Ignorance, Indifference or Intelligence...Which will you choose?

Okay, so among my youtube forays, I came across this account that seeks to misconstrue Islam in a really horrid light. It can't be that bad...you say? Ok well see for yourself: check out this profile on youtube: Tottingcowboy.

So amidst the comments that were villified, one-sided and completely and utterly shameless in bashing up Islam WITHOUT any positive note towards their religion, I decided to ask him why he was doing this.


TottingCowboy
To: TottingCowboy
Subject: hello 30 Apr 2008

okay, I come in peace.

Just a simple question to prove my point.

Why do you have to put down Islam just to bring up yourself and your religion? It's simply letting people have a very negative view of yourself and what you believe in, and sympathise with Muslims all the more. Honestly, I really don't see what you're trying to prove through your actions. Propagate love and the goodness of your religion all you wish, but not hatred for others.

Sincerely,
A concerned fellow human being.

Attached: Re: Fitna the Movie: Geert Wilders' film about the Quran part 2

Soon after I received an email from him. And I was totally bracing myself for facts, clarity of thinking and at the very least a concise argument of where he was coming from. Instead, there was an emotional:

From: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
Its not for my glory, I simply tell the truth. When I say Islam is violent, satanic, disgusting I have proofs from the Quran and sunnah to back up my arguments.


LOL. Very, very convincing my friend.

To: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
you do not answer my question and my main arguement, which is how does denouncing other religions create a better impression of you and what you stand for? This method that you are undertaking and most of the comments that I have seen propagate hate, which seems that those are the values that you profess, and the values of the religion that you believe in.

I only want enlightenment to come to you and see that examplary conduct is the best way to convince others of your religion.

And as for proof of a very kindly example, do allow me to quote from the Quran:

Surah Al-Tur: 29-37

29: So exhort (reasons from them and clarify their doubts and clear their minds of ignorance) O Prophet, for by your Lord's Grace, you are neither a madman nor a soothsayer.

30: Or do they say: "He is a poet for whom we await an adverse turn of fortune".

31: Tell them: "Wait, I too am waiting with you."

32: Do their minds prompt them to say such things, or are they a people immersed in transgression?"

33: Do they say: "He has himself fabricated the Quran?" No; the truth is that they are altogether adverse to believing.

34: (If theyare truthful in this), then let them produce a discourse of similar splendour,

35: Did they come into being without any creator? Or were they their own creators?



In my own words, I think the Quran is saying, in morden day terms:

BRING IT ON, HONEY, because you simply cannot produce a holistic book, as thorough, complete and true in terms of spiritual, moral and social guidance as the Quran has.

Learn about it carefully from the truest sources before you judge.
How do you know which are the right sources?

Let me help you by giving you some below:

Some online resources:

Tariq Ramadhan, an eminent Cambridge Muslim Scholar:
http://www.tariqramadan.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=6

An article on Yusuf Qardawi, another eminent Muslim scholar from the west:
http://www.islamonline.net/english/News/2001-09/13/article25.shtml

Online Islamic learning websites:
http://sunnipath.com/
http://www.fonsvitae.com/Foundation%20Spiritual%20Path.pdf

freelance islamic education websites:
http://www.themodernreligion.com


P.s. Attached is a video of Allah's attributes. You may acknowledge through the video that a rock god can't have even a minute fraction of any one of those attributes stated. :) Please reflect and be honest to yourself.


Peace, love and everything that is good for you,
May Allah bless you and your companions,

A sincerely concerned friend
Sami Yusuf - Asma Allah
Asma Allah by Sami Yusuf from his new album 'Without You' due out in August 08 سامي يوسف - أسماء الله


Two hours later, a reply:


From: TottingCowboy
Re: hello 30 Apr 2008
Hi,

Muhammads quran (actually Uthmans) is nothing but uncoherent poetry that he copied from the satanic talmud. A group of ex Muslim Imams have already taken up this challenge and have produced a book like it, and its much more coherent might I add and flows beautifully in Arabic.

Here is a link to this amazing rendition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_hWGn7gQzQ

Cheers,


The satanic talmud? Who in the world keeps a copy of that? LOL. All I know is the jewish talmud, and boy, they're a bunch of very intelligent people. Why would they follow a satanic book?
And I suppose these ex-Muslim imams have nothing better to do??
Ok, so he replied to my last point, but still, not my first point.
Anyway, if you do follow the link, the book is a complete JOKE. Please don't even if you have the time. It'll only give that link more hits. Right now it stands at a pathetic 300. For a book that stands truer than the Quran, it doesn't get much coverage aye.

To: TottingCowboy

Re: hello 01 May 2008
ok, firstly, you have avoided my question directed towards you. This proves that you cannot comprehend a single question in its entirety and respond to it in a clear, concise and coherent manner. It follows thus that you have also not fully grasped and are not capable of grasping the true meaning of other logical, coherent and well-meaning arguments for Islam.

Which essentially means that all that you claim and say is absolutely ridiculous. This is, following a logical argument that (1)you cannot understand a simple claim and (2)forsee a simple answer to a very simple question, your logical reasoning and critical thinking is flawed. You cannot rectify and give credibility to your actions. This simply denounces and does not give any meaning in all that you do.

I pity you my friend.

Secondly, the link you have given me has 300 views, mostly I believe from you. It sounds horrible and not even a franction close to the real imams like Misyari. I understand little arabic, essentially for prayer and dua, but from your claims and general analysis of your background, you probably know none at all. To my very simple hearing of well-versed arabic, it already sounds painful and totally insulting even to the intelligence of the imam reading it. As you claim, and again to my logical mind, no former Imam, of great character and vision, would denounce a religion that he left if he's been guided to the right one in your case, Christianity. It just attests to a central flaw in their character and logical reasoning that they would denounce a religion so wholesome and very much like theirs in practice. What I'm trying to say is that even I believe your practitioners (these so called former Imams) are above doing this.

Please watch the videos I send you. They're very meaningful and hope they'd touch your heart someday. May Allah bless you and fulfill your wishes to find guidance, beauty, wholesomeness and truth in this world and the hereafter. Amin.

Following this, I shall put up this email correspondence in a link and put it up whenever you post deconstructive comments about Islam on youtube in the future. Thus all that you say and do in the future will be linked to this conversation that we had, and would seek to undermine your credibility as a rationale, thinking person as well-versed in Islam as you claim.

It shall then be for others reading your comments to judge on their validity and reply in an intelligent and well-versed manner.

Attached: Surah al-Fatihah & al-Baqara by Sheikh Muhammad Siddîq Al-Mi
A beautiful mujawwad recitation of surah al-Fatihah and the first few verses of surah al-Baqara by one of the greatest Qaris of all-time, Sheikh Minshawi(May Allah have mercy upon him). Arabic, English and transliteration provided.


Let's try to combat ideological indifference or worse, ignorance through intelligent debate and knowledge. I was hoping that tottingcowboy would bring me questions and queries that I can bug my religious teachers with. To widen my own perspectives and bridge further understanding. Well, I was severely disappointed. He's really not worth any hate comments on youtube. He's not worthy of any attention at all.