What does Islam say?

Deceptive commercials and cultural propaganda present an ugly practice of paganism (mushrik) as if it were some beautiful festival of love – and all the time the devil is laughing at believers who listen to his whispers.

A group of practices considered as the twin sister of bid’ah(misguided innovations). Like bid’ah these flourish on . . .

 . .  ignorance and outside influence. Like bid’ah they entail rituals. But unlike bid’ah the rituals have not been given an Islamic face. They are followed because they are considered an acceptable cultural practice or the hottest imported “in” thing.

Most of those who indulge in them do not know what they are doing. They are just blind followers of their equally blind cultural leaders. Little do they realize that what they consider as innocent fun may in fact be rooted in paganism. That the symbols they embrace may be symbols of unbelief. That the ideas they borrow may be products of superstition. That all of these may be a negation of what Islam stands for.

Consider Valentine’s Day, a day that after dying out a well deserved death in most of Europe (but surviving in Britain and United States of America) has suddenly started to emerge across a good swath of Muslim countries. Who was Valentine? Why is this day observed? Legends abound, as they do in all such cases, but this much is clear: Valentine’s Day began as a pagan ritual started by Romans in the 4th century BCE to honour the god Lupercus. T

he main attraction of this ritual was a lottery held to distribute young women to young men for “entertainment and pleasure” – until the next year’s lottery. Among other equally despicable practices associated with this day was the lashing of young women by two young men, clad only in a bit of goatskin and wielding goatskin thongs, who had been smeared with blood of sacrificial goats and dogs. A lash of the “sacred” thongs by these “holy men” was believed to make them better able to bear children.

As usual, Christianity tried, without success, to stop the evil celebration of Lupercalia. It first replaced the lottery of the names of women with a lottery of the names of the saints. The idea was that during the following year the young men would emulate the life of the saint whose name they had drawn. (The idea that you can preserve the appearance of a popular evil and yet somehow turn it to serve the purpose of virtue, has survived.

Look at all those people who are still trying, helplessly, to use the formats of popular television entertainments to promote good. They might learn something from this bit of history. It failed miserably) Christianity ended up doing in Rome, and elsewhere, as the Romans did. 

The only success it had was in changing the name from Lupercalia to St. Valentine’s Day. It was done in CE 496 by Pope Gelasius, in honour of some Saint Valentine.

There are as many as 50 different Valentines in Christian legends. Two of them are more famous, although their lives and characters are also shrouded in mystery. According to one legend, and the one more in line with the true nature of this celebration, St. Valentine was a “lovers’” saint, who had himself fallen in love with his jailer’s daughter.

Due to serious troubles that accompanied such lottery, French government banned the practice in 1776. In Italy, Austria, Hungry, and Germany also the ritual vanished over the years. Earlier, it had been banned in England during the 17th century when the Puritans were strong. However in 1660 Charles II revived it. From there it also reached the New World, where enterprising Yankees spotted a good means of making money. Esther A. Howland, who produced one of the first commercial American Valentine’s Day cards called – what else – valentines, in the 1840s, sold $5,000 worth – when $5,000 was a lot of money – the first year. The valentine industry has been booming ever since.

It is the same story with Halloween, which has otherwise normal human beings dressing like ghosts and goblins in a reenactment of an ancient pagan ritual of demon worship. Five star hotels in Muslim countries arrange Halloween parties so the rich can celebrate the superstitions of a distant period of ignorance that at one time even included the shameful practice of human sacrifice. The pagan name for that event was Samhain (pronounced sow-en). Just as in the case of Valentine’s Day, Christianity changed its name, but not the pagan moorings.

Christmas is another story. Today Muslim shopkeepers sell and shoppers buy Christmas symbols in Islamabad or Dubai or Cairo. To engage in a known religious celebration of another religion is bad enough. What is worse is the fact that here is another pagan celebration (Saturnalia) that has been changed in name – and in little else – by Christianity.

Even the celebration considered most innocent might have pagan foundations. According to one account, in pagan cultures, people feared evil spirits – especially on their birthdays. It was a common belief that evil spirits were more dangerous to a person when he or she experienced a change in their daily life, such as turning a year older. So family and friends surrounded the person with laughter and joy on their birthdays in order to protect them from evil.

How can anyone in his right mind think that Islam would be indifferent to practices seeped in anti-Islamic ideas and beliefs? Islam came to destroy paganism in all its forms and it cannot tolerate any trace of it in the lives of its followers.

Further, Islam is very sensitive about maintaining its purity and the unique identity of its followers. Islamic laws and teachings go to extra lengths to ensure it. Salat (Prayers) is forbidden at the precise times of sunrise, transition, and sunset to eliminate the possibility of confusion with the practice of sun worship. To the voluntary recommended fast on the tenth of Muharram, Muslims are required to add another day (9th or 11th) to differentiate it from the then prevalent Jewish practice. Muslims are forbidden to emulate the appearance of non-Muslims.

A Muslim is a Muslim for life. During joys and sorrows, during celebrations and sufferings, we must follow the one straight path – not many divergent paths. It is a great tragedy that under the constant barrage of commercial and cultural propaganda from the forces of globalization and the relentless media machine, Muslims have begun to embrace the Valentines, the Halloween ghost, and even the Santa Claus. Given our terrible and increasing surrender to paganism the only day we should be observing is a day of mourning. Better yet it should be a day of repentance that could liberate us from all these days.

Please Forward it to other Muslim brothers and sisters to stop them from practicing such bid’ah… It is our duty as a Muslim and a Human being to spread the knowledge of our deen.May ALLAH forgive us for the sins we do consciously or unconsciously.. A’ameen 

Original Source: http://islamnewsroom.com/news-we-need/643-valentinesdaynoway2

The meaning of “ignore” can be applied to the following definitions:

1. Refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard intentionally: “he ignored her question”.
2. Fail to consider (something significant): “satellite broadcasting ignores national boundaries”.
3. To Fail or Refuse to Notice; Disregard – this use is a verb.
4. Disregard – To treat someone with ignore – this use is a noun.

MORE ON BEING IGNORED:

1.  Another aspect of being ignored is the word “absentmindedness” which is a preoccupation so great that the ordinary demands on attention are ignored.

2.  The saying “close one’s eyes to” can be attributed to being “deliberately ignored.”

3.  To discount means to ignore as “insignificant.”

The word “IGNORE” used a a verb means to disregard on purpose…

A few words which are synonymous with “IGNORE” are:

Avoid, Brush Off, Bury One’s Head in the Sand; Evade; Fail; Neglect; Pay no Attention to; Pooh-Pooh; Reject; Scorn; Shut Eyes To; Slight; Take No Notice; Tune Out; Turn Back On; Turn a Blind Eye; Turn Deaf Ear.

To IGNORE is to INSULT and be in violation of responding properly a question or an inquiry. 

When was the last time you were ignored?

There was a time when the western world imagined India as a country of snake charmers and saffron-dressed sages. But today, India to the world is a country of technology and man power. The unimaginable growth of cities with flyovers and malls hide the sight of utter poverty and ignorance of millions. The filthy and wretched condition of poor India is hidden from the sight of the universal world by the selfish politicians, who always aim at grabbing votes from the poor and cheating them with false promises. Villages are deserted because of inhuman living conditions. Villagers are forced to migrate to urban areas in search of basic livelihood.

Human beings wallowing in squalor and ignorance

The naked reality of rural India can shock any human heart. The selfish games of heartless politicians can make any conscience shed tears of blood. These politicians, who are triggered and moved by the narrow-minded monster of castes, are very particular about keeping the masses in poverty and ignorance.

The national committee reports that more than 3.7 million people live below the poverty line in India which makes more than 35 per cent of the world’s total illiterate population. UNESCO reports that more than 40 million primary school-age children in India are still kept out of school.
Even if the country has a bumper crop and can export, the hungry people of India do not have the purchasing power to buy the food they need.

Why are villages neglected?

Unhealthy bulging in urban areas can be seen well in the development of the Indian cities. Villages are neglected and villagers migrate to urban areas in search of livelihood. This increases the urban population to unsustainable levels. Politicians are clever to attract votes of the middle class people by such urban development and they are sure to win the villagers for a mean amount of cash or a bottle of toddy or hooch.

Democracy or “mobocracy”?

Politicians of all parties project the cause of caste system to win the votes and make democracy a mean “mobocracy”. Government officials are seen unashamedly corrupt, ready to cut off all the roots of ethics and morality. Money power, backed by vote-bank politics, can turn democracy easily into “mobocracy”.

The so-called educated people are not ready to unite to wage a consolidated battle for implementation of the law or think of the country. In fact, the education system aims at only getting a job and nothing else. Mobs, backed by mafia groups are ready to plunder the country at any cost.

To put things in a nutshell, the very process of law and policy making is now based on the whims and fancies of an uninformed, ignorant public, lured by caste mania and controlled by corruption.
Only proper education can open the eyes of these ignorant people to rise against the oppressing evils of caste system and selfish politics.

Not knowing anything about me, you will probably have your own thoughts and ideas to deduce from this… What does each thing mean to you? What do you think it might mean to me?

Image copyright Caleb Wicker 2011

People who have good ideas not yet conceived by others rule the world. They are always at the top. They have great asset that can bring them before kings. Today, many have resigned themselves to poverty, failure and to the lowest ebb of the social strata. In their own reasoning and understanding, they are doomed for failure and their situation can never be changed because of the family they came from. This kind of orientation is from the father of failures the devil.

Myles Munroe opined that “The greatest tragedy on earth is not death but ignorance”. For you to have the orientation and mindset that you cannot make it in life is a tragedy. That is where most people got it wrong in this world. Our thinking affects our being. If you are of the school of thought that there are people born great and some are born to suffer, you are wrong. You should change your orientation by reading biographies of great men and women. This will help you change your orientation. I have read the biographies of some great men and women and found out that not all were born with silver spoon in their mouth. Many had suffered a great deal to become what they are today. This changed my orientation and I resolved to do some things that will affect my generation thus leaving a legacy for posterity. 

If you must change yourself and status in life to live fully, you should be wiser than you were yesterday. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser than he was yesterday”. You should learn something new every day. The quality of friends we have, the quality of our thoughts and the quality of our environment matters in what we final become. These determine your actions and attitude. It fashions your orientation and understanding of life. Therefore, if you will have orientation and mind set for greatness, you should begin to live a more positive life. You should choose friends that will improve your quality of life. Read books that will challenge you and then you will be on the right part to maximizing the potentials in you. Note that your future depends on many things but mostly on you.       

Just another copy and paste status, I thought, just ignore it. And there’s nothing wrong with writing a Facebook status that most of your friends list will ignore – everyone does it. 

But then I made the mistake of really reading the status. 

There are so many problems with it. Firstly, it conflates people of different religious beliefs with immigrants. There are plenty of “English citizens” who do not celebrate Christmas. And a very small minority, if any, would take offence to you calling your tree a “Christmas tree.” They’re probably just going to keep themselves to themselves. Christmas and being an “English” citizen do not go hand in hand. And while I’m at it, an “English” citizen? Surely you mean British?

I could go on. But the main question is this: why do people encourage others to copy and paste Facebook statuses that do nothing but spread hate? Following this status there was a comment which included the famous words “I’m not racist, but…” which of course always signal that the person is about to make an extremely racist comment.

The problem isn’t limited to statuses like these. There are the “girls only” breast cancer statuses that give people the impression they’re doing some good, when really they’re just ignoring all the hundreds of other cancers, and the ways they could actually help: donating, volunteering, spreading the word through something more impressive than a convoluted status.

Many of the copied statuses that I put up with on my News Feed daily relate to immigration. Immigration is a complicated issue, and it cannot be addressed by someone’s status. If you want to comment on such a grand issue, there’s a time and a place, and Facebook is rarely, if ever, going to be it.

The problem with these statuses are that they spread ignorance. And we don’t need any more of that in the world. It only breeds hate, and racism, and confusion. Next time you have something to share, think about what it might be saying. Think about the source and what it suggests. And think about what you REALLY want to say. Because copying and pasting something someone else has said is rarely what you should really be doing, and posting your limited world view all over a social networking site isn’t either. 

Life after racism is no longer a part of everyday life:

    Conflicts between groups and countries: Racism plays a big part in wars, fights and other conflicts between groups of people and countries. If racism was no longer around, these wars, fights and other conflicts would no longer exist. People will be able to get along without problems that exist today.
   
    Friendships and other relationships between people of different races: If there was no more racism more relationships between people of different races could exist. People who are put down or outcast because of their race will be able to live life without the pain they face today because of their race.

    Hate crimes against people of other race: Hate crimes against people of other races would no longer happen. The world would not be filled with criminal and racists, like it is today.

    Prejudice, ignorance and stereotyping: Many people these days tend to be very prejudice and ignorant of people of other races, they tend to judge them without getting to know them first. They also tend to make up stereotypes about other people without caring to learn about them first. If racism did not exist,people would not be making up  stereotypes, being prejudice and ignorant of other people because they look different.

Cover of Intolerance

The prophets and wise sages tell us the great value of tolerance. Extremism is a wrong attitude toward life, and it breaks our integrity.

Nowadays it is very depressing to know that many people clash in the name of creed, caste and language. The poets and philosophers sigh to the full as these prejudices and wrong attitudes result in violence and bloodshed. This is nothing but bigotry and extremism. This extremism is horrible. It is indecent. We should have tolerance in our attitude to create a safe and happy society. Khalil Gibran very wisely remarks: “I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.”

Would these misguided and astrayed people ever change their attitude?  Violence perpetrated by them results in heavy weight of sorrow for all peace-loving persons. It might well be said that toleration is a divine quality.

There is always a tussel between  the wolf  and lamb, vice and virtue, bigotry and tolerance. Our doubts and falsehoods disappear by adopting a tolerant and nonviolent attitude toward our life’s problems and crisis.

Why does violence and intolerance exist in the world? This is a philosophical question, and the best answer is that  we should encounter the beast of intolerance within ourself. This is possible if we hear the inner voice. This inner voice is accessible to us if we are willing to hear it. Mark Twain very aptly remarks:” I have no color prejudices nor caste prejudices nor creed prejudices.  All I care to know is that a man is a human being, and that is enough for me; he can’t be any worse.”