The other day my husband came home and told me that there are some guest lecturers at Baggi Mosque (sometimes called Menshia Mosque) in Benashur. One lecturer, Dr. Jamal Badawi who is scheduled to give a lecture on Wednesday, caught my attention. When I became a Muslim in 1982 I read nearly all of his books and had his entire collection of lectures on cassette.
When I came to Libya in 1989 I brought my books and tapes with me but they were confiscated. When I asked the reason I was told it was because Dr. Badawi was a professor in Saint Mary's University in Canada and the guy said 'That's a Christian university.' My husband kicked my leg and glared at me as a warning so I would keep quiet. I was ready to blast the guy for being such an imbecile.
Of the eight boxes of books I brought with me to Libya I was only allowed to keep one Quran, the rest I never saw again. It was a painful experience for me back then, having been used to the freedom to read and listen to whatever I wanted. Nowadays we have the internet thank God so reading material is just a click away.
So now the former forbidden lecturer is here. Libya is really changing.
When I came to Libya in 1989 I brought my books and tapes with me but they were confiscated. When I asked the reason I was told it was because Dr. Badawi was a professor in Saint Mary's University in Canada and the guy said 'That's a Christian university.' My husband kicked my leg and glared at me as a warning so I would keep quiet. I was ready to blast the guy for being such an imbecile.
Of the eight boxes of books I brought with me to Libya I was only allowed to keep one Quran, the rest I never saw again. It was a painful experience for me back then, having been used to the freedom to read and listen to whatever I wanted. Nowadays we have the internet thank God so reading material is just a click away.
So now the former forbidden lecturer is here. Libya is really changing.
Assalaamu 'alaikum,
ReplyDeleteWow! I would have been heartbroken if my books had been confiscated. I was worried when we came that the Israelis would make a problem, but they allowed them all through. I converted in 1983, and also listened to all of Dr. Badawi's cassettes I could borrow. (Being a starving student then, I never owned anything unless it was given to me.) They had a big effect on my thinking. You can now download his lectures at Nadeem's Downloads:
http://nadeem.lightuponlight.com/
indexaudios1.html#Jamal_Badawi
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You gotta go if you can get the time. Listen for me also. I always like listening to him and Ahmad Deedat. Take care.
ReplyDeletei love Dr. Jamal Badawi..
ReplyDeletei met him in Van,canada. Hes such a great speaker..when is he coming here? time date etc?
please let me know
Salam, funny because a close associate of mine, a Danish imam by the name Abdul Wahid Pedersen is currently attending that lecture in Benashur, too.
ReplyDeleteGive my regards to him, should you see him. He does so much ggod work for Muslims in Denmark.
I am the official translator for dr. Badawi, translating his stuff into Danish here.
Good luck!
I meant the oficial Danish translator here in Denmark!
ReplyDeletewish i cud go to talks like that in libya in the summer, being in the uk u wud think i have loads of opportunties to go to talks but i dnt living where i do and no willing mahram to travel with me, inshallah they will do more talks in libya and maybe over the summer to, or they do and i dnt know bout them.
ReplyDeletehope u enjoy the talks
take care
Afnan