September 21, 2006
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Are You My Muslim?
I am saddened when people call Muslims “ragheads” and lump them all together as violent-tempered and irrational. Two of my colleagues, excellent physicians, are Muslim. I highly doubt they would want to kill people, as that would make their already-exhorbitant malpractice insurance go up. Many Americans are Muslims, and they naturally don’t go around killing other people every time they’re offended, nor requesting Sharia Law so they can beat their wives.
Unfortunately, there are Islamofacists in other countries who regard Muslim association with the infidels as. . . well, worthy of killing about. What is that called? Apostasy! It’s difficult to remember the word, because it’s so common here in the U.S., no one bats an eye if you decide one day you want to be Baha’i instead of Wiccan.
Irvine, oh so progressive Irvine. Thank you for demonstrating the difference between Islamofacists and modern Muslims. Thank you for your support, but just as I don’t represent every person who is female, I know you don’t represent every Muslim.
The following is from the Islamic Center of Irvine: (http://www.islamiccenterofirvine.com/articles.php?action=show&id=224)
Words of Wisdom, Words of Compassion “. . . If one takes a life,
it is as if one has taken the life of all humanity.
If one saves a single life,
it is as if he has saved the life of all humanity.”
[Qur'an 5:32]* “Hijacking Planes, terrorizing innocent people and shedding blood
constitute a form of injustice that can not be tolerated by Islam,
which views them as gross crimes and sinful acts.” Shaykh Abdul Aziz al-Ashaikh (Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Senior Ulama, on September 15th, 2001)* “The terrorists acts, from the perspective of Islamic law, constitute the crime of hirabah (waging war against society).” Sept.
27, 2001 fatwa, signed by: Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi (Grand Islamic
Scholar and Chairman of the Sunna and Sira Countil, Qatar), Judge Tariq
al-Bishri (First Deputy President of the Council d’etat, Egypt), Dr.
Muhammad s. al-Awa (Professor of Islamic Law and Shari’a, Egypt), Dr.
Haytham al-Khayyat (Islamic scholar, Syria), Fahmi Houaydi (Islamic
scholar, Syria), Shaykh Taha Jabir al-Alwani (Chairman, North America
High Council)* “Neither the law of Islam nor its ethical system justify such a crime.” Zaki Badawi, Principal of the Muslim College in London. Cited in Arab News, Sept. 28, 2001.
* “It is wrong to kill innocent people. It is also wrong to Praise those who kill innocent people.” Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, Pakistan. Cited in the New York Times, Sept. 28, 2001.
* “What these people stand for is completely against all the principles that Arab Muslims believe in.” King Abdullah II, of Jordan; cited in the Middle East Times, Sept. 28, 2001.
* Ingrid Mattson, a professor of Islamic studies and
Muslim-Christian relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, said there
was no basis in Islamic law or sacred text for Mr. bin Laden’s remarks. “The basic theological distortion is that any means are permitted to
achieve the end of protesting against perceived oppression,” said Dr. Mattson, a practicing Muslim.* “Islamic law is very clear: terrorism is not permitted,” she added. “Even
in a legitimate war — even if Osama bin Laden were a legitimate head of
state, which he’s not — you’re not permitted to indiscriminately kill
civilians, just to create terror in the general population.” (“Experts Say Bin Laden is Distorting Islamic Law“, NY Times, Oct. 8, 2001)Islamic Statements Against Terrorism in the Wake of the September 11 Mass Murders
Compiled by Charles Kurzman, Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillMustafa Mashhur, General Guide, Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt; Qazi
Hussain Ahmed, Ameer, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Pakistan; Muti Rahman
Nizami, Ameer, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Bangladesh; Shaykh Ahmad
Yassin, Founder, Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Palestine; Rashid
Ghannoushi, President, Nahda Renaissance Movement, Tunisia; Fazil Nour,
President, PAS – Parti Islam SeMalaysia, Malaysia; and 40 other Muslim
scholars and politicians:
“The undersigned, leaders of Islamic movements, are horrified by the
events of Tuesday 11 September 2001 in the United States which resulted
in massive killing, destruction and attack on innocent lives. We
express our deepest sympathies and sorrow. We condemn, in the strongest
terms, the incidents, which are against all human and Islamic norms.
This is grounded in the Noble Laws of Islam which forbid all forms of
attacks on innocents. God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: ‘No bearer
of burdens can bear the burden of another’ (Surah al-Isra 17:15).”
MSANews, September 14, 2001
Arabic original in al-Quds al-Arabi (London), September 14, 2001Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi, Qatar; Tariq Bishri, Egypt; Muhammad S. Awwa,
Egypt; Fahmi Huwaydi, Egypt; Haytham Khayyat, Syria; Shaykh Taha Jabir
al-Alwani, U.S.:
“All Muslims ought to be united against all those who terrorize the
innocents, and those who permit the killing of non-combatants without a
justifiable reason. Islam has declared the spilling of blood and the
destruction of property as absolute prohibitions until the Day of
Judgment. … [It is] necessary to apprehend the true perpetrators of
these crimes, as well as those who aid and abet them through
incitement, financing or other support. They must be brought to justice
in an impartial court of law and [punished] appropriately. … [It is]
a duty of Muslims to participate in this effort with all possible
means.”
Statement of September 27, 2001. The Washington Post, October 11, 2001,Shaykh Muhammed Sayyid al-Tantawi, imam of al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, Egypt:
“Attacking innocent people is not courageous, it is stupid and will be
punished on the day of judgement. … It’s not courageous to attack
innocent children, women and civilians. It is courageous to protect
freedom, it is courageous to defend oneself and not to attack.”
Agence France Presse, September 14, 2001Abdel-Mo’tei Bayyoumi, al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy, Cairo, Egypt:
“There is no terrorism or a threat to civilians in jihad [religious struggle].”
Al-Ahram Weekly Online, 20 – 26 September 2001Muslim Brotherhood, an opposition Islamist group in Egypt, said it
was “horrified” by the attack and expressed “condolences and sadness”:
“[We] strongly condemn such activities that are against all humanist
and Islamic morals. … [We] condemn and oppose all aggression on human
life, freedom and dignity anywhere in the world.”
Al-Ahram Weekly Online, 13 – 19 September 2001Shaykh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, spiritual guide of Shi’i Muslim
radicals in Lebanon, said he was “horrified” by these “barbaric . . .
crimes”:
“Beside the fact that they are forbidden by Islam, these acts do not
serve those who carried them out but their victims, who will reap the
sympathy of the whole world. . . . Islamists who live according to the
human values of Islam could not commit such crimes.”
Agence France Presse, September 14, 2001‘Abdulaziz bin ‘Abdallah Al-Ashaykh, chief mufti of Saudi Arabia:
“Firstly: the recent developments in the United States including
hijacking planes, terrorizing innocent people and shedding blood,
constitute a form of injustice that cannot be tolerated by Islam, which
views them as gross crimes and sinful acts. Secondly: any Muslim who is
aware of the teachings of his religion and who adheres to the
directives of the Holy Qur’an and the sunnah (the teachings of the
Prophet Muhammad) will never involve himself in such acts, because they
will invoke the anger of God Almighty and lead to harm and corruption
on earth.”
Statement of September 15, 2001‘Abdulaziz bin ‘Abdallah Al-Ashaykh, chief mufti of Saudi Arabia:
“You must know Islam’s firm position against all these terrible crimes.
The world must know that Islam is a religion of peace and mercy and
goodness; it is a religion of justice and guidance. . . Islam has forbidden
violence in all its forms. It forbids the hijacking airplanes, ships
and other means of transport, and it forbids all acts that undermine
the security of the innocent.”
Hajj
sermon of February 2, 2004, in “Public Statements by Senior Saudi
Officials Condemning Extremism and Promoting Moderation,” May 2004Shaikh Saleh Al-Luheidan, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Saudi Arabia:
“As a human community we must be vigilant and careful to oppose these
pernicious and shameless evils, which are not justified by any sane
logic, nor by the religion of Islam.”
Statement
of September 14, 2001, in “Public Statements by Senior Saudi Officials
Condemning Extremism and Promoting Moderation,” May 2004Shaikh Saleh Al-Luheidan, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Saudi Arabia:
“And I repeat once again: that this act that the United states was
afflicted with, with this vulgarity and barbarism, and which is even
more barbaric than terrorist acts, I say that these acts are from the
depths of depravity and the worst of evils.”
Televised statement of September 2001, in Muhammad ibn Hussin Al-Qahtani, editor, The Position of Saudi Muslim Scholars Regarding Terrorism in the Name of Islam (Saudi Arabia, 2004), pages 27-28.Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abdallah al-Sabil, member of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars, Saudi Arabia:
“Any attack on innocent people is unlawful and contrary to shari’a
(Islamic law). . . . Muslims must safeguard the lives, honor and property
of Christians and Jews. Attacking them contradicts shari’a.”
Agence France Presse, December 4, 2001Council of Saudi ‘Ulama’, fatwa of February 2003:
“What is happening in some countries from the shedding of the innocent
blood and the bombing of buildings and ships and the destruction of
public and private installations is a criminal act against Islam. . . . Those who carry out such acts have the deviant beliefs and misleading
ideologies and are responsible for the crime. Islam and Muslims should
not be held responsible for such actions.”
The Dawn newspaper, Karachi, Pakistan, February 8, 2003 ; also in “Public Statements by Senior Saudi Officials Condemning Extremism and Promoting Moderation,” May 2004, page 10Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, chairman of the Sunna and Sira Council, Qatar:
“Our hearts bleed for the attacks that has targeted the World Trade
Center [WTC], as well as other institutions in the United States
despite our strong oppositions to the American biased policy towards
Israel on the military, political and economic fronts. Islam, the
religion of tolerance, holds the human soul in high esteem, and
considers the attack against innocent human beings a grave sin, this is
backed by the Qur’anic verse which reads: ‘Who so ever kills a human
being [as punishment] for [crimes] other than manslaughter or [sowing]
corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind,
and who so ever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved
the life of all mankind’ (Al-Ma’idah:32).”
Statement of September 13, 2001 Arabic original at http://www.qaradawi.netAyatollah Ali Khamene’i, supreme jurist-ruler of Iran:
“Killing of people, in any place and with any kind of weapons,
including atomic bombs, long-range missiles, biological or chemical
weapons, passenger or war planes, carried out by any organization,
country or individuals is condemned. . . . It makes no difference whether
such massacres happen in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Qana, Sabra, Shatila,
Deir Yassin, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq or in New York and Washington.”
Islamic Republic News Agency, September 16, 2001President Muhammad Khatami of Iran:
“[T]he September 11 terrorist blasts in America can only be the job of
a group that have voluntarily severed their own ears and tongues, so
that the only language with which they could communicate would be
destroying and spreading death.”
Address to the United Nations General Assembly, November 9, 2001League of Arab States:
“The General-Secretariat of the League of Arab States shares with the
people and government of the United States of America the feelings of
revulsion, horror and shock over the terrorist attacks that ripped
through the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, inflicting heavy damage
and killing and wounding thousands of many nationalities. These
terrorist crimes have been viewed by the League as inadmissible and
deserving all condemnation. Divergence of views between the Arabs and
the United States over the latter’s foreign policy on the Middle East
crisis does in no way adversely affect the common Arab attitude of
compassion with the people and government of the United States at such
moments of facing the menace and ruthlessness of international
terrorism. In more than one statement released since the horrendous
attacks, the League has also expressed deep sympathy with the families
of the victims. In remarks to newsmen immediately following the tragic
events, Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa described the
feelings of the Arab world as demonstrably sympathetic with the
American people, particularly with families and individuals who lost
their loved ones. “It is indeed tormenting that any country or people
or city anywhere in the world be the scene of such disastrous attacks,”
he added. While convinced that it is both inconceivable and lamentable
that such a large-scale, organised terrorist campaign take place
anywhere, anytime, the League believes that the dreadful attacks
against WTC and the Pentagon unveil, time and again, that the cancer of
terrorism can be extensively damaging if left unchecked. It follows
that there is a pressing and urgent need to combat world terrorism. In
this context, an earlier call by [Egyptian] President Hosni Mubarak for
convening an international conference to draw up universal accord on
ways and means to eradicate this phenomenon and demonstrate
international solidarity is worthy of active consideration. The Arabs
have walked a large distance in the fight against cross-border terrorism
by concluding in April 1998 the Arab Agreement on Combating Terrorism.”
September 17, 2001, http://www.leagueofarabstates.org/Dr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference:
“Following the bloody attacks against major buildings and installations
in the United States yesterday, Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Dr.
Abdelouahed Belkeziz, secretary-general of the 57-nation Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC), stated that he was shocked and deeply
saddened when he heard of those attacks which led to the death and
injury of a very large number of innocent American citizens. Dr.
Belkeziz said he was denouncing and condemning those criminal and
brutal acts that ran counter to all covenants, humanitarian values and
divine religions foremost among which was Islam.”
Press Release, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, September 12, 2001Organization of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers:
“The Conference strongly condemned the brutal terror acts that befell
the United States, caused huge losses in human lives from various
nationalities and wreaked tremendous destruction and damage in New York
and Washington. It further reaffirmed that these terror acts ran
counter to the teachings of the divine religions as well as ethical and
human values, stressed the necessity of tracking down the perpetrators
of these acts in the light of the results of investigations and
bringing them to justice to inflict on them the penalty they deserve,
and underscored its support of this effort. In this respect, the
Conference expressed its condolences to and sympathy with the people
and government of the United States and the families of the victims in
these mournful and tragic circumstances.”
Final Communique of the Ninth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, October 10, 2001Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey:
“Any human being, regardless of his ethnic and religious origin, will
never think of carrying out such a violent, evil attack. Whatever its
purpose is, this action cannot be justified and tolerated.”
Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, “A Message on Ragaib Night and Terrorism,” September 21, 2001Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar), Turkish author:
“Islam does not encourage any kind of terrorism; in fact, it denounces
it. Those who use terrorism in the name of Islam, in fact, have no
other faculty except ignorance and hatred.”
Harun Yahya, “Islam Denounces Terrorism”Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf Islahi, Pakistani-American Muslim leader:
“The sudden barbaric attack on innocent citizens living in peace is
extremely distressing and deplorable. Every gentle human heart goes out
to the victims of this attack and as humans we are ashamed at the
barbarism perpetrated by a few people. Islam, which is a religion of
peace and tolerance, condemns this act and sees this is as a wounding
scar on the face of humanity. I appeal to Muslims to strongly condemn
this act, express unity with the victims’ relatives, donate blood,
money and do whatever it takes to help the affected people.”
“Messages From Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf Islahi,”Abdal-Hakim Murad, British Muslim author:
“Targeting civilians is a negation of every possible school of Sunni
Islam. Suicide bombing is so foreign to the Quranic ethos that the
Prophet Samson is entirely absent from our scriptures.”
“The Hijackers Were Not Muslims After All: Recapturing Islam From the Terrorists”Syed Mumtaz Ali, President of the Canadian Society of Muslims:
“We condemn in the strongest terms possible what are apparently vicious
and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with
all Canadians in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of
the perpetrators. No political cause could ever be assisted by such
immoral acts.”
Canadian Society of Muslims, Media Release, September 12, 200115 American Muslim organizations:
“We reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of the crime committed on
September 11, 2001 and join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss
of up to 6000 innocent civilians.”
Muslim American Society (MAS), Islamic Circle of North America
(ICNA), Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Muslim Alliance
of North America (MANA), Muslim Student Association (MSA)Press statement from Council for Islamic American Relations
U.S. MUSLIMS CONDEMN TERRORIST ATTACKS (9/11/2001) –
Muslims in USA today condemned the apparent terrorist attacks in New
York and Washington and offered condolences to the families of those
who were killed or injured.
In a statement, local Muslim representatives said:“We condemn in the strongest terms possible what are apparently vicious
and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with
all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of
the perpetrators. No cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts.”All members of the Muslim community are asked to offer whatever help
they can to the victims and their families. Muslim medical
professionals should go to the scenes of the attacks to offer aid and
comfort to the victims. Muslim relief agencies should contact their
counterparts to offer support in the recovery efforts. Individual
Muslims should donate blood by contacting the local office of the Red
Cross. They should also send donations to those relief agencies that
are on the scene of the attacks.“We further call on media professionals to exercise restraint and not
draw premature conclusions as to who was responsible for the apparent
attacks.”The Islamic Circle of North America declares Friday, September 14, 2001, a day of mourning and prayers
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is extremely horrified and
saddened by the tragedy in New York and Washington D.C. Our hearts and
prayers are with the families of the victims of this horrible and
despicable crime. We condemn this heinous act and call upon our
political leaders and the media to act responsibly, and not generalize
when speculating about the perpetrators. Islam does not permit such
unjust actions. Muslims are not terrorists and we condemn any terrorist
attack against all people.There were several hundred Muslims working in the World Trade Center.
And, a large number of Muslims used to offer Friday prayer in the World
Trade Center. There are many Muslims, who are still among the missing.We appreciate and thank President Bush for acknowledging that American
Muslims and Arab American are also saddened by this terrorist attack
and by making it clear that any hate crime against Muslims will not be
tolerated.Our hearts are with those who have lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy and our prayers are with the departed souls.
The Islamic Circle of North America declares Friday, September 12,
2001, a day of mourning and prayers. All the Muslims are requested to
make special prayers for the dead and the injured and also for the
suffering families.Scholars of Islam speak out against terrorism; clarify position of Islam
Monday, September 17, 2001
Scholars of Islam issued a statement today, condemning the violent attacks of September 11th.
“We are grief-stricken at these horrifying events,” they wrote; “the
murder of innocents can never be justified and must not be tolerated.”In a lengthy statement, professors from major colleges and universities
throughout the country expressed their compassion for grieving family
members while also decrying the increase in violence against American
Muslims this past week. “Anger and frustration are completely
understandable and shared by us all,” they wrote “yet that anger must
not be directed at individuals utterly innocent of these terrible
crimes.”In recent days, verbal and physical attacks against Muslims (and people
who were thought to be Muslims) have been reported from California to
Vermont. Muslims have been warned to stay home or to avoid wearing
traditional dress. “Particularly distressing is the fact that many
American Muslims have fled to the United States, seeking a haven from
intolerant regimes in Kosovo, Afghanistan or Iraq. For them now to face
intolerance and violence here is an abuse of our Nation’s most deeply
cherished beliefs” they said.The co-signers of the statement are members of many scholarly societies in the United States and Canada. They include:
Professor Asma Afsaruddin, of Notre Dame University
Professor Vivienne Sm. Angeles, La Salle University
Professor Ghazala Anwar of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Professor Jonathan Brockopp, Director of the Religion Program at Bard College
Professor Patrice C. Brodeur of Connecticut College
Professor Arthur Buehler of Louisiana State University
Professor Amila Buturovic of York University
Professor Juan E. Campo of the University of California, Santa Barbara
Professor Vincent J. Cornell of University of Arkansas
Professor Frederick M. Denny Chair of Islamic Studies and the History of Religions, University of Colorado
Professor Abdullahi Gallab of Hiram College
Professor Behrooz Ghamari of Georgia State University
Professor Alan Godlas of University of Georgia
Professor Hugh Talat Halman, of University of Arkansas
Professor Pieternella (Nelly) Harder Vandoorn,, of Valparaiso University
Professor Marcia Hermansen of Loyola University, Chicago
Professor Valerie J. Hoffman, of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Professor Qamar ul-Huda, of Boston College
Professor Aaron Hughes of the University of Calgary
Professor Amir Hussain of California State University, Northridge
Professor John Iskander of Georgia State Univeristy
Professor Ahmet Karamustafa of Washington University in St. Louis
Professor Tazim Kassam of Syracuse University
Professor Zayn Kassam of Pomona College
Professor Ruqayya Khan of University of California at Santa Barbara
Professor Kathryn Kueny, of Lawrence College
Professor Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Dean of the College, Georgetown University
Professor Richard C. Martin, Emory University
Professor J.W. Morris, Chair of Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter
Professor Gordon D. Newby, Executive Director, Institute for Comparative and International Studies at Emory University
Professor James Pavlin of Rutgers University
Professor Jack Renard of St. Louis University
Professor Omid Safi of Colgate University
Professor Walid Saleh of Middlebury College
Professor Zeki Saritoprak of Berry College
Professor Michael Sells, Haverford College
Professor Laury Silvers-Alario of Holy Cross University
Professor Alfons Teipen of Furman UniversityThe Islamic Center Of Irvine unequivocally condemns, without
reservation, the killing of any innocent people by any persons through
any means, irrespective of the religious affiliation or nationalities
of the killers or the killed.from http://www.islamiccenterofirvine.com/articles.php?action=show&id=224
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