MEMRI TV has a video clip (look for #1363, "Bahraini Liberal Author Dhiyaa Al-Musawi" [link is to transcript]) that is a must-see. Now, I don't know a whole lot about Mr. Al-Musawi, but he looks a lot like a "moderate Muslim."
Why haven't we heard more from Muslims like him?
You ought to read the transcript (or watch the video) for yourself, but let me give you some quotes:
... We have not developed even to the point of admitting defeat. We [have to] admit our cultural defeat. In the past, we had a civilization in Andalusia and in many other places, but today we are regressing – we export violence, we terrorize whole countries, we threaten national security, and many other things. [...]
...This problem has political reasons, but who pays the price? The country, society, civil society, and the young man, who is being told that the black-eyed virgins await him at the gates of Paradise, and that all he has to do is kill himself, to slaughter himself. He might blow up his family and children to get the virgins of Paradise. This is the language and culture of death. We were not born into this world in order to die this way. The beauty of Man lies in his living for the sake of his homeland, not in dying while booby trapping others. [...]
In my home, I put up a picture of Jesus, because whenever I look at his picture, worlds of peace and love open up before me. It was Jesus who said: "Love thy enemies, bless them who curse thee." We need this beautiful language in our society. I also have a picture of Gandhi, whom I consider to be a very fine person, and whose [image] we should plant in the minds of our youth. [...]
Some of us say: "May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians, the offspring of apes and pigs." Is this the language of progress? Is this the language of enlightenment and tolerance? If you had been born in Rome, you would have been Christian, if you had been born in Tehran, you would have been Shiite, and if you had been born in Saudi Arabia, you would have been Sunni, and so on. How wonderful it would be if all these people could gather in love around the table of humanity.
Wow. Incredible!
Perhaps there is some hope for the Islamic world - if they listen to voices of reason like Mr. Al-Musawi.
As I said, read the whole thing!
As a Muslim Arab female, I say there is hope in every religion, including Islam, which has the same wonderful ethics and commandments that every other belief has. Our problem is the leadership of the Clerics and their mis-teaching to the general population. Mr. Musawi's words echoes mine in terms of balanced readings of the Quran and the humane relations. Many of us feel them but we have never been given the chance to spill them out. I salute the Mr. Musawi and command him for his courage and decisive stand. Moreover I salute the Abu Dhabi TV for bring Mr. Musawi to the interview and look forward for other interesting interviews with many elite Muslim leaders to be hosted. This is the only way for a peaceful world we all dream of.
Posted by: grad_Iraq | February 09, 2007 at 02:14 PM
i am so angry with the muslim world. Am I sterotyping? maybe, but more and more, i feel we should wipe the mideast off the map. and they think our president lies!!!!...sorry, to my personal friends of islam faith...this is america our country, like the austalian polititian says.......if you dont like it get out
Posted by: ronbonz | March 29, 2007 at 09:51 PM