Bilal Philips: A lesson in selective modernization
Posted By Hilath
A non-Muslim acquaintance of mine once jeered that “the only reason Michael Jackson embraced Islam was because Islam legalized pedophilia. Islam is a safe haven for pedophiles and closeted homosexual women-haters.”
It was gravely insulting to hear such a horrid accusation but the situation is not helped by people like Bilal Philips who, instead of getting rid of such age-old misconceptions about Islam, rather serve the purpose of aggravating the situation by indulging in what I call “selective modernization.”
It is obvious that child marriage was legal in Prophet Mohamed’s time because the information available to them at that time made them decide that a child had reached adulthood when he or she reached puberty. But today’s scientific findings show that a human only reaches physical and emotional adulthood sometime between the ages of 18 to 21.
Hence, 18 as the age of consent is also a compromise and if I had my way I would raise the age of consent to 21. I am horrified that I live in a country where judges, at their discretion, can marry off children even as young as 16.
So it is deeply suspicious why Bilal Philips aggravated the situation during his recent visit to Maldives by claiming that a parent or guardian can marry off a child when he or she reaches puberty “for his or her safety and well-being.” Let me remind here that in the case of pedophilia in Maldives, most of the child sexual abuse against children goes on because a parent or guardian allows it. Maldivians are no angels.
Bilal Philips, in his “selective modernization”, is perfectly happy to issue a fatwa claiming that smoking tobacco is haram (prohibited). He is also happy to claim that vaccination is also legal because the Prophet “left the PRINCIPLE” with which we can come to such conclusions.
These are two good and useful things he said but when the rest of what he said reeks of “selective modernization” would anyone accept even his positive fatwas (rulings)? I came across this skeptic comment (in Dhivehi) to Haveeru Daily’s article regarding Bilal; Though Bilal laid out his case in detail, the fact that this commentator insisted on getting more information before condemning smoking, showed that religion to most Maldivians are important only to the point that it allow them to enjoy the things they like to indulge in. I wonder whether Bilal himself is guilty of this attitude.
Bilal also labels anyone who is against flogging as anti-Islamic. Once again “selective modernization” here. I am more inclined to believe Dr. Hassan Saeed, himself a scholar, when he said that Islam’s “PRINCIPLE” is to deter crime and that if a society feels that it can deter crime through prison instead of flogging, stoning and amputation, Islamic Sharia allowed for that discretion.
Bilal also trashed all work that Maldives’ society has done so far in getting rid of misconceptions about women by labeling women as agents of destruction. Let me remind here that more men as leaders have destroyed more countries in human history, and let’s not talk about all the genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass murders.
When the government screens people to preach on Islam, not to mention our own state broadcasters telecasting and broadcasting them live, the government should first run a good background check on such preachers and give license only to preachers who are not guilty of “selective modernization.” Otherwise, the blood, sweat and tears of all Maldivians who worked to set up a liberal democracy would be in vain.
Maldives Dissent on its blog has written a very detailed article, Bilal Philips, friend of misogynists and child sexual abusers, on the issues and consequences of Bilal Philip’s controversial sermons while on his visit to Maldives.
Yaameen Rasheed has also written a very well-researched article, Notes on Islam-Part 3: WOMEN, on how people like Bilal Philips aggravate the situation because they fail to get rid of their attitude of “selective modernization.”
It is actually good that all Maldivians should deeply think about what Islam stands for. Do not be afraid. The Quran says it is a complete book and it was sent for the layman in layman terms so that history wouldn’t repeat itself similarly like how Judaism and Christianity became distorted when a class of “scholars” and “priests” monopolized the interpretation of the Injil and the Torah.
At this time, it is utterly disappointing and quite a grievous sin that few people are speaking against Adhaalath Party’s latest attempts to silence and oppress ordinary Maldivian people by organizing religion according to its fantasies and whimsies under its umbrella. I know a lot of people fear speaking out against extremism because of the fear of being labeled anti-Islamic. Well, all I can say for such people is that in history, defenders of Islam have always been labeled “anti-Islamic” because that is the very weapon that hypocrites can use to strike fear in your hearts. You can choose to be a coward and remain silent but know that one day in the near or far future you will wake up and find out that the Islam you knew is hardly recognizable at all and you can only practice someone else’s “version” of Islam.
According to Minivan News article, Only scholars should respond to scholars: Islamic minister, Majeed in his latest attempt at silencing anyone who differs from the Adhaalath viewpoint, is saying unless you are educated you have no right to challenge any fatwas issued by “scholars.”
Which leads me to ask: Is Islam an exclusive religion of only educated humans?
Who appointed these “scholars” over us anyway? Surely not Allah. He sent the Quran directly to us through his Prophet and the Prophet and the Quran explicitly say that, unlike Jews and Christians, we Muslims don’t need mediators to interpret the Quran for us. The Quran is straightforward and simple. Allah deliberately made it that way so that in later ages, these false “scholars” the Prophet warned us about, will not be able to distort Islam and brainwash us. The Quran is the only remaining true source for all Muslims until Judgement Day. So don’t ever deviate away from the Quran.
People like Bilal and Majeed can label us “Quranite deviants” but if that is the label the hypocrites now give to true Muslims, then we shall all be proud of it. I will definitely make my own “Proud to be a Quranite deviant” T-shirt. Period.
Good Job Hillath,lets keep it up
Maldivians are weird. When Dr Afrasheem said that singing and music are not haram, most of the Maldivians named him a non-muslim and even some started calling Dr Iblees. But I wonder how many of them are not listening to music. Definitely most of them would listen.
peace be up on the “Believers”
very true, in fact its not at all haram. since we cant say a particular thing is haram while the Almighty God in his infallible scripture its not mentioned. yes these kind of things are made haram only by the so called scholars. not in the religion. the proof they try to producer to support their claim is verse no. 6 of chapter no. 31 where God says:
[31:6] Among the people, there are those who uphold baseless Hadith, and thus divert others from the path of GOD without knowledge, and take it in vain. These have incurred a shameful retribution.
God did not for get to mention the word Music and Singing, but He deliberately did not used it since its not haram but what we see in this verse is that the so called Hathis is something that diverts the people from the path of God. please see the arabic verse to see that in arabic it says “Hathis” and not music and singing.
peace be up on the “Believers”
[...] “Dr” Bilal Philips Screwdriver say it is legal for a child to marry if he/she has baaliqed (i.e. reached [...]
Actually when it comes to so called “pedophilia within Islam” there is no such thing at all. Dr Philips did what all Muslims should be doing – it is to protect Islam from the “modern attacks” of so called “modern Muslims” (not mentioning the attacks of kuffar). Knowing that Rasulullah (peace be upon him) did not do ANYTHING of his own accord, we should come to the simple conclusion that neither his marriage to Aisha at the age of 9 was out of his own desire. The term pedophilia as such was “invented” in the modern era, before which child’s marriage was a very common issue, especially in the aristocratic and royal circles. The age of puberty is the natural line not of being an adult per se as the author suggested, but of being able to have a sexual intercourse that would result in pregnancy. What is considered pedophilia today was not given any other name but THE MARRIAGE in the past. In addition to that, the early MARRIAGE in Islam is, as its name would point out – A MARRIAGE, and not an abusive sexual intercourse of an old Dutch man with an orphaned Thai child. Shame on those brothers who, out of lack of the basic knowledge of Islam, insult and ridicule our beloved scholars. Assalamu Alaikum..