Dear Dina,

1,500 words is a lot to write. I don't know. Anyway, this is not an official article, kan? I just want to express my thoughts. As you know I have been living abroad in various countries for over 10 years. This is what I experienced and observed.

From what I observe and from my first hand experience, we Muslims are a confused and a close-minded lot. Why did I say that? I am a Muslim right. I guess I am sick and tired of the all those ulamak (religious leaders) and the so-called pendakwah (missionaries) who seem to believe that everyone else other than their groups are practicing the wrong version of Islam. I thought this only happened in Malaysia but surprisingly, it's the same abroad too.

It's the same everywhere

Back in Malaysia, at the end of 1980's and early 1990's you can find a lot of people in tabligh (religious groups) who go do missionary work, sleep in the mosque and go around knocking on everyone's door inviting them to be at the mosque. While the intention is noble I think they could at least change their approach. Iman dan amal (faith and practice) come out of their mouths. After having been approached everywhere I went, even during university, in the end I start preaching back to them, much to their annoyance. As if there is nothing else left to talk about!

When I was in Europe, I went to this mosque in Zagreb, Croatia and was approached by two Bosnian Muslims.

"Assalamualaikum Brother, you Muslim?" and guess what? The next sentence from them is Iman dan Amal again.

Only this time its in English. Well, at least it's in a different language!

Dear Dina,

Did you notice what the Muslim Pendakwah (Muslim missionaries) is preaching us about Islam? This is their theme: If u do this sin, that sin, Allah will be angry. You will go to straight to hell.

Or if you don't do this or that, Allah will be angry, again you will go to hell.

Or, oh, tak boleh buat ni, berdosa. (You can't do that, it's sinful).

Why can't they talk about kasih sayang Allah, the Goodness of God? Bismillahirrahmanirahim. What is the meaning of that? Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang. In the name of Allah, the most Merciful and Loving. Got it? Hey, if we say Bismillah before everything we do, doesn't that give us a clue of what's important? In fact so few out of the 99 names attributed to Allah mention anger, revenge, such as The Avenger, Al Muntaqim. The rest of the names shows how Allah is Al Rauf ( The Compassionate), Al Afuww (the Pardoner), Al Wadud (The Kind One), Al Ghafur (Ever Forgiving) etc.

United Nation of Muslims

I usually will stay away from the Muslim community abroad. Why? To much gossiping. The Malay Muslim community is the worst. I will just go to the mosque to pray and go back home. The Arab Muslims will look down on you thinking they are much more better since The Prophet Muhammad (peace Be Upon Him) came from among them. The South Asian Muslims also think they are better than everyone else. The Chinese Muslims thinks that everyone is looking down on them. The Caucasian Muslims draw stares and whispers whenever they are in the Mosque (for being blue eyed and blonde. It's the other way around in Croatia and Bosnia; it's our turn to be stared at and whispered about, because the majority of Muslims there are blue eyed and blonde). And we, Muslims from Malaysia and Indonesia cannot understand why those other Muslims can move their body parts during prayer. Talk about a confused lot!

Don't get me wrong, there are Muslims who are kind hearted and work hard to ensure good relations among everyone. There are a lot of them out there. What I am saying above is the typical attitude attributed to the mentioned groups.

If you ask me, I would prefer the way Al Arqam do the dakwah: innovative, creative and up to date. But that's the thing, Ustaz Ashaari was so very successful in building a Muslim community which can stand on its own feet, and in the end fell to the temptation of Power. You know what they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely everything.

Dear Dina,

Why cant our Muslim Pendakwah open their minds a little bit more?

I ask them a lot of questions. Questions which sometimes angers a Pendakwah. Questions like:

Will all the unbelievers go to hell in hereafter?

Yes, they say.

Including those unbelievers who dedicated their lives doing good deeds. I mean all their lives, let's say for example Mother Theresa. What about those unbelievers who got killed just by being in the wrong place and at the wrong time? For example those Russians Christians Orthodox kids in who died in Beselan? Or those Jews being blown up by suicide bombers? Or those people who perished in the 9/11 attacks? Or those Jews who died in the Holocaust? Or those Jews who were slaughtered by the Crusaders when they took Jerusalem in 1099 and during the Reconquest of Spain?

Well, Muslims were slaughtered too at that time. So are you saying that only the Unbelievers will go to hell?

They responded: Mmm yes. Because they do not believe in Allah and Prophet Muhammad.

Ok, what about those simple aborigines deep inside PNG or a Fijian jungle which has no contact with the outside world or modernization, who don't have any idea what Islam is all about. When they die, they will go to hell?

Yes, they answered.

But they are not exposed to Islam, they don't know. And because of that they will go to hell?

Umm.

You and I know that's not justice. Isn't Allah Al Adl (The Utterly Just), Ar Rahim (The Most Merciful), AL Barr (The Most Kind and Righteous)?

Umm errrr.

Dear Dina,

I believe that we Muslims should feel free to question everything including even our own inherited knowledge of Islam. We cannot just be satisfied in practicing our faith just because it was what our forefathers told us this is how it is done. We should break free from the traditional chains of knowledge that bind us that in turn, make us a close-minded society. Islam reached its glory then because in the past because people like Ibnu Rushd, Ibnu Sina dared to open their minds. (By the way, Ibnu Rushd is not Arab. He is a Spanish blue eyed, blonde Visigoth Muslim). We should stop pitying ourselves because we think in today's world we are suppressed. I hope I can do this too. InsyaAllah. God willing.

M lives in America with his family. I am Muslim welcomes contributions from readers on what it means to be Muslim, and Islamic life. Email your essays to dina@malaysiakini.com.