Hi, I am a Muslim.
And today, I would like to apologize for:
[x] Killing a female relative for committing a sin
[x] Punishing a rape victim
[x] Rioting over perceived insults to the Prophet
[x] Blowing up buildings to make a political point
[x] Calling for ban on offensive books, ideas and symbols
[x] Believing that my holy book gives me the right to beat my wife
[x] Clerics treating women and children as 'uncovered meat'
Thank you.
The personal, official blog of author Mezbauddin Mahtab
horror of horrors. But at least you're coming clean.
ReplyDeleteMolly: did you click on the links?
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic post. Some of those links are truly shocking. What people tend to see as "Muslim issues" are in fact, just the general stupidity of the human rance.
ReplyDeleteAnd that CDD link...just, wow.
[X] And for saving a Jew from anti-semitic attack from the Christians.
ReplyDeleteIt all depends on persons. And it is wrong whenever people generalizes.
Lets apologise in unison...for having idiots amongst us.
ReplyDelete:(.... We are indeed in the dark ages... very very dark ages... and the voices of the loud and banshee like are louder than the voices of reason...
ReplyDeleteapologizing on behalf of the human race... very nice gesture mez
ReplyDelete-Behbood
Once I was watching this show(one of the late night shows)where they were talking how the roman catholics have a *special rape insurance* for their priests. We have a saying that no matter how you stink, you wouldn't smell that stench but would smell that of someone else. sf
ReplyDeleteGreat post Mezba!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Mezba.
ReplyDeleteHeh, well done Mezba, really.
ReplyDeleteAA- Mezba,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! I really love how you wrote it up - very sharp and witty!
When the Danish cartoon riots went on, with people literally killing each other over it, An Iran publication took an interesting course as a response. They decided to have a holocaust cartoon competition. They figured Jews and sensitive westerners would mirror the kind of outrage shown by Muslims. What happened? Nothing. Israelis didn't burn things on the street. They didn't invade mosques and kill imams. They didn't hop on a leg and scream death to anything.
ReplyDeleteThere are assholes everywhere. The difference is that it's more often the case that assholes in the West will be held to account by their peers. Amongst Muslims, you're lucky to find a Muslim or two that will do the same. The majority makes excuses, equivocates between the crime and the response, and justify. That's the difference.
And it's because of that difference that the West has evolved. There was a time when beating one's wife with a stick was permitted by US law. Today, that same action is considered assault. In Islam, it's as legal today as it was when people rode camels as the main means of transportation. That's the difference.
Asmaa: I hope most people get it. We can not stop those who are intent on evil from doing it - even the Prophet was told he will not be 100% successful in converting everyone. Yet by our actions, perhaps we can leave a positive image of us.
ReplyDeleteThe things we are condemned for is found in every religion. We just have to work a little harder.
Rezwan: Yes, amazing isn't it, that no one else stopped in to help?
Sumera: Ready when you are! :-P
Aisha: We are indeed.
Behbood: I hope humanity notices!
Sf: Very well said "no matter how you stink, you wouldn't smell that stench but would smell that of someone else".
In fact, may I add, "the stinkier you are, the more likely it is that you are going to try and hide that stink by pointing at someone else".
Liya, Lena, Muse: thanx.
brnaeem: walaikumassalam!
Abraham: you the well read one.
ReplyDeletePity you didn't bring up the Israel blockade of Gaza (just in time for winter too) leading to shortage of electricity, food and water for one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Am I demanding that the world of Jewry condemn these actions?
Also you may have missed the way Irish Protestants needed soldiers to guard children on the way to school, lest Catholics would hurt them, and vice versa for Catholic schools in Protestant areas. I am not demanding an apology from the world's Catholics though.
Perhaps Hindus should condemn the demolition of the Ayodha temple. I am not demanding an apology though.
Maybe the Christians in Canada should really give the Inuits and First Nations their lands back, rather than taking 12 years to process them through courts, or perhaps they can be civil enough when the Aboriginals protest. Instead, we need the police to keep social order. But again, no apology is demanded though.
A few Christians beat up a Jewish guy on the New York subway just because he said a Jewish greeting. Again, I am not holding the rest of the Christian world responsible.
Perhaps I should apologize for not doing so. Maybe I can apologize for not behaving how expect your Muslims to behave - ranting, raving, rioting, burning, destruction. Rather, I am just doing what Allah told me - "to you is your religion and to me my religion".
Well, I hope it's not too late for me to start.
ReplyDeleteI think all Jews should condemn Israel for acting in Judaism's name. Particularly the ones who proclaim belief in zionism.
I think all Americans bear responsibility for the crap going on in Iraq, and they had the responsibility to demand accountability of their leaders who lead them to war.
I think Hindutva is a ridiculous and dangerous movement, that fictional characters like Ramas & Vishnus don't have birthplaces, and therefore their supposed births can't be used as pretexts for demolishing mosques. And Hindus should hold their nut jobs like Baal (appropriately named) Thackaray to account.
Mind you, I think people should be responsible for the groups they associate themselves with. That's all I'd like to see of the Muslim Ummah. Not apologies or explanations..Reactions. And, of course, I only really speak for myself. I think some people thirst for the news that somewhere, some Muslim group'd take the extremists by the ear and stop them from afflicting the world, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, with their stupidities. That's what I'd like, anyway.
My opposition to Islamism (Islamic extremism, fundementalism, whatever), and the apathy with which Muslims largely deal with it within their own communities doesn't come from my desire to see the West appeased. It's in every Muslim community's interest to have women truly given equal rights towards education and being productive citizens. It's in their interest to create political cultures that focus on making improvements within instead of scapegoating the nearest Jew, Christian, or Hindu.
Civilization's a bit of a thin veneer, isn't it? :/ The analogy you draw is pretty apt.
ReplyDeleteAside: assuming moral superiority like mr smug up above reeks of condescension. Finger pointing and calling others savages is, frankly misdirection from one's own faults.
Misdirection on basis of faith, politics, culture, tradition, and all those other things people like to believe in.
Unless we at least speak out about what's wrong - not just the world, but with us, too - we're just complicit, aren't we?
I'm Muslim and many of my brothers and sisters are arseholes. They should apologise, I agree. Or they should be MADE to apologise for their crazy ideas.
ReplyDeleteon a related note ...
ReplyDeleteDoes this sound familiar?
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/12/13/4722337-sun.html
molly = dork, I didn't realize there were links. And you do know that I "got it"? I was being sarcastic in my first comment, I knew exactly what you meant.
ReplyDeleteMezba,
ReplyDeleteI am betting this guy is a Buddhist, but for some strange reason Muslims like you are suppose to apologize.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/14/bride_killed_on_wedding_night/4365/
I as a Hindu apologize for this.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=502714&in_page_id=1879&ito=1490
bro, you aught to send this as a letter to the editor at the star, extra links and all.
ReplyDeleteOMG where did you find that Christian Discipline website?? That is awesome, I have to bookmark it.
ReplyDeleteI am actually travelling so am away from my place on Eid, so I am sorry for not replying to each of the later commentators individually, but it seems we must all educate ourselves, politically, religiously and humanely so we all recognize not everything is meant to create offense and sometimes, part of living together on the same planet is letting things slide.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't have to apologize, at least not as a Muslim.As Asmaa said these aren't "Islamic Issues", these are humanity issues. If you're going to apologize, we all should---non-Muslims and Muslims alike.
ReplyDeleteBaekho: that's exactly what I am trying to say via the links.
ReplyDeletecheers for the post mezba..
ReplyDelete