Tuesday, June 24, 2008

"As a Muslim woman, you had an Islamic obligation, to defend this aspect of your faith, not to deliver a further blow to an already bruised community.

More of the usual: any open talk about the religion of peace – even from Muslims – is treated as “anti-Islamic.”

“Taboo topic sparks critical debate,” by Kathy English in the Toronto Star, June 21:

In the month since the Star published its investigation into the secret world of polygamy in our community, reporter Noor Javed has braved a firestorm of criticism,

As we shall soon see, luckily she is not living where Sharia is implemented, as she would be braving a “firestorm” of something more tangible than “criticism” -- say, stones? So too has the Star itself, with several complaints about Javed's groundbreaking articles about polygamy within the Muslim community in the GTA coming to the public editor's office. I've spent considerable time looking into these concerns and I think that the Star's reporting on this was accurate, fair and balanced…

As if these three objective standards ever matter when discussing Islam’s more -- how shall we say? -- “troubling” aspects.

I also believe it was a courageous act of journalism for Javed, a Muslim woman who has written illuminating articles for the Star in the past about her spiritual journey to Mecca to fulfill the holy Muslim pilgrimage called the hajj, and also about her choice to wear the Muslim head scarf, the hijab.

So far, all well and good, since she is only expounding on her “spiritual journey” – you know, the “greater jihad” which infidels should focus on, and her choice -- connoting that beautiful but, according to many, abrogated verse, “There is no compulsion in religion” -- to wear the hijab.

As a journalist and a "visible" Muslim who chose to expose evidence of polygamy within the GTA's Muslim community, Javed well knew she would come under fire. But she also believed that reporting on this controversial, "taboo" issue, which is clearly illegal in Canadian law, could spark critical debate among Canadians. I, however, was surprised by the personal attacks against her.

Get used to it.
Thanks Jihad Watch

No comments: