Actually the scarf has come to symbolise the Palestianians’ struggle for liberation and autonomy, but heavens we can’t advertise THAT!

Those of us who have anything to do with Indonesian Muslims knew this already, but the ABC is reporting that the “Australian Strategic Policy Institute” (who are they?) have released a report saying that - surprise surprise - Indonesia is not full of radical Islamists.

Isn’t it a bit ironic that the photograph chosen to go along with the article is unrepresentative cleric Abu Bakr Bashir. Couldn’t they have got a stock photo of happy Indonesians all getting along or something. Like the one I found on Flickr (photo credit to kasperwiet)?

A while back you might remember me mentioning a letter I sent to Dr John Dickson in regard to the historical sources of biographical material on Prophet Muhammad , peace be upon him. Dr Dickson was kind enough to give me a detailed reply (to which I must confess I am only replying now, astaghfrullah for my bad adab). He mentioned that his Centre for Public Christianity had a short vidcast up on the recent Geert Wilder’s Fitna issue.

I feel inspired when I learn of scholars from any faith dealing with religions other than their own in a spirit of respect and friendliness. I do encourage you to watch the short vidcast, and recommend it to other Muslims, Christians, indeed anyone you know:

Technorati Tags: fitna, geert wilder, christian, islam, respect, tolerance, interfaith, dialog

(Via Arab News) A Saudi blogger has made a counter-video to Geert Wilder’s abominable jihadi clip, called Schism. He uses the same technique by taking verses of the Bible out of context and juxtaposes scenes of Christian calls for violence. The purpose, of course, is to demonstrate that Wilder’s jihadi clip might be done for any religion, and does not represent what the vast majority of Muslims or Christians believe and do.

Now, I do not recommend going and viewing it, which is why I don’t have a link to it. I watched about ten seconds and then had to turn it off when I saw American soldiers glorying in the beating of some unarmed presumably Iraqi, civilians, after reading excerpts from Bible commanding killing and genocide. I just couldn’t watch any more (I haven’t even attempted to watch Wilder’s jihadi clip).

I don’t want to put violent images into my mind, but see what the world has come to? Subhanallah. These types of clips and images leave lasting impressions on our minds. Whether it is Geert Wilder or a rhetorical response to him, the violence causes a rift between the children of Adam, when we should race to virtues not to the bottom:

Unto every one of you have We appointed a [different] law and way of life. And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but [He willed it otherwise] in order to test you by means of what He has vouchsafed unto, you. Vie, then, with one another in doing good works! Unto God you all must return; and then He will make you truly understand all that on which you were wont to differ. (Al Ma’idah 5:48)

Western democratic freedoms include the freedom to publish cartoons right? That’s what many Danes seem to think anyway.

A friend of mine emailed me a link to this Al Jazeera article. The cartoons don’t show beloved Prophets in derogatory ways, so why are they banned? Because they are embarrassing to the United States government. Somehow, I don’t think the right-wing nutzoid blogs will be clamouring for freedom of speech in this case.