Yesterday, before the website LiveLeak pulled it, I viewed the hate film by Geert Wilders, "Fitna." Before I give my thoughts, I should add that even though the film was pulled from the one site, many people downloaded it and it could be found on YouTube and Google videos. I am not sure if they are still there, and I could care less. It really doesn't matter because there are many posts on Jihad Watch of people who have the video and some of them are hosting it.
Despite all the hype about this short film, Fitna was a run-of-the-mill Islamophobe propaganda film. It had all the usual components: video of 9/11 & 7/7, and the usual "it is not an anti-Muslim film without a beheading" video. Also, it had the usual cherry picked, partial ayahs (verses) of suras. It would have been amusing if it wasn't so maddening about these suras being taken out of context. The maddening part is something I have mentioned in the past, that is the ignorant people who view these incomplete verses as truth because they do not know any better...and they are being told this from a self-proclaimed "expert" of Islam. In this case, a Dutch politician who hates Muslims. Oh, I'm sorry, in a recent article, he stated that he "doesn't hate Muslims, he just hates Islam."
One of these ayahs was 4:56, where Allah is speaking, but the form being used is "We." Now, those who have some knowledge of the Qur'an, even the Islamophobic "experts" on Islam, know "We" means Allah, but for their purpose of inciting hatred against Muslims it is a clever way of misrepresenting a part of the Qur'an to people who do not have any knowledge of Allah's Book. To the uninformed, the "We" in this case means Muslims would do this to them. If the people had a chance to fully read the ayah and the ones before and after it, they would come to realize that this verse is talking about the Hellfire...and not actually about literally burning them in a fire.
Of course, it would not fit into anyone's anti-Islamic agenda to inform the people of this fact. Instead, Wilders couples this partial ayah with images of dead bodies to further mislead his audience and falsely lead them to believe that the Qur'an is filled with hate. The other ayahs/suras chosen for this hate film were equally misrepresented. One, which I didn't even write down, was so incomplete that it made no sense to me what point Wilders was trying to insinuate by even using it. It was closer to the end of the film so maybe he was running out of ideas.
The repercussions against Wilders are starting become known. The cartoonist, who blasphemed the Prophet (SAW), is bringing suit against Wilders for using the image twice in the film without permission. Copywrite charges are also possible by Dutch media for the headlines Wilders used without permission. Another of Wilders blunders was when he tried to show the murderer of VanGough, and instead showed the picture of a local rap artist. Ooops!
As usual, it is up to the Muslim Ummah (community) to do our best to prove that these lies against Islam are false. At times, this can seem like an uphill battle, one that is very discouraging. But if we keep our silence on these matters these lies will continue to spread to more and more ignorant people. We must continue to show our evidence to these people so, at the very least, they realize they are being misled by these "experts" and others in influential positions.
May Allah give the ummah the strength and guidance to help change peoples hearts. Ameen.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wow! Found this Story on Jihad Watch...
...well, actually this story would never show up on that Muslim-hating website. Why? Because it is a story about a Jewish rabbi calling for Muslim children to be hung from trees as a "deterrent" from even thinking about future attacks of retaliation on Israel.
The chief rabbi of Safed, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, is calling on the Israeli government to carry out "state-sanctioned revenge" against "Arabs." Here are some of the rabbi's own words from an article in Haaretz, which, of course, is not getting much air-time in the main stream media:
"In the newsletter, which was distributed to synagogues around the country, Eliyahu proposes "hanging the children of the terrorist who carried out the attack in the Mercaz Harav yeshiva from a tree."
...and...
"[The state] has to pain them [Palestinians] to the point where they scream 'Enough,' to the point where they fall flat on their face and scream 'help.' Not for the sake of satisfying the need for revenge but for the purposes of deterrence."
Full story: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/968729.html
...and finally, from another article:
"A state that really respects the lives of its citizens would have hanged the 10 sons of the terrorist on a tree 50 amot [25 meters] tall, so that others would see it and be afraid," wrote Eliahu, according to the Jerusalem Post."
"Eliahu called on the Zionist state to take "horrible revenge" for the attack at the Yeshiva in Jerusalem. "We have to exact a revenge that is so painful, it will burn into the souls of all our enemies the message that Jewish blood is more valuable than gold and platinum."
I should add that the rabbi's words are going to be published in this weekend's edition of the newsletter "Eretz Yisrael Shelanu," which is dispersed at synagogues throughout Israel.
In fairness, the Reform Party in Israel did issue a statement of condemnation for the rabbi's words. But the problem is that this isn't the first time this same rabbi has issued inflammatory statements against Muslims. Israel's attorney-general has pressed charges against this rabbi, only to withdraw the charges later when the rabbi offered up a "shady" apology. If the government truly wanted to censor this rabbi, they could do so. I guess as long as they keep it as quiet as possible and issue a pseudo-condemnation, they have covered their behinds.
Now, my point is this: If a sheikh or an imam had said these very words, it would have been all over the internet and mainstream press. There would be denouncements of these words by heads of state, and calls for an apology. There also would have been calls for the Muslim community as a whole to denounce these words...but when they are directed toward Muslims, hardly a peep is heard. Sad...very sad.
May Allah continue to give the Ummah strength. Ameen.
The chief rabbi of Safed, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, is calling on the Israeli government to carry out "state-sanctioned revenge" against "Arabs." Here are some of the rabbi's own words from an article in Haaretz, which, of course, is not getting much air-time in the main stream media:
"In the newsletter, which was distributed to synagogues around the country, Eliyahu proposes "hanging the children of the terrorist who carried out the attack in the Mercaz Harav yeshiva from a tree."
...and...
"[The state] has to pain them [Palestinians] to the point where they scream 'Enough,' to the point where they fall flat on their face and scream 'help.' Not for the sake of satisfying the need for revenge but for the purposes of deterrence."
Full story: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/968729.html
...and finally, from another article:
"A state that really respects the lives of its citizens would have hanged the 10 sons of the terrorist on a tree 50 amot [25 meters] tall, so that others would see it and be afraid," wrote Eliahu, according to the Jerusalem Post."
"Eliahu called on the Zionist state to take "horrible revenge" for the attack at the Yeshiva in Jerusalem. "We have to exact a revenge that is so painful, it will burn into the souls of all our enemies the message that Jewish blood is more valuable than gold and platinum."
I should add that the rabbi's words are going to be published in this weekend's edition of the newsletter "Eretz Yisrael Shelanu," which is dispersed at synagogues throughout Israel.
In fairness, the Reform Party in Israel did issue a statement of condemnation for the rabbi's words. But the problem is that this isn't the first time this same rabbi has issued inflammatory statements against Muslims. Israel's attorney-general has pressed charges against this rabbi, only to withdraw the charges later when the rabbi offered up a "shady" apology. If the government truly wanted to censor this rabbi, they could do so. I guess as long as they keep it as quiet as possible and issue a pseudo-condemnation, they have covered their behinds.
Now, my point is this: If a sheikh or an imam had said these very words, it would have been all over the internet and mainstream press. There would be denouncements of these words by heads of state, and calls for an apology. There also would have been calls for the Muslim community as a whole to denounce these words...but when they are directed toward Muslims, hardly a peep is heard. Sad...very sad.
May Allah continue to give the Ummah strength. Ameen.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Oh, the Hatred of Islam & Muslims
Lately, I have been inundated with stories, emails, media, etc., about how people hate Muslims and despise Islam. While I let some of the forwarded emails pass because of ignorance, I really cannot ignore them. Why? Because it is this misinformation that gets passed on to more and more ignorant people who believe it simply because the email came from a friend or family member. To make matters worse, these people spread these false accusations to neighbors and others who are not on their email list.
Lately, the talk in the media, both print and on television, has been on the upcoming release of an anti-Qur'an movie by a Dutch politician. No where has there been an oversaturation on this story as there has been on Jihad Watch. They love to champion this politician's cause, giving him their support and wishing more politicians in America were like him. For those who have not heard of the Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, here is part of an article from The Observer:
"A TV addict with bleached hair who adores Maggie Thatcher and prefers kebabs to hamburgers, Geert Wilders has got nothing against Muslims. He just hates Islam. Or so he says. 'Islam is not a religion, it's an ideology,' says Wilders, a lanky Roman Catholic right-winger, 'the ideology of a retarded culture.' "
...another part of the article:
"But he does want to create a stir. 'Islam is something we can't afford any more in the Netherlands. I want the fascist Koran banned. We need to stop the Islamisation of the Netherlands. That means no more mosques, no more Islamic schools, no more imams... Not all Muslims are terrorists, but almost all terrorists are Muslims.'
Free speech or hate speech? 'I don't create hate. I want to be honest. I don't hate people. I don't hate Muslims. I hate their book and their ideology.' "
Full Story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/17/netherlands.islam
Hmmmm......how does one not hate the followers of Islam considering Muslims base their entire life on the Qur'an and the ahadith??? It reminds me of a verse in the Qur'an which I read recently on another blog: "Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion." [2:120]
Alhamdulillah for the Qur'an and it's guidance. This verse is so true. I see it everyday in the writings of the lemmings on Jihad Watch, and various other Islamophobe sites. This verse resonated in my head as I was listening to a conservative radio show over the internet this morning. During the show, there was an interview with author Brad Thor, who has an upcoming book due out in July. I knew where the conversation was going when the shows host's first question asked was "if the author was prepared to die when the book was published." I knew then it was an inflammatory book against Islam.
Here is a part of the transcript of the show where the author describes the book:
"THOR: In a nutshell the book is that Mohammed had -- the Qur'an is Mohammed's revelations and they are ordered not in chronological order in the Qur'an but -- and this is true. They are ordered from longest to shortest. And the problem with the Qur'an is that we've got peaceful verses throughout but the more violent verses, in particular number 9, the most violent verse in the Qur'an came from very much toward the end of Mohammed's life. It's one of the last kind of commandments to his followers and therefore a lot of the radical Islamists use it to justify violence against non-Muslims. So I said with this -- because Mohammed was assassinated. That's another true fact. I said what if Mohammed had one last revelation and his own companion, people within his closest cadre assassinated him to keep that final revelation quiet. That's the basis of the book: What if this revelation existed and what if it could completely alter the face of Islam if it became brought into the public eye."
Now, back to the author's reply about if he was prepared do die. He said, "THOR: Listen. I don't want to die for -- I definitely don't want to die for a book but at the end of the day if we keep backing off -- and that's what I said. We are experiencing Sharia inch by inch every time we cower and refuse to publish a book or something like that." ...followed by..."If the enemy we face today is not Islam, it's the Islamists. They are trying to tear this country apart from within. Groups like -- groups like CAIR and other groups. I think it's important that this information get out there and be told to people in a story like mine so they can learn about the threat that this nation faces."
There was another time in the past when people wanted Muslims to stop practicing their religion, and would only accept it if they started practicing their religion...and they did so with force! It was called the Inquisition. Are we headed towards another, a modern day, Inquisition? Insha'Allah, I hope not, but only time will tell. With more and more fear mongering books from authors with an agenda, and news media outlets which offers up one side of the story, and add an uninformed 'audience', who, instead of researching for themselves the truth about Islam, only takes the words of so called "experts" at face value, then it looks looks some rough times ahead for my brothers and sisters. May Allah give us Strength. Ameen
Lately, the talk in the media, both print and on television, has been on the upcoming release of an anti-Qur'an movie by a Dutch politician. No where has there been an oversaturation on this story as there has been on Jihad Watch. They love to champion this politician's cause, giving him their support and wishing more politicians in America were like him. For those who have not heard of the Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, here is part of an article from The Observer:
"A TV addict with bleached hair who adores Maggie Thatcher and prefers kebabs to hamburgers, Geert Wilders has got nothing against Muslims. He just hates Islam. Or so he says. 'Islam is not a religion, it's an ideology,' says Wilders, a lanky Roman Catholic right-winger, 'the ideology of a retarded culture.' "
...another part of the article:
"But he does want to create a stir. 'Islam is something we can't afford any more in the Netherlands. I want the fascist Koran banned. We need to stop the Islamisation of the Netherlands. That means no more mosques, no more Islamic schools, no more imams... Not all Muslims are terrorists, but almost all terrorists are Muslims.'
Free speech or hate speech? 'I don't create hate. I want to be honest. I don't hate people. I don't hate Muslims. I hate their book and their ideology.' "
Full Story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/17/netherlands.islam
Hmmmm......how does one not hate the followers of Islam considering Muslims base their entire life on the Qur'an and the ahadith??? It reminds me of a verse in the Qur'an which I read recently on another blog: "Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion." [2:120]
Alhamdulillah for the Qur'an and it's guidance. This verse is so true. I see it everyday in the writings of the lemmings on Jihad Watch, and various other Islamophobe sites. This verse resonated in my head as I was listening to a conservative radio show over the internet this morning. During the show, there was an interview with author Brad Thor, who has an upcoming book due out in July. I knew where the conversation was going when the shows host's first question asked was "if the author was prepared to die when the book was published." I knew then it was an inflammatory book against Islam.
Here is a part of the transcript of the show where the author describes the book:
"THOR: In a nutshell the book is that Mohammed had -- the Qur'an is Mohammed's revelations and they are ordered not in chronological order in the Qur'an but -- and this is true. They are ordered from longest to shortest. And the problem with the Qur'an is that we've got peaceful verses throughout but the more violent verses, in particular number 9, the most violent verse in the Qur'an came from very much toward the end of Mohammed's life. It's one of the last kind of commandments to his followers and therefore a lot of the radical Islamists use it to justify violence against non-Muslims. So I said with this -- because Mohammed was assassinated. That's another true fact. I said what if Mohammed had one last revelation and his own companion, people within his closest cadre assassinated him to keep that final revelation quiet. That's the basis of the book: What if this revelation existed and what if it could completely alter the face of Islam if it became brought into the public eye."
Now, back to the author's reply about if he was prepared do die. He said, "THOR: Listen. I don't want to die for -- I definitely don't want to die for a book but at the end of the day if we keep backing off -- and that's what I said. We are experiencing Sharia inch by inch every time we cower and refuse to publish a book or something like that." ...followed by..."If the enemy we face today is not Islam, it's the Islamists. They are trying to tear this country apart from within. Groups like -- groups like CAIR and other groups. I think it's important that this information get out there and be told to people in a story like mine so they can learn about the threat that this nation faces."
There was another time in the past when people wanted Muslims to stop practicing their religion, and would only accept it if they started practicing their religion...and they did so with force! It was called the Inquisition. Are we headed towards another, a modern day, Inquisition? Insha'Allah, I hope not, but only time will tell. With more and more fear mongering books from authors with an agenda, and news media outlets which offers up one side of the story, and add an uninformed 'audience', who, instead of researching for themselves the truth about Islam, only takes the words of so called "experts" at face value, then it looks looks some rough times ahead for my brothers and sisters. May Allah give us Strength. Ameen
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