{"id":66438,"date":"2018-10-18T23:04:47","date_gmt":"2018-10-19T05:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=66438"},"modified":"2018-10-18T23:04:47","modified_gmt":"2018-10-19T05:04:47","slug":"repel-evil-with-what-is-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2018\/10\/repel-evil-with-what-is-better.html","title":{"rendered":"“Repel evil with what is better.”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Syria's<\/a>
Damascus, the capital city of Syria \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0(Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sometimes I learn really valuable things from my students. \u00a0Today, the students in my \u201cClassical Arabic Texts\u201d course alerted me to The Mideast Beast<\/em>, a wonderful news site of which I had never before heard. \u00a0Here are two representative recent articles from it:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHamas Leader to Move to Israel After Discovering He\u2019s 1\/1024 Jewish\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Does everybody notice the allusion there to American politics?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIran Just Loving Saudi Situation in Turkey\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s an important Mideast Beast guest editorial by Jeremy Corbyn, the hard-left leader of the British Labour Party:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOp-Ed: If I Wasn\u2019t an Anti-Semite Before, I Am Now\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whenever I speak to general audiences about Islam, which I do fairly frequently, I\u2019m inevitably asked why Muslims haven\u2019t spoken out against extremist violence committed in the name of their faith.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a genuine concern, and I understand it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But there have, in fact, been quite a few statements against Islamist terror. \u00a0They simply don\u2019t get much attention, and most non-Muslims in the West don\u2019t know about\u00a0them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here, for example, is a statement that was issued by the Islamic Council of Greater Salt Lake, right in my own backyard, in response to the massacres in Paris a while back:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.utahmuslims.com\/?p=22887<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

To my embarrassment, I myself was unaware of it until quite a while after it was published.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And this is still worth a look:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 712-page Google doc that proves Muslims do condemn terrorism: When a classmate told 19-year-old Heraa Hashmi that \u201call terrorists are Muslims\u201d she began to compile a dossier of all instances of Muslims condemning terror attacks\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As is this:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIslamic Statements Against Terrorism\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are some relevant passages from the Qur\u2019an:<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

If anyone slays a person<\/span>
\n\u2014 unless it be for murder or for spreading corruption in the land \u2014<\/span>
\nit would be as if he slew all people.<\/span>
\nAnd if anyone saves a life,<\/span>
\nit would be as if he saved the life of all people. \u00a0(5:32)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Invite all to the way of your Lord<\/span>
\nwith wisdom and beautiful preaching.<\/span>
\nAnd argue with them<\/span>
\nin ways that are best and most gracious\u2026<\/span>
\nAnd if you punish,<\/span>
\nlet your punishment be proportional<\/span>
\nto the wrong that has been done to you.<\/span>
\nBut if you show patience, that is indeed the best course.<\/span>
\nBe patient, for your patience is from God.<\/span>
\nAnd do not grieve over them,<\/span>
\nor distress yourself because of their plots.<\/span>
\nFor God is with those who restrain themselves,<\/span>
\nand those who do good. \u00a0(16:125-128)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Oh you who believe!<\/span>
\nStand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God,<\/span>
\neven against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin,<\/span>
\nand whether it be against rich or poor,<\/span>
\nfor God can best protect both.<\/span>
\nFollow not the cravings of your hearts, lest you swerve,<\/span>
\nand if you distort justice or decline to do justice,<\/span>
\nverily God is well acquainted with all that you do. \u00a0(4:135)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The recompense for an injury<\/span>
\nis an injury equal thereto (in degree),<\/span>
\nbut if a person forgives and makes reconciliation,<\/span>
\nhis reward is due from God,<\/span>
\nfor God loves not those who do wrong.<\/span>
\nBut indeed, if any do help and defend themselves<\/span>
\nafter a wrong done to them,<\/span>
\nagainst such there is no cause of blame.<\/span>
\nThe blame is only against those who oppress men<\/span>
\nwith wrongdoing and insolently transgress<\/span>
\nbeyond bounds through the land,<\/span>
\ndefying right and justice.<\/span>
\nFor such there will be a penalty grievous (in the Hereafter).<\/span>
\nBut indeed, if any show patience and forgive,<\/span>
\nthat would truly be an affair of great resolution. \u00a0(42:40-43)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Goodness and evil are not equal.<\/span>
\nRepel evil with what is better.<\/span>
\nThen that person with whom there was hatred,<\/span>
\nmay become your intimate friend!<\/span>
\nAnd no one will be granted such goodness<\/span>
\nexcept those who exercise patience and self-restraint,<\/span>
\nnone but people of the greatest good fortune. \u00a0(41:34-35)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0 Sometimes I learn really valuable things from my students. \u00a0Today, the students in my \u201cClassical Arabic Texts\u201d course alerted me to The Mideast Beast, a wonderful news site of which I had never before heard. \u00a0Here are two representative recent articles from it: \u00a0 \u201cHamas Leader to Move to Israel After Discovering He\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n"Repel evil with what is better."<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    Sometimes I learn really valuable things from my students. \u00a0Today, the students in my "Classical Arabic Texts" course alerted me to The\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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