The Academic

Politics is about the question behind the question.

Usually, the question being asked is a high risk path to self-sabotage.

It would be shallow to assume that the question itself is the question that requires an answer. The one being questioned needs to be able to analyse the actual motive.

Scenario:

CNN pick up a well-educated Muslim scholar to engage in a panel discussion.

They ask him "Do you believe that in this modern age of research, technology and progression, the hand of the thief should be cut off? Do you not think that this is at least slightly barbaric?"

He gives the wrong people the right answer. His academia and years of study is misapplied.

He answers the question and he says "Off course, this is from our history and from the Quran itself. I would advise you to refer to the 38th ayah of Surah Al Maidah where Allah says "[As for] the thief, the male and the female, amputate their hands in recompense for what they committed as a deterrent [punishment] from Allah . And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise". This ayah is Qataii and decisive, so yes - most definitely the hand of the thief must be cut off".

The presenter says "I rest my case. This is exactly the Mad Mullah types that are still living in the medieval ages that we should be vigilant of. These are the clerics that are radicalising young children while we are desperately trying to help the Muslim community to save itself through measure like the CTS bill, Prevent and Snoopers Charter. It is because of people like this that we are being forced to infringe on the freedom of our citizens".

He came in as a "well educated Muslim scholar" and left as a "Mad Mullah living in the medieval ages".

An attempt to establish the textual validity of the hukm on this issue is the wrong path to take on a media interview. They are not confused about what Islam says on this issue. Such a scenario does not require a highly academic Muslim. This scenario needs a Muslim who understands Politics. A Muslim academic void of Politics is a Muslim who has not understood Islam properly. The Muslim academic who is void of Politics is vulnerable to being used and manipulated.

A few points to drive home:

- Media outlets have trained professionals and entire think tanks to manipulate how Islam would be perceived

- Any Muslim individual engaging in a discussion about Islam on the media is engaging in ideological warfare and will need to be a political specialist

- The question being asked is not one that desires an answer but rather an attempt to manipulate a self-defeatist response from the academic being questioned

The question that was asked was "Do you believe that in this modern age of research, technology and progression, the hand of the thief should be cut off? Do you not think that this is at least slightly barbaric?".

The question being put forward is different from what is actually being said.

There is a vast amount of information that the presenter packs into the question that reveals the motive:

"We believe in freedom, democracy and liberalism and we are civilised people compared to you Islamists that would prefer to disregard Human Rights and mutilate people for the sake of your medieval Islamic laws. How can you excuse these radical ideas in this day and age when you know that we have a better superior way of dealing with crime and people in general? Can't you people just be civilised like us?"

That is the wider motive and attack of such a question.

The art of war is to know the weaknesses of the opponent and to destroy whatever basis he stands on.

A possible response could have been:

"Isn't it time that you stopped using words like "barbaric" to describe aspects of Islam that you have isolated intentionally to emotionally manipulate the public and cause fear and paranoia between different communities? Your media channel has a history of being malicious, taking advantage of the fear and ignorance that people have for Islam- this is highly irresponsible, paradoxical and counter-productive taking into account that it is the Muslim community that is constantly accused of not integrating properly.

It is ironic that you would choose to paint a rosy picture and a modern age of progression and technology, yet your crime statistics are always on the rise and it seems that in these same states of technology and progression you have failed to protect the women and the most vulnerable in your society with 1 in 5 females claiming to be victims of sexual violence. It is very clear that secular states have failed to deal with crime and the cost of crime has been socialised so that the law abiding tax paying citizen pays to house independent criminal societies living in prisons, while a certain ruling elite enjoy exclusive benefits.

We have a system from Islam where the people are free from the greed of Capitalism and we remove all the incentive for people to commit such crimes while Capitalism encourages this type of behaviour through its materialistic outlook of the world. An Islamic society is one where the public opinion will be shaped by the perfect values and ideas of Islam and the state will apply the laws of Islam to protect the property, honour and dignity of all of its citizens- Muslims and Non-Muslims.

It is not clear whether your question is actually valid to begin with. I should be asking you why the situation of Capitalist and secular nations is getting worse from a moral, economic and social perspective while you claim to be a nation of progression and a beacon of hope for the rest of the world?"

Answering the question is defence.

Refuting the motive is attack.

A combination of attack and defence are required to establish the superiority of the Islamic ideas when engaging in discussion.


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