Where we're at so far...





I think it would be pretty cool to sort of sum up what I’ve looked at so far on this blog. I think that the problem’s we’ve looked at point out that there are definitely issues when it comes to how Islam is viewed in the world today, but equally, there are just as much issues and conflicts within the Muslim community itself. Everyone seems to have conflicting views on what Islam is all about and how to practice faith. Personally, I think obsessing on these issues has overcomplicated everything. People just need to chill a little.

Whilst originally I hoped my ‘journey through the realms of the internet’ would provide some definitive answers and solutions, I fear feel that so far all I’ve done is unmask a lot of the issues in the world (and sort of opened up a can of worms, really)… but maybe there are no definitive solutions, or maybe the definitive solutions just haven’t been found yet.

I hope that my postings so far have raised some sort of an awareness of what’s going on without being too pessimistic (because I don’t really think we’re all doomed)…It will be interesting to see what comes up in the future, because I am more or less certain that the issues surrounding Islam are by no means over & I’m sure the Muslim community will come up with interesting ways of dealing with them (hopefully not in any rash, explosive ways). 


Ultimately, I think there should be a collective, global effort to get behind some of the layers that are social perception, stereotypes and misconceptions, not just in relation to Islam, but for pretty much everything.. because that is truly the only way to find direction and meaning at a deeper level; to look beyond superficial additions and focus on the core elements of things. In what is arguably an increasing secular society, it is important for people to interact with faiths based on these core foundation values and not just judge and dismiss them based on what is seen through a misty and distorted representation.

....Very philosophical ^_^

So guys, I’ve hope you’ve learnt some stuff, keep commenting and thank you for all your comments so far J

Until next time.

-Cool, motivational ending pic-

Pt2; Moderates V Fundamentalists

I've touched on this issue in my Malala post last month, about how Muslims appear to be grouped as one, however, within Islam there are two general categories I want to point out in this post; Moderates and Fundamentals, or 'normal' Muslims and Extremists.

Particularly in current times, its important to highlight that there is a vast deal of differences in beliefs and ideology of Fundamental groups (such as the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Hammas and the Muslim Brotherhood) and your every day run-of-the mill Muslim person.

The fundamental and puritan Islamist approach is a based on a literal interpretation of Islamic teachings, obsessed with implementation of the legalistic aspect of Islam, often at the cost of overshadowing the spiritual journey Islam is meant to be for Muslims; to sum it up in 3 words, fundamental Islam is narrow minded literalism. 

The aim of most fundamental groups is to replicate the "Golden Age" of Islam i.e. time of the prophet. Therefore, modernity and pretty much everything the "west" has to offer (such as democracy, reason, science, feminism etc) is rejected. Boo.

Moderate Islam, on the other hand, is all about reconciling Islamic teachings with modernity; Islam is seen as fluid and thus adaptable to all times, people and circumstances, whilst still keeping to it's same core principles. 
If Islam was not fluid, it would not have survived, right? Therefore, moderate Islam is not obsessed with re-creating the Golden age with the optimism that it will become an Islamic utopia .. and therefore again, moderates don't hate the West. Hurrah.


So.. how to tell who's who?.. Well, chances are the moderates (who are the overwhelming majority) will be doing pretty *moderate* things ...living their lives, practicing Islam casually.. without expressing their devotion with any radical displays
...whilst the not-so-moderates will probably be all the Muslims who make it on the news. Boo again.

In terms of how things currently stand, i've narrowed stuff down to two options.
Either;

1. A lot of the differences between the two groups aren't well known (or maybe not cared about) & because of this, moderates and extremists are seen as one ideology professed in either a softly softly approach or an in-your-face one
   
   or
2. People believe all Muslims are the same, thus there is no moderates and extremists

The reason why I added the latter? Because of a lot of material I came across online, such as the following taken from here (the aptly named "Myth of the Moderate Muslim");

"Every "moderate" Muslim is a potential terrorist. The belief in Islam is like a can of gasoline. It looks innocuous, until it meets the fire. For a "moderate" Muslim to become a murderous jihadist, all it takes is a spark of faith. It is time to put an end to the charade of "moderate" Islam. There is no such thing as a moderate Muslim. Muslims are either jihadists or dormant jihadists- moderate, they are not."

Erm. Yikes. What a jerk. 

Now, whilst the optimist in me thinks re-education is the key, can re-education about Islam ever truly overcome these Neo-Crusader views? ...I know random internet articles are not a reliable basis of judgment of whats going on, but trust me, go google 'moderate muslim' or something similar and you'll see that there really is a lot of negativity. And if internet is a voice of the people, then i'd say it's pretty worrying.  

Based on this (as le'picture shows), are 'moderates' just taking the longer route towards the "chopping block" that is social rejection and stigma? Extremists today, but who's to say moderate Muslim won't be the next thing on the menu?

...What is a moderate anyway? We know what the extremists stand for, but how about the moderates? ...I once heard it said 'if you stand for nothing, you fall for anything' ....have the moderates fallen for a dream that they could ever wholly be accepted in Western society, when 1000(ish) years on from the Crusades, if you peel away the political correctness and facade, not much has appeared to have changed.

Paranoia?

Reality?

Whatchya think. guys?

The Muslim Identity Crisis Pt 1

So my last post was on Muslim women expressing their identity, and that's all well and good.. but it got me thinking; 

What exactly is Muslim identity in the 21st century?

There are so many views and opinions around on what Islam and the 'Moslems' are all about, so I figured i'd look behind some of the labels attached to Islam in contemporary times.

*History lesson time*...more or less since the times of the crusades, the "western world" has failed to grasp Islam properly. Folk stories and myths returning from the Holy Lands with the crusaders depicted Muslims as barbaric, backwards and violent. It was these views in history which some academics argue were the basis of Orientalism... which did nothing but widen the rift between the Eastern and Western worlds.

So, this issue is clearly not a new one. Why though, I find myself asking, so many years later (oo, only about a thousand), have these labels about Muslims and Islam appear to have lingered? (See some of them here).

It's pretty clear that the terrorist activity associated to Islam catalysed the re-emergence of 'Islamophobia' but despite this, did you know Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today?

...even more surprisingly, 

Did you know 1.5 million Americans have converted to Islam post 9/11, at a rate of around 30, 000 a year?
(.. and those are just US stats, conversions have more or less taken the US and Europe by storm).

Why on earth, you ask, would people want to adopt the faith of the "terrorists"? 

Surely, seeing as pretty much every terrorist seems to yell "Allah-hu-akbar" before they blow themselves up or killing a bunch of people, the Quran must be a terrorist handbook of some sort and the crusaders must have had it right all along, right?

Wrong. The reality of what Islam is all about is far less exciting and dramatic.

..Islam does not have a murky history and neither does the Quran promote violence, murder and destruction (read more on this here). Funnily enough (and ironically), the main reason behind most of the conversions post 9/11 was that hearing Islam crop up on the news so much made people want to go and research it for themselves, and some decided "hey, this doesn't sound too bad". (Check out this convert story).

I'm pretty sure loads of you guys have heard that statement, "Islam is peace" (...and probably walked away laughing no doubt), but how about finding out for yourselves? After all, first hand research always beats second-hand hearsay.

So, something has gone horribly wrong. Why aren't the peaceful teachings of Islam matching the not-so-harmonious actions of those crazed bearded Muslim guys holding rifles and yelling stuff on the TV? (...it's because of guys like that where the whole identity crisis comes in).

Why don't normal Muslims going shopping and playing with their kids ever make an appearance in the mainstream? Is normal too boring? Do the media have to keep viewers on the edges of their seats with the latest extremist Islamic happenings in the world at the cost of painting all Muslims with the same brush?

Stay tuned for more on this!... In my next post, i'm going to look at the differences between the views of radical Islam and "normal" Islam and the impact these labels have had on the lives of 'normal' Muslims.

Tbc.

Hijab; Oppression or Expression?

I came across this awful news footage and figured despite the fact that this topic has been exhausted, it clearly still remains an issue (and I wanted to put my own take on it) 
...therefore, making a smooth(ish) transition from my last post, we've touched on freedom of speech, so how about freedom of expression? I'm talking religious dress and in particular the hijab. 

So, hijab from a Muslim understanding, is more than just a headscarf, it is using modesty as an expression of faith; through both clothing and character (See more here).

I was reading an article and it got me thinking of the ways religious dress has been portrayed in wider society. Looking back to the religious dress ban in France, doesn't it make you wonder why some people are so threatened or opposed to religious expression? And whats more expressive than religious dress, which literally stares you in the face..?

Now, if you’re a “hijabi” Muslim female (particularly living in the West), you’re more or less going stick out like a sore thumb (watch this *slightly extreme* example) and to top that, there's that ever-prevalent view that hijab is oppressive and restricting. Ironically, it’s these views which are oppressive and restrictive for Muslim women, more than the hijab itself is. (Read more on this here). 

So, what are the usual sorts of words thrown around when it comes to Muslim women covering up? Of course, there's the old favorite  oppressed... also passive, victim, controlled, indistinguishable  silent, invisible and not forgetting "does you husband/dad/brother make you?"
... but...
how about Hijab as empowering? Promoting individuality and independence? and a result of freewill? No?

That's the difference between looking at hijab from an insider and outsider perspective. If you look past the sympathetic (bordering on patronizing) assumption that Hijab-wearing Muslim women need liberation, you'll begin to see that it is the hijab itself which is seen as the ultimate form of liberation for Muslim women. The Muslim female equivalent of the bra burnings of the 60's. Symbolic. Women are not just ornaments but should be valued for their individuality, character and thinking. Sure, Hijab is not the be all and end all of being a Muslim female, but its a stance and a show of pride and spiritual identity. And Hijab as a profession of modesty is by no means limited to Islam alone. Check out this video (it's really cool, a Christian woman who wears hijab, indicating religious values can be shared across beliefs).


What is boils down to is that the next time you're thinking "gee that poor lady in a hijab" (assuming you think that), look beyond the covering and think, maybe Muslim women don’t want a western conception of liberation? ...How about the Islamic brand of liberation which comes packaged modestly and enables the world to look beyond the physical and be forced to see and appreciate a woman for her mind rather than her appearance. Liberation from the image-obsessed time we live in. 

It's not as easy as just removing a head-covering because hijab is an entire way of thinking and acting, and you might be able remove a headscarf or change the way someone dresses, but can you remove a mentality? I don't think so.

Ok, readers, what do you think? Is hijab redemption that's got some real bad press? Can someone express their religious identity and duty without being dictated by it?  With all this freedom to do stuff lying around, why is freedom to wear hijab questioned? ...Isn't that ironic? ...Also, (random thought) why are nuns respected for dressing modestly for their beliefs whilst it's suddenly an issue when Muslim women do the same?

I think I may have linked slightly too many pages to this post X_X ....Enjoy the links ^_^



Peace.

(btw here's a pic I found which for me, sums up the opposing views about "covering up")

What do you think of this?

Free Speech or Free Hate?

Kinda continuing on from my last post, I want to look at anti-Islamic “freedom of speech” demonstrations. I’m sure everyone’s heard of “The Innocence of Muslims.” I don’t want to bang on about the video itself too much because it defo does not need any more attention, but it would be interesting to consider the ripple effect and wider implications of it.

Now, you’d think that from the aftermath of the whole Danish cartoon hoo-haa in 2005, the “haters” would have realised that if you poke someone with a stick long enough, patience wears thin. Only, the poking-of-the-stick-thing went from cartoons to a full blown feature film. Cripes. So much for learning a lesson from the last time, huh? 

…the film led to an even more explosive response than last (check it out) and again it fell under the category of that old favourite; freedom of speech. Google refused to remove the Youtube video because it was within their guidelines. The whole expression and free speech spiel. I mean all that’s well and good but since when did free speech become hate speech? Surely there ought to be some sort of criteria for what it encompasses? Where is the line between free expression and blatant hate-mongering drawn? 

One thing this film did show however, in a very crass and un-congratulatory (is that even a word?) way, was the power of film; it was a dark and sinister demonstration of just how powerful this form of media can be. Inflammatory as it may be, this may just be this years most talked about film, although I doubt it will be winning any Oscars.




So, what exactly is freedom of speech these days? Is it as free as it seems? Why is it that only anti-Islamic things seem to be protected by it? Is there some sort of conspiracy going on? Am I getting increasingly paranoid? Have I asked too many questions..?


Interesting things to ponder. Also, if you want to explore the relationship between religion and freedom of speech a little more, check this out. 

Let me know what you think.

Over & out.

Remember those Danish Cartoons?

Jyllands-Posten September 2005;
The face of Muhammed

Keeping with the theme of animation, I don’t think I could do a blog about Islam, media and current affairs without doing a post on the whole Danish cartoon scandal (check it out here), so brace yourself for a pretty controversial one.

Ok, so some may be torn between thinking ‘they were just cartoons’ and ‘those were really out of line’ but the reality remains that the aftermath of the cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed caused a global fever and resulted in a tidal-wave of a response.

So you may argue that hang on, in the 21^st century, what with all the freedom of speech and rights an individual has, why can’t anyone draw who/what they want to without a global scandal being created? …Yeah some may find it blasphemous and it’s going to annoy people, but I’m exercising my freedom of speech right?

For me, the cartoons themselves, I mean sure they were immature, scandalous, shockingly disrespectful and ignorant …but with all the media attention they got (and there was a lot if it!) I think it was the opportunity for the Muslims to show the world what Islam is really about; peace, love, compassion, mercy. All attributes of God and virtues Muslims try to emulate.
 
BUT… what happened instead? 

Chaos, violence, fighting, death threats and boycotting,  rows, demonstrations, fights, and of course, the ever symbolic flag-burnings. I mean sure, I understand, you have to stand up for what you believe in and those cartoons were mocking everything you believe in, but reacting in such a rash way kinda just reinforced every single negative Islamic stereotype there is out there. In the end the main cause i.e. anti-Islamic cartoons was forgotten and all that remained was a tirade of violent and extreme Muslim responses.
 

Yeah, the Danish cartoonists had freedom of speech on their side (a type of freedom of speech incidentally which appears to be biased). But in the bigger picture, surely re-education, being the better people and Islamically responding to similar displays of blatant Islamophobia would have been more advantageous? What would the prophet himself have done? (WWMD?) He came across abuse and trials in his lifetime and always responded in the most peace-generating way possible. There were no violent strikes back then, right? 

Did violent strikes change anything? No. Is this the end of them? Probably not.

What do you think? I dont think theres a right or wrong answer on this one. Do you reckon im being too liberal here? Does anyone agree that this whole situation could have turned out a lot better had the responses been different? Surely, violent protesting just casts Islam further into darkness? 
Looking forward to any comments, suggestions &/or observations.


P.S. If you want to read more on cartoons and religion, check out this blog.