« Not The New York Times | Main | On "The Declaration of Freedom of Humanity" »
July 7, 2006
Is Islam Misrepresented? Perhaps Not!
... A longstanding Islamic practice is to be meek while weak and assume despotic intolerant power as it gains strength. ... it is a fact that Islam is misrepresented. It is misrepresented very effectively by non-Muslim individuals and institutions who are generously rewarded by the modern day Islamic conquerors.Ever since the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush and others in his administration, in their efforts intended to disabuse those who wrongly think America's war on Islamist terrorists is aimed at all Muslims, have attracted laughter for their predilection for punctuating every mention of Islam with the phrase reminding us that it is a "religion of peace." Their efforts apparently seek to link Islam in the minds of Americans with Christianity and Judaism, whose believers are used to the idea that their own faiths are indeed just that: a way of peace. However, just how peaceful is Islam?
Amil Imani, an Iranian born, pro-democracy activist, says that even a cursory examination of Islam's history and Islamic texts conclusively proves the exact opposite of peacefulness. According to Imani, Islam was and continues to be a movement of unbridled violence, and that even Egypt, the more civilized Islamic country and recipient of billions of dollars in U.S. aid, treats non-Muslims as second class citizens and deprives them of their legitimate human rights.
The pundits, the analysts and the politicians are doing a great disservice to the public, each segment for its own expedient reasons, by parroting the mantra regarding the peaceful nature of Islam. As a matter of fact, the so called small band of Islamic extremists is the true face of Islam. Admittedly, from time to time and place to place, Muslims have shown a degree of tolerance for the non-Muslims. This tolerance dates back to the very early years of Muhammad himself. Early on Muhammad was meek and proclaimed, "For you, your religion, and for me my religion." This assertion lasted but a few years until Muhammad's movement gathered strength and Islam became the only alternative to death or heavy taxation. The imposition of Jazyyeh was a clever ploy for filling the Islamic coffer to support its armies and to finance its further conquests.Sour grapes from a disenchanted Muslim, or dire warnings from "an insider" that needs more attention?
A longstanding Islamic practice is to be meek while weak and assume despotic intolerant power as it gains strength. Recent migration of Muslims to non-Islamic lands began as a seemingly harmless, even useful, trickle of cheap needed labor. Before long, greater and greater number of Muslims deluged the new territories and as they gained in numbers--by high birth rate as well as new arrivals--Muslims began reverting to their intolerant ways by, for instance, demanding legal status for shariah (Islamic laws). The type of draconian laws that for most parts resemble those of humanity's barbaric past.
Islam is indeed misrepresented. Islam is not misrepresented by its "detractors." It is misrepresented by Islamic mercenaries: organizations and individuals generously funded by states as well as wealthy believers who are making billions of dollars pumping and selling oil at astronomical prices. Prestigious universities in the West, are always looking for handouts, are tripping over one another to establish Islamic study programs staffed by professors who sing the praise of Islam. Newspapers are routinely intimidated by Islamic association if they dare to print the truth about Islam. Legions of lawyers, both Muslims as well as hired guns are in the look out to intimidate and silence any voice speaking the truth about Islam. The media that fall in line may receive generous advertising and other incentives from Islamic lobbyists.
Hence, it is a fact that Islam is misrepresented. It is misrepresented very effectively by non-Muslim individuals and institutions who are generously rewarded by the modern day Islamic conquerors. This time around the Muslims are using the immense petrodollar they extract from the addicted non-Muslims. The sword is temporarily replaced by just as deadly a weapon-- the petrodollar. Before long, the Muslims aim to add a more deadly modern version of the sword--the Islamic bomb. With the bomb on one hand and the other hand on the oil spigot, the non-Muslim world will be brought to its knees by the religion of peace and brotherhood.
Related News ...
Young Muslims Foster West-Muslim Ties (a pro-Islamic site):
CAIRO -- Young Muslim leaders from 15 western countries come together in the Danish capital Copenhagen on Friday, July 7, to probe ways of fostering positive Muslim-West ties and discuss the identity of Muslims in Western societies.Perhaps a more telling picture (and chilling) can be had by reading how Muslims are advised to befriend and ally with non-Muslims, when such an alliance would cause a Muslim to act against the interests of Muslims (apparently regardless of whether or not Muslims may be terrorists, jihadists, or Islamofascists). It's hard to believe that all Muslims actually follow such advise and guidelines:"The areas that Muslims feel challenged by right now are the areas of civil liberties and citizenship and their rights as a citizen," Daisy Khan, Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), an organizer of the event, said in a press release.
Organized by ASMA and the Cordoba Initiative, the "Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow" forum brings together 100 Muslim leaders from 15 Western countries.
Attendees are discussing a host of key issues such as Muslim integration in the West, Muslim identity, marginalization of immigrant communities and secularism.
Among leading figures in the three-day event are Swiss-based Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan, founder of the Cordoba Initiative Imam Feisal Abdul-Rauf and a host of prominent Muslim dignitaries.
Among the meeting's goals is to promote Islam as a religion of peace and harmony, resolve and prevent future conflict through peaceful methods of interfaith and intra-faith dialogue and enhance the intellectual development of the global community through knowledge-sharing.
Khan said the forum is also seeking to reach the Muslim voice to Western societies.
Question to Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti, director of the Islamic Center of South Plains, Lubbock, Texas: .".. Respected scholars, as-salamu `alaykum. I would like to ask about the punishment for taking non-Muslims as allies as we clearly see in our Arab region. Most Arab and Muslim countries seek alliance with non-Muslim states." - Jazakum Allahu khayran.Scary!Answer from Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti:
The problem does not lie in making alliances; the issue has to deal with taking allies against other Muslims.The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made peace treaties with some pagan tribes and others. He also did the same with the Jews of Madinah and the Christians of Najran. However, he did this for the sake of Islam and Muslims.
Therefore, befriending non-Muslims and building political alliances is not forbidden per se; they are based on the goal and the possible consequences.
The type of relationship forbidden by the Qur'an has to do with Muslims' building alliances with non-Muslims in order to harm other Muslims, for Muslims are brothers and sisters to one another and protecting one's brothers and sisters is obligatory in Islam.
That is why Allah says [Let not the Believers take Unbelievers as allies against (other) Believers] (Aal `Imran 3:28).
So "against (other) Believers" is the key to understanding the whole issue of walaa' (loyalty) and baraa' (dissociation) in the Qur'an.
I am aware of the sad reality you have touched upon in your question.
Source - Hyscience
Posted by Richard at July 7, 2006 1:27 PM
