The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, incumbent on all Muslims at least once in their lifetimes, today reaches its climax.
Concerning this annual festival, today’s Times reports the Saudi Minister for Islamic Affairs as saying: ‘The pilgrimage to Mecca is not a place for place for raising political banners … The haj is a school for teaching unity, mercy and cooperation’.
To that sentiment I say: ‘Amen, brother’.
Yet if that is the official view of the Saudi government, how come it has allowed a two day conference to take place in Mecca at the same time as this year’s haj which is being used by its organisers as a platform to call for world-wide concerted legal action against anyone criticising Islam or suggesting any link between it and terrorism?
Organised by the Saudi government-sponsored Muslim World League (MWL), a body created in 1962 to propagate Wahhabism world-wide, the conference organisers are using it to initiate a world-wide campaign to secure legal action against anyone saying or writing anything critical of Islam. This includes, it seems, suggesting Islamist terrorists derive inspiration for their criminal acts from their understanding of the Quran and of the example of Muhammed.
The Secretary-General of the MWL, who reportedly called on western countries to take action against ‘those who create unnecessary fear about Islam by linking it with terrorism and violence’, is also reported to have warned that: “The creation of such fears will lead to violating humans rights of Muslims and threats to their freedom and security. It will also have other long-term negative impacts.”
If no one is to be allowed to voice concern about how jihadists exploit the Quran and the Haddith to legitimise acts of terror, I fear that, among the human rights shortly to be violated, will be some even more basic than that to freedom of expression-- viz that to life.
Indeed, one is entitled to wonder just how literally the MWL Secretary General intended himself to be taken, when he warned of ‘the long-term negative impacts’ that would follow failure by the world community to suppress all postulated linkage of Islam with terrorist violence.
While by no means all versions of lslam or by any means all Muslims condone or call for violence in propagation of that faith, it is futile and unhelpful to pretend none do, or that anyone who points out that some do commits a libel against that faith.
Comments (4)
I am in total agreement with Malta_1565's comments above. What I am interested in is exactly how we go about a counter-offensive without throwing both sides into open conflict. Because, given the thinly-veiled ambitions of well-motivated immigrant/religious communities and the apathy of most of the indiginous British population, I fear the tipping point you mention is almost upon us.
Posted by M. Palmer | January 4, 2007 6:55 PM
Posted on January 4, 2007 18:55
I am constantly having to readjust my estimate of how little muslims seem to understand about give and take. Pope Benedict XVI was perfectly correct to point out the need for reciprocity. Muslims just don't seem to have developed this concept, yet alone be willing to abide by it.
I think we have got to start scrutinising the activities of the Saudis very carefully because a great deal of our present woes seem to have their seeds there. The Euro-Arab Dialogue was instituted at the behest of the Saudis and there again we see a complete absence of reciprocity. It isn't a dialogue at all, it's a pipeline to pump islamic culture, wahhabi islam and millions of immigrants into Europe.
We have to mount our counter offensive without delay before the demographic balance is tipped against us.
Posted by Malta_1565 | January 3, 2007 11:18 PM
Posted on January 3, 2007 23:18
I certainly do not wish to go on and on about free speech, however, to be basic, it annoys me that they can say what they want about other faiths but woe to those who question their faith.
Posted by J.Williams | December 30, 2006 7:21 AM
Posted on December 30, 2006 07:21
In view of the possible impending take-over of Europe by militant Islam, would it not be sensible for Christians, Jews, and in fact all non-Muslims to organise some form of legal defence now, before it is too late.
Posted by Aidan Condie | December 29, 2006 5:46 PM
Posted on December 29, 2006 17:46