Newsweek is spreading hate

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Newsweek has effectively achieved in 710 words what is costing Luxenberg and company many years and hundreds of pages to accomplish. The common objective boils down to conveying that the Qur’an is a misinterpreted historical document and Islam is nothing but a historical construction that only severs to perpetuate violence.

The author starts working on this objective right from the by-line of the article. He makes a reference to “virgins” to develop a link with suicide bombers and the opening para then makes the theme abundantly clear.

The article brings September 11 into the discussion right away and quickly moves on to Palestine to establish that in both cases the culprits are Muslims alone and the motive is nothing but sexual gratification in paradise.
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The problem at hand is actually with * Newsweek*, which is engaged in the same tactics based on which Al-Jazeera is banned in most liberal countries, such as Canada.

The basic argument against Al-Jazeera is that it spreads hatred. A reader of the Newsweek article sees the same very clearly in its pages. It is typical of the discursive assault on Islam which has been the hallmark of the last 30 years. It is so virulent and consistent in spreading hatred that its hostility and venom can only be compared to the actual hatred of Islam that prompted the Crusades.
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Newsweek believes that when Luxenberg work “is published this fall, it’s likely to be the most far-reaching scholarly commentary on the Qur’an.” We need to look at this statement from two perspectives.

http://www.mediamonitors.net/

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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

Thus saith a Pro-Pakistani “news” site.

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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

Thus saith a islamophobic.

The person above you? [merged]
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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

veryvery nice thread

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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

its true that the sources provide authenticity or otherwise but it simply cant be disregarded on the basis that its pro-pakistani.

**This publication is advertising and endorsing which is their prerogative ofcourse:* Newsweek* believes that when Luxenberg work "is published this fall, it's likely to be the most far-reaching scholarly commentary on the Qur'an." ...........The general audience of Newsweek is not knowledgeable enough about the Qur'an to actually see how the magazine sees an opportunity in Luxenberg work to use it for undermining Muslim faith.

**that is propagation.

for example

**The article says: "Islamic orthodoxy considers the holy book to be the verbatim revelation of Allah, speaking to his prophet, Muhammad, through the Angel Gabriel, in Arabic." A Western mind, used to the daily classifying Muslims does not take "orthodoxy" as Islamic doctrine. It quickly concludes that only "orthodox" Muslims look at the Qur'an in the aforementioned manner.

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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

Let me guess...

The author of the article's name is Jon Meacham?

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i think stefan teil

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Luxenberg's chief hypothesis is that the original language of the Qur'an was not Arabic but something closer to Aramaic.

The forthcoming book contains plenty of other bombshells. It claims that the Qur'an's commandment for women to cover themselves is based on a similar misreading; in Sura 24, the verse that calls for women to "snap their scarves over their bags" becomes in Aramaic "snap their belts around their waists." Even more explosive are readings that strengthen scholars' views that the Qur'an had Christian origins. Sura 33 calls Muhammad the "seal of the prophets," taken to mean the final and ultimate prophet of God. But an Aramaic reading, says Luxenberg, turns Muhammad into a "witness of the prophets"-i.e., someone who bears witness to the established Judeo-Christian texts. The Qur'an, in Arabic, talks about the "revelation" of Allah, but in Aramaic that term turns into "teaching" of the ancient Scriptures. The original Qur'an, Luxenberg contends, was in fact a Christian liturgical document-before an expanding Arab empire turned Muhammad's teachings into the basis for its new religion long after the Prophet's death.

He asserts that Arabic as a language and system of writing was not developed until 150 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. This strange assertion contradicts the major volume of pre-Islamic poetry, which is used even today to help in understanding and interpreting the Quran.

Still, Luxenberg may be ushering in a whole new era of Qur'anic study. "Luxenberg's findings are very relevant and convincing," says Mondher Sfar, a Tunisian specialist on the historic origins of the Qur'an in exile in Paris. "They make possible a new interpretation of the Qur'an."

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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

** the generalization of muslims as terrorists by the civilized people of this world is the 'in' thing now but we owe it not only to ladin,qaida,iraq or to the protestors against the cartoons but to these measures too. its true that we can cultivate tolerance but tolerance to co-existing together or tolerance to spreading and endorsing these kinds of articles in some of the worlds most widely read magazines.

one thing is for sure,the simple fact that muslims unite wen their religion is under attack is a threat for the modernizing civilization at large which is straying away from religion.for those who apparently will use my last sentence as a 'racist' comment can check the statistics of growth of christianity etc and also examine the comments by pope benedict.

anyways,doesnt this seem like the tactics of a coldwar? propaganda has been used as a weapon as history teaches us.**

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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

Our Messenger pbuh himself said that he didn’t bring anything new. His is the same message of Almighty delivered earlier by other Messengers.

So terms such as “witness” or “revelations” for sure have broader context than the stuff propounded by the Mullahs.

If we as Muslims accept the fact that our mosques are just an extension of synagogues and churches, and therefore open to Jewish and Christians can certainly solve a lot of problems.

However I disagree with the assertion that Quran itself is a product of Arab conquests.

Our fiqh (4 Imams of Sunnis, and 12/6 imams of Shias/Ismailies) was impacted by the expanding empire. Why? Well all these imams were trying to cope with many new issues to “fit” in the new doctrine vs. the old doctrine established during the life of Mohammad pbuh.

This can be proven by the very fact the major split between Sunnis and Shias occurred when Arab empire gobbled up Iranians.

So the bottom line is: Quran itself is “The Book” revealed to our Messenger pbuh that simply brought to us the same message from Allah that was given to other messengers.
Fiqh (or Shariat) on the other hand is the product of its time when Arab empire expanded throughout Middle East and Asia.

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This is what you read. The reality is different. For the Western mind, Middle Easterners and Muslims is all jumbled up. So they may use terms such as “Muslims as terrorists”. However if you show up in the West with an Indian looking face, you will not be “automatically” treated as a terrorist unless your last name is Siddiqi the biologist.

The same thing is true for Indonesians and Malay people. They will not be treated as terrorists unless they let more Bali bombers amongst themselves.

You have to realize that the Western people have been “hurt” by Arab terrorists for the decades now. Oil and terrorism are now fully associated to Arab Muslims. Why because they have worked on making this image for almost 40 years. How many incidents do I have to list to prove this point? Hijacking, bombing of planes, killing of athletes, etc. etc. and the list goes on.

You behave as a computer jockey and the West will treat you as a techie guru.
You behave as a Physicist and the West will reward you with a Nobel prize.
You behave as a doctor, and even the worst of the KKK-rednecks-cut-off-from-the-world people will treat you with respect.

OTOH, you behave as a hijacker, well what do you expect then? You will be treated as a terrorist.

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**
''this day have i perfected ur religion n chosen for u islam as ur religion.''

yes,the message in the Quran has been brought before but this was the final and refined form of shareeyat which Allah chose to protect so there is a difference.**

new recruit, anyone out there?
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**yes sir ur right,i agree with u.

but i am not looking at this from one micro aspect only. m trying to find other factors which r reinforcing this divide that exists between the muslim world and the west.

biases research articles being endorsed by a widely read n relied upon publication, that is driving a vast majority of people who know very little abt islam n muslims towards a specific direction.wudnt u agree?**

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*internet messup
*

new recruit, anyone out there?
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Re: Newsweek is spreading hate

Some of our intellectuals have gobbled up Samuel Huntington’s clash, hook line and sinker. This is one of the most $tupidest theory in existence today right up there with 5 legged Martian’s picture in a super market tabloid.

The “clash theory” assumes too many things, and the worst of them all is the blind lumping (and lampooning) every Muslim country. Muslim countries in Asia such as Malaysia are more close to others in the regions such as Thailand etc. Pakistan has similar situation as BDesh and Bharat and it is quiet unlike Egypt or Kuwait.

Most of the Arab countries are closer to their African cousin countries and they all pretty much behave as the nuts like Eedi “sheedi” Ameen.

So much of the “cultural commonality”.

On economic front the differences are even more evident. Some like Malayaisa are steaming ahead with tech revolution, while others are struggling bankrupt places, and then we have some with oil or other mineral resources to make them rich.

These differences in geography (most important), economy (very important) and culture (somewhat important) are the reason why OIC is an utter failure. One look at this cartooni mumbo jumbo OIC clearly shows us that there is no single “Muslim Block” worth a dime.

As there is no “Muslim Block” there is no clash between “supposed it” and the West.

However there are a number of clashes going on as of now within the “West” and “West and other blocks”. There is a clash between US dominated block and Europe dominated block. These two blocks are clashing with Ruskie dominated block. There is a clash between capitalist approach of US and the old soviet new Ruskie Marxist approach in Venezuela and Cuba. Soon there will be Chinese dominated block that may clash with any number of other blocks.

Remember to have a “clash” with a titan like USA, you have to have some muscle power and some flesh. Dirt poor, illiterate, cave dwellers can only dream about “clashing” with something of value. These poor idiots will only hurt themselves if they ever think of a “clash”. Look at the recent riots in Pakistan. Who got hurt in this “clash”? Answer: Other Pakistanis!

Now go tell this to Mullahtics and their buddy Sam Huntington.