20 questions: Greeks, Muslims and racism

Source:  Ta Nea Newspaper

Translation © Greeks Rethink

Board Member of the Muslim Association of Greece, Iman Sotiria Kouvalis is Greek and embraced Islam in 2000, following studies in comparative religion. She is the founder of www.greeksrethink.com, the only meeting on line place of Greek Muslims everywhere, as well as those who are interested to know a little more about Greek Muslims and get possible questions answered.

Question 1: How serious is it for a Muslim to rip the Qur’an?

When someone rips the Qur’an, it shows disrespect to the sanctity of God.

Question 2: Do you justify the reaction of the Muslims?

The best way to resolve this matter is through the courts of justice and this is the path we will follow. As for those who react violently, this is contrary to our concept of religion and humanity.

Question 3: Was it politically motivated?

Political groups used isolated pockets of the most distressed immigrants to demonstrate in favour of broader problems, not just the ripped Qur’an.

Question 4: Did these political groups respect the Muslims of Athens?

Just a few immigrants came out with their supporters in the missed march, blackening the image of 10’s of thousands of Muslims who are either Greek citizens or are harmoniously intergrated in the Greek society.

Question 5: Did the Greek authorities respect the Muslims?

In general, they respect the Muslims. The incident with the Qur’an was something that had never happened before, nor was the police officer aware at that time of the seriousness of his action.

Question 6: How can the attack on the Qur’an be repaired?

The police could and still can issue a formal apology to the Muslims of Greece for their error.

Question 7: Are there Muslims who believe the incident was a “war against Islam.”

Any Muslim who tries to act as such on his own accord will be condemned by the majority of Muslims worldwide.

Question 8: How many Muslims live in Greece?

More than 1 million.

Question 9: How many Greeks are Muslims?

Apart from the Greek minority in Thrace, there are many Greeks who have embraced Islam and are either living in Greece or abroad.

Question 10: Why did a Christian woman embrace Islam?

Many Greek women accept islam and they feel liberated. They enjoy all rights given to them by God, including the right to be respected and honoured.

Question 11: What is the role of women in Islam?

Women and men in Islam have equal rights, but different roles. First and foremost is the commitment to God. After that, her primary role is like any woman, to care for her family. Then, if the woman wants, she can study or can be trained to work. Women in Islam are encouraged to study.

Question 12: Compared with Christianity?

Historically, when Islam established women’s rights in 7th century, as the right to property, inheritance etc., such rights were unknown to the world, including Christians.

Question 13: Is the headscarf compulsory or an option?

The headscarf is compulsory as stated clearly in our religion.

Question 14: Why do you wear the headscarf ?

I am happy when I wear headscarf as I obey God’s will. There is great wisdom behind this. I feel liberated, honoured and respected.

Question 15:  Is the burqa obligatory for  a Muslim?

The burqa is a garment worn only in Afghanistan and is not compulsory. Islam requires that women cover their  head, body and hands [arms] with modest clothing. They may wear what they want providing  they respect the initial conditions.

Question 16: Where is the issue of the mosque being stuck ?

In the cogs of bureacracy, lack of interest is given by the government to handle and resolve the matter.

Question 17: Without a mosque which mysteries can’t the Muslims  perform?

Islam has no mysteries in the sense that there are in Christianity. The mosque, however, is the core of Muslim life and a place of tranquility. Without a mosque, a believer can not pray on a Friday which is compulsory and to live a life full of spirituality.

Question 18: Without a Muslim cemetery where can the Muslims be buried?

Either they get buried in their countries of origin which is a  hopelessly a slow and costly process. The Greeks and those who have no homes to be buried, such as the Palestinians,  they get buried in a cemetery of Thrace,  which is also a slow and costly process.

Question 19: Where do marriages and baptisms take place?

In Islam, we have no mysteries such as marriages and baptisms. The name is given to the child at birth. The marriages are either in a register office  if one of the spouses is Greek or in the embassies of the country of origin.

Question 20: Is there  racism against Muslims?

Your everyday Greek citizen has no racisim against his Muslim neighbour.

The gardens of peace

© Greeks Rethink

Today is Friday the 12^th June 2009.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

“Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return” (Sura 2: 156)

As I opened my eyes to the new day and started planning my busy day ahead, thoughts of death, dying and burial started coming in to my mind. “ Life is short” is a common saying. Everybody seems to be using this expression at the slip of the tongue. How many times one stops and thinks what it means is another matter.

“Every soul shall taste death” says an ayaah in the Holy Qur’an. “If you reach the evening do not expect to live by the morning, and if you reach morning do not expect to live by evening” is a hadith of our holy prophet (peace be upon him). So on my way to work I stopped at our local Muslim cemetery. I do not do so often but today the need to visit and reflect was overpowering. As I was driving along the little country road speed limit 40 miles per hour and keeping to it,  I was thinking that the chances are that this is the route that my own funeral procession will take and I better pray a few words of forgiveness and my declaration of faith to my Creator while I still can. Also words of thanks for having another day to be with my family came to my mind and lips. And as I renewed my declaration of faith and blessings on our Holy Prophet  (peace be upon him), I had reached the gates of our local Muslim cemetery the Gardens of peace. Gardens of peace is a registered charitable trust. At 21.5 acres it is the largest Muslim Cemetery in the UK, with enough space for over 10,000 graves. Facilities include parking for 76 cars and provision for making wudhu and salaah.

The landscape architects used to design the Cemetery won the top Award in the internationally recognised Stonegard Phoenix Competition for their work. The Cemetery has also won a Special Award from the British Association of Landscape Industries for groundbreaking work in urban renewal.

Additionally in 2006 the Cemetery was recognised by London in Bloom for the quality of its landscaping.

“This is such a short trip” I thought. “It does not take long at all,” to get to destination.”  It does not take long at all to leave everything behind and finally be in the box (grave) where no possessions or relatives can help me and the only thing I can take with me is my own deeds.

As I parked the car I looked at the Gardens of peace and I marvelled at how much thought and consideration had gone in this tranquill final place of rest. I never stop to marvel every time I come here, as I remember times gone by when I had attended funerals when the Gardens of Peace was not here. For them there were graves in a sectioned off place of the Christian cemeteries. Still thankful though as they were also burials of dignity. As the Muslim population in the local area was growing and the older generation was passing away, their children wanted the best for them in death as well as in life. Thus the dream was born which with the effort of dedicated brothers and sisters became reality. Everything was thought of. As I am now speaking to the brother in charge of the cemetery I discussed the following issues with him. He was more than willing to answer my questions. We spoke about:

Islamic Death rites

§ When a Muslim person dies, it is important that he or she is buried as soon as possible after death and on the same day.

This practice can only be delayed if the death Is reported to the coroner and post-mortem examination is necessary. Burial is that one person is buried per grave with the face of the deceased when buried, facing Makkah. The grave itself should be raised by a minimum of six inches.

Dignity in death

The Human Rights Act 1988 (HRA) came into force on 2nd October 2000 and incorporates into UK legislation many of the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR is a binding international agreement that the UK was involved in drafting and has sought to comply with since 1951. The Convention enshrines fundamental civil and political rights that, for many years, were not part of our own legal system. Using the Convention usually meant exhausting the domestic appeal system before taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. This was often time-consuming and costly. Since coming into force, the HRA has made the Convention rights enforceable in our domestic courts.

The Act makes it unlawful for a ‘public authority’, such as a government department or local authority (including a parish or community council) to act in a way that is incompatible with Convention rights, unless it is bound to do so in order to ‘give effect to legislation.’

Human Rights and the Disposal of the Dead

Article 8: Right to privacy

(1) Everyone has the right for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.

(2) There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Article 9: Freedom of conscience

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

(2) Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedom of others.

He was telling me the procedures they had to go through to aquire the land depending totally on Sadaqah  and loans from Muslims which still pay back and of course all the stringent procedures with the Planning Permissions Department of the local authority. In the end the result is here for all of us to see.  I was told that the cemetery has an average of 2-3 burials per week and that the land they have aquired is sufficient for single graves for the next 200 years. We also discussed the recycling of the graves, and I was told that in app 200 years they would possibly have to start reusing the same graves by buring on top of the existing.

What moves me the most here is that all the graves are the same, no rich and no poor distinctions, we are all the same in death. I love the canal that runs along the cemetery as a symbolic separation of the land of the dead and the living, with the dua of greeting the dead on the bridge. We recite the dua just as we enter the area of the graves.

As I  am contemplating and feeling  grateful my thoughts turn to Greece. I am thinking of the urgent need of our brothers and sisters for a place to worship and a cemetery. “  In a hadith narrated by Anas the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you will have faith, unless he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.” They have been waiting too long.” I say. “Please see that nothing is impossible.” Just look at  the ” Gardens of Peace.”

Photo gallery 1 : http://www.gardens-of-peace.org.uk/album2/index.html

Photo galelry 2: http://www.gardens-of-peace.org.uk/album1/index.html

Xenia UK