Posted on 08/30/2014 2:08:32 AM PDT by GonzoII
One of the signs of the end times, according to Islam, is the inversion of reality – in other words, things being upside-down. For Muslims, there is nothing that more obviously illustrates this than Islam being made to appear bad to the world. For the first time in the history of our faith, an extremist fringe has hijacked the religion and is dominating the headlines, causing havoc and creating a global crisis.
Gone are the days when the extremists were few; we can no longer ignore them. They are popping up all across the world: Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Iraq. They are also growing rapidly, becoming more organised and better-funded. They pose a real and dangerous threat not just to non-Muslims with their religious intolerance, but also to Muslims too. That they kill Muslims is clear. But more than that, by muddying the image of Islam and making the religion appear violent, backward and completely out of touch with the modern world, they are causing Muslims to leave the religion.
ISIS, also known as the Islamic State (or perhaps more aptly, the Un-Islamic State), is the latest and most pernicious manifestation of this trend. They are nothing short of a global menace and incomparable to any other extremist group in Islam’s history. For months the world has been exposed to their savagery and thirst for blood; coverage of their beheadings and slaughtering frenzies, while joking and laughing about their next victims, has been unprecedented.
Muslims often think their biggest enemy comes from outside the religion. In fact, the biggest enemy normally comes from inside. Islam’s number-one enemy today is not the US government, nor Israel; it has taken its form in ISIS. The extremist group is the reason why millions of people will have a terrible perception of Islam, why many born into Islam will never accept the faith, and why many Muslims will leave their religion, perhaps even flocking to atheism.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, an American Islamic scholar, wrote in Q-News after 9/11:
Unfortunately, the West does not know what every Muslim scholar knows; that the worst enemies of Islam are from within. The worst of these are the khawaarij who delude others by the deeply dyed religious exterior that they project… The outward religious appearance and character of the khawaarij deluded thousands in the past, and continues to delude people today. The Muslims should be aware that despite the khawaarij adherence to certain aspects of Islam, they are extremists of the worst type.
Muslim extremists – the thugs of ISIS are a prime example – think they are advancing the cause of Islam, when they are actually doing the polar opposite. Their climate of fear, along with the multi-million-pound Islamophobia industry prospers under its clouds, leads many non-Muslims to hate Islam and causes swaths of Muslims to leave the faith. Extremism, along with the challenges modernity poses, is among the biggest factors in causing apostasy.
Sayeed, a Muslim in his mid-20s from London, lost his faith at university. He tells me what’s stopping him from embracing Islam again. “It’s the damage the extremists have done to the religion,” he says. “It’s difficult to be part of this religion that has such bad press.”
In the face of such negative headlines, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to belong to the Muslim community. The Prophet (peace be upon him) forewarned the difficulty of these times, and is reported to have said that holding on to your religion would be like holding onto “burning embers”. [i] While many Muslims maintain a tight grip on the coal, others are tossing it into the air because of its heat or dropping it when they become fatigued. The rest have let it slip through their hands, unable to grasp it tightly enough.
An agnostic who lives in Indonesia recently asked me: “Why would you choose to belong to a religion in which so many people sharing your faith follow twisted versions and do extreme things?” It’s a question plaguing many Muslims across the world. Some are responding to the question by leaving the faith – they’ve simply had enough.
In late June, a self-proclaimed Arab atheist female from Mecca tweeted (in Arabic): “ISIS (Islamic State): Peace be upon them, they did in one year what atheists couldn’t in a million years.”
#داعش عليهم السلام فعلوا خلال سنة ما عجز الملاحدة عن فعله خلال مليون سنة. #عقلانيون
— سمو الاميرة حفصة (ع) (@Hafsa1990) June 25, 2014
Ex-Muslims I spoke to confirm that radicalism drives people away from the religion. “Extremist ideas are a factor for some [to leave the faith],” tweeted the Council of ex-Muslims of Britain. Saif Rahman, an author and notorious ex-Muslim from Britain, told me: “9/11 was a critical moment for a lot of ex-Muslims. We started to think: ‘You know what, I don’t relate to these people [the terrorists]‘.”
If al-Qaeda’s actions could cause Muslims to leave their faith, what effect will we see from the actions of ISIS, regarded even by al-Qaeda as too extreme?
The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that people of these types would emerge. There would be khawarij who would appear from Iraq,[ii]would appear to be devoted worshipers[iii] and would be the worst of creatures.[iv]
ISIS, who act like a cult with gang-like behaviour, have nothing to do with Islam; they do not represent Muslims across the world. The vast majority of Muslims are united in their condemnation of the group, and no religious authority has given them any legitimacy.
The inability of the mainstream to retake the initiative has caused the mess we are in today. Yet it’s also important not to despair. Yes, everything may seem upside-down right now. But in the end, those who have faith know that good will prevail.
The first time Islam was hijacked by extremists was 1300 years ago.
You are correct. They are Muslims first and foremost. The “moderates” are allowing ISIS to do the dirty work, but they all have the same end goal.
The isis criminals are the epitome of moozlums. All moozlums support them. If they didn’t, they would purge them and their ideas from their so-called “religion” (aka: death cult). I call BS on this article.
ISIS IS Islam!
All ISIS and its blood thirsty, head chopping, murderous followers are doing is faithfully following the teachings, commands, actions and example of the blood soaked Koran and their Satanic leader Mohamed!
The members and adherents of ISIS are true and faithful Muslims who are doing exactly what the Koran and Mad Mo have ordered them to do to all of us "infidels", Jews, Christians and EVERYONE else who does not believe that their false, Satanic moon-god Allah is God or that Mohamed is his prophet AND to ALL of the "UNFAITHFUL," nominal, so-called "moderate" or "secular" Muslims who are not being obedient to the bloody, murderous, commands of the Koran, Mohamed or Shariah "law".
According to all of the above, these nominal, "moderate" Muslims are apostates who are worthy of DEATH unless they "repent" and become "good," "faithful," OBEDIENT Muslims by joining ISIS and truly following and adhering to the bloody, murderous commands of the Koran, Shariah "law" and their leader Mohamed!
ISIS is just emulating the historic, blood soaked example of Mohamed.
The PR nightmare for Islam is that ISIS is accurately, honestly, and graphically demonstrating and presenting Islam and Mohamed for what it represents, teaches and IS for all the UNCONQURED, "infidel world," and "bad," nominal Muslims to see in bloody color on TV to the point where the proponents and followers of Islam can no longer hide behind THE LIE and FACAD that "Islam is a religion of peace". No, Islam, from its inception always has been and is the religion of subjugation, enslavement and DEATH!
ISIS IS true, genuine, Islam and accurately represents the ultimate goals and bloody outcome of faithfully adhering to the teachings, and commands of Mohamed, the Koran and Shariah "law" and following the barbaric, blood soaked, historic example of Mohamed!
You are likely correct, but as far as the future is concerned it depends on one’s preconception of what ‘future’ is like.
Is the future one that progresses humanity up the technological and philosophical chain? Or is that future on in which people worldwide live in bleak furniture less, decoration less hovels, with nothing for men to read but the koran, and nothing at all for women to read?
And if you imagine the Sunni vision (typified by ISIS) of the future retrograde and bleak, just glance at the Shiia vision: a future in which all of humanity is brought to Paradise through war and murder (human extinction) as the Shiia Twelvers desire?
Of course, the first thing which must happen is a means to achieve that end - thus Iran’s need for nukes. Using the nukes would spill enough blood to bring the 12th Imam out of the well he has lived in for the past 600 years and lead the process of bringing all of humanity to Paradise, aka extinction.
I’m sure you are thrilled to know that Obizmal and Moo Cow, under the leadership of VJ - who is following her instructions from the Iranian mullahs - are working feverishly to bring about this last result.
This is Normal Islam. This is Extreme Islam. This is Moderate Islam. THIS IS ISLAM.
YUP!
All Muslims want to kill, kill, kill. They love death, destruction and misery.
They are waiting for the strongest time to kill you...make no mistake.
Yeah, it’s that far-out, fringe, extremist, inauthentic 95% of moslems that give the other 5% a bad name.
Islam must be destroyed.
Gee apparently these concerned Muslims haven’t read the Quran very well as it is full of advocacy for such violence for the spreading of Islam. There are also centuries of history where Islam was spread by the sword. These Muslims should be concerned as like the Germans who said nothing while the Nazis assumed power they will reap the punishment as the world utterly destroys this ideology.
“It’s difficult to be part of this religion that has such bad press.”
Idiot. I’m Catholic. We get bad press all the time. I’m Catholic because it is true not because it gets good press.
Every “moderate” Muslim is a potential terrorist. The belief in Islam is like a tank of gasoline. It looks innocuous, until it meets the fire. For a “moderate” Muslim to become a murderous jihadist, all it takes is a spark of faith.
It is time to put an end to the charade of “moderate Islam.” There is no such thing as moderate Muslim. Muslims are either jihadists or dormant jihadists – moderate, they are not.
Ali Sini
ex-Muslim
Originator of Faith Freedom International
http://www.faithfreedom.org/
"For the first time"?!??? Hoooweee...I think you boys have had enough!
Put that bottle of Taqiyya down and go sleep it off, preferably with a nice, long dirt nap.
This article is much to kind to Islam — of course it IS published by a Muslim website, albeit one that claims to be secular.
Not buying it.
Once again. If only 10% of muzzies were extremist that is 160 million extremists.
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