What Does Iqraq (Read) Mean to Muslims?

PakIdrus  is very kind to forward me an article by Marina Mahathir and a link to Zainah Anwar's article  regarding the state of mind of  some (most?) of us. Thank you PakIdrus.

MUSINGS
By MARINA MAHATHIR
A FRIEND was relating how after her daughter had read the Da Vinci Code,
she had wanted to read the Bible. Which is not in itself a bad thing
except that she was concerned that an impressionable young mind would not be
able to differentiate fact from fiction. Also it seemed that perhaps what was
needed is a Da Vinci Code-type book for Muslims to spark off the same
level of interest in young people in their own religion.

Except that if anyone tried to write a similar thriller based around
Islam,   they'd be hounded and pilloried and threatened with death, thousands
would  riot in protest and people who would never have been able to read the
book  either because they are illiterate or can't afford it would have died.

Such is the difference between our religions. While there are many
Christians who are upset about the book and movie, they are countering it
with seminars and other educational events to balance what is being said
in  the book, even if the book is only fiction. There have not been Da Vinci
Code-related riots or deaths thus far. Which speaks volumes for theadherents of the faith.

It would be nice if everyone could brush off similar challenges and say
"we  are strong enough to withstand any attack". Even if a book or a movie
becomes a runaway hit, compared to the total number of any faith's
followers, the numbers sold can never match it. Books are by nature, in a
world where illiteracy is still common, a luxury item. As are American
movies, no matter what arguments people make about cultural imperialism.

I remember when there were riots over Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic
Verses, President Benazir Bhutto commented wryly that the people who were
dying over the book were those who would never have read it, or possibly
even heard of it if someone hadn't whipped them into a frenzy. A similar
situation arose with the cartoons. As insensitive as they were, they were
still not worth dying over.

The point is that people's impressions of a religion are often related to
the behaviour of its adherents. Some religions are thought of as simply
kooky because its followers behave strangely. Some are viewed as benign
and  peaceful because its followers resolutely will not harm a fly.

But when people, supposedly in the name of religion, riot, burn and kill,
it can't help but give the impression of a religion that advocates this,
no  matter how much we point out that nowhere in religious texts itself does
it say you should do this. And unfortunately we get the whole spectrum, from
men who publicly insult women on a daily basis without censure to the
real crazies.

Recently in New York I had to suffer the embarrassment of having to
listen to a Muslim man say to a non-Muslim woman at a forum, "Don't mess with
Muslims, we have nuclear weapons!" There I was trying to dispel
stereotypes about violence-prone Muslims and in one fell swoop, this nutcase
confirmed every stereotype there was.

I think the only people who can dispel stereotypes about Muslims are
women. While there are certainly some conservative women, even when these speak
out they will naturally change perceptions because in a world where
Muslim women are perceived to be perpetually hidden behind curtains, their sheer
presence and articulateness will be noticed. What more if they are able
to argue rationally in a calm manner.

Thus far there have been very few Muslim men in the international media
who give a good impression. We might argue that the Western media selects who
they interview in order to perpetuate stereotypes, which is true and that
is a problem for all of us. A man or woman who looks like the archetypal
wild-eyed conservative is far more telegenic than someone who looks like
everyone else. Channel surfers are far more likely to stop at the sight
of someone they think of as alien to their culture than if they see someone
too similar to them. To stop this means having to make a concerted effort
to come together as one community and decide on a sophisticated media
strategy. But sadly coming together as one united community is a
challenge in itself.

If we do manage as a global community to change other people's
perceptions of us, the benefits would be many. Our own people might think more kindly
of each other so peace would reign within. And because within ourselves,
we respect diversity, we can do the same with others. Then peace would truly
have a chance.

Comments

[Nina]

I like Marina Mahathir. The compilation of her musings in "In liberal doses" is definitely one of my best owned Malay books.

Yeah, I totally call for constructive and positive reactions to criticism, fallacy, myth and also creative but ideologically challenging imagination, which is much more discerning in comparison to the simplified "anger" and "offended".
Then again, isn't the way people react has been harnessed in an in bred cultural retro-evolution?

But I think more and more Malay-Muslims are becoming very savvy when it comes to ethical behaviour and intellectualy argument too.

[pu1pu3]

mmmm...funnily enough I had the same sort of conversation with a workmate who happens to be a british. I'm thinking how best can I put it in writing and will blog about it soon.
The work mate said we, the muslims don't unite and there seems to be a lot of segregation among ourselves and the real muslims do not rise among us and only the bad muslims (terrorist)got their way to showing the whole world that all muslims are terrorist. I will elaborate on this further in my blog, insyaAllah.

[Leila Abu-Saba]

How about recommending the Tariq Ali series on the history of Islam to the young person (depending on her age - parents should read it first for appropriateness). These are historical novels about pressure points in Muslim history - I've so far read only the first one, about a family in a village after the fall of Granada - the last Muslims in Spain. It's actually really heavy reading and may be too disturbing for a young girl - but older high school students would like it.

I have traveled to Spain and have read a great deal of history of the era but Ali's novelistic depiction of life during the Reconquista is gripping, taught me things I didn't know. A sad story...

Also - why not have the girl read stories of Muslim holy women, like Rabia? And an expurgated 1,001 Nights.

Just some thoughts. I will consider this and research more. It's a very good question - what young Muslims might read to inspire interest in their history and religion.

Oh yes, and look for Naomi Shihab Nye's fiction for young people - one is called Habibi, and deals with a young Muslim-American girl and her troubled friendship with a young Israeli. She has written others dealing with Arab-American themes, and her collection of poems 19 something of a Gazelle is supposedly for young people although any grownup would like it too.

[Keith Demko]

Interesting stuff ... I, personally, am simply countering it by not giving this garbage any of my time or money ... hopefully many people will do the same