How to End 'Islamophobia'

I gleaned this from the WS Journal.
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How to End 'Islamophobia'
The latest survey of American Muslims won't reassure their fellow citizens.

BY TAWFIK HAMID
Friday, May 25, 2007 12:01 a.m. EDT

Islamic organizations regularly accuse non-Muslims of "Islamophobia," a fear and disdain for everything Islamic. On May 17, this accusation bubbled up again as foreign ministers from the Organization of the Islamic Conference called Islamophobia "the worst form of terrorism." These ministers also warned, according to the Arab News, that this form of discrimination would cause millions of Muslims in Western countries, "many of whom were already underprivileged," to be "further alienated."

In America, perhaps the most conspicuous organization to persistently accuse opponents of Islamophobia is the Council of American Islamic Relations. CAIR has taken up the legal case of the "Flying Imams," the six individuals who were pulled from a US Airways flight in Minneapolis this past November after engaging in suspicious behavior before takeoff. Not long ago, CAIR filed a "John Doe" lawsuit that would have made passengers liable for "malicious" complaints about suspicious Muslim passengers.

In an interview at the time, CAIR spokesman Nihad Awad accused Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.) of being an "extremist" who "encourages Islamophobia" for pointing out what most people would think is obvious, that such a lawsuit would have a chilling effect on passengers who witnessed alarming activity and wished to report it. We can only assume that Mr. Awad believes flyers should passively remain in a state of fear as they travel and submissively risk their lives. In this case, Congress is acting appropriately and considering passing a law sponsored by Mr. King that would grant passengers immunity from such lawsuits.

It may seem bizarre, but Islamic reformers are not immune to the charge of "Islamophobia" either. For 20 years, I have preached a reformed interpretation of Islam that teaches peace and respects human rights. I have consistently spoken out--with dozens of other Muslim and Arab reformers--against the mistreatment of women, gays and religious minorities in the Islamic world. We have pointed out the violent teachings of Salafism and the imperative of Westerners to protect themselves against it.

Yet according to CAIR's Michigan spokeswoman, Zeinab Chami, I am "the latest weapon in the Islamophobe arsenal." If standing against the violent edicts of Shariah law is "Islamophobic," then I will treat her accusation as a badge of honor.





Muslims must ask what prompts this "phobia" in the first place. When we in the West examine the worldwide atrocities perpetrated daily in the name of Islam, it is vital to question if we--Muslims--should lay the blame on others for Islamophobia or if we should first look hard at ourselves.
According to a recent Pew Global Attitudes survey, "younger Muslims in the U.S. are much more likely than older Muslim Americans to say that suicide bombing in the defense of Islam can be at least sometimes justified." About one out of every four American Muslims under 30 think suicide bombing in defense of Islam is justified in at least some circumstances. Twenty-eight percent believe that Muslims did not carry out the 9/11 attacks and 32% declined to answer that question.

While the survey has been represented in the media as proof of moderation among American Muslims, the actual results should yield the opposite conclusion. If, as the Pew study estimates, there are 2.35 million Muslims in America, that means there are a substantial number of people in the U.S. who think suicide bombing is sometimes justified. Similarly, if 5% of American Muslims support al Qaeda, that's more than 100,000 people.

To bring an end to Islamophobia, we must employ a holistic approach that treats the core of the disease. It will not suffice to merely suppress the symptoms. It is imperative to adopt new Islamic teachings that do not allow killing apostates (Redda Law). Islamic authorities must provide mainstream Islamic books that forbid polygamy and beating women. Accepted Islamic doctrine should take a strong stand against slavery and the raping of female war prisoners, as happens in Darfur under the explicit canons of Shariah ("Ma Malakat Aimanikum"). Muslims should teach, everywhere and universally, that a woman's testimony in court counts as much as a man's, that women should not be punished if they marry whom they please or dress as they wish.





We Muslims should publicly show our strong disapproval for the growing number of attacks by Muslims against other faiths and against other Muslims. Let us not even dwell on 9/11, Madrid, London, Bali and countless other scenes of carnage. It has been estimated that of the two million refugees fleeing Islamic terror in Iraq, 40% are Christian, and many of them seek a haven in Lebanon, where the Christian population itself has declined by 60%. Even in Turkey, Islamists recently found it necessary to slit the throats of three Christians for publishing Bibles.
Of course, Islamist attacks are not limited to Christians and Jews. Why do we hear no Muslim condemnation of the ongoing slaughter of Buddhists in Thailand by Islamic groups? Why was there silence over the Mumbai train bombings which took the lives of over 200 Hindus in 2006? We must not forget that innocent Muslims, too, are suffering. Indeed, the most common murderers of Muslims are, and have always been, other Muslims. Where is the Muslim outcry over the Sunni-Shiite violence in Iraq?

Islamophobia could end when masses of Muslims demonstrate in the streets against videos displaying innocent people being beheaded with the same vigor we employ against airlines, Israel and cartoons of Muhammad. It might cease when Muslims unambiguously and publicly insist that Shariah law should have no binding legal status in free, democratic societies.

It is well past time that Muslims cease using the charge of "Islamophobia" as a tool to intimidate and blackmail those who speak up against suspicious passengers and against those who rightly criticize current Islamic practices and preachings. Instead, Muslims must engage in honest and humble introspection. Muslims should--must--develop strategies to rescue our religion by combating the tyranny of Salafi Islam and its dreadful consequences. Among more important outcomes, this will also put an end to so-called Islamophobia.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010123

Dr. Hamid, a onetime member of Jemaah Islamiya, an Islamist terrorist group, is a medical doctor and Muslim reformer living in the West.
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Interesting to say the least...

 

Unfortunately, in your mind and the minds of the rest of your ilk, this simply means that there are 100,000 terrorists out there. Everyone agrees that the potential for someone to commit terrorist acts always exists and having simpathy for Al Qaeda would be a necessary first step but when you start viewing all Muslims as terrorists and start disaffecting them in a society, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You actually contribute to the rise of terrorist behavior. After all, what would these disaffected individuals have to lose if they were marginalized within their own society. This is exactly what I mean when I say you guys are part of the problem not part of the solution, but all you guys hear is that I am supporting terrorism, when in reality, you are.
Nobody on either side of this debate wants more terrorism. To even believe that for a minute is just a testament to your disconnect from reality.

 

Part of the problem? No...islam is the problem.

It was the actions and misdeeds of their terrorist prophet muhammad that started this cancer.

It is written and commanded in the koran...that millions upon millions follow literally.

It is the actions of "true" islam today...the most intolerant major religion on this earth whose name islam means to "surrender to" allah (or else!). Only if you convert to this mad religion will you find peace as "true" muslims define it.

And now millions of "true" muslims are using their oil revenue to purchase better "jihad" weapons.

And WE are contributing to this madness that has been around for the last 14 centuries????

Only an appeaser like Neville Chamberlain would buy your logic.

 

Only fascists like Benito Mussolini and Adolph Hitler shared your logic.

 

Is that all you got?? I know, I know...if a liberal appeaser can't handle the rational, history, logic and the fact that 1 out of every 4 muslims in THIS country are OK with suicide bombings and other islamic terrorist actions (told you so), you call people that bring attention to this islamic cancer "fascists".

Brilliant...simply brilliant!!

 

^^^Just consider the source and move on...

 

Fascists often use minorities as scapegoats. History has proven this time and time again. You are doing exactly the same thing ergo you are a fascist. That's pretty simple logic to follow even for someone that compares mere attitudes to suicide bombs and calls it "logic".

 

I'm glad you could refute anything in post #2...Oh that's right, you couldn't refute anything. When faced with the fallacy of your own logic, you choose to ignore a post. If you had ever taken a debate class, you would know just how far that approach would get you. This has been your sides favorite tactic forever.

 

What the bleep are your talking about???

 

:loud: Read your own thread please...

 

I simply posted a column from the Wall Street Journal.

Meon, "My Ilk" as you so eloquently put it, has nothing to do with the initial thread starting post. Dude, my (mental see-saw) is adjusted for NORMAL sane use. It's apparent yours is beginning to become unstable at times...

 

Neville Chamberlain is the best thing to have ever happened in the history of the world for war-lovers. They have used him ever since to try to discourage negotiation and other peaceful settlement options in favor of perpetual war. After listening to the war-lovers disparage the man, one could be forgiven for making the mistake of thinking that never in the history of humanity has a successful peace negotiation taken place, and that war to the point of extermination of one side or the other, no matter what the cost or how long it takes or how many are killed, is always and everywhere without exception the preferable way to go with never a moment's thought given to any alternatives which will always be a terrible blunder.

 

Liberal Logic:
Here is Moen’s and the Demoncraps answer to the problem; Let's say Moen is "Mr. Bigshot Demoncrap running for President of the United States" (POTUS). Here's his platform: "I promise you that I will appease terrorists and give them money to not bother us. In addition to funding terrorists we will encourage our own population to try to understand why they are angry at us. First we will have the government declare your home a reserve for the endangered spotted cockroach. You will be happy to vacate your property to live in government approved housing near a ghetto. Naturally we will raise taxes to support you because, as you know, inner city jobs are scarce and pay low wages. Your children will attend our finest government schools and be taught by my wife about the evil that capitalism and competition create and how your benevolent government is always the answer to your every need."
And so on. Every single demoncrap election after JFK has been based on the big lie. These days what JFK said would be considered heresy!

 

It's important to see yourself as "NORMAL" regardless of what the rest of the world sees. After all, who could be a better judge of what is "normal", the inmates or those running the asylum...metaphorically speaking.

BTW Is the word "Dude" part of your regular vocabulary?

 

Dude, simply look at the demographic stastics... DUDE

 

Isn't this current US policy under Bush, and probably all presidents after World War II? You can call it "aid" or whatever else eases your conscience. Right now the western part of Iraq is starting to calm down because of the "aid" going to the sunni fighters. Then there is the "aid" going to the al Qaeda terrorists in Lebanon because they oppose Hezbollah. Of course, there is massive "aid" going to the Islamic Revolution Party in power in Baghdad, the same guys who killed our marines in Lebanon and bombed a US embassy, but now apparently are our friends. Of course, nobody can forget the "aid" that went to al Qaeda in Afghanistan when they were fighting the Russians. The whole region is a complete disaster, and naively believing that one political party can do better than another probably only confirms the gullibility of the American voter. Time to learn about blowback.

 

3 out of every 4 muslims in YOUR country are NOT OK with suicide bombings and other islamic terrorist actions, Now suerley this gives you some hope, I know it does for me.
Over here in the UK I hear the figure is much lower, a lot of the younger muslims think it is somehow cool to be involved in something like that and are brainwashed in Mosques. We have just deported one exponent of this type of racist & violent views back to his home country, so now the JAMAICANS can have him to deal with.

 

What about the McVeigh bombing, did they have anything to do with that one (ha, that ought to shut you up).:hammer: :hammer:

 

Remember the old commercial slogan, "Four out of five dentists prefer sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum." Well, I guess that means that 20% of dentists think gum is better for you if it has sugar. The point is that it's a waste of time to argue poll results like these. Of course, there is a dangerous element in government and American society that will use anything less than 100% conformity as an excuse to suspend the Bill of Rights and do all sorts of damage to the Republic. The amazing thing is that so many people fall for it.

 

That's only because 28% of the country still believes in George Bush. If you can make that kind of leap of faith after living through his presidency, what isn't within the range of believability? People believe what they want to believe because it is much more simple than seeing things as they actually are. And there are some pretty simple folks out there. :rolling: