In the early days of Islam, Omar, who
would later become a caliph, was in a frenzied rage and set out to assassinate
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). As he passed the house of his sister, he
heard her recite passages from the glorious
Qur'an.
After rebuking her, something made him
pause and contemplate the meaning of the verses. He had previously dismissed
this new religion and listened to the hate-filled propaganda doing the rounds in
the streets and valleys of Makah.
Convinced by the truth and beauty of the
message, he immediately resolved to embrace Islam. The rest is glorious
history.
History repeats itself in the most remarkable of ways. The city
remains Makah, but over 1,400 years later, and in the midst of all the new
development, a man arrived who had a similar experience to that of the second
caliph of Islam.
Just a few years ago, Arnoud van Doorn,
a prominent Dutch politician from an educated and privileged family, was the
vice president of the far right Party voor de Vryheid (Party for Freedom) in the
Netherlands, an unashamedly anti-immigration and anti-Islamic party led by the
infamous Geert Wilders. The party had produced hate-filled rhetoric not seen in
Europe since World War II. Van Doorn’s former party was responsible for
producing the film Fitna, which defamed Islam, resulting in widespread protests
throughout the world.
And then came his change. “My story of
how I came to Islam is not remarkable,” he says very humbly. When he saw the
outrage caused by the film, he made a concerted effort to study the Qur’an,
Hadith collections and the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him). After
some time, he realized that Islam was the total opposite of what he had thought
it was, and it then became easy to embrace the
faith.
Van Doorn acknowledges that his views on
Islam were formed 10 to 15 years ago based solely on negative stereotypes and
prejudices spread by the media.
“For me, Islam was a violent religion
that oppressed women and was no good for society,” he says.
After embracing
Islam and assisted by the Toronto-based Canadian Dawah Association, Van Doorn
visited the Kingdom this week to perform Umrah. He also visited the Prophet's
Mosque in Medina.
Van Doorn met Sheikh Abdul-Rahman
Al-Saudis, imam of the Grand Mosque and head of the Presidency for the Affairs
of the Two Holy Mosques. Al-Saudis said he was delighted that Allah had selected
Van Doorn to become a Muslim. Van Doorn expressed his sorrow and regret for
helping to distribute Fitna, although he had no part in its production, to which
Al-Saudis quoted the Qur’anic verse stating that good deeds wipe out bad ones.
Van Doorn intends to do good by making a film about the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him), to present a true picture of
Islam.
Van Doorn’s impression of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia has also been transformed. “Before I came here, people asked me why
on earth I was coming here!” He has been surprised by the wonderful culture and
friendly, hospitable people.
He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Abdullah for all the developments taking place in Makah and the holy
sites.
Van Doorn remains a member of the Dutch
Parliament and a member of the Hague City Council. In his view, the rise and
success of the far right in Europe is due to the continent's economic problems.
This will only get worse, in his view, because Europe has a history of turning
on its minorities when things get tough.
His advice to Muslims living in Europe
is to be patient, steadfast and adhere to the standards of good conduct and fine
character required by Islam. “Like it or not, we all represent Islam,” he says.
“Any mistake we make could be attributed to our
religion.”
Van Doorn came to the Kingdom courtesy
of the Canadian Dawah Association's celebrity relations program, which is
inspired by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who sent out invitations to
regional leaders inviting them to embrace Islam, according to its president,
Shazaad Mohammed, who is an Ambassador for Peace with the Universal Peace
Federation (UPF), which operates under the United Nations. He is also an adviser
to many celebrities.
Former guests of the celebrity program
include comedian David Chappelle, former rap stars Napoleon, Philadelphia
Freeway, LOON and Jack Frost, and former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike
Tyson. The CDA plans many such high-profile trips in
future.
LOVE FOR ALL HATRED FOR
NONE
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