“Hai jurm-e-zaeefi kee saza marg-e-mafajat” Iqbal.
knicq posted in Knicqisms on November 18th, 2006
I am not really sure what it is, but I have lost the will to air my opinion about the injustices that plague our world. Not that I was putting up meaningful posts before, but I felt strongly and passionately about the many things that were wrong, especially in the way the ‘enlightened’ West was persecuting the Muslim world and the Muslims, and I would rake my brains to find logical arguments against this persecution because I was, for some reason, under the false impression that the average western mind is logical & fair and strives to do the right thing. I remember having a drawn out argument with brother BAQ about how the Americans are good people and their Governments, successive governments, exploitative, unfair, unjust and cruel. Naive as I was…
I used to pine over the pictures of Iraqis bemoaning their entire families lost to “collateral damages”, and babies, toddlers and children killed by Israeli gunfire. I used to write passionate rhetoric about this and that.
Somewhere along the line, I began to understand.
The headlines did not jump at me, the extent of injustices in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and our own backyard ceased to shock me, the apathy of the world to the destruction of Lebanon did not surprise me, and the tragedy of my muslim brethren persecuted, prosecuted and summarily executed caused me alarmingly less pain. It continued to get worse, and today I have come to a point where everytime a European government announces another ban on the Muslim way of life, everytime there is another attempt at racial profiling of Muslims in the non-Muslim parts of the world, everytime a Bush or a Blair raises another cry for war, and everytime a Musharraf decides to bomb his own people, I nod to myself with a contentment and a resolve I did not know I had in me - a contentment borne from the knowledge that it must get worse before it gets better and that it can get only so worse, and a resolve to be part of whatever it takes to make it better.
The smokescreen of a non-anti-Muslim West is crumbling under the weight of its own fallacy, and once it is removed we will see our enemy for who he is. It will bring us little comfort of course, but it will be another step in the right direction. Once we, as a nation, know who the enemy is, perhaps we will be able to stem the tide of west-aping, perhaps Musharraf will not be able to justify his West-appeasement, and perhaps the Saudis can be persuaded to withdraw the USD 6 Trillion they have lubricating the US machinery, the same machinery which today has four aircraft carriers in our waters threatening the well-being of another Muslim nation… not that the irony of nuclear-powered air-craft carriers sent in to stop nuclear research in Iran is lost on many.
Th fault lies with us. We are 22% of the World population, and are today the most insignificant 22% of this world. The atheists bomb us, the Christians bomb us, the Jews bomb us, and the pagans threaten us; I am convinced we tempt even the Tibetan monks.
The only answer is to be strong, to be united, to be nuclear, and to be ready to srike, just as the West is today. Iqbal said it ages ago, hai jurm-e-zaefi kee saza marg-e-mafajat, the penalty for the offence of weakness is unexpected death. We have had our fair share of unexpected death, but our enemy has not had it easy. From Lebanon to Afghanistan to Iraq, while hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been killed, victory has eluded our enemy also. Therein lies our beacon of hope. Killing us will not bring them victory, but killing us will help unite us, it will help us find out feet, and it will help us gather momentum to strike back. Even in these times of utter disillusionment and social decay, our spirit is not easy to kill. Our spirit will not be killed. It will be rekindled everytime the adhaan blares from the minarets of the many thousands of masjids in the sprawling Muslim lands. It will be rekindled every time the enemy flies sorties on our lands, everytime an Israeli bullet is lodged in a Muslim body, and everytime a drop of Muslim blood is shed by our enemy.
The wheels of change are set in motion, and that too by the oppressors. Perhaps I, and many more like me, will have to pay with their lives before this change is heralded, but my children or their children will celebrate the fall of our enemy, and the rising of a new power - the power of the Islamic Nation.
History will bear witness, we as a nation were peace loving, but our oppressors have nudged, pushed, and then dragged us into the battlefields. What they have forgotten is that we are the soldiers of Allah, and once in the battlefield, we will find our feet, and we will then relive the traditions of Omar (RA), Ali (RA), Khalid Bin Waleed (RA), Hussain (RA), Mohammad Bin Qasim, Yousuf Bin Tashfeen, Tariq Bin Ziyad, Moosa Bin Nusair, Salahuddin Ayoubi….
It is only a matter of time before war beckons us all, an unjust war forced on us by our enemies; when it does, may Allah choose me and TQ to be amongst His beloved soldiers. Ameen.
November 19th, 2006 at 8:39 am
You are kind to leave such a comment. When it comes to blogging, we all are equally ignorant because it is eveolving at a very fast pace.
November 19th, 2006 at 9:11 am
I am reading your blog since you introduced it to me couple of months ago and always liked it, I even enjoy reading the comments but today when I started reading, immediately I felt the urge to call you to say that “Mayusi Gunah Hai” but then I thought to finish the reading and found that “Tum abhi mayus nahi hoey”
Let me quote Iqbal “Tundi-e-Baad-e-Mukhalif sa na ghabra ai Uqaab Yeh to chalti hai tujhe ooncha orane ke liye”
These tough times are our test times and I admire you to at least have the courage to write about it and give others some points to ponder about and that way your are already a soldier of this war which has started long ago.
My point of view for being a peace loving nation or for that matter “Ummah” is different. We as Ummah should remain peace loving until we come to know that someone is trying to wage war against us. The moment we come to know that there is someone out there who is preparing for even a small scale war against us, from “US” I mean Ummah not one country, we should become one hand, one sword, one tank, one voice to attack, finish and crush that enemy with full force.
This is what happened at Tabook see this link http://www.inter-islam.org/Seerah/MarchonTabookL2P1.html and this is what we and our leaders should follow now.
I know my above suggestion will attract a lot of criticism because we as a muslim nation have taken an apologetic approach towards our religion and teachings and that is the reason we muslims are suppressed and will remain so if we do not read what is written on the wall i.e., If you are born muslim, if your name sounds like that and if you look like that for the enemies of Islam you are a potential Muslim threat who could become a permanent threat (terrorist) any time in the near or far future, whether you act like non-muslims, mingle with them easily or act more than like them you are still that potential threat because you look and sound like one. Your only way out is to act like real muslim, follow what is taught to you, do what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did and told you to do and most of all believe in what you do, then and only then may be our third or fourth generation will have the happiness of living in peaceful times.
November 20th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
We have so many differences among ourselves on such small issues, apathy is in our blood. It took one major quake and millions of lives to unite us but even now that is over. We vowed to keep supporting them for long time to come but stopped after just few months. Not only stopped supporting them but hardly have any idea on how they are going about their lives, some of you might be doing it but atleast I am not. These are just our countrymen, and then there are Palestinians, Afghanis, Iraqis and Lebanese. I haven’t lost hope but I think I have lost confidence, because I have failed myself.
November 20th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
Hi Knicq:
Remove my post if it offends you.
Who is are suicide bomber killing innocent in Iraq?
Ans: Extremist Muslims not Westerns.
Who is are suicide bomber killing soldiers in training in Pakistan?
Ans: Extremist Muslims not Westerns.
(It is sad that some people think that the terrorist Mudrassa crushed by Pak Army had innocent people in it, those people came back in couple of days to blow up the soldiers in training).
Who sponsors terrorism during the month of Muharram in Pakistan?
Ans: Iranian extremist Muslims not Westerns.
Did you ever wonder how come every one (including moderate Muslims) thinks that extremist Muslims are bad for humanity?
Ans: Zubaane’ khulq to naqara-e-khuda sumjho
Twisted extremist Muslim logic - When some people call for help in Daibul it is justifiable to send Muhammad bin Qasim and hail him as a hero and not when President George Bush answers the call of week and poor in Iraq and Afghanistan. When it is a Muslim destroying temples of other religions because he does not want to see any other religion, he is a hero (I am pointing towards Sultan Mehmood Ghuznawi a.k.a. Dakoo who looted many Hindu temples).
In short I thank west that they have the guts to help us in Muslim world to get rid of extremist garbage that even kill Muslims who do not agree with their brand of Islam.
Why these extremist Muslims forget that one day they will die and there will be a judgment day. Its time for us to wake up and stop blaming West and realize that what you sow is what you reap and stop these extremist in our own backyard. No one else but only we can get rid of these extremist vultures.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:13 am
you know, if only muslims would be “united”, there wouldnt be need for war.
Middle East has 50% of teh world’s oil reserves, and put together ALL muslim countries and chavez, you are talkin about well over 85% of world’s oil production.
cut the supply line of the big 5. see what happens.
November 21st, 2006 at 5:14 am
p.s dont quote me on that. ill deny having anything to do with the comment
November 21st, 2006 at 5:13 pm
Look it other way round we start using fuel cells in USA alone and what will these countries do? I wonder.
By the way who found these oil wells and set up the facilities before these were nationalized (stolen) in Saudi Arabia?
Who provides the technology to drill oil?
Why we talk about uniting Mulims only why not ebtire planet. Practically thats easier.
November 22nd, 2006 at 2:45 pm
when a muslim hurts, the entire ummah is supposed to feel pain. when everyone is broken, the pain is unbearable..excruciating.
does that mean we resort to bonding over revenge and hatred?
we are going to beat this. and we are going to do it by grasping the rope of Allah. by turning to the Quran. by embodying the spirit of islam.
change comes from within. be the revolution.
that’s my philosophy and i’m stickin to it.
these great men of honor you describe in the end, were they not great muslims before they were great muslim fighters???
take it from someone living in the ‘west’.
these people don’t have a CLUE what islam is about. and that is our fault. hell, our kids don’t know what islam is about.
a little dawah goes a long way (esp when it’s non verbal).. if only i had time and room for examples. there is a lot of work to be done. regardless of where you are.
November 24th, 2006 at 1:06 am
you can clear misconceptions with arguments/dialogue. But when someone intentionally wants to destroy you… its a waste of time isn’t it? However these public arguments, irrespective of how futile they may seem, enlighten. Like they enlightened me as a teenager. You can’t knock senses into someone who doesnt want any knocked into them. Ignorance isn’t a fault. To want to live in it sure as hell is. We don’t have a choice but to try, and try we must-as long as we believe, in our own ways.
November 25th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
Forabetterworld - i read and re-read your post trying to figure out the connection between an extremist Muslim and the US invasion of Iraq/Afghanistan. While every sensible Muslim today will denounce an extremist on the sole merit that Islam itself discourages extremism of any sort, it doesnt stand anywhere in comparision to what the US has done and continues doing. As a Muslim, i will not judge any action on its face value but instead look at the intention. And anyone who tries to convince me that US/Bush actually had the well being of Iraqis and Afghanis in mind must be in kindergarten. The oppression of the burqa clad women was such a big issue in Afghanistan and the US had to liberate them from such “misery”. How many women today have given it up? How are the Iraqis today any better. The city square still runs red from innocent blood. I will agree we need to get our house in order and get our basic fundamentals as Muslims right. But i take serious offence to someone justifying what the west does to us on the PRETENSE of helping us. May Allah (swt) be the only guiding light in our lives. Ameen.
November 27th, 2006 at 6:50 am
I am a believer (in Christ, but Muhammad too,) and a Westerner. I can’t help it, I was born here and we go to church, not Mosque.
So I think i hurt for you too, but not in the same way, because I live here and am not Muslim.
I like Noodlez comments, as well as Knicq’s original post.
Just know there are those of us here that hate this “war on terror” and support you in your suffering. We’re all human beings and many of us have a lot of respect for our Muslim brothers and sisters.
November 27th, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Hi Mahwash:
This is what I can not understand, you mentioned “it doesnt stand anywhere in comparision to what the US has done and continues doing” – what has US done?
The logic behind these wars is very clear:
Afghanistan: A bunch of thugs – Taliban were ruling the country, who thought they defeated Russia, where as it was American Weapons and Pakistan Army that defeated Russia. One of the thugs a.k.a. Osama-Bin-Shaitan martyred 3000 innocent people in NY and USA simply asked that thug to be handed over. But Taliban opted for war, this is what they got. I remember when Taliban came to power in Afghanistan; we were really unhappy and scared in Pakistan. Because we knew that what a monster they were. But we never had the guts to crush them.
Iraq: A military dictator was told to let international authorities independently check the facilities for WMD. Well he opted for war and this is what he got. Again the suicide bombers killing innocent Iraqis are not US soldiers, they are the extremist.
No one wants women to give up burqa. The logic behind women freedom is that let them decide what they want to do. There are still countries where women can not drive, there are places where women are burnt alive because of dowry. There are places where men can marry more than one woman an it’s considered taboo for a women to even think about doing same. It’s not what west wants or what east wants or what religion (as interpreted by so called scholars of religion), its all about what a woman wants. If she picks burqa then let it be burqa or if she thinks otherwise then let it be her choice.
I strongly believe the problem with Muslim countries is the same as the other poor countries – poverty and lack of education. Look at China what they have achieved. It takes just one person to change the entire world let it be Christ, Mohammad or Gandhi. All these great individuals looked for global peace and harmony and did not limit themselves to a single race or religion. A country can never become great by just blaming west for its own weaknesses.
November 27th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
i think JB stands for James Bond.
November 28th, 2006 at 10:46 am
FaBW, you don’t offend me by your comments, but quite often you cross the boundaries of illogical and venture into absurd and ridiculous. You offend me with your ignorance, and naivity (If that is the word I am looking for)
My friend, you need to go check your facts, and you need to start paying attention to media other than the US government mouthpeices.
Ossama behind WTC? Where’s the first shred of proof? I am no fan of OBL, but still lets stick to facts, and the fact is there was not a shred of credible proof provided before a country was bombed into oblivion.
Iraq had weapons of mass destriuction? Its been three years since the invasion of Iraq, where are those weapons? Or even their traces? As for the dictator part, there are worse dictators than Saddam, unfortunately for the people they exploit their countries do not have oil. Fuel cells…yeah right. You will see the US forces lifted out of Iraq and the Arab world the day it becomes an option. Oh, and in case, it might have escaped your attention, Saddam did not opt for war. I hate the bast**d, but hey…lets stick to facts. You will help your case if you go through the archives of the very same newspapers you subscribe so whole-heartedly and zero-mindedly to.
Polygamy. multiple spouses at the same time, is allowed to man by Allah, and there is a whole lot more to it than just tieing the knot. If you are as ignorant about this aspect as you are about world affairs, I suggest you read up before you make any further comments on the issue. Allah has not allowed polygamy to women. Are you really propagating polygamy for women here? You seem to have a problem with polygamy for women being a tabboo. I would really like to see you have that.
Or are you implying that you know better than Allah in what rights need to be granted to Man and Woman. I would not like to see you do that since I believe you are still a Muslim, someone who submits to Allah.
Oh, and for your information, Gandhi did not change the entire world. I resent the fact that you mention a non-believer in the same breath as Allah’s messengers.
Oh, and by the way, Bush never did heed the call of the week and the poor…but you seem to know that since you did clarify same in your subsequent comments. You would not be contradicting yourself so much if you bothered with facts rather than your own convictions. Mahwash has answered the first comment quite well actually, and there is little I can add to that. Ghaznavi was a dakoo to you, but he had the integrity to explicitly announce that he was coming to conquer somnat and the riches it offered. Unlike your sophisticated wimp of a dakoo who bombs a people on the pretext of liberating them while all he is after is the oil riches. Oh, and Bush has nothing in common with Mohammad Bin Qasim.
You can thank the West all you want for whatever you want. The fact remains they are trespassing on our lands, meddling in our business, and killing our kind… the kind you seem to despise so much while you profess your love for world peace and mankind.
November 28th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
No one knows better than Allah. But people do interpret God’s Laws in their own way, the way they can understand them, that’s why we have Shia, Sunni,etc. Also I am not advocating polygamy. Every time equality for women is mentioned people try to become God. As I said earlier there is only one God - Allah. Let Allah be the judge and not us. Let women decide what they want and not men.
I am not sure why you were not able to see threats of Afghanistan and Iraq, I hope some one takes care of Iran and North Korea other wise you will see what a threat Afghanistan and Iraq could have been.
There is no point of blaming west or east, at the end of the day we are all human beings and should be responsible for own conditions and should not blame “west” for that.
One last item - the Arab propaganda that USA is after oil is totally wrong. There is an international market for oil and consumers in USA pay the price to oil companies these companies are not run by US govt. These oil companies are from different countries and consumers in USA do not get a discount because they are losing lives to bring peace and harmony to the under privileged people around the globe. How easily we forget who saved Bosnian Muslims.
November 29th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
FaBW: As I said earlier there is only one God - Allah. Let Allah be the judge and not us. Let women decide what they want and not men.
That’s contradictory. Either Allah is the Judge and He decides, or men and/or women decide for themselves. If men decide, we have the evils of women’s slavery, forced marriages, bikini contests, no inheritance for women, edicts like “women have no soul”, and so on. If women decide, we have the evils of feminism and misandry.
That’s the problem with all man-made or woman-made systems - they will favour one or the other. Only the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the Creator of both men and women, and who loves both equally, can be completely Just in this equation and so the answer to the respective rights and responsibilities of Men and Women can ONLY be found in the Speech of the Creator, the Qur’an.
November 30th, 2006 at 1:33 am
Fabw, yes indeed the problem with the Muslim ummah is ignorance and while trying my best to not take a pot shot at you, have to admit that you unfortunately fall in that category. Your logic continues to be completely non sensical and your arguments absurd. You seem to be so hung up on the “ARAB PROPAGANDA” (whatever the heck is that anyway and who is adveritising it considering the media today runs on whatever garbage the western world chooses to strew on us) you fail to see both ides of the coin. Ordinary US citizens do not benefit from oil. News flash : George Bush is a Texas oilman along with Dick Cheney who was CEO of Halliburton, the worlds largest oil field services company with a $59m share hold from the gent in it. Need i say more.
And its funny how u seem to be so petrified of N.Korea’s and Iran’s nukes while the fact that the US and Israel can tomorrow bomb us to glory doesnt seem to be an issue with you. Perhaps for the world to be a better place you need to start looking at the real facts.
News flash again : we are blaming the west for trying to meddle in our issues with a vested interest for them. Let them extend their “helping hand” to their own kind and get rid of school shootouts, relook at their economy and be better prepared for a calamity like Katrina. We are perfectly capable of helping ourselves.
December 1st, 2006 at 2:19 am
Hi Mahwash:
We are discussing some thing and in discussions you can raise your opinion, may it be that I am totally ignorant because I am a firm believer in freedom of expression. I am never claim to be perfect or the one who knows what is best, I just have my opinions. I always believe in improvement and I am firm believer that there is no better way to improve myself if I can take the personal criticism.
You may be living in an Arab country and may not need help but I am sorry I am from Pakistan, we do not need terror breeding mudrassa or some fancy mosques from Arab world, we (Pakistanis) need technology and schools from West. Recently I and my friends were looking for funding for poor countries to set up a cutting edge school in Pakistan. Guess what only money we were able to gather came from Western sources. We even got “Western” people – trained teachers to volunteer to deliver lectures online for the school. After securing funding when I went to Pakistan I was surprised how many people wanted their kids to go to this Westernized (free thinking) style of school. We just began construction this month and just from word of mouth people are reaching us to get their kids in. So that your “we” definitely did not include Pakistanis.
I believe we all live in this world lets not discriminate be it based race, religion or origin and rather than blaming each other lets work for a better tomorrow.
December 2nd, 2006 at 9:27 pm
Fabw, when i speak, it is indeed on part of the entire Muslim world and not one well to do Arab state. And my optimism in our capabilities does not allow me to believe that if today we take the initiative to do something positive we will not generate enough support from amongst ourselves. The most recent example is the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan where the entire nation came out in hordes to donate not only in kind but also to volunteer their services where required. Such was the magnitude of support that people were asked to hold on to their donations for some time. This gives me hope. Hope, that if we want, we can do whatever we want. Look at what boycotting Danish products did to their economy and the sign it sent to them.
Look at the price we have to pay for support from the west. They conveniently take decisions for our people and our land for and we cant do anything about it. How do I not discriminate agaisnt them when they treat me differently because of the colour of my skin and because i choose to dress differently from them. It is upto each and every one of us to start believeing in ourselves and put an end this glorified image of the west that everyone wants to follow.
We have it in us to show the mighty west that we dont need them. It is actually them who need us!