[size=18]Rival Palestinian factions agree to form coalition government[/size]· President Abbas proclaims new era after Mecca deal
· Hamas and Fatah factions ordered to end clashesRory McCarthy in Jerusalem
Friday February 9, 2007
The GuardianRival Palestinian factions meeting for crisis talks in Saudi Arabia last night agreed to form a coalition government,
After two days of talks in Mecca, the leaders of Hamas and Fatah agreed a list of ministers for a new national unity cabinet and called for a halt to factional fighting that has claimed more than 100 lives in the occupied territories in recent weeks. The deal appeared to have averted a slide into civil war. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, described it as a new era.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2009379,00.html
Alhamdulillah on this new deal, I know we all hope it will lead to resolution in Palestine insha'Allah.
I have a more general set of questions about unity in Islam:
Do labels such as 'Wahabi', 'Sufi' and many, many others actually benefit us as individuals?
Can the Ummah achieve more together by accepting these differences and just focusing on what we all have in common with each other?
Personally, I never felt such a close bond between people when I was a non-Muslim. When I first started practicing, I was truly shocked by displays of brotherhood and kindness between people who had never met each other before, purely because they share this beautiful faith in Allah (swt). Of course there are occaisional arguments and fights, but these seem to be resolved quickly. I honestly feel that the Muslim community in Britain is tight-knit and very supportive. I have never been made to feel unwelcome in any Mosque, even though I'm white, wear 'kafir clothes' and don't have a beard (it still looks a bit too much like bumbfluff :oops: )
But I have constantly heard people lamenting the 'lack of unity' and sectarianism. I think most Muslims I know havn't seen the other side of the picture. Many British people are arrogant, selfish, materialistic and lonely. Capitalist culture and other factors have made them like this. As Muslims, we answer to something higher than our own desires (as much as we can) and I think we don't appreciate how fortunate we are to have such a vibrant and wonderful community.
Am I just being blind to all the arguing that goes on behind closed doors (and behind other people's backs), or is my face just so full of Noor that people around be become angelic 
?
Please, please tell me if I'm living in a fantasy land?
jazakAllah
I'd like to think it isn't fantasy land. I'm sure there is also bickering but carry on seeing how much good there is in the community.
Having said that, don't lump British together as "the other" and say bad things about people. Your experience is limited, you haven't seen how much love there is in other communities and in society. Even your own experience is deceiving - one person's brashness is another's challenging guidance, for sickly read sensitive, for bragging read inspiring, for coldness, pious strength, and so on, as often as not.
[size=10]The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.[/size]
[size=9]Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)[/size]
Hi Ya'qub,
Yes, you live in fantasy land. You have to remember that Islam, as you percieve it, is still a localized faith. In your particular instance it's local to the West.
Elsewhere in the world things are a little more cut and dry, for instance according to the Saudi Census 100% of the population is sunni muslim - regardless of the fact that at least 10% of the population is shia muslim.
That's because shias aren't considered "Muslims" by the wahhabi sunni government in Saudi Arabia.
That is not the same as the hashemite (yes I realize this is a clan not sect) Jordanian government, which also considers itself Sunni, and does not go to such lengths as takfiring shia muslims, they just disagree... harshly.
Deobandis and Berwailis don't get along, to the point that some consider the others kaffir, some sunnis dont consider salafis or wahhabis muslims, many wahhabis and salafis dont consider unbranded sunnis muslims.
It's pretty crazy.
THEN, there are national divisions, that really don't have anything to do with religion other than they supercede it and divide you against one another. Pakistanis v Bengalis, Iranians v Saudis, Malays v...
well come to think of it everybody gets along with the Malaysians. For good reason! They have all of your money.
So, living in a nice stable western democracy under the consistent rule of law without serious government instability in the last 500 years (cromwell aside), does tend to give muslims a better "shot" at this unity thing without going to war over every small matter.
The thing with the unity government is that it hasn't declared any principle of holding to past agreements the PLO made with Israel and international ombudsmen and hasn't declared recognition of Israel. Some are saying that this may be implicit, but the Saudis who brokered the agreement explicitly said that hasn't been agreed, so whether the Peace Quartet and various countries will deem unity a satisfactory condition for ending the partial boycott remains to be seen. Perhaps it is a start, and the violence will diminish. Let's hope that also applies to hostile relations with their neighbour. It would be useful if various Palestinian and Arab leaders would not orchestrate protests against Israeli repairs to the Mugrabi Gate and stop claiming that it is a conspiracy against the mosque. It is all of 70 metres from the mosque, the only gate for tourists to access the site, and unsafe since the bridge collapsed in an earthquake four years ago. It seems at the moment that the protests could unleash a new intefada over such a stupid issue.
[size=10]The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.[/size]
[size=9]Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)[/size]
I don’t believe that groups or labels are the cause of disunity.
It’s human nature to stick with like minded individuals….we’re all a part of a group, be it because of our education, interests, family, career, friends etc
I think the sect mentality, arrogance and the holier than thou attitude towards people who may not be a member of ones group is the cause of disunity.
I don’t have the confidence to dismiss other groups as being “wrong”….however, I marvel at the confidence of certain members of every group who are quick to condemn people to hell.
[b][color=indigo]^^^ I totally agree with what MS said. I also think Muslims are too lazy to do anything about unity with the Muslim ummah. Everyone’s too busy wrapped up in their own lives to care about the state of the ummah. [/color][/b]
Unity to me = tolerence.
al-Ghazali in his book on Brotherhood in Islam says that a true brother or sister would tell you your faults (although in a very polite and humble way), and not be scared to upset you. Because its the responsibilty for us to enjoin good and forbid evil, we have to have the courage to tell people what they might not like to hear, for the sake of Allah (swt) alone.
This approach somehow has to coupled with tolerance of people's differences, and also realisation that it might be ourselves who are in the wrong. I think (and hope) there is a balance somewhere between giving our sincere opinions, and actually going as far as to "condemn people to hell". In Islam we should condemn the act, without condemning the person, insha'Allah.
I know this seems like juggling way too many balls at once, but we HAVE to try our best, its no good saying that its too hard for us and we shouldn't try (Allah (swt) never burdens us with more than we can handle).
As to the fact that "Muslims are too lazy to do anything about unity...Everyone's too busy wrapped up in their own lives", while I tend to agree, I don't think that this gives US an excuse to get wrapped up in our own lives and not try to bring groups together, settle differences between our friends, even a smile to a stranger is an act of charity (and goes a long way to bridging differences in my experience). IMO we should try to BE the change we want to see.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
Differences of opinion is not always a negative thing..in fact I think its healthy.
There were differences of opinions among the Companions, their followers, and great Imams. But they did not turn these into fights. They disagreed but they maintained respect and love for each other
As individuals all Muslims have different intrests, so its only natural for some Muslims to be drawn more towards the political side of Islam, or the spiritual, or the traditional etc etc
BTW whats your definition of Unity?
In politics, though, it has any number of meanings. It can mean a unified front, a unanimous resolve, and something like what MuslimSister wrote, enough tolerance and/or cooperation to forestall unpleasantness. Sometimes it is used to invite consensus. That is not always a good thing, such as if opposing views will be stifled for one party's vision of the greater good.
[size=10]The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.[/size]
[size=9]Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)[/size]
I think the main cause of division is not the actual differences of opinion or approaches to worship or anything like that, i think its the inability of some to accept criticism and the inability of others to have any manners whatsoever!
if u were to see someone doing something that u strongly thought was haram, it is ur duty to let them know. on the Day of Judgement, when Allah asks them why they performed a particular action, if they reply "noone told me it was haram." then some of their punishment would be passed on to you.
but its also very difficult to criticise someone, especially if you still want to show them respect.
there is a really lovely story about Hassan and Husayn that i think illustrates exactly how you can get the balance right.
When they were young boys, they happened to observe an old man performing Wudhu, except he was doing it terribly! he was sloppy, not washing properly, not performing the actions in the correct order etc. They asked each other what to do, because they couldn't go up to him and say anything, because that would be very disrespectful to an old man. So they came up with an idea: they went up to him and said: "excuse me uncle, me and my brother are having a competetion between ourselves as to who can perform wudhu the best, could you judge betweeen us?" and they proceeded to wash themselves as slowly and carefully as possible, making sure every part of there arms, face, feet etc were spotlesly clean. After they had finished, the man said "SubhanAllah! Truly I have never performed Wudhu correctly until this day! from now on I will try harder!"
I think this can be an example to all of us, that there is always a solution that can avoid fighting!!!!!
I think we have to apply this approach to a number of situations...
Don't just do something! Stand there.