In an attempt to look unprejudiced, it ends up looking stupid. And stop showing a picture of pig next to masjid to Al-Aqsa in your news items. Have you no sense of decency ?
Equally, this "imam" must not have much to do than think about the most filthiest of animals - surely he could have thought of other animals.
Answer
Dear Asif
Assalamu aleikum
As Muslims we still have to give rights to pigs, and one of them is not to eat them or to use products in which swine is part of the ingredients. But as we have to protect and preserve the creation of Allah, it also includes pigs. And in Denmark we have about 5 times as many pigs as people, so it is rather relevant here to tackle this issue, even to bring a understanding to the rest of society, that we care for the simplest and smallest part of Allah's creation.
Name
Muslimah
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
I would like to greet Mr. Pedersen. It is very nice to see good Muslim imams how can remain integrated to the community after converting to Islam and while practicing Islam.
I also think that it is Sunnah to treat animal in a good way regardless to whether eating them is halal or not but treating them kindly is a sunnah I guess..
Answer
BarakAllahu fikum my sister. Yes, there are many issues in our whole approach to nature. Even to the matter of halal food. We seem to be solely focused on the last three seconds of the life of an animal, when we consider whether it is halal or not. What we seem not to think much of, is that even if the animal is slaughtered in a halal way, it may have spent its entire life in a way, which is a direct insult to the animal and to the way in which Allah has created it.
Name
Mansour
- Belgium
Profession
Question
Salam imam,
I support your point of view and I see this campaign as a positive example of how can you make daw`ah for Islam through humanitarian actions...
Are you planning to reactivate this action?
Answer
Aleikum assalam
Presently we are not planning any more actions. But actually when we first launched the campaign, it did have a very positive effect in society at large. Also it was a signal to our own Muslim community to share in non-traditional matters.
Name
Salma
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
Profession
Question
Dear Imam,
Please note that I encourage all your steps and I am a big fan of your way of being a Danish Muslim
Answer
May Allah bless you my sister and may He keep us all on the Straight Path. Wee have a lot to learn in Denmark as far as implementing Islam into a European context goes. And here we certainly have to drink from the Bosnian fountain.
Name
Thanks for your efforts
-
Profession
Question
Al-Salamu Alikum Dear All,
I can feel that such positive efforts from our imams in Europe would help Islam to be much more recognized as the deen of peace and tolerance and to reduce islamophobia
Answer
Aleikum assalam
In sha Allah. That is the intention anyway. To show that we as Muslims are caring and concerning people paying attention to all parts of life. Even to the parts of creation that we normally don't deal with.
Name
Ayou Melses
- Denmark
Profession
Question
Imam Abdulwahid,
Thanks for IOL for bringing you here.
Please allow me to ask you why in your opinion do you think that the Danish Government is always against you and calling you a radical imam while your are very open-minded and adopting an open-door policies in your mosque?
Answer
Dear Ayou
It is simply for the reason that here in Denmark it is a well known fact among politicians that if they attack Muslims or Islam, they will gain voters. And as I am rather visible in the media, I am an easy prey.
But actually we should thank the hard-headed politicians and opinionmakers here, because even the extremely negative debate on Islam in Denmark bears fruit to our advantage.
So far this year I have received 26 new people coming to Islam. And this is partly due to the very high attention paid to Islam, even if it is mostly negative.
So when they try to make me look as an extremist, it is part of a political game and nothing else.
Name
Salema
- Cyprus
Profession
Question
Salam Brothers and Sisters,
I am against refusing such tolerant campaigns..Please note that Muslims in teh West should contribute through positive actions and find common grounds..We don't eat pork but our common ground with our community with pigs is the human rights and so go on...
Answer
Aleikum assalam my sister
I fully agree with you. When ever we can bring issues like this, it paves the way for a better understanding between the Muslims and the non-Muslims in Europe.
Name
IOL Audience
- Egypt
Profession
Question
What were the reactions to your campaign from the Muslims' side and do you think Muslims in Europe are narrow minded and refusing to get integrated and contribute positively to their communities in Europe?
Answer
Most Muslims here were actually very positive to the campaing. Or at least the ones that I heard from. A few reacted negatively, but when I explained the idea, they turned positive.
I don't think that Muslims in Europe are narrow minded, and i don't think they refuse to get integrated and contribute positively.
Actually we have a very high number of Muslims in the European communities being actively part of societies here and contributing in all levels of life, right from the manual labourers to university professors.
But we also have opinion makers who love to play the old card that Muslims are not integrated. So for that reason we sometimes have to go a step further than expected to press the point.
Name
Saeida
- France
Profession
Question
Salam All,
I suggest that Muslims in Europe should make a joint campaign on how to combat swine flu that aims at raising the awareness of Muslims and non-Muslims of how to be safely protected from this danger...
This is how we can integrate, contribute, and project Islam's manners.
Answer
Aleikum assalam Saeida
That would be a very good idea. But it should be done by qualified scholars and medical experts. But it would be a good way of showing care and concern.
Name
Mohamed Laouti
-
Profession
Question
I would like to gain some experience from you on how to organize for a great campaign among Muslims in a European country taken into consideration the differences in their origins and opinions...Do you have some practical tips for non-imams to launch a big campaign.
Answer
Dear Mohamed, assalamu aleikum
You are absolutely right that the difference in origin and opinion makes it very difficult to launch a great (and joint) campaign among Muslims in Europe - or even within one European country.
For that very reason some of us here have started targeting the young generation born and raised here. Even if their parents are from many different parts of the World, their children have much more in common, and among them it is easier to raise awareness on "common issues" of concern to society at large.
Lately one of our centres here has had a campaign where our young people under supervision of older Muslims took the initiative to collect garbage in the streets in three major cities. It was a great success, and it showed Muslims in a new light.
Also another occasion, where the mosque was temporarily turned into a blood-bank, and in cooperation with the health authorities, we urged people to donate blood. And they had to come into the mosque to do the screening tests initially.
If we can show that we take responsibility, we can get far. And often it is easier to collect Muslims around issues on which there are no differences according to school of thought.
Name
Khalel Shafey
- Greece
Profession
Question
Salamu Alikum W rahmat Allah
We Muslims in Greece don't have authorized imams who can speak for us and organize for campaigns, etc. What is your advice in terms of this situation...Who can play this role?
Answer
Aleikum assalam my brother
Also in Denmark we have no authorized imams. I am not authorized by anybody except from the group of people who will stand behind me in prayer on Fridays or at Eid.
So first of all we need activists - and if they are imams too, it is fine. But most important is that they can "read" the society and what happens in society, and act and react in a decent and noble manner in accordance with Kitab and Sunnah.
Then recognition will eventually come along with the debate. But certainly we are also in need of training imams in Europe to meet and face the European communities.
Name
Marwa
-
Profession
Question
Salam imam...
When did you convert to Islam and how did it happen..I am interested to know:)
Answer
Assalamu aleikum
I just answered this question to another guest.
Name
Mohamed Laouti
-
Profession
Question
I would like to gain some experience from you on how to organize for a great campaign among Muslims in a European country taken into consideration the differences in their origins and opinions...Do you have some practical tips for non-imams to launch a big campaign.
Answer
Assalamu aleikum
to launch a big campaign, you always need many pepole. So first you have to find a suitable group of ready, willing and able people, then get the idea - eventually after a brainstorm - and then steadily work your way into it.
In many European countries it will even be possible to find some kind of public funding for campaigns that can benefit social cohesion.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Question
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Answer
This session has come to an end.
We would like to thank Imam Abdul Wahid Pedersen for speaking to IslamOnline.net viewers today and we also thank all those who participated in this dialogue.
We apologize for not being able to accommodate any further questions. We request our readers to join us in the upcoming sessions.
