Below is a response to an email circulated by a Muslim sister who was appealing, on behalf of Mr. Craig Murray for Muslims to support the publishing of his account ‘Murder in Samarkand’ back in 2006. Mr. Murray had expressed his disappointment, dismay even, that Muslims were not supporting his publication by purchasing the book and vocally supporting his publicising efforts et al. Unfortunately, I have lost the original correspondence so I cannot be entirely fair and upload both sides of the issue. I apologise for this but still feel that my response has some value for other similar strands of thought and criticism of the Muslim community at large. It is sad that some of the points covered are still present in arguments today, a decade after this more low key event.
Al-salamu Alaykum!
I have a number of points I would like to raise, perhaps provocatively, in response to the review request, but more importantly in the idea of Mr Murray’s disappointment with the Muslim community and the idea that we should in any way be embarrassed as a consequence. I shouldn’t need to state that whilst in what follows there may be criticism, the intention is to make us think more clearly about this matter rather than to react to situations in a knee-jerk or emotive manner. I believe we Muslims need to take more time to consider our responses to events and not think that by taking our time over things is a sign of either weakness of intellect or lack of care. We are accused frequently for not voicing loudly enough our support or our anger in accordance with the ‘received opinion’. However, Muslims should measure their reactions and words against what is pleasing and displeasing to Allah upon the methodology of the Prophet (SAW), and this need not be moderated by ‘received opinion’, ‘Britishness’ or otherwise, liberal or hard-line (by which we can understand the charge of fundamentalism), but on truth, justice, and compassion.
I have tried to read the book but it is not for me. This is, however, a matter of taste rather than a judgement on the style or quality of the writing; consequently I would encourage others to give it a read if they are able and make up their own mind. I am very disappointed at Craig Murrays’ email and the response to it that our beloved sister has given for a number of reasons. Of course, there is nothing in what I say that is absolute, for it is not based on the Qur’an and Sunnah as such, but on my own reasoning; hence I may be right, wrong, or a measure of both, and all guidance is sought from Allah alone. At the least, I hope to give food for thought, insha Allah.
Why on earth should we be embarrassed if Mr Murray or, for that matter, anyone, feels let down that people have not bought their book? Notwithstanding other motivations, we must admit that at base the publishing of almost any book through a mainstream publisher is a commercial venture; it is not solely a form of altruistic exercise. This admittance does not preclude altruism or goodwill; it does not attack or diminish Mr Murray’s intentions or integrity. However, I do not know that the publisher involved is a not-for-profit organisation, though I am willing to stand corrected. Nor does this mean that if a book is published with financial gain involved for the publisher and/or writer that it cannot be a virtuous act as such. It does mean that the notion that we ought to be embarrassed because of low sales is less reasonable.
Without meaning to be abrasive, yet still to hint at my annoyance, I would like to understand how we Muslims have let him down as such in another way. The community had no part in designing the writing and publishing of the book. There has been no correspondence or request made. This does not mean that the community should not be grateful for a service done to highlight the plight of those victims discussed in the book; perhaps we ought to be grateful that the issue has been raised to a higher state of public awareness. But the sort of ‘ought’ here is not absolute, and there cannot be any moral imperative that we are either individually or as a community somehow at fault, less caring or virtuous because we haven’t buy the book.
If we wished to be more rigid we might ask what the motivation in writing the book was, asking rhetorically thereafter, ‘to advance Allah’s religion?’ ‘to promote the cause of Muslims specifically?’ and so on. Certainly this is not an attempt to dismiss the importance of this type of work, but to suggest that Muslims are in some way obligated, whether morally (or in any other way) to ‘support’ this book is unfounded. There are other objections that we may raise. From our own side, why are we to feel embarrassed, guilty, and so on? Is it because someone has spoken out and made a stand against atrocities? Would Mr Murray have written this about any equivalent situation happening anywhere else to some other religious or whatever group? I would tend to think ‘yes he would’, but if we admit this then this is not about Islam, it is not about Muslims as such. It is about justice and compassion. It follows that we could thus ask, ‘shouldn’t he be rightly dismayed at the lack of support full stop?’ Again and again Muslims are decried for not speaking out or acting up, but there is no religious, moral or intellectual imperative that we need to speak out to justify ourselves. I am not by dint of being Muslim responsible for blowing people up. We all know, as Muslims, that this false assertion is, quite frankly, disgusting. We are castigated for not speaking out loudly or passionately enough about 9/11, 7/7/, Bali bombings, blah blah this, and blah blah that. But there is nothing upon us that requires us to do so! Besides what is loud enough, what is passionate enough? How do we obtain the means and methods with which to disseminate the volume and emotion to satisfy the onlookers? And, by the way, who says we haven’t been outraged enough? It is not the case that if it cannot be seen or heard that it does not exist. So now are we being castigated for not supporting some blokes’ book! Subhan Allah, it seems to me that we will never win, ‘And never will they be happy until you are upon what they are upon…’
The book isn’t even out in paperback yet so it is unaffordable for most I would suggest even with the deals you can get on the internet. I am not saying don’t buy it or read it or enjoy it or be inspired to action and so on, but to somehow make us feel ashamed, embarrassed or obligated is ridiculous. Stop being suckered into such positions of compromise and misplaced emotion. I’d rather he would push on from this and do a follow up with the atrocities of a different nature being perpetrated on Muslims in the UK, as being portrayed as the ‘Other’, those dangerous outsiders trying to destroy the British way of life, battling jealousy against the West and civilisation itself, about the abuse we receive in the streets, the work place, hospitals, schools, and, need we go there, the judicial and penal system from end to end. If he did this there would be more reason for us to be embarrassed in not supporting him. As it is most Muslims should feel embarrassed that as a disabled Muslim I get a visit from only one brother with any sort of regularity on average every 2-3 weeks, and if it weren’t for him, living 60 odd miles or more away, then I would have no face to face contact with Muslims outside my family. Muslims should feel embarrassed about that and not some guy writing a book with a commercial aspect to it, not specifically aimed at defending Muslims but in drawing attention to Human Rights abuses. Do buy it do read it, but don’t fall prey to some bleeding heart tish and pish; the guy has been in the diplomatic corps for a while and only now has managed to say anything, which while better late than never is late so perhaps his reward of recognition may also be late, qadr Allah masha Allah. Perhaps Allah has just exposed Mr Murrays less than pure intentions with his disappointment and Allah know best.
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