Russian Hostage Crisis Should be Unnacceptable to All Muslims

I horrifyingly read and watched reports about the hostage crisis in Chechnya yesterday and today. I wonder, as many others do, why these extemists resort to violence to make their points? Being a Muslim, I can perhaps relate and understand the roots of these extremists desperation better than most. Yet, I will never be convinced of the justification of their actions.

If you were to look at this crisis and the Palestinian/Isreali conflict from an outsiders perspective you would see that this violence is not solving anything.

In the time of the Prophet (AS), he convinced many of the ethical and moral goodness of Islam by the wisdom of his speech, his patience in times of adversity, and his honorable character which unwavered even in times when his enemy were persecuting him and those with him.

If these extremists want to truly follow Muhammad's example, they need to fight with the pen and not with weapons which only incite more hatred toward their cause and their religion.

In the coming week, on Thursday, the new French Law banning religious parafanalia in schools specifically will go into effect. These are my feelings on the issue...

Even though the new French law that states "The wearing of symbols or articles of clothing by which students ostensibly display religious affiliations is forbidden in public schools through high school", is disconcerting due to its attack on individual freedoms, the infractions being waged against personal freedoms in other countries is much more alarming.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan which go to the other extreme of saying what one should wear, rather than what one can’t wear are just as, if not more so wrong in their oppression of one’s personal freedoms.
Even in Islam, choosing to dress modestly, although an article of faith, is a personal decision by the individual. If they choose not to wear it, they will live with the consequences of that action.
It is not the obligation of society to dictate what a person should or should not wear. That decision should be left up to each individual.
It is for these reasons that I stand opposed to all societies and countries that would like to make it their business to say what is appropriate and not appropriate to wear. This is an attack on a person’s freedom of choice and that is what is not right. Sad to say, the French are not the only ones to be guilty of this. If Muslims want to oppose the oppressors, they need to oppose all of them, not just the non-Muslim ones.