Yesterday was the first anniversary of London bombings that hit the city last year, killing 52 innocents and wounding many others.
While the British Prime Minister Tony Blair advised the British people that the anniversary is an opportunity for "the whole nation to come together," mainstream media seized the chance to point the finger of blame at the Muslim Community.
Most of the Western media agencies focused on a video featuring one of the four bombers who carried out last year’s attack in London. The transcript of the tape with Shezhad Tanweer, alleged Al Qaeda's number two Ayman al-Zawahiri and the network's alleged propaganda chief, Adam Gadahn, was published on the U.S.-based "Search for International Terrorist Entities" website.
The video was used to fuel negative sentiments against the Muslim world.
An article published on Al Sharq Al Awsat, commenting on the attacks which took place in London last year, and discussing the impact it had on Muslims living in the West, specially in London, said that over the past few years “a small number of groups associated with Islam have followed the example of the Khwarij, who deserted religion.”
Such groups moved away from the path of Islam. They’re as misguided as the Khwarij, who besides calling other Muslims non-believers and killing them, violated and attacked people who belong to other religions.
Such groups carry out acts of violence that have nothing to do with the Islamic religion and its noble teachings that prohibit violating people’s rights, even if they are not Muslims.
Such acts serve the goal of those who wish to defame the image of Islam. They also negatively impact and endanger the lives of many Muslims living in Europe and the United States.
However the roots of emergence of such groups shouldn’t be ignored.
Many analysts drew a link between the bombings in London and Iraq war. They say that the unjust British foreign policy and Iraq war in particular created this bitter feeling against the British people, and that could be seen as a key cause of young Britons joining such groups.
London bombings were carried out by a group of misguided youths, who were the reason for the death of many innocent people, an act religiously prohibited, and in Islam, considered a huge sin.
The article moreover warned Muslims all over the world to beware of those who infiltrate their religion, claiming that they are practicing the true teachings of Islam, for they actually seek to destroy the relations between Muslims and the West.
Numerous Muslim clerics denounced the attacks on London, and explained that such acts have nothing to do with Islam.
"Religious precepts cannot be used to justify such crimes, which are completely contrary to our teaching and practice," the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said in a joint statement with church groups issued last year in the wake of the attacks.
"We must and will be united in common determination that terror cannot succeed," said MCB secretary-general Iqbal Sacranie in a separate statement. "It is now the duty of all us Britons to be vigilant and actively support efforts to bring those responsible to justice."
"The perpetrators, whoever they turn out to be, carried out a callous crime which Islam and all human values disown," said another group, the Muslim Association of Britain.
We all share some blame in what happened on 7/7 and what happens in Palistine isreal ect, we aint supporting these people, them youths just like my self have a urge for shuhadaa but like my self and many youth not one single person has sat down with us and explained to us the ins and outs of jihad, the scholars act shocked when someone does jihad in a wrong way but the majority don't teach the youth the rules, in regards of palistine these people don't want to blow them selfs up but can't fight isreal on even scale, so they resort to terrorism and yet scholars condem without actually saying ok we'll send supplies and man power and the ilm to aid you, do this then no more rockets going over the wall.
excellent point brother. and its true many act shoked, but at the same tyime many scholars fear to speak about the ins and outs of jihad even on a study basis, because its clear some of tghe ins and out will look like they are terrorist. they might just be sent ot belmarsh, or guantanomo, if they say muslims worldwide have a duty to protect and serve the opressed be it in palestine or iraq. its when scholars dont speak to te youth and brush it under the carpet, where youth feel they are being failed by their ulema, and those with power, which is why quite often they act not in accordance to shraia based rulings.
excellent point brother. and its true many act shoked, but at the same tyime many scholars fear to speak about the ins and outs of jihad even on a study basis, because its clear some of tghe ins and out will look like they are terrorist. they might just be sent ot belmarsh, or guantanomo, if they say muslims worldwide have a duty to protect and serve the opressed be it in palestine or iraq. its when scholars dont speak to te youth and brush it under the carpet, where youth feel they are being failed by their ulema, and those with power, which is why quite often they act not in accordance to shraia based rulings.
Exactly I feel let down by the ulama in regards in jihad I have no where to turn to and have to learn by my self, it's dangerous beacuse some youth will go one step further and actually get involved in terrorism, we need a place were we can nurture people who seek shuhadaa and teach them the ilm and also train them physicly and then send them to the battle fields if this is done no more terrorism recurits trust me these people arn't bad people they're just misguided and they need help I know where they're comming from.
yes, same here brother, and reading fatawas, literature on jihad by oneself like you said is very dangerous, taking into condiedration that we do not have knoweldge to make certain decsions. And its must be made clear that out intention must be for the sake of allah and only for te sake of allah, not just to kill them because they are non-believers. And this is where we need the guidance of the ulema both spiritual guaidnce in terms of controlling your intention, desires and keeping them solely for th sake of allah and practial guidance including like you said the ins and out of jihad. But like i said brother, it seems like the ulema are restricted fro speaking on such a topic, and allah knows why. But like i said the more the ulema with knoweldge and recognition brush aside these issue, the more possibility there is for self made scholars to come and pass on fatwas to youths who are not in any way or form capable of fighting only for the sake of allah. And like you said it would be perfect if the ulema culd do what you said, but even today if an ulema gave orders for youth to go and fight in the cause of allah, they together with those that have marched foth will be seen as terrorist, and illegal combatants, wether they blow up a train or give a fatawa in support of jihad. But i totally agree scholars need to make this a bigger issue and if they have to make it the number one issue, esepcially if we have people blowing innconet poeple up in the UK. Its strangethat we can once a year rejoice in the birth of muahmmed PBUH, but then fail to talk about an issue which is affeting the ummah at large and even destroying the deen of islam. f someone doesnt not commemrate milad, they will not be doing any injustice to the deen, but when youth are out there misguided and committing un islamic acts in the name of deen, that will have a negative affect. So my opinion scholars regardless of their conclusion on jihad, wether they see t as the means or not should sit together and discuss with the youth. Cos its not the schoars that are out tehre fighting for te sake of allah or otherwise but the youth.
come of it, is really that hard for an islamic event based around the coneptcs of jihad. Im sure there must be some shcoars who have enough taqwa to talk about a issue withourt fear of coming across as unpelasenat or anti this or extremist. the tme to act and bring people together is now, not after another bombing in which innocent people die.
The article suggests the media is creating a negative image of good muslims by highlighting the actions of a few wrongly advised muslims. I understand (to a small extent) how this may cause negative reactions for those truly good muslims.
What bothers me about the article is that it goes on to warn muslims to be cautious of non-muslims who may infiltrate their religion. It seems to me that such statements will cause negative reactions toward non-muslims.
I think this warning will cause further tension between muslims and non-muslims.
Last edited by searchingsoul; 07-09-2006 at 03:46 PM.
Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
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