Muslims have to fight misconceptions about Islam: Saudi envoy (Interview)
November 25th, 2009 - 1:50 pm ICT by IANS
- 
By Sarwar Kashani
New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The “anti-Islam” remarks by former law minister Ram Jethmalani who linked Wahhabis, a conservative Muslim sect, with terrorism, is a closed chapter for him, but Saudi envoy to India Faisal Hassan Trad says Muslims have a long way to go and work hard to rid their faith of the Islamic terror stigma.
“Despite all the humanistic teachings of the religion, Islam is still linked with terrorism. It is an irony. It has turned out to be a global phenomenon and is a dilemma for the Muslim world,” Trad told IANS in an interview.
“I believe it is a long way and we have to work hard to rid our faith of this stigma. I agree terrorists have hijacked Islam, but Islam is not what they propagate and what they are killing for. In fact, it is all un-Islamic,” he said, days after he staged a walkout following Jethmalani’s comments that “India had friendly relations with a country that supported Wahhabi terrorism”.
Wahhabism is a sect attributed to Mohammad ibne Abdul Wahhab, an 18th century Arab scholar, who believed in puritanic Islam and launched a movement against what he considered innovations in Islam.
Jethmalani angered the Saudi envoy with his remarks at an international conference on terrorism here Saturday.
“I found his utterances bad as he was directly blaming Islam and my country (Saudi Arabia) for terrorism. I did what I should have done as a Muslim and also as a Saudi ambassador. I walked out in protest but offered my apologies to President Pratibha Patil who was on the panel in the conference. I didn’t want to create an impression that I was protesting against her,” Trad said.
“And can you believe he was speaking in his own country which has some 140 million Muslim population?
“He was targeting the centre of Islam. We Saudis are proud to be from the birthplace of Islam. We have a huge responsibility of serving the Muslim world, and accusing Saudi Arabia or the Muslim world of breeding terror is just unacceptable, I repeat just unacceptable.”
He said his country — itself “a victim of terrorism” — has always expressed a will to wage a fight against the menace.
“Saudi Arabia has even volunteered to host a centre for global fight against terror — an idea which was mooted in an international conference on counter terrorism in 2005, in which India also participated,” he said.
“It (the Jethmalani controversy) is a closed chapter now. I have nothing against Ram (Jethmalani) personally. I don’t want to drag this issue on and on,” Trad said, adding the lawyer was speaking for himself and not representing India.
“King Abdullah (of Saudi Arabia) has initiated a movement to start a dialogue between different faiths and civilisations. That is what Islam teaches us,” he said.
“Islam is the religion of humanity. You see any great human value and belief ends up to be a part of Islamic teachings. Islam stresses on justice, transparency, love, respect and freedom for each other, love for family and women’s rights,” he said, while expressing concern that people “misread and misinterpret Islam”.
Quoting the Quran, Trad said: “The holy book says he who kills a person without a legal trial is like he killed the whole humanity. What more do you need to prove Islam is for brotherhood, peace and love? It is a religion that doesn’t even allow suicide. Killing your own self is a big sin in Islam.
“Prophet Mohammed’s wife Khadija is the first business woman in Islamic history. The Prophet used to work for her. And even continued to work for her after getting married to her. This is an example to explain how Islam respects and ensures women’s rights and freedom.”
“Islam,” the envoy told IANS, “has no justification for terrorism”.
“What is not human is forbidden in Islam. Allah says we have created mankind and given it dignity. Islam cannot accept anybody in its fold who trashes human dignity,” he said, adding terrorists have “no identity, no religion and no border. You cannot attribute it to Islam in any case”.
(Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at s.kashani@ians.in)
Related Stories
- Is god a brothel keeper, wonders ex-law minister and triggers row - Nov 21, 2009
- Saudi Mufti's anti-terror message timely: Indian Muslim leaders - Nov 27, 2009
- Islam at crossroads: Who's to blame? (Comment) - Aug 15, 2009
- Has the war on terror provoked a clash of civilisations? - Jan 26, 2009
- Saudi vice police's move to create human rights division described as biggest joke in history - Oct 05, 2009
- Over 5,000 people convert to Islam through mobile hotline - Nov 05, 2009
- 'Terrorism incompatible with being a Muslim' - Jul 13, 2009
- Militants have no connection with Islam: Saudi Arabia''s Grand Mufti - Dec 08, 2008
- Islamic extremists must drink wine to be tolerant: Scholar - Feb 06, 2010
- Floods kill 48 as Haj pilgrimage begins in Saudi Arabia - Nov 26, 2009
Posted in Uncategorized, |
November 25th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Saudi envoy is trying to cover up the reality.
Saudi Government has funded ethnic cleansing of non-wahhabi innocent people within their country and in many other parts of the world.
Right now they are killing the Zaidys and dropping inhuman phosphorus bombs on civilians.
Entire world knows what Wahhabi ideology teaches and what damage the Saudis have done to the humanity.
How come all the Muslim terrorists belong to Wahhabi cult? Why is Saudi intolerant towards the original tribes of Macca & Madina? Why did Saud family massacred and destroyed the houses of Ahl-ul Bait (the family of the Prophet?
Ram Jethmalani is a lerned person and he cant be fooled by the hypocrisy of Saudis.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
“And can you believe he was speaking in his own country which has some 140 million Muslim population?”
Was that a veiled threat? What a transparent glimpse into the Muslim mentality! Oh, the delicious irony.
There’s nothing not to believe here. India is a country where freedom of speech, thought and expression reigns supreme, unlike Saudi Arabia where any criticism of religion or the king is sufficient for capital punishment. Go back to your desert, or learn what it means to be in a free country.
“accusing Saudi Arabia or the Muslim world of breeding terror is just unacceptable, I repeat just unacceptable”
I see. Honesty is unacceptable. I’m sorry, our political correctness has run out.
November 25th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
“I agree terrorists have hijacked Islam”
Not Sufi Islam, not any or all sects of Islam, just WAHABI Islam. Why? Because the Wahabi theology lends itself naturally to a jihadi mentality. Heck, well known Wahabi imams pump jihadi propaganda into second generation Muslim immigrants in Europe over the internet hour after hour. Don’t get our Indian predominantly Sufi-Muslims into this. They are a far more enlightened and tolerant branch of Islam.
November 25th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Have we forgotten that the Saudis have single-handedly exported Wahhabi fundamentalism and propaganda that has poisoned both westerners and those in the east—and have funded western universities and media as well? Does anyone remember that 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia? Or that Osama bin Laden is a Saudi? Do we not understand that the Kingdom has funded bin Laden?
Are we aware, even dimly, of how very barbaric the Saudi rulers are—despite all their suave, smooth, westernized, glitzy exteriors? Do we understand what it means to live in the 8th or 9th centuries?
November 26th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
@ayesha farooqi.
Ram jethmalani learned person.wow. Defending manu sharma! Learned person.
I feel sorry for you. That you believe in teachings of Mr ram learned person. Good for you
Allaham dullialah.if believing in tawheed is so called hypocrisy.then I should admit that I feel proud to be hypocrite.
Ram teachings or point of veiw is bigger than teachings of our prophet saw.
Heads off to u.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Mr sufi muslim.
Playing music at the graves is what islam teaches yeah,
No Mr sufi it is not teachings of islam, this is tradition of your hindu ancesstors. Refer to RSS chiefs recent article.
When something comes against your imams and your ancesstors, you ignore not only teachings of prophet saw but quran also. Naouzbillah.
Music is clearly said that it is haram for every muslim, then how it is halal for you.
I feel sorry for your faith and ideology.you are no different from hindus.
Thanks to allah tawheed is in my heart and will remain there till I die, inshallah
November 26th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Mr umar bin laden alqaeeda or taliban they all are creation of CIA against soviet union. Did u forget that. So how can you blame all saudis just because some handful people like bin laden has ruined the image of islam.
February 6th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
CONGRATULATIONS TO RAM JETHMALANI. BRAVO. ISLAM IS A DOG’S VOMIT. PLEASE TELL SOME MUSLIMS THAT. I REPEAT….ISLAM IS A DOG’S VOMIT.