Category: False Soldiers of Islam

False Soldiers of Islam

By  Afshan Khan

The current growing violence and uprising in Iran which might very well turn into full blown “Revolution”, is not a fluke to emerge suddenly, this is the result of growing discontentment which was boiling over years. There are two dominant Ideologies, like every nation has one the conservatives’ side, who are more nationalistic in their approach and another side which is more liberal in its approach. We in America certainly identify with these two clashing Ideologies. Like wise Iran has her own ideologues, on one hand the 1979’s conservative Islamic Revolutionaries and the other side is more liberal, modern and has secular outlook.

The real issue here is that we should stop looking what happens in every country around the world including Iran with our outdated biased and self serving standard. According to which in every country one faction is either leaning toward us and other faction is at war with us, which in reality is not true, the Mir Mousavi’s records prove that. He is not going bring the nuclearisation of Iran to a sudden halt, he not going to accept the Israel’s legitimacy overnight. In crux he not going to be much different in his foreign policy, at the most he might be willing to reciprocate Obama’s respectful gestures with some respect unlike Ahmadinijad.

The point is We need to start respecting the differences which exist in diffent societies. In the current situation we need to give people of Iran credit for believing in freedom and democracy for themselves not just because they are inspired by the western societies per say. If you look into Iranian politics since the famous revolution, it has been fairly democratic, and the recent election in which millions of voter turnout has proven that people have the freedom and they believe and value democracy.

Having said that I think it is not hard to say that Obama has played a very crucial role in the current Iranian uprising. Obama’s consistent friendly gestures toward Iran and his mere mention of Iran as “Islamic Republic Of Iran”, shows tremendous respect toward Iran, which no western leader has shown in years, at least not the Bush regime, in which Iran was always addressed as the “Terrorist Nation”. Obama’s historical and quiet remarkable Egyptian speech to Islamic world was another factor which has galvanized the Iranian youths.

To make matter worse for Ahmadinijaad, his continues rejection to Obama’s overtures has decimated his support among Iranian youth. It is clear that Obama factor has played a vital role in this present Revolution like situation in Iran. But I like to leave it my readers whether they agree with this or not? As we all know very well that Obama mania has swept not only our nation of America but the whole world. He has emerged as the most inspirational world leader of our times especially in the Muslim world, as he has shown the tremendous respect and a fair understanding of their grievances which no other western world leader has done in the past.

He is held in high esteem among Muslims around the world and there are lots of expectations from him and most importantly he enjoys great amount of influence in the Islamic World. We can not overlook the Obama FACTOR in current emerging Iranian uprising.

Please feel free to express your views on this or any other issue on my blog..

Check  Obama’s Speech in Cairo, Egypt..

Taliban False soldiers Of Islam
Is it Time For Islam To Modernize?

By Afshan Khan

After seeing repeatedly the gory scene of young girl being beaten by Taliban, the self proclaimed Islamic soldiers, amidst the huge crowd of spectators on CNN and other channels, I felt the shivers running down my spine, I felt I was sent on a movie set of a Pre-Islamic, Barbaric society. And I had to shut off my TV set quickly as my little girl entered the room. My mind was occupied with myriad of thoughts about Islam and these distorted pictures of Islam. Among all these thoughts one question was sharply pounding my head was that, “Is it Time For Islam To Modernize?, Is Shari’a law is out dated?”

Then I started to think of all the basic principles of Islam, which are in tune with all the other religions which came before and after Islam, like love, kindness, and compassion for poor and needy etc… But I realized that Islam has given us much more than that. Islam has given specific rights, which has not been given before in any religion. In fact Islam is pioneer in acknowledging and granting supreme respect and very crucial rights to empower women, thus enabling women to usher into a era of emancipation.

Certain rights has been decreed in Quran very clearly, such as rights of parents in old age, poor, needy, and orphans are clearly written in Quran as it have been stated in other divine books before Quran, like Torah and Gospel, but most importantly Woman’s rights were clearly stated and safeguarded for the first time in any religion’s history . Fourteen hundred years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness and women had no status in human society, they were treated as man’s possession/material property, even in some societies they were equivalent to animals, Islam brought the message of woman’s emancipation. Before Islam women had no rights of any kind. Islam decreed for the woman the right to own and inherit property and most importantly right to choose a husband and right to Divorce. Among the various rights which have been granted to women in Islam, I believe two rights stand very tall and they are the core and crux of modern woman’s emancipation, and these are “right of inheritance” and “right to divorce”.

The concept of Marriage as contract between man and woman is the breakthrough in Islam which sets Islam apart and ahead of all other religions in granting woman her rights. According to Islam marriage is a contract between man and woman based upon certain terms, if those terms are broken, both man and woman have equal right to dissolve the union, an incredibly modern law 7 centuries ago!.
Before Islam in all other societies, religious or non religious, marriage has been considered as divine match making which shall never be broken. It was sacrilegious and impossible to dissolve the marriage. Empowered with these Islamic rights woman has strengthened her position in Islamic society. Woman plays central role in a Muslim family, whether as a Mother, a daughter, or a Wife. In other words woman runs the household and have equal say in every affair and men in the family hold women in highest regard and women enjoys not only the powerful position empowered with equal rights but also enjoys many privileges and commands supreme respect as mothers.

In light of such modern Islamic laws, which not only gives and safeguards equal rights to women, but also grants unprecedented privileges and respect. I don’t think that we have any need to modernize Sharia law, but I see the dire need to modernize Muslim outlook and I see an urgent need to modernize the methods of implementing the sharia law. We do not have to choose between modern laws and Islamic laws because I don’t see a contradiction between these two except the question of morality of laws, which can’t be separated from legality in Islam law, as Islam upholds morality as the primary character requirement of all Muslims. The Islamic society should be able to implement the Sharia laws, but I believe its time for us to start modernizing our methods of punishments and corrections of crimes. Certainly women going out of house without male escort during daylight should never be a crime during this day and age. As this requirement was contextual and it was there to protect women from harms way. Those conditions no longer exists, so that requirement of having a male escort becomes null and void.

In cases such as of adultery, which is strictly prohibited in Islam for both man and woman equally. Since Islamic law is not amoral, adultery is a punishable crime/sin, but the question is how? Is it by whopping? or pelting on the busy crossroads? Answer is certainly NOT. Punishments in Public crossroads were carried out because the Public crossroads were the center of all activities centuries ago in Islamic as well as non Islamic society, that was sole source and center for reaching greatest number of people. Hence the public punishments were prevalent to deter others from committing same crime like in any other society.

In this day and age, communication is not a problem, hence we need to revise our ways of crime punishments. we don’t need any changes in Sharia, we need new approach, which I believe is very much in sync with modern ways of Islam.

We Muslims need to take our religion back from this false soldiers of Islam and condemn their barbaric acts. Lets raise our voices together and vehemently condemn these heinous crimes against our women in the name of our religion. All Praise to Allah.