Desecration of Quran and Muslim Response

By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam 14 July 2023 Quran as a holy revealed book is revered by all Muslims. They uphold it as a book of salvation. The verses of Quran were revealed over a period of twenty-three years on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). His personality too is deeply revered by Muslims all over the world. Any blasphemy against his personality is enough to provoke Muslims, make them run amuck, hit the streets and commit acts of violence. The enemies of Islam are aware of this provocative nature of Muslims that renders them blind to see the bigger game plan of the enemies of Islam. Even if some false accusation is alleged against a person of blaspheming against Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) or desecration of Quran, Muslims are ready to kill and get killed. In some Muslim countries many such laws against blasphemy and desecration are present that certainly are un-Islamic in nature, but are stringent enough to land the accused ones behind bars for years or even on death row. During the medieval era, the Christians used to openly desecrate and commit blasphemy against the personality of Prophet (pbuh), to provoke Muslim masses and kings to execute them. It helped the Christians to reinforce the Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment, that in return helped the Crusade wars. The times have changed and with the advent of Universal Declaration of Human Rights Charter (1948), the freedom to practice one’s religious beliefs, freedom of speech and expression along with other rights have been accepted as Universal. Criticizing any religious belief and text comes under the purview of these Universal rights. But do these rights entitle anyone to commit blasphemy and desecration? It is debatable because many nations believe in the absolute freedom of speech without restrictions, when it comes to religion. But for other issues like constitution, executive, monarchs and judiciary, they provide them impunity from desecration or criticism. If any citizen intends to commit it, he/she is liable for punishment. As secularism evolved in response to the religious persecution and exploitation of scientists, rationalists and free thinkers by curbing their progress and discoveries. The Renaissance helped rationality, science and secularism prevail, so religion in Europe is allowed to exist at margins. Although, the scenario is changing now and right wing parties are on rise all over Europe, but they do not use religion per se overtly. For them issues like Muslim migration, terrorism, population explosion, growth of mosques all constitute the issues that need to be addressed by the government. Any politician which uses anti Muslim and migration issue, is being patronized by the right-wing political parties. However, even these right-wing parties have superficial relationship with religion. Jesus Christ, Bible, Moses, Old Testament and Psalms all can be criticized, blasphemed against and desecrated. The masses in Europe except the Muslims have grown so immune to these incidents that they do not matter. It is because for them any Prophet is like a common human being like us and revealed books do not hold any reverence as they are as good as any creative writing or work of fiction. Once this reverence is gone from the minds, then any desecration will not create any type of provocation among masses. However, the case is altogether different, when it comes to Muslims. Muslims do not consider Prophets synonymous with the common humans. But they are a chosen group of people, who are quite perfect as they are guided by God and their exemplary life is to be followed by humans. This is the basic reason why Muslims get provoked against every act of desecration and blasphemy. But is such provocation religiously valid? Does Islam allow the killing of blasphemer or who desecrates Quran? These questions were once again raised as Salwa Momika, 37 an Iraqi national now living in Sweden committed desecration of Quran on Eid ul Azha, 28 June, 2023 outside the biggest mosque in Stockholm. He had chosen the timing of Eid prayers, as Muslims were gathering in huge numbers for it. He had sought the permission from the local authorities and desecration of the Quran was done by placing a piece of bacon (deeply abhorred by Muslims) in it and then stomping over it. Later he also burnt few pages of the Quran too. He justified his actions as part of the freedom of expression and liberal values. Salwan has been described as an ex-fighter for Hashd al Shabi, a Shia terrorist militia (with Christian members) which tortured and killed Sunnis in Syria and Iraq. He was also full of praise for Muqtada al Sadr as appears from his social media feeds, Now, he seems to have changed his stance and renegaded from his previous belief system. He calls himself a liberal atheist and thus seems to have renounced Islam turning an Apostate. It is ok to renounce Islam, and there are numerous Muslims who are born as legal Muslims but are not happy with it. Hence, we have a growing number of born Muslims leaving Islam. But unlike people who accept Islam, those who leave it make it a point to undertake tasks like burning Quran to depict themselves out of box and portray Islam as barbaric. Non Muslims who convert to Islam, do not undertake acts of burning religious scriptures, blasphemy and desecration of the religion they exited. It maybe the penchant of Islam that even after renouncing it they attach the tag of ex Muslims to their names. As if it is not enough to leave Islam only, they want to depict before the world that Islam is horrible. This negative publicity and Islamophobia help others to know more about Islam. It is similar to what happened during the early days of Islam. During the days of Annual Hajj, when the members of different tribes would travel for the pilgrimage to Makkah, the infidels would reach out to these pilgrims advising them not to listen to the false Prophet whose words mesmerize as he was a magician. This negative campaign aroused the curiosity of the pilgrims, hence it indirectly helped to spread the message of Islam. The recent desecration of Salwa should be witnessed in the light of this very experience. Muslims as usual again have fallen in the trap of enemy plan. They know how to provoke Muslims. Muslims are so gullible that they cannot understand the nefarious designs of their enemies. Previous experiences have met with same reaction from Muslims, who are not wise enough to dissect the nefarious designs of their enemies. Muslims certainly do not follow the teachings of Islam as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says, “A pious Muslim cannot be stung from the same hole twice.” But here Muslims have been stung scores of times from the same hole, but they think they are implementing injunctions of Islam as they are protesting, destroying public property and depicting their love for Islam. The greatest example that all Muslims are ordered to follow is to emulate the life and actions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). How did he react against his own desecration and blasphemy? His life certainly is exemplary and he was opposed, attempts made to assassinate him, he was blasphemed against by calling him a mesmerizing magician, liar, black magician, concoctor of verses, untrustworthy. He was attacked, his daughters divorced, because of his message and then forced to migrate. All these acts constitute what we today know as Blasphemy. What was his reaction to all these acts of Sacrilege? Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was never violent towards his blasphemers, in fact he forgave them or just ignored them. The stance should be similar for us too. We should ignore and forgive those who are indulging in blasphemy. It is what the Prophetic example teaches us. The violent protests do not harm the enemies but they are self-inflicting and hurt us as in return. The more hype we give to Salwa, the more fame he will get and we can have a new Rushdie or Taslima Nasreen in making. Muslim scholars should once for all declare that they need to ignore such attempts aimed at provoking them. Instead, they should try to make people understand that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is not a cult figure who belongs to Muslims only. But he is Mercy to all Mankind and a Messenger to all humanity. Similarly, Quran has message of salvation for all not just for Muslims only. Hence, they need to be embraced instead of abhorred. Muslims have a duty of presenting Quran and Prophet (pbuh) as Universal figures who are meant for all humanity. Only then such incidents can contribute towards informing a positive image of Islam. We should in future be ready to be trained enough to react positively to any such blasphemous or desecration incidents whose only motive is to provoke Muslims under variegated garbs and ultimately defame Islam. ------ M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/desecration-quran-muslim-response/d/130208 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism