very sarcastic........
:ma:
www.calltoislam.com
Response Letter To Producer Prior To Airing Programme Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips:
Andrew Smith
Producer, Dispatches
Channel 4
Dear Mr Andrew Smith,
My general advice is that the direction in which the program seems to be heading is one of stirring ill feelings and confrontation between parts of the Muslim community and the UK public. The program would better serve the interests of the public by explaining what is “Wahhabism” and allowing those accused of propagating it to explain and defend their ideas, rather than to make assumptions about the evil of “Wahhabism” and then attribute it to respectable organizations in the country.
At any rate, in response to two allegations made by your crew the first of which is the following:
1. In a talk given at Green Lane Mosque on 2 September 2006, you stated that the practice of marrying girls before they reach puberty is permissible, on the grounds that the Prophet Mohammed made it permissible by his own practice of marrying a nine-year-old girl. You said: “The Prophet Mohammed practically outlined the rules regarding marriage prior to puberty, with his practice he clarified what is permissible and what is not permissible and that is why today as Muslims we don’t have or we shouldn’t have any issues about an older man marrying a younger woman, which is looked down upon by society today, they have given it a lot of nasty names but we know that Prophet practised it, it wasn’t abuse or exploitation it was marriage and the limits of marriage.”
I would like to point out that the context in which this was said was in regards to attacks by some evangelists like Jerry Falwell, on Prophet Muhammad because of his marriage to one of his wives due to her age. I pointed out that the age of consensual sex (not marriage) varies in Europe from 12 in Holland, 14 in Italy, 15 in France, 16 in Germany, 17 in Ireland to 18 in the UK (16 for Hetrosexual), while in Islam - where sex outside of marriage is illegal - the age was outlined by Prophet Muhammad in his marriage to Aa’ishah. The marriage took place before puberty, however, it was not consummated until after puberty. Puberty being the natural dividing line between childhood and womanhood from the most ancient of times. Thus, from the perspective of Islamic law and thought, there is no problem in older men marrying younger women. However, I was not advocating that Muslims go against the laws of the UK, as I have always taught and explained that Muslims living in non-Muslim countries are obliged to abide by the laws of the country. If they are unwilling to do so, they should try to change the laws through due legal process, or as a last resort emigrate to a country in which they are free to practice their religion.
The second point:
2. Our investigation involves the spreading of Wahhabi views in the UK by
preachers who have received training in Islam in Saudi Arabian universities. Our investigation has established that you were trained in Islam at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia.
It is true that I studied, “was trained” has other implications, at the Islamic
University of Madeenah from 1974-1980, and in the college of education at
Riyadh University. But it should also be noted that I was “trained” for my PhD at the University of Wales, UK, with whatever that implies.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to express my views and concerns about your program, and I hope that my views will be aired along with your truncated quotes.
If in future you wish to do a balanced program concerning “Wahhabism”, I would be only too happy to participate.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Bilal Philips
( looooool, i find this sheikh sooo funny with his dry wit. could not stop laughing!!!)
:ma:
www.calltoislam.com
Response Letter To Producer Prior To Airing Programme Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips:
Andrew Smith
Producer, Dispatches
Channel 4
Dear Mr Andrew Smith,
My general advice is that the direction in which the program seems to be heading is one of stirring ill feelings and confrontation between parts of the Muslim community and the UK public. The program would better serve the interests of the public by explaining what is “Wahhabism” and allowing those accused of propagating it to explain and defend their ideas, rather than to make assumptions about the evil of “Wahhabism” and then attribute it to respectable organizations in the country.
At any rate, in response to two allegations made by your crew the first of which is the following:
1. In a talk given at Green Lane Mosque on 2 September 2006, you stated that the practice of marrying girls before they reach puberty is permissible, on the grounds that the Prophet Mohammed made it permissible by his own practice of marrying a nine-year-old girl. You said: “The Prophet Mohammed practically outlined the rules regarding marriage prior to puberty, with his practice he clarified what is permissible and what is not permissible and that is why today as Muslims we don’t have or we shouldn’t have any issues about an older man marrying a younger woman, which is looked down upon by society today, they have given it a lot of nasty names but we know that Prophet practised it, it wasn’t abuse or exploitation it was marriage and the limits of marriage.”
I would like to point out that the context in which this was said was in regards to attacks by some evangelists like Jerry Falwell, on Prophet Muhammad because of his marriage to one of his wives due to her age. I pointed out that the age of consensual sex (not marriage) varies in Europe from 12 in Holland, 14 in Italy, 15 in France, 16 in Germany, 17 in Ireland to 18 in the UK (16 for Hetrosexual), while in Islam - where sex outside of marriage is illegal - the age was outlined by Prophet Muhammad in his marriage to Aa’ishah. The marriage took place before puberty, however, it was not consummated until after puberty. Puberty being the natural dividing line between childhood and womanhood from the most ancient of times. Thus, from the perspective of Islamic law and thought, there is no problem in older men marrying younger women. However, I was not advocating that Muslims go against the laws of the UK, as I have always taught and explained that Muslims living in non-Muslim countries are obliged to abide by the laws of the country. If they are unwilling to do so, they should try to change the laws through due legal process, or as a last resort emigrate to a country in which they are free to practice their religion.
The second point:
2. Our investigation involves the spreading of Wahhabi views in the UK by
preachers who have received training in Islam in Saudi Arabian universities. Our investigation has established that you were trained in Islam at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia.
It is true that I studied, “was trained” has other implications, at the Islamic
University of Madeenah from 1974-1980, and in the college of education at
Riyadh University. But it should also be noted that I was “trained” for my PhD at the University of Wales, UK, with whatever that implies.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to express my views and concerns about your program, and I hope that my views will be aired along with your truncated quotes.
If in future you wish to do a balanced program concerning “Wahhabism”, I would be only too happy to participate.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Bilal Philips
( looooool, i find this sheikh sooo funny with his dry wit. could not stop laughing!!!)
