The-MWL-Journal-2015-August

l Shawwal1436/August 2015 l
1
Letter From the Editor
Islam is the only Religion of Peace
Today peace is the most demanding
thing in the world. For the prevalence
of peace two things are required. One
is: the acceptance of a flawless, all-
comprehensive and balanced code of
life, and the other is: the emergence of
a group of world leaders who shall sin-
cerely, seriously and selflessly try their
best to implement that code of life in all
the spheres of human activities.
There is no doubt that only Islam is
that flawless, all-comprehensive and
balanced code of life.
Human beings are not required to
look for a suitable code of life as it is
already there in the Glorious Qur’an,
the best revealed Book of Allah.
What is needed today is the promo-
tion of such leaders who are capable
to represent the Qur’an, to the seat of
world leadership. Without Islam and
the Islamic leadership humanity cannot
be free from the hydra-headed prob-
lems they confront every day. Individu-
alism, Socialism, Secularism, etc were
given trials. All other isms except Islam
only added to the sufferings of human-
ity instead of amelioration of those suf-
ferings.
There are some ugly quarters who
are blind folded and as such they are
not in a position to see the beauty and
realize the greatness of Islam. These
narrow-minded people vehemently op-
pose Islam and try their best to create
confusion in the mind of others.
History shows that these quarters
could confuse others for a particular
period, but in the long run, truth pre-
vailed.
Man-made isms miserably failed to
solve problems of mankind and bring
peace for them. There is very likeli-
hood that in the process of their search
for a suitable code of life human beings
shall, in no time, turn to Islam. When
they take this turn, they shall be blessed
with the peace they had been looking
for.
In the eye of Islam moral values are
more important than physical beauty
and material possessions. So we should
judge a man or a woman in the light of
moral values not on the basis of his or
her physical beauty or the amount of
wealth he or she possesses.

2
C O N
Vol.43lShawwal1436/August2015lNo.10
MWL Secretary General
opened orphans endowment
building in Makkah
How Did the Prophet and His
Companions Celebrate Eid?
Letter from the Editor
Islam is the only Religion of Peace.....................................................1
Guidance from the Glorious Qur’an and Sunnah...........................4
History of Eid-ul-Fitr
MWL Journal Staff.............................................................................10
Resolution on Practice of Proving the Crescent by Sighting not by
Astronomical Calculation
Resolution on Unification of Crescent-Sighting
Clarion Calls to Save Rohingya Muslims
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi...............................................................................14
Lord Sheikh on Muslims, Extremism and Islam at the
House of Lords
Dr. Mozammel Haque.........................................................................16
The role of media in building a culture of dialogue:
An Islamic perspective
Komaruddin Hidayat..........................................................................20
An Overview: The Muslims of North Cyprus
Aftab Husain Kola.............................................................................34
Journal
TheMuslimWorldLeague
75
Secretary-General
Dr. Abdullah A. Mohsin Al-Turki
Director General
Media & External Offices and Centres
and
Chief Editor
Dr. Hassan Al-Ahdal
Director
Culture & Media Dept.
Abdullah Ali Al-Nemary
Editor
Mohammad Zakir Hossain
Layout and Graphic Designer
Khaled Awad Al-Muazzin
The Muslim World League Journal
P.O. Box: 537
Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Tel/ Fax: 00966 (012) 5600923
E-mail:
mwljournal@themwl.org
www.themwl.org

3
T E N T SAnnual Subscription Rates
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World League may be sent to
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All articles and correspondence
may please be addressed to Chief
Editor, The Muslim World League
Journal. While we reserve the right
toedit,summariseorrejectanycon-
tribution, no article, report or letter
will be returned to the sender.
Views expressed in The Muslim
WorldLeagueJournaldonotneces-
sarily represent those of the Muslim
World League. Articles published
may, however, be reproduced with
acknowledgement.
Islamic Response to the Char-
lie Hebdo’s Caricatures of the
Noble Prophet
The Middle Path of Islam:
Between Rejection & Extrem-
ism
Education and Morality: An Analytical Study
Mohammad Mahmudul Hasan...........................................................38
Qur’anic teaching in IIUI, Pakistan: Scope and Challenges—An
Assessment
Zonera Ghafoor......................................................................................44
Muslim Philosophers and the Intellectual Sharing during Middle
Ages
Tauseef Ahmad Parray...........................................................................49
The Middle Path of Islam: Between Rejection & Extremism
Dr. Mozammel Haque............................................................................52
How Islam Spread in India
Firas Alkhateeb......................................................................................56
Muslim and Japanese Religious Leaders Dialogue Program
‫‏‬Nichiko Niwano......................................................................................58
Bilal ibn Rabah: The symbol of human equality
Abu Tariq Hijazi.....................................................................................61
Rabita Roundup
Mohammad Zakir Hossain.....................................................................63
5226

4
Give beauty to your Eid by doing
takbir. (Bukhari)
For every people (nation) there
is a feast, and this is our feast (Eid).
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Almighty Allah has given
you (Muslims) something better
than those (feasts), “Eid-ul-Fitr
and Eid-ul-Adha” (Abu-Dawood,
Nasa’ee, Ahmad)
Umm Atiyyah has narrat-
ed; “The holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) commanded us that we
should take unmarried young girls
and grown-up women, even the
menstruating ones, along with us to
the ‘Eid ground. The menstruating
women, however, are not to attend
the prayer, but should sit aside and
keep on pronouncing the Takbir,
and join only in the supplications.
I asked, ‘O Prophet of Allah! what
about those who do not have the
over-garment to cover themselves
up?” The noble Prophet (peace be
upon him) replied: ‘The one hav-
ing an over-garment should take
her sister along with her.’ (Bukhari,
Muslim, Tirmizi)
Anas, a companion of the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) reported that when the
upon him) migrated from Makkah
to Madinah, the people of Madi-
nah used to have two festivals. On
those two days they had carnivals
and festivity. Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) asked the
Ansaar (the Muslims of Madinah)
about it. They replied that before
Islam they used to have carnivals
on those two joyous days. The
upon him) told them: ‘Instead of
those two days, Allah has appoint-
ed two other days which are better,
the days of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-
Adha.’ (Bukhari)
They are two days of Mushri-
keen’s feasts, so I like to oppose
them in their ceremonies. (Nasa’ee,
Ahmad)
On Eid day best clean clothes
should be worn according to
ones capacity. It has been nar-
rated that Umar used to do that
along with other companions of
the Prophet (peace be upon him).
(Fathul-Baree)
To consume dates or some-
thing sweet before leaving for Eid
prayers to show that we are not fast-
ing. It has been mentioned that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) used
not to leave for the Eid prayers ex-
cept after consuming some dates.
(Bukhari)
It is preferable to walk to the Eid
prayer except if you are disabled,
or the mosque is too far; then you
can use transport. (Tirmizi)
To use an alternative route when
returning from Eid prayer than
the one used for gong there. Jabir
has reported that the holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) used to come
back from the Eid prayer on a path
other than the one used going to it.
(Bukhari)
Eid-ul-FitrGuidance from
Q u r’a n and S u n n a h
The Quran
Hadith
Jesus, son of Mary, said: ‘O Allah, Lord of us! Send
down for us a table spread with food from heaven,
that it may be a feast (eid) for us, for the first of us
and for the last of us and a sign from You. Give us
sustenance, for You are the Best of Sustainers.’(5:
114)
And to every nation we have appointed acts of
devotion (sacrifice) that they may mention the name
of Allah on what He has given them of the cattle
quadrupeds; and your God is one God, therefore to
Him should you submit, and give good news to the
humble whose hearts tremble when Allah is men-
tioned, and those who are patient under that which
afflicts them. (22:34)
You shall complete the number (of days) and
you may glorify God for His guiding you, and that
you may be thankful. (2: 185)
O Rasool! tell them it is only through the Rah-
mat of your Rabb that you have received this. You
should, therefore, rejoice over it. This is more
precious to you than all the wealth that you may
amass. (10:58)

5
Mohammad Zakir Hossain
The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League and
Chairman of International Islamic Relief Organization-
Saudi Arabia Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki opened an endow-
ment building for orphans at Ajyad Al-Sud in Makkah
al-Mukarramah in the presence of business leaders and
philanthropists.
Ehssan Saleh Taieb, Secretary-General of IIROSA,
said the organization would make use of revenue from
the 29-floor building to finance programs for the benefit
of orphans it has sponsored inside and outside the King-
dom.
MWLSecretaryGeneral
openedorphansendowment
buildinginMakkah

6
“We are carrying out educational, health and
rehabilitation programs for the benefit of orphans
in different parts of the world,” Ehssan Saleh
Taieb, Secretary-General of IIROSA, told after
the opening ceremony. The endowment building
is located 150 metres from the Haram Mosque.
Constructed at a total cost of SR293.11 million,
the seven floors of the building will be used for
services while 22 floors with 464 rooms will be
utilized as a four-star hotel.
“We expect an annual revenue of more than
SR50 million from the building,” Taieb said. He
praised the philanthropists who had contributed
generously to finance the project.
“We are carrying out educational, health and
rehabilitation programs for the benefit of orphans
in different parts of the world,” Taieb said after
the opening ceremony.
He emphasized the importance of supporting
orphans because they do not have anybody else
to take care of them.
He disclosed plans to establish six more en-
dowment buildings in Makkah at a total cost of
SR500 million to generate revenue worth more
than SR100 million annually to spend on IIRO-
SA’s various humanitarian programs around the
world.
“We have decided to construct these endow-
ment buildings in Makkah to generate the highest
possible revenue in order to help the organization
carry out its mission in the best form,” Taieb said,
adding that these projects would enable the or-
ganization to finance its charitable activities.
Speaking about IIROSA’s programs for or-
phans, Taieb said: “We sponsor more than 90,000
orphaned boys and girls in 35 Asian, African and
European countries in addition to children living
in 10 orphanages in some countries and 15 social
centres in Jordan and Sudan. “We also sponsor
19,000 orphans in other countries.”

7
The month-long fast of the month of Ramadhan
is over and is followed by Eid on 1st Shawwal. It
is a day of joy, bonding, helping one another and
spreading happiness all over the globe: “...Alladhi
ja’altahu lil Musilimina ‘Eida”.
However, Eid celebrations are changing with
times. There is an ever-increasing ostentation, im-
permissible celebrations and extravagance. But
would the people during the times of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and his Companions fritter
away their time on frivolities and vanities. How did
they celebrate?
The purpose of ‘Eid is deeper than mere cel-
ebrations and relaxation. Lexically, Eid in Arabic
is derived from awd i.e. to return or recur. In his
book Al-A’yad Fil-Islam, Sheikh Muhammad Al-
Jibaly defines Eid as “any day of gathering, from
awd (meaning returned), because people return to it
periodically. Some scholars say that it comes from
Aadah (custom or practice; plural A’yaad) because
people are accustomed to celebrating it. According
to Lisan-ul-Arab: “It is called Eid because it returns
every year with renewed happiness.”
In the past when an afflicted community found
relief and erstwhile prosperity and comfort re-
turned, that occasion too was called ‘eid. In Islam,
after the month long fast and at the end of Hajj, the
human soul returns to its pristine state of cleanli-
ness and purity; hence the celebrations of ‘Eid al-
Fitr and Eid al-Hajj.
We learn about the Sunnah (traditions) of Eid
from various narrations:
• The Companions (may Allah be pleased with
them) used to recite Takbeer during the night of
Eid from sunset on the last day of Ramadan un-
til the Imam came to lead the Eid prayer in the
morning.
• They raised their voices in supplication and re-
How Did the Prophet, His
Companions Celebrate Eid?
Rahla Khan

8
membrance of Allah in the marketplac-
es, mosques and homes, but the women
did so inaudibly.
• The Prophet would not go out on Eid al-
Fitr until he had eaten an odd number
of dates. (Ahmad and Al-Bukhari) In
Al-Muwatta, it is recorded from Sa’id
Bin Al-Musayyib that the people were
ordered to eat before they went out for
prayer on the day of breaking the fast.
• They performed Ghusl (ritual bath) and
wore their best clothes and applied
perfume. Ibn Al-Qayyim writes: “The
Prophet (peace be upon him) had a spe-
cial (Yemeni) cloak that he would wear
on the two Eids and Jumu’ah.”
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) would
take his wives and daughters to the
two Eids, and after he prayed and gave
a Khutbah, he went to the women and
admonished them, reminded them of Al-
lah, and ordered them to give charity.
(Al-Bukhari) Umm ‘Atiyah reports: “We
were ordered to go out with the single
and menstruating women on the two
Eids in order to witness the good and the
supplications of the Muslims. The men-
struating women would be separate from
the others.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
• The Prophet and his Companions paid
Zakat Al-Fitr before the Eid prayer, or
even a day or two in advance.
• After the Eid prayer, they dispersed by
a route that was different from the one
they took to approach the Musalla.
The Islamic Tarbiyah (upbringing) im-
parted by the Prophetic traditions is not re-
stricted to the outward aspects of worship, it
goes deeper and teaches us the correct spirit
of celebration.
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Jibaly writes:
“The major part of the celebration is not
eating or drinking – rather, it is a prayer that
brings Muslims together to remember Al-
lah’s bounties and celebrate His glory and
greatness. The Eids and their celebration in
Islam carry a distinctive meaning and spir-
it. They are completely different from the
celebrations in other nations and cultures.
For other nations, a holiday is a chance to
immerse in worldly pleasures, or to involve
oneself in prohibited acts to the utmost.
“Not so for Muslims! For Muslims,
the Eid is an occasion to increase in good
deeds. Each Eid marks the conclusion of an
important worship, and the determination
to continue in obedience and submission to
Allah. In moments of extreme pleasure or
sadness, a Muslim never forgets his Lord’s
greatness, might, glory, and watchfulness.
A Muslim’s actions are always controlled
by this continued remembrance and aware-
ness.
“Thus the Eid is not an occasion to take
a vacation from Islamic responsibilities and
commitments, nor to waste time and money
in extravagance. It is not ‘fun for the sake

9
of fun’. Rather, it is controlled and directed
rejoicing that is of ultimate and definite
benefit for the Muslim. The Eid is a chance
to multiply good deeds by bringing hap-
piness and pleasure to the hearts of other
Muslims, by helping and supporting the
poor and needy, and by getting involved in
pastimes that emphasize the strong and se-
rious Islamic character.”
When the Prophet came to Madinah he
found the people celebrating two days of
sport and amusement. He then said: “Al-
lah, the Exalted, has exchanged these days
for two days better than them: the day of
breaking the fast and the day of sacrifice.”
(Ahmad, Abu Dawood)
In his explanation of this narration,
Sheikh Ahmad Abdurrahmaan Al-Banna
said: “(They are better because) they are
legislated by Allah and are His choice for
His creatures. They follow the completion
of two of the greatest pillars of Islam: Hajj
and fasting. On the other hand, the days of
Nawrooz and Mihrajaan (Persian festivals)
were devised by the people of those times,
because of a change in weather or other
passing qualities. The difference between
the two cases is apparent to whoever pon-
ders upon this.” (Al-Fath ur-Rabbani)
There are several instances where the
Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted
Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) to
indulge in suitable recreation on Eid.
Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her)
said: “The Messenger of Allah, entered the
house and I had two girls who were sing-
ing about the battle of Bu’ath [a 120-year
battle between the tribes of Aws and Khaz-
raj that ended with the advent of Islam].
The Prophet (peace be upon him) lay down
on the bed and turned his face to the other
direction.
Abu Bakr entered and spoke harshly
to me, ‘Musical instruments of the Satan
in the presence of the Messenger of Al-
lah!’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) turned his face to him and said:
‘Leave them.’ When Abu Bakr became in-
attentive I signaled to the girls to leave. It
was the day of Eid and the Africans were
performing with their shields and spears.
Either I asked him or the Prophet (peace be
upon him) asked if I would like to watch
them [I don’t recall now]. I replied in the
affirmative. At this the Prophet (peace be
upon him) made me stand behind him and
my cheek was against his. He was saying:
‘Carry on, O tribe of Arfidah,’ until I tired.
The Prophet asked: ‘Is that enough for
you?’ I replied: “Yes,” so he said: ‘Leave
[then].’”
Ibn Hajar writes in Fath Al-Bari, “It is
related that the Prophet said that day: ‘Let
the Jews of Madinah know that our religion
is spacious [and has room for relaxation]
and I have been sent with an easy and
straightforward religion.”’

10
Celebrated at the end of the most
sacred Islamic month Ramadan,
Eid-ul-Fitr is a three-day long fes-
tival that is enthusiastically cel-
ebrated by all the Muslims of the
world. But how did this excit-
ing festival originate?
According to the Islamic tra-
dition, it was in the year CE610
that the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him), while medi-
tating in Mount Hira one night dur-
ing the month of Ramadan, had a
vision of the Angel Jibril (or, Ga-
briel) appearing before him, and
declaring that Muhammad was the
messenger of God. Jibril said to
him : “Iqraa” (meaning “read” or
“recite”).
To this Muhammad replied that
he could not read. Jibril embraced
him and after releasing him re-
peated: ‘Iqraa’. “I cannot read.”
Muhammad (peace be upon him)
answered again. Jibril hugged him
for a third time and asked him to
recite what he said. He told him:
“Recite in the name of your Lord
Who creates. Creates man from a
clot. Recite: And your Lord is the
Most Bountiful Who teaches by
the pen, He teaches man what he
does not know.”
Though the angel informed him
that he was the messenger of Allah
and was going to be a Prophet for
his people, Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was greatly disturbed at
this bizarre incident. It is believed
that he at first considered the an-
gel as an evil spirit. It was his wife
Khadijah who allayed his fears re-
minding him of his good conduct
until then and that it was impossible
for him to be visited by a demon.
Even her much learned old cousin
Waraqa ibn Nawfal convinced him
that he was indeed a messenger of
God and the angel who visited Mu-
hammad was the one who had also
visited the Hebrew prophet Moses.
was of forty years of age at this
time.
In the next 23 years, Muham-
mad (peace be upon him) was
visited many times by Jibril who
taught him the holy knowledge
in verses. This sacred knowledge
consists of the code of conduct that
Allah wants his people to maintain
on earth. It is inscribed in verses
which are compiled in the holy
Qur’an, the most sacred book in
Islam.
It is said that the sacred knowl-
edge was revealed to the Prophet
during the month of Ramadhan.
As a mark of respect to Allah and
to show gratitude to him for the
true knowledge that he gifted to
his sons and daughters, the Prophet
asked his followers (and therefore
the followers of Islam) to pass
the month of Ramadan in fasting,
prayers and other austerities and
endthemonth-longnon-indulgence
with festive celebrations.
This is how Eid-ul-Fitr was
born. This three-day long celebra-
tion ends the ninth month, and
marks the beginning of the month
of Shawwal with absolute happi-
ness and contentment for the abil-
ity to sacrifice for Allah. The aim
of this festival is to promote peace,
strengthen the feeling of brother-
hood and bring oneself back to the
normal course of life after a month-
long period of self-denial and reli-
gious devotion.
The revelation of the Qur’an in
this month was a great success in
that amidst the surrounding dark-
ness of the Jahiliyah period, this
Book brought the light of ethical
behaviour, kindness and end of
cruelty of burying female children
alive. It erased the blot of tribalism
and replaced it with the unity of a
single ummah. Bani Israel squan-
dered the blessing of the proph-
ets from Ishak’s progeny and the
Almighty in His infinite wisdom
turned over prophethood to the
progeny of Ismail and the scene
shifted from Mount Sinai to Mount
Abu Qubeis, and Syrian greenery
was abandoned in favour of the
arid Hijaz for the new mission.
Sunnah of Eid
Wake up early
* Prepare for personal cleanliness,
take care of details of clothing,
etc.
* Take a Ghusl (bath) after Fajr.
* Brush your teeth.
* Dress up, putting on best clothes
available, whether new or
cleaned old ones.
* Use perfume (men only).
* HavebreakfastonEid-al-Fitrbe-
fore leaving for prayer ground.
On Eid-al-Adha, eat breakfast
after Salaat or after sacrifice if
you are doing a sacrifice.
* Pay Zakaat-al-Fitr before Salaat-
al-Eid (on Eid-al-Fitr).
* Go to prayer ground early.
* Offer Salaat-al-Eid in congre-
gation in an open place except
History of Eid-ul-Fitr
MWL Journall Staff

11
when whether is not permitting
like rain, snow, etc.
* Use two separate routes to and
from the prayer ground.
* Recite the following Takbir on
the way to Salaat and until the
beginning of Salaat-al-Eid:
Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber.
La ila-ha ill-lal-lah. Allaho-
Akber, Allaho-Akber. Wa-lilahill
hamd. (Allah is great, Allah is
great. There is no god but Allah.
Allah is great, Allah is great.
And all praises are for Allah).
How to offer Eid prayer
Ibn Abbass reported: “I partici-
pated in the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer with
the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him), Abu Bakr, Umar and
Uthman, and all of them said the
Eid prayer, and then the Prophet
delivered the sermon.” (Muslim)
On how Eid to be celebrated,
Ali, advised to give fitra of the
individuals and their dependants.
Ali of the obligations they have
towards Allah (Ibadaat). Then he
admonished them to refrain from
making allegations, to shun evil
deeds, to abandon drinking, to stop
shortchanging, to eschew false tes-
timony and to stop running away
from the battlefield.
Ali pithily outlined those
strengths of obedience to Allah
that enhance the great civilization
of Al-Islam and those weaknesses
that destroy individual and collec-
tive dignity.
“Remember Allah and He will
remember you,” said Ali and ex-
plained that one adhering to the
commandments of Allah is protect-
ed by Him.
He defined Eid as any day that is
free of rebellion against Allah. He
is quoted saying “’Eid is for those
whose fasts have been accepted
and whose salaat are worthy of
reckoning and every day when one
does not commit a sin it is ‘eid”.
Eid al-Fitr, therefore, is the day of
success attained in the month of
Ramadhan; fasting, revelation of
the Qur’an, and Laylatul Qadr etc.
being some of those successes.
Who should go to the prayer
ground & offer Eid Prayer
Umm Atiyah reported: “The Mes-
senger of Allah (peace be upon
him) commanded us to bring out
on Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha,
young women, hijab-observing
adult women and the menstruating
women. The menstruating women
stayed out of actual Salaat but par-
ticipated in good deeds and dua
(supplication). I said to the holy
Prophet: Oh! Messenger of Allah,
one does not have an outer garment.
He replied: Let her sister cover her
with her garment.” (Muslim)
On the Eid day, every believing
man, woman and child must go to
the prayer ground and participate
in this joyous occasion.
Structure of Eid prayer
Eid prayer is wajib (strongly rec-
ommended, just short of obligato-
ry). It consists of two rakaat (units)
with six or 13 additional takbirs. It
must be offered in congregation.
The prayer is followed by the ser-
mon.
The sermon is part of the wor-
ship and listening to it is Sunnah.
During the sermon, the Imam must
remind the community about its
responsibilities and obligations
towards Allah, fellow Muslims
and the fellow human beings. The
Imam must encourage the Muslims
to do good and ward off evil. The
Muslim community must also be
directed to the state of the commu-
nity and the Ummah at large and
the feelings of sacrifice should be
aroused in the community. At the
conclusion of the prayer the Mus-
lims should convey greetings to
each other, give reasonable gifts to
the youngsters and visit each other
at their homes. Muslims should
also take this opportunity to invite
their non-Muslims neighbors, co-
workers, classmates and business
acquaintances to Eid festivities to
expose them to Islam and Muslim
culture.
The message of Eid al-Fitr is
that no Muslim remains hungry
on this day. It is a day that the rich
and the poor enjoy happiness of
the day, as the haves give the fitra
to the have-nots. The fitra ensures
acceptance of the fast as the fasts
remain suspended between the
earth and the heavens until fitra is
executed. The emphasis on fitra is
so much that a family capable of
giving just one person’s fitra can
rotate that self-same fitra among
every member of that family and
fulfill this obligation. Indeed, a
poor man receiving charity too
should pay fitra from the sadaqaat
he receives. Thus, the rejoicing on
the day of Eid is to obey Allah and
serve humanity, the twin purport
of Islam that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) defined.

12
All Praise be to Almighty Allah. Blessing
and peace be on His Prophet Muhammad af-
ter whom there is no prophet, and on all those
who followed his way of guidance.
The Islamic Fiqh Council during its 4th
session held at the General Secretariat of the
Muslim World League in Makkah Mukar-
ramah between 7-17 Rabi Al-Aakhir 1401H
discussed the letter of the Islamic Call Soci-
ety in Singapore dated 16 Shawwal 1399H
/ 8 August 1979 and addressed to the Saudi
charge d’affaires there and which stated that
there was a difference of opinion between the
Islamic Call Society and the Islamic Council
in Singapore about the beginning and end of
Ramadhan 1399H /1979, whereas the Soci-
ety viewed that beginning and end of Rama-
dhan are based on the sighting of crescent
according to the general evidences that ex-
ist in the Islamic Shari’ah, while the Islamic
Council in Singapore was of the opinion that
the beginning and end of Ramadhan should
be based on the astronomical calculation, ar-
guing that in countries of the Asian region in
general and Singapore in particular, the sky is
mostly covered with clouds and it is difficult
to sight the crescent so it should be consid-
ered an inevitable excuse that necessitates the
astronomical calculation.
The Islamic Fiqh Council after having
a detailed study of this issue in the light of
textual provisions in the Islamic Shari’ah,
decided to support the Islamic Call Society
in its view, because the Shari’ah evidences in
this regard are very clear.
The Council also decided that in a situ-
ation where the sighting of crescent is pre-
vented due to the clouded sky such as Sin-
gapore and other similar regions of Asia, the
Muslims should follow those Muslim coun-
tries which depend on the sighting of cres-
cent without depending on the astronomical
calculations in any way, as Allah’s Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been
reported as saying: “Observe the fasting on
sighting the crescent and break the fasting on
sighting the crescent. If it is cloudy and the
sighting of crescent is prevented from you,
then complete the count of 30. In another Ha-
dith, he is reported as saying: “Do not fast
unless you sight the crescent or complete the
count of the month and do not break the fast
unless you sight the crescent or complete the
count of the month.” There are more Hadiths,
which have the same meaning.
Chairman, Islamic Fiqh Council Abdullah
Ibn Muhammad Ibn Humaid President,
Supreme Judicial Council Saudi Arabia
Deputy Chairman, Islamic Fiqh Council
Muhammad Ali Al-Harakan
Secretary-General, Muslim World
League
Members:
Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Baz
General President, Research, Ifta, Da’wah
and Guidance
Saleh Ibn Othaimeen
Muhammad Mahmood Al-Sawwaf
Mustafa Al-Zarqa
Muhammad Shadhli Al-Neifer
Mabrook Al-Awaadi
Muhammad Abdullah Al-Subaiel
Abul Hassan Ali Al-Nadwi
Muhammad Rasheedi
Abdul Quddoos Hashemi
Muhammad Rasheed Qabbani
Hasanain Muhammad Makhloof
Abu Bakr Joomi
Muhammad Salem Abdul Wadood
Mahmood Sheith Khattab
Resolution on Practice of Proving the Crescent
by Sighting not by Astronomical Calculation

13
All Praise be to Almighty Allah. Blessing
and peace be on His Prophet Muhammad
after whom there is no prophet, and on all
those who followed his way of guidance.
The Islamic Fiqh Council during its 4th
session held at the general secretariat of the
Muslim World League in Makkah Mukar-
ramah between 7-17 Rabi Al-Aakhir 1401H
studied the issue of difference in places of
moonrise in order to sight the crescent. It
viewed that Islam is considered to be a re-
ligion of facility and tolerance suitable for
human nature and concern.
In the matter of crescent-sighting, it
adopted the view that crescent-sighting is
proved with the human eyes and not on the
basis of astronomical calculations, as the
Shari’ah evidences clearly stipulate. It also
admitted the consideration of the difference
in places of moonrise, because it provides
easiness for the people.
Those who see the need of unity in the
days of observing and breaking the fast,
have in fact a view, which is not identical to
the religious and rational perceptions.
As regards the religious perception, the
scholars of Hadith have reported the Ha-
dith of Kuraib that Umm Al-Fadhl Bint Al-
Harith sent him to Mu’awiyah in Syria. He
narrated: I arrived in Syria and did my job.
While I was still in Syria, the month of Ra-
madhan commenced. I did see the crescent
on the eve of Friday. Then, I came to Madi-
nah later in the month. Abdullah Ibn Abbas
(may Allah be pleased with both of them)
asked me about the crescent: When did you
sight the crescent? I said: We sighted it on
the eve of Friday. Then, he asked: did you
personally sight it? I said: Yes, people sight-
ed it as well. They observed their Rama-
dhan fasting and Mu’awiyah too observed
his fasting. He said: But we sighted it on
the eve of Saturday, so we are observing the
fast till we sight it or complete the 30 days
of fasting. I said: Is it not sufficient that we
depend on Mu’awiyah’s sighting and fast-
ing. He said: No, this is the way our Prophet
has commanded to follow. (This Hadith has
been reported by Muslim)
Imam Al-Nawawi, while explaining this
Hadith of Sahih Muslim, put the chapter
this way: “Chapter of stating that people of
each region have to see the crescent and if
they sighted it in one region, their sighting
would not be recognized for those who are
far from them. This method of interpreta-
tion has been followed by all those who
have reported this Hadith from the famous
six books of Hadith. ”
In the Islamic Shari’ah, observing and
breaking the fast are associated with the
crescent-sighting through the eye-sight as
Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with both
of them) reported Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) as saying: Don’t ob-
serve the fast until you sight the crescent (of
Ramadhan) and don’t break the fast until
you sight the crescent (of Shawwal) and
Resolution on Unification
of Crescent-Sighting

14
There has been a surge in calls to save the Rohingya
Muslims who have been subjected to killing, to be-
ing driven out of their homes and to ethnic cleansing
in their homeland at the hands of extremists from the
majority Buddhists with the clandestine support and
blessing of the government of Myanmar. Rohingya
Muslims are an ethnic community in the western Ra-
khine state of Myanmar, who have for decades suf-
fered from state-sanctioned discrimination in the Bud-
dhist-majority country, which considers them illegal
settlers from Bangladesh.
Prominent among those who have raised their
voices in support of these people is the Dalai Lama,
the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader. He has urged
fellow Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, main
opposition leader in Myanmar, to do more to help pro-
tect the persecuted Muslim Rohingya minority in her
country amid a worsening migration crisis. Despite
Clarion Calls to Save
RohingyaMuslims
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi

15
thousands of Rohingya fleeing on harrowing boat
journeys to Southeast Asia to escape a wave of deadly
attacks and discriminatory treatment, Suu Kyi has yet
to speak out against their plight. Even the continuous
persecution of these hapless people has not prompted
Suu Kyi to break her long silence over the issue.
Suu Kyi must voice her opposition to the persecu-
tion, the Dalai Lama said, adding that he has already
appealed twice to her in person to do more on their
behalf since 2012 when deadly sectarian violence in
the Rakhine state pitted the Rohingya against local
Buddhists. “It’s very sad. In the Burmese (Myanmar)
case I hope Aung San Suu Kyi, as a Nobel laureate,
can do something,” he said. “I met her two times, first
in London and then the Czech Republic. I mentioned
this problem and she told me she found some difficul-
ties, that things were not simple but very complicated.
But in spite of that I feel she can do something,” he
added.
The Dalai Lama said that it was not enough to
ask how to help the Rohingya. “This is not sufficient.
There’s something wrong with humanity’s way of
thinking. Ultimately we are lacking concern for oth-
ers’ lives, others’ well-being,” he said.
In Oslo, a conference was held late last month
with the aim of drawing international attention toward
solving the increasing persecution and suffering of the
stateless Muslims who are ethnically linked to Ra-
khine state. Several prominent global figures, includ-
ing philanthropist and business tycoon George Soros,
and Desmond Tutu converged at the Nobel Institute
together with pastors, imams, and monks.
In his speech, Soros recalled his visit to Myanmar
and Rakhine state where he witnessed the plight of
Rohingya Muslims. He said: “In January when I visit-
ed Burma for the fourth time in as many years, I made
a short visit to Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State in
order to see for myself the situation on the ground.
I met with state and local readers and both Rakhine
and Rohingya populations, and also talked to inter-
nally displaced persons and those, mostly Rohingya,
living in a section of Sittwe called Aung Mingalar, a
part of the city that can only be called a ghetto.” Soros
continued: “In Aung Mingalar, I heard the echoes of
my childhood. You see, in 1944, as a Jew in Budapest,
I too was a Rohingya. Much like the Jewish ghettos
set up by Nazis around Eastern Europe during World
War II, Aung Mingalar has become the involuntary
home of thousands of families who once had access to
healthcare, education, and employment. Now, they are
forced to remain segregated in a state of abject depri-
vation. The parallels to the Nazi genocide are alarm-
ing. Fortunately, we have not reached a stage of mass
killing.”
Soros said: “I feel very strongly that we must
speak out before it is too late, individually and col-
lectively. The Burmese government’s insistence that
they are keeping the Rohingya in the ghetto for their
own protection simply is not credible.” He added: “I
hope those in power will immediately take the steps
necessary to counter extremism and allow an open so-
ciety to take root. In the lead up to the elections, it’s
crucial that official acts should be taken to counter the
pervasive hate and anti-Rohingya propaganda on so-
cial media and the racist public campaigns of the 969
movement.”
Addressing the gathering, Desmond Tutu, the
South African Bishop and Nobel laureate, said that
Rohingya Muslims face slow genocide. Suu Kyi was
not among those at the Oslo conference. Perhaps, she
did not receive an invitation to attend the meeting due
to her known negative position on the Rohingya issue.
According to some analysts, she is now working for
politics and not for peace for which she was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize. Her position on the issue was
evident during her visit to Europe when the Rohingya
crisis was thrown into the international spotlight in
2012. She kept silent about the miserable life of Ro-
hingya Muslims. Even the winning of the Nobel Prize
has not made her come out in defence of basic human
rights and morality.
American actor Matt Dillon put a rare star-pow-
ered spotlight on Myanmar’s long-persecuted Ro-
hingya Muslims, visiting a hot, squalid camp for tens
of thousands displaced by violence and a port that has
been one of the main launching pads for their exodus
by sea. It was “heartbreaking,” he said after meeting
a young man with a raw, open leg wound from a road
accident and no means to treat it.
These are the observations of some prominent non-
Muslim figures who refuse to remain silent about the
slow genocide as described by Desmond Tutu. In the
next article, I will shed light on the comments of some
Islamic figures about the persecution of Rohingya
Muslims.

(Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat
who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be
reached at algham@hotmail.com)

16
Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II of the United King-
dom delivered a speech in the House of Lords in which
Her Majesty said that measures will be brought forward
to promote social cohesion and protect people by tack-
ling extremism. There was discussion and debate on this
speech at the House of Lords. Lord Sheikh and Lord
Ahmed among others participated in this debate and dis-
cussion. I had the opportunity to interview Lord Sheikh
on Islam, Muslims and Extremism. Lord Sheikh from the
Conservative Party focussed on several points about the
Muslim community.
Positive aspects of the Muslim Community
Lord Sheikh first of all mentioned the positive aspects of
the Muslim Community. He said, “There are more than 3
million Muslims in the United Kingdom, and they have
contributed significantly to Britain in all walks of life.
We must remember and respect the positive aspects of
“Lord Sheikh on Muslims, Extremism
and Islam at the House of Lords”
Dr. Mozammel Haque
Advisor to the Director General
Islamic Cultural Centre, London

17
British Muslims. There are Muslim philanthropists and
entrepreneurs, and we also have successful Muslims in
the professions, politics, academia, in the media and on
the sports field. Having said that, I realise that Muslims
are going through a critical phase, and there are problems
associated with some sections of the community.”
Criticism against Muslims based on misunderstand-
ings
Lord Sheikh mentioned about some criticisms against
the Muslim Community which are deliberate and based
on misunderstandings. He said, “Muslims have been se-
verely criticised in some quarters. Some of the criticism
is not at all justified but is either deliberate or based on
misunderstandings. We have been and are subjected to
Islamophobia in some parts of the media and by a few
politicians and organisations—I believe they have their
own agenda. The attacks on us are now regular, and some
people feel that it is fair game to have a go at Muslims.
Rise of Islamophobia
Speaking about Islamophobia, Lord Sheikh told me, “We
are suffering weekly attacks. The problem is: there is a
tiny minority; we accept that we are all painted with the
same brush. Though Islamophobia is coming in different
shapes and in different forms and we are all sufferings.
Some of it is hate crime; some of it is discrimination,
some of it is quite overt actions; somebody is wearing
niqab or hijab or somebody in beard or skull cap; so this
is happening.”
Lord Sheikh also mentioned, “Islamophobia can arise
because of two reasons: It is deliberate, because people
have their own agenda. Secondly it is misunderstanding.
People do not understand the other religions. It is up to
us to tell everybody what are our ideas regarding Jihad,
about Suicide bombing; about rules of engagement in Is-
lam. Islam does not permit forcible conversion; it is in
the Qur’an and it is up to us to tell the world what Islam
is all about. I am a Muslim leader and it is up to us, one
of us to tell about Islamic principal values. Islam is a
religion of peace and we need to tell.”
Muslims are integrating
Lord Sheikh is a patron of six Muslim and non-Muslims
organisations. He founded and chair of the Conservative
Muslim Forum. He was approached by several Mus-
lim leaders to look at the current problems affecting the
Muslim Community. Lord Sheikh did some research and
mentioned just three findings. He said, “Some 75% of
Muslims believe that they are integrating into British so-
ciety, whereas only 47% of British people opine that they
are doing so. Muslims in Britain are overwhelmingly
young, and the performance of some Muslims at schools
is low. Some 46% of British Muslims live in the most
deprived 10% of areas in the United Kingdom.”
Lord Sheikh told me, “70% Muslims believe that they
are integrating into the main society. Yes, this is the statis-
tics; they feel that they are integrating. There are quite a
large number of Muslims who feel they are British; but on
the other hand, the British don’t feel that we are integrat-
ing. I honestly believe; you can be a British and you can
be a Muslim. Likewise, you can be a British and you can
be a Jew. You can be a British and you can be a Buddhist.
You can be a British and you can be Christian. So we can
do that and the great thing about this country is this that
this country allows to practice religion; there is no restric-
tion on the women; they can do and wear whatever. But in
certain other countries there are restrictions.”
Lord Sheikh identified five issues
Lord Sheikh have travelled recently to various parts of
the country, identified a number of issues and prepared
a report. He said, “Over the past year I have travelled
to various parts of the country and talked to leaders of
mosques, imams, heads of community centres and mem-
bers of the community. About two weeks ago I was the
keynote speaker at a gathering of more than 2,000 Mus-
lims in Birmingham, many of whom spoke to me after-
wards. I have now identified a number of issues, which
total 23 points, and have prepared a report on them. I
do not have time to mention them all today, but I will
state five—radicalisation, education standards, lack of
engagement with the young, deprivation, and the Prevent
strategy not being effective.”
Muslims feel the Government have not engaged with
them
Lord Sheikh mentioned in his speech he have been asked
by several Muslims to make it known to the Government
that they have not engaged adequately with the commu-
nity. He said, “I, too, feel that that has been lacking. We
feel that the Government should do more to interact with
the right people, look at the various problems and help
the community to take positive actions.”
“In addressing the problems we need the involvement
of the Muslim community, the Government, the police,
schools, local authorities and the relevant agencies. We
are trying to raise awareness that there is also an onus on
the Muslim community to be honest and realise that there
are problems, and to take positive actions to remedy the

18
issues as part of a holistic approach in conjunction with
others,” said Lord Sheikh.
Lack of Communications
Lord Sheikh told me in my interview with him, “Lack
of communications with the Muslims is undoubtedly
happened. Look; for example, they talk to some peo-
ple; some people have got their own agenda. There is
not enough interaction between the Government and the
right people There are some very very good people; not
the extremists; we are not extremists”
Community have to take the responsibility
Lord Sheikh also told me, “Yes, we have to take respon-
sibility. For example, we must tell the youngsters what
is Islam all about; we must interact with the young; and
this is lacking in some sections and in some Mosques.
I would like to have every Mosque at least to have one
youngsters and one woman on the board so that we can
interact with the young people. The Sermons, I believe,
have to be in English wherever it is possible. I have been
in Mosques where I don’t mind Imams speaking in Ben-
gali; Gujarati or Urdu; but you could have another Imam
who could speak in English. Khutba must cover what is
happening in the world now and telling the Islamic point
of view.”
Radicalisation
While assessing radicalisation, Lord Sheikh mentioned in
his speech at the House of Lords that it has been brought
about partly by the actions of the West. He said, “In as-
sessing radicalisation we must realise that this has been
partly brought about by the actions of the West, includ-
ing the United Kingdom, overseas. The action of a tiny
minority of the young in being radicalised could be born
out of frustration, but we must do what we can to allay
these feelings.”
Lord Sheikh mentioned first about the invasion of
Iraq. He said, “When the United Kingdom, together
with the United States, decided unilaterally to invade
Iraq, there was no adequate plan for action to be tak-
en after Saddam Hussein was toppled. A vacuum was
created that led subsequently to violence, death and
destruction, and to al-Qaeda in Iraq taking root in the
country. It also created a severe rift between the Sunnis
and the Shias.”
Then, Lord Sheikh mentioned, as for example, about
Libya and Afghanistan. He said, “We bombed Libya
without an adequate plan to be implemented after Gaddafi
was got rid of. We invaded Afghanistan without realising
the consequences. In future, the United Kingdom must
have an adequate plan and think of all the consequences
and implications before glibly invading any territory.”
Double Standards in Gaza and Palestine
Speaking about the issues of Gaza and Palestine in the
House of Lords, Lord Sheikh said the double standards.
He said, “We also have double standards when looking
at the issues of Gaza and Palestine, and this is causing
disquiet among Muslims. We need a more balanced and
equitable approach to these issues, and we could begin
by recognising Palestine as an independent state.”
ISIS doings are not at all Islamic
Referring to the ISIS barbaric actions, Lord Sheikh men-
tioned those doings are not at all Islamic. He said in his
speech at the House of Lords, “Over the last year we
have seen the rise of ISIS—or Daesh, as I prefer to call
them. What they are doing is not at all Islamic, and their
interpretation of our glorious religion is totally wrong. It
is imperative for the imams, Muslim leaders and parents,
together with everyone in the community, to explain to
the young the true values of Islam. In order to combat
radicalisation, we must also use social media effectively
to block information that unduly influences young peo-
ple, and to convey the true message of Islam.”
Islam does not permit terrorism.
While talking about combating radicalisation, Lord
Sheikh categorically declared that Islam does not permit
terrorism. He said, “Both the media and politicians should
not refer to terrorism as Islamic, because Islam does not
permit terrorism. They must use appropriate language.
The word jihad is misused, as jihad involves internal and
external struggle to do one’s utmost for good.”
Extensive and balanced research needed to combat
extremism
While talking about measures to be undertaken to
combat extremism, Lord Sheikh suggested an exten-
sive and balanced research needed. He said, “In de-
ciding on measures to combat extremism, we must
undertake extensive and balanced research. The Gov-
ernment must understand the challenging issues facing
the Muslim community. The Prevent agenda has cre-
ated some problems and needs to be reappraised. Some
have even described it as toxic. Sometimes, the Gov-
ernment are ill advised in taking action. For example, I
was told that the letter written to mosques in January of
this year by the right honourable Eric Pickles was not

19
well received by some members of the community.”
The Government must win Muslims’ support
Lord Sheikh agreed with the government on counter-ex-
tremism measures and wanted the Government to win the
support of the Muslim community. He said in his speech,
“I agree that counter-extremism measures must be firm,
but they should not be fierce and should not alienate the
community. The Government must win the support of
the Muslim community and must not be seen as the big
brother wielding a stick. Otherwise, we will get a nega-
tive reaction.”
“We must also respect freedom of speech, as we in
this country take pride in our democratic values. The
Muslim community will listen and take appropriate ac-
tion, as part of the holistic approach we need to imple-
ment,” said Lord Sheikh.
Undertake adequate research and consultation with
the community
“I understand that measures may be introduced such as
banning orders, extremism disruption orders and pow-
ers to close premises,” said Lord Sheikh and suggested,
“before any powers are approved and implemented, ad-
equate research and consultation with the community
should be undertaken. The community will co-operate
if there is appropriate engagement. We need to be very
careful before interfering or applying any form of restric-
tion on the activities of Muslim charities, which do very
valuable humanitarian work across the world.”
Looking at other issues: education of the young
Lord Sheikh also mentioned about the need of looking
at other issues concerning the community, including the
education of the young and deprivation. He said, “I will
be taking part in the proceedings on the proposed legisla-
tion and will make suggestions where I feel that these are
appropriate.”
Lord Sheikh elaborated to me what he meant by look-
ing at other issues. He told me, “The situation is this that
the 40% of Muslims live in areas in deprived areas. So
what we want to do is to regenerate those areas. Create
jobs for the Muslims. We can look at the deprived areas
and see how we can generate by giving incentives and by
encouraging people; by giving loans to people. This is
what I like to say; I would like to see more regeneration.
I said here some 40% of the British are living in most
deprived areas.”
British Values are similar to our values
“I like parents; give the children well-rounded education;
send them to schools; undoubtedly private education pri-
vate tuition too and then teach them Islamic values; the
two must go hand in hand,” Lord Sheikh told me in an
interview and added, “To certain extent, British values
are similar to our values. The thing is: the Muslim val-
ues don’t mean that our youngsters should go on Friday
night and Saturday night get drunk; and start fighting. We
should get to make sure that children behave properly;
parents have got to make sure that.”

20
Introduction
Media is the most important element in a vibrant de-
mocracy. Regarded as Fourth Estate of democracy,
media’s primary job is to inform, educate and entertain
society. Its various roles include – unbiased public in-
former, watchdog, ideological platform for voiceless,
agenda setter, sometimes follower. It is because of this
strategic position of media in public life that the power
of media should never be underestimated: Good jour-
nalism will guide the masses and policy makers to take
correct decisions.
Let us recall about such a dramatic process of de-
mocratization in the Middle East. Most of scholars ac-
knowledged the role of social media in shaping, mobi-
lizing and directing patterns of political changes. The
social processes by which media influenced what hap-
pened in Egypt, Tunis, Libya and Syria, one can learn
that global media is an entity of its own; its magnitude
and presence has shaped the course of information dis-
semination, while playing a crucial role in the political,
economic, social, religious, and cultural processes of
globalization. Information technology is at the essence
and centrality of globalization and its ability to trans-
form cross boundary interactions and assimilation. In
this regard, it is not an overstatement to make the claim
that the Global Media is perhaps the most powerful tool
to incorporate and promote dialogue throughout human
history.
The role of media in building a culture of dialogue:
An Islamic perspective
Komaruddin Hidayat
(Rector, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University,
Jakarta, Indonesia)

21
By using media to disseminate a culture of dialogue
we transcend our strategy for inter-faith dialogue into
broader socio-political engagement on wide ranging
discourse. To my experience of being a journalist in
Panji Masyarakat Islamic magazine long time ago, me-
dia create a better platform – a key player and a tool in
counter exclusivism and closed-minded mentality.
Our religion, Islam—contrary to many notions that
contemporary Western scholars believe—has specific
injunctions on human interactions, which encompasses
tolerance and acceptance of other faiths and peaceful co-
habitation. The Qur’an clearly states that, ‘O Mankind,
we have created you male and female, and have made
you races and tribes, that you may know one another’
(Al-Qur’an 49:13). This appealing message for dia-
logue between human being can be addressed through
media, which is the prime medium to inform us of the
world around. It is hoped that through media we can
transform information and images to others, creating a
global communication hub and promoting independent
thinking process and freedom of speech.
The Contemporary Role of Media
The simple truth about human psychology is that what
they know largely determines what they see, hear, feel,
and how they think and act upon these senses. Based on
this assertion, I argue that the way in which the world
is imagined determines at any particular moment what
human beings will do and what will be its impact on
psycho-social tranquility of that state.
It is important to recall the political and cultural ex-
periences in the developed countries. Nearly all of what
any one person knows about the values, spiritualities
and religious beliefs of others comes from the media.
When values differ inter-culturally, the issue arises of
the extent to which media behaviour should be modi-
fied in the light of the values of specific cultures. This
calls for a better representation of the diversity of cul-
tures and faiths in both the staff and the content of the
media.
In the 1990s, the super powers and the developed
countries appear to dominate the world. They do so
through the media. That is why the media is seen as
hostile by the Muslim world. Anything from them is re-
garded as potentially threatening; this creates obsession
and mistrust. It is the gut reaction and bizarre response
of a people repeatedly humiliated and led down by the
powerful. It is not the response of Islamic civilization
which has survived over a millennium and produced
some of the most enduring cultural systems ever seen.
This is the consequences of oppression of humanity by
the Wealthy and the Influential one, which has made
peace an illusion in a world short of core humane values
and its application. Correctly or not, Muslims perceive
the Western media as unfriendly. Many factors explain
this sense of discomfort. The general attitude of hostil-
ity is largely true. Western programs about Muslims and
their culture are often slanted to suggest negative im-
ages of Muslims. Most of Western media reports carry
messages of political instability and the poor treatment
of women; the two notorious aspects Western scholars
and analysts prejudice against Islam.
The last dramatic example is about the tragedy of
Danish cartoon. We witnessed the Danish carton con-
troversy, whereby, cartoon portrayed Prophet Moham-
mad (peace be upon him) were drawn and published
first in Denmark and then subsequently in France, Italy,
Germany and Spain. These images clearly presented
Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and Islam
as inherently violent, whilst suppressing women at the
same time. It also ridiculed the Islam and the notion of
the reward of women for suicide bombers. Such a pe-
jorative picture about Islam and its community led to
a series of violence and protests throughout the world
and a boycott of Danish products in numerous Muslim
countries.
Most recently, there has been an issue over Face-

22
book and its ban in Pakistan. Fa-
cebook had created a page encour-
aging its users to draw the Prophet
Mohammad (peace be upon him) as
a protest against extremist threats
against freedom of expression and
press. This, once again, has brought
Muslims and the Pakistan court has
temporarily banned the site because
of its blasphemy against Islam.
Islam does not allow the depic-
tion of our beloved Prophet Moham-
mad (peace be upon him) or human
images. Moreover, there is no real
portrait of the Prophet (peace be
upon him). Therefore, even though
there have been attempts to identify
these cartoons as the Prophet (peace
be upon him) himself, it clearly can-
not be, due to the fact that there is no
image of his to base these drawings
on. Moreover, the fact that these
images have been labeled as the
Prophet (peace be upon him) does
not translate to his real image or for
that matter, any image of him.
This perspective is believed and
practiced by most Muslims world-
wide; whilst it is true that a small
segment of Muslims revolted vio-
lently, simultaneously, majority of
Muslims did not react in this manner
due to their indepth understanding
of the essence of Islam. The Global
Media should have portrayed both
these views rather than just target-
ing specific occurrences.
In response to the publications
in several Western newspapers of
caricatures of the Prophet Moham-
mad (peace be upon him), Professor
Mohammed Dajani of the Sartawi
Centre of Al-Quds University and
Professor Gadi Wolfsfeld of the Tru-
man Institute of the Hebrew Univer-
sity of Jerusalem found an appealing
statements during a four months’re-
search, how the Israeli and Palestin-
ian media perceived the ‘other’. The
findings included commentary by
Dr. Hanna Siniora, publisher of The
Jerusalem Times, a daily English
language Palestinian news paper,
and Shmuel Rosner, news director at
Ha’aretz, a daily Hebrew-language
Israeli paper. Professor Wolfsfeld
stated that “The use of journalistic
mechanisms makes the readers be-
lieve that ‘our’ victims are a tragedy
and ‘theirs’ are statistics, ‘our’ ac-
tions are legitimate and ‘theirs’ are
evil, our aspirations are noble and
theirs are despicable”.
The depiction of only one side’s
tragedy is accomplished by the loca-
tion and space allotment of the news
items and by personal and dramatic
descriptions versus impersonal and
analytical descriptions, which de-
humanize the ‘other.’ For example,
the killing of a civilian in the con-
flict would be put on a front page if
he were from the ‘side’ of that me-
dia, and on a much later page with
less coverage if he were from the
‘other’ side. Moreover, newspapers
give a sense that “we’re all in this
together, so that we can identify
with the tragedies,” said Wolfsfeld.
Ethnic and nationalistic solidarity
are stimulated by the use of flags in
photographs as well as cultural and
religious symbols.
It is for this all reason that, in
Journalism Ethics, deceiving pub-
lics is something students learn not
to do in their first public relations
class. The new forms of commu-
nication channels that have arisen
with social media do not change the
fact that deception is still morally
wrong. One of the significant limits
to media is the lack of neutrality that
is inherent. Melone, Terzis and Be-
leli (2002) argue that professional
objectivity must not override the ob-
ligation of a reporter to realize that
he or she can drastically affect per-
ceptions by the audience to a given
situation. Further, they argue that,
“Simply by being there and report-
ing on a conflict, the media alter the
communication environment and
are thus inherently involved in the
conflict and non-neutral” (Ibid., 3).
Pluralism and Inter-faith Dia-
logue
Diana L. Eck in the Harvard Plural-
ism Project asked with a puzzling
expression: “What is Pluralism?”.
This statement constitutes that plu-
rality of religious traditions and
cultures has come to characterize

23
every part of the world today. But
what is pluralism? Here are four
points to begin our thinking: First,
pluralism is not diversity alone, but
the energetic engagement with di-
versity. Diversity can and has meant
the creation of religious ghettoes
with little traffic between or among
them. Today, religious diversity is a
given, but pluralism is not a given;
it is an achievement. Mere diversity
without real encounter and relation-
ship will yield increasing tensions in
our societies.
Second, pluralism is not just
tolerance, but the active seeking of
understanding across lines of dif-
ference. Tolerance is a necessary
public virtue, but it does not require
Christians and Muslims, Hindus,
Jews, and ardent secularists to know
anything about one another. Toler-
ance is too thin a foundation for a
world of religious difference and
proximity. It does nothing to re-
move our ignorance of one another.
In the world in which we live today,
our ignorance of one another will be
increasingly costly.
Third, pluralism is not relativ-
ism, but the encounter of commit-
ments. The new paradigm of plural-
ism does not require us to leave our
identities and our commitments be-
hind, for pluralism is the encounter
of commitments. It means holding
our deepest differences, even our re-
ligious differences, not in isolation,
but in relationship to one another.
Fourth, pluralism is based on di-
alogue. The language of pluralism is
that of dialogue and encounter, give
and take, criticism and self-criti-
cism. Dialogue means both speak-
ing and listening, and that process
reveals both common understand-
ings and real differences. Dialogue
does not mean everyone at the “ta-
ble” will agree with one another.
Pluralism involves the commitment
to being at the table -- with one’s
commitments.
In 13th century, the mystical poet
Jelaluddin al-Rumi wrote in the Ma-
snavi: “The lamps are different but
the Light is the same, it comes from
Beyond; If thou keep looking at the
lamp, thou art lost; for thence arises
the appearance of number and plu-
rality.” Islam recommends balance
and a steady pace. There is the noise
and dazzle of the media. Again, Is-
lam emphasizes quiet, meditation
and simplicity. The family itself is
under attack in today’s world. Is-
lam emphasizes the family as the
key unit of society and would safe-
guard it at all costs. Most impor-
tant, Muslims believe in God in an
age dominated by materialism and
agnosticism or atheism. Al Qur’an
states: And did not Allah check one
set of people by means of another,
the earth would indeed be full of
mischief [2:251].
In another verse Al Qur’an
states: Did not Allah check one set
of people by means of another, mon-
asteries, churches, synagogues and
mosques wherein the name of Allah
is mentioned much would surely
have been pulled down [22:40].
The teaching of the aforementioned
two verses is very significant in the
present world context. The everlast-
ing teachings, the universal dimen-
sion of the message of Islam of
these two verses are that if there are
no differences between people, if
power is concentrated in the hands
of one group alone, be it one nation
or one race the earth would be cor-
rupt because in worldly setup, our
creator is regulating human beings
with other human beings to control
and to limit their irresponsible im-
pulse and behaviour for expansion,
supremacy and dominance.
According to Islam, faith in only
one God and having common par-
ents Adam and Eve is the greatest
reason for humans to live together
with peace and brotherhood. Islamic
view of global peace is mentioned in
the Qur’an where the whole of hu-
manity is recognized as one family.
All the people are children of Adam.
The purpose of the Islamic faith is
to make people recognize their own
natural inclination towards their fra-
ternity.
Prophet Mohammad (peace be
upon him) and Religious Pluralism

24
Michael H. Hart wrote in, The 100:
A Ranking of the Most Influential
Persons in History….. My choice
of Muhammad to lead the world’s
most influential persons may sur-
prise some readers and may be ques-
tioned by others, but he was the only
man in history who was supremely
successful on both the religious and
secular levels. . .
He also stated that “It is this un-
paralleled combination of secular
and religious influence which I feel
entitles Muhammad to be consid-
ered the most influential single fig-
ure in human history.”
As far as social pluralism is con-
cerned, Islam seeks for peaceful
co-existence and mutual tolerance
between the people of different reli-
gions and cultures. A Muslim is re-
quired to believe in all the prophets
(peace be upon all). In another verse
Al-Qur’an states:
We make no distinction among
any of the Prophets. (Holy Qur’an
2:135). To each among you have We
prescribed a law and a clear way. If
Allah had so willed, He would have
made you a single people, but His
plan is to test you in what He has
given you; so strive as in a race in
good deeds. (Holy Qur’an, 5:48).
An analytical look of the text
of the verse 5:48 manifests that the
purpose of these differences is to
test, what we do with the revela-
tions and how we behave with the
precepts and teachings of Islam and
who strive as in a race in good deeds.
Diversity of religions, nations and
peoples is a test and the teachings
of Islam require that we address the
differences and live a peaceful har-
monious life in this world.
In Islam, religious freedom is
essential and is at the centrality of
religious teachings and its applica-
tion by Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him). Religious Freedom
as stated by the Holy Qur’an had
seen its implementation by Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him);
subsequently, its documentation in
the Madinah Charter and practice
of religious freedom allowed toler-
ance, mutual respect and peace in
the history of Islam.
The Charter of Madinah and oth-
er covenants of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) with Jews and
Christians, laid down the principles
for building a multi-cultural and
multi-religious community.
Media and Interfaith Dialogue
A Muslim philosopher, Al-Ghazali,
mentioned that moral principles
may be viewed either as the stand-
ard of conduct that individuals have
constructed for themselves or as
the body of obligations and duties
that a particular society requires of
its members. In the one case con-
science is the originator of moral
behaviour, and in the other it is the
result of moralizing. Between these
extremes there have been many av-
enues originated from pluralistic re-
ligious doctrine.
Information is power that has
an impact on public discourse. This
way, perceptions can be changed by
access to media. Different types of
media are utilized globally to dis-
tribute knowledge and idealistically,
free mass media is a tool for de-
mocracy. Responsible Media should
consider both sides of the story as
equally valid and give them bal-
anced representation and voice, not
only in direct quotations but also
in characterization and analysis.
Journalists and media workers have
more direct access to more people
than at any time in the past - they
need to be aware of how they are be-
ing manipulated, and on the impact
their reporting can have on exacer-
bating or calming the conflict. For
the media it can be problematic to
find a balance between preventing
harm caused by speech and protect-
ing individual expression. Being
able to find this balance, however is
important, especially in conflict situ-
ations. Responsible journalism does
not just re-publish press releases but
is truly concerned with a truthful,
balanced and fair account of events.
In order to achieve this journalists
have to stay clear of judgmental
representations and describe reality
without exaggeration.
It is probably appropriate to be-
gin to think of reviewing codes of
practice. Such a review must in ad-
dition to emphasizing the truth, also
consider the crucial role of the me-
dia in peace building, reconciliation
and forgiveness. To some practition-
ers who are familiar with the era in
history when the media experienced
certain drawbacks that led to the
Social Responsibility theory of the
media, perhaps, this is just another
crucial moment for the media to
take a look at itself again.
Freedom of expression is not
only the heart of a strong media but
so is respect for fundamental human
rights and human values. In this re-
gard,themediamayexploreandpro-
mote the teachings of Prophet Mu-
hammad (peace be upon him), who
has been regarded as and epitome of
responsible leadership and promoter
of global peace. The teachings of Is-
lam, as embedded in the teachings
of the Holy Qur’an and the practices
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him), are examples worth tak-
ing note of to promote harmony in
diversity, tolerance and understand-
ing through dialogues and peaceful
cohabitation through acceptance of
other faiths.
The Madinah Charter is a su-
preme example of tolerance among
a community split among religions

25
and rituals. Before Prophet Mu-
hammad’s (peace be upon him) ar-
rival from Makkah, Yathrib (later
known as Madinah) had a popula-
tion of 10,000 that was organized
into approximately 22 tribes. Ap-
proximately half the population was
Jewish and half was Arab. Regard-
less of religion, tribes sought power
through military dominance over
other tribes, with the numerous alli-
ances forged between warring tribes
greatly contributing to the aggres-
sion. Constant warfare was taking a
toll on the tribes.
The Prophet (peace be upon
him) addressed these power strug-
gles by establishing common goals
that would serve the whole com-
munity. The Charter specifically
advises mutual influence with the
declaration that the Muslims and
Jews “must seek mutual advice
and consultation, and loyalty is a
protection against treachery.” The
Charter binds the parties of the
agreement to helping one another
against any attack on Yathrib. It
dictates behaviour for a specific
instance of mutual influence. If the
Jews “are called to make peace and
maintain it they must do so; and if
they make a similar demand on the
Muslims it must be carried out.”
The Madinah Charter addressed
potential power complications by
focusing the participants on their
interdependence. The Madinah
Charter prohibited independent
contention by participant groups
that claim God’s protection, and
states that the peace of believers
is as one. Once again, the idea of
being one community was empha-
sized and the participants of the
agreement were made to recognize
their power as a unit.
Education ushers in knowledge,
insights and understanding. It is a
unique tool to disperse doubts and
prejudice which are often the root
causes of confusions and conflict.
Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon
him) urged his followers in the con-
tinual pursuit of knowledge from
cradle to grave. He underscored the
importance of education and advo-
cated for knowledge even if it took
you to China. In those days, China
was a distant and unknown territory
for Arabs.
Prophet Mohammad (peace be
upon him) believed in the impor-
tance of interfaith dialogues and its
potential to promote religious plu-
ralism and multiculturalism. Such
dialogues will promote understand-
ing and with understanding comes
respects and tolerance.
Hence we find the supreme
teachings of Prophet Mohammad
SAW on peace, education, inter-
faith dialogues are time-honored
examples of conflict resolution and
peaceful cohabitation. In fact it is
unfortunate such golden examples
are not being capitalized for the
benefit of Humanity. In this lies an
important role for the media to play.
The media, with its power, speed
and quality, can promote the teach-
ings of Prophet Mohammad (peace
be upon him) in order to promote
lasting peace. After all, He was a
personality whose timeless charis-
ma and selfless dedication has cap-
tivated the hearts of Muslims and
Non-muslims alike. In the words of
philosopher George Bernard Shaw
in “The Genuine Islam” “I have
studied him — the wonderful man
— and in my opinion far from being
an anti-Christ he must be called the
saviour of humanity.”
References
Akbar S. Ahmed, ‘Living Islam’
Akoijam-Sunita, T., 2008. Respon-
sibility of Media KanglaOnline Edi-
torial.
Diana L. Eck, What is Pluralism?
The Pluralism Project, http://plural-
ism.org/pages/pluralism/what_is_
pluralism
Keeble, Richard Lance. “What is
News?: How the World’s Biggest
Humanitarian Crisis Goes Uncov-
ered.” (Media Ethics Magazine).
Leo R. Sandy and Ray Perkins, Jr.
The Nature of Peace and Its Impli-
cations for Peace Education.
Michael C. Aho, A Thesis on Me-
dia’s Role in Peacebuilding., 8-16,
21. Media (communication), http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_
(communication)
Nora Kuusik, The Role of the Media
in Peace Building, Conflict Man-
agement, and Prevention
Orly Halpern, Israel-Palestine:
’Our’ victims are tragedy - ’theirs’
are statistics, New Routes, Volume
8, Number 2, 2003
Soley, Lawrence. “Censorship, Inc.
TheCorporateThreattoFreeSpeech
in the United States.” (Monthly Re-
view Press, 2002).
Stewart M. Hoover, Professor,
School of Journalism and Mass
Communication, University of
Colorado-Boulder, Religion in the
media age, November 16, 2003 - Op
Ed Page, Denver Post
Shannon A. Bowen, Program Vice-
Chair, Newsletter of the AEJMC
Media Ethics Division, Spring 2010
• Volume 13, No. 3
The media’s role in peace-building:
Asset or liability? Presented at Our
Media 3 Conference, Barranquilla,
Colombia
Uchenna Ekwo, Program Director,
Centre for Media & Peace Initiative,
New York in Newsweek’s gaffe,
Media and Peace
Yetkin Yildirim, Peace and Conflict
Resolution Concepts in the Madina
Charter,
http://www.interfaithathens.org/ar-
ticle/art10171.asp

26
Islamic Response to the Charlie Hebdo’s
Caricatures of the Noble Prophet
Dr. Obaidullah Fahad
Department of Islamic Studies
Aligarh Muslim University
26

27
Rahmah-Oriented Approach
In the wake of Charlie Hebdo caricatures of the Prophet of Is-
lam (peace and blessings of God be on him) Muslim writers,
reformers and thinkers are emphasizing to expose the double
standard of the west on the one side and to opt the Makkan
model of the Prophet for today’s pluralistic society on the other.
The blasphemous caricatures cause hurt the feelings and emo-
tions of every Muslim. Being aggrieved and injured psycho-
logically and emotionally if Muslims start introduce effectively
to the world the glaring image of Islam and of the Prophet and
try first to convert themselves into the true and loyal followers
of him that will be proved to be more penetrating and appealing
than any strategy of striking the terror, saysAbdul GhaffarAziz
in one of his recently published articles, (1) emphasizing Mus-
lims to apply a rahmah - based approach to the recent develop-
ments in France. He has cited the Qur’ānic chapter al-Kauthar
to substantiate his arguments.
Surah al- Kauthar is the 108th chapter in the present ar-
rangement and was revealed in Makkah, when the Prophet of
Islam had to confront the most devastating situations in his
life.(2) The Makkan phase of Islam and the Muslims was the
most crucial: the entire population was in deadly confrontation
against them; violent resistance dominated therein and the fol-
lowers of the Prophet saw no ray of hope. In the given situa-
tion God revealed a number of verses in order to console and
encourage the Prophet and his followers:
And verily the succeeding moment is better than the one
preceding it. And soon will your Guardian- Lord give you (that
wherewith) you shall be well- pleased.
And raised high the esteem (in which) you (are hold)! So,
verily, with every difficulty there is relief. Verily, with every
difficulty there is relief.
In that situation, the Surah al- Kuthar was revealed and the
Prophet was solaced divinely and his adversaries were fore-
casted to be defeated and destroyed. Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi
(1903-1979) cited a number of accusations made by the Quray-
shite leaders against the Prophet of Islam.A’as bin Wāil Sahmi,
for example, was cited saying: “Leave Muhammad; he is a man
cut off, has no male child to succeed him, after his death no
one will be remembering him”. U’qbah bin Abu Mua’yt was
also reported to have taunted in the same words. Once Ka’b
bin Ashraf, the Jewish leader of Madinah, came to Makkah.
The leaders of Quraysh approached him and commented: “See
this young boy cut off from his people, thinks he is better than
us while we are the organizers of Hajj affairs.” According to
another report of the same saying, the Qurayshite leaders had
called the Prophet al- sunbūr al- munbatir (weak, helpless and
a man without offspring). According to a narration cited from
Abdullah bin Abbas, Abu Jahl also had hurted the Prophet with
the same words A’as bin Wāil Sahmi had uttered. Ata reports
that when Abdullah the second son of Muhammad died, it was
Abu Lahb, the uncle of the Prophet who rushed to the Makkan
pagans and provided them with news that “Muhammad became
cut off tonight.” In these painstaking situations the Surah al-
Kauthar was revealed and the Prophet was divinely provided
with the solace:
To you have We granted the Fount (in abundance).
Therefore to thy Lord turn in prayer and Sacrifice.
For he who hates you he will be cut off (from future
hope)!(6)
The rituals of Salah and sacrifice are mere symbol. Behind
it is deep spiritual meaning. Salah signifies our firm faith in
God, and sacrifice means feeding the poor. This broadly ap-
plies to the two pioneering key – concepts of Islam -i’bādah
and khidmah. The i’bādah symbolizes paying to God what is
due to Him, and the khidmah applies to selflessly serving to
humanity for the sake of God’s pleasure and without any lust
for temporal gain.
Beating About the Bush
In the post- Charlie Hebdo caricatures studies and approaches
on Islam and contemporary Muslims liberal writers and intel-
lectuals are trying to mislead the issues and thus confuse the
readers. Hasan Suroor for example emphasized a need for birth
of a ‘new’ Islam from the ashes of the old. To him, “If Islam is
to move from its current suicidal trajectory, the first thing that
needs to be done is to get rid of the idea of one-size-fits-all Is-
lam.” He is of the opinion that “Muslims today live in multicul-
tural, open and democratic societies- mostly in the west- with
very different notions of individual freedoms and human rights
than the tribal cultural values that shaped early Islam.” He cites
Asma Afsaruddin, an American Muslim scholar saying that the
future of Islam as a religion fit for the 21st century hinges on
the liberal worldview gaining ground among Muslims. Profes-
sor Asma concluded with the optimistic prediction that “this
will happen because that is the more historically credible and
normally compelling alternative.”(7)
Hasan Suroor has cited an article published recently in The
Economist suggesting that the liberals might have already lost
the battle. But the article also made an important point- that
there are signs of introspection among Muslims. In that case
the writer cited Sheikh Ahmad Al- Tayeb, the Grand Imam of
Al-Azhar Mosque Egypt proposing a radical overhaul of Is-
lamic teachings. Suroor has further recorded the analyses made
by the The Times columnist Janice Turner, Canadian feminist-
activist Irshad Manji, American specialist in Islamic and Jew-
ish studies Gordon D. Newby and Turkish writer and publisher
Levent Gultekin to prove his argument.
What made these writers and analysts as far from the
ground realities is their pre-conceived ideas of reforming of
Islam itself from within and their inability to differentiate the
status quo from the pristine teachings of the basic sources of
Islam. The fundamental issue is not the birth of a ‘new’ Islam,
but is the need of sincerely practicing Islam by the Muslim
community and their capability to understand and experience
the religion in the context of the 21st century through exercis-
ing of the ijtihad. The issue is thus marginalized by the liberals
who are beating about the bush.
27

28
28
Infamous Caricatures
It was not only on January 07, 2015 that three armed gunmen
stormed Charlie Hebdo’s offices and opened fire, killing ten of
its staff and two police officers, but this French satirical maga-
zine has been a target for a long time, thanks to a long history
of intentionally controversial and provocative cartoons and
covers, says Max Read. (8) Minutes before the killing, Charlie
Hebdo tweeted a cartoon of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al- Bagh-
dadi. “Best wishes and good health”, the caption read.
First founded in 1970 when the magazine’s predecessor was
shut down by the French government for making fun of Charles
de Gaulle (1890-1970) the national hero. Again in 1992 after
10 years of out of print, Charlie Hebdo is like a more gleefully
and pointedly offensive, politically conscious mad magazine.
It’s stance is vocally left, anti-authoritarian, anti-religious and
anti- institutional.
In October 2011, Charlie Hebdo published an issue “guest-
edited” by Muhammad and rebranded Shariah Hebdo. The
cover featured a cartoon (by Luz) of the Prophet (peace be on
him) telling readers “100 lashes if you don’t die laughing”.
A week later, the magazine’s offices were firebombed and its
website hacked. The next cover showed a Charlie cartoonist
making out with a Muslim with the caption “Love is stronger
than hate”.
Not quite a year later, in the wake of outrage in the Mus-
lim world over that stupid YouTube movie The Innocence of
Muslims, Charlie Hebdo published in 2012 a series of cartoons
of the Prophet (peace be on him). In 2006, fire years before
the firebombing, Charlie republished the infamous Danish
Jyllands – Posten cartoons of Muhammad (peace be on him),
adding some of its own and giving the issue a cover with the
headline “Muhammad over-helmed by fundamentalists”. (9)
In 2008, cartoonist Sine- born Maurice Sinet sued Charlie
Hebdo for wrongful dismissal after he was fired for an appar-
ently anti- Semitic jab in a column about the son of French
president Nicolas Sarkozy. (10)Sine won a 40,000- Euro judg-
ment in his suit and went on to launch his own magazine Sine
Hebdo.
Leaving the history a part, we come to the recent issue of
the caricature. About one hour after the attack on January 07,
2015 on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, an image of the slogan
“Je suis Charlie” with a cartoon in the same style as Novem-
ber 3, 2011 cover, was posted to Twitter by Joachim Roncin,
a French artist and music journalist for Stylist Magazine. This
slogan was intended to evoke solidarity with those who were
brutally killed, as other similar slogans have done. Roncin says
he created the image because he lacked words. (11)
Muslims’ Condemnation
The worried Muslims have reacted to Charlie Hebdo’s defiant
cover depicting the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
of God be on him). The French satirical weekly was accused
of deliberately mocking the Islamic faith and warned that it ac-
cused fuel further sectarian unrest.
French Muslim leaders appealed for calm after the cover
of the magazine’s special edition, which was an instant sellout
on Wednesday with long queues forming at newsstands across
France, was leaked ahead of publication.
“They’re free to publish what they like but it affects us, it’s
going to hurt us a lot,” a Muslim Woman identified as Salya
told France Info Radio from outside a mosque in Clichy-La-
Garenne, a Paris suburb inhabited by many Muslims originally
from North Africa.
Outside France, Muslim Leaders condemned the Weekly’s
decision to put a cartoon of the Prophet back on the cover. It
shows a weeping prophet holding up a sign saying “Je sius
Charlie” (“I am Charlie”), the slogan of global solidarity with
the magazine’s journalists who were killed in their offices last
Wednesday. The headline reads “All is forgiven”.
A Turkish state-run news agency said a court ordered the
telecommunications authority to ban access to websites show-
ing the cover. Anadolu Agency said the ban was ordered by a
court in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir. A lawyer in Di-
yarbakir filed a petition saying the websites were a danger to
“public order”.
Earlier, police stopped trucks leaving a pro-secular news-
paper’s printing centre and checked the paper’s content after it
decided to print a selection of Charlie Hebdo caricatures.
In the Philippines, police said about 1,500 people protested
in the Muslim-majority city of Marawi, with local politicians
and teenage students packing the main square and some raising
their fists in the air as a Charlie Hebdo poster was burned.
“What happened in France, the Charlie Hebdo killing, is a
moral lesson for the world to respect any kind of religion, es-
pecially the religion of Islam,” the organizers said a statement
released during the three-hour rally, the Agence France-Presse
news agency reported. “Freedom of expression does not extend
to insulting the noble and the greatest Prophet of Allah.”
In Egypt, the Islamic research centre at Al-Azhar, the Mus-
lim world’s foremost authority, warned that the cartoons risked
stirring up hatred.
The drawings “do not serve the peaceful coexistence be-
tween peoples and hinder the integration of Muslims into Eu-
ropean and western societies”’ it said in a statement.
The Egyptian grand mufti, the country’s most influential
Muslim cleric, said the cover was “racist” while Dar al-Ifta,
an Egyptian Islamic educational authority, described it as “an
unjustified provocation against the feelings of 1.5 billion Mus-
lims”.
A leading association of Muslim academics based in Qatar
and lead by preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi claimed it would “stir
up hatred”.
“It is neither reasonable, nor logical, nor wise to publish
drawings and films offensive or attacking the Prophet of Is-
lam”, the international Union of Muslim Scholars said in a
statement, AFP reported.
The press in Muslim countries did not publish the cover for

29l Shawwal1436/August 2015 l
29
fear of offending Islamic sensibilities.
In Iran, foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham
condemned the cartoon of the Prophet as insulting and provoc-
ative. She said the cover “provokes the emotions of Muslims
and hurts their feelings around the world, and could fan the
flame of a vicious of extremism”.
Charlie Hebdo’s journalists have defended their decision
to publish, appealing to readers’ sense of humour and intel-
ligence.
But the rightwing French newspaper Le Figaro said Mus-
lims would be torn over the magazine’s editorial choice, saying
“the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, which is forbidden
by Islam, puts Muslims in an uncomfortable position”.
Abdullah Zekri, the president of the Observatory against
Islamophobia, warned in the paper. “This was adding fuel to
the fire. I don’t mean to be disobliging about journalists but
they are carrying on with their provocation. Muhammad, Mu-
hammad, always Muhammad …. He died 15 centuries ago!”
Zekri added that he had received many reactions from outraged
Muslims, adding that “I understand them”.
Dozen of imams in Britain have urged Muslims to react
with resistant to Charlie Hebdo’s depictions of the Prophet.
In a 10-point advice sheet issued by the Muslim Council of
Britain, which was signed by more than 50 Muslim leaders,
the imams said “freedom of speech should not be translated
into a duty of offend”, and they urged Muslims to express their
“justified displeasure at the mockery that is made of our faith”
in a peaceful manner.
Copies of the new magazine will be available in an Eng-
lish-language version in Britain from Friday.
The Muslim Council advised Muslims to react with “digni-
fied nobility”. Its advice sheet says: “Our reaction must be a
reflection of the teachings of the gentle and merciful character
of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is
the best and immediate way to respond.”
It added that depictions of the Prophet “cannot tarnish his
image” and urged Muslims to speak out. It said: “Engage with
others about your feelings. Speak of your love for the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and don’t be shy to let your non-Muslim
friends know your justified displeasure at the mockery that is
made of our faith. People need to know how much love we
have for our Prophet.”(12)
Bigoted, Not Blasphemous
On the next day to Charlie Hebdo killings- Wednesday 07 Jan-
uary 2015 – Muslims in France and around the world banded
together to strongly condemn the deadliest terror attack the
country has seen in the past two decades. Muslim leaders and
activists immediately denounced the actions, reiterating the
verse in the Qur’ān that tells Muslims when one kills just one
innocent person, it is as if he has killed all of humanity.(13)
The Grand Mosque of Paris, one of the largest in France, is-
sued a statement on its website shortly after the attacks, saying
its community was “shocked” and “horrified” by the violence.
“We strongly condemn these kinds of acts and we expect the
authorities to take the most appropriate measures. Our commu-
nity is stunned by what just happened. It’s a whole section of
democracy that is seriously affected. This is a deafening decla-
ration of war. Times have changed, and we are now entering a
new era of confrontation”.
Hassen Chalghoumi, imam of the Drancy Mosque in Paris’s
Seine-Saint-Denis suburb, spoke with France’s BFM TV and
condemned the attackers, saying, “Their barbarism has nothing
to do with Islam”. “I am extremely angry”, he said, “These are
criminals, barbarians. They have sold their soul to hell. This is
not freedom. This is not Islam and I hope the French will come
out united at the end of this.” (14)
Blasphemy involves critiquing a tradition from within, of
which Islam has had a long honorable history (ijtihād), says
renowned academic Mahmood Mamdani. Professor Mamdani,
Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and Professor of
Anthropology at Columbia University, author of Good Muslim,
Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror,
in an email interview to Vidya Venkat, explained the difference
between critiquing a religion and ridiculing it, and why it is one
thing to oppose censorship and quite another thing to reprint
Charlie Hebdo cartoons in solidarity.
On the question that proponents of the Charlie Hebdo brand
of humor and satire see the need to share and endorse the cul-
ture of “free speech”, Professor Mamdani said: “I support the
right to free speech as part of a right of dissent. But that does
not mean that I support every particular exercise of free speech
or dissent. It is well known that the history of free speech is
contradictory. We recognize it by distinguishing “hate speech”
from other forms of free speech. Some states ban “hate speech”
legally, other states refrain from a legal ban and leave it to soci-
ety discourage it politically and morally………My preference
is for the political and the intellectual over the legal. While I
think you have a right to say what you think, I will not support
anything you say or write. I also reserve the right to disagree
with you, vehemently if necessary. It is one thing to support the
right of Charlie journalists to print the cartoons they did, and
quite another to reprint them as an expression of support”. Pro-
fessor Mamdani called the Charlie Hebdo caricatures “bigoted
cartoons” instead of blasphemous one. “The problem with the
ongoing discussion of Charlie Hebdo is that it tends to confuse
bigotry with blasphemy”. (15)
Pope on Charlie Hebdo
Pope Francis (C) disembarking from a passenger jet with his
aides upon his arrival at Villamor Air Base for a state and pas-
toral visit, in Manila on January 15, 2015, clarified that there
were limits to freedom of speech, especially when it insults or
ridicules someone’s faith. By way of example, he referred to
Alberto Gasparri, who organizes papal trips and was standing
by his side abroad the papal plane:
“If my good friend Dr.Gasparri says a curse word against
my mother, he can expect a punch”, ha said half- jokingly,

The-MWL-Journal-2015-August

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