Making Islam illegal -- is it the West's only choice?

Renew America ^ | 2/19/2006 | Warner Todd Huston

[Dark Skies]

When President Bush gave his "axis of evil" speech he went out of his way to make the world understand that it isn't a war with Islam itself that we were joining — and I say joining because the war had been started by the Jihadists decades before. And, in observance to our Western principles, that must be the correct way to view our conflagration with radical Islam.

Let's face facts, it certainly is uncomfortable to a Westerner who has been brought up on tolerance, freedom of religion, and liberty to contemplate a war against an entire religion. But are we approaching a time when Western nations won't have a choice but to target Islam itself in certain ways to keep their own people safe. The best course of action is to make public displays of Islam and certain of its practices illegal in Western nations.

So, the question becomes are we at that time now? Are we fast approaching a time when Mosques will be closed and banned? Have we come to a time when Islamic literature is turned away from our borders? Have the childish and dangerous reactions of Muslims to this cartoon in a Danish newspaper proven that Islam cannot be trusted to be a vital, peaceful, and law-abiding segment of society?

It is looking like yes is the answer to these queries.

We are already approaching this today. In Ontario they have officially outlawed Muslim Sharia law, that law that uses religious precepts to enforce moral and society codes of conduct. And Muslim "family councils" have been stopped where local community groups may supplement Canadian law with their local custom.

Several members of the John Howard administration in Australia have spoken out against Islamic clashes with Western notions of law and societal comportment many times over the last few years.

Recently Howard himself said, "I do think there is this particular complication because there is a fragment which is utterly antagonistic to our kind of society, and that is a difficulty ... You can't find any equivalent in Italian, or Greek, or Lebanese, or Chinese or Baltic immigration to Australia. There is no equivalent of raving on about jihad, but that is the major problem."

Muslims routinely destroy property, threaten death and bodily harm to those who speak out against them, and they constantly fund terrorism throughout the world. In Syria they have burnt an embassy, in Europe Muslims have been responsible for murdering people who have written out against Islam or made movies, and other forms of art. These actions are also approved by Islamic teachers (Imams) and religious leaders, not just undertaken by warped loners claiming to represent Islam quite against the will of the majority or authority.

With this ridiculous cartoon issue, we have seen that Islam has no sense of perspective. In the west parody or satire is seen as not only common, but completely harmless for the most part. And religion is not immune to parody and satire, though even in the west most people are often uncomfortable with religious satire. Usually only people filled with hate attack religion in parody and most in the West instinctively know this. As a result, most people dismiss such parody as foolishness and bad taste.

But with Muslims overreacting — in western eyes at least — to this silly cartoon issue in the way they have, it becomes nearly impossible for Westerners to view Islam as a peaceful religion, but more as a vicious hate group itself. And that perception is justified with the actions that Muslims have increasingly perpetrated over the ensuing years. So, we find that Islam presents a danger to the safety of the populace all too often. It is violent, oppressive, and reactionary.

But, what is to be done about it? We have been raised to feel that religion should be left untouched by government. Freedom of religion is at the very core of our beliefs. And this concept is an important one to uphold. So, how can we honestly and without hypocrisy begin to look toward making Islam illegal?

There is a parallel of sorts in the USA that might be used as a template for action. The Ku klux Klan.

After the Civil War ended, the KKK arose from the ashes of war as an advocacy group for the disenfranchised white voter in the south. But it quickly became a terrorist organization bent on taking out revenge on the south's newly freed black population for having lost the war. It got so bad that even one of the original organizers, C.S. Cavalry General Nathan Bedford Forrest, denounced the organization and quit it in disgust.

But as the late 1800s rolled on and the south began to re-enter the Union as full partners in government, the KKK began to lose steam and prominence. For a time it subsided. But as the 20th century neared, it re-emerged and this time became a nationwide and powerful force taking on the flavor of religious, civic and racial duty. The KKK became invested in government and claimed millions of members nation wide.

In the 1920s, however, it became too much for a liberty loving country to allow the KKK to any longer exist. In Indiana, the entire state government was scandalized by their fealty to Indiana's Klan leader who had raped and beaten his secretary on a train trip. Violence against and frequent lynching of southern blacks became so pervasive that Congress finally acted and banned the Klan. The organization collapsed never again to reclaim the power and prominence it once had.

Now, the KKK has always based its precepts on Christianity, as well as racial identity. It also reacted with violence, rallies, death threats and killing when it was threatened. It careened far away from being a mere "idea" or religious theology and became a terrorist organization. And it became a terrorist organization even though literally millions of Americans that belonged to or identified with the Klan were not themselves violent, evil, or dangerous citizens.

The leadership of the Klan supported violence. The leadership preached violence. The leadership planned and fomented it. Therefore, it had to go because it became a danger to every law-abiding citizen, whether they agreed with the racial and religious concepts the Klan espoused or not.

Islam has become the KKK of the 21st century. The sooner we awake to this truth and take steps to ban the religion, or somehow curtail its pernicious influence the better. The west is going to have to put sever restrictions on Islamic Mosques and public display of Islam. Further, devout Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office (though it certainly should not become a racial issue — sins of the father should not be visited upon the sons).

This is no religious purge as in centuries past. In the past religions were banned to be replaced by the state sponsored sect and believers of the banned religion were mistreated, tortured, unduly taxed, and terrorized. This is absolutely not the model the west would follow by banning aspects of Islam today. No religion is replacing Islam and no one is suggesting that Muslims be mistreated. But the creed to which they hold is fast becoming the most dangerous one in the world today. It is a fine line that we walk to consider banning Islam, but the safety of society is at risk not to do so.

This is not an easy conclusion at which to arrive. But if we continue to turn a blind eye to the danger that Islam presents to the west, we are signing our own death warrants.

The KKK was put down in the USA and made powerless for the same reason. Communism was destroyed for the same reason, as well. Islam is a danger to the world.

Unfortunately, it is just that simple.

[USF]

What Islam needs is a New Testament to the Koran just like the KJV of the bible needed one.

And there's where the problem is with interpreting "pure islam" and for it evolving thru any reformations or enlightenment:

THE DANGERS OF "BIDAH" (INNOVATONS) IN ISLAM

BIDAH (INNOVATIONS in Allaah's religion)

Linguistically Bid'ah (innovation) means 'a newly invented matter'.

The Sharee'ah definition of Bid'ah is: "A newly invented way [beliefs or action] in the religion, in imitation of the Sharee'ah (prescribed Law), by which nearness to Allaah is sought, [but] not being supported by any authentic proof - neither in its foundations, nor in the manner in which it is performed." Al-I'tisaam of ash-Shaatibee (1/37).

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Every innovation is misguidance and going astray" Reported by Abu Daawood (no. 4607), at-Tirmidhee (no. 2676) and it is saheeh. Ibn Hajr authenticated it Takhreej Ahaadeeth Ibn ul-Haajib (1/137).

And he (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) also said: "… and every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the Hellfire." Reported by an-Nasaa'ee (1/224) from Jaabir bin Abdullaah and it is saheeh as declared by Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmoo' ul-Fataawaa (3/58).

The Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) also warned against the People of Innovation, from befriending, supporting or taking from them saying: "Whoever innovates or accommodates an innovator then upon him is the curse of Allaah, His Angels and the whole of mankind." Reported by Bukhaaree (12/41) and Muslim (9/140)

And in his footsteps, we find the Noble Companions and the Taabi'een after them warning from the danger of innovations upon the Ummah, its people and their unity, since it is innovations which have divided the Ummah and split it asunder.

Ibn Abbaas (d. 68H) said: "Indeed the most detestable of things to Allaah are the innovations." Reported by al-Bayhaqee in as-Sunan al-Kubraa (4/316)....

Ibn Umar (d. 84H) said: "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as something good." Reported by Abu Shaamah (no. 39)

[MineralMan]

"Atheism is the highest form of arrogance."

Very nice. Thanks for your input.

[Melas]

U.S. Immigration policy could bar any new entrants from Islamic countries, helping to slow its growth and provide security

That just sounds like common sense to me.

[null and void]

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and nuclear warfare...

[najida]

Oh come on ;) You think Paul's "Women sit down and shut up" stuff is OK ;) ;)

[MineralMan]

"But I'm glad to see that you think ridicule is a good weapon against backward people with violent beliefs. Wonder what would happen if people started pointing at, and laughing at, Muslims- just like they do Klansmen?

"

I don't know. Maybe we should try it.

[CodeToad]

No. We only need to ensure the laws that islam violates are prosecuted. Laws such as murder, child abuse, bombings, etc. Hell, just about everything bad about Islam is already outlawed.

[null and void]

Fair enough.

;^)

[eastforker]

But I am afraid that the only way a new Prophet will come about is after a very bloody and violent war. It will only be then that Islam will understand that the old Koran will not be tolerated.

[Lochlainnach]

Making Islam illegal is ridiculous. Are we in "1984," or even "V for Vendetta?" You can't outlaw a religion and think that it will go away-- take, say, two Apostles and then multiply the number of followers exponentially until there are nine zeros behind the one's digit.

Are we going to have anti-Islamic task forces invading and pillaging the homes of the numerous amounts of peaceful Muslims who have lived in this country for a number of years...there are over a billion Muslims in the world today, many of which are Sunni and do not live in the Middle East, or by Sharia law. Or better yet, what happens if the more radical elements of Islam (Wahhabis), a group that has developed a highway to heaven for suicide bombers,goes underground, making it even harder to establish who is doing what?

Muslims cannot come to a country and flout the established laws for their own...this is not "religious" freedom, and it will not stand. Extremist Islam is a problem...ask Salman Rushdie, who had a Fatwa put on his life by the Ayatollah, who then died a few years later, leaving the Fatwa open. America, as well as Europe, will and should continue its fight to maintain its economic and religious freedom against a force that, at best, wants to implement its own strict code of law on a world population that for centuries has not wanted it; at worst, wants to destroy the West--the Dajjal--to usher in the end of times and everlasting paradise with all the fleshly compensation a pious Muslim man(on earth at least) could want.

But, c'mon, tell me we've learned at least a couple things about gov't vs. religion in the last two thousand years.

[VOA]

Islam has become the KKK of the 21st century.

I've figured that the Muslims are so tolerated in Germany and France is
that they are really just the new anti-semite organization, but with
the respectable veneer of religiosity.

I wouldn't be suprised that a number of Germans and French that can't
join the Neo-Nazis or resurrect a Vichy regime (respectively)
are just happy to let their imported Muslims do their talking for them.

[sakic]

I don't know anybody at FR who despises what makes the United States great as much as you do, unless it's murrymom. Tolerance under the Constitution should never extend to tolerating the expression of any belief, religious or otherwise, that has as its intention or effect the destruction of the Constitution.

I don't have a clue who or what you are but anyone who wants to shred the Constitution to "protect" us would be better served living under a dictatorship.

Even though I don't have a clue who you are, with one single post you have shown yourself to be someone who doesn't even understand why soldiers fight and die for our freedoms.

I'm sure that they'd be oh so proud to find out that some gasbag wants to take away the rights that they died for. The funniest part is that you no doubt think of yourself as a great patriot. You're not. You want rights and protections guaranteed by the Constitution taken away from yourself by politicians. You are a self-destructive idiot who doesn't deserve to even live here. You'd fit in better with the Jihadists you claim to hate. Your methods are the same. The only difference is your targets.

[MineralMan]

"I don't pay any attention to what's being said on this thread."

Probably just as well. It's all ranting with no results, anyhow.

We need only look at President Bush, who has a realistic view of Islam and its role in the world. He seems to have things well in hand.

[slowhandluke]

Name one American beheaded on American soil by an American Muslim acting purely in the name of Islam.

It's unlikely that we'll know the cause for sure, but somebody took vengenance against an Arab Christian family here in NJ, who'd father had the temerity to get into online religious debates with Islamic types. The whole family was murdered. see Christians stalked on Islamic website Murdered New Jersey man among several tracked by Muslims

[USF]

Agree with your last post.

My point all along was that aspects of islam and their freedom to practice their "religion" has already been limited by the law. And should rightly stay so.

Just tired of hearing some of the other knee jerk reactionists and apologists here scream "Constitution!" every time this comes up....

[Auntie Dem]

And you don't see a problem with that? People like you terrify me, I really hope you don't vote or breed.

Oh yeah, I see a problem with that. My point is the government didn't see a problem with it.

Islam is a cancer that must be excised before it kills its host. Why do you have selective outrage? You apparently think it was OK for the government--state and federal--to push the Mormons around, but muslims are off limits?

Thanks for your concern for my posterity.

[MineralMan]

"Oh come on ;) You think Paul's "Women sit down and shut up" stuff is OK ;) ;)"

Depends on the woman, eh? Now, if Hillary followed that advice, I wouldn't object. [grin]

[najida]

Culturally, in the ME the things that earn respect are strength, obvious wealth and not saying you're sorry (OK, sucky but.....).....

We have the wealth, we have to continue to show strength and not apologize. And yes, it will come via war, I don't doubt. But we really, REALLY need to know our enemy logically, not emotionally.

[Melas]

My solution is to wipe the Earth clean of the infection. Yes, there are innocent little girls in Islam. There were innocent little girls on the planes of 9/11, also. The enemy has set the terms of engagement: there are no innocents, no civilians, no non-combatants.

So let me get this straight: There is a muslim school that I pass on my way to work all the time. It's the Brighter Horizons academy in Garland, Texas if you want to look it up. I see children playing out in the playground there all the time as I drive past it. Are you seriously advocating that we murder these children? If so, then you're no part of a human being.