The Paris Massacre – What Muslims Should Do
November 14, 2015 11 Comments
It has happened again. Another Jihadi attack on European soil. As the year draws to a close, Paris was once again attacked. This time, at least a hundred and forty people have been killed and two hundred more injured (according to BBC). Judging from my Facebook feed, many Muslims are in shock. I am too. It is a now familiar sickening feeling, one that I had upon hearing about the Charlie Hebdo massacred or more ominously because they were on my doorstep, the Woolwich murder and of course 7/7 in 2005 which nearly killed me if not for an ironic change of schedule.
Before anything, there are already tweets by Muslims showing great recalcitrance. One was very insensitive, saying this is what France deserves for participating in Syria. Another was indignant about having to apologise for this latest massacre. In a way, I understand where the latter is coming from although I disagree. I am a peaceful citizen who loves the freedom the UK affords me. In my own Muslim country of origin, I would be persecuted for my views whereas in the UK, I am given the freedom to think and express myself. So why should I apologise? For me, the answer is simple. Because this country gives me the privilege of being Muslim. I am a similar name with these Jihadis, similar dietary restrictions, I express the same greeting. I would be indistinguishable from them if not for the fact I abhor violence and believe my religion to be an antidote to it (the religion of peace, minus the often deserved sarcasm).
Another thing we Muslims need to remember is that we are facing violence from both sides. One is from the Jihadis themselves. The victims of Jihadi attacks come from the Muslim demographic than anyone else. More so than that, we are also having to deal with Islamophobes who would love nothing more than to see the end of Islam and to eliminate Muslims from European soil. Islamophobia is the new acceptable face of racism. It’s no good telling these people that most Muslims reject the evil ideology of Jihadism. With these folks, such arguments will fall on deaf ears., Like the Jihadis themselves, they are not rational people
Remember, these are the people who would see Sikhs and commit violence against them because they ‘looked Muslim’. Not just Sikhs, but even non-Asians who looked Arab like Jean Charles de Menezes was killed by the authorities. Mohamed Saleem, the old gentleman who was killed on his way home from the mosque was killed because he was brown and wore the Muslim garb. His killer did not stop to ask him whether or not he agreed with Jihadis or even subscribed to Sharia law. He looked the part, he lost his life. It really is as simple as that.
We Muslims now have a dual role – to eliminate both Islamofascism (the root of Jihadism) and Islamophobia. We can do both in one fell swoop. But we need to make some fundamental changes in our attitude. These changes will not take us away from Islam but rather closer to it.
For a start, we need to come down to earth about this whole situation. Get real. The people who are out for a global conflict are not rational, peace-loving individuals. These people come from both camps, the Muslim camp and the wider community. These are the people with a lust for violence that they would drag everyone into hell with them. When you are making excuses for them, you are not doing any favours for the Ummah, only enabling the cancer cells to proliferate and continue to kill the Ummah from within. Wake up. Only you can effectively remove the cancer because you have the privilege of access into the community.
There are a number of things you can do:
- Observe the mullah in the mosque. What are his politics like? Is he showing a great hatred for non-Muslims? Is he projecting some conspiracy theory that Muslims are being victimized and our religion somehow targeted? This kind of rhetoric is the seed for Islamofascist solutions and ultimately, Jihadism. Question your scholars. Ask them about hadiths and interpretations of the Quran which you find problematic. I can tell you from experience that these teachings are very easily debunked. They were made by imperialists to justify their conquests, nothing more. Do not allow your imams to get away with preaching hatred
- Check out the youth circles. Often a radicalized youth would try to infect others. Talk to your kids, siblings and friends. Ask them. Remain vigilant and if you spot a potential Jihadi, do not hesitate to go to the authorities. Remember, you are not betraying the Ummah because this person has already done that. What you are doing is helping the Ummah, securing the wider community and ultimately serving God.
- Publically oppose Jihadi apologists. Boycott them. Do not do any business with them whatsoever. Do not employ them or be employed by them if you can. Show a blatant dissociation with them. Boycott them to the point they can no longer function with their hate. The so-called Muslim Public Affairs Committee and its bad boy, Asghar Bukhari should be on top of this list. The insensitivity they have shown towards the victims of Jihadism is appalling. They are a disgrace to Islam and Muslims should sever all ties with them immediately.
The fact of the matter is, this conflict will not end until we Muslims do what needs to be done. Sadly, I see Muslims in London acting as if nothing is wrong. They’re still looking at their phones obliviously, still planning their holidays and grand weddings. They need to take a stand now. The mood is changing in Europe. The people who are friendly to our presence are not as many as before and who can blame them? It’s hard to remain supportive if one’s family member is a victim of people claiming to be fighting for Islam. No, we need to wake up now. Before it’s too late. Before the wider community is forced to isolate us in various simply because it needs preserve itself from danger. This can easily happen if we ourselves are not proactive in eliminating this cancer from the body of the Ummah.
I dedicate this post to the victims of the Paris Massacre. You have my deepest sympathies. May we identify the evil doers who did this and get justice. J’suis Paris.
About Farouk A. Peru
Person Al Islaam - Islam Through My Human Being 
Thank you for articulating what I know is on the minds of so many peace loving Muslims.
Farouk, thank you for your commentary and as you highlighted we have to be proactive in stopping the hatred by those who continue to promote hatred in Muslim communities towards Muslims and non-Muslims. If they are not promoting peaceful coexistence, then they are the problem and not the solution. Hiding behind platitudes of “faithfulness” places us in the position of fodder for the cannon regardless who our attackers may be, Muslim or non-Muslim. Again, silence and inaction moves us as a group further away from greater peace and understanding, and leaves us with fewer outcomes/conclusions, i.e., mob justice, incarceration/internment, killing of innocents, and destruction of person/property. If we do not awaken to the this call to stop those promoting hatred now, things do not bode well for Muslims in non-Muslim lands.
Enjoyed reading and wish it were on the front page of every newspaper.
thank you Farouk for standing up to these faked Muslim. Very true of what you’ve said, Muslim must not let other Muslim inciting hatred from getting away with it. I never blindly trust another person just because he is of same religion as mine. I feel disgusted these killers shouting the name of Allah when they out doing the killing, frankly I hope they pay for all these atrocities and I hope they die a painful death. They don’t deserved any sympathy and I don’t consider them as Muslim at all…they are worst then Syaitan, and they can rot in hell.
a really great article! thank you for your thoughts!
An interesting article but I would like to make one point. Criticism of the doctrine of Islam should not be termed Islamophobia and should not be interpreted as criticism or hostility towards Muslims. There are statements in Islamic holy texts, the basis of Sharia law, which clearly contradict basic human rights. Sharia Law itself has been deemed incompatible with the European Convention of Human Rights. One only has to think of apostasy – virtually a taboo topic which sees Muslim intellectuals doing somersaults to evade – misogyny and homophobia. To criticise homophobic attitudes and values embedded in Islamic holy texts is to support Muslim homosexuals. To criticise misogyny embedded in Islamic holy texts is to support Muslim women. It is not Islamophobia.
I define ‘Islamophobia’ as depicting the Islamic Tradition with a single brush. The Islamic Tradition is a complex discussion stemming centuries of views. Legitimate criticism of Islam takes that into account. Islamophobia does not.
‘Islamophobe’, in practice, is a term used to de-legitimise, to characterise as irrational, any criticism of Quranic/Mohamedic tenets and values.
You can’t measure whether criticism of Islam is legitimate by examining the degree to which the criticism takes into account ‘complex discussion stemming centuries of views’. No one can declare whether any criticism of any view is ‘legitimate’. Criticisms are either convincing or they’re not, based on the logic used in the argument. ‘Legitimacy’ can’t be applied to criticism.
Great piece in general!
I do have this comment…
Re:
“There are a number of things you can do:
Observe the mullah in the mosque. What are his politics like? Is he showing a great hatred for non-Muslims?…”
Well if he does show great hatred for non-Muslims, isn’t he simply reflecting tones found in the Quran? :
8:12
[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.”
Before any out-of-context card is played, there is NO context in which such a passage becomes acceptable. There is NO context where such a sentiment becomes compatible with the notion of peace-encouraging values. And we know there are numerous other passages with similar belligerent tones.
What people (particularly the media) in general must do is to participate in an open and honest discussion about what it is within the Islamic ideology, specifically the content within the Quran and Mohamed’s behaviours, that inspires and gives licence to the IS to behave with such brazen barbarity. When the ‘misinterpretation’ card is played (over and over ad nauseum) it is an attempt to avoid that which is uncomfortable. No interpretation can be declared any more correct than another, apart from Allah himself voicing his opinion, and we know that ain’t gonna happen.
Two finals points:
1. It’s not a crime to read the Quran and study the actions of Mohamed and find aspects deeply troubling if not odious. This is why ‘Islamophobia’ is a crock. Being critical of Islamic ideology/dogma is not irrational. Opposing a number of aspects of Quranic/Mohamedic ideology is perfectly rational. The IS “it is what it is” approach to the Quran seems to be far more straight-forward and honest than the squirming obfuscating ‘misinterpretation’ approach.
2. Being a Muslim is not inherent, different to race, gender, sexuality, which are inherent . Witness (brave) Muslim apostates who are no longer Muslims. Witness Muslim converts. Because being a Muslim is a CHOICE (as adults anyway), it is perfectly acceptable that the choice be open to scrutiny, criticism and possibly ridicule – just like ANY OTHER ideology. You of course would laugh at the notion of people demanding respect for the Scientology religion.
Finally, finally 🙂
What should Muslims do? How about Muslims drawing cartoons of Mohamed with a sad expression because of the Paris attack? Now THAT would reflect British values.
You wrote: Before any out-of-context card is played, there is NO context in which such a passage becomes acceptable. There is NO context where such a sentiment becomes compatible with the notion of peace-encouraging values. And we know there are numerous other passages with similar belligerent tones.
———
Are you saying that if one’s life is under threat, one should simply bow down and get massacred?
Re:”Are you saying that if one’s life is under threat, one should simply bow down and get massacred?”
> Let’s think, who said Q8:12…
[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.”
It was allegedly Allah. And how many times does Allah reaffirm that he is ALL-merciful in the Quran? Well, many, many, many times. And does that passage, for the tiniest millisecond, reflect a merciful entity? Erm, no, not in the least. What you have is an example of sheer hypocrisy.
If Allah was merciful he would have said something like this before the battle at Badr:
“The Meccans are angry that your (Mohamed) teachings have decried their centuries-old traditions, and of course, the traditions of your (Mohamed) polytheist parents – and the polytheist uncle who brought you up. Their disgruntlement is understandable as change can be difficult, don’t you think? In order to avoid bloodshed I shall appear before them, and convince them that you are my lieutenant. So you can all get together for a big group hug instead of slaughtering each other”
But Ohhh no, Allah decides to send ‘1,000 angels’ to help the Muslims massacre the Meccans. Charming.
The one incessant theme in the Quran is the theme of Muslims vs non-Muslims (Us v them). The belligerent tones towards non-believers, non-Muslims oozes from most pages. This is of course the source of the belligerent disposition of ISIL, where else would it come from? Muslims in madrassahs all over the UK and the world are taught that, as found on page 1 of the Quran, those who anger Allah are the Jews and those who have gone astray are the Christians. Goodness me, is it not sheer temerity to suggest that Jews and Christians respect such a movement with such assertions being taught in that movement’s schools?
And Allah suggests, AFTER the Muslims behead the Meccans, that the Muslims then chop-off the fingers of the Meccans. What?!?! These are the words of a higher-order intelligence? That is what we expect from an all-merciful entity? No, absolutely not, that makes no sense. That is just a manifestation of macabre sadism.
Again, there is NO context in which such a passage (and there are many other passages similar) becomes acceptable given alternatives within the command of Allah. There is NO context where such a sentiment becomes compatible with the notion of peace-encouraging values; nor is it compatible with the notion that the Quran was authored by some higher-order intelligence, a moral arbiter and champion of fair play.
Lastly, I highly commend your plead: “Do not allow your imams to get away with preaching hatred”. This recognises the fact that such preaching is occurring. How very sad, how infuriating, how retarding, how this reinforces suspicion and division; but your honestly is appreciated nevertheless.