URL –http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/05/its-doctrine-of-jihad-stupid.html
First of all, we need to take a look at the message rather than the messenger. Normally I don’t read stuff from Tarek Fatah, but since the email came from Rafiq Lodhia, who does not waste time in gossipy material, I was compelled to read it, and have read it twice before compiling the response and it is posted following my comments
The doctrine of Jihad
I was on Hannity (Fox News) a few weeks ago arguing with Islamophobe Pamela Geller about the origins of the word Jihad. Where Prophet says, the real Jihad begins now to his associates, the struggle to hold on the temptations to take advantage of defeated ones, to resist the temptations to take revenge, avenge or get even. As expected, she disagreed with me.
Jihad misunderstood by non-Muslims
Not all, but many a non-Muslims believe that Jihad means killing Jews, Christians, Pagans, Hindus and infidels.
I was on an Israeli Bus a few years ago, the tour guide started telling about Israel and its religious composition. Then she jumps on Islam – this is what she said, the first pillar of Islam is Jihad and explains what it meant – kill the Jews and Christians. I was completely taken back. As a Muslim I know only five pillars of Islam; Shahada –the Pledge of Allegiance, Prayers, Fasting, Zakat-tithe and Hajj Pilgrimage. Of course, I spoke up and said I am a Muslim speaker and a writer, and I would like to share the correct version of Jihad. The bus was full of Americans, they encouraged with claps, and I got the microphone.
Jihad mis-understood by a few Muslims.
I explained that even though a few right wing Muslims nuts have called Jihad a pillar, it ain’t. Google it. Quran forbids suicide and offensive war or killing of any human. Killing one is like killing the whole humanity, and saving one life is like saving the whole humanity. One is permitted to fight in self defense, but cannot initiate aggression. Even then it advises that if the wrong doer backs off, you back off and accept his apology and reconcile with him if he is genuine. Quran is “absolutely” consistent in this methodology. Most Muslims get this right, a few don’t, and they are the trouble makers. How many of you violate the teachings of Jesus and Moses?
How much wrong is done in the name of Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam, it is not the religion, it is the dudes who don’t get their religion, right? Two Dutch Imams on the bus and I teamed up, and the lady agreed to correct the message – of course we gave her the print outs later as a backup for her. It was Ramadan, we did the Adhan on the bus, broke the fast, pulled the bus over for the three of us and the driver (a Palestinian Muslim) to do our prayers.
Tarek Fatah is right this one time.
There are a few Muslims who believe in “the doctrine of armed jihad against the “kuffar” (non-Muslims).” I am glad he used the word few.
He is right again.
“It is worth noting that not a single Muslim cleric since 9/11 has mustered the courage to say the doctrine of armed jihad is defunct and inapplicable in the 21st century. They rightfully denounce terrorism, but dare not denounce jihad.”
Maududi and Banna were wrong on Jihad.
The few Muslims, who understand Jihad to be armed struggle, need to remember that only God’s word is final, authoritative and unquestionable. All else including the Sahih Hadith should be subjected to verification.
Here is the key phrase that Maududi and Banna messed up, “fight against oppression” they ignored it or suppressed the key idea that it was in self defense you can fight and not otherwise. Then you can comfortably call Islam is a religion of peace.
Maududi wrote, “In the language of the Divine Law, this word (jihad) is used specifically for the war that is waged solely in the name of God against those who perpetrate oppression as enemies of Islam. This supreme sacrifice is the responsibility of all Muslims.”
Maududi is wrong again.
Maududi goes on to label Muslims who refuse the call to armed jihad as apostates.
The man did not have a bone of tolerance in him, he wanted to play God, judge and punish people. Was that not shirk to play God?
Jihad is not a primary duty, Jihad as a war occurs only if you are thrown out of your space, your sustenance is robbed and your loved ones are messed with.
Maududi is wrong again.
“Jihad is as much a primary duty as are daily prayers or fasting. One who avoids it is a sinner. His every claim to being a Muslim is doubtful. He is plainly a hypocrite who fails in the test of sincerity and all his acts of worship are a sham, a worthless, hollow show of deception.”
Solution
Many a Muslim scholars and Imams are not sure about their religion. But most of them are willing to state that there is no punishment for apostasy, and that one is free to become and un-become a Muslim out of his free will. There is no blasphemy in Islam, prophet was harassed, and cursed, threatened and chased – what did he do in return? Prayed but did not punish.
I will make a genuine effort to draft a memo to that effect including the understanding of Jihad and pass it on to you for getting a signature from your local Imam; if we get 25 Imams to sign, that will be an achievement.
The American kids need clarity as well as the fellow Americans and Canadians deserve clarity.
If you disagree with the premise above, I would respectfully say, to you is your belief and to me is mine.
Mike Ghouse is a speaker thinker and a writer on Islam, Pluralism, interfaith and US foreign policy, and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. www.MikeGhouse.net
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“Unless the leaders of Canadian and American mosques as well as the Islamic organizations denounce the doctrine of jihad as pronounced by the Muslim Brotherhood and Jamaat-e-Islami, and distance themselves from the ideology of Qutb, al-Banna and Maudoodi, they stand complicit in the havoc that these jihadis are raining down on the rest of us.”
April 24, 2013
It’s the doctrine of jihad, stupid
Tarek Fatah
The Toronto SUN
Twelve years after 9/11 and the beat goes on. If the news of jihadi terrorist bombings in Boston and Bangalore was not enough to wake us from our collective slumber, the arrests of Chiheb Esseghaier of Montreal and Raed Jaser from Toronto this week certainly should. Though I doubt it.
According to RCMP Assistant Commissioner James Malizia, the two Muslim men were allegedly getting “direction and guidance” from al-Qaida elements in Iran. He added: “Had this plot been carried out, it would have resulted in innocent people being killed or seriously injured.”
While ordinary Canadians and non-Muslims around the world are bewildered by these never-ending news reports of terrorism and alleged plots, the response by the leaders of the Islamic community is the tired old cliche — Islam is a religion of peace, and jihad is simply an “inner struggle.”
The fact is these terrorists are motivated by one powerful belief — the doctrine of armed jihad against the “kuffar” (non-Muslims).
It is worth noting that not a single Muslim cleric since 9/11 has mustered the courage to say the doctrine of armed jihad is defunct and inapplicable in the 21st century. They rightfully denounce terrorism, but dare not denounce jihad.
The armed jihad launched against the infidels, is clearly promoted by the 20th-century writings of such Islamists as Syed Qutb and Hassan al-Banna of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the late Syed Maudoodi of Jamaat-e-Islami of Indo-Pakistan.
Young Muslims across Canada and the U.S. are given booklets titled Towards Understanding Islam, written by Maudoodi. In the booklet, Maudoodi exhorts ordinary Muslims to launch jihad, as in armed struggle, against non-Muslims.
“Jihad is part of this overall defence of Islam,” he writes.
In case the reader is left with any doubt about the meaning of the word “jihad,” Maudoodi clarifies:
“In the language of the Divine Law, this word (jihad) is used specifically for the war that is waged solely in the name of God against those who perpetrate oppression as enemies of Islam. This supreme sacrifice is the responsibility of all Muslims.”
Maudoodi goes on to label Muslims who refuse the call to armed jihad as apostates:
“Jihad is as much a primary duty as are daily prayers or fasting. One who avoids it is a sinner. His every claim to being a Muslim is doubtful. He is plainly a hypocrite who fails in the test of sincerity and all his acts of worship are a sham, a worthless, hollow show of deception.”
If Maudoodi’s exhortations are not enough to motivate Muslims to conduct acts of terror, we have the words of the late Hassan al-Banna being distributed in our schools and universities. Al-Banna makes it quite clear that the word “jihad” means armed conflict. He mocks those who claim jihad is merely an internal struggle.
Al-Banna says this redefinition of the term “jihad” is a conspiracy so that “Muslims should become negligent.”
And here is what Syed Qutb, another Egyptian stalwart of the Islamist movement and the Muslim Brotherhood, writes in his seminal work on Islam and its relationship with the West, Milestones:
“A Muslim will remain prepared to fight against it (non-Muslim country), whether it be his birthplace or a place where his relatives reside or where his property or any other material interests are located.”
Unless the leaders of Canadian and American mosques as well as the Islamic organizations denounce the doctrine of jihad as pronounced by the Muslim Brotherhood and Jamaat-e-Islami, and distance themselves from the ideology of Qutb, al-Banna and Maudoodi, they stand complicit in the havoc that these jihadis are raining down on the rest of us.
For those who search for the root cause of Islamist terrorism, it’s the doctrine of jihad, stupid.