:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Sunday 7 September 2003 ::

Sheikh Khalid Yasin speaking on ABC radio (natch)

Islam is under some pressure for terorism lately. How do you respond to to this?
It's a bit rich for the West to address Islam and terrorism when the West's own history is one of terrorism. Terrorism is not a place where we should start to evaluate Muslims. Let us start instead not even with Muslims. I mean, I wouldn't just Christendom by Christians.

Wha'?

How do you deal with fanaticism?
How does a government govern citizens? Through regulation. So how can Muslim leaders do it? We have no government. We can only preach. We can onlyl try to educate. To teach tolerance. But it is very unfair for Muslims to be denied global representation. They are denied global representation. Muslims need central government. I believe we need for things to come from the top down. I therefore promote that Muslims should be attached to ideas of community. This is the seed of Islam.

Where does the Shari'a fit into that?
Well, this is the rules, the law. If you do not have a people who are governed by Shari'a then you have a lawless people.

Oh, ladies, you must just lerv that.

How do you consider the operation of legislation and the role of Islam?
There is no law without God. This separation of church and state does not exist in Islam. Because the law is God's law, not man's law.

So do you think there can be a secular Islamic state? Turkey?
No. It does not work. It cannot work. The law is God's law. The source of law in Islam is superior to anything else.

What's your view of Malaysia and Indonesia, they are struggling with this at the moment?
Well, change cannot occur immediately. But we can look at Nigeria as an excellent example of Shari'a. Sweeping changes have been made.

But what about that case of the stoning?
One case of thousands is not a fair comparison. Her isolated case is not for Western reactions.

Do you think Shari'a can entertain the tolerance to allow others to practice their own religions?
Historically Islam has always shown tolerance, Shari'a is Spain, Shari'a in the Ottoman Empire. Nigeria needs some time.

How do you marry reporesentative democracy with Shari'a?
Representative democracy is by the people for the people. But God's law is settled and it is not for men to make laws where God has laid down law.
Represetnative democracy involves legislation, where men can marry men and women can marry women, they can adopt children and whole notions of family are turned upside.

Now, what you are saying is that Shari'a is above representative democracy, above parliament, is that right?
Yes. That's right and we make no apology for it. It is God's law, it is superior.

But Christians are in conflict with this because representative democracy can function with Christianity. Your solution is that Christians must capitulate to Islam?
No. No. Not conflict. Competition. We Muslims strive with dignity, without subversion, with tolerance, we strive to live under Shari'a. And it is only right that we be given the same opportunity as others to have our laws. Christians have their laws.

Calvin in Geneva and Cromwell in England - in Christian tradition, theocracy has been tried and has failed because the diversity of interpretation led to a conclusion that the preachers could not be paramount over parliament. Doesn't Islam too have many preachers?
No. There is a clear law. An apple is an apple whether it is rotten on the tree or falls or what the fuck? No idea what that is about.

Enough. Now they are talking about him.

He has a lovely voice, and a cool down with the homies kinda language. But it is still Shari'a. And he's not ashamed of his homophobia or of the stoning of girlies in Nigeria.

I don't wish to be tolerated, sir. I wish to be full on ignored by you and yours.

:: WB 6:51 am [link+] ::