Home > Opinion > Response to Kuta’s comments on Shariah Law

Response to Kuta’s comments on Shariah Law

Published: November 16, 2011, 11:36 pm ET
By Saima Ahmad
Contributor, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community member

This is indeed a disappointing piece of journalism in which Ms. Kuta (Response to: Five Shariah insights for students at UR-Nov. 5) is spreading hate and misinformation about Islam because of her apparent bias toward this religion.

Being a Muslim woman, I am outraged that she has portrayed the teachings of Islam as being offensive to women’s rights. The references she has made are either not accurate or are judged in a literal sense, and readers are likely prone to get an incorrect impression of the essence of the teachings. Islam respects a woman in all roles of life. A woman has the right to inherit and to divorce — something unheard of 1400 years ago. Islam teaches modesty so that every woman is chaste, unlike something just prescribed for nuns in Christianity. If Muslim women are taught to be modest, so are Muslim men.

Islam exhorts Muslims to be loyal to their country of residence and to follow the rule of the land, and makes no distinction as to whether the ruler is Muslim or not (Quran 4:60). As members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we believe that the state and religion should remain independent of each other and that Shariah does not apply to non-Muslims.

Ms. Kuta should put her bias aside and report objectively to do any good for society.

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  • http://twitter.com/MuslimIQ QasimRashid

    Well written Ms. Ahmad. Thank you for sharing your insights on the equality of women in Islam.

    • Adam Priest

      Qasim, are you denying injustices are done to women in Islam? Stop denying this too is Islam. This was my first google hit when I googled “Saudi Arabia women injustice” http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/d9ee5a5a-d7b0-11df-b478-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1dzI4ltxU

      In Islam, women are only equal under your Ahmadi sect, not under the millions of Sunnis or Shias, who dominate Islam.

      • http://madaboutmahound.blogspot.com/ Gary Rumain

        You might also find this video amusing, Adam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t7i7DsjbM4

  • Adam Priest

    NO, NO, NO, with all due respect Ms. Ahmad and Mr. Rashid, Ms. Kuta accurately reported on orthodox Islam as we see and read daily in the press. Peaceful Ahmadi Muslims like yourselves are outside mainstream Islam and you do not speak for the majority. Your sect of Islam makes up 1% of all practicing Muslims. Your justice-seeking and equality for women is contrary to orthodox Islam where supremacist ideology and subjugation of women and non-believers reign.

    You believe the majority of Sunnis and Shias have misinterrupted the Quran. I praise you and honor you for thinking that. I wish all Muslims believed as the Ahmadiyya Muslim community believes and followed the interpretations of Muhammad Zafrullah Khan. But the sad facts show otherwise. As a matter of fact, I believe your promotion of your version of Islam and Shariah confuses those Americans who do not understand the radical teachings of Sunni orthodoxy, who follow and promote a different Shariah.

    Rather than attacking Ms. Kuta and accusing her of spreading hate and misinformation, you should acknowledge that the Ahmadis condemn violent (mis)interpretations of the Quran, subjugation of women, etc., like Ms.Kuta did.

    When you criticize voices like Ms. Kuta it comes across as you ignoring the reality of violent Islam. Violent Islam exists and presents a threat not only to the U.S. but also to you as peaceful Muslims, because you don’t agree with their ideology. You must stop trying to silence and de-legitimize critics of violent Islam. Instead, why not acknowledge concerns like Ms. Kuta and say your abhor and condemn those practices too. Then, you can make your case for how the radical Muslims today are wrong and the Ahmadis are right in their interpretation.

    • Brendan Ellis

      I’m all for condemning violent Muslims, but no less or more than violent Americans. I disagree with condemning all Muslims because some are violent. Blaming the MAJORITY of peaceful Muslims for the actions of the few (admittedly dangerous) extremists is like blaming America for Gary Rumain.