Chapter 11
Facilitators
By Dr. Amtul Qudoos Farhat

Who are Facilitators?

According to Geert Wilders, all those who even slightly accommodate Islam; the leftists, the liberals, the politically correct and elitists are the facilitators for Islamization of Europe. Equating them to Ansar e Medina he writes:

“Throughout its entire history, Islam has attacked and intimidated its critics often with assistance of groups of infidels….(such as Ansar e Yathrab who became allies to Mohammad)… Today Islam finds its Ansar in western leftists and other fellow travelers who ferociously attack Islam’s critics and other defendants of Western civilization. (P: 176)

CAN ANSAR E YATHRAB BE EQUATED TO FACILITATORS? DO FACILITATORS FAVOUR MUSLIMS OR ISLAM?

The leftists, the liberals, the politically correct and elitists; the so called facilitators of Islam in the West cannot be equated to Ansar e Yathrab. Ansar were already coverts to Islam and had accepted its message years before Muslims migrated to Medina. Unlike so called facilitators in the West, Ansar e Yathrab were brothers in faith, mostly poor, not in power and had no political agenda for which they required Muslim voter ship. They extended help to their brothers in faith at a time when they were insignificant in number, homeless, powerless and had nothing to exchange. Mutually they set up an exemplary model of hospitality, generosity and magnificence of character by sharing everything they had with their brothers in Islam. This was all unconditional.

On the other hand Geert Wilders himself admits that the facilitators seek Muslim votes to win their parliamentary seats and ranks and in turn advance certain policies which may favor Muslims. Whatever motives their policies may have, it is never to propagate Islam. After World War 11, Charles de Gaulle and Jacques Chirac collaborated with Muslim Africa to regain French prominence in the world affairs and not to enhance Muslim cause. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, supported Sharia in Britain and Prince Charles opened Frinsbury mosque in London as defenders of ALL Faiths and not to facilitate Islam or Muslims in particular. Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron supported immigration policy of Britain to boost up their economy, declining population and menial work force ; not to multiply Muslim population in UK. They supported admission of Islamic Turkey into the EU; not because it is predominantly a Muslim state; but for its historical geographical situation, role, ties and links to Europe. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt, through the Atlantic Charter put an end to “European Colonialism” he was only following his belief and principal that everyone has the right be free from oppression.

The very same leaders have aligned on the NATO platform to bring the worst kind of instability, unrest and atrocities to many countries in the Muslim world. We have seen fate of Palestine, creation and expansion of Israel, destruction of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Has their facilitation brought more peace, prosperity or security to these nations? How can they be called the facilitators of Islam!

Muslims in any country are part of their democratic system and as such must have their share of voice in the ruling system. This is part of integration and denying such right and privilege will actually push Europe back in to the dark ages of discrimination and slavery.

HAS ISLAM ALWAYS ATTACKED AND INTIMIDATED ITS CRITICS?

Islamic teachings, which according to Geert Wilders are the root cause of such violent acts, do not authorize anyone to punish or mark anyone for death for diverse and antagonistic religious views. Even the Prophet Mohammad himself was not authorized to do so. Allah says to the Prophet

“If then they turn away, We have not sent you as a guard over them. Your duty is but to convey (42:48) (5:92) (24:54).

In the early centuries of the Islamic Caliphate, the Islamic law allowed citizens; without fear of persecution to freely express their views, including criticism of Islam and religious authorities.

Several notable and fierce critics and skeptics of Islam arose from within and outside Islamic world. John of Damascus (676-749 AD), Mohammad Warraq in the 9th century, Ibn al Rawandi an atheist and Al Maarri and Zakariya Al Razi in the10th and 11th century, Bernard Lewis and Maimonides in the 12th century, all criticized and tried to humiliate Islam.

In the Mediaeval times, Dante, Denis the Carthusian and Bede humiliated the Prophet in the crudest way. In Enlightenment period David Hume described the Holy Quran as an “absurd performance” of a “pretended prophet” who lacked “a just sentiment of morals.” In the 19th century William Muir and John Alexander Dowie, criticized Islam with all his prejudices and the persecution continues till this day.

None of these writers and persecutors of Islam were marked for death. However none of them have been able to halt the progress and propagation of Islam. God promises to protect the religion of Islam and preserve its book.

In sharp contrast to the many developed nations who indulged in the mass annihilation of innocent native races after invading their lands, Islam has tolerated and forgiven its worse enemies and critics. The prophet and early Muslims suffered the worst kind of physical and mental persecution but they never used violence in retaliation. The natives of Mecca forced the Muslims to leave their homes and entire belongings and migrate to Medina. Eight years later Muslims conquered Mecca without shedding any blood. The prophet pardoned even his worst enemies who had abused, humiliated and tortured him and marked him for death, for almost 20 years. This was an unprecedented show of tolerance and forgiveness in line with the Islamic teachings.

The 3rd caliph of Islam, faced very severe criticism during his caliphate, but he did not attempt to stop his opponents by any means. Hadhrat Ali, the fourth caliph allowed freedom of expression even to the Khawarjis (nihilists) who had declared that all Muslims except themselves were ‘kafir. What all he expected from them was that they would not indulge in injustice, disruption, bloodshed and dacoity and would not subvert the state.

Islam recognizes the principle of freedom of belief or freedom of choice and no coercion in the matters of faith and belief. The Qur’an says,

“There is no compulsion in religion. (2:256).

There is no place for disgraceful preaching in Islam.The Holy Qur’an says,

“Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious. (16:125).

Various other verses of the Holy Qur’an and sayings of the Holy Prophet; the real sources of Islamic teachings; deliver the same message: e.g.

‘The truth is from your Lord, so whosoever wants let him believe and whosoever wants let him deny’ (16:29).

“You will certainly hear much abuse from the followers of previous books and from the idol-worshipping people, and if you are patient and keep your duty — this is surely a matter of great resolution.” (3:185).

“Many of the followers of previous books wish that they could turn you back into disbelievers after you have believed, but you should pardon and forgive.” (2:109).

…..“Bear patiently what they say.” (20:130 and 50:39)

“……and disregard their hurtful talk.” (33:48).

The Holy Prophet said,

“The Muslim who mixes with the people and bears patiently their hurtful words, is better than one who does not mix with people and does not show patience under their abuse.” (Mishkat, Book: Ethics, ch. ‘Gentleness, modesty and good behavior’)

WHY ‘THE FACILITATORS’ ACCOMMODATE ISLAM:

Geert Wilders has presented his own analysis of as to why these facilitators have accommodated Islam in the last three decades. First, he presents the Eurabia Theory (p:177) of his colleague Bat Ye’or; according to which European and Arab powers aim to Islamise and Arabise Europe for oil exchange; and then disagrees with it. The reason is simple; oil from the Arabian countries is not an issue any more. In the last decade these oil hubs have been overtaken; by war; in the name of peace, policies; in the name of globalization and a process of destabilization of the entire region. Geert Wilders now cries loud against cultural relativism and asks for a ban on Muslims immigration. He writes: Europe’s islmaization stems from cultural relativism rather than reliance on Arab oil…………

CULTURAL RELATIVISM and EUROPEAN CULTURE: IS IT JUDO CHRISTIAN?

Geert Wilders writes:

Cultural relativism dictates that all cultures are morally equal and valuable – though in practice western culture is often presented as inferior to all others stained as it supposedly is by racism and imperialism. If all cultures are equal it follows that the state cannot promote any specific cultural values, not even those of its own people. Thus cultural relativism denies that immigrants should assimilate since that would champion Europe’s culture over the immigrant’s native culture. (P: 177)

As stated above, it is the moral aspect of all cultures which is equally valuable. Geert Wilders himself have given the explanation as to why European culture is projected inferior; stained with racism and imperialism and we need not testify it further. Cultural Relativism is not a bar to assimilation. A recent report titled ‘Understanding Society’, conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex, discovered that Muslims are the most likely of all groups to identify with the concept of ‘Britishness.’

Geert Wilder is threatened with the idea of Islamic culture overtaking European culture which he describes as Judo Christian (p: 173, 213); totally denying the fact that Muslims have been living in Europe for centuries. For instance, Bosnian Muslims have been rooted in Europe since the 15th century, and rightly consider themselves as European. Muslims have made huge contribution to European culture. They have ruled parts of Italy, France, Portugal and Spain for more than 750 years, during which they created a cosmopolitan and prosperous society in which learning flourished. From the 11th to 13th centuries, Europe absorbed knowledge from the Islamic Civilization in varied areas such as art, architecture, medicine, agriculture, music, language, vocabulary, literature, philosophy and technology. Muslims played a vital role in transmitting ancient Greek works, such as that of Aristotle, to medieval Europe. Scholars have widely argued that it was a credit to this Muslim inspiration that Europe emerged out of the Dark Ages, going on to have a Renaissance that created strong political and economic structures that still make Europe part of the so-called First World today.

Besides, Western culture is no more a representative Judo Christian culture. According to the Wikipedia,

“the question of ‘common European culture’ or ‘common values’ is far more complex then it seems to be. It might better be described as a series of multiple cultures, often competing; geographical regions opposing one another. ….. European culture grew with an all-inclusive urge to adopt, adapt and ultimately influence other trends of culture. From the middle of the nineteenth century with the expansion of European education and technology, European culture and way of life, to a great extent, turned to be “global culture,” if anything has to be so named”.

Global culture is the culture of industrialization and economic progress. Therefore while comparing Islamic culture with the European culture, it won’t be inappropriate to call Europe’s culture as Western rather than Judo Christian.

COMPARISONS BETWEEN MORAL VALUES OF MUSLIM CULTURE AND WESTERN OR SO CALLED JUDO CHRISTIAN CULTURE:

• Islam makes moral values as the primary yard stick for superiority of cultures; Western yard stick primarily is economy.
• Islam requires modest living style within ones means and without extravagance; Western culture typically encourages credit policies which automatically encourage extravagances and almost require an individual to live beyond ones means.
• Islam advocates a culture where children are born and raised in wedlock with parents and possibly extended relations. Islam values sanctity of marriage and progenies and division in to clans and tribes is for identification. This is not the requirement in Western culture. In 2010 some 37.4 % of children in EU27 were born outside marriage.
• Divorce although a right of a man and woman is not a praiseworthy action. In 2009 2.3 million weddings took place in EU 27, while around 1.0 million divorces were recorded. The Muslim majority countries such as Macedonia and Bosnia have the lowest divorce rates in Europe.
• Islam allows limited polygamy; the right to enjoy according to man’s nature; but with reason, responsibility, rationality and fulfillment of rights of spouses and their children. Polygamous relations are almost norm of life in Western culture with no obligations.
• It is generally observed that a Muslim family is almost always a very welcoming one. Is that a bad cultural value? The action is spontaneous, has no motives, no expectations of returns or gains and no hidden agendas. It is this atmosphere where children feel bonded and loved, relatives feel close, and grandparents don’t have to worry about their future in old homes. It reduces burden of state in emergencies. Western family has reduced from a nuclear family to an individual; a scenario which leaves every one threatened, vulnerable and fragile.
• Islam teaches sacrifice for other; therefore ‘I’ comes last. The Western culture typically teaches ‘I come First’!
• Islam requires an individual to self-monitor, self-refine and self-control. (Jihad with self) believing that God is the ultimate monitor who is watching everyone, everywhere all the time. Western philosophy typically trains to be politically correct and ‘appear clean on paper’ no matter what goes on underneath. This is a barbaric philosophy especially when practiced in health, legal, financial and care institutions and in international dealings.
• Islam requires modesty in dress; Western culture promotes nudity by engraving on women’s mind that they are mere bodies first and then anything else . Sociologists analyze it as objectification of female body and critics have prompted many possible negative consequences of such objectification of female body particularly in the media.
• Geert Wilders is repulsed by modesty exhibited as Hijabs and Niqabs; just in case the Bikinis are replaced by Burkinis. . Judo Christianity too asks women to wear veils (Burkinis). (I Corinthians 11:3-10). We see nuns wearing Hijab and modest attires, church goers and many Jews women in hats and long dresses. This is all in alignment with Judo Christian teachings. The conclusion is that most Muslim women even today live by their religious teachings whereas most Judo Christian women have stopped doing so. Like polygamy outside a monogamous marriage, it is an easy way out.
• As far as Burqa, Islam has no specific dress prescribed for women; only a dress code; the modest attire which is translated variously in varying cultures. In Europe, majority of women wear simple coat and Hijab. In Afghanistan it becomes a Burqa. All these versions of Modesty are local cultural and personal preferences. Universality brings diversity!
• Muslim culture often is blamed for minimal rights and freedom for women. To exposé this scenario I take liberty to present a comparison by quoting from Quran and Bible; the respective books of text. The Bible convicts women as the original Sinners, (Genesis 2:4-3:24). The Koran clarifies it was Adam; not Eve (Qur’an 7:19-25). The Bible says “The birth of a daughter is a loss” (Ecclesiastics 22:3). The Qur’an says both are an Equal Blessing (Qur’an 42:49). The Bible forbids from speaking in Church (I Corinthians 14:34-35). The Qur’an reveals that women can argue with the Prophet (58:1). In the Bible, divorced women are labeled as an adulterous, while men are not (Matthew 5:31-32). The Koran does not have Biblical double standards (Qur’an 30:21). In the Bible, widows and sisters do not inherit any property or wealth; only men do (Numbers 27:1-11). The Quran abolished this male differentiation (Qur’an 4:22) and God protects All. The Bible allows multiple wives (I Kings 11:3). In the Quran, God limits the number to 4 only under certain situations (with the wife’s permission) and prefers you marry only one wife (Qur’an 4:3). The Quran gives woman the right to choose who to marry. Bible says “If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives” (Deuteronomy 22:28-30). Who is really punished, the man who raped the woman or the woman who was raped? According to the Bible, the woman has to spend the rest of her life with the man who raped her. The Prophet Muhammad Says: (Volume 9, Book 86, number 101) “It is essential to have the consent of a virgin (for the marriage)”.
• Women were given rights to vote less than 100 years ago in the US, while the Quran (42:38) gave women voting rights almost 1,500 years ago. Only weeks ago the European Court of Human rights in Strasburg rejected an appeal by a Dutch political party which operates according to a strict interpretation of the Bible and wish to dictate that women should not be allowed to hold political office.
• Geert Wilders associates mosque, the symbol of a Muslim Community with terrorism. There are millions of mosques in this world with unique features, calligraphy and architecture. How many of them have been associated with terrorist’s activities and many churches are not exempt from illegal activities. If you look at the skyline of Turkey or a Mosque minaret in any part of the world it only enhances the architectural richness and beauty just as a Church or Synagogue does. Mixing of cultures brings art and architectural enhancement. You have the right to scrutinize those mosques where illegal activity is suspected but not to propose eradication of world heritage and replace it globally with cookie cut culture.
  Within this basic cultural framework comes the diversity. There are nearly one and a half billion Muslims around the world, most of whom are not Arabs. Diffusion and penetration from the local cultures has produced multiple versions of Muslim Culture with variety of languages, dresses, customs and tradition; some of them, such as female genital mutilation and honor killing are truly un-Islamic and yet associated with Islam.

Increasing communication, travel and trade between different regions means that areas of the world are becoming ever more interconnected. This has important ramifications in the cultural sphere – just as goods, communications and people circulate more freely, so too do cultural ideas and products. The more powerful, more dominant, more appealing culture will prevail and shape the form and course of the ultimate culture. Discouraging cultural relativism or closing immigration doors on Muslims will not help Europe to save the so called Judo Christian culture since immigration is not the main dynamic of spread of Islam in Europe as it will be evident below:

CULTURAL RELATIVISM: DOES IT LEAD TO VIOLATION OF NORMS AND VALUES OF SOCIETY.

Like culture, the norms and values of society also keep on changing. Only few decades ago women in Europe did not have the right to go to university, did not get equal pay, couldn’t write openly and gay people were not recognized. Till last century, Church had more power than the governments. Myths of witches were so prevalent. Slavery was rampant and so was imperialism.

So the society sets ever changing frame work for norms and values. Democracy and order of majority help shapes canons and laws of the land. In a society where every individual has freedom of choice and access to information, diversity must prevail; to provide a selection ground for individuals. They will adopt the culture they find most suitable for them; the fittest will survive!

Diversity brings change, variety, novelty, color and richness of experience. It brings competition which is the key step to progress and development.

DYNAMICS OF SPREAD OF ISLAM IN EUROPE IN THE LAST FEW DECADES

Geert Wilders is against Muslims Immigration to Europe. Immigration and bigger Muslim progenies have been claimed to have spread Islam in Europe over the last few decades. A very significant factor; conversion to Islam; has probably been deliberately missed out of the list. According to “The Almanac Book of Facts”, within the past decade, Christianity increased 46%, while Islam increased 235%.” Professor Huston Smith of the MIT in his book, “The Religions of Man” says, “In some areas where Islam and Christianity are competing for converts, Islam is gaining at a rate of 10 to 1.

In Europe, the first mosque in Great Britain was initiated and populated; around a century before immigration started, by new converts of Islam who had English/Scottish Catholic background (Marmaduke Pickthall, Thomas Carlyle). Marmaduke Pickthall was the first native speaker in UK to translate the Holy Quran in to English. In 2001, there were an estimated 60,000 Muslim converts in Britain and the number has passed 100,000 in 2011 and the figure has almost doubled in the last ten years. Around 5,200 men and women have adopted Islam over the past 12 months, including 1,400 in London.

70,000 French embrace Islam every year. In Spain, at least 50,000 native Spaniards have converted to Islam in recent years. In Germany, at least 20,000 people have converted to Islam in recent years In Sweden; there are at least 5,000 converts to Islam. There is a surge of white women (including Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair), appalled by consumerism, alcohol, lack of morality and sexual permissiveness; embracing Islam.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which is a dynamic, fast growing international revival movement within Islam publishes its own statistics of conversions. As of 1994, there were 150,000 converts to the Ahmadiyya Community from French-speaking countries. Over half a million souls joined the fold of Islam Ahmadiyya in the last year. These figures include Muslims from other sects as well.

Muslims are not the major immigrant community in Europe. Just over a quarter (28.1%) of all new immigrants to the U.K. in 2010 were estimated to be Muslim. In Spain they account for a much smaller portion of all new immigrants (13.1%)

Geert Wilder’s factually incorrect statement about immigration comes from the so called Eurabia claim which first projected that high birth rates and immigration will make Muslims the majority on the continent within a few decades. Based on sleight-of-hand statistics, this scaremongering, as The Economist called it back in 2006, stimulated Europeans to stand against Muslims. The Eurabia claim has recently been refuted by Doug Saunders; a Globe and Mail correspondent and author of Donner Prize-winning Arrival City, in his book The Myth of the Muslim Tide: Do Immigrants Threaten the West and earlier by the Pew Research Centre. Refuting the Eurabia’s predicted storm of immigrant Muslims in future, the senior researcher of the PEW Forum, Brian Grim said: “Across the next 20 years, we’re only seeing a 2 percent rise in the total share of Europe that is Muslim. We’re projecting that the growth rate is slowing. … There’s no real scenario that we’ve looked at that this ‘Eurabia’ scenario would come to be.” Alan Cooperman, associate director for research says “We do not see either worldwide or in Europe runaway growth. The growth rates are slowing.”

High Muslim birth rates were claimed in March 2009 when “Muslim Demographics”, an anonymous diatribe was posted on YouTube. Among its many dramatic but unsupported claims was that an average French woman had 1.8 children while French Muslim women had 8.1 children – such a wildly exaggerated number that it lost its credibility.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life published a study entitled “The Future of the Global Muslim Population” It showed that the birth rate in Muslim families is decreasing year by year. ………. Falling birth rates will slow the world’s Muslim population growth (including Europe) over the next two decades, reducing it on average from 2.2 percent a year in 1990-2010 to 1.5 percent a year from now until 2030.

PEW also found that Muslim fertility rate in Europe would drop from 2.2 in 2010 to 2.0 in 2030. On the other hand, the non-Muslim fertility rate in Europe would increase from 1.5 in 2010 to 1.6 in 2030

FREE SPEECH:

Geert Wilders writes:

“The overwhelming pressure to accommodate and appease Islam has eroded not just Democracy but freedom of speech as well.” (P: 181)

Freedom of speech in the West has become a colonial tool. Noam Chomsky, the American philosopher and political critic, summed up the western concept of freedom of speech when he said:

“If you believe in freedom of speech, you believe in freedom of speech for views you don’t like. Goebbels (Dr Paul Joseph Goebbels) was in favour of freedom of speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re in favour of freedom of speech, that means you’re in favour of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise.”

The essence of free speech is to respect rights of others and not to incite hatred and insult. Limits are imposed on freedom of speech by issues such as racism, national security, holocaust denial, glorification of terrorism, anti-Semitism and libel etc. Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 commits the government to keep a record of anti-Semitic acts throughout the world. There are at least seven countries which have entered specific legislation into the law books dealing with the subject of anti-Semitism and denial of holocaust. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the “Cordoba Declaration” of June 2005, calls on its member countries to enact legislation designed to combat anti-Semitism. In 1992, the United Nations declared that anti-Semitism must be recognized as a danger that must be fought against by legal means. With such legal actions the question of freedom of speech did not arise.

Similar motion sponsored on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, aimed to prohibit expression that would “fuel discrimination, extremism and misperception leading to polarization and fragmentation with dangerous unintended and unforeseen consequences” was presented to UN. Islamic states expressed concerns that Islam is sometimes and human rights violations especially after the 9/11 attack and argued that the resolutions are necessary to combat Islmaphobia. However religious groups, human rights activists, free-speech activists, and several countries in the West have condemned the resolutions arguing it is against freedom of speech and amounts to an international blasphemy law.

I regret to say how Geert Wilder relates Freedom of Speech and the publishing of Jewel of Medina and the Prophet’s cartoon. Geert Wilders could never have produced a film likening Israeli’s treatment of the Palestinians to the Nazi treatment of the Jews, without charges of anti-Semitism being brought against him. The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten could never have printed cartoons denying the holocaust in the name of free speech. Hurting feeling of billions in this world is always likely to incite hate and violence in vulnerable minds, whatever background or religion they may have. Christopher Dickey, the Paris bureau chief and Middle East editor for Newsweek and The Daily Beast says, “Can’t Someone Tell Geert Wilders to Stop His Anti-Muslim Diatribes before Somebody Gets Hurt?” He adds “Wilders is a master at capitalizing on real fears and conjuring false ones—and then dodging responsibility if people’s lives are ruined or lost. ‘I am responsible for my own actions and for nobody else’s actions’ he says.”

IS THERE NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EXTREMIST AND A MODERATE MUSLIM?

Europe’s leaders still make a false distinction between peaceful, mainstream Islam and dangerous, extremists Islamism. This is symptomatic of their refusal to acknowledge the intrinsic problems of Mohammad’s philosophy. (p:180)

Geert Wilders writes that the Moderate Muslims are the infidels of Islam since they do not practice the real teachings of Islam which according to him are radical. The statement implies that:

• Islam is not a moderate religion.
• Moderate Majority of Muslims who calls themselves Muslims actually do not have the right to call themselves Muslims; they are unknowledgeable, infidels, traitors of Islam.
• All Muslims are terrorists.

The notion refutes the fact that majority is the representative force; the authority. It refutes that there is difference between militias and moderates in any faith or part of this world. It discriminates, insults and defames more than 94-99% of the Muslim population of this world taking away their right of free speech and choice. It makes Geert Wilder dictate from the podium of a clergy rather than a right wing neoteric politician.

Professor Serojini Nido once said,

“History makes it clear that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.”

Geert Wilder is blowing the same trumpet.

Moderation is the basic principal of Islam; in war, worship, governance, daily life and economics. Few quotes related to different spheres of life are presented here from the Qur’an, the actual Book of Islamic teachings:

As a community:

“And thus We have made you a middle nation to be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger to be a witness over you,” (2:143).

In war:

“Do not transgress the limits.” (2:190)

In economics

“Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, But hold a just balance between those extremes…..” (25: 67)

In worship:

“……..neither speak your prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course between.” (57:110).
In speech: “And be moderate in your pace, and lower your voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass.” (31: 18-19)

In food:

“…….. Commit no excess: for Allah loves not those given to excess.” (5: 87)

The problem is not with the Islamic teachings but with a handful of transgressors and opponents of Islam like Geert Wilders himself who read what they wish and interpret the way they like. Why they cannot notice of the teachings of Christianity which are explicitly violent. Jesus said “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10v34).

Media plays a significant discriminatory role in this context. Unlike so called Islamic Terrorism, the horrific massacre of unarmed 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995 never led to a stream of pieces about the violence and repressive tendencies of Christianity.
Due to this disparity in Media, an ordinary person may make false distinction between peaceful mainstream Islam and extremists but governments, leaders and policy makers cannot afford to do so. According to the Chronological Summary of Terrorist Incidents in the United States from 1980-2005 recorded on the official website of the FBI, there were more Jewish acts of terrorism within the United States than supposedly Islamic acts of terrorism (7% vs. 6%). Interestingly these radical Jews committed acts of terrorism in the name of their religion. Latinos carried out the maximum terrorists acts (42%) followed by Extreme Left wing groups (24%). Why Geert Wilders has not raised voice against Judaism or Christianity? Why he does not generalize that all Christians and Jews are terrorists or that terrorists are actually the true Christians and the mainstream Jews or Christians are infidels of their faith.

FACTS ABOUT LIBEL LAW FARES

Second threat to free speech is legal jihad or law fare……..
the use of law as a weapon and wrongful manipulation of the legal system.

Libel is the legacy of Judo Christianity and one example is the blood libel. The history is studded with cases of the blood libel; a Pagan invention of false accusation that Jews sacrifice Christian children either to use the blood for various “medicinal” purposes or to prepare Passover Matzoth (unleavened bread) or for vengeance and mock crucifixions. There have been about 150 cases of blood libel that were actually tried by Catholic authorities, and many other rumored cases that never came to trial.

Libel was not simply a religious superstition in Europe, but a staple of popular culture. Muslims stood against this cultural staple. Suleiman the Magnificent, the reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (late 1553 or 1554) issued a Firman (royal decree) formally denouncing blood libels against the Jews.

By the 19th century, much of the “old” antisemitism of the medieval period had passed from the world, but the libel persisted and proliferated for various causes and reasons. From Europe it has been transplanted to the United States and rest of the world. Investigations, instigation and enforcement had been transferred in part from the Roman Catholic Church to common authorities such as Tsarist police, Polish police and even New York State Troopers.

Libel, in current times is a legal system and any one has the right to go through this system. We cannot advocate lawless freedom of speech at first place and then deny legal framework as a defense. Like his whimsical attacks on Qur’an, Islam, Muslims, immigration and cultural relativity, this is yet another attack by Geert Wilders to crush the legal defense rights for those who may need it.

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan_Williams

2. http://www.christiantoday.com/article/prince.claims.to.be.defender.of.all.faiths.not.the.faith/6456.html

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4. http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/aboutfdr/atlanticcharter.html

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6. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/minorities-feel-more-british-16179388.html

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8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Europe

9. Eurostat Pocketbooks: Key figures on Europe, 2011 edition, Page 42

10. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Marriage_and_divorce_statistics

11. http://www.articlesbase.com/divorce-articles/world-divorce-rates-and-trends-1320750.html

12. How Materialistic Advertising Messages Negatively Shape the Female Body Image

13. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405141715.htm

14. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitation_of_women_in_mass_media

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17. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343954/100-000-Islam-converts-living-UK-White-women-keen-embrace-Muslim-faith.html

18. http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2790/europeans-converting-to-islam

19. Ahmadiyya Mosques Around the World: A Pictorial Presentation, pg. 69

20. http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.ca/2012/09/uk-over-half-million-souls-worldwide.html

21. http://www.pewforum.org/The-Future-of-the-Global-Muslim-Population.aspx

22. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Europe#Projections

23. http://gnomechomsky.com/1.html

24. http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/15/geert-wilders-says-there-s-no-such-thing-as-moderate-islam.html

25. http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terrorism-2002-2005/terror02_05

26. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_libel

27. http://www.zionism-israel.com/dic/blood_libel.htm