Not Just Reading Material in English,
But English Language Itself! [Quote – 1031]

I don't know how many tens of millions of people there are around the world whose primary source of knowledge on Islam and Muslim subjects is English.

Ask yourself these two simple questions: 

First, How many sources are available to you in English language on Islamic and Muslim subjects?

Second, What is the nature and quality of those sources?

How authentic are they? How reliable are they? How well written are they?

And then ask yourself, who are the writers of all that material? Are they Muslim or non-Muslim? And what exactly are their qualifications and background? And what are their political, religious and ideological affiliations and sympathies?

And if the material you are reading is a translation, who are the translators and what is the quality of that translation?

That will tell you everything that you need to know about the state of the Muslim Ummah today.

But the problem is deeper. It is the English language itself. English language, like all other languages, is a gift from God to human beings.

And like every language in the world, English language too has its own unique history, background and special characteristics. 

English was primarily developed, and used for centuries, to serve Christian-Jewish-Western religion, culture and thought. And now, all of a sudden, for some people wanting to use that language to express Islamic ideas and culture is highly problematic.

English language needs to be thoroughly transformed and modified to make it fit the needs of Islamic and Muslim ideas, culture and history.

This is no disrespect to the English language. That is how it is throughout history. Those who own the language, own their history -- past as well as present -- and their destiny.

Otherwise, those who own the language will decide their past as well as their future.

They will own their destiny.

END