White Muslim

LA Weekly ^ | 12/1/2004 | Brendan Bernhard

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

Five days before 9/11, Charles Vincent bought his first Koran. Six weeks later, while smoke was still pouring from the remains of the World Trade Center, he formally converted to Islam in the mosque attached to the Islamic Cultural Center on 96th Street and Third Avenue in New York City. A blonde, blue-eyed 29-year-old from Torrance, California, he readily admits that he chose an unlikely moment to fall in love with the world's most newsworthy religion. But in the three years since, his devotion to Islam has only deepened. Like a growing number of white Americans and Europeans, he has discovered that Islam is not just the religion of those "other" people.

[Bazooka]

"Islam is a way of life. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught us everything up to how to go to the bathroom. Even when you go to the bathroom, how to go in, how to go out, how to sit, how to wash, how to take a shower."

So everyone that already knows how to use the bathroom and how to shower, can refrain from trying to be taken for an interesting person and stay well away from today's biggest death cult.

[weenie]

Texasbluebell...

You know I'm with you...

[AirForceMom]

That sounds so good right now! BLT, extra bacon, extra mayo.

[weenie]

Kick some butt...you doin' good, man.

[wizardoz]

Just damn. If only the Scientologists or Amway had gotten to him first. He was obviously ripe for the picking.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

I find it curious that whenever a white person adopts Islam beit John Walker Lind, Cat Stevens, or whoever they feel it necessary to adopt the whole tragitional islamic garb while more and more Arab Muslims are wearing Levis, Nikes and Tommy Hilfiger.

I think you're on to something.

Ultimately, these guys are playing dress-up. Lindh even spoke with an accent, and may still, for all I know. It's a big game, sort of like that played by those idiots in black velvet and white face paint who claim to be vampires.

[John Valentine]

Talk to a Muslim, though, and he'll say you have to read it in Arabic since that's the language God wrote it in.

This is one of the bizarre and illogical things about Arabs and Muslims.

As I understand it "Arabic" didn't really even exist at the time of Muhammad, and Muhammad likely spoke Aramaic, a related, but different language. "Spoke", since Muhammad was, like most men of his time, illiterate, and was unable to write "God's words in ANY language.

It was at least two centuries later before anyone tried to write down the oral tradition, and by then, lots of the Aramaic words had dropped out of use, and as the whole oral text was interpreted by now "Arabic" speakers, much of the original meaning was distorted and often in ways that result in literal nonsense, even in Arabic. God never dictated the Koran in Arabic - or any other language. It was written by men generations after the death of Muhammad and in its early forms contain textual differences from edition to edition. Literal "word of God," right down to the language of dictation. Not a chance.

This of which I speak cannot be said by a Muslim, or he would be subject to ritual murder for blasphemy.

[next view]

the muslim world gives us a glimpse into the western world's middle ages. because of the desert genesis of islam, and the shortage of water, they have no tradition of brewing good beer. without beer, all those men cannot relax or vent their life rage on something apolitical in a drunken stupor. this is the big problem.

[Finny]

That sounds so good right now! BLT, extra bacon, extra mayo.

Mmmm ... big fat juicy tomatoes, and lately I've taken to putting avocado on them, too. A BLT with avocado is pretty close to heaven!

[Gingersnap]

""In the second chapter it says, ‘In this book you’ll find no doubt,’" he told me. "Meaning no contradictions."

Well, that's not true, obviously.

What's funny is that converts to Islam always seem to think that they have to dress, speak and act like third world peasants. When Christians make converts in non-Christian countries the people wear what they want, speak their own language and read the bible in their own language.

This "play-acting" acting aspect is very troubling. I have more than enough Latin to follow a Tridentine Mass or recite the creeds and common prayers in Latin but I don't have enough to read the Vulgate intelligently - nor has anyone ever suggested that I get up to speed.

This is a cultural conversion, in my mind.

[Sthitch]

Great link. I have read the Koran and to be polite, found it to be unconvincing. This is from that link you posted, and gives me reason #244 not to follow Islam:

"The Angels of blessings do not enter a house wherein there is a dog. Shari’ah has allowed to keep a dog only for security reasons.

The Salaat performed in a house wherein there is a dog will be valid. However, it is not permissible to keep dogs as pets."

[AirForceMom]

Okay, I am now starving.
Watching Colmes getting slapped around tonight is increasing my appetite too!!

[Sthitch]

Interesting that Christianity and Judaism not only allow the Testaments to be critically studied, but for the most part encourage it. This actually strengthens the religions because conflicting stanzas can be discussed and debated. Koranic studies are more about memorization, it is never approached critically.

[BobL]

That's bit too academic for this thread. But I think that I follow. Basically, the Islam permits the Koran to be used for any purpose, destructive or otherwise. It's up to the cleric (I love that term).

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

I should really find out what some of those words they use mean. Bizarre.

[Sthitch]

There was a time that the Catholic church had to ban the bible from being printed in any language other than Latin. The reason is completely misunderstood by many people today. What was happening is that a person who was literate in say Flemish could get a copy of the bible written in that language, and tell all of the town that the bible said he was the Messiah, and they had to give their virgin daughters to him. During this time there were very few people who were literate, so only allowing the scriptures to be written in Latin meant that these charlatans could not form their cults.

Times have changed, and now even the poorest members of Western society can read (not saying they read well). How does a religion combat people from pointing out its flaws? It says that you must read it in a language that only I can read, and it says, I am the Messiah, give me all of your virgin daughters.

[Socrates1]

You're right on the money. If you have the patience to read the entire article you could quickly summarize it is a relatively few words.

Inept loser, unsuccessful in everything, inspired by nothing, drifting through life wondering why life was so hard. Judged by society, and found lacking, seeks others that are NOT superior to his own self-image and reflections of it from others. Looking for the Magic Answer, he discovers an entire life plan, authored by Mohamed, which gives him the structure he was lacking, and "acceptance".

Since it is at least partially a fantasy, he has to "act out" his new religion. He changes "costumes", trading the "slacker" dress (emblematic of an outsider) for the "mullah-look", a sign of acceptance from "other" outsiders. This costume comes with an instruction manual that explains everything.

Being white, young and Californian even allows his to fantasize some level of superiority since he "chose" this life, as opposed to simply being born into it.

Now he has to continue to rationalize his choice, even though there are no signs of his seeking structure and inspiration through "conventional" religions. Of all the religions he has to choose form, he chooses to join the "cult" of anti-religion. While it seems to sound unfair to character Islam as an "anti-religion" consider that Islam is today probably the sole religion that still advocates death, submission or conversion. Even the truly fringe religions don't actively advocate actions "against" non-adherents. Moonies, Scientologists, Anglo-Buddists, and even Satanism don't go that far. Islam stands alone in that regard.

Notice that most American muslims (black, white or brown)choose Islam primarily as a protest, or rejection of something. Islam will continue to be problematic (overtly or covertly), until the Islamic theology advances about 1,000 years and allows acceptance and peacefully coexist, as most other "conventional" and "unconventional" religions do. This guy was primo "cult material", before he ever bought the Koran. That seems undeniable from the profile in the article.

The act of killing to gain special access to Heaven, is more closely aligned with the ancient sacrificial cults, than most any modern "religion".

[sinanju]

A long read but very informative. Yes, as practiced by these militant converts it does indeed have all the classic trappings of a cult. I can see this aimless, aimiable Vincent guy just as easily taking up with the Scientologists, Moonies, Harry Krishnas or, in another era, the brownshirts. Exulting in the feeling of belonging, order and self-righteousness, wearing the uniform, hating who you're told to hate our boy has definately stumbled into a cult. Now he may go no farther than this, and he might get sick of playing the austere fanatic and either drop out or take a more worldly stance, but the article showed that he needs very little pushing to take it to the next level.

When I pressed him further on how he felt about listening to a Syrian imam implicitly call for the defeat of American troops in the middle of Manhattan, Randall answered, slightly frostily, that "In America we have this thing called the First Amendment."

And no doubt the sheik is well aware of it. Listening to him I had the sense that certain Muslims have studied liberal Western society the way a military general assesses an enemy position — probing for strengths and weaknesses, deciding where and how and at what cost penetration can be achieved.

I saw some of that "Al Qaeda 2.0" seminar on CSPAN2 last night. As I had suspected, much of it sounded more like the '04 OsamaCon but the lectures pertaining to the recruitment and psychology of terrorists and their infiltration in Old Europe reminds me why Europe was the hotbed for the 9-11 killers. At least our Vincent still has to work for his living, over there he'd be just as free AND he could go on the dole. Back in Araby most radical, subversive imams would be dragged off and shot if they railed against the country they happened to be in.

"Politicization is almost always part of the package," says the Islamic Supreme Council of America’s Mateen Siddiqui, referring to hardcore Islamic converts. But if al-Yaqoubi feels comfortable saying in front of 1,300 people in the heart of mainstream American Islam that American troops will be defeated wherever they go, then what might be said in Arabic in small, obscure mosques in Brooklyn, Queens and elsewhere with a translation murmured into a pale, friendly, naive American ear?

"I do wish the American troops would be defeated," he told me, adding, "I’m a Muslim first, and I just live in this country."

Rule #1 in fighting Islamist terror should be--Don't make it easy for them--I strongly suggest bookmarking this article to read it in detail

Interesting that Christianity and Judaism not only allow the Testaments to be critically studied, but for the most part encourage it. This actually strengthens the religions because conflicting stanzas can be discussed and debated. Koranic studies are more about memorization, it is never approached critically.

I have been reading and hearing about that. Islam is one religion in desperate need of a reformation. The ever-present implicit threat of violence runs like a thread through it's history and practice.

[Woodworker]

"If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything!"

Explains the whole "white Muslim" thing to me.

[weenie]

Have read several articles of your great stuff...this one was too long for me...fell asleep...come back with a shorter version for those of us that suffer from "that boredom thing"