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An Anatomy of Muslim Revolutionary Extremism
and Roadmap Leading Out of the Islamist Labyrinth
Arif Humayun
In the 21st century, the Muslim world has convulsed into conditions of terrorist violence and internecine wars, with radical extremist groups having literally hijacked the second most populous religion in the world. The frequent, increasingly vicious, and brutal terrorist attacks on soft Western targets is a relatively new phenomenon and has created a wave of anger and political backlash against Muslims. Through misrepresentation and misinterpretation, Muslim terrorist groups have redefined Islamic concepts to justify their criminal actions which they blame on Western conspiracy theories. The terrorist’s interpretation, commonly referred to as Islamism or political Islam, is very different from the
teachings of Islam contained in the Qur’an and the practices of Prophet Mohammadsa1. The Muslim
world must come together to differentiate between the real teachings of Islam and the radicals’ interpretation. The Muslims’ failure to challenge the terrorists’ interpretation and to enhance their own understanding of the Qur’an in line with modern standards and knowledge, has now become a critical prerequisite. This has to happen from within the house of Islam. Without this, centuries old conflicts like the Sunni‐Shia divide, which started as a political division in the 7th century and evolved into ideological differences, cannot be resolved. Significant sectarian divisions within the Sunni and Shia Islam have further subdivided the Muslims. The landmark Iranian nuclear deal with Western countries has become reality. The consequent lifting of economic sanctions on Iran can sharpen these differences and reshape the political and economic landscape in the Middle East in unpredictable ways. Under these circumstances, the future of Muslims is foreboding.
From the 8th to 16th centuries, the Islamic world was the foremost military and economic power and was at the forefront of human achievement in the fields of science, philosophy, navigation, architecture and engineering. In fact, the Golden Age of Islam, as this period is known, was the foundation of the European Renaissance. From their vantage point of strength, Muslims did not consider Christian Europe as a threat and did not consider them to be a source of knowledge. The Muslims’ arrogance was shattered and fortunes reversed during the European Age of Enlightenment following the European Renaissance from the 18th century when the Europeans defeated the Muslim empires, first on the battlefield and then in the marketplace, and ended up colonizing the Muslim lands. The looming question is: what happened to Islam and Muslim societies that led to their rapid downfall from the pinnacle of human civilization to the debilitating conditions in present‐day Muslim‐majority states that threaten civil societies worldwide? These questions bring us to the heart of the dangers of political interpretation of Islam (Islamism) that threaten societies throughout the world today.
This paper will explore the colonial and post‐colonial historical narratives that underlie Islamist
extremism, the evolution of the ideologies of extremism, the corruption and despotism that characterize
many Muslim‐majority societies today, the socio‐economic conditions that underlie religious‐political
extremism, and the global influences that have nurtured terrorism. Moreover, the political and military
responses to Islamism and religious‐based terrorism will be examined and recommendations will be
presented for both Muslims and non‐Muslims to counter Islamist narratives and countermand the
1 “sa” is the Arabic appellation meaning peace be on you. Muslims use such appellation for all prophets.
2
violence occurring under the guise of Islam. The proposals constitute a virtual roadmap designed to
close the widening gap between Muslims and the rest of the world, and to return Islam to its rightful
home – the unadulterated Holy Qur'an, and the exemplary life and teachings of Prophet Mohammadsa.
Introduction
The dreadful terrorist attacks in Paris (November 13, 2015) and San Bernardino, California (December 2,
2015) leaving around 150 dead and many others injured, has reignited the debate on the role of Islam in
promoting terrorism. Graeme Wood2 implicates Islam as being inherently violent and provides
convincing arguments to support his point; these resonate with the non‐Muslims who believe that to be
the case. On the other hand, Muslims proclaim Islam to be a religion of peace and an equally convincing
article by Mehdi Hasan3 refutes Graeme Wood’s hypothesis, rejecting the terrorists’ claims to be Muslim
and denying any links between Islam and terrorism; he attributes terrorism to flawed Western policies
and other geopolitical factors. The unintended consequences of both extreme positions are (1) Donald
Trump’s statement that Muslims be surveilled and barred from entering the US till a methodology can
be determined to identify terrorists amongst us, and (2) the continued Muslim denial and failure to
persuasively refute the terrorist’s Islamic credentials.
Reading both referenced papers is akin to hearing the prosecution and defense lawyers’ testimonies
who massage facts to prove their respective points. The judge understands that the truth lies between
the extreme positions presented by the opposing legal experts and renders judgement after considering
all facts. Both Wood and Hasan have done excellent research to defend their respective positions and
both authors are partially correct. The readers should become the judge and form their own opinions
after considering the facts that both sides have concealed. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1)
highlight those pertinent but critical facts to enable the reader to fully comprehend the motivation for
these senseless acts of violence as exemplified by terrorist attacks by Muslims around the world and, (2)
develop a roadmap to reject the enabling radical ideology that terrorists use to justify their acts as
Islamic and the right wing non‐Muslim extremists use to fan Islamophobia.
Although this paper will focus on terrorist acts by Muslims, we must admit that terrorism has broader
dimensions. It is the ugly face of instinctive human behavior and a universal phenomenon. It is
important to acknowledge that acts of terrorism are also committed by adherents of other faiths
(Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, etc.); even atheists have committed their share of death and
destruction. All terrorists are criminals and murderers and are driven by hate. Religious affiliation
serves as a fig leaf to cover their nefarious acts and seek support from ignorant adherents of that faith.
In this connected global village, we are all victims and must work together to eliminate the root cause(s)
that drive hatred. Education and objective understanding of different faiths and cultures are critical
components for defeating ideologies that radicalize individuals or groups and lead them towards
senseless acts of terrorism.
2 http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what‐isis‐really‐wants/384980/ 3 http://www.newstatesman.com/world‐affairs/2015/03/mehdi‐hasan‐how‐islamic‐islamic‐state
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Claiming to be victims of Western conspiracies against Islam, the Muslim world has convulsed into an
unenviable state where radical groups have hijacked the spiritual discourse and become infamous for
adopting violence as a tool for survival. The root causes of this strong association between radical
Muslim ideology and violence must be identified and that is where the solutions for dealing with this
self‐destructive mentality will be found. People are shocked and frightened by the behavior coming out
of the Muslim world – not only because it is violent, but also because it is seemingly inexplicable. The
why for this transition must be understood by Muslims through deep introspection, rather than finger
pointing, and claiming to be victimized by Western colonial powers.
After decades of violence, Muslims feel the pain of unnecessary killings by their coreligionists but have
failed to effectively differentiate between Islam – their faith and Islamism – the political ideology based
on hate. Although governments in Muslim majority countries and prominent members of the clergy
have condemned these terrorist acts – which are symptoms – they have failed to condemn the ideology
– the cause – that leads to these actions. Thus the situation has not changed significantly. It will not
change till the root causes (misrepresented and engineered concepts) are identified and an
implementable roadmap to refute the radicals’ doctrine is developed. Without refuting the radicals’
ideology, violence under the guise of Islam or closing the widening gulf between Muslims and the rest of
the world will be difficult to achieve. Two US Muslim groups have launched reform movements
condemning the radicals’ ideology. The AIFD led Muslim Reform Movement4 launched on Dec 4, 2015
and the True Islam Movement5 led by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on December 30, 2015.
This paper will identify the root cause(s) that radicalize Muslim groups and drive them to terrorism. It
will describe the flawed Islamist ideology and the contributing political and other factors that has given
birth to radicalism among Muslims. It will also introduce the Muslim Reform Movement launched on
December 4, 2015 in Washington DC as a means to defeating the ideology of Islamism. Starting as an
introduction to Islam – for Muslims and non‐Muslims alike – the article will separate the core Islamic
teachings from the cultural and tribal practices that have become part of the faith. It will describe the
Islamic meaning of the commonly used terminologies of jihad, sharia, blasphemy and apostasy and
contrast them with the radicals’ engineered interpretations to conceal their criminal acts behind the
Islamic façade. This will hopefully foster a clearer understanding of the faith (Islam) and contrast its
inconsistencies with the radicals’ contrived meaning which forms the basis of their ideology of hate –
Islamism. This distinction will enable people to reject any link between the radicals and the faith and
law enforcement can deal with them like any other criminal. A joint human approach must be
developed to find a permanent solution to radicalism and terrorism by severing any links between
religion and radical ideologies.
Islam – An Overview
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion and means "submission" to the will of God. A Muslim is an
adherent of Islam and means "one who submits to the will of God". The Qur’an, addressed to all
4 http://muslimreformmovement.org/ 5 http://www.newsweek.com/us‐muslim‐group‐launches‐campaign‐reclaim‐meaning‐true‐islam‐extremists‐410240
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humankind, was revealed to the prophet Mohammadsa through the angel Gabriel between 610 and 632
CE.6 Muslims consider the Qur’an to be the undisputed scripture, the Word of God, and the Prophet
Mohammadsa as the final law‐bearing prophet. Retained in its original form in the Arabic language and
without variants, the Qur’an confirms that prophets have been sent to all people throughout the world
to sustain humanity in all ages. The Qur’an describes God as the Lord and Sustainer of the worlds, the
Prophet Mohammadsa as “the messenger for mankind”,7 refers to itself as the “message for the world”8
and Muslims as people “...raised for the good of mankind”.9
The Prophet’s functions are described as the creation and strengthening of faith through drawing
attention to Divine Signs, the moral and physical uplift of the people, teaching them the Law, furnishing
them with guidance, and expounding the philosophy underlying the Law and their guidance.10 Without
claiming monopoly over truth, Islam acknowledges all prophets11 (including earlier Judeo‐Christian
prophets starting with Adam) and scriptures and confirms that the teachings originally revealed to the
previous prophets are included within its message.
Islamic teachings are encapsulated in the articles of faith,12 acts of worship,13 codes for social and moral
behavior,14 and the philosophy of life.15 This framework of beliefs, duties, obligations, exhortations and
sanctions seeks to stimulate and deepen human consciousness by emphasizing duties and obligations to
safeguard freedom, justice and equality for all and promote and foster human welfare and prosperity in
all spheres — social, economic, moral and spiritual. The Teachings seek to establish a pattern of society,
which, in all the changing and developing circumstances of a dynamic world, would maintain its
character of beneficence in individual, domestic, national and international affairs. The Qur’an
prescribes only essential details and leaves considerable room for development and to safeguard against
restrictive rigidity. Indeed, it expressively commands against seeking to regulate everything since that
might render the framework rigid and inelastic and, therefore, burdensome.16 That which Allah has “left
6 The revelation was memorized and recited in daily prayers. The revelation was recorded by designated scribes during the Prophet’s life. It was assembled in one volume by the first caliph Abu Bakr (632‐634 CE), immediately after the prophet’s death and later standardized by the third caliph Uthman (644‐656 CE). A team of people who had memorized the Quran verified the authenticity of the text which is the only version available. 7 Ch 7, verse 159 8 Ch 81, verse 28 9 You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in
Allah. And if the People of the Book had believed, it would have surely been better for them. Some of them are
believers, but most of them are disobedient (Ch 3, verse 111) 10 Ch 62, verse 3 11 Muslims believe that God sent more than 124,000 (or innumerable) prophets, beginning with Adam 12 Belief in God, angels, all prophets, revealed books, Divine Decree, and Day of Judgment 13 Declaration of God’s unity and acknowledgement that Mohammadsa is God’s prophet, five obligatory prayers, fasting during the designated month, charity, and pilgrimage 14 Honesty, justice, kindness, helping the needy, laws about marriage, divorce, inheritance, war and peace, human and animal rights, environment, prohibition of social vices, etc., and elevation from instinctive to moral and spiritual behavior 15 Purpose of existence, God’s worship, transitioning from instinctive to moral to spiritual behavior, service to humanity, and ‘finding’ God 16 Ch 5, verse 102‐3
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out” is meant to be devised, in accord with the prescribed principles through mutual consultation,
always bearing in mind the overall standard of fostering equity (ma’roof), and eschewing iniquity
(munkar).17
Prophet Mohammadsa summarized the message of Islam during the Farewell address to Muslims in 632
CE during his last pilgrimage (Appendix 1). Declaring all humans as equals, he urged spouses to respect
each other, treat Muslims as brothers, safeguard their interests, honor trusts, support orphans, proper
treatment for the poor, forgive people’s shortcomings, shun tribal or cultural practices, forgive vendetta,
act with justice, promote mutual respect, and be united. Cancelling any outstanding usury and blood
reparations, he exhorted Muslims to obey those in authority, adopt Islamic teachings and practices, and
personal accountability to God for all actions. He further asked that his message be conveyed to those
who were not present that day. Upon completing this address, he received the last revelation.18
Prophet Muhammadsa also granted protection and other privileges to the Christian monks of Saint
Catherine's Monastery (Appendix 2)19.
The purpose of Islamic teachings is to progressively elevate human behavior from its lowest – instinctive
– level to the intermediate – moral – level and then a gradual enhancement to the highest – spiritual –
level.20 Humans have dual responsibilities – towards their Creator and the creation. In a way, Islam
emphasizes the importance of obligations towards the creation because the Creator is forgiving and can
forgive any shortcomings. The religion of Islam is thus a personal matter – a training tool – for
individuals to become a better human being.
Islam supports the concept of religious revival in the latter days through a divinely guided messenger.
While the Qur’an clearly alludes to that possibility,21 the Prophet’s exhortations22 23 (ahadith) confirm
and provide additional details, even identifying the promised reformer(s) as the guide (Mahdi) and the
Messiah (referred to as the Second Coming of Jesus, son of Mary). While some Muslim sects may
interpret the details of this Qur’anic verse differently, most Muslims, including Sunni sects, believe in the
advent of the Messiah (Second Coming of Jesus from the heavens) and the Mahdi. This unresolved topic
needs detailed discussions but most Sunni Muslims have shut the door on this topic. The expectation of
17 Ch 3, verse 100; Ch 42, verse 39 18 “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed upon you my favor and have chosen for you Islam as Religion” (Ch 5, verse 4) 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtiname_of_Muhammad (reviewed on 23 January 2016) 20 Qur’an Ch 16, verse 91 21 He it is Who has raised among the Unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves who recites unto
them His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom, although they had been, before, in
manifest misguidance; And among others from among them who have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty,
the Wise. That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases; and Allah is the Master of immense grace. (Ch
62, verses 3‐5; emphasis added) 22 How would it be with you when the son of Mary will descend among you and you will have a leader raised from among you?( Bukhari, "Kitabul Anbiya" Chapter: Nazul Isa bin Maryam) 23 "The Umma can never die which has met me at one end, and the Messiah, son of Mary, at the other." (Kitab ibn Majah, Babul Etisam bil Sunnat)
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the imminent advent of these reformers was ripe until the end of the 20th century (14th century of the
Muslim calendar) but has now subsided; many Muslims now characterize the referenced Prophet’s
traditions as false or malicious conspiracies to match the Christian belief of the Second Coming of Jesus.
Shi’a Muslims use the concept of Hidden Imam to explain this latter‐day revival. This is referred to in
Graeme Wood’s article referenced earlier.
Readers should note that the dreaded and misrepresented doctrines propagated by the radicals – jihad,
sharia, blasphemy and apostasy – are not included in either the five pillars or the articles of faith in
Islam. The flawed interpretations of these concepts, put forth by the Islamists, are absolutely against
the primary Islamic scripture the Qur’an. A comparison of the Islamic and radicals’ Islamist
interpretation is presented in Table 1.
It is important to highlight that fragmentation amongst Muslims is high; by some counts, six dozen sects
exist amongst Muslims, each presenting their own version of these doctrines. Conceptual differences in
the interpretation of Qur’anic injunctions are the basis of sectarian divide; such divisions are shunned by
the Qur’an.24 Muslims can and should reconcile their differences through intellectual discourse by
referring to the Qur’an which is unanimously accepted as its undisputed primary source. Unfortunately,
these sects have grown in isolation and their deeply entrenched conceptual differences have been
further reinforced over time. In their attempts to retain power and control over their followers,
sectarian groups have often declared competing Muslim sects non‐Muslim and invoking the malicious
and false doctrine of apostasy to justify their killing. Needless to say, such criminal actions are contrary
to Qur’anic teachings.
The Radicals’ (Islamists’) Doctrine
The driving force behind the Islamist’s ideology is the formation of an Islamic State, ruled by a Caliph.
Integral parts of the mythical Islamic State are sharia, jihad, apostasy and blasphemy (schematically
shown in Figure 1). The Radicals believe that the Islamic State will enable the Muslims to defend
themselves against their non‐Muslim enemies. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood proposed this ideology in
1924 as reaction to the termination of the Ottoman Caliphate by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk25 and the
Jama’at‐i‐Islami in undivided India co‐proposed it in the same time frame as reaction to the colonization
of Muslim lands. Needless to say, this idea of a Muslim State was in reaction to geopolitical
transformations when the industrial era was ushering in and replacing the agrarian era in which the
entire Muslim system of governance (caliphate and legislative sharia) was developed. Since then, many
Muslims have migrated to Western democracies to benefit from the fruits of the industrial era
(education, employment, etc.) or to escape persecution in their home countries where the legislation is
24 Qur’an Ch 6, v 66 25 Atatürk is the founder of modern day Turkey. He established a provisional government in Ankara in 1921 after the Ottoman defeat by Allied forces and embarked upon a program of political, economic, and cultural reforms, seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern and secular nation‐state. He formally abolished Ottoman Sultanate in 1923 and the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924 and made Turkey a secular republic.
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increasing being Islamized. The growing migration from Muslim majority countries to the secular West
is voluntary which shows that the reactionary demand for the Islamic State is now outdated.
The Munir Commission Report published in 1954 in Pakistan examined this ideology in detail, after
extensive rioting in parts of Pakistan for the implementation of Islamic system of governance, and
refuted its basis in stark legal and moral terms. It identified Jama’at‐i‐Islami as the main culprit but also
indicted several other scholars who supported this demand. The British Government’s Policy Paper,
Muslim Brotherhood review, published in December 201526 and the British PM’s report to Parliament to
improve the government's understanding of the Muslim Brotherhood27 also indicted the Muslim
Brotherhood and the Jama’at‐e‐Islami as the root cause behind this flawed ideology. While being
cautious, the British Government’s findings are consistent with those of the Munir Commission Report.
The sad fact is that the Western world has reinvented the proverbial wheel after more than six decades.
During this time, the flawed ideology has been further refined and camouflaged behind the facades of
Islam and democracy. Several splinter and more violent radical groups have since emerged and caused
untold destruction and misery to human beings around the world; supported by geopolitical event,
demographics, poor governance, corruption and the lack of social‐ and economic‐infrastructure, have
further sharpened the rhetoric. Regional and world powers exploited this ideology for political purposes
and trained and financed cadres of terrorists till this monster got out of hand. Had the world paid
attention to the findings of the Munir Commission Report, much of the subsequent misery could have
been avoided.
Practical Considerations for Implementing Radicals’ Ideology
Muslim Brotherhood, Al‐Qaeda, Taliban, and several similar groups have aspired to establish the
mythical Islamic State and the Caliphate; ISIS, (or ISIL) have renamed themselves as Islamic State and
actually declared the Caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. As alluded to earlier, the multiple and
conflicting interpretations of Islamic teachings, as excerpted from the Qur’an, the Prophet’s
exhortations, and the legislative sharia developed during the 8th and 9th centuries, make it impossible for
all Muslims to agree on the structure and procedures of the so‐called Islamic State. The two
fundamental issues in establishing a political system of governance, under the radicals’ proposed
Caliphate, are:
1. whose interpretation of Islam will this Caliph follow, and
2. what would happen to Muslims when non‐Muslim states reciprocate with establishing their own
religious states and deal with Muslims and minorities with diminished rights of citizenship in their
countries, as exemplified by Donald Trump’s position on restricting and excluding Muslims for
entering the US.
26 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/muslim‐brotherhood‐review‐main‐findings 27 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/muslim‐brotherhood‐review‐statement‐by‐the‐prime‐minister
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Before delving into the internal differences among Muslims, the overall concept of the Islamic State and
its pillars must be examined. Per the general definitions put forth by radical Muslims, legislative sharia
will be the legal system of governance, jihad will be the tool of war for subduing the enemy and
expanding the boundaries of the state, and blasphemy and apostasy will be the tools for quelling
dissent and criticism against the state and government. This mythical state will be Dar‐ul‐Islam (the
land of peace) where peace, equality and justice and the basic necessities for a good life will be
provided to all citizens. These engineered interpretations of Islamic concepts are contrary to the Qur’an
and summarized in Table 1 and discussed in detail elsewhere.28
The immediate issue then becomes whose interpretation of Islam will be applicable to this mythical
state? Sunni or Shi’a? And which sect or subsect of Sunni or Shi’a Islam will be adopted. The
differences between the six dozen or more Muslim sects are huge and irreconcilable. Most have
declared competing sects as heretic or apostate and liable to be killed as an Islamist religious obligation.
These differences emerged very clearly in the Munir Commission’s investigation where several so‐called
scholars could not even agree on a simple definition of a Muslim:29 This report is an excellent resource
for understanding the internal divisions among Muslims and gives a glimpse of their ignorance and
arrogance in matters of faith.
“Keeping in view the several definitions given by the ulama [scholars], need we make any
comment except that no two learned divines are agreed on this fundamental. If we attempt our
own definition as each learned divine has done and that definition differs from that given by all
others, we unanimously go out of the fold of Islam. And if we adopt the definition given by any
one if the ulama, we remain Muslims according to the view of that alim [scholar] but kafirs
[idolaters] according to the definition of everyone else.”
The evidence which forms the basis of the radicalizing ideology, as presented above, is self‐explanatory
and needs no further commentary; its convoluted basis is obvious. In the Muslim world, such
discussions are prohibited; in the West, political correctness prevents people from discussing it. Our
inability to discuss such matters provides the space in which the radicals thrive and grow.
Fast forwarding to the 21st century, the destructive ideology documented by the Munir Commission
Report is deeply ingrained in the minds of Muslims around the world. This was established by a Pew
Research Survey in 2013 which interviewed more than 38,000 people in 39 countries and in 80
languages.30 Results of this survey are summarized in Figures 2‐5 and highlight the high degree of
confusion in the average Muslims’ mind. The support for implementing legislative sharia as the official
law varies geographically – it is low in countries influenced by the West e.g., eight percent (8%) in
Azerbaijan to near unanimity (99%) in Afghanistan which has largely remained isolated (Figure 2). This
demand has solid support in the Middle East, North Africa, sub‐Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast
Asia where the majority of Muslims live. This widespread support for legislative sharia is based on the
28 http://www.circleofpeaceonline.org/wp‐content/uploads/2014/11/ISIS‐Khilafat.pdf 29 Report of the Court of Inquiry constituted under Punjab Act II OF 1954 to enquire into the Punjab Disturbances of 1953, p 218 (see also p 215‐218) 30 http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the‐worlds‐muslims‐religion‐politics‐society‐exec/
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misunderstanding that it is the revealed word of God (Figure 3). A majority of Muslims believe that
sharia must have a single interpretation (Figure 4). However a minority believes that it is a human effort
and can have multiple interpretations. Figures 5 show the confusion whether sharia law should be
applied to Muslims only or to non‐Muslims as well.
Results show that a majority of Muslims believe that Islam is the only true faith leading to eternal life in
heaven and that belief in God is necessary to be a moral person. Many also think that their religious
leaders should have some influence over political matters. And several express a desire for legislative
sharia – considered by many as traditional Islamic law – to be recognized as the official law of their
country. The major misconception that the politicized clergy has successfully created in the Muslims’
mind is that the legislative sharia is part of the faith. It is not. This system was developed by the
Abbasid Caliphate between the 8th and 9th century when rationalist Muslims prevailed and was
terminated in the 10th century when traditionalists took control. Details of legislative sharia are
discussed elsewhere.31 The legislative sharia was developed when the basis of global economics was
agrarian. This changed in the 18th century with the industrial revolution. The Abbasid‐era developed
legislative sharia did not evolve to deal with industrial‐era issues and is thus inapplicable today.
Alternate forms of governance have since been developed to cope with issues of nation states and the
industrial economy. This point needs to be understood and the increasing chorus for implementing
sharia must be rejected.
The Fundamental Questions
The Muslims’ failure to refute the Terrorist’ Claim of being Islamic
The questions to elicit an intelligent responses can be posed as follows:
1. Why is it that the Islamic civilization, which sprang up with such an abundance of energy in the
seventh century, and which spread across North Africa and the Middle East to produce cities,
universities, libraries, and a flourishing courtly culture which has left a permanent mark on the
world, is now in so many places mute, violent, and resentful?
2. Why does Islam today seem not merely to tolerate the violence of its fiercest advocates
(radicals), but to condone and preach it?
3. Why is it that Muslim minorities in Europe, who migrate in order to enjoy the benefits of a
secular jurisdiction, call for another kind of law altogether, even though so few of them seem
able to agree what that law says or who is entitled to pronounce it?
Needless to say, these questions will have to be resolved by the Muslims themselves. And the ultimate
resolution will come when scholars sit across the table and debate these matters in a civilized and
objective manner. They will then realize that some of their stated positions, based on sectarian divides
and which have evolved within intellectual silos, are contrary to the scripture. Rather than engage in
intellectual discourse, each scholar hides behind their sectarian position and resorts to violence when
they are unable to reconcile their position with the Qur’an. Some leading Pakistani scholars are on
31 http://www.circleofpeaceonline.org/?p=176
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record for claiming that parts of the Qur’an, which refute their illogical position, have been abrogated.32
This claim is absolutely contrary to the Qur’anic claim that it is the Final Word and God Himself
guarantees its accuracy till the end of time.33
A response to these questions requires an understanding of the Muslim mindset as it has evolved over
the past 14 centuries. The rapid transformation of the Arab wasteland during the life of the Prophet
Mohammadsa and the mercurial expansion of the Arab Empire in the years following the Prophet's death
led to the creation of caliphates – a form of government headed by a caliph34. In the absence of any
succession plan, a leader – or caliph – was selected by the Muslims to fill the leadership vacuum created
by the Prophet’s death. Three others were similarly selected. The collective reign of the first four
caliphs lasted about thirty years. Contrary to its false projection as a utopian period, that period had its
share of conflicts – the first caliph died after two years in office after subduing tribal uprisings and the
other three who followed were murdered while in office. After this initial phase, the caliphate devolved
into a hereditary monarchy with the victor becoming the caliph. Muslim dynasties were soon
established and subsequent empires such as the Abbasids, Fatimids, Almoravids, Seljukids, Ajuran, Adal,
Mughals, Safavids, and Ottomans were among the largest and most powerful in the world. The Islamic
world created numerous sophisticated centers of culture, arts, and science with far‐reaching mercantile
networks, travelers, scientists, hunters, mathematicians, doctors and philosophers, all contributing to
the Golden Age of Islam. Islamic expansion in South and East Asia fostered cosmopolitan and eclectic
Muslim cultures in the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.35 For many centuries the
world of Islam was in the forefront of human civilization and achievement. There was thus no need to
reflect and correct the inaccurate recording of the utopian early period.
During this phase of rapid growth, Muslims had no rivals because Europe was in what is generally
referred to as the Middle Ages which lasted from roughly the 5th to the 15th century beginning with the
collapse of the Western Roman Empire. While in power during that time, the Muslims developed a view
that Islamic teachings were the real reason for their successes because the Qur’an had superseded all
previous scriptures. They thus developed a sense of superiority and considered those beyond their
borders as barbarians and infidels. The Muslim disdain for the Christian West is illustrated by the fact
that Western (Christian) travelers came to the Muslim lands to visit holy places, as traders or to serve
under the Muslim rulers; they also maintained embassies and consulates in Muslim capitals and major
cities and had first‐hand knowledge of the state of affairs of the Muslim world. By contrast, travel to the
Christian West was discouraged by the Muslim clergy and thus Muslims did not travel to the West.36
Muslims thus remained ignorant of the 300‐ to 400‐year long process during which Europeans
transformed their economies and ushered in the Industrial Revolution. , Muslims did travel extensively
to countries to the South and East in search of merchandise or knowledge. Having pursued knowledge,
32 Report of the Court of inquiry constituted under Punjab Act II of 1954 to enquire into the Punjab
disturbances of 1953 (aka Munir Commission Report), pg 223 33 Qur’an Ch 15, v 10 34 a person considered a political and religious successor to prophet, Muhammad, and a leader of the entire Muslim community 35 "Eastern Islam and the 'clash of civilizations'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 February 2015. 36 What Went Wrong? Bernard Lewis, p 25
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as mandated in the Qur’an, but failing to advance it to the next logical step –industrialization – Muslims
failed to lay the foundation for future developments. This was in stark contrast to the Christian West
who brought home the knowledge they gained in Muslim lands sparking the Renaissance and
Reformation period that led to the period of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason, introducing new
paradigms of morality and beginning the age of discovery in science, mathematics and technology. The
authority in the West moved from Church and God to research and science where the West valued truth
and the acquisition of knowledge as worthwhile pursuits that informed philosophy. The Christian West
thus rejected the dogma that had shackled their intelligence and embarked on a journey towards
education and industrialization.
The period of Enlightenment combined with the redistribution of wealth and the establishment of a
literate middle class in the wake of the Black Plague in Europe began a process of major transformation
towards industrialization that would enable the West to dominate the world. The industrial revolution
focused on education, technological developments, financial systems, industrialization, and a myriad of
associated fields. This transformation created a new economic system and enabled the European
nations to defeat Islamic governments, colonize their lands, and assume global ascendancy.
The Muslims required but failed to institute a similar transformation to recreate a new social structure –
economic, educational, religious, spiritual, political, and intellectual – within their societies to become
integrated and succeed in the industrialized environment. The prevailing mindset, developed by Muslim
clergy, was that they have deviated from the good old ways of Islamic and Ottoman practices and the
remedy was to return to them.37
Having been convinced that the Muslims’ would have to learn from the previously despised infidel, the
Ottoman rulers sought permission from the Muslim clergy (scholars) to accept infidel teachings and
allow them to teach Muslim students. The clergy reluctantly agreed to this “innovation of staggering
magnitude that went contrary to the mindset developed over centuries that infidels and barbarians
have nothing of any value to contribute” to the Muslims.38 Seeking clergy’s permission, even in trivial,
individual matters, is still prevalent in the Muslim world; this mindset allows the clergy to monopolize
religion and assume unnecessary authority over individuals or policies that govern the citizens of Muslim
countries. Interestingly, Islam does not sanction any intermediaries like the clergy; religion is a private
matter between the individual and God.
Colonial and Post‐Colonial Narrative
Robert Reilly39 traces the development of this mindset from the early days of Islamic history. According
to him “the principal reason for the sudden ossification was the rise of the traditional Ash'arite40 sect in
37 Ibid, p 23 38 Ibid, p 21 39 The Closing of the Muslim Mind – How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis, p x 40 Traditionalists, hold that human reason was unable to make such judgements, hence all rules had to be entirely based on revelation
12
the tenth century and the defeat of the rival rationalist sect of the Mu'tazalites41. lmam al‐Ghazali (d.
1111), an Ash’arite, thought that reason was the enemy of Islam, because Islam requires absolute and
unquestioning submission to the will of Allah, implying that they have exclusive knowledge of Allah’s
will. In his celebrated treatise The Incoherence of the Philosophers, al‐Ghazali sets out to show that
reason, as enshrined in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and their followers, leads to nothing but darkness
and contradiction, and that the only light that shines in the mind of man is the light of revelation.
Although al‐Ghazali's arguments are soundly refuted by Averroes (lbn Rushd) – a rationalist – in his The
Incoherence of the Incoherence, Muslims rushed to embrace the Ash'arite doctrine, which made so
much better sense of the ruling idea of submission. Averroes was sent from Andalusia into exile, and
the voice of reason was heard no more in the courts of Sunni Muslim princes.”
As already stated, legislative sharia was developed under the Abbasid Caliphate during the 8th and 10th
century. During this time, the Rationalist thought prevailed and encouraged the rulers to critically
review and update any legislation based on reason. This ongoing process made it difficult for the rulers
to keep the legislation updated as knowledge evolved. The Ash’arite’s assault on philosophy thus went
hand‐in‐hand with an equally determined assault on law and jurisprudence (fiqh). The early Islamic
jurists had sought to reconcile the Qur'an and the traditions with the demands of ordinary justice, and
had developed a system of law which could be applied in the developing circumstances of social and
commercial life. The interpretation of the law was subject to study and amendment by the individual
effort (ijtihad) of the jurists, who were thereby able to adapt the brittle interpretations of the Holy Book
to the reality of Muslim societies. In the tenth or eleventh century CE, it became accepted that "the
gate of ijtihad is closed" – as al‐Ghazali himself declared. Since then Sunni Islam has adopted the official
position that no new interpretations of the law can be entertained, and that what seemed right in
twelfth‐century Cairo or Baghdad must seem right today. Should we be surprised, therefore, if nobody
can find a clear way of reconciling the legislative Shari'a with the facts of modern life and government,
or that a current leading jurist from al‐Azhar, the ancient [and prestigious Islamic] university in Cairo,
can rule that it is okay for a man and a woman who do not know each other to be alone together,
provided he sucks her breasts?42 This fatwa has since been retracted43 but shows the depraved
intellectual state of those who claim to be authorities in this field.
The gradual decline and the ultimate defeat, dismemberment, and colonization of the Ottoman and
Mughal Empires after the two World Wars left deep wounds on the psyche of the once powerful and
supposedly invincible Muslim Empires. The subsequent dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate – a symbol
of unity among Muslims – and the creation of dozens of Muslim countries in those lands only deepened
those wounds. The cumulative effect of these major setbacks was a severe identity crisis among
Muslims. Without addressing the major cause for failure – education and reforming societies for the
41 Rationalist theologians who stood for the primacy of reason, hold that human reason was capable of recognizing good and evil; they concluded that although religious obligations, such as prayers, had to be based entirely on revelation, other legal and moral rules did not. 42 The Closing of the Muslim Mind, ‐ How Intellectual Suicide created the Modern Islamist Crisis, p xi. Also reported in NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/world/africa/11iht‐fatwa.4.6098135.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 and BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6681511.stm 43 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6681511.stm
13
Industrial Era – succeeding leaderships in these new countries failed to heal the deep psychological
wounds and gave rise to religiously‐inspired political movements (e.g., Muslim Brotherhood and
Jama’at‐i‐Islami) in the Muslim world. These groups engineered religious doctrines (Table 1) to present
Islam‐based alternatives for governance but failed to deliver in their own countries where they resorted
to violence.
Muslim Brotherhood members were accused of assassinating the Egyptian PM Mahmoud an‐Nukrashi
Pasha in 1948 and shortly thereafter its founder, Hassan Al‐Banna, was killed in Cairo. In 1952, Muslim
Brotherhood was accused of participating in arson that destroyed several hundred buildings — mainly
night clubs, theatres, hotels, and restaurants frequented by British and other foreigners — in downtown
Cairo. The Brotherhood then supported the military coup that overthrew the monarchy in 1952, but the
military regime was unwilling to share power with them. Muslim Brotherhood was then accused of
attempting to assassinate the President, Gamal 'Abd al‐Nasser, in 1954. The Egyptian Government than
banned Muslim Brotherhood and imprisoned and punished thousands of its members. Nasser’s
successor, Anwar Sadat, relaxed some restrictions but he was also murdered by some Islamist group.
After fleeing Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood established their office elsewhere in the Middle East and
Europe. The main catalyst for the movement’s spread beyond Egypt, including European countries, was
the suppression campaign launched against it by Egypt’s President Gamal Abdul Nasser in 1954. In the
1950s, two large, well‐organized Muslim Brotherhood groups fled from Egypt to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
A third, less cohesive group of Muslim Brotherhood activists fled to the U.S. and several European
countries, including [West] Germany. They established new roots and adopted strategies to propagate
their message and attain their goal of global dominance. Mingling with the immigrant Muslim
communities in Europe and the US, the Muslim Brotherhood established their presence on university
campuses and with left‐wing opposition activists. Muslim Brotherhood thus gradually became the
distributor of radical Islam and de‐facto representative of Muslim immigrant communities who had a
need to find spiritual guidance in non‐Muslim lands.
An illuminating example of rewriting or the reinterpretation of Islamic doctrines (referenced above) as
documented by Oliver Roy, was published in a five‐part article in the Dawn Newspaper44 in Pakistan.
The fourth article of this series, published on November 2, 2015 titled Blasphemy and the death penalty:
Misconceptions explained includes an annotated timeline of every Hanafi45 jurisprudence text of
significance that has discussed non‐Muslim blasphemy. Based on over 200 commentaries this timeline
shows the gradual evolution of blasphemy as a “not punishable” crime to the punishment being at “the
judge’s discretion” and then to the absolute reversal of the initial position with blasphemy carrying a
“mandatory death sentence”. This rewriting or transformation of Islamic ideology (from blasphemy
carrying no punishment to capital punishment) happened over the past 14 centuries. This example
shows how objective interpretations of Islamic ideologies were transformed to draconian laws due to
44 http://www.dawn.com/news/1215304 (This is part 4 of the five part article being published by Dawn Newspaper. 45 One of the four major schools of thought in Sunni Islamic Jurisprudence; the one with the largest following in the world, as well as the predominant theological orientation to which an overwhelming majority of Pakistani Sunnis subscribe.
14
political and prejudicial considerations. The cause of the average Muslim’s continued silence over this
centuries long transition could be attributed to their declining knowledge or interest or the increasing
political control by vested interests over their faith. The cumulative and unintended consequence of the
average Muslims’ silence has resulted in the radicals’ success in hijacking the faith and stigmatizing
Muslims as the perpetrators of hate.
Connivance by Silence46 summarizes the results of Oliver Roy’s works47, 48 to document the broader
phenomenon of what he calls neo‐fundamentalism, i.e., growing radicalism among [culturally] rootless
Muslim youth, particularly among second‐ and third‐generation migrants in Western democracies. He
argues that the absence of cultural pressure from, what he calls, pristine cultures in Western
democracies has allowed radicals to invent and rewrite Islamist doctrines which are promoted as
Islamic.” The recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino show how these engineered doctrines
affected the terrorists’ acts.
Initially financing their efforts for establishing networks of mosques, research centers, Islamic‐, social‐
and educational‐institutions primarily through assistance from Middle Eastern countries, these
movements expanded their proselytizing (da’wah) network in Europe and the U.S. thereby spreading
their radical‐political Islam within Muslim communities living in Western democracies. As an example,
Muslim Brotherhood in Europe seeks to turn Islam into the dominant force among Europe’s multi‐
cultural society, as part of the overarching vision of a global Islamic takeover. Yusuf al‐Qaradawi, a
senior Sunni cleric affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, has recently expressed his confidence that
Islam will eventually take over Europe — not by means of war, however, but through preaching and
education efforts (da’wah).49 He has argued that “Islam will return to Europe as a conqueror and victor,
having been expelled twice”. He qualified his statement, however, by saying that “it is possible that the
next conquest, Allah willing, will take place by preaching and ideology”.50
Personal Accounts of Individuals – How They Became Radicalized and Reformed Themselves
Two fascinating first‐hand accounts of the radicalization of college‐educated Muslim youngsters in the
UK provide chilling details of how they became recruiters for radical organizations. Both authors, Ed
Husain51 and Maajid Nawaz,52 came from regular peace‐loving immigrant families from South Asia.
46 Arif Humayun, Connivance by Silence: How the Majority’s failure to challenge politically motivated [mis]interpretations of the Qur’an empowered radicals to propagate extremism;, Xlibris Corp (Xlibris.com); 2010 47 Oliver Roy, The Failure of Political Islam, 1994 48 Oliver Roy, The Global Islam, 2004 49 Ehud Rosen, “Mapping the Organizational Sources of the Global Delegitimization Campaign against Israel in the UK”, published in late 2010 on the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs website, hereinafter “Ehud Rosen”; p 12 (http://www.crethiplethi.com/the‐muslim‐brotherhood‐in‐other‐arab‐countries‐and‐in‐europe/global‐islam/2011/) Ch 10. 50 Special Dispatch No. 447, Ehud Rosen, MEMRI, December 6, 2002. (http://www.crethiplethi.com/the‐muslim‐brotherhood‐in‐other‐arab‐countries‐and‐in‐europe/global‐islam/2011/) 51 Ed Husain, The Islamist: Why I Became an Islamic Fundamentalist, What I Saw Inside, and Why I Left, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143115987?keywords=the%20islamist%20ed%20husain&qid=1451258350&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1‐1; 2009
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Fortunately, these individuals realized their mistakes and cofounded the Quilliam Foundation53 in the UK
to help de‐radicalize Muslims. Ed Husain’s account is summarized in Connivance by Silence54 and
describes how he was radicalized by the flawed interpretations in the British School System; it provides
a chilling account of how youngsters are drawn toward terrorism under the guise of Islam. As a
teenaged student in Britain in the 1990s, he enrolled in the school‐offered Religious Education course.
His first English textbook was Islam: Beliefs and Teachings by Mr. Gulam Sarwar in which it was stated
that “religion and politics are one and the same in Islam. They are intertwined. We already know that
Islam is a complete system of life . . . Just as Islam teaches us how to pray, fast, pay charity and perform
the Haj, it also teaches us how to run a state, form a government, elect councilors and members of
parliament, make treaties and conduct business and commerce.” The book informed students that
“there was no Islamic state in the world today in which Islam was a system of government” and
commended the efforts of organizations dedicated to the creation of ‘truly Islamic states’ and made
particular reference to the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East and Jamaat‐e‐Islami in the Indian
subcontinent, who were working for the “establishment of Allah’s law in Allah’s land.” The Muslim
Educational Trust (MET) held alternate assemblies for Muslim students and also offered exams in
religious education; success was acknowledged by awarding trophies and medals. Through a Religious
Education classmate, Husain was introduced to the Young Muslim Organization UK (YMO) and both
volunteered time to manage events at the East London mosque. Husain identifies Jamaat‐e‐Islami
activists behind these otherwise innocuous and benign activities at school and also the link between
Saudi Arabian support and funding for the East London mosque. Maajid Nawaz’s book provides another
independent and first‐hand account of his journey towards radicalism and then to the founding of the
Quilliam Foundation.
Maajid Nawaz similarly explains his journey that attracted him towards radicalism. He describes himself
as a liberal who was radicalized after experiencing racial discrimination and gang violence while growing
up in the UK.
Moreover, Syed Saleem Shahzad,55 an investigative journalist from Pakistan had developed close links
with the lower level militant operatives in Al‐Qaida and Taliban who later rose to the top positions. He
published an article refuting the official position that the May 22, 2011 attack on the headquarters of
the Pakistan Navy's Naval Air Arm, The PNS Mehran, and called it an inside job. Just prior to his
disappearance and murder in May 2011, he wrote in the Asia Times Online that al‐Qaeda carried out the
PNS Mehran attack after negotiations with the Navy for the release of officials, suspected of al‐Qaeda
52 Majid Nawaz, Radical: My Journey Out Of Islamist Extremism; http://www.amazon.com/Radical‐Journey‐Out‐Islamist‐Extremism/dp/0762791365/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451258485&sr=1‐1&keywords=majid+nawaz;2013 53 http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/ 54 Arif Humayun, Connivance by Silence: How the Majority’s failure to challenge politically motivated [mis]interpretations of the Qur’an empowered radicals to propagate extremism;, Xlibris Corp (Xlibris.com); 2010 55 A Pakistani investigative journalist who also wrote for the international newspapers around the world. His primary focus was to cover global security issues, Pakistani armed forces, Islamic and, and Muslim resistance movements in Lebanon and Iraq. He regularly covered The Taliban and Al‐Qaeda. He regularly interviewed Islamist militants, including Al‐Qaeda members. Shahzad introduced the world to hitherto unknown Al‐Qaeda figures, including Sheikh Essa. He had interviewed several leading militants long before they became internationally known, including Sirajuddin Haqqani and Qari Ziaur Rahman. He also interviewed Ilyas Kashmiri shortly after Ilyas was appointed chief of Al‐Qaeda's military committee.
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links, had failed. According to Shahzad, the attackers were all from Ilyas Kashmiri's 313 Brigade of al‐
Qaeda. His last book Inside Al‐Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11, was published
shortly before his death. Shahzad’s preface to this book, provides a window into what he knew about
the Taliban and Al‐Qaeda’s strategy for their war against the West; excerpts from his preface are
reproduced here:
“l have never worked for any well‐funded international news organizations. . . . . My affiliations
have always remained with alternate media outlets. . . . . Alternative media persons need to
work twice as hard as others to draw their attention. However, independent reporting for the
alternative media best suits my temperament as it encourages me to seek the truth beyond
"conventional wisdom." As a result, I study people and situations from a relatively
uncompromised position, in isolation and seclusion. For instance, I have avoided repetitive
reflection on well‐known figures in the Al‐Qaeda ambit and instead chosen to focus on those
close to the bottom of the ladder, looking to share their understanding of the world, their lives,
and their behind ‐the‐scenes contributions, which are∙ what actually is and what determines the
fate of movements.”
Comparing Al‐Qaeda to legendary fable of Alf Laila56 – A Thousand and One Nights – he describes how
he befriended and collected information from lesser‐known Al‐Qaeda and Taliban operatives who
“shaped the world of their time through the type of love and loyalty that even today constitutes the
essence of humanity.”
The following extended excerpt from Shahzad’s preface sheds light on the overall radicals’ strategy for
their battle against the West:
“Al‐Qaeda's first objective was to win the war against the West in Afghanistan. It’s next
objective was to move on to have the fighting extend all the way from Central Asia to
Bangladesh to exhaust the superpower’s resources, before bringing it on to the field in the
Middle East for the final battles to revive the Muslim political order under the Caliphate, which
would then lead to the liberation of Muslim territories.”
“This book is written at the critical juncture when the defeat of the Western coalition appears
imminent. Some commentators have painted the dreaded picture of a nuclear‐armed Al‐Qaeda
supported by Muslim states threatening the world, but after many years of fighting, what stands
out above all else is that Al‐Qaeda’s arsenal is not its weaponry, bur its uncanny ability to exploit
unfolding events to engineer the collapse of its hi‐tech enemies.”
“The Western coalition is now looking for a way out of the Afghan theater of war. However, if
and when it finally does achieve this, it will not end Al‐Qaeda’s war against the West. It will
merely signal the end of one round and mark the beginning of another. This is the perspective I
have tried to explore in this book.”
56 a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. They are of uncertain date and authorship. The framing device of the collection, however, hinges on the vengeful King Shaharyar, having been cuckolded by his promiscuous first wife, determining to marry and execute a new wife each day as a lesson to womanhood. The resourceful Scheherazade, understood to be of Indian extraction, brought an end to this. She captivated King Shaharyar with stories spread over a period of a thousand and one nights both to avert an early execution and to restore the king's faith in the virtues of womanhood.
17
An example highlighting the depth of penetration of this depraved ideology and the unintended
consequences of mixing religion and politics was exhibited on 29 December 2015 during the 201st
meeting of the constitutionally mandated Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in Pakistan. First established
as the Advisory Council of Islamic Ideology on August 1, 1962 under the Constitution of Pakistan, it was
re‐designated as Council of Islamic Ideology and retained in the new Constitution adopted in 1973. This
53 year old constitutional body is required to review all laws and advise the legislature whether or not a
certain law is repugnant to Islam, namely to the Qur'an and Sunna. The CII is thus the constitutionally
appointed custodians of Islam in Pakistan.
The proceedings of its recent meeting were described as “disgraceful” after a “physical altercation”
between the chairman and a member where “ugly exchange of street language, expletives” was used
between the two “after disagreement over agenda items.”57 The agenda item that caused this
altercation was the status of Ahmadis Muslims58 in relation to Islam, and whether the current members
of the community are to be termed murtad (apostates) and how to classify those born after the 1974
constitutional amendment. The implication of this classification – according to the radical’s ideology – is
that: (1) as apostates, Muslims are obligated to kill Ahmadis, and (2) future generations of Ahmadi
Muslims, born after 1974, should be treated as non‐Muslims and subject to jizya (poll tax) for seeking
protection under the law! Terming the “behavior of the men of learning” – and not the constitutional
amendment that declared Ahmadis as non‐Muslims – as unacceptable and their “penchant for indulging
in explosive debate rather than giving progressive solutions to the country’s many faith‐related
problems,” the Editorial calls for the dismemberment of this body.
The CII was actually fulfilling its constitutionally mandated responsibility to review the laws and advise
the legislature about them being in compliance with Islam. The CII had intended to address the status of
those children born in Ahmadi Muslim households after the constitutional amendment that had
declared their parents non‐Muslims and apostates. The status of the children born subsequent to the
new law had to be defined because they were born as non‐Muslims and could not be termed apostates!
The Chairman of CII was thus finishing the unfinished business of the 1974 constitutional amendment to
leave his legacy on the Islamization of Pakistan. The member, probably anticipating the ugly outcome,
the attendant dangers, and unintended consequences of that decision, did not want the matter
discussed. As has been highlighted earlier, the two‐fold problem facing the CII is the understanding if
Islam which is not a monolith and the use of religion for political purposes. This unintended
consequence of blending religion and politics is an excellent example of how this ideology will implode
under its own weight.
This entrenchment of this flawed ideology is not limited to the third world or Muslim majority countries.
It is also deeply entrenched in the US, even in premiere educational institutions. I experienced this first
hand on December 2, 2015 at Georgetown University in Washington DC while attending a seminar. A
recently converted Caucasian Muslim professor and Chair of a department commented to me that the
imposition of sharia was the only way to resolve the current issues facing the Muslim world. On seeking
57 Dawn Editorial http://www.dawn.com/news/1229673/cii‐brawl 58 A moderate sect of Islam that rejects violent jihad. This sect was declared non‐Muslim by a constitutional amendment to the Pakistani constitution in 1974.
18
clarification the professor confirmed that he was referring to the Abbasid era developed legislative
sharia! Similarly, while traveling from Delhi to London a few years ago, a leading South African Muslim
scholar seated next to me explained that the sad plight of the Muslims was due to bad leadership. I
questioned if the 56 or so Muslim countries (members of the OIC59) all had bad leadership and the non‐
Muslim countries had good leadership? I asked that if we extend his reasoning to the past 50 or 100
years, it is statistically impossible to accept that the leadership in Muslim countries was all bad. Unable
to refute my point, the scholar conceded that the Muslims’ situation will improve after the Second
Coming of Jesus, Son of Mary. He even identified the location – a mosque in Syria – where Jesus would
descent and usher in peace. I questioned if Jesus would continue to preach the Law of Moses, which he
did before his ascent, or would have accepted Islam and will preach the Qur’an. Needless to say, he had
no response and we had nothing more to discuss and remained quiet throughout the journey.
This fourteen‐century summary of distortions and engineered interpretations of Islamic doctrines
provides several insights into the radicals’ mindset. Any permanent solution to disconnect the religion
of Islam from its political manifestation and rid the world of Islamist terrorism must be a global, multi‐
faceted effort where each individual plays their respective role as outlined in the next section.
Enabling factors for spreading radical ideology in the Muslim World
Many Muslim colonies gained independence during the mid‐twentieth century. The post‐independence
regimes in these countries retained the legacy of their colonial masters and did not foster democratic
governments, institutions, or values; rather they became authoritarian employing the colonial rules for
controlling their “free” citizens. Instead of focusing on educating their societies towards
industrialization, these governments relied on Western support and adopted Western political,
economic, and military models. The Western models had evolved as the consequence of
industrialization. Without the same industrial‐base and educational background in the Muslim
countries, these models were bound to fail which they did; these failures caused disillusionment with
Western models in the Muslim world.
By the 1970s, the hopes and dreams of many Muslims were shattered by a series of failures – political,
economic, and military – resulting in discredited governments. Israel’s decisive victory over the
combined Arab armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, during the six‐day war in 1967 was a devastating
blow to Arab pride and power where each of the three Arab partners lost territory to Israel. The 1971
India‐Pakistan war, and the creation of Bangladesh, undermined any notion of Muslim nationalism, the
glue that was supposed to hold together the ethnically and linguistically different Muslim populations of
West and East Pakistan.
Additionally, the strong US support for Israel in the six‐day war and their preventing the breakup of
Pakistan despite, what Pakistan believed to be defense pacts with the US ‐ the Southeast Asia Treaty
Organization (SEATO) and Central Treaty Organization (Cento), led many concluded that excessive
dependence on the West, as a model for development or as an ally, had weakened rather than
59 Organization of Islamic Cooperation
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strengthened the Muslim world. These crises reinforced a prevailing sense of impotence and inferiority
among many Muslims, the product of centuries of European colonial dominance that left a legacy of
admiration (of the West's power, science, and technology) as well as deep resentment (of its
penetration and exploitation)
The failed “imported” models of governance and the overwhelming defeats in wars mentioned above
gave rise to Islamist revival movements. These were not about religion per se, but were a response to
political, economic, social, and military failures, which led the Muslim world to a loss of identity, values,
or meaning to profound disillusionment or despair. The lure of revivalism is a return to an idealized
utopian past and was an attempt to re‐appropriate those principles, beliefs, and values that represent
divine guidance, a sense of purpose, meaning, and success.
The Muslim world’s demographics too contributes to the spread of radical ideology. According to Pew
data (Figure 6), 77% of the global Muslim population lives in Asia‐Pacific and sub Saharan Africa where
they are faced with poor education and bad governance ripe with widespread corruption. They are
deprived of basic necessities like clean water, sanitation, health care, or employment opportunities
because most of these countries have not yet transitioned from the agrarian to the industrial economy.
Moreover, the high birthrate and lower life expectancy in these countries has created a population
bulge where half the population is under 20 years and 60% is under 30 years old. A majority of these
people live below the poverty line with high illiteracy rates and an outdated educational system, still
based on the agrarian model where rote learning, rather than critical analysis is the norm. These
impressionable minds are led to believe that their enemies – non‐Muslims – are responsible for their
plight because they are afraid of eventual Islamic dominance and want to defeat Islam.
Madrassas were a traditional form of schooling in the Muslim world before any formal school systems
were established. Madrassas provided religious and secular education relying on the teachers abilities.
Political divide within the Muslim world and the sectarian jostling for influence has given a new lease of
life to madrassas which claim to cater to the educational needs of a majority of youngsters from low
income families. Many of these madrassas are well funded and, in addition to education, also provide
meals and in some cases a stipend, to the students. Their curriculum is driven by Islamist ideology
where the creation of an Islamic State ruled by a Caliph, the implementation of legislative sharia, and
jihad would be the ultimate objective, where the honor of the Prophet will be safeguarded through
capital punishment for blasphemy and apostasy. Many government funded schools also teach the same
message in their pre‐ to high school curricula. In short, they feel that the Islamic State would usher in a
utopian era where all their needs would be met. This flawed system has produced a pool of students
with passive minds who are primed for radicalism.
High illiteracy rates and lack of employment opportunities turn these pre‐radicalized youth towards
militancy and crime. Geopolitical developments in the Muslim world, especially after the Iranian
revolution of 1979, drew in regional and global powers who tapped into this pool of pre‐radicalized
youth and provided funding and training for them to participate in the jihad against the Soviet Union
who had occupied a Muslim country, Afghanistan. That is the beginning of Afghan Mujahidin, al‐Qaida
and Taliban. Buoyed by their military successes against the Soviets, regional powers, mainly Saudi
Arabia and Iran representing Sunni and Shi’a interests, also funded and trained their respective cadres
20
for proxy wars for dominating the Islamic discourse. This cycle of creating armed militants for proxy
wars continued and several Sunni and Shi’a sects had their own armed militias for “protecting their
turfs.” Not to be left behind, even countries like Pakistan used these militias for proxy wars against their
neighbors. After the Soviet’s defeat, these battle hardened so called holy warriors could not be wished
away. They are still fighting to achieve their ultimate objectives and the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, or ISIL) is
an outcrop of this short sighted approach.
It is important to realize that while most Muslims are not Islamists the organized minority, which is
radicalized, dominates the discourse. Islamism had been creeping upon Muslims for about a century
(since the defeat of the Ottoman Empire), and little had been done by the “silent majority” to directly
challenge it. Yes, certain Muslim associations have been stressing a tolerant and inclusive interpretation
of Islam, but this was not sufficient because they lacked a narrative to effectively counteract the Islamist
ideology and show that the religion of Islam is not a political ideology. In his book Radical, 60 Maajid
Nawaz defines the critical elements of the counter narrative that is required to defeat the Islamist
doctrine. These include: respect for basic human rights, pluralism, individual freedoms, faith, and
democracy had to be reconciled with Islam not in the ivory towers of academics but out there in the
hearts of the masses. To do that, we needed to permeate all elements of society with the counter
narrative: politics and policy, media, the arts, social media, academia, and public opinion. We needed
the backing of states, parties, coalitions, and movements, and we needed ideas, narratives, leaders, and
symbols, all pooled together, just as Islamism had been doing since the 1920s.
The Overall Solution
Terrorism knows no boundaries; it is a global phenomenon where innocent human beings are the
victims. Ironically, Muslims themselves form the largest single victim group. The fact that radicalism
leads to terrorism is undeniable and the root causes of radicalism are multi‐dimensional. These must be
identified, acknowledged and dealt with accordingly with the clear understanding that radicalism
undertaken by Islamists’ ideology is only a part of the overall problem. Eliminating Islamists’ ideology
will not bring an end to terrorism because peace will only be restored when justice and fair‐play in
society and geopolitical matters is restored. And this can only happen in an ideal world! As already
stated, all human beings will have to play their role in eliminating radicalism. The ultimate solution will
have to be multi‐faceted, with individuals and governments, playing their respective roles. It has to be a
long‐term team effort with Muslims leading the initiative to defeat the Islamist ideology. Other factors
are beyond the scope of this paper.
A three‐part solution for defeating the Islamists’ ideology is presented in the next section. It defines the
role for Muslims, their non‐Muslim neighbors, and joint effort by all to address the unintended
consequences which, for lack of a better term, are referred to as environmental.
Unless Muslim communities come together to reclaim the faith, there will be no chance of challenging
this ideology that has grown among us. Non‐Muslim neighbors can also assist by asking critical
60 Maajid Nawaz, Radical p 212‐3
21
questions about the Islamist ideology. However, the onus is on all Muslims to take a stand by closing
their doors to Islamism. For decades Islamists have spread their ideology at the grassroots, while
Muslim liberals have detached themselves from this debate. Due to this indifference, Islamism had
become the most effective social phenomenon among Muslims in the world, in dictatorships and
democracies alike. Dictators either try to co‐opt it, as was done in Pakistan throughout its history or
brutally suppress it, as was done in Egypt. Both tactics inevitably aided its growth. In democracies,
electoral politics only react to votes, and if the most organized bloc is the Islamist bloc, they will have
their way, intimidating government after government with their opportunistic use of Islam to influence
policy.
Fortunately, a group of North American and European Muslim leaders adopted a Declaration and
started the Muslim Reform Movement to launch this initiative.61 The three guiding principles of this
movement are:
Peace: We reject interpretations of Islam that call for any violence, social injustice and
politicized Islam. We invite our fellow Muslims and neighbors to join us.
Human Rights: We reject bigotry, oppression and violence against all people based on any
prejudice, including ethnicity, gender, language, belief, religion, sexual orientation and gender
expression.
Secular Governance: We are for secular governance, democracy and liberty. Every individual has
the right to publicly express criticism of Islam. Ideas do not have rights. Human beings have
rights.
As already stated, the seeds of Muslim radicalism were initially sown around the 10th century with the
defeat of the rationalists. The process however accelerated after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and
the termination of the Caliphate which happened in 1924 – just about 100 years ago. While the root
cause is the flawed ideology (described above), several external factors – political and environmental –
have also contributed to its rapid growth. The ideology and these factors must be considered as part of
the solution with the goal to break the perceived bond between radicalism and Islam. Force alone
cannot defeat this ideology; education over the long term has to be an integral part of any permanent
solution. A New York Times Op‐Ed forcefully argues this point stating that “[the West’s fight against
terrorism] targets the effects [of terrorism] rather than the cause.” Aptly titled Saudi Arabia, as ISIS that
has made it62 the article draws parallels between the Saudi Arabian and ISIS positions and questions why
we [the West] befriends the former and fights the latter.
The Solution – Part 1: The Muslims’ role
The Muslims must first understand their history factually – explore historical facts and not the utopian
version as taught throughout the Muslim world. They should understand that history, like a coin, has
two sides. They should research and understand the other side – the ignored side – as well. The irony of
61 http://muslimreformmovement.org/ 62 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/opinion/saudi‐arabia‐an‐isis‐that‐has‐made‐it.html?_r=0
22
this suggestion is the poor literacy rates and the lack of desire within the educated Muslims to uncover
and reconcile harsh facts with their virtual reality. This thus puts the onus for correcting the historical
misrepresentations on motivated Muslims who can comprehend facts from multiple and authoritative
sources and share them with their peers. Sadly, the majority of Muslims – leaders and intellectuals –
will not unequivocally condemn the engineered doctrines of jihad, sharia, blasphemy and apostasy
which are the foundations for the destructive ideology that all Muslim terrorist groups (Taliban, al‐
Qaeda, Islamic State, etc.) propagate. Those engineered doctrines have evolved and gone unchallenged
over the past several decades and are now considered part of the faith. Those who have spoken against
any of these misrepresented concepts in some Muslim countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Saudi
Arabia, etc.) have been killed, jailed, or forced to flee to safer (non‐Muslim) countries. Thus the first and
the most critical action item for Muslims is to understand and reject the four pillars of radicals’ ideology
i.e. the engineered doctrines of Islamic State, political Caliphate, Jihad, Sharia, Apostasy and Blasphemy.
Instead, as proposed in the Muslim Reform Movement Declaration, Muslims must propagate and
support the UN Declaration of Human Rights that was adopted in 1948. The UN Declaration of Human
Rights has been cross referenced to the Qur’an and the Prophet’s traditions and is fully consistent with
Islamic teachings.63
As part of the radicals’ ideology, Muslims cannot wage jihad against fellow Muslims; jihad has to be
fought against non‐Muslims and the ultimate jihad has to be declared by the Caliph. That is the urgency
for establishing and monopolizing the Caliphate. It is for this reason, the 200,000 strong Iraqi army,
trained and equipped by the US over several years at a cost of $25 billion,64 has been unable to stand up
against a much smaller IS force because it has a Caliph who has declared jihad against the infidel trained
and supported Iraqi Army. The engineered doctrines of blasphemy and apostasy enable leaders of
competing Muslims sects to declare their opponent non‐Muslims. This gives them the right to kill
dissenters and curb independent thinking and free speech. These leaders demand absolute obedience
and denounce critical analysis and decision making. The gravity of this ideology is demonstrated by
Zakaria in his CNN Documentary Broadside: How ISIS shook the world broadcast Monday Nov 23, 2015
referenced above where he refers to the fact that the IS leadership survived the harshest imprisonment
conditions at US Camp Bucca detention facility in Iraq where the ISIS leadership came together.65 Al‐
Baghdadi, the self‐proclaimed caliph of the Islamic state, spent 10 months at Bucca and was released in
December 2004 for being a model inmate and not to a significant threat by a military review board only
to become the caliph of ISIS.
A sad but illuminating news item highlighting the ignorance and blind following was published in a
prestigious Indian newspaper on September 5, 2006.66 It highlights the irreconcilable differences
between two Sunni sects, whose headquarters are less than 200 miles apart in Northern India. Per the
newspaper report, 200 marriages were annulled by a fatwa from the Deobandi sect because their
adherents had attended a funeral service led by an imam from the opposing Barelvi sect who was the
63 Zafrullah Khan, Islam and Human Rights, Islam International Publications. 64 Farid Zakaria in CNN Program Broadside: How ISIS shook the world broadcast Monday Nov 23, 2015 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ7OvSDuN1I) 65 http://nypost.com/2015/05/30/how‐the‐us‐created‐the‐camp‐where‐isis‐was‐born/ 66 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/200‐weddings‐redone‐in‐UP‐after‐a‐fatwa/articleshow/1960258.cms
23
deceased man’s nephew. The Barelvi Imam led his uncle’s funeral service because the Deobandi imam
was unable to be there for the service. Thinking the Deobandis as too radical, the Barelvis approached
their leaders and were surprised that they upheld the Deobandi fatwa of annulment of marriages. Thus
200 couples were remarried. And this happened in India where Muslims are a minority within the
dominant Hindu majority. The resolution of such irreconcilable differences, sharpened over centuries, is
no easy task. This absolute obedience commanded by the religious leadership, and the total submission
by common people who have not been brainwashed by radicals, highlights the severity of the issue.
Various radical Muslim groups talk about the implementation of legislative sharia. They must
understand that sharia was not a static law but a dynamic one during the time it was being framed
under the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and 9th centuries. Details of sharia development can be found
elsewhere.67 The critical question they do not discuss is whose sharia will they implement? As sharia
development was a dynamic process, various schools of thought interpret it differently. Serious
conflicts exist in different interpretations as depicted by short video clips.68, 69
The radicals’ interpretation of apostasy and blasphemy70 are similarly flawed. The most significant
recent reversal of the Muslim world, and the win for the radicals’ ideology, is their rejection of the UN
Declaration of Human Rights in 2005. This Declaration was originally signed by virtually all countries in
1948 and is simply a statement of ideals for human rights. Sadly, the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) – a group of 57 member countries claiming to be the collective voice of the Muslim
world – rejected the UN Declaration as un‐Islamic and instead adopted Cairo Declaration on Human
Rights in Islam (CDHRI). The OIC version provides an overview on the restricted Islamic perspective on
human rights, and affirms Islamic sharia – legislative sharia as developed in the 8th and 9th century – as
its sole source. This reversal in matters of Human Rights and over lapping it with sharia reinforces the
radicals’ position. Interestingly, the Saudi Arabian and Islamic State’s laws, based on sharia, are identical
(Figure 7). As the leader of the Sunni Muslim world, Saudi Arabia carries legitimacy and thus Muslims
find it difficult to criticize Islamic State’s laws but not those of Saudi Arabia.
The Solution – Part 2: The Neighbors’ role
Non‐Muslim neighbors must first understand that the flawed doctrine drives Muslims to radicalism.
Neighbors must engage Muslims and befriend them to understand their perspective on radicalism and
ask probing questions about this ideology. They should realize that the 1.6 billion Muslims population is
very diverse and cannot be painted with a broad brush after each terrorist incident. An excellent
example of this myopic view was highlighted by CNN in their interview with Reza Arsalan.71 Another
recent example, in the post San Bernardino, California attacks was the detention and interrogation of a
Muslim doctor, Bilal Rana, who was dressed in a typical Pakistani outfit as he disembarked from a flight
67 http://www.circleofpeaceonline.org/wp‐content/uploads/2013/12/History‐of‐Shariah‐Development.pdf 68 http://www.hasanmahmud.com/index.php/movies/the‐sharia‐conundrum 69 http://www.hasanmahmud.com/index.php/movies/nari‐the‐divine‐stone 70 http://www.circleofpeaceonline.org/wp‐content/uploads/2015/02/Blasphemy.pdf 71 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzusSqcotDw
24
in Houston, Texas.72 Fellow passengers reported him as suspicious only because of his looks and the
dress. Per the referenced Time article, Dr. Rana is very active in helping the society to understand the
differences between the religion of Islam and the radicals’ interpretation. Such insensitive behavior
must end and rather than putting Muslims on the defensive, the society must partner with them to
resolve this issue. Leaving political correctness aside, non‐Muslim and Muslims must discuss these
issues with the goal of understanding – rather than berating – each other. After all we are human
beings and are vulnerable to the terrorist acts irrespective of our faith and color. This has repeatedly
been demonstrated by terrorist attacks, from major cities and small towns, around the world.
A survey published by Brookings73 in December 2015 shows an interesting cross section of Americans’
view of Muslims and Islam. Polling for the survey was conducted between November 4 and 10, 2015—
after a reported ISIS bomb brought down a Russian civilian airplane over Egypt but before the Paris and
San Bernardino attacks. Needless to say, these attitudes have been affected by the Paris and San
Bernardino attacks and the subsequent political rhetoric. Shibley Telhami,74 the researcher, highlighted
the following major observations:
Americans differentiate between the “Muslim people” and the religion of Islam; they view
Muslims more favorably than they do Islam (Figure 8). The negative view of Islam remained
nearly identical in 2015 compared to 2011, with 61 percent of Americans also expressing
unfavorable views (Figure 8a). The view of Muslims, as people, improved slightly with 53%
expressing favorable views (Figure 8b). Views of both the Muslim people and the religion Islam
are divided across party lines. A large majority of Democrats (67%) have favorable views of
Muslims, compared to 41% and 43% for Republicans and Independents respectively. Figure 8b).
Only 39% Americans say Western and Islamic religious and social traditions are incompatible,
while 57 percent say most people in the West and the Islamic world have similar needs and
wants (Figure 8c).
Majorities of those who know some Muslims—even if not well—have favorable of views of
Muslims; this holds across the political spectrum. For example, only 22 percent of Republicans
who know no Muslims have favorable views, compared with 51 percent of Republicans who
know some Muslims but not well, and 59 percent of those who know some Muslims well (Figure
8d).
There are many non‐Muslims, especially in the West, that have never met a Muslim. They also live in
intellectual silos, communicate fear and hate‐filled messages within their groups as demonstrated by
Figure 8 above. Appendix 3 shows two of the several emails I have received which are malicious and
false. The object of these emails is nothing more than hate mongering. Contrary to the content of the
first email (Appendix 3), Muslims seek God’s blessing equivalent to their Semitic Cousins (Jews and
72 http://time.com/4135397/muslim‐flight‐detained/ 73 http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2015/12/09‐what‐americans‐think‐of‐muslims‐and‐islam‐
telhami#.VmpqtrpLdK8.mailto 74 A nonresident senior fellow in the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World and the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. He is an expert on U.S. policy in the Middle East, particularly on the role of the news media in shaping political identity and public opinion in the region.
25
Christians who are followers of Abraham) in their daily prayers (see below) and do not pray for anyone’s
destruction.
“Bless, O Allah, Muhammad and the people of Muhammad, as Thou didst bless Abraham and
the people of Abraham. Thou art indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
Prosper, O Allah, Muhammad and the people of Muhammad, as Thou didst prosper Abraham
and the people of Abraham. Thou are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
As informed citizens, non‐Muslims must stand up to challenge such falsehood and discourage it from
spreading further.
The Solution – Part 3: Unintended Consequences of Flawed Ideology and Political Exploitation
The media’s role – both print and electronic – must be viewed in the context of their commercial ratings
and the biases of the reporter or the publication. Using events to promote political or spiritual biases
does lasting damages. Representing things out of context and classifying them on biases or persuasions
should be prevented. Understanding that freedoms of expression and choice are critical elements of
free societies, the attendant responsibilities and objectivity must also be considered. For example, a
justifiable complaint of Muslims is that whenever an act of terrorism is committed by non‐Muslims, it is
labelled as an act by deranged individual while acts of terrorism conducted by Muslims are
automatically classified as Islamic terrorism despite the widespread condemnation of the act by
Muslims. The terrorist attack at the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Colorado75 was an individual’s act
similar to the San Bernardino California attack but was not referred to as a terrorist attack although both
were conducted within a few days of each other. John Esposito76 discusses the media bias against
Muslims in more detail.
The flawed pretext for going to war by the US led coalition, is another misclassified political event the
engineered causes of which cannot be overstated. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has publicly
apologized and admitted that mistakes were made for going to war in Iraq.77 Analyzing his comments,
the British daily Guardian concludes that Blair’s acknowledgement of mistakes is tantamount to
accepting responsibility for the creation of ISIS.78 This report acknowledges the Iraqi Sunni’s concerns
that the NATO‐led war was seen as “a pivot towards Iran and the restoration of Persian hegemony by
the installation of Iraqi leaders who hailed from Shia supremacist backgrounds”. Quoting a senior ISIS
commander, the report confirms that the US run prison system – Camp Bucca in Iraq served as their
“most effective organizing tool”. This prison brought all senior ISIS leadership together in a safe place
near Baghdad, a few hundred meters from the al‐Qaida leadership.
75 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/28/us/colorado‐planned‐parenthood‐shooting.html?_r=0 76 John L. Esposito; The Future of Islam, p 30‐33 77 http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/25/europe/tony‐blair‐iraq‐war/ 78 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/25/tony‐blair‐is‐right‐without‐the‐iraq‐war‐there‐would‐be‐no‐isis
26
Concluding Comments
A summary of the historical events of the Muslim world shows that:
The failure to transition from the agrarian to the industrial era was to the cause of the Muslims’
loss of power to the West. After independence, the leadership’s failure of the newly‐formed
Muslim majority countries also failed to educate their societies, adopted authoritarian practices
and imposed Western models of governance without preparing the people for the change.
With rampant corruption, mismanagement, failed economies, military defeats, and without the
people’s support, these imported models failed to improve the standard of living for the
average citizen. The gap between rich and poor increased and the dreams of a utopian life as
independent citizens were shattered. Thus an identity crisis for the average Muslim.
Muslim radical groups have successfully exploited the situation proposing Islamic solutions to
improve the situation. Using engineered doctrines and Islamic terminology, they silenced the
peaceful Muslims to justify their criminal activities under the guise of Islam.
The majority of Muslims are either confused, or lacks the knowledge about their faith, or has
lost interest in reclaiming their faith from the terrorists. Another more logical explanation is
Muslims’ inability to rationalize the Islamic doctrines independently and determine their
compatibility with the standards of the industrial world. Rather they rely on sectarian dogmas
or the politicized clergy and become disillusioned and blame their failures on conspiracy
theories hatched by their perceived or real non‐Muslim enemies.
Muslims must clearly differentiate between the faith and the engineered doctrines and
forcefully discredit the pillars of the ideology of Islamic State by rejecting their interpretation of
jihad, sharia, apostasy and blasphemy.
The peaceful Muslims must speak up and discredit the radicals’ narrative not by hollow rhetoric
and fatwas alone but by direct reference to the primary scripture and substantiated by the
Prophet’s exhortations. If they cannot do so based on their understanding of the faith, they
should expand their horizons and explore alternate meanings and understanding of their faith.
For explanation, classical Arabic in which the Qur’an was revealed is a complex language and
the translation and interpretation has always been restricted by the knowledge of the
translator. For example, the Quran speaks of tiny, insignificant particles which are described as
storehouses of energy, as though the fire of hell was locked within them.79 It could have meant
flint till recently when the phenomenon of radioactivity was not understood. With that
knowledge, these insignificant particles could mean nuclear particles.80 This clearly illustrates
how the meaning of the Qur’anic verses evolves with knowledge and why seeking knowledge is
a critical part of the Islamic faith.
The three part solution proposed by the Muslim Reform Movement provides a practical roadmap for
Muslims to reform themselves and for their non‐Muslim neighbors to help them come out of this
unenviable position.
79 Qur’an Ch 104, v 2‐10 80 Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth, p 613. Islam International Publications, 1998
28
Table 1. Fundamental Differences between Islam and Islamism
Table 1a: Overview
Table 1b: Islamic State
ISLAM ISLAMISM Concept of State is non existent Creation of State is a critical element
Prophet established Medina as a state for all citizens with equal rights for all, common defense, peace, and loyalty from citizens
Cite Prophet’s example of Medina BUT with unequal rights for women and religious minorities
Freedom to practice any faith and freedom to choose any religion
Apostasy and blasphemy capital crimes (No freedom of expression and choice of faith
Loyalty to the country of residence Loyalty belongs to ISLAMIC STATE first and not the country you live in
Table 1c: Jihad
ISLAM ISLAMISM
Moral, spiritual and intellectual struggle to overcome ego, arrogance, anger
Use of force to defend, and grow Islamic State, subdue enemies
Defensive war ONLY to resist ALL religious persecution
A tool for training forces in Muslim countries. Redefined and forcefully adopted as a tool for war
Political war not jihad Killing apostates, blasphemers, enemies of Islam
Any war can be declared Jihad by Caliph
ISLAM ISLAMISM
NOT political. A complete political system with solution to every conceivable problem
Establishing societal peace, individual freedoms, morality
Establishing Islamic State, reestablishing Caliphate to enforce morality, peace
Individual Training tool for societal reformation Enforce religious practices, severe punishments for crimes
Promotes piety Promotes religiosity
Create environment for principles – peace, equality and justice
29
Table 1d: LEGISLATIVE SHARIA
ISLAM ISLAMISM
NOT in Qur’an Project as Qur’anic law which was developed by the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and 9th century around Qur’anic principles
Inapplicable today as most of sharia based on derived sources when the global economic system was agrarian.
Demand implementation despite severe contradictions and differences between sects. Reject constitutional governments
Table 1e: APOSTASY
ISLAM ISLAMISM
Total freedom to choose religion. Apostates cannot damage Islam (Quran)
Accepting Islam OK; rejecting is capital crime
Punishment is God’s privilege. Humans not authorized to punish anyone and No punishment specified.
Table 1f: BLASPHEMY
Condemned on moral and ethical ground Capital crime
Temporary disassociation with blasphemer Used to persecute minorities, exert control
Humans not authorized to punish blasphemers
Grabbing property; settling personal enmity
Blaspheming other religions prohibited
Prophet led blasphemer, funeral service despite opposition from some followers
30
Figure 1. Schematic depiction of Islamic State concept
Figure 2. An overwhelming majority in the Muslim world supports shar’ia law
Figure 3. Although legislative shar’ia was developed by humans, majority of Muslims feel it is
the revealed word of God.
31
Figure 4. Although legislative shar’ia can have multiple interpretations, majority of Muslims feel
it has a single interpretation.
Figure 5. Confusion about the applicability of shar’ia to the population. Majority wants to have
a duplicate legislative system.
Figure 6 Muslim population distribution (http://www.pewforum.org/2009/10/07/mapping‐the‐
global‐muslim‐population/)
32
Figure 7. Legislative Sharia – Saudi Arabia vs Islamic State. The virtual identity
between the two is alarming.
Figure 8a. American attitudes towards Islam.
Figure 8b. Americans’ attitude towards Muslims.
33
Figure 8c. Americans’ attitude towards Islam’s compatibility with Western
systems.
Figure 8d. Knowing Muslims improves favorability towards Muslims.
Figure 8. American attitudes towards Islam and Muslims
34
Appendix 1.
Prophet Muhammadsa’s Final Sermon81
After praising, and thanking God, the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said "O
People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you
again. Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who
could not be present here today.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of
every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one
so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed
reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall
henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any
inequity. God has Judged that there shall be no interest, and that all the interest due to Al‐Abbas ibn
Abd’el Muttalib shall henceforth be waived...
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you
astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights
over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under a trust from God and with His
permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.
Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And
it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never
to be unchaste.
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, perform your five daily prayers, fast during the month of
Ramadan, and offer Zakat. Perform Hajj if you have the means.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non‐Arab, nor does a non‐Arab
have any superiority over an Arab; a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any
superiority over a white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action. Learn
that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.
Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and
willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray
from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born. Reason well,
therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the
Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and it may be
that the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O
God, that I have conveyed your message to your people."
81 http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/523/prophet‐muhammad‐s‐last‐sermon/
35
Thus the beloved Prophet completed his Final Sermon, and upon it, near the summit of Arafat, the
revelation came down:
"…This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam
for you as your religion…" (Quran 5:3)
36
Appendix 2
English Translation of the Ashtiname by Richard Pococke82
1. Muhammad the son of ‘Abd Allah, the Messenger of Allah, and careful guardian of the whole
world; has written the present instrument to all those who are in his national people, and of his
own religion, as a secure and positive promise to be accomplished to the Christian nation, and
relations of the Nazarene, whosoever they may be, whether they be the noble or the vulgar, the
honorable or otherwise, saying thus.I. Whosoever of my nation shall presume to break my
promise and oath, which is contained in this present agreement, destroys the promise of God,
acts contrary to the oath, and will be a resister of the faith, (which God forbid) for he becomes
worthy of the curse, whether he be the King himself, or a poor man, or whatever person he may
be.
2. That whenever any of the monks in his travels shall happen to settle upon any mountain, hill,
village, or other habitable place, on the sea, or in deserts, or in any convent, church, or house of
prayer, I shall be in the midst of them, as the preserver and protector of them, their goods and
effects, with my soul, aid, and protection, jointly with all my national people; because they are a
part of my own people, and an honor to me.
3. Moreover, I command all officers not to require any poll‐tax on them, or any other tribute,
because they shall not be forced or compelled to anything of this kind.
4. None shall presume to change their judges or governors, but they shall remain in their office,
without being deported.
5. No one shall molest them when they are travelling on the road.
6. Whatever churches they are possessed of, no one is to deprive them of them.
7. Whosoever shall annul any of one of these my decrees, let him know positively that he annuls
the ordinance of God.
8. Moreover, neither their judges, governors, monks, servants, disciples, or any others depending
on them, shall pay any poll‐tax, or be molested on that account, because I am their protector,
wherever they shall be, either by land or sea, east or west, north or south; because both they
and all that belong to them are included in this my promissory oath and patent.
9. And of those that live quietly and solitary upon the mountains, they shall exact neither poll‐tax
nor tithes from their incomes, neither shall any Muslim partake of what they have; for they
labor only to maintain themselves.
10. Whenever the crop of the earth shall be plentiful in its due time, the inhabitants shall be obliged
out of every bushel to give them a certain measure.
11. Neither in time of war shall they take them out of their habitations, nor compel them to go to
the wars, nor even then shall they require of them any poll‐tax.
12. In these eleven chapters is to be found whatever relates to the monks, as to the remaining
seven chapters, they direct what relates to every Christian.
82 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtiname_of_Muhammad
37
13. Those Christians who are inhabitants, and with their riches and traffic are able to pay the poll‐tax, shall pay no more than twelve drachms.
14. Excepting this, nothing shall be required of them, according to the express order of God, that
says, ‘Do not molest those that have a veneration for the books that are sent from God, but
rather in a kind manner' [29:46]. Give of your good things to them, and converse with them,
and hinder everyone from molesting them.
15. If a Christian woman shall happen to marry a Muslim man, the Muslim shall not cross the
inclination of his wife, to keep her from her church and prayers, and the practice of her religion.
16. That no person hinder them from repairing their churches.
17. Whosoever acts contrary to my grant, or gives credit to anything contrary to it, becomes truly an
apostate to God, and to his divine apostle, because this protection I have granted to them
according to this promise.
18. No one shall bear arms against them, but, on the contrary, the Muslims shall wage war for them.
19. And by this I ordain, that none of my nation shall presume to do or act contrary to this my
promise, until the end of the world.