Islamic truths

[Tigermike 3,050]

February 18, 2006

Islamic truths

By Mansoor Ijaz, MANSOOR IJAZ is an American Muslim of Pakistani ancestry.

ANOTHER WEEK, another Muslim country burns in rage over months-old Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in an unflattering light. On Friday it was Libya, and earlier in the week it was my father's homeland, Pakistan, where violent protests were scattered across the nation. Some Muslims have decided that burning cities in defense of a prophet's teachings, which none of them seem willing to practice, is preferable to participating in rational debate about the myths and realities of a religion whose worst enemies are increasingly its own adherents.

This week's events should compel those of us who claim Islam as our system of philosophical guidance to ask hard questions of ourselves in order to revive the religion's essential foundation: justice, peaceful and tolerant coexistence, compassion, the search for knowledge and unwavering faith in the unity of God.

I am an American by birth and a Muslim by faith. For many of my American friends, I am a voice of reason in a sea of Islamist darkness, while many Muslims have called me an "Uncle Tom" for ingratiating myself with the vested interests they seek to destroy through their violence. Mostly, though, I try not to ignore the harsh realities the followers of my religion are often unwilling to face.

The first truth is that most Muslim ideologues are hypocrites. What has Osama bin Laden done for the victims of the 2004 tsunami or the shattered families who lost everything in the Pakistani earthquake last year? He did not build one school, offer one loaf of bread or pay for one vaccination. And yet he, not the devout Muslim doctors from California and Iowa who repair broken limbs and lives in the snowy peaks of Kashmir, speaks the loudest for what Muslims allegedly stand for. He has succeeded in presenting himself as the defender of Islam's poor, and the Western media has taken his jihadist message all the way to the bank.

The hypocrisy only starts there. Muslims and Arabs have done pitifully little to help improve the capacity of the Palestinian people to be good neighbors to their Israeli brethren. Take the money spent by any Middle Eastern royal family at a London hotel or Geneva resort during one month and you could build enough schools and medical clinics to take care of 1,000 Palestinian children for a year. Yet rather than educate and feed Palestinian and Muslim children so they may learn to settle differences through dialogue and debate, instead of by throwing rocks and wearing bombs, the Muslim "haves" put on a few telethons to raise paltry sums for the "have nots" to alleviate the guilt over their palatial gilded cages.

The second truth — one that the West needs to come to grips with — is that there is no such human persona as a "moderate Muslim." You either believe in the oneness of God or you don't. You either believe in the teachings of his prophet or you don't. You either learn those teachings and apply them to the circumstances of life in the country you have chosen to live in, or you shouldn't live there.

Haters of Islam use the simplicity and elegance of its black-and-white rigor for devious political advantage by classifying the Koran's religious edicts as the cult-like behavior of fanatics. The West would win a lot of hearts and minds if it only showed Islam as it really is — telling the story, for example, that the prophet Muhammad was one of the great commodity traders of all time because he based his dealings on uniquely Muslim values, or that the reason he had multiple wives was not for the sake of sex but to give proper homes to the children of women made widows during a time of war. The cartoon imbroglio offered Western media an opportunity to portray the prophet in his many dignified dimensions, not just the distorted ones; sadly, there were few takers.

But to look at angry Islam's reaction on television each night forces the question of what might be possible if all the lost energy of thousands of rioting Muslims went into the villages of Aceh to rebuild lost homes or into Kashmir to construct schools.

In fact, the most glaring truth is that Islam's mobsters fear the West has it right: that we have perfected the very system Islam's holy scriptures urged them to learn and practice. And having failed in their mission to lead their masses, they seek any excuse to demonize those of us in the West and to try to bring us down. They know they are losing the ideological struggle for hearts and minds, for life in all its different dimensions, and so they prepare themselves, and us, for Armageddon by starting fires everywhere in a display of Islamic unity intended to galvanize the masses they cannot feed, clothe, educate or house.

This is not Islam. And the faster its truest believers stand up and demonstrate its values and principles by actions, not words, the sooner a great religion will return to its rightful role as guide for nearly a quarter of humanity.

LA TIMES

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

While reading articles like this written by a muslim make us feel better, the fact reamins that Islam calls for the destruction of all infidels.........and that's us.

[quietfan 233]

February 18, 2006

The second truth — one that the West needs to come to grips with — is that there is no such human persona as a "moderate Muslim." You either believe in the oneness of God or you don't. You either believe in the teachings of his prophet or you don't. You either learn those teachings and apply them to the circumstances of life in the country you have chosen to live in, or you shouldn't live there.

[This is in no way meant to be a defense of the reprehensable acts of Muslim extremists who, as Mansoor Ijaz points out, conveniently ignore the many humanitarian commands of the Koran in favor of the murder of innocents, but...]

Using his/her standards, one might just as readily argue there is no such thing as a "moderate Christian". After all, you either believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Saviour or you don't. You either follow the teachings of Christ or you don't.

Moderation comes in recognizing that the teachings of either Christ or Mohammed are subject to human interpretation, and in tolerating those who may read and interpret those scriptures in different ways. Not all Christians are capable of this any more than are all Muslims. But I would never go so far as to say there can be no "moderate" Muslim any more than I would say there can be no "moderate" Christian.

[tiger88 934]

February 18, 2006

The second truth — one that the West needs to come to grips with — is that there is no such human persona as a "moderate Muslim." You either believe in the oneness of God or you don't. You either believe in the teachings of his prophet or you don't. You either learn those teachings and apply them to the circumstances of life in the country you have chosen to live in, or you shouldn't live there.

[This is in no way meant to be a defense of the reprehensable acts of Muslim extremists who, as Mansoor Ijaz points out, conveniently ignore the many humanitarian commands of the Koran in favor of the murder of innocents, but...]

Using his/her standards, one might just as readily argue there is no such thing as a "moderate Christian". After all, you either believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Saviour or you don't. You either follow the teachings of Christ or you don't.

Moderation comes in recognizing that the teachings of either Christ or Mohammed are subject to human interpretation, and in tolerating those who may read and interpret those scriptures in different ways. Not all Christians are capable of this any more than are all Muslims. But I would never go so far as to say there can be no "moderate" Muslim any more than I would say there can be no "moderate" Christian.

220605[/snapback]

Bingo and Amen on these points.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

February 18, 2006

The second truth — one that the West needs to come to grips with — is that there is no such human persona as a "moderate Muslim." You either believe in the oneness of God or you don't. You either believe in the teachings of his prophet or you don't. You either learn those teachings and apply them to the circumstances of life in the country you have chosen to live in, or you shouldn't live there.

[This is in no way meant to be a defense of the reprehensable acts of Muslim extremists who, as Mansoor Ijaz points out, conveniently ignore the many humanitarian commands of the Koran in favor of the murder of innocents, but...]

Using his/her standards, one might just as readily argue there is no such thing as a "moderate Christian". After all, you either believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Saviour or you don't. You either follow the teachings of Christ or you don't.

Moderation comes in recognizing that the teachings of either Christ or Mohammed are subject to human interpretation, and in tolerating those who may read and interpret those scriptures in different ways. Not all Christians are capable of this any more than are all Muslims. But I would never go so far as to say there can be no "moderate" Muslim any more than I would say there can be no "moderate" Christian.

220605[/snapback]

But there are lot's of Chrisitian denominations who have different views and interpretations of the Bible. There is a lot of wiggle room among Christian beliefs. That's not the case with Islam. The Koran is not for interpretation by the people.The clerics set the rules and the people follow the teachings ........or else.

[quietfan 233]

The idea of a monolithic, universal face to Islam is a misconception of Westerners, reinforced probably by the fact that only the most vocal, radical, and violent “spokesmen” of Islam make all the headlines. On just a quick (first hit) Internet search of Islamic sects, I found the following article from which I’ll paste a few excerpts. I’m sure better, more authoritative articles can probably be found by a more serious researcher:

http://www.starman3000.com/research_013.htm

Islamic Sects and Sub-Groups

There are various sects, divisions of belief, that stem from the fundamental interpretations of seventh-century Islamic theology. This is much the same as what has happened within Christian denominations whose basic doctrines differ in their views regarding the person of Jesus Christ, worship, Salvation, and one's eternal destiny. The Jewish religion also has its branches of faith that differ from each other, such as: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, the Messianic movement, etc. Therefore, whenever someone proclaims that they are a Muslim, it means that they belong to one of the several branches of Islam. This explains why many Muslims view terror as a misguided interpretation of their faith while many others regard terror as the path that Islam must take.

The two major Islamic groups are the Sunni and Shiite.

Sunnis comprise approximately eighty-percent of the entire Muslim population while Shiites account for less than fifteen-percent. Both of these groups have disputed over which has been granted the rightful succession to lead the Muslim faith. Herein is a brief overview of the varying sects that form the Islamic world:

SUNNIS:

As stated, Sunnis comprise the largest following of Muslims throughout the world. Sunnis consider their group to have been given the legitimate succession of leadership which took effect after the death of their prophet, Muhammad in the year 632 CE.

…

Sunnis consist of four sub-groups (schools of belief) which interpret how Muhammad lived. Muslims are then instructed to pattern their lives according to the accounts of Muhammad's life and lifestyle.

The four sub-groups are:

1) Hanabalites: Considered as one of the strictest in interpreting the Qur'an and in setting the guidelines on how Muslims must follow their faith. Followers of this group reside mostly in Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

2) Shafiites: This group is found in Indonesia, the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. Religious guidelines are not as strict as other Islamic groups.

3) Malikhites: North Africa and the Sudan are the regions where this group resides. Malikhites allow other laws to be introduced into their faith and added to those derived from the teachings of Muhammad.

4) Hanafites: These are not as rigid in their adherence to the stricter Islamic teachings. The Hanafites are spread throughout regions of China, Turkey and India.

…

SHIITES:

The term, Shiite, means "partisan of faith." This group accounts for less than fifteen-percent of all Muslims. Shiites are one of the most aggressive in their religious fervor as they believe that the first rightful successor to Muhammad should have been his nephew

…

Shiite religious leaders are called "Imams." A segment of this Muslim group believes that within the timeline of world history a total of twelve imams will have ruled upon the earth prior to "Judgment Day." These are commonly referred to as the "Twelvers." They presently await the emergence of their twelfth Imam whom they believe is actually alive at this time and is waiting for the right moment to enter upon the world scene as the "Mahdi," or, saviour of the world. Twelvers believe that Mahdi will appear with Jesus in order to establish peace by bringing the entire world under Islamic rule.

Another religious sect within the Shiite movement is known as the "Seveners." This group accepts only six Imams from the Twelvers group and believes that their seventh Imam was a leader by the name of Ismail Ibn Jafar. The Seveners await their prophetic return of Ismail's son, Muhammad, whom they believe is the rightful Muslim leader who will restore peace and order upon the earth.

SALAFI:

The Salafi thought calls upon all Muslims to follow the original ways of the first generations of Islamic teachings.

…

SUFFIS:

… This sub-group embraces Islam in more of a mystical and spiritual way as compared to other Muslim groups. Suffis believe that their personal union with their god, Allah, is obtained not only through traditional prayer and meditation but by dancing in a twirling motion known as the "Dervish Dance." Members of this group oftentimes travel throughout the world to present colorful and highly skilled dancing performances to the general public.

Suffis are considered as a controversial sect within Islam due to their variance with fundamental Islamic teachings and traditions. The religious leaders of the Suffis are called "Shayks" who provide spiritual counsel and personal guidance to their followers.

WAHHABIS:

This group was organized by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab in Saudi Arabia approximately two-hundred years ago. Wahhab determined that all Muslim sects had strayed from the straight path of Islam and that the fundamental teachings of Muhammad had to be restored. In this regard,

Wahhabis have become the most aggressive followers of Islam in their strict adherence to the basic teachings of the Qur'an and the Shari'a form of Islamic jurisprudence. They are closely aligned with the royal family of Saudi Arabia through marriage and their strict religious influence controls Saudi life to this day.

…

KHARIJITES:

This  is one of the oldest sects of the Islamic religion. …. Kharijites believe that the succession of caliphates is not necessarily decided by either one of the Sunni or Shiite methods but by being open to any believing Muslim male who exemplifies extreme righteous piety and allegiance to the strict and literal following of the Qur'an.

…

There is much more to the article (about 7 pages), including discussion of the Jihadist agenda of some fundamentalist Islamic groups. But the point is, we should not think of Islam as one monolithic universal enemy of the West. Even if we accept ProudTiger’s assertion that “The Koran is not for interpretation by the people. The clerics set the rules and the people follow the teachings ........or else”, we must still accept that the clerics are human, and obviously can have many different interpretations of the rules of Islam.

Besides, doesn’t even the largest Christian denomination, Roman Catholicism, preach that the Pope is the infallible interpreter of the teachings of Christ and people must “follow his rules…or else”? It’s just that in our modern world, the Catholic “or else” no longer means a death sentence in this life, just eternal damnation in the next (or at minimum a protracted stay in purgatory).

That was hardly the case a millennium ago when people were being burned at the stake for disagreeing with the Pope. Actually, in many ways the intolerance and violence preached by some Muslims today reminds me of the intolerant, violent attitudes of medieval Christianity. We grew out of those ignorant ways in the West—I hope Islam will do so quickly as well.

Finally, not everyone who claims to be a cleric, or to speak for the voice of Islam, is faithful to the Koran’s teachings anyway. I don’t think the ilk of cult leaders like David Koresh or Jim Jones preached the true message of Christ, and I think some similarly psychotic Muslim leaders are equally guilty of distorting the true message of Mohammed.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

One thing they all have in common.....they hate us!!! Seen one Muslim seem 'em all

I can't figure out why no one ever thought of the cartoons before. They have been a huge success in eliminating lots of Muslims.

[tiger88 934]

There you go proud. Share that Christian love with the world.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

There you go proud. Share that Christian love with the world.

220661[/snapback]

More than happy to. Except for the War of the Revolution, how many wars has our country fought against Christian nations?

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

There you go proud. Share that Christian love with the world.

220661[/snapback]

More than happy to. Except for the War of the Revolution, how many wars has our country fought against Christian nations?

220672[/snapback]

War of 1812, Civil War (I'll give you a pass on that one), Spanish American War, War World I, World War II.

Granted, recently we have been more at odds with the Islamic nations, but to say that we haven't fought against Christian nations since the Revolution is ignoring a great part of our history.

[quietfan 233]

There you go proud. Share that Christian love with the world.

220661[/snapback]

More than happy to. Except for the War of the Revolution, how many wars has our country fought against Christian nations?

220672[/snapback]

War of 1812, Civil War (I'll give you a pass on that one), Spanish American War, War World I, World War II.

Granted, recently we have been more at odds with the Islamic nations, but to say that we haven't fought against Christian nations since the Revolution is ignoring a great part of our history.

220674[/snapback]

Ehhh...WWII? Gotta say 50/50.

Japan would not really be considered a "Christian" nation, Shintoism being it's dominant religion. But most folks would put Germany and Italy under that heading. (Although there was nothing Christian about the policies of the Nazis running Germany at the time, of course.)

Of course, the real point is , not all Muslims hate us. Heck, the Saudi royal family is practically in bed with the Bush/Cheney/US oil interests. More importantly, there are many good Islamic Americans who love their country as true patriots.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

There you go proud. Share that Christian love with the world.

220661[/snapback]

More than happy to. Except for the War of the Revolution, how many wars has our country fought against Christian nations?

220672[/snapback]

War of 1812, Civil War (I'll give you a pass on that one), Spanish American War, War World I, World War II.

Granted, recently we have been more at odds with the Islamic nations, but to say that we haven't fought against Christian nations since the Revolution is ignoring a great part of our history.

220674[/snapback]

Who are the Christian nations we were fighting in WWII?

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Who are the Christian nations we were fighting in WWII?

220685[/snapback]

Germany and Italy. Granted, it was more of a fight with their leaders than the people.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Who are the Christian nations we were fighting in WWII?

220685[/snapback]

Germany and Italy. Granted, it was more of a fight with their leaders than the people.

220700[/snapback]

Italy was kind of a third party. I agree that the fight was really with the nazis but in most cases the war is with the leaders/dictators and not the people. That's what I really meant....how many wars have we fought with nations who had any semblance of Christian leadership.