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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Geelani and his ilk misleading Kashmiris: The only kafirs in Islam today are those who call others kafir, Islamic Ideology, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic Ideology
Geelani and his ilk misleading Kashmiris: The only kafirs in Islam today are those who call others kafir
By Sultan Shahin
Asian Affairs, London, September 2008

While there are Muslims, for instance, who would insist on treating Hindus as kafir (infidel), there are others who would insist that they should actually be treated as Ahl-e-Kitab, people bearing revealed books, a people who have a special place in Islamic theology and practice. It is one of the most serious and often-expressed grievances of Hindus that Muslims consider them kafir and it therefore becomes the religious duty of Muslims to either convert Hindus or kill them.

Disregarding the advice of some ulema (scholars) of his time, the first Arab to conquer parts of India, Sind and Multan made a good beginning, giving Hindus the same status as Ahl-e-Kitab, people with whom Muslims are supposed to have good social relations, including marital ones. But the question of the place of Hindus in Islamic theology has persisted since then. There are Muslims who have no reservations whatsoever in considering Hindus as Ahl-e-Kitab. In fact, anyone with any sense would see at a mere glance that Hindu scriptures are divine in origin. The question whether Sri Krishna, for instance, is an avatar (incarnation) of God or a messenger of God is merely an issue of semantics, though, of course, there are complex ideological debates over the issue. The important thing is that the message is certainly divine.

http://newageislam.com/geelani-and-his-ilk-misleading-kashmiris--the-only-kafirs-in-islam-today-are-those-who-call-others-kafir-/islamic-ideology/d/700


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