Removing The "Mask" A Campaign for Correct Repersentation

R Majid Woolen Jr

Campaign: a planned and organized series of actions intended to achieve a specific goal especially fighting for or against something or raising people’s awareness of something.

And in this case, that something is a clearer understanding of the religion of Al-Islam.

As cognitive creatures we can no longer lay blame when used as an “Imaging Machine”, solely on News Media outlets, for the “Mask” that has come to cover, what should be viewed in this country, as the face of Islam.

We should see that we are being asked to stand up for and represent Islam Proper. We are being asked to clarify misused and misunderstood Islamic terms such as “Jihad” or “Jihadist”, to give a true understanding of what qualifies a martyr and the real benefits of achieving that goal.

The Barbara Walters’ special “Heaven Where Is It? How Do We Get There?” is an example of what can happen when the “imaging machinery” utilizes ignorance (intentionally or un-intentionally) to miss-represent. In this special Barbara Walters sought out a representative of each major way of life, religion and non-religion to answer her question “Heaven Where Is It? How Do We Get There?” Walters traveled to the Himalayan Mountains to visit the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She travels to Washington DC to meet with Cardinal Theodore McCormick of the Roman Catholic Church. She went to the New York Jewish Theological Seminary to meet with Rabbi Neil Gilman, spoke with Reverend Calvin Butts, Pastor of New York’s famed Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, The National Association of Evangelicals’, President Pastor Ted Haggard.

Walter journeyed around the world - to India, Israel and throughout the United States. She spoke with many people of different religious and scientific beliefs, each with strong opinions and answers to her question. Each of the various answers and having an understanding of the various religion and non-religion I could almost accept the answer - and if I profess either of the various ways I would have been proud of each one of the representatives.

But when it came to the ones that was to relay the Islamic understanding, or give a Muslims' answer or opinion, an opinion that is suppose to represent my rational, I almost kick in the television (tell-lie-by-vision).

Supposedly Islamic Representative #1 Islamic scholar Feisal Abdul Rauf gives a statement that allows the focus to be placed on the physical animalist image of sex.

Supposedly Islamic Representative #2 - (hold on to your hats now) the attempted suicide bomber Jihad Jarrar, of Islamic Jihad, who is incarcerated in an Israeli prison. He also leads way towards darkness by stating, (by way of translation): “the lord promised the martyr who lost his life and lost the world on earth, that he promised him 72 virgin in paradise as honor, as respect for him.” He goes as far as to tell Walters that only Muslims will go to heaven and she's going to hell.

Now mind you this program aired in a time where demonizing Muslims seems to be the patriotic thing to do in this country. So quite possible a lot of clarifying point that should have been made by Feisal Abdul Rauf ended up on the editor floor.

I hope that there was a mention of what or something similar to what Imam W. D. Mohammed enlighten us with so many years ago that “man is mind” I hope it was said in a way that could have led her and the viewers to “fallow the logic to its logical conclusion” Because the statement made by Imam W. D. Mohammed “man is mind” gave me a more palatable understanding an understanding that if shared with Walters and her viewers that would clarify the animalistic view and miss presented physical prizes (if you will) that was given.

I’m sure if any of the true students of Imam Mohammed was asked, they he or she could state in very simple language that – to make it to any plane of Heaven you would have achieved the highest state of mind, and knowing that there will be work/worship there then there will also be production there. Also- seeing that G-ds creation never stops and has no end, then the process of bringing about anew will never stop. The right mind would engage only with that that brings about righteous pure production; it would only mate with or enter into, “something that has never been touched or entered into before” and that blessed mind will be allow to produce with all that has been perfected for it.

Also the term martyr, as I understand it, it’s a sin in the religion of Islam for one to kill him or herself as it is also a sin to take the life of any innocent creature. A martyr (from the English dictionary) somebody who makes sacrifices or suffers greatly in order to advance a cause or principle - somebody who chooses to die rather than deny a strongly held belief, especially a religious belief.

Killing yourself for any cause does not make you a martyr, it makes you sick! Suicide is not a synonym for martyr. One of the most popular sayings in the religion of Islam is “The ink of a scholar is more sacred than the blood of a martyr” OR “One learned man is harder on devil than a thousand ignorant worshipers”. Again, killing yourself does not make you a martyr.

How can you claim to be a fighter for peace when your last act brings about the sound of an explosion alone with murder and mayhem ka-boom?

This is the “Mask” that must be removed, the representation that must be replaced.

Because of the sense of “change” is in the air with this year’s history making presidential campaign season, for those of us who can see know that we have to ride this wave. We too must campaign. Campaign for correct representation, we are being ask by the same media that uses that mask to send out that image, to clarify. Make it make sense.

The likes of talk radio host and host of FOXs Hannity & Colmes, Sean Hannity, talk radio host & founder of the E.I.B. Network Rush Limbaugh, talk radio host Mark Levin, Glen Beak etc… all have asked, “where are the moderate Muslims to dispute these things”.

Things like the uproar over the so-called drawing of the Prophet Muhammad could have easily been dealt with by the students of Imam W. D. Mohammed.

We have brothers and sisters among us that could put the babies in their cradles and let them have their bottles full of milk (their explanations).

We have Qasim Ahmed, Yahya Abdullah, Faheem Shuaibe. We have Dr. Nasir Ahmed, Plemon El-Amin, Hatim Hamidullah. We have sisters in this community that could show the world the liberating freedom that Islam has awakened her to. We have brothers that didn’t know what to think or how to think, couldn’t read left to right. But now not only reading left to right but coming back strong with right to left. We have eight, nine, ten year olds leading the Taraweeh prayers during the nights of Ramadan.

We have the best candidates we are the best candidate.

So you see its time for us to embark on this campaign. It’s not a campaign to run for office or take to the street chanting “Ask Us About Us”™. No! It’s an inward campaign that calls out from within us the need to be the replacement for that “Mask”. We have to assume our post. We are wartith-deen-muhammad (spelled intentionally that way for the similarity) the one to inherit the mission of Muhammad (PBUH). Keep in mind now if you don’t know, learn. Then share what you have learnt. Imam W. D. Mohammed said once “You should love this enough to keep your ignorant self away”