When the West Respected Muslims: No Freedom to Trash Talk

Henri de Bornier, a French loony poet and dramatist wrote an anti-Islamic play called Mohomet in 1889. The French Prime Minister, Charles de Frevcinet himself banned the nasty little thing in 1890 after a single letter of complaint from the Muslim Khaleef.

“Bornier himself was the victim of blind and unreasoning Muslim prejudice in regard to his Mahomet. The play was being rehearsed in 1889 when a Turkish newspaper reproduced from a French journal the news of its forthcoming production. The French Foreign Ministry assured the Turkish ambassador in Paris, Es’at Pasha, that the play did not constitute an attack on the Prophet and on the cherished beliefs of the Muslims. Bornier pointed out that the Persian ta’ziyas or passion plays regularly depicted the death of Muhammad as well as those of the Shi’ite martyrs, and he offered to accept prohibition of his work’s being played in Algeria and Tunisia. 

These arguments still failed to satisfy the Turkish authorities, and in 1890 the head of the government, Freycinet, banned the production of Mahomet in France, a prohibition which, it was reported, gave much pleasure to the Sultan Abd al-Hamid II. It must be admitted that Muslims would undeniably find offensive a play in which their Prophet killed himself because of a woman and because of inferiority feelings vis-a-vis Christianity, but there is no evidence that either the Turkish ambassador or the Sultan had seen the play, much less read it, when they first objected to it. 

The French government’s surrender to this Turkish pressure was plausibly attributed by Martino to the contemporary political situation, for in 1889 the German Emperor William II was beginning his journey to Istanbul and the Near East, and France feared to do anything which might drive Turkey further into Germany’s arms; the susceptibilities of France’s numerous Muslim subjects in North Africa must also have been a consideration. Not till 1896 were excerpts from Mahomet presented to the public in a special arrangement for theatrical declamation. Since Bornier’s time, no major European dramatist seems to have essayed a play on the life of the Prophet.” 

- (Source: C. E. Bosworth, ‘A Dramatisation of the Prophet Muhammad’s Life:  Henri de Bornier’s “Mahomet”,’  Numen, Vol. 17, Fasc. 2 (Aug., 1970), p. 116) The West believes in freedom on of speech for views it likes. Goebbels was in favour of freedom of speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you are in favour of freedom of speech, that means you are in favour of speech precisely for the views you like. The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten would never print cartoons denying the holocaust in the name of free speech. Geert Wilders would never proudce a film likening Israel's treatment of Palestinians to the Nazi treatment of Jews. So what is Freedom of Speech in the West except having the Freedom to trash talk against Muslims? It is a license to negatively stereotype Islam and defame its Prophets, Books and symbols.  Just this year, UK and French courts banned compromising pictures of Princess Kate Middleton. Not that I am complaining, I think those pictures should never have been taken in the first place but where is the Freedom of the Paparazzi to do their job? What about banning anti-gay protests at military funerals? Why restrict the ant-gay sentiments of hundreds of protesters? Don't they have the right to assembly and expression? So its true isn't it, freedom of speech is only a myth. The West protests the powerful [royalty and military] from incrimination but oppresses the weak [Muslims] with hate slurs and slander. Islam gives us a unique understanding of speech: its a gift for which Allah will call us to account.  Allah says in Surah ar-Rahman عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ it is He Who taught us how to speak and gave us intelligence. Not just speaking, but the ability to think rationally, informed decisions and express oneself comprehensively and eloquently is a blessing from Allah [38:20]  وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ. The most beloved speech to Allah is one which وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ proclaims submission to Him and invites humanity to to righteous actions [41:33].   So the gift of speech should be received with reverence because it not only gives us the ability to conveys our opinions but it also demonstrates our religiosity and commitment to God. I have had laryngitis this past week. The inside of my throat is swollen and inflamed. I can't speak. I have a coarse cough. I really miss talking to people. A day without speaking incapacitates a person so much, I had no idea. Imagine being mute for life or communicating like animals through groans and grunts?  Alhamdulillah, that Allah allowed us to speak. But speaking is not without consequence, it mirrors our intentions, beliefs and goals in life. You know how you can tell a lot about a person from their handwriting: (i) small handwriting means the author is shy but she has good eye for detail (ii) handwriting that slopes to the left means the author is very good at keeping her feelings to herself (iii) handwriting that slopes to the right means the author is very open and honest (iv) writing that is joined up means the author is very artistic, she likes to draw and is creative (v) rounded writing means the author is logical, has a mathematical mind (vi) skippy letters indicate the author is a quick-thinker and a strategist (vii) sloppy handwriting means the author is secretive and neat handwriting means the author is a good communicator.  Anyway, one can decipher a lot about a person from what they say and how they say it. Abu Hurayrah (r.a) narrated, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or remain silent" - Bukhari and Muslim.  In other words, belief in Allah and the Day of Judgment encourages caution in speech while the lack thereof leaves room for absurd and vulgar talk. Atheism lacks the integrity necessary to respect the gift of speech. Atheists have no reason to have sound moral speech because God is required for morality. Since atheists don't believe in God, they don't believe in maintaining any measure of morality in speech. Then no matter how much you beg the Westerner to forgo their Trash Talk, they will not because the very idea of honour and obeisance to a God and His Prophet (s.a.w) is incomprehensible to them. In the contrary, they understand threats and ultimatums very well (as it is apparent from their reaction to the Muslim Khaleef's letter above).  This is the part of the article where I should be telling each and every one of you to pull up your sleeves  and invite the West to Tawheed; this is the only peaceful protest against their hate speech. Then how should one start? What does one address There are so many fallacies, inconsistencies, and holes, its overwhelming to write about everything at once. I can make it simplistic, start with the people around you - what if they bring science as analogous to religion? What if they are cold and unfeeling towards my views? What if I feel really pessimistic about the whole idea? Our lives are already so perplexed: we barely manage to get a seat in class let alone find someone to talk to. If the assignments' and tests' deadlines are not chaotic enough, there is always stress from the family - the harassment to show up to  every dawat, shadi and aqeeqah.  Not to mention the never ending household chores. There is literally no downtime or social time for any other activity. Hain na? Bechari mein akeli kiya karoon? The truth is that the dunya is our greatest worry and concern. Deep down, we don't want to do anything else besides four years in school enjoy with the family - not because we genuinely don't have time but because we really don't believe in our religious cause. Just look at how we rush through Salah - we don't even take half a minute to pray and that half a minute we spend looking here and there, wondering about the past and the future. It would be funny if Salah was not such an important religious duty. If we cannot take just Salah in our lives seriously then how are we going to earnestly convince another soul to obey Allah? Its hypocritical!  Yes, there was a time when the West respected Muslims; today they just trash talk about us maybe because we no longer have substance, just a lot shallow convictions.