Islamo Headbanger Yusuf al Qaradawi Urges Western Muslims to ‘Liberalize’
Outwardly, anyway: Yusuf al-Qaradawi expounds the doctrine oftaysir, which allows Muslims to practice a more “relaxed” version of Islam — so long as their hearts cling to the more “uptight” version.
A recent episode of the popular Arabic showal-Sharia wa al-Haya(Law and Life), which airs weekly on Al Jazeera and features renowned Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, addressed the important yet little known Muslim concept oftaysir(pronounced “tey-seer”).
Qaradawi, who is touted by the likes of John Esposito and CAIR as a “moderate” — even as he legitimizes suicide attacksagainst Israel (including by women) and death for apostates — explained that, according to fiqh al-taysir (the “jurisprudence of ease”), Islam (like Catholicism) offers Muslims dispensations, whenever needed: “For Allah desires ease for you, not hardship” (Koran 2:185; see also 5:6, 4:26-28, 2:286). For instance, Muslims traveling during the month of Ramadan or engaged in jihad need not observe the obligatory fast. Raymond Ibrahim from Pajamas Media explains……
The Brits are getting better at deception also, especially when it comes to deceiving themselves:
“Violent” and “Non Violent” Islamists (Harry’s Place)
Exactly what kind of message is that expected to send to Britons in general, and to the Vast Majority of Moderate Muslims who probably ought to be outraged at this sort of thing?You may want to read this one sitting down — especially the part about the Muslim Safety Forum sharing offices with the Islamic Forum of Europe. An update on this story. “Police Muslim forum headed by Islamic extremist,” by Andrew Gilligan for the Telegraph, via JW
“Everybody lies…”
Former refugee Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of Infidel, fleshes out the idea: (Andrew Bolt)
Hussein Obama wasn’t quite as opposed to the disgraceful freeing of the Lockerbie bomber as he now claims:
Obama White House backed release of Lockerbie jihad bomber(the Muslim POTUS Obama is a master in the art of deception/JW)
Find out why this is completely unsurprising in The Post-American Presidency. “White House backed release of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi,” by Jason Allardyce and Tony Allen-Mills in The Australia
THE US government secretly advised Scottish ministers it would be “far preferable” to free the Lockerbie bomber than jail him in Libya. (Andrew Bolt: Obama wasn’t quite so tough on the bomber last year)
“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile – hoping it will eat him last.” — Winston Churchill
Speaking of “safety valves,” the British government hoping for some of its own here, attempting to mollify the “extremist” Muslims in the U.K. enough to head off acts of violent jihad.
It will backfire. “Hizb ut Tahrir is not a gateway to terrorism, claims Whitehall report,” by Andrew Gilligan for theTelegraph, via JW
“It has never yielded any dividends, of course, but repeated failure only prompts the architects of the policy to redouble their efforts.”
Indeed. And that goes also for Pakistan, and so many, many other venues.
“ICJ Ruling: Blow to Serbia, Boon to Tadić & Jeremić,” by Srdja Trifkovic at the Lord Byron Foundation for Balkan Studies, thanks to JW
“Akyol is working to further “Islamists’ global ambition to play the modern day, Muslim Trojan Horse at the gates of western civilization.”
Often obscured and confused: the distinction between Islam and “Islamism,” and that between the teachings of Islam and Muslims as individuals.
“Modernity and the Muslims: A transcript of a discussion at St. Francis College,” at City Journal:
The Institute of Islamic Understanding's (Ikim) statement comes just a day after a forum organised by Islamic scholars accused the opposition leader of equating Islam with other religions for political mileage.
The forum was heavily-promoted by Umno’s Utusan Malaysia today with stories suggesting that religious pluralism was a threat to Islam and claiming that Anwar was pushing for other religions to be placed on an equal footing with Islam.
The newspaper said that those who question the position of Islam and the Malays were practitioners of religious pluralism, in what appears to be a move to suggest that Anwar’s rejection of Umno’s “ketuanan Melayu” concept is unIslamic.
Anwar and other PKR leaders recently spoke up against Umno’s concept of “ketuanan Melayu” as a fraudulent ideology meant to prop up the ruling Malay party.
“Islam rejects religious pluralism that claims all religions to be equally good and truthful,” said Ikim in a statement issued through state news agency Bernama today.
The think-tank’s statement made no mention of Anwar but appears to support views reported inUtusan Malaysia today.
Religious pluralism is sometimes used as a synonym for interfaith dialogue or promotes understanding of different faiths with the objective of reducing conflicts.
Critics of religious pluralism however see the concept as a threat to the supremacy of Islam and claim that it would result in the religion to be equated with other beliefs.
Today Ikim said that while Islam acknowledges the existence of good values in other religions, no faith should be subjected to ridicule.
“Outstanding issues between believers of different faiths should be resolved in a fair manner and in the spirit of mutual respect to universal religious values,” said Ikim.
“Believers of the various faiths must also compete in doing good deeds, like helping the poor and those in need,” it added.
Ikim also said that diversity in religious traditions should be used to encourage unity among people of different faiths.
At an Islamic forum yesterday, some Muslim scholars claimed that over emphasised on religious tolerance would result in the acceptance of religious pluralism.
The forum also issued reminders to other Muslim leaders, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to refrain from attending other religious celebrations, claiming that it would threaten the position of Islam as a supreme religion.
A speaker at the forum, UKM’s Nur Fahana Abd Rahman even asked federal Islamic authorities Jakim to issue a guideline to prevent Muslims from celebrating other religious celebrations, calling it an element of religious pluralism.
Apart from Muafakat, the forum was also supported by government agencies such as the Selangor Islamic department (Jais), Federal Territory Mufti Department, federal Islamic missionary foundation (Yadim) and Information Ministry’s Special Affairs Department (Jasa).
Perlis mufti Dr Juanda Jaya took a contrarian view and has lashed out against remarks made by Umno-linked scholars accusing political leaders of promoting pluralism, calling their behaviour excessive, compulsive and like the Taliban”.
The mufti likened their scathing comments on Opposition leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Kelantan Mentri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat as reminiscent of the in Afghanistan, which he claimed posed a “danger” to Malaysia’s multi-racial and multi-religious harmony.
“I am disappointed with online media reports which have quoted statements made by several individuals who were presenting a paper in a seminar concerning the issue of pluralism. Yes, pluralism is a threat to Islam, but making exaggerated and excessive comments labelling several political leaders as followers of pluralism is very dangerous to the harmony of a multi-religious Malaysia.
“This ala-Taliban culture is against the practice of Malaysians who have long lived in harmony and mutual respect,” said Juanda in a statement today.
Juanda said that the allegations made by several scholars during the seminar against Nik Aziz was “evil”, at the same time stressing that he did not support PAS or any other political party.
“I was very disappointed when a well-known religious figure like Tok Guru Nik Aziz had been connected as practicing pluralism just because he attended a Buddhist function. This is an evil allegation. Tok Guru’s record shows that he has always been consistent in Islamic issues,” the top religious scholar said.
Juanda said that he was worried that there was a growing trend among academics and religious scholars in using the issues of faith to create “tension and rivalry” among politicians, as well as to “confuse” politicians who did not see eye-to-eye with these individuals.
“Their formula will also create a misunderstanding on the Federal Government’s “harmonious” stand on the many religions in Malaysia.
Will they also forsake the government’s policy, and confuse leaders?” he warned.
Scholars at the forum yesterday had accused Anwar of equating Islam with other religions for political mileage, saying that religious pluralism was a threat to Islam and claiming that Anwar was pushing for other religions to be placed on an equal footing with Islam.
The forum was heavily-promoted by Umno’s Utusan Malaysia today in what appears to be a move to suggest that Anwar’s rejection of Umno’s “ketuanan Melayu” concept is unIslamic.
Anwar and other PKR leaders recently spoke up against Umno’s concept of “ketuanan Melayu” as a fraudulent ideology meant to prop up the ruling Malay party.
Ikim, the federal government’s think tank also issued a statement on the issue today, saying that under Islam, “not all religions were equal.”
Today, Ikim said that while Islam acknowledges the existence of good values in other religions, no faith should be subjected to ridicule.
“Outstanding issues between believers of different faiths should be resolved in a fair manner and in the spirit of mutual respect to universal religious values,” said Ikim.
Besides that, the forum yesterday also issued reminders to other Muslim leaders, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to refrain from attending other religious celebrations, claiming that it would threaten the position of Islam as a supreme religion.
“We have to differentiate between respecting other people’s religions which is supported by Islam and the meaning of pluralism. Scholars should be able to understand this,” said Juana in response today, quoting Quranic verses which stressed on Islam giving importance towards practitioners of other religions to carry out their beliefs freely.
“Please refer to the al-Quran and al-Sunnah in coming out with views on Islam, not with emotions and political inclinations. Islam does not need those who are extremist, conservative and narrow-minded to defend this sacred religion,” said the Perlis mufti.
BY MUQTEDAR KHAN, DECEMBER 1, 2010
|  |
| |
My brother, the snake |
NEWARK, DELAWARE |
For the United States the issues are both strategic as well as ethical. On a strategic level the leaks, which expose frank assessment of foreign leaders by senior American officials and American thinking on many critical issues; will complicate Obama administration’s ability to deal with its allies and may increase global cynicism about US intentions.
Many of the allies will be angry and distrustful. They will also be afraid of being candid in the future. All players in the future will be trying to second-guess each other, unwilling to articulate what their real intentions and goals are. After all nobody wishes to read a summary of their confidential dialogue with Americans in the New York Times. The revelations may also reverse many of the hard earned diplomatic gains made by the State department over the years in acquiring support for US policies from many nations.
The revelations so far about the Muslim world are eye opening. Muslims, even some American Muslims have raised criticism of American foreign policy to the level of religious ritual. Often Muslim radicalism and alienation is explained as a direct consequence of US foreign policy alone. The point being, US foreign policy is anti-Islam and subversive of Muslim nations. Therefore Muslim anger and radicalism against the US while often expressed in unjustifiable ways is still understandable.
But now that the shenanigans of Muslim nations, most importantly their collusion with America’s so called anti-Islam foreign policy, is exposed, what will Muslims do? Will they also hate Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar and other nations just as much as they hate America? Or will they recognize that nation states, have interests and they pursue them in whatever ways they can; and understand that US foreign policy neither advances nor targets any religion.
The preliminary review of the cables by New York Times and the Guardian reveals the duplicity of many Arab nations on foreign policy, especially in the case of Iran. For example in the past few years, Arab nations have publicly countered Israeli propaganda that Iran is a bigger threat to the world, than the resolution of the Palestinian issue, with claims that the failure to bring a just solution to the Palestinians was the number one issue for Arabs and Muslims. But apparently, privately these same nations have been parroting Bibi Netanyahu’s mantra to the U.S., repeatedly asking the US to bomb Iran and even invade it with ground troops.
The Saudis refer to Iran, a fellow Muslim and “Islamic nation” as “evil” and have requested the US to “cut of the head of the snake”. The same cables also reveal that even now the main financiers of Al Qaeda are Saudi donors. American Presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have identified Al Qaeda as the biggest threat to the US and yet they collude with the nation whose citizens are its biggest financiers. Why don’t the Saudis cut off the head of the real snake, Al Qaeda, by arresting and imprisoning its financiers? Most Americans know that fifteen of the nineteen terrorists that attacked the US on September 11, 2001, were Saudis. None were Iranians. A significant number of foreign fighters who joined al Qaeda in Iraq were Saudis. This is a classic case of “the pot calling the kettle black!”
Do not interpret my criticism of Saudi Arabia as support for Iran. Its current leaders are a bunch of thugs who stole governance from their own people by force and made a mockery out of the idea of an Islamic democracy.
It seems that on key issues Arab foreign policy is the same as Israel. Except Israel is open, and Arab states are not. In future if we wish to understood Arab foreign policy, then all we have to do is take Israeli foreign policy and add hypocrisy (nifaaq) to it.Voila.
Another level of hypocrisy that Muslim nations seem to be practicing is in their dealings with their own populations. While the US is worried that WikiLeaks latest revelations will undermine its relations with its allies, Muslim governments are worried that these same leaks will expose the extent to which they routinely lie to their own people.
Nation after Muslim nation has been supporting and collaborating with the US and lying to its public about the extent of its support for US foreign policy. For example, the Yemeni President acknowledged that he would continue to lie to his people and claim American military operations in Yemen as Yemeni operations. Similarly, the Pakistani government does not want its people to know the extent to which it cooperates with the US on nuclear issues.
It is amazing how Muslim governments engage in policies that they know their populations will not approve.
Anyway now thanks to WikiLeaks, at least Muslims who hate America for its foreign policy must realize that their own countries are collaborators. Perhaps their hatred will now be more evenly spread rather than just focusing on the US. If they don’t, then they will be like their own governments - hypocritical.
Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Associate Professor of Islam and Global Affairs at the University of Delaware and a Fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understating. His website is http://www.ijtihad.org
No comments:
Post a Comment