| Who Speaks for Islam? |
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| Sunday, 17 February 2008 | |
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Extremists and terrorism have too often monopolised the media's coverage and thus the message coming out of the Muslim world. But what do the vast majority of mainstream Muslims really believe, think, and feel? What are their hopes, fears, and resentments? Why is it that a robust anti-Americanism seems to pervade the Muslim world? Is it the sign of a clash of cultures – do they hate who we are? Or is it what we do? Rather than listening to extremists or simply relying on the opinions of individual pundits, why not give voice to the silenced majority? Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think is based on six years of research and more than 50,000 interviews representing 1.3 billion Muslims who reside in more than 35 nations that are predominantly Muslim or have sizable Muslim populations. Representing more than 90% of the world's Muslim community, this poll is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind. The results defy conventional wisdom and the inevitability of a global conflict – even as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue. The study revealed some surprising findings. It showed that Muslims and Americans are equally likely to reject attacks on civilians as morally unjustifiable. Those who do choose violence and extremism are driven by politics, not poverty or piety. In fact, of the 7 percent of responders who did believe 9/11 was justified, none of them hated our freedom; they want our freedom. However, they believe that America, and the West in general, operate with a double standard and stand in the way of Muslims determining their own future. We are constantly bombarded with images of angry Muslim teens partaking in violent demonstrations or being trained in Al Qaeda camps. This study showed, however, that the vast majority of young Muslims aren't dreaming of going to war; they are dreaming of finding work. Similarly, when asked about their hopes for the future, Muslims of all ages said they want better jobs and security, not conflict and violence. The findings also revealed that Muslims across the world want neither secularism nor theocracy. They want freedom, rights and democratisation. At the same time, however, they claim that society should be built upon religious Islamic values and that the sharia (Islamic law) should be a source of law. Simply put, the majority of Muslim women and men want rights and religion, and they don't see the two as being mutually exclusive. The West will be pleased to learn that nine out of ten Muslims are moderates – good news for those optimistic about co-existence. Muslims say the most important thing Westerners can do to improve relations with their societies is to change their negative views toward Muslims, respect Islam and re-evaluate foreign policies. The unfortunate news is that there is a large number of politically radicalised Muslims (the 7 percent previously mentioned, which translates to approximately 91 million individuals) that could be pushed to support or perpetrate violence against civilians. Challenges for the West will only grow as long as these Muslims continue to feel politically dominated and disregarded. John L. Esposito is a Georgetown University Professor and Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Dalia Mogahed is a Gallup Senior Analyst and Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service and can be accessed at GCNews. It was first printed in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. http://www.middle-east-online.com           Readers have left 18 comments.
Clifford Ishii:
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Again,Jews and Gentiles have the right to embrace and spread Biblical Christianity when threatened and attacked by Islam.If Islam want's war, Biblical Christianity is ready to resist you around the world.So I suggest the "moderates" to more action and do less talking
(1)
2008-02-17 22:23:15
Empty Warning:
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The Muslims for a start don't give a damn if you don't resist. That has never stopped Muslims standing up for what they believe in, in the first place. So, please take your warnings to someone who is scared.
I don't know why the heck you're talking about war for, as though it's some show down. The real showdown is with those who we call "the Men Behind the Curtains" those who own the superpowers and not seen. It's Christain and the Jews who need to also, stop jumping up and down at every word media says and realise, much of the wars are not started by Muslims but created by the elite to get countries in debt, and to create divisions. It's time you woke up and the rest of the western world woke up to the fact that your Freedom is at stake and FEAR is being created to take away any decisions you make.
(2)
2008-02-18 05:24:16
Azaad:
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Clifford Ishii (? aka 'Reality') -- very funny.
'Jews and Gentiles': why would Jews want to be with people who came up with 'Arbeit Macht Frei', 'Pogrom' and 'Holocaust'?
(3)
2008-02-18 09:37:33
Azaad:
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'Islam is a peaceful religion': what's the reaction of non-Muslims when they hear that for zillionth time? Some feel like reaching for the sick-bucket.
That 'nine out of ten Muslims are moderates', comes as no surprise. A small minority have succumbed to incitement (by non-Muslims, as well as from self-appointed 'Sheikhs')and have become 'radicalised'. In cold war days, 'youth' could be heard ranting on and on about 'distatorship of the proletariat' up and down the High Street. I can't help recalling that when I now see the boys behind the 'Dawah'-tables. They have the same, exclusionary, absolutist rhetoric, but now the talk is of 'Ummah', 'Shariah' and 'Shaitan'. For hundreds and hundreds of years Muslims have paid lip-service to Shariah: applying when it suited them, turning a blind eye most of the time. Generally, this meant that it was applied mostly to women, and mostly to the poor. Rich Muslim men would have got away with all sorts; they still do. The bombing of the Twin Towers (which COULD have been a 'Reichstag' event) became/was made to become, the tipping-point, and Muslims have now been cast as the 'other'. It will take a long time to change that. If it was indeed Muslims who carried out 9/11, then they couldn't have been more foolish/unproductive: it led to the conquest by the West of two 'Muslim' countries -- Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus it is that the so-called 'radicalised' Muslim youth keep playing into the hands of the non-Muslims and with every inept move yield yet more power to the West. When they set up a 'Dawah'table' in a busy High Street, and stand in Arab dress (whilst semi-clad women go wiggling by), they attract derision, contempt, hatred and alienation. Yet they refuse to consider whether they are doing more harm than good to Islam and the Ummah. There have to be better ways to engender an understanding of Islam. Suicide bombingbeheading of hostages is definitley not one of them; neither is the beheading of a hostage and posting the film (and then watching and gloating over it, whilst shouting 'Allahu Akbar!' -- can you believe it?). This is so insulting to Islam. How does this differ from people watching snuff-movies, which are a form of pornography? How about turning Mosques into centres of excellence, spreading benefit to all the local community? Let us show that Islam IS a religion of peace.
(4)
2008-02-18 10:26:22
shamsur:
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Muslims should follow the Qur'an and Sunnah when delivering their opinions. Personal views should not matter.
So the whole research thing is of no use as it does not state that the majority or minority spoke with hard knowledge and prof of the facts.
(5)
2008-02-18 12:51:45
Reality:
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Muslims should follow the Qur'an and Sunnah when delivering their opinions. Personal views should not matter. — shamsurAbsolutely Allah (SWT) Said: “(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.” (An-Nisa 4:59) And this is the crux of the matter of which in consequence MAJORITY or MINORITY is irrelevant but what matters is what Allah and His Messenger said. Thus he who voices what they say - Speaks for Islam regardless if it is stated by the majority, minority or simply an individual. The Prophet (saw) said: “Islâm started as something strange and will return as something strange as it began, so Tűbâ (a tree in Paradise) is for the Strangers.” [Related by Muslim (2/175-176) and Ibn Mâjah (2/320) from Abű Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu] Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (ra) said: “The Jamaa’ah is what accords to the truth, even if you are alone” (Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee in As-Sunnah, no.160) Also Muslims should be careful with the use of these ambiguous undefined words frequently used by journalists, “analysts” and mainly anti-Islamic elements words such as – moderate, extremists, radical, fundamentalist etc which carry majority of the time deceptive meanings which in actual effect target Orthodox Islam and its teachings –for many amongst he kuffar a moderate Muslim is considered to be the one – who does not practice Islam (i.e. pray Salah etc) while the extremist is the one who practices Islam – while for Hadith rejecting apostates – extremists - are the ones who recognize the legal status of Hadith as a source of Islamic law and hence derive rulings and regulations from them – we should always bare this in mind when we see these words been thrown around – especially from hostile elements.
(6)
2008-02-18 19:24:14
Azaad:
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Those who deny the ABSOLUTE supremacy of Allah's word do not form part of the Ummah.
Agent Provocateurs are easily spotted. Oh, and Shamsur: If you had a 6 year old daughter, and a 55 year old man wanted to marry her, what would you do? How old should she be before she is allowed to be married? The Qur’an enjoined Muhammad, (pbuh) (and all believers) to strictly follow the Quran (6:106; 10:109; 33:2) and it stands witness to the fact that Muhammad and his followers did exactly that all their lives (7:203; 46:9; 6:50). And in [an-Nisa' 4:6] "Make trial of orphans until they reach the age of marriage; if then ye find sound judgment in them, release their property to them". How many 6 year olds do you know, who are of 'sound judgement'? Would you hand over your house to a 6 year old to manage? Do you know of a Hadith that conflicts with the above verse (an-Nisa)?
(7)
2008-02-18 22:24:52
Reality:
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Part 1:
It is extremely amusing to see munafiq “Quranites” label Muslims - "agent provocateurs", "Hadith worshipper" or a “Mushrik who denies the supremacy of the Qur’an” simply because one affirms Hadith as a legal source in Islamic law! - for pursuing this amusing path they fail to realize that they only dig themselves further their own grave and thus consequently and inevitably lose further and further credibility in the eyes of the Muslim masses of whom they so desperately wish to brainwash and make them apostasies from Islam - for to insinuate one is a kaafir or a polytheist for believing Hadith to be a source of Islamic legislations is to declare takfeer of the entire ummah of Muhammad (saw) since its inception - and this is the reality of these Quranite apostates who see themselves as the only “Muslims”! They live in their own deluded twisted world – a cult – and are upon a path and creed that has no significant foothold in the real world rather pathetically situated mainly in “cyberspace” It is from affirming the Absolute Supremacy of the Quran that one hears and obeys the Commands and Instructions of Allah and completely submits to it and thus consequently automatically leading the Believers to affirm believe and take the Sunnah/Hadith as a source of Islamic legislation as this is stipulated from the Quran itself. It is a consensus of the Ummah and none disputes this but an apostate kaafir - this engineered heresy and conspiracy of denying the legal status of Hadith has only arisen recently and is most probably the product of a colonial project of some sort to dilute Islam an effort similar to the “Qadiany” project. For the enemies of Islam recognise to dismantle, destroy and make insignificance the status, role of Hadith is to destroy Islam itself! And no matter how many responses one provides to them in regards to the validity and status of the sunnah/Hadith as a source of Islamic law citing dozens of evidences from the Quran itself were Allah Orders the Believers to obey the Messenger (saw) such as these: (An-Nisa 4:59), (Al-Hashr 59:07), (An-Nisa 4:65), (Al-Ahzab 33:36), (Al-Hujurat 49:1), (Aali Imran 3: 31 -32), (Al-Ma'idah 5:92), (An-Nisa 4: 79- 80), (An-Nur 24:63), (Al-Anfal 8:24), (An-Nisa 4: 13 -14). And also evidence from the Quran citing the infallible nature of the Messenger of Allah (saw) in terms of conveying the message of Islam, its rules and regulations due to his sayings in these affairs stemming from Divine inspiration itself and his role as the explainer of the Quran etc such as these: (An-Najm 53:1-4), Al-Ahzab 33:21), (An-Nahl 16:44), (An-Nisa 4:80) They still CHOOSE not to understand or accept the evidences and it is solely because as Allah said: “Those who reject Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) are deaf and dumb in darkness. Allâh sends astray whom He wills and He guides on the Straight Path whom He wills.” (Al-An'am 6:39)
(8)
2008-02-19 20:30:06
Reality:
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Part 2:
It is clear they are not interested in the truth for the fact of the matter is - they are hostile kaafir hypocrites who have severe enmity for Islam – they are hired apostate lackeys of the enemies of Islam, and here you see one of them even constantly comes under different names - to create a false illusion of further support for their heretic ideas to unsuspecting readers. This type of two-faced, deceitful, deceptive, scheming characteristics have only been preceded by their forefathers - the munafiqeen who lived in Medinah at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw). And one will find the only people who seem to support the Quranite Kaafr Muanfiq are either non-Muslim homosexuals who come here to defend sodomy or non-Muslims who support the illegal terrorist Zionist state. To the Believers these apostate “Quranite” parasites are like ****roaches – their presence is regarded as a nuisance – they may irritate the Believers here , frustrate or annoy the Believers there, - but their insignificance is always recognized as all it takes at the end of the day is an effortless step to squash them.
(9)
2008-02-19 20:30:27
David:
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Hey Reality, do please keep it coming. Your stuff is utterly fascinating to read, and is more revealing of the true muslim's mindset.
Your thought is Pre-Medieval, is steeped in superstitious skygod nonsense, drips with coiled aggression and is on the edge of threatening violence all the time. It's great. It reinforces every prejudice I have about and against islam, so please keep it up. It's so utterly real and true to islam.
(10)
2008-02-19 21:21:32
X-Ray:
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Reality
LOL YAAAAAAWNNN! Agent Provocateur! Such deceiving techniques! Ranted on and on: Alas, fooled no one. Denies the ABSOLUTE supremacy of Allah's word, and yet has the cheek to rant on about 'Islam'! How dare he keeps (miss)quoting Quraanic verses (with loads and loads of his OWN words in brackets)! Doesn't realise the dreadful shirq he's landed himself with. Doesn't get it through his ranting brain that what is claimed to be 'Sunnah' may not in FACT be Sunnah, and could have been incorrectly reported. Hates MPAC, and yet keeps appearing here. How shameless!! Even claims to be a 'believer'. Oh, purrrleeeze!!!
(11)
2008-02-20 01:09:04
Reality:
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I rest my case! - And how easy it was indeed.......
.....and here you see one of them even constantly comes under different names - to create a false illusion of further support for their heretic ideas to unsuspecting readers. This type of two-faced, deceitful, deceptive, scheming characteristics have only been preceded by their forefathers - the munafiqeen who lived in Medinah at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw). — RealityDesperation – “the state of being desperate or of having the recklessness of despair.” Hopeless – “impossible to accomplish, solve, resolve, etc” & their only support: And one will find the only people who seem to support the Quranite Kaafr Muanfiq are either non-Muslim homosexuals who come here to defend sodomy or non-Muslims who support the illegal terrorist Zionist state. Insignificant – “the quality or condition of being insignificant; lack of importance or consequence.” & As I stated before: .......their presence is regarded as a nuisance – they may irritate the Believers here , frustrate or annoy the Believers there, - but their insignificance is always recognized as all it takes at the end of the day is an effortless step to squash them. — Reality- How feeble, weak, pathetic, useless, vain and even amusing to an extent are there efforts as post by post they surface inevitably further and further desperation. And this is appropriately the place were one inserts in responce: LOL!
(12)
2008-02-20 18:14:35
Roxana:
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Reality, the Shirq:
Pathetic? Yes you are. Desperate? Oh yes you are. Appearing under different names? Oh yes you do. Nuisance? That's you. Denier of Allah's ABSOLUTE supremacy? That's you. Insert your OWN words into the Quraan? You do just that. Hopeless? You must be. Hate MPAC? You sure do. Do non-Muslims love you? Yes, very much. Anything useful to say? No you don't. Believe you are a Muslim? No, we don't. Are you going to rant hilariously yet again here? We can be sure of that. LOL? Yes we are.
(13)
2008-02-20 18:48:58
Reality:
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Oh look! – Another “name”! – And it has all grinded down to this –“insignificant petty posts - for the sake of responding” - lol
Defeated – “Beaten, overpowered, overwhelmed, unsuccessful.” Bankrupt – “at the end of one's resources” And this is something their kaafir Masters don’t ever seem to get -whatever project they create to dilute Islam or apostate lackeys they hire in pursuit to win hearts and minds in order to enforce their imperialist secularist order regardless if they use trickery, deception, deceit and fraud - they only inevitably shoot themselves in the foot for Islam is Protected by Allah – “………they were plotting and Allâh too was planning, and Allâh is the Best of the planners.” (Al-Anfal 8:30) And this is why when these blatant heretic engineered ideas such as the beliefs of the Quranite Munafiq (who comes under many names here) are made bare for the Muwahid – the Monotheist – the Muslim who’s fitrah is uncorrupted and his basic aqeedah intact -rejects it in totally and when it comes down to the crunch - for every bold move they take it only strengthens Islam, for every pathetic attack they initiate it only strengthens certainty for when the clouds get clear - the last laugh is on them. And there is a golden saying of one our great scholars of the past - Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah rh who said: “It is part of the Plan of Allah that when He Chooses to Raise up His Religion, He BATES those who oppose Him and by His Words the Truth is made manifest. Truth dispels falsehood and puts its stamp on it, and in this way it is defeated.” (Majmu’ al-Fatawa. 28/57) “And say: "Truth has come and Bâtil has vanished. Surely! Bâtil is ever bound to vanish." (Al-Isra 17:81)
(14)
2008-02-20 21:39:46
Copacabana:
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Roxana
u were right it seems As expected. Another rant. As usual can't spell: 'baits' not 'bates'. Shirq is the ONLY sin that Allah (swt) will not forgive. Let's wait for ........ yes, you guessed it, ANOTHER rant. Keep it coming 'Reality' (time u changed that to 'illusion') -- entertain the non-muslims.
(15)
2008-02-20 23:43:02
Peter Barnett:
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From the article :"they claim that society should be built upon religious Islamic values and that the sharia (Islamic law) should be a source of law. Simply put, the majority of Muslim women and men want rights and religion, and they don't see the two as being mutually exclusive". The statement that "Islamic law should be 'a source' of law", could give secularists (like me) some comfort. That is, if we could read as it as not being inclusive of all Sharia law, and that reason could prevail. However, in trying to follow the above discourse, I am not optimistic.
(16)
2008-02-21 17:57:50
Amanda:
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Peter Barnett
Like you, I too am not optimistic, given the above disourse. However, you have noticed an interesting point: that the survey appears to suggest that Muslims want Sharia to be "a" source of law. I just wonder whether they intended that to mean that they didn't expect it to be the ONLY source. There are those who are totally fixated on ALL of the Hadith, and these are the same people who insist that Shariah should be drawn from the Quraan + ALL of the Hadith [you will see them posting here, hysterically quoting, pell-mell, this or that Quraanic verse (with copius parentheses) + reams and reams of Hadith]; thay are also the same people who want exclusively Sharia-derived law to apply, even in the land of "kuffar" (they want a 'Eurabia' and want 'Londonistan' as its capital!). Accepting ALL of the Hadith as 'Sharia' would mean that the UK Govt would have to legalise marriage between boys/girls of 6 to women/men of 55, as these would be 'Islamic'! It would also mean, for instance that fly-killing would be banned, since, according to Hadith, flies are good for you, especially when dunked into your tea! 'reason could prevail'? How can it: if you have to contend with people who believe the above to be inviolable law of God? [the irony is, that they fail to see how blasphemous they are being) Other matters are yet to be resolved: should a Muslim have a blood transfusion with blood donated by a man who has eaten pork? Will there have to be Muslim-only blood banks?
(17)
2008-02-21 18:32:15
RSD:
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Most, but not all, Muslims have grown up in societies that do not share the western social experiences and histories. The collective conclusions arrived at by the western societies shape the attitudes prevalent in the West. It is therefore not surprising that prevailing attitudes amongst Muslims are similar to those of Christians in earlier times. The separation of State and "Church" (religion) has its roots in the English Civil War, and without understanding that it is not possible to understand the Anglo-Saxon world. Equally the impact of the two world wars fell primarily upon Europe and this experienced shaped people's attitudes. For the majority of Muslims both world wars were fairly distant events, where the impact upon the collective consciousness was limited. For some Muslims, their nationalist aspirations led them to ally themselves with the Axis powers for part or all of WW2.
There is a failure throughout the West to ensure that native populations and immigrants are educated so that they understand why their national instutions are shaped as they are, and why certain values are given predominance. While for the native populations this matters less, it is a problem for immigrant populations who have traditional cultures that conflict with those values. This is further compounded by the failure to recognise that post-imperial adjustment is not limited to the western imperial powers but also includes other societies. Particularly as for a long period Islam was politically very powerful and dominant in some areas the lack of debate has made adjustment difficult, compounded by the evident social, economic and political weakness of most Muslim societies. The palpable absence of rationale and informed leadership in the muslim community is a major problem and leaves the impressionable open to the influence of those who seek goals contrary to the values of both East & West. The Muslim communities have a choice - either learn through the experience of others, or experience it yourselves - in order to understand why this society is as it is.
(18)
2008-02-21 20:28:17
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Majority of Muslim women, men do not see rights and religion as being mutually exclusive. 
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