Thursday 24 April 2008

Let's squash a few myths...

Hello there again! I'm not quite back, but taking a well-deserved break after spending the morning at a hot & stuffy chemistry lab where the temperature was 33°C...so much for the "room temperature". The exams have been a lot of fun, by the way.
Anyway, I was inspired to write this after a comment I saw on a Youtube video. It was a video about racism in Europe, particularly in Italy & Spain. The comment, undoubtedly written by an ignorant thug is as follows;

I totally agree that we should stamp down hard on racism, but I don't agree that we should consider discriminations against Muslims, because Islam is evil to the core.

This annoyed and saddened me at the same time. Here was yet another non-muslim believing all the negative stereotypes created by Western politicians and news agencies. So I've decided to give you all the facts, something that people want to seem to avoid looking at.

-We don't like Jews
No, we respect them the same way respect anyone from any other religion. This myth stems from the fact that we Muslims are anti-zionists; we're against the existence of the state of Israel. If the majority of Israelis were catholics, then it would've been presumed that we don't like catholics. Let me tell you why we don't like Israel. It's because they've hijacked the land Palestinians have been living for over a thousand years and shunned them into refugee camps. Where's the justice in that? Where's the human rights there? It annoys the stuffing out of me when people like George W. Bush, that Islamophobic warmonger, talks about the existence of the "State of Palestine". Palestine has always existed, and the area will once again be ruled by Muslims one day. Of course, the more radical Jews had a habit of declaring anyone who cared to listen that they're The Chosen Ones, which was the main reason why they were cleared out from Europe. The European countries decided that the best place to keep them was right in the heart of Arabia...Yeah I see the logic in that *rolls eyes*

-Our law system, the Sharia, does not consider human rights
Nope. The so-called human rights campaigners have never really got this. One small example is the punishment we hand out (or should hand out, as we Maldivians have fallen into this trap of Human Rights) to drug dealers. The punishment; assasination. Note that the punishments for drug users is a lot more lenient than for dealers. Dealers disrupt the harmony of a society, endanger the lives of many and breaks countless families apart. What better way is there to stop them by ending their evil ways? No, the "human rights" campaigners think they should be thrown into 5 Star jails that provide them with free food, clothing etc and generally rights that they don't deserve in the first place. Listen all you softies; by assasinating a dealer you're ending the life of just one, which is better than the potential hundreds who could be affected just because of this one idiot.
Other heavily criticised punishments are the ones we hand out to those who commit adultery and thievery. Contrary to popular belief, we don't batter and bruise them and leave them in a bloody heap on the floor. No, it's about deflating the egos of these criminals. Have you ever noticed that children from Muslim countries generally know who their parents are, and also the fact that AIDS is not nearly as big a problem in these countries? Check this out for proof.

-We're a religion of war
Leave it to CNN to expand this issue. No, we're peaceful people, really. You're just looking at the al-Qaeda. A few years ago, before the days I stopped watching CNN, I watched Christiane Amanpour (spelling?) interviewing an Arab, who was babbling away in Arabic and Amanpour was just nodding away as though she understood every word. The last word of the sentence happened to be Jihadh, and this really perked her up. Her eyes bulged, and she yelped "Jeehad?" (she can't even say it properly). No doubt what was going through her mind. Jihadh means to strive, put on effort until you succeed. The most important type of Jihadh is, of course, defending your religion in the name of Allah. Again, contrary to popular belief, Jihadh does not mean setting off bombs in the middle of packed traffic during the rush hour. That's what those extremist thugs do, dishonouring our religion during the process. War is merely a symbol in Islam. Before every war, the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) will deliver a lecture to all the fighters. Basically, the lectures always contain the same advice; to attack only those who carry and use weapons. We're not allowed to attack those who don't come out to fight, the elderly, women, children, places of worship, homes, workplaces, livestock etc. But what does the US do during their wars? Attack the main industrial places, killing thousands and bringing whole countries into disruption. I felt disgusted when Bush claimed during the Iraq invasion at 2003 that the loss of life was "minimal". Does he not understand the sorrow that'll be caused when even one life has been lost? Entire families were wiped out, for heavens sake! I can't understand why some people just don't take a minute to differentiate between Muslims and extremists. I can easily assume that all Christians are like the Ku Klux Klan, but I'd never do that.

-Women are not treated as equal
No, no, no! You're looking at the exremist side again. The Prophet (pbuh) once said,"The most blessed house is one where the women are treated with respect". We're not like the Taleban, who beat the stuffings out of their women for the smallest misdemeanor. Muslim men aren't allowed to harm their wives in any way or form. But what happens when a man kills his wife at the US? 25 years in prison? Pathetic..

-We don't tolerate homosexuals
Yes! You're right at last! Call us homophobic, because we don't care. Why do you think there's so much controversy at the US about the subject of allowing same-sex marriages? There can't be any smoke without fire can there?
I'll tell you a little story. There was a classmate of mine during my primary school days who was famous within our grade for being ran'du (that means he was a guy who acted like a girl). One day the class was divided into six groups and assigned to complete some sort of a project. We decided to meet up at his place and so we did. We went there and his mother let us in, where we could hear him singing a very high-pitched and un-masculine song in the shower. His mother didn't mind. He even spoke to his mother as though she were someone his own age and she responded in a similar way. So the two of them gossiped all afternoon like the way many teenage girls do. I really thought, when we started Dharumavantha School, that the atmosphere there would harden him and make him drop his girlish ways. I was wrong. He actually seemed to flirt with the boys, getting all thui and complaining all the time. I hardly ever spoke to him during those three years, resorting to just a nod and "Hello" if we crossed paths. I really didn't want to be tagged as being gay! So what I'm saying is that gays are fake. There's nothing scientifically proven that it's real, but somehow some people invent garbage and call it a "genetic condition". It's funny how people tend to believe in things that've never been (and never will be) proven. But then, what about the guy I just told you about? I blame his girlish ways on his mother. I believe that she has failed her responsibilities quite miserably. The last time I heard of him was last year, when my best friend pushed him onto the road. He apparently sat up and started ranting about, "Magumatheega ulhey meehunna thankolheh balaigen..." but my best friend just left him at it.
Also, after JK Rowling announced that Albus Dumbledore was gay, a classmate of mine, who is foreign and likes the Harry Potter series, asked me a question that has left me mystified. "How can someone so great be gay?" he asked. I wondered, and still have no answer. I suppose it's because Dumbledore is fictional, because how can someone who prefer to poke their stuff into the *back door* be so successful? Impossible. No wonder this country is, quite literally, going to the dogs.

The conclusion: I know that, however much evidence we provide them with, some of the more stubborn people will never accept the facts. They prefer not to understand them, because, at the back of their minds they know that we speak sense. These people are simply too obsessed with materialistic stuff and can't control their insane desires. I'd also advice all of you to be careful with people like Simon, who're woefully ignorant on religious issues yet speak so matter-of-factly about them, making him appear as more of an idiot than he already is.
Thanks for reading. I really needed to get that off my chest.

17 comments:

.mini said...

you've written so much about everything that now i am wondering what to write here
well, i agree with what you've written
and im definitely not in the mood to point out my exact opinions on stuff
i just, never think about these stuff anymore,
good luck with the rest of the exams ^.^

Anonymous said...

you live up to your nick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEqlcxW8aS8

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw9zJq0QGl0

Imma said...

hey anonymous that video 2 showed a lotta suicides committed eh? hehe what puffs..cowardly to say the least..
try as u might but i dont sway so easily

Anonymous said...

Despite what you or your God says I cannot hate you, I only hate the teachings. We lie and kill ourselves only because of the hatred and violence we face from such prejudice and religious dogma. If you look at the hate crimes against the LGBT community you can see lots of murders and abuse. And while I believe in the right of an individual to commit suicide, I dont believe that it should be in any way forced or encouraged. I also dont believe that Islamic suicide bombers are cowardly just because they take their life. I dont know how informed you are, but let me point out that lots of famous figures in history have been homosexuals. Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, Tenessee Williams, Truman Capote, Lord Byron, P.I. Tchaikovsky, W.H. Auden among others. (http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/greatgay.htm) It is not sexual orientation that makes a great man or woman. It is their hard work and determination for success. I hope that answers your friend's question. And I also hope that even if your beliefs condemn us to Hell, that you wont treat us with discrimination, hatred or violence and keep your beliefs to yourself. We dont hate you for your beliefs, so please dont hate us for what we do in private with consent from our partners. You have the freedom to say what you want in your blog and elsewhere and to believe what you wish, likewise, I hope I too have the freedom to love whom I want. And believe me, I dont hate you. And I agree that Muslims or people of any faith shouldnt be discriminated against. Live and let live is my mantra.

peace

Imma said...

i on the other hand dont believe in the right for one to commit suicide, whether forced or not. muslims dont and shouldnt get depressed coz we believe that as long as we do as god has instructed us to we'll be given a peaceful afterlife. sure there may be gay ppl who were successful durin their lives but thats the thing..DURING THEIR LIVES..we muslims believe in the day of judgement and what comes after..some things are forbidden because of a reason; adultery is in order to prevent families from breaking apart, homosexuality in order to prevent diseases such as aids..u may argue that straight ppl get aids too..yeah FORNICATORS do, and unfortunately it is inflicted to their children who have to suffer because of their parents inability to shut off their materialistic obsessions..i believe in the day of judgement and will therefore do everythin god asked me to do in order to live a happy and peaceful afterlife..islam is not like catholicism with the pope sayin "that is only for god to know", but every verse in the quran, every statement made by the prophet has some sort of a backup. we human beings exist as male and female for a reason..do u knw the law of magnetism? "opposite charges attract, similar charges repel". how u live life on earth matters and the most important thing is to obey god..the only thing u are obeying is your own mind and desires and its really saddening to see ppl like u..homosexuality disgusts me and i dont care whether u do it privately or not, because god knows everything. oh yeah and i dont know what u mean by "your god" because there is only one god, and only some are following that god..they're muslims..u dont believe in ur own creator and thats the biggest problem..

Anonymous said...

I am glad I cleared up that confusion with regards to sexuality being independent of a person's success.

I brought up suicide to explain why gay men resort to it. My opinion of its ethics is controversial and I dont expect everyone to accept it.

As for AIDS, homosexuality precedes it, meaning (your) God had ignored it for centuries. And sex (be it gay, straight, marital or extramarital) is not the only means by which the virus spreads. And now that we know how it works, thanks to modern research, we can easily prevent it, there are lots of gay men who now have safe sex and are protected from the virus. And even a cure could be foudn one day. I am sure you'd agree that an omnipotent God would not curse a people with a something they could prevent themselves against.

The rest are to do with beliefs. God, the Afterlife, suicide, morality from the Quran, Judgement and Retribution. My beliefs are very different from yours, as you may guess and talking about them would be going off on a tangent, and in my opinion a waste of time. But even if we cant come to an understanding with regards to such matters, I am sure that Islam as a peaceful religion dictates tolerance, and that its alright to agree to disagree. Let us live this life, you your way, me my way as Surah Kaafiroon says, and rid this world of hatred, violence, prejudice, and ignorance.Sure some of our opinions and actions might go against one another, but then we should try to keep them to ourselves and not use them to incite hatred or violence. I think that was the message of the original post. To debunk any myths so that different people can live together in harmony. And I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point. Diverstiy should not be discriminated against, it should be celebrated.

peace

Anonymous said...

I forgot to mention that I used 'your God' to indicate that other people make similar claims of having a personal deity. I think that their beliefs have a right to be represented as much as yours. It was not meant to offend at all. I apologize if it did offend you.

peace.

Arkturus said...

nice blog you've got here, mate. :)

i agree with you on all of the above points. the reason why people seem to view islam with such disdain is because of these 'extremist' types, i think. this is supposed to be a peaceful, logical, kind religion with every possible mercy given at every turn while still being just. these people make it sound like a stiff-backed, linear, violent religion full of short tempered mad men with long beards... tsk tsk tsk... not at all. not. at. all.

once again, totally cool blog. i plan to frequent. ^^

Anonymous said...

Hi

Good points about myths about jews (most muslims dont hate them, but some extremist preachers preach about hating them), women's rights (pretty good overall here though, again more n more people are buying the crap from the same extremists who convince them its more glorious to forget their rights n go on pleasing the bearded men) and violence. Though i dont agree on your point about killing one man so save others... I dont think its upto us to decide whos life should be sacrificed so that others can live in harmony.

One question, why did your friend push the randu guy on the road?

Thith

muiz said...

In overall, soundly presented arguments. I know, it will get even longer if you had to explain further and make it more fine tune. But, yes in overall the points are good. One of the most important thing we, who are Muslims, have got to do is really study our religion (Way of Life). There is so much lies and falshood targetted at the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah by everyone who hates Islam. If we dont educate ourselves some fo us will fall victim to the falshood that is being spread. What muslims do agaisnt the teachings of Islam cannot be held againts Islam. Its as simple as that. Anyone who opens up their mind and learn the teachings of Quran and our beloved Prophet will find that there is absolutely nothing that can be discredited and ridiculed in them!....

Imma said...

anonymous - surah kaafiroon does mention that and ur absolutely right, so that means that the laws we muslims follow does not apply to non-muslims...BUT i was talkin abt the fact u cant be gay n muslim at the same time..ur a not a muslim so ur right we cant interfere with ur beliefs..

thith - abt killin one man to save others..it wasnt my idea. there are 7 deadly sins and the punishments have been implemented by Allah..truthfully speakin we humans just dont have the right to change any of those because we have flaws and so that means our rules will contain loopholes too..manipulating the Sharia is actually an act of apostasy so its somethin that should be addressed very seriously.
and the reason why the randu guy was pushed onto the road? it was because he'd actually admitted that he was gay just months prior to the incident..plus it was really dark & he cudnt have known who did it.

arkturus - yes please frequent :) but dont expect too many posts durin the next month or so..

muiz - yea the teachin of islam can be so much better here..honestly speaking its awful and only when i came to grd 11 did i knw how little i actually knew about islam. my islam teacher told me tat they've actually been instructed to teach about only those given in the syllabus & there aint much in there..same old stuff like mehemaanu dhaaree adhaakurun, thedhuverikan etc..most maldivians just dont understand that islam is actually a way of life, they think its just all abt prayin, fasting etc..

Anonymous said...

about the 7 deadly sins and Shariah.. i wont say much cos i wouldnt want to go in that line of conversation... but.. how do u explain the witness situation when no one can be charged in court for rape or sexual molestation of a child... just because 2 men or 4 women didnt see it happening (which would suchhh a rare situation in sleepy villages in the maldives)?

And.. your friend doesnt have to push around the randu guy on the dark road just cos he admitted to being gay.. its not upto him to punish the guy...

thith

Anonymous said...

salaam, akhi this was a very good article. just want to point out something. maybe when you said the gay people aren't muslims you meant that they choose not to be muslims. anyway what i wanted to say was that, somebody committing zinaa, livaath, drinking alcolhol, doesn't take him/her out of the fold of islam. something very important because one of the deviant sects known as khavaarij claim that the moment a muslim commit a grave sin, they are taken out of the fold of islam. anyway may Allah make your exams easy for you and make you pass it with flying colors.

Imma said...

thith - i knw what u mean abt the witnesses. it has always been used as an excuse by many maldivians to escape punishment. many of us are under the impression that, if there're no witnesses, then the person in question cannot be charged. my islam teacher likes that joke. "you see 2 people committing a crime, you run off to get a few hekin only to come back and find that they've packed up and left". he used some arabic word (i dont quite remember now) that basically meant interrogation & investigation, which contrary to popular belief does exist in the sharia law. but theres no need to go that far if the person who allegedly committed the crime agree to his or her actions, or if RELIABLE witnesses provide sufficient evidence. these days i dont think we'd find too many reliable witnesses..they'll most probably be a bunch of parteys.

Anonymous said...

That was awesome! simply awesome!

Good to know here are there people with balls out there who do not hero-worship people like Simon and other Islam-haters.

Anonymous said...

correction

*Good to there are