The onslaught of fanatic Christian, Jewish, ultra-secular and agnostic lobbies in
the progressive West on the oriental, traditional and conventional East in terms
of their cultural, ethnic and religious discrepancies is acute, total, unsparing and
merciless to the extreme. If this trend is not arrested within reasonable bounds
then, the 21st century spells disaster for all inter-communal, inter-faith and intra-
national dialogues and understanding. What then would be the fate of global
peace and security? Any such eventuality is sure to turn all human progress and
development full circle back or retard it beyond repair.
The most disconcerting aspect of this dangerous trend is that those opinion
makers and the leaders of the West who exercise some influence on the
Western society have not been able to recognise this threat to humanity; rather
their own acts to omissions and commissions under the influence of these
diabolical lobbies tend to widen the fissures between the East and the West.
Currently Muslims in the East and all over the world are under tremendous
pressure from the West and their religious sensitivities are under huge strain;
their faith is on trial whereas the judge itself is the most unthinking, corrupt and
dishonest detractors of the faith of over a billion peace loving, hardworking,
progressive and thoughtful people on the globe.
Within the last two years first there were the Danish Cartoons ridiculing the
Holy Prophet PBUH whose personality is central to Islam , then there was the
Pontiff himself quoting a sixteenth century corrupt monarch with questionable
religious credentials, to sound candid while quibbling about Islam in a
proselytising spirit and thereby setting a wave of awe and anger throughout the
Islamic communities across the globe; and now here is the duo of British Prime
Minister and the Queen of England to award their highest title of honour to a
renegade of Islam whose only qualification is his revulsion to Islam, its pristine
principles with their glorified emphasis on the sanctity and dignity of human life,
its propagation and progress of all
human institutions.
Knighthood to Salman Rushdi may have earned him some honour in the West,
however, in the East his name is muddier than ever before. One wonder,
though, what might have prompted the outgoing British Prime Minister to do
such a thing as to recommend Rushdi’s name for such title. Whereas already
relations between the West, mostly Christian and the East, largely Muslim,
being tense, why the Queen must have gone for such an action whose futility
was so obvious. What remains the credibility of such an institution as would
cause anger, dismay and distress to over a
billion people on the globe?
If bias, partiality and prejudice of the Queen and her chatter box Prime Minister
towards Islam were not operative while making such an illogical decision, then
narrow mindedness, despondency, lunacy or outright insanity must have
dictated the decision. What Christian dogma allows the Protestant Queen to
whip the dead horse alive to insult and disregard the feelings and religious
sensitivities of such a large number of people; proselytising spirit must have
tricked her faculties.
This act of the Queen as head of the Church of England does not help in any
way the on going dialogue between religions. Earlier it was Pope Benedict XVI,
the head of the Catholics all over the world, who insulted and belittled the
religious sensitivities of Muslims by quoting a sixteenth century monarch whose
own religious credentials were doubtful. According to the latest reports Tony
Blair is also converting to Catholicism hence his bigotry is understandable,
however, what is beyond comprehension what might have prompted the
Queen, in the last stages of her life, to cause so much distress to such large
sections of Humanity.
The problem with the Christian, agnostic, non-religious, blasphemous and
sacrilegious sections of the West is that they don’t understand the centrality
and acute indispensability of the personality of Holy Prophet Muhammad
PBUH in Islam. Without Muhammad PBUH there is no Islam and without
Islam there is no God. The concept of the Unity of God as preached by
Muhammad cannot be understood unless due regard, reverence, respect and
honour is accorded to Muhammad himself. No one can reach God by belittling
or disgracing Muhammad.
He is the gateway to salvation and God’s blessing. Anyone who does not
believe in this and still claims to be a Muslim his credentials are doubtful. In the
Quran God says, ‘O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Apostle and
those in authority from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it
to God and the Apostle …’ 4:59 It is further emphasised ‘…Whatever the
Apostle gives you, accept it, and from whatever he forbids you, keep back, and
be careful of (your duty to) God; surely God is severe in retributing (evil).’ 59:07
Belittling Muhammad means striking at the very roots of Islam. If some so-
called enlightened and moderate Muslims claim that caricaturing Muhammad
or insulting and making fun of him does not do any harm to Islam, then they
are absolutely wrong and ignorant of the spirit and contents of Islam. Insulting
Muhammad means defying God, straying from the right path and is
tantamount to going all out to the Devil. If any one doubts that then read what
the Quran says,‘Surely God and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who
believe! Call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming)
salutation.’ 33:56 No prayer in Islam is accepted in which Mohammad and his
progeny is not saluted. Look what God says to them who are disrespectful to
Muhammad PBUH, ‘Surely (as for) those who speak evil things of God and His
Apostle, God has cursed then in this world and the hereafter and He
has prepared for them a chastisement bringing disgrace.’ 33:57
The title must be withdrawn in the interest of the British nation as well as the
integrity of this institution. This would not be happening for the first time.
Earlier it was done so in case of boxer Prince Naseem. If it is not done yet again
then the British people as well as the government must understand it has
annoyed over a billion people who will continue to register their protest for a
long time to come until the decision is revoked or the validity, dignity and
respect attached to the institution of knighthood is dissipated; there is no
alternative left with the Muslim Nation.
If the title is not revoked then the heirs of all great Muslim leaders who were
given this title in the past stand ashamed. They must return or officially
abandon this title. It is incomprehensible to equate Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sir
Agha Khan and Sir Allama Iqbal with Salman Rushdi. There is no honour
attached to this title anymore.
First appeared in Pakistan Observer on 3rd July, 2007