IslamNewcastle

Politically Correct?

Politically Correct?

Here are the powers, rushing for a nuclear hour,

In our day, thriving in the arms race – contest.

And their annexation of terror to Islam

Is like putting dictionary words in context.

Today we are faced with many public situations where – if we have any sense – we think twice before saying something that may offend someone. This is known nowadays as political correctness. We are in such a time when there is sensitivity as to which words are used to denote someone’s race, nationality, sexuality etc. And while some would say there is over-sensitivity in how much is being censored, I would agree with the complete denunciation of racist terms once thought of as normal in the past. However, why is there no consistency in this when it comes to faith?

I do not need to look far before I find in every newspaper I pick up, in books, on television, in a person’s general speech, words that people connect to Islam that I have never seen in the Quran, or Hadiths, that Muslims never knew 4 years ago, never mind 1400 years ago.

It is strange how people seem to suddenly grow indifferent, almost normal, in utilising western-created words which are completely ignorant of the actual definition of Islam.

Islam n. Peace in submission to God.

Instead we have a whole new dictionary of words in this 21^st century: Izlam, Izlamist, Izlamic-terrorism.

All of these are negative and extremist-related words which some are actually trying to pass off as Islam. How has it come about that these ridiculous puppet-expressions now look to represent supposed strands of Islam?

Rooted from an oppressed opinion I’m sure I share with other Muslims regarding the misrepresentation of Islam, there was a need for me to write about this issue, and ask the questions: If using these terms nowadays is politically correct, do you really believe that calling an extremist an Islamist is correct? And if yes, how much do you really know about Islam? And Muslims: If you’re using this vocabulary too, which one are you following Islam or Izlam?

Islam n. Peace in submission to God.

Izlam n. The attempted counterfeit.

Let’s take a step back before looking at the rest of the words, and use an example from the past. During the Crusades, or perhaps earlier, the term Mohammadanism was used for Islam by the West. This can be found in literature from the period, and reports of the Crusades when Muslims were referred to as Mohammadans. What this clearly suggested was the blatant disbelief in the message of Islam, and the accusation that the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaiyhi wasallam) wrote the Quran himself. At least these terms now are politically incorrect and known as offensive. What you cannot miss in such ‘creativity’ is the uncanny need for changing or creating words that were not a part of the faith. They are words that point to some form of shirk (associating someone/something to God) or other sins. Mohammadanism suggested that Muslims worshipped a man.

Another example I can give is the word ‘Christianity’, a term Jesus (alaiyhi al-salaam) himself never knew of, because it came afterwards. It comes from the Greek language and literally means ‘the anointed one’ adding to the belief that the Prophet Jesus (alaiyhi al-salaam) is god.

Let’s look now at the newest additions to this list of manipulation, corruption and defamation.

The following are two words and their definitions, found on the World-Wide Web:

Islamism n.

1. An Islamic revivalist movement, often characterized by moral conservatism, literalism, and the attempt to implement Islamic values in all spheres of life.

2. The religious faith, principles, or cause of Islam.

3. Characterized by moral conservatism and the literal interpretation of the Koran and the attempt to implement Islamic values in all aspects of life.

Islamic terrorism n. The common term for violence,  rooted in Islamism, and aimed at propagating Islamic culture, society, and values in opposition to the political, allegedly imperialistic, and cultural influences of non-Muslims, and the Western world in particular.

And so we have the:

Islamist n. Someone who follows this movement/ideology.

Does something seem wrong here?

In terms of any Islamic revivalist movement, I cannot think of a justified reason for one right now. There cannot be any un-tampered, uncorrupted, true revolution until the arrival of the Guided one; Imam Mahdi. We are in a time when it is difficult to see who to trust even if a people come out to say they are completely following Islam, because such groups have fallen into political regimes and agendas of their own, and most importantly the Khalifah is still to be re-established.

‘Literalism’ or ‘Literal interpretation’ of the Quran seems to be the theme of Islamism in the definitions. What this points to is the idea of extremism in that those put under the ‘Islamist’ category follow the Quran word for word, without considering a deeper level of meaning in the ayats and therefore without having carried out any complete and proper study of the Quranic Literature. Who would have thought that the writers of these definitions could have come closer to the truth in identifying diseased hearts of such people than many Muslims themselves!

The extremists who claim to be following Islam choose to only preach certain verses, and manipulate them, with or without knowing their true meanings, in order to serve their own twisted purposes. And this is not something new at all when it comes to people using religion in the game to win hearts and minds, or to control and frighten a people.

I’d like to direct your attention towards Sheikh Imran Hosein’s book ‘An Islamic view of Gog and Magog in the Modern World’ (which can be downloaded from his site: www.imranhosein.org), to the Introduction written by Dr. Tammam Adi, where there is a section called ‘T’aweel: principles of Qur’an semantics’. Here Tammam Adi discusses the language that Allah (subhana wa ta’alah) uses. Also he states his own belief and that of the Sheikh’s that ‘the Qur’ān has a system of meaning which consistently relates all the verses to each other and also serves to explain and interpret them.’

When an individual or a group looks to one specific part or ayat of the Quran, you can clearly see how this could serve to be a problem in terms of what that individual or group understands by it. It is also important to remember that there are scholars who have spent their whole lives in study, striving to learn more about what Allah (subhana wa ta’alah) has given us in the Quran. One cannot just dismiss such intense study and quest out to understand the Quran by one’s self, even if that person knows the Arabic language.

If any Muslim were to interpret something incorrect from the Quran, then the actions they carry out as a result of this misinterpretation (whether purposely or unknowingly) do not suddenly become another aspect of Islam. The point is; extremity and terror are not characteristics of the Deen. To know this would then mean to dispel out any term which looks to utilise the word Islam within it to create any other word than that which portrays the Deen as what it is: Peace in submission to God.

There is no such thing as Islamism or Islamic terrorism.

When it comes to what Islam teaches about extremism, we must look at the words of the Prophet (salallahu alaiyhi wasallam):

“Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately…Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise).” – Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470

If one believes there is another way to follow Islam, or holds onto the idea of Islamism or Islamic terrorism, and identifies someone as an Islamist, then such a person has fallen for the attempted counterfeit. Izlam is being pushed forward for us to accept and replace Islam with. It must be rejected, just as Mohammadanism has been recognized for its poison. Mohammadanism was once an accepted term, it is now recognized as offensive. This should tell us that just because Islamism is politically correct right now, we are not governed by what is socially or politically acceptable today; such a basis for judgment is fickle. Islam is ever-standing, complete and pure. Subhan Allah. And extremism has no place within it.

-          Roszeen Afsar

January 7, 2010 - Posted by Abu-Tayeb Khairdeen | Muslim Minorities | islam, islamism, izlam, politically correct