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A Muslim Manifesto Rejecting the bad.
NRO ^ | March 01, 2006 | Mustafa Akyol & Zeyno Baran

Posted on 03/01/2006 9:24:16 PM PST by neverdem

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A Muslim Manifesto

Rejecting the bad.

By Mustafa Akyol & Zeyno Baran

"Who are the moderate Muslims, and why do they not speak up?" After being asked this question over and over again since 9/11, particularly after the Danish cartoon crisis, we decided to propose the following Muslim Manifesto:

Recently, the disrespectful cartoons about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) published in Jyllands-Posten resulted in an extreme reaction among many Muslims worldwide. While we understand the feelings of our co-religionists, we strongly urge them to refrain from rage and violence.

A zeal for Allah is rightful only when it is expressed in an enlightened manner, since Allah himself has ordained a restrained response. When the early Muslims were mocked by their pagan contemporaries, the Koran ordered not a violent backlash, but rather a civilized disapproval: "When you hear Allah's verses being rejected and mocked at by people, you must not sit with them till they start talking of other things." (Koran 4:140) The Koran also describes Muslims as "those who control their rage and pardon other people, [because] Allah loves the good-doers." (3:134) Therefore all demonstrations against the mockery of Islam should be peaceful. All critiques of Islam should be countered not by threats and violence, but by rational counter-argument.

We also believe that terrorist acts can never be justified or excused. None of the challenges Muslims face, such as oppression or military occupation, can justify attacks against non-combatants. In the Holy Koran, Allah orders Muslims to "never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice." (5:8) The true Islamic sense of justice is well-established in the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); even in time of war — let alone peace — Muslim soldiers should never "kill the old, the infant, the child, or the woman." Those who do so are not martyrs, but cold-blooded murderers.

Supported by the Koran's affirmation that "there is no compulsion in religion" (2:256), we cherish religious liberty. Every human has the right to believe or not to believe in Islam or in any other religion All Muslims furthermore have the right to reject and change their religion if desired. No state, community or individual has a right to impose Islam on others. People should accept and practice Islam not because they are forced to do so, but because they believe in its teachings.

We support and cherish democracy — not because we reject the sovereignty of the Almighty over people, but because we believe that this sovereignty is manifested in the general will of people in a democratic and pluralistic society. We do not accept theocratic rule-not because we do not wish to obey Allah, but because theocratic rule inevitably becomes rule by fallible (and sometimes corrupt and misguided) humans in the name of the infallible God.

We accept the legitimacy of the secular state and the secular law. Islamic law, or sharia, was developed at a time when Muslims were living in homogenous communities. In the modern world, virtually all societies are pluralistic, consisting of different faiths and of different perceptions of each faith, including Islam. In this pluralistic setting, a legal system based on a particular version of a single religion cannot be imposed on all citizens. Thus, a single secular law, open to all religions but based on none, is strongly needed.

We believe that women have the same inalienable rights as men. We strongly denounce laws and attitudes in some Islamic societies that exclude women from society by denying them the rights of education, political participation and the individual pursuit of happiness. Like men, women should have the right to decide how they will live, dress, travel, marry and divorce; if they do not enjoy these rights, they are clearly second-class citizens.

We believe that there is no contradiction between religious and national identities. Any Muslim should be able to embrace the citizenship of any modern secular state while maintaining feelings of spiritual solidarity with the umma, the global Muslim community.

We regard Christianity and Judaism as sister faiths in the common family of Abrahamic monotheism. We strongly denounce anti-Semitism, which has been alien to Islam for many centuries but which unfortunately has gained popularity among some Muslims in recent decades. We accept Israel's right to exist, as well as the justified aspiration of the Palestinian people for a sovereign state and hope that a just two-state solution in Israel/Palestine will bring peace to the Holy Land.

In short, we strongly disagree with and condemn those who promote or practice tyranny and violence in the name of Islam. We hope that their misguided deeds will not blacken our noble religion — which is indeed a path to God and a call for peace.

We encourage Muslim political, social, community and business leaders to contact us at info@muslimmanifesto.org to sign onto the Manifesto so that the authentic peaceful and civilized message of Islam will be heard.

Mustafa Akyol is a writer and journalist based in Turkey; Zeyno Baran is director of International Security and Energy Programs at The Nixon Center.


 

 
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/akyol_baran200603010816.asp
     



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: akyol; baran; islam; muslimmanifesto; mustafaakyol; zeynobaran
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What's with the (pbuh), peace be unto him?
1 posted on 03/01/2006 9:24:21 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

nah...pigs be upon him.


2 posted on 03/01/2006 9:31:32 PM PST by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: neverdem
Their time would be better spent spreading this "manifesto" among their mohammedan brethren.
3 posted on 03/01/2006 9:35:35 PM PST by isrul
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To: neverdem
The SLimes will have to do a bit of editing on their "ignoble queeranus" for this to be even remotely possible.
Here's little help to get them started!


Sura 9:5 of the “Koranus,” “Slay the idolaters muslimes wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.”


Aap aap ahh dap dap!!!!!
It's a religion of peace
It's a religion of peace



It aint Slim W, but this'll gitr done!
Kill A Commie For Mommie

Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes

4 posted on 03/01/2006 9:39:00 PM PST by rawcatslyentist ("Why waste time learning, when ignorance is instantaneous"---Hobbes the Tiger)
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To: isrul

Amazing as it might seem, Muslims get on the 'net, too.


5 posted on 03/01/2006 9:39:06 PM PST by uglybiker (Don't blame me. I didn't make you stupid.)
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To: ncountylee

Unfortunately, this is a somewhat typical response here:

"Where are all the moderate muslims condemning terrorism?"

And then when they actually do, they get this response.

Unhelpful to say the least.


6 posted on 03/01/2006 9:44:33 PM PST by Philistone (Turning lead into gold...)
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To: uglybiker
"Amazing as it might seem, Muslims get on the 'net, too."

Yeah, I've seen some of their published videos.

7 posted on 03/01/2006 9:48:08 PM PST by isrul
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To: neverdem

NOT. GOOD. ENOUGH.

"Muslim soldiers should never "kill the old, the infant, the child, or the woman." Those who do so are not martyrs, but cold-blooded murderers."

They enslaved women and children. They didnt want to kill marketable SLAVES. Muhammed himself committed genocide of a Jewish tribe by killing all the males and enslaving the women of children. The tribe was destroyed.

Here is a better manifesto...
http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/


8 posted on 03/01/2006 9:50:21 PM PST by WOSG (http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/)
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To: Philistone
Unhelpful to say the least.

That's way short of the response that the dealt cult has earned.

9 posted on 03/01/2006 9:50:34 PM PST by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: ncountylee

This is a war, and in war you take your allies where you can find them.


10 posted on 03/01/2006 9:52:35 PM PST by Philistone (Turning lead into gold...)
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To: Philistone

Know them by their fruits ... this is just a white-wash
of Muslim beliefs, and barely scratches surface of the ills that are wrought by the more radical muslims. It seems more for westerners consumption (and gullibility, by gloassing over the real islamic view in support of jihadist attacks on 'provoking' non-muslims).

Let muslims condemn unequivocally the lack of religious liberty in the islamic world, condemn islamic terrorism and acknolwedge rather than cover up the violent aspects of islam that incites such things. Let them condemn the beheading of christian girls in indonesia by muslims, the burning of christian churches in pakistan, the genocide of nonmuslims in Darfur by muslims, and the muslims violence in Nigeria - all done by muslims to terrorize their non-muslim neighbors.

Let these muslims acknowledge that the cartoons were *not* blasphemy and need no apology.

... until then, this is just verbal muddying of the water.


11 posted on 03/01/2006 9:58:53 PM PST by WOSG (http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/)
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To: Philistone

(Supported by the Koran's affirmation that "there is no compulsion in religion" (2:256), we cherish religious liberty.)

I could have sworn that in the Koran it says to kill someone who was a Muslim and converted away from Islam.


12 posted on 03/01/2006 10:05:47 PM PST by winner3000
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To: Philistone

Bigotry rears it's ugly head in all places and from all peoples, doesn't it?

Even pointing out that there are several thousand American Muslims serving in the US Military currently and some have given their lives in the War on Terror brings calls of they are the exception and they still shouldn't be trusted.

It's beginning to look like some believe the First Amendment only applies to certain religions.


13 posted on 03/01/2006 10:07:28 PM PST by DakotaRed
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To: winner3000
in the Koran it says to kill someone who was a Muslim and converted away from Islam.

You wouldn't happen to have the appropriate Surah for this, would you?

14 posted on 03/01/2006 10:09:54 PM PST by DakotaRed
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To: neverdem
Image hosting by TinyPic
15 posted on 03/01/2006 10:15:33 PM PST by Old Seadog (Inside every old person is a young person saying "WTF happened?".)
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To: neverdem

I'm sorry, but I think this is bull for the most part. I have to wonder what kind of muslims these folks are, because a lot of what they have said doesn't mesh with the teachings of Islam at all. If they are sincere, then great, but I choose to take it with a grain of salt.


16 posted on 03/01/2006 11:13:32 PM PST by moonpie57 (Fred Howell McMurray, Jr. The man on my POW bracelet.)
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To: neverdem
"A zeal for Allah is rightful only when it is expressed in an enlightened manner, since Allah himself has ordained a restrained response. When the early Muslims were mocked by their pagan contemporaries, the Koran ordered not a violent backlash, but rather a civilized disapproval:"

Mohammed ordered the execution of two poets who mocked them. That is their role model.
17 posted on 03/01/2006 11:23:24 PM PST by Mount Athos
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To: DakotaRed

No, my copy of the Koran is too wet to be used immediately (it has been flushed down the toilet too many times!)


18 posted on 03/02/2006 1:15:00 AM PST by winner3000
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To: neverdem

Talk is cheap. Meanwhile, worldwide butchery is taking place in the name of the false moon rock god.


19 posted on 03/02/2006 3:07:22 AM PST by tkathy (Ban the headscarf (http://bloodlesslinchpinsofislamicterrorism.blogspot.com))
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To: tkathy
Talk is cheap.

And most of the replies on this thread are proof of it.

20 posted on 03/02/2006 3:12:02 AM PST by uglybiker (Don't blame me. I didn't make you stupid.)
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