In “Defeating terrorism” by Bilal Shahid in The Post of Lahore, we learn the latest antics of the premier non-Muslim jihad apologist, Karen Armstrong. She is “doing a jihad to educate western companions about the misperceptions of Islam.”
Recently, I got a chance to hear a lecture on “˜Tolerance in Islam” by a renowned scholar of world religions, Miss Karen Armstrong. I was amazed to see that the Convention Centre where she was to discuss this issue was jam-packed. There were academicians, intellectuals, scholars, journalists, senior civil and army officers, and a large number of male and female students. This showed the quest for seeking knowledge and also brought to light the popularity of Miss Karen who has written a number of books, including the biography of Holy Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH). I was delighted to see this magnificent gathering of educated people who came from every nook and corner of the country to hear about Islam’s historic perspective.
Karen Armstrong focused her talk towards intolerance, which springs fanaticism and terrorism. The contents of her speech were so powerful and philosophical that there was a pin-drop silence during an hour long lecture. The point that forced me to pen down a few lines was the use of the word “˜jihad”. Ms Armstrong said, “I am doing a jihad to educate western companions about the misperceptions of Islam.”…
Well, as a “western companion” myself, I think that’s just swell, but I wonder: what is Ms. Armstrong doing, or what is Bilal Shahid doing, or what is anyone doing, to educate Muslims about their misperceptions of Islam? After all, almost every day we feature stories here about Muslims committing violence in the name of Islam. If these people are all misunderstanding their own religion, wouldn’t it be far more important to educate them about the true, peaceful Islam, than to educate Western non-Muslims who aren’t killing people on the basis of their “misperceptions” of Islam?
So what about it, Ms. Armstrong? What efforts are you expending in that direction?