Kuwaiti Columnist: It Is Ignorant to Claim that the Japanese Tsunami Was Punishment from Allah

"Arab clerics have recently claimed that the massive earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011 were Allah's way of punishing the "infidels." For example, Saudi sheikh Abd Al-Rahman Al-Barrak wrote on the Islamic website almoslim.net that it is ignorant to think that natural disasters are random occurrences, and called upon Muslims to rejoice when infidels, "the enemies of Islam and Muslims," are punished."

In response to this twaddle....

March 24, 2011 column in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas, columnist Dalaa Al-Mufti scathingly criticized views such as Al-Barrak's, and responded to an email she had received calling on her to refrain from sympathizing with the victims of the Japanese tsunami disaster because it was a deliberate action by Allah against the infidel, tyrannical, and pagan Japanese. She noted that the humility shown by the Japanese in coping with the disaster showed the falsity of the claim that they are tyrannical and evil, accused the author of the email of distorting Islam, and pointed out that Muslim countries have also been struck by natural disasters.

Following is a translation of Al-Mufti's column:

The Japanese Have Behaved Honorably During the Crisis

"I was astounded; my blood pressure and [blood] sugar levels rose, and my brain cells almost exploded with rage when I received an email from 'one of them' warning me of the torments of hell that awaited me if I dared to express sympathy over the disaster in Japan and the residents [of the country]. His lengthy email read, in part: 'What happened in Japan – the land of unbelief, atheism, and idol worship – is a cry of warning to these infidels and atheists, who have shown unbelief against Allah, and were rebellious, arrogant, and tyrannical in the land. What is sad is that we find some ignorant Muslims – may Allah set them on the straight path – who take pity on these infidels, sinners, and idol worshippers.'
"Strange. We haven't heard of a single Japanese person acting tyrannically and arrogantly – they are a people known for modesty and humility. We never knew that they acted tyrannically in the land – they were the ones whose cities were totally destroyed during World War II, and who rebuilt them steadfastly and determinedly, transforming Japan into one of the world's greatest and most important countries.

"When images of the moment of the terrible earthquake in Japan were broadcast, we were amazed to see the Japanese acting calmly, despite the fear that struck them. Instead of the crush [that would be] 'usual' [in such circumstances], hundreds of people stood and waited for the traffic light [to turn green] so they could go, while the ground shook under them. In spite of everything, there was not a single incident of theft or looting, which we customarily see in such circumstances. In a BBC interview, the American in charge of the rescue operations said he could hardly believe the serenity, the courtesy, the respectfulness, and the love for their fellow man that characterized the Japanese at such a trying time. Are these the unbelieving, evil, and tyrannical Japanese of whom the author wrote in his email?!"

"If Natural Disasters are Directed Solely Against Infidels, Why have They Also Struck Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iran, Algeria, and Other Muslim countries?"

"I am amazed by the condescension of some people, [who act] as if they alone deserve Allah's mercy and His Paradise. I am astounded by those [like the author of this email] who gloat when disaster strikes others , and it saddens me that they link their ugly slogans to our monotheistic religion [i.e. Islam] and use events and incorrect stories to distort the mercy and peace [that characterize] our faith. Does it make sense for someone to observe with such evil a devastating earthquake, a horrific tsunami, and a radioactive leak that threatens the planet?

"I have a question for that gloating man: If natural disasters are directed solely against infidels, why have they also struck Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iran, Algeria, and other Muslim countries? Is there [such a thing as] an Islamic earthquake and an infidel earthquake?

"Clearly, Japan didn't ask what religion the Kuwaitis were when it gave them $12 million in cash during the Iraqi invasion – and we repay them with a loathsome catastrophe of thought and with a tsunami of ignorance that inundate the mind of some of us. But ultimately, we can only call on the Allah we know – not on the one that [the author of the email] knows – to have mercy on the Japanese and to help them up from where they have fallen, so that they will restore the wealth to humanity with their activity, morality, and culture."

LWDLIK- To which I have nothing to add except.... YOU GO GIRL! There really are some smart, gutsy gals out there :OD