There was a time you didn’t think there was anything worse than being somehow symbolically linked to people blowing up buildings and indiscriminately murder random people. You never accepted the guilt by association but yet you still had to apologise for it.
You never once thought there could be anything worse, anything more shameful for the community to go through. But now you know you were wrong.
Look at the news and there is a chance that you will either look at the murder trial of the parents of Shafilea Ahmed who was brutally butchered allegedly by her own parents and in front of her own siblings who were not even teenagers yet. They apparently witnessed their own mother and father suffocate her to death in her kitchen.
And that is not the end of it. Turn on the TV and you read about groups of men who have been caught or convicted of running rings of sex slavery or prostitution.
You see them, they have been in many places, from the takeaway owner who forced girls into prostitution to the groups of men in Rochdale, Derby and elsewhere who have been raping young girls and forcing them into prostitution.
And you have to ask where does it all come from?
How does a 59 year old married man with kids get involved with grooming and raping 13/15 year olds? With the help of people in their 20's? What makes them think they can get away with it? What makes them allow it themselves?
A big issue is one of respect - the lack of respect for the women as creation of God - they may have and be from different cultures or different ideals but that does not make them meat on the market that is there to be abused.
How do parents murder their own 17 year old daughter? Do they not know that they will be held accountable by God for their crimes? Do they not know that there is no honour or justifications in their actions?
These are issues that cannot be hidden under the carpet and make no mistake about it they not only happen; but now that the victims may have courage to go to the police there will be more revelations on such things. and that is not a bad thing.
Monsters need to be brought to justice.
The community needs to face up to its collective failings and not hide the shame of it all, nor brush it under the carpet like so many ills. Murder, grooming, rape, prostitution and all other failings of the community need to be addressed and discussed publicly.
Young people need to be educated to not get involved with such monsters and a message needs to be delivered to these people that they will be caught, exposed and brought to justice.
There must be a zero tolerance approach to these people, but at the same time, there needs to be open discussion on why it has happened, what the underlying factors are, what are the issues that have allowed these people to commit such heinous crimes.
A reason for these crimes is where the people consider themselves to be beyond the law, beyond getting caught, beyond justice. Another is a lack of imaan - a believer will always know he or she is accountable to God even if they can get away or hide from people.
Another is the secrecy and denial of facts. Because the mind-set that allowed terrorism was denied by the community as a whole after the twin tower attacks in September 2001, such a mind-set was allowed to grow many more ugly heads with major consequences. In the same way denying that other serious problems exist will allow them to fester and bite the whole community.
The mind-sets that allow such things to happen need to be challenged, to be torn apart. Our community needs to confront such issues head on, discuss these topics and show that there is no toleration for such crimes.
Comments
Lazy article that the Daily Mail would be proud of. For shame!
A more considered view is posted in The Guardian:
This is how racism takes root
Good read.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
lol
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
I agree with all that was said in this Gurdian article.
But the thing is, although not the only race/religion to be involved, there were people from Asain Muslim backgrounds who were involved in this.
We could sit there saying "yeah but no but, we're not the only ones who done it" but is that justification?
There was some failings in our culture community and so on, that lead to this. We need to identify what it was and as mentioned in this article, we should look at ways of stopping our children mixing with these monsters?
Great and logical thinking. If only more people read this article! I normally read up on the BBC, I think i should focus on The Guardian a little more, it seems a little less racist, stereotypical and biased.
The bit that stood out to me quite a bit was: 'But if it really is an "Asian" thing, how come Indians don't do it? If it's a "Pakistani" thing, how come an Afghan was convicted in the Rochdale case? And if it's a "Muslim" thing, how come it doesn't seem to involve anyone of African or Middle Eastern origin?' (Joseph Harker)
One of the rochdale gang has also been sentenced today to 22 years in prison for abusing an asian girl over a period of ten years.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
I have not read the guardian article yet. I plan to so this is why I am commenting. Will read and edit this post tomorrow.
Regarding your comment on the article, I would agree. Daily Mail standard and very lacking strength and the certain paragraphs where there is anger towards these men who groom kids, feels it was written half hearted.
no, that's not correct...
I like the article. It says it how it is... not lazy at all
New News: The parents of Shafilea Ahmed are guilty of her killing.
Think you re all missing the point .....All these people came from a muslim background where the culture of treating women like doormats and baby machines is rampant .Yet for all that the notion of izzat is paramount ?Presumably Shafilas parents were worried about their izzat so killed her yet her father had impregnated a danish woman then went back home to marry his cousin and totally broke contact with his danish partner and progeny.Izzat only applies when its their own daughters and not those of non muslims especially white ? I guess the noble believers are the same as those who shoot 14 year old girls in the head for wanting an education and unislamic behavior ? ye gods wake up !
I believe that there is only a difference between the all of humanity, and that is `good` and `bad`.
There is no point of blaming on religions, as all religion is sacred and it’s an opinion toward their belief.
Please don’t blame religion for someone’s mistake. Remember, pure and evil, good and bad, clean and dirty, these are the only differences.
Thank You,
Musahid Moahmmed Ali.
Hello, Peace upon You
Ive been reading this site positivly surprised.
I just wonder how can I both regard the teachings of Jesus and Mouhammed ?
Are they not total oposits?
Bless
Peace be upon you too
It's good to hear this site has had a positive influence on you!
Jesus (peace be upon him) and Muhammad (peace be upon him) are not total opposites at all. In the Islamic teachings we believe they both came with the same message that there is no God but God (Allah) and Jesus/Muhammad is His messenger. Islam teaches of the miraculous birth of Jesus, and the miracles that happened during his life time, too. Both Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them) have the same teachings of obeying the One God, loving, caring and respecting people, fighting for social justice, living in peace with one another and so on and so forth.
What makes you say they seem like total opposites?
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
Well, Im not shure...
The discription of the life of Mouhammed, as I have come to know it...
Its not something for me to have as an example of good and truth.
Jesus on the other hand, lived as he teached.
This is what I belive. You may have a different view of the life of Mouhammed.
Bless
You should learn about the life of the Prophet Muhammed through credible Islamic sources, then you'd know that is not the case.
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
Ok, what sources would there be ?
I have the bible,many of them, in writings from thousands of years in amoric and hebrew.
There are translations,good ones,bad ones but we do have the original scriptures to go back to. I do so often.
In the old Bible scriptures there are many prophesis of the coming of the Messiah,Jeshua, later called by the name of Jesus in latin, and not one word of the coming of Mouhammed.
By Jeshua all the prophesis were forfilled. There is nothing left except for the return of the Messiah.
The Bibles older parts forcome the religion of Islam with fourthousand years.
So, why turn to Islam 600 hundred years after the Messiah ?
I understand that you are otherwise informed and I want you to know that I respect you and your faith.
Im looking forward to your answer.
Bless you
Read the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the one called "the sealed nectar" is really good, as is the Life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) written by Martin Lings
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
Read the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the one called "the sealed nectar" is really good, as is the Life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) written by Martin Lings
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
welcome FeHunden, hope this site continues to suprise you pleasantly.
I definitely back TPOS's suggestion of reading "the Sealed Nectar". It's a really nice book, you might want to skip the beginning a bit as its not really about the prophet peace be upon him, more about setting the context so you know in what kind of society he came to be a prophet. it's very interesting but quite historical - urgh, im just saying that because when i first started to read it i was a bit put off by the intense introduction and put the book on the side, then when i was older i read it and loved it.
also, its a little bit difficult to find mentions of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him in the Bible. mainly because the Bible doesnt just contain the words of God the Almighty and Jesus peace be upon him, and there are many versions of the Bible with things being tweaked up. This also means that a lot of people had a go at interpretation the Bible's verses. Some people would argue that this particular verse refers to the coming of prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, others would argue that it isn't, its about Jesus peace be upon him. I don't really know how to feel about that. I guess we have to read it all and then see the evidences and use our brain as best we can to decide.
in the Quran, there is a chapter that mentions Jesus peace be upon him telling his followers that there would be a prophet coming after him called Ahmad (Ahmad is another name for prophet Muhammad peace be upon him)
Im sure somewhere in the BIble there must be a mention of what Jesus said, but i dont know where that would be..
I found this link that mentions that prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is mentionned:
http://sunnahonline.com/library/the-call-of-islam/483-bible-verses-about...
you might want to have a look at it and let us know, from the perspective of a Christian, what you think of it?
lastly, there's this man called Ahmad Deedat, he did a lot of research about Christianity and Islam, there are loads of videos on youtube, you might want to check him out.
look, just tried to youtube it and came up with this, havent listened to it though so dont know how good/bad it is.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhazm0UdlTc
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?