Terrorism and Islam

Let's raise the tone a little bit around here. Les Freeman (I think he is associated with The Federalist, but I am not certain) has sent us a copy of an original research paper he has written. Thank you. Click on "Continure Reading..." to read the entire paper.

Greetings, It has been a while since I sent you anything because I have been working on a research paper on how terrorism has hijacked the religion of Islam. I am pasting a copy of my research to this document. Did I get it right? You are free to post if you feel it is appropriate

Terrorism Has Hijacked The Religion Of Islam.

Introduction
Fourteen centuries ago, the religion of Islam was founded on the revelation brought to humanity by the prophet Muhammad. Muslims view it as the latest chapter in the ongoing religion of God, which began with Jesus, then Moses, and Abraham, contrary to popular biblical accounts. Muslims consider all three as God’s prophets and refer to them as Muslims. Islam accepts Christianity and Judaism as true religions, but believes that their truths are superceded by the word of God as revealed to Mohammed by God in the Quran, and the Sunna.

During the reign of the Ottoman Empire (1326 to 1924), a new strain of Islamic extremism founded by Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab began to materialize in Islam. This new strain of Islam was both harsher and more stripped down than the religion that the Prophet Muhammad had founded. Al-Wahhab forbade many practices and traditions that were an established part of Muslim culture, and proclaimed that all who did not accept this form of Islamic religion were infidels, not Muslims at all and were to be exterminated.

The House of Sa'ud (the ruling family in Saudi Arabia) has made this Wahhabism the religion of the regime. There was nothing in the Quran and Sunna that would support this radical form of Islam and in fact the Quran forbade this so the Hadith (story) and Sunna (action) was adopted and sold to the population by the clerics as the Quran and Sunna. The terrorists have used the Wahhabism Ideology to justify their acts and cloak them in the guise of religious martyrdom, thereby, hijacking the religion of Islam and corrupting Muslim society to support their philosophy of hate and terror.
Islam and the Origins of Terror

In order to understand how terrorism has hijacked Islam, it is necessary to understand how and where the Islamic Civilization began. In 1326, after the Mongol invasions, and their subsequent defeat by the Turks, the Ottoman Empire was created, and by the late 1600’s, it stretched from the Persian Gulf to Spain, virtually ruling the entire known world except for the island of Britain. Stockman says, “The Ottomans were very flexible rulers, who did not attempt to impose cultural or even administrative uniformity on their huge empire. They allowed local customs to flourish as long as tax revenues continued to be remitted to the Sultan”.

By the mid 1700’s, a new strain of Muslim extremism began to flourish. Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab founded what was known as Wahhabism. In an interview with Stephen Schwartz, Bacon says, “As Schwartz describes it, ‘Shi'as, Sufis, and other Muslims he [Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab] judged unorthodox were to be exterminated, and all other faiths were to be humiliated’. Later in the interview Schwartz further stated that, “Al-Wahhab soon established a political-religious alliance with a local bandit, Muhammad ibn Sa'ud. The House of Sa'ud—which rules Saudi Arabia—is directly descended from that alliance, and Wahhabism is the religion of the regime”. The hijacking of Islam by the perpetrators of terror and Islamic purists did not begin in the 1970’s, as most believe, it began over 200 years ago with the installation of Wahhabism as the state religion of Saudi Arabia.

In addition to the implementation of the Wahhabism Ideology in Saudi Arabia, there has also been on ongoing movement in Muslim society to silence dissenting scholars by imprisoning or killing them outright amid charges of being everything from child molesters to murders and infidels. Rosen and Ahmed say, “What was once an occasional event -- silencing scholars -- increasingly has become a way of life in most Muslim countries. From South Asia to North Africa, an entire generation of Muslim intellectuals is at this moment under threat: Many have already been killed, silenced, or forced into exile." The philosophy of terror, violence, and intolerance promoted by the Ideology of Wahhabism has clearly not only corrupted the religion of Islam but also its people.

The Creed of Terrorism
Once the Creed of Terror had been implanted within Muslim society, it would be necessary to nourish this idea by convincing the people that this was really the teaching of Muhammad. This took over 200 years, and did not begin bearing results until the 1970’s, when the terrorists began exporting their terrorism. According to the U.S. Department of State “Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology”,
“Grand Mosque Seizure, November 20, 1979: 250 people were killed and 600 wounded. World Trade Center Bombing, February 26, 1993: 6 people dead and 1,000 injured. Tokyo Subway Station Attack, March 20, 1995 twelve persons were killed and 5,700 were injured. Khobar Towers Bombing, June 25, 1996: 19 U.S. military personnel killed and 515 wounded. U.S. Embassy Bombings in East Africa, August 7, 1998: 291 killed and over 5,000 injured. Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Homeland, September 11, 2001: 3,025 U.S. citizens and other nationals killed”.
When the terrorists found that their actions could not be dealt with by the free world, and was accepted by the Islamic world, they knew that their indoctrination of the Muslim world into Wahhabism was complete and that they could eventually dominate the world as they once had.

To understand how the metamorphosis from the teachings of Muhammad through the Quran and Sunna to the acceptance of Hadith and Sunna took place, one must first understand how Hadiths (oral stories) are created and verified as true by the Islamic scholars. According to MSA-USC “The Science of Hadith”,

“Allah (SWT) preserved the Sunnah by enabling the companions and those after them to memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the Prophet (PBUH), and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah … A hadith is composed of three parts, matn (text), isnad (chain of reporters), and taraf (the part, or the beginning sentence, of the text which refers to the sayings, actions or characteristics of the Prophet (PBUH), or his concurrence with others action). The authenticity of the hadith depends on the reliability of its reporters, and the linkage among them”.
Upon searching the Quran and Sunna to justify their actions and philosophy of terror, the Wahhabist clerics could not find any, so they began searching the more than 700,000 Hadiths written over the last 14 centuries for justification and found them. According to Submission (Islam), “The Quran informs us that some enemies of the Prophet, described as ‘human and jinn devils,’ will fabricate lies and attribute them to the Prophet (6:112, 25:31). This is precisely what happened after the prophet Muhammad's death; Hadith (oral) and Sunna (actions) were invented and attributed to the Prophet”. The Wahhabist clerics took what they found in the Hadiths and created the Hadith and Sunna, then they began teaching this as the Quran and Sunna. Additionally, Locke says,

“It is a moral duty and a moral virtue to kill ‘infidels’— those who do not accept Islam. The Koran [terrorist version] is replete with such commandments as: fight and slay the Pagans wherever you find them . . . those who reject our signs we shall soon cast into the fire . . . those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads . . . as to the deviators, they are the fuel of hell".

Without having access to the Quran and Sunna of Muhammad, the Muslim population was left with only the terrorist Hadith and Sunna as the word of God, and thus, has believed it completely. They could have done little else without being branded infidels.

In 1998 the teachings of the Wahhabism Ideology got their first real test of how many Muslims were actually accepting their philosophy of hate and destruction. At that time, Osama Bin-laden (OBL), together with other religious leaders and terrorist groups issued a religious FATWA (ruling or order) to the people of Islam. OBL said,

“We issue the following fatwa to all Muslims: The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy mosque [Mecca] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim. This is in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, "and fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together," and "fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah”.
Muslim scholars in the free world rejected this fatwa, but those living under Islamic law, remained silent as the suicide bombing increased and the innocent deaths grew.

The Quran on Jihad and War
It is understood and accepted by virtually all religions, that all of their teachings came from the same source, which is the one God of man. He is known by many names, Jehovah, God, Allah, and his prophets are also known, Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Muhammad, Buddha, etc. All of his teachings are the same, love, peace, tolerance, and adherence to his laws set down by the various prophets through his words. All except Hadith and Sunna, which have been teaching hatred, intolerance, and violence. According to Submission (Islam),

“Terrorists, using hijacked planes, have attacked New York City and Washington DC on September 11, 2001 killing thousands of innocent people. As in many other attacks in the past, the terrorists abuse the name of Islam to commit crimes that are abhorred and strongly condemned by God in the Quran ... we decreed for the Children of Israel that anyone who murders any person who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people. And anyone who spares a life, it shall be as if he spared the lives of all the people. ... [Quran 5:32]”.

The Quran of Allah presented to man through Muhammad is not the Quran of terror.
In addition, the Quran and Sunna lay out specific guidelines for conduct with other races and religions. According to Submission (Islam),

“The religion of Islam condemns the killing or even the persecution of people merely because they embrace a different religion … There shall be no compulsion in religion ... [Quran 2:256] ... The Quran mandates the absolute freedom of religion in a society ... GOD does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. GOD loves the equitable. [Quran 60:8] ... It does not allow Muslims to fight except for self-defense and to enforce peace ... If they resort to peace, so shall you, and put your trust in GOD. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient. [Quran 8:61] … It does not allow restrictions on those who disagree on religious matters. It urges the Muslims to treat such people kindly and equitably: ... Therefore, if they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then GOD gives you no excuse to fight them. [Quran 4:90]”.

Unless the words of the true God reach the Muslim population they will never hear these words.
When it comes to war, the Quran is very clear as to how it must be fought and does not allow for innocents to be harmed in any way. According to Submission (Islam),

“Aggression is Forbidden. Fighting is permitted only in self-defence. The Quranic verses on this are very clear. … You may fight in the cause of GOD against those who attack you, but do not aggress. GOD does not love the aggressors. [2:190]

… You may kill those who wage war against you, and you may evict them whence they evicted you. Oppression is worse than murder. Do not fight them at the Sacred Masjid, unless they attack you therein. If they attack you, you may kill them. This is the just retribution for those disbelievers. [2:191] … If they refrain, then GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful. [2:192] …

You may also fight them to eliminate oppression, and to worship GOD freely. If they refrain, you shall not aggress; aggression is permitted only against the aggressors. [2:193]”.

The Hadith and Sunna used by terrorists as the Quran and Sunna is not only corrupted, it also goes directly against the word, and law of Allah.
Final Reflections

It should be remembered that the version of the Quran known by the Islamic world, is one that has been in the process of being corrupted for over 200 years. It will take a major effort by free Islamic Scholars, or possibly, even divine intervention to reverse the process. The Muslim population has been convinced that it is the word of God, and their ignorance will prevent them from seeing the truth.
Christianity went through much the same process during the Spanish Inquisition, and the Salem Witch Trials during their Dark Ages, when all it took was an accusation by someone, and a period of torture, to get a confession from the accused, so they could be burned at the stake, or beheaded in the name of God. The terrorism of today is no different than this, or the Nazism of the last century, that sparked a World War in which millions died before the holocaust could be ended. David Forte had this to say about the War on Terror, “We are not in a war between two civilizations. We are fighting an enemy of two civilizations". Indeed, if the Muslim world does not face up to what is happening to their civilization, the prophecies of Armageddon will no longer be a prophecy, but a reality in the near future.

Works Cited
Ahmed, Akbar and Rosen, Lawrence. “Islam and Freedom of Thought.”.
The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2 November 2001.
Bin-Ladin, Shaykh Usamah Bin-Muhammad, et al.
World Islamic Front Statement. 23 February 1998.
Forte, David. “Radical Islam vs. Islam.” Editorial. Ashbrook Center. Ashland University.
September 2001.
Khalifa, Rashad. Ph.D. Quran The Final Testament. Islamic Productions 2003.
Submission (Islam), Appendix 19.

Locke, Edwin. “Radical Islam's Assault on Human Life.” Editorial. Ayn Rand Institute.
4 October 2001.
Schwartz, Stephen. Interview. The Atlantic Online. 20 March 2003.

The Science of Hadith. MSA-USC.
15 June 2004
Stockman, Robert. “Notes on Islam from a Baha'i Perspective”. Baha'I Library Online.
15 June 2004.
Submission (Islam). “Jihad and Striving vs. Terrorism; The Quran on Wars and Aggression”.
United States, Department of State. Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology. March 2004.

Posted by jk at June 21, 2004 11:43 AM