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CounterPunch
December
21, 2002
The Day That
Daniel Pipes Tried to Steal from the Muslims
by IMRAAN SIDDIQI
December 18th was supposed to be OUR day. After
the passing of Eid-ul-Fitr, Muslims across America then marked
our calendars for the next big event: the PBS documentary "Muhammad:
Legacy of a Prophet". Billboards were posted, flyers were
passed out, e-mails were sent--all in the optimism that this
groundbreaking film by Michael Wolfe would shed some light upon
the religion of Islam and how its Prophet (peace be upon him)
would be viewed in the west. I alone must have received at least
20-30 reminders that the program would air Wednesday night. None
of these reminders, however, resonated in my mind throughout
the day than the one from one of the most vocal enemies of the
Muslim world, Dr. Daniel Pipes.
One would have assumed that December
18th would go without incident; that maybe the world could learn
a lesson or two about a religion and its adherents who feel that
they are greatly misunderstood. Maybe those who have heard the
countless verbal assaults on prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would somehow
tune in, and all these attacks would be finally laid to rest.
Even though this program pays tribute to one of the most revered
men throughout the history of humanity, it has once again become
an opportunity for this particular blowhard to spew his political
agenda across the news media. If for some reason one cannot recall
Pipes, then they should rewind to the backlash that came after
September 11th 2001, and even before that, to the beginning of
the Palestinian uprising. Pipes has gained recognition for his
"expertise" on the Middle East, heading a one-sided
think-tank known as the "Middle East Forum". It seems
as though Pipes has dedicated his livelihood to poison the public's
view of Islam and Muslims appearing in countless news programs
on television, in addition to the print media. In one nationally
televised interview in 2001 this man actually claimed that it
was the "goal of Muslims to make America an Islamic country."
In the December 17th edition of the New
York Post, Pipes sinks to an all-time low: attacking the integrity
of the PBS Documentary, while trying to rouse the public into
suing the network. Included in this senseless diatribe, this
so-called "expert" claims that the network is wasting
American tax dollars in an obvious attempt by the producers to
convert the viewers to Islam. The dreadful rant continues, and
takes the shape of something that more closely resembles that
which would be published in a high-school newspaper rather than
that of a nationally prominent tabloid. "Legacy of a Prophet"
gives evidence as to why Muhammad (pbuh) was a champion for the
rights of women. Pipes makes a futile attempt to contradict these
examples with the isolated instances in today's world that in
actuality are cultural cases rather than Islamic teachings. He
accuses the documentary of being a one-sided showcase, better
fit for Islamic Sunday School rather than public television.
Although Mr. Pipes claims that the goal of the television special
is to proselytize people to Islam, it is interesting to note
that there were many Non-Muslims who were featured in the documentary
in addition to Muslims. Individuals such as Karen Armstrong,
who have dedicated their entire lives acquiring knowledge and
writing about the topic of Islam, only to be brushed off as "apologists"
by the King of the Middle East Forum.
It is hard to believe that someone as
full of angst and fear against Islam can be commissioned to produce
work on such a subject. It is nearly as absurd as sending a man
with a fear of heights to a skydiving convention. Fear and loathing
such as this has not surfaced since the "Red Scare"
of the McCarthy-era. Although many individuals agree that Pipes
is a divisive force in American society, an equal number more
than likely support his views. It is expected that he will continue
on with a hardened heart towards Islam its followers, but then
again there will always be the Abu Jahl's - a staunch enemy of
the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during the prophet's life-time -
and the Pharaoh's of their respective eras.
As we sat down to watch "Legacy",
we could almost hear Daniel Pipes snicker with sarcasm in the
background. Each time a person praised Muhammad (pbuh) throughout
the show, we imagine that Pipes was sitting alone in his living
room sneering angrily, and most likely adding fuel to his inner
fire. This was a day that characters such as him were lamenting,
while Muslims all over were rejoicing. Although the special was
not perfect, it did not disappoint whatsoever. Two hours flew
by, and left us wanting even more. Hopefully this was only the
beginning, since the rich and enlightening life of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) could easily have been covered in a larger format.
But for now, we shall take what we can get. We are optimistic
that the non-Muslim world was able to tune in and increase their
knowledge about a man and his followers who until this point,
have been gravely misunderstood. Even though Daniel Pipes tried
his hardest to steal the evening of December 18th from us, he
failed miserably.
Imraan Siddiqi
lives in Irving, TX and attends the University of Texas at Arlington.
He writes in his spare time on a variety of issues concerning
Islam and Muslims. He can be reached via e-mail at: UPBhavan@aol.com
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