Allah the Almighty says in His final testament to humankind the noble Qur'an... "After the Truth, what is there except falsehood" (Qur'an 10.32).

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1 And indeed you (Muhammad) are of an exalted standard of character (Qur an 68.4) Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6NZ, United Kingdom Tel: +44(0) Fax: Nous sommes Musulmans In the name of Allah, The Merciful One, The One who Bestows Mercy Allah the Almighty says in His final testament to humankind the noble Qur'an... "After the Truth, what is there except falsehood" (Qur'an 10.32). In the cause of "Freedom of Speech and Expression", where does Truth come into the mix? In the name of Freedom of Speech can the Truth about a man be so contemptuously and ruthlessly lampooned as is the case with the ongoing Charlie Hebdo satirisations, where Truth is wholly irrelevant and instead bartered for cheap laughs and a cheap buck that ultimately keeps its readers ignorant to the reality of the object of ridicule? In this age of Freedom of Speech and Expression where anything is fair game - the very antithesis of that long-lost age of Chivalry - how would an enemy describe a foe? What would your enemy with no love lost have to say about you? Mud sticks, after all, even after retractions must be the philosophy of provocateurs and gutter journalism. There is, however, one man in the history of mankind made inexorably immune to an inestimable barrage of mud-slinging occurring over the past fourteen centuries to this present day, unending attacks of such wanton ferocity that nothing but the guiding hand of God himself could deflect. That man is Muhammad the messenger of Allah, the Prophet of God to humanity (the peace and blessings of Almighty God be with him) "And do not mix the Truth with falsehood or conceal the Truth while you know" (Qur'an 2.42). As of 1979 more than 60,000 books were written against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Time Magazine, April 16, 1979 issue) based on false narratives, dogma, and biased sentiment, which to this day continues to be shamelessly peddled by the Western media. Yet Lawrence E. Browne (First Presbyterian Church) concludes that "... these well-established facts dispose of the idea so widely fostered in Christian writings that the Muslims, wherever they went, forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword" (The Prospects of Islam, 1944).

2 There can be no truer or greater testament to the character of an individual than the professed admiration of his foes. The Prophet (pbuh) was known amongst his people as The Truthful One and the Trustworthy One, so much so that his sworn enemies continued to entrust their valuables to him all the while actively plotting to kill him. Ordinarily, this would be absurd but not where Muhammad (pbuh) is concerned. Testimonies abound from non-muslim scholars and academics, not least Orientalists who, in spite of their opposition to the Prophet (pbuh) and his divine claims, could not but admit inclination towards his excellent conduct, refined mannerisms, and unparalleled good treatment of everyone. The Qur'an boasts "Indeed in Allah's Messenger (Muhammad) you have an excellent example to follow for him who hopes in (meeting with) Allan and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much" (Qur'an 33.21). And Professor Ramakrishna Rao (an Indian Hindu) professor of Philosophy concurs, calling him "the perfect model for human life" (booklet of "Muhammad the Prophet of Islam"). He carries on, "The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Muhammad the Prophet. There is Muhammad the Warrior; Muhammad the Businessman; Muhammad the Statesman; Muhammad the Orator; Muhammad the Reformer; Muhammad the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad the Judge; Muhammad the Saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like a hero." Stanley Lane-Poole (English Orientalist and Royalist) writes, "He was gifted with mighty powers of imagination, elevation of mind, delicacy and refinement of feeling... He was most indulgent to his inferiors and would never allow his awkward little page to be scolded, whatever he did. 'Ten years,' said Anas, his servant, 'was I about the Prophet and he never said as much as oof! to me'... He would stop them (children) in the street and pat their heads. He never struck anyone in his life... When asked to curse someone, he replied, 'I have not been sent to curse but to be a mercy to mankind'... He accepted the invitation of a slave to dinner, mended his own clothes, milked the goats and waited upon himself... He never first withheld his hand out of another man's palm and turned not before the other had turned"

3 Lane-Poole goes on, "He was the most faithful protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence; those who came near him loved him; they who described him would say, 'I have never seen his like either before or after'. He was of great taciturnity, but when he spoke it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he said... (The Speeches and Table-Talk of the Prophet Mohammad, 1893). George Sale (eighteenth century English Orientalist, an early translator of the Qur'an and selfdeclared Islamophobe) says... for how criminal soever Muhammad may have been in imposing a false religion on mankind, the praises to his real virtues ought not to be denied him... (He was) richly furnished with natural endowments, beautiful in his person, of a subtle wit, agreeable behaviour showing liberality to the poor, courtesy to everyone, fortitude against his enemies, and above all a high reverence for the name of god. Severe against the perjurous, adulterers, murderers, philanderers, covetous, false witnesses... A great preacher of patience, charity, mercy, beneficence, gratitude, honouring of parents and superiors and a frequent celebrator of the divine praises." Annie Besant (English Secularist and Women's Rights Activist) said about the Prophet (pbuh), "It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme (The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932) "And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge..." (Qur'an 6.108). We see that the application of free speech has been partisan and hypocritical. Used as a thrusting rapier when it suits to poke anodyne fun - they say - while impaling to the quick those who dare to exercise the same right to untrammelled expression of thought without toeing the party line. The Religion of Islam holds all the Prophets of Allah - Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and others (peace be on them all) - in the greatest esteem and commands all Muslims not to distinguish between any one of them (Qur an 3.84), for they are entrusted with the key to the salvation of humankind - the message of faith in one God coupled with righteous actions for His sake - holding

4 these paramount even above their own lives (Qur an 7.195). Such is their lofty position with God that their honour is to be perpetually upheld by not depicting them in any form and by attributing to them nothing but the highest and noblest ideals conceivable. They are the making of men and to besmirch any one of them - in jest, or less, or worse - will necessarily follow the breaking of men. They represent Truth. And all Truth must be beyond ridicule. Otherwise, one wonders what remains sacred and inviolable? The Prophet Muhammad (and by extension all prophets of Allah) is closer to the believers (Muslims) than their own selves (Qur'an 33.6) is why Muslims will forever reject any attempts to depict, mock, ridicule, debase, slander, denigrate, insinuate, or idolise the Messenger of God, Muhammad or any of his predecessors (the peace and blessings of Almighty God be with them all). He was the greatest human who ever lived, bar none, and should at the very least command the respect, if not admiration, of all if for nothing other than his achievements, to which Michael H. Hart pays final tribute "(he was) the most influential person in all history... My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level" (THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, 1978). French writer and poet Alphonse de Lamartine concurs, "As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he (Muhammad)?"(Lamartine, HISTOIRE DE LA TURQUIE, Paris, 1854) Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar... But they just don't get it, or care not to. Je suis Charlie? Our Government, in a recent letter to Islamic organisations, centres and mosques, talking about The Charlie Hebdo killings, wrote, "The hijacking of a great faith to justify such heinous crimes sickens us all. As muslims around the world have made clear, such actions are an affront to Islam". And yet, a clear cut statement such as this is not enough to absolve a billion plus muslims of the crimes of three extremists. We go further and say that all criminal actions in the pursuit of political, racial or

5 xenophobic goals, be they carried out by individuals or nation states are wrong and to be absolutely rejected." At a time when societies are rising above racial denigration and denigration of disabled people because of the understanding of human sensibilities, yet the denigration of religion and religious figures, which hold sway over the lives of billions, is not afforded equal consideration. A muslim said, Nonetheless, the teachings of Islam should be taught here and they should be taught with fairness. People should be open to listen to that voice, a voice that in the deepest way possible informs the sensitivities and sensibilities upon millions and millions of people walking the Earth. (Hamza Yusuf, Conveying Islam at Oxford, 2006). To the muslim, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is more beloved than his own mother, his children, and his family. And if exercising "free speech" entails dishonouring him in any way, then "Nous ne sommes pas Charlie. Nous sommes Musulmans". And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!" (Qur'an 25.63) 23/01/2015