Author: West Wars Against Islam

The West is waging political war-fare on the Muslim world, author Imam Imran Hosein said last night in a Harvard Hall speech on the sacred aspects of marriage in Islam.

Hosein, a prominent Islamic scholar, discussed various aspects of the relationship between the Islamic religion and marriage.

His speech also outlined basic Islamic spiritual beliefs and the nature of gender according to the Koran.

"Gender emerged from a spiritual reality, something beyond flesh and blood," Hosein said. "As a result, success in marriage requires an effort to build a relationship which touches the spirit."

Hosein emphasized the importance of recognizing Allah as the sole creator of gender, love and life. "When men and women come together, Allah says 'I am in between. It is through me that you may come together," Hosein said.

The author also provided a spiritual rationale for the traditional Muslim stance on homosexuality and abortion. He said that nature is a reflection of Allah's design, and that homosexuality and abortion, as "deviations from nature" are deviations from Allah's intents.

At the beginning of his speech, Hosein defined the separate duties and aspects of men and women.

"Allah created a single soul, a transcendental entity, and from that he created its mate," Hosein said. "Because of their delicacy and fragility, women need to be protected. Men must have authority, and women must submit.... The only way a man can protect her is if she is obedient to him."

Hosein also commented on other religions and cultures, specifically those of the Western Hemisphere.

He denied the validity of other religions, describing religious truth as a single objective reality. "Truth is Allah and Allah is one. Therefore, truth is one. There is one truth," Hosein said. "This is not intolerance, not bigotry. It is just fact."

He took a militant stance on Western influences in Islamic countries during the half-hour question-and-answer period following his speech.

"As a student of international politics, I see political warfare," Hosein said. He said the West was using "dirty tricks" to subvert the values of Islam.

"Corruption of Muslim youths is the devilish design of foreign political hostilities. Muslim individuals and leaders are being hunted like dogs. The New York Times is waging war against us," Hosein declared.

The title of "Imam" is given to a person who is very knowledgeable about Islam or a prayer leader, according to organizers of last night's event.

The speech was part of Islam Awareness Week, a week designed to increase knowledge of Islam throughout the world. It was sponsored by the Undergraduate Council, Education for Action and the Harvard Islamic Society.