By: Harvin Bhathal, News Team Research Assistant
A harrowing image begins a lecture: a white man, in his hands a Qur’an that was on fire as an act of hatred. The lecture, from Dr. Reda Bedeir, was titled Qur’an Burning Doubt. Throughout the talk, Bedeir kept coming back to this image, but from a perspective of empathy: those who have hatred towards the religion of Islam and Muslims have likely never read or studied the Qur’an.
The lecture was part of Islam Awareness Week, that ran from Jan. 20 to 25 and was organized by Simon Fraser University’s Muslim Student Association. The weeklong event featured a series of lectures that were intended to raise awareness and address various political and practical elements of the religious practice.
Bedeir, an associate professor at Al Azhar in Egypt, the oldest university in the world, comes from Edmonton, Alberta. He is also a former professor at Simon Fraser University. He brings a background of a man who has experienced racism and prejudice, only to respond with a smile and see the good in people. When he was a professor at the University of Calgary, a colleague from the religious studies department asked him, “Why do you always smile?” to which he responded, “Because I believe in the power of Allah.” During the lecture, the positivity and energy through his smile was evident.
“Read the [Qur’an] and the book will burn the doubt within you,” Bedeir said repeatedly. He listed a myriad of reasons of why people accept the Qur’an. It is the word of Allah (God), revealed through the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad, Islam’s final prophet. The verses have been unaltered since their revelation in the 7th Century, preserving its authenticity. Verse 57:25 reads, “We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice,” which is the main objective of the Qur’an.
There is a misconception that Islam was spread through the sword, which Bedeir counters by saying it was spread through love, through its words. With nearly 2 billion people following Islam, it is the second-largest religion in the world and one of the fastest growing, especially in North America and Europe.
Bedeir spent a portion of the lecture discussing the doubts people have about the religion. Islam is often thought of as the religion of terrorists but Jihadists decontextualize verses of the Qur’an and apply them to their own beliefs, comparable to white supremacy and the decontextualization of the Bible.
Bedeir’s sense of humour was seen when he was throwing candy to a student in the audience for answering a question correctly. The candy did not reach the student, making a loud sound when it clanged against metal and Bedier said, “That’s violence, that’s terrorism, I’m sorry,” to which the audience burst intolaughter.
Islam is often perceived as restricting women’s agency, but before the advent of Islam, women were killed for having daughters instead of sons. Prophet Muhammad teachings are what modern day Islam is known as, to respect life. Verse 49:13 speaks on the equality of women and men. Women wear a hijab and concealed clothing in the Muslim world but the misconception is that it is forced. For the majority of Muslim women around the world, it is their decision and they do so because Allah requires women, as well as men, to dress modestly.
When asked what he does to reach a wider audience beyond Muslims, Bedeir stated that he never declines invitations to speak, speaking at churches and interfaith dialogues often. “It’s a chance for me to… [explain] the basics of Islam,” he explained. (2:40)
At its core, the Qur’an unites humanity to an ethico-legal framework constructed upon Allah’s divine wisdom and justice (67:14). In the Qur’an, the world operates by the law of justice, not the law of the jungle, which is what has been happening for centuries. With a grin, Bedeir gave the example of “Operation Iraqi Liberation,” or the United States invading Iraq for oil. But,Islam is about finding peace in this world, within oneself and in physical form.
“It is the miracle of all miracles and the [Qur’an] will burn the doubt within you,” said Bedeir.
