| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Koran bashers @the Oaks | |
| Posted by: | Robin Taylor | |
| Date/Time: | 05/11/09 22:39:00 |
| Ajit, Would you mind me asking if you are a turbaned Sikh? Islam, like Christianity, is a missionary religion, and some of its practitioners feel that this makes it incumbent upon them to try and gain converts. It would, however, be wholly inappropriate for followers of any religion to try and hassle someone who is clearly of a different faith (especially given the history of conflict between Islam and Sikhism). Here in Southall, I have very occasionally seen a group of young Muslim men with traditional Islamic clothing set up stall on the Broadway. There never seems to be any hassle, though, because there are enough Muslim shoppers in Southall to keep them occupied through theological discussion, and the Sikhs (being the largest local religious group) are simply too numerous to be a target. I have also seen a group of Christians (of Asian origin) set up stall in South Road on some weekday afternoons and interestingly their presence seems to invite friendly theological discussion from some passing (mainly elderly) members of the local Islamic community. Regarding the poster who mentioned alleged extremism in local mosques, I can't speak for Acton but the Abu Bakr Mosque in Southall Broadway seems to be in the hands of moderates. I met the Imam there a few weeks ago and he was very cordial. He also has very close links with the local female Labour Councillor, Zahida Al Noori. The Imam kindly did me the favour of getting worshippers to fill out several petition forms against the BNP leader's projected appearance on Question Time. (The petition wording emphasised Nick Griffin's history of Holocaust Denial as the factor that should force the BBC to rescind its invitation to him). The vast majority of Muslims are peaceful and law abiding (and, in my observation, are culturally alike to the Sikhs and Hindus) but sadly it's the small minority of extremists who shout the loudest and get most of the publicity. If any good can come from the revolting BNP troll appearing on QT, it should be to highlight that Muslims, Sikhs and Jews have a common enemy - and it's not each other. |