May 13, 2008

Thank God Someone Is Listening to Us - Terrorism Is Not Jihad

by Sheila Musaji

The U.S. Government recently issued a statement asking that government officials be cautious in
their use of language as it may actually be against the interests of the U.S. to use terms that
connect the religion of Islam with the acts of criminals.  The governments suggests the use of
more accurate and non-inflammatory language.  A recent Homeland Security Report even sharply
rebuked John McCain’s ‘Islamic Extremism’ rhetoric.  Of course, Islamophobes like Robert
Spencer and Hugh Fitzgerald don’t approve, but they also thought Islamo Fascism Awareness Week
was a good idea.

The governments new awareness that words have meaning has been attacked as caving in to Muslim
pressure by a number of groups and individuals who currently make a nice living defining Islam
and Muslims.  As an American Muslim who loves both Islam and America, I say “Thank God Someone
Is Finally Listening to Us - Terrorism Is Not Jihad”.  Perhaps now we can work together to
combat the very real problem of extremism and terrorism.

When the media or individuals use Arabic terms such as jihad for acts of terrorism, or when
they attach the word Islam in front of a word as in Islamo-fascism, Islamic terrorism, those
words have an effect.  They have an effect right here in America by linking the religion of
Islam and terrorist acts in the mind of ordinary citizens.  They have an effect on Muslims who
are struggling to make clear to those Muslims who attempt to justify their crimes by some false
interpretation of Islamic teachings that we do not accept their claims.  They have an effect on
Muslims worldwide who because of the use of language like Islamo-Fascist, have come to view the
“war on terror” not as a war on al Qaeda, but as a war on Islam itself.

Criminal political movements like al-Qaeda who attempt to convince other Muslims that their
actions are somehow “Islamic” attempt to call their terrorist acts Jihad, and when their false
claims are echoed in the media in the West, that adds some legitimacy to their claims, at least
for uneducated Muslims.

There have been lots of folks who have said that they have no problem with Islam, their problem
is with Islamism or Islamists.  This however is problematic even in the definition of the
terms.  The online dictionary and thesaurus gives the following definitions:

Dictionary:  Islamism:  1. An Islamic revivalist movement, often characterized by moral
conservatism, literalism, and the attempt to implement Islamic values in all spheres of life.
2. The religious faith, principles, or cause of Islam.
Thesaurus:  1. Islamist - a scholar who knowledgeable in Islamic studies bookman, scholar,
scholarly person, student - a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by
long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines.  2. Islamist - an orthodox Muslim
Islam, Muslimism - the civilization of Muslims collectively which is governed by the Muslim
religion; “Islam is predominant in northern Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, and Indonesia”

The truth is that when you add the word Islam in front of words like fascist, extremist,
terrorist, etc.  Or, when you allow criminals like Osama bin Laden or al Qaeda to redefine the
words Jihad and Shahed, then you are giving the impression to all the millions of Muslims in
the world that you think that OBL and al Qaeda are correct in their attempts to give an Islamic
justification for their criminal actions.  They are not correct.  Terrorism is not Jihad, it is
Hirabah.  A martyr is a person who dies in the cause of God, most certainly not someone who
dies committing an act of terrorism.

Terrorism is not a legitimate part of jihad according to traditional Islamic scholars, and
mainstream Islamic scholars, and ordinary Muslims regularly attempt to point this out because
they are aware that the only appeal to reason that might influence extremists who claim an
Islamic justification in any way is the appeal to Islamic teachings.

If you must use an Arabic word, use the correct word HIRABAH which is the word that would
correspond to these acts of terrorism.  But, why use an Arabic word at all in English?

When Muslims have attempted to clarify the position of Islam, they have often been
misunderstood.  The following statement by Paul Barrett is typical of this deep
misunderstanding of Islam and Muslims:

“But Hathout’s characterization of the attack also includes one of those troubling asterisks.
When he says he reviles the 9/11 hijackers, he also tries to deny that they are Muslims. “If
those people claim to be Muslims,” he says, “this is against every fiber in Islam.” In his
circular reasoning, real Muslims can have no connection to terrorism because Islam forbids such
violence. Ergo, Muslims didn’t carry out 9/11 since anyone who could do such a thing is not a
real Muslim. This verbal feint could suggest evasiveness to some listeners.”

As a Muslim, I absolutely understand and agree with what Maher Hathout was attempting to
express.  Any person who could carry out the 9/11 terrorist act could not understand Islam, and
no matter what distorted reasoning they followed to convince themselves that there was any
possibility of justifying such an act, they were wrong.  And, if there are any others out there
who are following the same line of reasoning or attempting to convince others of that
reasoning, they are wrong.  Any extremist political ideology masquerading as Islamic is wrong
and must be resisted by all Muslims.

The American Muslim has been publishing articles on this distinction between hirabah and jihad
for many years, and will hopefully publish many more.  After 9/11 American Muslims were forced
to come to terms with the fact that there were some people who also considered themselves
Muslims whose view of what it means to be a Muslim and to follow Islam was completely
unrecognizable and abhorrent to us.  It was a shock to hear those people use words that hold
deep spiritual meaning and beauty for us in a way that turned the meanings of those words on
their heads.  We must counter this false message and find ways to reach those who have been
brainwashed into believing that there is any validity in this false understanding preached by
groups such as al Qaeda.

SEE ALSO:

A Call to Harabah, Aziz Poonawalla http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/2083/

A detailed fatwa - Defending the Transgressed by Censuring the Reckless against the Killing of
Civilians, Shaykh Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti
http://www.mereislam.info/articles/Defending-the-Transgressed_Shaykh-...

A spiritual jihad against terrorism, Sheila Musaji (5 parts)
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a_spiritual_ji...

A Time for Introspection: “The worst enemies of Islam are from within”, Hamza Yusuf
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a_time_for_int...

The Amman Initiative: A Theological Counter-Attack Against Terrorism, S. Abdallah Schleifer
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_amman_init...

The Evolution of ‘Jihad’ in Islamist Political Discourse, Farish A. Noor
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_evolution_...

Hirabah versus Jihad, Dr. Robert D. Crane
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/terrorism_hira...

Hiraba http://www.muhajabah.com/islamicblog/archives/veiled4allah/003000.php

Is media coverage of Arabs, Islam Good?, Magda Abu Fadil
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/magda-abufadil/is-coverage-of-arabs-isl...

Islam: Religion or Ideology?, Imam Zaid Shakir
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islam_religion...

Jihad, Empire, and the Ethics of War and Peace, S. Parvez Manzoor
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jihad_empire_a...

Jihad, Islams Struggle for Truth, Vincent Cornell
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jihad_islams_s...

Jihad and the Modern World, Dr. Sherman Jackson
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jihad_and_the_...

Jihad Gone Wrong, Khaled Abou El Fadl
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/interview_khal...

Jihad: Its True Meaning and Purpose, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jihad_its_true...

Jihad or Hiraba? http://stygius.typepad.com/stygius/2005/01/jihad_or_hiraba.html

McCain hasn’t gotten the message and is still referring to “Islamic” terror
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080421/NATION/438135169/1002

The Muslim Community:  Where We Stand 1994, Hamza Yusuf
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_muslim_com...

Muslim scholars reject bin Laden’s idea of Jihad
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/39887_islam22.shtml

New Frontiers in Conflict Management: A Grand Strategy to Wage Jihad Against Terrorist Muslims,
Dr. Robert D. Crane
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/new_frontiers_...

New Muslim think tank to counter extremism - The Quilliam Foundation
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/7044

Peace and Justice in Islam, Imam Zaid Shakir
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/peace_and_just...

Spencer, the NDU scholars, the securocrat and his books, Yusuf Smith
http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/mt.php/2006/06/24/spencer_the_ndu_sch...

Terrorism, Jihad, and the Struggle for New Understandings, Dr. Antony T. Sullivan ...

read more »

Do not feed the Muslim troll. The troll (Faris Jawad) emigrated from
southern India to Hamilton, Canada, where he makes a living as a
computer programmer. The troll uses many names including: Ramabriga,
ourfreedomandlibe...@lycos.com, Cosmic programmer,
visualseep...@yahoo.com, LeBlanc, Islamaphobia, Yaako Warrior,
globalchec...@yahoo.ca, whileyousl...@live.ca, LuChuck, Matt, jamiil,
Anti-Muslim Bigots, V-for-Vendicar, fruitella, Zionism equal Racism,
The Chemical Oil Nazi, LORD RAMA RANTER, Muslim With Mission, Wayne,
Ian Balchin, Qahir Al-Ashrar, Venkataraman the Biiiig Hindu, Liu Yan,
ISLAMOPHOBIA, Möbius Pretzel, Buddy III, Mujahid, V i v a P a l e s t
i n e!, Burhan, Farid Ahmed, Kope, Death to Israel..Israel has no
Right to Exist, Franko Pizza, rick murphy, rich murphy, ISLAM - THE
SOLUTION OF MODERN PROBLEMS, Faris Jawad, Sabastawi, The Founding
Church, Ilan Ramon: Kike Lost in Space. Proudly serving Islam and al
Quds, Katrina, Ahura Mazda, TROLLS HUNTER, Kayid Al-Kuffar, Firnando,
R Geovani, Blondes Gaulloises, Zimbawi, Muslims Always Victorious,
Islam Will Replace Collapsing Amerikan Empire, Muslims Are Good Folks,
Katucha, katucha is the zionists worst nightmare, We are Muslims, and
we are extremely proud of it, Born To Serve Islam, All praise is due
to Allah Lord of the Worlds, the Owner of all of the creation, Ardalan
Keykavoussi, Tommy Davis, LORD RAMA. (The 19 terrorists who attacked
our nation on September 11, 2001 used a total of 364 aliases.)

In the Name of Allah Most Perverted and Vile, Lord of the wicked: May
the Blessings of Satan be upon His messenger, Muhammad (Piss be Upon
Him), his family, his companions, and his evil followers.

Islam broke world records of genocide, slavery, religiously sanctioned
rape, abuse of human rights, and prohibition of scientific inquiry. It
forbids Muslim emigration to the lands of the infidels because a
Muslim minority cannot enslave the infidel majority. Despite this
prohibition Muslims emigrate to the West, not as migrants, but as
conquerors. They live in sharia mini-states and expand these mini-
states by terrorizing infidel neighbors and driving them out. Arabic
proverb says "first comes Saturday, then Sunday." It means that Arabs
are going to exterminate Jews before they exterminate Christians. It
also means that Israel is the first line of defense against Islam.

“I have been made victorious with terror.” - Muhammad (according to
Sahih Bukhari)

Europe’s Muslim population is set to increase from around 13% today to
between 22% and 37% of the population by 2025. source:
http://news.scotsman.com/europeanunion/CIA-gives-grim-warning-on.2595...

The average European couple now has fewer than 1.4 babies, compared to
3.6 babies born to the average Muslim immigrant couple in Europe.
Across Western Europe 16 to 20 percent of babies are being born into
Muslim families… By 2025, one-third of all European children will be
born to Muslims… In Italy, 95% of all rapists are Muslims. Eighty-five
percent of all murderers are Muslims… France will have a Muslim
majority in less than 25 years! Another telling statistic is that
although the Muslims are 12% of France's population, 70 percent of a
total of 60,775 prisoners in France are Muslims! All of France's urban
suburbs are being roamed by Muslim black African or Arabic gangs… A
very high proportion of French Muslims are in the underclass, that
segment of the population that relies not so much on education and
work as on welfare and predatory activities. In fact, over one
thousand Muslim neighborhoods are under monitoring throughout France.
Seven hundred of those Muslim neighborhoods are listed as "violent"
and nearly 400 hundred are listed as "very violent." Violence ranges
from rape (95% of rapists are Muslim), murder (85% of murderers are
Muslim), theft and looting of cars (58% committed by Muslims) and
street fighting to assault on teachers and civil servants… source:
http://www.masada2000.org/islam.html

"There does not exist an identifiable body of Muslims, substantive in
number or an outright majority, who could be described as "moderate"
by their repudiation of Muslim extremists. Violence has been an
integral part of Muslim history, irrespective of whether it is
sanctioned by Islam, and Muslims who unhesitatingly use violence to
advance their political ambitions have created a climate within their
faith culture that any Muslim who questions such practice is then
deemed apostate and subject to harm. Consequently, what might pass for
"moderate" Muslims, the large number of Muslims unaccounted for as to
what they think, in practical terms constitute a forest within which
extremists are incubated, nurtured, given ideological and material
support, and to which they return for sanctuary." - Salim Mansur

because jihad is much worse than terrorism.

On May 16, 10:19 am, Ramabriga <Ramabr...@gmail.com> wrote:

If it is in the interest of the US to use accurate non-inflammatory
language, it would also be in the interest of the US to use inaccurate
non-inflammatory language.

Muslim "scholars" are those well attired guys who sit in comfy
environs and write stuff that are read by those Muslims who are not a
danger to society. These people rarely wield any real power among
those who are antisocial. Power among the antisocials is centered
among the Mullahs.
Unless one Mullah says what a Muslim "scholar" says, the status quo
will remain.
And actions speak louder than words. If every bomb blast is
accompanied by calls of Jihad, then terrorism and jihad cannot be
separated by any amount of scholarly work.