This is the problem with Muslims. Because of Islam, atrocities are committed all over the world. The imprisonment of that teacher is barbaric, the fact that you somehow seek to justify it makes you just as barbaric.

Islam is an oppressive religion, as we have seen in the death sentence of the Afghan who left Islam, the riots and murders over a few cartoon, the murder of Van Gough, the death threats against Greet Wilders, the death sentence against Salman Rushdie, the numerous acts of violence against religious minorities in Islamic countries, the sentencing of a rape victim to lashes for allowing herself to be raped, and, of course, the teddy bear incident.

In all of these actions, Islam has shown itself as an intolerant, belligerent religion that does not respect any of the basic freedoms and human rights enjoyed by people in civilized societies. The Islamic mentality is stuck in the stone ages and will continue to remain there if so called "moderates" always find excuses for the atrocities committed in the name of Islam and Imams continue to provide justification for these subhuman acts.

The very rulings of Islamic Shariah are barbaric, the cutting off of limbs for theft, the stoning for adultery etc are all the signs of a retarded "civilization" that has no place in the modern world. The fact that Islam sanctions the rape of female prisoners of war (Surah 4:24 And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess) and wife beating (Surah 4:34) is also barbaric. In fact, your whole religion is barbaric, misogynist, bigoted and violent.

Hi,
My name is Hamza J. and I'm a muslim from Nigeria. My comment is to Westerners, I wish they would offer a better listening ear to Scholars like Hamza Yusuf who are caught in the middle but still are able to bridge the gap by expressing their vision and wisdom for a better world. Hamza Yusuf's article articulates the pain of muslims around the world as well as their wrongs which the west must understand by looking at themselves as not being very different. Only through dialogue and genuine sincereity for a better world can we overcome our mutual differences. Labels, self-righteousness and authoritarianism only leads to dissent and more violence as it does not speak the language of peace, humility and resolve.
Thank You.

is myanmar Where of

is myanmar Where of

Once again Hamza Useless is acting like a moderate coward that is trying to appease his western masters

Who said you cannot name a toy or Mohammed? Mr. Hamza Yusuf makes me laugh when I see such an American Crhistian convert to Islam, or whatever his previous religion is, preaches us on our own religion, as I saw him a few times on a popular Arabic channel. Not only that, but he's fallen prey to the stupid defensive rhetoric of Arab/Islamic politics in modern history which is nothing but pointing fingers at others and belaming them for our own faults, a discourse that lacks the ability to self-criticise.

Mr. Yusuf:

A few short comments:

1. Ms. Gibbons' statement was made in Sudan upon her release. Do you really think it reflects her true feelings?

2.The fact that Muslims share with Jews a prohibition against making images of living things is irrelevant (as well as inaccurate). Jews don't kill, or threaten to kill in the name of this putative prohibition.

3. By the "Sudanese government's failure to address Darfur's problems," are you referring to that government's active complicity in the killing and rape of hundreds of thousands of its own citizens?

4. It is a sad reflection on the state of Muslim thought to concede that many "Muslim brothers and sisters" would react by referring to the "atrocities" committed by "the West" in places like Kashmir and Palestine. To have you simply parrot these absurd comments as if they were an undiluted truth shows your own limited capacity for clear analysis (or, worse, your cynicism).

I would like to ask Hamza Yusuf why he thinks that the atrocities in "Palestine" are against the Muslims. Does he not know that in 1948 after the declaration of independence of Israel according to the UN declaration of Nov 27, 1947, five Muslim Arab countries (TransJordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon) invaded the Jewish state and were finally repelled by the Israelis from their territory and that instead of creating the Palestinian state in conformance with the UN declaration TransJordan annexed what became known as the West Bank and East Jerusalem (thus becoming Jordan) and Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip? Does he not know that while, during the course of the hostilities, 711,000 Arabs, according to UN estimates, fled from Israel? At the same time some 850,000 Jews fled their homes in Arab countries, arriving as refugees with no possessions but that unlike the Arab countries which kept the Arab refugees in camps to this day, the Jewish refugees were integrated into Israel? Does he not know that during the 1950's Israel was attacked again and again by "fedayeen" mainly from the Egyptian occupied Gaza Strip, which led to the 1956 war? Does he not recall that in 1967 Egypt, Jordan, and Syria massed troops close to Israeli borders, expelled UN peacekeepers and blocked Israel's access to the Red Sea, a causus belli which forced Israel into the pre-emptive strike that launched the Six-Day War, during which it captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights? Does he not know that Israel warned Jordan not to enter into the fight and that because Jordan did enter the fight it lost the West Bank? And does he not know of the three "Noes" issued by eight Arab leaders at the Khartoum Conference in 1967: "No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel"? Is he unaware of the launching of the 1973 war by Egypt on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar? And is he also unaware of the terrorism at the 1972 Summer Olympics suicide bombers and the cult of death which the two intifada created? And does he really think that it is the Muslim Arab states that keep seeking peace with Israel, or is it the other way around, with Israel even offering to give up the most important Jewish symbol of over 3000 years, the Temple Mount, as was offered at Camp David?
I could mention a lot more, but the real question is who is creating more violence? Please don't give me the "even-handed" answer. As Judea Pearl has pointed out, the inability to understand that Israel's military operations in Gaza are not equivalent to the firing of Qassam rockets into Sderot because the former will cease if the latter does but not the other way around. This causal asymmetry is so glaring, that only the mindless can ignore them.

Assalamualaikum Bro. Yusuf,

This is a nice article and shows some very accurate viewpoints that are regularly sidelined in much of the media. I'd like to give a small correction toward the end of the article when the West was going through its dark medieval era Muslim nations were among, if not the, most advanced civilizations in the world. That was a golden era for Muslims so it would not be applicable to say Muslims are acting medieval, some of them do act ignorantly and that is an unfortunate quality both among Muslims and Westerners that is becoming more and more a part of modern times. I hope that we have learned something from the mistakes of past times so that we will not repeat history again as is being done in the unjust Iraq War.

"So when we see an irrational or misguided reaction of some Muslims, as we now see in Sudan, it behooves us to reflect on the deeper reality causing it."

Allow me to suggest that the "deeper reality" that you should have been reflecting on for YEARS is the absolutely intolerant and bloody example of Mohammad, as depicted in the Qu'ran, which inspires more than just the absolutely intolerant and bloody Islamic government of Sudan.

As you write, "our dark medieval past seems to be having an ironic renaissance in the West and the Muslim world." Can you prove that this is NOT how Mohammad would have it? After all, he's the model human being, a paragon of virtue, whose bloody and intolerant revelations are binding for all time on all Muslims everywhere, right?

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الأخ الشيخ حمزة يوسف السلام عليكم يا حبيبى

Thursday, August 16, 2007
أغسطس 16/8/2007 / تاريخ / شعبان 3/8/1428

أنا انسه خلود بكي بكي وليس وليس وأنا أرجوك البريد الكتروني وأن شاء اللة وأنت واحد يا حبيبى
وأنا القلوب كثيرا والله يا حبيبى الشيخ حمزة يوسف وأنا أحبك كثيرا جدا بكي بكي بكي
يا حبيبى محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم أسأل الله شربة هنيئة من نهرك الكوثر لا أظمأ بعدها

وأنت واحد يا حبيبى السلام عليكم يا حبيبى

حج مبرور وكل عام وانت بخير

أنا القلوب كثيرا والله يا حبيبى الشيخ حمزة يوسف

أنا القلوب كثيرا والله يا حبيبى كثيرا واحد مرة فقط
l khalood l love you one shaykh hamza yusuf

l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf

l love you one shaykh Hamza Yusuf - USA
l miss khalood - KSA
الأنسة / خلود ناصر محمد الملحم - السعودية
khalood_2005@hotmail.com

From :
Sent : Thursday, August 16, 2007 6:49 AM
To : khalood_2005@hotmail.com
Subject : Delivery Status Notification (Failure)

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الأخ الشيخ حمزة يوسف السلام عليكم يا حبيبى

Thursday, August 16, 2007
أغسطس 16/8/2007 / تاريخ / شعبان 3/8/1428

أنا انسه خلود بكي بكي وليس وليس وأنا أرجوك البريد الكتروني وأن شاء اللة وأنت واحد يا حبيبى
وأنا القلوب كثيرا والله يا حبيبى الشيخ حمزة يوسف وأنا أحبك كثيرا جدا بكي بكي بكي
يا حبيبى محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم أسأل الله شربة هنيئة من نهرك الكوثر لا أظمأ بعدها

وأنت واحد يا حبيبى السلام عليكم يا حبيبى

حج مبرور وكل عام وانت بخير

أنا القلوب كثيرا والله يا حبيبى الشيخ حمزة يوسف

أنا القلوب كثيرا والله يا حبيبى كثيرا واحد مرة فقط
l khalood l love you one shaykh hamza yusuf

l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf
l love you hamza yusuf

l love you one shaykh Hamza Yusuf - USA
l miss khalood - KSA
الأنسة / خلود ناصر محمد الملحم - السعودية
khalood_2005@hotmail.com

Obviously she did not intend to insult Islam. Only those who intentionally insult Islam should be put to death. Right?

As a non muslim, how do you learn to seperate the culture from the religion,i.e. the emplied teachings directly from the Quran compared to the Arab, Persian , or even the American culture? By this I mean how do you distinguish what it is to be an Arab or a Persian, or even an American to what it is to be Muslim, and how do these effect you in " being and doing Muslim".

Assalamualakum,

Excellent post. Thanks so much. May Allah swt bless you.

Assalamualakum

I think this issue all comes down to the misunderstanding of Islam. If only people would learn Islam through its two sources: Quran and Sunnah (prophetic saying/actions) and NOT MEDIA then the mislabeling of Islam wouldn't happen. If the British teacher took the time to understand the beauty of Islam, she would not have agreed to name a teddy bear under the final, beloved prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him) a mercy to mankind. It is common sense, naming a teddy bear under a prophet's name, whose name is mentioned all around the world! Every single minute in adhan (call to prayer) is absolutely disrespect! Period.

well said shaykh hamza, jazzakAllah Khair for writing this article.

Hamza
All over the world especially now in Indonesia
Malaysia we hear reports of Christians killed
and their churches burned...Endless stories of muslims killing muslims. Yet from the "moderates like yourself there is always the veiled excuse that if not for the West these things would not be. The 800,000 killed in Iraq....How many of these are Sunni on Sheite..how many of these murders were caused by Al Queida on muslims that stand agains terrorism.
Do you blame the West for Saddam's reign of terror? Do you blame the West for the Sudanese government's anihilation of Darfur natives. Could you possibly think that this mayhem would end if muslims were left to themselves while the fanatics among you press for totalarian Taliban muslim regimes....What an awful world we would have if the entire world did not stand up against such behavior whether Muslim, Hindu, Christian etc.
I wouldn't name a teddy bear Jesus...that's true but there would not be people pouring out of churches with swords to kill me if I did ...and its not because Christians are less reverent but because muslims are focused on the man, Muhammad as if he were a god himself...In a way worshipping him ....Muhammad would approve of his "divinity" . He knew what he was...

We American's have much to learn and must stop the double standards. WE NEED TO HEAR MORE FROM MUSLIMS AND THE LIKE OF HAMZA YUSUF.

Dear Editor/Sir;
The Romans had a harsh response to the Christian Fath and their acknowledgement of GOD. Also to the Prophet Mehmed, and so do the American population. A recent survey desclosed that over half the population does not believe/accept organized religon, but instead have a spititual faith belief.
History has demonstrated the harshness of organized religon by the terror and bloodshed it has inflicted on people and populations. Look at the sexual scandels of Catholic clergy, of the moslims and their auto/personal bombs.
It was left to the Inda leader Mohat Ma Gande in modern times to show the world in winning by passive resistance.
The universe is a harsh place with most physical life and matter existing in the plasma state. The small amount of cold solid life and matter exists in an adversial environment (Eat or be eaten), and the only god force is organic life that is modifying a planets by occupying them, and the universe by viewing and measurment.

JazakAllah Khair Shaykh Hamza for the insights.

We would also like to share this article on the issue:
http://muslimmatters.org/2007/12/01/on-naming-teddy-bears

What a shame, the fiasco ended so soon - before the US could take 'freedom and democracy' and impress the Sudanese with "shock and awe" !!

Oh, the Israelis were mouth-watering too!! Another long time hit-list-country!

-Mike

Thank you NAZIM
Mohamed, Morocco
http://arabicwithlagouader.blogspot.com/

Thank you NAZIM

Welcome to my blog above where you can find more poems (and even novels).

Mohamed, Morocco

That was a beautiful poem above.

Mezaan,

It was not the parents who complained as was first reported. It was a former employee of the school, who apparently had a grudge and saw an opportunity to cause some trouble.

Muhammad

What can I say on your day
When every day is your day ?
O Muhammad! O Taha ! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
From the day you stood to say :
O Man ! I’m but a man
Sent to save you, sent to tell you
The way that’ll lead you away
From the one who led you astray
To the One Who made you ’n the best way
And gave you beauty and bounty in every way
And will yet give you joy where you’ll stay
For ever and ever, as you say !
From that day,
O Muhammad ! O Taha! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
Men came to you on foot and horseback ;
They said as you said
And prayed as you prayed
And when attacked, they fought back.
You lived in a shack
While your beauty was brighter than the moon ;
You ate with your hands
While one with your beauty would use a gold spoon ;
You sat on the sands
While one with your glory
Would build himself storey upon storey :
And that’s why your story
Has gone as far as Brunei and Zinjibar
And London and New York
Where people eat with a knife and fork,
They too say as you said
And pray as you prayed
And when wrongly questioned, they answer back.
O Muhammad ! O Taha! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
What can I say on your day
When every day is your day ?
From just a few those who came to you
Filled every hill, swamped every dale,
They made Time stand still till their tale
Made the mightiest kingdoms frail
And brought the Muslim flag as close as Prague !
The Arabian Nights tells of made-up knights
And of Harun al-Rasheed
Whose life the Truth of your Message
Made eed upon eed !
And yet someone came to draw
A pic of a man whose peer he never saw,
And papers and commentators
Seeking cheap money and fake glory
Made every story
Out of the Story of the man whose glory
Defies all Posts and all Tribunes and all Times !
O Muhammad ! O Taha! O shafi’na on the Last Day !
What can I say on your day
When every day is your day ?
When your name has brought fame
To a Dane who became insane ?
What can I say on your day
When night and day
Souls repeat your words
As if they were songs of jungle birds !
Peace be upon you and all those who followed your way !
O Muhammad! O Taha! O shafi’na on the Last Day !

Hamza Yusuf has done a remarkable job in putting things into prospective about the Teddy Bear incident.

It is the sane voice that is missing in our world of today.

I wish our world would listen more to these voices that would bring sanity back to our global villege.

A huge gap exist between the West and the Islamic world. We need to create and establish a bridge of understanding between the two worlds that seem to go far apart.

What is needed from both sides is a sense of understanding of the other.

Salam,

Great post, timely and effective.

To everyone posting here,
I have a question about the parents who represent the children in the case. I believe an article on BBC briefly mentions how a few parents "didn't" find the naming act inappropriate or unusual at the time when the children were given the assignment back in September. But then weeks later, when the project had gotten complete, a few of the same parents now found it offensive as sh hamza points out. So there are two distinct responses to the "naming act". Were the parents wrong to have felt offended later (if for some odd reason there was a change of heart)? or Were the parents wrong to have not felt offended at all ?

Though trivial in grand scheme of things, do you think the act of "naming the bear muhammad" itself warranted any response or concern ? if so, what would've been appropriate and fair ? If you don't think the act required any response, why do you think it that way and how would you address parents who were offended?

Hello Everyone,

How could any muslim even think about criticizing an article by Hamza Yusuf. Arrogant people talk to your own scholars with no respect, that is why you are in the state you are in right now. You need to organize and unite.

as salaam alaikum,shaykh hamza's reponse was good.This response indicates long term thinking and the integrity of Islam mjst be defended and maintained by multiple means the first is good chracter.

The parents of children involeved are to be blamed for this controversy and not the teacher. If these parents had provided to their childern correct and sufficient knowledge about their religion, the children would not have named a teddy bear "Muhammad".
Someone should have talked to the teacher about having the children rename the teddy, instead of throwing her in the Jail. What a waste!
The good people of Sudan have lost a good teacher for their children. That is a big loss.

Salam,

In the Name of Allah the most Beneficent the most Merciful
thank you for your brilliant explaination to what really happened.I think what you wrote ,is good beginning to connect by the correct way with others
JAZAK ALLAH

peace be upon you
May Allah bless you our borther Hamza Yusuf
thanks alot
best regards and peaces

ASALAMU ALAYKUM
I WANT TO THANHS IMAM HAMZA YUSUF ,FOR HIS WORK IN ISLAM AND,FOR GOD,INSAH ALLAH ,MAY ALLAH TO GIVE HIM ,LONG LIFE,AND GOOD HEALTH,SIR IMAM HAMZA I SEND TO YOU MY BEST GREETINGS.WITH MY PASSION IN ALLAH ,LEEN.

The people of Sudan are the loser for losing a dedicated teacher and a gentle person who still inspite of her treatment has nothing but respect for her students and the people.

The people of Sudan are the loser for losing a dedicated teacher and a gentle person who still inspite of her treatment has nothing but respect for her students and the people.

Athena, Athena, Athena,

If indeed the British negotiators were Muslims (you give no references), they should have noted that Islam as with Christianity, Judaism and Paganism, has significant flaws with said flaws giving rise to significantly stupid actions like threatening the life of a caring teacher.

And they should have concluded their negotiations with that famous quote,

"Until the koran is "deflawed", no one is safe!!!!"

Two points that people aren't mentioning:

1) The teacher's release was negotiated by two Members of the British Parliament who are MUSLIMS. Basically, they told the Sudanese government to cut it out because they were embarrassing Muslims everywhere.

2) Christians can be just as fanatical about crazy stuff. Look at the fuss about the "Harry Potter" books. Apparently J.K. Rowling has received death threats from Fundamentalists in America! Look at the current controversy over "The Golden Compass". Or the nonsense about saying "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" in the stores. WHO CARES???

As much as I hate to complement Michael Gerson, he did have a great op ed in the Post the other day about Women For Women. It looks like they directly help women affected by war in places like Iraq, Colombia, Bosnia, and Sudan. Very cool charity. I'm definitely going to check them out further.

http://www.womenforwomen.org/index.htm

Hello,

I agree with MR. Hanson on this issue and denounce the atrocities committed by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Shaykh Hamza, thank you and may Allah increase you in wisdom...

I too, as a Muslim, was dumbfounded by the reaction the naming of the teddy bear received. I love our Prophet, pbuh, and all Muslims should, however, we must remember his character. He, pbuh, smiled at his adversaries when they insulted him, injured him, and even tried to kill him. This reaction is definitely not with his wisdom.

Also, it has been published, search google, that non of the parents of the children reacted in such a way. Which shows that this is cooked up by a bunch of people who want to use this in order to send a message of some sorts. God knows what it is.

As-Salaam i think definitely a lack of understanding there is!
but i think sometimes cultural plays that role too and we misunderstood!
it's not our religion
it's our culture that comes from us and that's how we go on the wrong path and become ignorant!

Victoria, Victoria, Victoria,

All your "reasoning" will not deflect the words of this famous quote:

"Until the koran is "deflawed", no one is safe"!!!!

WAJ,

whatever prompted you to think I condone the murder of Sudanese men, women and children? And no, the west is no more good at it than anyone else. Of the 10 worst incumbent dictators, none is from the west. As far as Sudan goes, Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir does a fine job of killing off the population.

Going down the list:
"...yet another example of some Muslims attempting to assert themselves and exercise a little authority in the face of the immense onslaught of Western hegemony in the region."

So threatening a woman with death for a stupid mistake, or with six months in an inhumane prison or lashes is standing up for themselves? I think not. Sounds more like a regressive punishment for a mistake.

"The danger here is that despite most Sudanese being beautiful and proudly hospitable people, too many Westerners will nonetheless see them as barbarians unworthy of respect. "

Excuse me? this is a slippery slope argument--it certainly doesn't help, but I doubt that this one instance would have done anything that Darfur hasn't already done, which I note you glossed over.

"Unfortunately, millions of Muslims all over the globe are humiliated and betrayed by the ignorance and lack of basic humanity that a small minority of Muslims too often exhibits"

An awfully persistent minority, with roots all over the globe. And hardly small. The persistent rage that this "small" minority displays over every little thing (and the damage they wreck) certainly suggests that there are more than a few of them. (Not all, of course, but I'd venture about 45% of Muslims are this way).

"Should I, however, bring this up with many of my Muslim brothers and sisters a common response is: "It's true, but look at what the West is doing to Muslims; 800,000 thousand dead in Iraq. And what about Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya and the rest? Why don't Western people denounce these atrocities against us and only harp about how backward we are?""

So you're excusing the atrocities committed by your fellow by pointing at the West? Sort of like, 'Mommy! He hit me first so I sucker punched him!" IT doesn't excuse the violence by any means.

"..a famous Iraqi poet once wrote, "If one person is harmed it is an unpardonable sin, but a whole people's destruction is something to debate.""

Stalin said that, more or less.

"Unfortunately, these Western horrors against the Muslims demand responses, but Muslims must also recognize and denounce these wrongs too often associated with our Prophet and our faith without always pointing fingers elsewhere."

You sir, amuse me. The verbal twistings you here commit does Bush Co. proud.

"So when we see an irrational or misguided reaction of some Muslims, as we now see in Sudan, it behooves us to reflect on the deeper reality causing it."

Of course. This is somehow the fault of the West. If only we'd stay out of it, we could live in peace. There'd be no honor killings, rape, murder, genocide nor misogyny. I do like how you direct attention away from the backward-ness of the that part of the world, focusing only on the convinent bits, and then blaming the West for everything. Fabulous job.

the outrage in the west against the policies of this administration is seen everywhere. Bush and his accomplices are reviled en mass everywhere they go.Gonzolez was greeted at his first speech after his resignation with students dressed in orange jump suits and hoods.In stark contrast where is the outrage over the policies in the middle east by muslim countries.We just started our inhumane torture policies yet this practice is common in the middle east.When a suicide bomber kills innocent people in isreal where is the outrage by muslims

the outrage in the west against the policies of this administration is seen everywhere. Bush and his accomplices are reviled en mass everywhere they go.Gonzolez was greeted at his first speech after his resignation with students dressed in orange jump suits and hoods.In stark contrast where is the outrage over the policies in the middle east by muslim countries.We just started our inhumane torture policies yet this practice is common in the middle east.When a suicide bomber kills innocent people in isreal where is the outrage by muslims

the outrage in the west against the policies of this administration is seen everywhere. Bush and his accomplices are reviled en mass everywhere they go.Gonzolez was greeted at his first speech after his resignation with students dressed in orange jump suits and hoods.In stark contrast where is the outrage over the policies in the middle east by muslim countries.We just started our inhumane torture policies yet this practice is common in the middle east.When a suicide bomber kills innocent people in isreal where is the outrage by muslims

paganplace- i addressed that issue several times-dec 6 4:07

i was talking about, as i stated, experiences with the WEST-

how is the genocide an experience with the west?

Khartoum - History

Khartoum is one of three sister cities, built at the convergence of the Blue and White Niles: Omdurman to the north-west across the White Nile, North Khartoum, and Khartoum itself on the southern bank of the Blue Nile.

Khartoum has a relatively short history. It was first established as a military outpost in 1821, and is said to derive its name from the thin spit of land at the convergence of the rivers, which resembles an elephant's trunk (khurtum). Khartoum grew rapidly in prosperity during the boom years of the slave trade, between 1825 and 1880. In 1834 it became the capital of the Sudan, and many explorers from EUROPE used it as a base for their African expeditions.

Khartoum was sacked twice during the latter half of the 19th century -- once by the Mahdi and once by KITCHENER when the Mahdi was ousted. In 1898, Kitchener began to rebuild the city, and designed the streets in the shape of the British flag, the Union Jack, which he hoped would make it easier to defend. On the opposite bank of the Nile, North Khartoum was developed as an industrial area at about the same time.

Today's Khartoum is a quiet, unremarkable city. It has peaceful, tree-lined streets, and in some ways still bears the unmistakable mark of an outpost of the British Empire. Its expansion to accommodate a rapidly-growing population, however, has added very little in terms of charm or atmosphere.

History of SudanIn 1883 a major crisis arose in the Sudan, the territory south of Egypt under Egyptian control. A Muslim religious leader known as the Mahdi led a popular rebellion against Egyptian rule and foreign influence in the Sudan. The rebellion attracted the attention of the BRITISH government, which had become deeply involved in Egypt's affairs by 1880. From 1880 to 1885 the Liberal party under the leadership of Prime Minister William Gladstone was in power in Great Britain. In the mid-19th century Sudan became of interest to the British because of its strategic importance for trade routes to India via the newly-opened Suez Canal and the desire to limit French influence from the west. In the 1880s, the country fell under British and Egyptian control. Local resistance at this time was led by the Mahdi Mohammed Ahmed, a figure revered by his people as both a mystic and a holy warrior. The Mahdi defeated a British-led force of Egyptian troops in 1883 culminating in the death of the British commander, General Gordon, when, after a long siege, the Sudanese took Khartoum.

The Mahdists retained control of Sudan until the British RECONQUERED the territory in 1898. An Anglo-Egyptian condominium was established in 1899. In 1914, Egypt itself was made a British protectorate and Sudan was taken under British rule accordingly. When the protectorate was dissolved in 1922, the future of Sudan was left open, subject to further negotiations, but a condominium was restored in 1929. A further Anglo-Egyptian treaty in 1936 allowed Egyptian troops and civilian immigrants to enter Sudan without restriction. After the Second World War, Sudan became the subject of serious contention between Britain and Egypt. Efforts to co-opt Sudan under Egyptian control in 1951 were firmly resisted by the Sudanese.

so you see, the experiences with the west have been somewhat TUMULTUOUS (an understatement in an attempt to not simply blame andpoint fingers)
and the west has had only selfish and destructive purposes

make sense now?

again, i already discussed the humanitarian crisis- posted links to help people take their own action,(which you responded to, so you knew they were there)

why on earth would this upset you?

and for the record, i lived in greefield pa for a couple of years- there was a large hungarian enclave there- i learned alot about the roma (they were there too) and have consistently pointed out that the roma, mentally and physically handicapped, homosexuals and jehovahs witnesses were also in equal numbers to the jewish peoples exterminated by the nazis-

again- go reread what i wrote about the darfur crisis- im the one who brought it up-

actually the poster who posted right before you made this statement-

decemberains-
""Muslims attempting to assert themselves and exercise a little authority in the face of the immense onslaught of Western hegemony in the region"- this is an interesting statement. Too often us 'Westerners' lack self-awareness and forget how people in the world perceive us."

i agree with this assesment-

which is why i posted a little background, and made reference to it before-

hope its clear now

no one here, so far, has suggested that the actions of the officials in sudan were either reasonable, islamic or civlized in amy way.

i think weve gotten past that point having established our consensual disgust with that decision.

and are trying(like the author) to address the deeper issues of what would motivate a people to act that way to begin with?

western hegemony and being overun by the brits in the past has made them sensitive to and disempowered by ..the brits

overeaction?, of course

now on the the "why?"

i used my own experiene of teaching native americans as a corollary-

i taught at the camps and was INVITED- but even after that invitation i realized not all would be receptive- and didnt push anything, and stayed very sensitive to the fact that some there would view it as further unwanted intervention from another blue eyed european-american

i gained their trust and earned their respect through giving respect myself, even being named an honorary pomo (member of the tribe)
but it was a tenuous position and one i was willing to abandon at any moment if i felt i was distressing any memebers of the tribe

we have to be sensitive to other people cultures
learn as much as we can so as not to insult them
(for instance, one middle easterner culture consider it an insult to bring food to a dinner- it implies that the host cannot feed you- in america we think nothing of bringing a pie to a dinner because we are all so comfortably fed, no one imagines such an implication)

through dialogue, they discovered my pie was a gift, not an insult, and they learned i like flowers when they come.

live and learn, thats what its all about

as long as there are people paganplace, like you, and i- who care about other people and their situations- there issome glimmer of hope
peace

Excellent write up by one of my favorite scholars.
Thank you for this persperctive.

Sincerely,
Dian Alyan
MCA Outreach Director

It never ceases to amaze me when Muslims complain about the thousands dying in Iraq but fail to admit that 90% are being killed by other Mulsims.

Hypocrisy.

I agree with Sh Hamza on most of what he mentioned. I would think the lady wouldn't have accepted the name Mohamed has she known the culture. Any way , the precise description is "overreaction" by both the Sudanese crowds and the western media which ignored thousands of falling muslims every day and made this front page news.

I agree with Sh Hamza on most of what he mentioned. I would think the lady wouldn't have accepted the name Mohamed has she known the culture. Any way , the precise description is "overreaction" by both the Sudanese crowds and the western media which ignored thousands of falling muslims every day by their unjustified wars against muslim regions.

And another thing...

What misleading garbage is this:

"Indeed, our dark medieval past seems to be having an ironic renaissance in the West and the Muslim world.

So when we see an irrational or misguided reaction of some Muslims, as we now see in Sudan, it behooves us to reflect on the deeper reality causing it."

First off, was there ever a period when Sudan was not barbaric? Second, how is the violent fanaticism of Islam the fault of the West. Before the west was powerful, Islam had quite it's share of violent fanatics.

Finally. At it's very, very worst, the United States and dare I say it, Israel, is nothing - nothing at all like the actual genocide committing monsters in Sudan.

And another thing...

What misleading garbage is this:

"Indeed, our dark medieval past seems to be having an ironic renaissance in the West and the Muslim world.

So when we see an irrational or misguided reaction of some Muslims, as we now see in Sudan, it behooves us to reflect on the deeper reality causing it."

First off, was there ever a period when Sudan was not barbaric? Second, how is the violent fanaticism of Islam the fault of the West. Before the west was powerful, Islam had quite it's share of violent fanatics.

Finally. At it's very, very worst, the United States and dare I say it, Israel, is nothing - nothing at all like the actual genocide committing monsters in Sudan.

Muslims, please lighten up. Keep your religion at home. you can be good Muslims and also be tolerant. You know you shouldn't idolise the prophet, but you do in so many ways by killing anything that you consider an infraction! You think Allah needs your help in meteing out punishment when his "last prophet" is insulted? Get a grip!

The current body count caused by the significantly stupid 24/7 Sunni-Shiite centuries-old blood feud currently being carried out in Iraq, 4000 US troops and 77,573 – 84,502 Iraqi civilians http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

And the incidents in Saudi Arabia and Sudan reinforce the following famous quote:

"Until the koran is "deflawed", no one is safe!!!"

Three things.

First, Jews do not have any prohibition against teddy bears or making images of any living thing. I find it deeply ironic that so very many of the Muslim writer at this paper are always so very ready to trash Jews, and then turn around and try to use us a some vehicle for legitimacy.

Second, Jews don't pour out of houses of worship demanding the death of people involved with insulting Judaism - let someone involved in a dreaded teddy-bear incident. Not a single Jew has ever called for your head for instance.

Third, I am very, very tired of all of this blame the West for everything drivel. There are civilised ways to assert one's culture. Now if you look in the a English dictionary, you will find words to describe the behaviour of many people in places like Sudan.

The words are: Violent, Fanatical, Ignorant, Backwards, Barbaric.

That is their fault. Also, is the genocide that these butchers are perpetrating also something that is the fault of the West?

Three things.

First, Jews do not have any prohibition against teddy bears or making images of any living thing. I find it deeply ironic that so very many of the Muslim writer at this paper are always so very ready to trash Jews, and then turn around and try to use us a some vehicle for legitimacy.

Second, Jews don't pour out of houses of worship demanding the death of people involved with insulting Judaism - let someone involved in a dreaded teddy-bear incident. Not a single Jew has ever called for your head for instance.

Third, I am very, very tired of all of this balme the West for everything drivel. There are civilised ways to assert one's culture. Now if you look in the a English dictionary, you will find words to describe the behaviour of many people in places like Sudan.

The words are: Violent, Fanatical, Ignorant, Backwards, Barbaric.

That is their fault. Also, is the genocide that these butchers are perpetrating also something that is the fault of the West?

A well atriculated response by Hamza Yousaf. It is sad to see how our media plays to show "bad" people look really bad in the name of "that is what people want to hear". It was an innocent misunderstanding of a foreigner not understanding local culture and norms. End of story. Media made it big becaue it was a juicy story about A british woman being mistreated in a muslim country.
We can pick up 20 horrible stories everyday in Iraq but media choose not to do that because that shows us as bad guys and that is not what people want to hear or want to be reminded.
Hamza what you said is exactly true but unfortunately most of the people does not like to be reminded of truth about wars and the cost we are paying and the image we are creating in the world.

800,000 dead!?

Please.

Oh, please. Do not try and con us into thinking that those shrieking, mindless, bloody-thristy mobs screaming for an innocent woman's death were only or even mainly protesting cultural imperialism! Oh, please.

For those who have responded to this article with the approach of Saying, dont blame the west , blame Muhammed ....

You are missing the point of the article ....

the essence of the article is to say that dont force your values upon others, which is west is guilty of and in no way ashamed about it.

Democracy for all is an example of this. If the Muslim lands are content with Sharia, why impose "modern" visions of democracy.

This can apply vice versa also!!

Get the point please, haters!

to gaby.yes,you seem to go all over the world to root out problems so why not sudan.the west can all go as an ally and kill all the men women and children.i mean they are good at that arent they?

You know, this has literally kept me up all night.

Stop the genocide of tribal peoples.

Then maybe you get to get pissy about a teddy bear.

If then.

Certainly not before.

Let's put it this way... We've spent almost a trillion on this 'holy war' in Iraq.... The African league of nations there is asking for *twenty four heloes to stop the genocide.(

How many have they got?

None.

"Tumultuous experiences," Victoria?

We're talking about *genocide* ....which "The West" doesn't even thing *counts* because it's against tribal people, just like in fromer Yugoslavia, who was the 'good guys' and bad guys shifted,

...while the Romaa were getting it from both sides.

Have you ever lived among "Gypsies," Victoria? Their laws of 'ritual cleanliness' would put the Muslims and Christians who insist Pagan ways make us subhuman to *shame.*

Somehow, they managed to not be hateful about trivia. But their people died unmourned and unmentioned in Eastern Europe while Christians and Muslims were hashing it out.

But ain't that the way of things.

Like the animists in Darfur, they don't *count* to moralists, on either side.

This teddy bear incident can be explained as, "Muslims attempting to assert themselves and exercise a little authority in the face of the immense onslaught of Western hegemony in the region"- this is an interesting statement. Too often us 'Westerners' lack self-awareness and forget how people in the world perceive us. Although, it is not an excuse, this statement sheds light to a small-minority of Sudanese people.

i reread brother yusuf's article and noticed it was a private school so i assume privation wasnt an issue-

but khartoum certainly has had its own tumultuous experiences with the west

it is is pretty doubtful that Jesus or Mary (may the god bless them both) could have foreseen a bunch of people underneath a train station lighting candles, writing prayers and stuffing them into crevices, and holding vigils to an oil spot that looks like some artists concept of the virgin of guadelupe- but i swear i saw this in chicago.

people build monuments to honus wagner and unnerve french groundskeepers at the tomb of jim morrison where a makeshift shrine and party spot has reinvented itself( i believe they moved his grave)

it is human nature to remember, and to enshrine those memories, and build until it forgot why they did so in the first place-

things get out of hand

in islam, there is only one sin that is not forgivable by ALLAH
and that is shirk- or ascribing partners to the god

Muhammad(pbuh) was not co-equal, co-creator, co-anything with the god

He is not to be worshipped, He was a man, and a prophet

hence- there is no representation of Muhammad(pbuh) in art, His grave is not a circus shrine

since it is the ONLY ONE of the sins- not forgiven, its importance can be reasonably assumed to be singular and non-negotiable

and overwhelmingly primary and well,,, important.

and in retrospect- it seems to be an incredibly wise way to prevent the kinds of distracting mysterious powers that people ascribe supernatural value to oil spots under trains-

you dont have to believe that the very name of Muhammad(pbuh) has such value to muslims that they wont name animals with the name

but one should respect that it is important to muslims
(especially if one expects to be respected for whatever they hold sacrosanct- be it secularism-freedom of expression, art- even sports to some (fan)atics)

you don't have to agree with the reverence muslims give to the very name of our Prophet(pbuh)

but at least being aware is a start

in my old neighborhood in chicago- i always remarked and still do- the sudanese were the most gentle and generous and kind people in my community- remarkably and outstandingly so
(even the teacher graciously commented on this)

what kind of struck me is that no one finds it a bit odd that an entire class of schoolchildren, were so very poor, that they had to share a teddy bear- (i guess thats another issue)

and the children themselves apparently had a positive concept of the name to attach it to their teddy bear
i can only imagine that the sudanese there love their children as tenderly as the sudanese i befriended in chicago
and will have the instinct to protect them from the wayward actions of unreasonable adults the same way we do here

and im sure there are KKK members teaching their children the same nonsense and hatred they believe- and the children of the people protesting in the streets feel differently than the children of the parents who sat at home and shook their heads over this affair

i think it is somewhat doubtful that anyone told their kids their teacher is going to be beaten because of their actions

i guess anything is possible

the bbc reported that this story has no coverage in sudan-

i hope this added some breadth to the understanding of people on how muslims feel about this
maybe it did, maybe it didnt
im a poor substitute for an eloquent scholar on the subject

mashallah a great artical as always may allah preserve shaykh hamza yusuf for this ummah and reward him for his efforts in this dunya and akira and give him and his family jannah firdous amin

mashallah a great artical as always may allah preserve shaykh hamza yusuf for this ummah and reward him for his efforts in this dunya and akira and give him and his family jannah firdous amin

Jungian slip. It happens.

... and "prophet" not "profit."

I meant "~4 billion non-Muslims."

This is not, btw, to lose sight of the rhetoric I've heard about my own poor person cause an Englishwoman wrote some Harry Potter books. I mean, really.

Think of the children. What does it teach *them* when they name their teddy bear the wrong way and they not only don't get to learn English, but people might get beaten to death in the street?

Seems more like your world than mine.

They don't actually dress that way in the Sudan, to my understanding anyway, but it appears they know you type all too well.

And Bedouin men wear black a lot, come to think of it, don't they?

From the secular point of view, I think that Muhammad was a significant public figure, and, therefore, he is fair game for criticism just like other public figures. Even when the consensus is that a person is extremely good, as is the case for people like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., or Mother Theresa, expressing an opposing viewpoint is not necessarily reprehensible and is certainly a person's right. We have this right since public figures affect us, so we may comment on what they do. From this point of view, it is not a moral obligation to make sure that any reference we make to Muhammad is reverential in every possible connotation (even if it were true that Muhammad is a flawless human being).

From the religious point of view, I do not think that I am required to be respectful toward Muhammad. I don't think that Muhammad was God's Profit, being one of the ~4 million non-Muslims, so to me Muhammad doesn't have any more significance than any other cultural or historical figure and I have no obligation to revere him.

Religious tolerance is the final argument I can see for me being required to respect Muhammad. Since misuse of the name Muhammad is offensive to Muslims, it might seem like I'd need to avoid this in order to be tolerant. However, this is false. What tolerance requires is that I accept people who do believe that Muhammad is God's Profit, even if I don't share this belief, and that I don't infringe on their rights to revere him. However, they cannot expect me not to exercise my right to comment on Muhammad as a public figure. Religious tolerance must work in this way, with people respecting each other’s rights, even when they have contradicting beliefs. It would be impractical to expect everyone to be bound by every religious precept that they don't believe.

Thank you.

Halo, I fear it's dignifying that with a response to mention I'm not dignifying that with a response.

But, a) it's not my understanding that black is deep-desert-wear, and b) if you were ever sun-sensitive you might just know that black is actually the thinnest fabric you can wear without getting scorched just standing out in the sun.

While I don't approve of the religious compulsion, black, while it may get hot, actually soaks up more of the UV.

This is not to say it doesn't suck, but, really,

You pays your money and you takes your choice. By the time you' hit a certain temperature, it's down to 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen Go Out In The Noonday Sun'.

Really.

*There is a very reasonable way to be a muslim in the modern world*.
Yes,yes you are right.It is very reasonable to wear *black wrap* under the desert heat.

*WHY WOULD HE DO THAT*(killing 8 people in the mall).
Very simple.He learned from the muslims.

*Because the West is not necessairly our(islamic) good example*.
Yes,yes,Afghanistan,Saudi Arabia,islamic republic Iran are very good examples.

*I think America's lackluster response to the tsunami*
How much money did the muslims give to the tsunami ?

BTw, I will note, it's equally-possible for 'white' kids (even queer girls) to be quite proficient with assault weapons.

It's also Very Terrible.

Was, in a funny way, the only approval I *got,* being good at putting holes in objects.

Monotheists are a lot better at 'forgiving' *horrible* violence than 'forgiving' things of the heart.

These kids apparently *loved Mohammed* enough to name a plush bear after the dude, and then they get taught that someone must die over this.

I was raised to be afraid of the world, too. Thank the Gods I had better teachers than that, though.

It's really not the kids with teddy bears that disturb me about the Sudan, you see.

What they name their Kalashnikov, ...*that* bothers me.

Also, you can hit 'post' once. it works. Just may take some time. It never helps to hit 'post' more than twice.

Or should I have you stoned for naming your Internet posts 'Mohamed?'

Could be, though, when you start talking about 'adult things' like swords and bombs, I'll remember how some *other* people who tried to tell a youngster what she owed to 'God' cause certain actions brought irrational-but-'divinely'-and-state-sanctioned reprisals against people we were supposed to trust and obey half a minute ago...

Frankly, if I even need to, I remember the beatings *I* went through over stuffed animals, and figure, given we all grew up and can handle swords and firearms, now, that it's just possible it's time to start being adults.

Go figure.

salam all mashallah a great artical from shaykh hamza yusuf as always may allah preserve him for this ummah and reward him and his family jannah firdous amin

salam all mashallah a great artical from shaykh hamza yusuf as always may allah preserve him for this ummah and reward him and his family jannah firdous amin

Is that a way of saying to Sudan, "Congratulations, sportoes, you've successfully frightened a lot of children about teachers, stuffies, and everyone they live with?" :)

salam all mashallah a great artical from shaykh hamza yusuf as always may allah preserve him for this ummah and reward him and his family jannah firdous amin

salam all mashallah a great artical from shaykh hamza yusuf as always may allah preserve him for this ummah and reward him and his family jannah firdous amin

Yeah. Actually, I remember now.

What does it look like from a child's point of view.

I remember being shown a lifelike image of a man tortured and cut open and nailed to a cross, an being told, as an explanation for why adults were so crazy: "This is because of *you.*. "

My stuffed animals all had cover stories and false identities, never mind getting lofty names of 'prophets.'

Can you imagine for one moment what it would be like what would happen ...probably has happened... to a child who named a stuffed animal and found that doing so nearly got their teacher flogged to death?

What it'd have been like if those people *had* gotten their way, never mind their government making half-concessions to that mob that still meant they lost their teacher cause of a 'cultural mistake?'

What does *this* teach these kids about their world, and forget about the details and reasons or how to live in the real world:

What. Does. This. Teach.

Nothing good, I imagine.

All recriminations aside: how bout.. everyone involved remember being a child... (you know, those who named the teddy bear and had their teacher taken away, possibly to die, by adults inexplicably-going bugf---ool about things they didn't know.

What does this teach them about the adults in their life, never mind their own religion and culture?

Was that a good lesson?

Or did they learn something else?

Who likes that?

The ruling leaders of the Muslim, Arab-African hybrid people of the northern half of Sudan are an embarassment to all of humanity. Since their independence in 1956 they were engaged in an ethnic cleansing against the Negroid races of the southern half of the country. Now that the South finally gained some degree of autonomy, thanks to the aid of some of its neighbors in sub- Saharan Africa, the fanatics of Khartoum turned their attention toward the Negroid races of the western Sudan; known as Darfur. Excluding the other is ingrained in their primitive and fanatic tribal culture. With this background jailing a teacher for naming a doll, maybe should not be too surprising.

great artical by shaykh hamza yusuf may allah preserve him for the ummah amin

great artical by shaykh hamza yusuf may allah preserve him for the ummah amin

There you go again, the vast majority of muslims are peaceful fun-loving people. It's all the fault of a bunch of irrational extremists, who just happen to run the muslim countries and religion. We would never let a bunch of lying, self intersted neanderthals like that run... Oh, wait a munute... Sorry.

Hey Thomas -

"If the time and energy was not spent on such a "trivial" matter who knows what might have become of this woman."

That is not the issue - if you had understood my post then you wouldnt have said that. By TRIVIAL I meant - the naming of a teddy bear by a classromm full of 7 year olds. How is such a tiny matter worthy of SO much drama and how does it justify what the teacher had to go through??? It doesnt!

IF we had focused all of the same energy towards matters of importance - we would be in a better place. Meaning, in my opinion, I think the teacher probably should have had a talk with the school principle so he could let her know how sensitive the topic is - AT THE MOST.

"I do not think the freedom and maybe the very life of a human being should be called trivial, do you?"

Tom - Please dont understand what you want to understand. My post made perfect sense and I still stand by it. I offered you clarification. Take it or leave it.

I do think that if they want a teacher bloodily-murdered in the street over their own kids naming a teddy bear affectionately after both their prophet and half the dudes in the country...

While of course, butchering the animists over *their* beliefs, something the pious in the West don't actually seem to mind...

That 'Western hegemony' might be the least of their worries.

Just putting that out there.

"....it is yet another example of some Muslims attempting to assert themselves and exercise a little authority in the face of the immense onslaught of Western hegemony in the region."

I don't get it? He is blaming Western hegemony for this incident. It is amazing to me that no matter what stupid, violent things these people do in the name of Islam and the great prophet it is always our fault that they acted the way they do. It really gets old. Did you ever think that the stress on Islam is because of an obsolete system trying to adjust to modernity? We in the west can not be blamed for the world changing and moving into the future while Islam is stuck in the past. Please, the teddy bear was all about Islam and Big Mo being perceived as being dissed. That reaction has been programed into Islam for over 1,400 years. Sorry but blame this nonsense on Mohamed not on the West.

And, I agree, Victoria. I think America's lackluster response to the tsunami, especially in terms of war-spending, was, like Katrina, and even the rolling blackouts and brownouts in California that *really* messed up our economy, but got lost in the 9/11 hysteria, ...well, I think these are national disgraces.

In like measure, Khartoum had a lot of nerve pretending they were being 'big' about the *teddy bear* while Darfur is going on.

I feel I should say, when I said "you had" I wasn't accusing the author of having anything to do with this, I was being careless about a regional colloquialism of my own: the sort of thing like "You got (meaning: In the case of) all this snow, what do you do," that kind of thing. :)

there are several things we can do- some are included in the site linked

mr eboo patel just wrote aninteresting article on "soft power" and it's rise in american mentality at this time

the hard power you describe hasnt seemed to work very well, has it?

for one thing, we could let our lawmakers know that the billions of dollars were shipping to israel every year to buy bakc weapons we manufacture here to threaten its neighbors would be better spent on aid to countries that really could use our help

just imagine if the world saw america with a hand extended that held food or water instead of a grenade?

how much of an impact would that have on other countries?

remeber when the tsunami hit?
america pledged a paltry 35 million dollars-

japan (whose gnp is dwarfed next to ours) offered 350 million

the next day america matched that offer

the way we act as a nation has far reaching effects
the way other nations act affect our own behavior

what a beautiful thing to compete for goodness( or at least being preceived as good)

follow that link you will find options of giving voiceto your concerns
peace
wait ill get a better one-

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan/

A fair enough assessment, author... but when it really comes down to it, you had a teacher *jailed and under threat of potentially-lethal flogging... and people screaming in the streets for her death... because *children* named a *toy* in a way said teacher didn't know or presume to 'correct.'

That's just not *respectable.* I don't think it's respectable when Christians behave so (or in shades of such) about anything *they* don't like, and I don't think it's respectable of anyone claiming to represent a 'great religion.'

This could have been handled better than putting that teacher through that and then 'pardoning' her for her 'grievous sin.'

I consider it, perhaps, an opportunity lost for the doubtless-bewildered children, who would have had to live with their own mistake getting their teacher killed by random freaked-out adults and the government...

To learn:

A) this part of their own culture that the people so bent on blood apparently never saw fit to inform them about, and

B) How to handle things like this without completely losing it.

It's not for having these beliefs that people necessarily don't respect what Sudan did.

It's how it was 'handled.'

Some posters said the woman named the Teddy Bear. As I understood it, she did not, the children named the Teddy Bear by majority vote. She did nothing other than accept the children's vote.

I wonder if all the children who voted for the name Muhammed were severely punished, maybe even killed by that frenetic crowd.

And, Victoria, you wrote:

"justice has been served to this woman

shes currently comfortably back in england-

so let us concentrate now on the inumerable people who are left suffering in the same geographical area she just left.

"Since then, the janjaweed, backed by government troops, have carried out widespread killings of civilians. At least 200,000 are thought to have died and more than 2.5 million more are believed to have fled their homes in the face of atrocities and the destruction of villages."

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan/

but it does bring to light how we perceive things in the west, doesnt it?

the value of one white christian womans freedom against the lives of millions of brown muslims."

No, that's not how we perceive things in the west. Injustice is just that. It doesn't matter to whom it happens.

But just eactly what would you have us do? Go to war to root out injustice? Assassinate the Sudanese government and install a kinder, gentler one?

In The Name of God.
May God reward Shaykh Hamza for bringing clarity to this issue as well as others. This issue arises from a lack of understanding and clarity on both sides or as the saying goes "someone who is ignorant of something is it's enemy"

Peace be upon all,

Shaykh Hamza, you time and scholarship are appreciated.
I just want to share a reflection I had after reading this article as well as Imam Zaid Shakir's on this same subject this afternoon.

"Defending the Prophet" with behavior contrary to his way is like trying to inflate a balloon after punching holes in it.
-You waste time and breath
-You work against your intentions
-You increase the size of the holes (damage)
-You look like a fool
-Instead of aiding the purpose and cause of the balloon, you debilitate it
-Nobody will trust you with their balloons or anything else

The remedy for all of this can be found in the three, short verses of Surah 'Asr (Quran, Chapter 103).
So take an 'Asr pill and call me in the morning!

Sheikh Hamza,thank you so much for this article.
As always , your views are so balanced and true.
Jazakum Allah Khayran.

An overly exaggarated resonse to an innocent mistake:coming from a culture where cuddly Teddy Bears are treated with affection,she named it Mohammed,a very common name in the Muslim world,and not necessairly the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)-end of the story.

Am humilated by this ugly and unjustified response to a guest in the warm and hospitable Sudenes Muslim land, who came a long way to teach these Muslim children;the Sudanese authorities have no right to behave in the name of Islam-not in my name any way-and there is no Koranic or Sunnah injunction to punish this lady for this innocent misunderstanding.She was decent enough to acknowledge the warmth and hospitaility of the Sudense people even after her imprisonment.

As Muslims,we should judge our behavior according to Islamic standards and norms of understanding,decency and compassion especially to forigners and guests in our lands-and not accodring to Western standards of the Inquisition,the horrors of the holocaust,the crusaders,colonialism,genocide of Bosnian and Chechan Mulsims,the creation of and the support for the racist and apartheid israel and decemation of Iraq-WHY? Because the West is not necessairly our good example-and we should hold the higher moral grounds and leave Bush's blunders sink him into the lowest moral standards.

That the West has and is commiting untold agony and pain on Muslims,does not justify the ordeal of the British teacher-I mean the West in a very broad snese, because we can not condemn whole sale all of the west for the blunders of its self-serving politicians:millions of people in western capitals demonstrated against the Iraq war-and hardly any in the Muslim world because of oppression and the absence of freedom of expression.

I say to the authorities in Sudan:not in my name and if they U are so keen about defending Islam then march on Jerusalem,the place from which the Prophet (pbuh)made his Isra,and liberate and save the Palestinians or march on Baghdad and save the Iraqis from foreign occupation.

mr baum, no one is suggesting the life and freedom of the british teacher is not valuable or worthy of energy-
we can agree on the value of human life-

so, proportionately- we should be expending MILLIONS more energy and more time on the MILLIONS of people in that very same region who have been burned out of their homes, have been victims of (dare we say the word?) massive extermination and genocide- wells and water supplies filled in and rendered useless-
rapes, mutilations, crops burned, houses burned, an entire population on the move and subsisting in conditions we americans wouldnt subject our pets to-

so yes, the life of this woman is valuable-
and the lives of the MILLIONS also exponentially valuable-

justice has been served to this woman

shes currently comfortably back in england-

so let us concentrate now on the inumerable people who are left suffering in the same geographical area she just left.

"Since then, the janjaweed, backed by government troops, have carried out widespread killings of civilians. At least 200,000 are thought to have died and more than 2.5 million more are believed to have fled their homes in the face of atrocities and the destruction of villages."

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan/

but it does bring to light how we perceive things in the west, doesnt it?

the value of one white christian womans freedom against the lives of millions of brown muslims.

now that the focus has been drawn to that area, and the inmjustice corrected, maybe we could spend an equal amount of energy caring about the fate of the millions too.

im glad you pointed out how precious and valuable EVERY HUMAN LIFE IS

in islam, if you save the life of one person, it is as if you have saved the entire world

lets work on those who need the attention now
peace

Thank you so much for your perspective, Shaykh Hamza! It's truly great to hear real voices that too often are not picked up by the media.

TO MISCHKA:

You wrote, " I will never agree with what happened in Sudan and am sickened by the amount of time and energy spent over such a trivial matter when there is poverty, famine, illiteracy, etc to focus on. We have no shortage of issues to address but where are we spending our energy? On unnecessary rubbish. IF we had exerted even half the effort on a matter worth publicizing...we would have made headlines in a GOOD way."

If the time and energy was not spent on such a "trivial" matter who knows what might have become of this woman.

I do not think the freedom and maybe the very life of a human being should be called trivial, do you?

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum

"Our current world can go one of two ways at this crossroad. We can go down the path of more violence, more hatred and more alienation, or we can attempt to understand each other, recognize our real differences, and display mutual respect. True religion -- as well as the highest secular values -- demands we take the latter road."

I agree with this assessment of the situation of the world today.

My Nichiren Buddhist practice teaches the same attitude of mutual respect for other religions. Nichiren refers to the concept as an Expedient Means.

Patrick

i think the brothers point is a relevant one.

since the entire world, includingmuslims, seem to be approaching this incident from a purely western society perspective (of which i am a product)
it still stands to reason to look at it at least a moment from the perspective of the sudanese.

by asking, what motivated such an overreaction?
we may in the future be able to foretend such events on a larger scale.

of course their reaction was way out of proportion to the perceived offense-

but it doesnt mean there wasnt some offense there.

heres a quick story to illustrate-
i think one could safely state the native americans have felt run over and disrespeted by the europeans who settled here-
that their own culture has been deemed unworthy, and an entire race of peole felt no compunction about replacing their culture with their own-

probably similar to the disrespect and non-recognition experienced by te sudanese(in this instance)
im a eurocentric white blue eyed american- it is not possible for me to 'blend' in other ethnic groups
i am what i am

i worked for 2 years with native american inidans in the fields doing farmwork, and more importantly, i went to the reservations and taught basic english and art.
(the average education level being 2nd grade- yes- among adults)

but before i undertook such an enterprise- i realized that i was teaching CHILDREN and that i needed to understand, and be sensitive to the beliefs and mores of their parents.

and also be sensitive to the fears of the society itself( particularly native women were sensitive to american women fraternizing with their men)

so i acted accrodingly, discovered what issues were contentious, entered and exited publicly , dressed with some modesty and didnt proseltytize or imply their ways needed revising or changing, but respected them by learning about them.

it is hard for me to imagine how an educated woman form the west, could not have heard about the reaction of muslims worldwide over the cartoons in denmark and have some remote awareness of the sacredness of the name Muhammad to muslims.

be that as it may- even if she was that unaware- the entire incident should move us to be more educated about the cultures of peoples who we are involving ourselves in their communities, not simply dismiss the reaction

i cannot doubt she had honorable intentions in going there-

i ama also sure no one anywhere has shown any anger at the children themselves.

certainly in the west it seems like a non-issue

so a woman named a tedy bear, are you kidding, who cares?

(strangely enough i was watching the report on the young man who killed 8 people in the mall yeasterday and the woman being interviewed seemed to get the most outraged when she related that the man shot a teddy bear- she was saying incredulously, 'WHY WOULD HE DO THAT??"

people focus on small manageable issues when confronted with larger ones too hard to deal with, don't they?

in this case, the large issue of a society feeling overwhelmed by (and also abandoned ) western intrusion in their lives seems to be the core of the overreaction, the act of naming a teddy bear, just the catalyst for deeper issues.

it certainly woud be effective if the west truned its attentions to that region in a helpful way, wouldnt it?

just imagine if west cared about the enormous refugee problems as much as it does about that teddy bear.

I wholeheartedly agree with Hamza Yusuf. The Ummah is under siege.

Assalamu Alaikum -

"Calling the image of any animal Muhammad, a name that Muslims won't utter without a benediction is, for them, beyond the pale."

I understand what you say in the above sentence and agree with the overall sentiment in your essay. However, one thing I dont understand is how come children are named Muhammad? I know there is a difference between a human being and a toy but shouldnt it be sacreligious to name someone Muhammad as well? Its the Prophet's (pbuh) name and if we get angry at children naming a cute teddy bear Muhammad out of pure love for their Prophet (pbuh) then what about this?

"Unfortunately, these Western horrors against the Muslims demand responses, but Muslims must also recognize and denounce these wrongs too often associated with our Prophet and our faith without always pointing fingers elsewhere."

What about the things that we are responsible for? What about our image in the world's eyes right now? It cant all be someone else. Some of it is our fault too. And we cant ignore that because its easier to point fingers.

"Indeed, the situation in Sudan is a medieval misunderstanding and overreaction."

This is true - I will never agree with what happened in Sudan and am sickened by the amount of time and energy spent over such a trivial matter when there is poverty, famine, illiteracy, etc to focus on. We have no shortage of issues to address but where are we spending our energy? On unnecessary rubbish. IF we had exerted even half the effort on a matter worth publicizing...we would have made headlines in a GOOD way.

"So are the myriad cases of torture, rape and pillaging that are now part of our daily patch of foreign, and increasingly, domestic news. Indeed, our dark medieval past seems to be having an ironic renaissance in the West and the Muslim world."

Its the clash of the modern world versus the traditional world. There will be some discomfort and "growing pains" as Muslims adjust to a different way of life. Not a different set of rules...a different way of life. You dont have to change who you are...you may want to adapt a little bit to your surroundings though. There is a very reasonable way to be a Muslim in the modern world and NOT compromise your beliefs in the process.