Editorial

The world is in shambles, as the war against Islam sees no sign of abating. Many wonder what has happened to the old good virtues of humanity and where humanity is leading its own destiny.

What even perplexes the situation is that so-called developed countries continue to accredit themselves as the champions of these virtues of democracy and uphold the misguided philosophy that they have the moral obligation to ensure that the whole world adhere to the principles of democracy, human rights, freedom and all other virtues that seek to entrench human dignity, personality and worth. Yet their actions speak quite the contrary particularly when religion is brought into the limelight. Denying the holocaust against the Jews has been criminalised whilst contempt of another religion, Islam to be precise, is categorised under the banner of free speech.

Frankly speaking, in this so-called new world order, everything remotely reflecting Islam or Muslims is being targeted, ridiculed, criticised and condemned. The so-called enlightened West and secularists have joined this bandwagon without realising the hollowness and longlasting disastrous effects on humanity of this attitude. With the progress that has been made in all the fields of knowledge, man should have achieved the ultimate goal of peace and human development.

But unfortunately, wrong perceptions and misplaced priorities are leading the entire humanity to disaster.Suffice to say, Muslims and the West seem to be on collision course. One reads everyday on the newspapers and other outlets of information about the conspiracies the West hatches to attack and destroy Islam.

Huntington's book, Clash of Civilizations, Rushdi's novel The Satanic Verses controversy, Taslima Nasreen's warm reception by European countries, Pope Benedict's statement about Islam, the Danish cartoons, a member of the Netherlands's parliament who made a film Fitna, the conduct of evangelical preacher Terry Jones, the burring of a copy of the Quran in a Florida Church and by US soldiers in Afghanistan, the amateur film that mocks Prophet Muhammed, which is sparking a widespread protest in the Muslim world and yesterday’s cartoon controversy brought to the fore again by a French magazine, have all made the headlines The tirade against Muslims has taken another abhorable shape; even priests and highly educated and responsible men occupying important positions are speaking out openly against Islam and even the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

All killings and acts of sabotage and terrorism are being attributed to Islam and not to the misguided Muslims. The world has to be told that the enemies of Islam waged war against Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and in all these wars, totaling about 88, the casualties amounted to only around 700 on both sides and most of these wars were defensive.

By contrast scores of millions of people were killed in Communist Russia and the two world wars. Is it religion that caused the Russian and American massacre of Afghans, Chechens, Bosnians and Kashmiris? The French killed a million Algerians before they got their independence. .The time has therefore come to reassess the relations of Muslims with followers of other religions and provide tangible analysis on the way forward for humanity.

It is the foremost duty of a Muslim to recognise the respect and dignity of all human beings as the Qu’ran admits of racial, geographic and national differences among peoples, but firmly disowns them as the basis of the classification of mankind. In this vision of human relationships, the Jew and Christians occupy a special place.

They are acknowledged and honoured as recipients of Allah’s revelation and as object of His favour and consideration. They are of the family of Prophet Ibrahim, the patriarch whom the Qur;an terms as the first Muslim. The spiritual antecedents of Islam are traced back to him. A true Muslim encompasses in his beliefs these early traditions and they form an essential and indispensable ingredient of his faith.

Talkless of the fact that of all religions on earth, Islam is the only one, which approves the Christians fundamental dogma that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin in an immaculate manner, without a father. Should Christians then take Muslims as their friends and allies or as enemy number one?There are others who attempted to inflict the death penalty on Jesus himself, and insult the memory of his virgin mother.

Should Christians love and support such communities or Muslims who share their basic religious faith? In fact, Islam makes it incumbent upon every Muslim to respect other religions, and feel that Islam should also be understood and respected by the others. Thus living in Christian-dominated countries, Muslims would very much like to have a better understanding of Christianity and Christian values.Why then so much hate against such a noble faith.