When conversing with fellow Muslims, I always find that they somehow manage to sneak in the casual disclaimer of ‘Oh, I’m a moderate Muslim’, as if to classify themselves as the ‘good’ types as opposed to the ‘bad’ ones. I wonder if they even have an inkling of what they are saying. What does the term ‘moderate’ even mean and why have Muslims suddenly ended up being divided into either the ‘extreme’ camp or the ‘moderate’ camp of Islam with nothing in between?

Without us realising it, these terms are being used in the psychological warfare being waged against Islam, and the Muslim mind is falling for it hook, line and sinker.

It is nothing less than sheer stupidity that Muslims allow themselves to be defined by the anti-Islam propagandists that seek to wring out Islam until it is nothing more than a vague reflection of its former self just like a deep red, rich, vibrant cloth that has been washed so many times that all that remains is not red anymore but a pale pink with patches of the original colour fading away here and there alluding to the once glorious, rich colour. The idiot Muslims of today are letting Islam turn into a weak, pacified religion with subdued and defenseless followers.

Today, those who want to follow Islam as it was revealed, those who want to follow Islam in its entirety are readily labeled the extremists without any challenge from any thinking, intelligent Muslims. As for those who pick and choose from Islam, who follow it selectively, they are awarded the title of moderates and are classed as accepted.

The 'moderate' Muslim follows the definition of Islam defined by the anti-Muslim propagandists who seek to pacify and eradicate the essence of Islam from Muslims to render them brainwashed, helpless and incapable of defending themselves.

The 'moderate' types are so anxious to prove themselves non-extreme that they will fall head-over-heels in their attempts to look and feel the part and are prepared to look down at their brothers and sisters in contempt if they don't fit their manufactured profile. Even worse they oppose their brothers and sisters who do not fit the bill of ‘moderates’. They are so indoctrinated into non-Islamic culture that they would rather hold that as their baseline with which to judge others.

Such people tend to think that their way is the be all and end all of civilisation and that deviating from this must be a grave transgression. The 'moderate' Muslim is nothing more than a puppet allowing his or her desires to be moulded to the whim of the anti-Muslim propaganda machine.

They allow themselves to be told what their own religion should or should not consist of because they just could not be bothered to learn about it themselves.

This is the most dangerous part because when the propaganda war reduces people to nothing more than helpless, indoctrinated string puppets, they become incapable of defending Islam, devoid of the strength of Imaan to be an advocate for Islam, incapable of the vicegerency that was given them, and rendered unworthy of fighting for justice in Allah’s cause. This is the outcome the architects of such anti-Muslim propaganda want to see.

When you have lost the very way of life you profess to follow then the question has got to be, ‘What on earth is there left to defend?’

Those driven by their hatred for Islam work by manipulating the definitions of extremism and promoting their version of ‘moderation’.

Why should we let them do this? Why should we stand back and let ourselves be pacified and destroyed like this? Do we feel defensive and ashamed when Islamophobes pick on our religion and we cannot counter their filth? Does it make us weak of faith? Does it make us squirm when we cannot correct the deliberately peddled misconceptions? Does it? Then we need to step back and try and look at the cause of this.

The cause is our own lack of knowledge regarding Islam because we never took the time to learn about it and are following it blindly. We were puppets then, we are puppets now and we will remain puppets till we make an effort to learn about Islam, live it and defend it. Only then will we grow a spine.

Any Muslim who sincerely loves Allah should be angry by this psychological warfare and should work to expose it. Why should others dictate Islam to us?

We must guard ourselves against this propaganda war by not accepting the definitions of others but by the teachings of our Prophet (pbuh).

Always question when Islam is being portrayed as extreme. Fight back with knowledge and do not let yourself be pacified. Reclaim true Islam.

If being an ‘extremist’ means you believe in Allah, His messenger, His revelation and Jihad (the struggle for justice), you aspire to be like the great Mujaahideen of the past, you respect Islamic attire and the beard, you understand the wisdom behind sharia law, you respect the hijaab, condemn adultery, you speak out against injustices and atrocities, you condemn the brutal state of Israel and support the Palestinians right of self-determination and defence against aggression, then I reject that definition of extremism and call it Islam.