Saturday, October 16, 2010

“Is Islam a Religion of Peace?”

This question has arisen as the subject of debate in the West. “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?” These conversations are often one-sided. Dominated by either political right-wing extremist (former House speaker Newt Gingrich or the Bill O’Reilly types), apologetic “Westernized” Muslims’ seeking their entry into the”law of acceptance” (fill in the blanks) at any cost or self-deprecating ex-Muslims (Ayaan Hirsi Ali (a born again self hater) and Irshad Manji (an alleged homosexual) whom are well financed by the West to spew their personal pain and hatred toward Islam. Well, they never invite me to these debates so I am inviting myself. Here is my brief retort.
First, to answer this tedious question “Is Islam a Religion of Peace”? I have been a Muslim most of my physical life and all of my religious life and for sure and I have not killed anyone…yet. That’s all the energy I will give that question
However, I grew up in a Christian country, the great (lower case) U.S. of A. My ancestors’ were from the African continent. This is a historical fact. It is also a fact that upwards to 75% of them was practicing Muslims’. They were brought here and enslaved for 310 years by Christians. The Christians beat them, killed them, sold them between each other like chairs and horses and raped the female Muslims repeatedly (see President George Washington and his daily sexcapades on his plantation away from Martha and also President Thomas Jefferson whom started raping his slave girl (Sally Hemmings as early as 12 or 13 years old). I will use this forum to make a posthumous “citizens’ arrest” for rape and child molestation of Sally Hemmings. Pres. Jefferson….you are now under arrest. Step away from the grave and place your hands where I can see them. These same Christians were the authors of a worthless document called the Constitution of the United States of America…I mean, is this not the document which states (its’ still there by the way) that Black people are 3/5 of a human being? Where was it when slavery was going on? Where was it for nearly 100 years of the “Jim Crow” South when they were “poll taxing us at the voting booth and hanging us from trees? Where was it when the U.S. government was conducting the “Tuskegee Experiments? Where was it when the C.O.I.N.T.E.L.P.R.O was being launched by the F.B.I. that led to the murder of Chairman Fred Hampton and others’ by the U.S. government? I would add to my retort, that Black Americans’ (and I use that term lightly…Malcolm X said…’just because a cat has biscuits in the oven don’t make them kittens) did not choose the religion of Christianity no more than they chose to eat the guts’ of hogs’ (chitterlings’ or chittlins’ if you are keeping score at home). Christianity was forced upon them whit a whip and shackles. The aforementioned President Washington was purported to have beaten his slaves everyday of there lives. Reparations please…NOW!
1. Tell you what…I will give you a break and not discuss the wonton slaughter and genocide led by Christopher Columbus of the Native North Americans Nations…the Choctaw, Iroquois, Blackhawk, Cherokee, Seminole, Sioux, Arawak, Apache etc…by whom? You guess it…Christians. My retort would end with this. America and the West can cry about “terrorism” while I will cry about “State Sponsored Terrorism”. I would start with the murder of over 100,000 Iraqis citizens’ in two illegal oil wars’ and the chasing of twenty-five percent of their population across the border as refugees in Syria. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” that cause Pres. Ronald Reagan (it hurts me to say his name) to drop a bomb in Tripoli and murder the 2 year old daughter (Hanane) of the President of Libya. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” that allowed the U.S. to support and fund Apartheid South Africa for over four decades. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” that allows U.S. tax dollars to flow freely into the hands of Israel so they can murder, terrorize and occupy Palestinians. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” of Pres. Reagan’s drug cartel/crack cocaine funded Contra’s in his war against Daniel Ortega in Nigaura. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” that directly resulted into the assassination of President Patrice Lumumba in the Congo and the overthrow of the first President of Ghana Osegeyfo Kwame Nkrumah. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” that led to the death of General Rene’ Schneider in Chile. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” that led to as many as twelve assassination attempts (see the “Bay of Pigs” and “Operation Mongoose” both C.I.A. documented operations) on Pres. Fidel Castro of Cuba. The “State Sponsored Terrorism” that led to the CIA’s involvement in the murder of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. And finally, the biggest terrorist meeting ever held in the history of the world “The Berlin Conference” (1884-85), where the West sat down and carved up the world and embarked on its’ imperialistic mission that affects the geopolitics’ of our lives today.
In conclusion, I simply ask two intelligent questions in my retort, “Who is the real Terrorist”…and “Is Christianity a religion of Peace”?

Malik Aziz
Co-Convener, Darfur 23
http://www.darfur23.org/

4 comments:

  1. This is a very re-enlightening post. It is easy to get caught up in day to day activities and forget the critical reference points of history that explain so much. The idea of questioning Islam as a "Religion of Peace" is an ignorant question on many levels.

    Islam was not a "founded" religion as many might believe. It is the core belief of all religious interpretations. Why do I say this? Because Islam is a call to submit to the will of the Creator. Now, clearly all religions claim to adhere to this practice, but how many actually practice what they preach every moment of every day? Let me explain.

    Given that one believes that there is a Creator, then it follows, that a desired behavior should be anticipated from that which was created. One of the first things that mankind had to accept was, and still is, who is in charge--That being the Creator of all things. This acceptance came with an order of submission. Now, as time has passed, the message of submission has had to be reinforced to mankind with a string of messengers and guidance by prophets. Why is this? Because there are entities, existing well before man, that despise this new creation for numerous reasons.

    These entities set out to take away or diminish this special connection between man and the Creator. Their most effective weapons were developing greed, lust, hatred, and ignorance in mankind. Clearly, those who harbor such behaviors are not likely to be submissive to the Creator. If we review the history of mankind, we will find that EVERY nation that developed these behaviors ceased to exist again and again; All the while poisoning other nations in the process. Surely, it is wise to study history to better know those who desire peace.

    So, let's see where we are. If Islam represents anyone who believes in submission to the Creator, and those who truly commit are NOT practicing greed, lust, hatred, and ignorance; then, it is logical to expect that anyone who is submissive to the will of the Creator would be of a peaceful nature.

    Finally, let's be clear--Many wars have been fought in an effort to attain peace. If forces are working against a person's effort to maintain their peace, then fighting may be their only recourse. Before cheering for one side or the other, we should try to understand the nature of the conflict first. A closed mind can never be open to the truth, and is often misguided.

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  2. In scarcely half a generation during the late 1800s, six European powers sliced up Africa like a cake. The pieces went to Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Belgium; among them, they acquired 30 new colonies and 110 million subjects.

    Although African rulers resisted, many battles were one-sided massacres.

    In 1904 the Hereros, a tribe of southwest southwest, if not a country name Africa, revolted against German rule. Their punishment was genocide--24,000 driven into the desert to starve; those who surrendered were sent to forced labor camps to be worked to death.

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  3. As Salaam Aliakum

    Well said . Praise be to Allah!!!

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  4. Let the TRUTH be told!!!! Loved it!

    Lulu : )

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