What makes us so crazy? Is it our culture or genetic predisposition? Please answer ASAP before I stop hitting my head against the wall. Gracias mucho.
Answer
Dear Dizzy
Assalamo Alykom
Neither our culture nor our genes make us crazy (if you mean by crazy: mental illness or violent.)
Before we assume that we are more likely to be crazy than others we need an evidence to support this. Either violence or mental illness are a problem everywhere. No race or nation or religion should be labled in this way as this is unfair. Perhaps you need more reading in this area to satisfy your desire to know & resolve your uncertainity.
Please visit websites addressing this problem both Islamic & non-Islamic
Best wishes
Name
Horace Snigglethwarpe
- Barbados
Profession
Brain Surgeon
Question
Doctor -- my many years of studies into the cranium lobes of Arabs has led me to conclude that their brains are not connected. Do you concur?
Answer
Dear Horace
Thanks for your question. Perhaps you have more knowledge about the brain than anybody else. I can tell from your question that you have strong feelings towards Arabs. Maybe haven't seen many Arabs or visited an Arabic country. If you do this, you are likely to change your views. Arabs belong to mankind like all human beings: suffer & enjoy like you.
Many of my colleagues in UK, Britain and from other backgrounds spoke with to about their visits to Arab countries and the welcoming attitude and hospitality they found there.
Please reconsider your view, and if you feel really interested in knowing about Arabs, please get in touch with your local Arab community where you live, plan a visit to an Arabic country like Egypt, .... Or contact me for more dialogue. One important point about Arabs: they are not known to be racist as Islam made all human beings equal and we are proud of this. Color or ethnic origin does not matter to Arabs. We love all and welcome all.
Best wishes to you.
Name
zaki
- Malaysia
Profession
graduate
Question
Dear Sir,
Can you tell me what the real meaning of barbaric is?
I tried to imagine what it was all about when Tony Blair condemned the barbaric acts by the so-called barbaric "muslim" people. It confused me when I compare what Tony Blair, and the "civilised people" have done and are doing to Iraqis.
Would you tell me nicely how to manage this type of person?
One more thing is I HOPE my fellow muslims in Britain or any other part of Europe become stronger than ever. Be strong and reach out to the people out there!
Answer
Dear Zaki
Assalamu Alaykum & Thanks for your question.
I do not think that we have to argue about definitions in this dialogue. I can see that you are angry because some people describe the attacks on London as Barbaric. Is this because the suspected persons are Muslims?
How would you describe an attack on civilians? Do you (as a Muslim) see a justification to attack civilians? I do not see any justification for this.
This is not only my personal opinion but also guided by the teachings of Qur'an & the Prophet. Prophet Mohammed (Peace may be upon him) ordered his people during times of war not to kill or harm civilians (men, women, the elderly, children, not to uproot trees and not to kill animals. What about areas where there is no war?
British Muslims are an integral part of the British community, they are valued by the British nation with its various components from various ethnic & religious groups. We enjoy freedom in the UK and enjoy being part of this community. You may have feelings and views about Mr Blair's policies or comments. I also have my own views but we should express our views in the appropriate way. Finally, Mr Blair expressed appreciation for the British Muslim community. So I do not believe that Mr Blair has an attitude against the British Muslims. If you visit the UK, you will know why British Muslims love their Country (UK) and are integrated into their British communities. Islam teaches us tolerance, respect and love for all.
Best wishes to you & all in Malaysia.
Name
Adel Ameen
- Bahrain
Profession
Question
I really want to know what generally makes a person violent?
Answer
Dear brother Adel Assalamo Alykom
Very good question - no simple answer.
Human beings are created as kind and innocent. No one has been born violent or aggressive. The interaction between various factors could make a person's response in certain situations violent.
The situation or circumstances which could make one person violent may not make another behave or act with violence. People may respond differently. There are factors which could be considered as possible causes for violence e.g. a sense of injustice and oppression, feeling humiliated or degraded by an aggressor, or suffering from discrimination.
Not all individuals who suffer the above respond with violence. Some react with violence and others do not. The ability to express one's view or opinion and seeking justice in a peaceful way is very important and can help to reduce the likelyhood of violence.
If the motivation for violence is beyond wisdom and reason, violent behavior may erupt. We should not condone or support violence as it is against our religion and it teachings. Islam and Muslims are peace-loving. Islam promotes tolerance , respect, and freedom of belief. If we are really Muslims and understand our religion correctly, it is very unlikely that we will see much violence from Muslims. Anyway: violence should not be attributed or related to a race, ethnic group, or follower of certain religion. If someone behaves in a violent way, it is his behavior and he should take responsibilty for his action. Neither his family or religion should be labeled because of this.
Best wishes.
Name
Mohammed
- Spain
Profession
Question
Most violence in today's world is considered "Muslim violence". As a Consultant Psychiatrist how do you read and diagnose that?
Answer
Dear Mohammed
Assalamo Alykom
I am not sure about the information you mentioned that most violence comes from Muslims. Yes, what is presented about violence in the media may give this impression. However, this may not be correct. Violence happened throughout history and the history of Muslims as a nation was generally more peaceful.
You live in the nice country of Spain where Muslim civilization brought light, knowlege & principles, as well as to all of Europe. Muslims were and have been civilization builders until recently. With the decline of Muslim contributions to human civilization, we have been labeled with many unfair labels.
In my experience as a Psychiatrist, I have not seen a race or a group of people that could be considered as more violent than others.
Dealing with violence in the field of Psychiatry is a very interesting area which requires knowledge and skill.
I have to examine the situation carefully before making a rushed decision. I treat the situation bearing in mind the medical model: make the correct diagnosis by evaluating all aspects of the violent episode, treat the acute sitution and deal with the causes to prevent its recurrence.
Hope this answers your question.
Best wishes.
Name
zaman
- Denmark
Profession
Question
Managing violence?? what do you mean by that and does managing violence mean that we accept it and all that we will do is to manage??
Answer
Dear Zaman
Assalamo Alykom
Please note that part of my answer to the previous question may apply to your question. In addition:
Managing does not mean accepting. As a Doctor (Psychiatrist) I manage mental health problems by thorough assessment so I make the correct diagnosis and am able to prescribe the appropriate treatment. A person may suffer from high temperature (Fever). Someone may consider the problem as only fever and may focus on only that. Another would treat the fever as a symptom, but will also look at the underlying cause(s) and will treat them to avoid recurrence and to ensure that the patient has been adequately treated.
So far in many cases the causes of the politically motivated are not dealt with. For example: violence in Kashmir, Chechneya, Palestine & Iraq,... Therefore violent episodes related to these unresolved problems erupt every now and then.
So when I say managing violevce I mean to treat the symptom ( violence ) and deal with its causes ( injustice, military occupation, racism,...)
I Hope this helps.
Kind regards.
Name
Omran
- Lybia
Profession
Question
Speaking about non-violent struggle is a myth because the entire world is fighting us Muslims. Please don't ignore the fact that we are under attack and we have to do something!
Answer
Dear brother Imran,
Assalamo Alykom, greatings to you & all people in Libya.
I do not believe that the entire world is fighting us because we are Muslims. How did you come to this conclusion? Unfortunately there are some people who hold this view but not all of them. We should be careful before making such strong statements. Have you seen the millions across the UK and Europe who protested against invading Iraq and offered support and solidarity with the Palestinians.
I attended some of these protests, and the vast majority of demonstrators were not Muslims but Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Sikhs. We as British Muslims live in peace in a multi-ethnic society and are tolerant, respectful and supportive of each other. In the Noble Qur'an there is a verse with the meaning: God created us from one man & one woman (Adam & Eve), i.e. we belong to one set of parents so that we live together and know each other. We feel for each other and love each other. Have you seen people accross the world rushing to donate to the needy in Africa and the victims of the Tsunami in Asia. We live in a world which has become like one big village.
I think there is a mix-up between what some politicians & military leaders do e.g. invading Iraq, Afganistan, etc..
Even in war the Prophet taught us rules.
Please refer to some of my previous answers.
Best wishes.
Name
Soha
-
Profession
Question
Do you think that religion has to be removed from the scene totally because its violence will never be managed?
Answer
Dear sister Soha
Assalamo Alykom
Not a new question, I hear such view from some individuals who blame religions for actions carried out by followers of one religion or other.
I am sorry but I do not agree with this view. All religions including Islam promote tolerance , respect , peace and love. Prophet `Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, teaches us to love all and help all. Prophet Mohamed tells us to be fair, good and kind to all. Islam is a word derived from the Arabic word 'Salam' which means peace. During the era of the rise of Muslim civilization, peace spread to most of the earth.
Being committed to a religion does not mean to hate or fight those who do not share the same belief. In the Noble Qur'an there is a verse which states that whoever wishes to believe is entitled to do and who wishes to disbelieve is free to do so, and none should be forced to believe in God. So God Almighty did not want us to force people to believe or treat people unfairly. Even if you hate someone, you should treat them with justice and respect their dignity.
I hope this clarifies this matter.
Best wishes
Name
Lila
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Assalykum Dr. El Adl,
I believe that some people have a criminal mind-set from early age, is that correct? What I mean is that some people are more prone to crime than others. Can this apply to the people that conducted the london bombings, regardless of their religious beliefs?
Thanks.
Answer
Dear sister Lila
Assalamo Alykom & thanks for this interesting question.
People are born good and innocent. The interaction between nature & nurture may lead to some changes. Criminal behavior could be understood better if we assess the both the criminal's phsyical and mental health as well as other relevant issues, before labling someone as a criminal. Do you know that some of those who were violent and described as criminals in high secrity prisons in some Western countries embraced Islam after they studied it and became very good citizens.
The police in some places could not believe this great change could be achieved. So criminal behaviour could be changed if understood and appropriately addressed. I do not mean at all that this applies to all violent criminals, but it does to a percentage of them. I also do not mean to say that embracing Islam automatically solves all problems.
Coming to the London attack:
this was a very traumatic experience for all of us ( Muslim and non-Muslim). My feelings and suffering as a result of this attack would have been the same had this attack been in Cairo or Makkah. This attack cannot be justified by any religion, including Islam ( please see some of my previous answers).
It is essential that we do not rush to conclusions and verdicts before knowing all the details. We have to deal with violence as a symptom and manage the underlying causes as much as we can. If we do not do this and just resort to blaming or judging this group or the other, unfortunately, violence is likely to continue or even increase.
After the invasion of Iraq, the consequences were a disaster for us all, but those who decided to take military action and made made a case for it do not want to admit the failure of their policy. I hope we can reach a better understanding of this problem and deal with the underlying causes.
After September the 11th attacks on US which we are totally against, Mr Bush promised to deal with the causes of this violence reluctantly, persuaded by his cose friend Mr Blair. However this did not happen, Why? Perhaps Mr Bush can answer this question for the whole world.
I hope this addresses your question.
Best wishes.
Name
Hesham
-
Profession
Question
Doctor, I find it hard to understand how a person can be both religious and be in a high spirtual state, and yet be suicidal. I particularly mean carrying out suicide attacks on civilians outside of warfare, which is a different case.
How can both mentalities occur at the same time in a single person?
Answer
Dear brother Hesham
Assalamo Alykom
This is a very interesting question which needs to be addressed in textbooks.
In brief:
Sucide is a very tragic event by which a person ends his life. Such people are usually feeling isolated, rejected, alienated. They usually lack social support and religious belief. They may be suffering from a mental illness with or without alcohol or drug dependence, feeling very stressed, hopeless and helpless. Sometimes they find no other way out of their suffering except by leaving this life and committing suicide. Now we are talking about those described as suicide bombers.
Killing or harming civilians who are non-combatants is not allowed in any religion. Those who fight an enemy and use their bodies as a way to attack this strong aggressive enemy, are a different story.
The psychosocial profile of such individuals has been found different from those who commit suicide to end their life. They were described by members of their community as good persons, well integrated into their communities, active, ambitious, doing well at school, loved by their family and community.
Applying the description of suicide bomber to such individuals may reflect a misunderstanding of this particular area.
Hope this helps you towards understanding this problem.
Best wishes.
Name
Mohd. Akil
- Kuwait
Profession
Telephone Operator
Question
Assalamu Alaykum,
I would like to know what the Islamic Verdict for a suicide bomber is; is it right or wrong?
Jazakumullah bi khair.
Answer
Dear brother Mohamed
Assalamo Alaykum,
I think it is not very important to know the verdict. The individuals who carry out these acts will be judged by Almighty God. More important is to try hard to understand the reasons leading to this behaviour. What are the causes and motives?
This would help us to address this problem to our utmost ability as a civilized human community and to stop future incidents.
We look forwards to live together in a world of Justice, tolerance, respect and peace.
I hope this answers your question.
Kind regards.
Name
Amina
- United States
Profession
Teacher
Question
Asalam'aalaikum.
Have you treated any gay Muslims? As far as you know are there any successful treatments?
Amina
Answer
Dear sister Amina
Assalamo Alykom
Thanks for this very important question
As this is not the scope of this session, please contact me throuh Islam on line for more discussion ( they will give you my e-mail)
Look to hear from you
Kind regards
Name
zaki
- Malaysia
Profession
graduate
Question
assalamoalaikum sir,
i did not angry at all when tony blair told that the "deviated" muslim young men were barbaric people. indeed, when they initially intended to blow up themselves to fullfill their stupid mission, they started to be barbarics person.
as far as i concerned, britain is a paradise for muslim because we can express our feelings or thoughts anytime at any place. it is a very democratic country which is extremely on par with many undemocratic muslim countries nowdays. it is a promising land for muslim.
the bombers, to me were not the truth muslim. islam never teach violence. islam is a peace and full of grace religion.
so, could you tell me how to manage barbaric people like tony blair, bush, saddam and the four muslim bombers and alike? what should we do to prevent them to do such as henious and foolish things and actions?
Answer
Dear brother Zaki
You have your views about Mr Bush, Blair , Sadam & others. You are entitled to have your own view & opinion this the good thing about civilisation & respecting rights of every one without undermining the rights of the whole community. However, we better avoid using inflammatory language as this is unlikely to help all of us to engage in a health debate & a costructive dialogue. The prophet always respected others views. In the quraan, if you have adialogue with non-muslims, use the best way of communication politely & with respect.
Election is the right & best way to change a government if you live in a country & do not agree with the way the government runs your country. THis applies to people living in Malaysia, Canada, UK or US. I urge all Muslims to engage more in the political activities so their views are heard & opinion is listened to. We have to integrate in the society in a healthy & constructive way.
Hope this answers your question
Name
Muxiiyadeen
- United States
Profession
Question
Salaamu Aleykum brother and thanks for your participation! Why should we Muslims be this so naive and allow to be led to believe that those who did this horrible act in london were Muslims? Of course ALLAH knows who did it. But there are those who have been doing these kind of terrorist acts of violence to frame the Muslims in order to drive their hidden, devilish motives. I personally donnot and will never believe what the anti-islamic media and their corporate governments lead the masses to believe. I donnot think those who carried out the ugly killings in the uk were Muslims; even the thinking non-muslims donnot believe this.Brother, I just want you to commment on this.
Answer
Dear brother Muxiiyadeen
Assalamo alykom
I appreciate how you & all Muslims feel about the gravity & unjustified attacks on London. I am glad that you do not believe that Muslims do such acts.
I am unable to share with you the iew that it is all made by anti - Muslims & the anti-Muslim Media are sharing in this. Yes sometimes the media my inflamme the public opinion against Muslims. But there are lot of good people every where, THe BBC as a national organisation in UK was wonderful in its coverage of the tragic attacks & Muslim community apprecite this very much.
Let us wait & see the outcome of investigatios. However, Muslim community like any other community, some of its members may do mistakes or commit serious crimes or even crimes against humanity. This does not at all & should not be used to defame Muslims Or give islam a bad image.
Hope this addresses your point.
Kind regards
Name
Roxanne
- Spain
Profession
Question
What makes these young people murder innocents, do they really beleive that they will go to paradise?that allah wants this? this is beyond my understanding.
Answer
Dear sister Roxan
Greatings from Britain to all in Spain.
Very important question.
Killing innocent people was never the way to Paradise.
In The Noble Quraan (meaning)who kills a person without a just cause as if he killed the whole mankind & who saves a life as if he saves the whole mankind.
In the prophets Hadith: human life is sacred & more sacred that ALkaaba.
What happened reflects a misunderstanding of the teachings of Islam & this is an important factor. There are other factors in the Muslim community & in the whole community which may have paveed the road for this to happen. It is possible that some of the British born Muslims are having difficulty integrating into the British society for one or more reason.
Sadly some of them may have not seen the country of his parents or grandparents origin. So UK is his only home but still does not feel belonging to the British society. The possible reasons may be in the Muslim community on one side & in the whole system on the other. Therefore we need to study these attacks & the you who did it & learn from this to prevet future similar actions.
Best wishes
Name
Jesus
- Palestine
Profession
Messiah and Son of God
Question
How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? We don't know; it's never happened.
Answer
Dear Jesus
Thanks for your question. I am so sorry as I am unable to fully understand your question.
I pray to God that Paris, all France & all the world live in peace.
Best wishes to you
Name
Hatim Khan
- United Arab Emirates
Profession
Engineer
Question
I feel that love is directly proprtional to imotions. i.e. the more you have love for someone the more emotional yo will be towards that person. I dont reaaly know how far this is true. See you love your parents; anybody says a word against the you start boiling. You love your religion, somebody says about any personality dominant in your religion, you will not be able to control your wrath. But if your love is not deep then you are insane or callous to waht anybody says you will not get emotional.
Having said this one really wonders is being emotional a bad thing or is it reaaly good. Should one learn to control the emotions; I guess if you want to make a person less emotional you have to really reduce the magnitude of his love.
Nafs controls emotions but which Nafs Ammara or Lawama and/or Mutmainna
Should we learn to control our minds our hearts or our Nafs
should we be emotional or callous
Wa salaam
Answer
Dear Brother Hatim this question is not within thetopic of this session but will answer breifly & if you are looking for more in depth answer, please e-mail me via Islam on line.
Reciprocating love & emotions is a good thing & is part of the usual human experience. a higher level is to offer unconditional love. So You love all mankind whether they are Muslims , Christians, Jew, Hindu,....
As I said before, we all belong to one parets Adam & Eve, so we all brothers & sisters , members of the Human family.
This has beed demonstrated with the flood of donations & people travelling to Africa / Asia & other disaster zones to help their brothers & sisters In humanity. They did not expect a reward for this from them. Allah will reward all.
When you see someone suffering, youfeel for them & if you see someone happy you also feel for them.
Being emotional has a different meaning in the field of my specialty, but it is always good to have warm emotions & react appropriately to people with sympathy, respect, shre joy & support them when feeling sad & need support. Even animals, should receive our care & help. As in Prophets Hadith:
A man was in desert very thirsty, went to a well to drink. He found a dog in the very hot weather licking the stones from thirst. He went down the well, filled his shoes & carried it to the dog. This man was rewarded Paradise for this. So please continue to be loving & caring to all even animals
Best wishes
Name
Habibdeen
- India
Profession
Business
Question
Dear Sir,
When ever there is attept by palestanians it is termed as barbaric terrorism act, Afghan trying to librate there country, they are terrorist, Iraqis fight for freedom, they are also terrorist.
But Israel kills civilians in Palestine, occupy their land, practice apparthed, USA attack ob Afghan and Iraqi civiliand for unfound WMD , they are not termed or classified as terrorists. Is this term coined for a perticular community ?
Answer
Dear brother Habib
Yu raising a very important point (the Double Standards)
Unfortunately this the case in our world. The strong put the rules of the game & the vulnerable or weak has no say.
HOwever, change is the norm in human history, the strong will not remain dominant for ever. So we should not loose hope, Justice will be achieved.
However, the double standards in World Politics does not at all justify attacks on civilians. Let them learn from us & from our Islamic standards. Inthe Noble Quraan (meaning): do not let anger/ hatred to someone force you to be unfair to them.
Also many non-Muslim good people from all faiths & races are Sympathising & supportive to the Palestinians, Kasshmiri, ...
So we are not the only people striving for Justice.
Thanks for being so thoughtful about Muslims suffering in various areas
Best wishes
Name
Habibdeen
- India
Profession
Business
Question
Do you agree
At Beeston's Cross Flats Park, in the center of this now embattled town, Sanjay Dutt and his friends grappled Friday with why their friend Kakey, better known to the world as Shehzad Tanweer, had decided to become a suicide bomber.
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Michael Kamber for The New York Times
In the Beeston section of Leeds, the police cordoned off the Iqra bookstore Friday for a search in connection with the investigation of the London bombings. The store is a gathering place, holding classes about Islam. Shehzad Tanweer, one of the bombing suspects, lived nearby.
Muslims in Britain
Attacks in Central London
Forum: Western Europe
Justin Sutcliffe/Polaris, for The New York Times
Dr. Imram Waheed, a psychiatrist in Birmingham, leads a conservative, nonviolent party seeking to instill Islamic standards in daily life.
"He was sick of it all, all the injustice and the way the world is going about it," Mr. Dutt, 22, said. "Why, for example, don't they ever take a moment of silence for all the Iraqi kids who die?"
"It's a double standard, that's why," answered a friend, who called himself Shahroukh, also 22, wearing a baseball cap and basketball jersey, sitting nearby. "I don't approve of what he did, but I understand it. You get driven to something like this, it doesn't just happen."
To the boys from Cross Flats Park, Mr. Tanweer, 22, who blew himself up on a subway train in London last week, was devout, thoughtful and generous. If they understood his actions, it was because they lived in Mr. Tanweer's world, too.
They did not agree with what Mr. Tanweer had
Answer
Dear brother Habibudeen
Salam to you & all in India
I also do not agree with those who attacked London or civilians any where. London is not a war zone. Even in War zone civilians should be spared & protected ( This is The prophets teaching).
The police actionafter such attacks is essential to stop further attacks & arrest those who comitted this act. I respect the British Police & consider them very professional & civilized in their behaviour
I would like to offer my condolences to families of all victims, all those injured, to the British nation (Muslims & non-Muslims ). I sympathise with failies of the alleged attackers & share with them & all the British Mulims the shock of this Trauma. I urge all of us to behave in civilised way & to understand religin correctly. Religion ( including Islam ) promotes peace & tolerance,...]Please see some of my previous answers as well.
Best wishes
Name
Habibdeen
- India
Profession
Business
Question
Kindly comment a NewYork times report
The bombers are an exception among Britain's 1.6 million Muslims. But their actions have highlighted a lingering question: why are second-generation British Muslims who should seemingly be farther up the road of assimilation rejecting the country in which they were born and raised
Answer
Dear brother
This incident if committed by individuals from a second or third generation i.e. British born is very alarming & may urge us to study its meanings in depth.
Firstly & Again: no justification for these attacks or any attacks on civilians any where. Islam is against this.
I do not think that the attacks mean that those youh rejected their country (UK).
Yes this attack may indicate failur of a British born Muslim to integrate within the British community. There may be lots of lessons to learn if we study this matter in depth. These lessons are important to all including: Muslim scholars, British Muslim Community, British Community as a whole, muslims worldwide & the whole international community.
Why this happened, What are the causes & motives. How to address this & prevent this to happen in future?
This needs more time & space to answer in detail.
Perhaps in another session specially arranged to address this area.
Best wishes & thanks for raising this very important question
Name
Mahbub
-
Profession
Question
DO you think this kinds of highly sophisticated attack is possible for this kinds of untrained people? Why without full investigation and confirmation they they are give identity of attackers and blame so called al qaida?
Answer
Dear brother Mhbub
I take your point but would like to say the following:
1. I am unsure if this attack was highly sophosticated or not.
2. Initially the British Police & Government were very wise in avoiding pointing the finger towards Muslims & I found this a very responsible behaviour.
3. Yes, previously, there has been a tendency to blame Muslims for any violent attacks before any evidence until proved otherwise & the Term Islamic Terrorists was widely used by the media. I have to say: this did not happen this time to a great extent & The British Muslim community appreciates this very much.
4, unfortunately an irresponsible & unjustified attack by a Muslim will of course attract lot of sufferings to Muslims in The West. We have to learn from this attack & respond positively in a constructive way.
We have to ensure that Muslims understand Islam correctly & this is translated into their daily life behaviour & actions worldwide. We have to be seen as good model, so people kow about the real & correct teachings of Islam from our behaviour. There are duties & responsibilities on The Muslim community in Britain in Particular & world wide in general. Also the Muslim community is affected by some aspects of the Western policies in relation to Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq ,...
We need to address this appropriately through the political parties, media & elrction. No justification for such attacks. The host community & the Muslim community have a lot to do together to move forwrds.
Hope this answers your question
Best wishes
