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Sogaard’s
repulsive remarks on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) drew anger and
condemnation from the Muslim minority in Sweden.
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STOCKHOLM,
April 22, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – A top Muslim
scholar said the minority would abide by the Swedish law in
confronting a Christian preacher who insulted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),
urging his fellow Swedish Muslims not to take the law into their own
hands or commit any violent acts to avenge the repulsive remarks of
the Christian cleric.
“We
beg those who threatened (Runar) Sogaard, in the name of Islam, to let
Swedish law judge between him and us,” Hassan Moussa, the head of
Sweden’s council of imams, wrote in the Expressen newspaper,
according to Reuters Friday, April 22.
“Do
not under any circumstances take the law into your own hands.”
Celebrity
evangelist preacher Runar Sogaard, in a sermon at Filadelfia church in
Stockholm on March 20, repeated claims against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
– whose Birthday Muslims worldwide celebrated Thursday – saying
the Seal of Prophets was “a confused pedophile” since his wives
included a girl aged nine years old, alluding to the Prophet’s wife `Aisha.
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Comment
The
Muslim imam said that although Sogaard's comments “injured millions
of Muslims all over the world, but they must not lead to violence like
the murder last year of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh who was critical
of Islam,” Reuters said.
“We
assure all honest Swedes that the tragic developments we witnessed in
Holland will not take place here.”
“Those
who cast stones against us will not get stoned in return.”
Dutch
filmmaker Theo Van Gosh, known for his criticism of Islam, was killed
last November, allegedly by a Muslim extremist after he directed an
anti-Islam script that trigged anger of the Muslim minority in the
Netherlands.
Van
Gogh made his film in collaboration with a controversial politician of
Somali descent, Ayaan
Hirsi Ali, who is a vocal critic of women’s treatment in
Islamic countries and who was also under police protection after
receiving death threats.
Marie
Thorsensson, an official at Sogaard's church, told Reuters that the
Christian preacher would not make any comment on the issue “except
that the extract from his sermon is correct, but the sermon was not
about Islam or Muhammad”.
Islam
has become the second official religion in Sweden after Christianity,
despite the fact that the Muslim community is a relatively new one,
unlike that of other European countries such as France.
The
first mosque was built in Sweden in 1976. The Swedish constitution
allows Muslims to build mosques and Islamic schools.
Sweden
also seats around 145 Islamic societies affiliated to three central
Islamic unions, in addition to scores of mosques, praying halls and
Islamic centers everywhere in the country.
`Aisha,
before the Prophet proposed to her, was asked
for marriage by Jubair ibn Mut`am, a fact which proves that
she was mature enough for marriage, according to prevailing tradition
at that time.
Dr.
Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former President of the Islamic Society of North
America (ISNA) and Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County,
Garden Grove, California, that the age of `Aisha when she
married Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was far from being confirmed.
“Historically,
it is not confirmed that she was nine years old when she came in the
household of the Prophet. There are various reports from age nine to
age 24. Her maturity, knowledge, intelligence, and contributions
during the life of the Prophet and afterwards all indicate that she
was either an exceptional nine-year-old or must have been older than
that.”
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