"Why do you side with the MB in the current crisis in Egypt?"

"Why do you side with the MB in the current crisis in Egypt?" That was a question I received several times and in various forms during the past month. I received it from people who are Arabic speakers and some English speaking friends as well. I guess some it seems were disappointed that I am not a liberal, secular or whatever they associate with anti-Islamists sentiment. Of course, I have long been seen by many Islamist friends depending on their flavor of Islamism of being either secular, or careless, or morally corrupt, or most often a Sufi, a more damaging libel. In the past when I served as an elected president of an Islamic center some of my congregation accused me of being a Shi'i sympathizer (and therefore of committing heresy--deviating from the Sunna) because I tried to make the Shii students in town feel welcome in the mosque, attended and welcomed invitations to give opening talks at several of their holidays' gatherings.

I feel I need to say a few words about the question above. What I am going to say here should come as no surprise to those I have already spoken to off this medium. An Arabic version of this statement will be posted later, God willing.

It is rather ridiculous that a simple, completely unknown person like myself would have to issue such statement. But well sometime you have to put things to rest.

I should start by the most disappointing thing, disappointing to those who have only known me for a short period of time or from a distance, basically everyone.  I am not secular. I don't really know what that means. Although I started reading Western philosophy from an early age, I have yet to grasp what that means. I don't think it is good, crucial, or very important to have a system of governance where religion is separated from the state. Nor do I think that it is per se something evil. I am not even aware that there is a country or a culture where such utopia exists now or has existed. Perhaps it might have happened before humans knew religion, but even then they had their own. Religion is something that if people didn't have they would have invented. Someone said something along these lines about God--it is the same thing. Humans are born with a penchant desire to worship, idolize or revere something. Those who deny God His supernatural place in their cosmic view or lack one for decrepitude of mind or its sheer elasticity often give such position to a single or multiple agents or concepts: their own deviance, their own favored product, their own lassitude, a friend, a system of thought, a drink or a practice. Those who ridicule rituals of organized religions, often invent rituals that if and when they possess a critical eye would appear to them more arbitrary and rationally anemic.

I am a Muslim and never had an issue with that, and never will. But what does that mean to me beyond the obvious, beyond the belief in Allah, the One and Only God, practicing certain rituals, referring to a certain scripture and believing in an after life? Beyond the rituals and articles of faiths known to most of those who understand that Islam is religion, not a country, I believe in the following fundamentals as key to my faith. Of course, I am not inventing these. They are stipulated clearly, and repeatedly in the Holy Quran, my favored text.

1- Sanctity of human life: Every life that God has given the permission to be cannot be denied such permission except with such a valid cause such as threatening the life of others;
2- Humans are dignified: This is a God given privilege, so I believe. They shouldn’t be humiliated. Their choices, which don’t constitute a danger to themselves, their society or others, should be respected. One doesn’t have to agree with others’ choices or views to respect them.
3- Justice is crucial: Life needs equilibrium and justice is what provides that. Standing for just causes is standing for life and against its antonym: death in spiritual sense.
4- Power doesn’t equal truth: Here is where you know who is moral and who is not. No matter how many stand on the wrong side of history, no matter how powerful and entrenched they become, their stance is false and morally repugnant. Still those who tie their moral compass with the fluctuation of power should be dealt with by the sword at the battlefield and rational clarity on the intellectual domain. They lost their morality not their humanity.
5- All people of all religions and belief systems deserve to be treated compassion.
6- I must stand with what I believe is just even if it is unpopular, even if it will lead to my death. (I will not actually die before my time). It is a choice between cowardice and life.  My faith says I must choose the latter even if its means my physical annihilation. I shall endeavor to do so.
7- I shalln’t hate my enemies. But I shall not give in to them.
8- I have to be just even with my enemies.
9- I shall say the truth wherever I am and in whatever condition I may be
10- I shall side with any wronged person anywhere. I shall help them with whatever I can.

So why do I look to you pro-Muslim Brothers?

Simple: In the current events embroiling the Muslim World, the Islamists in general with some minor exceptions seem more reasonable than their foes. In Egypt, they have been clearly wronged. You can see that no matter what standard you use unless you are blind. I can still sympathize with you if that is your problem.  They elected their representatives and were denied that. They have also been denied use of their tv stations; they have been massacred; they have been denied right to peaceful protest; they have been demonized. I am a witness. I would have to go against my religion, my humanity, my sense of dignity and years of education; I would have to betray all that in order not to side with them at least to the extent that I report the wrong they have been subjected to. If the victims were others, even people who have wronged me, I would have sympathized as well. It makes no difference to me.

If anyone has an issue with that, s/he should let me know and I will surely pray for his/her healing. I will not change my stance, of course.


Peace.

Ahmed Meiloud.  3:00am Tucson AZ.