While reading through an article by Laurence M. Vance that he wrote on 10 September, 2011 “Why They Hate Us” , I couldn’t help but shed a tear. Here is a proud American who wanted to articulate the reasons why Muslims happen to hate America but ended up concluding that Muslims are actually the victims of American aggression and not otherwise.
Have you ever came across a person who told you in the face that he/she hates you because you are a Muslim?
You could be from the same colour, same country, same tribe, same district and even from the same family. But the fact that you used your God given conscience to embrace Islam, you are their invisible enemy.
Have you ever came across a person who told you in the face that he/she is doubting your allegiance because by the fact that you belong to a particular tribe or religion then you should be supporting a rival party?
Even if you were to sacrifice your time and effort in the name of the party or make all sorts of noises to prove your loyalty, you can’t be appointed to a high office because you can never be trusted and you will be treated as a stranger.
Do you know that it is easy to believe any stories that are against your enemy without proof than you would do if the story was about your dear friend?
When the stories is about your friend, even with concrete proof, you straightaway find strong arguments to either defend them or promote them or even twisting the truth, who cares.
Lastly, have you also realised, unfortunately, that the most vocal proponents of hate speech against Muslims are the people who renounced Islam?
They will never admit it but will produce proofs that they actually love you and that it is actually your fellow Muslims who hates you.
To make matters worse, the mainstream media makes sure that they broadcast all sorts of propaganda against Islam and the masses are brainwashed to such an extent that they cannot differentiate between fact or fiction, truth or lies, reality or fake.
-If you are an Arab, then you are a Muslim, who should be a terrorist, therefore the usual suspect!
– If you are from a Yao tribe, then you are a member of the UDF, who should obviously be a Muslim, therefore has no say on governance issues !
– If you are a Muslim, then you are a satanist, who cannot behave humanly, therefore you mastermind all the inhuman killings in the world!
……they draw the conclusions for you, and the list goes on.
Unfortunately, if you are a non Muslim then you have a field day, airing your resentment against Muslims, after all you “saw it all live on BBC or CNN or Al-Jazeera and it can’t be lies.”
Just a single example to refresh your memory….
Do you remember that there was a footage of a German woman crying after Mario Balotelli scored a second goal against Germany during the EURO 2012? We all felt pity for the woman for crying that her team is losing, only to be stunned few days later after it transpired that the heartwarming footage was actually shot during the pre-match warm-up and inserted into the live broadcast later. UEFA had to apologize subsequently.
So you think “Live” tv broadcasts can’t lie?
The oppression of Muslims by fellow citizens is an international phenomena and it is now fashionable to speak ill of and lies about Muslims.
The political arena in Malawi is even more shameful.
During the 2009 General Elections, a certain sell-out “Born Again” confessionist went around in almost all churches in Malawi talking ill of Muslims and labeling some political leaders who are Muslims as satanists. This propaganda created fear and hatred among their followers and you already know the end result of those elections.
The victory was achieved not because the winner had any policies worth such a victory but all non-Muslims literally feared for their lives that should they vote otherwise, vampires will be let loose in Malawi.
Did our colleagues bother to investigate those allegations? No.
Was there any element of truth to what the gentleman was saying? – “We heard it from the victim’s mouth, so it’s the truth.”
What if he was fully sponsored to spread such rumors and malicious allegations?
“O you who believe, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.” (Quran 49:6)
My plea to all Muslims is that don’t be carried away by their propaganda. You have your faith and your beliefs and you should be proud of them. Do anything to safeguard the interests of Muslims and Islam as a whole but do not compromise your religion, Allah alone, will judge on the Day of Resurrection.
Let us not be perpetrators of violence and vice but be advocates of peace and harmony.
Let us not be proponents of terror and iniquity but be ambassadors of peace and philanthropy.
I think that as long us you ascribe to your Islamic faith and practice your religion, they will hate you but they will never admit it openly.
I am just thinking aloud…
“We the Muslims do not have an inherent animosity towards any racial group or ethnicity. We are not against Americans for just being Americans. We are against evil…” (Anwar al-Awlaki).
Feedback: majeed@malawimuslims.com
