Faux 'moderate' Islamists

Washington Times ^ | August 2, 2006 | M. Zuhdi Jasser

[nuconvert]

Faux 'moderate' Islamists

By M. Zuhdi Jasser

August 2, 2006

Part one in a three-part series.

It is almost five years since September 11, one year since the July 7 attacks in Britain and just months after the arrests of alleged members of a Toronto terrorist cell. But the intellectual machinery of the United States has not legitimately engaged the Muslim American community and its leadership in an ideological debate about Islamism.

Stories about Muslims and Islam are now ubiquitous in the mainstream media. Yet rarely is there any substantive discussion with American Muslims about the ideology of Islamism or its prevalence. Is it limited to the activists? Is it the money trail? Or is it the faith? These questions and others that engage American Muslims in declaring or denouncing Islamist ideology seem to generally be off-limits for the media and for our elected officials. As they dance around this central cognitive engagement of our global war, the consequences to our nation's security are immeasurable.

Many frontline reporters seem to actually have little understanding of the conflict between Islamism and Islam. There is a deep contradiction between the Islamist ideology of theocracy and our Americanism. Avoiding this, we forget who we are. The touchstone of Americanism that Islamists fear the most is our constitutional system, which protects our individual spiritual liberty through a complete separation of religion and state.

[dirtboy]

Another one of those articles that frames the real debate as to whether there is a moderate form of Islam:

On June 18, the New York Times ran a story by Laura Goodstein, "U.S. Clerics seek a Middle Ground," which highlighted the "moderate" work of Sheikh Hamza Yusuf and his colleague, Imam Zaid Shakir. The bulk of this typical story discussed platitudes regarding the personal struggles of these American Muslim leaders and positively anticipated their development of a moderate Muslim seminary. However, nowhere did the New York Times delve into a genuine critical analysis of whether there was a central conflict in the ideology of the Zaytuna Institute, the school mentioned in the New York Times piece, and that of America. Yet, the piece ended with this alarming quotation from Mr. Shakir: "He still hoped that one day the United States would be a Muslim country ruled by Islamic law, not by violent means, but by persuasion." The imam further stated, "Every Muslim who is honest would say, I would like to see America become a Muslim country," he said. "I think it would help people, and if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be a Muslim. Because Islam helped me as a person, and it's helped a lot of people in my community."

Not only is this a blatant endorsement of Islamism (theocracy) over Americanism (anti-theocracy), but this imam labels anti-Islamist Muslims dishonest. The radical Islamists are rabidly anti-American from their fear of pluralistic liberty. They are too insecure to give Muslims or any citizens the opportunity to be free and to choose to sin or not. Can mainstream American thought afford to be naive and uncritical about this central theme of Islamist movements? Radical or moderate, regardless of the packaging, the goal of Islamists is to create a Muslim theocracy.

[weegee]

There exists a supremacist political ideology that goes by the name of Islam and some of those who practice the religion of Islam refuse to speak out against that often violent political ideology.

The supremacists believe non-muslims (kufir) to be sub-human (as in "Jews are the offspring of pigs and monkeys") and deserving of lesser rights under the law.

[dirtboy]

From part 2:

Islam, as a personal faith, and its inherent spirituality, worship, moral code and practices can and should be looked upon as entirely separate from all that is political Islam.

I'm really not sure this can be done. I'm not an expert of Islam, but I have never heard anything from the Koran that says the equivalent of "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Countries such as Turkey have had success remaining a secular country, but how much longer will that last, given the surge of Islamism in the Muslim world?

[Rummyfan]

But the intellectual machinery of the United States has not legitimately engaged the Muslim American community and its leadership in an ideological debate about Islamism.

We don't need a debate about Islamism. We need to kill Islamists!

[Roccus]

PING

[Roccus]

The radicals will kill us. The moderates merely wish us dead.

[marron]

I am willing to recognize the difference between "moderate" Islam and Islamism.

That isn't the issue. The issue is that there is no philosophical barrier between the two. There is no sticking point. "Moderate" in this context merely means that you don't follow it rigorously, or "religiously"; if you did, you are headed down the continuum toward "Islamism", and as we've all been blessed to learn, between the Islamists and the head-choppers there is, again, no philosophical barrier. There is nothing upon which a moderate can reject Islamism and still be a muslim in good standing, and there is nothing upon which an Islamist can condemn the headchoppers other than mere tactical considerations.

And they don't. Typically a moderate will not condemn an Islamist, and not only out of fear. They recognize the Islamist as the dedicated muslim they ought to be. The so-called "moderates" can not even bring themselves to condemn the head-choppers, for the very same reason. Their response gives the lie to the idea that there is any difference philosophically.

With most of the religions of the world you may imagine that increased dedication might make you a better person. Sadly, in the case of Islam it does no such thing.

[nuconvert]

"I'm really not sure this can be done."

I believe Dr. Jasser does it every day.

[dirtboy]

"I'm really not sure this can be done."

I see him as a very, very distinct minority.

[weegee]

Again, it is a supremacist ideology.

It is permissible to lie to non-muslims.
It is wrong to question the faith of another muslim (even a practitioner of the "non-real-Islam" death cult).

Inherently there is a double standard within Islam. Non-muslims may complain because we get the short end of the deal.

At extremism, Islam says the life of a muslim is worth more than the life of a kufir. So a non-muslim who kills a muslim is more wrong than a muslim who kills a non-muslim. The idea has been expressed that it makes no difference to enslave or kill a kufir because it is the same as any lower animal (say a cow or fish).

Another element of this is the double standard when a muslim converts away from the faith. A non-muslim can practice a different faith without receiving a death sentence whereas a muslim who leaves the faith offends muslims and becomes a "lesser" being (he was already "saved" and gave it up, non-muslims never had it to begin with).

[weegee]

It is intolerant of other faiths and cultures. Co-existence comes only with subservience to Islam.

[Steve_Seattle]

Most MSM discussions of Islam are written from the "I'm smarter than you" point of view, lecturing Americans about their bigotry and intolerance, correcting so-called mistaken stereotypes of Islam, and portraying Islam as totally harmless, a victim rather than a menace. MSM journalists view the worldwide phenomenon of radical Islam as less of a threat to our freedoms than the occasional hate crime perpetrated by some lunatic Christian.

In the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepard, and after the Oklahoma City bombing, the MSM were willing to draw all sorts of conclusions about the pernicious influence of Christianity and conservatives, but will allow no one to draw any inferences about Islam from the innumerable terrorist acts perpetrated by Muslims on an almost daily basis.

[nuconvert]

"There is nothing upon which a moderate can reject Islamism and still be a muslim in good standing,..."

The author considers himself a muslim in good standing.

"They recognize the Islamist as the dedicated muslim they ought to be."

I don't know where you got that.
Does it sound as if Dr. Jasser thinks that?

[MNJohnnie]

I always laugh reading the Arm Chairs macho man act on Islam.

Did any of you ever bother to notice that the vast bulk of the forces fighting and dying on our side in the War on Islamic Fascism are Muslim Iraqis, Pakistanis and Afghanis?

That fact right there nukes this ranting about "All Muslims are evil" before it even starts.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

THE *ONLY* PERFECT TEST FOR MUSLIM MODERATES:


Read and disavow each of these unambiguous quotations, not with platitudes like "taken out of context" (explain the context) or that the same kind of things are in the Old Testament. (The Israelites destroyed only child sacrificers in Canaan and were not required to impose Torah Law on others.)


MUSLIMS INSTRUCTED TO KILL CHRISTIANS AND JEWS [9:29-30] JUST FOR SPEAKING AGAINST ISLAM [9:32]!
KORAN [9.29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

KORAN [9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair [Ezra] is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS PROHIBITED:
KORAN [9.32] They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light, though the unbelievers are averse.

THIS IS MUHAMMAD'S EXAMPLE JUSTIFYING THE KILLING OF DUTCH FILM MAKER THEO van GOGH:
Hadith Sahih Muslim, Book 19, Chapter 41: THE MURDER OF KA'B B. ASHRAF, (THE EVIL GENIUS) OF THE JEWS [for authoring songs and jokes about Muhammad]

HADITH Sahih Muslim [19:4436] It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
Who will kill Ka'b b. Ashraf? He has maligned Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger. Muhammad b. Maslama said: Messenger of Allah, do you wish that I should kill him? He said: Yes. He said: Permit me to talk (to him in the way I deem fit). He said: Talk (as you like). So, Muhammad b. Maslama came to Ka'b and talked to him, referred to the old friendship between them and said: This man (i. e. the Holy Prophet) has made up his mind to collect charity (from us) and this has put us to a great hardship. When be heard this, Ka'b said: By God, you will be put to more trouble by him. Muhammad b. Maslama said: No doubt, now we have become his followers and we do not like to forsake him until we see what turn his affairs will take. I want that you should give me a loan. He said: What will you mortgage? He said: What do you want? He said: Pledge me your women. He said: You are the most handsome of the Arabs; should we pledge our women to you? He said: Pledge me your children. He said: The son of one of us may abuse us saying that he was pledged for two wasqs of dates, but we can pledge you (cur) weapons. He said: All right. Then Muhammad b. Maslama promised that he would come to him with Harith, Abu 'Abs b. Jabr and Abbad b. Bishr. So they came and called upon him at night. He came down to them. Sufyan says that all the narrators except 'Amr have stated that his wife said: I hear a voice which sounds like the voice of murder. He said: It is only Muhammad b. Maslama and his foster-brother, Abu Na'ila. When a gentleman is called at night even it to be pierced with a spear, he should respond to the call. Muhammad said to his companions: As he comes down, I will extend my hands towards his head and when I hold him fast, you should do your job. So when he came down and he was holding his cloak under his arm, they said to him: We sense from you a very fine smell. He said: Yes, I have with me a mistress who is the most scented of the women of Arabia. He said: Allow me to smell (the scent on your head). He said: Yes, you may smell. So he caught it and smelt. Then he said: Allow me to do so (once again). He then held his head fast and said to his companions: Do your job. And they killed him.

APOSTATES AND "young people with foolish thoughts"
TO BE KILLED BY ANYONE WHO FINDS THEM (e.g. honor killings):

KORAN [4.89] They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:260] Narrated Ikrima:
Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn 'Abbas, who said, "Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, 'Don't punish (anybody) with Allah's Punishment.' No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.' "

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [6:61:577] Narrated 'Ali:
I heard the Prophet saying, "In the last days (of the world) there will appear young people with foolish thoughts and ideas. They will give good talks, but they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes out of its game, their faith will not exceed their throats. So, wherever you find them, kill them, for there will be a reward for their killers on the Day of Resurrection."

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [9:84:64] Narrated 'Ali:
Whenever I tell you a narration from Allah's Apostle, by Allah, I would rather fall down from the sky than ascribe a false statement to him, but if I tell you something between me and you (not a Hadith) then it was indeed a trick (i.e., I may say things just to cheat my enemy). No doubt I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "During the last days there will appear some young foolish people who will say the best words but their faith will not go beyond their throats (i.e. they will have no faith) and will go out from (leave) their religion as an arrow goes out of the game. So, where-ever you find them, kill them, for who-ever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection."

AND MODERATE MUSLIMS TOO:
HADITH Sahih Muslim [5:2325] Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
A group would secede itself (from the Ummah) when there would be dissension among the Muslims. Out of the two groups who would be nearer the truth would kill them.

Unlike Christians, Muslims can pretend to deny their faith to fool unbelievers (Al-Taqiyyah):
KORAN [16.106] He who disbelieves in Allah after his having believed, not he who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of faith, but he who opens (his) breast to disbelief-- on these is the wrath of Allah, and they shall have a grievous chastisement.

UNEQUAL JUSTICE:
HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:283] Narrated Abu Juhaifa:
I asked Ali, "Do you have the knowledge of any Divine Inspiration besides what is in Allah's Book?" 'Ali replied, "...we have what is written in this paper as well." I asked, "What is written in this paper?" He replied, "...the judgment that no Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel."

HADITH Sunan Abu Dawud [14:2526] Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal (Antichrist). The tyranny of any tyrant and the justice of any just (ruler) will not invalidate it. One must have faith in Divine decree.

WOMEN (and girls) IN ISLAM:
KORAN [2.223] Your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth when you like, and do good beforehand for yourselves, and be careful (of your duty) to Allah, and know that you will meet Him, and give good news to the believers.

KORAN [4.34] Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [7:62:67] Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "A matron should not be given in marriage except after consulting her; and a virgin should not be given in marriage except after her permission." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! How can we know her permission?" He said, "Her silence (indicates her permission)."

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [5:58:234] Narrated Aisha:
The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became Allright, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age.

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [7:62:64] Narrated 'Aisha:
that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death).

THE JOOOOOOZ IN ISLAM:
KORAN [9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair [Ezra] is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!

KORAN [5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:176] Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' "

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:177] Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:56:791] Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The Jews will fight with you, and you will be given victory over them so that a stone will say, 'O Muslim! There is a Jew behind me; kill him!' "

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6981] Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me); kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6982] Ubaidullah has reported this hadith with this chain of transmitters (and the Words are):
"There is a Jew behind me."

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6983] Abdullah b. 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
You and the Jews would fight against one another until a stone would say: Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6984] Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
The Jews will fight against you and you will gain victory over them until the stone would say: Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6985] Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.

© Religion of Peace

KORAN (Shakir translation): http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran/
HADITH: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchhadith.html

I've tried this. They can't and they won't because then they'd be unbelievers. If they do, then ask about Al-Taqiyyah.



ISLAM DELENDA EST!

[dirtboy]

I always laugh reading the Arm Chairs macho man act on Islam.

I always laugh at your inane posts.

The question is not about Islam in other countries, but the compatibility of Islamism in this country (it is incompatable) - and to what extent Muslims in this country can separate themselves from a desire for the US to become an Islamic republic.

[okie01]

In the War on Terror, one of the most dire threats we face is political correctness.

We are paying a price for our inability to accurately identify the threat and its true nature, along with all the making nice directed at "moderate Muslims".

Understand I'm not suggesting any relocation, as with the Japanese in WW II. However, it would be appropriate to investigate each and every Muslim activist -- and detain those with even a murky connection to terrorist elements.

Yeah, it's "profiling". So what? Simply addressing this issue would raise it in the public consciousness. ACLU wouldn't like it, though...

The GOP would never do that, of course. But, ironically, the Democrats wouldn't hesitate...if they thought there was political hay to be made.

[nuconvert]

"We are paying a price for our inability to accurately identify the threat and its true nature, along with all the making nice directed at "moderate Muslims"."

This is exactly what Dr. Jasser is saying. He wnats our gov't and every person living in the U.S. to know the identity of "the threat and its true nature."

[okie01]

And I believe he's dead right.