Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Will the Wahhabists please stop embarrassing and stigmatizing decent Muslims???

Disclaimer: Before you take offense at this blog post or think negative thoughts against the harmless blogger, please understand that he has much respect for Muslims in general and, while he is ever the devout Christian, he acknowledges some positive doctrines of Islam. Also, his best friend and heart sister is a Muslim, and this piece is written to honor the decent or "moderate" Muslims.

I have been wanting to write this for such a long time, but I wanted to find the right words and momentum in which to write it. I have just felt so much anger against those who, according to my understand of the Qu'ran, corrupt and defile Islam with their violence--especially against my people (Christians). Before I write anymore opinions, let's state the facts.

--Theo van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker, made a documentary about abuse some Muslim women experience by their Wahhabist husbands. In response, a true disciple of Wahhabism, Mohammad Bouyeri, murders him in cold blood.

---Kurt Westergaard, a cartoonist for Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, drew disgusting cartoons of the prophet Mohammad, in which his head was put on the body of a dog and one showing a bomb hidden in his turban. In response, a group of Wahhabists plotted to bomb the newspaper office, and one broke into Westergaard's house and tried to kill him.

--On October 21, 2010 a group of Wahhabists broke into a church in Iraq and opened fire on the congregation. Nearly 60 unarmed Christians were killed, and several others were wounded.

--Youcef Nadarkhani (God bless and protect him), an Iranian Pastor, is on death row in his country. His crime? According to the Wahhabist government, he is guilty of apostasy. According to what they teach, if a man, who never even truly believed in the tenements of Islam, is born to Muslim parents and converts to another faith, he is an apostate and worthy of death.

--And finally, let's not forget the bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which caused the deaths of about 3,000 people, including Muslims, on September 11, 2001 (No link needed).

First of all, I want to point out the fact that many people around the world have bias against Muslims--especially those in the Middle East. When a Wahhabist (ultra-conservative/militant Muslim) commits violence against Christians, Jews, Kurds, Hazaras, and Muslims who do not subscribe to their brand of piety, all they do is create fear and resentment against all other Muslims. Just ask the relatives of a Muslim (or a accented and turbaned brown-skinned man) who was murdered by an opportunist after 9/11. Ask a girl who is bullied because she wears a hijab. Ask a man who is always selected for a "random inspection" at the airport. Even though burning the Qu'ran and drawing offensive cartoons against someone 1 billion people revere is stupid and evil, so is murdering or threatening others in reprisal. It does nothing but justify the fear and contempt people have against Muslims. The hatemongers may murder or discriminate against innocent Muslims, but the Wahhabists are handing the hatemongers the gun and exposing the Muslims to discrimination.

Second, and this is regarding Pastor Youcef and all Christians being persecuted in Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, and Southwest Asian countries. Those Muslims who actually read and understand the Qu'ran would know that there are many scriptures that speak against executing Pastor Youcef for apostasy or murdering Christians who would not DARE utter one insult against Islam in such Wahhabist societies (for the record, there ARE Muslim countries where Christians are welcome; Jordan and Lebanon to name a few).

Here are the aforementioned scriptures:

Surah 109:6: "To you be your Way and to me mine."
Surah 2:256: "Let there be no compulsion in religion..."
Surah 18:29: "...Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject..."
Surah 5:68-69: "O People of the Book (Christians and Jews), you have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from YOUR Lord...Those who believe (in the Qu'ran), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians--any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness,--on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."

Now, even though I cannot read the Qu'ran in its original Arabic, my translation of these Scriptures is that people have the right to observe any faith they wish. Hence, they should not be consigned to death for refusing to embrace Islam. Also, as Christians and Jews are considered "People of the Book," and if they are told to "stand fast" to the Law and Gospel" and that they should not fear or grieve, does it not stand to reason that Muslims should respect Christians and Jews and treat them as equals?

Therefore, a Wahhabist who has a taste for Christian blood are sinning by his own scriptures. The Wahhabists who shot a congregation for no other reason than being Christian in a Muslim country have defiled Islam. And true Muslims should abhor the government officials who order the execution of Pastor Youcef in the name of Allah.

Now, I also believe that it is pointless to address problems without suggesting solutions. My solutions are simple. To those who support discrimination against Muslims, I say this: LEAVE THEM ALONE! You don't have to like them, but don't ostracize them. You are doing nothing but making things worse; in fact, you are in part responsible for the deaths of innocent people, not just Christians, in the Middle East.

To the peaceful Muslims: hang in there. Don't let the barbaric behavior of others cause you to become violent. And please forgive those who have, in the past and present, abused you in the name of Christ. Christianity is about love and salvation, about sharing the Gospel and trusting in the mercy of God. Anyone who practices otherwise is a hypocrite.

Finally, for the Wahhabists, until you are ready to repent for the crimes you committed or supported, never again say "Salaam Aleikum" because you do not truly mean it. If you really wished for peace to be upon others, you would work towards peace, not violence. You would allow people to live in peace, not in fear. Until you change your ways, you will continue to be the cancer of the Muslim world and one of the many stains on humanity. Finally, if you believe that the kaffir (unbeliever) is doomed to hell but also that Allah hu akbar (God is great), then how about you let Him do his job and stop trying to do it for Him.

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