Arriving in Swat in 1969, he was impressed by the tribal way of life and (unlike most of his fellow hippies) settled in the area, learning Pashto and Dari (he speaks a total of seven languages).[2]
He converted to Islam in 1970. He studied for eight years at Darul Uloom Deoband in India, graduating in 1984, the only Westerner to do so since its foundation in 1866. In Deoband, he studied under the scholars like Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri.[3] Although he continued to live mainly in Swat, he began spending part of each year as the Muslim chaplain at Cambridge University.[2] He left Swat in 2010 when his house was washed away by floods.[1]
Broadcasting career
In 1993 he worked with the BBC World Service to create a new Pashto and Dari radio soap opera. Loosely based upon the format of The Archers, BBC Radio 4's long-running series, New Home New Life became so popular that it has been credited with influencing the Taliban not to press ahead with plans to outlaw radio.[4]
When the Taliban began to gain influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he saw their radical interpretation of Islam to be in conflict with the traditional Islamic tolerance of tribal culture. In response, he established the Pak/Afghan Cross-border Radio Training and Production (Pact) project in 2004, producing the Da Pulay Poray (Across the Border) programme to confront what he saw as Islamic extremism.[2]
He has continued to promote what he sees as 'mainstream' Islam, and has been among those pressing ahead with plans for a new Islamic university in Jalalabad, offering a moderate alternative to radical clerics:
It makes perfect sense. There is currently nowhere in Afghanistan where a young man can do higher Islamic studies. They go to Pakistan, where as we know some of them have become radicalised.[1]
References
^ abcGhouri, Nadine (22 January 2011). "John Mohammed Butt: The hippy who became an imam". From Our Own Correspondent. BBC Radio 4.
^ abcdAlbone, Tim (9 December 2007). "Cambridge mullah John Butt takes on radicals with radio". The Times. Retrieved 23 October 2001.
^Butt, John (16 March 2020). A Talib's Tale: The Life and Times of a Pashtoon Englishman. ISBN9789353058029.
^Brockes, Emma (23 October 2001). "A long way from Ambridge". The Guardian.
john, mohammed, butt, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, decem. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources John Mohammed Butt news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message John Mohammed Butt is an Islamic scholar and broadcaster known as the first Westerner to graduate from Darul Uloom Deoband 1 John Mohammed ButtBorn1950Trinidad Trinidad and TobagoOther namesJohn ButtEra20th CenturyRegionMuslim ScholarSchoolDeobandi Sunni IslamNotable ideasCo creator of New Home New Life Contents 1 Early life 2 Conversion to Islam and life in Pakistan 3 Broadcasting career 4 References 5 External linksEarly life EditBorn in Trinidad in 1950 Butt spent his early life in Walton on Thames England and attended boarding school at Stonyhurst College before becoming a hippie and traveling to Pakistan 2 Conversion to Islam and life in Pakistan EditArriving in Swat in 1969 he was impressed by the tribal way of life and unlike most of his fellow hippies settled in the area learning Pashto and Dari he speaks a total of seven languages 2 He converted to Islam in 1970 He studied for eight years at Darul Uloom Deoband in India graduating in 1984 the only Westerner to do so since its foundation in 1866 In Deoband he studied under the scholars like Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri 3 Although he continued to live mainly in Swat he began spending part of each year as the Muslim chaplain at Cambridge University 2 He left Swat in 2010 when his house was washed away by floods 1 Broadcasting career EditIn 1993 he worked with the BBC World Service to create a new Pashto and Dari radio soap opera Loosely based upon the format of The Archers BBC Radio 4 s long running series New Home New Life became so popular that it has been credited with influencing the Taliban not to press ahead with plans to outlaw radio 4 When the Taliban began to gain influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan he saw their radical interpretation of Islam to be in conflict with the traditional Islamic tolerance of tribal culture In response he established the Pak Afghan Cross border Radio Training and Production Pact project in 2004 producing the Da Pulay Poray Across the Border programme to confront what he saw as Islamic extremism 2 He has continued to promote what he sees as mainstream Islam and has been among those pressing ahead with plans for a new Islamic university in Jalalabad offering a moderate alternative to radical clerics It makes perfect sense There is currently nowhere in Afghanistan where a young man can do higher Islamic studies They go to Pakistan where as we know some of them have become radicalised 1 References Edit a b c Ghouri Nadine 22 January 2011 John Mohammed Butt The hippy who became an imam From Our Own Correspondent BBC Radio 4 a b c d Albone Tim 9 December 2007 Cambridge mullah John Butt takes on radicals with radio The Times Retrieved 23 October 2001 Butt John 16 March 2020 A Talib s Tale The Life and Times of a Pashtoon Englishman ISBN 9789353058029 Brockes Emma 23 October 2001 A long way from Ambridge The Guardian External links EditJohn Butt at Penguin India Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Mohammed Butt amp oldid 1096853857, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
