In a message dated 6/6/03 4:33:25 PM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:


> , Mr Lewis said, "in order to have peace and religious
> tolerance, students who insist on wearing the veil should be transferred to
> schools and institutes that allow it.

You know,  these kinds of statements and thinking is what is going to bring
about the chaos that will not be of benefit to anyone. I do not understand the
above statement. Whatever religion the above statement is addressing, It seems
to me that if we say we want a secular society, then that means religious
tolerance where everyone if free to practice whatever religion they want to
practice,  and if that means that a muslim student wants to wear a veil to school,
(hope this is the issue as it does not seem clear) then why would anyone be
trying to stop that or make it an issue so long as they are not asking  or
forcing anyone to wear a veil? Why would a school that accepts students of all
faiths have rules that would prohibit a muslim student from wearing a veil if they
choose to or a Christian student from wearing a cross or whatever they feel
expresses their religious faith? Why is this even an issue? That is interfering
with the religious freedom of a person in my judgement. Attempting to supress
the religious freedom of anyone is opening the way to receiving similar
treatment yourself.

Making rules that prohibit the expression of ones' religious faith in a
school or in socisty at large also breeds disharmony and is definitely a step
towards discord. If, on the other hand, one of the purposes of a school was to
evangelize students, then in that case, this should be made clear so people can
make an informed choice. Label it a school for a particular faith, and some
muslims will  send their children there anyway as has happend in The Gambia for
generations because they are comfortable in their strength in the religion and
know that attending a school run by people of a different faith does not
necessarily mean that their kids will adopt that faith.  Many a muslim student in
our country were educated in Christian schools for example, and how many of them
changed religions in the process?

I think we need to be very clear headed so that we do not end up achieving
the opposite of what we say we are trying to encourage, religious freedom for
everyone. Making rules or engaging in anything that is meant to supress other
people's religious choices, to include dress or whatever their religion calls
for is not the answer.

I think above all else, we must refrain from the tendency  to spread panic
and thereby plant the seed of  discord between religious groups just because
more and more muslims are showing interest in learning more and becoming more
serious about their religion or that Christians are doing likewise.
This sort of panic will never serve as a pre-emptive tool to discourage
people from learning more about their respective religions or endeavouring to
abide by its' tenets, but is rather something that will drive people to strive
even harder in their religious beliefs while driving the religious faiths apart
and creating animosity.

How many generations long have the different religious groups lived together
in peace and harmony in our counrty?
Who amongst us does not have friends, neighbours or grew up with people who
are of a different faith?
 Have we ever even looked at each other and thought of anything that we will
not think of looking at those of the same faith?
How many Gambians were educated in Christian schools where we learned the
Bible from cover to cover, and no one ever saw any muslim parent picketing a
school because of this?
 We send our Christian neighbours meat at Tobaski, and they send us food
during Christmas, and the religious holidays of christians and muslims are all
public holidays in Gambia.

We need to be careful that we do not fan the fires of discord under the guise
of attempting to attain the opposite. As a muslim, I know that  this kind of
approach will never discourage me from pursuing activites that will make me
stronger in my religion, and probably most muslims feel the same way, as do
Christians i am sure. Doing that does not  and should not pose a threat to anyone.
Infact, any opposition to this will most likely strengthen my convictions to
strive even harder in this direction,  and this is true of most people
whatever faith they practice.

We must be very careful that we do not get caught in the web of religious
disharmony that is being promoted by some people in the World  for their own
benefit, because if we fall into that trap, we make it easy to be utilized as
tools in this negative drive and the end result will not benefit any of us.
Shame on all those who keep harping on this subject because all that is doing
is planting negative ideas,  and shame on any school where the officials do
not see that the purpose of beign there is to teach students the three R's and
not to pre-occupy themselves with trying to control the religious beliefs of
the students or stop them from expressing their religious preference of choice,
and turning an issue like this into a topic of debate.
Let us put this topic of discord to rest once and for all unless the purpose
is to stir up discord. Trouble is quite easy to find, and the ideas that
promote it easily planted. It is the peace-makers as exemplified and taught by all
of the Prophets of Allah that are hard to find.

There is famous hadith of Prophet Muhammed (SAS) in which he told his
companions that the angel Gibril used to caution and remind him constantly regarding
the requirement of treating  his neighbours as he would himself, so much so
that he thought that when he died,  he should make the neighbours his heirs. In
at least one of the places he lived,  those neighbours were Christians, and
they used to give him milk for him and his family when they did not have any
food in the house. Both the Qur'an and the sunnah of the Prophet tell muslims
that there is no compulsion in religion, that all of mankind is free to choose
whatever and whoever they want to worship, that God in his mercy and glory will
bless each person with whatever he has decreed for them, regardless of
whether they even acknowledge his existance because He is perfect and keeps his
promises to his servants.

The responsibility of muslims is to share the message of the Qur'an with
others, but not force them to accept anything. The final reckoning is with God and
he alone judges all of us in the end.
Armed with the above information, and the conviction to put it into practice,
it leaves no room for disharmony ro discord between muslims and people of
other religious beliefs, and history and time has proven this ot be the case.
Just loo kat our society as an example so far, and i hope we let that atmosphere
prevail by not encouraging and constantly bringing up this issue.
Muslims who learn and become familiar with the teachings of the Qur'an and
the Sunnah know we should not force our religion on anyone. Likewise, any
attempt to streamline and put people in check  because of some perceived fear is
rejected, and is counter-productive.

Jabou Joh

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