Must-read article by Reverend Frank Julian Gelli on the World Cup:
"Capitalism-plugged football is the new opium for the people. A counterrevolutionary tool. So David Cameron had the flag flying over Downing Street yesterday when England played the US. The bankers, financiers and public school toffs in power want to keep the opium flowing. By contrast, faith in God is about liberation. About arousing people up from their drugged slumbers. About a bright new dawn. Listen to the Apostle to the Gentiles:
‘It is full time for you to wake out of sleep. For salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand.’(Romans 13:11-12). Kick the habit, folks. Kick the Cup, O you new Gentiles. Time to wake up!"
Seems like the good reverend reads my blog:
"And it's this need for a diversion from 'life' that needs to be countered.
One reason for the Islamic prohibition of drugs and alcohol is the suspension of reality that is a consequence of their consumption. As mature, responsible adults, it is our duty (to ourselves, our families, and to our fellow man) to remain cognizant of our actions and our surroundings. By doing so, we are to constantly strive to become closer to the Ultimate Reality (swt).
Instead, we have become preoccupied with ways to distance ourselves from reality, thereby distancing ourselves from *the* Reality (swt)."
Just don’t call it genocide
1 week ago
4 comments:
Assalamu alaikum Brother,
You and the reverend both make a very important point about what modern day sports entertainment has become.
I believe another problem with modern day sports is the insidious injection of sex into the equation. Modern day sports figures have become sex symbols today (like Beckham for male/female soccer fans). Then you have gossip entertaiment centering around the sex lives of these sports celebrities (I just recently came across but thankfully didn't read some "controversy" over how "distracting" some soccer players' sexy girlfriends are to the game). Then you have other sports games (like American Football) including the use of "hot" cheerleaders to rally their fans. So now what should be a harmless form of entertainment (watching sports itself is not Haraam after all) increasingly becomes haraam for both male/female Believers.
AA- R,
While I obviously agree with your point, I do believe that arguments as the one you brought up, as well as other related ones (missing prayer, uncovering the awrah of men, drinking, gender mixing) divert our attention from the greater issue - which was addressed in this post.
Those superficial (for lack of a better term) issues take away from the real poison that the sports entertainment industry introduces to the masses - lulling them to sleep in a manner very similar to alcohol and drugs.
*That* is the greater Haram, IMHO.
Brother Naeem - Once again, I find myself agreeing with most of your points, but I have to say that I think it's crucial that we refrain from isolating ourselves from the rest of the world for a myriad of reasons, especially if it is not completely necessary.
Here in SA, there have been dogmatic clerics who have fallen short of calling the World Cup haraam because of issues that I find petty and avoidable.
I can recall reading a story / hadith, I can't remember the exact details but it was along the lines of this: the Prophet SAW would attend the gatherings and festivities of others when he was invited, and on one such occasion, there was a wedding or something-of-the-sort and the people were singing and dancing as they usually did in that specific culture and it was either Omar AS or Abu Baker AS who protested against it. The Prophet SAW then told him to calm down and that each culture has their beliefs.
Whether or not this is a true story, I have come to believe that we will achieve more as Muslims not by dictation, but by inspiration. It is however a pity, that the calibre of Muslims is not what it was in the days of the Sahaba... so to preach and practice abstainance from alcohol, zina etc is much more of a challenge and we'd like to believe that even though we've been given choices, that as Muslims, we'd make the right choices in refraining from the non-kosher acitivities. But it isn't always so with many youth influenced by pop culture. And at the end of the day, we will all be held accountable for our actions.
"One reason for the Islamic prohibition of drugs and alcohol is the suspension of reality that is a consequence of their consumption"
I believe that anything that intoxicates the mind should be avoided... but again, we have choices and over the last few decades have almost "relinquished" the power or capacity to control ourselves. As Muslims we sell ourselves short. Here in SA women aren't allowed to go to mosque because it is feared that men won't be able to "control" themselves and cause fitnah. When did we become so weak that we allow things and people to consume us? When did we decide that our nafs control us and we don't have any control?
And only Allah SWT knows.
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