Louis Palme / Sep 06, 2016

ISIS

The pace of Islamic intolerance and terrorism has increased in recent years, much to the alarm of peaceful, nominal Muslims who want nothing more than to enjoy the benefits of secular, democratic societies. The retrograde forces include the Salafists of Saudi Arabia and the fundamentalists of the Muslim Brotherhood – both parties straining to preserve a submissive Muslim base in the event that Muslims gain political strength sometime in the future.  (Ideologue Sayyid Qutb called this abiding with provisional rulings of the Quran until such time that Muslims can implement the final rulings, i.e., jihad.) Now respected Muslims are saying, “Enough is enough.” They are urging Islamic scholars to, once and for all, rid the ideology of its 7th Century calls for perpetual warfare against non-Muslims (jihad) and its draconian Sharia Law.  Here is what Muslims are telling to fellow-Muslims:

Muslims against Terrorism:

122 Muslim Scholars -- In September, 2014, these scholars penned a 17 page “Open Letter” to the self-appointed Caliph of ISIS, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, listing their 24 specific condemnations of the acts and declarations of ISIS. (http://www.lettertobaghdadi.com/14/english-v14.pdf ) Among other charges, the scholars declared, “It is forbidden in Islam to ignore the reality of contemporary times when deriving legal rulings.”  In other words, applying 7th Century Quranic precedents of killing, torture, enslaving, and converting through force to the 21st Century is erroneous and forbidden.

Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi  -- On January 1, 2016 (Muhammad’s birthday), el-Sisi spoke to imams of the prestigious fount of Islamic thought, Al Azhar University, calling for a religious revolution.

“It is inconceivable that the thinking that we hold most sacred should cause the entire Islamic world to be a source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction for the rest of the world. . . . This [ideological thinking] is antagonizing the entire world. It’s antagonizing the entire world! Does this mean that 1.6 billion people [Muslims] should want to kill the rest of the world’s inhabitants – that is 7 billion – so that they themselves may live?  Impossible!”

Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S., Yasser Reda – On August 24, 2016, the ambassador wrote an Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal urging the international community to confront the Muslim religious leaders who promote the ideology of terror. He specifically named the Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

Citing the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights, Ambassador Reda said it “generates an obligation on governments to protect society against views and opinions that promote extremism and incite violence. . . . The global fight against terrorism will remain incomplete as long as the international community fails to mobilize to destroy the intellectual fuel that justifies the evil of terrorism.”

Muslims against Sharia Law: 

Centuries after Muhammad’s death, several schools of religious thought used the Quran and the recorded words and actions of Muhamad to develop written codes of laws and regulations covering all aspects of life from birth to death.  One example of the accumulated laws is “Reliance of the Traveler,” compiled by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri in the 14th Century.  It fills 600 pages and it is identical with 75% of all the Sunni religious schools of thought.  However, the provisions of this “Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law” are hopelessly out-of-date.  It still stipulates using pebbles instead of toilet paper, it prohibits photographs of people, and Islam’s sacred days are based on a lunar calendar which has been abandoned by most of the world.  Critics of Sharia Law insist that it must be reviewed and revised with every generation.

Kamal Nawash, President, Free Muslims Coalition -- “The very concept of Sharia as a tool of governance violates the Quran: Muhammad’s only duty was to give warning (Surahs 5:92 and 99, 6:48, 7:188, 13:40, 18:56, 46:9, 33:45, and 88:21);  Muhammad was not supposed to be the keeper or guardian of the Muslims (Surahs 6:66, 6:107, 10:108, and 88:22). In these verses, the Quran clearly declares that the only responsibility of Prophets was not to govern, but only to deliver God's message. Even the word "Poygamber" (Prophet) comes from the word "Poygam" (Message).”  (http://freemuslims.org/document.php?id=2098 )

Abou El Fadl, Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law -- He says that the Quran itself seems to deny there is one sharia for everyone to obey: `To each of you God has prescribed a Law [Sharia] and a Way. If God would have willed, He would have made you a single people. But God's purpose is to test you in what he has given each of you, so strive in the pursuit of virtue, and know that you will all return to God [in the Hereafter], and He will resolve all the matters in which you disagree. [Quran 5:48]’  He goes on to explain that today’s codes of Sharia Law are  entirely man-made, written by Muslim scholars according to their various schools, based on their best understanding of how the Qur'an should be translated into codes of law.  He would hold that each generation must consider what is truly righteous behavior based on the present circumstances.  For example, he has stated, “In my opinion, hijab in this country is clearly not a fard (a legal obligation) and no sin is acquired for failing to wear the hijab.” (Source: http://www.scholarofthehouse.org/drabelfafaon.html)

Raheel Raza, President of Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow -- “We Muslims do not need or want institutionalized laws, a parallel legal system or sharia in the West.  Religion is, and should be, a personal relationship between ourselves and our maker. . . I have made it my life’s mission to educate others on this topic and to wrestle back my religion from the clutches of extremists who wish to make sharia the law of the land.”  (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raheel-raza/muslim-woman-activist-to_b_11761630.html)

Shireen Qudosi, American Muslim writer, founding editor of Quodosi Chronicles – The burkini has nothing to do with Islam or faith. . . The burqa is a totem of feminist oppression. . .Islam and faith is something you carry in your heart; it isn’t something you wear. (Source: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/08/25/dont-be-fooled-burkini-has-nothing-to-do-with-islam-or-faith.html )

burkini

Governments are also taking action:

Germany – In December, 2015, the German police arrested Sven Lau, a Salafist extremist preacher on charges of supporting a foreign terror group, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (JAMWA) a Nusra Front affiliate.  He was helping young people leave for Syria to join the war.

If convicted, he could face up to ten years in prison.

Great Britain – After 20 years of preaching hatred and intolerance, Islamist firebrand Anjem Chaudary was charged with supporting the Islamic State.  He was accused of sending messages to his 32,000 social media followers encouraging them to join the Islamic State.  He has also called on Muslims to quit their jobs and live off of welfare, which he considers jizya – a tax imposed on non-Muslims. He had been getting $38,000 annually in welfare benefits. He was recently convicted and sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison.

India – Charges of inciting terrorist acts are to be filed against Islamic tele-evangelist Zakir Naik and his NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).  Several convicted terrorists have conceded that they were motivated by his speeches.  The IRF will be charged with spreading hatred between religious communities through public speeches, activities, and forced conversions by its members.

United States –

  • From May, 2014, to October, 2015, U.S. law enforcement agencies have arrested 66 Muslims for terror plots or for attempting to join ISIS. Typical punishments range up to 20 years in prison.  (Source: Daily Mail, November 19, 2015)
  • The Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act has been cleared for a House vote later this year. The bill would freeze the Brotherhood assets and effectively outlaw its front groups. Those groups include the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America, the North American Islamic Trust, and the Muslim American Society.  
  • A new bill has been introduced into Congress, the Religious Freedom International Reciprocity Enhancement Act (H.R. 5824), which makes it unlawful for foreign countries to finance religion in the U.S. if those countries prohibit free exercise of other religions in their countries. This would prevent Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries from financing madrasas, mosques, and institutions like CAIR because those countries ban all religions except Islam in their countries.

Bahrain, Egypt, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates – All of these countries have declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization.  Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah decreed jail terms of up to 20 years for anyone belonging to "terrorist groups" or fighting abroad.

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