Adhaalath’s press release: whose the target?
Posted By HilathAdhaalath Party, which the MDP government has given a monopoly over the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, today issued a press release, advising all people to express their views within the tenets of Islam.
While the press release says that foreigners should be given visas only on the basis that they also respect this Constitutional requirement, this might be taken as a reference to Iranian-born British editor of MinivanNews.com, Maryam Omidi.
But having read the four articles on MinivanNews.com (dated 5 July 2009 | 8 July 2009 | 9 July 2009 | 15 July 2009) regarding the issue of the flogging of an 18-year-old woman for extra-marital sex, neither MinivanNews.com nor Maryam had ever expressed any of their own views — whether for or against flogging.
Rather, MinivanNews.com carried the views of Amnesty International, Maldives High Commissioner to the UK Dr. Farahnaz Faisal, MP Eva Abdulla, the President’s Office Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair and Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed expressed following the flogging case.
So whose the real target of Adhaalath’s press release?
I think it will be in the best interests of both Adhaalath and the MDP government to clearly inform the Maldivian public of the limitations the government faces in implementing Sharia law in Maldives fully due to Maldives being a signatory to international treaties.
Succumbing to what is perceived as popular opinion — but which in fact is only the voice of some minority extremists — will not serve any purpose. In fact, if we retreat every time for the fear of being labeled “anti-Islamic”, soon these minority extremist elements will be running all the daily affairs of Maldives’ citizens.
The only “controversial” comments written by Maryam was questioning why Sharia law is not implemented fully, why only flogging is implemented while amputation and stoning are not implemented.
And I believe that this is a legitimate issue to be raised because, in the absence of laws embracing forensic evidence, flogging when carried out is mostly against women. As happened in the 18-year-old woman’s case, the two men escaped conviction because they denied their involvement.
If amputation is carried out for theft, I am sure it will be applied mostly to men. (Wouldn’t it be a sight to walk on Majeedee Magu and see scores of men each missing a limb or two?)
This is where in Maldives this half-hearted implementation of Sharia law — where only some Sharia laws are implemented while others are not — becomes gender discriminatory.
In fact, I tend to wonder whether this is because most politicians and decision-makers are men and therefore they do not want to implement Sharia laws which are against them. Rather, they prefer to make Maldivian women suffer.
I myself questioned some women regarding this 18-year-old woman’s case and they were of the view that it is discriminatory and that Sharia law should be either fully implemented or not implemented at all.
In order to ensure that BOTH men and women are equal under the law, I call upon the government to fully implement Sharia law or else clearly explain to the public why it cannot do so under international obligations.
Otherwise, I call upon the government (or is this specifically Adhaalath’s own unilateral decision to issue this press release?) to refrain from trying to find scapegoats, which is clearly unfair in the case of Maryam Omidi for she made no anti-flogging comments which Adhaalath’s press release seems to hint at.
If the government is only concerned in finding scapegoats rather than clearly explaining to the Maldivian public the limitations it has in implementing the Sharia law due to international obligations, it will only serve to empower the minority extremist elements over the majority of moderate Maldivians.
I clearly remember President Mohamed Nasheed during his visit to India promising to make a concerted effort to fight extremism.
i think that the Islamic Min. has to be within the tenants of the MDP government and within the tenants of the constitution of Maldives before releasing any press statements. The laws and regulations of Maldives took ages and centuries to come by , it is not the perfect constitution but its the best we (as a nation ) has come up with so , Hon.Majeed or whoever can’t just one day reverse centuries of moderate Islam we practice just cause he feels like it. I think he has got himself disoriented , Anni might have given him a monopoly over Ministry of Islamic affairs , but HE (Majeed) does not have a monopoly over our CONSTITUTION and our laws that has been passed by OUR parliament (international treaties that have been parliament approved as well ) . absolute power corrupts absolutely !!! eh
Hilat writes in one of his posts;
“We are still stuck in a time warp and unable to give up on practises (like flogging) which modern civilised humans consider degrading to human dignity.”
and in this post he wrote:
“I call upon the government to fully implement Sharia law or else clearly explain to the public why it cannot do so under international obligations.”
I dunno what to say about the sincerity of this man, Hilat.
pls post this..
I like your post Hilath. I can’t help but react to this..
fat, as much as i would like to agree with you, its not the case i fear. If the nations constitution says, islam is the only religion acceptable and no laws or regulations can be made against it and all citizens has to live within the tenets of this religion, then by defenition WHOEVER dictates (thats whats happening) tenets of this religion HAS the monopoly over the constitution, over our lives, over economy, over everything..
As long as there is such power given in the constitution to a religion, and the consensus seems to be that only learned scholars or Sheiks can dictate these so called tenets, whatelse can we expect?
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stewie, Assuming that you are a muslim
humans have the god-given logic( or was it chance and evolutiton granted logic?) to compare whose opinion whose verdict whose law whose religion is the truth or more logical. As for the Islam, who would provide you with the true teaching of Islam. specially the learned men are fighting each other. what would the wiser layman do. return back to the true sources.
and that is the Quran. And the Quran tells “if you dispute in any matter then return the matter to Allah and His Messenger”. and “if anyone after that have any sort of crookedness in his heart with it (allah’s and messengers decision)then prepare to wage a war against Allah and his messenger”
This is the truth. If Shaheem says something and you disagree with it, return back to Allah and his messenger to check whether he is speaking the truth. If he is lying its your obligation to stand against it. this is how its should be. Not as hopeless and confusing as u might make it to sound
So who is the target? Minivan news Mariyam Omidi is this tiny thing from England with no politically influential contacts who would stick their neck out to protect her.That is how bullies operate.
Aadhalath wouldn’t dare come after Eva, Farah or Dr Shaheed.
good post hilath.
Check my webpage for an article abt ibn khataab..
Stewie, If the constitution says Islam is the only religion acceptable, then what we need is laws and regulations to define that. Also we need to make laws to clarify what tenets of Islam is and what are the bounds that we can cross. We cannot afford this Islam business as a weapon and shield by the then sitting government. We cannot allow political appointees and political parties to have a monopoly on religion that belongs to us all. We need a independent fatwa committee to issue non binding fatwas, as they are not a part of the THINBAARU. And the laws we follow are to be clear and precise passed by the parliament.
And also we need to have penal code. We need law enforcement agencies to know what is unlawful and justices to pass the sentences based on written laws, not asking advice from one Mullah or the other, depending on the political correctness and prevalent mood.
We also need a time frame for non Muslims to either convert or leave the country peacefully or give them an ultimatum to face the inevitable, final solution. On the other hand no constitution in the world can take the very basic human right to voice his belief truthfully.
Think of this scenario: suddenly we change the constitution saying the new religion of Maldives is Buddhism same as our ancestors. Do we become Buddhists by default? Of course not. What we will need is planning and discussing and make laws and rules to implement the new act. That will take time. Until then the law is obsolete.
Do you guys really mean to tell me the only reason you try to be good is to gain God’s approval and reward, or to avoid his disapproval and punishment? That’s not morality, that’s just sucking up, applepolishing, looking over your shoulder at the great surveillance camera in the sky, or the still small wiretap inside your head, monitoring your every move, even your every base thought. As Albert Einstein said, ‘If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.
Do you know that religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. Wake up. let’s free all Maldivians from fear of God, fear of state, and fear of families. Let them be rational thinkers
What Adaalath is trying is a conspiracy. They opposed Gayoom when he refused to put Majeed as the head of then Mathee Majlis. He and few of his Saudi followers wants to bring a fundamental type system to Maldives. They did not want to join Anni. However, they held secret meetings behind door and decided to support Anni if he would give them the Islamic ministry. Now, slowly but steadily, they are promoting their agenda. They will have their own channel soon. They will control a newspaper soon. They are already controlling Friday surmons and religious lectures in mosques. They will infiltrate the judiciary as well. Their funding comes from those that fund extremism. They are with MDP for now, that is not their long-term plan. They will lie, suck up to who they have to for now because they believe that is acceptable in Islam as a jihad technique.
He who is without sin cast the first stone.
I totally agree with Atheist. Maldivians have lived in harmony for century, both before conversion to Islam and after. If we want to live a peaceful, happy and fulfilled life, then we should abandon the dogmas of the cave-dwelling people. It is not the fear of god that makes man a human. We need to inculcate the human spirit in us and do away with the unnecessary burden of god. Look around you guys, where is GOD????
Iranian born British who is settled in Maldives? Man! This definitely means trouble, I tell ya!
i agree with athiest above…as i am also a dreamer and i am not the only one..
Think we really need to separate religion from state or forget democracy…..islamic democracy, 2 words combined that cant make sense.
In many cases throughout the Islamic world women’s are degraded under Sharia law as second-class people. A woman is treated as half of a man. In court, the testimony of two women equals that of one man; a man’s son inherits twice as much as his daughter; compensation for the accidental death of a man is twice that for a woman. Men can marry non-Islamic women. Men are allowed up to four wives, provided that they can provide equally for all of them, but women cannot marry non-Islamic men. A woman can get a divorce only under extreme conditions; a man can divorce a wife without cause.
Many Islamic countries including the Maldives under Sharia law, man’s child from any woman (including non-Muslim women) would become a citizen of the country automatically. But woman’s child from a non-Muslim man would not be eligible for citizenship.
The sexual morality propagated in the Shria leads, when put into practice, to cruel violations of the rights of women and girls. It is demanded in the Sharia that a woman obeys her husband indefinitely. For the man conforming to the wishes of wife is an option. A man may have sexual intercourse with his wife when and how he wants. Flogging when carried out for illegal sex is mostly against women.Daily 1000s of women suffer all around the Islamic world. They are traumatized deranged.
I don’t believe that the Saria is the real true interpretations of Quran? Or Sharia law is the instrument by which political Islam seeks to control the Muslim world. How a law whose elements were first laid down over 1,000 years ago can possibly be relevant in the 21st century?
Mr. Athiest
“let’s free all Maldivians from fear of God, fear of state, and fear of families.”
And who will fill the vacuum? Einstein would have known that(had he be living amongst us now)democracy,world view will fill in. Democracy advocated by imperialists would be very happy dictate terms.
Its time we grow up to the tricks of western hypocracy in the name of democracy.
A Maldivian.
“…there are lots of people out there who have been brought up in some relgion or other, are unhappy in it, don’t believe it, or are worried about the evils that are done in it’s name; people who feel vague yearnings to leave their parents’ religion and wish they could, but just don’t realize that leaving is an option.” (preface, p. 1, The God Delusion by Professor richard Dawkins)
Those who wish to base their morality literally on Koran have either not read it or not understood it.
Is slavery immoral?
Slavery was practiced for centuries even by very pious people. Muhammad not only had slaves but he benefited from reducing free people into slaves and selling them. Was he immoral? If yes; why should we follow an immoral person and if no; why should we condemn its practice????
Jihad is also an integral part of the Islamic morality. It is an open behest of Allah to murder, pillage, rape and create widows and orphans for imposing Allah’s will on the unbelievers, who are considered His worst enemies just for the “sin” of unbelief. Yet, Allah calls himself the Independent (SAMAD), All-Compassionate, All- Powerful and Creator of the whole universe!…
there is no such thing as moderate Islam…never was,
also totally agree with INSIDER above…
Listen to wise men who are a few of them who have changed the world
Religions are nothing but creation of common men. Do you think people like Majeed
and Hussain Rasheed can influence today’s’ modern thinking by their irrational religious dogma
Religious extremism is a vehicle with which to vent ones frustration, but it also magnifies the rage. More effective mechanisms to deal with frustration have to be taught. The frustrated are not the really oppressed, because the oppressed who are really oppressed are in a state of resignation. It is the ambitious who have been frustrated, the second son of the billionaire who did not get AS MUCH, the Kings’s Second Eldest Son who will only ever be a multi-millionaire Prince but never a King (poor fellow), these, these whose ambitions are ludicrous who are this angry. It could be business men who are only second best at their business. It is the rage of the selfish and spoilt, this religious rage, not of the genuinely oppresessed, and it needs to be crushed. People who see religious violence like this with sympathy, feeling that these people are innocent victims, need to know this.
Omidi is from Iran? Well, you ask her about where the support of the revolution went to, to the lower middle classes, NOT to the genuinely oppressed poor working classes and underclasses. It is a phenomenom of the middle classes, Islamic extremism. It is therefore, hypocritical in that it fails to see the needs of the genuinely oppressed in this of this world.
The Islam of most genuinely poor people tends to be passivist, non-violent. When I have prayed in Mosques in very old Maldives on islands, I feel immensely peaceful not all worked up and violent like what you get by mixing with certain groups in Male’ in Mosques I will not mention here.
The best form of Islam is the personal interpretation at a spiritual level, not the political, molded by the selfish and dogma.
Atheist: I’ve practised and seen the free-minded approach, void of God. I’ve seen people operate without any form of guidance, starting from scratch. Such people do well for a while and then suddenly get into a panic attack, confused and gasping for air. Happy and high one moment, the next moment craving for some sort of a standard or a gauge. Humans, by nature do need a reference point. They do need a strict penal code. Our inner-self is tos weak to be guided solely by a vacuum. Without the fear that we need, you could very well do the right thing, work for charity etc. But when you start mingling with society, your own santy and the vacuum-gudied righteousness will get influenced by what’s around you, by capitalism, by the pressure to hunt for food and feed your family. Sono, your free-thinking morality gets challenged. You soon ‘adjust’ your own creation of morailty to suit your own environmnet. That’s why it’s easy for a an athesit or a capitalist to justify charging an African society for vaccines. That’s why the free-thinker can justify stealing (or is forced to justify stealing for slef-fishness, be it to feed an addiction, for financial greed etc. You might not have done it at the eraly stages of you atheism, but without that comforting God-fearing reference point you will end up a sad, worthless soul craving for suicide. Your morality gets adjusted!
With god in your sould, you will always have a set of universal truths of what is right and what is wrong.
Karl Marks said: Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.
The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is therefore in embryo the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.
Let’s free Maldivians from fear of God, fear of state and fear of their families. Let them be rational thinkers, not hypocrites anymore. Let’s free them from God delusion. :)
AS:
War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, hypocrisy, dishonesty, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed. Results like these do not belong on the resumé of a Supreme Being. This is the kind of shit you’d expect from an unqualified student with a bad attitude. And just between you and me, in any decently-run universe, this guy would’ve been out on his all-powerful ass a long time ago.
And by the way, why would I want to go to heaven with people like Gayoom, Hussein Rasheed, Dr. Majeed, and Osama Bin Laden when I can be with cool, sexy and beautiful people like Angelina Jolie, Lora Bush, Bill Clinton, Jeniffer Lopez and Eva Longoria.
You gotta be joking….get out of this crap ASAP. Be confident. Become and atheist and you will meet with your inner soul and you will be much happier and a better person. You will have a lot of affection and love for other people.
AS: “I am not going to bomb anybody, behead them, stone them, burn them at the stake, crucify them, or fly planes into their skyscrapers, just because of a theological disagreement.”(Richard Dawkins, God Delusion, Chapter 8, p. 282).
There is nothing called religious extremism or religious moderation. Religion by its nature is extremist force that influences reckless illusionary minds who seek life to enjoy beyond their death. This psychosis is persistent among the poorest, feeble and selfish people as they are the victim of nature who can not enjoy the life.
Political Correctness – A threat to the coral reefs of Maldives
The Adhaalath Party’s petition to restrict visas to the ideologically pure (1), a dullard’s incomprehending reaction to the lucid jouralism of Maryam Omidi (e.g. 2), may be an excellent idea, because it could conserve the coral reefs of Maldives. In a recent Minivan News article (Little boy causes coral apocalypse, 16 July 2009 (2)) Jonathan Faull asserted that, “El Nino (meaning ‘little boy’ in Spanish) is not a new visitor to the Maldives.” Faull and others he cites state that said little boy destroyed the reefs in 1998 and may do so again in 2010. It seems relevant to point out that the phenomenon called “El Niño” in Spanish translates as “the Christ child” in English, a meaning that has special significance in the context of “apocalypse”. Denying this “little boy” a visa and avoiding the apocalypse might be difficult, because it will depend in part on the global community reaching and operationalizing a constructive consensus about the size of its collective carbon footprint.
Yours truly,
Malrow
1. http://www.hilath.com/?p=1219
2. http://www.minivannews.com/print_page.php?id=6888
3. http://www.minivannews.com/news_detail.php?id=6901
Hilath, I hope it’s not too late for me to present my thoughts on this issue. I submitted this letter to minivannews letters section, but the copy i submitted was scrawled out hastily at some horrible hour and needed a few adjustments. I have made a few adjustments, however, to really explain a lot of the concepts here would take a lot more time and space than anyone has got. A lot of the stuff about context in the Qur’an needs a lot more explaining. I needed to point out that another proof certain verses need to be applied only to specific contexts is because different punishments are prescribed for different things at different points in time. Also, the issue of abrogation (Naskh) needs to be adressed much deeper to fully expound my point, but let me just breifly say that if verses were abrogated, how can they have been eternal and remain uncreated and eternal? The only answer, they existed for a time, place and were applicable to specific circumstances but were not useful for other circumstances. Yet, the reasoning or the rationale behind each Qur’anic injunction is eternal.
Anyway here’s my thoughts…
I love Allah and his Rasul Mohammed (SAW) deeply and would never dream of challenging the Law of Islam but Questioning whether a Woman should be flogged is by no means questioning Shariah Law.
Allow me to present my case.
According to the Tafsir (Commentary) of Ibn Khattab, Al – Fatiha, the ‘Opening’ called Umm Al-Kitab or the Mother of the Book, is the pivotal text around which the entire Qur’an must be implemented. Al-Fatiha reiterates the Mercy and Grace of Allah, it emphasizes these the supreme attributes twice. The words Rahman and Rahim are incredibly deep for one who understands Arabic from within, as the etymological route of these words means a Mother’s Womb. In interpreting the Qur’an, and applying the Qur’anic injunctions, we must express these qualities of Mercy.
The Qur’an does command that Zina (adultery or illicit sex) be punished by flogging. In fact in another verse the Qur’an says a married adulterer must be stoned to death (Hadd or maximum punishment in Islam is Rajm – killing…) what needs to be understood is the context within which this must be read. The application of these injunctions were rarely carried out by the Prophet (Sallalahu Alahi Wasallam) in such an extreme manner according to Sahih (authentic) Hadith (doing’s and sayings of the Prophet (SAW)), and the Prophet’s life is a living Ayat – a Hidaya (a light and guide) by itself with which to interpret the Qur’an with. In more than one instance, the Prophet (SAW) did not implement flogging or stoning an adulterer until she /he begged him to. On many other occasions, when it was clear a boy’s Father was not who everyone claimed the Father to be, the Prophet stressed that, ‘He whose bed one is born on is the Father,’ – it was not beneficial to anyone, not merciful to destroy a family in the name of delivering justice to an adulterous woman. In the manner of the great Madhab Imam Al-Shaafi, whose style of Ibadah was introduced into the Maldives, we call this Maslahah (the utility) of implementation.
The Qur’an is eternal, unwritten, in fact the great Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal was imprisoned for preaching this, and he was also imprisoned for defending a Zahirite (literalist) approach to implementing Shariah Law based on the Qur’an and Sunnah. However, we must also understand that the Ayat’s are to be read and applied in context. To attack the notion that the Qur’an must be understood in context based on the unwritten nature and the Zahir (light – referring to the literal external nature of the Qur’an is to misunderstand Islam. Those Ayat’s (verses) have existed eternally, but for a time which to us has gone, but to Allah still is as time and space are as one to Allah. Such dimensions as time and space are only dimensions which limit us human beings. Everything that will happen has already happened in Allah, this is the reason we say In’shallah, it is reverencing this concept and that all are part of Allah’s will.
The context the Qur’an must be implemented in, as has been expressed, is what best expresses the Qualities of Mercy and Justice towards a whole society? At the time women were flogged, extreme sexual violence, destructive sex where women would sleep with the enemies of their husbands to cause warfare between tribes was a problem, so the intention of such a ruling was to prevent the Muwahid (Oneness) of the new Islamic Ummah (Community) from disintegrating.
So, when implementing the Qur’an, we have to ask, what is the purpose behind such Ayat’s, will we be achieving the objective of the Ayat’s – the Niyat (intention) of a ruling by implementing it in the same way it was commanded to be implemented in the Prophet’s time?
Was flogging these Maldivian women achieving community harmony and preventing war? I doubt it.
Sukrun
Abdul-Rahman
Mr. Abdul-Rahman,…I thought the quran was the clear and doubt free word of Allah. and thats the only text protected by Allah? not the Hadiths or the sira…etc etc. Yet it can be understood only by refering to these unprotected texts or scriptures written by men?
the Quran is the worst authored book ever…pure nonsense, and thats a title it would hold for eternity.
The Rajm was practiced and is implied by the Qur’an, but yes you are correct, in a strict sense Rajm is not mentioned in the Qur’an, I should not have said in fact, and I should have pointed out that stoning was implied not specified. The punishment of stoning to death (Rajm) is not mentioned in the Qur’an. However, it is based on a Qur’anic verse* which prescribes certain punishments for criminals who are guilty of creating a law and order situation and spreading nuisance. One of these punishments is Taqtil. The words ‘an yuqattalu’ are used for it. They imply that not only should the criminals of this category be executed but that they should be executed in a manner that serves as a severe warning to everyone. The punishment of Rajm is one form of Taqtil. The Prophet (sws) in his own times, in accordance with this directive, administered this punishment to certain criminals guilty of adultery. Consequently, we can still stick to it or leave it to give way to other severer forms of punishment. The real thing is Taqtil, which, obviously, can have many forms.
The second thing which needs to be appreciated is that this punishment does not unconditionally relate to married individuals who are guilty of adultery, as is generally understood. The Prophet (sws), while taking into consideration the circumstances and the nature of crime in his own times, granted remission to certain criminals guilty of debauchery by exiling them; similarly, while obeying this verse he stoned to death certain others who did not deserve any leniency. His inquiry into the marital status of criminals guilty of fornication was also based on this pretext ie, whether the criminal deserved any leniency. Our jurists have erroneously inferred from the Prophet’s inquiry that the marital status of a person was actually the basis of the punishment and on this basis maintain that the directive of administering a hundred stripes (the punishment of fornication as mentioned in Surah Nur) is only for unmarried people. Actually, the Prophet (sws) while deciding the fate of such criminals asked many questions to see whether they deserved any mitigation. The question of an offender’s marital status was one such question, but our jurists concluded it was the only question asked and, hence, made it the basis of the punishment. They, thereby, incorporated in the penal code of Islam a totally baseless addition, which is against the Qur’an as well as the norms of sense and reason.
There are six verses in the Quran which mention threats of stoning, against the Muslims (Hanif) of the Quran.
[11:91] They said, “O Shu`aib, we do not comprehend many of the things you are telling us, and we see that you are powerless among us. If it were not for your tribe, we would have stoned you. You have no value for us.”
[18:20] “If they discover you, they will stone you, or force you to revert to their religion, then you can never succeed.”
[19:46] He said, “Have you forsaken my gods, O Abraham? Unless you stop, I will stone you. Leave me alone.”
[26:116] They said, “Unless you refrain, O Noah, you will be stoned.”
[36:18] They said, “We consider you bad omens. Unless you refrain, we will surely stone you, or afflict you with painful retribution.”
[44:20] And surely I take refuge with my Lord and your Lord that you should stone me to death:”
I was just trying to point out that violence against Women cannot be justified by Islam, and you have helped me achieve this
paragraph starting The Rajm was practiced and is implied by the Qur’an, but yes you are correct, in a strict sense Rajm is not mentioned in the Qur’an, i got from a website, can’t remember where send the link later, i wanted to write this but found this said it quicker
Stanger,
I totally agree with you that Koran is the worst authored book ever….and it’s pure nonsense.
Have you seen the film FITNA. It’s on Internet. Follow this link and search for it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitna_(film)
If Koran is like what’s been described, its so sad for the humanity.
My heartfelt experience of Islam is something beautiful, merciful, and compassionate. I feel Islam as a powerful force for social justice. The Al-Qadr (Power) that I feel, streams from he who is Al Qadr, Allah (SWT), and it is this power which elevates my sense of humanity. The Islam that I feel shreds my heart with painful mercy for the oppressed; it causes me to tremble with indignation when I see any exploitation or abuse of power. For me, Jihad (from Jahada – struggle) is a fight for human rights, social justice, and mercy. To use Jihad to justify violence in our day and age is an abuse of this beautiful, sacred duty to strive for the wellbeing of humanity. True Jihad is struggle to spread the Rahman and the Rahim, the Mercy of Allah.
Warfare is not called Jihad in the Qur’an but it is called, Al-Qital. The word Jahada-or striving from which Jihad is derived (not to be confused with the similar sounding yet very different word Shahada or martyrdom or declaration of one’s faith through action and word) is in the Qur’an but used in the context of striving overall. When we study Islamic history, Seerah and Hadith and other history, we see that often Al-Qital was fighting to stop orphans and children from being killed because they were girls or burdens. Or, in other cases, the Muslims had to fight because if you were not a Muslim, your duty to your tribe or religion was to kill the Muslims. Even Muslim warfare which appeared aggressive was defensive if we really study Islamic history. However, in our day and age physical fighting to spread Islam or to get social justice can only be used in extreme cases of physical aggression. The spirit of true Jihad demands that violence be used as a strictly last resort only. A true Muslim leader is called to embrace suffering for others, (In Sahih Muslim a Muslim leader is called to be a shield for his people) not to impose suffering on others.
I refuse to accept that an Islam which oppresses people and reduces humanity is true Islam; so I studied into Islam from a liberal scholar’s perspective and it confirmed what I felt. Ayat’s or Hadith which I feel are oppressive, when I studied into these, I could see that such were contextual, not meant for all times and all places. In fact, out of all the scholars I have read on this, and I studied this in English and in Arabic for several years, the best I have come across is the Maldives own Son Professor Abdullah Saeed, brother of Dr. Hassan Saeed leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Part. No matter what one thinks of Hassan Saeed, his brother is the best at explaining, in depth, that oppression of human rights cannot be justified by Islam. I got a few of my ideas from his books.
I reject the repression of democracy and human rights in the name of Islam.
One of my favorite quotes is Qur’an Surah 4: 75, “And Why should you not fight for those men, women and children whose cry is our Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are oppressor’s and send us one who will protect! “ The force for justice captured by this and other Ayat’s beautifully captures the essence of Islam, Allah’s force of liberty for the oppressed. Islam, for me, is a force for social justice, a powerful expression of the dignity of humanity. At the heart of Islam is the Mercy for the oppressed, “Beware of the prayer of the oppressed, there is no barrier between the oppressed and Allah!” This quote is often repeated in both Bukhari and Muslim, and when I feel it, I am appalled and angered when Islam is used as a tool to oppress people.
I completed my thesis on the topic of Islam as a force for democratization, and my findings are that the essence of Islam is deeply democratic, it is deeply empowering for the poor and oppressed, and any Islamic Hadith or verse which appears anti-democratic was only meant to stabilize a forming society. The repression of human rights and social justice is against the essence of Islam.
In the given climate, I feel that my ideas (which are Islam’s ideas) are relevant in Maldives so I am going to try and share them with you all because, I love all my Muslim Brothers and Sisters so much. If you like my ideas Hilath or feel they may be relevant or helpful you can use them it’s up to you…Consider this an introduction because I have a lot of points to make and I wish to use examples from what is happening in Maldives to illustrate my points.
Thanks athiest….
I will check it out…….and as for freeing maldivians….count me in.
Mr abdul rahman….
Islam deprives us of our natural rights..like freedom of opinion and expression.
Isalm considers women… half a man.
Slavery is accepted in islam….the list would go on.
As you can see..its not compatible with democracy or human values..
You might consider all this divine……. I think its as sick as it gets
Atheist: “Free Maldivians from fear of God”. I think first of all you have to personally know God to free someone from Him. Not fair to judge someone just by the looks of it (referring to all the evil that happens in this world). Easy to deny that God exists because you are very alive now and so easy to jest about spending time in the hereafter. If you dont believe God exists just because you dont see him, there are a lot of things you shouldn’t believe huh? If you knew just an atom’s worth of pure knowledge about God, God cannot be called God because He is unthinkable, unfathomable and undescribable. If you can’t believe God has His own reasons for all the misery in this world it’s obvious you have no wisdom. To you someone maybe very beloved, but do you see his/her actual place in the great big picture that is invisible and drawn by God? And if something happens to him can you fathom or even begin to imagine the reaction that is happening elsewhere because of him? You are making yourself so very small and insignificant in defying God because you forget or rather don’t want to believe the actual reason you were sent here in the first place – to worship God alone. He doesn’t become small by your unbelief, but you might become nothing in His Eyes. Obviously you are making the most of “free will” but better be aware of the fact that, even the thought “there is no God”, was also created by Him. So if He can create what can obliterate Him from people’s minds and then watch to what depths humans go, just imagine what else he can create. So it’s just a matter of disobedience you have I guess. Believe from the depth of your heart and He will show you He exists.
secarin:
If Allah is “unthinkable, unfathomable and undescribable” as you claim, how does that make Him any different from my God the Invisible Pink Unicorn because It is after all “invisible” to everybody.
To put it this way, why bother thinking or worrying or following something that is “unthinkable, unfathomable and undescribable”?
Or is that another oh-my-god-this-is-awesome kind of phrase to elaborate the idea of “holiness” by an Allah-struck blind idiot like you?
Or is your “proof” that Allah is the true God some obscure claims made by a schizophrenic pedophile from a desert named Mohamed who has written down a book that he claims is from God whose name he claims is Allah?
My religion has its book, history and proofs too. We are equally matched. You cannot claim that Islam is the true religion because my God the Invisible Pink Unicorn has claimed that It is the only true God and that all people who worship all other false gods (like Allah) will forever rot in hell.
And I assure you that just as Allah has promised to give a glimpse of His face to his followers in the Afterlife (in order to give a taste of his “unthinkable, unfathomable and undescribable” nature I supposed), when my God the Invisible Pink Unicorn takes off its ‘nigab’ for our loyal disciples to see, It will be more beautiful and breathtaking than your ugly bitch Allah.
…………..
…”every knee should bow, in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God”
AND THAT MEANS YOU…….AND ME!
DO IT WILLING NOW, OR YOU WILL DO IT LATER!!!!!
Invisible Pink Hollow Prophet: I dont think I’ve ever heard anything more preposterous than a religion whose God is an invisble pink unicorn. By the way which word originated first, God or Invisible …? I have a question, why is it Pink and more so why a Unicorn? Why do you degrade yourself to worshipping an animal? I regard humans nobler than that despite any religious differences. I think I like my God better because my God did not give Himself a form and therefore cannot be compared to anything on this earth. I think if God was comparable to anything or anyone or if He can be called by any other name (names we humans have created over the centuries), we should not worship Him.
secarin:
I forgive you for getting your semantics wrong. What can I say? When you grow up in a country like Maldives where “President = Maumoon” and “God = Allah”.
You get it?
In our Holy Land, which is NOT Maldives, “God = Invisible Pink Unicorn = Flying Spaghetti Monster = Thor = Baal = Brahma = Holy Trinity = etc etc”.
Unfortunately, the word “Allah” is not included in the Universal Equation which has no beginning nor end and is undescribable, unknowable and unfathomable.
“Allah” is quite alien to us True Believers. We believe that “Allah” is a mythical human who is not unlike Mamuoon, the part-time God Maldivians worshipped — or used to worship.
And why do you think “Allah” has no “form” but my God the Invisible Pink Unicorn has a “form”? Perhaps you got your semantics wrong again. Being “invisible” means my God the Pink Unicorn has no form, right?
Hope your mind is now at ease. Peace.
Atheist and Stranger…
here is the updated version of the documentary I mean the full version.. as the original one’s got some stuffs missing in it..
check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DAerxKYipU
IPHP: Maybe I got my semantics wrong. Maybe you and your religion is too intelligent for me to decipher. But I am grateful that my intellect is lesser than yours. It has been a great experience to meet you because knowing people of such faith today exist, has made my own fickle faith stronger. I dont pray 5 times a day and i neither recite quran. You have returned me to my true path. I feel so at peace now that I can comprehend that even the commode you sit on in the toilet is also worshippable to you, as it must be included in the Universal Equation. And thank you for enlightening me on your religion. But i decline on accepting new religions that could easily have an Invisible Orange Frog as their God.
Hilath: thanks for publishing what i wrote. i think i’ll take my leave from here as this could be an endless discussion.
Thank you, Abdulla Rasheed (July 17th), for speaking this out clearly. I just disagree with one thing: Men CAN NOT marry non-islamic women. In the Maldives, non-islamic women are forced to convert to Islam, otherwise they will be denied marriage & visa. That’s the awful truth…
Abdul-Rahman, I suggest you listen to Adhaalath propaganda loop FM 96.00.
You will be a witness to even more idiotic statements from “religious authorities”.
Hilath, this is Abdul-Rahman, that published above comment from me was not from me, remove it, someone in my family is against my ideas they jumped onto my computer and did this…
please remove these comments ASAP…can’t stress how important it is
very serious will explain later
you visible pink faggot.Burn in hell.Burn on earth.Can you see gravity but you know its there .oh else you Atheist assholes will be flying all over the place.Can you see electricity but you know its there.There are so many things that you cannot see but you know its there.Disbelievers your dumb words only make people realize how stupid monkeys you really are.Are you atheist faggots saying you made this world?Or that It suddenly appeared?No,that’s not how it is.God made all this.The universe and everything in it.You disbelievers will burn in hell.Islam is great.You disbelievers burn in hell.
surrender you all to all mighty Allah. quick
if you are atheist then why suppose you die?
why are you born by a womens womb?
why you cant talk ,walk, eat, etc after berth?
if you say u alone produce ur self can u tell us all about how u have create u? or have u fogot how u did that?
dont say any thing that you want to.
u r not following the foot step of satan,indeed you are the king of SATAN.
today u can get publicity.on your one article u also agreed that u also die.so please fear allah ,as u dont remember how u have came to the world, u will not know how your death comes.