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Faith and the future
Britain's first government-funded Islamic school closed temporarily last
week amid a wave of anti-Muslim feeling. Its chairman of governors, Yusuf
Islam - formerly the pop star Cat Stevens - explains why his adopted
religion is the home of tolerance and not of fanaticism
Special report: terrorism in the US <http://www.guardian.co.uk/usterrorism>
Tuesday September 18, 2001
The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk>
The playground stands bare and empty. Wind blows across the space where
little children until recently chased, skipped and played. The gates of the
first government-funded Muslim school in the UK were closed last week for
two reasons: respect and caution.
With reports linking the atrocities at the World Trade Centre and the
Pentagon to Muslim groups, the parents and children of Islamia primary
school in north London have become possible targets of hate and harassment.
There was a similar wave of anti-Muslim feeling after the bombing of the
federal building in Oklahoma in 1995, even though it was later discovered to
be the foul work of a son of Uncle Sam himself, a home-grown, disaffected
American radical. But media speculation had already pointed the finger at
Muslims and the Arab world, and that meant ordinary citizens of the US and
other western countries became easy prey for anti-faith hooligans. Shame.
As chairman of the board that runs the small one-form primary school, I
decided, in consultation with teachers and parents, to shut the school for a
few days, until the dust settles and people can see more clearly. But,
sadly, the latest horror to hit the US looks to have been caused by people
of Middle Eastern origin, bearing Muslim names. Again, shame. This fuels
more hatred for a religion and a people who have nothing to do with these
events. This is why I felt it necessary to write and explain some basic
facts about this noble way we call Islam, before, God forbid, another
disaster occurs - next time probably aimed at Muslims.
I came to Islam in my late 20s, during my searching period as a wandering
pop star. I found a religion that blended scientific reason with spiritual
reality in a unifying faith far removed from the headlines of violence,
destruction and terrorism. One of the first interesting things I learned in
the Koran was that the name of the faith comes from the word salam - peace.
Far from the kind of Turko-Arab-centric message I expected, the Koran
presented a belief in the universal existence of God, one God for all. It
does not discriminate against peoples; it says we may be different colours
and from different tribes, but we are all human and "the best of people are
the most God-conscious".
Today, as a Muslim, I have been shattered by the horror of recent events;
the display of death and indiscriminate killing we've all witnessed has
dented humanity's confidence in itself. Terror on this scale affects
everybody on this small planet, and no one is free from the fallout. Yet we
should remember that such violence is almost an everyday occurrence in some
Muslim lands: it should not be exacerbated by revenge attacks on more
innocent families and communities.
Along with most British Muslims, I feel it a duty to make clear that such
orchestrated acts of incomprehensible carnage have nothing to do with the
beliefs of most Muslims. The Koran specifically declares: "If anyone murders
an [innocent] person, it will be as if he has murdered the whole of
humanity. And if anyone saves a person it will be as if he has saved the
whole of humanity." British Muslims feel nothing but sympathy for those
families who lost loved ones. I know people who were directly involved in
the tragedy; my own brother, who lives in New Jersey, was going to fly out
from Newark last week. In that respect we all feel the same.
The Koran that our young pupils learn at Islamia is full of stories and
lessons from the history of humanity as a whole. The Gospels and the Torah
are referred to; Jesus and Abraham are mentioned. In fact there is more
mention in the Koran of the prophet Moses than of any other. It acknowledges
the coexistence of other faiths, and in doing so acknowledges that other
cultures can live together in peace. "There is no compulsion in religion,"
it states, meaning that people should not be compelled to change their
faith. Elsewhere it states, "To you, your religion; to me mine." Respect for
religious values and justice is at the Koran's core. The Koranic history we
teach provides ample examples of interreligious and international
relationships; of how to live together.
But some extremists take elements of the sacred scriptures out of context.
They act as individuals, and when they can't come together as part of a
political structure or consultative process, you find these dissident
factions creating their own rules, contrary to the spirit of the Koran -
which demands that those recognised as being in charge of Muslims must
consult together regarding society's affairs. There is a whole chapter in
the Koran entitled Consultation; in Arabic the word for that is Shura.
Communal wellbeing is central to human life, so there is a concept in Islam
called Istihsan, which means "to look for the common good". Even though the
Koran may lay down a diktat, scholars are also supposed to consider the
circumstances prevalent at the time. Sometimes that means choosing the
lesser of two evils or even suspending legislation if necessary: for
instance, a person who steals bread during a famine is not treated as a
thief.
Once I wrote in a song, "Where do the children play?" It is hoped that
opening Islamia school's gates this week will herald a new day and a new
dawn for children all over the world. Our sympathy and thoughts go out to
the families of all those who lost their lives in this tragic act of
violence, as well as all those injured. But life must go on. Children still
need to play, and people need to live and learn more about their neighbours
so that ignorance doesn't breed more blind fanaticism. Moderation is part of
faith, so those who accuse Muslim schools of fostering fanaticism should
learn a bit more about Islam.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Ruined are those who insist on
hardship in faith," and, "A believer remains within the scope of his
religion as long as he doesn't kill another person illegally." Such
knowledge and words of guidance are desperately needed at this time, to
separate fact from falsehood, and to recognise the Last Prophet's own
definition of that which makes a person representative, or otherwise, of the
faith he lived and the one we try to teach. |
