Beheadings Cause Grief for French Muslims

UPI | June 21, 2004 | Uwe Siemon-Netto

[auzerais]

Beheadings cause Muslims grief

By Uwe Siemon-Netto
UPI Religious Affairs Editor

BORDEAUX, France, Jun. 21 (UPI) -- European specialists on Islamic affairs fear that the beheadings of Americans and other foreigners in the Middle East will trigger a severe anti-Muslim backlash.

"These barbaric acts have been catastrophic for the prospects of Muslims in France," said Bruno Guiderdoni, one of the country's foremost Koran scholars. "A discernable shift has occurred in public attitudes," he said. "Its most dangerous aspect is a new hostility even among the once-liberal French intellectuals against our religion."

Two years ago, a three-judge panel cleared bestselling author Michel Houellebecq of inciting racial hate for describing Islam as "the most stupid religion." Later he explained: "I have never displayed the least contempt for Muslims. But I have as much contempt as ever for Islam."

Last fall, Claude Imbert, founder and editor in chief of the newsmagazine Le Point, declared: "To be honest, I am somewhat hostile to Islam. I am not embarrassed to admit that."

To Guiderdoni, such blunt remarks from members of the intellectual elite are alarm signals. To observers it seems that Europeans no longer buy into statements of disassociation by prominent Islamic leaders such as Dalil Boubakeur, president of the French Council of Muslim Faith.

Boubakeur said: "Islam is not a religion that beats women, kills kids and desires the death of the West. What shocks the French is ... even more of a shock to us." Muslim extremists have by now beheaded three Americans and are threatening an abducted South Korean and a European -- possibly German -- journalist with a similar fate. This comes on top of the slaughter of thousands of women and children in Algeria, once an integral part of France, a few years ago, and the persecution of Christians in the Sudan and Muslim-controlled northern states of Nigeria.

Says Guideroni, who is also research director of the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, "Our image is disastrous." It is so because of the popular acuity of a "divided Koran" on issues such as human rights and interfaith tolerance, says Christine Schirrmacher, head of the Institute on Islamic Affairs in Bonn Germany. On the one hand, the Muslim Holy Book counsels a broad-minded attitude toward other faiths, insists Sheikh Mohammed Mohammed Ali, a Shiite Muslim scholar who is currently running for a seat in the new Iraqi assembly.

On the other hand, the Koran clearly advises the faithful to slay and main infidels: "Strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them" (Surah 8:12).

In a telephone call from Baghdad, Ali explains that under religious law decapitation is only permissible if approved by a ranking scholar whose role would then be comparable to that of the Supreme Court of the United States. "Nobody in al-Qaida has this competence. None has even ever attended an Islamic university or similar institution."

But then who in the Islamic world possesses such indisputable authority? According to Schirrmacher, it is one of Islam's most troubling problems that it lacks hierarchies, bishops or councils comparable to the leaderships of Christianity. In other words, al-Qaida acts as its own court sentencing people for "murder" on the basic assumption that in the current conflict -- as in the struggle between Palestinians and Israelis - nobody is innocent.

That is to say, just as all Israelis are presumed "guilty" because they have or will have children serving in the army, so do Americans "aid and abet" the slaughter of Muslims by paying taxes or, as in the case of the slain American hostage Paul Johnson, working with helicopters that might be used against Muslims.

As Guiderdoni sees it, his moderate "European" form of Islam ranks among the first casualties of this barbarian way of thinking. "The radical Islamists accuse us of treason, while Christians and others see us as wolves in sheep's clothing. They distrust us now. They are more and more convinced that all we are trying to do is to lull Westerners into believing that Islam is harmless."

This leaves the field to radical Islam, Guiderdoni fears. "The West no longer accepts that we have something to contribute. There is no longer any space for moderation."

This is an extremely serious situation, Guiderdoni and Germany's Schirrmacher agree, because it leaves Christian partners in the interfaith dialogue in a lurch. In France, lay members of the Catholic and Protestant churches are increasingly turning against what they see as gullible bishops and senior pastors kowtowing to Muslim interlocutors not truly interested in theological exchange.

In Germany, resentment is building against church and state authorities dialoguing almost exclusively with radicals and entrusting newly endowed chairs of Islamic studies at the nation's universities to their fanatical branch of the Muslim faith.

"Add to this the public perception of Muslim immigrants as an arrogant, close-knit community whose members will not learn our language but always act as if our state owes them something," says Schirrmacher. "God forbid terrorism will strike here as it has in the United States, Spain or the Middle East! I dread to ponder the consequences."

[sandbar]

>"God forbid terrorism will strike here as it has in the >United States, Spain or the Middle East! I dread to ponder >the consequences."

Aaaahhh, only then will it be a reason to act? Why should we sit and take it if you aren't willing to Frenchy baby?

[Alia]

They fear a backlash!???

I think it is guaranteed.

[America's Resolve]

The only way this all ends is if Islam hunts these butchers down and kills them, kills anyone who murders in the name of Islam. They need to use that oil wealth to set up hit squads to murder the murders as horribly as their victims are being murdered.

Islam needs internal reform as in the Christian reformation. But that's not possible. Islam has the DELUSION that the Koran is the "perfect" book and it can't be changed. Therefore is Islam trapped in the 7th century. They've made no progress since then and they will make none into the future, all because of the Koran. They can STEAL other people's progress such as guns, explosives and cell phones, but they're not allowed to create.

Anyone who's not doing what the terrorists are doing, is disobeying the Koran and Allah.

It's them or us!

[Shaun_MD]

The purge is coming, and it's coming fast.

[Selene]

"Muslim extremists have by now beheaded three Americans"

Three? Wrong.

My count is much higher. I also "count", slitting throats, dragging bodies behind cars and hanging bodies from bridges.

[Chgogal]

Non, non, non, France. Nein, nein, nein, Deutschland. It is forbidden to act unilaterally.

[B Knotts]

The clock is ticking...and it will not be much longer before it gets very ugly in Europe.

This article has made me suspect that it will happen sooner rather than later. I am no great fan of Islam, but it is a sad truth that many innocent Muslims will get caught in the middle.

Even among the impotent Europeans, it seems that self-preservation is a basic human instinct, and it will again assert itself. Once it does, however, it is hard to control.

[squarebarb]

This is beyond bizarre. The grief was caused to those whose heads were cut off in thier last terrible moments.

Islam causes its adherents to become psychopaths.

[oyez]

As Dick Nixon once said, "If you are shooting rats, you need to be a good shot."

[STFrancis]

I work as a Computer Security Professional and we have been seeing a BUNCH of spam coming out of Germany lately that are basically extremely anti-muslim/foreigner. It's gettting kind of insane actually as we have at least 5-10 people reporting new emails a day.

All with the same storyline. Middle-Eastern/Muslim immigrant committing crimes and the .gov not doing much about it because they don't want hurt feelings. Makes me wonder who over there is stirring the pot?

Trust me on this one. IF there is a terrorist attack in Germany similar to Spain look to "Bild" for what will happen. If "Bild" is wanting the heads of the terrorists committing this act on a silver platter it is going to get UGLY real quick for Muslims in Germany. Cause while everyone kind of smiles and shakes their head at this rag it is INCREDIBLY influential because EVERYONE reads it....

[Eastbound]

"In a telephone call from Baghdad, Ali explains that under religious law decapitation is only permissible if approved by a ranking scholar whose role would then be comparable to that of the Supreme Court of the United States. "Nobody in al-Qaida has this competence. None has even ever attended an Islamic university or similar institution.""

What an incredible admission. Decapitation is permissible under religious law with the approval of a ranking scholar. Holy shiite, Batman! These folks really do have a blind spot.

This should silence the moderates who claim beheadings are not part of the Islamic belief. The problem is that there is no one group in Islam that might be considered a counterpart to the USSC, and that really leaves the door open for any group to call for a beheading on religious principles alone. So it's pretty late in the game for all of Islam to get their heads together and establish a 'supreme court.' It'll never happen because Islam would loose the 'stick' in it's carrot/stick approach to converting the world. It would lose it's 'bad guy' in it's 'good guy, bad guy' routine.

Yup, it's a holy war, and President Bush got it right the first time. It is a 'crusade.'

[lainde]

Bloody barbarism with the seal of approval from the College of Beheadings. I got it now!

[Savage Beast]

"Christians and others see us as wolves in sheep's clothing. They distrust us now. They are more and more convinced that all we are trying to do is to lull Westerners into believing that Islam is harmless."

This is true. The Islamic concept of taqija has not helped. Before 9/11, the people of the world respected Islam as "one of the world's great religions" and believed the best about Muslims. Today the people of the world distrust Muslims and have little or no respect for Islam.

Those who commit such sins as murder, suicide, terrorism, revenge, mutilation, torture, and slavery obviously serve Satan and not God. Those who commit such acts in the name of God commit the ultimate blasphemy. Most of the people of the world know this, and most of the people of the world want to serve God and repudiate Satan.

Some Muslims have flagrantly committed such sins in the name of God and in the name of Islam. While speaking of service to God and the nonviolence of Islam, they have committed violence and brutality unsurpassed in history.

How Muslims who worship God and endeavor to serve Him will resolve this conflict remains to be seen.

But they cannot blame the people of the world for having profound skepticism, suspicion, and distrust under the circumstances, especially inasmuch as they have learned to serve and worship God in peace, in the absence of violence, in love, and with respect for His world and His people.

[Eastbound]

""A discernable shift has occurred in public attitudes," he said. "Its most dangerous aspect is a new hostility even among the once-liberal French intellectuals against our religion.""

Heh. The poor guy would have a stroke if he was aware of the changing sentiment towards Islam in the U.S.

Looks like the French may beat us to it in 'Hoovering' the red carpet and rolling it up.

[Chgogal]

You are 100% correct. "Das Bild" is the newspaper that unifies Germany. Unbelievable but true.

[Savage Beast]

The people of Germany and France and the rest of Europe are the kinsmen and the allies of Americans. They are to be respected. It is past time that Americans and Europeans cleansed themselves of the decadence of the Left and reclaimed the healthy, ascendant heart of Western Civilization.

[jongaltsr]

Muslims fear that we will eventually come to understand their real intent. They keep quiet in hope that we will cover their evil acts with our "Liberal" justifications and hatred for the power and ideals America represents. "Liberal" thinking makes such accomodations almost daily.

Eventually reality pressures them to make a statement to defend their LACK OF ACTION and it ends up being an "Oh Poor Me - Everyone Picks on Me, etc..

"Islam respects the human being, dead or alive, and cutting off the American's head was an act of mutilation forbidden by Islam," Ibrahim Al-Fayoumi, a member of Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Academy, told IslamOnline.net. He cited a number of verses from the holy Qur'an which affirm giving due respect to dead people regardless of their race or religion. However, Fayoumi suspected the whole episode was "an American propaganda to divert attention from the scandal of the U.S. military abuse of Iraqi detainees".

We need to do two things to fight back.

(1) Recognize the problem for what it is - deceit with no intent to change but rather deceit with the intent to deflect any blame that is due.

(2) Act on that knowledge. Make sure that we hold them responsible, not by one by one example but rather in mass.

Treat them in the same manner that their religion (if you want to call it that), treats us infidels.

[A CA Guy]

Well, if the Muslims are all upset that they will maybe get the backlash of all this, then they should have thought of making grand statements condemning this practice years ago.

This built up at least in part because their own community did not scream NO and MURDER when they happened.

[tkathy]

The muslims are so soulless that they only seem to be unhappy with how others perceive them. They do not seem to grasp the enormity of the beheadings while fiends screech "allah akhbar".

[claudiustg]

---Also, he condemns the beheadings not because they are evil and morally reprehensible, but only because they "have been catastrophic for the prospects of Muslims in France." ---

It's very sad and it seems to echo through their reaction to one tragic brutality after another. There is only the concern about how this will effect them. Contrast that with the outburst of rage that seems to occur with the slightest hint of humiliation.