The answer is clear to all of us who believe in Islam.
It is never manly to shoot a little girl. And it is never honorable. And it is never acceptable in Islam. As a matter of fact, it is haram, which means forbidden in Islam.
On October 9, 14-year-old activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck by Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in the town of Mingora for speaking out against the extremists and promoting education for girls and women in the Swat Valley of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In the incident, the militants stopped a school bus, asked for Malala Yousafzai by name, and then shot her. Two other young girls were also shot and injured in the attack.
Over the past week, thousands of Pakistanis have held demonstrations and prayer vigils across the country to express their support for Malala Yousafzai and the efforts to provide universal education for women and girls.
In 2009, Yousafzai became famous for writing about life in the Swat Valley when it was under the control of TTP militants. The TTP captured the Swat Valley in late 2007 and banned female education in the region in 2008. The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan enforced the ban until they were driven out by the Pakistani military in mid-2009.
On October 15, Yousafzai was flown to Britain for specialist care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after Pakistani doctors said she needed treatment for a damaged skull and “intensive neuro-rehabilitation.”
Dr. Dave Rosser, the medical director of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said, “Doctors… believe she has a chance of making a good recovery on every level,” but added that her treatment and rehabilitation could take months.
Islam teaches that all Muslims, both male and female, must get an education.
In a famous hadith, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his household) said: “Seek knowledge, even if it is in China.”
But now we have a situation where the TTP are burning down and blowing up girls’ schools in Pakistan. And across the border, the Afghan Taliban are destroying girls’ schools in Afghanistan.
Both groups also attack and injure and kill young girls for going to school.
And now the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan militants have stooped so low that they deem it acceptable to shoot a 14-year-old girl and even brag about it and say they will kill her in the next attack since she survived the first attack.
What will they say to Allah on Judgment Day?
Where in the Holy Quran does it say that women and girls should not get an education?
If it said that anywhere in the Holy Quran, the true Muslims would accept it.
But it doesn’t say that anywhere in the Holy Quran.
And where in the Holy Quran does it say that females should not go outside?
In response to that question, many Taliban types and people like them say that it is found in Verses 32 and 33 of Surah 33 (The Allies) of the Holy Quran. But these verses of the Holy Quran only refer to the wives of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his household).
Following are Verses 32 and 33 of Surah 33 of the Holy Quran:
O wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other of the women; if you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word.
And stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorance of yore; and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House, and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.
Clearly, only the wives of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his household) were instructed to stay in their houses and keep themselves separate from the people.
And there are other ordinances that only applied to them.
For example, the wives of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his household) were not allowed to remarry after he died. In Islam, all other Muslim widows are allowed to remarry.
According to the sharia (Islamic law), some ordinances apply to all women and girls and some ordinances applied only to the wives of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his household).
Muslims must be able to distinguish between these two types of ordinances, and it is the task of the ulema (Islamic scholars) to explain these matters.
In Islam, it is a great sin to make the armies of Islam look weak in the eyes of the enemies of Islam.
And by shooting a young girl, the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan have done just that, so they have committed a great sin.
Where is the bravery in shooting a young girl? In fact, there is no bravery in such an act. It is just a cowardly act.
Every soldier of Islam must be brave. It is the duty of every jihadi to be brave.
And every soldier of Islam must defend the honor and dignity of women and girls. This is also a duty.
The Islamic world is extremely underdeveloped nowadays.
Thus, the community of Islam, the Islamic ummah, is in need of a great movement, an Islamic renaissance, to uplift it.
In many parts of the Islamic world, there is grinding poverty, hunger, and illiteracy. The standard of living is low and the economy is bad in many Muslim countries. Many Muslims do not have access to adequate healthcare and clean drinking water, and the orphans are suffering in poor and war-torn Muslim countries.
The Islamic world can only be uplifted if it becomes developed, and education is the key to development. The masses of the ummah of Islam must be educated. There must be an education jihad now to uplift the Islamic world and kick-start the Islamic renaissance.
Half of the ummah of Islam is female. Hence, the education jihad can never be successful if women and girls are not given access to education.
Thus, providing women and girls access to education is the key to success in the education jihad, the education jihad is the key to development, and development is the key to building up the Islamic world, uplifting the masses of the ummah of Islam, and starting the Islamic renaissance.
Whoever is against all this is helping the enemies of Islam since the enemies want the Islamic world to always be down and underdeveloped.
So, by opposing education for women and girls, the Taliban are helping the enemies of Islam.
The members of the TTP act like they think they are the awliya Allah, the friends of God, the most saintly people. But through their actions, they show that they are the awliya Shaitan, the friends of Satan, the worst of people.
After hearing that Malala Yousafzai was shot by the TTP, one soldier of Islam became very sad and then said, “Jihad today, jihad tomorrow, jihad forever. Jihad today against the TTP friends of Satan, jihad tomorrow against the TTP awliya Shaitan, jihad forever against the TTP friends of Satan. Defend the honor and dignity of women and girls. Allahu Akbar.”
However, Islam is a forgiving religion and the members of the TTP -- or at least the ones who have not gotten too deep into sin and wickedness -- still have a chance to repent and rejoin the fold of Islam.
Perhaps by reflecting on Verse 38 of Surah 47 of the Holy Quran, which is entitled Muhammad, the members of the TTP can come to their senses.
And hopefully, all Muslims can get an understanding of their duty by reflecting on this verse.
Following is Verse 38 of Surah 47 of the Holy Quran:
Behold, you are those who are called upon to spend in Allah’s way, but among you are those who are niggardly, and whoever is niggardly is niggardly against his own soul; and Allah is Self-sufficient and you have need (of Him), and if you turn back, He will bring in your place another people, then they will not be like you.
(Oct. 17 Tehran Times Perspective Column, by Hamid Golpira)
HG/HG
END
MNA
Your Comment