Haloween, reconstructing our Islamic identity, respondingg to the feedback on my latest post about gun violence in America and a word on the phenomenon

[Mostafa]

Dear all, peace be with you. Halloween is the eve of all saints day, often devoted to pranks played by children. The celebration of Halloween

has widely been observed throughout the western world for many centuries. I live in Egypt and I don't think that Halloween is widely known here. I will

not be judgmental on my views. I will just report some major facts which are related to this broadly practiced holiday, particularly, in the western world.

Halloween, a historical overview. Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October thirty first. The word Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows

Evening.  It's also known as Hallowe'en or All Hallows Eve. Traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting "haunted

houses" and carving jack-o-lanterns. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other

western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century. These included Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom,

Australia and New Zealand. Halloween has its origin in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced "sah-win"). The festival of Samhain is

a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture.

 

Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries

between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. The

festival would frequently involve bonfires. It is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which attracted bats to the area. These are additional

attributes of the history of Halloween. Masks and costumes were worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or appease them. Trick-or-treating, is an

activity for children on or around Halloween in which they proceed from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as confectionery with the question,

"Trick or treat?" The "trick" part of "trick or treat" is a threat to play a trick on the homeowner or his property if no treat is given.  Trick-or-treating

is one of the main traditions of Halloween. It is socially recognised that if one lives in a neighborhood with children should purchase treats in preparation

for trick-or-treaters. Halloween has evolved. Haloween is popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and due to increased American

cultural influence in recent years, imported through exposure to US television and other media, trick-or-treating has started to occur among children in

many parts of Europe, and in the Saudi Aramco camps of Dhahran, Akaria compounds and Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia. The most significant growth and resistance

is in the United Kingdom, where the police have threatened to prosecute parents who allow their children to carry out the "trick" element. In continental

Europe, where the commerce-driven importation of Halloween is seen with more skepticism. There is numerous destructive or illegal "tricks" and police warnings

have further raised suspicion about this game and Halloween in general. In Ohio, Iowa, and Massachusetts, the night designated for Trick-or-treating is

often referred to as Beggars Night. Part of the history of Halloween is Halloween costumes. The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to

door for treats on holidays goes back to the Middle Ages, and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of

"souling," when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November

2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. Shakespeare mentions the

practice in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593), when Speed accuses his master of "puling [whimpering, whining], like a beggar at Hallowmas”.

Yet there is no evidence that souling was ever practiced in America, and trick-or-treating may have developed in America independent of any Irish or British

antecedent. There is little primary Halloween history documentation of masking or costuming on Halloween in Ireland, the UK, or America before 1900. The

earliest known reference to ritual begging on Halloween in English speaking North America occurs in 1911, when a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, near the

border of upstate New York, reported that it was normal for the smaller children to go street guising. They visit shops and neighbors to be rewarded with

nuts and candies for their rhymes and songs. Another isolated reference appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920. The

thousands of Halloween postcards produced between the turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but do not depict trick-or-treating.

Ruth Edna Kelley, in her 1919 history of the holiday, The Book of Hallowe'en, makes no mention of such a custom in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America”.

It does not seem to have become a widespread practice until the 1930s, with the earliest known uses in print of the term "trick or treat" appearing in

1934, and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939. Thus, although a quarter million Scots-Irish immigrated to America between 1717 and

1770, the Irish Potato Famine brought almost a million immigrants in 1845-1849, and British and Irish immigration to America peaked in the 1880s, ritualised

begging on Halloween was virtually unknown in America until generations later. Trick-or-treating spread from the western United States eastward, stalled

by sugar rationing that began in April 1942 during World War II and did not end until June 1947. Early national attention to trick-or-treating was given

in October 1947 issues of the children's magazines Jack and Jill and Children's Activities, and by Halloween episodes of the network radio programs The

Baby Snooks Show in 1946 and The Jack Benny Show and Intures of Ozzie and Harriet in 1948. The custom had become firmly established in popular culture

by 1952, when Walt Disney portrayed it in the cartoon Trick or Treat, Ozzie and Harriet were besieged by trick-or-treaters on an episode of their television

show, and UNICEF first conducted a national campaign for children to raise funds for the charity while trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating on the prairie.

Although some popular histories of Halloween have characterised trick-or-treating as an adult invention to re-channel Halloween activities away from vandalism,

nothing in the historical record supports this theory. To the contrary, adults, as reported in newspapers from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, typically

saw it as a form of extortion, with reactions ranging from bemused indulgence to anger. Likewise, as portrayed on radio shows, children would have to explain

what trick-or-treating was to perplex adults and not the other way around. Sometimes even the children protested: for Halloween 1948, members of the Madison

Square Boys Club in New York City carried a parade banner that read "American Boys Don't Beg. This historical overview should edify the reader about Haloween’s

origin and controversy. My brothers were enrolled in a domestic based American school. Each year, they used to dress up in costumes  for Haloween. I never

comprehended its significance. I am not attempting to stridently criticise Haloween. I am just attempting to report its inception and to authenticate its

origin historically. For us as Muslims, it is not really appropriate to celebrate such thing. It is quite aweless for our schools even if they contain

international sections to celebrate this opprobrious occasion. We should have more dignity concerning our identity. I never heard of an American school

celebrating Ramadan or the season of Haj. They don’t have to and they are never expected to do so. Therefore, it is a shame on us to insistently celebrate

what enormously contorts our tradition. The west doesn’t seek for other traditions to demonstrate its presence. They do seem to have a dignified and a

unified character and thus, they were sufficiently adequate to prosperously convey their culture to the world. Despite my personal opinion about Haloween

or similar western based customs, I genuinely believe that we should independently develop our own customs and traditions. Strong nations are the ones

to lead others and weak nations  those who are led. As for the time being, we are the led and influenced ones. We will never be firm in independence unless

we seek for liberating our principles from cultural imperialism. I don’t criticise western children for being involved in this devotion because it is part

of their tradition. However, I criticise many of our fellows who seem to be obsessed with occidentalism. They do like to be somehow occidentalised. This

post is not dedicated to repudiate what the western does on such occasion. It is to advocate and encourage the Muslim to have his own culture and tradition.

It is always a good idea to engage in intercultural exchange with other nations. At the same time, we should honour and esteem our cultural inheritance.

We are facing tremendous challenges nowadays. We do seem to have inadvertently forgotten who we were back in the day. We forgot our great civilisation.

We taught them everything in the west including Algebra, Geometry, Philosophy  and Physics. Who knows Al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham? Who knows Ibn-Roshd? What

about Al-Farabi and his eminent scholarship? Who knows Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina? In western encyclopedias, those are referenced as Arab

scholars not Muslims and Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina is referenced  in major western encyclopedias as Avicenna and Ibn-Roshd as Averroes. Al-Farabi

is transliterated in western encyclopedias as Alfarabius. They are cited in western encyclopedias as Arabian scholars which is a deliberate deceit and

deviation from the basic truth, it is demonstratively fallacious.   We are told to believe whatever the west wants us to believe. Anything that the west

seeks to forcefully impose has to instantly be recognised as decisively an incontrovertible fact which is definitely fraudulent in the slightest. Ibn al-Haytham,

Ibn-Roshd,  Ibn-Sina and Al-Farabi, they all are eminently renowned and prominent Muslim scholars who principally founded major branches of intellectual

disciplines which the western world takes advantage of even today. They benefited from their noetic contribution and we didn’t, simply because we surceased

our essence of intellectual development. We abandoned the guidance of providential illumination and consequently, we unfortunately became what we are now.

Islam is constantly being portrayed as a violent and evil religion. The reason we are attacked in this manner is due to our grave ignorance, insignificance

amongst world nations and the perfect suspension of our intellectual development. This is quite enough to make the whole world and particularly the west

to detestably derogate us out of malice. To be honest, they somehow reserve the right to despise our indolence.  It’s an outbreak of a constant conflict.

We are hostilely demonised because we explicitly resemble a major threat to the western colonisation led by America. Our Islamic heritage is constantly

targeted with prejudice and bigotry. Jason Meyerson will never be honest about our contributory history to the western civilisation. Christian pastors

tend to venally interpolate the Muslim role in great Andalusia. They admire the substantial architecture of Andalusia, they recognise its Islamic essence

and that’s why they conceal it from the public. Therefore, we ought to speak out against western dominance, orientalism and deceit. It is strictly prohibited

in Islam to celebrate something like Haloween. Some Muslims who live in the west may celebrate this to flatter their neighbors. This is misbehaving, misguiding

and misrepresenting to the concept of coexistence. What does it mean to coexist with someone? Well, it basically means that you peacefully tolerate their

traditional practices, you don’t necessarily have to be involved and at the same time, you are not allowed to offend or violate their common civil rights

to believe and practice whatever they are convinced of. I may not participate in celebrating Haloween but I do not condemn those who traditionally does.

It’s an annual reminder. This post doesn’t aim to provoke offence or aggression. It just signifies the crucialness of commending our Muslim civilisation.

We will never approve the deliberate corruption of our history and tradition. In the past, Muslims were broadly respected because they exemplified a prosperous

nation. Today, we are slandered, demonised, despised and besieged with detrimental sentiments because of our insignificance concerning anything worthful.

Therefore, we ought to redefine our character and characteristics, we ought to profoundly apprise our major tenets. Our moderate faith consists of everything

that can make us quite proud and esteemed. We don’t need to have any external support to prettify or modernise our life-style. We became a failed nation,

a feather in the tail when we unimpeachably attempted to precisely imitate whatever the western does. They uninterruptedly assail us because we are quite

faint and vulnerable. I distinctly confirm the subsequent statement. We are in a transitional phase in which many former ideas must be revised or rejected.

This is not a hostile disposal against the west. This is not a call to permenently bann western culture. It is a distinctive expression of promoting advocacy

for adherence. I respect and appreciate all positive aspects of the western culture. I am just asking my Muslim fellows to quit complying to what appears

to be opposing to the teachings of Islam. As I plainly declared, I have a mission which I strive in the cause of accomplishing. This is a post which I

dedicated to raise farther awareness about this initially pagan occasion and at the same time, we won’t submit to the western dominance. What do you feel

when those Christians deliberately draw offensive caricatures  of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? They like to highly offend us with such

things. Consequently, we ought to substantially respond to this malicious mischief. Imposing sanctions is one way to do so. Chanting will do neither harm

nor good. We desperately demand to wake up as a nation. We can only win this over through stridence, determination, repudiation, construction and production.

We used to be  broadly esteemed when we taught, innovated and creatively invented. Islam is not blamed for the terrible condition of Muslims today. Muslims

deviated from their religion awhile ago. That’s why they became the way they are, totally susceptible and decrepit. How could we expect others to honour

us while we are enormously discomposed? We even don’t differentiate between what we could and couldn’t celebrate. Both are just the same for the one to

blame. Have you heard of them one day celebrating the Breakfast feast? Have you heard of them celebrating our new year as we do with their new year? Of

course no. That’s the difference between us and them. They esteem their tradition and we deride our identity with the foulest of terms. What does the word

civilisation mean? Sociologically, a civilisation is the maturely advanced stage whereby societies achieve development and organisation  in various fields.

Archeologically, it is the most refined state of a particular nation inhabited a particular region in a particular time. Christians in general dislike

to hear about the civilisation of Andalusia which resembles the spirit of our resplendency. Our civilisation there lasted for approximately 900 years.

During this extraordinary period, we taught Europe everything. It is timely to reconquest and overpower those colonialists. They constantly condemn us

for adhering Jihad. Allah says in the Koran: “And against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power including steeds of war to strike terror

into the enemies of  Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doeth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause

of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.”

 

Chapter of Spoils of War verse 60. We have been ordained to prepare combative instrumentation to essentially terrify Allah’s enemy and our enemy. Who we

may  consider an enemy? Exactly, those who initiated a hostilely onslaught are to meritedly be terrified and fought. We ought to obtrusively be courageous

in combat. We have been mortified because of we have abandoned Jihad. We ought to be courageous paladins during warfare. We think a great deal of how to

be accepted to the western, how to please him, how to make him satisfied. Excuse me, this is nothing but intimidation. I am not advocating for engaging

in hostile segments with the west, absolutely no, that’s just terrible. At the same time, it is so ridiculous that we be driven by the west. They suppress

us to the point of defeat. Therefore, we must uphold our right of defending ourselves and our home. We deserve humiliation because we left Jerusalem  to

be controversially called the capital of apartheid Israel, a contentiously stolen and occupied land by Zionists and their allies. I hope this message isn’t

misapprehended. I am not opposed to having friends in the west. At the same time, we shouldn’t deny the major threat of cultural dominance and imperialism.

I am not prompting an opposition against everything in the west. I constantly sought to build bridges with the western culture. It is a relationship that

is based on mutual deference and interest. It is timely for us to retrace and reutilise our tradition. We ought to scrupulously  be adherent to our identity.

The manner by which this has to operate is as follows. At its inception, there is no hostility between us and the western civilisation, absolutely no.

If anyone thinks so, he is simply ignorant and out of touch with basic facts. He has to learn about them properly. Simultaneously, we ought not to submit.

We ought to tenaciously resist any colonial movement including this which is based on cultural disintegration and moral perversion. I am not belong to

many things in the western tradition including Haloween, Birthday celebration, Christmas and the Gregorian  year appreciation. Muslims today don’t know

that this broadly recognised calendar actually belongs to Pope Gregory. Who is Pope Gregory? He is the Italian pope who fought to establish the supremacy

of the pope over the Roman Catholic Church and the supremacy of the church over the state (1020-1085). Now, as Muslims, what do we have to do with this?

What this has to do with us? Absolutely nothing. So why do we obliviously celebrate the Gregorian year? I am not attempting to criticise what the western

does. I stridently reprimand my Muslim fellows for ingloriously imitating everything comes from the west, that is a shame. We ought to competently develop

a selection facility. If something brought from the west appears to concur with what Islam teaches, we have no problem to commend it and benefit from it.

But if something appears to be destructive and apocalyptic to our tradition, we ought to instantly oppose its gradual emergence, we ought to repudiate

its development by all strengths. To say everything in the west is totally accepted or rejected is quite     counterfeit and disingenuous. I personally

adore English gentry and monarchy. I have no interest to engage in a constant conflict with the west. Simultaneously, I actually oppose Christian Protestants

who prodominantly reside in the Bible Belt region, southern and midwestern United States where Protestant fundamentalism is dominant. The Protestant Church

carried on instilling radical fanaticism against Islam. In gatherings around America, Christian evangelicals meet to worship. Most of those are often classified

as Christian Zionists, a cult of Christianity which considers establishing a Zionist state a chief biblical prophecy in order for Jesus to ultimately return.

I talked about this subject in many previous posts. But to be comprehensive and concise, Christian Zionists consider the Jewish statehood in Palestine

capitalised by Jerusalem in particular a definitely must fulfilled biblical prophecy. Jerusalem  is the third most sacred site for us as Muslims. It has

viciously been captured by Zionist forces primarily aided, supported and vastly supplied by Christians United for Israel. This organisation has an enormous

impact on Christian masses in the United States. Its prominent reputation exceeded to attract many Churches in America. This doctrine ofunilaterally privileging

Israel is unique to Christian Zionists in the United States. This makes it so easy to utterly comprehend the firm political alliance between the United

States and Israel. It is based on theological factors. Christian fundamentalists always encouraged the military support to Israel, pronouncing theological

sentiments implicitly. Their position is unwavering and so their dispensation which resembles the essence of this unauthorised sort of a falsely traitorous

providential covenant. This scenario  is conspicuously notorious. This ideology is broadly televised in major Trinity broadcasting networks across the

country. Christian televangelists such as Robert Spencer and Pat Robertson are leading this Oslamophobia campaign. They insist on instigating a hostilely

disposal with our nation. Therefore, Christian Zionists are expecting most of the Jews to embrace their faith after all. You should have noticed or studied

a little about the intriguingly developed concept of Armageddon  in the New Testament literature. It portrays the horrific scene of the final battle between

the kings of the Earth and Christians at the end of the world. Christian Zionists believe in this in addition to the notion of the rapture. Pastor Jason

Meyerson probably believes in these concepts. Those are Christian Zionists who indispensably prioritise the support of Israel. Consequently, they consciously

propel the conflict with us. They tend to instigate it and as a consistent consequence, we ought to justly retaliate.  American pastor’s egocentrism is

the destructive element which intensifies the potentiality of the nation’s future’s fracture. My friend Carl believes in the definite near demolition of

American imperium due to the reasons which we mutually agree on. The United States is quite precarious due to the tremendous amount of faith and secular

conflicts. The United States is historically recognized as the Christian nation but does it really befit in that description at the moment? I believe it’s

a fairly valid question. There in America, we find the fundamentalist Bible Belt Protestant inhabitants and they prejudicially proceed on deliberately

denigrating Islam and our culture. It is predominantly despicable in the slightest. American pastors are so offended if you unambiguously expose their

demonstratively fallacious perspectives. Despite their counterfeit tenets, Islam continues to embrace people of young and sincere hearts. Islam is quite

hated not because it’s a violent religion as they fallaciously proclaim. It is actually threatening to casual pastors such as Jason Meyerson and his disinformed

apprentices. Those people are the first to wholeheartedly hostile with Islam because it threatens their positions. One day, Meyerson’s son fallaciously

claimed confidence and that he doesn’t really care about the rapid embracement of Islam. To  the contrary, Islam continues to take people away from Churches

and that what worries those pastors. American pastors are so ignorant about many things and their attitude is quite limited to the dominantly fundamentalist

southern Protestantism which they grew up in. Those pastors will never stop their hateful attacks upon us and thus, we ought to determinedly be pertinacious

because they will never stop. Therefore, I insist to go on with this mental combat for they have waged it. They invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. As I confirmed

on multiple occasions previously, it would be considered so ludicrous in the slightest if we thought of those hostilely controverting hellions as anything

rather than a genuinely belligerent opponent.   I am really surprised of how some of us consider those hellions their friends. That is tremendously preposterous

in the slightest. Their wish is to inflict pain, sadness, deep tragedy and sorrow upon us.  American southern pastors are the worst of people when it comes

to intercultural communication. The incident of detestably desecrating the Noble Koran wasn’t merely spontaneous. The main purpose was to basically disparage

and ridicule our dignity. I am not sure who we are attempting to fool. I am not ready to flatter those American pastors at all. They broadly surpassed

their tolerable boundaries and I am not ready to bear their deliberate discourteousness. An embargo on oil is absolutely mandatory. If we didn’t hasten

to suspend their transgression, they probably are anticipated to go much farther with their bigoted and vicious acts. These people are intending to disrespect

us in all manners. I will never stop my stridence series. Those people will never respect themselves and thus, they justly preserve penalty and retribution.

We as Muslims need to retain our dignity. We disgracefully sacrificed our dignity for temporal pursuits. I as Muslim will never give up to my enemy. Islam

is constantly facing a grave challenge. Our enemy discerns that Islam threatens his elite. People of Mecca recognised this fact about Islam and that’s

why they opposed it so obstinately. Despite their proclamation of worshipping these wooden little pieces of effigy, they knew that the prophet indeed spoke

the truth. Before he announced the prophethood mission, they used to delineate him as the truly honest and trustworthy. It was when he uttered the prophethood

declaration when they stood up firmly against him and what he represents. Their major motivating factor for this opposition is their concern of possibly

losing their eminent authority over these vastly fractioned Arab clans. They also were concerned of disembarrassing people from the constant state of slavery.

Faint and estranged individuals were subjected to unprecedentedly perpetrated enslavement, persecution and cruelty. The prophet (peace and blessings be

upon him) devoted himself and his mission field to liberate those overwhelmed individuals from this state of shameful incarceration. Furthermore, he had

to defy the pagan’s elite and their forcefully imposed influence of obtruding aggression. Actually, what happened with deliberately desecrating the Noble

Koran in this anathemised Florida Church isn’t conveniently forgotten. Thus far, we ought to take critical action toward those people. Some people may

ask: Why do you keep bringing this subject back and forth? I do so because what happened was primarily geared to disgrace us. This ignoramus Terry Jones

intended not just to offend us, he basically intended to challenge the Muslim nation in pride and arrogantly provocative speech. How many pastor in the

United States are identical to this bigot attitudinally? Not so few I am afraid. Therefore, it is prodominantly imperative that we do something to substantially

prevent a potential repetition of this vicious obscenity. As I emphasised on multiple occasions previously, they certainly would have never done that to

the Talmudic literature despite how it disgustingly speaks of Jesus and his mother simply because they are manipulated, regulated, steered, commissioned

and dictated by Jewish figures. I would have softened my tone if they are to be respectful which they wouldn’t. I am determined to persistently confront

this hate based panel. They consider any act of defiance an act of terror. They want to basically sabotage us. Throughout their history, they proved to

have developed a hereditarily intolerant temperament. They mostly adhere to a hostilely crusading mentality which they would never dispose. Thus, I am

here to expose. At the same time, I can moderately balance the plain distinction between the hostilely and the different entirely. To the hostilely I say;

our combat will last forever and we will never be together unless you respect us as you do with others. I know you like to constantly play the role of

the victim as you like to incompetently prosecute others and demonise them with the wickedest of expressions. To the different entirely, to the respected

Christian I say; I unfeignedly esteem you as they do with a royal ancestry. I have no problem with you at all and I unfeignedly cherish  your devotion

to your faith. Your presence is warmly received here. Your Churches are to be built, served and guarded. I intensely despise those who burned or bombed

Churches anywhere in the world. I encourage constructing houses of worship for other religions even in Saudi Arabia as long as they are located farther

from the two sacred towns, Mecca and Medina. It’s because of their eminently enshrined nature that they wouldn’t be approached unles for a ritual practice

devoted religiously such as performing pilgrimage as in Mecca’s Sanctuary  or visiting the gracious prophetic tomb in the blessed town of Medina. I like

certain aspects in the British culture but I am not in any manner anglicised, I am patriotically Egyptian and religiously Muslim. I have no problem to

say that the British culture  in lots of ways has sparked my attention. I like to shop in Marks and Spencer. I like to buy my shirts and trousers from

there. My bride-to-be studied English language and literature and she visited the U.S in a brief educational journey. She is never effected by neither

and I am truly proud of her. This is what I call the refined state of intellectual intercommunication, where people can mutually engage in an intercultural

development. It is the best way for conveying Dawah which is the missionary work  for Islam. Dawah doesn’t need lots of theological discourse. It is insufficient

if it hasn’t been substantiated with the good character. There are two major factors  for representing the Muslim character properly. First, it is the

spiritual devotion in Islamic regular acts of worship such as praying, almsgiving and fasting. Second, it is the moralistic part reflected on your daily

pursuits with others such as refraining from lying, giving false testimony, being concious of Allah and constantly speaking the truth.  It is to avoid

clavering, to guard the prohibition of the tongue, to stay away from illicit flirtation and inappropriate conversation. It is to treat others justly as

you like to be treated. These are the two main aspects of portraying the genuine Muslim. These are two indispensable aspects, they are bound together and

they must be equally represented, the ritual devotion and the righteous character. Unfortunately, lots of Muslims misrepresent this concept by adhering

to a part while dismissing the other which is quite problematic. Some Muslims are abided by regularly praying in the Masjid but they may lie, give or receive

bribery  which is definitely illicit in their religion. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who may not pray more than Friday congregation

and even, not regularly. At the same time, they devote themselves to practice Islamic excellence in treating others. The distortion is distinctly plain.

You can’t devote yourself to some portion of the religion while dismissing another one. It is to take it all or leave it all. We must recognise the distinctive

structure of Islam, ritually and morally. Islam consists of both celestial and terrestrial factors. Celestially, Islam enjoins a distinct relationship

with the Lord and Creator, Allah glory be to Him. It teaches the believer to be close in devotion and piety. Terrestrially, the Muslim believer is religiously

deterred against cultural isolation and dominance. I will continuously speak out against what I classify as southern pastoral fascism, I will never be

dominated by this political orientation. I proudly learned English at the British Council. Therein, I never perceived any cultural imperialism. Islam despises

all forms of practicing superiority and condescension. As I  emphasised on multiple occasions previously, this act is considered in Islam as a major deadly

sin which Christians today call original sin. Basically, it is the sin of intentionally viewing yourself superior to others because of either your race,

ethnicity, language, complexion or any other temporal parameters. The only distinct characteristic which elevates the soul to the highest of the celestial

realm according to Islamic theology is  God-fearing and consciousness. Christians in America consider us below average in terms of what they dubiously

call salvation. I just would like to ask them one single question which examines the genuineness of their controversial proclamation of religious tolerance.

As you know, we don’t deify Jesus as you do and that is the only distinct dissension we have with you on that regard. But, have you ever heard of one single

Muslim spoke inappropriately about Jesus or portrayed him offensively? On the other hand, how many Christian pastor spoke so prejudicially, hatefully,

insultingly, unfairly and even so often, quite contemptuously about the character of prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his household?

As Muslims, we definitely believe in the utmost return of Jesus. If he (peace and blessings be upon him)  returned one day and saw you insulting someone

who died 1400 years ago whilst he saw me attempting to stop you from doing this. In pure sense and honesty, which party Jesus will consider his follower?

Those who obsessively insult or those who are being insulted?          You ought to give this some thought and be honest once with yourselves before you

die. How many Christian either produced, supervised or even participated in either an offensive movie or drew an offensive caricature  of prophet Muhammad

(peace and blessings be upon him)? Have you ever heard of one single Muslim dares doing such thing to Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him)? You may

also think about this. As we are getting closer to the conclusion of this somehow thorough editorial, everything becomes clearer, even gradually. As Muslims,

we certainly recognise the causes of our defeat. This terrible condition we are in is a natural result of our constant disaffiliation and bankruptcy. No

one is held accountable for our respiratory  failure. We shouldn’t be despaired, the situation is optimistically repairable. We can still produce, pioneer,

develop, invent and innovate. For all nations to lead, they must be distinctive in sophistication, production, development and economical reliability.

As they say, we must put-up or shut up. It is our role here to rectify the situation and rebuild our civilisation. In addition to our American friends,

you must plainly discern that your country is not the greatest country in the world. Despite the way you put it,I talked about this unfavourably broad

phenomenon of gun violence in the U.S, and I said that you are not able to control it. My last post talked about this subject. At first, I thought that

most Americans want to do something about this. Well, from the arrogant responses I got so far, I knew that lots of Americans won’t find a proper solution

for this longstanding crisis in the near future. Despite the periodic occurrence of mass murders in major cities and minor towns in America, most Americans

still don’t want to confront irresponsible gun ownership in this country. What chronological steps the Senate took forward toward resolving this? As I

said, I got so arrogant responses, they described what I said with anti-American and so on. I made it clear several times before that I am not by any manner

anti-American. However, I am opposed to unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem which I consider amongst capital deadly sins as a commonly practicing sunni

believer. In order for America to really be the tiptop leading nation in this world, you have got to reduce the amount of gun violence and unneeded pride

in your country. I never hated the United States as a country, as a nation, as a culture or tradition. Please, if you can carry the subsequent message

to the upper elite of your Senate, feel free to do so. The demand to control gun ownership in your country is essentially based on common sense and the

support of sensible people in this country. It is a desperate demand. You should reinstate legislative bills  to restrict random gun ownership in this

country. You should bann the sale of military style assault weapons. I never comprehended the problem of regulating gun ownership. This subject shouldn’t

be controversial. It is impossible for any country in the world to control every single incident of violence within its boundaries, but it is an obligation

to do whatever it takes to solve this issue. Here in Egypt, we had sort of similar phenomenon  of irresponsible weaponry possession. Right after the revolution,

we had an unstable state of gun possession in the street. Our military-forces immediately reacted to instantly eliminate irresponsible gun possession.

They banned selling weapons in the common market. As I said before, if you want to own a gun here, you ought to obtain it from the authoritative entity

in order to officially be licenced. Otherwise, you would have probably obtained it illicitly from the black market which is emphatically violating to the

law.  Former  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against this tragedy of gun violence. Despite the vastly formal stridence provoked against it,

it won’t ever be solved unless American people are sufficiently serious to reform the situation. In responding to my previous post, I encountered enormous

vanity in the tone. As I emphasised several times before, I recognise that you probably have the finest forms of living fabulously  in the United States

but unfortunately, everything you have seems to be quite terrestrial in its essence. You have lots of temporalty, your minds are occupied with commerce,

entertainment, excessive food consumption and luxuriance. That’s the summary of American life-style. I say to you, nothing is genuinely patriotic concerning

this unjustified obstinance on regulating this random and unsolicited gun possession. Of course, it is neither my right nor my interest to discuss this

domestic issue. I am just attempting to show you a different perspective. America is technologically sophisticated, economically adequate and politically

influential. Well, the repudiation provoked  here is based on the social disfranchisement of reserving the right to prevent the potential emergence of

this conflagration. As strongly bound fellow Americans, you ought to stand up and speak out. My friend Carl Jarvis, I am intrigued to hear your opinion

on this. I utterly trust your intellectual eligibility so tell us please; what should Americans do to prevent the recurrence of gun violence in the future?

I trust your opinion as a sensible senior citizen. My friends Deborah Kerwood, Katy Connel, Pia and Alison, I will be commendable to hear your thoughts

on that regard. Is it the law or how people think? I think this has much to do with people’s temperament and thus, a behavioral  restriction is absolutely

mandatory. As I said in my last post, what would be the motivating factor of someone possessing a gun unless inflicting harm on innocents. Primarily, it

is used for threatening, terrifying, instilling unpleasantness or prompting aggression. It seems that there is a considerable amount of eccentric people

in this country and therefore, something has to certainly be done. As Mister President pointed in his last speech condemning this, praying and offering

condolences is simply not enough to solve this crisis. In a unified spirit of fellowship, you must recognise as Americans that this became a majorly grave

threat to your safety and security. Now, a word on the phenomenon of Christianisation in the Muslim World. Despite our disinclination toward this, it became

a fact that there is an amount of people embracing Christianity in the Muslim world. Lots of Muslims are taken aback when they hear this while lots of

Christians feel rejoiced at some point. Well, we shouldn’t be reluctant or capitulated about this. It is an existing phenomenon and as wise Muslims, we

ought to critically examine, reassess and analyse the major factors which aided the significance of this phenomenon to far-flung. We shouldn’t be afraid

to frankly confront this. At its inception, I have no doubt nor concern about the decisive truth of Islam. I actually want to reveal the demoralised state

of Christian missionary activists. On lots of occasions, they rely on hunting strategies. They never dare evangelising in public and their deceitful justification

is that they fear persecution by some governments in the Muslim World. Well, the government here now is a military/liberal based government and yet no

one here dares preaching in public, ordinarily addressing lay people. They actually fear refutation with pragmatic responses. Essentially, they rely on

dramatising and embellishing concepts. How do they dramatise? They often do this by bogusly distorting Islam. They detestably assault Muslim women, they

misrepresent their status, they insult the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with the wickedest of phrases and expressions and of course, they

either deliberately or nesciently misquote the Noble Koran. I confidently assert that they never dare approaching averagely educated Muslims. They often

approach poor and uneducated areas in upper Egypt. As we are situated toward the southern region, education and industrial enterprise considerably decrease

and thence, the opportunity to meet with immoderately uneducated people substantially heightens. Consequently, they can easily attract more people to their

views. This is how they dramatise. So how do they embellish? Basically, they deceitfully fancify tactile sensations emotionally. So for instance, Jesus

loves you, he died for your sins and so on. On lots of occasions, this tactic often succeeds on attracting those who are psychologically traumatised or

financially incapacitated. So for instance, an oppressively divorced woman, a poor man besieged with debt, or a youngster seeks acquiring a visa to a western

country while he doesn’t care that much about religion. Those are frequently captured by Christian missionary. As Muslims, we ought to develop a countering

strategy. Christian missionary activists have the absolute right to call people to their faith as Muslims missionary activists have the same right. We

should listen to them as they call people to Christianity. It’s an invitation and someone has the right to either accept it or reject it. I just ask them

to  publicise their message instead of enshrouding it. I would love to directly meet with Christian missionary workers to hear their perspective unambiguously.

I invite every single missionary to Christianity or even a casually keened caller to his faith to attempt inviting me to his religion. I am wholeheartedly

prepared to listen attentively. At the same time, I conditionally have the right to interact and scrutinise. Feel free to call me on Skype. It is mostafa-the-speaker

or, you can reach me on one of these internet telephone based applications by adding my number to your cellular contacts. So, here you go. +0201001479199.

I enthusiastically await someone to chancily take advantage of this proposal. Inshallah here I am, presenting myself to you. At the same time, I am inshallah

competently insusceptible, I am religiously inoculated toward these inauspicious deceits. I am theologically qualified to participate in such a discussion

with pastorally engaged apologists. Inshallah, I am well-qualified to thoroughly scrutinise with pastorate staff the judicial proceeding concerning their

mission to openly proselytise here in Egypt. As I plainly emphasised on multiple occasions previously, I am Muslim and I have no doubt about Islam. At

the same time, we will be viewed as panicked theologians if we were skeptic of meeting people from other faiths to engage in equated theological dialog

with them. Stereotypically, some people prejudiciously assume that we are afraid and that’s why we don’t engage in theologically based dialog. In order

to prosperously participate into utile interfaith dialog, there are major prerequisites that we ought to carefully take into consideration. First of all,

the subject has to impartially  be known to both parties so they would be presented into equal level playing field. Second, the subject has to mutually

be prepared and the essence of the debate has to be specified and agreed on. That aids implementing the first point. Third, lay people are to  be permanently

disallowed from attending and that prevents prompting  gratuitously emotional acclaiming from either side. I noticed that this emotional state is quite

random, provocative and reactionary toward whatever being said. Average people are utterly ineligible to maintain their emotions properly. They uncontrollably

cheer and chant with no consideration to the situation. These provocative reactions are often exceeding their boundaries, they are more all-encompassing.

Furthermore, they aid inciting religious hatred and consequently, the purpose of participating into interfaith dialog is totally misrepresented and eventually,

totally misapprehended. I am ready to discuss any of the subsequent subjects. 1. The Principles of Shariah. 2. Jihad in essence. 3. Women status in Islam.

4. Islam and other traditions. 5. Islam and the west. 6. Koran and translations, what’s the difference? 7. Judaism versus Zionism, are they the same? 8.

Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam), his legacy, spiritually, secularly, intellectually, peacefully, his marriages and battles. 9. Jesus in

Islam. 10. Islamic social law. 11. Islamic commerce and the prohibition of usury. 12. The devil and the threat of temporal temptation. 13. Islam in moderation

and stridently repudiating against religious extremism. 14. Justice in Islam, the highly revered value. 15. The purpose of worship and the ultimate destiny.

16. Marriage in Islam, a graciously spousal contract. 17. Death and afterlife. 18. Allah and the meaning of monotheism in Islam. 19. Prophets and scriptures.

20. Islam and constituting modernity. 21. Caliphate, Islamic nationhood, ruling and repudiating intolerant dynasties. 22. Islamic Jurisdiction, the diversity

of juristic opinions and continuous ijtihad. 23. Islam and recruting knowledge, the essence of Islamic intellectual development. 24. Why Islam prohibits

homosexuality? 25. Atheism and Theodicy, the philosophical approach toward the providential wisdom and the doctrine of preordination. 26. Western Muslims

and contemporary challenges. These are majorly common twenty-six subjects, they are often misrepresented in the western media. Therefore, I am inshallah

willing to talk about any of these subjects or something relatively relevant to them with any of those orientalist pastors. I wouldn’t allow the misinterpretation

of Islamic theology to be exceedingly promoted by those orientalists. I basically call them possessors of ignorance. I consider anyone who were trained

in Islamic subjects in any of these westernly orientated universities to be merely  disqualified in the field and thus, his opinion or the statements he

makes on that regard are simply insignificant. At the same time, an atheist orientalist is not authoritatively qualified to correspond with the subject

academically. He may attempt to provoke his opinion colloquially  but that doesn’t go anywhere beyond the boundaries of the coffee shop he were sitting

in. I wouldn’t consider that more than insignificantly inoffensive colloquialism. Our religion is essentially based on faith and knowledge. Faith is the

spiritual essence and knowledge is the backbone, the implementing factor to vividly reflect on that essence. Those who are Muslims, they have faith but

they didn’t attain knowledge are simply ignorants. Similarly, those who learn about the subject theologically to perhaps misdirect, misguide, misinterpret,

misquote, misrepresent or manipulate are to also be classified as ignorant people whom we simply consider totally worthless and unworthy of attention.

There are lots of articles about Islam written by western orientalists which I consider unworthy of nothing but to be trashed into the garbage. So for

instance, what was written about the Noble Koran, the blasphemous textbook which talks about what came to be controversially known as the satanic verses

authored by the dually Indian British novelist Salman Rushdie is tremendously preposterous in the slightest. As I strongly emphasised in my post called

Islamophobia, Islam is never taught properly in ceremonious western education and thus, the opportunity enormously erupts to those who would exercise bigotry

and derision against Islam to largely expand. This is why I learned English and this is why I determined with my perfect conviction to regularly send such

posts out to people to edify them properly. Some friends  say they are  sometimes confused by the ostensibly presented discrepancies  when I talk versus

when I write. According to them, I sound quite differently. When I talk, I appear to be quite appealing and open-minded and when I write, I sound quite

the opposite, strident and often, quite inimical. Yes, my initial disposal alters between the two states depending on the circumstance at hand. So if I

am addressing those whom I consider allies, the friendly tone appears, and if I talk to the hostilely party, the strident tone instantaneously substitutes.

I just wished to clarify this point to  all my friends across the world. When I wanted to learn correct English, I went to the qualified place for that.

I went to the British Council, the broadly fame educational organisation which specialises in teaching that language to foreign people. I wanted to learn

English from its indigenous speakers. I didn’t go to any domestic school nor even any American institution because in either one, English is somehow misconstrual

and inaccurately represented. It is quite similar as to when people want to learn about Islam, they must seek the proper place for that. So what is the

proper place to learn about Islam in the United States? I really couldn’t think of nothing more better than Zaytuna college. Zaytuna’s curriculum is based

on coordinating spirit and intellect. That’s the essence of practicing orthodox Islam. This is the first and only school in the United States which teaches

moderately orthodox Islam. Zaytuna college is an attempt to vividly reflect the centrality of tolerant and moderate Islam. Shaykh, imam, Scholar, teacher

and a notable public speaker, Hamza Yusuf Henson is the director of this blessed seminary placed in Berkeley California. As a graduate of Al-Azhar, it

is my distinctive honour to go study with Shaykh Hamza may Allah bestow His blessedness on him. This is the best place for you to seek genuine Islamic

education. As I stated on multiple occasions, edification is the proper manner by which people elevate their pursuits. It is the pathway to enlightenment

and aggrandisement. As I am getting closer to my eventual concluding remarks, I must plainly emphasise that I never hated the west or the United States.

I seriously never did. I actually respect many aspects of the western tradition. There are just some issues which we need to reconcile. So for instance,

one of the most controversial subjects which we often tend to argue about with the west is the concept of modesty. Many westerns tend to oppose Hijab out

of prejudice. Some of them call it a sign of suppression while Muslim women consider this practice a sign of devotion, a sign of submitting to what Allah

commands them to do. I remember watching a beautiful video on Youtube made by a Christian from the U.S about wearing the headscarf. I really liked what

that guy said. He genuinely praised modest outfit, he objectively criticised the culture of favouring aphrodisiac and he considered wearing a headscarf

a sign of satisfaction with God. This man who taped this video is Christian by the way. He publicly repudiated the culture of viciously portraying women

as sex objects. “Women  dressing modestly are not going to ruin America,” he said. I truly esteem that man for his genuine honesty about this particular

issue. He doesn’t want western women to be objectified in public. He opposes impudicity. This type of culture helped developing the stereotype we have

here that lots of women are cheap and easy to take. Of course, this is absolutely incorrect. I knew lots of western women who are respectful, modest and

morally quite virtuous. As we are getting closer to the concluding remarks of this post, you may plainly recognise that I never dare compelling anyone

to do something he doesn’t want to do. That’s explicitly against the commandments of my faith. You may also recognise that if we disagree on lots of subjects,

it doesn’t mean we are constant opponents on everything. Yes, religiously and traditionally, I may stridently oppose some elements of the western culture

such as celebrating feasts or occasions that are beyond our identity in either origin or beingness. I may oppose acidulous                                                                      

practices such as obvious acts of perverse. So for instance, alcoholism, gambling, uncordial disposal, suicidal thoughts, holding up to racial remarks

and pornographically affiliated pursuits. On the other end of the spectrum, there are many respectful elements of the western culture that I personally

consider highly regarded such as human rights recognition, technological development but it is not as perfect as they attempt to portray it. China and

Japan are more advanced in that aspect. I also like  the western predilection of talented individuals despite their age, complexion, faith or race. At

the same time, there are some areas of the west that are greatly suffering from conspicuously notorious racism. I don’t want to name a particular country

because that would be considered unfair stimulus generalisation. That is a negative destruption in my opinion. With the Grace of Allah glory be to Him,

I attempt to be as fair as possible in communicating with the western tradition. In the Noble Koran, there is a mighty chapter called chapter of dwellings.

In this blessed chapter, Allah glory be to Him enjoins us to adhere harmony and coexistence with other individuals and nations. Allah says in the Noble

Koran:

 

“O ye mankind, we verily created thee from male and female and we made thee into nations and tribes so thou can recognize one another. Verily, the most

precious of thee in the side of Allah, is the one who is the most pious. Verilly, Allah is all knowing, all aware.”

 

The Noble Koran, chapter of dwellings verse 13.

 

This verse constitutes  general rulings of settling a social integration between people in the society and collaboration between different societies.

 

It talks about the purpose of making us into variances and diversities. This variation doesn’t mean to develop divergence, conflict, dissension and social

disintegration. It signifies the necessaty of involving into social consolidation. Islam opposes the idea of engaging into hostile disposal. Confrontation

is highly discouraged in the Islamic tradition unless it is mandatory to defend integrity, dignity, liberty, territory  or identity or to defy against

threatening aggression. So in general, we are enjoined to integrate with people from all different backgrounds. Despite the embracement of a particular

faith or the descent of a particular race, people are equally treated and held accountable in Islam. The Koran doesn’t distinguish between the male and

the female in terms of their rights and duties. Subsequently, it comes the most crucial factor in this context. Who is to have the higher superiority?

The Koran repudiates the recognition of superiority on either racial or ethnical basis. People are superior in the side of Allah with their righteous deeds,

piety and good treatement to others. We don’t suffer from the crisis of racism in Islam simply because, people aren’t judged based on their complexion

or their origin. They are rather  recognised for their distinctive entity and character. That what makes Islam exceptionally attractive and particularly,

to ethnical minorities for they were toughly maltreated by white supremacy. Islamic excellence is the guaranteed pathway of guardianship to protect either

religious or ethnical minorities from maltreatment. Islam is a protective shield to those who were suffering from racially discriminating white supremacists.

Islam doesn’t discriminate against people for their disability, ethnicity, descent or any other considerations. People are chiefly attributable to their

characteristics and identity. Islam repudiates the culture of solitary. It rather encourages favouring socialisation and enculturation. Thus, attending

regular prayers at the Masjid’s congregation is enormously recommended twenty-seven time over praying by yourself at either your home or business place.

That’s the significance of social integration in Islam. Up to ninety-five percent of Islamic acts of worship are essentially based on social integration

such as praying, fasting and performing pilgrimage. The social life is quite important in Islam. It is highly encouraged as opposed to isolation. At the

same time, Islam organises the relationship between men and women in the society to prevent unsolicited illicit acts and to keep everything proper. Islam

doesn’t prohibit gender intercommunication as long as the proper manner is unfeignedly maintained. I can go on with illustrating on this, I just meant

to be comprehensive and concise. Inshallah, it is time to close this post. I hope you enjoyed reading what it has been written here. Of course you don’t

have to and you are never expected to agree with every single statement. It’s quite natural to have different opinions and priorities. We were made to

have different values and interests. That’s one of the main objectives of our diverse creation. So please, have your say and disagree with me. So upon

closing, there are some things to say. First, thank you so much for bearing to read this lengthy post. It has been lengthened so I appreciate your persistent

exertion to reach its end. Second, I would love to hear all your feedback despite its nature. Whether it’s tough, soft, well-disposed or inimical, I’ll

be so commendable to read it. Finally and particularly if you wish to directly interact with me, there are basic guidelines to follow. Please, be critically

attentive to the subsequent list of guidelines. First, if you want to contact me regarding a specific segment of the post, please make sure to have your

subject referencing as to which part of the post you are interested in. Second, in the body field, please, qualify the type of your message, whether it’s

a feedback, a comment with no need to response, a comment that demands a response, a query or just any other interest. Please, if it’s a comment which

demands interaction, be quite accurate with specifying the precise segment of your interest. I generally don’t respond to all feedbacks I receive so please,

if you critically demand a response, be quite explicit about that. Also, if you want to meet me on Skype or to call me on any of these internet based applications,

please mention that clearly in the body field so we can schedule for that inshallah. In your body field, you could also commence a scrutiny and I will

inshallah interact with you. Also make sure to specify whether you want a brief, a moderate or a thorough response. If you demand more than one response

about various segments, please, divide your interest into separate threads. That will make our interaction more useful, my response will inshallah be more

organised and fairly focalised. Note, I inextricably won’t ever respond to salacity, profanation or any type of incendiary oratory. If something inappropriate

has been detected, the consecutive procedure will basically be a total neglectedness, a  sender label and a permanent message automatic deletion. So libellers,

watch out your manners. To calumniators, I will inshallah continue to constantly oppose your fascist and fanatic ideology. We will never be friends, yet

You are never excluded from the virtual meeting proposal. If you have some courage, you may meet me to confront your political orientation of instilling

controversy, tribulation and detestably inciting sectarianism. As to my friends from other traditions, I recognise the crucialness of our human fraternity

and therefore, it is highly recommended to regularly interact with each other despite our orientated dispositions. Our traditions were never into a state

of opponency. I highly prize our mutual civil interests. We are expected to inshallah engage in a deeper dialog with each other. I truly appreciate our

intercultural development. I look forward to hearing from my friends domestically and abroad. I thank Allah at the end and the beginning. May Allah bestow

His Grace, Beneficence and Forgiveness upon us. Now, I leave you with the Providential covenant of Allah glory be to Him. You may think of the origin of

that covenant and its irremissible duty. Eventually, I greet you with the greeting of Islam, peace be with you. Mostafa Almahdy,

 

Best wishes.

 

It's always hope that gives meaning to life.

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