Posted on 10/09/2002 7:07:18 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
From joining a residents' committee to learning qigong, Muslims spare no effort to show they can mix with other races
THREE months ago, housewife Dirah Didik turned up alone at Bishan Community Club to attend its qigong class.
Since then, she has persuaded her friends at her mosque to join her, and now 15 of them, all with headscarves on, can be seen every Saturday morning at the community centre's courtyard practising the Chinese martial art with 30 non-Muslims.
She had taken the course, said the 54-year-old, because the terrorism-related arrests had given Islam a bad name, and she wanted to show that Muslims can get along with other races.
'I chose a Chinese- dominated sport because this is where the non-Muslims are. Also we're interested to know the Chinese culture,' said the head of the women's committee of Muhajirin Mosque.
The mosque is one of 40 to sign the joint statement condemning terrorism. Another 82 Muslim groups have done so too. They have also pledged to become an integral part of the multi-racial Singapore society, a move that Muslims like Madam Dirah are consciously setting out to do.
Just two months ago, Madam Hasnah Masnud, 43, head of the Malay activity executive committee at Chua Chu Kang Community Club, decided to join her residents' committee at Teck Whye to be 'a spokesman for the Muslims'.
She will explain to the other members why many Muslims might not be able to take part in activities next month, which is Ramadan, the month Muslims fast.
'Often non-Muslims have no one to turn to if they have questions about Muslims. It's our duty to be out there to explain,' she said.
Sometimes, Madam Dirah said, it takes small steps on the part of Muslims, like accepting a handshake from someone of the opposite sex, even though they do not do so normally.
Citing a Malay idiom, she said: 'When you're with the cows, you moo, when you're with the donkeys, you bray. It's better to exercise flexibility and accept the handshake, so he won't feel uncomfortable.'
Mr Muhammad Haniff Hassan, manager of the Adult Islamic Religious Students' Association of Singapore (Perdaus) secretariat, said a Muslim woman who has started using a tudung should not cut down on time spent with her non-Muslim friends.
'Non-Muslims will then associate the tudung with something bad, that it makes Muslims exclusive.'
Mr Mohd Anis Tairan, chairman of Siglap Mosque, added that Muslims should not kick up a fuss about drinking Newater - endorsed by the Muis' fatwa committee to be clean and pure - as this will give the impression that they are being unreasonable.
To the Muslims interviewed, enlarging the common space of all Singaporeans means achieving a certain comfort level with each other.
Education about different religious practices is key, said Mr Syed Hassan Mohamed Alattas of Ba'alwi Mosque.
Mr Wan Hussin Zoohri, president of the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday Memorial Scholarship Board, described the common space as the area where races can interact 'without inhibition, restraint or suspicion'. Celebrating festive occasions together could be a start, he said, adding that this, however, should be two-way.
'Malays normally invite non-Malay friends to our house, but I've yet to see Chinese here do this commonly during Chinese New Year.'
"The Women" [4.89] They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.
[4.91] You will find others who desire that they should be safe from you and secure from their own people; as often as they are sent back to the mischief they get thrown into it headlong; therefore if they do not withdraw from you, and (do not) offer you peace and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and against these We have given.you a clear authority.
The Dinner Table - [5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.
And on and on and on and on it goes... as they establish their own Islamic version of the Trojan Horse in the U.S.A., etc. !!!
They will not ever admit it...I have once again, heard bosnian muslims refugees living in the USA, say it WAS a JEW conspiracy!! That makes about 15 times now!!
No, I think they should remove themselves to an islamic country where their strange clothing, racist, intolerate and misogynist ways are accepted as koranic law. AND, where they can follow their child molestor "prophet" in any way they prefer.
They are only good company for their fellow muslims. "Infidels", as they so generously call ALL non-muslims...need not apply.
Never mind...I can tell you are HOODWINKED already.
Ummm...what 'race' is Muslim? I checked the program and there is no race called "Muslim".
That seems to be par for the course for "Bosnian" muslims--the pro-"idependence" ones, anyway.
I think that "Bosnian" muslims are the biggest, smoothest, and most successful liars in the world! They got most of us Americans convinced that their leaders are "moderate muslim intellectuals" and that they wanted a "multiethnic state", as opposed to Serb "ethnic cleansers". Then there was the Markale Market massacre and all the other ploys that they pulled to convince us to come to the aid of "the poor muslim victims". So talking about 9/11 as a "Jewish conspiracy" is par for the course!!!!
Yup. . . and four English (non-Muzzle-em) syllables come to mind here -- ES - PI - ON - AGE !!!
Perhaps, though I usually check to see if they have their fingers crossed. ... For me, I take great comfort in knowing that millions of iranian young people want their M-TV.
muslims in "infidel" countries have a duty to practice da'wa--islamic "evangelism" or "invitation" to islam. And for a muslim woman, wearing the hijab is all part of that--it is a "female jihad"!!!! When the muslims mix with the "infidels" and"disbelievers" in that way, that is what it is all about!!!!
After 9/11, and to the present day, the US mosques held "understanding islam" sessions. Their da'wa was so successful that there was a greater rate of conversion to islam in America than ever before!!!! America is in effect REWARDING islam for 9/11, when we should do just the opposite!!!!
It's time for America to WAKE UP, and learn all the muslims' tricks, so that they can't pull ANY of their subversive scams on us!
It's thinking like yours that will get us all killed.
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