Now hold your horses, this is all quite unnecessary, and just let me try to pacify you, as the morbid saying goes…..once upon a time.....there was a TV box in a Muslim house, and the TV box was very beautiful, that displayed images of splendor, in fact it was rather ordinary, a common box, but such a powerful box, that no one could deny its power to spellbind and transfix whoever dared to stare at it long enough). But it was a box just the same, and no matter what size it was, nor what plastic it glazed, still it could instill fear in the hearts of men and, a more powerful Box could never be found, a box that could get a message across even faster than a bottle.

Now let’s drop the imagery, and collectively dip our toes into reality, temporarily. Apart from the very entertaining aspect of TV, which we can all debate endlessly upon, our dislikes and likes, the TV or more specifically the ‘News’ is undoubtedly, one of the ways that helps aid our understanding of the world, its politics and its ‘reality’, as it happens around the world, as well as, on our own doorsteps.

TV News is central to the public's understanding of political issues; we accept it unquestionably, as The Truth. And there is only one thing that can twist the ‘truth’ delivered by the News outlet. And that is the way the picture is painted by the one who delivers it. Language, images, sound, and voices, those voices that speak and tell us all of what is happening. Those voices can be muted, chopped, left out, merely mentioned, and dehumanized, cut out, used with another segment not so flattering. All this paints a picture, a picture that was painted for a purpose.

See the Muslims don’t paint anything new, who would want to destroy the old painting of Imam Monet? Will the Imam talk about TV news in His mosques? Will He educate His brothers and sisters about it in His congregation? Every Muslim has a TV Box in their home; every Muslim witnesses the portrayal of Islam and Muslims. Every Muslim pays from their pockets for it. But will Muslims ‘lobby’ for a different perspective?

Forgive my cynicism, but ‘Muslim’ need to slip into a sleep that makes them sleep sound and comfortably – live a life that is worth living. The dirty word ‘politics’ had awoken them but in another dimension. Oh ‘Politics’ is there such a thing as ‘Muslim’ politics and why are blessed Muslims afraid of it? Is TV news that scary, is the media that scary, that no one Muslim, even the gobby and condescending ones, won’t speak up? Most Muslims I’ve met are either polite and passive, or rude and condescending, on a religious high horse so to say….slashing at the other Muslims with their razor sharp tongues, victimizing those who don’t dress right, talk right or express themselves in the ‘perfect’ Islamic way, and just because these Muslims have got something critical to say about Islam’s expression today.

An Example! A Fairytale one so it won’t scare you too much, I know these days, blood and gore is all too easy on the eye, watch a horror movie, watch people die in war, watch bombs explode, but smell nothing of its stenching reality. Society has become quite accepting of it. But show a Muslim a picture of a dead person, and a picture of a Muslim woman with her ear out. And see which one raises more of a fascinating reaction. Anyway, back to the board all Muslim men and women, lower the gaze, mind looking at a dead body is disturbing I understand.

The Example!: Palestine the ‘Occupied’ place by ‘Terrorists’, the simplicity of reporting on this issue on your TV Box, is just beyond a fairytale. If you did watch the TV news, just two weeks ago, the killing of innocents, 8 Israeli deaths vs. 120 Palestinians deaths, was inhumanely ‘biased’ in its reporting, as the BBC believed Israeli lives meant more than Palestinian lives! Did you react to the Alert that MPACUK put out? Or were you thinking ‘Palestine Palestine Palestine, will MPACUK not go on about anything else’. BBC News is the same outlet that gives you entertaining channels such as BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3 and BBC 4 and I’m sorry I patronize you. Much ado about nothing, I’ll go and chat there to the real Muslim.

Muslims are too involved with their lifestyles, Fiqh and pure Islamic living. But its not pure, it’s sordid and selfish, and at the expense of Muslims who manage to miraculously, to be Muslims and struggle for their right not to be oppressed, where as what oppresses the free Muslim in the UK to speak up against the oppression of others? The priorities of Muslims as an Ummah are all wrong. It would be better if you switch off your TV box because its haram! And get mobilised! That means get politically active.

Join MPACUK and LOBBY, be part of the MEDIA, and talk to others as a MUSLIM about injustices that many of us don’t see as our own, because somehow Muslims have failed to acknowledge anymore that when the UMMAH gets KICKED, so will you at some point or other, sooner, rather than later.

I leave you all with this wise quote, ‘name’, ‘age’, ‘sex’, ‘cast’, ‘colour’, ‘dress sense’ , ‘sect’ and ‘curriculum vitae’ of ‘scholar’ unknown:

“That’s what ants do, they work together, that’s what Muslims do, they kill each other, one way or another, so unite and strike a match for another’s pain before It becomes your pain, as was the practice of the Prophet’s (peace be upon them all), save others saving yourself”

Over and out TV BOX Politics: don’t be numb be proactive.

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