Terrorism
Imam Zaid Shakir | Letter to would be Mujahid
Cross-posted from New Islamic Directions
Recent developments have forced me to put some things on hold to write you this letter. You might ask how I know you. I have met you at student events, in mosques, and at conferences. I have listened to your arguments and I have made my counter arguments. Often times, my arguments have been somewhat formal. I figured I would write you a letter, since that is a lot more personal and less formal. Perhaps this way you will be more inclined to listen.
To begin with, whenever you are criticized for your bloody, anarchistic ideology, you point to the bloody abuses of the American war machine or their Zionist accomplices. This diversionary tactic on your part does not impress serious and thoughtful people. It is simply an abdication of your moral responsibility. It is as if you are saying you reserve the right to violate established Islamic principles, such as those guaranteeing the protection of innocent life, because the American military or the IDF do no respect innocent Muslim life. That would be a credible argument if the American military or the IDF claimed to be operating on the basis of Islamic principles. They don’t, but you do. I hope, without further elaboration, you can immediately sense the moral dilemma you are creating for yourself.
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Along those lines, please allow me to remind you of something else. Your misguided attempts to kill and maim innocent Americans only make it easier for the American military to kill more Muslims with greater impunity. Your actions help to create a political climate that removes any moral restraint from the actions of the American military, the IDF and soon the forces of India’s increasingly Hindu nationalist armed forces. You see, fear is a very potent emotion and when it is carefully manipulated it can lead to very irrational politics. That most extreme form of those politics is called genocide.
Fear can be especially dangerous when it is combined with another emotion, insecurity. You are so divorced from reality that you probably haven’t noticed that a lot of Americans are extremely insecure right now. Especially, the white middle class or what is left of it. They don’t know if they will soon lose their homes, if they will have a job tomorrow, if their money will be in the bank next week, if they will be able to send their children to college or if their retirement funds will be stolen or totally devalued. Those insecurities combined with the spectre of the ‘Muslim terrorist next door’ are a lethal combination that a group of people called demagogues is exploiting to justify an all out war on Muslims.
Those demagogues use the fear of you to prevent people from building the kind of grassroots, popular, movements that are necessary to challenge the corporate rape of our society and from challenging the destructive logic of permanent war. For example, remember the growing movement to challenge the new invasive TSA screening procedures at airports? Did you notice how it disappeared after the would-be mujahid in Portland allowed himself to be trapped into the scheme to blow up the Christmas tree ceremony? Do you think the timing was accidental? It is a shame that you and your ilk are so mindlessly complicit in such schemes.
Now you think the mujahideen can win an all out war against the Americans. Look at what the mujahideen are doing to them in Afghanistan. Sorry, but Afghanistan is not what all out war looks like. I’ll give you a clue what all out war looks like. Remember a couple years ago when the Israelis were bombarding the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Muslims, for all of their courage, couldn’t do anything except appeal to outside powers to stop the carnage? Or a few years before that when Jenin was flattened? Think of the scale of that devastation expanded to encompass all of the major cities of the Muslim world. Imagine America unleashing a new generation of ‘tactical’ nuclear weapons being designed to be used specifically against Muslims targets raining down on Muslim capitals and there is no Muslim strategic deterrent available to stop it. AK-47s and RPGs will be of no avail. Imagine the calls to human rights organizations to stop the slaughter finding no ears to hear them because the neo-fascist forces your stupidity has helped to unleash have swept those organizations away in its maddening torrent.
I have heard you counter that such an argument is a manifestation of a lack of faith. God has promised the believers victory. Indeed, He has. However, it is very pretentious of you to assume that someone who murders women, children and innocents with blazon impunity in the Name of God are the believers that victory has been promised to. He has promised the believers victory, but that promise is not unconditional. God is not going to give victory to people who murder in His Holy Name.
I applaud your courage, but how it manifests itself puzzles me. You have the courage to fly halfway around to world to engage in an armed struggle, but you do not have the courage to knock on your neighbor’s door to explain Islam to him or to give him your take on world affairs. I am also baffled at how you can smile in his face, but are ready to blow him up if he happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. What calculus do you use to assume he would not be amenable to your message? What has he done to you to be the target of your bloodlust?
You claim a refined understanding of Islam, so refined that you can make grave decisions concerning life and death, decisions with huge strategic implications, yet you seem to perceive nothing of the divine wisdom of your being in this country. You have an opportunity to be an educator at a time people are looking for a new way. You have an opportunity to be a guide at a time people are looking for a new direction. You have an opportunity to provide a source of spiritual solace at a time people are confused, angry and afraid. You have an opportunity to be a fierce advocate for truth at a time when lies are transforming the image of your religion and the direction of your country. You have the skills, the command of the language, the knowledge of the people to do all of that and more, but you choose to run away from this battle to join one you do not even know who the commander is.
Did I say that? To join a battle you do not even know who the commander is. No! I didn’t say that. Do you think that if the FBI can send fake mujahids into mosques all around America to find confused, vulnerable Muslims, develop fake bomb plots, with fake bombs, for very real political objectives, the CIA couldn’t do the same thing abroad? No, wait a minute. Didn’t the CIA build the Afghan mujahideen network? Didn’t what’s his name, Zbigniew Brzezinski, describe the Afghan operation as the CIA’s finest hour?
They would never use fake mujahids, operating through fake websites, to recruit confused and desperate Muslim youth to engage in operations that keep the climate of fear alive, would they? They wouldn’t do that to keep support for bloodsucking, treasury-draining wars alive at a time when there is no money for the poor, the elderly, health-care, education, infrastructure or investment in the green economy. No! It’s preposterous. Those would be psychological operations (psych ops) and that would be cheating. America never cheats, we’re the good guys!
I apologize, I’m tripping. On a serious note, I hope you don’t one day end up feeling as stupid and abused as young Antonio Martinez or Mahomed Osman Mohamud, the Somali kid in Oregon, are probably feeling right now. They have been tricked, deceived, used, and abused by fake mujahids and then thrown in a dungeon to rot for the rest of their lives. Do you think your fate will be any different? Don’t be a fool.
Sincerely,
Imam Zaid Shakir
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Ashraf Ali
December 16, 2010 at 12:47 PM
Subhannalah. Alhamdullilah. La illahah Illallah!
Incredible. May Allah grant you Paradise for this clear and succinct letter.
brother Kaminari
December 16, 2010 at 1:31 PM
such articles help to think twice –
arigato and shoukran , barakallahu fik
Mansoor Ansari
December 16, 2010 at 1:48 PM
I am confused, is this addressed to those who were taking part in attacks on innocent bystanders or those who are attacking the military of countries that are occupying Muslim countries? Till the article was targeting the prior group I followed you but when u changed tracked and started targeting those who fighting the occupiers u lost me!
It was the rag tag mujahideen who defeated a USSR. And USSR was far more brutal than America is. How was it possible then not now? If the answer is that other Muslim countries were officially helping the mujahideen with money & men, then why not do the same now to defeat the current occupiers & colonizers?
Daniel
December 17, 2010 at 12:36 AM
Actually it was the American-funded, Israeli-weaponized “rag tag mujahideen” that defeated the USSR. Read a history book.
Mansoor Ansari
December 17, 2010 at 8:41 AM
The funds came from the Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia in particular! And America supplied the stinger, rest were the weapons came from Pakistan or thru blackmarket just like they do now.
One would be right to say America legitimized their fight in the eyes of the western world by openly advocating for them!
Tamim
December 17, 2010 at 10:08 AM
The mujahideen were supported by the Americans – that alone brings along a great deal of influence and strength.
It is a useless delusion to think that
1. The Muslim’s would ever be able to achieve that sort of unity even if they wanted to – If they could, they wouldn’t be occupied in the first.
2. That they would ever be able to defeat the United States and it’s allies.
The United States could wipe out the whole Middle East if they wanted to. To think that somehow it is as simple as “defeating” the “occupiers” is somewhat delusional.
If you look at the attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq, you would notice that these suicide bombers who blow themselves up in the middle of a market end up killing the Muslims themselves. This shows that they really have no care for the masses of the Muslims. The ‘Muslim’ governments are corrupt, and their countries are slowly sinking under this facade of ‘Westernization’ and ‘progress’. Somehow, we think that a couple of nice skyscrapers and a halal McDonalds means our countries have somehow improved. Unfortunately, the same blatant human rights violations continue, and the governments continue to prove themselves more un-Islamic than the American government is sometimes.
Mansoor Ansari
December 17, 2010 at 2:45 PM
Tamim,
Yes, in Iraq there are/were who blow themselves up in the middle of a market end up killing the Muslims themselves. But many more exist who attacked the occupation forces and continue to do so.
The Afghanis can defeat the occupiers as they have done to other superpowers before. Afghanis have time on their side while the occupiers don’t!
In fact, one should thank the Iraqi mujahideen for their efforts. It does look like they lost the war but they saved at least two more countries from being invaded – Iran & Syria. After the bloody nose they got in Iraq and how their lfe has become hell, they would not dare to attack another Muslim country without thinking a million times abt it!
Jack Fertig
December 17, 2010 at 11:53 AM
The fall of the Soviet Union under its own gross inefficiency was inevitable, but the war in Afghanistan drained it enough to hasten its demise, just as American wars in Vietnam crippled our society (in ways we might have healed had we admitted to them and dealt with the problems) and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are fast accelerating our self-destruction.
Iqbal
December 18, 2010 at 9:09 AM
Defeat of USSR was cannot be attributed to one factor
Latin America, bay of pigs and south Vietnam were supplied weaponry by US but look what happened there, China and India are equally inefficient in terms of social structure, you cant even get a death certificate without bribing in India, China’s success is built on sweat shops
We would be formulating different theories had Soviets managed to overrun Pakistan and Iran
Also look at the defeat of Nazi Germany in Stalingrad and North Africa nobody in their right mind could call them inefficient or the opposition better armed
some people might not accept but there is one unique pattern in above examples i.e. people fighting for just cause were victorious even if it took sometime and yes huge human cost
My 2 cents
Daniel Joseph Patrick
March 21, 2011 at 6:52 PM
Serious thoughtful people don’t use children as human shields to protect the innocent Muslims that are hiding in their safe houses. Of course then “the occupiers” are accused of killing innocent people.
Abdul Matin
March 21, 2011 at 7:58 PM
Seriously??……. u’re so naive that you think people care about what you think so much that they take their own children and use them as shields from bombs to make “the occupiers” look bad… oh the occupiers are such wonderful people. why they gotta get a bad rap? just cause they’re filthy dirty, murderous, good for nothing occupiers that support your view of the world?… ok understood
F
December 16, 2010 at 2:19 PM
Very well written by Imam Zaid as usual.
May Allah(swt) give him long life to benefit the ummah.
Matsudo Legend
December 16, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Mashallah. Sensational!
Go Imam Zaid!
Jazakallah khayr Sheikh.
Nabi
December 16, 2010 at 3:10 PM
great! please check out http://www.islamicsolutions.com/if-it-is-extreme-it-is-not-islam/
Abu Ilyas
December 16, 2010 at 3:26 PM
As an advice to the wannabe naive Jihadi it makes some sense, it is obviously wrong to kill innocent people and engage in terrorism (thought there is an odd opinion that its ok…Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen as an example) and for sure Law enforcement will entrap Muslims. So thanks brother Zaid for helping out there.
But generally this is a harmful piece of writing because :
1) It reinforces the idea that anyone who believes in fighting invaders is a blood thirsty neo kharijite terrorist. Hardly balanced. Surely, at least some of the people who partake in jihad have good intentions and good fiqh, i.e dont go around doing wanton destruction and killing innocent people.
There may be some groups like that..who deliberately engage in killing the blood of innocents
There may be some groups who make mistakes in jihad and have done that sometimes out of error
There may be many more black ops which have done these acts than have been uncovered thus far and blamed on terrorists.
But i doubt that the vast majority of Muslims are fighting anything except what they think is a correct Jihad and are trying to fight it within the boundaries of the Shariah.
I believe this perception (that the jihad is in fact terrorism) is on the whole a lie, propagated by The Military, embellished deliberately by the Media and repeated by naive people like Zaid Shaakir.
Certainly, many respectable people on the ground have been saying that..but who is listening?
If we are too scared to call a Jihad a jihad then at least don’t undermine the efforts of your brothers by repeating the propaganda of the invaders.
2) It is of course embarrassingly defeatist. I have no doubt that the Afghans will kick the Americans and NATO and kill a few thousand more before its all over. We are not fighting an all out war. This is a classic guerrilla war and the “Mujahideen” will realise their strategic goals. Just like they did with the Soviets. Just like Vietnam ad infinitum..
Say Ameen brother Zaid!? Really quietly though.
3) Strategic implications? Who decided on the strategy and on what authority? No one can disagree on this stratgey? Is it revelation? Just asking – I do agree somewhat with this argument btw but not in such an absolute way as ZS is making it. And the assumptions that the Jihadi prone type are less active in da’wah and their community is just an assumption. Many people can claim the opposite. Look at brother Tarek Mehanna for example.
And to what extent will you go for the sake of the Da’wah? Anything goes?
4) The defeatist stuff about the Americans unleashing tactical nuclear weapons against all the Muslims and then blaming that scenario on Muslims is plain ridiculous..and if it did happen people like Zaid Shaakir will still be sitting in America blaming the “stupid” brothers….
5) I don’t know what it is but people like you and many of the others who sometimes write on this website seem to be simply incapable of actually reaching out to these “jihad prone” people. If i was one of these i would be so turned off you. Look at this letter as an example. So harsh.
Do you guys really want to help these guys or do you just want to show the authorities how harsh you are against terrorism..are you just scared? Your tone certainly does not make sense if you are trying to correct the people you aim to correct…i would be more driven away from you and your message if i was such a jihadi.,..which i aint btw…
Ahmed
December 16, 2010 at 11:26 PM
Assalamualaikum,
very well said akhi Abu Ilyas
Zainab
December 17, 2010 at 12:22 AM
You’re completely wrong in believing that condemning MODERN Jihadists is defeatist and trying to spread American Military propaganda.
No matter what their intentions, they are setting Islam’s cause back years, accomplishing nothing but creating more and more reasons for the world to not support Muslims.
Read this article again carefully… the strategies the Imam gives as an alternative will work a hundred times better than blowing yourself up can ever do.
Mansoor Ansari
December 17, 2010 at 9:36 AM
So we should condemn those who are fighting the occupiers in their lands, in other words u r suggesting that when Muslim countries get invaded, these Muslims should just accept the occupiers not resist!
Abu Ilyas
December 17, 2010 at 12:33 PM
Zainab where did i say that condemning modern jihadists is defeatist?
Please can you follow your own advice and read my response properly, try to understand what I am trying to say and then comment.
And what is “Islams Cause” anyway?
J
December 17, 2010 at 1:07 AM
Asa,
I think this was the epitome of real advice. Jazakullah Abu Ilyas, couldn’t have said it better myself :)
Amad
December 17, 2010 at 5:25 AM
Without a khalifa, what leads you to believe that most are fighting within the boundaries? Have you done an extensive survey of their techniques? And what they think is correct jihad doesn’t make it the correct jihad, does it?
That is interesting. For the most part, we have been hearing that Tarek wasn’t the “jihadi type”. Are you claiming that he was that type or prone to it? As for productive activity in dawah, Allah knows best, esp. based on this observation. And even if he was one of those, the examples of the keyboard jihadists actually doing anything productive outside their parents’ basements are far and few. I said this about Sh. Yunus too. There aren’t many examples of productive Muslims like him, even though he wouldn’t be characterized as a “Jihadi prone” type either, even if he disagrees with us.
As far as the tone of this post, this is a common excuse. You hear it every time there is an article against radicalism. You know what, it’s time to stop giving stupid excuses for the wackos who wake up one day and want to “help the ummah” by destroying it. The people who should be really angry are us, the Muslims who have to then pay for the sheer stupidity of these radicalized youth. Every time they go out and try to come up with the next smart alec plot, the entire Muslim populace has to then suffer indignation, discrimination and hatred. And I know the response to this, some cut and paste Quranic verse about how Muslims must face the fitnah. But Muslims dont CREATE fitnas for themselves. It is not up to the radicalized few to decide what fitnah they want to give the rest of the Muslims.
So, instead of worrying about the tone of these articles, worry about the actions of the youth that you give excuses to. They are like small kids that need some spanking to get their heads straight. And the rest of the Muslims have taken enough. Those who don’t like it here, go to Afghanistan or Iraq or wherever else you want to do hijrah too. They need to stop use Islam as justification for the haram venting (i.e. terrorism) of your anger. Because we are all sick of cleaning up Islam each time they bury it under their perverted plans.
Nayma
December 17, 2010 at 6:01 AM
Said very well. JAK
Mansoor Ansari
December 17, 2010 at 8:46 AM
Br. Amad
Abu Ilyas was supporting terrorism but was critical of that part of article which was condemning those fighting the occupiers in Afghanistan. We are talking abt defensive jihad here & offensive one where a khalifa is a requirement!
Edit: Amad’s name was spelled incorrectly :).
Amad
December 17, 2010 at 9:15 AM
Which defensive jihad was Tarek fighting who was mentioned in Abu Ilyas’s comment? His comment was wide-ranging and wasn’t about just one issue. Obviously Imam Zaid is talking to the radicals in the West… people keep tripping over the fact that his concern, Dr. Shehata and others’ primary concern is related to their communities closest to them in proximity…
Mansoor Ansari
December 17, 2010 at 9:33 AM
If Imam Zaid was only talking to those in the west who want to kill innocent bystanders, I would have agreed with the article. And I do agree with the part of the article that does that. But when he starts bashing & belittling those who are fighting the occupiers in Afghanistan, I do have a problem with that.
The sad part in all this is that any one who dare to vocally support (forget abt the physical part) those who fighting the occupiers & colonizers in Muslim lands are being labelled as terrorists & radicals.
Tamim
December 17, 2010 at 10:12 AM
It saddens me that we somehow picture these people in Afghanistan as brave freedom fighters. Next time a “brave freedom fighter” blows himself up in a marketplace in Kabul and slaughters dozens of Muslims, come back to me and tell me that he is fighting in the way of Islam.
Abu Ilyas
December 17, 2010 at 11:57 AM
This is correct and this is what i meant akhee. Jazakhallah khair
Abu Ilyas
December 17, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Amad
Without a khalifa, what leads you to believe that most are fighting within the boundaries? Have you done an extensive survey of their techniques? And what they think is correct jihad doesn’t make it the correct jihad, does it?
No, I haven’t done a survey Amad. I guess I just have more hope and trust in the ummah than you.
How convenient for the Americans to dismiss the Taliban or the Iraqis or the Palestinians as terrorists. Lower them in the eyes of your people and you are winning the propaganda war.
That is interesting. For the most part, we have been hearing that Tarek wasn’t the “jihadi typeâ€. Are you claiming that he was that type or prone to it?
Tarek ..wow what a brother masha’allah. May Allah preserve him. I love his articles, poetry and pictures.
Anyway, No, I’m not claiming anything like that but he is charged related to terrorism – and what a stupid charge it is!
By Jihadi type i mean he is not the type of Muslim that could be termed “sell out Muslim”
I don’t mean someone who literally fights or calls for jihad.
But anyway. Its best not to ask that type of question about a brother in prison under terrorism charges as it might create a bad impression about him.
As far as the tone of this post, this is a common excuse
There is no excuse about anything. No one is making excuses for anyone. I am not the first person to comment on the condescending and sometimes harsh tone adopted by articles about these topics on this website.
I made an observation that this is extremely strange if you are trying to guide people. You seem to alienate people away from you. It is more likely these stupid condescending articles create terrorism by stirring more anger in the youth and more desperation. Have you ever thought to consider that?
We need to be educating misguided youth away from terrorist tendencies. Half the battle is getting them to listen to you. These types of articles don’t help.
By the way i requested that my first post be deleted due to many errors…why wasn’t it? Leave it up now….
-Edited. Removed insults and disparaging lines. You have been warned. Imam Zaid will not be on MM defending his article, so feel free to put comments on his site.
Amad
December 17, 2010 at 2:14 PM
?? Which post, what request?
Ibn Zawaar
December 18, 2010 at 5:43 PM
If you mean social activism, I’d think his work here would be worth something:
The Grey Lady of Bagram: Dr. Aafia Siddiqui
The Aafia Siddiqui That I Knew
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Press Conference
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Press Conference Notes & Action-Alerts
On a community level, he frequently delivered the Friday khutba at two Boston Universities, in addition to various masajid between 2001 and approximately 2007. He also held multiple study circles discussing the fundamentals of faith, and various traditional Islaamic texts which he personally translated.
In 2002, when our MSA was struggling to get our act together after most of the khaleeji students left the country, Dr. Mehanna took the time to assist us in planning events, even though he attended a different University.
All this is aside from the brothers who either accepted Islaam or began practising after interacting with him.
Dilkash
December 17, 2010 at 1:34 PM
You said
“Do you guys really want to help these guys or do you just want to show the authorities how harsh you are against terrorism..are you just scared? Your tone certainly does not make sense if you are trying to correct the people you aim to correct…i would be more driven away from you and your message if i was such a jihadi.,..which i aint btw…”
By saying “which i aint btw…” you have proven that you yourself are scared and not the Imam.
Abu Ilyas
December 17, 2010 at 11:20 PM
Good spot. Yes, you got me there!
AbdulMatin
December 18, 2010 at 4:01 AM
Dear brother in Islam
I think you misunderstood the sheikh
I don’t believe he was talking about the real mujahideen, but rather I think the article was aimed at only terrorists or terrorism inclined or sympathizing Muslims
Please show courtesy when speaking about your brothers and do due diligence in making sure that what you are saying is not just out of emotion but out of correct logic and also in line with our morals. We can come closer and grow stronger through patient thinking and patient reading.
JazakAllah Khair for your concerns for the Muslims
Asalam u alyakum
reddit
December 18, 2010 at 7:28 AM
Are there currently any real mujahids? Any current examples for the youth to make any of this relevant?
AbdulMatin
December 18, 2010 at 11:25 PM
there are people who fight for good reasons and don’t go past the boundaries … like one example I believe would be Khattab who fought for Chechnya against Russian occupying forces.. it’s not actually the point whether there are or aren’t real mujahideen right now… The point is the article should be read understanding the author’s intent- that he was speaking of reckless, no good, going against sharia, haraam fighting and if you think people are fighting in a halaal way then you should understand that he is NOT speaking of that and which specific groups are or are not fighting properly and Islamically is a whole different issue that shouldn’t get you all riled up ready to insult the author.
and honestly I don’t think anyone on this forum really knows what they are talking about… they’re basing their assumptions about what is going on in the world out of belief and emotion – and to argue about it so passionately is childish and not going to be of any benefit contrary to what they might believe. People need to learn to just be quiet and if they wanna speak so bad then open a book, research, travel and learn more and more until you find out the truth then you’ll be of more use instead of blabbering nonsense and causing enmity between Muslims… we really can’t afford any of that kinda nonsense right now. We fight amongst each other more than we get along because we like to act like kids, all the while the West is at our throats… it’s plain foolish and we would do better to get along even if we have strong differences of opinion on tons of matters
sorry reddit – this post was intended i guess for other people cause i was reading their comments too before
abdur
December 18, 2010 at 5:03 PM
I totally agree with your statment. Muslim Matters is an organization heavily set on pleasing non Muslims.
Abdullah Brown
December 16, 2010 at 4:11 PM
Allahu akbar.
Awesome.
JK Imam Zaid, JK MM.
Abdullah Brown
December 16, 2010 at 5:21 PM
Part of the sickness of the extremist psychology is the lack of feeling for Muslims who suffer as a result of extremist acts, whether through the acts themselves, as a result of backlash, or through scapegoating. The extremist thought is that the vast majority of Muslims are hugely lacking in iman and are asleep. I don’t know how many times I have heard this: that Muslims are asleep, that they have to wake up, and that for most of them, sad to say, the only way they will be awakened is “with a stick”. If Muslims suffer one way or another as a result of terrorist acts, well, so be it. Essentially, the thinking goes, they deserve it. Furthermore, backlash is seen as good if it helps to stoke anger in the hearts of mainstream Muslims and recruit more Muslims to extremist thought.
Nothing new in this, of course. The Jewish Zealots deliberately sabotaged their brethren a couple thousand years ago in order to force armed conflict with the Roman occupiers. Ended with the Masada.
Any thoughts on how best to address and counter this aspect of the extremist’s thinking?
UmmZayn
December 16, 2010 at 6:14 PM
Great article masha Allah. Wish we were hearing messages like this from every mimbar across the world
Daughter of Adam (AS)
December 16, 2010 at 8:02 PM
Imam Zaid Shakir is amazing with his words and clear message. masha’Allah.
agajuice
December 16, 2010 at 9:25 PM
MashAllah very powerful.
Safia Farole
December 16, 2010 at 10:32 PM
You break-it-down Imam Zaid! Mashallah that was a great open letter. So eloquently said, and so powerful. Couldn’t have been said any better!
n
December 16, 2010 at 11:20 PM
that was awesome . I think most african americans in this country know better than to trust the outward appearances/claims of certain government agencies.
I think your argument was quite wise. and i think all the other articles so far on this issue have made similar arguments but they at the same time have somehow almost defended the government agencies and talked about them trying to help muslims! etc. i cant quote the exact lines but that was teh impression i came away w/ after reading those artciles and i thought wow how naive.
but this one addresses the muslims in a fair way and also is fair in its treatment of the government agecies. they’re no angels.
tarik
December 16, 2010 at 11:41 PM
jazakallahu khair
J
December 17, 2010 at 4:14 AM
Alhamdulillah, this is an excellent piece. It speaks about the reality of the situation and offers insight into the mentality of some people. Rather than being “defeatist” or subjugating” I would say that this piece offers a very realistic account of the the situation in the world. Using Afghanistan’s war against Russia as an example of “Mujahids| overthrowing a greater power w/o looking at the context and also the training, financing and strategic assistance they received from the CIA, US, Israel and other elements is both naive and dangerous.
It’s sad because many Muslims have an almost “magical” concept of the actual abilities and competency of the actual Muslims as human beings.
Why not be smart and develop your societies for the future.
Mustafa
December 17, 2010 at 6:54 AM
Very well written article. Mashallah.
Let’s not be fools and fall into the traps that these intelligence agencies set for us. They want more of these incidents. If there is not enough terroririst acts happening, they resort to creating them, facilitating and promoting them. So don’t fall into the trap.
In Canada, the CIA equivalent is CSIS which also created and promoted would be terrorists to build a case against Muslims with their fake mujahid, Mubeen Shaikh. Mubeen Shaikh was there to train them, encourage them, give the young boys evil ideas and to supply them with weapons and bombs. Beware of the fake mujahid and use your time for productive projects. Join weekly Quran halaqahs.
Dont fall into the traps and do as the CIA,CSIS, RAW and Mossad want. These agencies get more funding if there is terrorism.
Stinky cheese
December 18, 2010 at 12:45 PM
What happened in Bosnia?
look on a map incase you dont know where it is.
Could you please ask your government to stop dropping drones on your brothers and sisters.
I think they would appreciate it.
Its quite upsetting and they have no one to talk to when picking bits of children and other family members up.
You know drones, no pilots no army, no one to fight no one to talk to no one to ask why.
Terrorisim is wrong, even when the govternment does it.
Jeyte
December 17, 2010 at 9:56 AM
Masha Allah, may Allah reward your attention, but my brother I’m really confused about direction of your advice.
Muhammad Darr
December 17, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Assalmoalkum wr wb
I would have to agree with one part of this article. Where he condemns the acts of killing innocent civilians in the west. That is totally against the princlpes in Islam and is a set back. Just to give a note here just becuase you wear and suite and tie and drive in fancy cars does not make you any less of a terrorist than those people killing civilians. Over 500.000 dead in iraq mainly women and childern, thousands more dead in Afghanistan, and along with the drone attacks in Pakistan. So if you are condeming them you must also condemn the acts of the American Goverment. There is a 9/11 going on everyday in Iraq, but muslims are silent. Why does no one speak out agains the tyranny of America, is that we are really that afraid. Allah has promised the believers vicotires and just because were a small in number does not mean we will not win. On the contrary almost all the battles of the prophet saw they were outnumbered and defiecient in arms. Victory is from Allah and not numbers. So please do not criticise the MUJAHDEEN. The true ones not the ones who kill the innocent. THey have a right to defend their lands homes and families and the minmum we can do for them is at least make Dua for them. So please next time you right an article I would like to see the condeming of inncoment Muslim lives taking by the soldiers and American goverment.
Wassalamoualakum
J
December 17, 2010 at 11:44 AM
Assalamu Aleykum
Imam Zaid has written numerous articles and given dozens of speeches condemning the Western attacks against Afghanistan and the Muslim world.
This is not a rebuttal against your point but more or less a point I would like to make but how can someone even be considered a “Mujahideen” if they kill innocent people, blow themselves up in market places, killing women and children and wreck havoc against society?
Those who fought for Islam in the past had a goal, which was not simply victory but actual a better society for people to not be oppressed and for Islam to be practiced.
Mansoor Ansari
December 17, 2010 at 12:10 PM
J,
Incase u missed
reddit
December 18, 2010 at 7:26 AM
And who are these true muhajids” ? Do they have names?
Jack Fertig
December 17, 2010 at 11:53 AM
Brilliant! Thank you so much for writing this.
Shahzad
December 17, 2010 at 1:46 PM
I resent the use of mujahid to describe these people. A mujahid is someone who does jihad and jihad is an ibadah in Islam.
Rather, we should ask the following questions:
1. What is the difference between jihad and terrorism?
2. What is the difference between a mujahid and a jihadi?
The terms are important so we don’t fall into the trap of maligning Islamic terminologies.
J
December 17, 2010 at 3:08 PM
Excellent point. Mujahids of all times and places still have to observe Islamic codes. There is no such thing in Islam as “By any means necessary”. Just because someone shouts “Allahu Akbar” before they blow themselves up or kills innocent people does not make them a Mujahid.
Hena Zuberi
December 18, 2010 at 3:21 AM
salaams brother-
I agree that those questions need to be answered and drilled into our youth
but I don’t think you need to resent the usage of the term- think of it this way-
If I said these “fake mothers” who don’t even take care of or nurture their kids- would that degrade the honor of motherhood even one tiny bit.
ahlam
December 19, 2010 at 6:18 PM
Yeah, but nobody uses the term” fake mujahid” or ‘fake jihadi”. Its always ”these jihadists”, ”Islamic militants’ or ”Islamists”(am I not an Islamist?), so much so that Muslims themselves may not know the difference between Jihad and terrorism and Jihad’s position in Islam, and may even dislike it and be embarrassed about it.
Ameera Khan
December 17, 2010 at 2:09 PM
Excellent article! :) JazaakAllah Imam Zaid! May Allah guide us all in these affairs. Ameen.
Amad
December 17, 2010 at 2:45 PM
Please note that because this is a cross-post with the author unavailable to respond to comments, moderation will be stricter than usual.
MR
December 17, 2010 at 3:20 PM
FACT: 90% of the people who will hate on Imam Zaid’s article will not read more than the title of the article.
Abdus Sabur
December 21, 2010 at 12:11 AM
:) I’m glad someone can see the forest for the trees.
abu sayf ibn muhammad
December 17, 2010 at 3:37 PM
FACT: Your assumption was baseless, how is it possible that people have issues with exact points raised by Zaid Shakir if they only read the vague title?
Also, harsher moderation? is that possible?
AbdulMatin
December 18, 2010 at 11:40 PM
It doesn’t matter whether they take specific points from the article or even read the whole article… the point i think MR was making was that people prejudge, get all riled up, or have their minds made up already instead of being open minded and assuming the best of the author and his words – a tradition of good will that is the only way to have peaceful, intellectual, and useful/progressive dialogue that is rarely followed these days.
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
– Robert Frost
also i think sometimes people are too harsh by picking on words the author says to debunk his whole article and message or even entire sentences and taking them out of context for the sole purpose of hating and getting their emotionally driven thoughts off their chest
Muhammad Darr
December 17, 2010 at 3:53 PM
Thanks Mansoor
again to reiterate I explicity said So please do not criticise the MUJAHDEEN. The true ones not the ones who kill the innocent.
@ J you said “Those who fought for Islam in the past had a goal, which was not simply victory but actual a better society for people to not be oppressed and for Islam to be practiced.”
Are you trying to say that those who are fighting presently are not doing it fisabeillah. I would def have to disagree with you on that.. The America Media makes it seem that those people who are suicide bombing are the ideals muslims, this is their trick and you have to be catious of that. Acutally the prophet saw said that a group from my Ummah will continue to fight jiahd until the Day of Judgment.
Also just a last thing to note:
This a summary of how we should behave
God forbids you not respecting those who have not fought against you for religion’s sake, and who have not driven you forth from your homes, that ye should act righteously and justly towards them; verily, God loves the just! He only forbids you to make patrons of those who have fought against you for religion’s sake, and driven you forth from your homes, or have aided in your expulsion; and whoever makes patrons of them, they are the unjust!
Just remeber who youre alligeance goes to.
P.S I would like if this time my comment is posted thank you
MK
December 17, 2010 at 3:58 PM
Excellent article — and much deserved for the unIslamic radical minority.
Harris Khan
December 17, 2010 at 6:11 PM
Asalaam Alaikum all,
I’d like to start off by saying that Imam Zaid has put forth his opinion backed up by his beliefs, and I shall respect what his opinion is. He is a student of knowledge and I am sure he has done his research and presented us with an article about how he feels. Alhamdullilah, a good post.
The most important point to address here is unity. Does unity exist in our ummah? Not as much as we would like to see it. What we need is to have every one of us realise the potential amongst ourselves and start small by implementing change to ourselves first, then our families, and so on.
1. It does not make common sense for a person to talk about Jihad and fighting for Allah’s cause, when he lacks in his basic Islamic responsibilities, such as the daily prayers and giving in charity
2. No one has the right to say another person is wrong unless they provide authentic proof by way of Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), proof that has been understood NOT by you, the layman, but by a scholar of Islam when providing it as evidence.
3. It does not make common sense to act on Jihad by vowing to slaughter the innocent people of a country. When our Beloved (PBUH) and his companions engaged in war, they fought only against those people who actively opposed with him. When they succeeded, they would enter the town of the defeated, and ask them to accept Islam, and even if the citizens peacefully rejected, they were allowed to stay within the city. He (PBUH) would not send his mighty companions on suicide or stealth missions to infiltrate those cities and kill innocent people.
4. The concept of Khilaafa is a righteous concept. It is a concept that has the potential to be a realistic goal even in today’s world. But remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
4.a My first point is, Jerusalem was owned by Muslims for over 800 years before Israel violently took over about 64 years ago. In historical perspective, 64 years is a blink of an eye! remember that before Salahuddin Ayoubi took Jerusalem it had been in a bloody rule by the Crusaders for 88 years! Thus patience is important
4.b Secondly, we cannot hope for the success of the Khilafa if we are not willing to see the change in ourselves and in our families. Change must always start small, even the Prophet (SAW) took 23 years to fully complete the Deen of Islam for us.
4.c So I implore you to begin that change in yourselves. If you dont read your prayers, promise yourself that you are going to try to do it. If you already observe them, then take it a step further by going to the mosque for as many of them as you can. educate your families about the practice and etiquettes of family matters in Islam. Love your muslim brothers and sisters as if they are your blood relations, and be honest and display good character. that alone is the key to success.
5. My dearest Muslims, although the world does not recognize it, we are the best of mankind to ever have been created. Our capacity to do right is unlike any others, because our Leader (PBUH) was like no other in history. But our lust for for this life over the next has driven us astray. So I call upon you to leave your arguments, and return to your Lord, The Almighty. Make sincere supplications to ask Allah to guide you to success, so that you may be part of the implementation of establishment of this perfect deen, a prophecy that has been promised to come. May Allah guide us all to the right path and may he bless us with success both in this life, and the next. Ameen
Asalaam Alaikum warahmat’ullahi wabarakatu
Ibn Nazim
December 17, 2010 at 8:51 PM
A.S
I think many of the points the Shaykh made towards are completely being ingnored in the comments. We should’nt be so quick to believe that the sources of many of the bombing on civilians and mosques are muslims. There is a lot of covert activity which many people are totally blind to and blatantly refuse to believe. Just in Afghanistan for example, it’s well known that there is a group of people fighting against occupation, there is a group of people fighting for CIA/Puppet Government not to mention the surrounding neighbor’s heavy involvolvments. Let’s not be so quick to judge where the “terrorism” is really coming from. There are “fake mujahid” popping out left and right and young people are being duped into stupid plots that nobody in their right mind will even consider and that’s one very good point which is addressed.
And I agree with the harsh tone! Which was mentioned by some.
A.S
africana
December 17, 2010 at 9:40 PM
-Comment removed. No 911 conspiracy theories pls.
Fatima Khan
December 18, 2010 at 12:33 AM
Absolutely breathtaking. I have to say as I was reading it, I felt ashamed during the opportunity to do… section. Subhanallah, made me think of where Allah has placed me and why. Without a doubt this article was mindblowing and inspirational for me to go out and educate myself along with others. Thank you.
Hena Zuberi
December 18, 2010 at 3:05 AM
One aspect that people keep missing is that this letter is to young guys, troubled kids, like the kid in Oregon, like the young men who ask him question in lectures, after jummah salah, who are looking for answers, here in the US. Would you rather that these young men end up in jail, their and their families lives ruined. Enough of this “easy ticket to Jannah” nonsense- This is common sense advice. It needs to be said. Do you think If I wrote a sugary mommy- feel good article they would read it? I am not being facetious- would they? The Islamic articles aren’t the one that get all the attention even on MM.
If we really want to help our youth, we need to try to get to them from all angles. We all agree that they are angry, they see the atrocities committed on their Muslim brothers. We as fathers and mothers want to raise up sons who will be strong, who will stand up to defend our deen but not like this. Not by killing my innocent neighbors. Our scholars are trying to find answers according to their knowledge, according to the place where we live- Islam is a universal right?
Sorry, but Afghanistan is not what all out war looks like.
In my eyes that reads that Americans have not leveled that same kind of destruction there as Jenin went through. I do not think that anywhere Imam Zaid is criticizing mujahideen. He is talking about the shady men who get their criminal records wiped out in exchange for entrapping young men. By pretending to be “mujahids” trying to trick some angry, troubled young man into pressing a button.
To be a mujahid is an esteemed and noble position with strict terms and conditions- when our young boys get duped by agent provocateurs that is not Jihad.
This point on the insecurity in Americans in en pointe- things have changed on the streets here, Muslims living here can feel it. When people are hungry and threatened by their homes being foreclosed they are fearful and insecure. This insecurity is being hyped up everyday, on the news, on the radio.
The few years after 9/11 were good years economically- people were high on the housing and credit bubble-the money has dried up it is easy to channel that fear and Islam becomes the enemy, which is even more scary than Muslim are the enemy. The rational voices against the war get drowned out when events like Baltimore and Oregon happen.
May Allah SWT help us raise the state of our iman and restore and protect the honor of all Muslims. Ameen.
Abu Hamza
December 18, 2010 at 12:39 PM
Like many people commented, this article would make more sense, if it was targeting those who wanted to kill civilians summarily in west and many people seem to think that this was the point.
I got the impression that he was talking to someone who wanted to travel to some occupied Muslim country to help his brothers and sisters. The following line gives the idea that exactly that was the case:
You have the courage to fly halfway around to world to engage in an armed struggle, but you do not have the courage to knock on your neighbor’s door to explain Islam to him or to give him your take on world affairs.
So are those “innocent Americans” mentioned by Zaid Shaakir soldiers, because there doesn’t seem to be quite so many westerners in the battle fields except ones in the armed forces?
I wish the people would write exactly what they mean, because vague articles just really don’t make the authors point clear.
Stinky cheese
December 18, 2010 at 2:16 PM
been going on for years, so if u thnk its just conspiracy you dont know, till u do some looking into it…
still going on now, but with muslims as well…
http://www.naturalnews.com/022383_research_experiments.html
* Claudia Mullen’s testimony that Dr. Sidney Gottlieb (of MKULTRA fame) used chemicals, radiation, hypnosis, drugs, isolation in tubs of water, sleep deprivation, electric shock, brainwashing and emotional, sexual and verbal abuse as part of mind control experiments that had the ultimate objective of turning her, who was only a child at the time, into the “perfect spy.” She tells the advisory committee that researchers justified this abuse by telling her that she was serving her country “in their bold effort to fight Communism.”
* Suzanne Starr’s statement that “a physician, who was retired from the military, got children from the mountains of Colorado for experiments.” She says she was one of those children and that she was the victim of experiments involving environmental deprivation to the point of forced psychosis, spin programming, injections, rape and frequent electroshock and mind control sessions. “I have fought self-destructive programmed messages to kill myself, and I know what a programmed message is, and I don’t act on them,” she tells the advisory committee of the experiments’ long-lasting effects, even in her adulthood (Goliszek).
President Clinton publicly apologizes to the thousands of people who were victims of MKULTRA and other mind-control experimental programs (Sharav).
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022383_research_experiments.html#ixzz18UpgGwk3
abdur
December 18, 2010 at 4:59 PM
I seriously doubt the mujahideen are killing innocent people, the people being killed in market places and mosque are tied to the CIA.
africana
December 18, 2010 at 11:09 PM
I agree.
AbdulMatin
December 18, 2010 at 11:58 PM
Its an oxymoron for a Mujahid to kill innocents so you’re right but in the case of extremists, i know you’d like to believe (and so does any Muslim) that Muslims aren’t blowing themselves up and taking lives of innocents on purpose, but you can’t also be that naive. Extremist ideologies do exist, though it is the MINORITY, and even amongst extremist ideologists there is an even SMALLER minority that would justify the killing of the innocents – but I do think that it is going on and that some Muslims are being brainwashed into doing these kind of acts … so let’s pray for them and this entire Ummah … we should try to counteract extremism and speak harshly against it – and i don’t mean to appease the west – but to make sure confused Muslims are not kept confused about the matter and that a bad bad innovation is kept at bay and refuted without hesitation …
J
December 19, 2010 at 2:29 AM
I think it is very naive for Muslims to believe that the CIA are the primary ones responsible for blowing up people in market places. Let’s be serious, we have to stop blaming everyone else and look at the reality of the mindset of people in our own communities. By always blaming someone else for our problems we never actually look at the issues within ourselves.
Sadly there are people in Pakistan who are killing each other in market places and on the streets both for even political reasons, so do we attribute this also to non-Muslims. What about people in Saudi who open fire on the police force, I guess we also blame this on Israel.
To be more specific, what about the racism and caste system we find all over the Muslim world? I guess we’ll blame the few decades of colonialism and not the hundreds of years of the promulgation of oppressing weaker tribes and people for power.
It’s very easy to blame everyone else but it’s hard to look at ourselves and examine why is it so easy for Muslims to oppress other Muslims and we don’t say anything.
No protests, no debates, nothing.
And as someone pointed out, we can not pick words and sections of Imam Zaid’s comments and then twist them to fit into your rebuttal of his point. For him to address every nuance of this topic would take volumes of books.
His basic point is that those people, committing these acts need to think about what they are actually doing and explore other ways to help the Muslim ummah.
The issues around the world (Afghanistan, Iraq, etc) are not simply black and white issues of Muslims vs Kuffar, good vs evil, particularly when you look at the background of the nations and the people supposedly fighting righteously.
We can’t open someone’s heart and say what is their intention but we can look at their action and say this is not from Islam, it is harmful to mankind and it is not good.
On the last day, only Allah can judge that human for their action and only he knows their true intentions.
dfghjk
December 18, 2010 at 7:02 PM
Probably the best article ive read on MM. mA
AsimG
December 18, 2010 at 9:05 PM
Not really a fan of this letter.
It seems more like preaching to the choir with some stereotypical responses than actual engagement.
Demonize away, but that will only embolden them rather than shame them.
ZAI
December 19, 2010 at 10:14 AM
I love all these arguments that purport to speak on behalf of the Afghan people calling the Taliban “mujahideen” and defenders of the land. Please spare me…
First of all, there is no such thing as a united Taliban. The Western media presents it as such for the purpose of shallow 2 minute soundbites and to justify the US presence in Afghanistan in black and white terms…but no such thing as a united Taliban exists.
What DOES exist is the following:
1.) The remnants of the original Taliban, who are based out of Quetta and Waziristan in Pakistan..headed by “Mollah Omar” ( whom most Afghans don’t even think really exists and is a concoction of the Pakistani security services).
2.) Various groups of nationalists who fight under the Taliban banner simply to get weapons and money, but have no interest in Taliban ideology and would most likely be at odds w/ the Pakistani controlled original Taliban after any American withdrawal.
3.) Various groups of gangsters and warlords who’re no different than the opportunistic gangsters and warlords in the north of the country. These guys are just straight criminals w/ connections to the old ‘Pai Louch’ mafia in Qandahar, the trucking and smuggling mafias in the Pakistani tribal areas and drug cartels in Central Asia. They have no ideology whatsoever and are in it for the $…
These are the brave and great “mujahidin” you are supporting…
# 1 are seen as nothing but a Pakistani proxy army and are totally disdained by Afghans in all parts of the country. They will NEVER be accepted as rulers of the country owing to their Pakistani control. It AINT gonna happen people.
When they came to power in 1994, it was because Afghans were BOTH war weary and didn’t know anything about them. They managed to disarm the south and institute their rule before they were found out..which will NOT happen this time around. The Taliban only rule by intimidation, fear and threats…not any indigineous support. They basically say “the Americans will eventually leave and if you don’t help us or work against us, we’ll kill you when they do”. Khalaas. No one supports them out of any love for them, but out of fear.
When the Americans pull out, there will be a civil war this time around. The tribes in the south and east are quiet for now and letting the Americans and Taliban fight themselves, but once the Americans pull out they are armed and will not allow themselves to be disarmed this time. Why do you think bags of cash are arriving from Iran and Central Asia? ALL AROUND civil war…We will NOT accept a Pakistani controlled government.
Get over your fantasies of some mythical united Muslim ummah.
..as for #2, they will melt away or even join an anti-Taliban resistance after the Americans leave.
#3 are criminals who simply want to engage in their criminal activities and will support any side that doesn’t interfere with that.
Stop fooling yourself amigos. Afghans do NOT love the Taliban and we will not accept their rule. 1994 was a fluke of history. When you support this nonsense, you’re simply supporting a band of criminals, nationalists or civil war in the case of the original Taliban. Nothing noble here…
You’d do well to heed Imam Zaid’s article. It’s very well written and rationally thought out. It deals with realities and not nostalgic Muslim military fantasies. This is not a black and white situation. You are kidding yourselves if you think it is or that the Taliban are some kinda heroes. You’d do well to talk to an AFGHAN and get an idea of whats REALLY going on there or what is bound to happen when the Americans pull out. If you wanna engage in fantasy get online and play Warcraft or Dungeons and Dragons, not with peoples lives.
Here’s a fact: we want America to leave and don’t support their war, but we despise Pakistans government and ISI EVEN MORE. 90%+ hatred of Pakistans government in Afghanistan…more than the negative opinion of America. Chew on that and wake up from the Mujahidin dreams in your nice comfy bed in the US…
…and as an Afghan, let me tell you that even I do not have the delusions that we accomplished a miracle in the Soviet war. We won ’cause of huge amounts of US cash and weapons, as well as the US making our case to the world/UN diplomatically. That is a reality. This nonsense of allout jihad no matter the consequences and realities is ridiculous. Even the prophet dug a ditch around Madinah when he faced overwhelming odds folks. Part of jihad is to adjust it to practical realities and use your head. I commend Imam Zaid to have the intelligence, rationality and clear understand of our faith to see that.
J
December 21, 2010 at 4:35 AM
Excellent points.
AbdulMatin
December 21, 2010 at 1:00 PM
thank you for shedding light on the complexities of the situation instead of preaching without thinking and black white thinking –
can anyone recommend any good sources so we can learn more about the situation in afghanistan to get a clearer understanding?
Ibn Nazim
December 21, 2010 at 6:06 PM
A.S
@Abdul Matin
Further reading;
Robert Kaplan’s “Soldiers of God”
Alexander Lindsay’s Documentary “Jihad:Afghanistan’s Holy war”
http://vod.journeyman.tv/store?p=927
Also the book “My life with the Taliban’ by Mullah Zaeef out recently
http://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Taliban-Columbia-Hurst/dp/0231701489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292976272&sr=8-1
A.S
MK
December 22, 2010 at 5:31 PM
Books on the topic I recommend:
-A scholarly and deeply analytical book on the Afghan Taliban:
“Decoding the New Taliban” (by Antonio Giustozzi)–
-One of the best books on the Taliban and a recently updated best-seller:
“Taliban” (by Ahmad Rashid)
-“Descent into Chaos” (by Ahmad Rashid, same author as above; his newer book)
-Those who wish to learn more about the Pakistani Taliban, this recent book is highly recommended:
“The Most Dangerous Place: Pakistan’s Lawless Frontier” (by Imtiaz Gul)
P.S.
I would stay clear of Robert Kaplan.
Salaam,
MK
MK
December 22, 2010 at 6:19 AM
ZAI, thanks for sharing your interesting thoughts. While I fully agree with you regarding Imam Zaid’s article — it’s on the mark — I respectfully disagree with some points you made.
1) Contrary to what you said, analysts, scholars, etc. generally don’t believe the Quetta Shura operates from Quetta anymore. And which “Waziristan†are you talking about? North Waziristan or South Waziristan? There is no tribal agency called “Waziristan†in Pakistan.
2) True, the former Taliban are seen as a “proxy army†of Pakistan — but they’re also mostly Pashtun as many Afghans are. This makes the matter more complicated than you portray.
3) Contrary to what you said, there is a high level of Afghan indigenous support in what they have in common with the various factions of the Taliban: driving out US and NATO forces from Afghanistan.
4) Because the Aghans generally don’t love the Taliban doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll not be ruled by them again — especially knowing Pakistan’s continuing “national security” interests. After Afghans realized the extremism of the Taliban over time, it was not them who ousted the Taliban from power.
5) You say there are no mujahideen because they are Pakistani proxies, nationalists, and criminals. Yet, you say “we want American to leaveâ€. If “we†stands for the Afghans, which of the 3 categories above do they belong to?
JazakAllahu-khayrun,
MK
Mansoor Ansari
December 29, 2010 at 12:01 PM
ZAI,
If they won’t Taliban coz they r seen as Pakistani proxy, what abt the current Afgan gov who r nothing but puppets in the hands of US? Will they not fight them?
Stinky cheese
December 19, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Read the article extract below, for people who think its only radicalised youth doing things, no sometimes it seems its a set up.
divide and rule (still going strong)
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-seen-through-a-syrian-lens-unknown-americans-are-provoking-civil-war-in-iraq-475889.html
The Americans, my interlocutor suspected, are trying to provoke an Iraqi civil war so that Sunni Muslim insurgents spend their energies killing their Shia co-religionists rather than soldiers of the Western occupation forces. “I swear to you that we have very good information,” my source says, finger stabbing the air in front of him. “One young Iraqi man told us that he was trained by the Americans as a policeman in Baghdad and he spent 70 per cent of his time learning to drive and 30 per cent in weapons training. They said to him: ‘Come back in a week.’ When he went back, they gave him a mobile phone and told him to drive into a crowded area near a mosque and phone them. He waited in the car but couldn’t get the right mobile signal. So he got out of the car to where he received a better signal. Then his car blew up.”
“There was another man, trained by the Americans for the police. He too was given a mobile and told to drive to an area where there was a crowd – maybe a protest – and to call them and tell them what was happening. Again, his new mobile was not working. So he went to a landline phone and called the Americans and told them: ‘Here I am, in the place you sent me and I can tell you what’s happening here.’ And at that moment there was a big explosion in his car.”
Just who these “Americans” might be, my source did not say. In the anarchic and panic-stricken world of Iraq, there are many US groups – including countless outfits supposedly working for the American military and the new Western-backed Iraqi Interior Ministry – who operate outside any laws or rules. No one can account for the murder of 191 university teachers and professors since the 2003 invasion – nor the fact that more than 50 former Iraqi fighter-bomber pilots who attacked Iran in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war have been assassinated in their home towns in Iraq in the past three years.
africana
December 19, 2010 at 12:28 PM
I don’t really understand why MM is posting these articles. We all know that to commit suicide is totally forbidden and the recompense for doing so is Hellfire.
I can’t help but wonder if Muslim Matters has posted this ‘preaching to the choir’ article in anticipation of a marked hardening of attitudes, on the part of right wingers, to the Muslim community (and Islamic organisations) in the United States.
AbdulMatin
December 19, 2010 at 5:16 PM
I assume this article was posted because it is relevant to us in our current times
if “MM” posted this in anticipation of the hardening of attitudes on the part of the right wingers then clearly MM has some intelligent posters – since that would benefit the Muslim community … the right wingers will eat us up in this country unless we do some serious dawah to counteract their negative influence
Amad
December 19, 2010 at 11:36 PM
Thx AbdulMatin. Good response.
MK
December 21, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Please don’t delete my analysis. I apologize for the past and intend to discuss topics with the intention of healthy debate. JazakAllahu-khayrun.
Yusuf
December 22, 2010 at 9:29 AM
How can one say his willing to die as a Muslim but doesnt even live like one?
Come on guys lets trying waking up for Fajr first before we start debating who’s right and who’s wrong.
The Jihad in the west is to live as a Muslim not to die as one.
May Allah guide us all. Ameen.
Yusuf.
Yusuf
December 22, 2010 at 9:48 AM
I forgot to add…
Only IF it was addressed to the “real terrorists” of this world! or wait…. he can’t do that, he FEARS his door being kicked down, or his benefits being stopped, who would look after his family? So I know what…
Lets write to a weak, dumba** “wannabe mujahid” who can’t even string two sentences together, and let the world know how correct and articulate I am.
What a strange thing to do?
MK
December 22, 2010 at 10:38 AM
Do you mind putting my message up? I took a lot of time to write it — and then wrote a very short version of it again in case the first message was too long. I don’t understand why meaningful dialogue is being censored. Thanks and salaam.
smegol
December 22, 2010 at 12:16 PM
short clip from john pilgers new documentary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVc71GJ0_s8
something you wont see on fox news.
it is well researched and documentated. he is a respected journalist. this really is worth watching.
Blinkered
December 27, 2010 at 12:46 AM
when are we going to wake up? perhaps when it is too late?
http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/paper/index.php?article=4994
Detained at the airport ‘for no other reason than I’m a Muslim returning from the Hajj’
By Nawaz Malik
———————–
http://www.freebabarahmad.com/
4 Years in Prison
Babar Ahmad
The Prophet (saw) said, “There is some magic in words.†Tyrants use
the magic in words to control people’s thoughts and deeds by making
evil appear acceptable to them. So kidnap is known as “arrestâ€,
brutality becomes “reasonable force†and torture is nothing more than
“enhanced interrogation.†When an innocent man is kidnapped from his
home by bearded Arab gunmen and locked indefinitely in a room he is a
“hostage.†But when an innocent man is kidnapped from his home by
uniformed white gunmen and locked indefinitely in a room he is a
“terrorist.†The world causes uproar over the former but is silent over
the latter. “In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies,
but the silence of our friends,†observed Martin Luther King.
Fear is a disease that consumes the soul of the one who embraces
it. Man’s total capacity to fear is fixed: the more he fears one thing
the less he fears another. People fear standing up to a tyrant because
they are afraid of some harm that he ‘may’ cause them, even though that
harm is limited to the life of this world. Such people have little or
no fear for any harm that Allah will cause them in the Hereafter.
However, if these same people were to fear the Day when they shall
return to stand before the Lord of the Worlds, they would not fear any
tyrant on the face of the Earth. “Do they fear them? Allah is more
worthy for you to fear if you are indeed believers.†(Quran 9:13)
I agree
December 27, 2010 at 12:27 PM
I agree we all need to return to Allaah swt and correct ourselves.
May Allaah swt help us all, guide us all and help those who are trying to help, see this video. 10mins long, May Allaah swt guide these people to islam for standing up and telling the truth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1MazfmZYxw
smegol
December 27, 2010 at 1:07 PM
For those who think the Americans should stay and that things are better, i think we need to do a little research beyond Fox news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=colcD8UVr90&feature=related
Sister in Islam
January 1, 2011 at 10:34 AM
Zaid Shakir,
Get your terminology right. True would be Mujahids don’t terrorize or maim people. Seriously, whose definitions are you going by?
AbdulMatin
January 1, 2011 at 7:18 PM
dear sister, his article is intended in the style of addressing someone who thinks he is going to be a mujahid … but in actuality is not…
Sister in Islam
January 2, 2011 at 9:49 AM
Well then he should have used quotation marks around the word. Without them, the word would reference to real would be Mujahids.
AbdulMatin
January 2, 2011 at 1:01 PM
Dear anyone who would need this advice (not necessarily to you sister unless you also might benefit from it)… I dont think that in Islam we have to be painstakingly literal. the point is to get the message across in the best possible way – since the emphasis is on the inner not the outer – since we’re not judged on the outer but on the hearts… I don’t think the article was hard to understand, unless maybe for non-native english speakers. and still if you know Imam Zaid than you wouldnt jump to any conclusions outside of his intentions… We should be careful in being too literal. I say this as advice to anyone out there, because from my experience it led into problems in my psychology, my religion, and my general well being … i was not peaceful and frequently missed the point all too often and was dissatisfied with my religious practice but kept on doing it out of anxiety and fear and denial of my real feelings. May Allah guide us unto correct understanding, moderacy, and expecting the best from Him. ameen
Narrated ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostle said, “Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah’s is the most regular and constant even though it were little.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]
… think the best of Allah… do you think Allah would hold Zaid Shakir to account for not putting quotations on the word even though he made his points clear and at other times he clearly elaborated on what a true mujahid is (outside of this article)… so then why do it yourself… not to make too big a deal out of your response sister, that’s not my intention, but i make this point for anyone who might benefit inshaAllah… we need Muslim unity and also we need understanding on certain Muslim principles of moderacy and thinking well of our Lord and each other that i think we are lacking and it only puts our own ugly attitudes out on the table for everyone to see.
May Allah bless you sister and everyone in this ummah. asalamu alaykum
Sister in Islam
January 2, 2011 at 1:57 PM
Dear AbdulMatin,
Thanks for the advice. However, the matter is not about literalism or comprehending the msg of the article but rather about clarity of referential speech in matters pertaining to religion and proper syntax. This matter becomes extremely important especially in this day and age of religious confusion and self-proclaimed ‘scholars’ (not refering to Zaid Shakir or any specific entities here).
As for the question of what Allah (swt) would deal with such errors, Allah (swt) is the all-knowing and He knows best. I, in light of my religious understanding, will say what I think is right.
And Allah (swt) knows best.
Walaykum as-salaam!
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