May 24, 2006

Prominent Muslim Speaks Against Extremism

Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid, former president of Indonesia, denounces Islamic extremism. He warns of the objectives of the "extremists" and of the consequences to all people including Muslims and the West if their vision is allowed to be realized.

Washington Post : All of humanity, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, is threatened by the forces of Islamist extremism. It is these extremists, masquerading as traditional Muslims, who angrily call for the death of Abdul Rahman or the beheading of Danish cartoonists. Their objective is raw political power and the eventual radicalization of all 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide. Western involvement in this "struggle for the soul of Islam" is a matter of self-preservation for the West and is critical given the violent tactics and strength of radical elements in Muslim societies worldwide.

People of goodwill of every faith and nation must unite to ensure the triumph of religious freedom and of the "right" understanding of Islam, to avert global catastrophe and spare millions of others the fate of Sudan's great religious and political leader, Mahmoud Muhammad Taha, who was executed on a false charge of apostasy. The millions of victims of "jihadist" violence in Sudan -- whose numbers continue to rise every day -- would have been spared if Taha's vision of Islam had triumphed instead of that of the extremistsÂ…

Â…The greatest challenge facing the contemporary Muslim world is to bring our limited, human understanding of Islamic law into harmony with its divine spirit -- in order to reflect God's mercy and compassion, and to bring the blessings of peace, justice and tolerance to a suffering world.

I agree that the terrorists bring nothing but suffering to us all. Note the warning that he believes his interpretation is loosing favor and the extremistÂ’s interpretation is still advancing. A trend that must be reversed, if not the whole world will suffer.

Others : Willisms and Publispundit.

Posted by: Howie at 08:49 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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1 Funny, there doesn't really seem to be any hate speech about Islam here. Could Google be . . . wrong?

Posted by: Ken McCracken at May 24, 2006 10:06 AM (bEl06)

2 What happens is we sometimes take it to the doctrines used by terrorists. Not a particularly flattering interpretation of the Koran. We show you the doctrine and pretty much walk all over it. Some times other Muslims or apologists for the islamofascists, rather than face the truth like this man, get upset and try to suppress that information any way they can.

Posted by: Howie at May 24, 2006 10:30 AM (D3+20)

3 >>...he believes ... the extremistÂ’s interpretation is still advancing. A trend that must be reversed... A good start to that might be voluntarily shutting down sites like this... Just saying. I think I would be inclined to be less than respectful of the West if I saw a bunch of people calling me an "Islamofacist" are sardonically mocking my religion with "Religion of Peace" all the time too.

Posted by: TxMxP at May 24, 2006 01:33 PM (gOPcw)

4 You have to earn respect to get it. And so you would....what praise Islam in response. Out of fear? Would you praise the same violence and tryanny if the name were communism. Problably. So now you go after me for posting a moderate liberal Muslims description and warning of "the doctrine of terror"? WTF here is a Muslim telling you exactly what is happening. Indonesia, a once open and tolerant nation, is suffering the same shift to radical Islamic rule that he speaks of. Pull your head out of your ass hippie.

Posted by: Howie at May 24, 2006 01:43 PM (D3+20)

5 Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid just appears to be trying to apply lipstick to a pig. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing he is trying to say .. " It's them who are the terrorists! not us! ". Speaking of Islamic law and God's mercy and compassion in the same sentence is blashphemy of the highest order! Muslimitis needs to be wiped out!

Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 24, 2006 01:47 PM (FCC6c)

6 But at least he realized the problem is within Islam itself. I'm not really bothered by Muslims who don't want to kill/subjucate us/everybody. I'd rather irritate the ones on the fence. The ones likely to become our enemy. Those who follow this man's interpretation aren't going to go there anyway.

Posted by: Howie at May 24, 2006 01:55 PM (D3+20)

7 Well, any muslim who doesn't want to kill/subjucate is not true to their religion and is a hypocrit fence walker ..

Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 24, 2006 02:27 PM (FCC6c)

8 It is sort of like saying a Satanists has no interest in sacrificing babies and making candles out of baby fat.

Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 24, 2006 02:29 PM (FCC6c)

9 Point taken. He is not true to the terrorists Islam and subject to their "justice" just like Mahmoud Muhammad Taha. It's hard to reform Islam when those who try are killed for it. I'm not a believer in any Islam. I tend to think the interpertation of the terrorists, while horrid, is consistant with the Koran. But.....People like this guy seem to be few and far between. When I find them I post them as I feel it's important to do so while their head is still attatched.

Posted by: Howie at May 24, 2006 02:37 PM (1A2eZ)

10 Yes, it is sweet when one of them talks nicey-nice, but what are they going to do .. rewrite the Holy Q'uaran?

Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 24, 2006 03:03 PM (FCC6c)

11 Not very likely and I wouldn't expect it. Personally if Islam melted away completely I would not shed a tear for it. I say leave them no other choice. Don't worry I just liked what this guy said.

Posted by: Howie at May 24, 2006 03:21 PM (D3+20)

12 If speaking the truth is now considered hate speech then so be it...we shall continue to speak.

Posted by: Jester at May 24, 2006 03:49 PM (TuAMG)

13 Heh. It's amusing how when a prominent muslim stands up to speak out against terrorism, a lefturd pops up to change the subject and advocate terminating a Constitutional right. Can anyone make a convincing argument against rounding them up and gassing them all?

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at May 24, 2006 04:04 PM (0yYS2)

14 Islam is being controlled by a Seth Lord. Let's give them the 12th Imam, but it will really be our man.

Posted by: Leatherneck at May 24, 2006 07:27 PM (D2g/j)

15 >>>Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid, former president of Indonesia, denounces Islamic extremism. Why, he must be some kind of a RACIST!!! Doesn't he know it's all George Bush's fault!!! /doing my best impersonation of a Leftard

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at May 24, 2006 07:33 PM (8e/V4)

16 Ok, Ok. So one out of a billion has a brain. Does that change anything? Who does he work for now?

Posted by: greyrooster at May 24, 2006 08:17 PM (8MCDk)

17 >>>So one out of a billion has a brain. And that's exactly why something like this is headline news (or should be).

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at May 24, 2006 09:29 PM (8e/V4)

18 Will the radical clergy issue a FATWA aganist him?

Posted by: sandpiper at May 25, 2006 02:40 PM (760E/)

19 Muslims who hold a rational and objective view of their religion and the world are in the minority but so are extremists. The majority of Muslims are somehow indifferent and can easily be pulled by extremists to support their cause because the later can use scripts that when inetrpreted literally usually support their rigid and primtive understanding add to that the negative role of western governments in the Middle East. But luckily the effect of extremists on Muslims is dwindling due to the effectiveness of media in exposing the ugliness of their role in recent world events (in Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, USA, UK, Spain, Zambia, Indonesia, etc) .. Extremism and violence are not unique to Islam because all major religions were subjected to similar interpretations at some point in their history but the rational understanding is the one that prevails at the end. So we should not be so sarcastic or judgmental about Islam as if it's an exception. I am one of Ustadh Mahmoud Muhammad Taha's followers who were persecuted by extremists "Muslim Brothers" under a government that was considered a friend and ally to the west (x-president Numeiri of Sudan). Ustadh Taha lived the peaceful example of Jesus and the unrelenting resistance of Gandhi and presented a unique understanding of Islam and religion in general by separating the historically bound texts and scriptures from the essence that suits humanity today. He spared no time or effort in explaining his views through his writings and lectures but the extremists could not take that and thought of using apostasy courts to silence him just as the Jewish religious establishment did with Jesus and the Christian religious establishment did with many of those who challenged it. The same thing happened throughout Muslims history towards many of the Sufi's specially those who challenged the governments of their times. The recent world events caused many of those indifferent Muslims to stand up and use Ustadh Taha's arguments which he has been using since the early 1950's specially with regard to Jihad, tolerance, and freedoms of belief and expression. This is why as one of his followers I never gave hope that his moderate and more advanced understanding of the role of religion in unifying the world in peace is the one that will prevail at the end despite or may be inspite all the odds.

Posted by: Omer Abdalla at May 28, 2006 08:39 AM (T6Ivi)

20 Enter Jesus! World Peace would be nice. But we've got to make it through Armeggeddon first!

Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 29, 2006 01:24 PM (FCC6c)

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