Our general rule:
And insult not those whom they (disbelievers) worship besides Allāh, lest they insult Allāh wrongfully without knowledge. Thus We have made fair[bless and do not curse]seeming to each people its own doings; then to their Lord is their return and He shall then inform them of all that they used to do. (Al-An'am 6:108)
Fair enough. Would this also mean that it is not permissible for Muslims to mock the Ahmadiyyaas founder?
1.) We never claimed total equality, total freedom of speech, etc. As you once agreed, God has the right to command which He wills because He is God and we are not. He is the Most-Knowledgeable, we are not. So why would we go against His laws and say our laws are better?
God has the right to make such commands, but people do not. Jesus never told Christians to silence non-believers from preaching their ideas. Paul and other disciples engaged and debated with people of opposing religions, they never tried to shut down the discussion by calling for their arrest.
2.) If you think this is wrong, you should also think that the blasphemy/apostasy laws that existed in your own religion should be wrong since people were punished, but non-believers were encouraged to join your religion.
True, although this was before God revealed that He no longer accepts killing of enemies. Also, during the time when God ordained that people who leave the faith are to be killed, He didn't state there is no compulsion in religion.
1.) Well, I'd actually be happy in a sense because if a Muslim generally ruled by laws other than God's, then that takes him out of the fold of Islaam. So that's less of a chance for a Muslim to commit an act of major disbelief.
2.) If a country made it illegal for me to practice Islaam, I'd leave if I could since:
Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allāh spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination! (An-Nisa 4:97)
Fair enough. Are you opposed to the protests against the stupid French policy against Muslim women not being able to wear hijabs? Shouldn't the answer according to the Quran be for them to emigrate? BTW I was and still am opposed to this and did take part in protest against it when it was announced. It also affected Jews and Christians.
BTW you can rest assured if my country tried to pass laws that discriminate against you on the basis of your faith, I would stand up for you and other Muslims, and so would many of my Christian friends.
- though I would definitely mention (when leaving) how the West is not following its own laws and that it should no longer call itself "the land of the free" with equality because that's false advertisement.
Fair enough. Although I guess that their answer could be the same as yours... equality isn't total so it does not apply to everybody, only some.
3.) Though there might not be any laws prohibiting a Muslim from becoming the leader, it's just not going to happen. The vast majority of all the U.S. presidents have been WASPs. The exception is Obama (who is still half-white & Christian)....and even still you can see how much of an outcry there was over him becoming a President by the far-right. They demanded his full birth certificate because they simply could not believe that he was a U.S. citizen. And they often mention his middle name in order to try to say that he's a Muslim (which is so laughable). And people had to "defend" him by saying he's not a Muslim. So while we're not legally banned from becoming president, we're pretty much socially banned. The only case I could POSSIBLY see (with a lot of squinting) happening is an ultra-non-religious Muslim who is only Muslim by name becoming president.
Interesting observation. I would probably agree with you.
4.) An Islaamic nation is a theocracy. It wouldn't make sense for a non-Muslim to be the leader of an Islaamic theocracy. You don't see us trying to become the leader of the Vatican.
I think a difference is that the Vatican doesn't have any non-Catholic citizens. Many non-Muslims live in Islamic countries.
Maybe they might give a lecture or two, but seeing as how that isn't the main concern in Pakistan right now, I don't think it would be a huge priority on list of things to work for.
I think "giving a lecture or two" is a pretty pathetic response to injustice being committed by one's own people. They should make persecution of non-Muslims one of their main goals. As they drive out non-Muslims who kill Muslims, they should also do the same to Muslims who kill non-Muslims.
When I was in Palestine, I worked with many Israelis and Jews who stood up for the Palestinians. There are many problems that Jews and Israelis face... they include poverty and social problems that every other society does, as well as anti-semitism (defined as a racial and religious hatred of Jews, not criticisms of Israel's crimes). They did not and do not ignore these problems. Yet they make combating the injustices being carried out in their name one of their top priorities.
Some, like Emily Henochowicz, a Jewish American girl who was shot in the face with a teargas cannister just a few weeks before I arrived, can only see now out of one eye.
Emily Henochowicz: artist to pro-Palestinian activist | World news | The Guardian
I understand. Christians like you (who actually believe in pacifism even when in self-defense as your religion states) are far and few in between. In fact, I think you're the first Christian I've come across who professes belief in it (let alone acting on it, as your blog about Palestine showed).
There are very many Christians who follow Jesus' commands to love one's enemies and not strike back, even when attacked.
Have you heard of Martin Luther King? African American churches played a huge role in the non-violent struggle against racism. Black Christians were shot, teargassed, sprayed with water cannons, beaten, bit by dogs yet to a very large extent were not violent.
I would recommend reading also about Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, and of the anabaptists. I am by far not the only Christian who is pacifist, and there are very many who have put themselves in harm's way and responded to violence the way Jesus taught His followers to. Some have paid a much higher price than a broken nose and have achieved far more than I have.