What Does Islam Stand For?

What Does Islam Stand For?
By, Ahmed Simon
We all know that Christianity stands for the love of God, and that God loves humanity. We also can tell what other religions stand for, by the actions of their followers. It is said ‘actions speak louder than words’. But what does Islam stand for? Let us examine five real life situations, done in the name of Islam.

First - We go to the Paradise Island of Bali. Here the planes were pouring in tourists, night and day, and the 96% Hindu population of Bali welcomed the tourists and pampered them, and produced all sorts of Hindu festivals almost every day. It was said, “Bali is Heaven on earth”. Bali alone contributed 70% of the total tourist revenue of Indonesia. Estimates of travel agents put repeat tourists at around 50%. In October 2002 terrorists from foreign countries and from adjacent Islands, truck-bombed the largest hotel and resort called ‘The Sari Club’ and the famous ‘Kuta Beach Resort’ simultaneously. The toll was 200 dead and 450 injured. Half were tourists and the other half, were local Balinese. Those Balinese who survived in other resorts, suddenly found themselves unemployed, because tourists fled for their lives, out of Bali. With no tourist business, Balinese could not provide for their families, and the sufferings of the locals have not ended today.

Second – We go to India. The British Colonial Government decided to divide ‘British India’ into two countries on religious grounds, before giving independence. The power to decide this was given to the Maharajas, to take their states into secular India or Islamic Pakistan in 1947. The state of ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ (actually two territories with one state administration and one Maharaja, with adherents to Islam, Hinduism, Bhuddism, and Christianity, but none making the majority 50%) The Maharaja decided to take ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ state into secular India, for the sake peace and tranquility for all his people, of different religions and ethnic backgrounds. Pakistan immediately attacked ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ state to forcefully wrest this territory for itself. But secular India put a stop to further advancement beyond the 1/3 Islamic Pakistan holds to this day. Since then, Islamic Pakistan created, trained and supported terrorists into ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ to keep terrorizing the people there and the misery and deaths continue to this day.

Third – We take the example of Israel and Palestine. The sticking point to peace is the status of the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is supposed to be the “third most holiest city in Islam”. It is claimed that Prophet Muhammad, after death, was taken to Jerusalem, to rise to Heaven. But Islamic Scriptures do not use the name ‘Jerusalem’ neither does it say of any witnesses to this important event. So this territorial claim is the sticking point for peace to both the territories. But what puzzles me is, why Prophet Muhammad did not choose the Holiest site in Islam, the city of Mecca where the Kaaba is, or the second most Holiest, Medina, the prophet’s hometown? Prophet Muhammad died in 632 A.D. and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem was built from 685 A.D, to 691 A.D. (Britannica encyclopaedia, page 612, 1980, about 56 years later). I am not aware of anything else, which makes Jerusalem holy to Islam, during the time of Prophet Muhammad’s death in 632 A.D. If there is a territory holy to Islam, are we to surrender that territory? So the bloodshed continues to this day.

Fourth – We go to Checniya in Russia. I do not have to elaborate, because, I presume you readers know of the bloodbath there, which is continuing to this day for territorial gain.

Fifth – We go to Sudan in the continent of Africa. Here the Arabic Islamic North is fighting the African Christian South. International peace efforts, to stop this bloodbath, has not been successful, so far.

My question to you is, what does Islam really stand for?