Learn the answers, Muslims are urged

DUBAI // A leading Muslim scholar outlined some of the main misconceptions about Islam during a lecture to an audience of 20,000, urging them to counter misinformation about the religion. The concept of jihad, fundamentalism, terrorism, the hijab, eating habits and polygamy are among the 13 main areas of misunderstanding about Islam, according to Dr Zakir Naik.

Muslims should understand the true meaning behind terms often associated with their religion so they can deflect criticism of Islam and can answer questions, the well-known Indian scholar said. "If all Muslims know the reply to these common questions posed by the non-Muslims, even if we cannot make the non-Muslim accept Islam, at least we can neutralise the animosity, the negative feeling the person has with Islam," he said during a lecture at the Dubai Expo Airport centre on Friday evening.

Islam is suffering from a barrage of negative attention, he said, and it is the duty of Muslims to demystify some of the most popular questions used to attack the religion. "How do these questions arise? Every day the non-Muslims are being bombarded by the national media. There is virulent propaganda regarding Islam in the media. The media are very powerful, the most powerful weapon today." If Muslims do not become involved in educating people about Islam, they will have failed in their duty to spread the word, he said.

"Wherever you travel, these common questions are the same," said Dr Naik, 43, who owns Peace TV, the most popular religious channel in the world. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, Islam had been widely perceived as a violent religion spread by the sword, yet it was also spreading globally. "Today, the fastest growing religion in the US and Europe is Islam. Who is forcing them to accept this religion?" he asked.

The lecture followed a speech he gave on Thursday, during which he called on Muslims to summon others to Islam. The talks are part of a Ramadan series, organised by the government-run Dubai International Holy Quran Award, to bring notable Islamic scholars to the emirate during the holy month. For 16-year-old Minna Faiza, originally from India, the event was educational and exciting. "Normally I watch Dr Naik on Peace TV so this is the first time I am seeing him speak live," she said. "I asked my sister to record what he was saying on the subjugation of women because many of my friends ask me questions about this. Now I am more aware of how I should reply to them."

Rafiq Syed, a 31-year-old Indian expatriate in Dubai, said Dr Naik had lived up to his expectations. "He is simply excellent because he has complete knowledge over everything. A few of my friends do ask me the questions he was answering, so I will be using his reasoning. Now I will be able to answer almost all of them." Mr Syed's wife, Saira, also from India, said the speech had inspired her to research more of Dr Naik's work.

"I didn't know all of the answers he was saying about Islam so I got to know through this lecture," she said. "I had so many questions myself, even as a Muslim. Some of the things I didn't catch, I will look up on his website to find out." Organising a lecture for an audience of 20,000 was not an easy task, said volunteers. Many people had to sit outside the main lecture theatre and watch the talk on big-screen monitors.

Rabia Rehman, a volunteer who flew from the UK to attend the lecture, saw the job as a great opportunity to support her fellow Muslims. "For the volunteers, we have to control the crowd. We only have 40 women volunteers for every 4,000 female visitors," she said. "It is just a great opportunity as a Muslimah [a female Muslim] to convey the message of Islam. This is one of the biggest gatherings for a Muslim."

asafdar@thenational.ae