Islam the Brand

By Hani Soubra

This book is about an Islam that doesn’t exist in real life - an Islam that is portrayed only in the media, news and politics.

As a brand, Islam has lost a lot of its equanimity and power. Exploitative and manipulative elements have positioned themselves as brand ambassadors and experts, but in fact they have harmed the very idea of Islam tremendously. Islam can’t be held hostage by illiterate, unexposed and socially unacceptable Sheikhs who lack both wit and intelligence. It also can’t be represented by gangs of youths whose anger and hate are channeled towards destruction under the banner of Islam.
On the other hand, international objective observers need to carry an equal level of intelligence when forming opinions about Islam, and avoid basing their opinions on the misdemeanors of a single individual.

This book appeals to Muslim youth, calling for a strong united front of maturity. They must not be absorbed by the vicious cycle of fundamentalism due to social, personal or economic pressures, says the author, who also reaches out to non-Muslims youths to embrace further knowledge of Islam in order to avoid polarization of their worlds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hani Soubra
• Release date: Oct 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310618536

Hani Soubra

Hani is Lebanese, born in Beirut in 1967. He lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He studied at the American University of Beirut, majoring in Economics. He continued his studies in later stages to get his MBA from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. His first book Letters to Dalia: Reflections on Lebanon and the Middle East is the result of two and half years of work. The messages in the book are numerous: tolerance, co existence, no blind following, the dangers of the abuse of religion and ideology, think, research, live, enjoy life, be artistic, and most of all find harmony with the self, soul, heart and mind. Aligning the four elements might hold the key to happiness. The second book is a Novel entitled Conversation with Abed. Most part of this Novel was written in the beautiful area of Maria Wörth, a town in Austria. In this novel, Hani creates two characters: Sam and Abed. They are soul mates. They also like debating different topics. These topics, in addition to other characters as well, become the portraits of different aspects of life and people living in Arabia. The third book is entitled Islam The Brand. It is a provocative book that handles the declining image of the brand Islam, and the prevailing perceptions around it. This is not a theological conversation; it is a purely cognitive, and communications led argument where both Muslims and no Muslims played a role in reaching this stage of deterioration on a brand level strictly. Hani considers that knowing and learning are an endless journey. The three books are inspired by his daughters - Dala and Lea. Hani hopes he can complete the journey to know more and learn more. As a renowned public speaker, Hani gives lectures worldwide in universities on media, culture, politics and current affairs.

Book preview

Introduction

The book talks about an Islam that doesn’t exist in real life; an Islam that is founded only in media, news and political shows catering to both Muslims and non-Muslims.

As a brand, Islam has lost a lot of its equity. There have been a lot of exploiters and manipulators, who have positioned themselves as brand ambassadors and experts, but in fact they harmed the brand of Islam tremendously. The idea of this book is not to defend, as, first, I am not qualified to do so, and second, I don’t believe Islam needs defending, as it is a spiritual path and not a case study that is represented by any individual or a group of people.

The book carries a strong message to the abusers of Islam, both Muslims and non-Muslims. For the Muslims: stop trading with the banner of Islam to justify your ugly and bad deeds. For the non-Muslims, both masses and the intellectuals, the message is stop exploiting misunderstood scripts, and stop interpreting Islam based on the misleading behavior of some people, who don’t represent anyone but themselves.

The book urges Muslims to be smart, matured and intelligent. Muslims can’t position themselves as either a passive nation that is driven by anger due to historical humiliation due to the loss of the Caliphate, Western imperialism, Israel, etc…Muslims carry more character, richness and cultural edge to undo the rotten episode experienced for the last 100 years.

Muslims need to be more imaginative as well. Those who die in the name of false edicts delivered by imposters and false Sheikhs are not doing Islam a favor. They are disfiguring Islam. I doubt if they have a place in Islam or any other religion. They are hate mongers, driven by grudge and despise for the others and all what life represents.

Innocent bystanders who get killed by the deeds of these thugs operating under Islam are innocent victims. They deserve more respect than just a mention that their souls will go to heaven. Who gave these thugs the moral authority to, first, kill innocent, and second, proclaim that they are going to heaven? This is the epitome of criminality, lying, deception and exploitation of religious texts.

The seeds of hate and revenge are sown in the hearts of the families of these victims. Some of these families might forgive; others might want revenge and vendetta for the loss of their loved one. In any case, it is an abnormal situation. An attempt to justify criminality is a crime by itself, whilst banking on people forgiveness to escape blame is a ridiculous premise.

Islam can’t be held victim by illiterate, unexposed and socially unacceptable Sheikhs who lack in both wit and intelligence. It also can’t be represented by gangs of youth whose anger and hate are channeled towards destruction under the banner of Islam.

On the other hand, the average Westerner, or any objective observer from any country, needs to carry the same amount of intelligence when forming opinions about Islam. In research, there is always the sample and the universe relationship. The sample can represent the universe, or it can fail to, subject to plenty of factors. The sample can never be a replica of the universe. Hence, labeling Muslims as bad or evil due to the misdemeanor of an individual, or a group of individuals, is unintelligent and serve another purpose beyond this labeling. The roots of this labeling can be political, social or extremism in opinion. In the last category, all zealotry converges. Be it from the East or the West, as fanaticism knows no boundaries.

The nature of human beings is built on the concept of diversity. The latter characterizes everything the human beings experience: from choice of cloth to ideas adopted. Religion is not an exception. It is also built on diversity. Yet, this diversity is being hijacked by fundamentalists who portray life’s impossibility in the presence of the other. Who is that other? In the mind of a fundamentalist, the other is anybody that is not similar in thinking. The origination point of this idea is vague, and totally contradicts the essence of religion, which is built around faith and not coercion. These fundamentalists become intolerant and start preaching a new religion but carefully camouflaging it with the principal or original doctrine. This is the trap that most of the youth falls into: the failure of differentiation between the original doctrines as a source of jurisprudence, and the sub or mini religion that was founded by the zealot.

In some parts of the book, I mention terms such as Arabs, Muslims, Iranians, Sunnis, Shiites, Americans, Christians, etc…this is never in the context of the faith that these religions/nations carry. It is all about the foreign policies and the regimes that I am writing about.

The last appeal is for the youth, Muslims and non-Muslims: Muslim youth need to be more matured. They can’t be absorbed by the vicious cycle of fundamentalism due to social, personal or economic pressures. People like Anjum Chaudhary and other zealots can’t be followed. They will lead these youth to destruction. The Westerners youth need to also embrace further research in order to avoid entrenchment and polarization. Geller and her hate dogma cant be adopted when tackling issues related to Islam. This book is for both generations from both worlds.

The Brand

The common element between Google, Starbucks, Nike and Emirates Airlines is that they speak for themselves. In other words, people know the performance of these brands without even seeing their advertisements, which is a reflection of the massive place it occupies in the conscious and the unconscious minds of their users. Islam also made it to the league of top brands. However, it sits alone in that league as it is an unwelcoming and hostile league, or so people think.

Manoshahar Mottaki, the ex-Iranian foreign minister was relieved from his post by his boss Ahmadi Najjad. Mottaki was visiting Senegal at the time of the announcement. He described his relief from his post as anti-Islamic. In December 2010, an Iraqi suicide bomber blew himself up in a street in Sweden. His name was Taimour al Abdaly. The investigators later reported that he was equipped with three explosive devices, and an error occurred while detonating, which resulted in the explosion that resulted in his death. Al Abdaly was quoted by police and intelligence entities as intending to kill as much people as possible in protest the abuse of Muslims in Europe, and the presence of Swedish troops in Afghanistan. Al Abdali was serving Islam as he described himself. One of the surviving members of the Tsraneav brothers, Jawhar, who participated in the Boston Marathon bombings, would repeat the same rhetoric about avenging the innocent killed by the US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Egypt, Sheikh Amer, the head of a Salafist group, The Supporters of the Mohmmedian Sunna, has issued an edict to kill Mohammed al Baradei, the former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to Sheikh Amer, Al Baradei was breaking the rule of Islam when he decided to compete with the Egyptian ex-President Hosni Mubarak. It was an anti-Islamic act by Al Baradei as Sheikh Amer had described it. After the toppling of Mubarak, other competing Sheikhs from the Muslim Brotherhood , who are anti Salafists but do have extremism in opinion as well, issued more edicts to support their beloved candidate, Mursi, who made it to the presidency in Egypt in 2012 for a short term only.

Sheikh Youssef al Qardawi, a scholar in the Arab World with millions of followers, has declared that organizing the World cup in Qatar in 2022 was a triumph for Islam against the USA, the other nation bidding to host the games as well. He failed to tell us how, especially that the FIFA is not an Islamic organization, and corruption allegations, as reported by numerous media vehicles such as the BBC, still surround Qatar’s win of hosting the world cup. Corruption and any religion don’t go hand in hand.

Almost all of the above examples have a strong base of following that reaches beyond regional boarders, especially in Al Qardawi’s case. He is famous for his TV show on Al Jazearah channel called Al Shariah wal Hayat or Jurisprudence and Life. It is worth mentioning here that Sheikh Amer will include Qardawi himself in the edict of Al Baradai for the latter’s role in encouraging regime change in Egypt, and Qardawi will unleash his worst attack on the United Arab Emirates for their support of Sissi, who toppled, of ex-President Mursi, and label the Emiratis as un-Islamic.

Another renowned and respectable Muslim scholar is Tariq Ramadan. He is the grandson of Hassan Al Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, a strong organization in the Arab world, which is beloved by its supporters and despised by its opponents.

Unlike his grandfather, Tareq Ramadan is not at war with anybody. He has supporters, and staunch critics. He is an Oxford professor and has contributed to numerous lectures, seminars and forums on how to bring the Islamic World and the West to a better understanding. His vast knowledge of his subject matter makes him an authority and a valuable asset for the Islamic intellectual scene.

Away from the field of theology, and in the field of science, emerges a great Muslim scientist from Egypt. His name is Ahmed Zewail. He is known as the father of femtochemistry and laser spectroscopy. He has won the noble prize in 1999 for his research in these fields. Speaking at a forum in Dubai in 2010, Dr. Zweil spoke of an upcoming renaissance of the young Arab youth based on open media and technology. His lecture was full of high morals and cherishing values of human rights and the importance of freedom.

Another talented authority figure in the Muslim world is Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum. He is the ruler of Dubai and the Prime Minster of the United Arab Emirates. He is by far one of the most daring Arab and Muslim leaders of modern times. He has managed to transform his city from a tiny emirate in the desert desperate for water, to a flourishing and prosperous city.

Dubai is comprised of 200 nationalities, and almost every single religion under the sun is present. Yet they all work, play and live together in a harmonious way. Diversity in Dubai wasn’t a source of conflict like it is in Afghanistan or Lebanon. Tolerance and co-existence are the prevailing traits. Sheikh Mohammed is a conservative Muslim leader. He is famous for his open mind, love for poetry and devotion to his country.

In the category of states men, Rafic Hariri of Lebanon is another pioneer leader. The uniqueness level here is measured by the ability to achieve and accomplish goals, and the need to resort to religion to fuel the masses. Both men, Hariri and Sheikh Mohammed, were successful in building cities and countries without fueling the masses with empty slogans. Both men were hardworking and dedicated. Hariri had resurrected a country from its own self-made apocalypse to become a strong economic entity in the region. He was assassinated in Beirut in Feb 2005.

These are some examples from both end of the spectrum in the Muslim world. There is the bellicose and the sensational, the real and the surreal, in addition to the fantastic and the fanatic.

The concepts that these individuals represent do contribute to the image that is spread around the global brand of Islam. Some of these concepts are floated more than others. They become an accepted description of Islam, although it is not in real terms. Examining the idea behind an idea is always useful to reach safe conclusions. It is also a useful process to determine the real heroes and villains of a nation for subsequent understanding of the nation’s aspirations and ambitions.

From the examples mentioned above, Al Abdaly and Sheikh Amer represent terror; Mottaki and Najjad represents exploitation of masses in the name of religion; Qardawi’s world cup declaration represents bellicosity and reflects an image of a typical Arab/ Muslim hungry for victory, even virtual ones.

On the other side, Ramadan represents the anti thesis of the violence spread by Al Qaeda; Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed and Hariri represents the focus on building strong nations away from religious and ideological exploitation; Zweil represents a breath of fresh air in a humid summer afternoon.

There are good and bad examples from every single religion in the world. Yet, Islam gets all the negative exposure in the media. There is no conspiracy theory involved; just pure hype and pop culture.

The focus on the mediocrity involved in the figures representing Islam adds to the hype. It does attract more audience. From the mullahs in Afghanistan and Iran, to the mini or grand wars between brothers in the name of religion in the Arab world, to the hilarious edicts spreading in the Muslim world, public flogging and stoning, women abuse and enforced marriages to youngsters, all of these represent rich and lucrative substance for media coverage. The peculiarity of these subjects carries a different flavor to the news making industry in the West.

Christianity had its negative publicity when the sexual abuse scandal broke out in 2009/2010 inside the church domain. Yet, it wasn’t a top priority in news making for a long time. It was short lived. The sensationalism generated around the sexual abuses of the priests can’t be compared to the flogging in Sudan of a young girl accused of wearing indecent clothes, or the death sentence of Ashanti in Iran, women’s right in Saudi Arabia, the sex on the beach case in Dubai, etc…It seems that the elements of intrigue surrounding news about Christianity in the West are not as strong as those surrounding news about Islam. There is more interest in the news gathered around the brand Islam.

The Western world has successfully separated the state from the church long time ago. Thanks to Galileo and other enlightenment figures, the discovery of steam and the improvement in trade and technology, which paved the ways for better lifestyles, and strengthening of the state over the church, which lost its pivotal role, were all contributing factors to that separation.

Generations of Europeans and Westerners grew up believing that the authority of the church don’t extend beyond the church walls, and the authority of the state which is represented through governments, army, central bank, etc.., each in its domain, is supreme. It became accepted that the two are separate entities.

Prior to the Danish cartoons episode which depicted the Prophet Mohammed and Jesus Christ as cartoon figures, there were media productions such as The Messiah movie and Jesus Christ superstar rock opera, that weren’t reflective of the divinity of Jesus. Yet, both productions were in the market gathering both critiques and fans. In any case, the point was made: it is an acceptable premise in the West to use prophets in headlines to attract audience, or present them in movies etc...The state laws have won indefinitely over the church laws. If the law of the state allows it, then it goes through.

As far as the Christian masses are concerned, they might not be very happy with the representation of Jesus, yet, there is a line that they can’t cross while expressing this dislike, which is the constitution and the law of the state. Consequently, the Western mind has grown accustomed to the concept of the state, which became the sole source of legislation and authority. The Muslim world did not reach that level of belonging to the state. Partly, it is due to the self-perception of the people, and partly due to the abuse of religion and ideology by some of the rulers and the clergy.

With fluctuating averages, and depending on the country, some Muslims in Arab or non-Arab countries, view themselves as subject matters of the state. These are the masses that believe in the divinity of the ruler such as Iran. There is another form of governance, which is the rule by religion but by caretakers such as the Al Saud in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are the custodians of the holly mosques and the caretakers of Sunni Islam. The third model of governance is the families’ model, which has a significant level of religious influence such as the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The fourth model of governance is based on secular individuals, usually with a military background with a strong Islamic influence such as Pakistan, Egypt and other North African countries. The fifth model is the Islamic identity model with a modern and