Posted on 05/29/2004 3:13:30 AM PDT by F14 Pilot
Fundamentalist Islamic terror represents one of the most lethal threats to the stability of the civilized world. The existence of Islamic terrorists is the existence of threats to democracy. There is no room for terrorism in the modern world and the United States should take a no-tolerance stance on terrorism in order to avoid another tragedy, along the lines of 9-11. With the added threat of biochemical weapons, the call to defeat terrorism has never been so urgent.
Among Islamic scholars, the concept of jihad ranges in definition from the personal struggle against temptation to holy war. All calls for jihad to create an Islamic state should be rejected by Muslims as heretic and a threat to modern society. The concept of jihad should be reinterpreted for a modern day context in which holy war is obsolete. No holy war needs to be waged; there is no clear and present threat to Islam; the only war that needs to be waged in the modern world is one against terrorists and extremists. Moderate Muslims must wage a battle of the minds against extremists to bring Islam into the 21st century and introduce a doctrine which is compatible with democracy and modern living.
So far, the few Muslims who choose to speak up against militant extremist Islam have faced threats of violence and accusations of being anti-Islam. In effect, the message disseminated by radical Muslims is that merely discussing Islamic terrorism is to be construed as an attack on Islam. Moderate Muslims must not be deterred. They are the only ones who can defeat extremist Muslim ideology and the call for the creation of Islamic states.
The ideological battle against extremist Muslims will not be easy. Since the mid 80s extremist Muslims have quelled criticism against them from peaceful Muslims by adopting popular Muslim and Arab causes. A case in point is the adoption of the Palestinian cause. The issue of Palestine and the perceived suffering of the Palestinians is the single most important issue that unites the entire Muslim and Arab world. No issue evokes the passion of Muslims and Arabs as much as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is so important to Arabs and Muslims that every terrorist group from Morocco to Indonesia seeking legitimacy and a following, places the “liberation” of Palestine at the forefront of their agenda. For example, recall that Saddam Hussein responded to the world’s request that he leave Kuwait by insisting that Israel first evacuate the West Bank and Gaza. Osama Bin Laden also invoked the Palestinian issue to justify 9-11. Iran has made the Palestinian issue its most important foreign policy priority since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. HAMAS, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad justify the murder of innocent Jews by adopting the Palestinian cause.
The clever adoption of the Palestinian cause has made it difficult for peaceful Muslims to attack terrorist organizations such as Islamic Jihad and HAMAS. The real aim of organizations such as Al-Qaeda, HAMAS, Hezbollah and countries such as Iran is not just the “liberation of Palestine” but the creation of a fundamentalist Muslim empire made up of every Muslim nation. This desire to create a Muslim empire is based on the delusion that modernity is a threat to Islam and the idea that the Muslim community has strayed from God and if they were to return to a strict interpretation of Islam that the problems in the Muslim world would be solved. It is this exact mentality spurned of paranoia, ignorance and fear that inspired and supported the Taliban and the creation of a medieval society in Afghanistan.
Moderate Muslims must reject the urgent desire by extremist groups to create a strict Islamic empire as a justification for terrorism. Moderate Muslims must also reject the desire to help the Palestinians as a justification for terrorism. Muslims must reject the use of terrorism under any circumstances and challenge the terrorists’ propaganda machines head on.
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Kamal Nawash is President of the Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism.
PING!
By now it should be clear that "Modern Muslim" is a contradiction in terms. If the Islamists consider Muslims who are willing to speak against them to be their enemies, there won't be any. Unless, of course, the so-called Moderns begin to fear their neighbors, and that day may not be far away.
It's too early to spHell . .
I appreciate Nawal Kawash's courage.
And while we treat them like this, we can't win the war on terrorism.
I appreciate Kamal Nawash's courage, and I hope I got his name right this time.
I'm guessing you didn't find this on the front page of the New York Times.
The truth is that a large number of sane Muslims have bitterly condemned terrorism, urge that it be fought ruthlessly and have done so publicly. There are literally thousands of articles to this effect out there, some authored by some very prominent people.
However, for some reason, it's not considered news, and many Americans are left to suspect that all Muslims are out to get them.
I have no idea why the writings of moderate Muslims speaking out against terrorism have been effectively suppressed, while the ravings of terrorist sympathizers get wide coverage at home and abroad.
But I am pretty sure it's deliberate, with a purpose in mind.
I found it on American Daily, OH. Thought it is good to post such articles to enlighten people's minds.
Islam, without reform, is a cancer that must be eliminated for western civilization (democracy & freedom) to survive.
I have talked to a number of so-called moderate Muslims, who all appear to be sane, polite, reasonable people on the surface. Until the conversation gets anywhere near the subject of Israel or Jews, that is, and then they all go absolutely wiggy.
They can call themselves "moderate" all they like, but they're quite extreme in some areas.
All of us are (CAN BE) quite extreme in some areas too!
That is why there is a CONFLICT. What is your point?
Shall we pander to their beliefs about their mythical "Palestine", simply because they've been brainwashed into insanity on the subject?
Good article. Thanks for the post.
We should let them learn!
No one's stopping them from learning.
It's on them.
Except their own leadership- and our State Dept. isn't doing the average palestinian any favors by letting that regime hang around. The IDF, by systematically killing the leaders, are the average Palestinian's best friend. Hopefully, they will realize it one day.
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