The lacking credibility of moderate Muslims
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First I wanted to put the word moderate in quotes. As if they were not really moderate. On a second thought I realized that, actually, they indeed are moderate, so much so that this self-moderation is the core problem.
Here is the latest. A Winnipeg Jewish group plans to present a documentary film Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Agains the West.
Since this will be the first Canadian screening I don’t know what is in the film. Allegedly, it shows things like a Jihad recruitement video from the internet (maybe something like this? - it was not invented by the film makers); a 1998 Palestinian-Jordanian schoolbook that says, “This religion will destroy all other religions through the Islamic Jihad fighters”… and some blood-chilling quotes said by little children educated by these books.
Now, there is this lady, Shahina Siddiqui from the Islamic Social Services Association Inc. Canada, presumably an official representative of the Winnipeg Muslims with her complaint about the film: “It incites violence against Muslim and promotes fear about Islam”.
Violence against who? In the Dirty Kuffar video the suicide bombers are saying they are going to kill all the non-believers.
Fear? - Maybe. Just think the Iraninan president’s latest threats.
If course, this woman, as every other Canadian citizen, is free to express her opinion and has the right to do so. (Thank you Canadian army, thank you Canadian veterans!) Hopefully, the police will simply disregard her official complaint about “hate propaganda”.
Actually, this is not the first documentary of this kind. I have seen even on CBC — quite a while ago — a similar film: Muslim mothers being proud of their suicide bomber sons and raising their younger kids (the next generation of bombers) in the very same spirit. Everything was based on facts and their own confessions.
Whenever this issue of Islamist terrorism comes up, we are always told by these “nice” Muslims that we don’t understand the problems and that we have a “distorted image” of Islam.
Let me tell you this: I have worked with Muslims in a Muslim country. I trusted my life in the hand of my Muslim bodygurads. I have a pretty decent capability to distinguish between Islamo-Fascists and peaceful Muslims. I have always been able to make the distinction between my late friend Ibrahim (killed in the war) and a brain-washed fanatic that blows up himself.
You see, here is my problem with these nice, peaceful and (again) moderate Muslims living in the safety of Western democracies: here they are quite loud about teaching us sensitivity and respect towards the Muslim values — but I never hear them raising their voice from inside the Islam — against those terrorists, Islamo-Fasicists… or call them whatever you want.
If the vast majority of Muslims (allegedly the peaceful and true followers of the Prophet - PBUH) will not stand up against those who are trying to hijack their religion, their sacred beliefs… then every attempt to lecture us about tolerance, sensitivity and similar PC slogans — is lacking any credibility. There is no other way. There is no “but”.
I cannot do it for you — exactly for the same reason: credibility. I am an outsider in the world of Islam. The change has to come from inside — from you, nice, moderate Muslims!
Don’t pose here (in WPG) as a loud advocate of the Muslim cause: the threat is not coming from us. Don’t educate me how to be sensitive and tolerant toward Muslims that raise future terrorists — go and educate those who do it! Don’t tell me to respect them.
And no, I don’t respect you either, if all you do is lecturing me about “hate”.
I do respect Muslim women like Nonie Darwish, featured in the film, or Irshad Manji who stand up for a change from within the Islam. Even risking a fatwa… When you will do the same, you’ll have all my respect and support.
But hurry: those who make the recruiting videos want to rule the whole world. And if they win (Allah forbid!) both your and my free-speech right will be gone. As well as our freedom. Everything. For good…
Great post. Every peaceful human being deserves the utmost respect in this world, but respect must be earned. If I spout off hateful words about someone else I haven’t demonstrated that I deserve much respect. My (admittedly second hand) impreesion of Islam scripture is that it’s very hateful, especially in it’s page after page derision of “unbelievers”. Fortunately many Muslims have reached a more global perspective and are mature enough to behave better than their books might instruct them, in the same way that liberal Christians can be better Christians than Christ often is depicted in the Bible. At the same time however there are countless Muslims living with brutal Muslim “blinders” on and unable to view anyone outside their faith group with anything other than hate. WE OUTSIDE of Islam can do nothing to help them. The only people able to truly help them are peaceful and enlightened Muslims. As long as spokespeople like Miss Siddiqui continue to accuse the rest of the world of hate, I fear we have little hope out of this situation.
“Actually, this is not the first documentary of this kind. I have seen even on CBC — quite a while ago — a similar film: Muslim mothers being proud of their suicide bomber sons and raising their younger kids (the next generation of bombers) in the very same spirit. Everything was based on facts and their own confessions.”
That’s extremely one sided, I’ll have you know that I’ve watched Arabic documentaries showing the exact opposite, Muslim parents, fathers and mothers feeling extremely devastated at the loss, and yes, angry at people who planted the suicide bomber seed into their son’s head. Those documentaries you talk about (and I’ve seen one that showed a mother being proud of her son) are extremely unfair in my view.
I try not to conclude that the creators are selectively seeking material that justifies their arguments, but then what am I supposed to think?
I’m sick and tired of hearing people blame the Arabic people for not standing up to their government’s oppression, especially if they happen to be American because as far as I can see, in your great land of democracy, you’ve failed to elect a competent leader. Not just that, you’ve elected him twice, way to go.
No I didn’t write this comment to bash the current president, I’m pointing out that even in democracies you somehow end up with someone whom the majority of the population seems to dislike. How on earth does that happen, hmm?
Most countries in my region do not have democracies, and even those who do, the corruption is so bad that they don’t work and never will, especially when you have American foreign policies and ‘interventions’ that only rile the fanatics up and have them disrupting society.
Furthermore, I believe that the problems we’re facing as countries in the Middle East are all steaming from something as simple as family matters, yes, its on that kind of level. But that’s just my take on it.
You have no “country loyalties” you’re not raised that way, depending on how religious fanatic your family is you may have religious loyalties and usually those people are all in it for the politics, its not a belief in what they’re preaching, they preach for attention and status and both feed their families.
Because they’re preaching so and so they have to put on an act that proves it. That act is very extreme and visual and yup, the women dress in black, the guy has a beard and he won’t shake hands with ‘those bastard infidels.’
Moderate Arabic-Muslims don’t do much about it because they too are interested in their own affairs and keeping their families out of harms way, contrary to popular belief, the majority of Arabic people are unwilling to die for what they believe in. Even when promised ‘an army of virgins’ when it’s all done and over with.
A good article nevertheless. I’m in the opinion that the people of this world better wake up before our goverments screw us over royally.
Just for the record: I am Canadian. But from afar… it’s almost the same :)
Oh, my bad, I wasn’t trying to make assumptions but the comment flowed easier if I just referenced Americans as ‘you.’ Was just a you directed at the American people.
Kind of guessed you weren’t American because you were talking about things in Canada, anyhow feels like Canada is in America’s shadow and they don’t have much of an international voice so meh.
Being voiceless internationally is a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, no one really has reason to hate you, on the other, you’re a visible entity.
I agree with the “shadow” thing: the folk wisdom around here says, if America catches a cold, Canada is sneezing…
And to make things more complicated I am just an “invisible minority” in Canada.
An invisible minority?
Well, the politically correct (PC) euphemism for non-white people is “visible minority”.
Which, actually, in Toronto is a non-sense: the coloured people make up about 51-52% of the population, so they are not minority anymore.
I look like a white Caucasian (another idiotic term born out of being afraid to call things on their own proper name), even more, I am a European white man, so I am “invisible” among the Canadians until I am quiet. If I open my mouth, my accent betrayes me as an immigrant :) Immigrant = minority.
Oh I see now. On the same note, I love how the Americans have monopolized the use of the word “American” when one refers to their citizenship.
The United States is not the only country that is located in the North American continent, there’s also a South American continent but only people from the states are Americans.
It’s amusing almost. Same thing with the unfortunate soul who happens to be dark skinned and non-African. According to the ‘Americans’ all dark skinned people are Africans.
So, there are no white African-Americans, ey?
I’m not just a minority I’m second class in most people’s eyes over at my end of the world, I don’t officially have my rights but I can still get them. Provided I’m over 21, and provided I’m married. Or I should risk out casting.
Arabic countries do not support unmarried females who live outside their families homes. Technically, you can do it, nothing stops you, but it’s a social nightmare.