Hooded al-Qaida Thugs Real Enemies of Islam

Whatever the beheadings of Daniel Pearl and Nicholas Berg left untold, the recent beheadings of American Paul Johnson and South Korean Kim Sun-il certainly clarify, for those who remained uncertain, what our country is up against. As a Muslim, it also clarifies what my faith is up against.

These acts are not those of humans, nor even animals. These acts are demonic, pure and simple.

The kidnappings and beheadings join the litany of gruesome savagery that has been done in the name of my religion - Islam. I am filled with incalculable sorrow, but it also stiffens my resolve to no end.

As much as the hooded demons of al-Qaida are enemies of freedom, they are enemies of Islam.

The terrorist ideology, clothed in religious jargon, is similar to that of Stalin's Russia or Hitler's Germany. It is all based on one thing, destroying the spirit and will of others through fear and chaos so that a brutal ideology may reign supreme.

It is only through freedom that we can get closer to God. Faith is when man freely chooses to relate to God, and is not dictated to do so by the commands of others.

This is diametrically opposed to what Islamist fanatics believe. Their belief is medieval, just like those beheadings that are torn out of the pages of medieval history. They think that through the terror of the sword, they can kill and intimidate people into believing as they do.

But they will not win. They are, in fact, a dying breed. This recent gruesome series demonstrates that they feel the terminal nature of their militancy. They are the dinosaurs of the modern era. They may, and probably will, still inflict tremendous damage as they continue to exploit our freedom. But their day is fading. These fanatics can only destroy. They cannot create. They cannot bring prosperity or happiness. All they can do is manufacture rage and a cowardly exploitation of religion.

For too long, the so-called leaders of the Muslim world have, for the most part, remained quiet in the face of these atrocities. Their reprimands have been continually couched with qualifications or passive platitudes, but the time for denial is long over.

The South Koreans have responded by dispatching 3,000 more troops, which sends an unmistakable message that targeting innocents only raises the resolve of freedom-loving nations to extinguish al-Qaida.

My resolve and the resolve of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) is, in fact, exponentially magnified. I see a two-headed poisonous snake, against which our resolve is necessary. One head, not of this world, is violently militant and must be defeated on the ground; the other is oppressively theocratic and must be defeated in public discourse.

For their vicious killers, Nicholas Berg, Paul Johnson and Kim Sun-il were merely pawns in their game. Their real enemy is freedom. Their actions are meant to silence and intimidate people of good faith. But they will not succeed. If we have seen one thing in the titanic battles played out in the 20th century, it is that the forces of tyranny and oppression will eventually lose to the forces of freedom.

"If that is the case why doesn't ISLAM recognize who Israel belongs to? Why is the case for Adultery "Death" why do they believe in Martyrdom? this is taught in the Koran."

1) Everything belongs to God.
2) Read the Old Testament re: adultery
3) Why do Christians believe in Martyrdom? The faith was founded on it and it is revered in the Bible and the saints.

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"Some Jews and Christians might differ on there belief who Jesus is, but they both are civilized faiths that respect the Ten Commandments, democracy and realize the GOD of Israel is the GOD of the world."

Same thing with Islam, although it will be hard to prove how Christianity and Judaism specifically and textually respect democracy.

I've found it is hazardous to my health to try to discuss religionnaad religious differences with people who constantly talk about violence and also subscribe to extremist views. Since freely admitted that you and the most extremist Wahhabi clerics of the 19th century have the same understanding of Islam, I'll leave you with a better translation of 8:12, along with two other verses governing disputes. Then I'll end this due to (as you so colorfully put it) my neck's allergic reaction to your ideas.

[8:12] Recall that your Lord inspired the angels: "I am with you; so support those who believed. I will throw terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved. You may strike them above the necks, and you may strike even every finger."

AND ...

[60:8] GOD does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. GOD loves the equitable.

[60:9] GOD enjoins you only from befriending those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who befriend them are the transgressors.

"Would I be justified DEMANDING that you turn in Neo-Nazi skinheads in Eastern Pennsylvania based on the fact that you are an American and they are Americans too (on paper, if not in spirit)?

Wow. There are mismatches and there are mismatches. Yours are off the planet. First, I'm neither a skinhead, a neo-nazi, nor do I live in eastern Pennsylvania. American to American, absolutely I would turn them in if I knew that they were neo-nazi skinheads who were perpetrating evil or criminal deeds. The difference is that Dr. Jasser has positioned himself as a Muslim apologist who attempts to get us to ignore the man behind the curtain."

I know it was a mismatch and I agree with you that you should and would turn in known Neo-Nazis "who were perpetrating evil or criminal deeds". However, just as it is unfair for me to EXPECT you to turn them in based on your shared citizenship and (if I may assume, for the moment, that you are Christian) a shared PROFESSION OF Christianity (although you and I would never consider them to be Christians, they think they are and they say that they are), it's unfair for you to EXPECT Dr. Jasser to turn in Muslim terrorists simply because he is an Arab Muslim.

His being Muslim does not mean he knows terrorists, just as your being American does not mean that you know neo-Nazis.

I can't see how you call Dr. Jasser a Muslim apologist. He's a Muslim against terrorism and he's saying terrorists and murders who act in the name of Islam are not truly Muslims and, by associating themselves with the faith of Islam, they do it harm.

Could I call you an American apologist if you said "not all Americans are skinheads. Skinheads' racist message is not what America is about." Of course not -- it's clear that skinheads don't represent America and that the overwheliming majority of Americans abhor the racism, violence and murder committed by skinheads in the name of our country.

BUt I understand that the United States is a big country and I can't hold you personally reponsible for the skinheads' presence. Likewise, there are millions of Arabs and Muslims and you can't hold Dr. Jasser responsible for the existence of Arab or muslim criminals.

I know the scriptures fine and I really don't twist them, I just put them out there. You're trying to argue on faith, which will ultimately be decided on Judgment Day. That might be what's twisting your views, causing you to see things in the scriptures that don't necessarily exist.

The "promise of Israel" does not necessarily correspond to the State of Israel, which many orthodox Jews do not recognize, since only the Mossiach (Messiah) can bring it to the Earth. I've found nothing in the Qur'an to contradict that. Have you?

Jesus was a Christian martyr, no? Most of the saints were, no? And the word is still applied today to people who die for their faith. Remember the 2 kids at Columbine high school who were asked if they were Christian and then shot when they said "Yes"?

it's unfair for you to EXPECT Dr. Jasser to turn in Muslim terrorists simply because he is an Arab Muslim.

When did I evert say I expected him to turn them in because both he and they are Arab Muslims? What I suggested was that he should be calling on "moderate" Muslims to identify and turn in the extremists. Instead, what he is doing is lecturing to Americans that we should not consider all Muslims to be terrorists because only the hooded ones are the terrorists. The problem with this argument is that he needs to be calling on the so-called "moderates" to turn in the extremists. Somebody knows who they are. I may not know any skinheads, but if I were just to lecture to blacks that only the skinheads are racists, I would be lying. Racists come in all colors and all religions; with and without hair. In essence, this is what Dr. Jasser is doing - he's still telling us to ignore that man behind the curtain.

I can't see how you call Dr. Jasser a Muslim apologist. He's a Muslim against terrorism and he's saying terrorists and murders who act in the name of Islam are not truly Muslims and, by associating themselves with the faith of Islam, they do it harm.

He's a Muslim apologist because he is trying to say that only the "hooded" Muslims are bad; in the same vein that your argument about skinheads tries to suggest that only those who have no hair on their heads are racists. Neither argument is totally true. People see things that go on in their neighborhoods - good things and bad things. That's one of the reasons that "America's Most Wanted" is so successful - people see the things going on around them. In my neighborhood, we are all a little nosy and, as a result, crime is exceptionally low to non-existent. Dr. Jasser doesn't have to personally know any terrorists and turn them in to be a good Muslim, but he can use his position to call upon Arabs who see things that look suspicious to notify the authorities.

Instead, what he does is try to segment the Muslim population into "hooded" and "non-hooded" and lecture to us that we should address our outrage on the "hooded" ones. Well, that's real convenient, isn't it? It's much like a wife who takes her anger out on the "other woman" her husband has been having an affair with for 7 months instead of her husband who was having the affair! If the "hooded" Muslims walked around in hoods all the time, it would be easy to spot them and turn them in - but they don't. What makes him an apologist is that is trying to segment the Muslim community so we only see the bad ones wearing hoods on TV, rather than calling on the so-called majority of "moderate" Muslims to rise up against the terrorists and take their religion back from them. As a voice for Muslims, Dr. Jasser is doing nothing but lecturing to the wrong people and trying to divert attention away from the problem which is getting Muslims to reclaim their religion from the extremists instead of being passive bystanders. In essence, what Dr. Jasser would have us believe is that Islam is loaded with Sgt. Schultz's who all turn their heads and say "I see NOTHING!!" Well, I don't buy it!

If the "moderate" Muslims are feeling the heat, they should be doing more to oppose the extremists instead of saying "it's not me, it's those guys." It just doesn't wash.

"Instead, what he is doing is lecturing to Americans that we should not consider all Muslims to be terrorists because only the hooded ones are the terrorists. The problem with this argument is that he needs to be calling on the so-called "moderates" to turn in the extremists. Somebody knows who they are. I may not know any skinheads, but if I were just to lecture to blacks that only the skinheads are racists, I would be lying. Racists come in all colors and all religions; with and without hair. In essence, this is what Dr. Jasser is doing - he's still telling us to ignore that man behind the curtain."

To continue your analogy, what Dr. Jasser is doing is emphasizing that not all bald people are skinheads, and that skinheads aren't really bald people, just people trying to look bald.

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