I am aware of Ayaan Hirsi since she created ripples in Holland though I am not aware of her writing and her approach, how she is defining Islam? She is not the only one who reject divinity of the book, there were several intellectual and scholars who did the same and paid hefty prices, some of them lost their lives as well. Islam is the only religion who successfully propagated a false notion that there is no any Prophet after Mohammed and Quran is the book of Allah, divine and thus above from any amendments. It has been a bone of contention for the intellectuals and has been debating the issue, IRON fisted Govt in the name of Islam has been instrumental to implement this dogma as it was in their favour. Islam failed within 30 years of its inception, Prophet's body was allowed to lay in desert for seven hours as different factions remained to sort out the leadership issue. Mohammed was the shrewdest politician who created such a system, particularly to control Bedouin (Arab Tribe) with a iron hand and designed a system which if fool proof of any kind of dissention. And he was utterly successful in his efforts. The total period of Four so-called rightly guided Caliphs ended in 30 years which was faced with various problems, civil wars and many Caliphs was brutally murdered still, Islam survived just because of the fact that KING understood is properly and implemented it successfully. Islam was mainly divided in two camps, one for rulers who did not adhere to any of its teaching and did whatever suits them and lived a lavish life and second was for masses. Sharia was created during the rule of Abbasids so it has all such ingredients which are necessary for a KING to rule safe.
Now the problem is that due to that 1400 years old system which Islamic states has created has become a force to reckon with. What we see now a days, a critical wave against Islam is actually a latest phenomenon, its post 9/11 phenomenon. They only started crying when West felt the first burnt. Otherwise, whole US administrations, Pentagon were behind creating a Islamic resistance against progressive movements in third world countries and some states as well. They continued to ignore all human right violation in entire Middle Eastern states in order to make sure safe and sound supply of Oil and make money thru their MNCs working that part of the world. Middle Eastern countries also created one state two systems for the Westerners, a US, UK citizen is still being treated like their God father in entire gulf region so they did not faced any problem. Entire gulf states are being run on the basis of South Asian immigrants and these states do not take any responsibility for them. Its a separate issue, but West kept close their eyes on such issues. Why question of Ayaan is so prominent now? Why west really waited to worsening this situation? Their conscience is not clean and clear.
There is no dearth of Muslims who believes in critical Islam, who wants to see its growth with the science? How can we forget the Turkey was the country who burnt Veils on its squares under Pasha in 1920 when we as Indian were demanding Ottoman Empire to be restored under Gandhi (Khilafat Movement)? How we can forget that there was a great wave of support in south asian sub-continent for progressive Muslims? How we can forget that Muslim community contributed a long line of progressive leadership in Muslims, right from Sajjad Zahir to Faiz Ahamd Faiz, Muzaffar Ali, Z A Ahmed and many more in different walk of life. Who created that atmosphere that we are forced to forget them and now there is a literal vacuum of progressive Muslim leadership. How can we forget that George Habbas, Leila Khalid were the iconic faces in the entire middle east during 1970s, they were all who rejected the Islam which was enforced by the King and its lackeys i.e. Mullas.
Situation is really very critical, the was Ayaan Hirsi is being projected will not yield desired result. We need to have a comprehensive approach toward the problem and force Western powers to pressurise Gulf states to change their characters, Only restoration of a democratic governments and nullification of kingdom ship will help to people to have an alternative in their lives i.e. political system, theories, religion etc. The present system of governance in Middle Eastern countries has turned their people into parasites (Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and large section of Saudi population) etc. Local people don’t give any shit to anything since they gets best material and life to support them without doing nothing. Five times prayers are just a ritual, cultural practice for them and donning white ‘Choga/Kandoora’ just to make a visible difference between them and expatriates otherwise they are not worried about anything. They will remain like this for another 200 years unless; west don’t put pressure to bring some internal changes in these countries.
The present scenario is really not very favourable for Muslim intellectuals, they are under threats, they are not in a position to defend Salman Rushdie, Tasleema Nasrin or Ayaan but it does not means that they don’t like change? They all believe the absolutist and finalist agenda of Islam either? They are under pressure of their own circumstances, their objective conditions are pathetic. But, still some people are fighting tooth and nail by risking their lives, just have a look of http://www.newageislam.com/ and you can come to know what they are doing? See Tarek Fatah and his group in States and Netherland and see what they are doing? Things are really not very encouraging for New Light Muslims but some of them are really doing a good job:
I will conclude my comment with a Urdu couplet:
“Kyun Zulmat-e-Firak se Ghabra Raha Dil,
Ho jayegi saher bhi, gar sham hui hai”
Now the problem is that due to that 1400 years old system which Islamic states has created has become a force to reckon with. What we see now a days, a critical wave against Islam is actually a latest phenomenon, its post 9/11 phenomenon. They only started crying when West felt the first burnt. Otherwise, whole US administrations, Pentagon were behind creating a Islamic resistance against progressive movements in third world countries and some states as well. They continued to ignore all human right violation in entire Middle Eastern states in order to make sure safe and sound supply of Oil and make money thru their MNCs working that part of the world. Middle Eastern countries also created one state two systems for the Westerners, a US, UK citizen is still being treated like their God father in entire gulf region so they did not faced any problem. Entire gulf states are being run on the basis of South Asian immigrants and these states do not take any responsibility for them. Its a separate issue, but West kept close their eyes on such issues. Why question of Ayaan is so prominent now? Why west really waited to worsening this situation? Their conscience is not clean and clear.
There is no dearth of Muslims who believes in critical Islam, who wants to see its growth with the science? How can we forget the Turkey was the country who burnt Veils on its squares under Pasha in 1920 when we as Indian were demanding Ottoman Empire to be restored under Gandhi (Khilafat Movement)? How we can forget that there was a great wave of support in south asian sub-continent for progressive Muslims? How we can forget that Muslim community contributed a long line of progressive leadership in Muslims, right from Sajjad Zahir to Faiz Ahamd Faiz, Muzaffar Ali, Z A Ahmed and many more in different walk of life. Who created that atmosphere that we are forced to forget them and now there is a literal vacuum of progressive Muslim leadership. How can we forget that George Habbas, Leila Khalid were the iconic faces in the entire middle east during 1970s, they were all who rejected the Islam which was enforced by the King and its lackeys i.e. Mullas.
Situation is really very critical, the was Ayaan Hirsi is being projected will not yield desired result. We need to have a comprehensive approach toward the problem and force Western powers to pressurise Gulf states to change their characters, Only restoration of a democratic governments and nullification of kingdom ship will help to people to have an alternative in their lives i.e. political system, theories, religion etc. The present system of governance in Middle Eastern countries has turned their people into parasites (Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and large section of Saudi population) etc. Local people don’t give any shit to anything since they gets best material and life to support them without doing nothing. Five times prayers are just a ritual, cultural practice for them and donning white ‘Choga/Kandoora’ just to make a visible difference between them and expatriates otherwise they are not worried about anything. They will remain like this for another 200 years unless; west don’t put pressure to bring some internal changes in these countries.
The present scenario is really not very favourable for Muslim intellectuals, they are under threats, they are not in a position to defend Salman Rushdie, Tasleema Nasrin or Ayaan but it does not means that they don’t like change? They all believe the absolutist and finalist agenda of Islam either? They are under pressure of their own circumstances, their objective conditions are pathetic. But, still some people are fighting tooth and nail by risking their lives, just have a look of http://www.newageislam.com/ and you can come to know what they are doing? See Tarek Fatah and his group in States and Netherland and see what they are doing? Things are really not very encouraging for New Light Muslims but some of them are really doing a good job:
I will conclude my comment with a Urdu couplet:
“Kyun Zulmat-e-Firak se Ghabra Raha Dil,
Ho jayegi saher bhi, gar sham hui hai”
