'AMR KHALED

Interesting figure that stimulated the public for sometime both when he was in Egypt and later when he left to UK, and/or Lebanon.

My first introduction to him was not through going to his lectures in the 6th of October. However, I initially came to know him when one day I was entering my building and found excerpts from Coranic verses, lines from Hadith, supplications on the main door to be read before we step out to the world or when entering on our household, then posters announcing the upcoming program of 'Amr Khaled for nahdat al-umma. I was triggered.

I hate this kind of stuff, especially that these papers will be an open invitation for people to write on some comments, or salutations, and then by time will fall off; turning the building to look like a governmental building, papers and trash. Moreover, my neighbour, didn't take our permission to do that in the first place, and this for me was invading my private space. I don't mind him being religious, but I hate this bubbly enthusiasm.

My mother was cool about it. She didn't see a reason for me getting annoyed by my neighbour's action. Her only response was 'Isn't this better than going astray, drinking and smoking.' Huh. Silly answer. What does this have to do with stamping posters in the building? What is the connexion. None. Anyways, the whole story ended up by me just simply removing these posters and announcements, and giving it to the doorman to burn them. My mom was furious. But I didn't care.

Anyways, last night I saw 'Amr Khaled in the interview. I actually am not going to say my opinion in what he is doing. He is obviously a very positive guy, with a constructive vision to the future, trying to do something useful. Great, I guess. However, I just didn't like his way of replying to the interviewer. Whatever he was asked, he would use coran and ahadith to assert his point and what he was doing, and in fending off any attack on him. I am shallow I know to only criticize him for that, but he just did it in a triggering way, trying to out smart us. Whatever!

Comments

Mohamed said…
I also think that he's a very positive guy, and there is alot of good in what he's doing. But I dislike him. I dislike his style (not his speech problem, which I find amazing), I dislike that he portrays everything in the Islamic history as faultless, and I dislike the way he does his supplications. I also dislike those who keep using the verbs "do" and "be".

The posters are ugly and annoying. I was about to get into a fight in our building because one of our neighbors decided to slam a "No To War in Iraq" stickers in every single corner in the building.
haal said…
I have an itch aganist 'be' and 'do' and 'dont do', 'haram', 'halal', 'it is this way' and hate it more when they use coran and hadith to prove their points.

'I dislike that he portrays everything in the Islamic history as faultless.' Interesting. I agree.

I am suspicious by nature.
MoonLightShadow said…
Umm.. Amr Khaled, well, that person created a lot of fuzz around him. Some are against him, others are blindly doing what he says!! I guess a balance between both would be fine.

He is a positive person, but I won’t consider him as a religious scholar.

I believe that the reason for his popularity and people following him is the absence of good models for young youth, the absence of a good leader to lead people.

About using Quraan and 7adeeth to assert him, so why don’t we notice as well some people who use some quotes for famous people and from books to assert their views?!

One more thing about it, I guess using verses of Quraan to assert our views is something we got from our horrible education system. I remember teachers used to tell us that we should use a lot of verses of Quraan and 7adeeth or a part of a poem in writing a composition!! No one taught children to use logic when they’d like to prove their opinion.
Anonymous said…
so why not consider him religious scholar? Can you define your idea of this term?

'No one taught children to use logic when they’d like to prove their opinion.' are you hinting that Coran is illogical?

I cant believe you are comparing quotes from Coran and hadith with peoples' quotes?
Mohamed said…
He is not an Islamic scholar, he himself says he's not Haal, and he refuses to give any fatwas. For one, he doesn't believe he's qualified, for two, they would slay him (the real scholars).

He's like a good story teller and a motivator/public leader in an Islamic context.
haal said…
Yea, Mohamed I know that he is not an islamic scholar. I heard him saying that all the time....'I cant give fatwa.' he would say.

But I am just asking, who is an islamic scholar? Is he only associated with Fatwas?
Mohamed said…
Well, supposedly if you're not a scholar you're not supposed to give fatwas. Not the other way around. And a scholar is a qualified Muslim person who should be able to perform ijtihad, not someone else.

Who's an Islamic scholar? Its a guy/gal who extensively study all those different fields, usul elfiqh, 3elm alhadith, Quran, almazaheb al'arba3a, alseera and I don't know what else. But going for an institute for a couple of years doesn't qualify for example.
haal said…
What about the 'do3ah' thing? Should they be educated too, should some sort of restrictions and guidance be influenced on this new religious motivators? I aint hinting that they should be controlled or not, but I am just asking. Freely.

Not sure what is this religious teaching all about. I see it sometimes as brain washing, at others as great to be done. I am really confused in my own skin.
Mohamed said…
I don't have all the answers Haal!

The do3ah don't have to have the same standards as the scholars, but they are not interpreters of the religion. However their work is also very dangerous, and that's why I think atleast half of our do3a's should be thrown in a swamp full of alegators.

I think most of the Egyptians are ready to be brained washed however. They're asking for it.

Hey Haal, we really should be talking about Squash from now on. I'm actually amazed by the way!
Mohamed said…
I don't have all the answers Haal!

The do3ah don't have to have the same standards as the scholars, but they are not interpreters of the religion. However their work is also very dangerous, and that's why I think atleast half of our do3a's should be thrown in a swamp full of alegators.

I think most of the Egyptians are ready to be brained washed however. They're asking for it.

Hey Haal, we really should be talking about Squash from now on. I'm actually amazed by the way!
haal said…
You don't have to have all the answers, Mo. But so far so good. Conviencing, sometimes.

I like that 'Egyptians are ready to be brained washed' statment.

Amazed at, by?

We have more in common than I know? What else? I went to an all girls school, so at least we didnt go to school together.
Mohamed said…
"sometimes", only sometime! I'm dissapointed! (kidding) :D

Amazed at that Squash fact you mentioned. Very amazed. Don't ask why ba'a.

"We have more in common than I know? What else?" Stop your obsessive personal questions :).. Not in the Amr Khaled thread atleast!

Hey, I know you said that curiosity will kill you. But it doesn't mean that your curiousity should be fed here!
MoonLightShadow said…
Seems that you got me totally wrong!

First, I wasn’t hinting that Quraan is illogical, but the point was some people use it in an emotional way, they dump their brain and use verses from Quraan without thinking and they believe that in this way they are gonna convince anyone with their point. Using Quraan verses in times is good, in other times isn’t.

Second, I’m not comparing Quraan to people’s quotes. The only common thing was that act of quoting.
haal said…
I got you wrong? YOu mean that I am wrong! Well, I am never wrong, Moon. Plus refer back to what you said. And Yes, you said some bad bad stuff. Even now, didnt you say,'comparing' Quraan (with a q and double a) with peoples' quote. What kind of comparison is that.

I am just teasing. MoonlightShadow!

And yes, the excess of anything is not good. Make is sound fake.
Mohamed said…
Damn, you're heartless :)
Anonymous said…
In my opinion, he started off fine enough, found there was a honey pot in there somewhere and decided to take advantage of it.

Now, he is nothing more than an evangelist who is making shit loads of money off religion. He's a savvy business man who has 'tawba packages' in the UK - you pay a lump sum, and he whisks you off to a hotel for a couple of days where he 'transforms' you into a good Muslim.

I openly dislike him.
Anonymous said…
Mohamed, I am teasing MoonLight. She is a fine girl.
Why do you insist I am heartless? :)

Hellme, never heard of this tawba package. Are you sure about it or just spreading rumours, or propagating ones! I hate to accuse him of anything, that is why I said I just dislike his way of talking and attitude. I actually met a guy who used to work with him and other people at ART, he said that 'A.K has serious issues.' and he also disliked him. But to be honest, Amr Khaled is trying to do something. COuld be that our culture is used to people like al-Rayan, al-sa'd who stole money under the name of religion, so we now suspect anyone.
Mohamed said…
Haal, I know you are. I'm teasing you as well.

I tend to agree with Haal on this one Hellme. I said I disliked him in many things above, but none of those makes me think of him as commercializing the religion, which I don't think he is, and none make him not genuine in his efforts, and I do think he's positive and is trying to do something good. Although in all honesty, I asked myself this question very hardly a year or so ago, before he left. There seems to be a massive wave of religiousness in society, Amr Khaled is veiling all women, mosques are becoming full from day one of taraweeh, I'm getting frequent smses to watch Amr Khaled on channel XXX. So remind me again, how has our society transformed to the better? All those people might've gotten closer to God, good for them, but how did that improve my life as part of the society's?! I don't see people becoming better in their dealing with each other for example.
Anonymous said…
Hehhe I knew you'd suspect me of that.

Although I would've loved to have come up with something THAT original, I was told this piece of information by a Jordanian woman who has recently picked up the hijab after attending his Islamic 'crash course.' She thinks quite highly of him, but she could be lieing.

In any case, check out this UK charity chaired by Amr. It's supposed to be a charity designed to generate drug abuse awarness.
http://www.rightstart.org.uk

Then, read this on the forums. I can't find any reference to the 'answer' given on the website though.
http://www.rightstart.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9

Walaho a3lam.
haal said…
Tend to agree :) How humble.

Veiled all women! I keep hearing this statment 'ah, muhagabat Amr Khaled', which I think was a silly statment. I dont think they got veiled for his sake. Could be that he had awakened something good in them, even if it lasted for 2 months, still good.

'How did that improve my life as part of the society's' GOod point, although I think that it doesnt need religion to make people behave better with eachother!
Mohamed said…
How humble! Are you being sarcastic! I'm agreeing with you 95% of the time here aslan.

"Mo7agabat Amr Khaled" might be a bit harsh of a label, but he did cause many women to take the veil. "Awakened something good", how so? "even if it lasted for 2 months", how so, how so? So, are they better than you just because Amr Khaled convinced them that they are better Muslims because of the veil?

I don't know why I'm taking this that far, but good questions :)

Regarding your last paragraph: "although I think that it doesnt need religion to make people behave better with eachother!"
Just finished a relevant chapter in Begovic's book, about Morality, talking about the "moral atheists" and the "immoral believers".

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