The "Muslims Speak Out" forum was very useful and an important contribution to dialogue and understanding. I was particularly interested in the remarks of Egypt's Grand Mufti, notably his contention that in Islam there is "no compulsion to believe." Others made similar assertions and many said that the word "jihad" has been misinterpreted by the radicals.
If that is true and not simply fodder for Western consumption designed to make us lower our guard, what the "moderate" Muslims must do to demonstrate their seriousness and desire to take back their faith from the radicals is to conduct a "jihad" against the extremists, their mosques, their schools and their media which regularly preach and teach doctrines directly opposite what most of those in the "On Faith" forum have written.
"By your fruits you shall know them" says a text from another "holy book." Unfortunately the "fruits" of contemporary Islam as witnessed by much of the world are intolerance, discrimination against all "unbelievers" and women and a plan for world domination and the subjugation, or execution, of "infidels." If the Muslim faith has been hijacked, it is incumbent upon those whose faith is being held hostage to liberate that faith from the kidnappers.
There is an important doctrine in Islam with which most Muslims are familiar. It is
the Arabic word, "Taqiyya." It means "to prevent," or guard against.
The principle of Al-taqiyya (also called taqiah, Al-takeyya, Al-taqiyah, or kitman) conveys the understanding that Muslims are permitted to lie as a preventive measure against anticipated harm to one's self or fellow Muslims.
This principle gives Muslims the liberty to lie under circumstances that they perceive as life threatening. They can even deny the faith, if they do not mean it in their hearts.
The QUR’ANIC JUSTIFICATION is as follows:
"Let not the believers take the disbelievers for friends rather than believers. And whoever does this has no connection with Allah unless it is done to guard (Takeyya) yourselves against them, guarding carefully. And Allah cautions you against His retribution. And to Allah is the eventual coming." (surah 3:27-28)
“Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters Unbelief - except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.” (surah 16: 106)
I very much want to believe that the majority of the world's Muslims are peaceful, tolerant and wish to worship their God as they please without threatening those who believe differently. But I see the infiltration of Western societies, the building of mosques and madrassas that teach hate for Jews, "cross worshippers" and "polytheists" and who call for "holy war" against all those who practice a different faith, or have no faith.
I am called a "bigot" and worse for saying such things, but neither my faith, nor those who believe as I do, have the problem that Muslims have. Just as it would be up to me and my fellow Christians to root out those who violently misrepresent our faith, so it is now incumbent upon the Muslims who have written for "On Faith" to do the same with radicals in their midst. Otherwise, one has the right to question whether they are being sincere, or disingenuous, even deliberately untruthful.
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