‘Fact-checker’ Zubair does it again, resorts to ad-hominem attacks instead of fact-checking claim about Islam considering idol worship bigger sin than rape

Mohammed Zubair, the dubious ‘fact-checker’ from Alt News, is back in the business of targeting critics of Islam. He is making ad hominem attacks as a means to prevent people from knowing about problematic aspects of his Faith.

For the unversed, ad hominem attack is the illogical targeting of an individual instead of addressing the issues highlighted by him/her. Such a scenario was on display on Monday (21st April) when Zubair targeted a man named Ehsan through his tweet.

Ehsan, who had memorised the entire Quran, recently revealed during an interview that idol worship is a bigger sin in Islam than rape. He had pointed out that Allah might forgive rape but not shirk (idolatory).

“If there is idol worship (murti puja) happening on one side and a rape is being committed on the other, which according to Islam is a bigger sin (gunah). As per Islam, it is idol worship (murti puja) and not rape that counts as a bigger sin. This is because Allah says that He will pardon everything but not shirk (idolatry),” Ehsan highlighted in crystal clear terms.

Given that the interview of Ehsan raised mass awareness about problematic facets of Islam, which are certainly incompatible with the functioning of the 21st-century society, the Mujahid in Mohammed Zubair got into firefighting mode.

He wasted no time in personally attacking Ehsan and his aide, Salim. The dubious ‘fact checker’ branded the duo as ‘ex-Muslims’ to hurt their credibility. But he shrewdly avoided fact-checking the statements made by Ehsan in the context of rape and idol worship in Islam.

Zubair resorted to such an ad hominem attack instead of actual ‘fact-checking’ because he knows that Ehsan said nothing but the truth.

Rape is forgivable in Islam, idol worship a bigger sin: Islamic scholars

Popular Islamic preacher Zakir Naik had previously confirmed that both rape and murder is forgivable in the eyes of Allah.

“Even if you have committed rape which is a major sin and if you have committed murder, it’s a major sin. But if you truly repent, Allah will forgive you,” he had emphasised.

Naik had further highlighted that Allah is merciful when it comes to such matters. As per Islamic teachings, he pointed out that the girl should dress modestly else she should be blamed for being raped.

“If she wore obscene clothes because of which the rape took place, then she is responsible. But if she wore normal clothes and yet if the person rapes, then it is a test for the girl,” the Islamic scholar added.

Chicago-based Islamic scholar, Yasir Nadeem al Wajidi, has made it crystal clear in a YouTube video last month that idol worship (shirk) is a bigger sin than rape.

He has 3.5 lakh followers and is not an ex-Muslim, the argument which was used by Mohammed Zubair to de-legitimise the statements of Ehsan. This again shows why Zubair did not ‘fact-check’ Ehsan because the latter was right.

There is a seperate debate on how the onus to prove that a woman has been raped lies on the victim (she needs multiple witnesses), thereby making it easier for men to get away with the crime.

Not to forget that the heinous crime can be forgiven if one repents as life itself is a ‘test’ for the rapist and the rape victim.

The fact that Shirk or idol worship is the greatest sin in Islam, over heinous crimes, is made clear in the Quranic verse 4:48 –

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has indeed committed a grave sin.“

Zubair and his strategy to shield Islam from criticism through ad hominem attacks

This is not the first time that Mohammed Zubair of Alt News has tried to silence criticism of Islam, label critical, fact-based statements about his Faith by targeting individuals, playing the ‘Islamophobia card’ and unleashing his lynch mob at them.

This has been his SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) of sorts for quite some time now. Zubair shrewdly avoids fact-checking arguments and tries to character assassinate the individuals raising those arguments instead.

For instance, he unleashed his lynch mob against Nupur Sharma over her remarks about the nature of the relationship between the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and Aisha.

The facts shared by the then-BJP spokesperson in the context of a debate on Times Now have been reiterated by many prominent Islamic scholars. Zubair did not ‘fact-check’ Nupur Sharma and instead resorted to an ad hominem attack.

He is currently using the same strategy on Ehsan by putting labels on him, despite the fact that he is a Quran-e-Hafiz.

Not to forget that the statements made by Ehsan find references in Islamic theology and have been upheld by prominent Islamic scholars.

Zubair does it routinely to deter people from criticising his Faith or asking uncomfortable questions about the functioning of Muslim societies.

He also finds labels to put on other Muslims, who are not sympathetic to radical Islamist activities. The dubious fact checker would randomly find a picture of such a Muslim man with a BJP leader and dub him ‘sarkari Musalman’ – who does not reflect the views of the community which he represents.

The concerning part in the latest episode is that Ehsan has left Islam after practising it for decades. It’s an act of apostasy, which is punishable by death.

Zubair has highlighted this aspect in his tweet prominently, perhaps to send another set of lynch mob on Ehsan’s way and endanger his life (as he did in the case of Nupur Sharma).

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