Friday, January 09, 2015

Islamist attempts of deception add insult to injury

After the Jan. 7 Islamist attack against French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead, we hear many reactions by Muslims. And of course, all "official" ones, except those by terrorist gangs such as Al-Qaeda and IS, condemn the shooting. However, the very statements of condemnation often include messages that, for me, are as bad as open support for the murderers. Or even worse, because I hate hypocrisy more than open malice.

Let's look at a masterpiece titled What cartoonists and terrorists have in common - they got Islam all wrong. I admit I become furious even at this point, seeing that the victims are described as similar to the murderers. The author is Daisy Khan who won notoriety in America by masterminding the infamous Ground Zero mosque. She writes, "Prophet Muhammad was instructed by God to face the ignorance with graciousness and the enmity with love... Indeed, as I delved myself deeper into the Quran, I found striking similarities between Islamic ethics and American values. The Quran speaks of humankind as one nation under God, it describes the one creator and insures human equality, Muslim jurists wrote 1,000 years ago about Islamic law protecting of six principles which form the basis for six human rights: the right to life, the right to free exercise of religion, the right to own property, the right to a family, the right to advance one’s intellect … and the right to dignity."

This is the definition of brazen lie. Does the author consider us all idiots? If you haven't invested time to educate yourself about Islam, Prophet Muhammad and the Quran, you can start with this page by Ali Sina: "...Quran tells Muslims to kill the disbelievers wherever they find them (2:191), murder them and treat them harshly (9:123), slay them (9:5), fight with them (8:65), strive against them with great endeavor (25:52), be stern with them because they belong to hell (66:9) and strike off their heads; then after making a “wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives” for ransom (47:4). This is how the pagans are to be treated. As for the Christians and the Jews, the order is to subdue them and impose on them a penalty tax, after humiliating them (9:29) and if they resist, kill them... The Quran is alien to freedom of belief and recognizes no other religion but Islam (3:85). It condemns those who do not believe to hellfire (5:10), calls them najis (filthy, untouchable, impure) (9:28), orders the Muslims to fight them until no other religion except Islam is left (2:193)... and smite their heads (47:4)..."

As you see, unlike the liar Daisy Khan, Sina gives a list of references - chapters (surahs) and verses from the Quran. Because the original links had expired, I redirected them to an English translation of the Quran uploaded by the University of South California, so that you can easily check for yourself.

Khan continues: "When the 9/11 attacks happened... I heard one perennial question: “Where are the moderates and why don’t they speak out?” So as a forward-thinking, moderate, peace-loving Muslim I felt an obligation to step into the arena... In 2010, nine years after 9/11, we could not think of a better expression to promote the peaceful values of our faiths than creating the Cordoba House... But detractors and certain media pundits, instead of amplifying the voice of moderate Muslim, added fuel to the fire by spreading emotional flames of fear, prejudice, and hatred against the project they inaccurately labeled the “Ground Zero Mosque.” It was classic, textbook Islamophobia. If not challenged, Islamophobia can become an accepted form of racism."

What to say about that? First, in most cultures (actually, in all that I know), it is unacceptable for an adult to praise herself the way Ms. Khan does. Second, I find disgusting her attempt to use the massacre in Paris in order to advertise her Ground Zero mosque, which of course I also find disgusting. And third, please pay attention how the author brings home her message that Islamophobia is worse than Islamist terror.

Well, enough about Daisy Khan. Now, let's look at the essay Not in my name by Mona Shadia, "award-winning Egyptian-American journalist and writer", published by Huffington Post. Ms. Shadia writes, "...Those murderer terrorists sure do have something in common with the prophet. It is in the encounter between a victim and his oppressor. These terrorists are the prophet's and Islam's enemies. The enemies who existed while he lived. The ones who would bully, attack and injure him. The enemies who would attempt to silence him. There's something so ironic about that." Actually, as we know from historical accounts of the Prophet's life and deeds, his "enemies" were simply people who did not want - and for good reason - to be ruled, robbed, enslaved or killed by him (details e.g. here and here).

Ms. Shadia continues: "There's an ongoing debate within the American Muslim community on whether or not Muslims should condemn such attacks in the name of Islam. There's an argument that Christians and Jews and Buddhists never have to go out in full force and condemn acts done in the name of their respective religions. Even though, like with the Paris massacre case, those who do twist and turn religious texts to justify these actions. There is an argument that in condemning these acts we are admitting that it is done on behalf of Islam, that we are responsible and we are attaching guilt and shame to ourselves and Islam. There is an argument that the west has much more to apologize for its acts of genocide and war in the Middle East and other places. There's an argument that in expecting Muslims to apologize, we are subjugated by the west and held in a catch-22 scenario of having to apologize, even though these acts have nothing to do with our religion. And then there are those who argue that we Muslims must condemn these actions, not to please anyone but to remain proactive and in charge of our destiny. This is the side of argument to which I belong... I do not care whether Christians, Jews, Buddhists, atheists or any other group condemn or not condemn acts of terrorism in their name. I do not care whether the word terrorism has unjustly become exclusive to Muslims by the media and islamophobes. I, a Muslim, am responsible for making sure my religion is portrayed factually, not to please anyone, but to be true to myself and my religion. I am responsible because it is what my religion teaches me."

I admit I stand in awe to Mona Shadia's writing skills. Only a trained, award-winning journalist could in so few words pack so many nasty implications: that there is religion-motivated Christian, Jewish and Buddhist terror comparable to Muslim terror, that the West does genocide in the Middle East, that the acts of terrorists shouting "Allahu akbar!" have nothing to do with Islam, and that Muslims (and Ms. Shadia in particular) are superior to Christians, Jews, Buddhists and atheists because Muslims condemn acts of terrorism in their name while the other listed groups do not.

Ms. Shadia has a blog and I threw a glance on it. I don't advise you to waste your time on it, just want to draw your attention to her Oct. 10, 2012 post. It is a reaction to an ad by Pamella Geller saying, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel — Defeat Jihad." Shadia first says, even before giving the actual text of the ad, that it is "basically concluding that Muslims (and Palestinians) are savages". I think she is too quick to basically conclude that the people Ms. Geller is warning against, i.e. the murderous Jew-haters obsessed with finishing what Hitler begun, include all Muslims - or even all Palestinians. Though I can easily believe that they do include Ms. Shadia, who seems to interpret Israel's existence as an act of Western genocide against Muslims - see above, and also here.

Most interesting in this post, however, is that, after briefly describing her life, the author offers this jewel: "In a few words, my friends would describe me as kind, just, loyal, tough, honest and good-hearted." It apparently doesn't occur to Ms. Shadia for a second that she must let her friends say this, instead of speaking for them to praise herself. What's wrong with these people? Two heartless, arrogant, lying Muslim activists publicly show narcissism that you don't expect from any remotely intelligent person above age 10! Is this a pattern? (I hope it is just a coincidence that both authors are female.)

I wonder, do these writers (and their numerous clones) realize that, speaking on behalf of all Muslims without any authorization and arrogantly broadcasting hatred and transparent lies, they encourage the same "Islamophobia" of which they keep complaining? To me, such attempts of deception are almost as good in generating Islamophobia as terror acts and threats. But let us be generous and assume that Ms. Khan, Ms. Shadia and their likes sincerely believe that the Islamist terror does not represent the true nature of Islam. Then, let us kindly tell them that they need not explain this to us, it is a waste of time. They should go and try to enlighten the terrorists instead.

No comments: