Yesterday I posted a very brief response to comments made by Jalal Abualrub on his blog. Unfortunately, he has responded by demonstrating that once again the context and intention of those with whom he disagrees does not seem to be his first concern, and this is quite troubling. I had pointed out that I had taken the time to ask a friend in Norway to transcribe the portion of Jalal’s comments that I posted. I mentioned that a number of people had commented that they simply could not understand what he was saying. I played those clips for my class last night, and due both to Jalal’s accent, and the fact that the clips were recorded on a small camera without the use of a microphone, it was, at times, quite difficult to follow him. This is a statement of fact. Sadly, Jalal has chosen to interpret this as “mockery” of his accent. I cannot begin to understand how, or why, he would make such an unkind and prejudicial assumption about what is obviously a simple statement of fact, and was, in reality, made in the context of seeking to make sure his comments were clearly communicated to my audience! And he did so in the context of personally attacking, once again, Sam Shamoun. I appeal to Jalal Abualrub to drop this kind of behavior and instead invest his time in a deeper study of the position that he so confidently denies. I believe I have suggested he consider the possibility of a debate on the historical and theological validity of Surah 4:157 and the meaning of the phrase شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ. David Wood has likewise offered some useful suggestions to further the dialogue. I exhort Jalal to consider a very different approach than the one he is currently using.
James White, , Islam
