AYAAN HIRSI ALI
By Beni Bevly
Prior to 1999, there were three things that were not allowed to be criticized and touched in Indonesia. They were Suharto and his regime, military, and religion (Islam). During the reformation period, which occured thereafter, the public and mass media have regained their freedom to address their concerns, but there is one thing that is still likely to be untouchable: Islam.
Islam, Muslims and their traditions were brought up frankly, honestly and with no reservation by Ayaan Hirsi Ali – an international activist – yesterday, February 20th, 2007 at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Ali’s stories and ideas are relevant to Indonesia that occupied by more than 90% of Muslims populations and the world largest Muslims in the world.
I arrived at the Commonwealth Club around 5:30 PM. There were 4 agents at the lobby. I was search by two of them. I was required to open my jacket, show them the contents in all my pockets. They told me what I could not do, including blocking Ali’s way when she entered or left the podium. Basically, Ali was guarded almost like a president of the United States. Why? If you continue reading this article you will find the answer.
When I had a chance to talk to her personally. What was her first impression? She said, “I am sorry for the people in Indonesia.” If I did not know the context, I would have been confused with her statement. Actually what she wanted to say that the role of Islam in Indonesia did not give women the freedom to determine their own life. Lets evaluate the context that she presented earlier.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali presented cases that were also written in her two books, “The Caged Virgin: An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam” and “Infidel.” I highly recommend these two books for anyone, who has desire to recover themselves and live they full life in country where Islam plays the main role in every aspects of life.
Ali was born in Somalia and raised Muslim, but outraged by her religion’s hostility toward women, she escaped an arranged marriage to a distant relative and fled to the Netherlands. There, she learned Dutch, worked as an interpreter in abortion clinics and shelter for battered women, earned a collage degree in political science, and started a career in politics as a Dutch parliamentarian.
In November 2004, the violent murder on an Amsterdam street of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, with whom Ali had written a film about women and Islam called Submission, changed her life. Threatened by the same group that slew van Gogh, Ali now has round-the-clock protection, but has not allowed these circumstances to compromise her fierce criticism of the treatment of Muslim women, of Islamic goverments’ attempts to silence any questioning of their traditions, and of Western goverments’ blind tolerance of practicing such as genital mutilation and forced marriages of female minors accruing in their countries.
Based on her experience in Somalia, she said – as you can read it in “the Caged Virgin,” “I was thought that Islam sets us apart from the rest of the world, the world of non-Muslims. We Muslims are chosen by God. They, the other, the ‘kaffirs,’ the unbelievers, are antisocial, impure, barbaric, not circumcised, immoral, unscrupulous, and above all, obscene; they have no respect for women; their girls and women are whores; many of the men are homosexual; men and women have sex without married. The unfaithful are cursed, and God will punish them most atrocious in the hereafter.”
In facts, she found out that Islam tradition in most Islamic countries, even in Koran and Hadith inherently teach violence and inequality treatment to women. According to her, Osama Bin Laden carried out his mission according to Koran and Hadith persistently, including killing thousands of people on 9/11. Wife is divorced if the husband says three times, “You are divorced.” While if the wife wants to get divorced, she has to go to the court.
Further she mentioned there was no way to reform Islam except Muslims can accept criticizes. So far Muslims can criticize the West, but the West cannot criticize the practices of Islam. The first step that Muslims should take to reform is by acknowledging that Koran is not the script of Allah. Then reform the treatment to women in Islamic society. I know that sounds radical, but that is what she said.
Recalling to what she said to me, “I am sorry for the people in Indonesia.” Fortunately, majority women in Indonesia don’t receive treatment from their male fellow Muslims as bad as in other Islamic countries. However, there is one thing that we always need to remember; there are always rooms for us to improve.
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*Beni Bevly holds BA in Political Science, MBA in Marketing, and is a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) candidate. He is the founder of Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia.
—– Original Message —–
From: Chris Komari
To: Beni Bevly
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: http://www.overseasthinktankforindonesia.com/
Hi Ben,
I have read the article you wrote in quotation and elaboration of the statements and expressions from writer Ayaan Ali.
…………………………………………
“In facts, she found out that Islam tradition in most Islamic countries, even in Koran and Hadith inherently teach violence and inequality treatment to women. According to her, Osama Bin Laden carried out his mission according to Koran and Hadith persistently, including killing thousands of people on 9/11. Wife is divorced if the husband says three times, “You are divorced.” While if the wife wants to get divorced, she has to go to the court.”
“Further she mentioned there was no way to reform Islam except Muslims can accept criticizes. So far Muslims can criticize the West, but the West cannot criticize the practices of Islam. The first step that Muslims should take to reform is by acknowledging that Koran is not the script of Allah. Then reform the treatment to women in Islamic society. I know that sounds radical, but that is what she said.”
………………………………………….
The problems that I see with those NON-MUSLIM people are that they had never read the Holy Qur’an themselves and see what’s in it, let alone of understanding the content of it. They heard, they saw in action on TV and they judge and conclude based on those facts. Do I blame them? Based on Plato’s approach, no, I certainly don’t. That is what they heard about Muslims, that is what the saw Muslims in action, and that is how they concluded. The peaceful teaching of Islam is often times being hijacked by the action of those tiny radicals Muslims. To understand Islam, a person must read and understand the content of its Holy Book, Al-Qur’an!
Within the MUSLIMS people themselves, many sects misunderstand or misinterpret the meaning of the verses in the Holy Qur’an similar to Christianity and Judaism. That is why there are so many sects in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Who is right and who is wrong amongst these sects? Only time and history will tell. Those radical Muslims use some of these verses to justify their actions for their political gains.
……………………
“The first step that Muslims should take to reform is by acknowledging that Koran is not the script of Allah.”
…………………..
This is something that I know for sure, 100% that not even a single Muslim worldwide will ever do this. The Muslims would prefer death than life over this. Any Muslim will never ever suggest that. Here is why?
You know there are so many Bible versions in the world. Have you ever wondered why there is only ONE HOLY QUR’AN in the world?
Some Non-Muslims scholars even suggested that the only way to control Muslims is to create a Muslim Prophet who is friendly to the West or create similar Holy Qur’an that friendly to the West culture and civilization. But that has never happened. Why?
GOD the Almighty has said in the Holy Qur’an that He Himself will guard the Holy Qur’an. He has challenged to anyone in the whole wide-world and you can ask anybody around the world to work together from scholars, scientist, doctors, Christians, Jews, Muslims and even Angels, etc (beside Allah) for helps to create another book similar to the HOLY QUR’AN, if they can to prove that they are the truthful. You can measure it from any angel from its meanings, grammar structures, eloquence in sounds or words, and its teachings.
God even lessen his challenge to even a CHAPTER. Let me quote the original words by GOD in the Holy Qur’an for you to view:
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:24/25)
24. And if you are in doubt as to what we have sent down to Our servant, then produce a Chapter like it, and call upon your helpers beside Allah, if you are truthful.
25. But if you do it not, and never shall you do it – then guard again the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, which is prepared for the disbelievers.
Gentlemen:
Those are the challenge from GOD Himself to the wide world, it still stands until today. It has been over 1400 hundred years, there is no second Holy Qur’an. Muslims belief without any single doubt that all words in the Holy Qur’an are God’s words, not a single iota is man’s words or Prophet’s words. Muslims consider the Holy Qur’an is miracle in itself.
If you are the truthful as God said, then produce just a Chapter like it, if you can. This is a direct challenge from God Himself!
I will send you my article about issues that I would like to bring up on the surface in due course. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so.
Thanks
Chris Komari
end
Beni Bevly
22 Feb 07 at 12:07 pm
@chris komari: Ayaan Hirsi Ali (or Magan) has the noble cause: enhancing the position of Muslim women. Unfortunately the way she speaks up for them often results in distrust and anger. First and foremost I think Ayaan is to blame for this; if you want to convince people don’t attack the institution, do not hurt people in their souls, but attack the rigid ways of the zealots. But, om the other hand, I think most Muslims in her audience who get angry at her, could do with some extra resilience as well.
You seem to take offense at a demand like “acknowledging that the Koran is not the script of Allah”. Point taken. But do you also object to question whether or not every letter, word, paragraph, sura etc should be taken literally? And whether or not the texts allow for some interpretation.
Of course I could point out that Sufism and Salafism use the same Holy Book, but draw very different conclusions. So evidently there is some room for some theological manoeuvring, don’t you think? And, I might add, prescriptions for daily life that fitted long gone (desert) societies, probably need some updating to use them in nowadays globalized urban societies.
I take it that Ayaan Hirsi Ali meant it that way. And if she didn’t, she should have.
colson
2 Oct 07 at 8:14 am
*****colson: I don’t disagree with most of your comments. I don’t object to your assertion that the words of God should not be taken literally.
The words of God often times and if it is not most of the times have deeper meanings, full of wisdoms, teachings, guidances and warnings to mankind. On top of that, many Arabic words have more than one meanings and interpretations, it depends on the context and circumstances, such as: Jihad, Islam, Khatamun Nabiyiin, etc. That is why we see there are so many sects not only in Islam but also in Judaism and in Christianity. That has been the case in the history of mankind and religion.
The words of God is not black and white. Some of them are. Within the Muslims world, we are still debating the many interpretations of the Holy Qur’an due to new discoveries and technology. As far as the diferences in interpretation is concerned, it happened in Judaism, Christianity, Buddhaism and Hinduism. It’s the nature of the words of God and He only revealss His secrets to whomever He pleases.
What I object was her assertion in her effort to promote equal right and better treatments for the Muslims women by discreditting the Holy Qur’an as the words of God. That is in itself an insult to Muslims worldwide. And many Muslims prefer death than having their religions to be insulted. It is their choice to defend their religion. Questioning our religion and our faith is one thing and insulting is another. That is why I posted God’s challenge to produce one similar like kind of the Holy Qur’an not even the entire book, but only a Chapter if Ayaan is truly the truthful and better than God as she claims to be. Only through this I can justify her claim!
She maybe has a noble goal and noble cause. But what is the point of achieving a noble cause by insulting and hurting others. Unless, she beleives in the neo con approach, the end justifies the mean. We, the Muslims don’t believe in this approach. The end must be right and the mean must be acceptable and human.
end.
Chris Komari
2 Oct 07 at 11:53 am
@Chris Komari: You say: “..what is the point of achieving a noble cause by insulting and hurting others?”. Well, that is exactly what I reproach her with. So it seems we are “brothers in arms” together here!
(Albeit I think sometimes believers are overreacting to arguments they perceive as insults)
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