August 4, 2016 1.30 pm
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The Anguish of Muslims Part 5 – Hijab and Jihad
Hafsah Qureshi was born and raised in Lincoln. She attended Washingborough Primary School followed by the Priory LSST Secondary School. She is currently a doctor working in Lincoln and lives with her husband and one year old son. In a series of articles, she will outline why Muslims feel anguish and sadness at people thinking…
Hafsah Qureshi is a doctor working at Lincoln County Hospital.
Hafsah Qureshi was born and raised in Lincoln. She attended Washingborough Primary School followed by the Priory LSST Secondary School. She is currently a doctor working in Lincoln and lives with her husband and one year old son. In a series of articles, she will outline why Muslims feel anguish and sadness at people thinking their religion is ‘evil’ and associating it with terrorism, and will try to dispel some common misunderstandings about her faith.
In the previous articles I mentioned the main beliefs and practices taught by Islam in an attempt to show that they include nothing to be feared and hated.
There are two concepts in Islam I should also mention, as they are recurrent themes in the media, and are commonly misunderstood:
Hijab
This term is often used to refer to the Muslim woman’s headscarf, but has a deeper meaning, as ‘hijab’ is a state of mind where a Muslim woman is modest not just through her clothing but the dignity of her conduct.
Yes, Islam asks women to cover their hair and wear loose modest clothing in public. However, they do not have to wear hijab in a private setting when with other women, children, one’s spouse or first and second degree male relatives. Moreover, Muslim men have a code of appearance too.
Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab do so with the understanding that it is a Quranic commandment, and that it pleases God/Allah. It is not worn to please men or to subjugate women, nor does it prevent women engaging in society. On the contrary, many Muslim women, myself included, feel liberated by the hijab, for the idea behind it is that that women should be respected for their intellect and contribution in society rather than judged on their appearance. How is this oppressive?!
Furthermore, a head covering is probably less alien to the West than one might think. Isn’t the Virgin Mary often depicted with a head covering, and don’t nuns cover their hair too?
Jihad
This term is unbelievably misconstrued, but what actually is Jihad? The word ‘Jihad’ has sadly become synonymous with ‘terrorism’; but ‘Jihad’ actually means ‘to struggle in the path of Allah’ – the ‘struggle’ to do good deeds instead of being lazy, even in the absence of immediate personal gratification.
For example, Jihad is when I ‘struggle’ to get up for work in the morning, when I really want to stay in bed, or when I fight the temptation to watch TV and instead volunteer for charity work.
Yes, part of Jihad, includes an armed ‘struggle’ in self defence against oppressors and tyrants.
This kind of Jihad however is governed by strict rules, and can only happen under the authority of a genuine Islamic nation governed by just laws and under fair leadership. The first Islamic community was established peacefully due to a community of people wanting to live by the laws of Islam and under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
It was not established by war and bloodshed. And one of the key characteristics of a true Islamic nation was tolerance – people of all religions were welcome and felt safe to live there.
Muslim Spain before the inquisition demonstrated this well. The despicable mass murder of innocent people at a social gathering is NOT Jihad!
To summarise, ISIS and terrorists DO NOT represent Islam. They have killed more Muslims than they have non-Muslims, and every innocent life lost in this mess is a tragedy. Terrorists may have twisted verses of the Quran out of context, to brainwash vulnerable and religiously naive young people into joining them, but any ancient holy book can have verses misconstrued, as demonstrated recently in social experiments about the bible. The MI5’s own Behavioural Sciences Unit has found that terrorists are more likely to be religious novices, and that a well grounded religious identity actually protects against radicalisation.
Islam shares the same root letters as the Arabic word for ‘peace’ (Salam) and this is not a coincidence; for it is a religion that has peace at its heart. Islam teaches us to believe that Allah/God has no partners, and to worship Him alone instead of other objects, people or our own desires. We worship Him by doing good deeds i.e. fulfilling our obligations to Allah such as praying and fasting, and fulfilling our obligations to fellow man such as giving to charity, challenging injustice and being honest and kind.
I would encourage sceptics of my claims about the true teachings and nature of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to read the Quran and study the life of the Prophet for themselves, with an open mind, prejudice aside. You can visit www.plainislam.com or www.lincolnmosque.com for more information or to request recommended resources.
Furthermore, do not hesitate to talk to a Muslim about their faith – most Muslims will not be offended by genuine enquiry! If people harbour resentment and fear, showcase prejudice on the internet and social media, and refrain from open discourse with others, how will barriers and misconceptions be broken and bridges be built?
Hafsah Qureshi was born and raised in Lincoln. She went to Washingborough Primary School and then Priory LSST and is now a doctor working at Lincoln County Hospital. Hasfah lives in Lincoln with her husband and one-year-old son.
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A man allegedly assaulted and verbally abused a member of rail staff after being questioned over having an incorrect ticket.
A member of rail staff on board questioned the man travelling on a train from Lincoln to Leeds with an incorrect ticket at 5.03pm on Tuesday, May 3.
British Transport Police said when the train was stood at Worksop station, the man grabbed his arm and pulled him whilst verbally abusing him. He is then said to have thrown a drink bottle at his leg.
On Wednesday, May 18 British Transport Police released a CCTV image of a man they believe may have information which could help their investigation.
They did not specify whether or not he is a suspect or a witness.
Do you recognise this man? | Photo: British Transport Police
Anyone who recognises the man, or has any information, is being urged to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 516 of 03/05/22.
Alternatively, information can be reported through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A burglar who took sentimental items from the home of an 84-year-old woman while she was asleep in her chair was on Wednesday jailed for 20 months.
Lincoln Crown Court heard Wendy Bird woke to find her handbag had been taken from the living room of her Mablethorpe home.
Jerry Johnson, 25, of no fixed address, admitted burgling the property on 4 March this year.
Phillip Plant, prosecuting, said Mrs Bird fell asleep after being left at 11am by a relative and woke at 1.45pm to find her handbag gone.
Among the items taken were a watch valued at £800, £40 in cash, some sentimental gold rings, a bank card and batteries for a hearing aid.
Mr Plant said Johnson was a disqualified driver but later the same day used Mrs Bird’s bank card to spend £21 at the Empire filling station in Mablethorpe.
Police were able to identify Johnson on CCTV from his distinctive tattoos and the car was spotted again at Tesco in Skegness at 4.30pm on the same day.
The court heard Johnson failed to stop for officers and drove away, before being involved in a collision.
Johnson also pleaded guilty to failing to stop, failing to stop after an accident, driving while disqualified and a charge of fraudulently using Mrs Bird’s bank card on 4 March.
In a victim impact statement Mrs Bird said she now felt like a prisoner in her own home and always had to keep her doors locked.
Johnson, who represented himself in court, apologised to Mrs Bird, stating: “To the lady I am really sorry. At the time I was on drugs.”
Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Johnson: “This was a very mean offence.”
He was jailed for 20 months and disqualified from driving for two years and ten months.