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I Am NOT A Terrorist: Being Muslim in the Midst of Crazy Radicals
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Sayf
May 7, 2010 at 1:17 AM
This post should have been up three days ago on May the fourth. If you remotely understood this joke you are officially a massive geek. 8D}
ali
May 7, 2010 at 5:45 AM
:) lol
elham
May 7, 2010 at 12:18 PM
star wars day! (googled)
student
May 7, 2010 at 1:35 AM
This needs to be done not only on the personal level but on the community level. We need to realize that saying “we are not terrorists” will do nothing to change our image. (It is important to refute the ideology of terrorism to protect our youth from falling into it, yes. But this is not a strategy for changing our external image.) What does work is replacing one image with another more powerful one. When people think Muslims, they should be thinking “oh yeah, those people who champion environmental causes, who are at the forefront of poverty reduction strategies, who are promoting civi engagement, who are changing the faces of at-risk communities.” If all of that sounds difficult, how about we start with “oh yeah, those people who have good relations with the church across the street and collaborated with them in raising funds for cause x.”
I fear that we aren’t doing enough to really manifest the transformative reality of Islam. I fear that we are slightly too focused on Islamic education as our main avenue of activism. I fear that we are far to insular and until we break out of our shells and truly interact with others, they won’t be able to overcome their suspicions.
destinyseeker
May 7, 2010 at 8:21 AM
I get the same feeling as your last portion of the comment. It seems that the push for excelling in Islamic Education (no doubt necessary and full of reward) is the only push we get. Excelling in other fields (becoming experts can be a great source of positive dawah) is left for the kuffar because striving for excellence in medicine, engineering, software, sociology, politics, humanities, etc is all too often and easily equated with ‘advancing in the dunya’, which is “not going to benefit us after death”.
I believe this notion is to be challenged, especially by the shuyukh. We need to be inspired to excel in our respective fields, and become leaders in it.
Becoming leaders in fields, again, will be excellent dawah.
suhail
May 7, 2010 at 9:16 AM
Actually you are wrong here. We have very few student of knowledge and may be one or two real scholars in the whole US. We have tons of doctors, engineers, scientists etc. That is the big reason why people are running away from the deen.
By the remember the words of Umar Ibn Al Khattab (RA) when he said ” Allah honored us because of Islam and if we search for honor in something else Allah will again humiliate us”.
We need doctors, engineers and all other professionals but we also need a lot of people who understand this deen and teach it to people. Right now US has very few of those to be truthful.
destinyseeker
May 7, 2010 at 9:48 AM
I was approaching it in another sense. I was advocating for true excellence (leadership) in these fields, not just mere representation. (I’m talking about Nobel prizes, etc).
Secondly, I do see your point of not having many ulema in the US. But on an ummah-wide level, we definitely see many, do we not? Where are the Muslim Nobel prize winners (i.e. those with far-reaching benefit to humanity)? Where are the Apple and Google alternatives/competitors for Muslims (i.e. leave behind contributions instead of leeching of others inventions)? Where are the Muslim green energy experts with viable solutions? Economists? Etc…
If you are going to respond by saying, “Well, what’s wrong with that? Go ahead and become one.” My response will be, and what I was advocating for, “where is the push to excel in these fields?” There is tremendous dedication and sacrifice required to achieve these levels of excellence — dedication and sacrifice that is seemingly only reserved for Islamic education.
Finally, your point about having many (regular) doctors, engineers, etc is dead on. Sadly, many abandon the deen.
As for your quote on Umar RA: I ask you, is not striving to gain beneficial knowledge (not just in the deen) considered Islamic as well?
suhail
May 8, 2010 at 2:18 PM
To gain beneficial knowledge is not bad and if in the course you get a prize good for you but that is never the ultimate aim for a muslim anyways and never should be. The aim for a muslim is to please his lord so that he can gain Nobel prize on the day of judgement.
It is only Allah who gives honor and protection. If he does not will it thousands of Nobel Prize would not be able to return us the honor we had. But if Allah wills it will return without any prizes.
Thus it is good we achieve excellence in other fields than islamic sciences but we should never lose our vision that one day we all are going to die and will be judged. If we do not pass that Exam all the Nobel prizes are not going to do any good for us.
Eli Gottlieb
May 7, 2010 at 11:06 AM
I’m not even slightly a Muslim (got this link off Reddit), but rather Jewish, and it’s creepy how well that comment applies to my religion as well despite my not understanding a single word of the Arabic.
You guys ain’t the only ones.
Baasel
May 7, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Greetings Eli,
Great to have you on the forums…
Just out of curiousity, you said that you’re “not even slightly Muslim…”…well have you ever thought about becoming one? Really, what’s stopping you?
http://www.islamicity.com/articles/articles.asp?ref=ic0703-3248
Islaam is not a new religion, contrary to some misconceptions out there. We’d all be glad to help answer any questions you have.
saadat
May 8, 2010 at 9:31 PM
well meant, well said.
Rachael
May 7, 2010 at 1:36 AM
Sayf, I get it, AND I appreciate it. ;-)
izzet
May 7, 2010 at 1:38 AM
Is our sunnah, nostalgia for the 1980s?
Instead of using gimmicks like “Be a Jedi Master” – why not cut to the chase, and say: “Run to a real Sheykh?”
Sitting with them, we may find a cure from our real extremisms, and a refuge from the accusations of others.
abuabdAllah Tariq Ahmed
May 7, 2010 at 7:44 AM
So sad that admittedly good advice — your last sentence — was preceded by such boorish companions. Khayr, try using a thesaurus. You’ll find lots of synonyms for “gimmick,” a hackneyed term which aptly describes your non-naseeha style.
Abdul Sattar
May 7, 2010 at 8:51 AM
Sheesh. Whatever happened to the Sunnah of speaking in ideas people could relate to. The author was on point in mentioning Jedis – it is a part of popular culture and relates to people in terms they can appreciate.
Those who appreciate the concept of sitting with scholars and ‘ulama – don’t need an article to tell them to sit with scholars and ‘ulama.
However, mentioning something from popular culture, is a good way of getting the message across to everyone else and reminding all.
Seriously, relax :)
wa alaikumu salam
Sagacious Muslim
May 7, 2010 at 1:39 AM
Salaam Alaikum
Unfortunately this is a very sad reality. These few people (who call themselves Muslims) obtain international coverage when committing crimes in the name of God. On the other hand, I’m sure every brother and sister has come across certain Muslim people who give a bad name to Islam by doing the opposite of what the Prophet (Peace by upon Him) has taught us to do.
I find it even more distressing how Muslims who side with the Western racist opinions of Islam- those who insult & degrade their own Deen- these are the voices that are chosen to represent & the ‘ideal’ Muslim in the media.
I agree that in order to see positive change, we must put forth a collective effort to mend the wounds in our Ummah- and begin by correcting our character InshAllah. We must also not forget that the Western media & government has no intention of helping us with this task, as they only want to denigrate Islam for reasons that have to do with power & their desire to own the world under neo-conservative rule.
madam
May 8, 2010 at 8:07 AM
i actually think the large majority of non muslims and the west.. just have their own problems to think about… and really cannot be bothered with what their leaders are doing.
i think our ultimate saviour is Allah s.w.t.. and our ultimate enemy is the shaitan within us all.
tabman
May 7, 2010 at 3:05 AM
I wanted to say exactly the same things as in the post and was waiting that someone would bring up that we need to become active in our community and talk against these devious ideologies/arguments in the media, youtube etc.
I would request all the shaykhs, speakers who can tackle these issues to put their talks/lectures/articles online so we can receive authentic knowledge
mofw
May 7, 2010 at 6:40 AM
Unrelated, but now you guys have turned totally Nazi by removing full articles from the RSS feed.
If you are going to do that then at least make the site mobile friendly.
No wonder people think Muslims are terrorists.
Amad
May 7, 2010 at 9:47 AM
Just checking how many people really care :)
On a serious note, it’s a test we are running. Do you have some suggestions on the mobile-friendly thing? Can you email it to us?
Amad
May 7, 2010 at 3:24 PM
A mobile plugin has been activated… try it now and tell us if it works for you.
mofw
May 8, 2010 at 4:31 PM
Jazakallahu khair,
mobile view is simple but rocks!
Just put the full article back in your feeds too. If it’s an ad thing then just include ads in your feeds.
Again thanks
PS I use an adblocker. Just thought you should know. Probably the majority that use rss feeds use one two.
PPS One of the reasons I don’t like coming directly to the site is because it is sooooooooo freakin slow. (I’ve got fios, it’s not me it’s you)
I suggest paginating comments. Long comment threads make it slow too im guessing.
abuabdAllah Tariq Ahmed
May 7, 2010 at 8:00 AM
With love for the author for the sake of Allah, I take issue with the title: “I Am NOT A Terrorist: Being Muslim in the Midst of Crazy Radicals.”
Really? Oh, I know you are not a terrorist, alhamdolillah.
But I put it to you that none of us are in the midst of crazy radicals. Nor dangerous ones. Nor armed ones. Nor persons likely to take up arms. The fallacious notion that Muslims are primed to explode literally is nurtured by (1) people who hate Muslims, (2) people who make a living by stoking the hatred of Muslims, (3) often-naive people who pay too much attention to category #2 and/or television news, and (4) the small number of actual crazy radical Muslims who need to believe that every other Muslim is ready to back them up.
Here’s an analogy for you. I am a Pakistani American who over the course of growing up in America have traveled to Pakistan no fewer than 20 times. I would go to visit my relatives with my parents and then later on my own. By my adult travels people would ask me before every trip if I was afraid. The news would be full of attacks on the public on Tariq Road, etc., and occasionally I would see the same news and wonder. Then I would get to Pakistan and the din of police sirens that I was used to hearing in Washington, DC would be a distant memory. Even the kind of fear that makes sense — like the fear a person should have when jaywalking — just dropped out of my mind. The most dangerous thing I ever faced in Pakistan was food I would stubbornly eat from street vendors, and the water.
Water in Pakistan is probably full of crazy radicals.
The world we live in is not.
midatlantic
May 8, 2010 at 8:09 AM
Good point. Thank You
AsimG
May 7, 2010 at 7:00 AM
So much talk about Muslim terrorists and radicals and so little talk about why Muslims are turning to these tactics.
We can’t just keep saying oh these people are doing such horrible things and then talk about how we need to smile more so people won’t think we are terrorists. The people who are propagating such ideas will laugh when they read such posts because their goals (albeit with horrible means) are freeing Palestine and rebuilding the ummah while ours is…..image?
The least we can do when ranting about terrorists is talk about du’a.
We should remind ourselves that Allah is Ar-Razzaq and Ar-Rahman and to Him we turn for help. We should not look at the state of the ummah and despair and abandon the commands of Allah (swt).
Rather we raise our hands and supplicate with sincerity to free this ummah from tyranny, poverty and subjugation.
(apologies if too harsh)
Amad
May 7, 2010 at 2:58 PM
So, you will glaze over the “horrible means” here? This comment doesn’t suit someone like you Asim. You know this isn’t about image. It is about means and about injustice. You cannot use wrong means to cancel an injustice. This is injustice in itself, and it becomes a further cause of injustice. In fact, with such actions, we are further and further away from freeing Palestine or rebuilding our ummah. These cowards and lunatics are cancerous cells in our ummah that are multiplying due to a combination of external injustice (West’s policies) and internal denial (conspiracies, but-good-intentions, etc.)
AsimG
May 8, 2010 at 2:20 AM
Nah you know me well enough on this to know I’m not glazing it over. It is an issue and we need to address so non-Muslims understand the distinction between Islam and terrorism.
But, it seems like that’s all we are doing. Maybe I’ve been overexposed to this topic and tired of hearing the same perspective. I want to hear ideas and plans to address the growing frustration amongst Muslims worldwide with the state of the Ummah.
We need to stop dehumanizing these people as if they are so far from us.
Given different circumstances, education and understandings we easily could be them.
saadat
May 9, 2010 at 2:10 PM
http://www.facebook.com/l/782fa;www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=201059story_9-5-2010_pg3_2
Subject: ANALYSIS: Youth and militancy —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi must read===
also these were super powers who brought usama bin laden to afghanistan, as mujahidin against russia, causing jihadi culture,,,, in afghanistan, desighned to get control of this region….the common people , ignorant masses are paying the price..
Anon
May 9, 2010 at 1:50 AM
Lunatics – maybe. But Cowards???
amad
May 9, 2010 at 8:41 AM
Very brave indeed to plant something that will kill unarmed civilians?
100% cowards. If he was really that brave, he should have gone taken it up on the battlefield, not a public area.
Middle Ground
May 7, 2010 at 5:31 PM
Salam
Maybe we should ask our Palestinian brothers what the best way to help them is? I’d be shocked if many of them said blowing up bombs in NYC was.
madam
May 8, 2010 at 8:05 AM
Salam,
actually I’ve asked a few. They just want a chance to rebuild their lives, a chance at normalcy. Simple things like access to education, safety, peace, having dinner at the table. Killing other innocent people who have got nothing to do with the conflicts caused and sustained by our idiotic leaders, will not help them at all. Allah knows best.
madam
May 8, 2010 at 7:59 AM
Everytime I read the profiles of these “terrorist”.. I wish we, the Muslims could have reached out faster, earlier and longer. The guy who went on a killing spree at Fort Hood, he was a man crying for help. Even the local imam couldn’t work with him. He was a lone ranger.. and you know what Islam says about who you keep as company and what will happen when you are constantly alone. He definitely had a lot of problems,but we as Muslims could have connected to him better and faster.
Terrorists of all kinds, often have no emotional (or severed) connection with the community that they are living with, or the community that they are about to attack. Think Columbine High School shooters, Mc Veigh, whatever the agenda, the common entity is clear, they all have lost touch of being a part of the greater community, and we as Muslims cannot allow that to happen to any one of our members. We gotta keep reminding each other about the purpose that Allah s.w.t created us.
We need to keep having this positive community spirit going, a community that includes and invites, with Islamic education, prayer, salat, charity, positive mosque acvtivities that benefit the community. These are trying times, and instead of looking outwards to the source of the problem, we need to look inside, within ourselves, in our own communities, loopholes that we can fix, errors to correct and gaps to close up.
This is not to ignore the reasons that are motivating these actions. But then again, I really think its a combination of events that set our Muslim brothers and sisters to carry out these acts. That is why, not all of us in their position now. We may be angry with what is happening, but we do not have the same cocktail that will drive us towards violence. But insyaallah, if we do, may Allah inspire us back towards the straight path. And rid us of our anger, and strengthen our faith in Him and His Power.
saadat
May 9, 2010 at 2:18 PM
well said , i agree and appreciate,,,,,,poor muslims are playing in hands of enemies against each other
Mahin F. Islam
May 7, 2010 at 7:44 AM
Asim, Are you in India?
AsimG
May 8, 2010 at 2:21 AM
lol yes. are u in bangladesh? fb/email me
Nour
May 7, 2010 at 8:10 AM
Assaliam Aleikum!
For this reason every Muslim should make Hijra to a muslim country! Allah is making this for the muslims in all these non-muslim countries to understand that their place is not there. Because Allah is saying:
“When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say: “In what (plight) Were ye?” They reply: “Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth.” They say: “Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)?” Such men will find their abode in Hell,- What an evil refuge! – “
(The Holy Quran 4: 97)
Allah to guide all of us!
mystrugglewithin
May 7, 2010 at 8:52 AM
Explanation of the verse from Tafheem-ul-Quran by Maulana Maududi:
The reference here is to those who stay behind along with the unbelievers, despite no genuine disability. They are satisfied with a life made up of a blend of Islamic and un-Islamic elements, even though they have had the chance to migrate to the Dar al-Islam and thus enjoy a full Islamic life. This is the wrong that they committed against themselves. What kept them satisfied with the mixture of Islamic and un-Islamic elements in their life was not any genuine disability but their love of ease and comfort, their excessive attachment to their kith and kin and to their properties and worldly interests. These concerns had exceeded reasonable limits and had even taken precedence over their concern for their religion.
This also relates to 4:88, which is explained as follows:
The problem of the hypocrites is discussed here. They had outwardly embraced Islam in Makka and in other parts of Arabia, but instead of migrating to the Domain of Islam they continued co live among their own people who were unbelievers, taking part in all their hostile machinations against Islam and the Muslims. It was not easy for the Muslims to decide how to deal with such people. Some were of the opinion that since they professed Islam, performed Prayers, fasted and recited the Qur’an they could not be treated as unbelievers. Here God pronounces His judgement on this issue.
Unless the following is made clear at this point, the reader is likely to miss the real object of not only this verse but of all those verses in which believers who have failed to migrate are characterized as hypocrites. The fact is that after the Prophet (peace be on him) migrated to Madina the Muslims came to possess a piece of territory where they could fulfil the dictates of their faith. At that time all Muslims who suffered from the pressures and constraints imposed on them by the unbelievers, and who did not enjoy the freedom to practise their religion, were directed to migrate to Madina, the Domain of Islam. It was in these circumstances that all those believers who were in a position to migrate to Madina, but who failed to do so because their hearth and home, kith and kin, and their material interests were dearer to them than Islam, were declared hypocrites. Those who were not really in a position to migrate were reckoned as ‘feeble’ (see verse 98 below).
It is obvious that Muslims living in non-Islamic territories can be called hypocrites only when the Domain of Islam either extends a general invitation to all of them or at least leaves its doors open to them. In such circumstances, all Muslims who are neither engaged in trying to transform the non-Islamic territory into a Domain of Islam nor inclined to migrate to the latter despite their ability to do so, will be deemed hypocrites. But if the Domain of Islam neither invites them nor even keeps its doors open for them, then they obviously cannot be declared hypocrites merely because of their failure to migrate. Such persons would be considered hypocrites only if they did something too outrageous to be consistent with true faith.
(mods, sorry for the long comment, I deemed it was relevant)
Abdul Sattar
May 7, 2010 at 9:01 AM
salam,
Yes. Say that to all the active, non-violent Muslim activists rotting in Muslim jails in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan; did I say Egypt and Saudi? Yemen and Morocco. And who have been suffering the same for over 50 years.
In the United States, I can pass out flyers on streets with a blowhorn, explaining how harmful the foreign policy of the U.S. is to the causes of justice and worldwide stablity, and I can criticize the policymakers in their intention and their actions – as long as I do not call for violence.
If I was living in some Muslim countries and did the same, I might get a special visit to my home late at night by armed police dressed in black.
Muslims Living in Non-Muslim Lands:
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/muslims-living-in-non-muslim-lands-dr-abdullah-bin-bayyah/
The Fallacy of the Hijrah Fatwa:
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/the-fallacy-of-the-hijra-fatwa-abul-hussein/
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/the-fall-out-of-hijra-the-fallacy-of-the-hijra-fatwa-strikes-back-at-our-people/
sabirah
May 8, 2010 at 1:14 AM
salam -According to Tafseer ibn Kathir the ayat was revealed because there were muslims fighting in non muslim armies against the muslims and coming up with excuses why they are doing so
Mustaqeem
May 7, 2010 at 9:08 AM
Shame on you for assuming your muslim brother to be a murderer.
His family and tribe members believe he was falsely implicated:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/shahzads-village-in-kpkhwa-shocked-550
TTP denied they even met him, let alone train him:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/taliban-deny-training-faisal-750
Most importantly, we have seen no evidence from americans that he did anything, except their statements that he “confessed” and the constant blaberring of “pakistan/waziristan link”.
For all I know, he was a normal guy with a stolen car going to Dubai to pick up his family and got arrested on the way. Could have been you or me. Imagine if it was you or me, how would you feel if the entire world esp your muslim brothers and sisters accused you of something you didn’t commit. If it was me, I’d be cursing every single one of you for falsely accusing me and asking Allah (swt) to give me all your good deeds.
Point being: wait till they can show some evidence before accusing him. Remember the story of ifk and the accusations against aisha (RA).
unknoen
May 7, 2010 at 10:10 AM
jazakAllahu khaiern for your advice
Amad
May 7, 2010 at 11:40 AM
Yeah, this survellience video is also part of the grand conspiracy… what do you think poor parents will do? Incriminate him???
sheesh…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/07/AR2010050700194.html
Jeremiah
May 8, 2010 at 6:25 AM
While I am not advocating the conspiracy theory above, I still think the best practice is to not accept everything reported as 100% factual without corroboration. It is very surprising how little the immigrant Muslims and their children here in America have learned from the US government/Muslim interactions from the 50s-70s. It is well known that the government played a major role in trying to infiltrate and sabotage Muslim and non-Muslim movements including those Muslim movements we would consider orthodox. We would be seriously mistaken to ignore past and present day examples of the dishonest actions of our government.
Arif Kabir
May 7, 2010 at 11:28 AM
I’ve unsubscribed from most blogs that require you to click to go on their blog from gReader – why? Because your content should be so good that I would want to click on the title and head over to read the comments or to write my own. This crosses the line of annoying.
amad
May 9, 2010 at 8:41 AM
patience bro… most likely it will be all back to the normal… just running some tests.
akman
May 7, 2010 at 3:10 PM
For second day in a row… my comments have offended the Staff of MM and thus they have been removed.
Again, i apologies to you…for stating:
That things are happening, being manufactured secretly, covertly on behalf of a group of people —
ITS NOT on behalf of a nation or community. Its a higher up group “over government” small group
whose interest lie within themselves and what they do to coerce a chain of events to happen.
Pls tell me what is wrong with what i wrote — am i lying when i say that islam is being used as a scapegoat.
Again… my apoloiges
Amad
May 7, 2010 at 3:17 PM
We have a particular distaste for conspiracy theories, as you see with our reaction on Arrivals videos.
If you have something constructive to say, you are more than welcome.
nomad
May 8, 2010 at 7:29 AM
How about what one of the Muslim eye witnesses who helped foiled the New York attack has to say – http://www.democracynow.org/2010/5/6/muslim_vendor_gets_no_credit_in
The one who they refuse to acknowledge with credit of helping stop the incident.
They just so happened to rather give credit to some war veterans.
Conspiracy theory?
nomad
May 8, 2010 at 8:21 AM
How about this litle piece of valuable information about one of the “eyewitness vendors” and the SUV used in the attack. – http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/photo-of-a-green-suv-in-times-square-on-the-same-corner-and-next-to-the-cnn-witness-hot-dog-stand-taken-a-year-ago/
amad
May 9, 2010 at 8:43 AM
I wouldn’t call a website that has a special 9/11 conspiracies tab as being exactly reliable.
Zuhayr
May 7, 2010 at 5:30 PM
replace ‘be a jedi master’ with ‘follow the sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad”
chewbakka
May 7, 2010 at 6:22 PM
may the force be with you… ameen
Han
May 8, 2010 at 1:53 AM
Chew ol’ buddy! You could speak English all along?? And your Muslim too?!
chewbakka
May 8, 2010 at 3:55 AM
greetings Han! it’s easier to type than to speak… even with furry paws…
student
May 9, 2010 at 2:11 AM
Hahaha, good to know that at least some MM readers have a sense of humor! =D
Darth Vader
May 9, 2010 at 2:39 AM
I find your lack of iman.. disturbing….
*choke grip*
Yoda
May 10, 2010 at 4:42 AM
joking… we must not… the dark side is strong ….!! Serious is this… ts..ts….. *shakes head and ears*
Zuhayr
May 9, 2010 at 4:38 PM
Allah is the only force
jazakAllah khair
waleed asif
May 7, 2010 at 9:39 PM
Just a note, as Muslims we shouldn’t be focusing on making Islam’s image around the world a positive one, but we should make it our goal to please Allah (SWT), making our character (akhlaaq) speak for us. Making Islam’s image better should be a side goal that is achieved through pleasing Allah.
Pingback: What I understand about Faisal Shahzad | Tea
Hassan
May 8, 2010 at 8:01 AM
Faisal Shahzad was inspired by (Sheikh?) Anwar-Al-Awlaki?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599198780800
I think it is good time, Sh Yasir Qadhi debate him in middle east somewhere (like Doha debates)
suhail
May 8, 2010 at 2:53 PM
this is idiotic as many of us had all the tapes by Imam Anwar so are we all terrorists. Ridiculous assertion. And why do u think he will come and debgte with Yasir Qadhi when his life is in danger.
L Mirza
May 8, 2010 at 12:43 PM
As usual, many are looking into why, what about this, that. We are all collectively guilty of being silent and blame everything on others and not ourselves. The early Madrasa education (in turkey , religious education, madrasa or otehrwise can be had only after 15), the Saudi money machine and hatred system, our outmoded school text books in Pakistan (and otehr Muslim countries) that openly preach violence and openly state others are inferior to Muslims, and our unquestioning attitude to our clergy,a nd our own ambivalence about what uis state, what is religion, what is life etc have contributed to this anarchy among us. There is no single day setting in Pakistan where one sect murders the other sect, there are too many murderous groups, and now of all the places, in Punjab that was suppsoed to eb free from these,. Definitely it is exported to USA and UK and wherever Muslims are, life is going to be miserable for us here and in otehrt western countries, and more scrutiny and invasion of privacy. Well, instead of complaining about the “lose of privacy” and unfair treatment, let us take care of these root causes that create the suspicion among many
tarek hassaballa
May 9, 2010 at 6:38 PM
i wrote a comment on this article a couple days ago, and now its no longer there? I believe in one God and that Muhammad ppbuh is His messenger. Even on a muslim website we are censored? Walahi this is proof of how we are so weak today. I did not use foul language nor encourage violence. (I’m assuming you deleted my comment, if it wasnt’ I’m sorry, but its frustrating), are you censoring me? Do you not like my “freedom”? Maybe you ARE A Terrorist.
-There are 10 editors on MM, so don’t assume who did it. If your comment was off-topic or trollish, it doesn’t have to be foul to be removed. Editors make the call on what is and what is not in that category, just like any other site’s admin. -Editor.
Tarek Hassaballa
May 10, 2010 at 9:13 AM
did you read the part where i said “if its not, i’m sorry”? walahi man i cant believe you guys took off my comment, and now you want to defend it. i’m sorry but you (WHOEVER DELETED MY AND OTHERS COMMENTS, NO ASSUMING HERE “editor”) are unfair. if you filter everything, then someone reading the article and comment will only get what the editor thinks “what is and what is not in that category”. if hamza yusuf or zaid shakir wrote that comment, you wouldnt DARE delete it, and you know it. we are all brothers and sisters in Islam, i’m just expressing myself. thanks,
Reality
May 9, 2010 at 7:24 PM
Let’s face it. Some among us are crazy. The Khawarij were. The Mu’taziltes were. The Assassins were. Why exclude a group of today’s Muslims of being crazy when they clearly are, just as early genuine Muslims excluded the groups above? Did these genuine Muslims scream “conspiracy?” Did they find unnecessary excuses to absolve them of their deviations? No and no. They refuted them, waged war on them, and silenced them. It shouldn’t be any different today for those who claim the mantle of Islam. Stop making pathetic excuses for them even if US foreign policy sucks. They both suck and that’s the truth. So live with it or plunge in your fantasy world and delude yourselves. Simple as that.
Amad
May 10, 2010 at 12:25 AM
Love the “Reality” check ;)
Islam is awesome
May 10, 2010 at 2:48 PM
Good article- glad to see some great solutions! Just want to emphasize..
Will our whole life be dedicated to condemning others actions based on what we see on CNN? Everyone knows terrorism is bad, why we gotta make publicly condemning terrorism the focal point of our existence and dawah?? If more muslims did proper dawah (Teaching about tawheed, Allah’s mercy, paradise, etc) then we wouldn’t have to justify ourselves because then the non-muslims would automatically know that when terror strikes (God forbid a non-muslim exaggerates a story on CNN) that it isn’t Islamic by any means. Yikes!
I am having a hard time keeping up with the media on their accusations of muslims and Islam trying to explain to my family and neighbors that Islam doesn’t allow this type of behavior. But it’s what the people know, why can’t they know Islam instead of “What Islam isn’t” Or what the media says about Islam??
L Mirza
May 12, 2010 at 6:47 PM
Ya, as usual, it is media’s fault. Wake up man!
Islam is Awesome
May 12, 2010 at 9:24 PM
I don’t understand… what exactly is the “it’s the media’s fault” and wake up to what? A small comment, yet gets me so hugely confused.
another white brother
May 13, 2010 at 8:01 AM
The general consensus here is that one is “burying his head in the sand” if we don’t follow the MSM constructed view on events and instead opt for the Quranic methodology (Hujarat, 6).
Which is, in itself, quite strange considering that its well-known (even amongst those who tell us we have our heads buried in the sand) how much special interests, whether it be through corporate, thinktank, or government funding, skew the way that information gets (mis)presented.
Middle Ground
May 13, 2010 at 2:05 PM
Salam
Wish it was that easy and I could just bury my head in the sand… here’s the latest, more folks may be involved, Allah knows best.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0513/FBI-raids-in-Times-Square-probe-What-were-they-looking-for
another white brother
May 14, 2010 at 11:07 AM
wasalaam
Islam is Awesome
May 13, 2010 at 4:38 PM
Salam-
Ok I understand now what you some people say and to be honest, I never thought that I was going around blaming the media and burying my head in the sand! I would rather opt for Hujurat-6 in this case.
another white brother
May 14, 2010 at 11:09 AM
Its not “blaming the media” its just being intellectually honest and following the methodology set for us by Allah and his messenger (saw).
Pictures Blog
February 13, 2011 at 8:55 AM
not bad….
Sobia
November 13, 2015 at 11:16 PM
Today this is more important than ever. Even though I do not feel like I should say sorry for what extremists do I understand why people think I as a Muslim am obliged to say sorry. We as an ummah need to vocally condemn these acts and show we are different from these people who killed all those innocent in France.