One of the articles that discussed banning minarets on Swiss in the blog of my friend Reem Abdellatif actually drew my attention to write about such an issue that every Muslim is freaking about right now …….
What I have been always wondering about is the irony that the West is insisting to live in. They pretend to promote freedom and “first world” values, but why all this just disappears when it come to Islam?? Isn’t the prevent of building minarets is a human right violation by preventing people from practicing their religious duties?? If you do not want to allow building minarets, you are free to do, but please do not pretend that you are the protectors of human rights and proponents of freedom, because you are simply not!!! What about your Muslim citizens, why should they be deprived from their rights while other fellow citizens enjoy the same right?? Now it becomes a discrimination against certain religious group, aren’t these the words that you “civilized” people always say???
The effectiveness of right wing's propaganda is far reaching- about.com
One more part of the hepocracy is the logic behind such a ban. The right-wing parties there assume that it is an attempt to prevent the expansion of Muslim thought in the West, in fear that it would become a threat to the “western values”. My question is, do you think that banning a minerat would ever stop such an expansion? Where are your minds people?? Where is your “rationale” that you have been always proud that your “civilization” is all about? Yes, I understand that may be the banning is more symbolic, but still it would never affect the Islamic expansion, but rather it will enhance it.
I cannot deny many aware and sincere attempts against such a ban, but what is painful, according to one of the people with whom I discussed this issue is that radical conservatives are more effective in policy making. My reply to that this happens because they firmly depend on stereotypes and misconceptions to play on people’s buttons.
One important thing that I would like to comment on is the reactions in the Muslim world, especially in the Arab countries. Condemnation of such act with mushrooming all over the Arab world, while just couple of weeks ago,a decision regarding religious freedom was taken and violated the rights of Muslims in country that is supposed to have a Muslim majority.
In Egypt, when Ministry of High Education decided to prevent girls wearing Niqab ”face veil” from joining on campus dorms, a decision followed by The Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar University’s decision to ban wearing it in Al-Azhar female schools. Me personally, I do not think that Niqab is obligatory for women, and I will never think of wearing it, but this does not mean that we disregard people wearing it. I totally respect women wearing niqab and I respect their choices, and we should all condemn such acts taken against their rights.
How can we blame the West for its discrimination against Muslims while Muslim countries themselves abuse the rights of Muslims living inside the Muslim territories? The Muslim world, especially after 9/11 attacks, is living in a weird state of denial. We have seen our religious values stereotyped by the West, and instead of preserving them and trying to unveil the real inner beauty of them, we started to detach ourselves from them. We started to deny our identity instead of proudly declaring it…
i tottally agree with the points you have made here Mai they are so true specially about the banning of the Minarets, it will never stop people from practising their religion or form people becoming Muslim, becusae Islam is so much more. It just seems day after day the West(and im not generealsing here) but mostly is trying to anger Muslims there or in the Islamic world to show that they are violent people.
By: Caravan's Guide to Entertainment! on December 11, 2009
at 6:48 PM