Some thoughts on the news, religion and life in general
Archive for May, 2008
Jaw dropping appointments
May 31st
Just imagine Ehud Olmert (the under-fire Israeli Prime Minister) needs to appoint an ambassador to the US; a country to which it owes its very existence. You can’t really get a more strategically important post in Israeli politics.
Continue imagining and visualise Olmert in front of the cameras, who announces: “I have appointed Fatima Ansari as the ambassador to the US.” Jaws drop to the ground, even the sounds of thuds are heard as people faint one after another and heads hit the ground. You know the kind of scene you see in cartoons - Tom and Gerry and the likes.
Fatima Ansari, is she not a Muslim? Yes she is and no, none of us can imagine that ever happening. More >
If a Christian knocks at your door
May 30th
So the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, believes the church is not doing enough to convert British Muslims to Christianity. The Pakistani-born bishop believes the church has shown too much sensitivity towards Muslims as part of efforts to welcome minority faiths and said : ‘what we need now is to recover our nerve.’
I’d love to see Christians try and explain the 3 =1 and 1=3 equation! I’d love to to see how they respond to the evidence that Prophet Muhammad is mentioned by name in the the original Hebrew bible and I’d love to hear what they would say to the suggestion that the bible is not, in its entirety the words of God.
Oh the memories of Shaykh Ahmed Dedaat taking on the likes of Anish Shouroush and Jimmy Swaggart to name just two… we may all need to dig out our copies of the Combat Kit, Is the bible God’s Word? Crucifixion or Cruci-Fiction?, remember those pamphlets? My Jehovah’s Witness friends most certainly do!
They kept on knocking on my door, wanting to speak to my mum or dad – in Bangla of course, with their colourful leaflets with wild animals and humans living side by side in tranquility. Until one day I pulled out my combat kit, that was it! after that encounter they never disturbed us again!
As Muslims we are commanded by God to debate and discuss with beautiful words and strong arguments. We believe everyone has a right to follow their own faith, but we also believe that Islam is the final divine message from God, and that Muhammad is the final Prophet and Messenger of God. If a Christian comes knocking on my door, I wont hesitate to proclaim the truth.
So Bishop Nazir-Ali – BRING IT ON!
The Donut & the Scarf!
May 29th
If you’re a lover of Dunkin’ Donuts, like me, you may be interested in hearing that the company recently pulled an advert featuring American TV chef Rachel Ray wearing a silk black and white scarf with a paisley design!
Bear with me, it seems the scarf had ‘offended’ the ultra right wing Michelle Malkin of Fox News who started a campaign to boycott Dunkin’ Donuts because she felt “The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad”. Of course if Malkin had any credibility as a Journalist she would know that Muslim men do not wear silk – phhh!
America being what it is and big corporations having no stomach for truth or justice, Dunkin’ Donut capitualted More >
The superiority complex
May 28th
When Jean-François Jodar was appointed Head Coach of the Mali national football team, he apparently had to battle against the ‘superiority complex’ that hampered the Eagles’ progress. This reminds me of the battle to tackle the same – almost narcissistic – superiority complex of a great number of Muslims.
It is this delusional reminiscing over past Muslim glories that is the biggest obstacle to our progress. The achievements of our early predecessors are indeed great and should be celebrated. But the point here is that, it is their achievement – not ours. The sad truth is that our recent history (with minor exceptions) was not that great, to put it mildly. Disgraceful would probably be more apt More >
Against forced marriages
May 28th
This month saw the launch of the European campaign against forced marriages in Rotterdam. One of the people heading this campaign is Professor Tariq Ramadan, President of the European Muslim Network. His statement explained why he had to get involved in this campaign – I think it’s a great message. In case you haven’t read it:
“Something had to be said about practices that are very often presented as Islamic while they are betraying the very essence of the Islamic message. The contemporary Muslim conscience is actually facing two major problems: the literalist reading and reductive interpretation of the scriptural sources (Qur’an and prophetic traditions –Sunna) on the one hand and the great confusion between religious principles and cultural practices on the other.
Forced marriages are at the crossroad of these two very serious challenges: some ‘ulamâ’, Muslim scholars, are keeping silent or even accepting these practices More >
It would be a cardinal sin to disagree
May 24th
Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor recently said that Britain could not be allowed to become a God free zone. And the head of Britain’s Catholic community is quite right. Just look at what happens when society turns away from God.
Year in year out we hear news and statistics pointing to our ever increasing rates of crime, teenage pregnancies, drug addiction and alcoholism (even among kids). Britain is often referred to as the teenage pregnancy capital and the crime capital of Western Europe, among other unceremonious titles. We are also the worst rated in obesity, literacy, and certain health conditions like asthma, compared to our Western European neighbours. As Bill Bailey put it, Britain has become ‘a bunch of stoned, illiterate, wheezy, lardy, (illegitimate children)’! I desist from using the b-word he used at the end, but you get the point. More >
