Promoting sanity in the face of blasphemy

Bramantyo Prijosusilo ,  Ngawi, East Java   |  Tue, 04/01/2008 12:15 PM  |  Opinion

With the announcement of Geert Wilders' taunting film failing to entice violence, as many feared, more people are jumping on the Islam-bashing bandwagon to gain popularity amongst the xenophobic right in Western democracies. Inevitably many more will do the same in pursuit of cheap popularity.

The dilemma facing the global Muslim community is how to protect the sanctity of their religious symbols, while demonstrating to the world that freedom of speech was actively pursued by the Prophet Muhammad and the original Islam. The Prophet carried the light of reason to disperse the darkness of ignorance of jahiliyah in his times, and consequently freedom of speech is a highly regarded Islamic value.

A German theater is currently staging Salman Rushdie's notorious The Satanic Verses and the adapted play is due to run for eight weeks, Britain's Guardian reported Sunday. Turkish actor Oktay Khan, who was due to take part, bailed out after receiving threats. The novel was adapted for the stage by writer Marcus Mislin and Uwe Laufenberg, the head of the theater who is also directing the play. General Secretary of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Aiman Mazyek, has called for calm.

"This material has not lost its ability to offend, but freedom of opinion and the arts is of a high value and most Muslims are against censorship," he said.

Meanwhile another Dutchman, Ehsan Jami (22 years, of Iranian descent), is planning to film an animated comedy about the life of Muhammad in the style of the classic Monty Python cracker "Life of Brian".

Jami, who lives under police protection, claims his film is only a joke but it is unlikely Muslims around the world would share the humor.

There is a profound difference between the ignorant juvenile rants of Geert Wilders and taunts of ex-Muslims like Rushdie and Jami. As people who were once insiders of the faith, Rushdie and Jami posses an intimate knowledge of sensitive nerve points in the traditions of Islam.

English readers who have no intimate knowledge of Islamic traditions find it difficult to understand why Muslims all over the world were mad about Rushdie's book. How could such a beautiful blend of impeccable English and exotic magic-realism make Muslims so upset?

Was Ayatollah Khomeini upset at being characterized as a mullah living in an exile's flat, bent on creating a revolution to "turn the clock back" through taped sermons?

The problem with understanding the anger at The Satanic Verses was that Rushdie's mischievous mockery was cunningly woven into the fabric of Islamic traditions using threads recognizable only to insiders.

In Rushdie's abuse of Islamic traditions the Prophet became the villain Mahound and his wives were depicted as prostitutes. To emotionally understand this you needed an intimate, first-hand knowledge of Islam. Jami's planned film which claims to focus on the wedding of Aisha no doubt will hit raw nerves in much the same way.

Protests have been delivered from all over the world but the bullies do not care. Rushdie immediately gave the go ahead when he was approached for permission to stage his novel, even though he knows people have killed and died because of it.

Obviously some people enjoy playing the blood-sport of taunting Muslims, as if seeking to hound and destroy any positive image Islam has left in the West.

Muslim leaders should refrain from anger, as any rage they express will only play into the hands of pathetic attention seekers who pretend to be courageous while taunting and mocking from the security of their own democracies. Of course they realize they risk the lives of many but as 'free speech bullies' they do not give a damn.

It is sad but true there are probably many Muslims who will be enraged by this constant barrage of blasphemy, and some will urge people to commit violence in the name of religion. These are the elements of Muslim society that the blasphemers are counting on, to prove their point--that Islam is incompatible with modern values.

To stem these blasphemies, it is imperative that intellectual sections of the Islamic community come forward to call for restraint and encourage Muslims to emulate the behavior of the Prophet in the face of mockery.

No one ever made a novel, play or a film about him in his time, but the Prophet was no stranger to being the butt of evil slander in rhetoric and poetry. Yet through his consistent practice of kindness, charity, justice and chivalry, the forgiving Muhammad eventually won over the ignorant jahiliyah of his time.

Contrary to the image that free speech bullies are trying to build, the Prophet Muhammad was a beautiful man in thought and deed, who won his biggest battle--the takeover of Mecca--without a sword being drawn or a drop of blood being spilt.

Nearer to our time, and closer to home, we could also learn from a prosecuted Islamic sect amongst us. There is much to admire in the conduct of the followers of the Ahmadiyah sect in Indonesia. Recently they endured slander and libel, intimidation and violence from mainstream Muslim communities who were egged-on by foolish fatwas from leaders who should know better.

And yet never have we seen the Indonesian Ahmadiyah faithful descend to the level of madness their attackers wallow in. This is how we must treat the blasphemous films, plays and novels that are being used to taunt us.

Inevitably there will be many more attempts to mock and desecrate everything we hold holy in Islam. We must understand these bullies are reacting towards those amongst us Muslims who do commit heinous crimes expressly 'in the name of Islam'. Just as we condemn blasphemy by liberal extremists like Wilders, Rushdie and Jami, we must also accost religious bullies who blaspheme through violence in the name of our own noble religion.

Sing waras ngalah, say the wise Javanese: The sane must give-over.

The writer is an artist and former journalist. He can be reached at bramn4bi*yahoo.com.

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