The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Issue 38

Issue 38 [@32:22]: Mr. Serge Trifkovic – “It is a very dangerous element of Islamic teaching because this instant gratification through martyrdom is an attractive concept. And by the way, when the so called martyr operation is carried out by Hammas, what is announced from the minarets of mosques is not the death of so and so who carried out the attack, but the wedding of so and so to the hooris. In other words, they immediately make the implication that far from having to cry over his disappearance over the end of his physical life, his parents should be happy and celebrate and throw a party because their son is now being not only transported into heaven but greeted there with these voluptuous beauties.”

Rebuttal 38: Trifkovic gives a totally wrong perception of martyrdom in Islam when he states – “It is a very dangerous element of Islamic teaching because this instant gratification from martyrdom is an attractive concept.” His argument hinges on the assumption that humans can confer the status of martyr on someone. In Islam, humans can only pray for someone to be granted the status of a martyr after his death. According to Quran this prerogative is only with God. Various aspects of martyrdom and the distortion of hooris, which are “voluptuous beauties” to Trifkovic were fully dealt with in Rebuttals 34 and 35 before. Besides possibly Trifkovic, it is doubted if anyone has actually seen a heavenly hoori to give the description of “voluptuous beauty?” Muhammad had this to say about an apparent martyr:

“The first of men (whose case) will be decided on the Day of Judgment will be a man who died as a martyr. He shall be brought (before the Judgment Seat). Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them. Then will Allah say: What did you do? He will say: I fought for You until I died as a martyr. Allah will say: You have told a lie. You fought that you might be called a brave warrior. And you were called so. (Then) orders will be passed against him and he will be dragged with his face downward and cast into hell.” (Sahih Muslim, book: ‘Government’; in A.H. Siddiqui translation book 20, ch. 43, number 4688.) [Islam, Peace and Tolerance, p 51]

Suicide has no support in Quran. On the reverse, self-preservation is a duty. See Rebuttal 33.

Christianity has to be credited, if not blamed for infusing non-sense in other cultures and religious thought. Christianity influenced other peoples in such a manner that the neo-cultural values and myths adopted by latter found expression as rituals and canons in the name of the prevalent religion. In the Issues discussed so far we seen such examples of stoning to death for blasphemy (Rebuttal 21, Leviticus 24:10-23), the infamous verse of sword in Bible (Rebuttal 28 – Matthews 10:34), the aggression of Holy wars – Crusades, stoning to death for adultery and now killing oneself with a reward in heaven can be attributed to none but the Bible.

The suicide bombing in Middle East stems from the Biblical tradition of Jesus that has seeped into that culture through Christianity. Jesus while predicting his own death said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Those who love their life will lose it, while those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:23-26

In the light of above Bible quote, Trifkovic failed to ask the fundamental question from the to be suicide bombers about their living situation under occupation, generation after generation, in Palestine as to – do they hate their life in this world? Chances are that Trifkovic will be “surprised” to get “Yes” as an answer. To such a suicide bomber, Bible gives solace – that the bomber “will keep it [-his reward] for eternal life.” after his suicide.

When a Mullah glorifies the death of a suicide bomber, he is factually glorifying words of Bible – “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” Revelation 12:11-12

Suicides in the name of self-sacrifice andmayhem have no place in Quran. Yet, Quran is not apologetic when it decrees self-defense against an imposed aggression and persecution:

2:190. And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you but do not be aggressive. Surely Allah does not love the aggressors.

2:191. And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, and persecution is worse than slaughter.

2:193. And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion is only for Allah [ – the Lord of Mankind, i.e. secure religious freedom for all]. But if they cease, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.

2:194. …Whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted…

Quran is strictly against any aggression or preventive war (which is distinct from preemptive strike in an existing state of war), the values that stand even today in the Charter of United Nations.

Since Trifkovic gives specific example of Palestine, it becomes important to understand the historical perspective of the Middle East. Christianity had a long run to ingrain certain not too proud values in the local culture. Both Judaism and Christianity has its own litany of Martyrs that are extolled in their religious literature till today. Why is Trifkovic anguished if a frustrated Palestinian suicide bomber retaliates against tyrannical apartheid or walks in step of Hannah, Ten Martyrs, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Ignatius and others, who all landed in heaven. In light of such a precedence, how can Trifkovic deny others to kill themselves or get killed in their sleep by bombs, so as to be Martyrs? Martyr literally means Witness – to his faith and cause. How different is the fate of these founders of Martyrology than a suicide bomber? Unknown to Trifkovic, but from his own mouth, he lays out the Biblical standards of salvation for those committing suicide or offering themselves to be killed i.e. – “…they [-the Mullahs] immediately make the implication that far from having to cry over his [-suicide] disappearance over the end of his physical life, his parents should be happy and celebrate and throw a party because their son is now being not only transported into heaven.”

Just for the record, getting killed while killing other non-combatants is not an invention of modern day “Jihadists.” That credit goes to the “Judaists” – Sicarii, the Jihadists almost two thousand years ago who were protesting their deprivation from the same temple that Jihadist of today have a cause for. There are other big hitters escaping the attention of the documentary including Kamikazes and LTTE to name a few who have large set of badges of carnage on their lapels.

Mr. Trikovic, at least this documentary gave us a common cause. Lets join hands and eliminate the source spring of such suicides, the doctrine of self-immolation and submission of oneself to be killed without resistance for a salvation, which is found in none other than Bible and Christianity. Lets move on to the Final Testament, the Quran, which categorically states:

“Do not cast yourselves to destruction by your own hands.” — 2:195

“Do not kill yourselves.” — 4:29

References:

Bible – Today’s New International Version – Bible Gateway

Charter of United Nations – United Nations Organization

Islam, Peace and Tolerance – Dr. Zahid Aziz

The Holy Quran – Muhammad Ali, edited by Dr. Zahid Aziz