Location: Ottawa (Now in Bangalore)
Posted on: 20-03-06 13:37:39
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4823874.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4823874.stm</a>
Makes for very interesting reading...
Quote:
An Afghan man is being tried in a court in the capital, Kabul, for converting from Islam to Christianity.
Abdul Rahman is charged with rejecting Islam and could face the death sentence under Sharia law unless he recants.
He converted 16 years ago as an aid worker helping refugees in Pakistan. His estranged family denounced him in a custody dispute over his two children.
It is thought to be Afghanistan's first such trial, reflecting tensions between conservative clerics and reformists.
QUICK GUIDE
Afghanistan
Conservatives still dominate the Afghan judiciary four years after the Taleban were overthrown.
The BBC's Mike Donkin in Kabul says reformists, like the government under President Hamid Karzai, want a more liberal, secular legal system but under the present constitution it is hard for them to intervene.
'Tolerance'
Afghanistan's post-Taleban constitution is based on Sharia law, and prosecutors in the case says this means Abdul Rahman, whose trial began last Thursday, should be put to death.
We will ask him if he has changed his mind. If so we will forgive him
Trial judge Ansarullah Mawlazezadah
When he was arrested last month he was found to be carrying a bible and charged with rejecting Islam which is punishable by death in Afghanistan.
Trial judge Ansarullah Mawlazezadah told the BBC that Mr Rahman, 41, would be asked to reconsider his conversion, which he made while working for a Christian aid group in Pakistan.
"We will invite him again because the religion of Islam is one of tolerance. We will ask him if he has changed his mind. If so we will forgive him," the judge told the BBC on Monday.
But if he refused to reconvert, then his mental state would be considered first before he was dealt with under Sharia law, the judge added.
He said he expected the case to take about two months to be heard.
Precedent
The Afghan Human Rights Commission has called for a better balance in the judiciary, with fewer judges advocating Sharia law and more judges with a wider legal background.
Several journalists have been prosecuted under blasphemy laws in post-Taleban Afghanistan.
The editor of a women's rights magazine was convicted of insulting Islam and sentenced to death last year - but was later released after an apology and heavy international pressure.
Mr Karzai's office says the president will not intervene in the case.
Observers say executing a converted Christian would be a significant precedent as a conservative interpretation of Sharia law in Afghanistan.
But it would also outrage Western nations which put Mr Karzai in power and are pouring billions of dollars into supporting the country.
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"Aur Vaise Bhi, Sharafat ki jab kapde utarti hai, sabse zyaada mazaa shareefon ko hi aati hai"....(From The Dirty Picture)
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I appreciate the open minded approach taken by the members towards the article posted in this thread. We should not Judge the religion of any person from his actions since a person can do anything, he can steel ,lie , cheat and hurt anyone he likes and we cannot question his religion for all the actions he does in his life.
For example if you are not a good driver and you are driving a brand new car, and you hit it with a pole, then whose fault is it? Is it your fault or the fault of the car? Will you judge the car from the driver or will you do vise versa?
Do you judge the job from a employee or you judge the employee from his job?
Just as Hitler killed so many jews in Germany (Holocaust) and his Religion(Christianity) should not be targetted , in the similar way any religion, whether it is Islam, Christianity and Jeudaism should not be targetted since no Religion on the face of the earth preaches evil .
It is very unfortunate that in this Modern Information Age, many non-muslims have started attacking Islam and Muslims and the International Media has played a significent role in this anti-Islamic propoganda but one thing is sure that out of 100% non-muslims, not even 5% of non-muslims have proper and accurate knowledge of Islam. What ever knowledge they have about Islam is a mixture of misconception and biased understanding of Islamic teachings.
I would appreciate if my friends especially Indians in this forum just watch QTV(Qur'anic TV) which shows programs of Dr.Zakir Naik a well known and a very knowledgable Indian Islamic Scholar of our time. His Cds,audio and video cassettes are available in the Markets of Mumbai.
If you want ,you can learn about Islam on his site http://www.drzakirnaik.com" rel="nofollow">LINK and http://www.irf.net" rel="nofollow">LINK .
Let me tell you something very important that he had several debates with Christian Scholars and Hindu Pundits of India and as well as with Western Scholars and he has successfully convinced the audience siting infront of him.
He presents his arguments rationally with references from different Religious Sources ,like Bible, Qur'an and Hindu Religious Scriptures(Geeta, Bawishi Purana, and Ramayan).
I hope my non-muslim friends in this forum, would visit his site inorder to eliminate their misconceptions about Islam.
Unfortunately many non-muslims have misconceptions about "Jihad" which is also labelled as "Islamic Holy War" and "Womens rights in Islam" and Dr.Zakir has given wonderful explanation about "Jihad" and "Womens rights in Islam".
Regards,
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Welcome
Quote:
Originally posted by Fahad Ahmed
Unfortunately many non-muslims have misconceptions about "Jihad" which is also labelled as "Islamic Holy War" and "Womens rights in Islam" and Dr.Zakir has given wonderful explanation about "Jihad" and "Womens rights in Islam".
Regards,
Hi Fahad,
I dont think many people are worried or afraid of Islam as a religion.
What worries most is the interpretation of the same and how its currently applied by its followers... be it 'Jihad' or 'Womens rights in Islam' or 'human rights'.
You maybe a person who does not adhere to those interpretations as we see practiced in many islamic countries. However, that interpretation is actively practised and promoted/enforced even by many followers in the west.
When people see muslims take a stand and denounce those interpretations...i'm sure mindsets will change too. To use your example of the Holocaust...Germany as a country has unequivocally denounced Hitler and his methods, without any 'Buts'/ 'Because' etc. The Pope has apologised for the crusades etc, etc.
The proof is in the pudding
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Location: Ottawa (Now in Bangalore)
Posted on: 02-04-06 02:35:31
Hey Fahad
Just wanted to bring to your attention and to the attention of other readers of CD forums, an article by Irfan Hussain of Dawn (a Pakistani Newspaper/ April 2nd, 2006). It should answer some of your questions.
=========
One-way traffic
By Irfan Husain
THE recent furore over the arrest and threatened trial of Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan for the alleged ‘crime’ of converting to Christianity has puzzled and alarmed many in the West.
Newspapers have been full of reports and op-ed articles about the case, and everybody from President Bush to the Pope has pleaded for the accused. Most people cannot understand what the fuss is about: in the last census in the UK, tens of thousands of people filling in the form put ‘Jedi’ in the religion column, a reference to the ‘Jedi knights’ in the Star Wars films. Millions said they were agnostics or atheists.
In a society where religion plays an increasingly marginal role in everyday life, it is incomprehensible that the state can dictate a citizen’s belief and even execute him for changing his faith. It is all the more puzzling when Muslims routinely proselytise all over the world, converting thousands to Islam every year. Why, people ask, do Muslims not have the same freedom themselves?
Fortunately, Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, succumbed to pressure and his government has dropped the trial. Nevertheless, the case has opened an important debate. After all, Afghanistan (like most Muslim countries) is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man which guarantees freedom of religion and conversion. So on what grounds was Mr Rahman being charged in the first place?
When the Danish cartoons caricaturing the Holy Prophet [PBUH] erupted on the scene, many thoughtful westerners condemned them as an unacceptable provocation to Muslims. A number of politicians condemned the publication of the cartoons, and many editors ran strong leaders denouncing their Danish colleagues. But when news about the unfortunate Afghan’s ordeal appeared, the same people expressed their condemnation of his incarceration and horror over the death sentence he faced. Even after the case has been dropped (on grounds of ‘insanity’), many Afghans have threatened to kill him and he has been offered sanctuary by Italy.
In the eyes of the world, Muslims are practising a double standard whereby they insist on the right to spread their religion aggressively, while preventing other faiths from evangelising among them. And while they too often treat non-Muslims living in their midst as second class citizens, they demand that they be allowed to build mosques and run madressahs in non-Muslim countries.
Writing about the Abdul Rahman case in the Observer of March 26, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali says: “Again and again, Muslim scholars assure us that there is no compulsion in matters of religion and that Islam upholds fundamental freedoms. Yet it remains the case that all the existing schools of law prescribe the death penalty for apostasy...”
The good Bishop goes on to suggest: “Such matters are of universal concern. Surely, the general idea of maslaha , or the common good, should now be used to promote an understanding of Islamic law that is both rooted in the Quran and open to interaction in a wholly new set of circumstances. If a clash of civilisations and clashes within civilisations are to be avoided, the Sharia, or Law of Islam, must be shown to be flexible and adaptable...”
Whether or not the Muslim world follows this advice, the fact is that over the last 50 years, millions of Muslims have migrated to the West, and their children and grandchildren are now struggling to make a living and find recognition in non-Muslim milieus. Never an easy task at the best of times, they are hampered by the post-9/11 tension that now separates Muslim from non-Muslim.
Muslims who live in the West are now constantly on the defensive, having to explain to their local friends and colleagues that Islam is a religion of peace and that the terrorism around us is the work of a handful of extremists. But when churches are attacked in Pakistan or a priest is killed in Turkey or an Afghan faces the death penalty for converting to Christianity, it is hard to maintain that all is well in the Islamic world.
While sane and moderate Muslims naturally believe that these excesses arise from a misinterpretation of the faith, non-believers see things differently. When suicide bombers and terrorists spread death and destruction in the countries that gave them shelter, they too often blame the faith that drove them to these moments of madness.
Habib Johnson, an American reader with whom I have been in correspondence before, writes: “A few months ago, I wrote to you about my plight having converted back to Christianity after my family embraced Islam. As an African American I wrote about the problems I faced from mostly Muslims of Asian origin in my mosque area (most of them Pakistani) who made life hell for me. It convinced me Muslims will never assimilate and become moderate ... even if they are living in a country that gives them everything, including the licence to preach and build mosques...
“How can Muslim leaders who ad nauseum say ‘there’s no compulsion in Islam’ sit quiet when a man is sentenced to death for the simple reason he changed his religion? Every day I read newspapers in Muslim countries shamelessly tom-tomming the conversion of Christians (especially whites) to Islam. Isn’t this hypocrisy of the highest order...?” He concludes by asking: “Should you write a column about this?” And he answers his own question: “Hell no; I care for your well-being.”
The writer makes some deeply troubling points. Indeed, the Abdul Rahman case encapsulates the entire conflict between Islam and modernity. Can we really believe that we should have the right not only to practise our faith in non-Muslim societies, but also to convert others, while we deny others the same right in our countries? More to the point, will we be allowed by others to continue with these double standards indefinitely?
The truth is that for years, Muslim immigrants have been exploiting western liberal attitudes that have made it possible for them to get jobs, an education for their children and health care for their families. All this while the majority have chosen to maintain their distinctive lifestyle that westerners often find offensive. Their attitude towards women, for example, flies in the face of the same liberalism that Muslims use to spread their faith.
But now, terrorism has exposed the faultlines between the two civilisations, and an increasing number of western voices are saying enough is enough to this one-way traffic.
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"Aur Vaise Bhi, Sharafat ki jab kapde utarti hai, sabse zyaada mazaa shareefon ko hi aati hai"....(From The Dirty Picture)
Warning !! SCAM ALERT !!
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=4169 & http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=1379
This is a Useful Health related Tip
http://www.canadiandesi.ca/read.php?TID=3865
Please visit
http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/quran/verses/009-qmt.php for some interesting Information ! (Especially 009.005 )
Quote:
Originally posted by Ottawa_Nerd
The truth is that for years, Muslim immigrants have been exploiting western liberal attitudes that have made it possible for them to get jobs, an education for their children and health care for their families. All this while the majority have chosen to maintain their distinctive lifestyle that westerners often find offensive. Their attitude towards women, for example, flies in the face of the same liberalism that Muslims use to spread their faith.
But now, terrorism has exposed the faultlines between the two civilisations, and an increasing number of western voices are saying enough is enough to this one-way traffic.
With articles like these there is hope that the tide is changing and more people feel free to complain about the hijacking of their religion.
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