Tolerance in Islam

While we deeply despise the barbarism of Israel against the Palestinians, it is equally important for us to remain humane and respectful of the existential rights of other religions. Islamic state in the Iraq and the Levant has recently declared a caliphate in Iraq whose sole purpose is to terrorize the people there. What it is doing in the name of creating a caliphate is that it is destroying and selling all the historical relics and sites in Iraq, all in the name of religion of Islam. Moreover, it has recently torched an 1800 years old church in Mosul, a town in Iraq. It has also expelled plenty of christians out of the country by threatening them either to convert to Islam, pay the taxes or to leave the country. As the people left, they also snatched their precious belongings including women's jewelry. All of this is being done in the name of Islam. On the other hand our wannabe caliphs are busy in celebrating picnics. This is not Islam. On the other hand this is worst degree of barbarism.

The idea of having a caliphate stems from the appointment of earliest rashidun caliphs in Islamic tradition. The four notable caliphs were Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), Hazrat Umar (RA), Hazrat Usman (RA) and Hazrat Ali (RA). 

When hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) sent an army to Syria, he particularly directed them to completely spare a population that was indulged in worship of God. By saying this he literally referred to the Christian nation. 

In the era of Hazrat Umar (RA) when Egypt was conquered, he refused to pray in a church despite the request of the arch bishop. His (RA) argument was that if he (RA) prayed in the church the latter generations of Muslims may make it a point that since the caliph of Muslims had prayed in that church, it should be converted to a mosque. That was the sensitivity of hazrat Umar (RA) towards the christian religion. He (RA) also made many social reforms while keeping in view the senile jews of Arabia.

Similarly, a slave of Hazrat Umar (RA) was a christian. He remained so till the end of his life. One of the central tenets of Islam is that it cannot be forced. There is no compulsion in Islam. This is the bottom-line.

Hazrat Usman (RA) and Hazrat Ali (RA) simply followed his lead.

Another venerable caliph from the latter generations was Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (RA). It is quoted in the history of Islam that the rate of conversion to Islam in his era was the highest. One of the reasons was that he had confiscated all the property from the Banu Umayya (his native Arab tribe) and given it back to the government treasury. It is also quoted that his higher officials reported to him to maneuver monetary concessions to the non-Muslims and to place tax embargoes in a way so as to discourage their conversion to Islam. Upon this he severely scolded his officials saying that God sent Muhammad (PBUH) as a guide to humanity and not as a tax collector. 

Such is the religion of Islam. That is why too many people converted to Islam. And that is why even today it is still looked upon as a hope by the humanity.

Imposing a caliphate such as is being done by the Islamic state in Iraq is nothing more than barbarism and terrorism. This should clearly be abandoned as a bad idea of a worst degree. It is time that Muslims should themselves speak up against such brutal tendencies.

In the end I would like to share the prologue and the epilogue of the book titled Islam and tolerance written by hazrat hakeem Tariq Mehmood Chughtai (RA) from Ubqari institute. Ubqari magazine also has a special section on Islam and tolerance. This episode is particularly worth reading which is about how a companion of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), Abdullah ibn-e-Umar (RA), compassionately treated his jewish neighbor. Abdullah bin Umar (RA) was the son of hazrat Umar (RA), whos was the second caliph of Islam. Much of the conquests in the middle east happened in his era. These include Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Jerusalem. The book has been translated and is currently under review. But the prologue and epilogue are really worth reading. 

Prologue

During the reign of Ibrahim Lodhi, an issue of demolishing a Hindu temple arose during construction. The Hindus were not giving permission to demolish it. A great mufti of Muslims was called in the court to advise. On hearing the complete account, the mufti delivered a fatwa that the temple could not be demolished. Although this decision was incommodious for the King and the public, but he stood by his words and history is witness to this account that the temple was not destroyed.

The theology of Islam is not only peaceful for Muslims, but it also holds clear principles for the safety of the whole human society. The verse of Quran, Whoever kills a soul, it is as if he has slain mankind entirely, is in reality an expression of the summary of an unseen relationship amongst every individual, sect, religion, class and nation. The history of Islam is witness that whenever a ruler implemented Ikhlaq-e-Muhammadi as a superior ethical code in an Islamic Kingdom, then in his reign, non-Muslims and their places of worship were protected as well as those of the Muslims. And they were provided with the same religious and social freedom as the Muslims. Each epoch is ornate with innumerable auspicious events due to which not only the Islamic history is proud, rather the non-Muslims historians have also mentioned them in an impressive and appraising manner. The bright examples of these events are the circumstances of Ahl-e-Allah. Baba Fareed's (RA) brotherhood and tolerance with the followers of Sikh religion is not at all a secret. His name is present in the holy books of Sikh religion as a religious leader. Khuwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishtis (RA) behavior, his benevolence, and humanitarianism is a true reality that is even remembered today. Hazrat Khuwaja Abdullah (RA) says that be a flower and not a thorn, be a friend and not a stranger. All such incidents, events, stories and accounts are a small glimpse of Islam's tolerance towards the non-Muslims.

The humanitarian teachings of Ahl-e-Allah is evidence in itself of this reality that the true followers of Islam not only held sincere love for non-Muslims in their hearts, rather their affection would tie the non-Muslims in their golden chain of love.

In the current times when the whole world is engulfed in turbulence of violence, troubles and the mutual distances are increasing more than ever, it is needed more than ever to understand the true teachings of Islam and build the relation of humanity anew with a foundation of sincerity, bricks of love and mortar of elegant behavior. And a message should be delivered to the whole world that Islam is the religion of peace, brotherhood and love. Be it east or west, north or south, poor or rich, literate or illiterate, a high ranking official or poor labor, all of us are brothers.

This book is a small effort to bring in to notice the mutual tolerance and association amongst the Muslims and non-Muslims. If from the burning incinerator of hatred, even a single spark of love is kindled, I would not consider that my efforts have been wasted. 

Come! Become my companion in this mission and spread this message of The Centre of Peace and Spirituality in the world.

Desirous of Sincerity and Compliance

Lahore, Pakistan, Hakeem Muhammad Tariq

May 13, 2014 Mehmood Chughtai Majzoobi

Epilogue

Readers! Monthly Ubqari magazine has come out in the world with a message of peace and tranquility. And the way this message of peace and tranquility has been received by the world, the whole humanity is witness of that. Where Ubqari magazine is popular among the Muslims, at the same time it is equally popular, as it should be, among the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Jews. Come and join us! we should hold each other's hands irrespective of our religion, nationality, language, geography and ethnicity, to serve the whole humanity. By erasing the message of terrorism we should give a message of peace to the whole world. Let us erase the message of intolerance and distribute a message of peace and tolerance to the whole humanity.

On a separate note: In a way I am being dishonest to the institute by publishing this part of the book. But I think that the situation is urgent and dire specially in Iraq. I shall apologize to the institute latter.

 
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   by  ItzaFineDay 

On The Priming Potential of Stratfor

I have been thinking about writing something here for a long time. I have been postponing my next article for various other chores that have been consuming my time. One of those chores has been reading. The truth is that I have been reading each and every article of Stratfor since the past few months. I have been read every bit of what a free rider can get and I don't think that I possess the means to get a paid subscription at this moment, neither do I think that that is important.

I really wanted to reflect on George Friedman's Borderland series of articles that he finished writing around last month while traveling in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Caucus. It was particularly touching to read how he was born to a Jewish family in Hungary and how his elders had to calculate the costs of Adolf Hitler's military excursions in Hungary at dining tables, and the calculations of the price the Jews would have to pay. Indeed, it is a pity. However, his trip to Europe was motivated by the recent Russian intrusion in Ukraine.

I have been reading Stratfor quite thoroughly. And the truth is that I have found it rather impressive. Their geopolitical weeklies are absolutely enlightening, albeit ruthless. But such is the nature of geopolitics. Right into the middle of the 21st century it still tends to remain ruthless.

As I have been reading Stratfor, I have been wondering of writing up a research proposal to analyze Stratfor for its objectivity. The proposal that I have in my mind's eye would require research to be carried out from a psychological point of view. I would roughly like to explain the proposal as follows.

Stratfor claims to be objective and non partisan. This is claimed in their core philosophy. The truth is that I have largely found it to be objective and non-partisan, except a few instances (where I have found it to be rather ambiguous). In reality, however, Stratfor might not really be as objective as it claims to be or as a reader like me finds it to be. This leads us to the idea that although Stratfor is objective most of the times and does not appear to be so some of the times, it is priming us in profound ways at times when it is actually not being objective whereas it is appearing to be so.

Stated in other words, when Stratfor is intentionally trying to manipulate the opinions of its readers by appearing as an innocent geopolitical analyst, whereas when it is actually not so, it is trying to psychologically prime us.

This can be a very nice idea to work on. It may as well lead to a very nice research based thesis. Having said it all, it is imperative to describe what priming really means in this context.

Priming is a psychological trick in which a subject is indirectly led into developing false beliefs and ideas by indirect manipulation, while the subject does not know that he/she is being played upon. For instance, in an easy exam in which everyone can do well (or everyone has done equally well on average), subjects can be asked to write down their about their ethnic backgrounds. Depending on their answers, some subjects would have the tendency to do poorly on the same type of exam as compared with others. The reason for this drift in performance is how they associate their ability to succeed with their ethnic roots on a subconscious level.

This is priming and I found this explanation in Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, a very nice book on snap judgements and other aspects of popular psychology.

   by  Pdro (GF) 

Psyops by PsyopsPrime is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://www.psyops.tk/.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.psyops.tk/.