Islam as religion of peace' is more than just a cliche

Peace-Forum

'Islam is the religion of peace' has almost become an unconvincing cliché, especially for those who are not really familiar with the true Islam. Many people find it hard to believe that Islam really defends peace given all the unrest in the world, the situation of the Middle East and the general circumstances surrounding the Islamic world. They naturally ask the question, 

"How are we supposed to believe it when all these wars are being waged in the name of Islam"? 

They are right in a sense, as war is not the way to bring peace. So there is one fact that we have to keep in mind: Those who prefer war in the name of Islam are making a major mistake.

• [ See: The Most Misinterpreted Verses of Quran]

Regrettably, a majority of the Islamic world has abandoned the Qur'an now; they are resorting to resources other than the Qur'an and follow non-Qura'nic ways. 

This is the reason behind the wars waged in the name of Islam, the reason behind the system of tyranny and why they try to introduce religion through oppression and persecution instead of democracy. Another painful outcome of this non-Qura'nic religion is the rise of a primitive and crude lifestyle built around misogyny, a general hostility towards art and beauty in life and a notable lack of refinement.

A recent video focusing on the efforts of Muslim women in Russia on building a positive image for Muslims. The efforts seem promising, especially given the fact that in recent years Islam has suffered from a drastic misrepresentation, which in turn, has heavily contributed to Islamphobia. As a part of this project, one fashion designer, one public relations advisor and one composer work together to increase the life quality of the Islamic community in Russia and to alter the bad publicity surrounding the Muslims. 

Russia is home to a large Muslim community as it is to various ethnic groups. Currently, there are some two million Muslims living in Moscow, 16% of the city's total population. Due to high birth rates, experts estimate that this number will reach 25% of the overall Russian population in the next couple of decades. It is a known fact that the country, with a sizable Muslim population, has suffered from some radical movements in the past. However, Russian Muslims say that general lifestyles, as well as the perception of Muslims, have significantly changed. For this reason, they believe that working on bettering their image in a way that befits the true Islam is urgently needed.

This image improvement will surely have important implications and desirable outcomes. Indeed, there are lots of things that need to change in the world so that people can really be introduced to the true Islam. However, the first thing to be done is putting an end to the crude and unrefined style that has come to be known as Muslim style, which Muslims have mistakenly developed over the years based on erroneous religious resources. 

As Muslims begin to improve their culture and civilization, which should encompass everything from an enviable taste in clothing, to a peaceful, extroverted and lively character that champions the arts, they will be more accepted and welcomed by the rest of the world. It is not surprising that the current widespread image of Muslims, which paints a portrait of a hateful people living uncivilized lives with an inexplicable hostility to art, music and science, creates a backlash and resistance in those countries where Muslims are minorities. For this reason, it would be far wiser to analyze the consequences of these incorrect Islamic views, which largely stem from superstitions, rather than trying to put the entire blame on others for Islamphobia. 

This new project in Russia is highly commendable in that its fashion designs cater to ladies with and without headscarves, that it involves celebrities and artists, public figures, singers and most importantly, due to the fact that Muslim women are leading the project. 

When Russian society sees that Islam attaches great importance to women, amazing developments will follow, society's ungrounded fears will be eliminated and the beautiful people of Russia will be more at peace and more comfortable.

It has never been more important for Muslims, especially in countries where they are a minority, to lead the way to others in peace and love. It is impossible to build peace and love in a society by ignoring the real reasons behind Islamphobia. To build this beautiful basis, it is paramount that Muslims prove to the world that they are highly sophisticated, loving and peaceful people that respect every faith and ethnicity; any effort to this end will help greatly. Needless to say, the most effective step and solution will be adopting and spreading an educational model aiming to eliminate the incorrect understanding of Islam which has resulting from the embrace of superstitions.

Harun Yahya

See more at::

http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/07-08-2015/131606-islam_religion_peace-0/#sthash.HZvVRERg.dpuf
The Most Misinterpreted Verses of Quran

Mehdi Hasan | Islam Is A Peaceful Religion | Oxford Union ...

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Mehdi Hasan gives his argument for Islam being a peaceful religion. SUBSCRIBE for more speakers ▻ http ...

Pope says Koran is a book of peace and Islam is a peaceful ...

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The Pope says the Koran is a book of peace and that Islam is not violent religion.

More:

Terrorism being conducted on the name of Jihad and Islam has nothing to do with Jihad or Islam:

• Religion cause wars?
• Jihad: Myth & Reality
• Takfir- Docrine of Terror
• Islamic Decree [Fatwa] Against Terrorism
• Tolerance
• Rebellion by Khawarij Taliban & Shari’ah in Pakistan   
• Rebuttal to  Anti-Islam FAQs
• Islamic Scholars in modern age علماء اور دور جدید  
• Tribulation and Discord in Muslim World & Future  
• Caliphate: Redundant or Relevant? 

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Concept of Evil

In Medieval Islamic Philosophy, it is difficult to find any direct analogue to the problem of evil in medieval Islamic philosophy. However, some positions held by early Muslim thinkers may be relevant to the free will defense. Early Muslim Aristotelian thinkers like Ibn Sina held that God is a necessary being, who had no other attributes besides His existence, and that all other beings emanated from the divine by necessity. Despite holding this position, they attempted to reconcile it with Islamic doctrines. Ghazzali points out that this is not possible. That is, to say that whatever proceeds from God does so by necessity denies God agency, i.e. it denies Him Free Will. If God has no will, since he has no attributes, then God has no free choice to decide which world to create. It seems that Ghazzalis criticism can be equally applied to advocate of the problem of evil who states that God by necessity must always in a way that will ensure that its consequences are wholly good. This would then break down the dilemma posed by trying to reconcile the divine attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, wholly goodness versus the reality of evil in the world.  Since, now God would not be obliged to abide by the condition of wholly goodness.  Another stream of thought in Islam, advocated by Ghazzali, Ibn Arabi, Al-Attas and Islamic mystical traditions, is to argue that the only true way to grasp the ultimate reality, and thus resolve this problem is through a Direct Awareness of Reality,(Religious Experience) unencumbered by intellectual interference.
Modern Attempts: The lack of intense debate on the problem of evil may be, because the problem was not formulated at the time or those Muslim thinkers were preoccupied by other issues. In modern times, the 20th century Muslim philosopher Iqbal did attempt to address this problem. He suggested that Goodness would not be possible without the resistance of evil. The evil in the world is meant to be overcome. Whoever asks why must there be evil when God can remove it is missing the point. Iqbal insists that without evil there could be no moral or spiritual development. He sites a simile used by Kant in which he refers to birds who resent the resistance of air, yet it is the very air that allows them to fly high, they would be unable to do so in a vacuum.  Likewise, a certain amount of evil is necessary for the inner growth of humans, so that they may be able to overcome it. As the Quran states, And for trial will We test you with evil and with Good (Quran;21:35).
Iqbal could be subject to criticism, since he has ignored the victims of evil. What about those people who suffered so the rest of mankind could build itself? Iqbals answer here would be consistent with his philosophy of self. Like Nietzche (1844-1900 C.E, German philosopher who reasoned that Christianity's emphasis on the afterlife makes its believers less able to cope with earthly life), Iqbal believed that ultimately the self, the individual is the only thing of utmost importance. That is we have no concrete knowledge of the external world and factors therein. What we can be sure of is only ourselves; hence, we must view happenings to beings other than ourselves only in the capacity in which they help to build ourselves. The fact that the suffering of an innocent victim serves to bolster our personality is sufficient. [Islamic concept of Divine justice and reward, in hereafter to those who suffered takes care of sufferings here] The independent suffering of the external individual cannot be verified. Nietzsche has criticized Christian theology for placing mankind in a state of guilt for the original sin, Iqbal had pointed out that this concept of original sin is absent in Islam, and that the Quran encouraged a positive self image of the self or man. Many modern Christian theologians also adopt this view.  

http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/2012/06/islam-phisophy.html