cinema in saudi make a comeback

[themuffinman]

RIYADH ( News Agencies) - Cinema has made a low-key return to Saudi Arabia after a three decade absence but a sharp reaction by the religious police chief shows efforts to relax Saudi's strict Islamic laws face tough opposition.

A locally produced comedy, Menahi, premiered in two cultural centers in Jeddah and Taif this month before mixed-gender audiences, a taboo in Saudi Arabia whose strict Islamic rules ban unrelated men and women from mixing.

Menahi stars new comedy sensation Fayez al-Maliki as a naive Bedouin entangled in a get-rich-quickly scheme in Dubai, the region's tourism and trade hub where lifestyle is far less restricted.

Turnout for the movie, produced by billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's media company Rotana, was so big the film had to be played eight times a day over a 10-day period, the organizers said.

It had to be stopped in Taif due to overcrowding in the hall, Rotana spokesman Ibrahim Badi said, Reuters reported on Saturday.

Royal Blessing

Showing the film was the latest attempt to introduce reforms by King Abdullah, who has said the world's largest oil exporter cannot stand still while the world changes around it.

Political analysts say Alwaleed could not have gone ahead without the blessing of royals with key decision-making roles.

"We have obtained permission from the Information Ministry and from the governorate of Mecca to show the movie in Jeddah and Taif," Badi said. The province of Mecca is governed by Prince Khaled al-Faisal, a pro-reform son of late King Faisal.

Badi could not immediately say if Rotana intended to show the movie in other provinces of the kingdom.

Rising Anger

While the kingdom's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al al-Shaikh has not commented on the issue, the head of Saudi Arabia's religious police condemned cinemas as a pernicious influence.

Sheikh Ibrahim al-Gaith, head of the feared Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice says that "movie could possibly be acceptable if it serves good and is suitable under Islam," Sheikh Gaith said.

Gaith pulled back from comments he made two days earlier branding movies "an absolute evil" in the wake of screenings in the Red Sea port city.

"I did not say that we reject all cinema, but I said that we were not consulted during the organisation of these movie showings," he explained, AFP reported on Sunday.

Before the first projection of the film, local religious police inspected the facility, a 1,200 seat conference hall, to make sure that men and women would remain separated, adhering to the country's strict laws on separation of unrelated members of the opposite sexes.

For the three showings daily, women sat in the balcony of the hall while men and boys were on the ground floor.

Saudi Arabia had some movie theatres in the 1970s but the conservative clerical establishment managed to snuff out the industry. Saudi film buffs had to travel to neighbours like Bahrain to see movies in cinemas but a new generation of young Saudis has begun making films in recent years.

sourse : islamonline.net

what i dont get is why they don't take measures to educate their youth and overhaul society's thinking under true principles of Islam

[KAding]

what i dont get is why they don't take measures to educate their youth and overhaul society's thinking under true principles of Islam

Seems to me that Saudi Arabia they have done exactly that? Sounds like something that is hard to do though, "overhauling society's thinking"!

[IbnAbdulHakim]

Showing the film was the latest attempt to introduce reforms by King Abdullah, who has said the world's largest oil exporter cannot stand still while the world changes around it.

this man makes me sick

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I'm so glad I've never lived in a country with "religious police".

Peace

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[KAding]

Greetings,

I'm so glad I've never lived in a country with "religious police".

Peace

Well, you stil have vice police and laws on sexual or otherwise explicit content in movies. It is all just a matter of degree!

[Periwinkle18]

i heard abt it too. its so sad now they're opening a cinema over dere.

[Al-Zaara]

Oh, cool!

[Wilma_Hum]

Well, you stil have vice police and laws on sexual or otherwise explicit content in movies. It is all just a matter of degree!

But isn’t the difference between a nice hot bath and being boiled alive, just a matter of degree? :)

[~Taalibah~]

:sl:
bah! they ruin the name of Islam.

[TrueStranger]

:sl:


Where in Islam does it say you can’t watch a movie?

It's better if Saudi Arabia and other Muslim nations started making their own movies, which promote Islamic values and beliefs, and attributes, then maybe young Muslims won’t have to watch movies that are created for Western audience.

People really need to stop over-exaggerating staff and take advantage of the technology around you.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

^ the day we become like the west is the day we become destroyed

[TrueStranger]

^ the day we become like the west is the day we become destroyed

Destroyed? Aren't we already a destroyed Ummah? But anyways, we are not becoming like the "West" for merely watching a movie.

Easy there.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

Destroyed? Aren't we already a destroyed Ummah? But anyways, we are not becoming like the "West" for merely watching a movie.

Easy there.

sis remember that to create a huge fire you need small pieces of deviation.


stuff like cinemas contribute


the atmosphere etc should be enough to show you it aint right. music which cant be turned off, kissing scenes which cant be forwarded.

sure you can say depends on what you watch but the fact that those things are in the majority and prime should PUT you off and make you HATE it for the sake of Allaah

[wth1257]

^ the day we become like the west is the day we become destroyed

These dichotomies between "the West" and "the Muslim world" are only useful as generalities and vague references. When you treat them as though they have some sort of ontological stability or real existence you miss how intertwined the two are. The Western "enlightenment" was in many ways a harvesting of the fruits planted my Muslim philosophers. While secularism is not firmly imbedded in "the west" this is not the totality of western culture. Like it or not "western" and "Islamic" cultures are inexorably intertwined and we must learn to live together. I don't understand what's unIslamic about movies in themselves. Rather than rejecting them out of hand why not adapt? Learn from the American success of exporting cultural values and norms from through cinema and adapt it to Islam.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

^ the typical picture painted by the west is children who treat parents as holidays to be seen and dealt with rarely, mannerisms are completely different and unacceptable to most muslims in many ways (such as freemixing ie handshaking of opposite genders).

Honestly the music/fun live life for the thrill of it culture certainly is NOT entertwined at all with islam.

and that is what i see in the west - people living life to fulfil their desires.... getting eaten by them...


pubs every night, getting drunk for fun etc.. its sickening !

[aadil77]

These dichotomies between "the West" and "the Muslim world" are only useful as generalities and vague references. When you treat them as though they have some sort of ontological stability or real existence you miss how intertwined the two are. The Western "enlightenment" was in many ways a harvesting of the fruits planted my Muslim philosophers. While secularism is not firmly imbedded in "the west" this is not the totality of western culture. Like it or not "western" and "Islamic" cultures are inexorably intertwined and we must learn to live together. I don't understand what's unIslamic about movies in themselves. Rather than rejecting them out of hand why not adapt? Learn from the American success of exporting cultural values and norms from through cinema and adapt it to Islam.

Good idea, but you could imagine movies about islam difficult to produce. 'The message' is a good example, it would be difficult not depicting certain people and some movies might have issues over accuratly portraying certain events - due to lack of information. Also how long would it be until the whole islamic history is covered? lol

[TrueStranger]

sis remember that to create a huge fire you need small pieces of deviation.


stuff like cinemas contribute


the atmosphere etc should be enough to show you it aint right. music which cant be turned off, kissing scenes which cant be forwarded.

sure you can say depends on what you watch but the fact that those things are in the majority and prime should PUT you off and make you HATE it for the sake of Allaah

We have a fire that is blazing and it isn't about cinemas, it is the State the Muslim nations are in. The killing, injustice, and the disunity that is taking place in the Muslim world should receive more attention than this. We as Muslims should be able to create an environment that is clean, friendly and Islamic. Our Cinemas should not be like their cinemas, our movies should not be like their movies, our dramas should not be like their dramas, so on and so forth. If the movies are Islamic then there shouldn't be any kissing or music, or anything that is obscene. .

As i said before if Muslims created their own movies and documentaries which promoted Islamic values, and taught Muslims about Islam, then young Muslims won't have to watch movies that are created for "Western Audience".

I don't watch movies any more, I might watch few documentaries and chef shows, i don't know if you will consider that haram or not. But it would really be nice if there was a Islamic Corporation that carters to the Muslim Youth. We could express ourselves in a halaal manner. :)

:w:

[IbnAbdulHakim]

^ you know i feel sometimes people use the big picture to deflect the small problems.


EVEN if you see cinemas as a small problem that would mean a lot to me.


these days it seems like most people dont even want to recognise it as a problem.. IT IS

it should ALWAYS be avoided.


even before i knew anything about islam my dad use to hate any of us going anywhere near cinema's !

[wth1257]

Good idea, but you could imagine movies about islam difficult to produce. 'The message' is a good example, it would be difficult not depicting certain people and some movies might have issues over accuratly portraying certain events - due to lack of information. Also how long would it be until the whole islamic history is covered? lol

Not necessarily historical narratives, but just ordinary movies of acceptable morality, but one that placed Islam in a positive light rather than the "OMG! Da Moluems is gonna blow me up!!!" that one usually sees in so many movies.

I understand how difficult it would be to compete with Hollywood though. Much of Islam's glory days were marked by an amazing ability to adapt to and improve external traditions in so far as they were compatible with Islam. Look at Al-Ghazali. Rather than reflexively rejecting Greek Philosophy as "UnIslamic" like some scholars he carefully studied it, discovered 20 doctrines that were incompatible with Islam, and adapted the rest to further Islam.

[wth1257]

^ you know i feel sometimes people use the big picture to deflect the small problems.


EVEN if you see cinemas as a small problem that would mean a lot to me.


these days it seems like most people dont even want to recognise it as a problem.. IT IS

it should ALWAYS be avoided.


even before i knew anything about islam my dad use to hate any of us going anywhere near cinema's !

But what is inately wrong with Cinema?

[IbnAbdulHakim]

But what is inately wrong with Cinema?

if its not what it shows then it could be the atmosphere

but surely without a doubt is unislamic

[wth1257]

^ the typical picture painted by the west is children who treat parents as holidays to be seen and dealt with rarely, mannerisms are completely different and unacceptable to most muslims in many ways (such as freemixing ie handshaking of opposite genders).

Honestly the music/fun live life for the thrill of it culture certainly is NOT entertwined at all with islam.

and that is what i see in the west - people living life to fulfil their desires.... getting eaten by them...


pubs every night, getting drunk for fun etc.. its sickening !

I have never been drunk in my life thank you.

The totality of western culture is not sexual decadence and nihilistic hedonism.

[TrueStranger]

^ you know i feel sometimes people use the big picture to deflect the small problems.


EVEN if you see cinemas as a small problem that would mean a lot to me.


these days it seems like most people dont even want to recognise it as a problem.. IT IS

it should ALWAYS be avoided.


even before i knew anything about islam my dad use to hate any of us going anywhere near cinema's !

Bro, being close-minded about things doesn't help at all. A object is never bad or good, it depends on how people use the object.

Enough said, there is nothing haraam about movies, and you have the right not to watch them. But then again, don't color everything with the same brush.

Peace

[wth1257]

if its not what it shows then it could be the atmosphere

but surely without a doubt is unislamic

I don’t understand your approach.

[wth1257]

Bro, being close-minded about things doesn't help at all. A object is never bad or good, it depends on how people use the object.

Enough said, there is nothing haraam about movies, and you have the right not to watch them. But then again, don't color everything with the same brush.

Peace

I understand his point as far as the content of many western movies are concerned, many are appalling. I just don’t understand the rejection of Cinema as a medium as inherently unislamic.

[aadil77]

if its not what it shows then it could be the atmosphere

but surely without a doubt is unislamic

yep, its also a waste of time (time is precious), can promote worse things, is unsegregated,

[aadil77]

I understand his point as far as the content of many western movies are concerned, many are appalling. I just don’t understand the rejection of Cinema as a medium as inherently unislamic.

Its basically that in islam, the roots of problems/potentially bad things in society are usually forbidden or disliked. so if cinema created a trend of time wasting or freemixing, then cinema would be the cause of the problem and the safest solution as always is to avoid potentially harmful things rather than take risks

[KAding]

Not necessarily historical narratives, but just ordinary movies of acceptable morality, but one that placed Islam in a positive light rather than the "OMG! Da Moluems is gonna blow me up!!!" that one usually sees in so many movies.

Out of pure interest, which movies are you thinking off?

[wth1257]

Out of pure interest, which movies are you thinking off?

Rules of Engadgement, Not Without my Daughter, 24 etc.

American media is demonstrably biased with reguards to Muslims I can't speak of European media.

[TrueStranger]

I understand his point as far as the content of many western movies are concerned, many are appalling. I just don’t understand the rejection of Cinema as a medium as inherently unislamic.

I understand his point of view as well, what i don't understand is why everything has to be seen from the "western" perspective. The West uses the media as a tool to publicize its cultural principles, ideologies, and superiority. Muslims can use the media to advertise the Islamic doctrine, way of life and superiority. Why should we have to ban and make haraam something that could be of great use to the Muslims?

There could be different cinemas for different genders. As for wasting time, how could one waste time when one is watching something that will only further educate him/her about Islam?

[Ummu Sufyaan]

We have a fire that is blazing and it isn't about cinemas, it is the State the Muslim nations are in. The killing, injustice, and the disunity that is taking place in the Muslim world should receive more attention than this.

what difference does it make :? movies or division, they all affect the ummah in negative aspects
and yeah, they're are people who oppose differences, etc but the prob is, they're never heard!

We as Muslims should be able to create an environment that is clean, friendly and Islamic. Our Cinemas should not be like their cinemas, our movies should not be like their movies, our dramas should not be like their dramas, so on and so forth. If the movies are Islamic then there shouldn't be any kissing or music, or anything that is obscene. .

As i said before if Muslims created their own movies and documentaries which promoted Islamic values, and taught Muslims about Islam, then young Muslims won't have to watch movies that are created for "Western Audience".

but it doesnt happen...and when it does (which is rare), it seen as boring/old fashioned, etc..is not about what CAN/should be done, its about WHAT IS in this time frame...and as far as im concerned bringing back cinema to Saudi or to any Muslim country is gonna have negative aspects :)

A object is never bad or good, it depends on how people use the object.

but unfortunately most of the time, cinemas are used in the wrong way :)

[TrueStranger]

what difference does it make :? movies or division, they all affect the ummah in negative aspects
and yeah, they're are people who oppose differences, etc but the prob is, they're never heard!

There are millions of different movies, and not all of them are bad nor can you compare movies with the Muslim on Muslim violence.

but it doesnt happen...and when it does (which is rare), it seen as boring/old fashioned, etc..is not about what CAN/should be done, its about WHAT IS in this time frame...and as far as im concerned bringing back cinema to Saudi or to any Muslim country is gonna have negative aspects :)

And what is stopping it from happening? As Muslims? You are assuming that people will label it as something boring or old fashioned. Let's stop being suspicious about everything. No God fearing Muslim brother or sister will go to a cinema with a bad intention.

but unfortunately most of the time, cinemas are used in the wrong way :)

Any other building could be used in the wrong way, shall we destroy every building :blind:

[Ummu Sufyaan]

:sl:
^ lol buildings are a lot more beneficial and needed...so that dont make sense :p

[TrueStranger]

:sl:
^ lol buildings are a lot more beneficial and needed...so that dont make sense :p

A cinema is a building as well so what can we do. How about we have the Religious Police there. That would take care of things :D

[wth1257]

what difference does it make :? movies or division, they all affect the ummah in negative aspects
and yeah, they're are people who oppose differences, etc but the prob is, they're never heard!


but it doesnt happen...and when it does (which is rare), it seen as boring/old fashioned, etc..is not about what CAN/should be done, its about WHAT IS in this time frame...and as far as im concerned bringing back cinema to Saudi or to any Muslim country is gonna have negative aspects :)


but unfortunately most of the time, cinemas are used in the wrong way :)

Greek Philosophy and unorthodox Sufism also had many negative aspects to them. Greek Philosophy led to a number of heresies. Under its sway every major Muslim Philosopher from Al Kindi on claimed that the philosopher gained to same knowledge as the prophet, but through reason rather than intelligence. In fact under Ibn Rushd philosophy became intellectually superior to revelation as the Qur'an was claimed to be nothing more than a rhetorical appeal to "the masses" the lead them to a diluted version of the truth philosophers discovered. Sufism led to anti intellectualism and total disregard of the mandates of Sharia'. I think it's safe to say that both posed a greater potential danger to Islam than Cinema. Yet Al Ghazali studied these things, incorporated that which could be incorporated, and is still seen centuries later as one of Islam's greatest theologians. I don't mean this in any sort of disrespectful way, but it seems a lot of the ummah has lost the nerve and daring that led to the great achievements of Al Ghazali and other "golden age" thinkers. It reminds me of the Christian Thomas Aquinas' line in his Summa where he says God permits evil because his omnipotence is such that He can bring goodness even out of evil. It seems that the great Islamic thinkers had a similar disposition. They took unIslamic things, adapted them, and then utilized them for Islam. Classical Colonialism is over but cultural colonialism is going strong and only getting stronger. It seems like Muslims have to find ways to oppose it or American cultural hegemony will really devastate Islamic culture and ways of life.

[KAding]

Of course, much that can be said about Cinema can also be said about the internet. The amount of kufr on it is tremedous.

[crayon]

Of course, much that can be said about Cinema can also be said about the internet. The amount of kufr on it is tremedous.

Exactly what I was going to say.

On the internet you can find good and bad, depending on what you're looking for. With cinema nowadays, there's more bad than good, islam wise. The concept of the cinema is not haram in itself, it is the content that is forbidden. If the content is islamically acceptable, there's no reason for watching watching a movie at the cinema to be haram.

Halal movies would be a great improvement for people who want to benefit and be entertained at the same time, but only have the movies of hollywood/bollywood to turn to.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

subhanAllah


the internet is under control! the environment in a cinema is not!

thats the difference!

[crayon]

subhanAllah


the internet is under control! the environment in a cinema is not!

thats the difference!

What environment?!
Explain.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

What environment?!
Explain.

on the internet you choose where you go, what you see, what you listen to!

in the cinema, you dont control who goes in, who comes out, what is played, what is shown.....

[crayon]

That's the whole point of creating an "islamic" cinema. YOU choose the movies that are shown, YOU choose what content is acceptable and what is not, YOU choose to have the seating segregated, etc. By YOU I mean the person in charge of the cinema/s, perhaps the government in this case..

[IbnAbdulHakim]

That's the whole point of creating an "islamic" cinema. YOU choose the movies that are shown, YOU choose what content is acceptable and what is not, YOU choose to have the seating segregated, etc. By YOU I mean the person in charge of the cinema/s, perhaps the government in this case..

A locally produced comedy, Menahi, premiered in two cultural centers in Jeddah and Taif this month before mixed-gender audiences, a taboo in Saudi Arabia whose strict Islamic rules ban unrelated men and women from mixing.

Menahi stars new comedy sensation Fayez al-Maliki as a naive Bedouin entangled in a get-rich-quickly scheme in Dubai, the region's tourism and trade hub where lifestyle is far less restricted.

thats not what they have in mind sis

the thought of even making a cinema shows how we're straying from the path


:(

[crayon]

In relation to this article, then yeah, maybe it's not such a great thing for there to be cinemas here in saudi. But they are not haram in themselves, rather it's the use they're put to, that's what I'm trying to get to.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

In relation to this article, then yeah, maybe it's not such a great thing for there to be cinemas here in saudi. But they are not haram in themselves, rather it's the use they're put to, that's what I'm trying to get to.

see this is another thing i have a problem with


why do that?


it happens too many times in this forum and its so frustrating, people go to lengths to show how something can be halal only to agree the way tis used is indeed haram subhanAllah

[crayon]

People do that because other people are too quick to instantly label everything HARAM without looking at what it actually entails.

If I said I thought mini skirts were awesome (i don't, it's just an example), I'd probably get a million "OMG HARAM YOU HORRIBLE ****TY MUSLIM YOU", without them even bothering to think that "hey, if she only wears them when she's at home and there's no one there but her husband, that could be okay". Yes, most of the people who wear mini skirts are NOT wearing them in that case, they wear them in front of other women and men. But to instantly condemn something as haram (i means things that aren't outright forbidden like fornication, alcohol, etc.) without looking at its use is just ridiculous.

[KAding]

see this is another thing i have a problem with

why do that?

it happens too many times in this forum and its so frustrating, people go to lengths to show how something can be halal only to agree the way tis used is indeed haram subhanAllah

I don't understand, what about cinema makes it impossible to control? Surely, it is a lot easier to regulate and control cinema than the internet? And what about TV? How is it possible to make halal TV, but not cinema?

By banning cinema in general and with it an Islamic movies industry, you only drive bored young Muslims into the hands of Bollywood and Hollywood. Especially in a future where movies are downloaded rather than bought over the counter you'll have tremendous difficulties controlling supply.

[aadil77]

Some good points on the pros and cons of islamic cinema, now its just up to the saudis to decide

[themuffinman]

prophet muhammad clearly forbade us from being like the kaffirs, and emphasized us having our own muslim identity. it reminds me of an article written by brother anwar

Just like there is a Muslim for the sake of Allah, there is a new phenomenon of a Muslim for the sake of the disbelievers. And just like the Muslim for the sake of Allah does everything thinking what will Allah will think of me, the Muslim for the sake of the disbelievers does everything thinking what the disbelievers would think of him. So when a Muslim speaks out he does so to please Allah and when our other Muslim does not speak out he does so in order to please the disbelievers. When a Muslim fights he does so for the sake of Allah and when this other Muslim does not fight -even though he has every reason to do so- he does that in order not to displease the disbelievers. Obviously this is not expressed as such but is packaged in nice terms such as ‘this is not good for dawa’, or ‘this would turn away the people from Islam’.
Allah says: “It is not your responsibility to guide people but it is Allah who guides whomever He wills”
This Muslim is obsessed with his image in front of the disbelievers. He is so obsessed with it that it becomes his standard for wala and bara. So he loves the Muslims who present the ‘good boy’ image to the disbelievers and he despises the Muslims who give Muslims a ‘bad name’.
Rasulullah (saaws) says: One of you does not achieve full Imaan until he loves for Allah, dislikes for Allah, gives for Allah and holds back for Allah.
This Muslim is so aggressive and intolerant with his fellow Muslims but is tolerant and kind towards the disbelievers. He is an extremist with Muslims and a moderate with disbelievers.
Whenever the interests of the disbelievers are threatened or harmed by Muslims he is the first to jump to their defense. He would speak against his brothers and betray them. He may even advise Muslims to spy against one another and report to the authorities. For him fighting for Islam, and for the ummah is terrorism, but he manages to shop for a fatwa that would allow him to serve in the armies of the disbelievers and fight against his brothers. Being a Muslim for the sake of the disbelievers permeates his every action. If he meets a Muslim he frowns and if he meets a disbeliever his face beams with a smile.
Infact there are some Muslims who are so much Muslim for the sake of kuffar that they do not even like Muslims who call the kuffar kuffar!
I mentioned that this is a new phenomenon because this only came about in these later times. The Muslims of the early times would care less about the kuffar, and if they ever did it was for the sake of Allah and not for their sake.
But lets put things in proper perspective:
Allah says about the disbelievers: “They are like cattle, nay, they are even more misguided”
And Rasulullah says about the believer: “Tearing down al Kaaba stone by stone is less than shedding the blood of a Muslim”

-author- brother Anwar al awlaki
http://www.anwar-alawlaki.com/

[KAding]

prophet muhammad clearly forbade us from being like the kaffirs, and emphasized us having our own muslim identity. it reminds me of an article written by brother anwar

Just like there is a Muslim for the sake of Allah, there is a new phenomenon of a Muslim for the sake of the disbelievers. And just like the Muslim for the sake of Allah does everything thinking what will Allah will think of me, the Muslim for the sake of the disbelievers does everything thinking what the disbelievers would think of him. So when a Muslim speaks out he does so to please Allah and when our other Muslim does not speak out he does so in order to please the disbelievers. When a Muslim fights he does so for the sake of Allah and when this other Muslim does not fight -even though he has every reason to do so- he does that in order not to displease the disbelievers. Obviously this is not expressed as such but is packaged in nice terms such as ‘this is not good for dawa’, or ‘this would turn away the people from Islam’.
Allah says: “It is not your responsibility to guide people but it is Allah who guides whomever He wills”
This Muslim is obsessed with his image in front of the disbelievers. He is so obsessed with it that it becomes his standard for wala and bara. So he loves the Muslims who present the ‘good boy’ image to the disbelievers and he despises the Muslims who give Muslims a ‘bad name’.
Rasulullah (saaws) says: One of you does not achieve full Imaan until he loves for Allah, dislikes for Allah, gives for Allah and holds back for Allah.
This Muslim is so aggressive and intolerant with his fellow Muslims but is tolerant and kind towards the disbelievers. He is an extremist with Muslims and a moderate with disbelievers.
Whenever the interests of the disbelievers are threatened or harmed by Muslims he is the first to jump to their defense. He would speak against his brothers and betray them. He may even advise Muslims to spy against one another and report to the authorities. For him fighting for Islam, and for the ummah is terrorism, but he manages to shop for a fatwa that would allow him to serve in the armies of the disbelievers and fight against his brothers. Being a Muslim for the sake of the disbelievers permeates his every action. If he meets a Muslim he frowns and if he meets a disbeliever his face beams with a smile.
Infact there are some Muslims who are so much Muslim for the sake of kuffar that they do not even like Muslims who call the kuffar kuffar!
I mentioned that this is a new phenomenon because this only came about in these later times. The Muslims of the early times would care less about the kuffar, and if they ever did it was for the sake of Allah and not for their sake.
But lets put things in proper perspective:
Allah says about the disbelievers: “They are like cattle, nay, they are even more misguided”
And Rasulullah says about the believer: “Tearing down al Kaaba stone by stone is less than shedding the blood of a Muslim”

-author- brother Anwar al awlaki
http://www.anwar-alawlaki.com/

What does this have to do with cinema and movies exactly? :confused: What is your point exactly? That you need an Islamic movies industry? Or that you shouldn't watch movies because kaffirs do it? If the latter, are you implying Muslims can't use or do anything that is used or done by cattle, err, I mean non-Muslims?

[wth1257]

see this is another thing i have a problem with


why do that?


it happens too many times in this forum and its so frustrating, people go to lengths to show how something can be halal only to agree the way tis used is indeed haram subhanAllah

Perhapse they think you are "throwing the baby out with the bathwater".

One reason the Ottoman Empire fell behind Europe was the decision to ban the printing press on the grounds of its potential harm. The fear that people would use it the print the Qur'an rather than write it by hand and this would cause the respect towards the Qur'an to diminish.

They threw the baby out with the bathwater and perhapse you are doing the same thing here.

[themuffinman]

What does this have to do with cinema and movies exactly? :confused: What is your point exactly? That you need an Islamic movies industry? Or that you shouldn't watch movies because kaffirs do it? If the latter, are you implying Muslims can't use or do anything that is used or done by cattle, err, I mean non-Muslims?

it is referring to the quote by the prince " saudi shall not stand still while the world changed around it" ....his intention is dangerouse if he plans to adapt saudis environment to that of the west, whats to stop him from lifting the prohibition on alcohol just because the world has deemed it moral? there is a difference in progressing with in the world with good things like funding education in saudi instead of wasting money progressing in immorality with the west

[noorseeker]

someone close this thread down purleeese

[KAding]

it is referring to the quote by the prince " saudi shall not stand still while the world changed around it" ....his intention is dangerouse if he plans to adapt saudis environment to that of the west, whats to stop him from lifting the prohibition on alcohol just because the world has deemed it moral? there is a difference in progressing with in the world with good things like funding education in saudi instead of wasting money progressing in immorality with the west

So in the end it has nothing to do with whether you should or shouldn't immitate us misguided kaffirs, but simply whether what you are immitating is or isn't un-Islamic.

[themuffinman]

exactly...i agree that the west has sum good things to learn and imitate from like their educational system but why would u imitate the unislamic portions and call it progress?