Friday Sermons: Extremism Igniting Hatred

The Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) writes Friday sermons in a rhetorical style that eschews persuasion and encouragement, opting instead for intimidation and fear. It does not explain the tolerance of Islam in mosques through engaging stories. Instead, we notice that we do not hear any lessons on tolerance and love for others; rather, we are subjected to rhetoric closer to hatred and animosity. My brother, you who write these sermons, speak about honesty, trustworthiness, and noble character. Bring engaging stories that illustrate the tolerance of Islam.

When Pharaoh declared, “I am your supreme lord,” the Creator, Glory be to Him, could have reduced him to scattered dust at the very moment he uttered this claim. Yet God instructed Moses and Aaron, “Speak to him with gentle speech.” Quranic verses encourage gentleness and leniency, such as, “Argue with them in the best manner,” “God wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you,” and even in behavior, “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily.” Conversely, rigid and extremist thinking has brought us disasters. It ignited the fuse of hatred between one Islamic sect and another, and between Muslims and People of the Book, despite the fact that Muslims are permitted to marry their daughters.

Furthermore, extremist thinking has produced criminal Islamic groups that kill in the name of Islam. In a study by Mustafa Akyol, a visiting professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, USA, he states: “The rigid approach in Iran drove many Iranians to convert to Christianity when they lost hope in the Islamic Republic. Conversion to Christianity is now increasing in Iran, and what destroyed the dreams and hopes of Iranians over three successive generations was not Islam, but the state’s Islamic approach.” He adds, “This is not limited to Iran; we see manifestations of violence and fanaticism in every Islamic country. A certain approach is flawed because it tells people to stop and not question or discuss matters, whereas modern society is entirely different, with people asking questions and holding diverse opinions.” (End of his statement).

The image of Islam has been distorted globally, and Arabs and Muslims have become the target of mockery and ridicule in many countries and on the pages of international newspapers. The US government has frozen bank accounts of Arab citizens, the European Union has imposed restrictions on Arabs entering Europe, and campaigns of hatred against Arabs and Muslims have emerged. China has prevented Muslims there from fasting, and Burma (Myanmar) has continued to oppress and persecute Muslims. The image of Islam has been tarnished by the extremism of some Muslims: one individual rammed a truck into a gathering of Germans at a Christmas market in Berlin, while another bombed a Coptic church in Egypt to incite fitna (discord) between Muslims and Christians.

Look at the condition of Muslims in the world. No one respects them. If they board a plane, they are assumed to be criminals who will blow it up. If they enter a shop or restaurant, it is assumed they are hiding explosives in their clothes. If they walk down the street, they are subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault. In all these scenarios, every Arab or Muslim is treated as a terrorist. The reputation of Arabs has deteriorated. However, if Muslims had truly adopted the gentleness, leniency, and moderate, tolerant approach advocated by Islam, they would have won the hearts of hundreds of millions of people across the globe and would have become “leaders of the world in human values.”

In the past, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri and Sheikh Al-Wahhab Al-Faris traveled from Kuwait to Jerusalem. They brought wax to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to share in the celebrations of their Christian brothers. In the 1960s, as children, we listened to Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri on television delivering a moderate and engaging speech that resembled a father advising his children on noble character. At that time, we did not see any publications inciting discord among worshippers, nor did we hear sermons that inflamed sectarian sentiments. There was no plundering of mosque donation funds, no corruption in the Ministry of Endowments, and no sermons that were closer to politics than to religion.