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TechnoratiFOCUS ON TERROR: Working to make Islam great
The young terrorist doctors don't understand the potential of their ordinary lives.
From the photo album in British newspapers the faces of Dr Mohammed Asha, his wife Marwa and their young son look out. His is thin, bespectacled, more often serious than smiling, eyes expressionless. Hers is rounded, pale but attractive, framed by her white headscarf. She smiles and looks happy. So does the little boy for the most part. There is one appealing picture of father and son smiling at each other.
Is Dr Asha a terrorist? He and his wife were arrested last weekend in connection with a failed bomb attack in London and it appears that he might be the ringleader. His family in Jordan say the idea is preposterous, exactly the opposite of what he aspired to in becoming a doctor. But if the police are correct -- and the involvement of six other young Muslim doctors in the latest terrorist episodes in Britain points to it -- his is a particularly disheartening case of twisted zeal.
From all accounts Mohammed Asha, a Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship who has been advancing his medical career in the UK, is a brilliant young doctor with the makings of an outstanding neurosurgeon. He has a beautiful wife, herself working as a hospital laboratory technician, and a healthy looking two-year-old. The couple's skills would guarantee them careers in Britain's national health system and a prosperous lifestyle if they wanted to stay.
They have, in fact, an enormous amount to contribute to Britain. Not only their professional skills, but their attitude to family life and religion. They married soon after graduation and have not delayed starting a family -- something almost rare among British professionals today. They clearly take their faith seriously. People who value family, fertility and faith are an asset to a country which has largely lost the plot in these areas.
By living a happy family life, being affable with neighbours and excelling at their professions this couple could win real respect for their faith and the aspirations of their homelands, as so Many Muslims abroad already have. These human values are universally attractive and prejudices -- the Ashads are said to have been worried about "racism" when they moved to their present rented home last year -- soon fall before them.
What a tragedy, then, to throw all that away for the sake of one deadly gesture of resentment that has been whipped up by the warped idealism and arrogance of young men. Those allegedly involved in the latest episodes can hardly have expected that life would go on just as before. It was quite likely they would be caught. One, at least, did not expect to come out of it alive. Was Marwa Ashad privy to her husband's scheme? What did he or they think would happen to their son?
None of these things finally mattered to these young adults in the grip of an ideal -- presumably, the honour of Islam.
If only their propensity for self-sacrifice, even martyrdom, could be turned into peaceful paths, what a power of good it could do.
If only the families who encourage them to take up service professions and the professors who educate them could instil in them the idea that these are not merely ways of getting on in the world, unrelated to their highest ideals, but ways in which their ideals can become truly effective.
It is the bloodless martyrdom of daily family and professional life that will make Islam great in the eyes of the world, not murder and mayhem.
Carolyn Moynihan is Deputy Editor of MercatorNet.
i’m only 21 and have yet to experience everything. However to hear most of you criticising Islam is disheartening and foolish. how ignorant can most of you be? ARE YOUR SOURCES CREDIBLE? did you do a research in the Islamic world? you think you can just sprout nonsense and then be contented with your stupidity self. That is beyond ignorant.Islam is a beautiful and true religion unlike others. Quran HAS NOT been ALTERED, touched and CHANGED for hundreds and maybe millions of years UNLIKE THE HOLY BIBLE where popes make changes to the contents. All the wonders of the world BE it FUTURE OR PAST is CLEARLY stated in QURAN… it’s a sacred book. Don’t believe it? don’t know it? then do a research abt it instead of sprouting baseless remarks. you should be ashamed of yourselves........
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present (Hardcover)
by Harriet A. Washington (Author)
How quick the U.S., Westerners forget the ill-wills of their doctors, to Blacks. Look at all the murders and intentional maimings they committed, in the name of medical sport, entertainment, funnin’.
The book above, tells most of it.
Terrorism in any form is a crime and a person involved in criminal activity is accountable for suitable punishment In the mean time preventive measure should not be ignored. We, reasonable persons, yet immune from religious blind faith, should collectively adopt some preventive measures so that the coming generation should not fall prey of any religious institutions responsible for creating a criminal class,
So there should be an international organisation of all such persons who believe humanity as the best religion and think for peace and human welfare. One wing of the organization should provide meaningful education to children. The primary education should be made so strong that ill effect of religious teaching or training in family or in mosque can be neutralised.
These terrorists spend their childhood in the Islamic world. Even if they go to school in the west their families train them in Islam. Like Bertha said, it is how one responds to prejuice matters. If a person is taught Islam, one is called to be a terrorists. However, not eveyone becomes a terrorist. Some leave Islam and turn to Christ in search for peace.
There is great tendency to victimize terrorists, and indeed all types of criminals (this, some commentors have done). In the mean time the real victim is forgotten. People seek to understand their thought processes so they can talk to them and convince them to not do what they do. - rubbish!
Criminals are criminals and should not be made into victims - they’re accountable for what they do, not what someone else did to them. Talking to these particular extremist muslims is equally absurd as it is a religiously motivated conflict against the west where their starting point of negotiations is our death! Making them accept the west would mean them compromising their faith, which is not likely to happen.
Radicalisation of a person in any faith is a result of the poisonous social virus which is more dangerous than aids virus. Unfortunately most of the Muslims,even educated, fall victim of such a social virus. Most of the primary educational institutions educating muslim children add fire to the fuel already stored in the mind of such children. Only well planned purposeful universal education right from childhood may prevent this dreadful disease.
Krishna Kant Jha
Bigotry and prejudice are as old as the world. Everyone suffers them in one form or another. Respect for all human beings, for their dignity and their rights, that is the driving force for living in society, as well as tolerance for what is different. As a Hispanic, living in an English-speaking Caribbean island, married to a local, I experienced such prejudice, specially at my work place (the United Nations). After 28 years living here, I still sense some sort of prejudice, but I put this down to lack of culture and ignorance. I have made wonderful friends and I have strived to dispel any misconceptions about Hispanics through my professional behaviour and through social endeavours. Always educating, that’s the key. I live in an island of many religions and cultures and I have learned from all of them and I have taught the nationals about their own culture. The prejudice will always be here, but it’s how we deal with it, that’s what will make the difference.
Let’s get real. . A fanatic is a fanatic is a fanatic. Wahaabism is the theology of “the mad men of God” --as the ottomans called them so all hand ringing about how could a doctor do this is rubbish. Yes rubbish. They are as prone to fanaticism as anyone else. And as for allthose people balming the Jews in israel or the west for going into iraq - well I don’t read about jews loading up cars full of bombs. Nine eleven happened before iraq and being australian i am acutely aware that the bali bombings happened before we went to iraq! They wnat to destroy us in the bad old the secular west. Frankly give me the bad old secualr west any day to islamic fanaticism.
While fully agreeing with the content of the article, I think that we should also begin to try to understand what lies at the root of terrorist actions.
What is it that could be driving such smart, serious and distinguished people to get inolved in such ruthless activities? The doctor in question is said to be of Palestinian origin. Perhaps it is time we consider changing our policy in the Middle East. The Israeli Arab conflict, and our policy over there, has been fueling resentment, understandably so, for too long now.
Shamim Hunt wrote: “If our culture was largely still a Christian culture they would not experience racism because Jesus taught to love one’s neighbor regardless of religion.”
That is the secret to ending all prejudice, be it that of race, colour or religion. If all those who call themselves Christians truly believed that Christ died for all humans and that God imprinted us all with His image, we would treat others who differ from us with love.
Loving another doesn’t imply that we are emotions are involved; true love is in the will. We see true love when we witness a husband and wife determined to resolve serious differences, or when friends forgive each other when harsh words are spoken.
Christian love is expressed when a shopowner who sees a muslim come into his store, smiles and serves him with the same enthusiasm he would serve others. The shopowner might be afraid that the muslim is a terrorist, but he wants to consider the person a friend until that person proves otherwise.
That takes courage; it takes love.
This event contradicts what the media and politicians have been saying about these terrorists, that they are lower class disaffected muslim youths who are radicalised when they seek support from the Mosque. These terrorists were clearly not of that type. As you say, “They clearly take their faith seriously.” - Maybe that’s the problem.
Carolyn,
You bring up excellent point that the family of Dr. Asha were feeling racism.
When I was a Muslim in the 80s, I noticed that the doctors I was visiting for my children’s health, they were gradually becoming more and more religious. They were feeling racism, and were inclined to find out about their own relgion in search of an identity for themselves instead of being patient and attract people to themselves for them to give up racism. The obvious result of this extreme searching and following of Islam is that these educated people see Islam for what it really is and they are more likely to follow what it says. For example, Quran says that “the Christians and Jews (non-Muslims) are not your friends, and they never will be. Do not trust them. Kill them wherever you find them, if you love Allah.” These young educated people are following what Islam teaching them to do.
Educated muslims avoid going to Christian doctors because they do not trust them because Quran says so. And if they experience racism they are likely to beleive Quran even more so. If our culture was largely still a Christian culture they would not experience racism because Jesus taught to love one’s neighbor regardless of religion. These people would then see the difference between the hate taught by their own religion, and the love taught by Jesus.
The only way these Muslims can be taught not to be terrorists if they see love, not racism.
I hope this is a wake up call for believers of Islam. That life is sacred and be respected no matter what idealogy you believe in. Martyrdom is in the ordinary daily work you do with excellence and concern for other people.
Carolyn,
Your second to last paragraph begs the question: shouldn’t higher education and professional education also include a serious moral component? Shouldn’t higher education be something more than simply a place that demands intellectual virtues? Shouldn’t it demand moral virtues too? And if so, how could that be accomplished? These are old questions, which have old answers.
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