Waleed Basyouni – Is protesting halal or haram? – A detailed analysis
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The speakers discuss the need for a policy to prevent violence and protect individuals from it, including the use of argues and Venmo. They emphasize the importance of following rules and regulations to ensure safety and privacy for all individuals. The speakers also emphasize the need to create a policy to prevent the use of political pressure and promote diversity in the public. They offer support for their efforts and encourage others to participate in protest.
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naka de la salatu salam ala rasulillah Asahi woman Wah, wah bat,
first of all, how much we have so far what I told me before I start
how much money we collected so far? About 30,000? Yeah, about 30,000. Okay.
Okay, so in the next 10 minutes or so 710 minutes, my talk, okay, any amount of money we can collect, I will match it.
So you can double your donation.
Okay. As long as it's not more than 20,000, hopefully, shallow, more, that's you get up, but I'm not going to be able to match that. Okay, so anything that I just encourage people to do, there, inshallah, I'll try my best to make sure that it will be much. So anything you donate for anything we're going to collect from now, until the end of my talk, it will be inshallah matched by
I would like to say, first of all, one of the means that we are very familiar with here in the United States is basically to express our opinion and our objections to certain political ideas or actions done by someone through protesting. And that's something very well established in United States, we have seen how effective that was in the 60s against the Vietnam War, and, and civil rights movement, and so far, so it's one of the means and tools. And it's not something new, you know, it's even older than that the Quakers when the German town when they protest, the slit the treatment of slavery, slaves and the whole concept of slavery, it was one of the first document
actually, and the western came from the European who moved to America to oppose slavery. Also, something historically, we know of, if you go farther in Europe, the Protestant reformed
that's why it's an in the Western culture, it's very well established the concept of protest, it's rooted also to the protest, protest, protesting reforms against the Catholic Church
early enough time, and that growth through history. So and I'm giving this background to understand why this method when it was effective at certain time, you know, in western civilization, it developed through history, because when you look at the Islamic history, or the Muslims world, you might not have a documentation of protest the same way you find it in modern Western history, because in modern Western history, this was a very effective tools and making real change, and many political fronts and social reforms.
While in many times, you will not find that in Muslim world for many reasons. But one important reason was that a lot of these rights that we didn't have an issue with it, first of all, we never had a problem with women's
rights in order for it to protest to legislate a woman, right whenever had somebody have a god authority, and in a church, or a mosque or religious Institute, to protest against or to ask for the freedom
or to the ability for people to practice religion, or to read the Quran directly, or things of that nature. So we have a quite different background. And I'm saying this because some people will always say, we don't have that in our history we don't see in our history. And that's something which should be understood, and looked to the different dynamic between the Muslims heritage and history and how they're socially and politically developed. While we're looking at the Western world. Is there is anything in Islam prevent us from taking such methods today in modern society, and expressing our opinion. And I'm not going to be talking about hypothetical examples, protests in
Egypt or protests, or because I live in the United States. You listen to me, the knighted states and those people live in in the Western world. And let me start with this. This can't the countries at least let's agree on both the countries which is legislate and their constitution that it is allowed for people to go and to protest. And that's right a given rights to them. It should not be an issue to talk about it from the perspective as I'm breaking the law or anything like that. No, you do it. This is something legal, this is a right that been granted to you by the Constitution of that country. So you are
practicing your right and according to the guidelines that is given by your city or your state, and that can be different from one place to another from one time to another based on the size of the protest, the place of the cause, and so forth. And there are so many laws and that's one thing, I advise anyone participate in practice to make sure that they understand the law that associated with protest, and the organizers should provide these informations to the people. The second, so this is, we look at it from the basics, that this is what we call vasila. To MOBA. It's it's a, it's a tool, it's a means and this means is MOBA. It is not true that all means are allowed in Islam. No, but the
default rules that the means is Hello, unless the means in itself a talent. So there's means a ton on which is not allowed to be used. When we look at protest, you go in and I'm talking about a protest that it is a peaceful protest is not a protest that it is combined by carrying weapons and and making destruction to public properties or harming officers or other individuals or properties. looting, as we see happen often in protest, I'm talking about in itself as a concept that people peaceful protest and demonstrate their rejections or anger or their rejection to certain ideas. That's in itself, it's permissible. And I don't think we need to bring evidence, you know, that
there is a group of Sahaba, or a group of companions walk into Makkah, like some people use the story of Omar of nakatani became Muslim, or Hamza, and they walk into group to the, you know, I don't know if that I'll call them demonstrations or not just showing their strength, not necessarily opposing certain policies and Mecca at that time. But I don't think we need that it is more clear, I think sometimes, when you try to prove it through an evidence you're making your case case week, I think it's more clear, and it's so easy to understand. And it's common sense to be accepted, that I don't need to bring a specific proof for it, because there's a general rules in Islam saying as long
as this in itself, hello. So it is allowed. So it does not oppose any law, it does not consider any harm, in itself a threat to people's life, it's a peaceful demonstration. In Islam, everybody is his rights to express their objection to the rulers or to policies is something protected in a snap, and then there'll be sallallahu Sallam said, Allah will never plus a nation that people cannot openly ask for the rights, if we cannot openly ask for our rights or the rights of our brothers and sisters, there is no good in us, you know. So, this concept as general it is, it is held up there is a lot of the problem, the devil in the details, the problem comes with the details. And a lot of
people have oppose demonstrations and going out to protest not because for it is essence but because either those scholars or those people what some I have a lot of respect for them, some of them a great teachers of mine. And I also still hold them in a very high, respectful place, and we should not disrespect the scholar just because they said an opinion that you might not agree with or you follow other scholars who a lot. Some of them are not familiar with the concept of protest, okay, or the the type of protest that they're familiar with, is the protest that was shown in TV, which is can
be always lead to people dying, a property damage properties, looting,
you know, violence associated with it. So that's the pictures that they have in their mind. And also in many of these colors live in countries, which is don't allow this method of protesting, they allowed other methods of protesting, but not necessarily that mass numbers of people to come in the streets.
Or they don't whatever it is not my case right now, my issue, but that's taking in consideration when we look at these fatawa discolors. It could be related to their own region to their own country, not solely to us here well hamdulillah and seen in many places, majority places in the world, where this right is protecting for us. And I think we should ask for this right to be protected for everywhere in the world in my opinion. Number two.
And the problem comes when we look at some of the details or some of the things that are associated with the project.
Number one violence, I think we will fool ourselves. If we try to draw this beautiful picture about protests and demonstrations, that all of them only very, very, very, very little, very, very few. When a large gathering comes, it doesn't basically associated with some fine of violence and turn to be, you know, in conflict and and problem comes up. No, it happens. And it happens.
A lot is not also I don't have a specific statistic to do that. And I would like to see some done. But outside, it happens. And it is well reported. And we see that but is its existence, lead us to say the whole thing is canceled? No, it leads us to say that anyone would participate in something like that, make sure that you take all the precautions, make the all the tools, make sure you're right, you demonstrate with the right group, the right people who will who don't have a history of violence, have a history, or that, or the time of the demonstrations does not basically reach to the level or, or maybe it's time when it's very late in the night, that's where this kind of activity
take place. You know what I don't be part of that. I'm not I'm gonna go by or when I see this, I make sure that I don't stay. And I leave. And I make sure that this is a very clear standard, I don't support any violence. I think that's the right position. Not that I say the whole thing is wrong. Another issue, and I'll go over some points quickly. What if demonstrations has a mixed messages, you know, sometimes we go to protect, to protest for a good cause. But other people who maybe have ideologies or ideas or causes that I don't agree with it fully or partially,
the rule, and we regard what this demonstration is about, if this demonstration is about something, right, a good cause, like Palestinians rights, the defending of the civilians, who have been killed and targeted and do indiscriminately by the war machine of the Israeli government. In this case, yes, we all stand, it doesn't matter if the person next to me is atheist, or the person next to me is a LGBTQ community member, or the persons protest to that is, is a Catholic or a Jew, or whatever he is, or a Sunni or Shia, or whatever, that might his ideology or political view, it will all unify against one good cause. So I think that's simple and doesn't mean that I agree with with whatever
other ideologies or ideas or or
any other persons have. Another
issue that I have, which is the issue,
if the protest itself, organized originally, by it will be under a banner of something I completely disagree with.
I do believe in not allowed to be part of it.
Let's say there's a group of people who have an ideology that I completely disagree with, let's say there is LGBTQ community, for example, organizing, I, you know, they have the right to have their ideologies but everyday organizing a protest, I wouldn't be part of that. If they want to join me when I organize, I welcome. You know, if there is a common cause organized by a third party, let's say that a political party, which is don't prescribe a specifically to this idea,
that's fine, we can all my opinion, from a filter perspective, we can be part of that as a broad coalition. But if this is something that is meant to promote an a specific ideology, a specific idea that I completely don't agree with, I think I thank you for doing that, you know, and I don't need to be, you know, walking under that flag and being part of that walk or stand. And I hope you understand the difference between somebody solely organized that taking the leader that enter that ideology, that idea that I completely disagree a broad Coalition's or by an entity that basically committed all of us as a society members, which is everybody in the society have the right to have
their on
choice or fly.
Another issues that In this demonstration, another issue comes up, which is some practice sometimes, which is an Islamic, you know, like for example, practice which is include a praying to other than Allah subhanaw taala
or holding up signs or flags that, again, it's our Islams or symbol, or religious symbols that contradict my belief or my creed, that's not allowed for me to be to carry, or to be lying, basically supporting.
Or to show any form of adopting that symbol.
That's that number. But if me as a Muslim, and Palestinians and a Christian Palestinians, and a Jewish Israeli who live in the Holy Land today, we want to be altogether, I'm carrying my, you know, my fly, which is why I'm so loud, I log on, he's cutting the cross, and he carrying that the Star of David and we'll all stand together to make a mess, that's good, that's fine. And he, that third person carrying his flag, whatever, remember, fly in that carry carrying that everybody want to come with this item, and to show that the whole society unified for justice, that will not make it how long for you to be there, what will be held on for you to put that remember flying around your
shoulder, while you don't believe in this, or you carry the cross in your head and your chest, while you don't believe in Christianity as a Muslim, I'm not allowed to do that. And I think that distinguish should be understood and should be respected as well. Okay.
Another issue also is the sisters participation, and such demonstrations for a woman to demonstrate with men and things like that. First of all, all rules and Sharia apply to men and women unless there's a proof to differentiate between them. And as long as and sisters has to be a judge each case by itself, as long as it's as safe as long as you know, not lead for a woman to be physically
touching men or
next to a man who is not related to her. In this case, it is allowed. But I know that this is very, very, very hard for her to do, unless when we organized the protest, we have a place for the sisters an area for the sisters an area for the brothers, okay, and Muslim on the organize an event they should, you know, take these things of consideration, because this is the rules in Islam, the issue of mixing and hollow and touching, and we should not drop these things, you know, it hamdullah we're not in situation where there is these things cannot be accommodated. You know, if you're in a situation of chaos, where the enemy coming, and we come in now to defendant to fight or to I'm going
to say, okay, there's no time to do to follow these details and technical rules. Yes, I understand that. But if I have the time, I have the ability to do that. Do you know what my sister will be together and the brother will be together and making sure that they still have their their? their, their? their, their Islamic etiquettes preserved? And if it's not if this is going to leave her out to be shown and all for her?
Yeah, I need the rules of Sharia to be violated. She should not participate. Like sometimes Yeah, they do that. But in the demonstration itself, things appear. We have seen pictures of demonstrations, where things turn all the sudden, and sister running and falling and sometimes they're there. Their clothes, show their legs we've seen in some demonstrations and other countries, and even here dragged in this floor. You know, in this case, she's not sinful by that stuff.
That's not her problem, that somebody violates her rights. So it's sometimes I feel people discuss this in a very weird mentality. It became my fault. I'm following the rules i'm doing i'm respecting myself and having my space somebody else come and violated me. It became my fault. It's their fault and it's their sin. Oh, why did you go I go there for the right reason, which is to defend my brother and sister. I go there because I want to make sure that my voice as a woman means something. You know, in the case of our son when he was giving the baby to come to the Medina, men were not the only one there to give their Legion to Mohammed Santos to Dr. Salah come to Medina and we will help
you will protect you we will spread your message and maybe so seldom take that promise from men and women from Medina together.
That's why I lost my dad I said well let me know in a minute believing men and woman.
Now mom only out of out. There are Alia they are supporter for one another.
As I know that us as men and Muslim. We have the right to support our brothers and sisters and Palestine also
So my sisters have the rights to support their brothers and sisters and Palestine is not only my is not only my role, it's her role as well.
So
going back to the concept of the protest, so this is also an issue it since, and I would like to have these guidelines to be in place. Again, there is a bigger point, which is, is every demonstration * out every protest held out everybody's head on? No, it depends on many of these things to be taken consideration, the benefits and the harms. What's the advantages advantage, all this looked at, and things can be first time we try, we find out that that's not the right group. Okay, come the next time we learn better, we can organize ourselves in a better way. We need we do need to attack each others. And I don't like those who take the opinion. And if you don't want to go
to demonstration protest, that's not something that you find yourself doing, how often hamdulillah you do need to point fingers to your brothers and sisters, and to put them down and to accuse them of doing bit of doing harm or, and you who still excited about protests. Because if your brother don't feel that this is the right way to express their support of the brothers and sisters in Palestine, please don't point finger to them say hey, you backwards, you know, sell out Zionist, whatever. And all these names, you give it to them. That's also how
you have respect for one another. If you don't want to be with me, in this way, be with me other way. And, and this is an led me to my next point. One of the important point that I want to mention out when they talk about the ruling of protest, the please don't think that protest is the only way or even necessarily to be the most effective way of, you know, supporting your brothers and sisters in Palestine.
You know, I definitely believe it's a very effective method of creating awareness. But creating awareness is one thing.
And also with modern technology through social media, you might have through trends, a bigger protest than the streets of Houston or the streets of New York.
So I'm still considering the value of protest. But also I consider other methods methods today that exist to create that awareness about the rights of my brothers and sisters, and to basic present that need in a strong way. Another issue that I want to say here, that
this is a form of creating political pressure.
I think us as a community, as a Muslim community, we need to go a little bit deeper and farther than just creating a political pressure. Because if you could create a political pressure, but you don't have policies in place to be adapted, this pressure will be just go into the air will be released into the air with no benefit.
Now political pressure has to lead to certain policies that we want to adopt. We want it to be implemented. The issue is just not to go on to scream and to go back tired in the end of the day. The issue is to create the pressure to reach that's why we said Masada that's what you should hear that the halal and haram is based on that end, what I want to reach in the end.
You know, I still think psychologically release, there is a benefit in itself psychological relief and benefit. But also there's something greater, which is what I want to create that policy that I want to create out of that political pressure is so important. Who can draw the policy? Who responsible for this policy? for us as a Muslim community in the West as minority? I don't think we will be able to decide the policy that solve that conflict, because there is a bigger fish here and a bigger players than us as a community. The policy is government that the people on the ground, the posteriors themselves, then the Arab countries, the Muslim world, there's many too many, the
international community, the Israeli government that's too big, but us as a community in America, at least we should start thinking and the West, we should think about what are the policies that are important for us as a community, what we want to achieve, what does possibly in our hand to be achieved? Are we going to make for example, a pressure on our government to let's say, You know why?
Stop this, you know, a treatment of putting Israel in a pedestal, which is never get accountable for their actions for their human rights violations. Are we going to change the policy of, you know, making Israel always advanced over all Arab countries or neighboring countries militarily? Why this policy is adopted by us?
As Americans? You know, why can't we control our dollars that did given to them to say, you know, you cannot use our money in any form, you can use it for defense for relief or whatever, but you cannot use it and attack or police force who violates human rights and records. We can create, we can create this policy to say, you know, what, it's about also posting, it's not only anti, you know, the behavior of the Government of Israel, it's about also to support some of that, you know, building infrastructures protecting whatever achievable goal and it's not my area, that shouldn't be the area of people, a leader. The problem my brothers and sisters, that this end, I think we need as
a Muslim community, to put a pressure on our leader to make that clear. What exactly we're trying to achieve here. What you're trying to want, what do we want to achieve, because based on this, me as a chef as a Mufti, I can tell you how watch him or recommended or highly recommended or registered, recommended or rollback to go to the demonstration.
And I hope creating that awareness and see how the footpath thinks it will help politicians hopefully, also, to know how to think and to approach this issue, you know, but with all these politics on the side,
the one thing that I know
I'm good at it,
that
we can donate
to bring medical aid to those brothers and sisters who are bleeding in the streets and
I know we can provide insolence
to kids and pastimes,
we can provide
you know,
we can provide many things that you support tell you about to the deryni I have one of my community doctor, we sponsor a few years ago, a trip a group of doctors went inside of us and they have a story to tell really how they were able to go inside you know after taking there. Anyway, the point is the story that they told us my brother and sisters about the dire need of medical need made me so happy to make sure that this is fundraising is about the medical need that this community needs today
and I hope that today we can reach our target of having $100,000 to be given to our brothers and sisters in person and believe me when we choose our brothers here to give to our partner this fundraising we chose them carefully because we were looking for the one that we can trust that it will 100% take that money and give it to the poor to the to the people of need in a form of a very clear target what we want to achieve through this one reason and we choose that methods and thank you for Dr for honey give him the credit he he really give me inspiration inspire me when he talks about the work of this organization dude so I will hit and I in the end I will say I think we got
since I start talking $1,000 Is that true?
where's where's my whole store mine?
Yeah, since you started speaking we raised about 8000 meaning our total now is closer to 38,000 so Masha
ISIS, I'm ending saw I'm Sharla matching this and I will make sure that we will give an $8,000
Allah, Allah is not going to lock that in doctor will leave the Zuni for not only motivating us but again, I keep going to this point that check. Yeah, he had mentioned at the top of our program, putting our money where our mouth is actually contributing from what we love to help the people that we love on the ground. So thank you very much Dr. Walid, for setting that beautiful example. And for everyone who's been contributing over the last two and a half hours, please inshallah do not feel like you know, you're not giving us 8000 you're not giving 10,000 so it's nothing
Every single penny counts every single dollar is going directly towards the people on the ground. Dr. Yusuf mentioned earlier actually