Blasphemy Laws

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Whom do you fear, public opinion, fatwa or Allah?

Continuation of exchange on Blasphemy at WorldMuslimcongress@yahoogroups.com it is a public forum, all are welcome to join by sending an email to: WorldMuslimCongress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com The group is about nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam

Whom do you fear, public opinion, fatwa or Allah?

Good fatwa against Qadri

http://blasphemylaws.blogspot.com/2011/01/whom-do-you-fear-public-opinion-fatwa.html

Dear Javed,

I am copying a few paragraphs from the material published in Arab News yesterday.

Islam forbids killing anyone, unless it is in self-defense and it is indeed a morbid sin to commit suicide. This statement breeds an enormous confusion among a few Muslims and non-Muslims, they want to know what to believe, what the radicals are doing in the name of Islam or the ones who say they are misrepresenting it. http://arabnews.com/world/article232984.ece

If we take Brother Shamim’s position and your partial agreement with him, you are making Islam look like a religion of dominance, punishment and revenge. Let me submit to you, Islam is a religion of leadership, leading people out of chaos into peace through free will, it is a religion of peace and the majority of the Muslims believe that. Prophet Muhammad is indeed the mercy to mankind; Salaam us per ke jis nay bekasoon pay dastagiri ki. He brought the idea of equality and showed how to work it through the rituals embedded in Islam, he raised the level of consciousness towards the oppressed, forgave the wrong doers, he took over Mecca peacefully and did not order killing of the very people who were determined to kill him.

It calls for a serious discussion, in the name of the man of the peace, you guys are creating chaos, you are making the prophet of peace look like a man of revenge, you have to stop this and stop denigrating the prophet that we admire, adore and hold him as the ultimate peace maker, the Rahmatul Aalameen.

A few, very few in every majority community, be it Christian, Hindu, Muslim or Jewish claim themselves to be the guardians of the community and act out bullying with the power bestowed in them as a majority and make the lives of the minorities difficult. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) showed the examples of how to subdue the arrogance within oneself and not exercise the power of the beast for the sake of peace. He initiated the Madina Treaty as a man in charge of the political, military and religious power to protect the minorities from the onslaught of the majoritarianism. The Prophet taught us to stand up for the oppressed.

Javed, ruefully, brother Shamim and his ilk is discarding the examples of kindness prophet set; towards a lady who threw trash on him, praying for the ones who pelted stones on him and more and more at …http://www.petitiononline.com/Asiabibi/petition.html

Javed, let’s wake ourselves up from our arrogance and do the inner Jihad, Islam is about peace and not dominance. For the conversion-bent among us, this an opportunity missed out.

The silent majority needs to speak out at crucial times like this where the murderer Qadri is being hailed as a hero in defending the very Prophet who was a mercy to mankind. This entire sordid affair started when Bibi, a Christian woman was denied the water by a few senseless individuals, they are the ones that need to be questioned (not punished). Does not Quraan and Hadith say, don’t denigrate the faith of others, lest they do that to you?

Javed, please speak up your mind, you don’t need to appease any one, you are one of the leaders and you need to lead and not worry what others say and compromise. Standing up will bring fatwas on your door, the question is whom do you fear, Allah or Fatwa?

Mike Ghouse

www.MikeGhouse

From: doctorforu
To: TSidd, WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com, MikeGhouse@aol.com, hasniessa, Sent: 1/12/2011 7:30:46 A.M. Central Standard Time
Subj: Re: MuslimAgenda :: RE: Good fatwa against Qadri...

Mohatram Shamim Sb

ASAK

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the punishment for what is called in Fiqh as “Shatim-e Rasool” is nothing but death. A person who has blasphemed against a personality or book, which is dearer to a community more than their own nafoos certainly deserves to be sentenced to death because his action is an insult to the beliefs of huge numbers of people and also because it can cause widespread trouble leading to a great number of deaths. Death to him is therefore a preventive measure against greater number of deaths. But my point is that we have to understand the finer differences when deciding on the issues:

1. There is difference between committing blasphemy and supporting for condonement of a person accused of blasphemy. Both are not crimes of equal severity. The person who supports condonement of a person for crime of blasphemy does not necessarily have disrespect for Prophet himself. Many people whose Iman cannot be doubted did not support the fatwa by Khomeini against Rushdie. Does that mean that they committed blasphemy themselves and deserve to be given the same punishment as Rushdie? I have no first hand knowledge but my feeling is that Taseer did not support the views of Asia Bibi and only spoke against the punishment of death for her. I do not think that Taseer had ever expressed any views that make him a shatim-e rasool. Does he deserve death for merely advocating mercy for a person who committed a serious offence? I have my doubts. If Taseer had been tried in a shariah court, would a Mufti declare his crime worthy of punishment by death?

2. If a person does not deserve death for an offence committed by him, howsoever serious or condemnable his offence is, can his killing be justified?

3. Even if his killing is justified under Sharaiah, would anyone be allowed to kill him without any fatwa issues for it or without proceeding in a court in a country where the current laws punish blasphemy by death?

Emotions and sentiments must not dither us from making judgements in accordance with Quran. Allah forgive me if I am wrong!

Javed Jamil

From: "TSidd @ >
To: doctorforu123@yahoo.com; WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com; MikeGhouse@aol.com; hasniessa; .. and the list

Sent: Tue, January 11, 2011 7:21:57 PM
Subject: Re: MuslimAgenda :: RE: Good fatwa against Qadri...

Mohtram Javed Bhai, ASA

Perhaps you are otherwise busy and had no time to go through the write-up by the undersigned and that of HK Saheb. You are missing the very genesis of the issue.

I. Act of blasphemy is crime against humanity when one insults the personality of our beloved Prophet (S), he injures the finest feelings of the Muslim Ummah as a whole. His punishment is death as prescribed in law.

2. If government is hesitant and shows sympathy with the person who has been committing this horrible crime, the Muslims who love him (S) will have to take the law in their hands as it is the matter of "crime" against an individual person, specially when the person is arrogant and feel proud of doing it as Taseer was behaving.

3, The law of blasphemy is the target of the government to change under the outside pressure from the secular West, the entire Christendom and the prejudiced Vatican.

4. General Muslim masses have natural sympathy with the assailant who did a noble job to revenge the insult of their Mahboob Prophet Muhammad (S). He act was not a crime but the need of time,

5. The issue is the inefficiency and weakness of Pakistani Government and the lopsided propaganda of the secular vested press that is siding with the late secular Governor. and the wilful interference of foreign powers.

6. If the government declares that the Act of Blasphemy will stay as it is, the Movement will subside immediately and the fate of the assailant will then be sealed by the legal process.

7. It will be left to public pressure wether to set him free or hanged to death. Let love for Prophet (S) decide the issue on the streets of Pakistan - the most authentic court of democracy that west loves most.

Justice demands it.

Shamim Siddiqi

In a message dated 1/11/2011 7:46:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, doctorforu @yahoo.com writes:

I have been closely following the discussion emanating from the murder of Punjab Governor and support for the one who killed him because he defended a person who insulted Prophet Muhammad SAW. Two opinions are emerging and I have a middle position. If anyone says that there should be no punishment for blasphemy, he is only befoolng himself. In a world where denial of holocaust is a punishable act, where burning of flags and insult to the constitutions are punishable crimes, to think that insult to religious figures should be made illegal is nothing but an open attempt to defeat religion as a system and institution. The Law aims to keep society away from drifting to chaos, disorder and such conditions where life and honour of the people is at stake. Blasphemous actions are an insult not only of the figures related to a religion but an insult to the conviction and commitment of a vast section of society or almost the whole society in a country dominated by single religion. Such acts of blasphemy are bound to creat chaos at a large scale and cannot be condoned. In such cases the law must act swiftly s that the hurt feelings of the people do not convert into open violence.

If the Law does not act rightly or swiftly, there is every chance that Qadris will emerge. If the acts of blasphemy are committed or are supported in one way or the other by the custodians of law themelves, people will surely lose confiedence in Legal institutions. But to openly admire an act of reprisal without a legal aurtority in a country where legal recourse was available is not justified. Such an action could have been justified in a country where the culprit cannot be boked under law (for example, Salman Rushdi). In that case, the one who acts like that must be reay to face the law for his act. But in Pakistan, there is a blasphemy law in force. Instead of taking recourse to that, if someone kills a person taking law in his own hands, he should definitely be put to trial for murder. It is another matter that the judge should take all the circumstances into consideration before declaring his punishment. If he hasd one something that has pleased Allah, He will have his reward in Hereafter; but in the world he should face the law. The sympathies of the people towards him are understandable but the Law must not act on sympathies.

Javed Jamil

From: Faiz <tahir
To: MikeGhouse@aol.com; hasniessa ; and the list
Sent: Mon, January 10, 2011 5:05:55 PM
Subject: MuslimAgenda :: RE: Good fatwa against Qadri...
From another forum:

Brother Munir alHaq,

I am not blaming the whole nation. All I am saying is that a large section of Pakistani society is sympathetic towards Qadri. So much so that many ‘educated people” (some on this forum as well) have lost their minds in this frenzy—and that I find VERY disturbing. There are more facebook pages on Qadri side than on Taseer side.

I am still a citizen of Pakistan and I love my country from the core of my heart. I have spent 32 years of my life living in it in good old days.

When I see a large segment of society (which means most of the villagers who are unlettered, but also many of the educated class), it tears apart my heart. I say, how come we don’t think, how come we don’t reflect, how come we don’t listen to the voice of reason?

I have yet to find a person in the US who opened his mouth to praise Jared Loughton! And that’s the point I am making.

On the other hand, Qadri—as of today—is being treated with some respect, flower petals and garlands—even the lawyers are willing to fight his case out when the government had a real hard time to lead the funeral prayers for the slain governor!

This is rape of common sense—a ‘toofaan-e-badtameezi’ that I simply fail to understand.

People are scared to death to speak about how they feel about the whole orgy. I am waiting for the day when some enlightened people will pick up the courage and appear in rallies and TV shows to let people know that the concept we call “tahaffuz-e-namoos-e-risalat” can best be achieved by following the Qur’an—the book that Prophet Muhammad (sws) himself followed and commanded all of us to follow. That Book has clear guideline about all kinds of blasphemies.

And that book never ever allowed its followers to take law in their own hands and commit murderous activities—for any reason whatsoever. The legislative bodies have the responsibility to make and enact laws, and the Law enforcement agencies will be enforcing them. There are no ifs and buts in this governing protocol. If we are not happy with a law, let’s make it known our concerns and let’s adopt legally allowed ways to change it by mutual discussion and deliberation in the legislative domain.

All people of conscience and enlightenment in Pakistan should stand up as one man and push forward to modify this law in a way that the mischief-mongers will find it real hard to misuse and manipulate. I am hoping this but I realized it’s not going to happen any time soon because of the presence of ‘scare crows’ everywhere. The government is weak and corrupt—so is a significant segment of the opposition contingent. The scare tactics of the religious clergy is dancing naked and there’s chaos that can only promote further irrational behavior.

As for as I am concerned, I believe that these blasphemy laws MUST be repealed immediately before anyone else gets hurt. I call these laws barbaric and draconian---not because they would seem so to anyone sane around---but because these laws violate the basic tenets of the Holy Qur’an. They do not protect the noble name of the blessed protect at all; in fact, believe me or not, they have the opposite effect. These laws go way to the ‘tauheen’ o the Prophet because the reasons behind making these laws—the cruel, fabricated historical stories—go a long way to vilify the blessed prophet. Let anyone go over those stories and you will appreciate what I am saying. We are not realizing it because many of our enlightened minds are ‘disoriented’ and benumbed at the moment—thanks to the military dictator Zia-ul-Haq; he gave us a murder and vilification gift that, sadly, we love to keep close to our hearts.

Best,

Irfan

From: Moderate s@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 5:12 PM
To: fff
Subject: Re: [ModerateMuslims] RE: Asia Bibi Petition for Signature

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I understand the anger we all have against Qadri and that is justified. But the point was that these murderers do not represent the entire society.

All societies are different from different aspects, some greatly better than others but from specific angles, of course, and vice versa. No religions, races or societies are monoliths that we just paint these with a broad brush as essentially good or evil.

The fanatic zealots supporting Qadri exist as well but my point is one should also realize that there are rallies and protests that were also held against Qadri's horrific actions as well in different parts of the country.

Just wanted to toss out that it seems we should keep the target of our anger to specific groups responsible and not entire religions or entire nations because that tends to undermine our criticism.

Thanks again,

Munir

From: MikeGhouse@aol.com [mailto:MikeGhouse@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 4:04 PM
To: hasniessa

Check it out at:

www.Blasphemylaws.com

Mike

In a message dated 1/10/2011 2:53:45 P.M. Central Standard Time, hasniessa.com writes:

Pope Asks Pakistan To Reverse Blasphemy Law

ASSOCIATED PRESS

VATICAN CITY— Pope Benedict XVI urged Pakistan to reverse its blasphemy laws, saying Monday they were a pretext for violence against non-Muslims, and demanded that all governments do more so Christians can practice their faith without fear

Monday, January 10, 2011

Fatwa Against Mumtaz Qadri by Mufti Fuzail-ur-Rahman

“Malik Mumtaz Qadri has committed gunah-e-azeem (great sin) by killing an innocent soul. By taking law into his own hand, by killing an innocent man, and by bringing disgrace to the name of Islam”

This Fatwa is carried on several sites:

http://criticalppp.com/archives/36283 and http://www.siasat.pk/forum/showthread.php?53345-Fatwa-Of-Mufti-Muhammad-Idris-About-Malik-Mumtaz-Qadri-And-His-Supporters-!!!

Fatwa of Shaykh-ul-Islam Mufti Muhammad Idris Usmani about Malik Mumtaz Qadri and his supporters

Mufti Fuzail-ur-Rahman Hilal Usmani

Note: This post highlights the fact that Islam is far from monolithic and while there are those who are issuing Fatwas that result in the murder of Governor Taseer, there are also those who have huge problems with such hideous and medieval savagery. This highlights the heterogeneity within Islam which is composed of numerous sects and viewpoints that differ widely among themselves. We at LUBP believe in a secular society which operates under the rule of law; where laws are made by elected parliaments and religion is not the business of the State!

Shaykh-ul-Islam Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Idris Usmani of Jamia Islamia has issued the following fatwa about the killer of Governor Punjab (Pakistan) Salman Taseer and about those who are praising and justifying his murder.

Question:
What do the Ulema say about the murder of Governor of Punjab (Pakistan) Salman Taseer who was killed by his own security guard. The guard claimed that he killed Salman Taseer because he was blasphemous to the Prophet (peace by upon him). However, there is no evidence of Salman Taseer’s blasphemy to the Prophet (pbuh). What do the Ulema say about many people who are praising Salman Taseer’s killer?

Answer:
“In the Name of the Merciful and Compassionate Allah, Dar al-Fatwa. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe; blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah, and upon his Family, his Companions, his Followers and those who have found the way through him.

I have carefully read the whole issue and also read various news reports and articles related to this (issue). I have also spoken to the jayyad ulema (eminent scholars) in Pakistan and India.
In the light of the available evidence, I state the following:

1. Malik Mumtaz Qadri has committed gunah-e-azeem (great sin) by killing an innocent soul. By taking law into his own hand, by killing an innocent man, and by bringing disgrace to the name of Islam, Malik Mumtaz Qadri has created fasad fil arz (mischief on earth) and committed tauheen-e-risalat (blasphemy to the Prophet). Same applies to those who are creating further mischief (fasad) by praising or justifying this heinous crime in the name of Islam. The killer of Salman Taseer is a real blasphemer to Islam and the holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

2. Those individuals and groups including the ignorant ulema, misguided journalists, politicians, lawyers wa deegar (etc), who are celebrating or justifying in any manner this heinous crime must be treated as accomplice in this crime. Those who endorsed a fatwa of Salman Taseer’s murder too must be treated as mufsid fil arz and must be punished according to the Shariah.

3. While the state of Pakistan will pursue a legal case against the killer and his abettors according to their national laws, the following verses from the Quran clearly specify the punishment for Malik Mumtaz Qadri and his supporters and cheerers.
This is a case of fasad fil arz. The perpetrators of such acts should be punished as provided in Sura Maida of the Quran (Ayah 32 and 33).

32. We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person―unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land― it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our Messengers with clear Signs, yet even after that many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.

33. The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter.

According to Islamic Shariah, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, any one supporting or praising his act must be executed by law or crucified or their hands and feet cut off from opposite side. Exile is not needed in the present case as the State can exercise Shariah authority on its citizens and subjects.

Those who are praising a killer and a mufsid want to go to Hell of their own accord.
For others, we can only pray for their path of righteousness.

In the light of religious commands, in the light of religious rules known to us, I think that these people should renew their faith and renew their marriages. But no one can remove anyone’s obstinacy. I pray to Allah to enable all Muslims, through His Prophet, pbuh, to be steadfast to His religion, Islam. Ameen!

Muhammad Idris , Mufti, Darul Ifta, Jamia Islamia
29 Muharram-ul-Haram 1432 AH

Sunday, January 9, 2011

My Father Died for Pakistan

Lahore, Pakistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/opinion/09taseer.html

TWENTY-SEVEN. That’s the number of bullets a police guard fired into my father before surrendering himself with a sinister smile to the policemen around him. Salmaan Taseer, governor of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, was assassinated on Tuesday — my brother Shehryar’s 25th birthday — outside a market near our family home in Islamabad.

The guard accused of the killing, Mumtaz Qadri, was assigned that morning to protect my father while he was in the federal capital. According to officials, around 4:15 p.m., as my father was about to step into his car after lunch, Mr. Qadri opened fire.

Mr. Qadri and his supporters may have felled a great oak that day, but they are sadly mistaken if they think they have succeeded in silencing my father’s voice or the voices of millions like him who believe in the secular vision of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

My father’s life was one of struggle. He was a self-made man, who made and lost and remade his fortune. He was among the first members of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party when it was founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the late 1960s. He was an intellectual, a newspaper publisher and a writer; he was jailed and tortured for his belief in democracy and freedom. The vile dictatorship of Gen. Mohammad Zia ul-Haq did not take kindly to his pamphleteering for the restoration of democracy.

One particularly brutal imprisonment was in a dungeon at Lahore Fort, this city’s Mughal-era citadel. My father was held in solitary confinement for months and was slipped a single meal of half a plate of stewed lentils each day. They told my mother, in her early 20s at the time, that he was dead. She never believed that.

Determined, she made friends with the kind man who used to sweep my father’s cell and asked him to pass a note to her husband. My father later told me he swallowed the note, fearing for the sweeper’s life. He scribbled back a reassuring message to my mother: “I’m not made from a wood that burns easily.” That is the kind of man my father was. He could not be broken.

He often quoted verse by his uncle Faiz Ahmed Faiz, one of Urdu’s greatest poets. “Even if you’ve got shackles on your feet, go. Be fearless and walk. Stand for your cause even if you are martyred,” wrote Faiz. Especially as governor, my father was the first to speak up and stand beside those who had suffered, from the thousands of people displaced by the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 to the family of two teenage brothers who were lynched by a mob last August in Sialkot after a dispute at a cricket match.

After 86 members of the Ahmadi sect, considered blasphemous by fundamentalists, were murdered in attacks on two of their mosques in Lahore last May, to the great displeasure of the religious right my father visited the survivors in the hospital. When the floods devastated Pakistan last summer, he was on the go, rallying businessmen for aid, consoling the homeless and building shelters.

My father believed that the strict blasphemy laws instituted by General Zia have been frequently misused and ought to be changed. His views were widely misrepresented to give the false impression that he had spoken against Prophet Mohammad. This was untrue, and a criminal abdication of responsibility by his critics, who must now think about what they have caused to happen. According to the authorities, my father’s stand on the blasphemy law was what drove Mr. Qadri to kill him.

There are those who say my father’s death was the final nail in the coffin for a tolerant Pakistan. That Pakistan’s liberal voices will now be silenced. But we buried a heroic man, not the courage he inspired in others. This week two leading conservative politicians — former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the cricket-star-turned-politician Imran Khan — have taken the same position my father held on the blasphemy laws: they want amendments to prevent misuse.

To say that there was a security lapse on Tuesday is an understatement. My father was brutally gunned down by a man hired to protect him. Juvenal once asked, “Who will guard the guards themselves?” It is a question all Pakistanis should ask themselves today: If the extremists could get to the governor of the largest province, is anyone safe?

It may sound odd, but I can’t imagine my father dying in any other way. Everything he had, he invested in Pakistan, giving livelihoods to tens of thousands, improving the economy. My father believed in our country’s potential. He lived and died for Pakistan. To honor his memory, those who share that belief in Pakistan’s future must not stay silent about injustice. We must never be afraid of our enemies. We must never let them win.

Shehrbano Taseer is a reporter with Newsweek Pakistan.

From the writers on Blasphemy

Newsweek on Blasphemy Backlash at

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/06/pakistan-more-attacks-may-follow-killing-of-salmaan-taseer.html

A Reluctant Mind

http://tazeen-tazeen.blogspot.com/2011/01/salman-taseer-you-brave-brave-man-may.html

Is Mullah the true Blasphemer

http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=3887

Salman Taseer, a death foretold

http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=3885

Killer Qadri hailed as a hero

http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=3886

More information

I urge you to share the links to videos and article in the comments section below, after review, I will post to the main body. I have recieved several articles and I will post them as I read them. The debates in Pakistan are very hopeful and inspiring, I love that spirt of freedom and if any one of you can subtitle it in English, it would be of immense value. Thank you.
Mike Ghouse

Follow up on Asia Bibi Petition

Appeal for Justice to Pakistani Asia Bibi and Mercy to mankind

The People, Ulema and Government of Pakistan

Sponsored By: Muslims of the World

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is a mercy to mankind, he is indeed a blessing to the humanity and rightfully known as Rahmutul Aalameen. There are innumerable examples of forbearance, forgiveness and kindness of the prophet (pbuh) towards those who insulted and even tried to harm him.

One of the most famous stories, often repeated is about an old lady who threw trash on the prophet every time he passed in front of her door. One day, the trash was not thrown. Concerned, he asked the neighbors and found that she was sick. He knocked on her door to and offered help. Overwhelmed with kindness and love, she chose to become a Muslim.

Once on way to the city of Taif, the Prophet was pelted with rocks by miscreants, his associates wanted to retaliate, even the arch angel Gabriel offered to help bring relief to the situation. The prophet said no, instead he asked God to forgive them, because he was the last messenger. If they are destroyed to whom would he preach? He hoped that if not them, their progeny at will accept the God-sent message to mankind.

He enjoined us that "if any one eats a full meal when his neighbor is hungry or starving, then he is not from among us". He never said 'Muslim neighbor'. He loved humanity and asked Muslims to be role models of charity, kindness, concern and love to all.

What was the need for the Prophet to have endured such painful experiences? It was to guide humanity towards kindness, and shape long term solutions for peaceful communities and the greater good of the society at large. He was committed to mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill, indeed he was the ultimate peace maker, the mercy to mankind.

As Muslims we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about; Rahmutul- Aalameen. Let the mercy and kindness he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.

We appeal to the Ulema, thoughtful people and the Government of Pakistan to give life to the examples of the Prophet in representing to Asia Bibi. What would Rahmutul Aalameen have done?

Asia Bibi is not a Muslim and is relegated to menial work that is considered unclean (Napak) by others, who consider themselves to be good Muslims, denied her water from the common source. Is this not a most egregious insult, and the denial of water, the same as denial to sustain life?

First of all he would not have denied Asia Bibi the water of life, indeed in another famous occurrence a person fed water to a thirsty animal and the Prophet had said God will grace the person for that act of kindness. He would have been kind and magnanimous and would probably have us pray for Asia Bibis well being. God loves the forgivers and those who repent.

As Muslims we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about; Rahmutul- Aalameen. Let the mercy and kindness he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.

We owe an apology to Asia Bibi, her family and the Christian community. We should build goodwill in our and their hearts.

We ask the people of Pakistan to seriously debate about the blasphemy laws. The violent silencing of Governor Salman Taseer calls for an immediate need for a discussion on the topic. Islam is about free will and as Muslims we need stand against any oppression towards any human being following in the footsteps of the prophet. Amen!

1. Mike Mohamed Ghouse, World Muslim Congress, USA
2. Imam Zia ul Haq Sheikh, Islamic Council of Irving, USA
3. Dr. Mirza A. Beg, World Muslim Congress, USA
4. Dr. M. Basheer Ahmed, USA
5. Dr. Nauman Anwar, USA
and
1. Bishop Ijaz Inayat, Pakistan
2. Dr John Dayal, All India Christian Council, India

In humility, we submit this appeal to bring Rahmat (Mercy) and Justice to every human being.

The original petition with signature is lost - as the website is closed. However, I was able to retrieve from http://www.inarchive.com/page/2011-11-23/http://www.petitiononline.com/petitions/Asiabibi/signatures?page=31

The following note is in response to the comments floating on the internet in the last few hours. Please read some of the comments an amazing mind-set is in the works.

As people of faith, also should be known as peace makers, we cannot cause people in conflict to dig in their heels and take positions, we have to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill for the ultimate good of all. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) applied that method in many of his examples. I hope you understand the avoidance of such language in the petition.

Three (of the thousands on my list) individuals wrote, “It is too much. You are really becoming a problem for Ummah. Why are you aggravating the situation? Do you know what are you are going to lose - your both the worlds perhaps?” Another one writes, “Islamically, insults and abuses against the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, count as acts of war and rebellion against a justly created Islamic entity. The Qur'an commands terrible punishment for such acts of war. “Finally, the third one writes, “Salman was a shame on Islam”.

Those were the right wingers among Muslims, a minuscule, statistically insignificant number of people but can become players by shining the media light on them. These guys are fodder for the other right wingers; among Republicans and the Fox people. The left on the other hand shouts that we have to declare a war on right wingers. Mahatma Gandhi had aptly said an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

Prophet Muhammad’s wisdom comes as guiding light; follow the middle path. Every one has a God given space, if we can learn to respect that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge. Keeping that in mind, we have crafted the appeal with a clear goal of finding solutions, which is a deep desire in all parties.

As moderates we are an overwhelming majority, we can express our support to the middle path and ask the extremists to study the prophet and spread goodness in his name and not oppression.

Please sign the Appeal for Justice to Asia Bibi and Mercy to mankind in Pakistan that is if you agree with the content:

http://www.petitiononline.com/Asiabibi/petition.html

Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net

Friday, January 7, 2011

Appeal for Justice to Asia Bibi and mercy to mankind

To: The People, Ulema and Government of Pakistan

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is a mercy to mankind, he is indeed a blessing to the humanity and rightfully known as Rahmutul Aalameen. There are innumerable examples of forbearance, forgiveness and kindness of the prophet (pbuh) towards those who insulted and even tried to harm him.

One of the most famous stories, often repeated is about an old lady who threw trash on the prophet every time he passed in front of her door. One day, the trash was not thrown. Concerned, he asked the neighbors and found that she was sick. He knocked on her door to and offered help. Overwhelmed with kindness and love, she chose to become a Muslim.

Once on way to the city of Taif, the Prophet was pelted with rocks by miscreants, his associates wanted to retaliate, even the arch angel Gabriel offered to help bring relief to the situation. The prophet said no, instead he asked God to forgive them, because he was the last messenger. If they are destroyed to whom would he preach? He hoped that if not them, their progeny at will accept the God-sent message to mankind.

He enjoined us that "if any one eats a full meal when his neighbor is hungry or starving, then he is not from among us". He never said 'Muslim neighbor'. He loved humanity and asked Muslims to be role models of charity, kindness, concern and love to all.

What was the need for the Prophet to have endured such painful experiences? It was to guide humanity towards kindness, and shape long term solutions for peaceful communities and the greater good of the society at large. He was committed to mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill, indeed he was the ultimate peace maker, the mercy to mankind.

As Muslims we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about; Rahmutul- Aalameen. Let the mercy and kindness he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.

We appeal to the Ulema, thoughtful people and the Government of Pakistan to give life to the examples of the Prophet in representing to Asia Bibi. What would Rahmutul Aalameen have done?

Asia Bibi is not a Muslim and is relegated to menial work that is considered unclean (Napak) by others, who consider themselves to be good Muslims, denied her water from the common source. Is this not a most egregious insult, and the denial of water, the same as denial to sustain life?

First of all he would not have denied Asia Bibi the water of life, indeed in another famous occurrence a person fed water to a thirsty animal and the Prophet had said God will grace the person for that act of kindness. He would have been kind and magnanimous and would probably have us pray for Asia Bibi’s well being. God loves the forgivers and those who repent.

As Muslims we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about; Rahmutul- Aalameen. Let the mercy and kindness he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.

We owe an apology to Asia Bibi, her family and the Christian community. We should build goodwill in our and their hearts.

We ask the people of Pakistan to seriously debate about the blasphemy laws. The violent silencing of Governor Salman Taseer calls for an immediate need for a discussion on the topic. Islam is about free will and as Muslims we need stand against any oppression towards any human being following in the footsteps of the prophet. Amen!

1. Mike Mohamed Ghouse, World Muslim Congress, USA
2. Imam Zia ul Haq Sheikh, Islamic Council of Irving, USA
3. Dr. Mirza A. Beg, World Muslim Congress, USA
4. Dr. M. Basheer Ahmed, USA
5. Dr. Nauman Anwar, USA
and
1. Bishop Ijaz Inayat, Pakistan
2. Dr John Dayal, All India Christian Council, India
In humility, we submit this appeal to bring Rahmat (Mercy) and Justice to every human being.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

FOLLOW UP

Appeal for Justice to Pakistani Asia Bibi and Mercy to mankind

The following note is in response to the comments floating on the internet in the last few hours. Please read some of the comments, an amazing mind-set is in the works.http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/01/follow-up-on-asia-bibi-petition.html

As moderates we are an overwhelming majority, we can express our support to the middle path and ask the extremists to study the prophet and spread goodness in his name and not oppression.

Please sign the Appeal for Justice to Asia Bibi and Mercy to mankind in Pakistan that is if you agree with the content:

http://www.petitiononline.com/Asiabibi/petition.html