The Editor Saudi Gazette on the Mass Shootings in Paris and California:
"I will not Apologize."
How should Muslims Respond?
Editor-at-large of The Saudi Gazete has to be a very well informed and knowledgable person. I respect that. But my Deen and my education has encouraged independent thinking. Hence I beg to differ from his excellent write up “I will not apologise” in response to the mass shootings in Paris and California.(A copy enclosed hereunder) I immediately agree. You do not have to apologise; certainly not. I do not have to, either. He does not have to. She does not have to. No Muslim has to because, as the writer has stated these episodes have nothing to do with Islam. And we do not need to prove this to anybody. Those who ask us for an apology are just being ridiculous.
But we have a duty and an interest to condemn these dastardly attacks unconditionally. It is our duty as human being as these are attacks against humanity, duty as Americans because our fellow citizens are being brutally murdered by other fellow citizens and as Muslims because this carnage is conducted by terribly misguided Muslims as their distorted version of service of Islam.
The article does have a line to strongly condemn these atrocities: “I stand with the entire world in condemning the wanton, ruthless and mindless destruction of innocent human lives”. The rest of the editorial is devoted to bring out very nicely and forcefully a list of grievances that we have against “them” — the West. After affirming that he does not believe in conspiracies, the Editor states “…..but are mostly managed by shadowy groups operating under the umbrella of Western agencies.” The “Ummah” of our dreams is illiterate, week, fractious and therefore impotent in the world arena. We seem to have completely lost the capability of self analysis, self assessment. The usual stereotype of our reaction is something like this: we are OK; it is the vicious and cunning West that is responsible for all our misery and mishaps. Since we cannot match them the only two weapons we have in our armory are taking shelter in a state of denial or throwing the ball in the court of “the West or the Western agencies”. A majority of my fellow Muslims support and follow this line of thinking and approach in our political, social. and economic confrontations with the current dominant force, the West. Hence I will not discuss it further except pointing out that they are acting as members of the “Tribe of Muslims” and practicing the age old tribal values. The truth is that Ummah or Community of Faith should be bound by Spirituality and Spiritual values.
I will strongly suggest to deal with our current problem of mass shootings as Muslims who are members of the “Deen of Islam” and not the “Tribe of Muslims”. These are two distinct classes. Bernard Shaw had famously said that “Islam is the best religion but has the worst followers”. Near at home, the poet philosopher Dr. Mohammed Iqbal saw Islam in Europe but no Muslims; on returning home in India he saw many Muslims but could not find Islam. As members of the former class “Deen of Islam” our approach on the problem under discussion will then have to deviate from the stereotype followed in this article. We will have to first select some of the golden principles of our Deen to guide us in this matter. First and foremost is Taqwaa —God consciousness. Yes, you read it right. This core value of Islam is the basic first step to keep us “on the right path” in real situations like the mass shooting we are discussing. Members of the “Tribe of Muslims” restrict this concept —taqwaa — to discussions in our lectures, da’waa, halaqua and conferences. Allah Ta’aala and HIS Messenger want it — taqwaa — to be manifested in our daily dealings on the ground. We must be fully conscious that what we feel, say and do about the Paris and San Bernardino massacre will be accountable on the Day of Judgement. This principle can never be overemphasized. As our Holy Book emphasizes an “iota” of “good or bad” done in our life in this world will be “seen” and accounted in the other world. Second principle, we must remind ourselves that the murder of a single human being is a murder of whole mankind. Third, Islam permits Qisas only on one to one basis; the guilty for the victim. Fourth fairness and justice is ordained to us even for our enemies. With these principles in mind, build up your response to these mass shootings. It appears it has to be an outright condemnation with out any ifs and buts. As a Muslim, I dare not relate in any way —correlate, explain, offer a basis, partly justify — these mass murders in Paris and California to the horrible and recurrent killings of my brothers and sisters in Palestine. I am afraid this attempt at relating the two can be labelled as a major sin, a gunahe kabeera as it runs counter to clear instructions of our Holy Text as outlined earlier.
Copy of the article:
