Salman Rushdie to Tanvir Ahmed
Salman Rushdie, Ershad Manji, Ayaan Hirshi Ali, and Norma Khouri are like Tanvir Ahmed! Generally speaking they are Israel Centric in nature. All of them found their meal ticket by insulting and attacking Islam and Arabs! They do not have gumption to scrutinize Israel and Zionists!
They condemn Nazis but embrace Zio-Nazis.
No one is telling other religious people what to do or not to do. However, every Tom, Dick and Harry loves to tell Muslim people what to do and not to do all of the time. Even, they are hiring people like Tanvir Ahmed, Ershad Manji, Ayaan Hirshi Ali, and Norma Khouri as spokespersons of Islamic society without any consent whatsoever!
I bet Tanvir Ahmed and The Sydney Morning Herald won’t dare to suggest the Hindus to eat cow and Jews to eat pork!
In conclusion, Tanvir Ahmed and The Sydney Morning Herald have reiterated the overgrowing ant-Muslim conspiracies in Australia. Although some other people have suggested to me, “this misguided Tanvir Ahmed is suffering from cultural inferiority and he is overwhelmed by blatant anti-Muslim propaganda”.
In conclusion, Tanvir Ahmed and The Sydney Morning Herald have reiterated the overgrowing ant-Muslim conspiracies in Australia. Although some other people have suggested to me, “this misguided Tanvir Ahmed is suffering from cultural inferiority and he is overwhelmed by blatant anti-Muslim propaganda”.
Further to Christmas, Curry and Many Faiths, one eyed The Sydney Morning Herald failed to publish my contribution below about Tanvir Ahmed article!
I suppose Tanvir Ahmed is not familiar with Michael Madhusudan Dutt of Sagardari on the bank of Kopothakho River, a village in Keshobpur Upozila, Jessore District, East Bengal (now in Bangladesh).
I also suspect Tanvir Ahmed does not know Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sharath Chandra Chatapdya, … . These great identities, with their distinctive styles, managed to expose millions of wrong doings by Hindu religion. Luckily, despite disproportionate propaganda, Islam does not need identities of those caliber and ferocities of that nature to reform itself!
Right now, we can ignore problems of Judaism and Christianity and try to understand Tanvir’s vulnerability. Before him Salman Rushdie, Ershad Manji, Ayaan Hirshi Ali, and Norma Khouri were aided and abetted by the Zionists! All of them are proven frauds!! Their claims are based on false and fabricated stories. Yet, basing on these fraudsters and falsified innuendos millions of anti-Muslim articles have been written, movies and documentaries were made all over the world.
Muslim and Arab bashing is the most popular sport in the town. For example people like Bat Yeor, Melanie Phillips, Prof. Raphael Israeli and many more Zionists/"Jews/Israelis are borrowing entire chapters and verses from Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf against Arabs and Muslims and then they express their astonishment in German Poll Support Nazi Rule! A commotion like Greek Historian sentenced for 'Holocaust' denial does not attract the fundamental question of free speech like this question too!
Irrational Animal Lovers and Good Australian Muslims are under the rudder. However Jihad to Bolidan and 72 Virgins to Nothing are deliberately twisted by them. Islam Watch Watch or Stop the Blame Game is not their game either! Probably that's why John Howard – The Lying Son of A Bitch became the most popular Prime Minister of Australia at the back of fear and terror, prejudice and bigotry! However, one must know Why Muslims get 72 Virgins and nothing for others.
Remember, Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji managed to conquer Bengal with only 18 horseman! The conquest was successful not because of force but due to beauty of Islam.
Would you believe the conquest of Bengal was bloodless too!
I suppose Tanvir Ahmed is not familiar with Michael Madhusudan Dutt of Sagardari on the bank of Kopothakho River, a village in Keshobpur Upozila, Jessore District, East Bengal (now in Bangladesh).
I also suspect Tanvir Ahmed does not know Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sharath Chandra Chatapdya, … . These great identities, with their distinctive styles, managed to expose millions of wrong doings by Hindu religion. Luckily, despite disproportionate propaganda, Islam does not need identities of those caliber and ferocities of that nature to reform itself!
Right now, we can ignore problems of Judaism and Christianity and try to understand Tanvir’s vulnerability. Before him Salman Rushdie, Ershad Manji, Ayaan Hirshi Ali, and Norma Khouri were aided and abetted by the Zionists! All of them are proven frauds!! Their claims are based on false and fabricated stories. Yet, basing on these fraudsters and falsified innuendos millions of anti-Muslim articles have been written, movies and documentaries were made all over the world.
Muslim and Arab bashing is the most popular sport in the town. For example people like Bat Yeor, Melanie Phillips, Prof. Raphael Israeli and many more Zionists/"Jews/Israelis are borrowing entire chapters and verses from Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf against Arabs and Muslims and then they express their astonishment in German Poll Support Nazi Rule! A commotion like Greek Historian sentenced for 'Holocaust' denial does not attract the fundamental question of free speech like this question too!
Irrational Animal Lovers and Good Australian Muslims are under the rudder. However Jihad to Bolidan and 72 Virgins to Nothing are deliberately twisted by them. Islam Watch Watch or Stop the Blame Game is not their game either! Probably that's why John Howard – The Lying Son of A Bitch became the most popular Prime Minister of Australia at the back of fear and terror, prejudice and bigotry! However, one must know Why Muslims get 72 Virgins and nothing for others.
Remember, Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji managed to conquer Bengal with only 18 horseman! The conquest was successful not because of force but due to beauty of Islam.
Would you believe the conquest of Bengal was bloodless too!
Christmas, Curry and Many Faiths
Today I went to The Sydney Morning Herald website and searched for Tanvir Ahmed. The result was amazing! Many terrorists and terrorist related news appeared in the horizon. However, the real Tanvir Ahmed article I was looking for failed to turn up!!
After reading the article and related comments I found prejudice, bigotry and ignoramus galore. I won’t ask:
Who Is a Semite?
Do You Know Who Is a True Jew? and
What is a Judeo-Christian culture?
Asking above questions may push me at the edge of “anti-Semite” boundary without any valid reasons or grounds!
However, no one can ignore the fact that:
1. Jesus (PBHUH) is an exalted person and revered by Muslims.
2. The Jews conspired to murder him at Jerusalem and later his brother James at Rome.
You see, the “Jews” do not even accept Jesus (PBUH) and they insult mother Marry. Yet, Blind Australians and Australian Media look up for Judeo-Christian culture and despise Muslims without any corroborative reasons or grounds in the first place.
I suppose the quest of Tanvir Ahmed must go deeper. Eating beacon and egg is neither Christianity nor teachings of Jesus Christ.
Faruque Ahmed
Christmas, curry and many faiths
December 24, 2009
Comments 26
Growing up as Muslim, I never enjoyed Christmas. I was surrounded by rituals, events and hype about something I was told not to believe in. Friends rang my doorbell early on Christmas morning ready to show off their presents. I gawked at their bike or remote-control car but then quietly retreated to my room, wondering when television would graduate from the singing of carols and uplifting stories of sacrifice to being filled with hours of cricket.
As with Palestinians and Iraqis, I felt humiliated and dispossessed by an overbearing show of Western force, outgunned by gigantic Christmas trees and ostentatious decorations.
Nor did reassurance from my parents help. They reminded me that I received presents during our Muslim ''Christmas'', known as Eid, which was also filled with gluttony and, at least in countries that were majority Muslim, crass commercialism.
I was asked to recognise that our community had its own Santa Claus-like figures, armies of long-bearded old men who kept odd hours and retained tabs on who had been naughty or nice. They were known as sheikhs or mullahs. Their presents ranged from fatwas to obscure references to the Koran.
I became resentful about Christmas. Having no outlet to channel my anger, I quietly withdrew to my sporting memorabilia. I dreamt of a world where I could belong, eating bacon and swilling alcohol without fear of retribution.
My younger sister was more aggressive and insistent on celebrating Christmas. Suddenly our home was filled with trees and decorations, tinsel, streamers and even a strange herb called mistletoe. Small presents appeared in our house, although they rarely survived until Christmas morning to be opened.
The food didn't change. There were no Christmas turkeys or mince pies. We continued to eat my mother's parathas, curry and a lassi-like drink that was meant to be like egg-nog, but laced with turmeric.
Given Islam followed a lunar calendar, there were several years when the major Muslim celebration coincided with Christmas, much like the Jewish Hannukah does each year. This was a time of particular joy, for it allowed us to assert our religious festival more forcefully, to trumpet our minority identity in a multicultural society. It was ''Chanukeid'' season.
Some Muslims even began giving greeting cards and decorating their houses. The miracle of the virgin birth was replaced with the miracle of Muhammad splitting the moon. I lobbied for something equivalent to midnight Mass at the local mosque but the clerics rejected it vehemently.
They argued that the mimicking of Christian celebrations was a capitulation to the dominant culture. I told them it was tough showing off to friends about praying five times a day.
Surveys among American Jews have shown that those who are most concerned with assimilation are most likely to go all out for Hanukkah, to entice their kids to keep the faith. This was also true for Muslims, an example of a competitive marketplace in the realm of religious festivals.
The more we attempted to mimic Christmas, the more it became clear Christmas had evolved into a secular celebration as much as a religious one.
Many households of non-Christian faiths such as mine adopt the customs of the day, from Christmas trees with presents for the children to taking the opportunity to have a family get-together. Strict Jews and Muslims treat the day as any other but most welcome the public display of religion in a culture that shuns the outward expression of faith. The celebration of family and community is a universal aspiration.
The degree to which Christmas should be emphasised in a multicultural society may be contentious to some, yet voices of protest rarely emanate from non-Christians. I am particularly amused by the occasions when well-meaning folk have corrected themselves to call Christmas the ''holiday season'' to appear more inclusive for my benefit.
Since Coca-Cola first adopted in its advertising a bearded man in a red and white suit, Jesus has long been supplanted by Santa. Father Christmas may be a jolly figure of secular commercialism but he is arguably more accessible for disparate groups.
I have since married a Christian, caving in to my cultural oppressors. We do not take religion too seriously. I have grown more comfortable sitting next to the Christmas ham. I still receive few presents and when I do, they are usually socks or ties. I have yet to wake my friends to show these off. I await the cricket to begin the following day just as eagerly.
Tanveer Ahmed is a psychiatry registrar.
Comments
26 comments so far
Strange and shallow article... you seem more focused on the wrapping paper rather than the actual meaning of any of the celebrations you described
Sarah Berala - December 23, 2009, 7:39AM
This is actually a much bigger phenomenon here in Britain where there is much more debate about how Muslims should behave in Christmas. I have a number of Pakistani friends and they say it can become quite heated when debating issues like buying presents or having decorations in Xmas. But I agree with the author's sentiment that the celebration has essentially become a secular one- which is actually more inclusive. I didn't think it was shallow at all- it was funny!
Billy London - December 23, 2009, 8:08AM
You sound conflicted, Tanveer. Why is it that Islam seems to have the most problems in coexisting with other cultures?
Oppressed? Don't make me laugh. I'm oppressed at having to read this endless stream of complaint from interlopers of intolerant cultures.
Paul Ashbury - December 23, 2009, 8:18AM
Shallow? Really? I would look deeper. Once you remove the wrapping paper it is apparent that the message is not about the meaning of the celebrations but that faith brings eople together regardless of religion.
Navig8 - December 23, 2009, 8:31AM
Sarah, get over yourself. To my mind you are strange and shallow with your criticism of this persons reminiscences. In so many ways I have similar memories of a childhood spent in a foster home.
shortfatbaldguy Blue Mountains - December 23, 2009, 8:37AM
I think its sad that your family was not able to strengthen its own religious beliefs and bowed to your and your sister's pressure to be like the majority around you. I myself am a Muslim, born and bred here but never felt that I was missing out on Christmas, I just knew its wasn't something I celebrated in our religion.
Paul, Islam doesn't have a problem coexisting...it is only a group of people who have the problem.
mystic - December 23, 2009, 8:57AM
I always have to scoff whenever Muslims in Australia complain of cultural oppression. People in Australia are free to practice whatever religion they want (provided it doesn't violate the laws) or no religion at all.
I wish the same could be said for some muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Malaysia - which actively discriminate against people of non-muslim religions.
mkay CBD Sydney - December 23, 2009, 9:10AM
Let's not forget that the original celebrations held in late december was the pagan celebration for the Winter Solstice. After the Romans became Christians, the date of the birth of christ was chosen to occur inline with the pagan festival. Most biblical scholars agree that it is highly unlikely that Christ was born in December.
So really this celebration is whatever you want it to be. If you're devoutly Christian, then celebrate Christ. If you're atheist, celebrate the holiday, if you're any other religion then pick some event to celebrate, and if you're the grinch who stole christmas... then write a whiney article.
pk Sydney - December 23, 2009, 9:03AM
You know, despite the fact that I am a particularly devout Buddhist, I've never had a problem celebrating Christmas. Christmas has never had anything more than a patina of religious celebration about it, and, at least in Australia, has always been a simple Saturnalian celebration of the end of the year dedicated to everyone. I visit my Christian friends' parties; catch up; enjoy and simply luxuriate in the pleasant company of others at a universally accepted celebration time.
And to those who think it's cultural imperialism... I don't remember anyone complaining when I celebrate Tet, or the lunar new year, or any other celebration relevant to my religion. Nor did they probably mope around complaining about it or feeling all "uncomfortable." I think those people who feel uncomfortable about being around others celebrating are genuinely sad people.
Wack - December 23, 2009, 9:44AM
So sick of every article written by a muslim being followed by stupid comments from bigotted people who immediately assume the article is somehow criticising western culture.
This article is clearly observational in nature. It would be strange being surrounded by a celebration that you haven't grown up with. As an athiest, I felt like this on World Youth Day. You feel like an outsider looking in. I think this article is a musing about that. It's perfectly normal, perfectly natural and most of us would feel the same way.
Everything I've read by this author shows that he is an objective thinker who happens to be muslim and one of the few muslim commentators I've read who can comment on our society without sticking the boot into western culture. People should read his articles and use them as an opportunity to empathise and understand.
Sally Sydney - December 23, 2009, 9:35AM
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