At a Debate in the U.S.A. about the Cartoons [of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
by Rashid Jahangiri, M.D.
The Light (UK), June 2006 Issue (pp. 1–2)
Editor’s Note: Our friend Rashid Jahangiri, who is very enthusiastic in propagating Islam and the viewpoint of our Movement in the U.S.A., has sent us a report which we reproduce below.
On February 27, 2006 a debate, How Far is Too Far?, over the cartoons controversy was hosted by The Free Library of Philadelphia. A few days before this The Philadelphia Inquirer reproduced the infamous Danish cartoons of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I believe this is the only major newspaper in U.S.A. to reproduce them.
The debate was in a huge hall, packed with an audience, mostly Caucasian Americans, i.e., Jews and Christians. And I believe my wife and I were the only Muslims among the audience (as there were no comments by any attendee who acknowledged being a Muslim or sounded like a Muslim). I got the chance at the end to make a few comments when the microphone was handed to me. I covered and replied to all the major comments made by non-Muslim panel members and audience. I was able to make my comments in an unfriendly environment without any fear, as I followed Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s approach. I was neither apologetic about Islam and Muslims nor I took the other extreme approach. Hazrat Mirza sahib’s approach was simple: The best way to convince the opponents of Islam and spread Islam in the West is to play according to the rules of the game established by them.
The Panel included: New Yorker Cartoon Editor Bob Mankoff, Daily News cartoonist Signe Wilkinson, Temple journalism Professor Karen Turner, Dr. Shams Inati, Professor of Islamic Theology at Villanova (she is a Christian, originally from Egypt), and Daisy Khan, Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement.
Briefly my points were:
- The Prophet Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Among Isaac’s progeny is Moses and among Ishmael’s progeny is Muhammad. So, I consider these cartoons to be anti-Semitic and the publication of these cartoons should be declared an anti-Semitic act and newspapers should be stopped from publishing this anti-Semitic material. Both Mr. Mankoff and Ms. Wilkinson were not expecting such a comment, and the expressions on their faces acknowledged it.
- Muslims revere Prophets Moses and Jesus the same as they revere Prophet Muhammad. So, a Muslim will never make cartoons of revered personalities of Jews and Christians.
- In almost every Muslim country there are political movements whose leaders are Mullahs (Muslim equivalent of Rabbis). These politicians assert that their political agenda is synonymous with Islam, and to oppose them is to oppose Islam itself. Despite this the newspaper cartoonists in Muslim countries, including Pakistan, make their cartoons. If newspapers in Muslim and Arab countries make cartoons of Jewish Rabbis who represent a Zionist political movement, this does not justify the European newspapers’ decision to publish cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad. Newspapers should not compare apples to oranges. This comment was in response to an audience member who made a comment about cartoons of Jewish/Israeli Rabbis published in an English language daily in Saudi Arabia.
- Muslims love the Prophet Muhammad more than they love their own fathers. And they know details of his life more than they know about their fathers as well. And as they know that whatever these cartoons are presenting is not true, so it hurts every Muslim including the moderate ones. European public should not alienate this moderate and peaceful Muslim majority.
- In Islam, the death penalty is reserved only for a murderer, and even in that case the victim’s family is encouraged to forgive and spare the life of the perpetrator. So, all these so-called fatwas [religious edicts] to kill the author and the publisher of these cartoons have no religious value and no legal value. They are all non-sense and I condemn them. But at the same time, we should not ignore human nature. Those who are madly in love cannot think rationally, their statements are not rational, and their actions are not rational. And this is true not only of Muslims but all over the world, including the United States. Muslims are madly in love with their beloved, i.e., Prophet Muhammad. So, all these so-called fatwas are nothing more than “matters of the heart”. This comment was in reply to a member of the audience who referred to fatwas issued by some Muslims.
I thank Allah for providing me an opportunity to defend the honour of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, in the presence of an educated non-Muslim audience.