Here we go again.

31 January/01 February. Muslims around the world, depending upon their unique time zones, celebrated the Islamic New Year on those dates. What a horrible start for Muslims, what a dreadful way to usher a new year.

i was watching the news a few days back, saw the pictures of protests, SOME British Muslims calling for a repeat of 7th July, people around the world wondering 'why are they so backwards? why can't they take a joke? Those mozlims still live in the 8th century' and i just started crying. Where the hell did we go wrong? From Ibn Sina to Ibn Rushd, from algorithms to algebra to alchemy, to Muslim rulers having larger libraries in their homes than all of European libraries put together, to translating ancient, classical Greek medical texts into Arabic (whilst Europe was busy burning them for fear of their blasphemous contents), and now --- THIS. A plurality of dictatorships around the world are governed by Muslim rulers; the levels of corruption in Muslim countries is well-known to those who have lived there; at the start/end of Ramadan, we wonder at which sect is going to open fire at which other sect in a mosque; when the US and UK (and a smattering of small countries) invade Iraq, the Muslim world for the most part sits and watches. When a ferry sinks in the Red Sea, with hundreds upon hundreds of innocent passengers (including children), we lack the technical expertise to deploy rescue personnel immediately - rather it takes the Egyptian government ten hours to get off its rear and for Egyptian rescue personnel to arrive at the scene. TEN hours. How many lives could have been saved had they left earlier? While some of those who claim to be Islam's "custodians of the most holy places" party in Switzerland and earn titles such as 'Playboy princes', victims from Pakistan's earthquake continue to shiver and starve in plastic tents high atop the mountains.

Instead of calling for a repeat of 7th July, instead of setting fire to Norwegian and Danish embassies, instead of making placards that warn non-Muslims of the bloodbaths to come, how hard would it have been to sit down for a few minutes, take a deep breath, and think --- how would Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have reacted? The very figure we claim to be defending with our impotent signs and banners, the very man whom we claim to be protecting while we smash windows of a foreign embassy and burn effigies of different ambassadors, would **he** be pleased with our actions? Or might he have suggested a different course of action based upon what Allah Revealed in the Quran...

"Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path and who receive guidance." {16:125}

"show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant" {7:199}

"It may well be that God will bring about love (and friendship) between you and those with whom you are now at odds." {60:7}

Non-Muslims who watch us waving placards calling for more terrorist attacks, wonder at our hypocrisy. They wonder - rightly - how many times Jews have been caricatured in Muslim newspapers, how many times anti-Jewish material has been printed in Muslim media. Does that not smack of hypocrisy? Are we - the ummah - that weak that we cannot engage in some real, honest self-introspection? God, are we that weak?! So much for repudiating the cartoons' messages. Our actions have reinforced the very stereotypes caricatured by the cartoonists.

Rather than setting fire to embassies and threatening to kidnap anyone who looks 'white', our sanctified custodians of Islam's holiest places, our very own Playboy Princes might have funded (IF they could have tolerated spending time away from their partying and gambling) a symposium in Copenhagen - something along the lines of "Discover Islam". Invite people like Yusuf Islam, Hamza Yusuf, King Abdullah and his wife, Musharraf, Bush, Prince Charles, Christian theologians from around the world, the Pope, yes even Angelina Jolie to give the event some PR appeal and ensure media coverage, to present speeches about how to revitalize Muslim societies - economically, culturally, politically. One part of the exhibition would have focused on the 'past' (the glorious civilization) but other parts of the exhibition would be focused on the present and the future. There would be speakers to present talks aimed at shattering misperceptions of Islam. There would be sections of the exhibition depicting art and architectural examples from some of our finest mosques. Prince Charles could give talks about his Islamic garden. Yusuf Islam on how to re-engage with our Muslim youths.

But no - that calls for brains. Let's set fire to a foreign embassy, let's wave around violent banners. THAT is how to protect our Prophet (pbuh).

Truly, we have the best faith with the worst followers. i weep for our selfishness, i weep for our corruption, i weep at how far we have strayed from the righteous path, i weep for our lack of faith.