This is more or less another one of my rants that is based purely on frustrations incurred over the long run and exploding recently. This post is not intended for a theological debate but is rather merely a medium through which I may vent out. Forgive the linguistic mess.
I really don’t know which Islamic extremists get to me more these days. I don’t know which side of the spectrum I find more dangerous and more insulting to the teachings of Islam.
On the far right are the fanatics who feel everyone who disagrees with them should die and that Muslims should not think for themselves because everything in Islam is meant to be taken out of context and absorbed literally. Yet will still refer to themselves as the models of Islam and how it should be.
On the far left are the fanatics who feel everyone who disagrees with them is a backwards dope who lives in a cave. Who feel it is more important to embrace modernism as defined by western civilization and culture than it is to embrace Islam. Yet will still refer to themselves as the models for Islam and how it should be.
One side says lets kill all the non-Muslims and the other side says lets get drunk with them.
One side says Islam is the answer to all our problems and the other side says Islam is the problem.
One side says women should be physically forced to wear the hijab or be put to death as a kaferah (non-believer) and the other side says women should burn the hijab in protest.
One side defends Islam from those who attack it by verbally and/or physically attacking them. The other side defends Islam by not defending it at all and joining the attack instead.
One sideâ??s weapon of choice is a car bomb and airplanes while the other sideâ??s weapon of choice is misinformation. Which weapon is more deadly in the long run is something I havenâ??t figured out yet.
Both sides believe they are the best representation of Islam.
Both sides ignore significant portions of Islamic history and teachings in order to support their convictions.
Both sides hate moderates but forget that the Prophet pbuh said: “Woe to those who exaggerate; who are too strict!” and “Moderation, moderation! Only with moderation will you ever succeed.”
Both sides have too many fans.
Both sides are adored by the Islamophobes.
Both sides drive me crazy.
And the Prophet weeps.
You’re missing a very important side!
but I guess this explain the title!
Great post Nas!
You are the shining example of moderation. May Allah swt bless your efforts brother!
ws
Your soliloquy, the silent discontent of an overlooked majority. Thanks for putting it to words Nas.
You’ve said it before I think, moderate people are always hammered by extremists – right left and centre. Great post, I don’t like either far right or far left people, they’re both biased, limited in their views, and generally pathetic. It’s very obvious to anyone reading what they write or listening to what they say, only they can’t see it.
Thanks for the post.
Tololy has it right. Those of us in the middle often have to face attack by those on both sides. Those to the right say we are not religious enough, those to the left say we are extremists.
It is said that there will come a day when holdding onto your deen will be like holding onto a burning piece of charcoal. I think we are very close to that day now.
I had a run-in with one such group in a post about (Ahmad Al-Daqamsih). I am painfully aware of everything you say.
Sa7 lsanak, enough said.
I have to say,
I tend to be more on the left side. Though, I completely disgaree with your over-simplification and over generalization of both sides of the spectrum.
Yes I do think women should burn theur Hijabs in protest, I won’t go into why but its not because I think its necessarily backward.
I don’t see how getting drunk with non moslems is a sign of “fanaticism” necessarily.
I’m also not entirely sure what you mean by people on the left, are they progressive moslems like http://www.muslimwakeup.com or progressiveislam.net or are they atheists or agnostics?
There is a war of ideas out there that the moderates and leftists seem to be losing badly. The batte for hearts and minds if you will, hate to quote Bush but seems rather fitting here.
Maybe I’m biased but my experience is that most on the left are averse to imposing their own relgiious or personal views on a societal platform whilst those on the right actively seek that sort of infringement into privacy.
As a Christian I am very impressed with your point-of-view and understand your struggle much more. I only wish more Muslims like yourself would be heard in the world stage. People like yourselves need to win. I can work with you. Of course I can’t work with Osama Bin Ladin and the kooks who are running Iran. A huge problem is that the radicals are dominating the media – in fact they play it like a piano. If moderate Muslims don’t speak up to confront the radicals, western societies will assume a tacit approval of them, and indeed when we think ‘Muslim’ we will think ‘Osama Bin Laden’.