Every Sunday in Hyde Park, people can take up a corner and speak their minds in Speaker’s Corner. I didn’t stay much because I had to checkout of the hotel, so I stood for few minutes.

I’m open minded about my religion, that is I need to make sense of what I’m receiving, I need to believe in it and I guess that is a problem because I do get lost about things I don’t understand, about things I need to take as is, I don’t mind discussing aspects of my religion as long as it is not insulting or mocking.

I hate the way Islam is represented nowadays as a religion of terror and violence. So many examples of our Prophet Mohammed “عليه الصلاة و السلام” forgiveness and kindness, in the early days of his calling and after Islam prospered across nations and yet people seem to neglect this fact.

Why am I saying this?

There were two men standing representing Islam, one of them looked like “راعي غنم” holding a crocked stick and walking around WTH is that all about, it’d be perfectly fine if you were actually one and had a herd following you! Our prophet called for “حسن المنظر”, it’s not about wearing baggy clothes and letting your beard go wild, tidy it up a bit. The other one related all the world’s problems to alchocol. I might have not stayed longer but all he kept asking people was “what is your religion?” and whatever the answer, if it was not Islam he’d reply “Oh, so your religion is Alcohol”!!!

Is this what Islam is about, No Alcohol. What about let’s say, start at the beginning, the five pillars of Islam!!! And we’ll go from there.

I think to myself then, “Maybe you should’ve said something”. Yeah right, first I have to gather courage to speak in public and not be passionate and emotional and get worked up Maybe next time.

I’m observing the way of life here and how people interact, it is not perfect but it is certainly better than how we do it. I can’t help thinking this is what our religion calls for, I like that in Islam we have “الدين المعاملة” and when our prophet said “انما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق”, but we don’t practice it, we call for it, but don’t actually make the effort to carry it out.

There was a time when people embraced Islam because they lived amongst Muslims and they saw their way of life. Now … no comment …

Don’t you think if Allah wanted all of us to be Muslims and perfect, then he’d simply say “كن فيكون”.

Publish Bug Update:

So it seems the problem is back!!!