I attended a lecture last night given by Mufti Mohammed Ibn Adam Al-Kathari at the University of York entitled "Misconceptions about Islam". I had been musing for some time about Islam and its position in the UK and I must say I cannot believe the level of liberal suspicion and even anger aimed at Muslims in this country. As a Christian and a Tory I was unsure what to expect, but I acutally found myself identifying far more closely with my fellow believers in the one true God than with the university students who call themselves "liberal".
I was particularly touched by the sung prayer offered at the beginning of the lecture. It was beautifully haunting, melancholy and yet joyful at the same time. I was struck strongly by how powerful the divine is. How we can feel the touch of God even through a language we do not understand.
Muslim hospitality, I believe, has an exemplary reputation, with cultural requirements to ensure the well-being of guests. We were treated like friends, welcomed by children giving flowers and sent on our way with friendly chatter and cake. Al-Kathari was open and honest with his audience, encouraging challenging questions. His manner may not have been quite what the English would expect, a little on the passionate side, but he was polite and attentive to questioners even under pressure.
What shocked me though was the reaction of some of the audience. Many were Muslim, but a good majority were not. One particular questioner was particularly offensive and unreasonable. The issue of homophobia was raised, since Al-Kathari has been accused of such comments. From a Christian perspective it made perfect sense that a Muslim, or anyone of faith, could see homosexual activity as sinful. This alone does not make an individual homophobic. It is one thing to think in your heart that someone is acting in a sinful way and quite another to publicly make known your hatred of their sexual activity. These liberals seem to forget that clear division we have in this country between the public and the private. Men's souls are known and kept only by them. What we think, how we use our minds, after all, is the only true freedom we have.
To refuse to understand how a person of faith would want not to harm a person who is homosexual, or indeed, who has committed a crime, but instead how they would want to offer their love and to help bring that person back to the true path, is itself an anti-liberal act. For are we not all called to try to understand our fellow beings?
Al-Kathari's lecture itself was most interesting, enlightening to those who were willing to truly listen. I had not realised the true beliefs of Muslims in this country, and how they differ so much from those Muslims who live in so-called "Islamic states". Al-Kathari himself condemns the actions of Muslims like the Taleban in these countries, who go against true Islam. A scholar of law, he explained that British Muslims wish only to live their faith as best they can under the laws of this country. No desire for shari'a law in the UK, but instead simply to be allowed to worship freely. The misconception that Muslims would like to see adulterers stoned and thiefs' limbs chopped off was blown out of the water. Like Christians, Muslims have a duty to their fellow believers, a duty to act as true friends and to try to help those who fall. He believes, as do I, that as a believer, we must love the most those who sin. And there is little which can be called more spiritual than love.
No comments:
Post a Comment