Or that’s what both Ibrahim bu-Sandal AND Yousif Qardawi think, so they’ve organised a conference in Bahrain for March 21st to chew the fat and spit out condemnation notes:
Scholars from the Arab and Islamic world will discuss the lifting of the ban on Danish goods in a conference in Bahrain on March 21. The meeting will also review the offences of Danish newspapers and contemporary Islamic matters.
According to Ibrahim Bosoundel, spokesman of the Bahraini Committee for the Support of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), Muslims in Bahrain would continue to boycott Danish goods despite the official apology of the Danish authority.
“The Danish government’s apology wasn’t good enough as the statement regrets the offence but highlights the importance of the freedom of the Press,†Bosoundel said.
Bahrain Tribune :: 11 Mar ’06
Excuse me guys, what else do you want? Can you give us a list so we too – being good Muslims – can join you and “protect” our Prophet’s reputation? I mean, we all know that we hurt Denmark very very badly by throttling their economy, all 0.025% of it that owes it’s living to Bahrain, and oh the huge figure of 2% due to the full Arab trade with Denmark. Aren’t they drowning in their tears… we showed them didn’t we?
Hang on a minute though, if we’re not hurting their economy, and if we’re not accepting their apology (no matter how hard they try), then what’s all the fracas about?
Open your senses and smell the hummus. There is this guy called Amr Khaled who is trying to organise a conference in Denmark for Islam’s scholars to discuss this infraction, while his friend Yousif Qardawi is berating him for dampening the flame of outrage in the Muslim world!
Now we get it. Personal agendas. Nothing more and nothing less. This is nothing to do with Islam, nothing to do with the revered Prophet, nothing to do with anything other than to continue to find excuses, no matter how thin, to attack the evil West. So thanks Denmark for providing the excuse… we’ll use it.
But why the hell host this thing in Bahrain? And why invite such an intellectually bankrupt leeching personality like Qardawi to be in it for God’s sake? Is this what we have descended to? Who’s going to sponsor this “conference” which will be nothing more than continuous rants and conspiracy theorists?
Let me save bu-Sandal and Qardawi the trouble and write their conference resolution for them: “the West is corrupt and there is a huge conspiracy against Islam and Muslims by the West.”
Ok, fine, we know that broken record by heart. But we also know that the world does not manufacture vinyl any more and people have moved to MP3 players, not just kept up with the invention of compact disks.
When will a conference be launched here whose concluding resolution would say something like “yes, we understand that not everyone in the world shares our view and high respect for our prophets, and that is their opinion and no matter what they throw at our prophets’ reputations, Allah will continue to protect them and their religions. We also recognise that everyone has a right to speak, no matter how crude or unsavoury their speech gets to be.”
I’m not holding my breath… but, one request to the powers that be, if and when he comes to Bahrain to do his thang, please, pretty pretty please, don’t take pictures of him with every high official we have on the island (no pictures with the king, ok?), as that would give his cause credence, and ours disrepute. Let him stay with bu-Sandal and Saidi. They deserve each others’ company.
Comments
Ohh, please..
You say you’ve had it with Denmark and cartoons, and I think we did too. Can people talk about something else please? You blogging about this is equal to them organizing the conference, and I know it’s your right both of you, but we’re just bored with this whole deal which is nothing but a mockery.
Just as much as you sighed learning about “more” to do with the cartoons when you heard of the conference, I sighed reading your post.
Thanks..
Author
who’re “we”?
I probably should have said “I” to avoid getting myself in such a situation, but when I said we I meant myself and other readers, and when I say readers I mean readers of the media in general, not specifically referring to your blog.
And I wonder how the gist of my post was the “WE” part…
Author
I understand your position. And yes, I am as sick as you are of this situation and others like it as we seem to stumble from one into another. However, I felt it is important to register my distaste, yet again, for the situation to be plainly highjacked and rammed down our throats by the likes of Qardawi and his ilk, when other, more moderate clerics are trying to ameliorate the hurt feelings of both sides.
Hence, I have put the links to an article which appeared on March 9th in Asharq Al-Awsat discussing Amr Khaled’s endeavors, contrasted with Bu-Sandal and Qardawi trying to rile the crowd against such amelioration.
Taking all of these things into account, I decided to highlight the shift we are experiencing, which has become a schism really, where us Muslims ourselves are split now, with a large part still following the extremism of Qardawi, but a rather large minority seeing Khaled’s point of view as valid.
I applaud you Mahmood for bringing up this subject. I very much share your position, and even though this Denmark issue has been blown way out of proportion; I think it’s still necessary to express one’s opinion freely in this very fragile time when people are trying to enforce their beliefs on others!
I completely agree. If ppl just stay quiet then this guy, Yousif Qardawi, and others feel they are justified and continue to carry on w/ this charade. I also agree and believe that it’s all based upon a personal agenda. There’s a Shura Member that’s stirring the pot on this one too – Fakhro. Altho he’s giving the pretense of being more “diplomatic”… saying that expatriates can buy Danish products but Muslims don’t want to…. blah blah blah.
Author
Wrong end of the stick Tooners! Jamal Fakhro is the most liberal we have there, and as he is also one of the biggest consultants on the island, thank goodness that he’s there as he can put the breaks on fanciful proposals that would bleed the country dry!
What he said (we only account for 0.025% of Danish international trade as far as Bahrain is concerned, and only 2% for the Arab world in general) was said to show “the bearded ones” that their boycotting idea is just a flight of fancy if they think that it will affect Denmark. That was more than tongue in cheek as it just flew over their vacant heads!
He also said that locals can boycott if they wished but let expats buy what they want as politic-speak meaning that leave the supermarkets and businesses who do not want to boycott alone and let the consumer (local and expat) decide for themselves what they want to buy or not.
Now if you talk about our honourable MP Mohammed Khalid who plastered huge banners on Hamad Town roundabout 6 (or was it 3?) calling Denmark “a country of cows” clearly branding the Danes themselves as bovine, and he’s more than ably joined by his brother Al-Saidi who resembles one, I would be completely with you in agreeing that it is them who are stirring the pot of hatred, most certainly not Jamal Fakhro.
Yousif Qardawi should not worry too much that his friend Amr Khaled would be dampening the flame of outrage in the Muslim world!.
The sociopathic performance of Mr. Khaled and the rest of ‘scholars’ of petro-Islam in Copenhagen confirms that these miserable creatures have no clue as to what modernity is all about.
I cannot imagine a worse disservice to the Muslim community in Denmark than sending this arrogant ignoramus and his team to Copenhagen.
AbuRasool
I’ve never seen a bigger hypocrite than Amr Khalid. He actually appears in Ads on ART telling people not to steal cable! We need to get some respectable ppl to talk about religion, not phonies like this bastard. And his voice and facial expressions..blegh! It looks like he’s giving birth!
Author
Fortunately for me, it seems, that I have never watched this ignoramus perform before. But in one of our blogger meetings, a guy sitting next to me was raving about him… I assumed this this Khaled is the flavour of the month. I’m happy that I am not disappointed!
i think it was in todays paper that one of the objectives of the meeting is to give the western world a view of islam. so it cant be that bad can it, their not a complete bunch of idiots, r they??
Asef Bayat had a really interesting paper about Amr Khaled in the ISIM Review a few years ago. He puts the Khaled in the context of post-Islamism (which he has written about elsewhere). Bayat write:
It is no wonder then that Amr Khaled has such a huge following here in the Gulf, where the nouveau riche are so prominent.
Bayat also looks at this revived public piety among the affluent Muslim youth through Simmel’s ideas on fashion… which agrees with your description of Khaled as the “flavour of the month”! (Though he’s been around for several years, and he’ll probably be “the flavour” for many more months to come).
You can get Bayat’s article from here. July 2002 issue, page 23
Hi Mahmood. I liked your post enough that I linked it on my blog.
ooohhhhhh…. well, I was totally off the mark… AGAIN!
Author
😉
no worries, that’s how we learn!
Mahmood,
this is the best analysis I have ever encoutered for the contemporary mind. I loved your analysis about the clergy men and their intentions. I always believed that the once any religion goes public it serves a hidden and political agenda. those people will never understand how the world works.keep up the updating, it’s very informative.
thank you
“Allah will continue to protect them and their religions.”
I really like that. If more of the religious people I knew when I was a kid (mostly evangelical Christians)had had that attitude, I’m pretty sure I’d still have turned out an atheist, but I wouldn’t have been such an angry, dyspeptic atheist.
Interesting comments Mahmoud. I would, however, like to ask the following questions:
One, Bearing in mind that, “Inna ba3dh dhannan ithm”, how certain are u and some other commentators when you accuse the two (Qardawi and Khaled) as having personal agendas?
Two, What do u people want from your preachers – u despise both the old school of Qardawi and the new school of Khaled. I am rather confused…
Three, If you think you can do better, why don’t you come forward to suggest the way forward. I expect the Muslim world should welcome all opinios. I know from experience that it is easy to criticize but it is another ball game to come up with solutions.
Four, in your opinion and knowledge of Rasool (SAW) is this the kind of language that our prophet would be proud from his followers who rampage at the flimsiest excuse?
Five, I maybe accused of being old fashioned but is it possible to express oneself without going into sarcastic and crude language?
I am looking forward to reading your answers, with my thanks.
um arafa ..
i cant speak for mahmood, but here’s a list of answers to your questions:
1. pretty certain.
2. i want my preachers to get way from my personal freedoms and my ability to think and choose for myself.
3. i dont think anyone can do better. i think let the preachers focus on bringing islam to the 21st centrury and not try and take us back to the 6th. and, for your information, i am a bahraini before i am a moslem. and, whilst i can argue with the state of what it means to be a bahraini, i have no intention of disucssing with you or with any other clergyman what it means to be a moslem.
4. i wasnt alive at the time of the prophet, neither were you. so it is a moot point. and irrelevant.
Author
my thoughts exactly JJ, thanks… I couldn’t be bothered repeating myself for the 247th time… maybe I should put that in the FAQ and be done with it!
the boycotting must go on ,, regardless of what is happening .. I think Qradwai is right not to go .. And Danes donot really want muslims in thier country as they see islam a threat to them . canot we muslims see the true colors of Europe .. and USA ,, Both hate islam due to several reasons .. The cartoons only sparked the flame of hate that has been practised for years .. And by the way ,, The editor didnot really apologise he said he will do it again .. shall we muslim wake up and start spreading boycotting all danish products ,,
Author
sdeghedy, how about instead of boycotting products, let’s look inwards and think very seriously on the reason why westerners look upon us and our religion in such a bad light? And think about it honestly and away from conspiracy theories?
Could it be right that the whole world looks at Islam and Muslims as terrorists instructed by their religion to wage war against all the “kuffar” until the day of Judgement? And that is the Muslim sacred duty?
Could it be true that our religion is so weak that it is not just threatened, but completely shaken, just by the publication of 12 silly pictures?
Isn’t it time to take a good look at where we are and ask how we actually got here? Where did the tolerant Islam go? How did its golden age disappear so soon and never returned?
And then something like this pops up just when you think things may be calming down a bit. This isn’t going to help.
AFGHAN CHRISTIAN CONVERT ON TRIAL
An Afghan citizen might face capital punishment for converting to Christianity, according to the London-based daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat.
41-year-old ‘Abd A-Rahman was arrested last month after his family accused him of converting to Christianity. In his trial ‘Abd A-Rahman told the judge he converted 16 years ago following conversations he had with a medical aid worker helping Afghani refugees in Pakistan.
His trial began last week, and under the Shari’a laws he could be sentenced to death. The trial is focusing much attention on Afghanistan, as it is the first of its kind since the fall of the Islamic regime of the Taliban four years ago.
The prosecutor, ‘Abd Al-Wasi, said he had offered to drop the charges if ‘Abd A-Rahman would convert back to Islam, but he had refused to do so.
I happened to read the blog passing by.
I’m not familiar with traditions in Bahrain, and I hope I don’t offend with my comments. I know my nationality is not “the flavour of the month”.
But I – as a Danish person – I really need to say to Mr. Sdeghedy that the majority of Danes have nothing against Muslims.
Some were afraid of Islam before the cartoons because they have seen acts of terrorism claimed to be done by devoted Muslims.
Sadly after the recent events the number has grown, since there has been demonstrations in London and Pakistan calling for beheadings of insulters/danes/cartoonists and calls for terrorist acts in Denmark and Europe.
The editor of Jyllands Posten didn’t say he would publish the cartoons again.
The case is now taken to the UN Human Rights Commissioner to be looked into. I think that’s exactly what should be done. Balancing the case internationally between freedom of speech and blasphemy laws.
I don’t believe it will change anything, but I have ended my subscription on the newspaper. I found the publishing of the cartoons insensitive and unneccessay and will not support the newspaper with my money.
Yours sincerely
Dr. Jensen
Author
Thank you Dr. Jensen for your input. And I appreciate you passing by and hope that you will now stop by from time to time.
I believe that the demonstrations have started to dissipate if not stopped altogether, as I expected, maybe because the mullas who have incited all of this “outrage” have probably gone back to other more mundane subjects like stoning women, beheading converts and sorcerers, and explaining in detail to their congregations how to perform the “warding of the evil eye” ablutions, etc.
What happened on the 21st conference? Is the ban to be lifted?
Author
21st what????
Hi AkaRoundPeg.
In Denmark it’s not yet been announced what the conference ended up deciding. I just searched the biggest newspapers to see if I could provide the information. Maybe the danish nesapapers are translating the statement?
I don’t know but some rumours say that the boycott continues but other rumours say it’s lifted.
According to Arlas website their procucts are on the way back in some supermarkets in Quatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and a few other states
Author
That’s because ARLA took out full-page ads in all the major Saudi papers apologising for JP! For the rest, they decided to not only keep the boycott, but establish a boycott office, presumably for followup and for looking minutely through any western company’s financials to ensure that there are no Danish shares, which, if found will also be banned.
I heard about the ad.
Apologising for something somebody else did sounds weird in my ears. If it was the other way around, I would appreciate the effort but find the apology in some way patronizing. As if I didn’t know better.
But that’s when I hear it with my danish ears. Arla is owned by farmers and I will let them decide if the decision makers in Arla represent their opinions.
That said it’s absolutely evident that no major campany can allow emplyees blaspheming in speech or writing. It’s common ethical rules in almost all public institutions and private companies here (except newspapers of course).
I have no insight in local conditions but how much impact will such a boycott office have? Looking through finances of all western companies sounds like a very big task.
It sounds like it will violate WTO-regulations if the aurthorities support it.
Mahmood,
I meant the conference to be held on 21 March to debate over the Danish ban.
Author
AkaRoundPeg I was being sarcastic.