Re: Idiotic imams and khutbahs

salaam charmi

> 1.  er ummm.. is this discussion taking place on multiple lists?? i
> didn't see any comments about monetary contributions....

sorry. yes, this discussion is taking place here and on NPM. My apologies for 
posting the same message to both lists instead of editing it. It was on NPM 
that Tarek Fatah called for monetary contributions for Itrath's campaign. Let 
me paste what he said:

"Here is my suggestion. To get back at the mullah, there is only one way. 
Action, not words.

Let us all send donations to Itrath for her campaign. Canadians among us 
make the tax-deductible cheque in the name of 

"Itrath Syed NDP Campaign" 

and mail it to her campaign office at:
Delta-Richmond East Federal NDP
P.O. Box 94101
Richmond, B.C.
V6Y 2A2 

As a first step, I will mail a $101.00 to her first thing Monday morning.  Non-
Canadians cannot make direct contributions to her campaign and if they wish 
to help, please email me privately and I will let you know how you help our 
sister  Itrath, be good and be brave.

The founder of the NDP, Tommy Douglas once said, "Courage my friends, 
'tis not too late to make a better world."

Tarek"

> 2.  "venting", as in constructing a sense of outrage in your words, to
> this  imam or anyone else, doesn't usually produce constructive
> results.  sure, some people might feel they have a need to write angry
> things, but that isn't what will get through to a person such as one
> who would do this to sister itrath.  it seems he already feels he's
> taking a "moral stance" for the "good" of his people, and already
> doesn't see the larger picture.  honestly, i'd say that even in
> letters to the editor, expressing yourself with calm respect, dignity,
> and restraint is the most effective form of communication.

My point was that it wasn't sufficient that we just vent on this list, amongst 
ourselves. That we need to confront the person who is the cause of the 
venting. - in whatever way.

However, let me say that while calm, respect, dignity and restraint are very 
effective methods of communication, they are not the only and not the only 
effective methods. Circumstances can call for different approaches. I'm not 
going to suggest to anyone what the correct approach is for YOUR mail to 
this imam or his committee. However, I think that if we send him about 200 
mails until next jumu'ah and they are a mixed bag of approaches, that would 
be a good thing.

He is a coward, using his position as an imam, the minbar entrusted to him, 
and the fact that he is a man talking down to (even though its up to) women 
to attack and slander another member of his jama'ah. He knows that the 
person he's attacking, even though present, can do nothing about it because 
of the so-called sanctity of the khutbah. Forget restraint, in the another kind 
of case, the Qur'an calls for people who slander women to be given 80 
lashes. I think he should be taken out into the street and lashed. But that's 
clearly not going to happen. So let him at least taste the anger in our words, if 
not in our whips. Let him know that just because he has spoken, that is not 
the last word. Let him know that his victims have supporters too. And most 
importantly, let him know that if he does this again next jumuah, there will be 
worse to come! Because I'm pretty sure he is not going to stop now. He will 
find it necessary to now respond to Itrath's letter - from his minbar. Let him 
feel so ashamed, embarassed, scared, whatever, that he does NOT do that.

Charmi, honestly, these kind of Muslims have declared war on any 
progressive articulation of Islam, and have not stopped at using lies and 
slander as their weapons. War calls for a range of tactics. Let's use them!

Btw, for those who prefer the telephone, Daud Ismail's number is: 604-294-
2824.

na'eem