The United Kingdom’s Channel Four screened an alternative Christmas message this year: delivered by a Muslim woman in niqab named Khadijah. The first Khadijah — Khadija Rava, a 33 year old teacher — apparently pulled out earlier in the month and so Channel Four replaced her with another Khadijah.
The woman - named only as Khadijah - who converted to Islam around ten years ago and spoke with a southern accent, used her five-minute speech to condemn Commons leader Jack Straw for speaking out against the full veil, or niqab, earlier this year. She also told of her worry for a relative in the Army who is set to go to Afghanistan, and told viewers her great-grandmother was a suffragette. Mr Straw triggered a storm of controversy in October when he said he regarded full veils as a “visible statement of separation and difference” which harmed community relations.
The footage of her Christmas address:
It has, naturally, generated quite a bit of controversy with even her brother, Brett Atkinson, joining the fray with this less than sympathetic post on his Myspace site.
So, what does everyone think? Beneficial? A simple attempt by Channel Four to whip up some controversy for themselves?
1 comment so far ↓
Salaam,
I have a comment regarding the verse she cited:
“Peace on me the day I was born , and the day I die , and the day I shall be raised alive!” [19:33]
Maybe it’s only me, but all due recpect to her, she sounds as if she meant Jesus (pbuh) died (crucified), which is the core belief of Christianity. Islam says Jesus (pbuh) was not crucified:
“And because of their saying : We slew the Messiah Jesus son of Mary , Allah ‘ s messenger They slew him not nor crucified , but it appeared so unto them ; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof ; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture ; they slew him not for certain” [4:157]
The verse she was refering to says, that all creatures that Allah (swt) has created will die and be resurrected, just like Jesus (pbuh).
Just a note
I was surprised the outcome of the video. She seemed favourable, and you can see that she was doing it an effort.
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