Before I left the safe sanatized environment of the western world and came to Pakistan two weeks ago I had some concerns, one of them being the fact that there had been a series of explosions where I was going, Lahore, the day before I left.  None the less I was on my way and for the first few days I was pretty cautious about going to the local markets.  While passing a market my cousin pointed out the place where one of the explosions took place, which I must say made a little uncomfortable as we approached the area.  But as the days passed I noticed people continue to function as  nearly normal, well they have no choice,  life must go on, right?  What surprised me more however was when I saw the likes of BBC news, Sky News, CNN or  any other Pak news network while in England things always looked worse than they really were.

I originally thought most people would be living in fear, there are exceptions, but the majority of people don’t live in fear, they simply accept the situation and live as they were previously remembering that Allah has confirmed that the time of death is fixed and cannot be brought forward or delayed for even a second.  Further, the majority of people beleive that the bombings are being orchestrated not by Muslim terrorists, but by other external forces bent on destabalising the country, as Pakistan is one of the few Muslim countries with Nuclear facilities and also a military force with some power.

Keeping this in mind, eyebrows must be raised when we hear about the U.S based private companies Blackwater now called XE being here having a large number of heavy armoured hummers along with their trained merceneries, a sort of shadow army.  Blackwater forces who had immunity were secretly used in the Iraq war until some events unfolded regarding their killing of innocent civillians.  So now we hear about Blackwater (Xe) working in Pakistan covertly; well it was only after the damage was done that we found out who was behind JFK’s assisination, it was only after thousands died in Iraq that it was confirmed that WMD’s were a sham and it’s sadly evident it’ll only be after more innocent people are killed that the terrorists who are wreaking havoc with these explosions will be exposed and we’ll find what part the U.S government, it’s private army(Xe) and of course Mr 10% Zardari’s government had to play in all of this, if any (yeh right!).

Well well well, look who is in the headlines….once again.   The Islam4UK group a.k.a Al-Muhajiroun, experts in fueling anger and hatred.  They are frequently given the platform to speak, conveniently getting major media attention which they use to incite hatred and whether directly or indirectly, the result of their actions  only damages the image of British Muslims and Islam.  They openly claim they want Shariah and follow the Prophet Muhammad(SAW), while behaving in a manner that is so far off the way of the Prophet(SAW) that it really makes you think; is there more than that which meets the eye?

Who they are and what they do – some basics

(1)  They’re a group called al-Muhajiroun re-invented under a new name.  (2)  They’re a minority, they exist mainly in one town and they aren’t gaining support or a following.  (3)  They were pushed off the streets and told to leave by their (Muslim) townsfolk.  (4)  Many of them don’t work and believe it’s okay to leech from the government.  (5) They organise protests at all the wrong times, shout inflammatory remarks and the media is conveniently always there to get some juicy footage of “Extreme British Muslims”.  They seem to have a suspiciously “special” relationship with the tabloids.  (6)  I don’t like the word “extremist” nor do I like labels, but these guys have views that are far from Islamic, so it’s safe to say they are extremely off the mark when it comes to Islam. (7)  Overall they don’t embody the way of the Prophet(SAW), watch a few videos on YouTube, it becomes apparent very quickly. (8)  You’ll find them donning the appearance of the stereotypical “extremist”; thobe, big beard, a kiffayah wrapped around the face or alternatively the old serious look.  (9)  Overall, most Muslims will agree that they are a waste of space and are creating friction in a time when we need cohesion and understanding.

Their chosen methods/styles of interaction

When trying to understand these people, you’ll find it difficult to comprehend why they act as they do.  Firstly, from a universal perspective of humanity, or even common sense, most sane people know what will hurt, upset and simply tick other people off.  Likewise we know which areas are sensitive and require a little wisdom in the way they are approached.  While there is nothing wrong with protesting against the War for example, basic knowledge, understanding of human psychology and care about fellow humans should  prompt any responsible person to voice their opinions in a way that won’t unnecessarily incite hatred or cause people to become averse to ones message.  Why don’t these guys understand that?  I mean really, it doesn’t take a genius.

Secondly, lets take the Islamic perspective.  Anybody who has read the biography of the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) will see that he(SAW) was a hard working, active and useful member of society, a highly respected person due to his wisdom and his undeniably impressive manners[among Muslims and Non-Muslims].  Most importantly He(SAW) was responsible and rational.  Then why do we see these guys shouting about Shariah while they are behaving contrary to the Prophet(SAW)’s way? You’ll see them on the news shouting and acting aggressive, holding up banners with questionable comments on them when they know it’s only going to stir up negative emotions, which cause offence to some and make life UNNECESSARILY difficult for others, all the while presenting Islam in a negative light.  They show no responsibility or concern for the consequences of their actions.  Again I ask, why do these guys not understand this?

Whats the deal with ‘Islam4UK’: Is there more than meets the eye?

Apart from finding their mannerisms repulsive and their intellect lacking, there are a few possibilities that present themselves.  Speculation among Muslims may vary, but the objective mind points to two possibilities:

1)  They really believe what they are doing is correct and Islamic.  If this is the case, then we’re dealing with some really thick headed and ignorant people.  [In my opinion I don't believe their leaders are that stupid, I think they are well aware of the consequences of their actions]

2)  They know what they are doing and are doing it on purpose, completely aware of the damage they cause, by increasing anti-Islam/Muslim feelings and pushing people towards hatred, and away from peace.  Maybe there are *ahem* ‘incentives’ involved? A fellow blogger recently mentioned a group of people in the U.S who seem to be doing similar things and alluded to the agent provocateur concept.  Are Islam4UK’s antics not ideal given that the governments are continuously trying to justify this “War on terror” while instilling fear in the world populous?  The Muslim and British population in general are not benefiting from the actions of this group.  Is Islam4UK’s leader, Anjem Choudry the self proclaimed Sharia Judge, really that dimwitted?  If not, then whose cause is he helping?  All I’ll say is “hmmmmm” with a raised eyebrow.

How they get away with misrepresenting Islam

The sad thing is the media has often proven to be a bias and unreliable source, yet the majority of people believe what they hear and see on TV.  While the media has a part to play, it’s time we as Muslims look inside ourselves and realise we have a larger part of the blame.  Muslims in the US/UK tend to be disconnected from society, they remain in their Pakistani, Arab, Bengali communities, however this is not the way of the Prophet(SAW) as we have a duty to spread the uncorrupted message of peace to our neighbours, colleagues and friends – this is best done through action, behaving like Muslims, not just holding the title of Islam.  For obvious reasons people like Islam4UK will continue to have disproportionate media attention, making it all the more essential that Muslims and Non-Muslims educate themselves about the truth.  We must free our minds and realise there is an initiative to inject fear into our hearts of a religion which is far from barbaric and oppressive, but revolves completely around morality, justice and peace for all of mankind, regardless of race, religion or culture.