Toronto Sun : February 20, 2010
Unveiling the truth
behind Shariah
By SALIM MANSUR,
QMI Agency
Let’s revise the famous opening sentence of Marx and Engel’s
Communist Manifesto to state there is a real peril, instead of a spectre,
haunting the West — the peril of acquiescing to the Shariah-based demands of
the Islamists.
At the top of the Islamist demands is to make defamation of
religion a punishable offence. Since Judaism and Christianity are open to
criticism, even ridicule in free and secular societies of the West, such a
demand is to make an exception for Islam.
The trial of Geert Wilders in Amsterdam for offending
Muslims indicates the extent to which Holland, one of the most open European
countries, has tilted in the direction of becoming a “Shariah-compliant”
society.
Holland is not alone in this effort to appease the
Islamists. Across the West, a chill has fallen over the fundamental right to
think and speak freely about Islam like any other subject of public interest.
The not-so-curious fact that the mainstream media remains
silent by not exposing the travesty in bringing Wilders to court for expressing
his thoughts on Islam — it also remained silent by not publishing the Danish
cartoons that incited a large number of Muslims around the world to rage and
commit acts of violence — is proof of how great is the peril of western
societies conceding de facto or de jure to Islamist demands for Shariah-based
rulings.
There is terrible irony in this. Muslims remain the first
victims of a Shariah-governed society, and the imposition of Shariah is the
primary cause of the contemporary retardation of Muslim countries.
But the Islamists have succeeded in making the argument that
the faith in, and the practice of, Islam is confined by the Shariah, and
anything outside of it is non-Islam.
This argument deliberately obscures the fact that the
Shariah is a legal system devised under Arab supremacy during the last three
centuries of the first millennium and it was based on a reading of the Qur’an
that reflected the prejudices of that age in history.
Redundant
The Shariah is not merely outdated, it is mostly redundant
for any Muslim society straining to be relevant to the demands of the modern
age of science and democracy.
Muslims struggling for democracy and freedom understand best
that Islam cannot be reduced to the Shariah, and their progress demands the
eventual abolition of the Shariah.
Mohamed Charfi, professor emeritus in the law faculty in
Tunis and a former education minister in Tunisia writing as a modern Muslim,
explains how the Shariah is contextually bound to the thinking of the ancient
and medieval world and, consequently, resistant to any reform.
Charfi writes the Shariah or “Muslim law is based on three
fundamental inequalities: The superiority of men over women, of Muslims over
non-Muslims, and of free persons over slaves.
It recognizes the maximum advantages in the case of a free
and rich Muslim male, and the fewest rights in the case of a non-Muslim female
slave … Muslim law is therefore fundamentally discriminatory.”
Hence any Shariah compliance by the West undermines the
struggle of Muslims for reform of their societies and defeat of the Islamists.
And placing any constraint on freedom of speech means in
effect colluding with the Islamists.
In the past, many of you have
expressed concerns about how seriously advanced the threats to freedom have
become in Europe. As you may know, Geert Wilders will be prosecuted by the
Dutch Government for hate speech beginning on January 20th. Geert's
"crime" (and this is a criminal prosecution) was creating his
short film "Fitna" based entirely on verses from the Koran with words
spoken by an assortment of radical Imams. Apparently, repeating these words is
only a crime if you are not a Muslim? Confusing.
In any event, many of us have taken it upon ourselves to write to the
appropriate Dutch Embassy to express our concern about this prosecution.
Whether or not you agree with Geert on the finer points of his argument or his
manner of expressing himself, is not the point. The more important question is,
can those of us who value the freedoms we currently enjoy, allow governments to
arbitrarily apply these rules and subject free citizens to criminal prosecution
for their words, thoughts and expressions.
I hope you will take the time to follow the directions in the email below and
share your concern with the Dutch government.
Mary Lou
A still free Canadian
--------------------
Dear Supporters of Geert Wilders:
We are asking for your assistance in Calling on all Dutch Embassies to free Geert Wilders
At the following link, you will find a list of all Dutch embassies and
consulates abroad:
http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-of/Netherlands#668
We are sending this request to you and many thousands of people the world over
who have expressed support for Geert Wilders because you understand very
clearly and pressingly the threat to our freedoms symbolic in his prosecution.
It doesn't matter which country you are writing from because those of us who
stand for the values of the west and treasure our freedom, are all on
trial.
Please send a message yourself but also pass this on to everyone on your
contact list. Urge your friends to look up the relevant embassy in their home
country, (or in as many countries as they can handle), and write/fax/email the
Ambassador and/or Consular staff on the travesty of Geert Wilders’ upcoming
trial on January 20 2010.
There are fax numbers, addresses and in many cases, email addresses in the
above list that can be used with great results.
Below is a draft of a message that could be used which also contains 2 to 3
main points you might want to include if you choose to personalize your
message:
We abhor the decision of the Dutch Government
and Justice Minister E.M.H. Hirsch Ballin to prosecute the Hon Geert Wilders
for hate speech on January 20 2010.
We note that Holland has always been a staunch ally of the West in its
protection of Free Speech. Now however, it seems that the old traditions have
been abolished.
Millions across the free world will be watching with great concern to see
whether or not the Dutch Government still stands for liberty and still stands
with their allies.
We urge the Government to immediately drop all charges and FREE GEERT
WILDERS
Please copy us on any messages you send so that we know that actions have been
taken to stop this assault on our freedom to speak.
It will be encouraging to Geert to know that so many people are standing with
him as he takes on this fight for all of us.
Best regards,
Friends of Geert Wilders
NB: If you discover any problems with the contact information provided on
the embassy list (i.e. incorrect fax number, email, etc.) we would appreciate
it if you would call your local embassy and ask for the correct information.
Once you have it, if you provide it to us, we will attempt to get the list
updated and corrected. Thank you.
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