Anyone who knows me or RELATIVITY OnLine knows full well we have done our part to criticize and confront the numerous instances of stereotypes, misinformation and propaganda incorporated by the global powers that be in terms of the Middle East. This writer has gone to great lengths to expose Israel’s occupation of Palestine as a barely veiled attempt at ethic cleansing. We also have pointed out that groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are in fact fueled by unjust, manipulative and / or misguided Western actions. In short, we have championed the cause of Arabs time and again. Now, however, I must turn my critique towards the Muslim world. It is a place not known for tolerance of criticism, but criticism is necessary if it is to purge itself of the deadly cancer known as extremism. More importantly, it is a criticism that must be heard before its too late. Life and death weigh in the balance.
Western actions, however unfair they may appear to be, are no excuse for the extremist violence seen in Iraq, Pakistan, or Afghanistan. There is zero excuse for blowing up hotels in Jordan, buildings in the United States, embassies in Kenya, trains in the United Kingdom, Night Clubs in Indonesia, Souks in Egypt, compounds in Saudi Arabia, subways in Spain, or Markets in India. How is killing innocent men, women and children supposed to serve as payment for unjust Western policies and ignorance? How? These so-called Muslims, these so called defenders of Islam, target innocent people to make their so-called religious attacks. They are gutless cowards in every way someone can be. They are the great shame of Islam.
Even more vile and insane are those who cold-bloodedly kill their own, the slaughtering of fellow Muslims in the name of God. This is what makes them true monsters – they are not invading occupiers, but neighbors to those they kill and maim. Above all else, manipulating 14-year old children into sacrificing their lives before they have even had a chance to experience it is the epitome of cowardice evil. Thousands upon thousands of innocent people have died in the mindless violence, with few ever really knowing why.
It’s time for the Muslim world to take a long look at itself in the mirror and be brutally honest with its own reflection. Some of the worst crimes against Muslims have been committed in the name of Islam by Muslims themselves. This is the reality Muslims have to both face and confront.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh in an address to nearly three million pilgrims in Mecca during last year’s Hajj raised this point at a time and place it never had been before. He harshly condemned extremist attacks in every way, calling such actions “the curse of Muslim lands.” He called extremism and suicide bombers the “most serious problem” facing the Muslim world. In other words, he looked the Muslim world in the eye and said out loud for everyone to hear that members of the Muslim Community itself are the biggest problem Islam faces today – not Israel, not the United States, but members of their own brethren. The sad part is that few people even know the Grand Shiekh made these statements, and this includes Muslims themselves.
The very fact that a Muslim of his stature spoke such words, and at the Hajj address no less, reveals the Grand Sheikh’s acknowledgment that Muslims have to be the first to condemn extremism and to do so loudly. Muslims the world over, be they politicians, presidents, academics, religious scholars, business leaders, or just ordinary everyday folk need to offer up a collective voice of condemnation so as to pull Islam out from under of the ugly light cast upon it by extremists. Islam needs its people to do what’s right, now more than ever before.
From David Anthony Hohol…
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Perhaps it is not in the media to the length it is in real life over there, but you are right, i rarely hear harsh condemnation from Muslims when it comes to these things. There seems to be a tendency to not say much about it. Im sure there is anger about these things, but there is also too much silence.
I had not heard the address at Mecca you mentioned in your peice and Im sure you’re right when you say most people havent. The first reaction is to blame the media, but thats useless. The media is like a car that can be steered. If the entire Arab world held organized protests against such attacks, took to the streets, thier leaders went on TV, the attitude that many Westerners have would change. What is the isse? Why cant this be done? Why dont leaders lead? People stand up?
These actions are the great shame of Islam, but silence is also shameful.
I am a Muslim and it has reached the point that anytime a news story comes up about a plane or train crash, a shooting, whatever, I say to myself, “Please dont let that be one of us, please God dont let it be a Muslim.” You are right, these people are monsters, but further still they are not even Muslims. We do need to make our voices louder about this problem, we do need to be more critical.
trewpador-67P7 – You ask why dont people protests in the street? Why don’t leaders lead? People will get beaten and thrown in jail for starters. Leaders are too worried losing control of their people, or worse still their searts of power, so silence follows. In general we cant say anything about anthing. To criticize a leader, to even say the economy is bad can mean jail or worse. Also, in the Arab world one always feels they need to be careful when critisizing Islam, even if its these kind of people. We have been taught to feel this way and it is wrong, becaase it is our right to stand up against what’s wrong. Things are changing, but we still need a lot of change.
Killing their own is the nost diusgting part of these people. In Palestine, although opponents will do anything to try to screw each other politcally, you dont see them killing each other in mass bombings. Yes they have used suicide bombers, but only against those they feel are occupying their land not mosques and markets in Gaza and the West Bank. I have never understood this.
These people are scary. The man in the photo is the picture many Americans, but not all, have in their heads when they think of Muslims. I dont know much about politics and not to book smart, but my only advice, if I may be do bold is this. What I try to do in life is just to do my best to be a good person. That’s all anyone can do, Christian, Muslim, or otherwise. Be good people.
The biggest enemy in our lives, whether dealing with countries and religions, or just ourselves, will always come from within. And the only way to defeat the enemy is to carry out the painful process of killing off a part of oneself. But it needs to be done, if survival is the goal. If not, a slow death will set in and that will be the end. this is why Muslims need to start acting now.
Of course these attacks are wrong but people have to understand what Muslims go through, how hard we are pushed, and the conspiracy there is against us. Sometimes it more than some can take. Im sorry but its true.
No aboali, you cannot say that. Your words are subtly exusing this behavior. You are being sympathetic to those who kill without reason. This is the problem. Zero tolernacne must be the policy.
Im sorry I am a human being and I have sympathy for people sometimes. It’s also important to note that Jihad is not murder. Im not saying all the examples in the article above are Jihad, but it does happen.
Aboali – if you have sympathy for child killers than you have a serious mental defect. This is exactly what brings pain to Muslims everywhere, this sympathetic, empathetic, backhanded criticism of mass murderers. Thank you for proving my point.
You’re embarassing yourself aboali. Jihad? Jihad is the moral obligation to defend your land in a time of war, to repel invasion or occupation. End of Story. It’s not blowing up buildings, markets and ariplanes throughout the world. حمار!
Dude, that guy in the picture is totally awesome! LOL! And aboali, you’re the resident dickhead of this post. Congrats!
Enough bullshit, get your house in order!
It will never happen. The region is filled with denial and fear. People are beat down into hoplessness when it comes to thoughts of change. This is why things are they way the are.
I also think that the very nature of Middle East Religion and Poltics does not allow itself to evolve. This less a criticism and more an observation.
I will say this – American governments waste money on the Middle East and Africa. They are what they are and whatver happens in their regions should be alowed to happen on its own. Let them succeed in reaching stability or the blow the shit out of each other. Either way, its not my concern.
As a Muslim women who lives in the Middle East, I truly believe these actions do not belong to Islam. Killing innocents is not part of Islam , our religion is greater than this. I witnessed with my own eyes that attack in Jordan, where innocent Muslims were killed for no reason. This is not Islam. These are people with real problems and dangerous ideas that exceed any religion. We are unlucky to have these people related to us. Psycho people are everywhere and sick people use any excuse to justify their actions. Islam is a great relligion and these terrorists are a way far from it.
I agree with Amir, our Arab leaders don’t care about anything but keeping their precious chairs.
As far as my observation is concerned, these people can be simply called ‘extremist’to their own criminal philosophy. They act like savages towards their targets and agenda that they set for their mission. This is not at all the teachings of Islam. They are defaming Islam and Muslims. As a Muslim it is a ‘must’ for all the Muslims to read the Quran with meaning, understand it and act according to its teaching and I’m sure they mustn’t have read Quran because their actions are contradicting the teachings of Islam. “Islam’ means “to enter into peace’. This shows that these terrorists are not Muslims infact this game is played by some shrewd players in exposing Muslims as terrorists.
Its not all in the middle east I live In Austalia and it is nothing to hear off a individual breaking into someone home a raping an eight year old yes it doesnt happen every day, but if its not that its someone beating to death some India students. The whole world is corrupted. So all we can do: is no their are predators in the human race like the animal kingdom, and learn how to protect and care for your own.
no exuse for those who blast innocent civilians. No rule of islam – neither Qoran or sunnah lets such kind of barbarism and rudeness.
I think that people are victims of their internal cruelty. Perhaps they have problems with ordinary human behavoiurs.
First time reader here… There’s no question, we need to get our act together. The problem with us Arabs, is so many times we simply refuse to band together and instead fragment ourselves, taking away our own power. We are 22 countries that if united to handle Israel in a second, whether politically or militarily, but we just cant get along.