Tariq A. Al-Maeena
As the day for the greatest pilgrimage for Muslims draws closer, one must beware the dangers of extremism through the forceful application of Islamic values based on personal interpretation. The Islam of peace becomes an Islam of compulsion in the minds and acts of power-hungry deviants who manipulate religious mores with their own sets of beliefs which have little to do with the religion.
A non-Muslim asks: “How can we be called to join the faith of Islam, when so many hurtful actions happen in the name of this religion? How can an outsider believe in the compassion of Islam and its teachings, when almost every day we read about dogmatic practices? Such extremism is denounced by many writers. But these writers do not profess to be diligent students of the religion or its tenets.
“Key religious leaders, Islamic institutions and organizations should come out and denounce such acts as much as private individuals do. The absence of such clear and repeated statements nourish an underlying feeling that religious authorities are not unhappy with an extreme interpretation of the script. By their silence, they seem to be condoning such vile acts. This absence of clear positioning makes a dialogue between the cultures very difficult. If we have something that we denounce on both sides, then we should jointly state it again and again, and with each case renew our bond for better understanding of faiths and cultures.”
How true these non-Muslim’s words are. Indeed if one looks around at some of the abominable acts carried out in the name of Islam today, one would have to agree with him. In many parts of the world, criminals are shielding themselves behind this religion to mask their evil intent. Usually it involves the quest for power and the subjugation of personal rights, something far removed from the spirit of Islam.
But what is indeed disturbing is the absence of forceful rejection by established Islamic religious institutions and figures of such twisted practices and values, and a public denouncement that is carried far and wide to indicate their disagreement and displeasure. One can begin with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the second largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 Islamic countries spanning over four continents.
Although it has condemned acts of violence such as the shooting of the young girl Malala in Pakistan, many question whether it has been public enough or emphatic enough in its indignation. This is a powerful organization and yet a condemnation through a press release is too little in the eyes of many. It could use its offices in many countries of the world to highlight the dangers of such extremists and employ the local media in those countries toward that effort as well. Relative silence beyond simple condemnation is not worthy of such a multi-state Islamic organization.
Then we turn to Islamic institutions like Al-Azhar in Egypt or the Council of Ulema in Saudi Arabia. Al-Azhar is over a thousand years old, and an established center for great scholars of Islam. Yet in recent times, many feel that it has not taken the lead in publicly calling for the preservation of the rights of those who suffer under the hands of deviants employing a twisted ideology.
As for Saudi clerics, many of them have been seen as vociferous on some issues and silent on others. There have been several fatwas issued that were considered frivolous at best. Housing the two Holy cities of Islam, many feel that the Saudi Ulema should take the lead in denouncing each and every vile act committed in the guise of Islam regardless of its location.
The message must be loud and clear. Silence will only encourage future criminals. There is no place for criminals such as the so-called Islamic State on the Islamic agenda.
Even clerics who deliver the Friday sermon at mosques must be utilized to broadcast the message of rejection of such extremist acts. This grassroots approach works best in towns and villages, and its value should not be underestimated.
Islam is being abused in front of our eyes and more often than not by those who claim to be Muslims. It is essential that established Islamic organizations and institutions publicly denounce acts of extremism carried out by these thugs otherwise the chasm between civilizations will continue to widen.
— The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
