“Burning The Qur'an. Do Something."
Answer: “Pray And Educate.”
T.O.Shanavas. MD
Author of “Creation and/or Evolution an Islamic Perspective"

Last week I received a mail from a brother asking, “Hindus are burning the Qur’an; Do something.” I know Hindus and I have many close friends among them. I have read Hindu scriptures. So, by knowing decent Hindus and their scriptures, I hold that the Qur’an-burning Hindus are only a minority who are not any different from Muslims who killed Catholic nuns and bomb mosques in Iraq or Pakistan or any where else.
 
Due to the lack of responsible leadership within their community, Muslims do not recognize and resist the provocation and the “trap” set by those who would manipulate Muslims religious sensitivities. The media puppeteers, knowing what motivates Muslims to rampage, simply turned off the cameras and directed them to another venue. Muslims are well trained to tailor their activity on the basis of subliminal media directives, and it looks like we, Muslims, were duped again with the Danish cartoon. This entrapment leads to insult and humiliation, on the one hand, and cleverly insinuated conflict with free speech, on the other. While subjecting Muslims and Islam to palpable intolerance, this clever stratagem seeks to make all Muslims appear the intolerant community. Muslims do not take into consideration that in an open-free-speech-society bigotry is fought and defeated through public consciousness and rational analysis. So, Muslims must understand that in an open society where free speech is protected bigotry is fought and defeated through public consciousness and rational analysis.
 
Recently, all across the world, many followers of Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] were insulting the Prophet (peace be upon him) by their knee-jerk response to the provocative Danish cartoons about the Prophet [peace be upon him]. They are attacking embassies, burning newspapers, threatening journalists, issuing bomb threats, and promoting suicide bombing. Still, they claim that they are defending the Prophet [peace be upon him]. These measures do not comply with the values of an ideal community whose Prophet is described in the divine scriptures as a Mercy to Humankind. Moreover, Muslims by their angry outburst made even the initially disinterested people to search for the caricature. Unfortunately, Muslims made the existence of the offensive cartoons widely known, even created some by themselves to add fuel to fire, as they did to the boring Satanic Verses of Salman Rashdie.

At this moment of extreme sadness, I ask Muslims to join me to read Prophet’s [pbuh] biography and the Qur’an for guidance, consolation, and self-control.

Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] was insulted and ridiculed on a regular and daily basis during his lifetime. He was even called a liar by his enemies. His opponents mocked his message that challenged status quo. They even tried to assassinate him in order to silence him for ever. The Prophet (peace be upon him), however, did not get angry or react with emotional outbursts to these provocations at any stage of this ordeal. Instead, he offered a prayer of forgiveness to those who showed contempt for him. He indeed set an unparalleled example of patience and fortitude. He forgave Hind .b. Utubah who killed and mutilated Hamza (r). His victorious entry to Mecca He gave general amnesty to all who fought him and Islam.

Similarly, the following verses guide us, Muslims, to tailor Muslim conduct when the ignorant shower insult on our Prophet [pbuh] and Islam.

“And verily messengers before you were mocked but in the end, the mockers were overwhelmed by the very thing they ridiculed.” [21:41.]

“Indulge [people] with forgiveness, [accepting] what issues spontaneously from people's manners [of behavior], and do not scrutinize them, and enjoin kindness, decency, and turn away from the ignorant, and do not counter their stupidity with the like.” [7:199]

“You shall most certainly be tried in your possessions and in your persons; and indeed you shall hear many hurtful things from those to whom revelation was granted before your time, as well as from those who have come to ascribe divinity to other beings beside God. But if you remain patient in adversity and conscious of Him - this, behold, is something to set one's heart upon.” [3:186]

“When you see those who engage in discourse about Our signs, the Qur'ān, in mockery, turn away from them, and do not sit with them, until they discourse on some other topic…”[6:68]

Here, the Qur’an counsels us, Muslims: the Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and prophets before him were ridiculed; we will hear many hurtful and painful things; do not scrutinize the ignorant or counter their stupidity with similar means, but extend kindness and decency to them; do not resort to intimidation and violence against mockers but leave them alone, be patient, and conscious of compassionate God.

All the above verses illustrate that angry or violent response to those who ridicule Muslims or even prophets (peace be upon them) is not an Islamic axiom. In fact, the Qur’an calls upon Muslims to extend patience and tolerance towards mockers. According to the verses, if Muslims ignore the ignorant and let them express their ignorance freely, the mockers will be "overwhelmed by the very thing they ridiculed."

None of the verses mention of the abridgement of non-believer’s right for free speech even if it is painful and indecent. In fact, the right of free speech is abridged for Muslims in this painful situation because they are expected to ignore the mockers and make a polite exit from the scene. Muslims have no divine mandate to stop the mockery by force or intimidation. Therefore, the acceptance and practice of the principles of free speech is an Islamic decorum.

The human Right for free speech is not a gift from the East or the West. It is a divine gift and a mercy for humanity. Let us remember that "verily messengers before you were mocked" and let us pray, forgive, and educate contemporary scoffers of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and pray for human decency and free speech with responsibility and respect for people of all faiths.