Our troubles are over: thousands of Muslims rally against "extremism" in London
For years non-Muslims have been asking where moderate Muslims in any
significant numbers are actually speaking out against Islamic jihad and Islamic
supremacism. And now here they finally are.
Much as I hate to be the one to throw a rotting cabbage onto the sofa, I must yet again point out that Qadri "says killing innocents is forbidden in Islam," but who defines who is "innocent"? Islamic jihadists believe that "non-Muslims are never innocent, they are guilty of denying Allah and his prophet." So if they believe that non-Muslims are never innocent, a Muslim who declares that killing innocents is forbidden in Islam is not going to stop them from mounting attacks against non-Muslims.
And what do they mean by fighting "extremism"? Last year Qadri published a fatwa against terrorism and suicide bombings. "Terrorism," of course, is a tactic, and as liberally as the term is applied in common usage, condemning it doesn't tell us a whole lot. After all, nobody likes terrorism. Abbas at the UN on Friday condemned terrorism, "especially state terrorism," by which he meant that he was condemning the actions of Israel, not of Islamic jihadists. Qadri really is referring to Islamic terrorism, evidently, but what about the jihad imperative to impose Sharia? He said yesterday: "I want to address those who are lost, who have a total misconception of jihad -- I want to send them a message -- come back to normal life. Whatever you're doing is totally against Islam." Do those who have a proper conception of jihad still wish to work in non-violent ways to impose Sharia and subjugate non-Muslims?
Qadri is a member of the Barelvi movement, a Sufi-tinged form of Islam that originated in India and has been violently persecuted by Islamic hardliners. His membership in a group that is considered by the larger body of Muslims to be of doubtful orthodoxy at best makes it unlikely that his stands will gain wide acceptance. And al-Qaeda even infiltrated his anti-terror summer camp.
"Muslims rally against Islamic extremism: London gathering of thousands intended to promote inclusive vision," by Sylvia Hu for the Associated Press, September 25 (thanks to all who sent this in):
Much as I hate to be the one to throw a rotting cabbage onto the sofa, I must yet again point out that Qadri "says killing innocents is forbidden in Islam," but who defines who is "innocent"? Islamic jihadists believe that "non-Muslims are never innocent, they are guilty of denying Allah and his prophet." So if they believe that non-Muslims are never innocent, a Muslim who declares that killing innocents is forbidden in Islam is not going to stop them from mounting attacks against non-Muslims.
And what do they mean by fighting "extremism"? Last year Qadri published a fatwa against terrorism and suicide bombings. "Terrorism," of course, is a tactic, and as liberally as the term is applied in common usage, condemning it doesn't tell us a whole lot. After all, nobody likes terrorism. Abbas at the UN on Friday condemned terrorism, "especially state terrorism," by which he meant that he was condemning the actions of Israel, not of Islamic jihadists. Qadri really is referring to Islamic terrorism, evidently, but what about the jihad imperative to impose Sharia? He said yesterday: "I want to address those who are lost, who have a total misconception of jihad -- I want to send them a message -- come back to normal life. Whatever you're doing is totally against Islam." Do those who have a proper conception of jihad still wish to work in non-violent ways to impose Sharia and subjugate non-Muslims?
Qadri is a member of the Barelvi movement, a Sufi-tinged form of Islam that originated in India and has been violently persecuted by Islamic hardliners. His membership in a group that is considered by the larger body of Muslims to be of doubtful orthodoxy at best makes it unlikely that his stands will gain wide acceptance. And al-Qaeda even infiltrated his anti-terror summer camp.
"Muslims rally against Islamic extremism: London gathering of thousands intended to promote inclusive vision," by Sylvia Hu for the Associated Press, September 25 (thanks to all who sent this in):
LONDON — Thousands of Muslims gathered at a rally in London on Saturday to fight extremism and promote a moderate, inclusive version of Islam. The event’s organizers Minhaj-ul-Qur’an International say some 12,000 Muslims are expected at Wembley Arena. The event will be broadcast live to dozens of countries around the world.
The group’s founder, the Pakistan-born Islamic scholar Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, says killing innocents is forbidden in Islam and Muslims must integrate into the societies in which they’re living.
Some Islamic scholars have warned that a power vacuum in North Africa and the Middle East could lead to militant and extremist groups gaining ground in elections arising from the so-called Arab Spring.
"If these elements come into power, it will be a big disaster," Tahir-ul-Qadri told The Associated Press.
Minhaj-ul-Qur’an International says it represents a moderate vision of Islam that works for peace and integration....
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.