Dutch Election and the Presumed Muslim Problem


 
The Dutch had their election last Wednesday in which the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim extremist party – the Freedom Party (PVV) - came out a distant second winning 20 seats in the 150-seat parliament. Its leader Geert Wilders ran on a "de-Islamification" platform, calling for Islamic schools to be closed and the Qur’an and burqa to be banned.

Wilders said he was still expecting to see a "European spring" for his supporters. The Dutch election on Wednesday had been billed as a litmus test for populism in Europe after last year’s British vote to leave the European Union and the election of US President Donald Trump.

But there were also warnings that Wilders and the far-right, Fascist-leaning movement across Europe would not quietly fade away. Come May the French voters would elect their president where Marine Le Pen of the National Front party is projected to win 40% votes in the first round of the election. Far-right parties in Europe are hoping to benefit from increased levels of support as Germany's Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party is poised to enter federal parliament for the first time in September. In Hungary, the government of Viktor Orban is part of that anti-immigrant nexus.

All these far-right parties are anti-immigrant, esp. anti-Muslim. One can find their connection with hate groups like the Stop Islamisation of Europe of Danish xenophobe Anders Gravers Pedersen, and American Freedom Defense Initiative and Stop Islamization of America of Pamella Geller and Robert Spencer, let alone the English Defence League, the Jobbik Party and many others that either mushroomed or became overtly more aggressive after 9/11. It would be foolish to ignore the crucial role of the sly organizers of the Jerusalem Summit that brought them together for a common cause after 9/11 against a perceived common enemy - a win-win proposition for Israel-firsters and Muslim haters around the globe. [Islam was presented as a religion of terrorists (including Palestinians) that is not only incompatible with the West but an existential threat to western Judeo-Christian values, thereby, buying the moral justification for an undivided Jerusalem under Israeli control only – something that nearly half a century of occupation simply could not do. Interested readers may like to read this author’s series of articles on Jerusalem Summit.]  

What’s driving the popularity of these anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, bigotry-ridden parties – all over Europe? It’s the fear of Islam. They profess that “Islamophobia is the height of common sense". They claim to be threatened by the new immigrants who are coming from Muslim countries, and are desirous of preserving the European way of life. The minority Muslims (5%), Hindus and Buddhists together comprise only about 7% of the Dutch population. One can only take pity on the poor Dutch who feel threatened by a small minority!

As I have noted elsewhere, guys like Wilders have a very long history of deplorable racism and bigotry, and are beyond reform. They do not know Islam and are not interested to know the faith of some 1.7 billion Muslims either to shed off their appalling prejudice. They cherry pick verses of the Qur’an to fit their chauvinist agenda and present a very distorted image of Islam and its noble Prophet.  

Far from the false claims of hatemongers like Wilders, the Qur’an presents Muhammad (S) as the last of the mighty messengers of Allah, sent as a prophet, as a Witness, and a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, with the best moral character who epitomized kindness, and as a mercy to all creation.

Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is compassionate, merciful. (Chapter 9:128)
Chapter 21:108
And We have sent thee not but as a mercy for all peoples.
Chapter 33:22
Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.
Chapter 33:41
Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of ALLAH, and the seal of the Prophets and ALLAH has full knowledge of all things.
Chapter 33:46
O Prophet, truly We have sent thee as a Witness, and a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner,
Chapter 33:47
And as a Summoner unto Allah by his command, and as a Lamp that gives bright light.
Chapter 33:57
Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.
Chapter 48:29
He it is Who has sent His Messenger, with guidance and the Religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all other religions. And sufficient is Allah as a Witness.
Chapter 68:05
And thou dost, surely, possess sublime moral excellences.

One can only pray and hope that the hatemongering bigots and extremists are guided to the truth to see things objectively. To hope for a psychic transformation overnight in racists and bigots like Wilders and Le Pen, however, may be foolhardy. As precursors to the dark forces of Dazzal (the anti-Christ), they are committed to bring about a civilizational war with Islam. Centuries of prejudice against Islam and its noble messenger have defined them. And, prejudice dies hard.

It may not be an exaggeration if I were to state that in the annals of human history, there has never been a man who has been so much loved and vilified as Muhammad (S) - the Prophet of Islam. To the faithful Muslims, he is the best of mankind that was ever created by Allah.

The poem below by Hassan ibn Thabit (Radi Allahu Anh’, meaning: May Allah be pleased with him) shows how Muhammad’s (S) companions felt about him:

By God, no woman has conceived and given birth
To one like the Apostle, the Prophet and guide of his people;
Nor has God created among his creatures
One more faithful to his sojourner or his promise
Than he who was the source of light,
Blessed in his deeds, just and upright.
(Sirat Rasulallah by Muhammad Ibn Ishaq)

Muslims don’t utter Muhammad’s (S) name without the salutation: sal-lal lahu alayhi wa sal-lam (meaning: blessings of Allah and peace be upon him; abbreviated here as (S)). The Muslim testimony of faith includes the sentence: There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the servant and messenger of Allah. During the call of prayer (ad’han), five times daily - from pre-dawn hours to night, the same words are repeated from the minarets of masjids (mosques) urging Muslims to come and pray to Allah. A Muslim also ends his/her prayer with a supplication to Allah seeking blessing and bounties for the prophet and his family the same way He had blessed the family of Abraham (Ibrahim alayhis salam).

In what follows next I share some historic events from the Prophet’s (S) time to enlighten those who may not be aware of such.

The first of these is about events leading up to his Tabuk expedition in the 9th A.H. By that time, Makkah and the vast territories of the Arabian Peninsula had come under the flag of Islam. To the north belonged the Christian Byzantine (the Eastern Roman) empire, and to the north-east the Zoroastrian Sassanid empire of Persia.

The Byzantines together with their Arab allies used to aggravate and provoke the Muslims by any means. This was particularly apparent in their frequent attempts to attack the Muslim merchandise coming from Ash-Shaam (Greater Syria) and the plundering of the caravans threading their roads, not to speak of the stress and grief that they subjected to every Muslim they could seize. Their harassment reached its peak when they killed Al-Haarith ibn ‘Umayr Al-'Azdi (radiallahu 'anhu), the Prophet’s (S) emissary, in 8 A.H., who was sent to deliver his letter to Sharhbil b. Amr al-Ghassani, a satrap (Governor) of the Byzantine Emperor at Busra. (Zad al-Ma'ad, Vol. I)

Beheading of an emissary is a serious offense. It is an open declaration for war.

The sad event led the Prophet (S) to dispatch a force of 3,000 to the place where the emissary had been killed and invite the people there to Islam. Instead of being revengeful, the Prophet of Islam instructed the Muslim force not to fight foes if they accepted Islam. He advised them not to kill anyone who does not fight them, esp. the children, women, old people, or the people who took shelter in the monasteries. He also instructed them to avoid damaging the date fields, cutting down the trees and destroying dwelling places. [Ahmad, Abu Dawood, An-Nasa'i, At-Tirmizi and Ibn Maajah]

It is worth noting here that such instructions were simply unheard of those days, and were exceptions to the norms of the prevalent time where marauding forces would kill and plunder anyone who was in the opposite camp. Far from the barbaric practices of our time, the Muslim forces were forbidden to incur any collateral damage.

The force advanced to Ma’ana in Syria where the Muslim commander Zayd ibn Haritha (RA) came to know that the Byzantine emperor Heraclius was present at Balqa with a hundred thousand Roman troops joined by an equally strong force drawn from the Arab tribes of Lakhm, Judham, Bal-Qayn, Bahra and Bali. They enemy force was ready and well equipped. The Muslim leaders assessed the situation and decided to inform the Prophet (S) about the strength of the enemy. If he sends reinforcements, well and good, otherwise they could face the enemy, if so ordered. (Zad al-Ma'ad Vol. I)

Abdullah b. Rawaha (RA), one of the three commanders, made a passionately motivating speech in front of his comrades saying: “Men, you dislike the thing, by God, for which you came out - martyrdom. We do not fight the enemy on the strength of our numbers, or of our power; we fight them with the religion that we have been so honored and entrusted by God. So, come on, we shall be successful both ways; either we win or we court martyrdom.” Hearing the inspirational speech, the men got up and forged ahead to meet their enemy. One after another, three commanders Zayd, Abdullah and Jafar ibn Abi Talib (RA) earned martyrdom during the battle of Mu’tah. The Muslim army regrouped under the leadership of Khalid ibn Walid (RA) and stood its ground until the enemy forces withdrew. Then they returned to Madinah.

After the battle of Mu’tah in which neither the Muslims nor the Byzantine Christians won decisively rumors circulated in Madinah that the Roman troops were massing at the Syrian frontier for an invasion of Hijaz. They were also aided by Arab Christian tribes such as the Banu Lakhm, Djudham, ‘Amila and the Ghassan. Muhammad (S), the Prophet of Islam, decided to take preventive action for the defense of Madinah, and ordered his followers to prepare themselves for a long campaign in the north.

Just before the army would leave for Tabuk, Christian monks of the monastery of St. Catherine in the valley of Sinai, came to see the Prophet (S). He gave them audience, and granted them a charter which is comparable to the Charter of Madinah which he had granted to the Jews. The charter read:

"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.

No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.

No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.

No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.

Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."

Such were the memorable words of Muhammad (S), the Prophet of Islam, in the year 628 CE, when he granted this historic document, also known as the Charter of Privileges, to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai.

As can be seen from the above charter, Islam, more than any other religion, embodies the concept of coexistence. Only a xenophobe and a bigot can fear what Islam stands for. Xenophobes like Wilders may like to reflect upon Muhammad’s (S) statement rather than spreading fear and hatred of Muslims.

Muhammad (S) led an expedition for Tabuk, near the border with Syria, with a troop of 30,000 companions, 10,000 of whom were cavalry, to quell enemy assault on-site and thwart potential danger. He spent ten days at Tabuk, scouting the area, making alliances with local chiefs and with no sign of the Byzantine army, he decided to return to Madinah.

At Tabuk Muhammad (S) delivered a speech, which is shared below:

The most veracious discourse is the Book of Allah.  The most trustworthy handhold is the word of piety.  The best of the religions is the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham).  The best of the examples is the example of Muhammad.  The noblest speech is the invocation of Allah.  The finest of the narratives is this Qur'an.  The best of the affairs is that which has been firmly resolved upon.  The worst in religion are those things which are created without sanction.  The best of the ways is the one trodden by the Prophets.  The noblest death is the death of a martyr.  The most miserable blindness is disobedience after guidance.  The best of actions is that which is beneficent.  The best guidance is that which is put into practice.  The worst blindness is the blindness of the heart.

The upper hand is better than the lower hand.  The little that suffices is better than what is abundant and tempting. The worst apology is that which is tendered when death stares one in the face.  The worst remorse is that which is felt on the Day of Resurrection.

Some men do not come to Friday prayer, but with hesitance and delay.  And some of them do not remember Allah but with reluctance.  The tongue which is addicted to false expression is a bubbling spring of sins.

The most valuable possession is the contentment of heart.  The best provision is that of piety.  The highest wisdom is fear of Allah, the Mighty and the Great.  The best thing to be cherished in the hearts is faith and conviction; doubt is infidelity.

Impatient wailing and flattering laudation of the dead is an act of ignorance.  Betrayal leads one to the fire of Hell.  Drinking amounts to burning.  Obscene poetry is the work of devil.  Wine is the mother of all evil.  The worst thing eaten is one which belongs to the orphan.  Blessed is he who receives admonition from others.

Each one of you must resort to a place of four cubit (grave).  Your affairs would be decided ultimately in the next life.  The worst dream is false dream.  Whatever is in store is near.

To abuse a believer is transgression; raising arms against him is infidelity.  To backbite him is a disobedience to Allah.  Inviolability of his property is like that of his blood.

He who swears by Allah (falsely), in fact, falsifies Him.  He who pardons others is himself granted pardon.  He who forgives others is forgiven by Allah for his sins.

He who represses anger, Allah rewards him.  He who faces misfortunes with perseverance, Allah compensates him.  He who acts only for fame and reputation, Allah disgraces him.  He who shows patience and forbearance Allah gives him a double reward.  He who disobeys Allah, Allah chastises him.

I seek forgiveness of Allah.  I seek forgiveness of Allah.  I seek forgiveness of Allah.”

As can be seen, even in the battle field, the Prophet of Islam was interested in molding the character of his followers so that they could lay the foundation of a model society. If today’s Muslims have failed to live up to that high standard, it is their fault, and not of Islam – preached by Muhammad (S).

The Qur’an repeatedly emphasizes the unity of mankind, i.e., they come from the same parents: “Mankind were but one community; then they differed…” [Wa maa kanan-nasu illa ummatan wahidatan fakhtalafu …] (10:19)

Prophet Muhammad (S) in his farewell Hajj sermon delivered on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat in Makkah, gave us the first magna carta. He said:

O People lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again.  Therefore, listen to what I am saying very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust.  Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.  Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.  Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that he will indeed reckon your deeds.  ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury, therefore, all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived.  Your capital is yours to keep.  You will neither inflict nor suffer any injustice.  Allah has judged that there shall be no usury and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib be waived.  Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabiah ibn al Harith.

O Men, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid which Allah has made permissible.  With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are holy: three of these [Dhū al-Qa'dah (11), Dhu al-ijjah (12) and Muarram (1)] are successive and one [Rajab (7)] occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban.

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion.  He has lost all hope of that he will be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women but they also have right over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with her permission.  If they abide by your right, then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.  Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.  And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, establish your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat.  Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also, a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.  Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.  Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, commit injustice to yourselves.  Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds.  So, beware, do not go astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN.  Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you.  I leave behind me two things, the QUR'AN and my SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly.  Be my witness O ALLAH, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people.”

As can be seen some 1320 years before the United Nations could come up with its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, six centuries before King John of England and Archbishop of Canterbury came up with the Magna Carta, the Prophet of Islam had spelled out such rights unequivocally.  His declaration (1) proclaimed freedom for all, (2) provided sanctity of life, wealth and property, (3) proclaimed equality of all races and brotherhood of mankind, (4) guaranteed justice for all, (5) stipulated men’s and women’s rights and obligations, (6) forbade monopoly or exploitation, (7) guaranteed preservation of rights of others, and (8) abolished usury – the mother of all economic evils.  

Allah says in the Qur’an: “Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that you may receive admonition.” (Al Qur’an; 15:90) He also says, “O you who believe, be maintainers of justice (and bearer of) witness for (the sake of) Allah. Let not hatred of a people incites you to act unjustly; be just—this is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah surely Allah is aware of what you do.” (Surah al-Ma’ida, 5:8) 

Prophet Muhammad (S) warned, “Let it be known, if any one (Muslim) commits injustice, insults, aggravates, mistreats, or abuses a person of the People of the Book (protected by the state or an agreement) he will have to answer me (for his immoral action) on the Day of Judgment.” (Abu-Dawud)

As can be seen, establishing justice is the law of Allah. The essence of justice is the recognition that all humans are equal and it means creating harmony. Once we accept the principle of human equality and brotherhood, then we need to reject all racism, nationalism, and ethnocentrism. This is something that hateful guys like Wilders find difficult to accept; but that is the one remedy leading us towards justice and peace. The sooner they learn it the better it is for all our humanity.

Fear has been and remains one of the most surreptitious and invisible powers that can bring out the worst among those afraid by forcing them to unleash gruesome crimes against their objects of fear. That’s what the Buddhist chauvinists of Rakhine (Arakan) state and Ma Ba Tha of Myanmar are doing today against the Rohingyas, and that’s what the Nazi fascists did against the minority Jews in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s.

What the far-right racists and bigots in Europe are doing today is selling that fear –the fear of the immigrants, the fear of the Muslims, the fear of Islam, the fear of the ‘unknowns’ - to repeat the crimes of the past century on the ‘others’.

Rather than embracing rainbow diversity as a source of strength in this new century, obviously, they want to turn the clock backward to a distant white past. As the election results in the Netherlands have shown, perhaps not everything is hopeless. There are still many level-headed, forward-looking and progressive Dutch who reject to swallow the toxic pill of intolerance, xenophobia, racism and bigotry catered by Wilders and his ilk of deplorable rascals.

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