Some Perilous Misconceptions(2)

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SOME PERILOUS MISCONCEPTIONS By T.H Shah Subsequent to inhumane attacks in 09/11 in USA and 07/07 in London Islam is being misunderstood among many western communities. This misconstruction is further supplemented by current waves of suicidal attacks by fanatic Muslim like Taliban in tribal areas of Pakistan. This distorted thinking of the majority of West poses major challenge to the followers of Islam that how to put the actual friendly image of Islam before the world? At the hands of unawareness and widespread illiteracy in our society, there is extreme hatred for Americans, British, and Israelites and same is continuously preached by Muslim religious leaders in various religious sermons. Same is the response of religious political parties in Pakistan. Since I crossed the stage of adolescence, I never ever heard in my life any Imams presenting those lessons showing the areas of commonalities between Islam and Christianity or Bible and Quran. The continuous hatred-oriented sermons by ordinary and not well-educated religious leaders of the Muslims have given credence to the emergence of extremist elements and causing an atmosphere of hatred towards Western culture and people. The Saudi version of Islam is most popular among Muslim which is actually Wahabi-esque. Under strict political control, the publications, sermons and religious preaching of other sects or the activities of missionaries are prohibited. Any religious party propagating Wahabi-esque Islam is recipient of major Saudi financial aid like Jammate Islami, a religious political party considered to be on the forefront of anti American or anti Britain campaigns, but never bother to say that the current political system in Saudi Arabia is entirely antiIslamic as there is no concept of monarchy in Islam. Even the western society is not free of such misconstructions about Islam. Once during a discussion on religion with a British lady, she was surprised to know that belief in Jesus Christ is part of Islamic faith without which one cannot claim to be the true Muslim. To her utter surprise, along with Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) we Muslim also believe in all the prophets.

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In United Kingdom, the role of the most of the Imams (minister of religions) is not praiseworthy. It is common observation that majority of such Imams have their education base from Madressas (Informal system of religious education in Pakistan) where the concept of the study of modern subjects like civic education, sociology, political science, comparative religious studies and many other is entirely absent. Teaching of English is totally ignored. Their mode of teachings and sermons, in most cases, is tinge of teaching style adopted in Pakistan. Half an hour sermons usually compose of recitation of some verses of the Holy Quran and historical Islamic stories. As per my analysis of these ministers of religion, only two out of hundred will be able to pass the IELTS if they sit in the examination. So how they can convey the enlightened and liberal teaching of Islam to the British Muslims generation? We can’t observe any serious and concrete attempts aiming at creation of interfaith harmony and social cohesion of other religious groups in English society. It is not the cooperation among different communities but the strict rule of law keeping the society united and intact. At the hands of some misperceptions, the cooperation amongst various religious communities is limited. For justification, some common examples are religious festivals of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and many other in which intermixing is very scant. Being a Muslim, I first time openly celebrated the festivals like Xmas and Happy New Year in United Kingdom, because I was told about these to be an anti-Islamic activities and that the negatively implemented social pattern I was nurtured in; prevented me from an open participation in Pakistan. The celebration of Valentine Day, Bassant Festival (a social gathering in which people fly kites together on the happy arrival of spring), and Happy New Year are considered to be the religious taboos by many religious parties especially the Taliban-esque. There is a group of fanatics by the name of Shabab-e-Milli Party who hinder and beat the people celebrating or try to celebrate these days. This whole mess is, unsuspectedly, the result of the lack of interfaith cooperation and impervious response of the communities, to put it precisely, of religious leaders towards the teaching of each other religions. In Pakistan, I have personally seen Imams and parents forbidding their children not to study Bible or any other missionary literature lest they religiously corrupt. On the basis of such socialisation, the gulf between different religious communities widens and widens; and in consequence; arise the incidents like 09/11, 07/07, Gujrat and Ahmad Abad in India, Shia Sunni riots and current waves of suicidal attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan by religious zealots.

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As per my observation, even in religious teaching of different communities; there are many areas of common belief on account of which interfaith harmony and mutual cooperation can be brought about. Concerning end of this world, the verse of Bible in Luke 21:34, 36 and verses (36) 48-50 in the Holy Quran testify the same facts in different expressionw. Both Quran and Bible logically testify the existence of God. Verse (Psalm 19:14) in Bible and (3) 190 in the Holy Quran give concept of the existence of God. It is worth mentioning that both Holy Quran and Bible give belief of the second arrival of Jesus Christ. In verse (3) 55 of Holy Quran and Verse 25-28 of the Bible, same prognostications have been made. There are so many other verses both in Quran and Bible showing common lessons but with in different expressions having the same aim, but the need is to reason on the facts beyond ethnocentrism. Here comes the duty of religious scholars working at local communities particularly in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Gulf States and United Kingdom as well to make people aware of such common lessons of Quran and Bible. By doing so, we can mover forward towards achieving the goal of interfaith harmony. ****************************