Muslims must discard the intolerance of Islam

Now Germany too has banned full-face veils. France had done that earlier. Switzerland banned minarets in 2010. Islamophobic politicians are gaining acceptance in most European countries. Donald Trump has already been elected president of the United States.

Muslims, however, don’t get it. They just refuse to understand why fear of Islam is deepening in every society, India being no exception. They just take bans on veils or minarets as attacks on their religious freedom.

They never worry about the lack of religious freedom in Muslim societies, not even for Muslims from minority sects or those considered heretic. They do not understand that religious freedom is indivisible.

Demolition

Indian Muslims have just observed the 24th anniversary of the demolition of Babri mosque. But only recently so many Hindu temples were vandalised in next-door Bangladesh. Hindu girls are routinely kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam and raped in the name of marriage.

But one doesn’t hear a word of condemnation from ulema or Muslim institutions. Does Islam allow freedom of religion? Saudi Arabia doesn’t allow building of temples or churches in its land.

If there is one jihad that would be permissible according to the Quran’s teachings, it would be a jihad against Saudi Arabia, forcing it to allow worship places of other religions. When Muslims were permitted to defend themselves with arms 13 years after the advent of Islam, it was to protect freedom of religion per se, not just that of Muslims.

In the words of the Quran (22:40): “And had it not been that Allah checks one set of people with another, the monasteries and churches, the synagogues and the mosques, in which His praise is abundantly celebrated would have been utterly destroyed.”

But how come, we feel concerned only when it is a matter concerning a mosque or a supposedly "Islamic" veil being banned and do not bother if Muslim and avowedly Islamic states do not allow religious freedom to other groups. Not only that. We have scholars who claim that while non-Muslims have perfect freedom to practice their religion in an Islamic state (not quite true, of course), Muslims do not have that freedom at all.

Once born to a Muslim parent, you are doomed for ever to be a Muslim or else. Well, your throat will be slit, no less. Indeed, there are "revered" ulema in various schools of thought who say that if someone is seen so much as not attending Friday prayers, his throat should be slit.

Scholar

Writes Salman Tarik Kureshi, a noted Pakistani scholar: “A person greatly admires Hazrat Maulana Rashid Gangohi, the outstanding scholar who was one of the founders of the Deoband madarsa. The gentleman to whom I refer is a kindly soul, who can be depended upon for help by others. However, when in the course of conversation I chanced to remark that the most basic virtue lay in kindness towards others, he contradicted me. Kindness, he contended, was reserved for 'pious, practising Muslims'. As for others, they should be given a chance to mend their ways, after which 'they would be Wajibul Qatal (liable to be killed)'. Another person I chanced to meet — a finance man, no less — feels that people who do not attend Friday prayers 'should simply be killed. Slit their throats!'”

Religion

Denying freedom of religion to Muslims and ex-Muslims, not to speak of non-Muslims, indeed has a long and gory history. The Quranic dictum (2: 256) "la ikraha fid Deen" (Let there be no compulsion in religion) did not leave an impact beyond the life of Prophet Mohammad.

Forcible conversions started with the first Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) fighting Ridda (apostasy) wars against the tribes who had left Islam after the demise of the Prophet. They were all brought back to the fold of Islam or killed.

Similar is the case of Khwarij in the time of the fourth caliph Hazrat Ali (RA) and beyond to neo-Khwarij today, also known as Wahhabi or Salafi. These groups mostly kill Muslims whom they consider "heretics" including Shias and Ahmadis.

We Muslims need to be reminded of this history to be able to understand our present. Until we start respecting and accepting other religions and the human right of someone born a Muslim to leave the faith, we should not expect respect from others.

We should not confuse their magnanimity with our right. Rights always have corresponding duties. Let us Muslims discard Islam supremacism and accept for a change that Islam is a spiritual path to salvation, one of the many.

I know looking within and finding out how we are contributing to the growing Islamophobia is difficult, but we have no option but to do so.

(Courtesy of Mail Today.)

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