PBD
>> PBD
>> period. Islam's growth in the US being
fueled by Muslims and they're coming for
you, buddy. Because what I will respect
about Islam, they are not shy. They will
tell you straight to your face on a
microphone in public, "We are coming.
We're trying to take over. We're trying
to do Sharia law. We're trying to do
jihad. We're coming to take your
churches and turn them into mosques."
>> Why are you giving them chocolate chip
cookies? We should be killing them,
right? We're Muslim.
>> Guys, Islam is not the problem. Like you
said, their people are committed. They
pray, they teach, they stand. The
problem is us
>> influence of Sharia in in America of
radical Islam in America.
>> 123 [music]
explicit commands to do violence to
those who resisted the advance of Islam
and particularly
>> of uh PBD Patrick with David and Vinnie.
I don't know if you guys heard of the I
said, "Okay, maybe he's listening to
this guy."
>> Much love, man. They're afraid of
actually reading it because of the
truth.
>> Uh but it's a buzz word now and people
are getting scared. So why would people
like that? Like Andy, right?
>> Submission to God.
>> That's it.
>> Welcome. Welcome. We got a full panel
here. Let's start from the right. Please
introduce yourself and then we'll take
it from there. Go ahead. Sh.
>> Omar Husini. born in uh Chicago and
currently here in Tampa uh where we run
Kufa Institute.
>> My name is Obeda Evans also born in
Chicago
>> and still in Chicago
>> but uh currently enjoying the of Omar
Husseini and Mui Abdah Wah and I'm the
resident scholar for the American
Learning Institute for Muslims.
>> Well, I have to introduce Dr. Omar
again. Go ahead. Do it again. My from
from from a third party. This is Dr.
Omar Husseini. Mashallah. Uh he's a
pathologist, a sheh m running beautiful
organization called Kufa, a teacher of
many of us mashallah all across the
country Evans the one and only the uh
the wise the eloquent touches their
hearts touches the body with his words
um and this is abdu
from Michigan um from and we're just
happy to be here with you brother Eddie
and your beautiful beautiful building
your organization your space
>> you guys were seeing the progress from
the beginning before we got here. What
is your impression now? You got to see
the masid. You got to see now have an
event miffa. What do what do you guys uh
think from where we were to now?
>> Oh, no. This is um this is a beautiful
development. Uh I think the
establishment of this center is the
culmination of many years of hard work,
dedication, commitment, and I'm very
proud of you, Eddie. Very proud of the
the staff that I know works with you.
>> U because I know how much this effort
means to you. And um I was telling
someone that you have always been about
da'wah. You've always been about
inviting to Islam. Even your willingness
to translate your terms, right?Alalam
allayikum, greetings of peace,
[laughter]
right? We become so insular sometimes in
our communal spaces. And we forget that
our neighbors, our colleagues, our
classmates,
uh people that we work out with at at
the gym, we owe it to them. we do them a
disservice if we don't tell them
something about the prophet wasallam and
um if we're not here for da'ah then our
community has no purpose here
individually your purpose might be
upward mobility or you know you wanted
to land a good job or you want you're
fleeing you know um you know political
repression or something like that but
our community
doesn't have a purpose if we're not
giving dawa
>> so you know you're fulfilling kind of a
fifaya kind of a communal obligation
that we have to convey this beautiful
message of Islam and uh just want to
give you your flowers as they say man
just commend you uh because uh you've
done it for so many years and you've
done it so consistently
um and so to see the progress now the
dean center with the masid and the
auditorium and this beautiful recording
studio
uh man I just pray that Allah continues
to bless bless you and continues to give
you TOFI and
>> uh this is on a main road here. So I
hope that
>> you know this is the kind of place that
people just want to stop and say you
know what is the Dean Center and then
you can tell them you know my name's not
Dean
>> because that was your intro back in the
day. It's the Dean Show but my name's
not Dean.
>> Yeah,
>> that was the intro back in the day.
>> Yeah, it's the Dean Show but my name's
not Dean. That's the religion.
>> That's the religion. Yeah.
>> And then he would go into, you know,
just talk, you know, introducing his
guests and and and and and fielding
different topics relevant to Islam. So,
I'm I'm really proud of you, Eddie.
Really?
>> Thank you. Maka from all of us.
>> You were talking about supporting
supporting. What did you think now
you're here at the center?
>> I mean, I remember making, you know,
trying to make some videos and and at
the same time hearing your story a few
years ago in Chicago when we came to
visit you, I believe when you hosted
Khabib as well. And you know when you
hear about it like this is happening
it's like yeah well you know let's see
how let's see what comes of it but but
you've been doing this for probably as
long as I've been born you know um
you're from Bosnia Albania
>> I was born here my family's from Bosnia.
Yes.
>> You guys don't age you know you still
look young.
>> Um but m this is this is this is
beautiful accepted. You I mean spaces
don't build um communities. They don't
build Muslims. People build Muslims but
spaces are integral part of it.
>> Right. Right? The prophet when he came
to
he could have just allowed the Sahabas
to wander and and give da but there
needed to be a space um though the space
doesn't have to look beautiful it
doesn't have to be a unique a unique
space it's based upon whatever capacity
and will that we have but if we can make
it nice inviting you know beautiful
aesthetically pleasing
it becomes one more factor that should
allow people to come into the fold of
Islam but truly it's beyond the space
it's the people that you have with you
as well I'm Sure cuz people like rarely
do you hear people accepting Islam
because of spaces. You hear them
accepting Islam because of people,
right? And the people here are also a
huge part of what the space is um um
what the space is kind of giving off as
a vibe in a field. Mashallah.
>> I want to get right into this video now.
Recently had a conversation with the
co-host of uh PBD, Patrick David and
Vinnie. I don't know if you guys heard
of the Patrick Ben and David podcast.
And then Vinnie, he's um one of the
co-hosts. And I had a conversation with
him and I said, "Look, I'm going to do
I'm going to I want you to reach out to
me uh with anything that has to do with
Islam. Use me as a resource. No problem.
And if I can't answer it, we'll get
somebody who's qualified. I got three
qualified people to answer the
question."
>> And I was wondering where in the world
is he getting this that he was relaying
to me. He was talking about, "Come on,
God. You you guys, your Quran tells you
to do this to this pastor." And now I
said, "Okay, maybe he's listening to
this guy." So, we're going to listen to
this guy and you're going to he's going
to describe what the Quran is um
obligating Muslims to do to Christians.
Okay? And then you'll get the point. And
then we'll go ahead and uh hopefully
I'll get this to you, Vinnie. All right?
You see what I'm doing? You see how
special I'm I'm making it with three
qualified people to go even though I
answered this already this question for
you. And you insist he insisted. So
let's go ahead and listen cuz I think
this is his sh this is his sh his
teacher where he's getting it from
>> preparation for class and I noted how
many direct commands to violence [music]
Muhammad gave my count 123.
123 [music] explicit commands to do
violence to those who resisted the
advance of Islam and particularly to
Christians [music] including details on
how to kill us, stab them in the neck. I
mean this is one of his commands.
>> Okay. Now when you hear that this is
exactly what he told me. I was shocked.
I stepped back right. I step back and I
talked about how these verses are
contextual in battle. I quoted him
chapter 60 verse 8. This is by default.
God Allah does not forbid you. We're
dealing kindly and justly with those who
have not fought you because your
religion and your own. He's probably
thinking man you just maybe doing tea
even though this is concept of Islam. So
now I have three qualified people. How
would you answer this? I think he's a
priest. There's somebody he's talking
about all he's basically like he's an
expert in Islam. Who do we start with?
Go ahead. Anybody take it away hasn't
spoken yet.
>> When you see that, what do you think?
>> I just feel bad. I feel bad how I think
far people are from the reality of
Islam. I think when come people um it's
not the first time obviously people try
to uh prop promulgate this idea that
Islam is predicated on some type of
violence and that you should kill
non-believers
anywhere that you find them and what I
typically tell them if that's actually
the reality then that makes me a pretty
bad Muslim [laughter]
and um I mean it's the farthest thing
from my mind I think we come from a
religion where you can't harm an ant
>> uh we don't harm a blade of grass and
and to try to uh contort that uh into
this uh narrative uh that somehow our
religion promotes violence is deeply
troubling. As much as perhaps you know a
husband and wife that have been married
their entire life and something goes
arai one person has an affair another
and they want to rewrite the whole
narrative their whole marriage and and
twisted into something that it's not. Um
so I feel it's it's probably as hurtful
as that right because you know
[clears throat]
the amount of love that we have for
humanity the amount of care compassion
our our foremost desire is to make sure
that everyone succeeds not only in this
life but in the hereafter and for you
know it's like biting the hand that
feeds you uh you know and it that this
idea that there are verses that I
wouldn't say incite violence but know
that discuss
uh rules of warfare, they're not
directed towards the individual. They
directed towards the state. Uh and
that's a very important distinction.
There's no a concept of vigilante
justice. But just like we have a
department of defense or now
[clears throat] a department of war. um
any any religion that was going to deal
with the geopolitical realities of
humanity till the end of time had to
have the ability to also uh grapple with
issues of justice and international
warfare. Um and so any discussion of
that doesn't nec necessarily have to
devolve into the aspersion of violence
or terrorism. Mhm.
>> No, I I mean I I I think that Shikh Omar
gave a consumate answer and one of the
things that I think we have to be very
careful of is that sometimes people read
the Quran and they cast aspersions onto
the Quran on the basis of their own
religious um heritage or adherence.
Maybe his relationship with the Bible is
a fundamentalist kind of relationship
though, so that his reading is very
literal.
>> So that if something is mentioned in the
Bible, it's not contextualized.
Uh maybe it isn't uh something whose um
uh meaning is filtered through the lived
example of Jesus. Maybe they just read
the scripture on their own and develop
conclusions. That is not the way that we
read the Quran. The greatest explanation
of the Quran, the greatest sh of the
Quran is the lived example of the
prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam. You
know his wife Aisha, she said that he
was a walking Quran. And if we look at
how he dealt with people from other
communities as Shik Omar beautifully
elaborated, we have no concept of
violence, vigilante, individual violence
being encouraged against any people.
That's just not from his sunnah. This
was talking about war as an element of
statecraftraft.
>> That's what Shake Omar was pointing out.
We're talking about war as an element of
statecraftraft. and you don't have any
modern political entity that doesn't
deal with war as an element of state
craft. And if Islam is going to be a
source of meaning for people and by the
way um something that I've um
contemplated for many years
many people can't appreciate the lived
example of the prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him because they are comparing his
example to that of Jesus.
>> And if you look at the life of Christ
peace be upon him
>> it is almost entirely spiritual. it is
completely shorn of a worldly dimension.
So there isn't uh a domestic aspect to
his life because he didn't marry.
>> There isn't uh you know a parental
aspect to his life because he didn't
have children.
>> You don't really find him speaking
explicitly about commerce.
>> You don't find him speaking explicitly
about intimacy. You don't find him
speaking explicitly about war
>> because his life doesn't really have any
of those dimensions. He was called a ru
and his life was spiritual in that way.
So as a result Christians and by
extension western civilization has had
to look elsewhere for guidance in those
fundamental aspects of life.
>> Whereas we understand the example of the
prophet peace be upon to be a consumate
complete example. So that it has to
offer us guidance about statecraftraft
and about war and about forming
treaties. But in terms of our individual
conduct toward our neighbors,
we are commanded to be just and better
than be just, to be, you know, a source
of their peace. And uh if we really
embody the prophetic way, some you know
uh you know a neighbor or a colleague or
a classmate or a friend that they um
hold in high esteem because they've
experienced benefit from being in
proximity to us.
>> I was listening to when you said we're
not even allowed what you said something
about the ant. Right. Right. It remind
me was it a hadith where the prophet had
talked about there's a a prophet that
had got bit by an ant but then he
destroyed the whole antill and then he
got reprimanded. So why are you doing
this? You know it was just the one ant
but now you just went and destroyed the
whole antill.
>> And these are issues we're still
grappling with now in terms of
collective punishment.
>> Yeah.
>> Right.
>> I mean
>> so what does that teach us? I mean what
does that mean you guys is this you you
know this uh
>> Yeah. Sure.
>> Yeah. One of the things I would also
caution I think when when you have
outside observers um asking acting as
interpreters and interlocutors for our
own religion that's inherently
problematic.
>> That's a big problem.
>> It's a big problem because um for you to
for a person to truly understand Islam
it takes at least seven or eight years
of study dedicated. I mean I when I was
in my years of mother studies is more
challenging than med school. So I mean
it's very intense.
>> Wait more more challenging than med
school.
>> Wow. So I mean and and it's very
sophisticated uh and we have and that's
one of the beautiful things of in our
religion that we have a very s
sophisticated refined and legalistic
understanding and the problem is that
when you cherrypick one particular verse
or one partic without looking at the
greater context it's one of the greatest
religious trans transgressions the Quran
talks about
that you take things and you twist them
out of a context right this is something
that which is uh cons considered a
notorious and nefarious act um And if
you were to take anything that refers to
violence and it's not something which
would be peculiar to the Quran, then you
would talk about the Malik, you would
talk about all the different verses in
the Old Testament and and New Testament
which in which describe war. Uh but
without reading them, uh and in context,
um you know, anything can be taken to
mean anything. Um and that's just not
intellectually honest at that point. And
you have to let
>> Islam speak for Islam. you you were on a
seminary with your family. That place is
probably all bugged,
>> right? And if you guys if you guys were
really teaching what this guy's talking,
I mean, they would have took this place
down a long time.
>> Long time ago,
>> right?
>> Yeah.
>> What are your thoughts when you see hear
this?
>> Honestly, the Mashiah answered it much
better than I could have. But but but
for sure that we just mentioned right
now like how can someone of of that
background really know like 123 times
there as well. The prophet mentioned
this. He didn't mention Quran. So the
pro the prophet mentioned this
>> um you know this this is how where would
you even get that from you know that
that the base of it is is a lie.
>> Yeah. And if you you know one of the
things that typically people who are uh
who promulgate pmics against Islam one
of the things that seinal mistakes that
they make and people don't catch him on
that is that they they pick those
evidence that speak to the type of
narrative that they want to spin. But an
intellectually honest approach,
objective approach to history or any
typical topic is to take all of the
evidence and see what is the message
that emerges. So if this was really the
truth that we're supposed to kill people
and we to harm people and we're supposed
to be violent, how do you reconcile that
with the prophet saying
that you do any type of oppression any
act of injustice that there will be
multiple darkness on you on the day of
when the prophet when he told us said
the best of people are the who are most
beneficial to people. How is it
beneficial to kill them? In fact that is
that's the complete opposite. So until
you can reconcile the whole story, then
that probably says that the story that
you're spinning is probably not the
right one.
>> You know, and and and in that context
even
none of you believes completely until
you love for your brother or sister by
extension in humanity,
>> what you love for yourself,
>> not just [clears throat] in faith.
>> Not not not just your brother or sister
in faith. So you you get it's exactly
what humanity. So we're talking about
and sometimes I tell people look maybe
you're not prepared for a tradition as
robust as the Islamic tradition. There's
guidance for war. There's guidance for
peace. There's guidance for you know
conviviiality or living together.
There's guidance for all of those things
>> as as a religion that purports itself to
be a transcendent truth should have.
There are people like this actually like
the first thing you mentioned to them is
they should read
>> read the life of the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam read a book that is
recommended by others who have read
written studied because when a person
truly reads about the life of the
prophetam I mean we don't have to go to
our seminary the time of the prophet
when he conquered Mecca like everyone
was they could have been toast we've
never seen a conquest as beautiful and
as full of of forgiveness of generosity
as the conquest of Mecca when the
prophet came back to a community that
oppressed him. So even if he did take
revenge, it would have been justice. It
wouldn't have been oppression. It would
have been just equaling the balance. He
says, "No,
there's no blame today. Today is the day
of of mercy." Then you have the copter
Christians living in Egypt till today.
And we had and then you had the the the
the the Christians in Iraq that the
Calaldans from Calaldon that still lived
in Iraq for years and and decades and
centuries where Muslims were the rulers
of that land from less than 50 years
after proam had left this world. So
these were lands that were conquered by
Muslims very early on in our history.
>> Mhm.
>> How do the Christians still remain? How
were they still around? This is this is
a testament to the fact that our belief
even when we had the power which of
which very few perhaps religions and
powers can say about themselves when we
had the power you still had everyone
living there they had their own rule r
rule of law their own ways of doing
commerce they could trade in ways that
Muslims couldn't trade in a land of
Muslims the the the non-Muslims could
trade based upon their structure of law
we couldn't use interest but they could
use interest we couldn't sell pork or
alcohol, but they could sell alcohol and
pork as long as they never attempted to
bring it into our market. So, no, we
were so we're so secure as a way of life
that no one's way of life makes us feel
vulnerable. So, we we feel so confident
that even if people are doing this next
to us, that's good, man. You'll figure
it out soon enough. We know what we
have, right? So Islam gives you Islam
does really give us like how said when
he conquered that
Islam does give you an honor, you know,
and and I'm willing to bet that
the pastor himself
probably belongs to a Protestant
denomination. I'm willing to bet that
he's probably not Catholic
>> because I find that the Catholic
community has more of a an appreciation
for like a deep scholastic tradition.
It's not that anybody can just pick up
the Bible and say anything.
But if you think that this is what a
relationship with scripture should be,
that any individual with no training, no
expertise, no guidance, should just be
able to pick it up, open it, and just
offer his or her interpretation
uh exo off the top of their mind, then
maybe you think that's how Muslims read
the Quran, but that isn't
>> the way Muslims read the Quran. So, so
we have three like okay, so we have
academics like let's paint it people
like who are professors let's say who
are in the university academics who've
been studying Islam for a great portion
of their lives and now you have this
novice what do you call him he's a
priest but he's talking about Islam in
your mind it's just laughable what do
you it's like you're coming and standing
in front of a professor and now this uh
person is coming up to you and and and
he's just trying to espouse certain
things and you as an academic who've
been studying
a great portion of your life. How do you
read that?
>> No, he's my brother. He's not It's not
laughable. It's a fundamental mistake.
>> Fundamental mistake
>> in the way that he has approached
>> um our scripture,
>> right? And I hope I mean I haven't had
an opportunity to engage him or speak to
him.
>> Yeah. Go ahead. But I hope if he were
told,
you know, um,
your self-referential approach of the
Quran might have produced conclusions
that are sensible to you.
>> But to people that have studied the
Quran, those conclusions would be
absolutely unrecognizable,
>> unrecognizable.
>> We wouldn't we wouldn't identify with
them at all.
>> I mean, there's a framework that's been
set for this, right? that and this is I
think one of the differences that we
have uh sometimes between Christianity
which now no religion is revealed to the
community and they sort of lost an
academic backbone um in the same sense
that it exists in Islam that
whosoever speaks in the matter of the
Quran just based on what I think then
let him prepare his uh seed in the
hellfire because even if you're a Muslim
and you're reading and there's a lot of
verses in the Quran and if you want to
read them in a certain way I mean
there's there's a course that they run
at Northwestern talks about the uh
theory of knowledge and so the most
exact way of knowing uh in in the
western um cosmology is is um what's
called mathematics and that's due to
this decardian thinking
>> and the least uh specific way of knowing
uh is language right and because
anything in language can be used to be
interpreted and in any single way now
you take many verse in the Quran it can
be it can seem misogynistic it can seem
violent it could be called disrespect
for women it could and all these things
so now if if there was Islam was really
a religion that called for violence that
called for injustice which called for
maltreatment of others which called for
pedophilia and um you know rape and
which called for lying then I wouldn't
be a Muslim that's not the religion that
we live I mean why would any sound
person you know uh ascribe to something
that is so twisted And so I think that's
one problem that it's not something that
we're discriminating against him.
There's just a there's a there is a
there's a door to knowledge and there's
a way to learn and and interpret Islam
that's a and the bar is actually quite
high. And the second thing is when a
person takes an approach to any field
that just because you don't like someone
or you have a bias against something
that shouldn't taint you or bias you not
to be fair. So there might be things
that I might disagree with Christianity,
but the fact that I'm Muslim, I'm not
going to create lies about their
religion to substantiate Islam. Yes.
Right. Right. That's I think a
fundamental problem. When if I'm talking
to an atheist, I still try to remain
objective, right? As a scientist and
this is why I'm in cancer genetics. I
mean, you follow the evidence, right?
And and the best evidence and I have to
be true to myself because and and it's
that type of sincerity that leads us to
Islam. And if we don't care if we carry
that sincerity, then I think it's fair
for us to also ask him uh to also live
by that. Just because you have maybe a
disagreement with Islam or bias against
Islam, that doesn't provide a basis to
you know create lies or to be unfair or
to be bi uh to be prejudiced in the
presentation of evidence. You said if
they would only just read, if they would
read, and you know what fascinates me
when you have a lot of uh non-Muslims
who read the biography of Prophet
Muhammad, even Gandhi at one point, I
mean, he did his protest nonviolent as
can be, but when he read the biography
of Prophet Muhammad,
it says that he he he wanted more
>> his his statement. So why would people
like that like Gandhi right go ahead and
praise Prophet Muhammad and others also
you know and they did exactly what you
said they read they would study you know
his life look at it and then you come to
a totally different conclusion
>> regardless how bright the star is always
going to be amazed by the moon.
>> Mhm. The prophet is the moon. Like
there's there's no one that's that
there's no one that can be completely
independent of his grace, his greatness,
his humanity. Every single regardless of
how great we great people we've seen in
our history,
>> they're dim in comparison to the the
presence and the the justice, the mercy
>> of the prophet and also the prophet as a
statesman. Like there's a book written
by I believe Henry Montgomery,
>> non-Muslim author. He's called a prophet
as a statesman and he's taken a
completely objective view and saying
this man was a genius like many other
Michael H heart and so on and so forth.
But there's a reason why the first
command is read or recite because that's
where you're able to find just through
just reading the prophet you know um and
I think whether the person has a whoever
it is has a bias for you or not um they
can't come out from reading the
prophet's life except that their heart
will open up to the truth and some
people are afraid of that. They're
afraid of actually reading it because of
the truth. And that's why we just said,
you know what, start just just open up
the book and see where it takes you.
Because truly, it's impossible to see
someone who's who had so much access to
power and wealth who lived such a life
of simplicity.
>> Mhm.
>> You know, this man was not poor. He
chose a life of simplicity just because
he had people like Abd in his community
who if they knew the prophet was hungry,
they would have sold their life for him.
Right? But this is this is the life he
chose. Which leader would choose a life
of such an of of such an outcome in in
this world? And then you and you then
you see like moments and snippets from
the prophet s where a Jewish man passes
away and the prophet stands up crying,
right? You see a Jewish man whose son is
passing away and the prophet shows up to
his bed and he says to him, "Just just
read the read these words. Read these
words." And the young boy looks up to
his father and the father says
say what he is saying. And the prophet
recites the he recites the passes with
the prophet I save one more person. Save
one more person. how he tells Ali if it
that if you were to save and this is our
responsibility as Muslims right like
what you're doing here our
responsibility as Muslims is to just
figure out like people on the day of
judgment will show up they will have you
know 100 people on their name that
became Muslim thousand people 400 people
like how many people will be on our
ballot right how many people are we
inviting to because if we stop worrying
about what these guys are saying start
worrying about just inviting them to
Islam and bringing them closer to Allah
Ultimately, that takes care of our job
anyways, right?
>> Yeah. That's that's the ultimate goal.
>> And also too, man, I one thing I think
>> hold that hold that thought there. I
want to show another clip and it goes
with what you were talking this buzzword
that now is out there with the
politicians and and you actually said
that word here.
>> Okay, let's see it.
>> Scott Rasmmanson has done some polling.
Uh so they basically ask about the
influence of Sharia in in America of
radical Islam in America. Uh 77% had
some level of concern. 77% that's close
to the 8020 issue that we always talk
about. Uh but of that 77% notably 41%
almost half 41% are very concerned.
Those are figures that indicate we're
having an impact in alerting our
citizens to this danger.
>> Go ahead.
>> I was going to say too that I just want
to invite um our neighbors to some
integrity.
>> We are a country that celebrates
Veterans Day.
>> We celebrate Memorial Day. American
culture
designates a place for healthy martial
culture.
>> This this idea that this is somehow a
pacifistic culture is untrue.
>> No. Healthy martial culture, people that
sacrifice themselves for the greater
good earn a place of esteem in our
culture. Why would they think that
Muslims would be any different? Healthy
martial culture is something that we
respect. It's something that we esteem.
>> I remember one of my teachers told me,
he said, "When Islam was being spread in
Indonesia,
uh, one of the big problems they had was
that the people love the stories of Omar
more than they love the stories of the
prophet Muhammad." He said, "Because
they were warriors and they appreciated
healthy martial culture." So this idea
that healthy martial culture is
something that we should be ashamed of.
>> No, no, no people that you know um is
worth anything is ashamed of their
willingness to defend their integrity as
a community to defend their dignity as a
community. And that's what the prophet
wasam did and that's what the early
Muslim community did. And I would think
as an American,
wouldn't that resonate with you?
>> Right? We I mean, you know, one
commentator said, "We actually only use
the word honor in this culture in
connection with the military."
Wouldn't that resonate with you? What do
you But trying to contort and twist this
into some kind of call to vigilante
violence, this is just dishonest.
[snorts]
>> The buzzword is going around. You're uh
you guys also do seminars in in Texas.
>> Uh they just passed some so supposed
bill against uh the uh divine law
Sharia.
>> You spoke about it today what it
actually means. So when you hear this
politicians like this have no clue what
they're talking about.
>> Not at all.
>> Yeah. But it's a buzz word now and
people are getting scared.
>> They're trying to get voted in, man.
It's okay.
>> Okay.
>> Well, well, this is the thing. You know,
my teacher always tells me one thing
that Muslims should study is they should
study the history of Europe because
America is a continuation of the history
of Europe and public religion in Europe
was always divisive. It led to many
wars. Um so a lot of their kind of
notions of democracy and popular
sovereignty
involves separating
church and state and then domesticating
religion.
>> That religion public religion is almost
always in the consciousness of the
classical west and the modern west
public religion is a nuisance. That's
how they see it. And so when they hear
Sharia, it hearkens back to that history
that Europe and by extension America has
with public religion. That is not what
Muslims mean. When we It is from Sharia
that I'm good to my neighbor. It is from
Sharia that I'm good to my wife. It is
from Sharia that we care about animals.
It's from Sharia that we care about the
natural environment. It's from Sharia
that we're good to our colleagues. is so
we don't have uh this notion of
theocracy. That's what when I hear all
of this legislation, they think that by
Sharia we're we're talking about, you
know, inside of America, we want to
create some kind of theocracy and it's
just it's unfortunate, but it's it's
it's misguided.
>> What are they thinking when they say
Shadia? They're probably thinking
amputation of the hands. They're
thinking about the penal code. What what
are they thinking about? the way that we
so I think you know you want to be
somewhat perhaps charitable. I think
there's a certain segment of society
that just doesn't know
they just don't really know any better
>> and some people have more venial um
motives in the game whether they be
political or otherwise. Uh but
regardless the problem here is
essentially one of semantic conflation.
So Sharia as a um general term refers to
uh a code of law by which we we live
life. So there are things that we do as
Muslims. There are things that we don't
do. We don't drink alcohol. We don't eat
pork. Uh you cannot murder. You cannot
rape. you cannot do and that's part of
the Sharia and there are things that we
are obligated to do like for we are
supposed to pray and we're supposed to
fast and we're supposed to give alms to
the poor and that is also Sharia as a
part of the so this is following the
commandments of God but as a part of
this larger um what's that called system
and we talked about Islam being a
comprehensive system of life there are
penal codes that also exist within Islam
and you know I I think you know you look
in other religions they had uh inherent
problems uh with the penal codes that
existed for example, you cannot kill the
prodigal child anymore. Uh but you know,
you look at early Greek law and you
bring the pro prodigal child and and you
you know, execute them. So um but they
were not no longer concordant with
modern sensitivity. So much of the the
rules of that existed within uh
Christianity, which itself is
problematic because if it's from God, it
should be timeless. But um they were
abandoned, right, for now they sort of
interpret as the spirit of the law and
and sort of they left that. We don't
have that problem in Islam. And so there
is a penal in Islam. And sometimes that
runs a file with uh maybe what other
people would uh want set up as a
parallel legal system. But that penal
system is a it's a non-issue because it
wouldn't apply in a non-Muslim land. It
wouldn't.
And so if you don't have uh you know an
Islamic governance in Islamic society
that overall creates a million in which
that penal code could be applied that
all these issues of amputation or or
even the death penalty. First of all I
mean if if you have a problem with
amputations then you should have even
more of an issue with the death penalty
because death penalty is far more than
an amputation for XY X Y and Z. So if
you if you allow for the death penalty,
I don't think anyone can know people in
glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Um
and and we do as a society allow for the
death penalty for certain types of
crimes. Um but those things are are are
not applicable. It's that what when when
we talk about the Sharia, we talk about
all the things I talked about earlier
and what they're effectively doing by
trying to ban Sharia as effectively and
and trying to say that that applies to
the penal uh code in Islam and criminal
law in Islam which doesn't apply here in
the west nor would it apply in the west
in any type of scenario then when you
create that type of system uh what I
said semantic conflation it becomes a
premise by which you can bar religious
expression Right. You you you're taking
something which no one is going to do
and nor can they do that religiously and
use that as a premise. So they can't
actually practice Islam at all in
>> they can't wear hijab. They can't uh you
know that's the premise for it.
>> Yeah.
>> All right. As we conclude now, what else
would you uh say to um to our friend
Vinnie or the or the like the Patrick
Ben Davids people who have a big
responsibility out there?
>> Get in touch with us, man.
>> Get in touch with us. I like that. Get
in touch with us. you know it it's you
know I would say
I would I would I would invite them to
some introspection.
If you want if you have you know a
prejudiced narrative about Islam and you
want to take some things to substantiate
that narrative then you can do that. I
mean no no I mean if you if you're not
sincere I can't really help you. But if
you really want to know how people who
practice Islam understand Islam,
reach out to Muslim scholars, reach out
to people that have dedicated um
significant time to the study of Islam
and and and engage with them. You know,
I mean that that's what a responsible
person would do. They would not limit
their exploration of Islam to pimics. M
they would say okay let's I want to hear
about this from the perspective of the
believer because as as she Omar
wonderfully said if this is in the Quran
and my wife is baking cookies and
sending them to our neighbors I should
be censuring her hey why are you giving
them chocolate chip cookies we should be
killing them right we're Muslim no but
of course we don't say that of course we
don't do that
>> right so get in touch with us man
>> get in touch with us. Uh we're going to
close up now. What is Islam? You we've
thrown this word around. What What is
Islam? How how would you define it in
simple terms for for people like that?
>> Submission to God.
>> That's it.
>> Submission.
>> Simple as that.
>> Submission to God.
>> What's the difference? They're saying
we're submitting to God, too. Jesus, our
Lord and Savior.
>> I mean, just we submit to the creator of
the heavens and the earth, which we
believe is our God. Islam Islam is a
transitive verb. Islam is the continual
submission to God in every moment, in
every situation of our life. It's not
selective. It's not exclusive. It's not
when we want, if we want, how we want.
It's exactly how God told us. And how
mentions our religion is a timeless
religion. And the beauty of it, Muslims
have lived as minorities in countries
far before us. We had Muslims in China,
the not the not just the Uger Muslims,
the Hans Muslims that were in China as
minorities. We had Muslims in different
countries as minorities and they were
okay as minorities. We don't ha we don't
have a religion that needs to be the
majority. If that's God's will, that's
what that's what's going to happen. But
when we've lived as the majority and
then minorities have lived with us
perfectly fine, which other religion or
way of life can show every state, every
situation you can live with your
religion and feel comfortable that you
don't feel vulnerable, you don't feel
insecure, you don't feel guilt guilt,
you don't feel shamed. People can't go
to pilgrimage. It's okay if you don't
have the means. Our religion is
beautiful because it's given us a full
system. So Islam is in every situation
in every moment as a father, mother,
child to know not just not just to
submit to God to know which commandment
of God is the priority for me right now
to submit to because without the
knowledge of that we may be submitting
to God but it's being displaced. Right?
Which commandment of God is or Allah is
the priority? And this is why we say
Allah because for us Muslims like God
yes is is a very weak translation for
Allah. There's no translation for Allah.
You know even in the journey of Musa
Alisam the magicians
when they saw the staff of MS and it
completely engulfed all of the all of
the the sorcery that they were showing
and they fell into posturration. They
said to
that we believe in the Lord of the
worlds and didn't flinch because someone
who has an ego or who's a narcissist
like him he believes that thank you
you're just telling me what I believe
and they said no um you know
we believe in the lord of mus and haron
which is a clear distinction from the
belief in you. So Allah is our Lord,
right? And and and that that's that's
this is why even I mean I encourage
people as much as we can to highlight
the name of Allah because the of Allah's
name even in a heart that is dead will
have a will have an impact. Water that
touches stone creates erosion. It
doesn't create fertility but it creates
something
>> right. The name of Allah will create
impact on people for sure.
>> Yeah. And Jesus spoke Aramaic. Allah
Allah same God. And you guys actually
would resemble him more. You know, he
was darker complexed. Uh and now you
guys would actually more discretion
[laughter]
>> and then you can dress like you know he
did. You can dress in a suit uh like
we're dressing university of of Islam.
But uh what do you have to say about
Jesus? You know when
>> do you you guys love Jesus?
>> Oh man. Come on man. That's like come
on.
>> You're saying come on man. But these
guys they think uh you know I think that
from the fundamental problem here you
know when you ask what is Islam you know
Keith said that beauty is truth truth
beauty that is all you know on earth and
all you need to know
>> and and Islam is both of those things is
truthful and it is beautiful
[clears throat]
>> and part of what you see from from a lot
of these people is they feel fearful
they they feel like is through Islam
they're going to lose something you're
going to lose power you're going to lose
your flock you're going to lose success
you're going to lose your way of life
everything that we held um as memorable
or that we define our we lose our
identity. Uh and part of that because is
because of an othering of Islam.
>> Uh but Islam is not the other. Islam is
a universal meaning Jesus was a Muslim
and Moses was a Muslim and and there was
this always this this idea that there is
one true God and who is the creator and
everything else is creation and there's
a relationship between creation to their
creator which is that of servitude which
is that of obedience which is that of
submission and throughout times that's
looked different but it's always been
Islam um and I think if they can
understand that I think this is very
disarming because you're not losing.
There's so much that Islam in its
present form has to offer a society that
is falling apart. Uh and if they if they
see that as a as a win for society, not
like we're not going to take away
America. If you want to make America
great again, then yeah, let's return
modesty. Let's return truthfulness.
Let's return justice. Let's return
respect of our parents. Let's return
caring for our neighbor. Let's get rid
of uh you know corporate greed. That's
what's going to make America great
again. Not villainizing Islam or uh
creating a non-inclusive society where
you don't have religion or freedom of
religion.
>> Here it comes for you Vinnie. I did a
special one for you. It's coming
[laughter]
and hopefully connect with us. Let's
talk. Uh anything else you guys want to
close with?
>> Eddie, man, just keep up the good work.
Um, and also too, I I I want to uh offer
as a disclaimer.
I hope that nothing I said had too sharp
a point on it about, you know, our
Christian brothers and sisters and
neighbors. And, you know, uh, you know,
sometimes it just frustrates me that
people so willingly accept these
halfbaked views about Islam. It's
>> frustrating. Yeah,
>> it frustrates me. But most of them are
probably well-meaning are probably like
Shikh Omar was saying just unaware of of
some of these methodological
uh mistakes but please let us serve you
>> in that way you know please come to us
consult with us let us help you let us
serve you um this is not an attempt to
procilitize it's not attemp to make you
Muslim I just want you to understand
what Muslims believe
>> right the truth is persuasive on its
own.
>> Yeah.
>> I'm not I just want you to understand
what we believe. So, you know, to the
what was the pastor's name? What's his
name?
>> Vinnie.
>> No, no, that Vinnie's Vinnie's the one
from PBD. This is another pastor.
>> So, the pastor Vinnie PB
>> PBD
>> PBD. Much love, man. Much much loved
EFG.
>> Yeah. Much love. Much you know, it's
it's it's not like that. But, you know,
we just we we would love to dialogue
with you.
I'm good. An honor being with Mashia and
thank you for hosting us inshallah let's
bring some benefit. The last message
would be everyone should be giving some
form of dawa every aspect of your life
and every moment of your life. The the
the win for Islam is not to change
everyone is to save everyone.
>> Our job is to save people not to change
people. Right? The prophet didn't change
people's personalities. He just he he
saved them. We want to save people by
giving them was speaking about honesty,
truthfulness, integrity and so on and so
forth.
>> I want to thank you for having us and
you know I really hope it's since I mean
when you think when you look at the
world we live in a world that's
bleeding. Uh and part of the reason it's
bleeding is because of diet tribe like
this. like we need to lay down our
weapons whether they're verbal,
intellectual, we need to get rid of the
barbs and we just need more love in the
world. We need to join hands. We have we
have a common enemy which is Shayan,
right? That's we have a common enemy
which is evil and uh and hurt and
injustice in the world. And that's
something that that's something we can
all get behind. that's where we should
actually be um you know sort of
directing our our attention towards. I
think one of my teachers said it
beautifully. He said that you know like
basically the world is hemorrhaging and
we're we're we're arguing about what
color bandaid to put on. There's
humanitarian crisis. The people are
falling apart. Um and if you care about
people and you care about the world and
if you have a heart then how do you
sleep at night? Right? And that's what
we need to focus on. and and that
doesn't you know that doesn't have a
nationality.
>> Thank you. Thank you all.
>> Thank you.
Relax.