Panel in Dearborn on Doha debates

Last night’s panel discussion in Dearborn was commentary on the recent Doha Debates segment regarding if conflict between Sunnis and Shi’is is negatively impacting the image of Muslims and Islam in the West.

The four panelists last night were against this motion.  The first audio segment is the panelists perspectives on the Doha Debates’ topic; the second segment is the question and answer section from the audience.

Panelists in speaking order in segment one are:

“Victor” Ghalib Begg – Chairman of the CIOM

Saeed Khan – Prof. at Wayne State University

Dawud Walid – Exec. Director of CAIR-MI

Hassan Qazwini – Imam of the Islamic Center of America

http://share. ovi.com/media/ DawudWalid. public/DawudWali d.10094 – Part 1

http://share. ovi.com/media/ DawudWalid. public/DawudWali d.10095 – Part 2

Walid gives sermon about the mercy of G’d

Today’s sermon was given at the Muslim Community Center of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan.

http://share.ovi.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10093

What if the shoe was on the other proverbial foot at Fordson High?

Recent media attention in Metro Detroit has focused on a wrestling coach, who was released from his position for allegedly attempting to convert Muslim kids at Fordson High School to Christianity.

SEE: http://blogs.usatoday.com/gameon/2008/05/coach-fired-for.html

Now, what would be the public reaction if this coach was a Muslim, who was trying to convert Christian kids at Fordson High School to Islam? 

There would probably be speculation that perhaps the coach was attempting to recruit kids to join a “sleeper cell” or join a “radical Islamists group.”  I’m sure that the alleged conversion attempts would not be viewed as benign if “the shoe was on the other foot.” 

News of US Marines attempting to spread Christianity in Iraq after Qur’an shooting incident, what next?

News has just surfaced of US Marines passing out coins of a biblical verse to Iraqi Muslim. 

This news comes off of the heels of the infamous Qur’an shooting by a US solider in Iraq, which made international headlines. 

In past, US soliders have shot into mosques (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6496898/) and given protection to Christian missionaries (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owCXbDVTLRE), who try to convert Muslims.  

US military commanders should be wise enough to constantly counsel our troops that in the Middle East, perceived slights and insults to Islam will galvanize resistance groups and unite those who have conflict with each other against the US military.  I’m sure that Shi’i groups like the Mahdi Army, Sunni groups like  the Mujaahideen Battalion and Sufi insurgent groups like the Sufi Squadron of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani will have new recruits after this one, not to mention this being fodder for the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. Not a good strategy for success in a region where the people already view America as an occupying force.

Message for Friday – “What does G’d love according to Al-Islam?”

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Due to media imagery and the excesses of radicals, many American Non-Muslims think that the Islamic faith is void of LOVE.

G’d in the Qur’an describes Himself by 99 beautiful names, one of them being الودود (Al-Wadud – Love). The medieval Islamic scholar Ibn Qutaybah (RH) describes the meaning of this name as the one who loves and shows love as well as the one who is worthy of being loved.

Below are ayaat (verses-signs) within the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) relating to what and whom G’d loves:

 إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(2:195) – Surely G’d loves the doers of excellence.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ

(2:222) – Surely G’d loves those who repent and turn often to him and He loves those who constantly purify themselves.

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(3:76) – And surely G’d loves those who are regardful [of Him].

وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ

(3:146)  – And G’d loves the patient people.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

(3:159) – And surely G’d loves those who depend [on Him].

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

(5:42) – Surely G’d loves those who are just.

ان الله رفيق يحب الرفق

The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, “Surely G’d is tender; He loves tenderness.”

إن الله جميل يحب الجمال

The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, “Surely G’d is beautful; He loves beauty.”

من أحب لقاء الله أحب الله لقاءه

The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, “Whoever loves to meet G’d, surely G’d loves to meet him.”

إن الله يحب إذا عمل أحدكم عملا أن يتقنه

The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, “Surely G’d loves when any of you does an endeavor that he seeks to perfect  it.”

And surely G’d knows best.