Ask a Muslim

[Katheryn]

There's a Vietnamese proverb that goes something like "those outside the box can better see what's happening inside than those embroiled in the box". I don't remember it distinctly but I'm not going to trust anything waist deep in **** to objectively describe to me the situation, nor would I expect everything that comes out of soldier's blogs to be 100% because of military restrictions during wartime.

There are good bloggers everywhere. During the Lebanese crisis, the bloggers there were very good. They still are. During the Hezbollah strike last month, they were very active.

http://lebanesebloggers.blogspot.com/


And during the EID crisis in Egypt, these guys were the ones to watch:

http://sandmonkey.org/

Several bloggers were arrested in Egypt for criticizing the police for not helping the women.

There are bloggers everywhere! It's the information Revolution!

And you don't have to hear about LINDSEY LOHAN! or JESSICA SIMPSON!

 

[ironduck]

There's no explicit ban on depicting Muhammad, but I'm unaware of any time where it wasn't taboo.

Clearly the level of taboo has varied greatly since there were times when great works of art featuring Muhammad (with visible face) and other Quran figures displayed in prestigious settings.

It is something we feel is sacred and that the human hand cannot possibly recreate the likeness of God or Muhammad or the other prophets and it is an insult to try.

See, this I don't understand either, at all. If you can talk about Muhammad and other religious figures why can't you show them? Why is it somehow allowed to talk about them and describe their glory but not paint their glory? Can you explain the difference? I can't wrap my head around the logic of it, to me it seems like the old remnant of not worshipping any idols (since there's only one god in Abrahamic religions). But christians aren't worshipping Eve just because they paint her. Likewise you don't have to worship her just because you talk about her.

I would be, but I would never try and stop you from painting anything.

It saddens me that you and so many other muslims would be hurt because I or others want to create something that's important. From my viewpoint it's as if you choose to be hurt rather than choose to open yourself to the views of others. I can easily understand that you would be hurt if I deliberately attempted to attack your religion in a non-constructive way. But I can't understand why you are hurt when I simply try to constructively show you how I feel about something.

No. I've never heard of any of those things, save the veil. I have never worn one and my mother hasn't either, even when she lived in Lebanon. I do know there are openly gay Muslims.

I thought you said you wear a veil to mosque to cover your hair? What do gay muslims do? Do they have to hide it from the imam? Are they frowned upon in mosque if they get a civil union with their partner? I'm talking about muslims in the west, btw.

 

[Katheryn]

There's no explicit ban on depicting Muhammad, but I'm unaware of any time where it wasn't taboo.



It is something we feel is sacred and that the human hand cannot possibly recreate the likeness of God or Muhammad or the other prophets and it is an insult to try.

I thought that if you thought Mohammed was "sacred" that would be attributing divine qualities to him. Isn't that so?

 

[Trajan12]

So if we decided to put up a picture of Noah would that be offensive?

 

[incantrix]

I thought that if you thought Mohammed was "sacred" that would be attributing divine qualities to him. Isn't that so?

I'm not sure I understand

So if we decided to put up a picture of Noah would that be offensive?

You're told in mosque that idolatry of any of the prophets should be avoided, as their messages from God hold the most weight. Prophets are not all equal either. Depicting Muhammad in a Jesus-like manner would be far more offensive than depicting Noah in the same light.

Clearly the level of taboo has varied greatly since there were times when great works of art featuring Muhammad (with visible face) and other Quran figures displayed in prestigious settings.

If you could find an example online, I would very much appreciate it.

See, this I don't understand either, at all. If you can talk about Muhammad and other religious figures why can't you show them? Why is it somehow allowed to talk about them and describe their glory but not paint their glory? Can you explain the difference? I can't wrap my head around the logic of it, to me it seems like the old remnant of not worshipping any idols (since there's only one god in Abrahamic religions). But christians aren't worshipping Eve just because they paint her. Likewise you don't have to worship her just because you talk about her.

That is a very very good point. I think I agree that it's an 'old remnant,' but that doesn't make it less taboo.

I must admit I am now reconsidering how I feel about this but my gut reaction is still unease. I don't think I could ever tolerate Muhammad being depicted like Jesus is in Christianity.

It saddens me that you and so many other muslims would be hurt because I or others want to create something that's important. From my viewpoint it's as if you choose to be hurt rather than choose to open yourself to the views of others. I can easily understand that you would be hurt if I deliberately attempted to attack your religion in a non-constructive way. But I can't understand why you are hurt when I simply try to constructively show you how I feel about something.

I'm sorry

I thought you said you wear a veil to mosque to cover your hair? What do gay muslims do? Do they have to hide it from the imam? Are they frowned upon in mosque if they get a civil union with their partner? I'm talking about muslims in the west, btw.

The veil covers a woman's face. I wear a headscarf to mosque.

I only know of gay Muslims from anecdotal stories.

http://www.alternet.org/story/12817

If a Muslim were to be openly gay, I don't think many mosques would allow him to enter. Worse yet, I'm not sure if his family would tollerate such 'shame.'

I support gay rights and gay marriage but I'm undecided if it's immoral. I am decided that it's none of my business, regardless of their faith

 

[JonnyB]

I think my last question got missed amid the flood of more serious conversations.

I always see muslims praying by kneeling on the floor, is that required or can muslims who find that uncomfortable because of their age or physical disabilities just stand at the back and bow their heads or something?

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

Hi, I decided to open up this thread, after looking at the thread started by "incantrix"...Unfortunately, it is full of errors and inaccurate answers. I'm sure that the user "incantrix" was sincere in intention, but unfortunately, as mentioned by herself in the thread, she is a secularist/irreligious/etc, and therefore not representative of Muslims at all. Someone who drinks alcohol cannot possibly be representative of Muslims.

The thread is a bit long, so it will take me a bit of time to correct every post in it but I will try in this thread to do that...I will answer the same questions that were posed in that thread here....and if you want to ask any new questions, feel free to do that!

 

[Commie #4522]

What is your opinion on America?

 

[Perfection]

Where do you live?

 

[kulade]

How do you feel about other Muslims' attacks on America, Israel and the west?

 

[JonnyB]

I'm guessing this thread will be closed since "ask a" threads have to be mod approved, if it does you can just introduce yourself in the other and invite people to ask their questions again, or make a long post pointing out some of the basic differences between you and incantrix.

Are you a Sunni or Shia?

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

What is your opinion on America?

That is a loaded question, and it is difficult to intelligently answer that in one or two words. A person who would say "I love this" or "I hate that" would be a simpleton, no doubt.

There are many aspects to America...do you mean: do I love/hate American people? Do I love/hate American values? Do I love/hate American foreign issue policies? Do I love/hate Big Macs?

Having said that, I shall not be coy or evasive, and give you the answer you are looking for. I bear absolutely no hatred for American people or individuals...in fact, I know quite a few of them and they can be great people, just like people anywhere in the world. I also love Big Macs!

People--like George Bush--try saying that we Muslims hate American values like freedom and justice. What intelligent person would argue that someone would hate freedom and justice? Mostly we Muslims have the same values and ideals on such matters of freedom and justice, and this has *nothing* to do with the anger felt by Muslims against America.

It is the foreign policy of America which garners the anger and resentment of the Muslim Ummah (nation). The United States, along with the colonial western powers, have dominated, oppressed, and persecuted the Muslim lands for hundreds of years. Today, America funds Israel which we consider a colonial construct and nothing else. America bombed Afghanistan and Iraq to pieces, and tortured thousands of Muslims in secret prisons like Abu Ghraib (a religious pogrom--nothing else)...but these are the tip of the iceberg. The United States CIA has supported and installed dictators and oppressive leaders in all of the Muslim countries, and PREVENTED true democracy (or rather, popular sovereignity).

Having said all that, if America ceases its policy of global oppression, the Muslims would love to reach an agreement with America and live in mutual peace. Allah says in the Quran: "And if they incline to peace, so you must incline to it." (-Quran, Surah al-Anfal:verse 61)

As well as:

"Therefore if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not given you a way (to war against them)." - (Quran, Surah an-Nisa verse 90)

 

[Stylesjl]

Have you approved this thread with the mods?

Also what particular errors did Incantrix have in your opinion?

 

[useless]

what is your view on israel?

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

Where do you live?

I will be doing my medical residency in the United States, after which I plan on moving to Dubai, Allah Willing.

How do you feel about other Muslims' attacks on America, Israel and the west?

Islam does not condone terrorism. There is a very small minority of so-called Muslims who engage in such behavior and the media loves to portray them as representative of Muslims, when this is not the case.

There is a difference between Jihad and terrorism. Jihad must be done against only enemy combatants in the field of battle and nowhere else. To put this in no uncertain terms, the enemy combatant *must* be holding a weapon. It is completely forbidden in Islam to harm civilians, and in fact they must be protected. This was the example of Salah Al-Din (Saladin), who is one of the leaders in Civ 4.

Jihad can only be waged against those who are engaging in oppression, persecution, and driving people out of their homes.

Allah says in the Quran:

"Permission to fight is given to those who are being attacked, because they have been wronged." (-Quran, Surah al-Hajj verse 39)

Elaborating on this, Allah says that you fight a Jihad to protect innocents who are being persecuted:

"And what is with you that you do not fight in the path of Allah and (in the path) of the oppressed of men and women and children, those who say 'Our Sustainer, take us out from this city, its people are wrongdoers, and decree for us a protector, and decree for us a helper.'" - (Quran, Surah an-Nisa verse 75)

Therefore, terrorist attacks against American, Israeli, or Western civilians are completely forbidden and against the Ethics of War in Islam. I can provide you with a copy of the Ethics of War in Islam if you so wish.

I'm guessing this thread will be closed since "ask a" threads have to be mod approved, if it does you can just introduce yourself in the other and invite people to ask their questions again, or make a long post pointing out some of the basic differences between you and incantrix.

Oh, sorry. I don't want to violate the rules. Someone let me know if this is nto allowed.

Are you a Sunni or Shia?

I am Sunni.

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

Have you approved this thread with the mods?

No, I have not. I didn't know I had to. Eek. Mods, if I am violating the rules, please correct me and forgive me for doing that. I read the rules of the forum and I didn't see anywhere a rule like that. But I may have missed it.

Also what particular errors did Incantrix have in your opinion?

Quite a few. I was in the process of responding but people started posting follow up questions too fast!!

I'll get on it as soon as I can, Allah Willing.

 

[Perfection]

and tortured thousands of Muslims in secret prisons like Abu Ghraib (a religious pogrom--nothing else)

To call this a pogram or a secret prison seems rather unfair. Certainly these were horrible incidents but the prison was never a secret and the prisoner abuse was revealed and the perpetrators punished. Additionally pograms resulted in rioting looting and murder and the abuses while tragic were nothing like that.

 

[ssrt]

Jihad can only be waged against those who are engaging in oppression, persecution, and driving people out of their homes.

Given this prerequisite for Jihad, do you think that the Muslim Ummah that you mentioned is obliged to wage war on Israel?

 

[Salah-Al-Din]

what is your view on israel?

I believe that it is a colonial construct, and I believe that all of Palestine belongs to the Muslims. I consider Israel to be another Crusader state in the Middle East.

I do not understand the logic of giving Muslim land to the Jews because the Germans persecuted the Jews. If the Germans did that, then it should be German land given to the Jews. If America is the one funding Israel's war machine, then they should be the ones to give a piece of their land to the Jews.

I support the group known as "Jews for Justice" which are a group of Jews who do not feel that Israel is a legitimate state. I also support many orthodox Jews who are against the state of Israel.

 

[JonnyB]

No, I have not. I didn't know I had to. Eek. Mods, if I am violating the rules, please correct me and forgive me for doing that. I read the rules of the forum and I didn't see anywhere a rule like that. But I may have missed it.

I'm sure the mods will forgive you. It's a new rule, they only made it about 4 days ago after a flood of increasingly pointless ask a threads. It's in the OT Notice Board.

And welcome to OT