Posted on 02/07/2011 12:27:44 PM PST by Lucky9teen
Caliphate.
Sometimes a word, like a faded Hollywood starlet, makes a surprising return to the spotlight … and so it is for caliphate. The word owes its renewed popularity to Glenn Beck, who first raised the possibility of a new caliphate on his Fox television show. Suddenly, the word went from relative obscurity to become one of Google’s most searched words, as revolution erupted in Egypt and the world began to wonder what would emerge from the anger in Egypt’s streets.
One possibility is … a caliphate.
Simply, a caliphate is a form of government. More precisely, it is an Islamic state that draws its authority from, and is based upon, Sharia law. Get used to hearing the word; it is the form of government advocated by the Muslim Brotherhood.
What exactly a caliphate looks like depends on whether you are a Sunni or a Shia Muslim. Sunnis believe a caliphate should be a constitutional republic, whose leaders are elected by Muslims. Shias believe the head of state is divinely chosen via a lineage of religious clerics called Imams. Within Egypt, Sunnis outnumber Shias.
Those who dismiss the idea of a caliphate in Egypt are discounting the country’s history. Egypt is hardly a stranger to such a form of government; it was part of the Ottoman Empire from the early 16th century until in the late 19th century. The Ottoman Empire was the last great caliphate. It didn’t transition to a secular government model until 1924.
With almost four hundred years of history as a caliphate, it’s not surprising then that Egypt’s penal code is written and based upon Islamic law. Perhaps this is to be expected in a country where an estimated 90% of the people are Muslim. What is surprising is that Egypt’s government is, or at least has been, a secular model. But will it remain so?
Given the country’s history and the religion of the overwhelming majority of its people, the stage may be set for the return of a caliphate, rising out of the present turmoil. And what that means to you probably depends on who you are. A caliphate may sound fine if you are Muslim. It might chaff a little if you’re not. Christians and Jews were treated as second-class citizens under the Ottoman Empire. Certainly to the American mind, raised to believe in the “wall of separation between church and state” as articulated by Thomas Jefferson, a caliphate is an anathema.
If the possibility of a caliphate in Egypt sounds improbable, consider these facts: Egypt’s current government is in collapse, the largest and most organized opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, champions Islamic law and Egypt was once part of a caliphate.
It never works out well to ignore history or facts. The dramatic changes in Egypt cannot be denied nor can the implications for the entire region. An improbable word has made a comeback. The government it represents might not be so far behind.
Here they come - regardless of what happens in Egypt - it will go right back to Sharia while the press enlightens us with their idiotic stories of how desperate people rose up and conquered an oppressive regime - wanting freedom - all without the US intervening!
sick-sick-sick
“Most people have no idea what it means or the history behind it.”
I wish that were true. They either don’t care or think it can’t happen here.
It is a thugocracy with a pseudo-religious veneer as its justification. It is entirely equivalent to communism, which is a thugocracy that uses a pseudo-scientific economic justification.
Caliph means successor. The first caliphs were literally the “successors of the Prophet Muhammed” who led the faithful in prayer and warfare. As they rapidly acquired an empire the caliphate evolved into something more akin to the Roman “emperor” which originally simply meant a commander in war. As civil wars afflicted the Arab Empire rival caliphs arose much as rival emperors cropped up in the later Roman Empire. A new caliphate would be a restoration of the Arab Empire under shariah law, a long-held dream of islamic fundamentalists.
Of course, it won't take long under the Mob Rule formula of a Dumbocracy, for the Shia to form their version of a Caliphate. They will out vote the Suni.
Islamic Despot/Dictator.
All I know is that according to these people, islam must dominate and have control over the world in order for the end to come. That’s all I need to know. That’s all any sane person needs to know.
No, some of us know what the Caliphate was and will be.
“And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” Rev. 17:11
Islam is the Beast. The Caliphate is the last of the eight kingdoms mentioned, but this uprising in Egypt isn’t the Caliphate. At least, not at this stage. Is it the kingdom of the King of the South? Possibly, but we won’t know for a while yet. There’s a war or two to go yet.
... and western man (the crusaders) disassembled it once before......
Only one problem this time, they have the Prez of the impaired US of A on side
The dream of uniting the arabs into a single nation is strong medicine. At one time the Egyptians and Syrians attempted to unite, they attempted to include Yemen as well. Iraq and Jordan played with the idea, Khadafi promoted the idea of a union with Egypt and Sudan. If I remember right, Saddam at one point was proposing union with Egypt.
Because of internal contradictions they will never remain united. But they will dream of it.
Caliphatism
`Caliphatism` is the goal of fundamentalist Muslims to re-establish a world-wide Islamic empire (Caliphate) by force, if necessary. This has been a major goal of Islamic terrorists such as Osama Bin Ladin and the Muslim Brotherhood. Radical Islamic organizations throughout the world also espouse thi...
Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphatism
Dear Editor:
“Muslim Spain was a perfect example of a flourishing society in which Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in mutual respect and cooperation.”
Muslim Spain was Christian Spain for over 400 years before being conquered by Islamic Armies in the 8th Century. That is the way the Islamic Religion has been historically spread, though military invasion and occupation. Treatment of conquered people has the same goal, the minimizing of other religions and conversion of the indigenous people. Among other rules for non Muslims in Muslim Spain; Christians and Jews could not bear arms — Muslims could; Christians and Jews could not ride horses — Muslims could; Christians and Jews had to get permission to build or fix places or worship — Muslims did not; Christians and Jews had to pay certain taxes which Muslims did not; Christians could not proselytize — Muslims could; Christians and Jews had to bow to their Muslim masters; Christians and Jews had to live under the laws set forth in the Koran, not under either their own religious or secular law; Christian’s and Jew’s word in a court of law was not equal to a Muslim’s Word; Christian and Jewish families had to give up a son for conversion and military service in Muslim armies and the most beautiful and largest Christian Churches were converted to Mosques. And the list goes on.
Today, 1300 years later, a Christian or Jew living in an Islamic country will still have to live nearly under these very same laws. I can see why the head of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations would want us all to do “our part” to create such a world.
Regards,
2banana
Caliphate = Hannity’s new word.
Look for Obama, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, etc. to go on a big propaganda move to convince us that a Caliphate is a wonderful form of government that is based on love and respect for everyone.
Something that Mongke Qa Quan’s death prevented from disappearing from the planet.
The Ottoman Empire was a Sultanate, not a caliphate. A sultanate is a turkish monarchy.
“... and western man (the crusaders) disassembled it once before......”
Not really. when the crusaders arrived, the caliphate was already in disunity, mostly already dissassembled by Kurds and Seljuks, as well as internal dissension. (Spain and North Africa were ruled by rival caliphs) And then it was destroyed by the Mongols. A Sultanate was set up in Egypt by the Mamelukes, who drove out the Mongols and the Crusaders.
The Islamic Kalifa has been an unworkable nightmare since within a generation of Muhammad’s death. Of the “Rightly Guided Caliphs,” half were assassinated by their fellow Muslims. The last (Ali) was Muhammad’s son-in-law and engaged in civil war with Muhammad’s widow Aisha.
Egypt certainly would suffer in any further descent into shari’a. But there could be no Caliphate in a single Arab country, and Muslims hate each other too much to ever resurrect an Islamic Empire.
Islam is a bigger disaster to Muslims than it can ever be to us in the west.
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