In a press statement, Dr. Abdul-Rahman Al-Barr, member of the Muslim Brotherhood Guidance Bureau and Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Mansoura, said: “Congratulating Christians, our partners in the homeland, on feasts and festivals is an act of virtue and goodness, so long as such congratulations do not include anything that contradicts the tenets or principles of Islam. We cannot participate in their [some of their] prayers, but we can use words of courtesy and congratulation.

Al-Barr added that: “Indeed, I do not see anything wrong with congratulating Copts on the birth of Jesus, for example, since we believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) is a Prophetic Messenger, and that his birth was a sign of God, good for mankind.

“Indeed, Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him) said: “I am the closest person to Jesus, the son of Mary, in this world and in the hereafter, because all Prophets are brothers of one family, with different mothers, but their religion is one.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).

“For this reason, I am always in contact with my Christian friends, including some members of the clergy, particularly on special occasions of theirs. In fact, I paid many visits to churches, most recently to attend Pope Tawadros’ enthronement ceremony, where I congratulated him on that very important event. I never did anything contrary to my faith on any of those occasions.”

   »»» Ikhwanweb

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In a 12-minute video, John Green teaches you a very condensed history of Islam, including the revelation of the Qu’ran to Muhammad, the five pillars of Islam, how the Islamic empire got its start, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and more.   »»» ISailan Muslim (Sri Lanka)

Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar
Hosted by Sailan Muslim – The Online Resource for Sri Lanka Muslims

Of all the moral precepts instilled in Buddhist monks the promise not to kill comes first, and the principle of non-violence is arguably more central to Buddhism than any other major religion. So why have monks been using hate speech against Muslims and joining mobs that have left dozens dead?

This is happening in two countries separated by well over 1,000 miles of Indian Ocean – Burma and Sri Lanka. It is puzzling because neither country is facing an Islamist militant threat. Muslims in both places are a generally peaceable and small minority.

While no Muslims have been killed in Sri Lanka, the Burmese situation is far more serious. Here the antagonism is spearheaded by the 969 group, led by a monk, Ashin Wirathu, who was jailed in 2003 for inciting religious hatred. Released in 2012, he has referred to himself bizarrely as “the Burmese Bin Laden”.

March saw an outbreak of mob violence directed against Muslims in the town of Meiktila, in central Burma, which left at least 40 dead.

Tellingly, the violence began in a gold shop. The movements in both countries exploit a sense of economic grievance – a religious minority is used as the scapegoat for the frustrated aspirations of the majority.

On Tuesday, Buddhist mobs attacked mosques and burned more than 70 homes in Oakkan, north of Rangoon, after a Muslim girl on a bicycle collided with a monk. One person died and nine were injured.   »»» BBC News

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The tragedy orchestrated two weeks ago by the Boston Bombers adds yet another milestone to those who see Islam as a religion that promotes violence. Yet the two brothers who senselessly took several lives and forever altered the lives of many others appear to have almost no real knowledge of their religion. I am struck by the widespread use in the media of the term “devout” to describe the older brother Tamerlane.

I don’t remember anyone saying that Terry Jones, the lunatic preacher who says he has a divine mission to burn Qurans, is a “devout” Christian. The Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik is usually labeled a “right-wing extremist” yet his writings show a profound regard for [Christian imperialism].

The Boston Bombers and their kind seek to kill innocent people who have personally done them, nor Islam, no harm and are better defined as “devout terrorists,” devoted to carrying out terrorists acts, like Breivik in Norway.    »»» tabsir.net

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The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation urged on Saturday an “unconditional” release of two Christian bishops kidnapped this week in Syria.

OIC secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu condemned the kidnapping on Monday of Aleppo’s Greek Orthodox Bishop Boulos Yaziji and Syriac Orthodox Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim by armed men as they were en route to the northern city from the Turkish border.

He called in a statement for their “immediate and unconditional release because such act contradicts the principles of true Islam, and the (high) status held for Christian clergymen in Islam.”   »»» THE DAILY STAR (Lebanon)

In the Qur’an, God says: [Among the non-Muslims,] “you will find that the nearest in love to the Believers are those who say ‘We are Christians.’ Because among them are men devoted to learning [priests and bishops] and men who have renounced the world [monks], and they are not arrogant.” (Q. 5-82

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Canada’s Muslim community, which alerted police to an alleged plot to attack a passenger train that led to two arrests this week, said imams were ready to report radical members who seemed ready to cross a line.

Police arrested Raed Jaser of Toronto and Chiheb Esseghaier of Montreal on Monday and said they had been investigating them since last fall after a tip from the Muslim community in Toronto. The men appeared in separate courts on Tuesday.

Muslims comprise around one million of Canada’s 34.5 million population.   »»» Reuters FaithWorld

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Terrorism or hirabah is forbidden in Islamic law, which groups it with brigandage, highway robbery and extortion rackets. It is any use of fear and coercion in public spaces for money or power. The principle of forbidding the spreading of terror in the land is based on the Qur’an, which makes such acts capital crimes.

The Qur’an orders believers to exercise justice toward people even where they have reason to be angry with them: “Do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.”

Prominent Muslim legal scholar Sherman Jackson writes, “The Spanish Maliki jurist Ibn `Abd al-Barr (d. 464/1070)) defines the agent of hirabah as ‘Anyone who disturbs free passage in the streets and renders them unsafe to travel, striving to spread corruption in the land by taking money, killing people or violating what God has made it unlawful to violate is guilty of hirabah….”

Armed jihad against an enemy must follow strict rules. There is no place for vigilante justice. Declaring and making war against an entire people is a serious matter that is not in hands of individuals or militant groups. Only a properly appointed public official can declare war.

Jihad is essentially defensive and protective. It does not allow pre-emptive attacks.

Even during a properly declared jihad, the innocent must not be direct targets. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the first Caliph (political successor to the Prophet Muhammad), instructed his armies that they must not kill non-combatants, women, children, old people, the sick and infirm. He further ordered that devastation of buildings and lands was to be limited and not general.   »»» QALAM

“Canadian Muslims categorically denounce and repudiate these attacks on our American neighbours and friends by individuals who have distorted and perverted our faith to further their own political goals or personal agendas. We emphasize the sacredness of life, and reject any express statement or tacit insinuation that anyone should harm innocent people,” says CAIR-CAN Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee.

“Our message to anyone who espouses this ideology of violence is that you have nothing to do with our faith.”   »»» CAIR-CAN

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Here are the top ten ways that Islamic law and tradition forbid terrorism (some of these points are reworked from previous postings):

1. Terrorism is above all murder. Murder is strictly forbidden in the Qur’an. Qur’an 6:151 says, “and do not kill a soul that God has made sacrosanct, save lawfully.” (i.e. murder is forbidden but the death penalty imposed by the state for a crime is permitted). 5:53 says, “… whoso kills a soul, unless it be for murder or for wreaking corruption in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and he who saves a life, it shall be as if he had given life to all mankind.”

2. If the motive for terrorism is religious, it is impermissible in Islamic law. It is forbidden to attempt to impose Islam on other people. The Qur’an says, “There is no compulsion in religion. The right way has become distinct from error.” (Q. 2:256). Note that this verse was revealed in Medina in 622 AD or after and was never abrogated by any other verse of the Quran. Islam’s holy book forbids coercing people into adopting any religion. They have to willingly choose it.

3. Islamic law forbids aggressive warfare. The Quran says, “But if the enemies incline towards peace, do you also incline towards peace. And trust in God! For He is the one who hears and knows all things.” (8:61) Q. 2:190, says, “Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! God loveth not aggressors.”

4. In the Islamic law of war, not just any civil engineer can declare or launch a war. It is the prerogative of the duly constituted leader of the Muslim community that engages in the war. Nowadays that would be the president or prime minister of the state, as advised by the mufti or national jurisconsult.

5. The killing of innocent non-combatants is forbidden. According to Sunni tradition, ‘Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the first Caliph, gave these instructions to his armies: “I instruct you in ten matters: Do not kill women, children, the old, or the infirm; do not cut down fruit-bearing trees; do not destroy any town . . . ” (Malik’s Muwatta’, “Kitab al-Jihad.”)

6. Terrorism or hirabah is forbidden in Islamic law, which groups it with brigandage, highway robbery and extortion rackets– any illicit use of fear and coercion in public spaces for money or power. The principle of forbidding the spreading of terror in the land is based on the Qur’an (5:33–34). Prominent Muslim legal scholar Sherman Jackson writes, “The Spanish Maliki jurist Ibn `Abd al-Barr (d. 464/ 1070)) defines the agent of hirabah as ‘Anyone who disturbs free passage in the streets and renders them unsafe to travel, striving to spread corruption in the land by taking money, killing people or violating what God has made it unlawful to violate is guilty of hirabah . . .”

7. Sneak attacks are forbidden. Muslim commanders must give the enemy fair warning that war is imminent. The Prophet Muhammad at one point gave 4 months notice.

8. The Prophet Muhammad counselled doing good to those who harm you and is said to have commanded, “Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

9. The Qur’an demands of believers that they exercise justice toward people even where they have reason to be angry with them: “And do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.”[5:8]

10. The Qur’an assures Christians and Jews of paradise if they believe and do good works, and commends Christians as the best friends of Muslims.    »»» Informed Comment

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“Shave your stubble before you come to bed, Haider,” I told my husband Monday night. He looked up at me from the computer chair without the slightest hint of protest and smiled, “of course”. A couple of hours into the night, with him sound asleep right next to me – asleep like nothing had happened – I shivered from post-traumatic stress. Cold sweat trickled down the side of my forehead meeting warm tears at the corner of my eye and disappearing into a big, wet circle on the pillow. It was my second Patriot’s Day Boston Marathon, my husband’s third. I recalled spending all evening answering calls from back home in Pakistan, saying often, “Allah nay bachaya,” (Allah saved us). But did he?

It has taken America and its large Muslim community almost a decade to recover from the dreadful events of 9/11. One does not have to have lived in a pre-9/11 America to know what has changed for the worse, both for Americans and the Muslim community in the United States and all over the world. No one knows the woes of terror more than someone who grew up in Pakistan, for we are still bearing its brunt.

Now that some of us have moved on while others back home continue to suffer, we have a lot to lose if the perpetrator of the Boston Marathon bombings turns out to be a Muslim.   »»» guardian.co.uk

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