In response to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/15041


The point of discussion or the point of inquiry was on the validity of praise
and prayer by Allah to Allah Himself in the first Sura of Quran. The focus of
inquiry and investigation by a number of erudite writers was on the rationale
for seeking guidance by the Almighty Allah. The point of discussion is really
simple. Whether Allah is praising Himself and seeking guidance to Him. Mr.
Mohammad Chowdhury could have explained the rationale behind the praise of Allah
by Allah Himself and the seeking of guidance by Allah to Allah Himself. He was
not asked to explain whether we would be getting guidance from an unseen deity
or not. It is quite irrelevant here to mention that the Creator is Merciful or
most Beneficent. The relevant point is His "praise for Himself" and "prayer to
Himself." Does it make sense that an All-Knowing, Almighty, and Supreme Creator
asking for guidance? Mr. Chowdhury wrote: "This 'Guidance' is not given to any
'xyz' who would not ask such 'guidance'
sincerely." If Allah doesn't want to give guidance to all His creature then
why does He talk about this guidance in His book in public? What kind of
guidance He would like to give anyway? What's the need for asking guidance
sincerely? It's His responsibility to give guidance because He is the Creator
as claimed by the believers. Didn't He give guidance to Maulana Moududi who
supported the killer and rapist regime of Pakistan? Didn't He give guidance to
Mullah Omar, Talibans, killer Bin Laden? Why so much talk on guidance in
primitive book? Why don't we see some real guidance to the killers for peace
and stability in the world?

Mr. Mohammad Chowdhury, most of the Muslim-origin freethinkers were taught the
belief system from their early age. It's true that most of them were strong
believers for sometime. But, over tiime, they acquired knowledge and courage to
ask question on the blind belief system. Many of the Muslim-origin freethinkers
would have remained as believers if they were able to get satisfactory answers
to the valid questions. Instead, they get sidetracking irrelevant answers to
the valid questions from the deceptive Islamic intellectuals.

Mr. Chowdhury has mentioned about "in God we trust" in the U. S. currency. It's
true that there isn't absolute form of secularism separating state and religion
even in the USA. Is the term "God" absolute? For example, to a Buddhist,
Buddha is the God. To some people, the total power of the Universe is "God."
Einstein didn't believe in the scriptural description of God. Here Mr. Chowdhury
has suggested us to leave USA and find some other place to live where there is
no "In God We Trust" in the currency. This attitude gives a clear indication of
the mind of an Islamist. The worldview of an Islamist is simple. If you don't
believe in their prescribed religion or their Deity then leave! The Islamists
are doing the same against minorities and Quadianis in Bangladesh.

There are/were many secularists/atheists/agnostics in the USA. American
writers/scientists like Einstein, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, et
al. were in the category of agnostics/non-theists. Did they have to leave USA
and find some other place to live? They were lucky because there weren't many
people like Mr. Chowdhury in the USA. I would request others to analyze the
reasons why a group of Muslims always try to force the groups/individuals (who
don't accept their Deity) out of the territory they think they control. Are
there bad teachings in their religion? It's a great comfort and relief that USA
isn't dominated by the people with extreme dogmatic belief. One will enjoy his
full rights as a citizen/permanent resident even if he/she is an atheist.

Shabbir Ahmed