As a Muslim, what can I learn from Paris?
It was a moment
both terrifying and beautiful. So many football fans were stranded inside the
Stade De France Stadium and were desperately trying to get out. The same venue
that had been full of cheers and uninhibited excitement was now a playground of
horror. It was in this plethora of fear, confusion and terror that the French
people who were huddled together near the exits started singing the National Anthem
“La Marsellaise”, a song that was born centuries ago calling out for liberty
against tyranny. In a moment where lives were being lost these people clung to
the one thing that highlighted their precious identity, their nationality. Fear
made them realize the worth of their own selves of reaching out and helping
others as terror struck the City known as ‘Ville De L’amour’ (City of Love).
Yesterday my
newsfeed was filled with photos and statues of the same attacks. People wrote
messages of love and support. They changed their profile pictures to the
colours of the French flags to show their solidarity. Soon, however, a new
argument came into play: why was no one talking about the attack in Beruit that
claimed the lives of 43 innocent citizens a day before? Why was no one
commenting on the atrocities committed every day in Syria, Palestine and Iraq?
I was
definitely in agreement with the fact that it is hypocritical to condemn certain attacks and ignore others. But as I pondered over this another thing dawned on
me: this argument is not new. We have heard it a million times before. We argue
over why we chose one country’s flag over another. We argue about which nation
has suffered the most. We condemn the hypocrisy of the media and world leaders.
But where
does that get us? And what good has pointing out this hypocrisy done to us?
If we are to
be truly honest with ourselves, the only hypocrisy we have to point out is our
own.
When 141
school children were shot point blank and killed in a school on our own soil,
what did we do? As a Pakistani Muslim, I cant help but recall how my identity and faith was shaken to its core and I know many
others went through the same. How did we
seek to reclaim it? How united did we become? Paris, having suffered earlier as
well, after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, showed their unity in millions and stood
up against extremism. Did we do the same?
When attacks rained down on so many different Places of Worship last
year and earlier this year, what did we do in our capacity?
Where was our unity? Did we take a stance, did
we stand up for anything. This is despite the fact that we were shown an
example of true courage when after the Peshawar school attacks, a handful of
citizens led by the activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir staged a protest for days
outside Lal Masjid, braving the cold and condemning extremism, in a bid to
reclaim the Mosque.
But what
about the rest of us? I am not saying we should take to the streets everyday.
However, the least service we can give our nation is consider what we can do in
our own capacity to fight extremisn. And we don’t have to anywhere for it. We
look up to a Prophet (S.A.W) who gave us that answer 1400 years ago. His own
life was a living example of how one can live by The Quran, with kindness,
justice and mercy towards all.
A year ago I asked myself what is it I can do, what can
be my bit to fight extremism, a question that was still reiterated after these attacks.
But I realized is that I certainly can’t
fight ignorance regarding Islam with my own ignorance. And the first thing I
discovered after starting the series of basic Tafsir by Nouman Ali Khan from
the beginning (Surah Fatiha) is that there is so much reflection that is left
neglected and there are so many questions on everyone’s tongue for which there
are clear answers but no one to read them.
If we are to
argue that terrorism is a product of ignorance and misinterpretation, how is
our own ignorance any better? How is our ignorance not an extreme in itself? And
how are we so blind to it’s manifestations in our society? Isn’t it an extreme
that the suicide rate for young people is rising alarmingly? Isn’t it an
extreme that domestic abuse is not only common but also overlooked and most men
believe it a divine right to oppress women? Isn’t it an extreme that we create social
divides among ourselves based on superficialities such as clothing. How is it
not an extreme that in a world where baby girls were once buried alive
physically, they are now done so mentally, by being denied an education, the
right to work and empower themselves? And what’s more is something we do in our
daily lives, our belief that it is our divine right to backbite about others,
to interfere in matters we have no business in and to pass judgment without a
single thought. How many relationships have suffered and how many families have
been destroyed because of this?
The Holy
Quran that we Muslims claim to respect and follow is mostly kept on the top
bookshelf in a remote corner of the house, gathering dust. Why don’t we try and
understand what it says? Why cant we internalize its message and indulge into
the beauty of its stories? We may believe them to be irrelevant to this modern
day and age but that is again our ignorance. For example, the Story of Hazrat
Musa (A.S) can teach us so much and of so many varied aspects; from fighting
tyranny to honouring women in the workplace. The latter is something you may
not expect to be there but if we are to read with an open mind and make some
effort at understanding the Arabic, we can surely see how the Book speaks to us
and breaks the barriers of time and history. The quiet Patience of the Noble
mother, who kept her baby in a basket and threw it in the river is as needed
today as it was centuries ago. The perseverance of Hajrah, the wife of Hazrat
Ibrahim (A.S) who ran seven times between two hills in desperation for her
child is as beautiful today as it was then. The humility of Hazrat Yunus (A.S.)
when he cried to Allah in his hopelessness is something we can all benefit from
today.
So,
today, take the step. Open the Book. So much can change but one thing that remains
constant for the human mind is learning and discovery. Let’s discover our
beautiful Deen together. It is not enough to know that as a Muslim you have to
Pray 5 times a day and give Zakat and observe fasting. We need to understand
the essence of all this. Our Deen is not a handout of Halal vs Haram. It is a
complete, clear and beautiful way of life.
Most
of all, this Book is the only thing that can help us rid us of fear. It is the
only thing that can cause an entire nation to come together. The Quran tell us
again and again to stand up for justice,
not just for those whom we love but anyone we see being wronged:
“"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm
in justice, witnesses for Allah , even if it be against yourselves or parents
and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So
follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort
[your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what
you do, Acquainted." (The Holy Quran 4:135)
Ultimately, we need to turn back to the
same Book that we claim to love. We need to discover the treasure hidden in its
words and see how enriched our lives can become. So let’s go back to the Book
and learn. Let’s go back to the one Thing that can enrich our lives, bring us
together and give us back our identity.
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