'We Need People Who are Capable of Fearlessly acknowledging that Terrorism Nests within Us'

MEMRI ^ | September 22, 2004 | Mundir Badr Haloum

[Stoat]

Syrian Professor: 'We Need People Who are Capable of Fearlessly Acknowledging that Terrorism Nests within Us as Muslims and that We Must Exorcise It'
 

Mundir Badr Haloum, a lecturer at a Syrian University, wrote a column in the Lebanese daily Al-Safir stating that Muslims today are responsible for terrorism around the globe, and calling for Islamic religious reform in order to bring Muslims back onto the stage of history not through suicide attacks, but rather by other means. The following are excerpts from the column: [1]

'Ignominious Terrorism Exists, and One Cannot but Acknowledge its Being Islamic'

"Twelve Nepalese citizens are slaughtered – Islam. A metro station is bombed – Islam. Civilian aircraft crash – Islam. A school is taken and the souls of 50 children [are lost] for the soul of [each] terrorist – Islam. A bus is bombed here, a railway train there, and before that there were hospitals and theaters, etc … all of them Islamic acts. [Behind] the color green are exposed rivers red with blood, flowing in the streets and public squares. And Muslims everywhere.

"Islam is in the names of all of the organizations that decapitate using knives, all the while saying the Fatiha [the first chapter of the Koran, said as a prayer] before the slaughter. The victims are butchered in the Islamic way … Christians, Buddhists, and Jews… After all, they are only infidels, fuel for the blaze, enemies, or potential enemies, or the friends of enemies, or their neighbors, and so on. The soul has no value and the body parts are laid out and displayed on the tables of Islam … Islam … Islam. The Islamic press searches for something that will absolve 'Islam' of the crimes of the Shahada [martyrdom]… It is Islam that adorns television screens with body parts… Islam – whether those who praise its mercies like it or not – is the foul odor of the putrefaction of Islamic history and its stench, as well as [being] other things that are honorable, which some people like and others do not…

"Ignominious terrorism exists, and one cannot but acknowledge its being Islamic. Anyone who is unable to bear its ignominy and wishes to absolve himself of the ugly mark of terror which is stamped in our soul … must scrutinize the recesses of his mind and search out there the terror that conceals itself behind pretty and misleading names…"

 

'What Gets Passed on from One Generation to the Next is the Belief in Legal Rulings that Forbid Thought and Permit Killing'

"Self-examination … would result in favor of abandoning Islam … yet what gets passed on from one generation to the next is … the latest version of Islam – Algeria, Afghanistan, Moscow, and New York, the version of the planes and the buses, the metro stations, the theaters and the residential complexes. What gets passed on from one generation to the next is the faith of Jihad that takes lightly the spilling of others' blood. How easy it is to shove someone into the category of the enemy. What gets passed on from generation to generation is the belief in legal rulings that forbid thought and permit killing… Religious Muslims prepare an offering to heaven – a fresh bit of human flesh, meant to be evidence of the truth and the proof of Jihad for the absolute truth.

"Indeed, we as Muslims produce terrorism, succor it, and praise it. We condemn it only when forced to. Motivated by considerations of power, interests, and diplomacy, we wear a pained expression on our faces but in our hearts we rejoice at the brilliant success - a large number of casualties. Unfortunately, in this black reality it does not matter if it is an American, Israeli, or Russian mind who is responsible for certain terrorist operations … or whether those who kill themselves are poor, ignorant, or destitute …"

 

'Reform is the Only Path to Our Return to History as Muslims and Not as Terrorists'

"This is a reality that must be acknowledged as a first step toward a non-terrorist Islam … an Islam that teaches the values of truth and justice… Islam as a religious establishment is today in need … of a precise definition of its position between earth and heaven, between this world and the next. If it chooses the earth, it must accept the laws of politics that regulate earthly affairs, and must leave the holy to those who occupy themselves with the affairs of heaven. If it chooses heaven, it must leave politics and earthly affairs to those who find interest in them. He who cleaves to both realms undoubtedly [chooses] terrorism and certain death…

"Islam is in need of true reform. Islam's need [for reform] – or, to be precise, our need for Islam's reform – is not less than the need for reform in the Arab political regimes… This is the need for people who are capable of fearlessly acknowledging that terrorism nests within us as Muslims and that we must exorcise it… Unfortunately, the meaning of delay is more death… The reform will take a long time and the price will be high, but it is the only path to our return to history as Muslims and not as terrorists…"
 

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[1] Al-Safir (Lebanon), September 13, 2004.

[baltodog]

Too late...I forced myself to watch the video yesterday.

How are these people going to change? What can we possibly do to show them that our way is the right way?

This is the beginning of the end, as far as I am concerned. It's a good verses bad battle that only Jesus will win.

[Travis McGee]

Too little, too late, I'm afraid. These few thinking Muslims will only find themselves beheaded or blown up.

We're going to find out, sooner or later,

If Abdul will pray, to a glowing crater.

[FITZ]

I don't think they can reform Islam to make it into some tolerant kind of religion --- they need to just face that and work on ways to convert out --- right now they can't convert into better religions because the others would kill them --- that's what the Koran instructs them to do with those who would leave Islam. In reality, it's a death penatly against any who criticize in any way the mullahs and imans or Islam --- there is no freedom of thought.

[The_Reader_David]

I would hold out some hope for Islam's reformation. Unforunately for us and for many of the benighted followers of Mohammed, the way to it probably lies through a war and a defeat of Islam's pretentions as shocking as the seige of Munster was to the originally warlike Mennonites who wanted to establish the Kingdom of God on earth by force of arms, but after their defeat became strict pacifists, or the atomic bombing and unconditional surrender of Japan was to the devotees of official Shinto who subseqently embraced the no-war constitution given Japan by the American victors with surprising zeal.

Warlike religions reform when they learn that war does not avail. A complete and utter defeat of the Islamists is, paradoxically the kindest thing we can do for the Muslims, as well as a necessity for our own preservation.

[kanawa]

Bump for tomorrow

I've had more than enough islam for one day

[Names Ash Housewares]

I didnt watch the videos, but what I read I liked. If Islam has a future, its going to have to start with words like this. It is not without great risk he says these things. I dont expect miracles. And people get mad at me for this next statment. We are not going to win this war *without* muslims. How many police have been killed in Iraq? Were those that came to visit Bush in the Oval office tortured by Saddam not muslim? How many Iraqis helped us in this war? Been murdered because of it? That is fact. If these words are true we must encourage it, sometimes it just takes one person to start a movement for the better.

The middle east demographic is very young people, there is a chance here ok. thats all Im saying. A beginning. You cant just wipe an entire religion from the face of the earth. The terrorist are islamo-facists monsters. YES, Kill them. But not people that yearn to be free too just because they are muslim. Its just not that simple. You cant condemn an entire religion because of the evil acts of some. Can we condemn catholicism for burning witches? for killing people because they said the Earth revolved around the sun? Not all catholics supported those things back then. Not all muslims support terrorism. Yes Many Iraqis support us. Even if it is only 10 percent that is A LOT of people who are muslim on OUR side. And it will grow with time. And it will be because of our very brave President.

Now here is where someone always responds with pictures of people celebrating 9-11, eating candy, pictures from the WTC, beheadings, etc. YES I KNOW. It exists. Its evil. That is what we are fighting. Evil. NAZIs were christians, So What! That does not make christians evil does it? Judge people by their deeds. Not their religion. Each human being deserves that. Private Ryan was rescued because of a muslim. We are stronger with good muslims on our side then without them. We need them. We need translators. We need freedom loving muslims to help us. We need them to be Americas eyes and ears where we cannot go.

Iran allowed Fahrenheit 911 to be shown, (big surprise) But listen to what this Iranian said..........

"They are showing this film to erase from our minds the idea that America is the great saviour," said Hirad Harandian, another cinemagoer at the uptown Farhang cinema.

My God! THAT is what we are fighting for. This man understands. WE can do it. Dont give in to blind hate. That is what the enemy does.

Im pretty sure President Bush would agree.

[Names Ash Housewares]

"Private Ryan was rescued because of a muslim."
Sorry, Private Lynch.

[Travis McGee]

Individual muslims might convert out, but the vast majority are islemmings, heading for a sea cliff.

[FITZ]

I would hold out some hope for Islam's reformation.

There would still be the problem of the Koran --- it directly commands them to kill all Jews and Christians and force the world into submission to them --- the Arabs and follow the ways of the pedophile thug rapist named Mohammed who murdered many innocent people himself.

Islam can go the way of previous religions like those of Moloch and Baal and the Aztecs'. Not all religions have to survive --- some cannot change enough to be worthwhile having around.

[FITZ]

I think if their clerics and those who follow them were taken out, most --- the ones we refer to as the peaceful moderates would just forget Islam quickly enough. I read somewhere recently that many of the youth of Iran are now agnostics.

I don't think there is too much hope for many Arabs because to them Islam is their nationalism --- it's all about Arab supremacy and Arab control over the world but I can see the non-Arab Muslims reverting back or finding other belief systems.

[Travis McGee]

Radical islam is the essence of islam. It won't be defeated by going after indivuduals, that's like trying to attack a field of grass by clipping a few of the tallest blades. It'll be defeated when allah is shown to muslims conclusively to be an impotetent faker.

[FITZ]

Yes --- I agree with that --- going after the people --- either as a group or individuals isn't going to be that effective --- we'll have to do more than that --- Mecca at some point needs to be destroyed --- then they have nothing to bow down to and nothing to worship.

[Travis McGee]

It ends at mecca. The question is, how many millions will die first?

[omstrat]

Sounds to me like they are getting nervouse these days .It would take a long time for me to trust ANY pretense of sincerity from the Moslem community.

[Travis McGee]

I'm starting to wonder what "moderate" muslims are thinking when they are looking at you. How you would look with your head being cut off? I can't trust them, I just can't, since lying to infidels to promote islam seems to be SOP.

[FITZ]

I'm starting to wonder what "moderate" muslims are thinking when they are looking at you.

Much of the problem the Muslims have is when they first came here, it was usually just to universities and they also tend to come to big cities like Detroit. They looked around and thought they had us pretty figured out --- we looked like squishy liberals from what they saw at the universities --- a people ripe for a take-over. Too bad for their own sakes they didn't get a look at the other America --- because they're going to find their efforts have been for nothing --- they should be seeing on our faces now a look that shows we're not going to allow them to take this country and force us under their domination.

[Valin]

"They who judge by the group are peawits, We take men one at a time."
Sgt. Killrain (The Killer AngelsMichael Shaara)

[Travis McGee]

Yep, there's steel under the jello in this country, which they will discover in time.