I was changing the tv channels this morning when I found myself watching the whole US Vice President Debate between Joe Biden & Sarah Palin. Aside from the interesting personalities that the two candidates projected or tried to project, it was dissappointed (though expected), as in many US political events and speeches that foreign policies are normally lop-sided where the Middle-East is brought into the picture.
I watched as is common in US politics and news that the Israel government's position is given much praise without real balance to the issues in the Middle East. The real essence of problems in the international arena and in the Middle-East in particular, is that one side is nearly always at the unfair side of the stick and without being bias (as I am a Muslim myself), it is always the Muslims in Palestine that gets less 'fairness' not only in actions but also in tv-time or politics-time. The US politics and foreign policies due to one reason or the other always flourishes the Israel government huge and sometimes unproportionate praises or support but really fails to identify or talk about the unjust that the Israel government has done to the Palestine people whether we're talking about the wall built by the Israel government, the heavy-handed attacks in Palestine etc.
It is in my opinion, it does not help either for the Palestine and Muslim cause that some individuals and even Muslims go to the extreme side of the view and project Islam as an extreme religion.
But at times, I wonder if US policy-makers and politicians had sat down with American Muslims in America, let alone other moderate Muslims in other parts of the world and try to understand the view of Muslims as to what the Israel government had and is doing to the Palestinian people. In this case, I guess the mirror reflects both ways. If any Muslim country or organization is serious in playing an international role in the pursuit of really improving Islam's image in the international arena, we should really be sitting down with the average, moderate Jews etc to ascertain their view.
It is truly sad to see that in my opinion, the OIC, the Organization of The Islamic Conferences in the public eye had not taken a strong position or real-public relations interest (in the layman's view) in improving the image of Islam in the international arena. I hope to be wrong and they may be some small to medium action plans carried out by the OIC but it is in the political, international, public-relations, news-grabbing arena that Muslim countries need to cut down the barriers of states, countries, Sunni vs. Shia etc and come to realize that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) united all groups of Muslims during the early days of Islam such as the Muhajirin and the Ansars, it was for the sole purpose of improving human beings as a whole...that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was only sent to improve human beings 'akhlak' (moralities). There was no mention of one Muslim state against another, one sub-theological group against the other and this is where all Muslims especially the Muslim leaders need to come back...come back to the Quran and Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet) and learn, let go, improve upon whatever happened after the demise of the Prophet (pbuh).
We, Muslims, if we want to improve our own standard of living in our own country and stand as a true, united Muslim group of nations or 'Ummah' in a more general, international sense of the word must purify ourselves first as individuals. Though I don't pretend to be perfect but this time of the year, after Ramadan is the perfect opportunity to purify our thoughts and subsequently our actions. Then as a country, assist our leaders to accentuate the views of the Qur'an and Hadith as to what Islam truly entails and preaches...no more, no less. Nothing extreme, nothing compromised.
Hopefully, insya Allah (God willing), only after individuals and Muslim nations clean up shop and the OIC as a strong political body help to truly improve and project this real, moderate and practical view of Islam as revealed by the Qur'an and Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh).
Otherwise, it is in my view, that the status quo will remain and may even get worst that in the international arena, where it matters due to its ironic role in firing up Muslims' sentiments and Non-Muslims' misperception that we will, God Forbid, fail to improve our fellow Muslims' situation and continue to project an unbalanced and divided view of Islam.
I sincerely hope I am wrong in some respects in this post such as my argument on the OIC but it is simply my view, a layperson when it comes to 'International Muslim' politics (if there is such a word).
Additionally, it is not that I dislike Israel or the US as a country, but it is only certain policies or government /administration actions that I disagree as it do not help the cause of improving the international political issues that we see today.
I pray and I hope all of us regardless of religion/ belief, nation, race and background hope to improve upon the volatile nature of the world that we live in today. My apologies on the wrongdoings in this post and others.
In the spirit of Eid, I would like to wish 'Selamat Hari Raya' (Eid Mubarak) to all Muslims and to both Muslims and Non-Muslims, 'Maaf Zahir Batin' (forgiveness for any emotional and physical wrongdoings) for my posts.
Wassalam.
I watched as is common in US politics and news that the Israel government's position is given much praise without real balance to the issues in the Middle East. The real essence of problems in the international arena and in the Middle-East in particular, is that one side is nearly always at the unfair side of the stick and without being bias (as I am a Muslim myself), it is always the Muslims in Palestine that gets less 'fairness' not only in actions but also in tv-time or politics-time. The US politics and foreign policies due to one reason or the other always flourishes the Israel government huge and sometimes unproportionate praises or support but really fails to identify or talk about the unjust that the Israel government has done to the Palestine people whether we're talking about the wall built by the Israel government, the heavy-handed attacks in Palestine etc.
It is in my opinion, it does not help either for the Palestine and Muslim cause that some individuals and even Muslims go to the extreme side of the view and project Islam as an extreme religion.
But at times, I wonder if US policy-makers and politicians had sat down with American Muslims in America, let alone other moderate Muslims in other parts of the world and try to understand the view of Muslims as to what the Israel government had and is doing to the Palestinian people. In this case, I guess the mirror reflects both ways. If any Muslim country or organization is serious in playing an international role in the pursuit of really improving Islam's image in the international arena, we should really be sitting down with the average, moderate Jews etc to ascertain their view.
It is truly sad to see that in my opinion, the OIC, the Organization of The Islamic Conferences in the public eye had not taken a strong position or real-public relations interest (in the layman's view) in improving the image of Islam in the international arena. I hope to be wrong and they may be some small to medium action plans carried out by the OIC but it is in the political, international, public-relations, news-grabbing arena that Muslim countries need to cut down the barriers of states, countries, Sunni vs. Shia etc and come to realize that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) united all groups of Muslims during the early days of Islam such as the Muhajirin and the Ansars, it was for the sole purpose of improving human beings as a whole...that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was only sent to improve human beings 'akhlak' (moralities). There was no mention of one Muslim state against another, one sub-theological group against the other and this is where all Muslims especially the Muslim leaders need to come back...come back to the Quran and Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet) and learn, let go, improve upon whatever happened after the demise of the Prophet (pbuh).
We, Muslims, if we want to improve our own standard of living in our own country and stand as a true, united Muslim group of nations or 'Ummah' in a more general, international sense of the word must purify ourselves first as individuals. Though I don't pretend to be perfect but this time of the year, after Ramadan is the perfect opportunity to purify our thoughts and subsequently our actions. Then as a country, assist our leaders to accentuate the views of the Qur'an and Hadith as to what Islam truly entails and preaches...no more, no less. Nothing extreme, nothing compromised.
Hopefully, insya Allah (God willing), only after individuals and Muslim nations clean up shop and the OIC as a strong political body help to truly improve and project this real, moderate and practical view of Islam as revealed by the Qur'an and Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh).
Otherwise, it is in my view, that the status quo will remain and may even get worst that in the international arena, where it matters due to its ironic role in firing up Muslims' sentiments and Non-Muslims' misperception that we will, God Forbid, fail to improve our fellow Muslims' situation and continue to project an unbalanced and divided view of Islam.
I sincerely hope I am wrong in some respects in this post such as my argument on the OIC but it is simply my view, a layperson when it comes to 'International Muslim' politics (if there is such a word).
Additionally, it is not that I dislike Israel or the US as a country, but it is only certain policies or government /administration actions that I disagree as it do not help the cause of improving the international political issues that we see today.
I pray and I hope all of us regardless of religion/ belief, nation, race and background hope to improve upon the volatile nature of the world that we live in today. My apologies on the wrongdoings in this post and others.
In the spirit of Eid, I would like to wish 'Selamat Hari Raya' (Eid Mubarak) to all Muslims and to both Muslims and Non-Muslims, 'Maaf Zahir Batin' (forgiveness for any emotional and physical wrongdoings) for my posts.
Wassalam.
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