Muslim Voices

Animal Rights in Islam

by Nilofar Ahmad

MANY Muslims appear to have a callous attitude where dealing with animals is concerned giving the impression that maybe their religion has no consideration for animals.

However, when we examine the Quran and hadith, we are pleasantly surprised to find that the opposite is true. Islam indeed places much importance on animals and on providing for them in a caring manner. There are five surahs whose titles are based on the names of animals.

Besides, the mention of animals is found throughout the Quran. In Surah Al-Anaam it is said, “There is no animal walking on the earth nor a bird flying on its two wings, except that they are (part of) communities like you” (6: 38). God, in His infinite wisdom, has organised even the most humble of creatures, like birds, bees and ants into communities so that they can work, communicate and survive according to strict ethical and organisational rules, without any deviation. All the creatures in the world, including the animals, glorify their Lord and “sing His praises” (17: 44). The living sing with their tongues, while the non-living with the tacit acquiescence of their condition. Prophet Nuh was asked to build a large boat under divine instructions: “Construct a boat under Our supervision and by Our inspiration, and do not address Me about those who are evil. They are sure to be drowned” (11: 38). The ones to be saved from the flood were the believers as well as a pair each of every species of animals:

“… We said, ‘Load aboard (animals), of every pair two, and of your household, leaving out those for whom the final verdict has already been passed. And (load) those who have come to believe” (11: 40). The fact that the command to save the animals came before the command to save the believers, points to the importance of the animals that were on the verge of becoming endangered species at that point in time.

FULL ARTICLE FROM DAWN.COM

Handling Religious Tensions the Modern Way

by Samir Morcos

This time last year, this author warned of the dire repercussions of religious tensions in Egypt, this bleak forecast coming true in the form of the Nagaa Hammadi incident and subsequent events. In the face of the deterioration in Muslim-Christian relations in Egypt, the political leadership has declared its commitment to reinforcing the principles of the civil state, at the heart of which resides the concept of equal citizenship.

The civil state offers an overarching form of affiliation that brings the people of a single country into an all-embracing national framework in which they are able to live and work together, rather than in isolation from each other in separate groups bound by other forms of affiliation. The civil state thus holds the key to transcending religious tensions.
Last year, Al-Ahram Weekly published a special edition on visions for the new decade (2010-2020), in which I had the privilege to contribute an article on religious tensions in Egypt. In the interests of continuity, I will briefly recap the substance of that article and discuss salient developments that have occurred in this domain over the past year. I will then propose ideas that I believe will help to overcome the problem of religious tensions.

FULL ARTICLE FROM ALARIBIYA.NET

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Islam, Muslims and Extremism

Maulana Waris Mazhari (tr. Yoginder Sikand)

Critics claim that Islam conduces to, or explicitly preaches, extremism and mindless violence. Some radical Islamist movements, that are a product of local circumstances as well as certain international political developments, are undoubtedly engaged in extremism in the name of Islam. This is particularly unfortunate in that it gives Islam a bad image as well as provides ample ammunition to Islam’s critics. Lamentably, Muslim leaders, especially the ulema and other religious figures, are so enraged and offended by this unjustified criticism of Islam that they are simply not ready to admit that radical Islamists are indeed misusing the fair name of Islam to engage in extremism, which is readily apparent across the Muslim world and even elsewhere.

It is imperative, however, that serious and committed Muslim scholars and activists critique and condemn the politics of extremism in the name of Islam. What is the best way for them to do so, especially since these radical groups claim to base their ideology, politics, and practice on the Islamic scriptures?

FULL ARTICLE FROM THE AMERICAN MUSLIM

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Mercy:  The Stamp of Creation

A Nawawi Foundation Paper

by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

The explicit link between the Arabic words Islam, literally “entering into peace,” and salam, “peace” or “perfect peace,”has been frequently highlighted of late. It is mainly because of this etymological connection that many Muslims and others advance the claim that Islam is a religion of peace, just as Christianity is customarily called a religion of love. Certainly, in terms of their creed and the historical record, Muslims are no less justifi ed in equating Islam with peace than Christians are in identifying their faith with love. From a theological perspective, however, it would be more precise to describe Islam as the religion of mercy.

FULL ARTICLE

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Innovation and Creativity in Islam

A Nawawi Foundation Paper

by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

Islam is a global religion. Its followers constitute one of the world’s largest religious communities. They are of every ethnic group and inhabit every type of geographical region. The religion’s historical success as a universal religion arises in part from the simplicity of its message and its ability to make itself relevant to different times and peoples. Islam constitutes a “mobile idea” because it can be easily understood anywhere and is flexible enough to come together “in intriguing ways to produce unanticipated new configurations.”1

FULL ARTICLE

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Islam and the Cultural Imperative

A Nawawi Foundation Paper

by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

For centuries, Islamic civilization harmonized indigenous forms of cultural expression with the universal norms of its sacred law. It struck a balance between temporal beauty and ageless truth and fanned a brilliant peacock’s tail of unity in diversity from the heart of China to the shores of the Atlantic. Islamic jurisprudence helped facilitate this creative genius. In history, Islam showed itself to be culturally friendly and, in that regard, has been likened to a crystal clear river. Its waters (Islam) are pure, sweet, and life-giving but—having no color of their own—reflect the bedrock (indigenous culture) over which they flow. In China, Islam looked Chinese; in Mali, it looked African. Sustained cultural relevance to distinct peoples, diverse places, and different times underlay Islam’s long success as a global civilization.

FULL ARTICLE

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Six Deaths Must Not End a History of Religious Harmony

H A Hellyer

I remember clearly, when I was growing up in Abu Dhabi, the local Anglican bishop being invited to Muslim households for lunch – often on Christmas Day. I recall an Egyptian Muslim lady telling me that as a child she had a Jewish classmate, in a Catholic school, where she was taught Islam by local teachers, and other subjects by nuns. Schools in the Arab world often had a mix of Christian and Muslim children, all having deep loyalty to their countries while maintaining their own religious affiliation.

Indeed, strong Muslim-Christian harmony has long been a feature of the Arab world. So what are we to make of events in Nag Hammadi in southern Egypt last Wednesday night – Christmas Eve in the Orthodox Christian calendar – when six Coptic Christians were shot dead by Muslim gunmen as they left midnight mass?

FULL ARTICLE FROM AL  ARABIYA

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Moderate Muslims?  We’re Everywhere

By Eboo Patel

I’m not the world’s most physical guy, but I have a hero fantasy I play over and over in my head.

I’m on a plane and a guy a few rows up starts to make some suspicious moves. In some dream sequences, he’s taking out a box cutter. Other times, he’s trying to set his shoe on fire.

Everyone else is sleeping, but I’m doing my patriotic duty by staying vigilant, and I see this guy try to take us down and I’m not going to let him. I yell “TERRORIST!” just as the blade comes out or the match lights up. It startles him just for a second, buying me enough time to lunge over two rows and knock the object out of his hands.

There are going to be some new details in my hero fantasy after the failed terrorist attempt on Christmas Day bags of explosive powder taped to legs, syringes full of chemicals, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. But one part of the sequence will remain the same: After I knock the box cutter or match or whatever out of the terrorist’s hand, I go straight for the son of a bitch’s throat. I want to crush his larynx before he can squeeze any Arabic out of it. Because not only does this guy want to take down a plane full of God’s people, he wants to take down a whole religion with it. And I want to do my part to rescue both.

FULL ARTICLE FROM USA TODAY

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A Prominent Muslim Journalist Interviews Hillary Clinton about American Relations with the Muslim World

By Hassan Abbas

I conducted an interview on December 10 with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, DC about Pakistan and the United States’ relations with the Muslim world, originally published on my blog Watandost.

HASSAN ABBAS: During your recent visit to Pakistan, you won the hearts of many through your courageous outreach — visiting Badshahi mosque, participating in television talk shows, interacting with students at country’s premier educational institution Government College Lahore, and most importantly going to the mausoleum of Mohammad Iqbal, the poet-philosopher who gave the idea of Pakistan. Even those who are critical of the U.S. policy were appreciative of these gestures and it served an important message to those Pakistani politicians also who are not in touch with masses.

What were the signs of hope that you gauged during this visit?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, the resilience and the courage of the Pakistani people. Everywhere I went, I met people who are speaking out and standing up and working hard, and that was extremely moving to me. I also felt like both the civilian government and the military leadership understood that the threat they faced had to be addressed.

FULL ARTICLE FROM FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE

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Muslims Must Condemn Religious Extremists

by Sheila Musaji

I am reading and hearing in the media a barrage of articles and editorials demanding that Muslims take a stand against those who condone or commit acts of violence.  I would like to go on record as condemning all religious extremism, bigotry, violence, hatred, and terrorism by both Muslims and non-Muslims.  I see no difference between any of these.  These merchants of hate no matter what their supposed religious affiliation have more in common with each other than they do with the majority of individuals in their respective religious faiths.

FULL ARTICLE FROM THE AMERICAN MUSLIM

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The Voices and Visions Project aims to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding between Muslims and Non-Muslims through podcasts, art exhibits and public discussions.

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A Muslim View of Christianity

by Mahmoud Ayub

(An Orbis Series in Inter-religious Dialogue)

PART I
The Need for Dialogue
Setting the Context

A distinction is usually made in Christian circles between ecumenism and
interfaith dialogue. Ecumenism is taken to mean dialogue among Christians—
between Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox—while interfaith
dialogue means dialogue with people of other faiths. I would like to suggest
that, as Christians and Muslims, we should re-examine what the term “revelation
in faith,” or the trust which God has laid upon us, really means.

FULL ARTICLE