Vox Populi - Q-News July 2006, Issue 367

Muslim ‘Snitches’
Letter of the month
With the revelation that the intelligence behind the Toronto terror arrests came from a prominent member of the Muslim community working as a police mole, I think we need some moral clarification here. If a Muslim became a “snitch” in order to get Muslim drug dealers or serial rapists put in jail, would we raise our self-righteous noses at that? I think not. So why do we think it’s wrong that someone “snitched” on a bunch of potential mass murderers? Is it because we’re a bunch of hypocrites when we say that we need to fight not only extremism but actual mass-murdering terrorism in our communities? If this “snitch” was given credible evidence that some Muslim morons (and that’s the most polite title I can think of for such people) were going to carry out murderous acts of terror (even if only against, alas, some “Western kuffar”), then the right thing (and even the courageous thing) to do would be to cooperate with the authorities.
Now the key point here might indeed be “credible evidence”, since hopefully we’re not so naive to believe that the police always play fair when it comes to making a case to put some Muslims in jail. Indeed, in the past they’ve seemingly used informants to make a case against innocent Muslims (or Muslims who are guilty of nothing other than being stupid, but who are certainly not terrorists) just so they have yet another case that gives them an excuse to keep the so-called “Threat Level” high and show that they’re actually doing something to win the so-called “War on Terror”.
On the other hand, we do have a terrorism problem that needs to be dealt with, so in the case where there is a credible threat, don’t we have an obligation to help in such cases? Based not only on basic morality and being a decent human being, but based on the statements of our ulama, we must help to stop murder and mayhem when we can. The last time I checked, we’re not a tribal religion where we support other Muslims regardless of what they do or intend to do. Rather, we should find guidance - indeed, comfort - in the fact that not only did the four rightly-guided caliphs put highway robbers and khawarij extremists to death in spite of the fact that they were “Muslims”.
Based on this I find all of this “shock” over this “snitch” to be rather disconcerting. I realise that no one wants to be seen as the “snitch” who worked with the “kuffar” to get a bunch of Muslims (in spite of the fact that they’re extremist, misguided, simple-minded, morally confused, wacko murderers who are disparaging the way of the Best of All Creation) convicted of a crime, but this is what actually makes it rather courageous in my view. Although we don’t know the details at this time, but given the right circumstances, this Muslim leader who helped the police might very well have done the right thing, in spite of what some Muslims may think of him. I just hope the reason that most Muslims would hesitate to cooperate with the police is a fear that they’d be manipulated into doing things that were wrong and thus get innocent Muslims convicted.

Abdurrahman R. Squires
via email

Be daring!
Not along ago, Q-News was a magazine of diverse voices taking a thoughtful look at a range of issues pertinent to the British Muslim community. What happened? Issue 366 left me feeling grimly disappointed. In discussing the cartoon controversy, Nazim Baksh stoops to invoking that threadbare trope of conservatism, ‘what passes as humour today’ (my granny would have loved ya, Nazim); Zia Sardur’s call for individual ijtihad is mindlessly rebuffed by Muhamed Husain without any attempt to present the historical arguments supporting such a perspective; nasheeds’ corporate visage is interrogated whilst Q-News itself continues to present scholars in Hollywood style photogenic poses; and Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s radical oppositionalism is simply dismissed as mendacious, self-deceiving hypocracy, rather than analysed as a dire symptom of contemporary culturalism. All in all, I sense a shift towards a lifestyle journalism that fails to step out of the box and fully interrogate issues, preferring instead to sell them back to our community dressed in middle-way, middle class platitudes - a Mail on Sunday for Muslims! Come on, sisters and brothers at Q-News! Write something daring!

Yakoub Islam, Yorkshire, UK

Nasheed artists
I commend Suma Din for discussing the likely unfortunate trajectory of ‘nasheed’ music. Her article concisely offers insight on the reality of ‘nasheed’ music in North America and Europe. Over the last two summers, I served as the coordinator for the live concert shows performed at Toronto’s MuslimFest. The first summer, 2004, with Dawud Wharnsby and Zain Bhikha in attendance, the concert had an Islamic vibe to it, but in August 2005, Native Deen and 786 took that away. Throwing memorabilia into the seated audience and eager to sign t-shirts and cd’s in the main foyer, with their agents to their sides, the artists promoted the atmosphere the like of a rock concert. Brothers and sisters screamed as loud as they could and the performers, not Dawud nor Zain, encouraged it further. I felt the concerts were no different than concerts of Coldplay or Junoon or Adnan Sami, all of which I have attended. I cannot agree more that the purpose of ‘nasheed’ music needs to be re-evaluated as Suma Din’s article suggests. I enjoy ‘nasheed’ music because I feel in its message, particulary in the works of artists like Dawud or Zain, there is a power to educate the minds and unite hearts, bringing Muslims closer to their Creator. I pray that ‘nasheed’ music will serve its purpose in the appropriate atmosphere in the years to come and not become distored ‘entertainment.’

AbdulSamad Zubairi, McMaster University, Canada

Mercy Warrior
Many thanks for the item on Habib Ali al-Jifri and his spiritual message of peace. It occurs to me that surely this kind of message is desperately needed in Iraq, to heal the sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias? It just seems terrible to see such carnage going on - one man on TV news yesterday was the father of three sons - all just killed - wailing in grief and asking ‘Is this Islam?’ I guess an appeal to common spiritual values must be a help. But I am not a Muslim so merely ask the question.

Tim Bradshaw, Oxford

Non-violent answers
I am writing to you to ask that you increase your coverage of Palestinian and Israeli civilians who are adopting non-violent methods to build peace and promote equality in the Middle East. Currently, thousands of courageous Israeli and Palestinian civilians cross-political, economic and cultural boundaries to work for an end to the conflict. Yet they face tremendous challenges in spreading their message both at home and abroad. Militants, however, who make up a tiny percentage of each population, command disproportionate local and international attention. I therefore request that for every report about violence emanating from Israel and the Occupied Territories, that you consider including an article or segment about individuals working to build a base for peace. Their efforts are truly newsworthy, especially considering the climate from which they emerge.
It is clear that no matter what happens on a political level among Palestinian and Israeli officials, lasting peace will only take hold with the widespread participation of ordinary civilians. We need to hear more from people who are committed to building a stable, dignified future. The more we know about their work, the more we can support their efforts. Accurate, proportionate reporting is a step in this ethical direction.

Mashfiqul Alam, London, UK

Sadiq Khan vote
I’m writing with reference to an e-mail that has been making the rounds. It is with regards to Babar Ahmad and votes in Parliament. The e-mail accuses Sadiq Khan (and other Muslim MPs) of betrayal. I have personally spoken to Sadiq Khan regarding the email that was sent by “Babar Ahmed Support Team” and not the Free Babar Ahmad Campaign led by his wife. There are some facts that we as Muslims should know of before we start to castigate people. That we do not rumour monger is a major aspect of our way of life.
1. Sadiq Khan was the one who informed Babar and his family of the vote that was going to take place in Parliament.
2. The family were aware that Sadiq will not be in the country to vote as he had to be in France (in relation to the Paris riots) organised much earlier - the family did not raise issues with him regarding this.
3. Sadiq Khan went to see Babar recently and there was no issues mentioned then either.
4. Sadiq will be calling Uzma (Babar’s wife) to speak to her directly.
I think we need to be careful and remember that Sadiq has done a lot for this case and is hardly going to turn his back on it now. We cannot just vilify people as we please, it must be based on facts and with open discussions.

Azad Ali, IFE External Relations, London