:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)
(Peace be upon you)
Thank you for your questions and concern, brother; they are very important, and I will address your questions in a detailed manner in this post God-willing.
I absolutely dislike the behavior and what I've read about Muslim grooming gangs and pedophiles. In regards to the Muslim grooming gangs, something I'd like to mention is that these men equate Western white non-Muslim women as easy prey because culturally they're seen as somehow more "loose." I've said this before on IB, but it bears repeating that I had many Western white non-Muslim women as friends in college and they were virgins and not "loose" women; many of them were waiting for marriage to lose their virginity.
However, some Muslim men, due to being born in cultures that have the perception that "you are as you dress", believe that women who dress immodestly are somehow asking for "it" and I hope I don't need to define for anyone what "it" is. This perception is disgusting, heinous, and monstrous; and I have to say that this view is entirely outside of the bounds of Islam. In this case, as happens in many cases with human beings, women are viewed through the lens of culture instead of Islam; in Islam, women are honored beings with the right to their own personhood, whether Muslim and non-Muslim and to dishonor a non-Muslim in any way is to dishonor Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) because Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) said that he would be their advocate on Judgment Day. The
hadith (prophetic tradition) is as follows: Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him), “
Beware! I will be complainant of those who act cruelly and heartlessly to these people (who are bound by agreement) and restrict their rights or who load a work over what they can sustain or take away something out of their will, on the Day of Judgment.”
Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) also warned us as follows:
“Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for it is carried above the clouds. Allah the Exalted says: 'By my might and majesty, I will help you in due time.'”
Finally, while I do believe that an individual is free to repent of his/her sins in private, no person should be allowed to hold positions of trust once he's betrayed public trust. We know from the
Seerah (biography) that Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) that one of the reasons his prophethood was accepted in due time is because he was known in pagan Arabia as the "Al-Amin" ("The Trustworthy"). How can we as Muslims ever allow someone to be in position of authority when that person has betrayed public trust? It is insupportable.
I work in a similar field to you except I've litigated child abuse cases (wide variety range) so that the children are taken away from their parents and instead placed in guardianship of responsible persons as determined by state and easily available that will be the cause of least disruption to child's life whether that is a relative or a close friend of the family or as a last resort in foster care.
I heard in a lecture of a convert Muslim Dr. Jeffery Lang that 6 convert women who complained of sexual harassment from the married Imam of Islamic Center in San Francisco were believed by the mosque hearing committee to just be "prostitutes" and other demeaning things were said about these women.
So, now, to answer your questions:
Is attacking kids and grooming something that is accepted in Islam?
No. That said, I've read news articles from Western media sources of various Imams having said ridiculous things like that the uncovered women are like meat and other nonsensical comparisons that would somehow mean that they invited rape. This is a hideous thing to think, forget saying out loud, and we should educate our Imams on the importance of not making loose statements like that that could be interpreted as justification for rape. Because there is NO justification for rape. I think we can educate Muslim women on the importance of dressing modestly without seeming to attack modes of dressing which are not modest in the West.
As far as attacking kids is concerned, that is disgusting. Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) said, “
He is not from us who does not show mercy to the young and does not honor the old.” What could be more merciful to the young than to let them retain their childhood and not be despoiled.
Is this normal?
No, it is not normal to want to rob the innocence of young children.
However, I would note what I was told by a woman who'd come to our law school who works with sexual offenders to try to rehabilitate them that while attraction to youth is natural which is why Taylor Lautner,
Twilight movie series star, even as a minor had older women throwing their underwear at him and making overt sexual advances.
However, sexual offenders who recognize themselves as pedophiles are primarily or exclusively attracted to prepubescent children. And their attraction is not simply to youth but to children who cannot maturely understand or reciprocate those sexual desires
Before anyone brings in comparisons of Prophet's :saws: marriage to Aisha :ra:
(may God be pleased with her), let's remember that such marriages were common in Arabian society and Aisha :ra: was engaged to another man before she ever married Prophet :saws: and Prophet :saws: saw her in a divinely inspired dream three times indicating Allah's Will for them to marry. Also, she never once even when Prophet :saws: was dead complained about her marriage with him but rather cherished the time she had with him on earth as his honored wife and her life as an Islamic scholar testified to her holding his sayings, mannerisms, and values dear.
Why is the head Imam really good friends with both these men? Have I completely missed something?
I don't think the Imam should revile someone from seeking his help or advice even if they have criminal pasts; however, the Imam should not bring his friendship into public view. Usually, the appearance of impropriety is more damaging than impropriety itself. And therefore, he should have not held himself in close contact with these men in a way that would make it seem to the community (including you) that he tacitly approves of these men's reprehensible behavior.
Should I report to Social Services?
If you know about criminal behavior, you are under no obligation to protect any person (Muslim or not) because to be a pacifist in the face of wrongdoing is to become a wrongdoer as well. Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) said that we should help the oppressor by "
y restraining him or preventing him from committing injustice, for that is how you support him.”
And yes, you are right to be angry because you're angry on behalf of victims which even if they're non-Muslim also count as "Allah's family" because Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The entire humanity is Allah’s family, and Allah loves him most from among this family, who benefits the family most.” And Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, “The best from among you is the one from whom you expect the good and people are safe from his mischief. And the worst from among you is the one from whom you don’t expect any good and people are not safe from his mischief.”
So what are everyone's thoughts on Muslim grooming gangs and paedophiles?
It's something that everyone shies away from home but I need a bit of clarification.
A while ago I posted about the convicted groomer / paedophile who got locked up and then supposedly changed his ways and became a super Muslim and started giving adhaan and being best mates with the head Imam. I voiced my concerns about this because the Mosque is next to the Madrasah and I was personally disgusted they allowed him to be that close to young children. Folk were telling me to stop being so judgemental on here which I took on the chin and shut up.
Breaking news today. He has been grooming repeatedly and was locked up for almost 20 years today. 3 of his friends, all Muslims, in my immediate area were also locked up totalling 50 years.
I work with young adults who suffer from child sexual exploitation. All the perpetrators are Muslims. I've been asked repeatedly by colleagues if this is normal. I used to defend Islam and say they were just weird people but I'm getting more and more riled by it.
The other man who normally gives Adhaan was locked up about a year ago for grooming and doing things with kids. He too was very good friends with the head Imam.
Is attacking kids and grooming something that is accepted in Islam? Is this normal? Why is the head Imam really good friends with both these men? Have I completely missed something?
Should I report to Social Services? The Mosque and the committee have a duty of care to these vulnerable young children. Everyone in the area knows about what the beast was doing in the past. It was in all the local papers. It's almost like it is condoned.
Oh my God. I'm so angry and confused.
:wa: (And peace be upon you)
