The forces of evil and the sources of Islamophobia

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

In the wake of the recent tragedy in New Zealand against Muslims, it is imperative to address the following questions:

Are there people and groups responsible for Islamophobia? Why are they spreading hatred against Muslims and Islam? What biases have they developed against Islam?

A cursory look at the statements issued by different groups and individuals against Islam and Muslims on a regular basis suggest that the following are the main sources from where the anti-Islam propaganda is spreading in the world:

1. Right-wing Christian Evangelical groups. They preach hatred against Islam in their places of worship and declare Islam as evil and Muslims as pagans out to destroy western civilization.
2. Jewish supremacists and their supporters. They promote hatred against Arabs and Muslims and claim that Muslims are anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic.
3. White supremacists. They regard Muslims as part of dark races and even those who are born in the Caucasian region cannot claim to be white. They believe that God is on the side of the White race.
4. Hindutva supremacists. They believe that their God is only there for them and others are untouchables and consider Muslims in India invaders who must be converted back to Hinduism.
5. ISIS and Violent Muslim groups. They believe that God has given them a license to kill innocents and them use the miseries of Muslim people to hurt innocents.
6. Buddhist supremacists. They believe that they can claim peace while killing others and want to cleanse Myanmar of Muslim presence.
7. Democratic and Republican demagogues. They serve multinational corporations and the interests of Israel to earn their livelihood. They have the least regard to the human rights of those who are not like them.
8. A right-wing and multinational corporation-controlled media that loves to see the blood of innocent spill in the streets so that through its reporting and divisive reporting it can get more advertisement and ratings.
9. A liberal left that view Islam as a bane of human civilization.

All of them find Muslims an easy target. Because Muslims still believe in divisions in the name of the false division, between Shia and Sunnis and hundreds of schools of thought.

They have learned that hatred towards Muslims can get them elected. They can use any pretext to attack Muslims. They do not realize that humanity is one and every human deserves a dignified existence and it is through respect and love one would create bridges to bring people together.

How should Muslims defend them besides relying on God? They should develop alliances with Jews, Christians, Buddhists, atheists, and Hindus and others who believe in the sanctity of life and who are willing to confront their owns to seek dignity for every human being.

 Congress passes a resolution condemning Islamophobia, racism, and antisemitism

 By Dr. Aslam Abdullah

When it came to voting, only 23, all of whom were Republican members of Congress voted a resolution condemning hatred and intolerance including Islamophobia and anti-Antisemitism. 407 congress members from both the parties created the history as for the first a resolution condemning anti-Muslim bigotry in America was addressed. Three Muslim members of Congress, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Omar Ilhan from Minnesota and Andre Carson from Indianapolis jointly celebrated the resolution by saying " we are tremendously proud to be part of a body that has put forth a condemnation of all forms of bigotry including, antisemitism, racism and white supremacy. At a time when extremism is on the rise, we must explicitly denounce religious intolerance of all kinds and acknowledge the pain felt by all communities. Our nation is having a difficult conversation and we believe this great progress. 

Several pro-Israel Democratic Congressmen and Republicans wanted to single out Ilhan Omar for her remarks that being critical of the policies of Israeli prime minister and occupation are not the same as being antisemitic. They wanted her to be removed from the congressional committee on foreign affairs and they wanted her not to be included in the intelligence briefing sessions.

It appeared that the pro-Israeli lobby was closer to achieve all this, but the support three influential senators offer to Ilhan changed the nature of the debate and the speaker of the House who at one time was willing to have a resolution condemning Ilhan for her statements changed her position and said that the tweets were not antisemitic. 

Ilhan Omar took a bold stand on the issue and in her defense argued that she should not be expected to have support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on the committee. She further wrote " I am told every day that I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel. I find that to be problematic and I am not alone. I just happen to be willing to speak up on it and open myself to attacks. "

She was brutally attacked by the left and the right and even center. The pro-Israeli lobby mobilized hundreds of phone calls to congressmen urging them to vote Ilhan Omar out of the foreign affairs committee. However, they could not persuade 407 members who refused to single out her for her  criticism of Israel.It is a victory for freedom of speech and a defeat of racists and bigots who have been trying to stifle public opinions on matters that impact the nation.

Here is the text of the resolution.

Whereas adherence to these principles is vital to the progress of the American people and the diverse communities and religious groups of the United States;

Whereas whether from the political right, center, or left, bigotry, discrimination, oppression, racism, and imputations of dual loyalty threaten American democracy and have no place in American political discourse;

Whereas white supremacists in the United States have exploited and continue to exploit bigotry and weaponized hate for political gain, targeting traditionally persecuted peoples, including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders and other people of color, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and others with verbal attacks, incitement, and violence;

Whereas the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., taught that persecution of any American is an assault on the rights and freedoms of all Americans;

Whereas on August 11 and 12, 2017, self-identified neo-Confederates, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klansmen held white supremacist events in Charlottesville, Virginia, where they marched on a synagogue under the Nazi swastika, engaged in racist and anti-Semitic demonstrations and committed brutal and deadly violence against peaceful Americans;

Whereas a white nationalist murdered nine African American worshipers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on the evening of June 17, 2015, in the hopes of igniting a nationwide race war;

Whereas on October 27, 2018, the perpetrator of the deadliest attack on Jewish people in the history of the United States killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue building in Pittsburgh and reportedly stated that he "wanted all Jews to die"

Whereas anti-Semitism is the centuries-old bigotry and form of racism faced by Jewish people simply because they are Jews;

Whereas in 2017 the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported a 37 percent increase in hate crimes against Jews or Jewish institutions and found that attacks against Jews or Jewish institutions made up 58.1 percent of all religious-based hate crimes;

Whereas there is an urgent need to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities, including synagogues, schools, cemeteries, and other institutions;

Whereas Jews are the targets of anti-Semitic violence at even higher rates in many other countries than they are in the United States;

Whereas it is a foreign policy priority of the United States to monitor and combat anti-Semitism abroad;

Whereas anti-Semitism includes blaming Jews as Jews when things go wrong; calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or extremist view of religion; or making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotyped allegations about Jews;

Whereas Jewish people are the subject in the media and political campaigns to numerous other dangerous anti-Semitic myths as well, including that Jews control the United States Government or seek global, political, and financial domination and that Jews are obsessed with money;

Whereas scapegoating, and targeting of Jews in the United States have persisted for many years, including by the Ku Klux Klan, the America First Committee, and by modern neo-Nazis;

Whereas accusing Jews of being more loyal to Israel or to the Jewish community than to the United States constitutes anti-Semitism because it suggests that Jewish citizens cannot be patriotic Americans and trusted neighbors, when Jews have loyally served our Nation every day since its founding, whether in public or community life or military service;

Whereas accusations of dual loyalty generally have an insidious and pernicious history, including—

(1) the discriminatory incarceration of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II on their basis of race and alleged dual loyalty;

(2) the Dreyfus affair, when Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French artillery captain, was falsely convicted of passing secrets to Germany based on his Jewish background;

(3) when the loyalty of President John F. Kennedy was questioned because of his Catholic faith; and

(4) the post-9/11 conditions faced by Muslim-Americans in the United States, including Islamophobia and false and vicious attacks on and threats to Muslim-Americans for alleged association with terrorism;

Whereas anti-Muslim bigotry entails prejudicial attitudes towards Muslims and people who are perceived to be Muslim, including the irrational belief that Muslims are inherently violent, disloyal, and foreign;

Whereas Muslims and people perceived to be Muslim are subjected to false and dangerous stereotypes and myths, including unfair allegations that they sympathize with individuals who engage in violence or terror or support the oppression of women, Jews, and other vulnerable communities;

Whereas in 2017, mosques were bombed in Bloomington, Minnesota, and burned in Austin, Texas, Victoria, Texas, Bellevue, Washington, and Thonotosassa, Florida, and mass attacks on Muslim communities were planned against communities in Islamberg, New York, in 2019, Jacksonville, Florida, in 2017, and Garden City, Kansas, in 2016;

Whereas the Federal Bureau of the Investigation reported that hate crimes against Muslims or Muslim institutions in the United States increased by over 99 percent between 2014 and 2016;

Whereas attacks motivated by bigotry against those who are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim have substantially increased since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks;

Whereas the violation of an individual's civil rights based on his or her actual or perceived membership in a particular religious group clearly violates the Constitution and laws of the United States; and

Whereas all Americans, including Jews, Muslims, and Christians and people of all faiths and no faith, have a stake in fighting anti-Semitism, as all Americans have a stake in fighting every form of bigotry and hatred against people based on religion, race, or place of birth and origin:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) rejects the perpetuation of anti-Semitic stereotypes in the United States and around the world, including the pernicious myth of dual loyalty and foreign allegiance, especially in the context of support for the United States-Israel alliance;

(2) condemns anti-Semitic acts and statements as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values that define the people of the United States;

(3) reaffirms its support for the mandate of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as part of the broader policy priority of fostering international religious freedom and protecting human rights all over the world;

(4) rejects attempts to justify hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval or frustration over political events in the Middle East or elsewhere;

(5) acknowledges the harm suffered by Muslims and others from the harassment, discrimination, and violence that result from anti-Muslim bigotry;

(6) condemns anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against all minorities as contrary to the values of the United States;

(7) condemns the death threats received by Jewish and Muslim Members of Congress, including in recent weeks;

(8) encourages law enforcement and government officials to avoid conduct that raises the specter of unconstitutional profiling against anyone because of their race, religion, nationality, political, or particular social group, including the assignment of blame or targeting members of an entire religious group for increased suspicion, based on the conduct of a single individual or small group of individuals; and

(9) encourages all public officials to confront the reality of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of bigotry, as well as historical struggles against them, to ensure that the United States will live up to the transcendent principles of tolerance, religious freedom, and equal protection as embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the first and 14th amendments to the Constitution.

Who changed the priorities in the Quranic Guidance?

Dr. Aslam Abdullah

The discussions, the lectures, the arguments and the topics that Muslims and Muslim scholars have been discussing, debating and giving priorities for centuries in their institutions and seminaries are not the issues that were initially raised by the Quran, a divine scripture that Muslims describe as a book intended for them and practiced and lived by the messenger whom the Muslim own as theirs. The Quran never described it as a book for Muslims only. Rather, it defined itself as guidance to humanity, “It was the month of Ramadan in which the Qur'an was [first] bestowed from on high as a guidance unto man and a self-evident proof of that guidance, and as the standard by which to discern the true from the false….” (2:185)  Similarly, the final messenger, Muhammad, peace, and blessings are upon him, never identified himself as a messenger to Muslims only. The Quran testifies to this belief when it says, “And [thus, O Prophet,] We have sent thee as [an evidence of Our] grace towards all the worlds.21:107

However, the issues that Muslim scholars have raised over the centuries and still, debate were the ones the Quran initially asked its accepters to focus on. Over the centuries, the Muslims have been discussing issues that are relevant to Muslims only in their ritual matters such as Wudu (ablution) and Ghusl (bath), rules for fasting, amount of zakat (charitable contributions spent on Muslims only, Hajj or pilgrimage obligatory on those Muslims who can afford, prayers in a particular form for Muslims only, etc. Or in recent times, they have raised issues of Hijab, beard and its length, or the length of trousers or the consumption of only zabeeha meat by Muslims.

Rarely, you hear Muslims focusing on issues that concern humanity in general and focuses on its interests. Rarely, one finds Muslims offering ideas and practical programs to counter issues that a great majority of human beings face on the face of earth.

By the standards of the Quran, the Muslim scholars and intellectuals, by and large, have turned the Quran into a book not to be heard, not to be followed and not to be practiced and lived but to be recited melodiously and referred to constantly. This is precisely what the Quran had anticipated when it said “AND [on that Day] the Apostle will say: ^“O my Sustainer! Behold, [some of] my people have come to regard this Quran as something [that ought to be] discarded!.” 25:30

The original message of the Quran was simple and very clear. It challenged people’s existing concept of monotheism and explained that the oneness of God can be lived only when humanity is perceived as one organic whole and when those who believe in this idea dedicate the to ensure that human beings are liberated from the bondage they have been placed in and the hunger is eliminated from our world. The Quran exhorted its believers their primary task as follows

 [It is] the freeing of one's neck 90:13 

and the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger, 90:14 

(Whether) of an orphan near of kin, 90:15 

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust 90:16

In the analysis of the Quran, a human cannot reach his or her true potential unless he/she is free and not hungry. Thus, it asked the followers to identify with the issues of people and ensure that their dignity is restored. How have our scholars and activists throughout the centuries worked on these two issues. It deserves to be analyzed.

A worldwide survey was conducted in 2017 comprising 31,000 18-35 years old across 186 countries. The participants were identified as the ten most serious issues the world face today. The survey was the World Economic Forum’s Global Survey. These issues were:

1. Climate change/destruction of nature (48.8%)

2. Large scale conflict / wars (38.9%)

3. Inequality (income, discrimination) (30.8%)

4. Poverty (29.2%)

5. Religious conflicts (23.9%)

6. Government accountability and transparency/corruption (22.7%) 

7. Food and water security (18.2%)

8. Lack of education (15.9%)

9. Safety/security/well being (14.1%)

10. Lack of economic opportunity and employment (12.1%)

Muslims have thousands of organizations and institutions all over the world. Can we identify a few that have offered some analysis or position papers on any of the above-identified issues in a global or regional context?

It is not that Muslims lack resources, intellectual or material. It is because Muslim scholarship has rarely focused on the message of the Quran in a universal context. When the scholars and intellectuals focus on peripheral issues, how can our younger generation be inspired to focus on the message of the Quran for humanity and how can they dedicate to activism that brings about a qualitative change in the living conditions of the people.

Obviously, the agenda of the Quran has been changed by none other than the scholars who claim to glorify the Quran, Unless the community returns to the original guidance of the Quran, it would not be able to live its purpose and objective in this world.

What's in a name?

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

The Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS), through its sectarian policies, is creating conditions of the division of India on the basis of caste, religion, and ethnicity. By renaming that sounded non-Brahman or non-upper-castes the organization that has its strongest presence in all aspects of Indian life is sending a clear message to minorities and Hindus who do not share its version of history that India is not for them and if they have to live in the country, they will have to submit to the RSS vision of nationalism.

Its campaign to change Muslim or Christian sounding names is not different than what the Taliban did in Afghanistan when they destroyed Buddhist structures or the ISIS did in Iraq and other places when it demolished historical monuments reminiscent of other religions. The RSS is doing exactly the same by changing names and removing all traces of history that contradicts its views on India.

The policy which is no different cultural genocide would leave few options for India's Dalits, non-upper-caste Hindus or Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Pagans, Jains and even non-RSS Hindus. In India's, six out of 29 states the Brahman or the upper caste of Hindus are between 10 and 20 percent of the population. In the remaining states, they are between one and nine percent, Uttarakhand has 20 percent, while Andhra Pradesh has one percent of Brahmans.

In the nation, they are less than five percent but they occupy the majority of influential places.

The caste with the highest population in India is known Other Backward Class or Castes. They account for more than 70% of the total Indian population. The lowest of the castes are described as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. They are about 16.6% and 8.6%, respectively, of India's population. The states with the highest number of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh  

Despite the fact that lower castes and backward communities suffer the worst treatment socially and religiously, the RSS and its political leadership have cleverly projected itself as a party of Hindus trying to save India from the culture of Muslim and Christian invaders and from the deviant behavior of religions that emerged in opposition to caste hierarchy perpetuated by Brahman.

Even though scholars regard Hinduism as a synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no single founder, the RSS views India as a special place in the world of Hindu deities, a place that India never achieved under its political rulers who despite sharing the same religious traditions never created a united India. The RSS believes that it has a divine mission to accomplish by turning India into a pure Hindu state in the image of its ideal.  

Not all Hindus agree with that vision. Certainly, non-Hindus such as Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, and pagans have different perspectives on India and its history. Yet, the RSS asserts that it owns India and if anyone claims to be Indian must accept its vision of the country.

The RSS and its political wing BJP are not only aware of the electoral advantage they might gain through this campaign but are also clear about their policies especially towards Muslims. The RSS view Muslims as invaders who challenged India's caste system and Brahmanical hegemony. They blame Muslims for the conversion of Dalits and other lower castes to Islam. They accuse Muslims of abducting their women and molesting them. They propagate, that Muslim rulers during their rule in India demolished Hindu temples and subjugated Hindu masses. They even say that culturally, Muslims did everything to humiliate Hindus either in the form of beef-eating or adopting a lifestyle that was different than the Brahmanical domination.

The RSS believes that without humiliating Muslims and reducing them to a nonentity, Hindus dignity cannot be restored. Brahmans and other upper castes are aware of their numerical weakness. They know that without the strength of Dalits and other backward communities, they cannot impact India's electoral politics. Hence, they poisoned the minds of Dalits and backward communities by projecting Muslims and Islam as enemies of India and Hinduism. In their effort to win over Dalits, they always use the Pakistan card saying that Muslims opted out of a united India by carving their own state in the name of religion, thus, forfeiting their right to live in India. They should either convert to Hinduism or settle in Pakistan. They have always questioned the loyalties of Muslims in India and projected them without any evidence as traitors.

But, the RSS, also is a grassroots organization with a militancy. It holds its daily militant activities and it also runs several welfares and educational projects in thousands of India's villages. Through these projects, it spreads its ideology of an assertive Brahmanism that calls for the restoration of the purity of India by removing elements that caused India to lose its uniqueness in the world.

Obviously, this view would be challenged by Indians of all faiths and ethnic groups. The resistance would either lead to various civil wars or several divisions of the country. The RSS in it animosity of Muslims have gone far ignoring the history of India and Hindu rulers. It certainly is leading India to its most dangerous future, a future where India that we see today would not exist.

Dr. Sulayman Nayang: a Sage Intellectual and an architect of American Muslim identity

Always polite, always respectful, always optimistic and always progressive. That is how I always characterize Dr. Sulayman Nayang.  He was a professor and former chairman of the African Studies Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He was a co-principal investigator of the Project MAPS and also a former deputy ambassador and head of the chancery of the Gambia Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He also served as a consultant to several national and international agencies and on the boards of the African Studies Association, the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies, America's Islamic Heritage Museum, and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists. He wrote extensively on Islamic, African and Middle Eastern affairs. He had a master's degree in public administration and a Ph.D. in government from the University of Virginia. He was an advising scholar for the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentaries Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (2002) and Prince Among Slaves (2007), produced by Unity Productions Foundation.

But to many of us, who came to this country in the early eighties, he was a pillar of the Muslim community who pioneered the development of Islam in the US. He was an academician, but he transcended his role and became of the most rational public intellectual and a traditional Muslim teacher with all humility that one often hears about the earliest generation of the believers.

 I had numerous encounters with Dr. Sualayman Nayang, the last time in Las Vegas, where we along with interfaith leaders shared the podium discussing the essentials of a pluralistic and democratic society. We were together in several conferences and seminars, but the most memorable time that I had was spent in the Fish Camp in Yosemite national where we both attended the Muslim Family youth camp organized by the Central California Muslim society. The four days that we had together were spent in discussing everything, including theology, jurisprudence, history, and the current affairs of Muslims. He was well versed in western political thoughts, religious pluralism, American history and Muslim struggles for their identity throughout history.  Like a traditional teacher, he would hold discussions on various topics and invite the participants to express their opinions fearlessly.

He believed that the American Muslim community was unique as it has the best opportunities to live Islam the way it should be lived combining modernism with traditionalism. He also believed that Muslims in American would have to evaluate the jurisprudence and build on it. He believed in the unity of Islam with its diversity and often argued that Muslims should learn to live with their differences even on theological issues as long as the goal is to serve humanity. 

 Dr. Nayang suffered a stroke in June 2016. His school honored him by instituting a formal scholarship fund established in his honor. Some of his friends launched a fundraising campaign to take care of his medical bills. Almost 100,000 were needed, but the collections did not reach the $40,000 marks. Its really sad to see that the man who dedicated his life and work to serve the Muslim American community suffered apathy, even from those who learned from him and grew under his shadow.

But this is how communities act? They often ignore those who serve it, but after their departure, create great monuments for them. The legacy that Dr. Nayang left would continue to inspire hundreds of his students throughout the world and the ideas that he propagated would continue to influence the Muslim minds for the generation to come.

The least we can do is to remember him in our prayers and thank God for his intellect and service.

Khashoggi’s Disappearance:  A Political And Theological Quagmire 

The disappearance of political dissidents is neither unusual nor mysterious in our world. But the drama that surrounds Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance has taken a turn that is most likely to influence the political and financial maps of the world in the foreseeable future.

Khashoggi was a free thinker and a journalist working with the Washington Post.  He was close to the well-known Saudi billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz bin Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family at odds with the present Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. He entered the Saudi Consulate in Turkey in October and never returned.

The Turkish officials say that he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi Arabia initially denied the allegation, but later changed its position. Ironically, those who came to the rescue of the Saudi Arabian government were right-wing media experts, known Christian evangelical leaders, Republica party leaders and above all President Trump.

Saudi government refuted the Turkish claim that the journalist was murdered on the premises of its consulate and threatened severe punishment against those who believed in the Turkish narration. The government claimed that Khashoggi left the premises.

However, when asked to provide the proof of his exit, the Saudis kept quiet. Meanwhile, the US intelligence sources claimed that they had intercepted messages from Saudi Arabia suggesting that a team of 15 Saudi men was dispatched to Turkey to tame Khashoggi.

When the Turkish officials claimed that they had the evidence to prove the murder of the dissident inside the consulate, the Saudis insisted that they were unaware of his fate. However, the right-media promoted the rumor that Khashoggi was a sympathizer of the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar was behind the efforts to malign Saudi Arabia.

This explanation was repeated by President Trump’s son as well as prominent Christian evangelical leaders trying to create the impression that the murder might be a good thing in disguise as it eliminated a terrorist sympathizer. This explanation did not make any sense at least to world business giants, many of whom announced their decision to pull out from an already planned financial summit in Saudi Arabia.

President Trump initially said that if found guilty, Saudi Arabia would be punished severely even though he also pointed out that the US was in a 110 billion dollar arms deal with the kingdom. The Saudis retaliated in anger and suggested that they would open their doors for the Russians and decrease the oil output to let the prices soar to 200 dollars per barrel.

It was at this point that President Trump changed its rhetoric and adopted the right-wing explanation but with a twist. He acknowledged that the journalist was killed, but not by the Saudi government. Instead, he argued that the killing was done by the rogue elements who acted on their own.

This was the line that the Saudi government immediately adopted when the news was circulated unofficially that Khashoggi was killed accidentally during interrogation and the Saudi Arabian officials or rulers were not aware of it.

Political murders are not new to the kingdom. No specific data are available, but Human Rights observers believe that hundreds of political dissidents are languishing in Saudi prisons and scores have been killed over the years. What is intriguing is why a US President and right-wing politicians as well Christian evangelical leaders are supportive of the Saudi monarchy and absolving it from any role in the murder.

The right-wing politicians and President Trump advised by his son in law who is his envoy in the Middle East peace efforts believe that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is the key to the permanent US presence in the Gulf as well as the permanent security of Israel. They believe that because of the prestige the kingdom enjoys in the Sunni Muslim world, the decision Muhammad bin Salaam takes towards the US, Israel, and Iran would be accepted by a great majority of Muslim countries who are dependent on Saudi Arabia for their oil needs or financial subsidy.

They believe that over the years Saudi Arabia has developed an intensive network among Muslim organizations and groups all over the world. The Trump Administration is confident that the network would help the Saudis to convince Muslims of their approval of the US peace plan in the Middle East.

Besides, there are financial gains for the US in maintaining cordial relations with the Monarchy. But the US is aware of the fact that even in case of a change in regime; the US oil interests would remain secure. So it is not the oil that is the driving force behind the current policy towards Saudi Arabia. Rather, it is the future of Israel that is driving the current policy towards monarchy.

President Trump intends to secure Israel’s security permanently before the end of his first term. Christian evangelists are of the opinion that only Trump can do that, hence they are willing to accept the Saudi monarchy in its present role. The evangelists believe that the security of Israel would bring them closer to their theological goals of establishing the kingdom of God on earth under the leadership of Jesus who would return only when greater Israel is formed.

In this political and religious quagmire, the ideas of freedom of expression and human dignity are lost as the concerned parties are keener to accrue political, financial and theological benefits for their interests. The the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi is being used as a pawn in this political and theological game of chess.

Hajra is Hajra 

Hager is Hager

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

Hajra, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, the mother of Prophet Ismael and the matriarch that created an entire civilization remains a forgotten figure in the annals of religious history. There is not much archeological data available on her life, genealogy, family. Her description in Old Testament projects her as a villain who could not show gratefulness to her mistress Sarah, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim who in her old age had given her the status of his concubine and whose son was always jealous of Saras's son Prophet Isaac. The Muslim scholarship has also not focussed on her real contributions to humanity and especially in building an international community of monotheists single-handedly. Even though the Quran has preserved her sacrifices and contributions in the institution of Hajj, our scholarship, in general, has ignored the essence of Hajira's life and the lesson one should draw from that.

Hajra was young and had a suckling infant. No woman could ever imagine that her husband who in his old age miraculously fathered his heir would leave the wife and child in a barren land with not many resources to sustain them. Regardless of the explanations given by others, the act would appear to many as an irresponsible one. Yet Prophet Ibrahim described as the friend of Allah and one of the role models for humanity did that. Why?

Let us turn to the prayer that Prophet Ibrahim made while leaving the young wife and the infant in the desert of Arabia. "O our Sustainer! Behold, I have settled some of my offspring in a valley in which there is no arable land, close to Thy sanctified Temple, so that, O our Sustainer, they might devote themselves to prayer: cause Thou, therefore, people's hearts to incline towards them and grant them fruitful sustenance, so that they might have cause to be grateful."- 14:37  The prayer is not just a plea to God but an agenda given to Hajira who was the only adult in that neighborhood. This is a four-part agenda, 

1. People should establish a community centered around monotheism through praying to only one God. 

2. People should constantly invite others to the idea of the oneness of the creator and convince them of its viability and validity.

3. People should work hard to create a means of sustenance in the barren land. 

4 People should express their gratitude to God by using their resources properly and in a balanced manner with no misuse.

Obviously, the task to ensure that the people who settled near the well of Zamzam water understand and live by that, in addition, to prepare her son for the role of leadership.

God inspired Prophet Ibrahim to leave her in the barren land to prove through her dedication, perseverance, struggle, commitment, and faith in God that the task of community building can be led by women as well and given the opportunity she can create a whole civilization and community by herself. Prophet Ibrahim was fully convinced that such a leadership role cannot be demonstrated in societies that were male-dominated for centuries and had little worth for women. In Hajira, God found the strength, integrity, and tenacity of a woman to play that role. 

The idea was to demolish the idea of gender-based discrimination and the notion that a woman cannot play a major role in community life. So precious were her experiences in the barren land that God preserved them in the rituals associated with the Hajj. The staying in Mina and spending night n Muzdalifa, the running between Safa and Marwa, that God describes as divine knolls, the drinking of the water of Zamzam as well as making the rounds of the Kaaba and the sacrifice are all associated with her and her son.

Hajra is not an ordinary woman in the history of monotheism, It was her leadership that created the corridor of unity in Makkah among believers coming from different parts of the world. God preserved the institution of Hajj not only to remind people of his oneness and the unity of humanity but also to teach that women can also be the leaders in every sense of the term.

Hajra is the only woman in the history of monotheism who created a monotheistic civilization by herself and demolished the false idols of gender discrimination. She showed to the people that even in the loneliness and in the most vulnerable situations, a woman can protect her honor and dignity and play the leadership without compromising them, She proved that leadership comes from dedication and commitment to right ideas and had nothing to do with gender divisions. She established the principle that women are no less than men in seeking the welfare of the society. She proved that a woman can be positive even in the worst adversarial conditions and she demonstrated beyond doubt that if she can raise a child all by herself without any ill feelings towards his father who had left them alone, she can also raise a nation and a civilization. So Hajira is Hajira because God honored her by institutionalizing her leadership in the form of Hajj.