May 13, 2015

How Should Muslims Respond to Continued Provocation?

By Dr Irfan Malik

The news of the deaths of two gunmen who attacked an anti-Islam conference in Garland in Dallas, Texas, USA, comes only months after the tragic incident at the office of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France.

In the Dallas conference, a group critical of Islam was holding a contest for a best drawing of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), with a prize of US $10 000. Security for this controversial event was high and 200 people were in attendance. The assembly claimed that they wished to express their right of ‘freedom of speech’, yet they failed to realise that abusing someone’s religion is  more a case of promoting hate than upholding the case for free speech.

The two American gunmen, have been named as Illinois born Elton Simpson and  Dallas born Nadir Soofi. They were both flatmates in Phoenix, Arizona.

Elton was well known to the security services and was under surveillance since 2006. In 2010 he was convicted about lying about plans to go to Somalia, where he intended to join a terror group.

Nadir Soofi’s father was from Pakistan and mother from USA. When his parents divorced he moved to live with his father. Nadir was privately educated in Islamabad and he later returned to America.

Islam’s teachings are clear, and just as the conference did not represent free speech, neither did the gunmen represent Islam.  Muslims should not fall prey to such antagonism and take the law into their own hands and there is certainly no call for violence. On the contrary Muslims have been taught in times of such troubles to repeatedly recite Durood Shareef – invoking blessings and salutations of peace upon the Holy Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as it is prayers, not violence, that will demonstrate the superiority of Islam’s teachings.

It is clear that such anti-Islam activists continue to cause pain by hurling abuse at those whom we hold very dear to our hearts, and such invective is hurtful to the sentiments of any Muslim. However even in the face of such provocation it is our duty to rise above our emotions, to supplicate to God and to counter such issues with reason and debate. A violent response is exactly what such anti-Islam activist seek to justify their cause, and it gives them worldwide publicity and exposure.

It is time for Muslims to embark on the Jihad of the pen, to counter such poisonous narratives and to spread the true meaning of Islam. If the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the target of hate then his noble life and example is the best guide for Muslims, for it was a life that promoted respect for all and the promotion of peace in every aspect of life. He too stood for freedom for all, but he championed the cause in a manner that coupled freedom with responsibility, so  that people of all faiths and of none, found in him the best leader, the best guide and the best source of harmony for all.