I just finished reading this CNN piece written my Muslim Comedian, Dean Obeidallah. In it, he addresses the recent GOP-concocted ruckus over the role of Sharia in the US. It’s not the least bit surprising that politicians are using islamophobic rhetoric to stoke the flames of fear among the masses. It’s a tactic that has been successfully used since 9/11.
But what is surprising is the troubling attitude that American Muslims have towards the Sharia. Why are so many Muslims so quick to write off the Sharia as an ideal system for all of humanity? Shouldn’t we be confident that the divine precepts set forth within the Shariah provide what is best for all of mankind?
I understand that due to decades of misinformation, the Shariah is equated with oppression, stoning, and forced conversions. But instead of working to clear up these blatant misconceptions and properly present the beautiful, humane aspects of Islamic law, why are so many of us turning our backs on the Shariah and agreeing with the public sentiment that it has no place in America?
Huh?!
Why have we become so ashamed of the Shariah, like that proverbial crazy uncle whose embarrassing antics make everyone uncomfortable, eventually wishing he would just go away?
After all, if the commandments of Allah (swt) had been in place in America, I am convinced that the catastrophically oppressive system of interest-based banking would not have bound countless struggling families by the economic shackles that have enslaved them to their financial masters.
If the Shariah were implemented in America, hundreds of billions would not have been squandered on the military-industry complex at the cost of healthcare programs, educational reforms, and battling poverty.
If the Shariah ever became a legal reality in America, the beautiful Prophetic axiom “Do not harm and do not reciprocate harm” (La Darara wa La Dirar) would become the overarching principle of America’s foreign policy.
If the Shariah ever found its way into the Supreme Court, carbon emissions, climate change, and other environmental concerns would trump every corporation’s right to grotesque profits.
If the Shariah laws were applied in America, human dignity would return to its proper place above the politically manipulated concept of human freedom.
If the Shariah was the law of the land, universally acknowledged vices such as gambling, alcohol, and pornography would not be sanctioned by the state.
If the Shariah came to be at the national level, economic hitmen and corporate jackals, with the support of the American government, would not freely roam the earth looking for lands to rape and populations to fleece.
The Shariah covers all aspects of human life and contrary to the picture some American Muslims are presenting about the Shariah, it is NOT restricted to one’s personal life. It provides guidelines for politics and economics, international relations and domestic policies, scientific research and spiritual purification, social relations from the nuclear family all the way to the global level.
It does away with man’s arrogant proclamation that he knows what is best for him. Verily, his Creator knows better.
So, I would boldly declare that I am a strong proponent of the Shariah becoming established not only in America, but throughout the world. Just allow me the time and respect to explain what that entails.
WAW
4 days ago
18 comments:
Assalaamu alaikum :)
Beautifully written and exactly to the point! Shariah *is* the real answer to so many problems, and its incredibly flexible (which so many people forget).
I think the real hesitation that some muslims feel is largely based on by whom/how shariah is implemented in this day and age. I just can't imagine it going well if the ones implementing it were the 'movement leaders' which seem to be so popular...the ones decrying that 'its my way or your out of Islam' or the 'you have to believe that my sheikh is the sheikh of islam, or your utterly misguided innovator' kind of approach.
Just my thoughts.
Once Shariah as you describe it is implemented in a 'Muslim' country then there is some chance of America Muslims can point to what Shariah really represents. Until that time, we "American Muslims" are getting tired of the hypocrisy of those living outside the US whining about what we are or aren't doing. Walk the talk in your country of residence before you presume to know I am or am not doing.
You state "If the Shariah ever became a legal reality in America, the beautiful Prophetic axiom “Do not harm and do not reciprocate harm” (La Darara wa La Dirar) would become the overarching principle of America’s foreign policy." If only all the 'Muslim' countries throughout the world had put forward this message when 9/11 happened. Instead what most Americans saw were celebrations throughout the world in 'Muslim' countries. Spare me the media bias, etc. We know it happened.
Shariah was implemented during the time of the Prophet and there was still crime, interest, murders etc. in the land. So it's not that Shariah automatically turns the world into Paradise, humans are still humans.
Second, some people argue that Shariah today in the Muslim lands is not the "true Shariah", and "true Shariah" - whatever that is - is the solution to the world.
Shariah implemented during the time of Khulafa Rashideen, for example, had some laws that would be out of place in today's world. As an example, there was preferential treatment given to Arabs over conquered subjects (as well the two were kept separate) not to mention height restrictions on buildings, as well as slavery.
You berate the American Muslims for not standing behind Shariah. Today, stand in the central square of Jeddah and say something about the government there. Tomorrow we won't hear of you, and that's the land of the birthplace of Islam.
Most of your recent posts take American Muslims to task for not being "Muslim" enough, in your views. Yet these are people actually making an effort to change their communities, unlike the docile worker drones who live in Muslim lands such as Saudi.
AA-
@CC, clearly the problems of implementing the Shariah are very real. I'm not pretending to know how such a grand task could ever be undertaken. But my belief dictates that such a system is better than anything we have seen.
@Mezba, I think you seem to be reading a teensy bit too much into my last few posts. So, I don't believe American Muslims are 'Muslim' enough?! Really?
While there are so many legitimate criticisms that can be made against my writings, that just isn't one of them.
While I am critical of the strategy adopted by some American Muslims, I have never questioned their sincerity. Be a bit more careful when critiquing my thoughts, eh?
And the whole argument about KSA and its lack of freedoms is very old and boring. It reminds me of the neo-con logic wrt the Ground Zero Mosque, where they claimed it would only be acceptable if the Saudis allowed a church in Mecca.
Its a red herring. What the Saudi (or any other Muslim state) does has nothing to do with my points.
The ineptitude and inadequacies of the Muslim world (of which I have written to countless times) are not the topic of discussion, so why do you bring them up? I never claimed any sort of freedom here in KSA or any other Muslim land. So why use that as an argument?
And because I'm some sort of 'docile worker drone' here in KSA, I've given up my rights as an American Muslim to sharing my views about Islam in America?
Finally, as a Muslim who believes in the supremacy of the Shariah, why shouldn't I be critical of those who are able yet are refusing to voice their support of a system based on Allah's set of commands?
I get that political expediency may dictate keeping quiet, but I would counter that our efforts should go towards presenting the Shariah in a more positive light, as a system with solutions to the problems plaguing the 21st century world.
Please no shariah in my country! :) You can keep it in Saudi Arabia...thank you.
Susanne, nice job keeping ignorance alive! :-) Thank you!
It is more then obvious that all these man made systems of government are failures. Just take a look at WW1, WW2, the cold war and today's so called democratic governments...all ideological battles over systems developed by man. What does this teach us? Hmmm well that something is not right. I for one agree with Naeem that nobody knows what's best for us more then our creator.People are crying out for change and I think shariah can provide the solution.
shariat for all of the world !!!! and what are we non-muslims to do ? we don't believe in the prophet or islam , why then would we be happy to follow islams law :-) that's why i don't want sharia in USA. because non-muslims live there.
and after seeing islam and living in close proximity to it, i will keep my distance :-) it' a lovely religion, just not for me. i'd say sharia by choice , but then when muslims get the upper hand the dawah mentality comes out , irrespective of if one wishes to receive dawah or not..like those pesky jehovah's witness.. v v anooying
I find comments like Anonymous (April 26) very irritating. No matter how many times one says that Shari'ah is only for Muslims, there's the incessant nonsense that Shari'ah would be imposed on non-Muslims as well. And then there's the fearmongering about dawah. Hey, anonymous! Don't get run over by those Mormon missionaries riding their bicycles through your neighborhood! You're much more likely to be talked to by Christian missionaries than you would by Muslims.
As for Susanne's comment, she probably hasn't realized that various aspects of Shari'ah has been followed by American Muslims for generations within the US. But, non-Muslims would rather concern-troll about issues they don't understand and which don't affect them.
Anon, "and after seeing islam and living in close proximity to it, i will keep my distance"
I'm curious to read what exactly you saw of Shariah while you lived in close proximity to Islam?? Cuz last I checked there isn't a single nation that has properly implemented Shariah...
Or are you simply feeding into established biases and misconceptions of what really consists of the Islamic way of life?
"'m curious to read what exactly you saw of Shariah while you lived in close proximity to Islam?? Cuz last I checked there isn't a single nation that has properly implemented Shariah...
"
i didn't say shariat was implemented correctly , i said living close to a lot of people practising islam :-) lets not debate if they practised it correctly or if it was islam or culture. I've read enough of the koran and listened to enough kutbah's to last me a lifetime :-) hence know it's not for me.. no offense. nothing to do with sharia.
In Afghanistan, girls who ran away from husbands they were forced to marry were publicly flogged.
Video link
How would Shariah prevent this?
AA-
I would assume that in a Shariah-compliant government, forced marriages would go the way of forced slavery - both are antithetical to Prophetic teachings. I would assume that local customs and traditions that run contrary to the prescribed instances of capital punishment would be banned. (Don't recall every reading anything about flogging a woman for leaving her husband in Islamic books on law)
At the same time, I read and watch everything coming out of that region with a healthy dose of salt - especially after that video of some Taliban dude lashing a girl in the Swat valley was proven to be a staged event. Waaaay too much confusion with so many hands in that pot...you are free to take everything the media reports as gospel, but not me. All sides (pro-Taliban, pro-Pak, pro-West, pro-India) are guilty of skewing the facts in favor of their agendas.
WRT the last discussion (about Afghanistan) the critical point here is that in many supposedly Shariah-ruled places, if I'm not mistaken, local customs and traditions are mixed with pure Shariah - yet the label is still "Shariah".
For a moment, forget the debate about whether such videos or stories are fabricated.
The fact is - whether it's on video or not - things like this do happen: abuse of Muslim women and failing to give them their proper rights or treat them according to the principles of Islam.
It happens - that's a fact.
And when all these terrible things happen, people blame Shariah - as if Shariah mandated these things.
When in fact it's local CULTURE / custom / tradition that's to blame.
In my mind, it's really a very, very simple issue: Islam is perfect; but many times, the way we choose to practice it (especially when we mix unIslamic aspects of culture) is very, very wrong - which results in incidents like this.
AA- DL,
Excellent point. I didn't mean to imply that such type of abhorrent behaviour doesn't exist. It does and is completely against Islam.
Thanks for you clarification!
Clearly the posts of certain individuals casts an impression that they think sharia law and islam are 2 different entities,they are one and the same.The so called islamic law people practice is not sanctioned by the sharia/islam ie.punishing a woman for getting raped!?and then attributing it to religion.Give me a break!Balderdash!Preferential treatment towards arabs?when did that happen?if it did,then that clearly goes against the textual evidence presented by the Prophet during The Final Hajj.I think Sister Suzanne has not understood the ethos of Islam which has been recognized by Americans like me who read about Islam without bias.
The media truly did their job in demonizing islam and sharia and the sheeple unfortunately became indoctrinated.
They have portrayed Islam in a negative light without anyone telling them that what they are doing is unequivocally incorrect.
Why don't they present their contentions to respectable scholars of Islam and get their information straight and have a dialogue so people can really witness how much poppycock these guys spew out.
Asalamu Aliakum
Nice blog. As for the ignorant buffoons(Susane and anonymous trolls) bellyaching about Shariah, shut up, sit down and learn from your betters before regurgitating horse manure you ingested thanks to FOX news.
Start here :
http://drmaxtor.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-is-sharia-four-witnesses-needed.html
FYI Saudi Arabia is a SECULAR western client state which masquerades as a religious one. Get yours facts straight before posting, trolls.
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