Page 164 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger
P. 164
Bigotry:
The Dark Danger
The first reason is out of need. When someone is in a diffi-
cult position, in debt or wracked by poverty he may make the false
choice of turning to theft. Yet in such a community under the protec-
tion of the Qur'an, it is impossible for anyone to be in difficult cir-
cumstances, in debt or wrecked by poverty. The poor will be protect-
ed by those with greater means, while the pronouncement in the
Qur'an concerning the debts of people in difficulties is manifestly
clear, and reads as follows; "… making a free gift of it would be bet-
ter for you if you only knew." (Qur'an, 2:280)
The second probable reason for theft may well be mental or psy-
chological disorders. This is a special condition requiring treatment
and rehabilitation, and the individual concerned is sick, not guilty.
In practical terms, there are no other reasons that might lead a
person to steal. Doing away with the causes concerned with it, such
a crime as theft is prevented in Islamic communities right from the
outset.
Since the peddlers of superstition, who naturally ignore all this,
seek to depict Islam as a religion of death and violence their pro-
nouncement is completely at odds with the Qur'an. It is of no con-
cern to them that while theft is unlawful, someone who steals is gen-
erally either in need or else suffering from some psychological dis-
turbance, yet both needy and sick people are the responsibility of
Muslims. Since they fail to see that responsibility they are capable of
the most shameless murder because of this pronouncement. The
people who impose this false pronouncement unwisely dislike the
Qur'an (may God forbid), regard it as incompatible with their own
perverse mindsets and seek to implement their own justice system
rather than that of the Qur'an. Yet when we look at the Qur'an, we
see love and forgiveness, rather than violence.
162