Understanding Muslim Rage

By ANDREW SIA
Sunday, April 1, 2007
TheStar

An Indian-Muslim becomes the Canadian equivalent of ‘Tan Sri’ for his outspoken opinions against Western fairy tales about Islam and the Third World. StarMag checks out his powerful views.

Haroon Siddiqui SMILE! You’re a Muslim.... That’s what my uncle always used to say,” recalls Canadian journalist Haroon Siddiqui, 64, of his childhood in Hyderabad, India.

“An angry Muslim is an oxymoron. You’re supposed to be a decent person, nice to your neighbours and fellow human beings. My uncle knew his theology.”

At the same time, he is unflinching in his criticism of Western double standards on Islam.

“The popular post-9/11 narrative is that the West is under siege from Muslim terrorists. To some extent it is, but the overall truth is that it is Muslims who have been under siege since 9/11.

While some 2,900 people were killed on that day, hundreds of thousands of innocent Muslim civilians have been killed in the so-called ‘War on Terror’ since.”

What is more amazing is that he writes things like this in a twice-weekly column in the Toronto Star (Canada’s largest newspaper). Could he do that in a major American newspaper?

“You should ask the Americans,” he laughs. “Canada is a freer country. There is no official national culture. All cultures are equal. That’s the law (the Multi-Culturalism Act, 1978). We are more tolerant of each others views.”

For his contributions to the nation in a journalism career of some 40 years, he was awarded the Order of Canada – their equivalent of a Tan Sri-ship – in 2001.

Just what kind of views does he have?

This writer talked to him when he was in Kuala Lumpur last month to find out.

Fairy Tales:

If Muslims are supposed to smile, why do we seem to see angry Muslims all the time?

“What happens is that the Western media exaggerates it,” explains Haroon. “So, the only Muslims you see on TV are crazy, angry Muslims.”

“It’s a narrative being created, exaggerating the extremes, and presenting the extremes as the norm. You say some sensible things, you’ll never make it in the (Western) media. Say the most crazy things, and you’ll be on the front page.”

“Narrative” is, of course, his polite way of describing how the Western media spins their own fairy tales of Muslim monsters. And these don’t just lurk under the bed.

“There is a constant, non-stop demonisation of Muslims, everyone is suspected of being a potential terrorist or a sympathiser these days,” he underlines.

In His Book Being Muslim, He Elaborates:

“It (demonisation) holds up the most marginal and fanatical Muslims, totalling at the most a few thousand, as representatives of all 1.3 billion Muslims. It expects every Muslim to explain or apologise for the actions of the few.”

Even worse, the religion itself is being blamed for terrorism. For instance, he notes that Franklin Graham (son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham and “spiritual advisor” to President George W. Bush) has called Islam “an evil and wicked religion.”

“It is as if Catholicism was responsible for the Irish Republican Army’s actions (and) the Serbian Orthodox Church for Slobodan Milosevic’s ethnic cleansing in Bosnia....” Haroon says in his book.

But make no mistake, Haroon is no sympathiser of Osama bin Laden.

“Muslims are now greater victims of terrorism when the bombs go off in Bali, Riyadh, Jeddah, Ankara, Jakarta, Islamabad, Karachi.... Terrorists are not friends of Muslims.

“Terrorism is real. We must fight it. We cannot wish it away. The only debate is on the best way to fight it.”

He believes it’s the job of governments to ferret out these “criminals”.

“Ironically, that’s a job where they need help from Muslims, but they won’t help if you demonise and alienate them in the first place,” he adds.

Right now, he says the American government is being “counter-productive” as experts agree there are more terrorists now than before despite – or worse, because of – Bush’s “War on Terror”.

Muslim Malaise:

Despite all the talk about Muslim terrorism, Haroon laments there is strangely little exploration (in the Western media) of the complex causes of Muslim rage.

He acknowledges there is a “Muslim malaise” of poverty and poor education.

His book points out that the 56 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) have more than a quarter of humanity and two-thirds of global petroleum, yet account for less than 5% per cent of the world’s economy.

Arab nations, with their 280 million people, have a combined GDP less than that of Spain. Some 65 million Arabs cannot read or write.

“The most educated Arabs live abroad and their talents are untapped unlike the Chinese and Indian diasporas, who have played significant roles in jump-starting the economies of their native lands,” his book points out.

He acknowledges that Muslims in Canada are “doing well, thriving”.

“Canada is a Christian-majority country but not a Christian country. All religions are equal. Muslims are very active in asking for their rights as equal citizens.”

In contrast, nearly 400 million Muslims live under dictators and corrupt, incompetent Muslim governments that don’t allow freedom and democracy.

“And lo and behold, these governments are America’s closest allies,” he smiles wryly.

In these countries, “Muslims are in a state of crisis,” he says.

And this has “caused widespread Muslim despair and, in some cases, militancy” which are fertile ground for fanatical clerics to sow their skewed seeds of theology.

When I put forth to him that certain quarters in Malaysia have advocated that an economic and educational jihad was more important than focusing on political injustices, he replies:

“Yes, of course. Muslims are going in circles, yes, we must work hard, but many Muslim governments are not creating the required jobs.

“Look at the demographics. One third of Arab Muslim populations are below 20, yet where are the jobs for them? They are watching TV. They see Muslims dying everywhere and they get angry.”

Fundamentalism:

During a talk organised by Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth, he reveals that “some Muslim immigrants have become more Muslim in Toronto than they ever were back home. It’s a way to hang on to one’s identity.”

But he also notes that extremism and anger can be seen not only with Muslims but also with the 100 million fundamentalist American Christians.

Apart from Franklin Graham, the popular televangelist Pat Robertson has said that Muslims are “worse than Nazis”.

“Bush says his foreign policy is guided by God,” says Haroon. “That’s really dangerous. Much more than some crazy mullah in Australia who has no power.”

Just as some politicians and televangelists have distorted Christianity, there are “ill-tutored” mullahs or “populist politicians” who have distorted the “overall message” of Islam - which is of tolerance, justice and fairplay.

Haroon prefers quoting Prophet Muhammad: “He who wrongs a Jew or a Christian will have me as his accuser on Judgement Day.”

He adds that the Prophet advised Muslims to be “moderate in religious matters” and that he himself smiled often, spoke softly and “disliked ranting and raving”.

Politics:

Haroon does not shy away from tackling other thorny issues; his book Being Muslim, looks into various issues such as shariah law, women’s rights and suicide bombings.

On the position of women, he notes that Indonesia, Turkey, Bangladesh and Pakistan have all had female presidents or prime ministers.

As for Iran (who some believe may be the model for the Pan Islamic State), despite its negative “fanatical” image in the Western media, Haroon reveals that it has had more democratic elections than many Muslim nations.

"Forget about (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad. They have elected many progressive people into office such as (reformist former President Mohammad) Khatami."

"Iran had a woman vice-president who, in 1998, condemned the Taliban long before the rest of the world did. They have the highest proportion of Muslim women with tertiary education and women in senior positions.”

Yet, there is the “dichotomy”, where ultimate power is controlled by the Guardian Council of Ayatollahs “who don’t let democracy function properly.”

He adds that after the 1979 Islamic Revolution (which overthrew the repressive and corrupt American-backed Shah), people became more religious and mosques were full. But now, after 27 years of moral policing and crackdowns (for instance, on “indecent conduct” and women’s dressing), he says:

“People have turned off from religion, mosques are empty. But in the West, where there is total freedom, Muslims have become more religious.”

While the religion has excellent ideals, why then do Muslims appear to be “radical”?

Haroon explains that with many governments riddled with corruption and nepotism, Muslims have retreated to Islam for refuge.

Also, he adds, the resistance by the Palestinians and Lebanese (against Israel) and the Chechens (against Russians) were originally secular before they became Muslim.

In the meantime, he adds: “Un-elected governments lack the legitimacy and confidence to challenge militant clerics and fluctuate between trying to ruthlessly repress them or try to “out-Islamicise” them.

“Because Islam is their last zone of comfort, most Muslims react strongly – sometimes irrationally and violently – if they believe their faith is mocked, as the world saw during the Danish cartoons crisis,” he explains.

“As Martin Luther King famously said, ‘Riots are voice of the voiceless’.”

He is hopeful that Muslims can get out of their malaise in the next 30 years.

“Everywhere I go, from Cairo to Morocco to Pakistan, ordinary Muslims are debating injustice and Islam itself – unprecedented discussions that we have not seen for 300 years.

“When public opinions change, governments will feel the heat,” he taps the table emphatically, “and they will also have to change their tune.”

Haroon’s recent columns, including two about Malaysia from his recent trip, can be read at http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/94618

His book, ‘Being Muslim’, is available from Kinokuniya Bookstores, Suria KLCC.