“Are You Still Muslim?”
A question that I have been asked with increasing frequency by non-Muslims because of my stance against terror, extremism and irrational thinking: “Are you still Muslim?” or “Are you thinking of leaving Islam?” or “Perhaps you didn’t understand the religion you embraced”
To me, this is only a sign of how bad things have gotten: A (”real”) Muslim - in their minds HAS TO BE a person that is pro-terror, narrow, extreme, irrational and has a blood fetish
It is very sad that some of these people seem to be trying very hard to make the case for the anti-Muslim bigots that we are what they say we are.
There ARE rational Muslims - we believe in our religion - we work to improve our communities, we believe in love, giving, caring and sharing and we do not hate for hate everyone that is not Muslim.
There ARE Muslims whose hearts are sensitive to the pains and needs of others regardless of faith. There are many Muslim - REAL Muslims - that constant look for ways to relieve people’s pain with the potent institution of compassion that is in Islam.
I understand that people don’t mean to be, but it is insulting to insinuate that we are on the brink of apostasy because we are using rhetoric such as “compassion”, “mercy”, “love” and “kindness” and solving problems rationally. We say that these things are from Islam and this IS Islam.
Filed under: The Culture of Denial and Pretense | Tagged: Islam, Muslim
Ameen.
And it isn’t just a few of us.
I think you are hanging around and listening to the wrong people.
The majority of non-Muslims I ever see/here would never think like those you’re hearing from. These know better - they pay attention to actual facts and can think. Anyone who really paid attention would not think what those people you are hearing are claiming.
No doubt there is a problem with idiot hate-mongers who call themselves Muslims, and it makes me sick, especially given how contrary to Islam their behavior is. There’s also a big problem with anti-Muslim hate-mongers who want to promote the former in the media and public to further their own aims, and with how much disproportionate attention and manipulation power they’re getting.
Asalaamu alaikum.
I second that “ameen”.
I was confused with the other thread, how people kept saying “don’t leave Islam because of these others” and “don’t stop blogging” when neither of those options seemed to be what you were considering to begin with. What, you cannot speak about how you feel without it being read as a threat to leave the deen? I did not see any sign that was your consideration; quite the opposite, I read that you are strengthened in the deen by knowing what it is really supposed to be about.
May Allah protect you and your deen through all the stupidity out there. It is wonderful to see an “activist” Muslim who is a REAL Muslim, living as a Muslim, and doing things for others - without this meaning at all that you stepped outside of being Muslim to do these things.
When I was growing up (in the US), questioning the govrenment and cultural systems was part and parcel of exercising my rights and using the brain God gave me. It is a characteristic that has defined me for almost half a century. But it seems now that questioning the government — and especially criticizing it — is rejected by the very people who are theoretically elected to reperesent us IN that government. I have actually had people ask me if I am still AMERICAN!?!
Similarly, I have noticed this trend among Muslims. If we question — or worse, dare CRITICIZE — those people who call themeselves Muslim and attempt to define Islam in a manner that hurts us all for their own selfish political motives, then there are folks who automatically assume that means we are heading for the bunkers — or the nearest Catholic church.
I’ve always been fascinated by Socrates and one particular bit of wisdom has been my mantra:
The unexamined life is not worth living.
Salaam Alaikum,
PM
Leave Islam. why? It is clear we all need to read more and see what trials the companions of the prophet endured. Nothing like what we have now. And there will be nothing that we can imagine when the Dajjal comes. Stay steadfast in prayer and read, you can do best with this Deen when you educate yourself, and break free from those who doubt Allah’s words and slander Allahs religion because all we have left to hold onto is the Quran and the Prophet’s Sunnah.
Tariq and PM, you both probably get that question because you are both converts and (I assume) have no tradition of Islam in your families
Stan,
Perhaps that is true and you are right that I am the first in my family to become a Muslim. Funny thing is that I have NEVER had anyone from my family ask or suggest such a thing. They have all been very accepting and in fact happy that I have found a path to God.
Salaam,
PM
One other thing I find amusing:
I have known many so-called “Born Muslims” (Arabs and Asians) who do not practice their faith in any manner and some might say for all intents and purposes have “left Islam”. Of course, no one will ever bring that up because in their culture this might raise charges of apostacy and cries for blood (ie., stoning).
This is better. Although there is still room for impovment. keep at it, you will get it right.
Salaam
hi
I really like your blog , can I add you to my blogroll ?
Thank you
Where the sufis at?
yes and I am a RATIONAL muslim alhamdullah , after waking up and seeing the reality of muslims , I just wish people would stop and think for a moment ,number one , muslims need to stop taking pity on themselves and number two start taking responsibility for the mess that us muslims have put ourselves in . because that is the reality .
I will third that Ameen, brother
You are a credit to Islam, and the hatred and violence that some Muslims espouse really goes against all Islam stands for. It seems to be part of an old patriarchal, tribal mindset of revenge, and a self-pitying post colonial mindset of being second class citizens in any Western country, the countries of the crusaders and invaders. Such ignorance may be understandable, but it is not Islam.
Ya Haqq!
“There ARE Muslims whose hearts are sensitive to the pains and needs of others regardless of faith. There are many Muslim - REAL Muslims - that constant look for ways to relieve people’s pain with the potent institution of compassion that is in Islam.”
kudos!
I’m tired of people being suprised that as a Muslim I know or care about other wrongs, especially on animal rights violations, tenants rights violations, and sexism.
Indeed compassion and rationality are part of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that he who has no kindness has no faith. This is the criteria that one should use to determine who the good Muslim are.
Dunia, just curious, if you feel that way, why link to “muslim wife” who agrees with posters that kaffirs are less than human and it’s acceptable to be rude to them?
That comment is sad. But with all of the negative media that Muslims garner, I completely understand how a person, who has had little to no contact with “Real Muslims” would think such a thing.
An even sadder reality is that some people, who grew up in Muslim homes and left the deen have the exact same thinking.
Back when I was in SDS, it seemed like there was always someone at meetings who wanted us to blow something up, or go out and kill some cops. With the revelations in the 70s about what the FBI was up to in radical organizations, it became clear that, in almost all cases, the one who wanted to get us to kill cops was a cop.
Wouldn’t it be something if it turned out that all those guys we see on CNN saying things like, “the Pope says we are violent and irrational. We must kill him.” turn out to be working for CNN?
The reason why they are asking if you are still muslim is because of all your anti-islam rants in this blog, your constant bashing and ridicule of Islam and muslims, and the fact that you speak similar language than the muslim haters.
Well done, “brother”!
West African:
How has the brother ridiculed Islam? Is a reasonable Muslim not supposed to be against the non-sense that we see nowadays?
Singularvoice,
I guess you missed his blog post where he made a mockery out of Islam by calling Hatred of the West the seventh pillar of Islam, or his subsequent posts where he chastised muslims for being hate-filled people, who should go home if they hate so much the “freedoms” of the West.
No doubt what he writes here pleases the kuffar and reinforce their negative views of muslims as killers and hatemongers.
The reason why they asked him if he was still a muslim is NOT an indictment on how bad IT has gotten, but rather how bad HE (Tariq Nelson) has gotten. It is not a surprise to me at least that they can view his posts as a rejection of Islam/muslims.
Most of what he writes here is similar to the propaganda that is being spewed out by the muslim haters and the zion-cons.
If I may suggest a better title for this blog, instead of calling it “Tariq Nelson - International Super Spy”, “Tariq Nelson - The Hypocrite” might be better suited.
The more I read his blog, the more I despise the “brother”.
Did Tariq say ALL Muslims do those things or did he say that SOME have done these things…which is true??
Are you denying that there is a fringe element in our ranks that needs to be dealt with??