Islam equals terrorism is not logical

[NGONGE]

07/06/2006 09:43 PM | By Duraid Al Baik, Foreign Editor

 

 

Shams Hussain rues tarring of Islam by western media.

 

For Shams Ismail Hussain, life took a dramatic turn on September 11, 2001. Shams, a Somali Muslim woman who became a British citizen after living in London for more than 10 years, arrived in the British capital to pursue post-graduate studies in political science. The Master's degree, she thought, would brighten her chances of landing a job with an international organisation. But a group of terrorists changed her plans. The events of 9/11 and their aftermath encouraged Shams to read more about her religion, study it with a critical eye and explain it to others.

 

When she landed in London, Shams's main focus was to explore means to help her nation, which is in the throes of a fierce civil war. Instead, this international consultant on development and conflict resolution ended up with the self-imposed task of de-linking Islam from terrorism in the minds of politicians and elites in the West.

 

Shams said she had the feeling that the terrorist image of Islam - which was spreading fast - could lead to a clash of civilisations.

 

Objectivity

 

"I have always felt that western objectivity stems from a scientific mindset of the people, who rely more on science to determine their stands towards different issues in life, including their political and cultural beliefs. When I moved to Europe 10 years ago, I noticed that westerners had a great deal of immunity against being manipulated by baseless accusations that have no scientific or logical grounds to back them. However, my view of how Europeans formed their views failed completely when the media started to equate terrorism and Islam," she said.

 

"I was shocked to see westerners mixing a phenomenon and a religion after 9/11, which is exactly like adding oranges to apples. This failure in a basic logical exercise prompts me to investigate more about Islam."

 

Shams put together a massive investigative project to disengage terrorism from Islam. "I realised the link between a set of noble values represented by Islam and the vicious phenomenon of terrorism would not have existed had those who tried to implant such dysfunctional equity in the minds of westerners been informed and fair, because no religion in the world has been considered a phenomenon.

 

"Phenomena," she explained, "are observable events, such as earthquakes, rain and fire, while Islam is not an event. It is an ideology and a set of values embraced by its followers."

 

She said Islam as well as Muslims had contributed a lot to human development like many other groups, perhaps more so. "Islam asks its followers to seek knowledge and implement such knowledge to serve the human kind. Seeking knowledge was the first order in Islam. Thus, labelling Islam as a religion of terrorists is against the interests of humanity, because the values of Islam are very different and they are, at the same time, necessary for the development of mankind. Islamic values and contributions were essential to the development of human communities in the past and will be needed in future," she said.

 

It was a shame, she felt, to scrutinise Muslim names, dress code, charities, religious teaching and education curricula and to declare suspects after the terrorist attacks on the US.

 

She said creating mass suspicion against Muslims is an easy and low-cost recipe for a confrontation of faiths.

 

"The confrontation between Muslims and westerners, strongly sensed these days in different political and social aspects, is surely critical, but it is definitely not logical. The world seems to have been polarised and scepticism deepened for no good reason," she said.

 

Islamophobia in the West has transformed the perception of Muslims and Arab communities from that of law-abiding citizens to that of a menacing, threatening and dangerous species which threaten the security of the western world.

 

Why and how did it happen? Shams said since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union, efforts to link terrorism with Islam, the invasion of Iraq and the fabricated stories of weapons of mass destruction, all point towards the ambition of empire-building based on the thirst for power hegemony. "Ancient wars of conquest and the contemporary conflicts look very similar in nature and targets," she pointed out.

 

Anti-Islamic sentiments have been propagated indiscriminately in the West. "What could have been addressed as specific crimes and specific criminals have been projected against all Muslims, which was a big mistake," she warned.

 

In the end, she said, it's up to the logically-thinking individuals in the West to prevail and refrain from being hostage held by imperial powers. Else, the confrontation will have a catastrophic impact regardless who wins it, Shams warned.

 

Credentials of a peacenik

 

Shams Ismail Hussain is working on a project for peace-making and conflict resolution with the Civil Society Action Group in Mogadishu, Somalia. It involves bringing together different organisations that are involved in women, youth and community-building programmes. She is the coordinator for the project.

 

She has worked as a visiting research fellow at the Queen Elizabeth House, International Development Centre, Institute of Gender Studies at Oxford University. Shams is a consultant for UNDP, Addis-Ababa (Ethiopia), and the African Union. Her role is to help enhance the organisation in conflict prevention and peace-building in Africa.

 

She has just finished a book - Women, War and Peace, Somali Case - which is in the press. She is working on another book Whose World Is It Anyway? Paradigms and Civilisation Factors, which discusses the world after September 11, 2001. Shams has taken part in a number of UN projects in Arab and African countries on women's empowerment and peace-making policies.

 

Source

[Jacaylbaro]

Maansha Allah ,,,,, we have some great women walee

[NGONGE]

You didn't think the post ends there, did you?

 

As ever, I'm going to contrive to making this thread all about me rather than the topic or the author.

 

My story begins at 12.20pm in the afternoon of a very bright and sunny day (i.e. today, for those of a pedantic nature). I had a headache and was starting to get fed-up with the usual office politics. I knew nothing would lift my mood than a big hearty spot of lunch. So, I picked up my newspaper, deliberately and very slowly rolled it up and leisurely stormed out of the office, leaving behind me a number of people shouting and arguing about tasks that needed to be done.

 

I got on a bus and headed to the Edgware Road for an energetic Lebanese meal. The bus was full of the usual collection of tourists, office workers and the odd pensioner or two. I paid no attention to any of them as I sat there with my eyes closed listening to Sean Paul telling Rihanna to break it off!

 

As the song ended, I opened my eyes and lazily surveyed the faces sat opposite me. I noticed a pretty Sudanese middle-aged lady looking at me! I returned the gaze and was thinking to myself that she had a very warm and peaceful face. She acknowledged me with a smile. I smiled back and thought her face was made for smiling. She mouthed the words ma Somali bad tahay, thinking I still had the music on! I was taken aback; I really thought she was Sudanese!

 

We spoke for a bit and then she gave me a copy of her book (Whose World Is It Anyway?). I now remember that I forgot to ask her to sign it.

 

Yes. It was the lady in the article above (it seems to be a summer thing with me and ladies of a certain age that write books! Bring on J K Rowling I say).

 

Ps

For those still looking for a romantic ending to all of this, never fear, I got me her digits innit.

 

 

[Pujah]

^LOL it looks like she is giving you the finger

[Jacaylbaro]

hahahahahaha@the finger

[-Serenity-]

Ngonge, you must have an intelligent looking face because random intellectuals try to talk to you.

 

Do you know who tries to talk to me all the time - ciyaal suuq oo weliba iga yar!

 

p.s. Introduce her to Val (provided you're bosom buddies now ), she is very interested in development and conflict resolution as a masters programme and the kinda work she does.

[Ibtisam]

I was at a talk she did recently, I run up to her (remembered her from my childhood) and said to her, "hello" do you remember me, she politely told me a firm “No” ( I think she thought I was about to ask for something!) lol.

 

I remember her and her sister both use to work for the UN back then, don't know about now. She was a nice lady.

 

Ngonge, Why on earth did you think she looks Sudanese?? She looks as Somali as one can get!

[NGONGE]

^^ Like I told her, when she's sitting still and not talking she does not look Somali at all. But as soon as she speaks you can not mistake her for anyone else.

 

Originally posted by -Serenity-:

Do you know who tries to talk to me all the time - ciyaal suuq oo weliba iga yar!

 

Honey attracts lots of flies, hon

[NGONGE]

I now read the chapter on Somalia. It's about thirty pages long. It's full of direct quotations from many prominent politicians and commentators (Meles Zenawi being the most noticeable). On the whole, it was very objective and tried to deal with the overall picture. Surprisingly enough, the issues tackled and events covered are also up to date.

 

 

To my surprise (again) I am impressed.

 

If there is any solid interest from anyone here I may phone the lady and ask her where people can purchase this book from.

[Zafir]

^ So you have her digits?

[N.O.R.F]

Met her in my old home town a few years ago now. An interesting book.

 

Ngonge, I take it your familiar with DHL and Fedex [evil look]

[NGONGE]

^^ I'll make the phone call and ask her for an extra copy (I'm very familiar with both).

 

Zafir, a man after my own heart!

(Yeah, got the digits).

[N.O.R.F]

^^Thanks in advance.

 

You can take it North London before the 23rd :cool:

[NGONGE]

In that case, I don't have to make any phone calls. I'll finish reading my copy then pass it on to you.

[N.O.R.F]

LoL, no problem. I'll just have to make sure i read it first

 

I have been bought the Steven Gerrard autobiography aswell :cool: