Murderous
Fatwa
By Mike Ghouse
26 March, 2007
Countercurrents.org
The
All India Muslim Personal Law Board or a shadow organization with a
similar name has issued a decree against exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima
Nasreen, who has been seeking Indian citizenship. A bounty of 5 Lakh
Rupees has been offered to the one who murders her.
The government of India should
prosecute Maulana Ashraf Khan for ordering Murder of another human being
under IPC and punish him accordingly. The Qur'aan, the book that he
believes in, does not authorize him to issue a death Fatwa against any
one. The Qur'aan reminds in various ways: There is no compulsion in
religion, to her is her faith and to him is his faith, and Killing a
single life is like killing the whole humanity. “Qur’aan
[6:104] Enlightenments have come to you from your Lord. As for those
who can see, they do so for their own good, and those who turn blind,
do so to their own detriment. I am not your guardian.” Maulana
is not the protector of Religion.
Maulana Ashraf Khan is committing
three crimes; the first one is acting God to kill another individual;
acting against the Indian Penal Code in a civil society to murder another
being and finally ruining the name of his religion more than Taslima
Nasreen can ever do. She is not the only one who does Islam-bashing,
there are several like her. That is the case with all religions, there
will always be bad-mouthers, let them. Islam simply does not vanish
by these; it has been around for 14 centuries and has probably seen
14,000 Nasreen’s since.
As an individual she has
the right to express her opinions whether we agree or not, as much as
the Maulana has a right to condemn her statements. I do exercise that
right and condemn her irresponsible statements.
Ms. Nasreen is a bellyacher
and not a reformer. A reformer brings solutions to the issues and presents
his or her research and asks the scholars to review and build consensus
for a gradual acceptance of the proposed ideas. Instead, she agitates
and builds resentment and does exactly opposite of what she claims to
do; reform. Her approach is wrong and her statements may please the
Islam-bashers and earn some circulation. However, her opinion does not
affect the world or the religion of Islam.
Maulana words do affect the
perceptions of Islam; he is representative of an organization and was
speaking in behalf of the organization which by name is representative
of Muslims in India. He was claiming support of some 150 Imams and Scholars
for his Fatwa, by implication all Muslims. We are making a statement
to denounce this Fatwa, as it is not the will of Muslims, nor it is
allowed in Qur’aan.
Issuing Fatwa is an act of
deliberation, issued after painful investigations and not at some one's
whims. That is arrogance and becoming God to judge and condemn people.
It is simply not acceptable to the majority of Muslims of India and
the world.
I urge Muslims to speak out
against this Fatwa, and then I would ask all Muslims as individuals
and groups to write to all the Newspapers in India to condemn the acts
of this man and earnestly request the media to publish it.
To paraphrase a famous truth
“It is not the evil committed by bad men that I worry; it is the
silence of good men and women that worries me.”
Mike Ghouse is an activist based in Dallas. He is president of the Foundation
for Pluralism and the World Muslim Congress, organizations dedicated
to peaceful coexistence. He can be reached at [email protected].
© copyright 2007 by
Mike Ghouse.
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