In January 2019 the Centre for Islamic Understanding in Golders Green in London, UK dropped plans to host an exhibition on Muslim Albanians who saved Jews during the Holocaust following protests by Muslims spearheaded by Roshan Salih, editor of the British Muslim news site 5 Pillars.
On February 1, 2019 The Islamic groups Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain issued a statement on event: (archive)
“Under pressure? Don’t compromise. The ever-growing pressure placed upon Muslims to conform to ‘muscular liberalism’ should never be met by compromising our values in order to seek approval and recognition. Rather, the confident Muslim community is one which holds firm to her values and never compromises under pressure. #ConfidentMuslim”
Here is the transcript of the video that was accompanied to the statement:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. all praise is due to Allah alone and the prayer and peace be upon the messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who followed him. On Sunday, the 28th of January [2019] a mosque in east London [UK] hosted an event to remember the Holocaust and to show support an solidarity with the Zionist entity by inviting an official from the Zionist embassy to attend the event.
To no one surprise this event was met with protests outside the mosque with anger within the community and on social media as well. But the question to really ask is why is now the case that mosques [masajids] feel the need to host such events?
It is obvious that the reason why such actions are done is due to the pressure to seek recognition from the political elite who are constantly accusing imams, scholars [‘ulama] and the mosques [masajids] for not fitting in and conforming to the muscular liberal narrative.
But this is a dangerous path to go down for two reasons. Firstly, Allah [SWT) will be displeased. You will displease Allah (SWT) by recognizing the Zionist entity and by inviting advocates and allies of the Zionist entity into the house of Allah (SWT).
He (SWT) reminds in the Quran that it is impermissible to take those who are as enemies, those who kill and occupy Muslims as allies and be friendly with them. He (SWT) says in Quran, in the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, ‘O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them’ [Al-Mumtahanah:1].
Secondly, you become a tool for normalization between the Muslims and the Zionist entity. For the sake of recognition we cannot turn a blind eye to the atrocities that they have committed against the people of Palestine. Do we not remember the 2014 attacks on Gaza or the 2011 air raids, or the 2018 war on Gaza, or the famous incident of Muhammad al-Durrah in the year 2000, or the massacre of Dir Yassin in 1948? Do we not remember this? How can we forget?
What should the task of the Muslim community and the mosques [masajids] be then? Instead of being bullied into carrying out such actions and supporting the Zionists cause be confident Muslims, stand up to occupation and expose the colonial agenda. Speak out against the atrocities they are committing and support the call of the Muslims of Palestine who are calling for the liberation of Palestine via the rightly guided Caliphate [Islamic State].
It is the Islamic alternative that offers all faith the ability to live together in harmony in Palestine, because the Islamic State does not recognize the concept of minority citizens. Instead, its treats everyone equally as citizens.
Under this authority Jews and Christians will never need to hold exhibitions or host openly events in order to be recognized as citizens as the Muslims do today to be accepted nor would they need to occupy land to attain prosperity, because Islam promises them prosperity.
Therefore, the inability of secular liberalism to melt different races and religions together should not equate to the Muslim community giving up on its principles to seek recognition.
On the contrary, we should be providing an alternative for the whole of mankind, a system, a just system that organizes and melts different races and religions together in one melting pot.
