Muhammad Ninowy
Muhammad Ninowy is an American Islamic scholar who has done extensive research on nonviolence as a fundamental principal of Islam. He’s also the dean and founder of Madina Institute, a nonprofit religious institute with campuses around the world.
Ninowy is coming to Hamilton to give a talk about spirituality and religion on Monday. The Spectator asked Ninowy about his philosophies and background. Here are his answers, edited for space. Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: My name is Muhammad Ninowy, and I’m from Atlanta, Georgia. I am the founding director of the Medina Institute USA, with branches in Canada, South Africa, Norway, the U.K. and Malaysia. What we try to do is claim back the narrative of religion as a whole as a positive factor in society today that may drive positive change in society — regardless of whether people believe in it or not.
Another goal of the Medina Institute is that we bring back the central theme of every religion, and specifically Islam, which is unconditional compassion — in the sense of “love for all, and malice toward none.” That’s the basic premise we’re trying to
spread.
Q: Why do you think, in our increasingly post-religious society, it’s important to talk about the positive aspects of religion?
A: What distinguishes any faith system, especially the Abrahamic faith systems, meaning Christianity, Judaism and Islam, is the malleability of the scripture which fits the needs of the worshipper. But it seems that all these faith systems have sort of been reduced sometimes to a box of rituals, or a list of “dos” and a list of “don’ts” in order for you to be religious. I don’t believe that this is really the call of religion. Religion is not really information that you rationally negotiate — it’s a transformative thing that makes you a better human being.
Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception about Islam in Canada and the U. S.?
A: First, people don’t know much about Islam, including Muslims. One needs to be conscious of the biased depiction of Muslims in the media, where it became almost normal to associate Islam with violence or Muslims with violence. Islam is a fundamentally nonviolent faith. Islam looks at violence as the language of the inarticulate, and violence is not viable within the Islamic faith or consistent with its ethics.
But this has been the narrative that’s being driven. When someone commits an atrocity, when you have, let’s say, the Las Vegas shooter, it’s a deranged person, but if it’s a Muslim, there’s always terror involved. There is that depiction and there is that stereotype. There is a vocal minority
that presents this stereotype. But in the U.S, and in Canada, it’s a thinking nation with a capacity to change. I think we need to bank on people, because the vast majority of people in the U.S. and Canada are great people and they’re willing to listen.
Q: What is the subject of your talk at McMaster? A: From ritual to spiritual — the journey. We can all try to align our thinking to unite with each other and be good to each other. One of the strongest connections we all have to our premortal lives is how much love we’ve been nourished by and receiving. That’s why it’s been built within us to be attentive to love — it takes us back there. Our souls have a longing for that world. I think, if we can tear down the veils of the mind that play tricks on us and cause us to erect walls of hate under the banner of love, I think we can do well in this world.
Q: Do you have anything you would like to add?
A: I love all of you.
‘‘ The vast majority in the U.S. and Canada are great people and they’re ready to listen. MUHAMMAD NINOWY MADINA INSTITUTE