69 million page views

Islam and inter-faith dialogue

Reader comment on item: Palestinians Taste a Dose of Their Own Medicine

Submitted by Hari Iyer (United States), Nov 22, 2005 at 00:37

Somewhere there was an article re interfaith dialogue. I had mentioned that muslims do not believe in interfaith dialogue if they are in majority but would seek interfaith dialogue where they are a minority in a secular democratic environment.

Here is proof.

Here is an article in Dailytimes.com.pk which is a newspaper in Pakistan and there is an article from a Khalid Ahmed about islamists appearing in a tv show not supporting interfaith dialogue.
Also funny is the show contents from other tv programs where islamic participants casually talk about killing infidels.

Here is the link.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\11\22\story_22-11-2005_pg3_3

Here is the article in full.
**********************************

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005\11\22\story_22-11-2005_pg3_3

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

SECOND OPINION: Don't invite us to an inter-faith dialogue! —Khaled Ahmed's TV Review
Why tell others that their faith is wrong? Why not simply defend your own against the savage meanings given to it by the orthodox clergy? What use is an unchanging interpretation of faith if it leads to usurpation of rights of women and non-Muslim subjects? Why be so aggressive in conversion?

In the West, inter-faith dialogue is the new trend. The main purpose is to make the Muslims look objectively at other religions and be less intolerant. Followers of other religions have already had the dialogue and are mutually tolerant. Will Muslims be able to tolerate other faiths?

ARY (October 19, 2005) Aneeq Ahmad discussed inter-faith dialogue with famous Bombay preacher Dr Zakir Naek and Karachi's Islamic scholar Dr Hussain Muhammad Ja'fari. Dr Naek said that there were similarities in all religions on the basis of which they could talk to each other. He said all religions believed in one God and one book. He said it was possible that Rama and Krishna were prophets of early antiquity. Ja'fari divided religions into Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic.

Aniq Ahmad said that all religions had to accept Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last Prophet. Dr Naek agreed and said Christians would have to set their faith right in the light of the Quran. There was no concept of trinity in the Bible, even though the Bible as book of God had been tampered with. Ja'fari said how could there be a dialogue with other religions if you were intent on telling them that Islam was the only true faith. Without paying respect and tolerating other religions, how could Muslims take part in inter-faith dialogue?

Dr Naek did not agree with this. He also did not accept the commonly understood message of the Quran that one should not criticise other religions. He said the Quran frequently said that Christians and Jews should be told that they were wrong. He said other religions had to be defeated.

Aneeq Ahmad had no business giving his own view. In a way he sabotaged the discussion. He keeps wiggling most annoyingly when the discussants are speaking. His other mannerisms, apart from a very stilted Urdu, are distracting too. Dr Hussain Muhammad Ja'fari was right when he said: how could there be a dialogue with other faiths if you don't respect other religions and are intent upon proving them wrong?

Dr Zakir Naek does his conversion bit on the Hindus, who have proved to be most tolerant of his evangelism in Mumbai. Why tell others that their faith is wrong? Why not simply defend your own against the savage meanings given to it by the orthodox clergy? What use is an unchanging interpretation of faith if it leads to usurpation of rights of women and non-Muslim subjects? Why be so aggressive in conversion? If we simply live a good life with noble ideals and a kind approach to others, we might stand a better chance of converting.

Muslim clerics make it a point to stay away from the contaminating touch of Christian and Jewish scriptures and religious traditions. Dr Naek is an exception, but he must develop sympathy for the church doctrines not contained in the Bible and Talmudic practices not contained in the Torah. As we are today, no one should invite us to an interfaith dialogue.

AAJ TV (October 26, 2005) Islamic scholar Javed Al Ghamidi in his teaching of the Quran stated that many passages of the Quran had been wrongly understood and hence their application to life was harmful and misleading. In Sura Baqara Allah told believers that He would surely test them with physical and material suffering. He said this could not apply to Muslims in all times. Allah did not test all believers. The truth was that the verse was meant for the followers of the Prophet (peace be upon him). There was no doubt that Allah had put them through the trial of pain, but the verse was no longer applicable today.

The present was guided by other rules laid out in the Quran. He said in Sura Tauba Allah orders Muslims to kill all mushrikeen at sight. He said it was not meant for Muslims of all times to get ready to kill all non-believers at sight, as had been presumed. The verse was meant for a specific moment in history. He said similarly there was a common belief that any Muslim changing his religion would become an apostate who had to be killed. This too was derived from a time-bound command and was not applicable to all times.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi is an enlightened man in the midst of some very aggressive and intolerant scholars of Islam. His discourse is gradually weaning the audiences away from the hardline Islam other clerics are busy propagating. He is extremely articulate and will not accept later accretions to the understanding of the Quran. How can we live in this world if we think we have to hate Christians and Jews? No other nation thinks like that. That is an advantage in world affairs that we lack.

Prime TV (October 19, 2005) With Dr Moeed conducting the discussion, UK's Labour MP Keith Vaaz tried to defend his government on the proposed new law against terrorism. Masood Shahjareh said Muslims could not give up Sharia law, but Vaaz said that as the new law was being discussed, the Muslims in his constituency should have come to him to give their views on it but none had come forward. He said Tony Blair was not a dictator as he had come to power through popular vote.

Masood Shahjareh constantly interrupted him and kept on saying that Tony Blair was in denial on Iraq. He was opposed to the new law whatever it was.

The body language of Shahjareh like his name was most offensive. Dr Moeed did not intervene when he was interrupting Vaaz or speaking out of turn. The main aim of Shahjareh was to insult. One hopes that this was not the aim of Prime TV too. Defending the Pakistani and other Muslims in the UK doesn't mean insulting the moderates (which has been done) and non-Muslims who stray into the discussions.

Dr Moeed should be careful. His programme may be hit by refusal to attend from people who believe only in decent discussion. Getting up on your hind legs is not the objective. There must be cool-headed discussion and the UK Muslims must learn to behave in a civilised fashion. Shahjareh with his fake ‘denial' rhetoric is poison. Dr Moeed should not take it. *
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (98) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Is sympathy misplaced? [48 words]Godfrey deBouillonJan 27, 2010 13:07167995
WHY? [309 words]N.S.Dec 6, 2005 01:4029500
tell me more [16 words]not sureSep 30, 2006 23:0529500
Palestines Taste a Dose of Their Own Medicine [29 words]S.C.PandaDec 1, 2005 03:3229213
What is Terrorism ? A guide for the misguided [268 words]Yamin ZakariaNov 29, 2005 10:2828987
Response to Yamin Zakaria [381 words]Spec OPs on leaveJan 6, 2006 18:4328987
To Yamin Zakaria [24 words]premJan 2, 2009 07:3728987
1What is Terrorism ? [116 words]Yamin ZakariaNov 29, 2005 09:3128982
Re the widow of the Jordanian bomber [52 words]Jo EshkeriNov 27, 2005 14:1128888
The Palestinian Dose [426 words]SameerNov 25, 2005 01:3328824
A completely different perspective here [157 words]Asher JacobsonNov 23, 2005 23:5528784
WESTERN CYNICISM [812 words]Rakshas 10 AnanNov 22, 2005 02:4928674
1Islam and inter-faith dialogue [1201 words]Hari IyerNov 22, 2005 00:3728673
Islam & Dialogue [396 words]FJ SiddiquiAug 10, 2006 01:2128673
responce to the above [790 words]nasDec 15, 2008 05:2628673
First, I feel for the Jordanians who lost their families [498 words]MaggieNov 21, 2005 23:2428672
Argument with a blind faither is a waste of time [61 words]A. KhalafNov 21, 2005 17:2228664
Israel and Palestinians [90 words]asafNov 21, 2005 14:5628656
I have enormous respect. [30 words]ZahedNov 21, 2005 12:3828648
new idea of military tactics [40 words]farooqNov 20, 2005 03:4428628
farooq [191 words]DaisyNov 21, 2005 16:5428628
Muslim mind [390 words]Hari IyerNov 19, 2005 19:3028621
hypocrisy, pure and simple [27 words]Yamin ZakariaNov 19, 2005 11:1728616
Response to Yamin Zakariya [54 words]faqi hussainNov 19, 2005 19:4728616
To Hari Iyer, Yamin Zakaria, Shahin S., Rodni E. Chalet [229 words]Vishnu GuptaNov 20, 2005 02:0228616
Yamin Zakaria [197 words]DaisyNov 21, 2005 02:2528616
To Yamin Zakaria: Terrorism in Islam [360 words]N.K.Nov 21, 2005 16:5528616
Re: Hypocrisy, pure and simple [62 words]Atim BasseyNov 23, 2005 06:4228616
Iran and propaganda [125 words]Shahin S.Nov 18, 2005 23:5528607
Reply to Shahin S. [168 words]jerryNov 26, 2005 00:1228607
Another Japan & Germany is needed! [279 words]Rodni E. ChaletNov 18, 2005 20:4828604
Rectification [33 words]YovenNov 18, 2005 09:0028585
The Real Palestinian Response [414 words]AlexNov 17, 2005 22:4328565
Security of Israel. [291 words]Friends of Israel in PakistanNov 17, 2005 21:5428561
The Hindu Mind [918 words]YovenNov 17, 2005 16:3828546
Killing of Muslims is also part of Jihad [290 words]Amitabh tripathiNov 17, 2005 12:3728538
Its a very long way to go [118 words]David W. LincolnNov 17, 2005 11:4728534
Thank you for a great article [78 words]ilona matulevicNov 17, 2005 07:2328519
We're not in Kansas anymore...... [51 words]DotNov 17, 2005 02:1928511
View of a 20 year old arab on the matter [577 words]JeanmarcNov 16, 2005 17:5528504
Answer to Jeanmarc [166 words]Carl SametNov 17, 2005 13:2428504
Reply to Mr. Samet: Change! [154 words]charles fortnerNov 17, 2005 18:0928504
Wishful Thinking Jeanmarc [284 words]AbrahamNov 17, 2005 18:2428504
Reply to charles fortner [266 words]Carl SametNov 18, 2005 12:5228504
Black September [224 words]yuval Brandstetter MDNov 16, 2005 17:1128501
Thanks for ease of reading [27 words]eNov 16, 2005 14:5528491
to khofa [31 words]MusNov 16, 2005 14:3728490
Islam and terrorism [443 words]KazmiferNov 16, 2005 13:0528487
KAZMIFER [118 words]Ahmed Youssif, MDNov 16, 2005 23:2328487
To Youssif MD, Dont call me lucifer [117 words]KazmiferNov 17, 2005 13:1628487
Response to Youssif [64 words]Ayesha AhmedNov 17, 2005 18:5028487
To Kazmifer: You are absolutely right [87 words]JaladhiNov 18, 2005 09:1328487
tactical error [250 words]DanNov 16, 2005 12:3428486
To Dan, Is Islam religion of peace for muslims? [246 words]EdNov 16, 2005 16:5828486
response to Ed [55 words]DanNov 17, 2005 11:3028486
Its a Hydra-headed Monster [550 words]Rakshas 10 AnanNov 16, 2005 12:2528484
Re: Rakshas, Jordanian Demonstrations - Meaningless, won't change any Muslim Minds [282 words]JaladhiNov 16, 2005 22:1028484
"Rakshas" [89 words]hohovahNov 17, 2005 08:5928484
The Lesson of Iraq [221 words]Kenneth S. BesigNov 16, 2005 10:5928479
IMAGINE [177 words]DONVANNov 16, 2005 10:1828477
Palestinians Taste a Dose of Their Own Medicine [88 words]Menahem DunskyNov 16, 2005 09:3228474
Excellent description Dr Pipes [79 words]Neila Charchour HachichaNov 16, 2005 08:4128471
Palestinians receive a taste of their own medicine [338 words]Ed GordonNov 16, 2005 05:4528463
Your entire perspective is wrong [344 words]A Filipino liberalNov 16, 2005 04:1128458
response to Filipino Liberal [156 words]sullyNov 22, 2005 11:0928458
Reply to Filipino Liberal [203 words]SiddaNov 22, 2005 11:1228458
Jordanian protests [65 words]DavidkaNov 16, 2005 03:4428457
Call the horse by its name [161 words]Elpi NipniNov 15, 2005 22:3028452
Full Circle [86 words]Arlinda DeAngelisNov 15, 2005 22:2328451
Their own medicine [140 words]steven lNov 15, 2005 22:0728450
It was only a matter of time... [153 words]JordanNov 15, 2005 20:3828446
Arab mindset will never ever change [143 words]SamiNov 15, 2005 20:2028445
Lets be bigger than those criminals [112 words]JordanianNov 15, 2005 20:1028444
Reply to Jordanian. [386 words]Rodni E. ChaletNov 21, 2005 20:5528444
Palestinians Taste a Dose of Their Own Medicine [28 words]Mary-Ann BarnesNov 15, 2005 19:1128441
Palestinians get a taste of their own bombing trend [123 words]Survivor of JihadNov 15, 2005 19:1128440
HOMICIDE BOMBER is the proper description [88 words]Vicki MorganNov 15, 2005 18:2428437
They still don't get it. [201 words]PatNov 15, 2005 18:0428434
This MUST Be A Wake-Up Call To The Arab/Muslim World [59 words]AnneMNov 15, 2005 17:4728432
Response to Anne M. [129 words]Bruce JosloffNov 16, 2005 10:5528432
Cynical formulation but sadly right [73 words]Stefaan MertensNov 15, 2005 17:4128431
arab murderers [37 words]alan wintersNov 15, 2005 17:2828430
Looking In the Mirror Doesn't Always Show Me? [359 words]Yehoshua ZellerNov 15, 2005 17:0628429
I don't get it [16 words]EliotNov 15, 2005 16:4928428
It won't make a difference in Arab/Muslim minds [55 words]Tzvi TamariNov 15, 2005 15:5928427
1Palestinians ARE Jordanians [113 words]ClintNov 15, 2005 15:3428426
Muslim Bombers [39 words]LanceNov 15, 2005 15:1528423
Taste a Dose of Their own Medicine.. [756 words]kim segarNov 15, 2005 14:4128418
Why Are Muslim Arabs surprised by attacks? [68 words]JSNov 15, 2005 14:1928417
When you release a disease.... [79 words]KenNov 15, 2005 13:5628416
Iranian indoctrination is bad, too. [75 words]Henrik R ClausenNov 15, 2005 13:5228415
Speaking of hypocrisy... [310 words]J.S.Nov 15, 2005 13:4828414
Re: J.S. Msn In USA No Better [92 words]AnneMNov 15, 2005 21:0228414
Focusing on Hamas [67 words]Gilbert SimonsNov 15, 2005 13:3928413
Reply to Mr. Gilbert Simons [338 words]Rodni E. ChaletNov 21, 2005 20:1028413
Suicide bombings will continue [101 words]AhmedNov 15, 2005 13:3228412
Palestinians [107 words]YovenNov 15, 2005 13:3028411
Surprising? [65 words]DaisyNov 15, 2005 13:2928410

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)