ASK MAULANA

Muslims and others in the UK and the West more generally? It is now the turn of Muslims to change their perception towards the West. “Islamophobia” was a self-invented obsession that has no relevance. Muslims have not yet understood the spirit of the modern age, which invites everyone to adopt a “customer- friendly” attitude. It is only a friendly atmosphere that can allow the global economy to thrive, foster goodwill and sustain this era of professional development. In this modern age, no one can potentially remain an enemy to another. What lessons do you think we can draw from Sadiq Khan’s victory in terms of relations between Muslims and people of other faiths? Mr. Sadiq Khan’s victory should make Muslims realize that they live in a new age. Today’s global economy thrives on competition and cooperation and upholds competence as the single most important factor of development. Mr. Sadiq Khan is not a Muslim leader, but the result of his victory has left a lesson much bigger than any other, inviting Muslims to re-think and re-plan their efforts and channelize them in constructive matters. What lessons do you think can be drawn from Sadiq Khan’s victory in terms of political representation of Muslims and minorities? In my opinion, the concept of political representation is irrelevant. What is relevant is political competence. In politics, quantity is nothing, it is competence that matters; quantity has only a secondary significance. For example, Jews are a minority community in the United States of America but they outshine others in their spheres of work. This has become possible only because today competence is given supreme importance. The concept of representation emphasizes only on quantity, but in our view life is not a game of quantity. It is quality that matters! The people of London elected their first Muslim Mayor. What message do you want to convey on the basis of this to Muslims in Muslimmajority countries in terms of how they should treat the minorities living in their midst? At present, Muslim countries have adopted a “We-They” concept with respect to non-Muslim minorities. This concept is anachronistic to the modern world. The concept of today’s age is “We-We”, that is, equal human rights for all. Muslims are free to follow their choice in matters of cultural belief but in social and political affairs they must adopt and practise universal norms. That is, as far as human rights are concerned, there is no difference at all between any human beings. o