April 27, 2008
Thoughts on Quilliam
Its like Newsnight but with flowery chairs and no Paxman butting in- Daniel Sandford, Home Affairs Editor BBC
Musa and I had a chat about the Quilliam Foundation particularly in relation to his brother Atilla. I've embeded it as a youtube playlist which should work in three parts. ( do contact me if it doesn't or click on my youtube page.)
We also have shown up in the background of a Reuters news piece obviously enjoying ourselves. I haven't seen anything else yet. I saw CNN interview Rachel, but did it make the news? I have joined in the debate hosted by Sunny here on Pickled Poltics. Do pitch in.
also do read Brendan O'Neil's take on the trial of Izadeen: The imprisonment of Abu Izzadeen for the ‘criminal offence’ of Talking Bollocks In A Mosque represents a grave assault on free speech.
UPDATE: Bit disappointed really. I suppose judging a public figure is an easy habit to get into. I think whether these guys are serious about trying to stop terror is more important than judging whether they are good Muslims or not, although in fairness they also seem hot on judging other Muslim's too. I can't really join in this one being a kaffir, I'll just wish everyone all the best. I thought it was funny when someone was worried about me being "accused of being a closet sympathiser". This video shows me sympathising with Musa although not in a closet. I think the whole notion of a "British Islam" really amusing as Hamid and Atilla are the most British Islamists you could ever meet.
UPDATE: Thanks to Andrew in the comments below- Not only did CNN do a piece, but a very well put together one at that. Well done CNN. This actually encapsulates the stakes all these arguing parties should be focusing on. The reporter, Paula Newton. Now that rings a bell. Could it be this Paula Newton?
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6 comments:
While my present understanding is limited, all three primary Allah/God faiths (Islam, Christian and Jewish) seem either to embrace or reject a relative fact. Their teachings are always ‘present day’. It simply comes down to interpretation.
Irrespective or what any doctrine and leader of a church/mosque says – it comes down to the personal relationship you or they as individuals have with their maker irrespective of which faith.
At this point alone, people have little time for anything than getting their own lives in order for Allah/God.
To me this extremism is an excuse for people who want to feel power to get the next best thing to that of Allah – the power over life and death! So to me, anyone who wants to walk that line is walking on very dangerous ground within their own faith.
And what if they get it wrong? What if they take an action that stops someone doing gods work because they killed them?
The times I have heard ‘inshAllah’ banded around like the ultimate excuse and it annoys the hell out of me. Well I have an answer to this where extremism is concerned.
God/Allah is so awesome, I hardly think he needs or wants some toothbush idiot running around killing all the people he created in his image when he is so awesomely powerful he can take them out in a heartbeat himself. Who the hell are we to presume we have the right to take that authority?
I believe the real test of the modern Christian, Muslim and Jew is to actually understand there is One world, with one God and there is only one heaven and one hell and to actually make the faith and praise system work.
How proud would you be if two billion people worshipped you? How would you work out which should be killed if some worshipped you in possibly the wrong way – because they were indoctrinated incorrectly?
God/Allah can change the teaching and the rules slightly on individual instances (but he will never change the message) because they’re his rules – not ours. So what if you interpret them one way and the next person is directed to do work for Allah in a specific way that is away from the norm – do we kill them through our own lack of understanding, or is it that our personal relationships with God/Allah aren’t working because over-bearing priests are unrelenting in the religious rhetoric?
Deep stuff…
But hear is the kicker, is you want a faith to spread – you have to sell it (not literally) in a way that people want to accept it – that is how faiths are modernised and right now – people are getting sick of hearing about wars, they’re shutting the ears, hearts and minds to faith.
One final thing – God/Allah gives every single person freedom of choice and it says this in all three faiths. Don’t get me wrong, but I don’t have the balls to even second guess that gift from Allah – it’s shocks me that some people to think believe they do have that judgement.
cheers Simon!
I've got no idea really. As far as I am concerned all religions involving God have a lot of problems for me. I'm just trying to keep things friendly with these guys and try and make sure we are seeing eye to eye on the basics of right and wrong. I wouldn't do anything without a good feeling which is why I am happy that the story which finally did go into the papers through Rachel was a positive one. Its been a long time coming.
Hello Dave, as I was the one asking Rachel the questions let me say CNN did use a clip from the interview in its Quilliam report. You also make an appearance in one of the cutaways...
You ought to be able to see the piece here: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/04/24/newton.uk.tacking.terror.cnn?iref=videosearch
Cheers,
Andrew
Wow. What can I say? That was fantastic. A piece like that makes me feel guilty being so flippant.
'Nonsense about terrorism's "root causes"' by the CNN Peter Bergen guy.
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