Open letter to Muslim Apologetics

I cannot stay silent anymore about an issue that is threatening Muslim existence everywhere, and especially here in Western countries. I am talking about the highly visible crop of contemporary Muslim apologetics who materialize every time an incidence of “Islamic terrorism” occurs.

These apologists do not realize that their readiness to “apologize” for “Muslim terrorism” is never going to appease those who despise and hate Muslims. The only effect that their ready condemnation of “Muslim terrorists” has on the ignorant non-Muslim world is the entrenchment of the widespread anti-Islam propaganda that “Muslims are evil people” and “All Muslims are potential terrorists”.  They are effectively the most efficient distributors of anti-Islam propaganda in the World!

This contemporary misrepresentation of Muslims and Islam was the brainchild of the recent Bush Administration, instigated by the highly suspicious “911” incidents. Under the guise of seeking “retribution” for the murder of innocent people, this administration was finally able to make significant political headway in recolonizing Arab nations and illegally destroying sovereign Arab countries with the help of other Western nations.  Although this blatant onslaught on Islam and Muslims is still continuing today, may I remind you that this case has never been resolved?  Detailed examinations of the flimsy “evidence” presented to substantiate these horrible ongoing murders of millions of Muslim men, women and children over the past 14 years indicate a botched internal plot instead of an external “terrorist” attack. Presently thousands of Palestinians are being killed and dispossessed in Palestine before the very eyes of the entire world. Why don’t these Muslim apologetics speak out against this?

Because it is so easy to impersonate a Muslim by donning Arab style clothes here in the West, anyone with a grudge can pin any crime on “Muslim terrorists” simply by donning a costume. When idiots like these apologetics rush to speak on behalf of Muslims without a complete resolution of the facts of the matter, they make fact what is usually a speculation.  Someone once said that a cat born in an oven is not a loaf of bread.  It may do these apologetics well to remember that. Islam needs no apology; neither does it need apologetics for actions for which it is not responsible.  Muslims are being wronged all over the world today and no one is apologizing to us, as blatant as these wrongs are.  Only when the perpetrators of these crimes apologize should we even contemplate a reply.  Allah has spoken about the attitude of apologetics in Surah Bakarah, warning that they only cause mischief when they think they are making peace between Muslims and others.  Please be aware that that is what you are currently doing to your brothers and sisters everywhere in the West.  Please stop it immediately!

The Call of the Prophets

Today’s preachers and “religious” teachers are in no way compatible with the original messengers of Allah.  Their messages do not have the same impact or aims of the messengers they claim to be representing.

For example, modern preachers and “religious” teachers call people towards “spiritual” enlightenment and moral development. Their followers are lulled into a “religious” sleep that does not interact with outward community development. To the faithful, social events are viewed either as “political” or “religious” affairs devoid of any interconnection. God’s Laws are taught as personal and impractical subjective decrees mainly useful for moral character building not for everyday practical management of social life. This method enables the faithful to easily subject themselves to the rule of acknowledged wrongdoers without sparking conflicts. Today’s believers have no expectations of achieving imminent   social change and are being taught not to expect any within their lifetime. According to contemporary “religious” dogma, all scores will be settled in the “hereafter”.

The messengers of Allah did not call towards spirituality. They called for social change, on the personal and community level. They appealed to the individual to change characteristics and behavior from negative traits to positive traits that benefited both the individual and the community. To the leaders they pointed out the destructive trends being encouraged in the society and the imminent or current harm such behaviors were bringing to the people.  The impact of their messages was such that they were recognized as beacons for social change by everyone who encountered them.  They were catalysts for social upheaval and the entrenchment of moral law. Compared to contemporary preachers and “religious” teachers, they would be considered “radical elements” in today’s societies.

This accounts for the hostile reactions that every messenger encountered from the political leaders and beneficiaries of their contemporary societies.  At first the ignorant residents were horrified by the results of the teachings of the messengers. Although they were not calling for any conflict with the rulers, they were directing the people to abandon the harmful traditions and practices that were so profitable to the ruling classes. In many situations, this was automatically considered to be threatening to the contemporary social and community structures and their philosophies elicited a hostile response from the authorities. Using the Biblical story of John the Baptist (peace be on him), portrayed as a rustic preacher in his time, it can be clearly seen that the venomous reaction of the ruling classes clearly resulted in his beheading. Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that John (pbuh) was inciting anyone to riots or social disobedience. Compared to John (pbuh), Jesus (pbuh) must have been characterized as a “terrorist”. He was mobile and outspoken wherever he travelled, educating crowds of listeners as he went. Is it any wonder that he was pursued by spies and hunted by the authorities throughout his mission?

In today’s society, our preachers and “religious” teachers are the rulers’ chambermaids.  They are openly courted by seekers of political power.  Although their congregations are expansive, their social influences are minimal and their political clout is non-existent.  When necessary, the politicians use them to rubber-stamp offensive legislation, thus diffusing any would-be objections from the people.  So many contemptible issues exist within most congregations that followers are too busy rectifying internal conflicts to venture out to correct any immoral issues occurring in their societies.  

 As in times past, Unbelievers everywhere are vigilant against the call of the prophets.  Hidden within organized “religion”, their instigators are ever watchful and ready at short notice to denounce and destroy any deviant from “official” dogma. They are heavily armed and ready to attack “religious fanatics” anywhere. All believers need to recognize that this battle will never stop. But, although the armaments are different now, the rejecters of Faith will never realize that they cannot silence the call of the prophets.

Are We TRULY Made in the Image of God?

 In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:

"Say: He is Allah,

The One and Only;

Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;

He begets not,

Nor is He begotten;

And there is none like unto Him."

(Quran 112)

I recently had a conversation with some co-workers in which we explored the relationship between Humans and our Creator. In the course of the discussion, the old fictitious myth that Man was created in the “image” of God was introduced as the basis for a series of unfounded arguments believed by zealous but ignorant people.  This myth is reinforced by Biblical teachings [Genesis 26 – 27] in which God is reported to have made Man in His own image and likeness. The confusion created by this teaching is further reinforced by the common understanding of these terms:” a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing, photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible (Dictionary.com)”. Likeness = “the fact or quality of being alike; resemblance (Dictionary.com)”. It is no wonder therefore that zealous Christians have been led to accept statuary and other depictions of God as a Man possessing extraordinary powers. It is also no wonder that this deliberate fabrication has been used to establish the idea that Jesus (peace be upon him) could be God’s “begotten” son.

Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) has been credited with the writing of the book of Genesis by some Christians while others claim as many as 10 different authors, including Adam and Noah. As with much of Christian literature, this is nothing but conjecture. The multitude of reinterpretations of the Christian Bible refuses to acknowledge the fact that this book is a political fabrication that owes its creation to Emperor Constantine and did not exist in the lifetime of Jesus (pbuh), whom it claims to glorify. Not only is it a fabrication, but it is constantly being reinterpreted to suit the contemporary political norms and fads of each society it encounters.  Therefore, whatever its current believers understand can realistically be viewed as temporary beliefs. Who originated the myth that Man was created in the “likeness and image” of God may never be known, but common logic can defeat this untenable concept when closely examined with an open mind.

If we use the commonly-understood meanings of the above terms, then every human being encountered on the entire planet looks just like God: in color, ethnicity, height and size. There is absolutely no visible difference between them. Even a blind man knows how ridiculous this idea is.  The insurmountable problem with this idea is that no human being could exist according to Exodus 33:20 (“no man may see me and yet live”); John1:18 (“no man has seen God at any time”), 1 John  4:12  (“at no time has anyone beheld God”). These statements from the Bible are as contradictory as one can find anywhere. This leads to the realization that someone is lying here, the question is who? Unfortunately, the average Christian cannot face the realization that he/she is being duped and shuts down the mental faculties when confronted with this contradiction. Something’s wrong with a philosophy that claims, on one hand, to be “the word of God” yet contradicts itself on the other hand.

Christian Bible students usually approach their biblical studies with the preconceived notion that the contents of the book are true. Despite the wealth of information from Christian historical sources that contradict this preconceived notion, many seek merely to justify their beliefs than to verify their views. Zeal is no substitute for wisdom. Serious students of the Bible need to examine the stories told there for veracity and common sense and they need to be aware that myriads of myths abounded in Jewish society from which these stories came. The First Testament section of the Bible consists mainly of pro-Jewish stories. The New Testament section consists of Jewish and non-Jewish stories about the social turmoil created in the Roman dominated society by the work of Jesus (pbuh). It also reports the response he received from both Jewish and Roman officials. Not all reports were written by eyewitnesses and many doubtful events have been chronicled and included in the book. Students need to be mindful that these writings originate from a time predating universal education, when only select people could read and write, and they have undergone many corruptions in translation, especially into English (see foreword of any English translation). Sufficient documentation exists to enlighten any serious researcher into biblical history as to the dubiousness of all the content of the Bible. There is no reason for Christians to remain zealous and ignorant about their beliefs today.

The fact that humans do not control all the processes of reproduction is proof enough of our creation. Some invisible hand controls aspects of which we have no notion or experience. To acknowledge that being as Allah, the Creator, is not nonsensical or far- fetched. But to insinuate that we are the “image and likeness” of our Creator is ridiculous indeed. To create an image of anything, there has to be a visible reference or mental concept.  Humans are simply one of a myriad of species created on planet Earth by a yet unseen Creator, attested to, throughout history, by a multitude of human messengers endowed with qualifying abilities. The only verifiable pronouncement we can make on the topic of human creation is that we, as are all other creatures throughout the universes, are creations of Allah.

MISDIRECTION IN "RELIGIOUS" EDUCATION

In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:

“To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came

Before it, and guarding it in safety;

So judge between them by what Allah has revealed,

And follow not their vain Desires, diverging from the Truth that has come to you.

To each among you have We prescribed a Law and an Open Way…”

(Quran 5: 48)

Believing people need to be aware of an extremely subtle, but highly effective, process of misdirection that has been injected into their mental attitude towards the scriptures and the laws of Allah.  Over time, the “scriptures” of every denomination have been surreptitiously misdirected from outward manifestation in community development to inward development of “personal” characteristics.  Amongst the methods which have been used to perpetrate this crime is the retention of ancient, misleading terms in modern language by “religious” scholars; particularly the terms “hereafter” and “spiritual”.

A quick check of modern definitions for these terms produces a variety of misinformation. “Spiritual” is defined as “of, relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.” It is also interchangeable with terms such as: “non-material, incorporeal, intangible; inner, mental, psychological; transcendent, ethereal, otherworldly, mystic, mystical, metaphysical.”  It may surprise you to know that this word is a Middle English term originating in CE1800 and imported unchanged into today’s idiom. It’s derived from the Latin word “spiritus”. Similarly, you will find that “hereafter” is another English corruption preceding CE900, with the current definition "a future world, the world to come" adopted in 1702. The English language, as is readily known, has always been privy to misinterpretation and misleading information throughout its existence. With its adoption as the communication standard for the entire Western world and its tributaries, the assault on revelation by the enemies of Allah was greatly facilitated. 

By surreptitiously injecting these ancient, misleading views into the “religious” beliefs of every people with which they interact, including their own people, the enemies of Allah entrenched their position in society. Zealous “educators” and “clerics” consistently taught these ignorant definitions (and attitudes) to their students, unwittingly undermining their communities. As the newly-indoctrinated replaced the old leaders, these corrupt concepts became established as social norms over time. In almost all societies which adopted Western ideology and the misleading beliefs that Allah’s teachings were for “spiritual” development and the “hereafter”, there developed a stark rift between “religious” beliefs and “normal”, everyday activity. As long as people accepted the “hereafter” as a period way into the distant future, after death, not the immediate future of their communities, then “religious” instructions could have no impact on the legal system of the land. “Religious” denominations who accepted this concept were allowed to flourish, dissenters were eradicated where possible.  “Religion” was then recognized as legally separated from State Affairs, giving the reins of government into the hands of immoral hypocrites who only had to pay lip service to “religious” affiliation.

What does this mean for believers today? It is important for believing souls everywhere to shake off the stupor of misinformation which has crept into their understanding of the true teachings of Allah. Believers everywhere need to examine what results their faith and presence are producing in their immediate communities.  Are their communities a true reflection of their core principles? What attitude towards the commands of Allah is being infused into the minds of their children? Whose teachings are they obeying and preaching? Whose laws are paramount in their community? What’s the impact of their “religion” on their current environment? Muslims also are suffering from the effects of this nefarious plot. Very early in their contact with Islam, these corrupt individuals realized that they could not openly attack the Quran. At some point during their colonization of some Muslim countries they inserted the concept of “spirituality” into the minds of “religious” scholars which helped lull Muslims to sleep and minimize (not eradicate)  the impact of Allah’s teachings within Muslim communities everywhere.   

  

The Quran (Islam’s Manifesto) has retained its high-level impact on its readers because it addresses not only personal behavior but also calls upon real believers to demonstrate their faith by performing corresponding activity in the community.  Muslims cannot be lulled into inactivity by the enemies of Allah because the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have emphasized that being Muslim requires the practical implementation of the commands of Allah everywhere one goes, despite how much hatred and resentment non-believers may show towards Muslims.  The eradication efforts of the corruption inducers have not ceased. They have succeeded in imposing corrupt “Muslim” governments on sincere believers in “Muslim” countries and convincing the body of believers that Prayer and non-violence is the mainstay of true Faith. Though loudly proclaiming to be “peace” seekers, they continue to either violently destroy or misrepresent any groups of believers who attempt to create communities which truly reflect their Faith anywhere they find them.  Believers MUST wake up NOW!!!