So where are any Muslims condeming the violene? If they don't speak up then they will probably end up being victims themselves, even the innocent ones. Does anyone know of any group or organization of Muslims that has been formed to try and moderate the situation? I haven't heard of any. If you don't speak up against something then you may be for it.
""I'm afraid. I can't deny it," said Idrissi, who emigrated from Morocco in 1978. "I feel respect for Muslims is falling away in Europe."
WELL DUH I wonder Why
If the current political parties in Europe refuse to deal with the problems of Islamism now, nationalist parties are sure to take advantage of the growing backlash against Islamic fascism.
"It's not new to Islam. It's just new to Europe."
Saudi Religious Scholars Support Holy War
1 hour, 10 minutes ago
Add to My Yahoo! Middle East - AP
By DONNA ABU-NASR, Associated Press Writer
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Prominent Saudi religious scholars urged Iraqis to support militants waging holy war against the U.S.-led coalition forces as American troops prepared Saturday for a major assault on the insurgent hotbed of Fallujah.
Photo
AP Photo
The 26 Saudi scholars and preachers said in an open letter to the Iraqi people that their appeal was prompted by "the extraordinary situation through which the Iraqis are passing which calls for unity and exchange of views." The letter was posted on the Internet.
"At no time in history has a whole people been violated ... by propaganda that's been proved false," Sheik Awad al-Qarni, one of the scholars, told Al-Arabiya TV.
"The U.S. forces are still destroying towns on the heads of their people and killing women and children. What's going on in Iraq (news - web sites) is a result of the big crime of America's occupation of Iraq."
In their letter, the scholars stressed that armed attacks by militant Iraqi groups on U.S. troops and their allies in Iraq represent "legitimate" resistance.
The scholars were careful to direct their appeal to Iraqis only and stayed away from issuing a general, Muslim-wide call for holy war. They also identified the military as the target, one that is considered legitimate by many Arabs who view U.S. troops and their allies as occupiers.
The independent scholars — some of whom have been criticized in the past for their extremist views — apparently did not want to antagonize the Saudi government, a U.S. ally, or appear to be flouting its efforts to fight terrorism.
Saudi Arabia has sealed off its long border with Iraq and bars people from crossing into that country. Its most senior clerics issued a statement last year saying the call for jihad — or holy war — should only come from the ruler and should not be based on edicts issued by individual clergymen.
Saudi officials did not comment on the latest statement.
The clerics' appeal came as U.S. troops, backed by air and artillery power and Iraqi security forces, were gearing up for a major assault on Fallujah.
The clerics issued a fatwa, or religious edict, prohibiting Iraqis from offering any support for military operations carried out by U.S. forces against insurgent strongholds.
"Fighting the occupiers is a duty for all those who are able," the letter said. "It is a jihad to push back the assailants. Resistance is a legitimate right. A Muslim must not inflict harm on any resistance man or inform on them. Instead, they should be supported and protected."
Besides al-Qarni, the prominent scholars signing the letter included Sheik Safar al-Hawali, Sheik Nasser al-Omar, Sheik Salman al-Awdah and Sheik Sharif Hatem al-Aouni.
Al-Hawali, who was jailed in the 1990s for five years without trial because he criticized U.S. involvement in the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites) against Iraq, once was close to Saudi-born al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites). He opposed the presence of U.S. troops in the kingdom.
His name appeared this month on a list issued by a group of Arab intellectuals seeking to prosecute prominent clerics for encouraging terrorism.
The scholars said inter-Iraqi fighting would cause "great damage to the Iraqis and give a free service to the Jews who are infiltrating into Iraq and to the coalition forces which exploit differences to consolidate their domination."
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and home to its two holiest cities, has launched a campaign against militants. The crackdown began after al-Qaida-affiliated operatives attacked three residential compounds in Riyadh in May 2003 and killed dozens of people, bringing terrorism to the kingdom for the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks.
As regards the Palestinian issue, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, expressed their good wishes to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and hoped that he would soon recover and return with excellent health to his homeland.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard reiterated the Kingdom's unwavering support to the Palestinian people and to their just cause, and underlined the importance of enabling the Palestinians to restore their legitimate rights.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture and Information Dr Fouad Ibn Abdul-Salam Al-Farsi, told SPA that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques had briefed the Cabinet on the contents of the messages and contacts made by him and the Crown Prince with a number of leaders of Arab and friendly countries on the latest developments at various arenas notably the tragic situation in Palestine and Iraq.
The Kingdom urged the international community to work for ending fighting in the Iraqi territories and to put pressure on Israel until it ends its flagrant aggression against the innocent people.
Call me crazy, but I don't think "submit or die" is a tough choice.
5.56mm
Letter in a Saudi paper
We Are Sorry
Steven Laifer Dar Al-Hayat 2004/10/12
We, the people of the USA, still shaken by the events of September 11, 2001, were deceived by President George Bush into believing Saddam Hussein and his government was an impending mortal danger to our children, family, friends and way of life. As a result, a majority of us supported the attack and occupation of your country that continues to kill and injure your children, family, friends, and destroy your way of life. As we have learned recently, the danger was fabricated and did not exist.
America's citizens would never have supported an invasion of your country absent President Bush's deception, and we are only now starting to understand the consequences, both to you and us.
We sincerely apologize for invading your homeland without a justifiable reason.
We are so sorry our bombing and our soldiers unintentionally killed and maimed your innocent babies, children, family and friends.
We regret arresting 45,000 of your innocent sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, grandmothers and grandfathers, for separating families, and for the humiliating mistreatment and torture.
We apologize for the physical, emotional and psychological damage done your children and people.
We apologize for the destruction of your cities, towns, villages, and houses.
We regret causing the loss of jobs and livelihood, the unchecked crime and kidnappings, and for making daily life an ongoing struggle.
We are so sorry that our invasion has caused a terrorism problem in your country when none existed before, and that our president has turned your country into a terrorist "magnet."
Many of us recognize the universal human kinship between people regardless of nationality, race or religion, and feel deep sorrow for the human suffering America has caused to your people. We extend our hand in friendship and solidarity, and we will do what we can to help you overcome the injustice done in our name.
We know that life under Saddam was no paradise, and many suffered under his rule. We truly hope when all is said and done, some good will have come of our mistaken invasion, and your country will recover and emerge as a free, peaceful and fruitful society, with an elected government by and for the people. Don't be discouraged by the fact that democracy can elect people like George Bush. We get a chance to recognize our mistake, and throw him out after 4 years -- without violence.
Englewood, New Jersey, USA
steve@electricimagetech.com