still frustrating.

Here are the exact words during the so-called “deviant” interview:

“Hamza: And I think that really clarifies to the Muslims. Building a hospital in the Arab world – and I’ve lived in the Arab world, I speak Arabic very well – building a hospital, the Arabs will literally say what a great Jihad that was when it was completed. The idea of spending money for anything good… those firefighters who were pulling people out of the World Trade Towers, they would be considered, that’s an act of Jihad. They would be considered mujahideen if they were described in Arabic. And I’m not exaggerating at all. That really is at the essence of this word.”

Notice that he explicitly states that “if they were described in Arabic”? This is further highlighted when he linguistically broke down what the word meant even more in the interview if used in Arabic.

- Critical Mood -
www.criticalmood.com

Hey woman, tell me what you think …

Assalamu-aleykum sisters,

I’m working on a lab assignment for school (totally not related to this post) but I manage to squeeze in random readings all the time to keep my head going. Thus, I want to establish a little dialogue about something I find interesting. I currently have a small side project going amongst me and some of my friends that will help expand this dialogue further but I want to start a small one here. I’ve already got this going on a one on one level with many of you guys but I’m just sending this out just so you understand how curious I am about this issue as it relates to all your personal experiences.

One of my favorite hobby is to search for different opinions (regardless of whether it is fringe or not as it relates to the ‘mainstream’) on various issues in Islam. My interests can range from small irrelevant sounding issues to really contentious ones subjected to intense debates amongst the ulema. I think it is quite obvious though that my primary interest is focused on ‘theological perspectives’ and deriving possible ‘political consequences’ (whether it be attitude or in actual practice in the legal sense) from them. As it relates to Muslim women (you guys), I want to understand the extent of your “political empowerment” and how you have been raised in your understanding of what the latter means. Thus, if you can provide me feedback (you can send it to me privately or have it seen by everyone else) I would greatly appreciate. Feel free to trash me as well, it’s all good.

An anomaly that I find with some Muslim websites or even books/articles about dispelling the views of “Muslim women being oppressed” is that there is a lack of commentary regarding the role of Muslim women in the political and socio-economic arena. While it is definitely important to dispel myths and outright lies regarding things like the hijab, the real type of empowerment lies in how much practical political and economic will can be exercised by a woman. Instead, while these sites may respect women and praise them, it will only do that insofar as they are treated as something to be “maintained”. The link I provided below will highlight what I mean by this:

Does Islam regard women and men equal?
http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/1105

“And men are different in intellectual terms, for men are known for their strength of understanding and their memory as compared to women. Women are weaker than men in memory and forget more than men do. This is well known, for most of the reputable scholars in the world are men. There are some women who are more intelligent and have better memories than some men, but this does not cancel out the general rule. Most cases are as we have described above. “

I am withholding any further commentary on this fatwa — definitely in my next blog post I will touch on this issue further and provide a precise critique — but Dr. Jamal Badawi’s book provides an obvious counter to such a perspective:

http://www.soundvision.com/info/gender/

Many of you I know go to IslamQA all the time so I wonder about a couple of things that I hope you will provide some answers for. All I know is that some of you would try to smack me with a newspaper if I ever say anything like that. With many of you, I’m not quite sure so I will ask my questions.

• When you go to certain Islamic sources, are you concerned at all with the underlying assumptions — in the case of that IslamQA fatwa, a really broad generalization that I’m sure Dr. Ingrid Mattson, Professor Katherine Bullock and other female scholars would have plenty to say about –that some men scholars make?
• To what extent do you see yourself involved in the political and socio-economic realm? Are you concerned at all?
• How familiar are you with historical examples — at least, recent ones and not necessarily relating to gender — that would give a broader perspective on how important political and economic empowerment is as a safeguard against oppression?
• How familiar are you with the different perspectives amongst the ‘ulema’ in Islam? Or, do you have a particular definition of who qualifies for that term?
• Most importantly, how were you raised by your parents and by the people around you? Were you encouraged to aim for leadership positions? If so, to what extent? If not, what were you told?  How much social pressure (whether from your parents, brothers, husband or soon to be) do you feel as it relates to all of this?

Even with me, a lot of you always get me to ram my foot in my mouth (which leads to further grave digging when I try to resist) when I make ‘overgeneralizations’ about women but I would usually correct myself. And yes, I know I can be pretty arrogant and intellectually aggressive a lot of times too. Nevertheless, when I do blast out my biases they are based on personal experience. That being said, the fatwa I linked above from IslamQA is making a claim to hard evidence and treating the supposed fragile emotional/intellectual state of women as a generally accepted FACT. While it recognizes that it is not true all the time, it nevertheless argues that these anomalies are mere exceptions as opposed to the rule. I know a lot of you to be politically active, educated and economically self-sufficient (or has the capability of being so) so I know you guys have plenty to say about this.

While I may say something like “women are emotional” (as many guys and even women do), I would say it in a particular context: to my friends who would understand how ignorantly limited such an off-the-cuff comment is. The same goes when women argue that men have huge egos. These are off-the-cuff comments that I would never entertain as legitimate intellectual or academic arguments as IslamQA treats it. I would never engage any of you in a discussion and think “she’s just being emotional” while you guys are speaking. When I disagree with you, it would be on the merits of your argument and nothing more.

Or am I wrong in even raising this issue? Are you guys crying as your knees buckle — of course, in total compliance with your emotional nature and inability to remember what you wore two years ago — under the weight of my aggressive way of engaging all of you in an intellectual dialogue? Should I not move my arms about like I’m rapping when I speak to you guys in person because it may confuse you from engaging in the arduous task (for women at least) of putting together any logical and rational argument?

Tell me what you think, woman.

In the spirit of resistance,
Critical Mood
www.criticalmood.com