format_quote Originally Posted by
Do these things bother you?
Bother? That's putting it very mildly. These kind of things give me nightmares. Give it enough time to fester unopposed and the day will come when every Muslim will have to be registered with the state, put on an armband, be marked with a tattoo or be tagged with an electronic device. Too far-fetched? Not at all. The ways things are going, it would not be long before Islam is legally banned as a terrorist organization.
So what can be done to stem the assault? Start with yourself. Make it a point to upgrade your personal practice of Islam by a notch, however infinitesimally small, with each passing day. If you are in a country like Thailand where the authorities view Muslims without malice aforethought, consider going out for dakwah missions in the field like the way the Tablighi Jamaat do it, so that Islam can be seen to be practiced, not to show-off but as an encouragement for others to follow.
If you are in a country like Malaysia where any Muslim man wearing a jubah, serban and a beard is, by default, an enemy of the state, then you can try the usra model developed by the Ikhwan ul Muslimin, where you can get together discreetly with a few like-minded friends every week to read the Quran and Ahadith with the aim, in general, give each other emotional and spiritual support in the battle against the influence of the enemies of Islam.
Seriously, my brothers and sisters, the clarion call to arms had already been sounded 1400 years ago. Lazy laggard that I am, I am still struggling to rise to do my duty, stumbling and fumbling in ignorance and incompetence, so that I can answer clearly when I am queried by Allah on Judgment Day. Insha Allah.
Footnote:
Lest someone misunderstands, the term "call to arms" has a much, much broader meaning than simply "fight with weapons like guns, etc".