Friday, July 06, 2007

UK: 'Not in Our Name' Campaign

This group is portrayed as fighting terrorism, but looking through their site, I see no such thing. Yes, they're against murder. However, their main goal is to fight the "diseases of Islamophobia and racism". I assume that they don't refer by that to those people who kill their fellow citizens in the name of Islam. That is not considered neither Islamophobia nor racism.

The Quran verse on the top of their page says that killing is forbidden in Islam. Yet they don't quote the entire verse, and for a very simple reason. The quote about comparing the killing of one man to that of mankind comes from Jewish sources.

For this reason, man [i.e. the first human being] was created alone to teach that whoever destroys a single life is as though he had destroyed an entire universe, and whoever saves a single life is as if he had saved an entire universe (Mishna Sanhedrin 4:5)

You can read on the United Muslim site that the Quran says something similar:

Whoever kills an innocent soul.. it is as if he killed the whole of mankind, And whoever saves one, it is as if he saved the whole of mankind"

But looking at the entire context, you see something slightly different:

Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidences, and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allâh by committing the major sins) in the land! (Quran 5:32)

In other words:
1. This was said to the Children of Israel, not to the Muslims, and the Quran accuses them of not doing so.
2. Murder is allowed in retaliation for murder.

British Muslims are borrowing a phrase used by UK opponents of the Iraq war in a new campaign condemning attacks in this country.

The "Not in Our Name" campaign will be launched with advertisements in national newspapers on Friday under the title "Muslims United".

The move was prompted by the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow and organisers hope the campaign will emphasise how ordinary Muslims reject terrorism.

The advertisements praise the emergency services as "courageous" and laud the Government's "calm and proportionate" reaction to the crisis.

They carry a quotation from the Koran reading: "Whoever kills an innocent soul, it is as if he killed the whole of mankind.

"And whoever saves one, it is as if he saved the whole of mankind."

The advertisements claim the backing of an alphabet of supporters from accountants to youth workers.

Members of the Muslims United group behind the campaign include the Conservative Muslim Forum, Islamic Relief, the Islamic Society of Britain and groups such as the Muslim Doctors and Dentists Association.

A later phase of the campaign will see advertisements placed on billboards, London buses and the Tube carrying a similar message.

Organisers have also set up a website - on www.Islamispeace.org.uk - carrying detailed information about Islamic teaching and history.

Source: Guardian (English)