A $100 Million Bet on Pluralism

Americanism vs. Islamism: A personal perspective
Terrorism is simply a means to an end. The only way to defeat a tactic is either to defeat the source completely or to take away the dreams of the enablers.

Monday, January 28, 2008
By Zuhdi Jasser

My venturing into public discussions on the intersection between religion and politics is not something that I chose, but rather something I felt obliged to do after 9/11. Prior to then, I’d been dealing with many of the pathologies within the Muslim community, but as I began to see who was emerging as “spokespersons” for my faith after 9/11, I had to do something; hence the formation of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy.

More than six years after 9/11, we’re starting to figure out that terrorism is just a tactic. The tactic has a goal, a mission, and a dream. Terrorism is simply a means to an end. The only way to defeat a tactic is either to defeat the source completely or to take away the dreams of the enablers. Those dreams, when they are wedded to religion, become the biggest liability for those of us who are embarrassed even talking about religion and politics. What greater incendiary mechanism could there be to manipulate Western society than to cover a fascistic dream in a faith that is a spiritual path for over a billion people? And what better way to insulate itself from criticism than to cover itself in a spiritual guise?

Non-Muslim and Muslim alike, Americans, guided by the Constitution and First Amendment, have always been protective of our faith. One of my heroes growing up was Thomas Jefferson. The Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, engrained in our society a respect for the free practice of religion. Jefferson said, “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” This idea that a person’s relationship with God is his or her own and not the role of government to impose upon citizens is one of the main quarrels that the Islamists and those who ideologically feed the terrorists have with the West.

Unfortunately, many Americans have forgotten that America was founded by people who were escaping religious persecution. America is not just a flag, it’s not just our media, MTV, rock and roll, or blue jeans. It’s an idea of religious and political freedom and the freedom to be and achieve what you want, with equal access to everyone. That access is not dictated by wealth, religion, or any other immutable characteristic. That is what the Islamists fear the most.

“Islamist” does not necessarily mean only terrorists, and the simple condemnation of terror does not make someone necessarily compatible with American and Western ideals. Condemning terror—the targeting of women, children, noncombatants and non-uniformed people for the achievement of political ends—simply brings one to the table of humanity.

The root cause of terrorism is the dreams of the political Islamic state, and we need to understand what that state is. It can be either the fascistic state that believes in the totalitarian or authoritarian imposition of Islamic law throughout society or the democratic Islamic state, which believes in parliaments, elections, and discourse and debate. These two different types of government share the identification of being an Islamic state because the source of law is the same: the Quran and the tradition, or sunnah, of the Prophet.

The sunnah guide my personal life—my last will and testament, my marriage, our marital contract. But that’s something we chose in our own home. To transfer that into government gives clerics exclusive access to law, legislation, and public and legal discourse. If non-clerics want to gain access, they have to become schooled in sharia law. As important as the West’s initiative to democratize the Middle East is, we’re missing the boat if we think we’re going to solve the problems in the Middle East by simply getting those countries to have elections and parliaments. We need to bring forth the ideas of freedom, liberty, and respect for individuals, sometimes over the community. That last principle is one that came in the West’s Enlightenment.

Until Muslims understand that their faith is not threatened by the Enlightenment and respect for the individual, we cannot win this war.

Sometimes when we present these ideas, we present them behind the American flag. But being patriotic doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is looking out for the best interests of freedom and liberty in America. Islamic organizations that purport to represent Muslims may have a vision for America that simply takes our flag and adds a little crescent, turning it into an Islamic state. Some in the Muslim community may call this fear-mongering or exaggeration, but that Islamist community should not be allowed to circle the wagons and rally themselves behind victimization. Rather, they should be engaged on these ideas of the role of religious law in public life. For while the vast majority of Muslims have assimilated and reformed their own practices, by virtue of the way that they live in America, ideologically they have often been given the freedom but not the means, the task, and the challenge to understand what it is that they are living day to day.

As a result, most of the texts on Islamic bookshelves are pre-14th century. Most of the Islamic texts on law, penal codes, civil codes, etc., are based on 14th century law at best—it could be 11th or 12th century. Hence the corporal punishment, the severing of hands for theft, the stoning of women for violation of marital laws, that is still part of Saudi law. This to Westerners is barbaric, but the religious law hasn’t been reformed or advanced to bring it into the 21st century.

One of the primary problems with Islamic reformation issues is the clerical leadership and the imams. Most Muslim families would be dismayed if their son or daughter wanted to study to become a cleric or imam, which is not of the same value to a family as studying medicine, law, or engineering. So the hold upon religious, theological discussion of jurisprudence in faith has been given over to less than the intellectuals in society.

My own family escaped Syria to come to America for ideological, not economic, reasons. After the French pulled out in 1946, my grandfather had tried to be part of the democratization of Syria, which did have democracy for a few years. Then unfortunately, as we saw in many Middle Eastern countries, coup after coup occurred from the early 1950s until finally the last military coup led by the Baathists which ultimately brought Hafez al-Assad to power around 1970. The secular dictatorships are deeply wedded to radical Islam and the Islamist threat in the world. They may seem to be diametrically opposed entities, but the evolution and history of radical Islamist or theocratic movements has been an equal and opposite reaction to the dictatorships in the Middle East—- whether they are the monarchy in Saudi Arabia and the Wahhabis who came out of them, or the dictatorships in Egypt and Syria, for the Muslim Brotherhood, which also fed Hamas in Israel. This is what happened in Iran, with the Shah initially in power, which empowered the radical Islamist movement. All of this is very symmetrical, and that’s why we will not be able to bring Islam into modernity without the removal of many of these governments.

We do not have to do this militarily. We changed Eastern Europe without invading any of those countries and defeated communism without invading Russia. But we need to turn our attention to the dissidents, to those who believe in freedom and liberty, not only democracy. If we align ourselves only with democratic movements, we may end up ushering in parliaments based on Quranic law and facilitating the establishment of Islamic states that may in the short term be more peaceful to us from a strategic standpoint, but in the long term could end up dividing the world into a triangular fashion of China, Islamic states, and the secular Western states.

The conflict is over the correct source of law—Is it the Constitution and natural law or sharia; the lay individual or the clerics, or the individual vs. tribalism or Muslim collectivism?

I’ve tried to go to prayer every Friday, I attend the Ramadan holiday prayers and have probably 70-80 percent of the time found mosques that were not solely about spirituality or about teaching children morality and character, integrity, service, and humility, but rather about politics—domestic and foreign policy, issues that I believe have nothing to do with my relationship with God but rather concern things on this earth. My response in many of the debates I’ve tried to no avail to have with imams is to tell them that if God wanted us to discuss these things, the Quran would have been filled with injunctions about how to run government. But there’s nothing in the Quran about how we should run government. Yet they will take passages that do talk about war, for example, and transpose them out of context, which I believe is about history far more than it is about religion.

Back to my story. Once in the early 1990s, on leave from the military, I went to an Islamic medical association meeting. One of the only other Muslim medical officers was the head of endocrinology at Bethesda. He and I were going to present a paper on hormonal regulation and some endocrine issues at the Islamic Medical Association, which was being held in conjunction with the Islamic Society of North America annual conference. I had never been to a meeting of ISNA, the largest Muslim organization in America. Its annual meetings are attended by 15,000-30,000 Muslim activists. The keynote address was given by Siraj Wahhaj, Imam of Al-Taqwa Mosque in Brooklyn, New York, who was originally with the Nation of Islam and then converted to Sunni Islam. I was pulled into listening to this magnetic speaker, until he began talking about the constitution. He picked up the Quran and said “You know, I was on an airplane and imagine, a Jewish passenger sitting next to me asked me about the Quran I was reading—if Muslims became a majority in America, would we replace the U.S. constitution with the Quran.” He laughed and said, “Can you imagine someone wondering if a document made by humans would be superior to a document made by God?”

I got lightheaded, I sat down, and after he was done I went to the Q-and-A microphone and said, “I’m not sure if you understand American law, but you have just violated the Sedition Act as I understand it. You’re free to disagree with foreign and domestic policy, but you cannot talk about the overthrow of the U.S. constitution and its replacement by another document.” I encouraged other military personnel in the audience to leave, because they were violating their oath to this country. It was in some ways traumatic for me. I had just joined the Navy. But yet they felt that I was overreacting. I feel that it is not overreaction. There are certain things we have to know as a community and as a nation that take priority over other things.

A German judge recently gave a man the right to beat his wife because the husband maintained that it was out of his religious law that he is allowed to practice domestic abuse on his wife. That’s not the Islam I was taught, but if we become a society where once someone raises the flag of religion we stop critiquing it and stop holding him accountable to values that we share as a community, that is the day we begin down the slope of defeat.

As much as some Muslims could say I am mischaracterizing Islam or am too harsh, I think it is important to have the debate. Five years after the ISNA meeting, I met my wife and her family in Cleveland and told them that story. They said “We were there! We heard you say that.” Yet nobody did anything. Nobody stood up and agreed with me, nobody said “We may have a problem.” That same imam then became an alleged unindicted coconspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and later, in 1995, testified in defense of Omar Abdel-Rahman.

There’s a tribal mentality; somehow individuals want to create and advance the ideas of the tribal leaders. The Islamic community has reverted back to pre-Islamic Arabia, to a tribalism that has lost its values. Any time you take an idea in which the ends justify the means, it is basically corruption. Alija Izetbegovic, the president of Bosnia-Herzegovina, said that he was never more Muslim than when he was in solitary confinement under Marshal Tito for 15 years. A Muslim can hear that and think “My rights and freedoms in society are not related to my being Muslim. I have more time to sit and talk to God and be closer to God when I have absolutely no rights and I’m sitting in solitary confinement. Therefore my religion and my piety are unrelated to this earth.”

Actually, the idea that we should be selling—not on the U.S. station Al Hurrah, which actually gets very low ratings in Iraq, but on Al Jazeera, on Syrian TV—is that the way for individuals to be closest to God is to live in freedom. When you live in an environment where people around you are not fasting in Ramadan, where they are not praying five times a day, where I choose to separate from the group and go pray on my own, not in the middle of a gate at the airport demanding for everyone to see me but actually on my own, that actually is more of a demonstration to the God of Abraham, that I’m choosing to do that of my own free will. Thus, the day of judgment, if you believe in a day of reckoning, has more meaning to God. That is to me the message of our founding fathers. The most pious nations and individuals are those who can freely decide whether to act or to practice their faith without coercion from government.

Muslims will say, this is ridiculous, you don’t want religion to inspire what we do? There’s this equivalency where they then give me ten other religious lobbies in America that supposedly mix religion and politics. I’ll say that there’s absolutely no comparison, there’s no moral equivalency between religiously inspired political groups and Islamist groups that have a constructive law as a goal— the nucleus of which is completely different from one based on a human document. The key is that we hold Muslims accountable to what they view the concept of law would be if they became a majority. One finds few or no Christian, Buddhist or Hindu groups who want to bring, e.g., canon law or religious jurisprudence into American jurisprudence. Yet they may be inspired and empowered by their faith, which is very different.

I would then remember de Tocqueville, who said that military dictatorships do not need God, but democracies and lands based on freedom do. Because as you know, in the Middle East, and we see this in Iraq, when countries have lost their values after decades of dictatorship and become corrupt, there’s such a loss of values that corruption has guided and taken over that society making freedom difficult to take hold.

As a result, you have wanton destruction and lawlessness. The only thing that would control that society is some form of martial law. So you need to transition states from oppression to freedom, but that transition needs to be inculcated with values.

At the end of the day, if we believe that those values they’re going to use to drive their ideas are going to be based on morality, that morality has to come from somewhere. If it’s not going to come from Islam, then we’re going to have to convert over 1 billion people to another faith, and that’s not going to work. So that source of values is going to have to be their faith of Islam, which we as Muslims believe is a message from the God of Abraham to Muslims. But that message has to be put in a way that’s consistent with modernity and pluralism.

What can we do as a Western society within our community and what can we do, especially for non-Muslims and other organizations, to help this process along and move it along faster than the five hundred years of stagnancy that we’ve been under?

First, in our own societies, we need to be cautious about permitting parallel societies, parallel courts such as sharia courts where Muslims are given the “freedom” to set up their own legal court system. They would become an incubator for radical Islamism. Canada tried this, and the most vocal voice against sharia courts were Muslim women, even though they were told by the non-Muslims in Canada that “You don’t have to, it’s voluntary.” Once you get swept into this, it’s like fighting domestic violence in our own country. We must prevent the establishment of institutions that cater to that and allow the incubation.

Second, we see many examples like the taxicab drivers in Minneapolis who wanted to be separate from the society, not to carry people who were carrying alcohol, to impose their values on the passengers they picked up. Some may say that making a lot out of these issues is an exaggeration—“you need to lighten up.” But every opportunity I have to highlight examples, of what in medicine we would call pathegnemonic symptoms, of the pathology of Islamism, I will exploit that. Because they are doing the same thing. They are exploiting victimization issues and politics to use what we have now been calling law-fare to get us distracted, to sue individuals who are the biggest threat to their ideas. So that we’re all so busy fighting lawsuits such as the flying imams case (the six imams who filed suit against U.S. Airways in March 2007 for having been removed from a flight in November 2006 after behavior that many have called provocative) to distract us, to continue to divide society between Muslim and non-Muslim and to allow the continued inculcation of this Islamist ideology via Muslim collectivism.

A good example is Carver Elementary School in San Diego, which because of the third of its students who are Muslim wanted to move the lunchtime from 12:30 to 1:30 pm so that they could have their prayers. I wrote a column and on CNN talked about the fact that many of us grew up in public elementary schools praying and doing our own practices of faith without asking for the entire school to change its time schedule. You can step away during a break and practice your faith. Certainly I would not want schools to prevent Muslims from praying, they should be given the space to pray if they need it. Because that’s a personal faith practice. But once that personal faith practice crosses the line into society and starts changing the schedule of the general society or changing the cost to general society to the taxpayers, as we saw with the footbath incidents where the University of Michigan was paying $30,000 to install footbaths, that crosses the line of the founding principles of America. I don’t have a problem with private funding for that if they need it, fine. But not from the taxpayers. For once it comes from the taxpayers, then they should have allotted $30,000 for every other faith group in that university at the same time.

When I was growing up in the 1970s, I don’t remember Muslims asking for any of these things. It has almost become a tool of self-segregation and separating Muslims from non-Muslims so that they can continue this issue of minority politics. It’s becoming very potent and we have allowed it to take over the debate. It soaks up the bandwidth of American attention instead of allowing us to fight for freedom.

Islamic organizations today have only come to notoriety because of America’s fear of terrorism. If terrorism disappeared tomorrow, nobody would care about footbaths, schedules in schools, etc. Focusing on those issues would be the same as if a patient came into my office with lung cancer and I spent my whole time focusing on their cholesterol, headaches, and every other issue except the cancer. The Muslim community for credibility needs to start focusing most of its resources on the root cause of terrorism as a tactic, which is political Islam.

The methods of reform are manifold. First, engage the Muslim community on these issues, get informed about the difference between sharia law and constitutional law, and start to have discussion panels, not the interfaith, “kumbiyah” discussions that legitimize most Muslim communities’ leaders.

I have Frank Gaffney, executive producer of the documentary Islam vs. Islamists, to thank for connecting me with Dr. John Templeton and others. After his film, originally scheduled as part of PBS’ “America at a Crossroads,” was pulled from that series, it was shown on Fox News a couple of weeks ago. Ahmed Shqeirat, the imam who’s one of my main Islamist adversaries in Phoenix, in that documentary alluded to me (though not by name), claiming that I’m a “liberal extremist”. He went on to say that “people like me think we can somehow separate religion and politics and don’t want to acknowledge that every Muslim wants to live in an Islamic state, under sharia law.”

After the showing of the film locally, one interfaith celebration I knew of was cancelled in Phoenix. So people are starting to understand that there is a veneer of moderation from the Islamists. They know how to play the game outside the mosque, but these organizations are lacking on civil rights within their community. It’s a corruption that needs to be exposed. Ultimately, these institutions will disappear quickly once they start to be exposed to the regular American community that pays attention to hypocrisy.

So second, the Muslim community needs to be held accountable to its concept of umma. Umma is a word that is very prevalent in the Quran. It means “nation” or “community.” When an imam talks about umma, in Arabic and in his sermons, it is a threatening concept, because you then wonder at what point does an American Muslim follow the needs of the Muslim nation vs. the needs of the American nation to which he or she is a citizen. The Muslim community needs to “de-ummatize” itself, to really restrict the mechanism by which the umma is invoked. I would personally limit it to our study of theology and learning about the Quran and scripture; to charity that obviously all of our faiths seek to give; to socialization, obviously marriage within the faith is something all of our faiths try to do; and then last facilitating our hajj, our pilgrimage, and other aspects of practice and spirituality including mosques and community worship.

Third, we need to change the dreams. The dreams of most Muslims today are still wedded, because they have come from oppression and dictatorships, to religion, because the mosque was the last institution where they had a little freedom of speech, as long as they didn’t speak against their own government. That’s why the Muslim Brotherhood took over the mosques in Syria, and why the Wahhabis were able to spread texts into most of the mosques in the world, at a cost of $80 billion that they spent on spreading the radical word of Wahhabism. They were able to inculcate this literature into a lot of mosques, under the guise of most of these dictatorships.

We need to change those dreams from dreams of the utopian caliphate or Islamic states that bring them supposedly Islamic freedom to dreams of Western, individual freedom, where access to government and society is open to all. Much of the leadership on this must come from Muslim business leaders, who can argue for the kind of education that is needed.

Next, help us establish institutions. The Western enlightenment happened with the establishment of enlightenment institutions, classically liberal institutions that queried the church and government and began to question authority.

Hold some litmus tests and standards for the Muslims you engage with organizationally. They need to recognize Israel as a state, to stand against radical Islamist groups by name, not by theory, tactic, or condemning terrorism, but by name—Hamas, Al Qaeda and other groups. If they don’t have the moral courage to name the Saudis, the Syrian government, as an oppressive dictatorship, then you have to wonder where their allegiances are. These types of litmus tests are not being done enough even by our own government and the people they attach themselves to.

We need help in what I would call a counter-jihad that is still in its earliest, mitotic cell divisions. There are so many factors affecting the ability of Muslims to really contribute and get involved. One is because of fear—moderates are actually the first to be attacked; because of tribalism, because of the lack of knowledge. There are probably more people in this room who understand sharia than in most of the Muslim groups I’ve spoken to. That’s sad. It’s because the reins of understanding intellectual theology in Islam are just given up by most Muslims.

I will conclude with another Jefferson quotation that talks about the patience with which revolutions happen. “The generation which commences a revolution rarely complete it. Habituated from their infancy to passive submission of body and mind to their kings and priests, they are not qualified when called on to think and provide for themselves; and their inexperience, their ignorance and bigotry make them instruments often in the hands of the Bonapartes and Iturbides to defeat their own rights and purposes.” (Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1823)

Jefferson was talking about our country’s founding. He didn’t end slavery, but Lincoln, who did decades later, probably said it best: “America is the world’s last greatest hope for mankind.” We have to remember the ideas America stands for, that there are millions of Muslims who came here because of those ideas, and if we tell them that Islam is the problem, we will not win the war.

Dr. Jasser is founder and board chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD). A former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, he served in the U.S. Navy as a medical officer from 1988–99. He finished his military service as a Lieutenant Commander with an Honorable Discharge in 1999 and is now in the private practice of internal medicine and nuclear cardiology in Phoenix, Arizona. This enote is based on his September 26 talk as the 12th Annual Templeton Lecture on Religion and World Affairs. Published by FPRI.

ive been speculating for some time that its possible that bin laden will magically reappear right before election time-
give the GOP a shot in the arm to ride into the polls with

Oooopppssa

Correction on prophetic date of Suurender dead-line.

Please Osama Bin Ladin, Al Sawari et al, SURRENDER to the WORLD. The United-Nations TODAY & before July 2008! not-09. but this 08. before July.

Shookron.

IT's Still ALL 'AL TAQIYA' {iSLAMIC ZiONISM via World Domination } to Us!

Smells like Saudi Arabia 'Slush-money' Waha-Bee wanna be to Us!

VOTE:
"O.ne U.niversal R.eligion" Book of TRANSFiNiTY {Reality}. Else,

VOTE:
DOWN with ALL EVERY & ANY Pre-Apocalyptic 'Super-Stupid-Stitious' Competing {divided forever more} MAN-MADE and 'NOT' HUMATE-Made, Religions.

Important: According to APOCALYPTIC "Eclati-ON Prophecy", not PRE-APOCALYPTiC via Off's, that the KABB in SAUDI Arabia {House of Faud cannot stop this either} will see the same fate as the U.S. World Trade Centers, AND

the AL AQSA Gold Dome on Solomons Rocks, in JERUSALEM {Israeli's cannot stop this either} will also see same fate as the Pentagon, in U.S. & elswhere soon soon very soon!

Please excuse this TRuth (opposite of MYTH). It is just Eclatari-ON prophecy. IT has been sai, and thus is been writen by the Holy No-Man via the MELCHiZEDEK PEACE BLESSING...." To reverse THE-CURSE of NOAH Raxist War Blessing, that this Calamity must happen APOCALYPTICALLY. Not the End of the World so to speaketh Brethren(s), Sistar(s), et al.

INCAMERA (secret):
The only way that this calamidy can be diverted or delayed for several generation , is if by JUNE of this Year 2008, if iSLAM, wherever they maybe,

Surrender, give-up, {even Dead or Alive}, bring forth OSAMA BiN LADin & his Lamps Partners of Leaderships, not soldiers} so to speaketh!

Else Good-bye KABBA! Good bye AL AQSA!

Please Osama Bin Ladin, Al Sawari et al, SURRENDER to the WORLD. The United-Nations TODAY & before July 2009!

You will see, you will see iSLAM my LOVE! Wa A Salaam al akkim!

Ya Ya!

M M OOO OOO N N M M A N N !!
MM MM O O O O NN N MM MM A A NN N !!
M M M O O O O N N N M M M A A N N N !!
M M O O O O N NN M M AAAAA N NN
M M OOO OOO N N M M A A N N !!

Bhaskar-

Get out your umbrella..a HARD RAIN's a gonna fall.

Bhaskar Menon wrote:

"The $100 million fund promised at the Alliance of Civilizations meeting might help divert a number of youth from self-destructive cultural/political paths, but it is unlikely to make a dent in the larger problem. That problem has to do with unwarranted feelings of superiority in every cultural tradition, including that of the West. Unless all traditions undergo a process of hard introspection and jettison outdated ideas and concepts, current problems are likely to continue."

Amen to the ideas of Bhaskar Menon. You hit the nail right on the head.

The $100 million fund promised at the Alliance of Civilizations meeting might help divert a number of youth from self-destructive cultural/political paths, but it is unlikely to make a dent in the larger problem. That problem has to do with unwarranted feelings of superiority in every cultural tradition, including that of the West. Unless all traditions undergo a process of hard introspection and jettison outdated ideas and concepts, current problems are likely to continue.

MOONMAN (PBUH)

CCNL & MOODY:

Come to MOONMAN!!!

MOONMAN heals!!!

MOONMAN joins together!!!

MOONMAN shall make you whole!!!

MOONMAN shall heal your heart!!!

MOONMAN shall clear thine eyes!!!

MOONMAN is eternal joy!!!

MOONMAN is eternal peace!!!

MOONMAN is eternal love!!!

MOONMAN is eternal life!!!

MOONMAN!!!

MOONMAN!!!

MOONMAN!!!

I AM MOONMAN!!!

All that is is from I!!!

All you are is from I!!!

I am that I am that you may be as I am!!!

He who knoweth MOONMAN hath eternal MOON!!!

He who knoweth MOONMAN is eternal MAN!!!

He who knoweth not knoweth not MOONMAN!!!

He who knoweth not hath not MOON!!!

He who knoweth not be not MAN!!!

From whence come you? MOONMAN!!!

To whence goeth you? MOONMAN!!!

Rejoice in the MOON!!!

Repent of the MAN!!!

Reedeem thou in I, MOONMAN!!!

Seek not the Bible, for the Bible be not MOON!!!

Seek not the Koran, for the Koran be not MOON!!!

Jesus be not MOON, for he be darkness!!!

Mohammad be not MOON, for darkness is he!!!

Seek thee MOONMAN!!!

Seek thee MOONMAN!!!

Seek thee MOONMAN!!!

MOONMAN be praised!!!

Glory be to MOONMAN!!!

MOONMAN!!!

MOONMAN!!!

MOONMAN!!!

Moody, Moody, Moody,

Still suffering from the Three B Syndrome I see.

I wonder why she has posted her resume here. Is she looking for anther job?

CCNL:

I have seen so many drunkards behaving insane on the loose in the west but hardly experienced any REAL insane person they let loose on the streets!

Do you go out of the place you live? Are you allowed? What is the name of the house you live? OR Do you know what is the name of the street where your house is situated?

NO word on this blog effect your brain, AMAZING!
IT IS FIXATED !!!!!!

Victoria, Victoria, Victoria,

If only you could be like Hirsi Ali!!!!!

From: http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.117,filter.all/scholar.asp

"An outspoken defender of women’s rights in Islamic societies, Ms. Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. She escaped an arranged marriage by immigrating to the Netherlands in 1992, and served as a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006. In parliament, she worked on furthering the integration of non-Western immigrants into Dutch society, and on defending the rights of women in Dutch muslim society. In 2004, together with director Theo van Gogh, she made Submission, a film about the oppression of women in conservative Islamic cultures. The airing of the film on Dutch television resulted in the assassination of van Gogh by an Islamic extremist. At AEI, Ms. Hirsi Ali will be researching the relationship between the West and Islam; women’s rights in Islam; violence against women propagated by religious and cultural arguments; and Islam in Europe.

Professional Experience

-Member of parliament, VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy), the Netherlands, 2003-2006

-Researcher, Wiardi Beckman Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2001-2002

-Interpreter and adviser, Office of Intercultural Communication, Leiden, the Netherlands, 1995-2001

Education
M.A., Leiden University, the Netherlands

Articles and Short Publications
Blind Faiths

Islam's Silent Moderates

My View of Islam

[List All]

Books
Infidel

The Caged Virgin


Events
The Suicide of Reason

Media Appearance
Defiant Infidel



Speaking Engagements
Coming to America

The Role of Journalism Today

Ladies First "

I see no reference to the The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research's displeasure with Ms. Ali. If you cannot produce references supporting your claims about this displeasure, then I recommend the blogs administrators ban you from these commentaries for spreading lies.

Victoria, Victoria, Victoria,

Your comment should have been, "I finally see the truth of it all!!!!! and will adopt ASAP the Five Step Program for "Febrezing and Deflawing" Islam.

Finally then you will be able to shout, "Free at Last, Free at Last !!!!!! "

that last post was mine-

JPMBAC- yes, hirsi ali is indeed employed by the AEI- although they have expressed considerable regret for this- i dont think they realized that she is vehemently atheist.

several of its members have called for her expulsion.
curently, somalia has one of the most weapons per capita of any spot on the planet, and also one of the lowest literacy rates.

but ms hirsi came from a wealthy family and the concerns of the common folk never troubled her.

JPMBAC:

Let me assume that you are correct, and I am being paid and I have nothing else to do. So what? Why don't you tell me if I have said or written anything that is wrong and incorrect? If what I am saying is wrong and you or any other muslim can show it to be wrong, then who would care whether I am being paid or not. The fact that you even raise the issue states that my statements are valid and you could not find a way to show them to be false.

I am not being anti-muslim. I am being very pro-muslim. People need to learn about Islam, Quran and Muhammad regardless of their faith. I urge everyone to read the Quran and to get to know the Sunnah of Muhammad ... especially the muslims.
So instead of trying to cast doubt on my posts by suggesting that I don't care because I am being paid and I will post anything, I suggest you show where I am wrong. Show that and no one will care what I post and whether I get paid for it or not. I am helping many muslims step into the 21st century.

JPMBAC:

Paid for propagating information about the flaws in contemporary religions to the "Net World" billions who are seeking the truth and reality of it all ???? Not here and there are no group associations other than being a concerned ex-orthodox Christian !!!!! Being paid and/or being tainted by group ideology, would also violate all that is good and great about the "Net World" i.e. free and freedom of speech!!!

And many of us do not restrict our criticism to Islam. See below (most have seen this "to the point flaw synopsis, so skip to the bottom of the page if you have).

1. Abraham founder/father of three major religions was probably a mythical character. If he was real, he was at best a combination of at least three men. 1.5 million Conservative Jews and their rabbis have relegated Abraham to the myth pile along with most if not all the OT. http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/ConservativeTorah.htm

2. Jesus, the illiterate Jewish peasant/carpenter possibly suffering from hallucinations, has been characterized anywhere from the Messiah from Nazareth to a mythical character from mythical Nazareth to a mamzer from Nazareth (Professor Bruce Chilton, in his book Rabbi Jesus). Analyses of Jesus’ life by many contemporary NT scholars (e.g. Professors Crossan, Borg and Fredriksen, On Faith panelists) via the NT and related documents have concluded that only about 30% of Jesus' sayings and ways noted in the NT were authentic. The rest being embellishments (e.g. miracles)/hallucinations made/had by the NT authors to impress various Christian, Jewish and Pagan sects.

The 30% of the NT that is "authentic Jesus" like everything in life was borrowed/plagiarized and/or improved from those who came before. In Jesus' case, it was the ways and sayings of the Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Hittites, Canaanites, OT, John the Baptizer and possibly the ways and sayings of traveling Greek Cynics. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/theories.html

3. Mohammed, an illiterate, womanizing, warmongering, hallucinating Arab, also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

This agenda continues as shown by the assassination of Bhutto, the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the Islamic bombers of the trains in the UK and Spain, the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani “koranics”, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases, the Taliban nut jobs, and the Filipino “koranics”.

And who funds these acts of terror? The warmongering, Islamic, Shiite terror and torture theocracy of Iran aka the Third Axis of Evil and also the Sunni "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.

4. Luther, Calvin, Joe Smith, Henry VIII, Wesley et al, founders of Christian-based religions, also suffered from the belief in/hallucinations of "pretty wingy talking flying fictional thingie" visits and "prophecies" for profits analogous to the myths of Catholicism (resurrections, apparitions, ascensions and immaculate conceptions).

5. Hinduism (from an online Hindu site) - "Hinduism cannot be described as an organized religion. It is not founded by any individual. Hinduism is God centered and therefore one can call Hinduism as founded by God, because the answer to the question ‘Who is behind the eternal principles and who makes them work?’ will have to be ‘Cosmic power, Divine power, God’."
The caste/laborer system and cow worship are problems when saying a fair and rational God founded Hinduism."

6. Buddhism- "Buddhism began in India about 500 years before the birth of Christ. The people living at that time had become disillusioned with certain beliefs of Hinduism including the caste system, which had grown extremely complex. The number of outcasts (those who did not belong to any particular caste) was continuing to grow."
"However, in Buddhism, like so many other religions, fanciful stories arose concerning events in the life of the founder, Siddhartha Gautama (fifth century B.C.):"

Archaeological discoveries have proved, beyond a doubt, his historical character, but apart from the legends we know very little about the circumstances of his life.

Bottom line: There are many good ways of living but be aware of the hallucinations, embellishments, lies and myths surrounding the founders and foundations of said rules of life.

(Note: there are analogous flaws in the hundreds of pagan religions and cults but there are so few members and so many versions that it is not possible or of interest to many to list these here. Wikipedia has a good listing. VooDoo with some added HooDoo to say the least is troubling just from the names.)

Concerned The Christian Now Liberated wrote:

"Wow, some of you need some real serious deprogramming of your Islam bred "neuronic locks".

Will somebody enlighten me if it is true that Hirsi Ali was hired by AEI and this fellow and two other paranoid individuals are working full time in posting anti-Muslim diatribe here?

The rapidity with which these individuals come back to post anti-Muslim hate makes me feel that these individuals have no other job and that they are working for some anti-Muslim outfit.

Do you think Hirsi Ali could get an equivalent of $15,000 per annum job in her native Somalia?

I have no idea what the conditions in Somalia are today.

Mullah Revert writes:
"at least i see PAGANPLACE has actually read the article,
her reasoned voice is very welcome"

Mullah ji, Paganplace is a pagan. Why don't you tell her what your Allah has in store for a pagan (and allah considers them filthiest and dirtiest of humans) like her? Why don't you tell her what Islamic Sharia doles out to pagans like her (they don't even get the option of jiziya .. it is "revert" or die)? Why don't you tell her what your prophet did to pagans like her (he burnt their eyes, cut off their limbs, and denied them water as they bled to death)?

Go ahead tell PaganPlace what Islam holds for Wiccans and other pagans, please, pretty please!!

Victoria, Victoria, Victoria,

Your comment should have been, "I finally see the truth of it all!!!!! and will adopt ASAP the Five Step Program for "Febrezing and Deflawing" Islam. Free at Last, Free at Last."

well the ususal suspects have shown up to spread their prejudice-

does anyone even read the excellent articles mr patel writes?
at least i see PAGANPLACE has actually read the article,
her reasoned voice is very welcome and im glad shes shown up to be a neutral third party witness.

Anon:

You quote Quran 49:13 with Allah telling he created all mankind from a single pair or man and a woman!! How can your Allah be so ignorant of biology and evolution? Mankind did not come from a single pair of man and woman. Do you understand just that verse is sufficient to show that Quran is not the word of an all knowing God? The rest of your arguments are the usual hash that muslims throw up to cover the actual history of Islam and the actions of Muhammad. Halozcel's answer covers it pretty well.

Truth writes: "and those who refuse oneness of God and associate partners with Him will qualify as mushrik"

So are hindus and buddhists mushrik by definition? They spend all their time trying to define what is "oneness" or not? Then what about the quran's verse against those christians who associate Jesus with God or the jews who associate Ezra with God? How about the Wiccans or the Pagans? How about the animists around the world?

Truth, the fact is that the Quran condemns anyone who does not accept Muhammad as the prophet and there is enough written by Muslim over the centuries that condemn all non-muslims as Kafirs. I understand it is a little uncomfortable for the muslims in a global village to label all non-muslims as kafirs and then have to live with the Quran. But you cannot lie your way out of it. You cannot say "unfortunately some muslims" ... muslims are going to need to be truthful to themselves and to the kafirs to have any credibility.

Anonymous,Jan 18,2008 2:14 AM,

What you write is completely cotton princess tale and sophistry.

5.48,exact notion *you shall judge by which Allah revealed(only islam and quran).5.48 has no any correlation with *pluralism*.
You say *Allah doesnt want to impose one law on all*.Wrong,on the contaray,Allah strongly impose one law/islam to all and hates and curses non-muslims.
3.85 says *islam is only religion*
The COW chapter 2.161 says *those who rejects faith(only islam),on them is the curse of Allah.
8.12 says *I will cast fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve(non-muslims).Therefore strike off their heads*
5.48 contradicts 5.51 and 4.76(such as many others)

You say *all religions*(?),according to islam(after islam) there is only one religion/faith.Islam curses Trinity and Son of God and rejects Crucifixion.Islam loves *muslim christ* and *muslim moses*.
You also say *truth revealed through other scriptures*(?).Deadly wrong.Islam strongly refuses *Bible* and *The Law*.The only truth and scripture is quran.
Yes,only truth describes trinity as *Father,Son and Mary* is it ???

99.7 addresses only and only to muslims.Non-muslims can not even dream Paradise.
*No compulsion in islam* 2.256.Lets have look;
-Islam intervenes sexual organs(both men and women)
-Islam intervenes what you eat and drink.
-Islam intervenes what you do in your bed(do you know *halal position* and *haram position*)
-Islam intervenes what you dress(headscarf and black wrap compulsive)
-Islam intervenes your marriage and inheritance.
-Five times worship in a day,the fasting,Hajj and animal sacrify(absolutely stone age ritual) are compusive.
In that case,is there compulsion or not.Let the readers judge.

29.46,exact notion.If you submit Allah(only Allah) you will be saved,otherwise if yoy believe in Trinity,Son of God or The Law,forget Paradise.

*Allah raised prophets as bearers to Mankind*No,not all mankind.Allah and God(s) love semitic people very much,because all prophets sent to them.Allah didnt send any prophets to Chienes,japaneses,Red Indians(Allah never loves Sitting Bull,He didnt save them),Hindus,Africans,Turcic people and German Clans etc. Is this Justice of Allah ? Dont Allah love rest of Mankind(much more then so-called people of Book)

Constitution of Madina is a Myth.What you call Madina Cost. was the tale of Ibn Ishaq.
Human Rights.Which Human Rights ?
Islam rejects individual freedom 33.36
Muslim excels non-muslim and men excels women.
Islam rejects Apostacy.
24.2 says *scourge a hundred stripes adulterer and adulteress*
Man can divorce his wife whenever he likes,but she has no right to do so.
Are these Human Rights ???

Anonymous:
You are using this blog to deliver a sermon without having the courage to even use a pseudo name. This long drawn babbling with some referenced quotes and some unreferenced ones do not prove anything. As I maintained many times earlier that the Quran is like a supermarket; you could find in it whatever you like to find. No wonder why over 69% of its Suras have outright contradictions.
You quote an unreferenced verse from Quran which according to you says “If Allah had willed He could surely have made you all one single community…” as a proof that Islam preaches pluralism, and it is only that the Muslims misunderstood the interpretation. Well then how about Quran 9:29 that incite the followers of Muhammad to fight the ‘unbelievers’.
You quote another verse that says “no compulsion in religion” which is diametrically contradicted by many other verses including 9:29 cited above.
The Quran itself admits that if “it has contradictions it could not be from Allah”. We cannot disagree to that. Therefore we could not use different verses from that book and claim Allah said this and Allah said that to prove anything. Otherwise we would be working according to the principle RI=RO (Rubbish in equals rubbish out).
You would be much better off trying to prove the pluralism in Islam by citing historical facts, if you can.

Wow, some of you need some real serious deprogramming of your Islam bred "neuronic locks".

The following Five Step Program for "Febrezing and Deflawing" Islam should be of tremendous help.

Using "The 77 Branches of Islamic "faith" a collection compiled by Imam Bayhaqi as a starting point. In it, he explains the essential virtues that reflect true "faith" (iman) through related Qur’anic verses and Prophetic sayings." i.e. a nice summary of the koran and Islamic beliefs.

"1. Belief in Allah"

"aka as God, Yahweh, Zeus, Jehovah, Mother Nature, etc." should be added to your cleansing neurons.

"2. To believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah Most High created these things and subsequently they came into existence."

Evolution and the Big Bang or the "Gib Gnab" (when the universe starts to recycle) are more plausible and the "akas" for Allah should be included if you continue to be a "creationist".

"3. To believe in the existence of angels."

A major item for neuron cleansing. Angels/devils are the mythical creations of ancient civilizations, e.g. Hittites, to explain/define natural events, contacts with their gods, big birds, sudden winds, protectors during the dark nights, etc. No "pretty/ugly wingy thingies" ever visited or talked to Mohammed, Jesus, Mary or Joseph or Joe Smith. Today we would classify angels as fairies and "tinker bells". Modern devils are classified as the demons of the demented.

"4. To believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true. However, apart from the Quran, all other books are not valid anymore."

Another major item to delete. There are no books written in the spirit state of Heaven (if there is one) just as there are no angels/"pwtfft"s to write/publish/distribute them. The Koran, OT, NT etc. are simply books written by humans for humans.

Prophets were invented by ancient scribes typically to keep the uneducated masses in line. Today we call them fortune tellers.

Prophecies are also invalidated by the natural/God/Allah gifts of Free Will and Future.

"5. To believe that all the prophets are true. However, we are commanded to follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) alone."

Mohammed spent thirty days fasting in a hot cave before his first contact with Allah aka God etc. via a "pretty wingy thingy". Common sense demands a neuron deletion of #5. #5 is also the major source of Islamic violence i.e. turning Mohammed's "fast, hunger-driven" hallucinations into horrible reality for unbelievers.

Accept these five "Febrezers" and we guarantee a complete recovery from your orthodox Islamic ways!!!!

Ask if Anonymous 18 Jan 2008 2:14 AM is writing of Imam Pamela K Taylor.

Unto every one of you We have appointed a (different) law and way of life. And if Allah had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but (He willed it otherwise) in order to test you by means of what He has given you. Vie, then, with one another in doing good works! Unto Allah you all must return; and then He will make you truly understand all that on which you were wont to differ."

This is very seminal statement in favour of religious and legal pluralism which Muslims, specially the Muslim regimes, have not considered seriously. Many classical as well as modern commentators have commented on this significant verse. The most significant and operative part of this verse is "Unto every one of you have We appointed a (different) law and way of life. The term `every one of you' obviously denotes different communities. Every community - obviously religious or religio-cultural community - has its own law (shir`atan) and its own way of life (minhaj) and i attains its spiritual growth in keeping with this law and way of life of its own. The term shir`ah or shari`ah signifies, literally, "the way to a watering place" (from which men and animals derive the element indispensable to their life), and in the Qur'an to denote a system of law necessary for a community's social and spiritual welfare. The term minhaj on the other hand, denotes an `open road' that is a way of life. (See Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an, Gibraltar, 1980, PP-153)
"And if Allah had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community'. It was not difficult for Allah to make entire mankind one community. But Allah graced us with pluralism as it adds richness and variety to life. Each community has its own unique way of life, its own customs and tradition, its own law. But these laws or way of life should be such as to ensure growth and enriching of life, howsoever different and unique they might be. Allah does not want to impose one law on all and creates communities rather than community.

Allah has created different communities on purpose: to try and test human beings in what has been given to them (i.e. different scriptures, laws and ways of life). And that test is to live in peace and harmony with each other which is the will of Allah. The differences of laws and ways of life should not become cause of disharmony and differences. What is desirable for human beings is to live with these differences and vie with one another in good deeds.

In the last part of the verse Allah says that unto Him all will return and it is He who "will make you truly understand all that on which you were wont to differ." Thus it is not for human beings to decide for themselves who is right and who is wrong. It will lead to disturbances and breach of peace.

This verse has also another important dimension. It leads to what some scholars like Shah Waliyullah and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad from India have described as the concept of wahdat-e-Din i.e. unity of religion. The earlier part of this verse (5:48) says, "And We have revealed to thee the Book with the truth, verifying that which is before it of the Book and a guardian (muhayman) over it." This is also very significant pronouncement and most modern in its approach. .All religions are based on the revelation from Allah. The Qur'an has come to be guardian of earlier truth revealed through other scriptures.

The Qur'anic pluralism finds different expressions in different places. "For each community there is direction in which it turns, so vie with one another in good works." (2:148) All commentators from companions of the Prophet down to others interpret this as a reference to the various religious communities and their different modes of `turning towards God' in worship. Ibn Kathir, in his commentary on this verse, stresses its inner resemblance's to the phrase occurring in 5:48 (discussed above) "Unto every one of you have We appointed a (different) law and way of life".

This verse also makes a very significantstatement: "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is the one who believes in Allah, and the Last Day, and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and gives away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to these who ask and to set slaves free and keeps up prayer and pays the poor rate; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in the time of conflict; and these are they who keep their duty."

Thus the above verse proves beyond any doubt that the real aim of the Qur'an is to produce an ideal human person who is virtuous, is sensitive to others suffering and hence spends of his wealth on the needy, on setting slaves free, taking care of orphans, is true to his word and is patient in times of distress and conflict. And only such persons are truly muttaqun i.e. God conscious and keepers of their duty to Allah.

The Qur'an does not take narrow sectarian view as many theologians tend to do. Its view is very broad humanitarian and its emphasis is not on dogmas but on good deeds. And it strongly condemns evil deeds which harms the society and humanity at large. In this respect also it makes no distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims. Thus the Qur'an says in 4:123: "It will not be in accordance with your vain desires nor the vain desires of the people of the Book. Whoever does evil, will be requited for it and will not find for himself besides Allah a friend or a helper." Thus no one, Muslim or the people of the Book, can claim any exception from this iron law of Allah; one who does good will be rewarded and one who does evil will be punished. Elsewhere the Qur'an states, "So he who does an atom's weight of good will see it and he who does an atom's weight of evil will see it." (99:7)

The Qur'an is very particular about freedom of conscience and freedom of conscience is key to pluralism. The Qur'an clearly states that there is no compulsion in religion (2:256) and maintains that all children of Adam are honourable (17:70). It does admit of inter-religious dialogue but with decorum: "And argue not with the People of the Book except by what is best, save such of them, as act unjustly. And Say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him we submit." (29:46)

The Qur'an lays great stress on unity of humankind. It says in 2:213, "Mankind is a single nation. So Allah raised prophets as bearers of good news and as warners, and He revealed with them the Book with truth, that it might judge between people concerning that in which they differed. And none but the very people who were given it differed about it after clear arguments had come to them, envying one another. So Allah has guided by His will those who believe to the truth about which they differed."

The theme of oneness of humankind is repeated in the Qur'an in different ways. We are told that all human beings have been "created of a single soul" (4:1); again that they are all descended from the same parents (49:13); still again that they are as it were dwellers in one home, having the same earth as a resting place and the same heaven as a canopy.

Apart from oneness of humankind the Qur'an also lays stress on racial, linguistic and national identities. These identities are projected as signs of God. "And of His signs", the Qur'an says, "And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colours. Surely there are signs in this for the learned." (30:22) Thus diversity is projected by the Qur'an as sign of God and hence to be respected. Different identities are for recognition and hence necessary. In the verse 49:13 it is said, "O mankind, surely We have created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may know each other." Thus national and tribal or for that matter other identities are necessary for knowing each other and it should not lead to any conflict. Thus different identities are product of national and tribal diversities and play a useful social role. Thus the Qur'an clearly accepts the legitimacy of diversity.

It also makes it clear quite forcefully that all places of worship should be respected and protected. The Qur'an states, "And if Allah did not repeal some people by others, cloisters, and churches, and synagogues, and mosques in which Allah's name is much remembered, would have been pulled down." (22:40) It is significant that Qur'an maintains that be it church or synagogue or mosque, Allah's name is much remembered in these places. No single religious place is being privileged in this respect.
The Prophet of Islam when he migrated from Mecca to Medina found himself in a pluralist situation. There was religious as well as tribal diversity. He not only accepted this diversity but legitimised it by drawing up an agreement with different religious and tribal groups and accorded them, through this agreement, a dignified existence and rights of their own. this agreement is known in history of Islam as Misaq-i-Madina
This is writing of Muhammad the prophet between the believers and Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib (Madina) and those who follow them and are attached to them and who crusade along with them. They are a single community distinct from other people."

This agreement can be called the constitution of Madina and it was definitely a milestone which sought to lay the foundation of a new political and religious culture. What is significant to note in this agreement is that all together - Muslims of Quraysh from Mecca, Muslims of Madina belonging to the tribes of Aws and Khazraj and Jews belonging to different tribes - together constituted a single community - an Ummah. The agreement was also quite democratic in spirit. The Holy Prophet did not claim to be the ruler of this community. The emigrants (Muhajirs) were, in fact, treated as a clan, and the Prophet was their chief, and there were eight other clans with their chiefs. If the Constitution is a good evidence at this point, he was only marked off from other clan chiefs on two counts: firstly that for the group of believers i.e. Muslims he was a prophet and whatever was revealed to him was binding on the believers; secondly, the Constitution states that 'whatever there is anything about which you differ, it is to be referred to God and to Muhammad'. The idea seems that the holy Prophet should act as arbitrator between rival factions and maintain peace in Madina. The Qur'an also describes as one of the functions of the prophet as an arbiter. It says: "And for every nation there is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, the matter is decided between them with justice , and they are not wronged." (10:48)

It is interesting to note that the eminent Muslim theologians of India represented by Jami'at ul-'Ulama-i-Hind had cited this constitution of Madina drawn up by the holy Prophet in support of their acceptance of composite nationalism. They opposed separate nationalism based on religion advocated by the Muslim League. They argued, citing the Constitution of Madina, that the Prophet had accepted different religious and tribal groups as part of a single community - ummah wahidah . The Medinese society was, thus, a democratic civil society which had tribal, religious and racial diversity.

The modern democratic civil society cannot become a strong stable and prosperous conflict free society unless religious diversity or pluralism is accepted as legitimate way of life. It is unfortunate that most of the Muslim countries do not adhere to this spirit of pluralism and diversity in the Qur'an and sunnah. The extremists and fundamentalists among the Muslims in these countries attack the spirit of pluralism and want to create a monolithic society.

Many socio-political doctrines which we consider as 'pure Islamic' and worthy of emulation today developed during medieval age when mulukiyat (personal and monarchical power structure) had become all pervasive and the Qur'anic values and Islamic spirit were hardly practiced. There was of course no question of any concept of civil society because the ruler was all powerful and followed his own personal whims or went by compulsions of power rather than the injunctions of the Qur'an. Also the arrogance of power and all pervasive authoritarian atmosphere also influenced for formulation of Islamic political doctrines. These medieval doctrines can hardly have any validity today.

It is for the Islamic political theorists of today to develop new political theories which are in keeping with the Qur'anic injunctions and sunnah on one hand, and takes the realities of modern world, on the other. There need not be any sharp contradiction between the two. The concept of civil society which respects autonomy of a citizen and his/her religious, cultural and political rights does not, as shown above, in any way, contradictory to the Qur'anic injunctions. Human rights respect the dignity and freedom of conscience of every individual. The Qur'an clearly states that all children of Adam have been honoured (17:70). This of course includes right to live with dignity and to promote ones own religious, cultural and linguistic or ethnic interests.

The words 'kafir' and 'mushrik' have definite historical connotation and should be used with great caution and restraint. Unfortunately many Muslims use these terms very loosely and describe every religious other as kafir or mushrik. These being terms of contempt are resented by others. Only those who refuse to accept truth in any form and negate good (ma'ruf) completely and advocate munkar (evil) would qualify as kafirs and those who refuse oneness of God and associate partners with Him will qualify as mushrik. And, it is also important to note, even kafirs and mushriks would have civil rights as long as they do not cause any disturbances in society and maintain peace. The Qur'an has given the kuffar also the right to worship in their own way and have heir own beliefs. The freedom of conscience cannot be taken away form any human person, whatever his or her beliefs. Thus it will be seen that Islam does not come in the way of promoting a pluralist civil society ensuring dignity and freedom of conscience to all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takfir_wal-Hijra

Takfir wal-Hijra (Arabic تكفير والهجرة - Excommunication and Exodus) is a neo-Khawarij Muslim Jihadist extremist group which emerged in Egypt in the 1960s as an offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood. Today Takfir wal-Hijra has members or supporters in several other countries, allied to Al-Qaeda[citation needed]. In Spain the group is also known as Martyrs for Morocco.

Members of the group are radical Islamists who are not bound by the usual religious constraints. They adopt non-Islamic appearances such as shaving their beard and wearing a tie in order to blend into crowds and make themselves hard to detect even to other Muslims. They can drink alcohol and even eat pork to deceive their enemies. They believe that any means justify the end and, that killing other Muslims can be justified in their cause and that Western society is heathen and it is their duty to destroy it.[1]

Little is known about the current organization or hierarchy of the group. Several groups which adhere to the same ideology have possibly used the name independently of each other.

Contents [hide]
1 The meaning of Takfir wal-Hijra
2 History
3 Ideology
4 Activities
5 Alleged members and supporters
6 International Opposition
7 References

[edit] The meaning of Takfir wal-Hijra
The word Takfir means to judge somebody to be a kafir, based on their behavior resembling the behavior of infidels. So to commit Takfir is to claim that a society has deviated from the teachings of Islam, and therefore label it as a kafir society or as an infidel society. Hijra means flight or emigration or leaving; thus, if a society is pronounced to be an infidel society, the members of Takfir wal-Hijra see it as their duty to separate from it and conspire and act to destroy and conquer it.

The peace that Eboo celebrates was epitomized by the Grand Mufti of Syria in his speech to the EU parliment:

http://kleinverzet.blogspot.com/2008/01/grand-mufti-speeches-at-eu-warns.html
Opening his address, the Grand Mufti stressed that "there is one single culture" in the world, the culture of humankind. Indeed, he said, "we are all building one culture, so I do not believe in the conflict of cultures".

BUT at the same time the threat of killing and violence if anyone dares to not kow-tow to Islam as he warns Netherland:

"Should it come to riots, bloodshed and violence after broadcating the Quran movie by PVV-leader Geert Wilders, then Wilders will be responsible.

This was said by the Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassoun, Tuesday in the European Parliament, where he gave a speech at the invitation of the fraction presidents.

If Wilders tears up or burn a Quran in his film 'this will simply mean he is inciting wars and bloodshed. And he will be responsible', according to te Grand Mufti.

Al Hassoun thinks it is 'the responsibility of the Dutch people to stop Wilders'."

Islam's message is clear and unambiguous from the days of Muhammad as given by the famous hadith:

"Anyone insults the Prophet, kill him".

Question Islam, Quran, or Muhammad and you cannot hold the muslims responsible for all the killings and fires, and destruction. So shape up and submit to the blackmail of random bloodshed and terrorism.

Kasim Ali:
Yo say "Do not compare the Industrialized nations with Underdeveloped Muslim countries.......". I did as you suggested and my research onfirmrd your thesis that being a predominantly Christian nation does not guarantee it being among the developed nations, such as Haiti and Liberia etc.Yet at the same time I also found out that being a predominanty Muslim state is a sure guarantee that it will be underdeveloped. Sure some city states in the Arabian Gulf have fancy buildings built by petrodollars and slave laborers from around Asia, but that is not what we mean by being developed.Do we?

Craig Writes:
"This is the most telling of all the statements in your post, I think. The simple fact of the matter is, whether anyone likes it or not, Europe is multicultural AND multifaith. To ignore this reality is to invite disaster"

Of course. That is a given with 25 different nationalities making up Europe and at least a 400 years history of religious wars blood letting ... somebody would have to be stupid to disagree.

The real disaster that Europeans would bring upon themselves would be if they do not insist on "free speech" without compromise with Islam as the new faith on the continent. Islam does not share the history of the other faiths and does not subscribe to either free speech or even a spirit of accommodation. The Global Village will become bloodier and bloodier with thousands of Van Gogh with Islamic knives through their throats if the special nature and character of Islam is not recognized. Open and free examination of Islam, Quran, and Muhammad must be a minimum that Europeans must demand, else they are courting inevitable dhimmitude.

Time to update our War on Terror and Aggression:(or why we are spending billions of USA taxpayer money to keep terror and terrorists in check):

A Partial Body Count

1) 9/11, 3000 mostly US citizens, 1000’s injured

2) The 24/7 Sunni-Shiite centuries-old blood feud currently being carried out in Iraq, 4000 US troops and 80,381-87,792 Iraqi civilians http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

3) Kenya- In Nairobi, about 212 people were killed and an estimated 4000 injured; in Dar es Salaam, the attack killed at least 11 and wounded 85.[2]

4) Bali-in 2002-killing 202 people, 164 of whom were foreign nationals, and 38 Indonesian citizens. A further 209 people were injured.

5) Bali in 2005- Twenty people were killed, and 129 people were injured by three bombers who killed themselves in the attacks.

6) Spain in 2004- killing 191 people and wounding 2,050.

7) UK in 2005- The bombings killed 52 commuters and the four radical Islamic suicide bombers, injured 700.

Other elements of our War on Terror:

1. Saddam, his sons and major henchmen have been deleted. Saddam's bravado about WMD was one of his major mistakes.

2. Iran is being been contained. (beside containing the Sunni-Shiite civil war in Baghdad, that is the main reason we are in Iraq. And yes, essential oil continues to flow from the region.)

3. Libya has become almost civil. Apparently this new reality from an Islamic country has upset OBL and his “crazies” as they recently threatened Libya. OBL sure is a disgrace to the world especially the Moslem world!!!

4. North Korea is still uncivil but is contained. With the opening up of rail traffic between North and South Korea after 50 years and with the assistance of the US Navy in retrieving NK ships and personnel, a fresh sense of civility is afoot.

5. Northern Ireland is finally at peace.

6. The Jews and Palestinians are being separated by walls. Hopefully the walls will follow the 1948 UN accords and the Annapolis Peace Conference is at least somewhat successful.

7. Bin Laden has been cornered under a rock in Western Pakistan since 9/11.

8. Fanatical Islam has basically been contained to the Middle East but a wall between India and Pakistan would be a plus for world peace. Ditto for a wall between Afghahistan and Pakistan.

9.Timothy McVeigh was executed. Terry Nichols will follow soon.

10. Eric Rudolph is spending three life terms in prison with no parole.

11. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Kaczynski, the "nuns" from Rwanda, and the KKK were all dealt with and either eliminated themselves or are being punished.

12. Islamic Sudan, Darfur and Somalia are still terror hot spots.

13. Although a bit dated, the terror and torture of Muslims in Bosnia, Kosovo and Kuwait were ended by the proper application of the military forces of the USA and her freedom-loving friends.

14. And of course the bloody terror brought about the Japanese, Nazis and Communists was with great difficulty eliminated by the good guys.

And God bless the Democratic and Republican Presidents of the USA and our men and women in the USA military who have led and are leading this fight for our continued safety.

Queen Noor never fails to impress me, for what that's worth.

I'd double-down on that bet. :)

As for Concerned saying:

"One should spend the proposed monies ($200 million) on feeding the poor in places like the Sudan and Somalia that are being ravaged by koranic conflicts."

The way you talk, it could almost be worth a couple thousandths of an Iraq war, or a bailout of predatory lenders, or the fiftieth part of a corporate CEO tax cut, or a Tomahawk missile or two.

Great point. :)

CONCERNED CHRISTIAN NOW L:

Are you really liberated? Your writings suggest that you are wrapped in a Cheddor of hate, prejudice, and down right bigotry--not exactly the qualities a liberated individual will possess.

Eboo Patel - "And Europe needs to face the fact that there is no turning back from the immigration of the past several decades. It is now a multicultural/multifaith continent, and needs to embrace that fact fully."

This is the most telling of all the statements in your post, I think. The simple fact of the matter is, whether anyone likes it or not, Europe is multicultural AND multifaith. To ignore this reality is to invite disaster.
Excellent article, btw...optimistic, yet realistic!

Thanks,
Craig

The Islamic world cannot engage in honest dialog. It cannot. The dialog between the Muslim world is not "cultral" but religious, as the muslims will endless tell that Islam is not a religion (madhab) but a complete way of life (deen).

Europe has nothing to fear from the cultures of the muslim countries. But it must insist on open examination and criticism of all religions including Islam, its Quran and its prophet Muhammad. Islam cannot tolerate and cannot withstand and open examination. Without insisting on complete freedom of speech on issues concerning Islam, Quran and Muhammad there is no dialog what so ever.

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http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JA15Ak03.html

The Muslim world will continue to treat Koranic criticism as an existential risk, and apply whatever pressure is required to discourage it - albino monks presumably included.

But that is not the end of the matter. The Islamic world is forced to adopt an openly irrational stance, employing its power to intimidate scholars and frustrate the search for truth. It is impossible for Muslims to propose a dialogue with Western religions, as 38 Islamic scholars did in an October 13 letter to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders, and rule the subject of text criticism out of the discussion.

Precisely for this reason, Church leaders see little basis for a dialogue with Islam. Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, who directs the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, told the French daily La Croix, "Muslims do not accept discussion about the Koran, because they say it was written under the dictates of God. With such an absolutist interpretation, it's difficult to discuss the contents of the faith."

Throughout the Internet, Islamist sites denounce the work of a handful of marginalized scholars as evidence of a plot by Christian missionaries to sabotage Islam. What the Muslim world cannot conceal is its vulnerability and fear in the face of Koranic criticism.
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Rubbish.

That is the old dream sold by the pencil pushers in Belgium to earn a few petrodollars. The trojan horse under which the Europeans allowed terrorism to penetrate and with which they will have to live for years and years to come all came under the cover of "multicultralism". Islam is incapable of multicultralism, and the proof lies in the simple fact that while Europe changes its laws and opened its borders, not a single law accommodating multicultralism was ever modified in any muslim country. Here is what is reality instead of some more lulling music to put the kafirs to sleep:
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http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JA18Ak03.html
But in light of this, Iran could use the terrorism weapon to punish European nations. For example, the Ahmadinejad letter was also a warning to French soldiers present among the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon contingent in southern Lebanon. Also, it is very likely that Iran could use its proxy, Hezbollah, to orchestrate a terror campaign in Europe or against European interests around the world, as it did in 1986 in the streets of Paris.

At the end of November, British authorities confirmed that some Hezbollah sleeper cells disseminated throughout the United Kingdom were threatening to strike in case of attacks against Iran. Iran financed the Hezbollah cells at the onset of its nuclear program, expecting an armed conflict. These cells are just awaiting Tehran's orders to strike. And Europe might well be the first target.
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It is upto the kafirs of Europe. If they are tired and wish to die, then they will listen to the soporific nonsense and not see the facts on the ground. Look at the actions of the Muslim world, look at their laws, look at how they treat the non-muslims, and judge from that what awaits the kafirs in reality. Not one single law, in one single muslim country has been changed to give the non-muslim minority an even break.

Kassim,

OK, good idea, lets change to read:

One should spend the proposed monies ($200 million) on feeding the poor around the world.

With respect to educating the Muslim masses, all one needs to do with hardly any expenditure is post the following on every pillar of every mosque:

"Unfortunately, an historical analyses of Islam, has shown without doubt that our founder Mohammed, was an illiterate, womanizing, warmongering, greed-driven, hallucinating Arab who also had embellishing /hallucinating /plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

We the leaders of Islam apologize for this obvious brainwashing and resultant violence over the last 1400 years. A new "Febrezed and deflawed" koran is being prepared. In the meantime, please review the laws and codes of the ancients (e.g. http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/humanrights/timeline/timeline1.cfm and follow them in your normal activities and interactions with your fellow personkind. "

The "concerned Christian now liberated" demonstrates his total lack of knowledge about 1400 years of Islam. Civilizations learn and grow from each other - there is even amongst Western scholarship a deep appreciation for Islamic Civilizations' contribution to the development of Western Civilizations. If you want to cite examples of Sudan and Somalia, then why don't you look at the poverty levels of all the nations in American Southern Hemisphere. Yes, make comparisons between developing nations, and not between the developed western world and much of the under-developed Muslim nations! Look at Haiti, Mexico, El Salvador etc. And the many African nations that are predominantly Christian.

I don't see anything inapproprite or second class about secular values. They are real. not imaginary like spiritual values are, and they are freely chosen, not dictated to by some mystic,under threat of eternal damn nation.

"Interfaith," an acronym for secular values.

My recommendation would be have Turkey as a major alliance to the EU, however do not provide the full EU membership. This would mean. Having a common economic basis, but still restrict the free flow of citizens between the EU and Turkey.

IT would be a win - win for both state. I don't think Turkey wishes to embrace the European culture and neither would Europe

One should spend the proposed monies ($200 million) on feeding the poor in places like the Sudan and Somalia that are being ravaged by koranic conflicts.

With respect to educating the Muslim masses, all one needs to do with hardly any expenditure is post the following on every pillar of every mosque:

"Unfortunately, an historical analyses of Islam, has shown without doubt that our founder Mohammed, was an illiterate, womanizing, warmongering, greed-driven, hallucinating Arab who also had embellishing /hallucinating /plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

We the leaders of Islam apologize for this obvious brainwashing and resultant violence over the last 1400 years. A new "Febrezed and deflawed" koran is being prepared. In the meantime, please review the laws and codes of the ancients (e.g. http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/humanrights/timeline/timeline1.cfm and follow them in your normal activities and interactions with your fellow personkind. "

Test

Turkey and the European Union:
It seems to me that Europe is rejecting the membership of Turkey. Turkey's history runs counter to the principles that Europeans cherish. It subjugated its colonies and taxed them back into the Stone Age. Sure it rejected the Caliphate and separated its Mosque from State but have not moved further along the path of modernity and there are signs that it is reverting back to its old habits. It would much better for her to be part of the Middle East where it would be more like a big duck in a small pool rather being part of Europe where it will be like a small duck in a big pool.