By way of Ahmad Humeid @ 360East
In the Islam religion class in school I, cialis patient as all children in Muslim world, order have learned about the life of Prophet Mohammad. I would like to briefly recount three of the ones I remember:
1. His story with the Jewish neighbor who used to THROW GARBAGE at his doorsteps:
The Prophet had this Jewish neighbor. Everyday the neighbor would throw his garbage at the Prophetâ??s door! Then, one day, the garbage stopped appearing.The Prophet wondered why and asked people about what had happened to his neighbor. He was told that the neighbor was sick, in bed.
So, the Prophet went and visited his Jewish neighbor to make sure heâ??s OK and to wish him well. So touched was the Jewish neighbor that he later converted to Islam.
2. His story with the people of Taâ??if whoâ??s children STONED him:
One day the Prophet visited the village of Taâ??if near Mecca. He was hoping to find support amongst the people of that area after he was shunned by many of his own tribe in Mecca. Instead of support, he was faced by a mob of children, sent by their parents to throw stones at him. He was hit by the hail of stones. He was bleeding, and was barely able to escape into an orchard. He could have asked for Godâ??s wrath to be brought down upon the village, but instead he prayed that one day these people will see the light.3. His story with his tribe after he conquered Mecca:
When the Prophetâ??s army finally conquered his hometown Mecca, many of the leaders of his tribe were filled with fear. They feared the conquererâ??s retribution. Most of them NEVER BELIEVED in him. They TORTURED and KILLED many of his followers and CONSPIRED TO KILL HIM in the early days of his prophethood.What did the Prophet do? He told them: â??Go. You are free!â?Â
* * *
In the spirit of the life of the Prophet, here are 5 ways how the Muslim world could have responded the the Danish cartoons:
1. Apply to the Ministry of Culture in Denmark to organize a big exhibition about the Life of Prophet Mohammad and Islamic History. The Saudi and other Arab governments would finance this event and promote it in a big way in the Danish media.
2. Invite 100 Danish children to come and live with Arab and Muslim families to learn about life in todayâ??s Arab and Muslim world.
3. Invite the editors of the Danish newspaper to a well publicized cultural debate in Doha, Qatar or Copenhagen.
4. The embassies of Arab and Muslim nations could commission a website in Danish about Islam, contemporary muslim thinkers and life in todayâ??s Islamic world. A dedicated staff would respond to incoming questions and request for information.
5. Subtitle the movie â??The Messageâ?? in Danish and try to get many movie theaters and cultural centers in Denmark to show it.
Hello from a Danish Citizen!
I just found your blog because obviously this case concerns every dane. I like your ideas, if there would be an exhibition in Denmark I would surely go there to learn about your culture.
I don’t like the reactions from both sides as it is now I must say, like your ideas better 🙂
Greetings
Thomas
Thomas, welcome to my blog! I don’t like the (re)actions from both sides either. Although I can’t take credit for these ideas. They are from a prominent Jordanian blogger Ahmad Humeid over at 360East. I just happen to agree with him 🙂
And Humeid’s ideas are to be applauded. On another note, I like the new-look Black Iris.
thanks saaleha, time for a change i guess 🙂
Thanks for posting Ahmad’s thoughts, they are the best answer I’ve read yet. And I also like the new look!
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
– Douglas Adams, “Last Chance to See”
Hey, love the new look 🙂
Congrats!
It would be impossible to conceive any kind of relationship between two different cultures where conflict is absent. Except no relationship at all. Conflicts are not necessarily even a bad thing to cross-cultural relationships. They give us chance to learn more about each others if we just choose to be less stubborn and give more respect to each others point of views. Opinions can after all be in conflict while there is healthy and friendly relationship between people. There are a lot of constructive ways to deal with problems, including the great and benevolent proposals mentioned in the Ahmads article for resolving the present conflict. There are a lot of actual disagreements between our cultures and religions but what really worries me are the disagreements caused by misunderstanding and failure to communicate effectively with each other.
Can I state a really off topic comment 😀 as always? :p
The old look was more original and more defined:???:, less template like, this is more like a ready made one. especially the blue background not matching all the colors of the banner pictures. But I loOOooooooove the layout-> just to soften the bluntness:p
U know me, I plead guilty when something is related to honesty:o
p.s: lol@A Piaster For Your Thoughts!
Ohoud, I am with you on this … I would recommend having the blue changed to grayish … 😀
nasnas, to stick to the topic… the above is a perfect illustration of the Prophet’s (pbuh) peaceful, loving, rational method of dealing with situations … a perfect example that we are guilty of not incorporating much of into our daily actions … Another point, the 5 presented solutions above are guaranteed to have some positive impact… ultimately, it all goes down to awareness and education … and the means to achieve the two!
Thanks
Kinzi and Eman, thank you 🙂
Pekka, I agree with you, and I share the same worries.
Ohoud and Iman, the both of you will be the death of me but thanks for the honesty. 😀
Hello again
What can I add, but….
Well said Ahmad
This is true! It is so easy to get carried away when you are enraged. I never stopped to think what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would have done himself. Despite the fact that I am proud so many people are aware of this story, and so many emails are circulating to spear more and more awareness, despite all that it is ideas like these that would truly benefit Islam.
My only comment would be it is not enough that good ideas are pasted on someone’s blog; not every one has enough time to surf the internet reading blogs every night. Try forwarding them in emails, sms’s. It is vital that we are exposed to more points of view.
Great work! salam
Ahmad’s thought sounds great but don’t you think it would have caught all the attention if not for the Saudi’s and the Libyans and ofcourse the boycott.
and there is good to find in everything.
and right here is an example, we are TALKING about what happened, and I am learning muslim points of view on this situation and you are learning mine.
We might not agree, but we are learning about each others, and our respective beliefs.
With learning hopefully will come understanding.
A’slm
At last a voice a sanity…Thank you for your post. I am grateful to know that there are critically thinking Muslims out there.
Now can we all stop giving the stupid cratoons free publicity…or at least use that damn messages behind the cartoons as an opportunity to clean up the act of Islam and get our facts straight about what Islam really syas about those issues…like really what’s dat Virgin story all about?
Keep posting…I’d like to read more of your thoughts.
Wslm’
I am agry with ahmed’s thoughts and thanks for spreading his positive views about this controversary,which is getting worse day by day.I personally beleive that Forgiveness is always better when someone offended you.Bcoz Like ahmed Said The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also preaches about forgiveness.May allah bless all who engaged in this and give them sense of forgiveness.
I think the boycott was important – as a short-term thing. Look at people’s rage in Lebanon and Syria, it’s very important every one knows it IS NOT OKAY! But that’s all short-term. I think that after expressing the fact that we’re REALLY angry we have to think of the long-term solutions.
God bless Islam & all Muslims
Understanding is a double edged sword. These riots around the world only fuel the validity of the cartoons. The calls for the cartoonist deaths, the deplorable acts of embassy burnings and the random attacks on western aid missions, all reinforce the current western attitude about Islam. Namely that Islam is a religion of coward murderers who attack innocent civilians. These thoughts are given visual form by showing your great prophet mohhamud wearing a turban bomb. If anyone should be killed here, maybe u should try looking at who is responcible for giving ur religion such a bad name in the first place….