Ramadan could not have ended on a better note for Muslims than Mecca inspiring the world about all things beautiful about Islam. For me it gives me the opportunity to write about Islam and Snapchat’s #mecca_live.
No matter how it is worded, the honest truth is that Islam has been classed as a ‘violent religion’ because of the activity of a small group of self-proclaimed religious activists. Critics of Islam latch on these incidents to highlight their views, while the advocates consistently argue otherwise, attempting to establish Islam as a peace inspiring religion. In recent times, the argument has become more of a contest from the two sides. Points are thrown to and fro with no real conclusion. The conversations ensuing Snapchat’s #Mecca_Live initiative has certainly swung the pendulum in favor of the advocates. Why? Because the video, without taking any sides, shows how a Muslim spends his time in the place considered holiest by Muslims, in the month considered holiest by Muslims, on the night considered one of the holiest night by the Holy Quran.
The video, a mosaic collection of short snaps of different Muslims spending time in Mecca during the 27th of Ramadan, personifies the teachings of peace found in the Holy Quran and those taught to Muslims by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). By capturing the smooth functioning of the busy city of Mecca in perhaps the most famous night of the year for a Muslim, the video highlights how Islam as a religion views how the lives of Muslims and non-Muslims should function, together and peacefully. The video highlights the virtues of tolerance, forgiveness and self-righteousness that every Muslim should practice in his daily life, an antithesis of the ideology of self-proclaimed activists.
I am a Muslim, an advocate of Islam. Perhaps I cannot rid myself on any inherent bias. However the response the video has received from non-Muslims is a testimony to the rising image of Islam worldwide. If pictures speak a thousand words, this digital video depicts an eternal idea.
