SV: SV: Plight of Buddhist art

Fri Mar 2 01:43:27 UTC 2001

vaNakkam

A personal note :

I  and my family still have excellent cordial relations with our
Muslim neighbors  for  over 30  years as  close family  friends.
I am no Muslim hater. Hatred & Anger will destroy oneself eventually.

-----

"Islamic  tolerance"  - Is  this not a  contradiction in itself ?
Raveen-ji  pointed out  this news  item. Does  this say  anything
except the unwritten rule of exceptions to everything ? No.

Its   fine  to  condemn  this  from  SriLanka,  but  from  within
Afghanistan ? Why is that we dont hear strong condemnation to the
effect  that the  destruction  of idols  and  statues is  against
Koran/Islam  from, let us say, Pakistan/Bangladesh/ MiddleEastern
nations and notably from SaudiArabia ??

Muslims  or Muslim  nations  urging the  Taliban from  destroying
these  statues to preserve art/heritage is one thing. To say such
destruction is against Islam is another.

We  need to  understand the  difference  between the  views of  a
Muslim  person both  as  an individual  and as  a  Muslim. As  an
individual,  this  person could speak  out his/her thoughts. As a
Muslim,  it is next to impossible for the entire Muslim community
to denounce what Mohammed did several centuries ago - destruction
of statues and idols of gods/goddesses of other religions. In the
views  of hardcore  Islam followers like Taliban, ( those who are
members  of Taliban and others elsewhere who are in line with the
ideas  of  Taliban ) - it  is just impossible for these people to
condemn   the  destruction   of  statues   and  idols   of  other
cultures/religions.

A person born into a Christian or a Hindu family could live as an
atheist  in their  adult life. No one can force them. This person
has  denounced  his/her  belief  in  the  Gods/Goddesses  of  the
religion  of  their parents.  But can  a person  born in a Muslim
family  denounce  Allah and lead  a life  of a atheist publicly ?
Privately, one could. From the Koran, this person cannot denounce
any  other God/Goddess as Koran says all other Gods/Goddesses are
false  and  Allah is the only  true God. So if this Muslim person
denounces Allah, he/she ceases to become a Muslim immediately and
is labelled a Kafir or an infidel.

http://cwis.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/014.qmt.html#014.035

http://cwis.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/021.qmt.html#021.052 to
http://cwis.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/021.qmt.html#021.059

Similarly  condemning  the acts of  Taliban is fine personally as
individuals. But to say, 'this is against Islam', is saying, what
Mohammed  did  several centuries ago was wrong, & this would lead
them earning a fatwa.

Some  argue  that this  is  a  way  of  the Talibans  to  attract
attention  to the internal problems in their nation. This is like
keeping  on  connecting two  points on a  paper via several curvy
lines avoiding the shortest way - a simple straight line. Can one
then  deny  the straight line is  the only way to connect the two
points  ? No. Because these two points can be connected via 1000s
of curved lines.

To  keep repeating  Islam is a peaceful tolerant religion is just
ignoring  the  straight line between  two points and focussing on
the curvy lines. Whether this is deliberate or unintentional, is
left to those who say it.

I request members to read the links at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/muslim-politician/messagesearch?query=democrac
y%20is

Here is one observation ( of course this person is only saying
his views and not on behalf of all Muslims )

----
from - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/muslim-politician/message/552

But what do we make of a concept of "Islamic democracy"? I agree;
Iran's system is corrupt and needs accountability and reform. But
"popular rule"? How Islamic is the concept? Often times, it seems
Khatami  is just  out to  take any  interesting Western  idea and
force its Islamization. One cannot take a few ideas from the West
and  ignore the  rest. The basic concept of democracy is, must we
be   reminded,   un-Islamic.  There  is  no  concept  of  popular
sovereignty. One may make an argument for popular accountability,
in  light of  the rule  of God,  but often  times, I  wonder what
"Islamic  democracy"  really means.  After  all,  does this  mean
political  parties? Advocating blatantly un-Islamic ideas such as
secularism?  Or  rather Islamic parties of different concerns and
orientations? I'd be interested in other people's opinions.
----

Right from the time, the Semitic religions came to this earth, we
have noticed the death and destruction of other civilizations. It
is just one more act of savagery to that list. And it is sad.

vaNakkam
- Suresh

----- Original Message -----
From: Raveen Satkurunathan <tawady at YAHOO.COM>
To: <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2001 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: SV: SV: Plight of Buddhist art

> On Wed, 28 Feb 2001 23:41:26 -0500, L. Suresh Kumar-LSK
> <lskumar at SYMPATICO.CA> wrote:
>
> >vaNakkam
> >
> >No Muslim, educated or not, intellectual or not, will
> >ever come out of the closet and condemn the acts of
> >the Taliban - the reason being, if they did condemn it,
> >then they are violating the teachings of Mohammed (their
> >prophet) and hence violating what is in koran. How could
> >they do it ?
>
> Muslim (political) party to urge Taliban against destroying statues
>
> http://www.indiaabroaddaily.com/2001/02/28/28taliban.html