Questions from a confused Muslim

What has happened to the religion of peace, justice and love?

COMMENT

By Fa Abdul

I am a Muslim. Both my parents are Muslims. All four of my grandparents were Muslims. So were their parents and their grandparents.

I have always been proud to be Muslim for Islam is a religion of peace, a religion of justice, a religion of love. But lately I am confused.

I grew up knowing that Islam is a way of life. Islam means submission and obedience to God’s law. God’s law, not the laws of humans who interpret the words of God. Not the laws set by people who call themselves religious scholars or leaders of an Islamic nation but tell us to go against the core teachings of Islam.

These are the people who told us to hate all the Jews of the world when Israel killed thousands of Palestinians, but do not condemn the killing of Muslims by Muslims such as the ISIS militants.

These are the people who were very vocal when Muslim Rohingyas went through ethnic cleansing in Myanmar but have done nothing to help the Rohingyas who have come to Malaysia for protection.

These are the people who would act against anyone making fun of Islam in their writings but they themselves disrespect others through their sermons and speeches.

These are the people who claim 9/11 and the Charlie Hebdo massacre were needed as a warning to the infidels to stop ridiculing Islam but ridicule other faiths all the time.

These are the people who safeguard the sanctity of the holy book of Muslims but couldn’t care less about the holy books of other religions, even threatening to burn them.

These are the people who would encourage the entire Muslim population in the country to boycott the products of Israel, the US, Denmark and Holland over some incident taking place thousands of miles away but have never made a stand over the injustice taking place in the Middle East.

These are the people who condemn kafir countries when Muslim students are not allowed to wear hijab to school but look away when a Muslim woman is beheaded or stoned to death in an Islamic country.

These are the people who chant about freedom but imprisons anyone who speaks against their rulings.

These are the people who speak of human rights but snatches away a child from his non-Muslim mother and gives him to his newly converted father.

These are the people who talk of respecting one another, but would break into someone’s bedroom in the wee hours of the morning.

These are the people who claim to be the leaders of an Islamic nation but use Islam only to oppress others in order to achieve their own personal agendas.

I am sorry, but I am really confused.

Isn’t Islam a religion of peace? Isn’t Islam a religion of justice? Isn’t Islam a religion of love? Where is the peace, justice and love?

Today when I tell people I am a Muslim, the first question is usually: “What type of Muslim are you? Conservative or liberal? Umno Islam or PAS Islam?”

How do I answer that? How Muslim can a Muslim be?

Surely being born to Muslim parents doesn’t make you Muslim.

Praying five times a day doesn’t make you Muslim.

Reading the Holy Quran doesn’t make you Muslim.

Covering yourself head to toe doesn’t make you Muslim.

Consuming only halal products doesn’t make you Muslim.

Performing the Haj doesn’t make you Muslim.

Having an Arabic name doesn’t make you Muslim.

Going on a killing spree in the name of jihad doesn’t make you Muslim.

Being offended every time people ridicule Allah or the prophets doesn’t make you Muslim.

Sticking “I am Muslim” on your windscreen doesn’t make you MusIim.

Protesting against the building of temples in your neighbourhood doesn’t make you Muslim.

Not celebrating Christmas or Valentine’s Day doesn’t make you Muslim.

Decorating your home with verses from the Quran doesn’t make you Muslim.

Saying “In the name of God” before eating or drinking doesn’t make you Muslim.

Feeling offended over Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons doesn’t make you Muslim.

Supporting hudud doesn’t make you Muslim.

Having “Islam” stated as your religion on a piece of card doesn’t make you Muslim.

So what makes you Muslim?

“It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts.” – Quran, 22:46

Fa Abdul is producer/playwright in a local theatre company