>From: Bakary Kanteh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Celebrating Holidays of the Disbelievers/Ginny >Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 16:39:24 +0000 > >Dear Mr Camara, >I wish to thank you for your referrence to a very important >distinction >cited in the Holy Quran between the people of the book or scriptures >(Ahlil-kitab) and disbelievers (Al-kafiruun). It is my understanding >that >the holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) never referred to the Christians >and Jews >with whom we Muslims believe in the one Al-mighty God (Allah)as >Al-Kafiruun >or disbelievers but instead he use to refer to them as people of the >book as >they are known in the holy Quran. I therefore believe that it is a >deliberate or uniformed departure by some moslems from the >traditions of the >holy Prophet Muhammad to consider our Christian and Jewish kinsfolk >as >disbelievers. >From my perspective, current Middle Eastern politics in the form of >Western-backed Israeli confiscication of Arab lands and the ensuing >animousity between the Arabs who are predominantly moslems on one >hand and >their western-sponsored Zionist cousins on the other hand could be >attributed as largely responsible for the mis-classification of the >Jews and >Christians as disbelievers by some moslems. The word 'disbeliever' >has also >been adopted both in the past and contemporary times by some >mis-guided >muslems and Christians to justify the killings of innocent men, >women and >children in the name of crusade and Jihad. No wonder President >George Bush >had to refrain from further use of the sensitive word 'crusade' >because of >its gruesome reminder to Moslems of the genocide committed against >in the >past in the name of Christianity against Moslems in history. >Although, in >their respective true meanings both Jihad and crusade means the >quest for >righteousness and justice and not the false notions nowadays >attributed to >their meanings by adventurists. No unjust person can embark upon a >jihad or >crusade. >The fact of the matter is if there were no distortion of the >teachings of >God revealead through his holy prophets; and Jews, Christians and >Moslems >were to strive to emulate the conducts of the holy prophets Musa >(Moses), >Essa (Jesus, and Muhammad (Pbut), our world would be nearly or >virually rid >of most of the prevailing injustices, hatred, hypocrisy, conflicts, >starvation, ignorance, etc of evil. Every innocent life is sacred to >God and >should not be taken except on the conditions stipulated by the >creator of >the earth and the heavens, that is none other than Allah. There is >nothing >that can legitimise injustice against another person, irrespective >of his or >her faith, ethnicity, gender or skin or eyes colour. >In conclusion, i believe that we, moslems can celebrate occasions >with >Christians or Jews as long as their such occasions are not in >contravention >of the directives of our faith. If above is the case, we must not >also >violate the prescribed Islamic teachings, for instance by eating >pork or >taking intoxicants during our acts of celebrating with them. >A moslem cannot for example participate in a Christian occasion of >rememberance or celebration about the holy prophet Essa's (Jesus) >alledged >crucifixion because we do not share this believe with the >Christians, as >simple as that. >As for XMas, which is Essa's birthday occasion, we can exchange >gifts with >Christians and even eat turkey with them. > >This is what i learnt on this issue so far but wish to learn more. > >The yoke of oppression must be shattered! > >BMK > >_________________________________________________________________ >Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: >http://messenger.msn.com > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>