A fatwa against terrorism that might work

Arif2 writes:

"Ten more imams in the protected west will come out with new fatwas but that will change nothing."
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You do know that this country, "Pakistan", in which Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri lives isn't in the west, right?

Ghouse, why do you lie so much? Why is it so important for you to further the lies of a 1400 year old dead terrorist, a self proclaimed prophet mohammed bin abdullah? It is time you re read your koran. These fatwas are useless, they are men who are trying to give islam a new life in the west. Ten more imams in the protected west will come out with new fatwas but that will change nothing. Islam is inherently violent, a direct link to koran and their nabi.

Lol, Ghouse is so deceitful.

In my mind, the problem with Islam is that everybody thinks they can turn to the half-remembered words of a back-alley charlatan from 1,400 years ago for guidance.

That's why Islamic countries remain backwards compared to the rest of the world, they don't have a mechanism for rejecting outmoded ideas and developing a modern society.

In order to succeed in a modern society, Muslims need to reject the medieval thought patterns of ancient desert tribesmen. But there the words are, written on paper. Ghouse can lie to us and pretend the words aren't really saying what we can all see. But he's wrong.

Islam was invented with the purpose of giving Muhammad power and wealth. He succeeded in that. Then he died. let's bury the man's words with his corpse and forget the evil that he wrought upon the world.

Ghoose advises Yeal 9:
“Before you write another verse from Quraan, read three verses before and after and make sure you read a few different translations. Three versions (about status of women in Islam) are mistranslated to egg on the neocon Christians, Neocon Jews and Neocon Muslims.”

I read it in its original Arabic version and I come to the same conclusion as Yeal. I, furthermore, have yet to read an interpretation by a respected Muslim theologian who thinks differently about our understanding of the status of women in Islam.

"Islam is deeply anti-woman. Islam is the fundamental cause of the repression of Muslim women and remains the major obstacle to the evolution of their position.[1]

Islam has always considered women as creatures inferior in every way: physically, intellectually, and morally.

This negative vision is divinely sanctioned in the Koran, corroborated by the hadiths, and perpetuated by the commentaries of the theologians, the custodians of Muslim dogma and ignorance."

"The Islamic tradition also attributes guile and deceit to women and draws its support from the Koran. Modern Muslim commentators interpret certain verses to show that guile, deceit, and treachery are intrinsic to a woman's nature.

Not only is she unwilling to change, she is by nature incapable of changing - she has no choice.[3] In attacking the female deities of the polytheists, the Koran takes the opportunity to malign the female sex further.

4.1 17. They invoke in His stead only females; they pray to none else than Satan, a rebel.

53.21-22. Are yours the males and His the females? That indeed were an unfair division!

53.27. Lo! it is those who disbelieve in the Hereafter who name the angels with the names of females.

Other verses from the Koran also seem of a misogynist tendency.

2.228. Women who are divorced shall wait, keeping themselves apart, three (monthly) courses. And it is not lawful for them that they should conceal that which Allah hath created in their wombs if they are believers in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands would do better to take them back in that case if they desire a reconciliation. And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them. Allah is Mighty, Wise.

2.282. But if he who oweth the debt is of low understanding, or weak or unable himself to dictate, then let the guardian of his interests dictate in (terms of) equity. And call to witness, from among your men, two witnesses. And if two men be not (at hand) then a man and two women, of such as ye approve as witnesses, so that if the one erreth (through forgetfulness) the other will remember.

4.11. Allah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children: to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females.

4.34. Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart; and scourge (beat) them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them Lo! Allah is ever High Exalted, Great. "

This Fatwa may not be an absolute deterrent to terrorism, but it begins a process of creating a norm of explicitly expressive disdain towards extremism.
Dr. Qadri can fortify this fatwa with signatures from imams representing each of the major Muslim populations around the world.

RAOTAYI – Muslims are sick of the extremists than you probably are, not only these few handful of goons make the lives difficult for all, they generate Necons to wage hate propoganda against Muslims. Muslims are the first ones to condemn evil men whether they are Muslims, or any one. Your assumption is dead wrong. No one likes terrorism and no one wants to be a terrorist, the society causes situations to give birth to those attitudes.

YEAL9 – There is no such thing as Male control of women in Quraan. Quraan is a book of guidance, If you can purge the stereotyping out of your mind and read the Quraan with an unbiased mind, you will see the difference. It is your understanding that is wrong, not the Quraan. Before you write another verse from Quraan, read three verses before and after and make sure you read a few different translations. Three versions are mistranslated to egg on the neocon Christians, Neocon Jews and Neocon Muslims.

Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net

Instead of a 600 page fatwa (which apparently has no power unless given by an ayatollah with goons to enforce it), Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadriis should have demanded a rewrite of the Koran where all passages dictating male Muslim control of women and the world are deleted.

And by the way, why doesn't Muqtedar Khan demand the same???

Is this Fatwa for real or done for western consumption? Did this Mr. Qadri just realize that terrorism is wrong? Is this fatwa only against western targets only or does it apply to the actions taken by teh bigots in Philippines, East Tim-or, Kashmir, etc. By the way what was his position on these for the past 20 or so years. These so called fatwas come out in dribs and drabs and generally have zero affect on the street. The clerics, hot heads and the so called respected have been stoking the flames for a long long time. They have been riding thes saber toothed tigers for a long time. I am not sold on this BS.

Like previous fatwas, this new "fatwa against terrorism" leaves the most important question -- what is the legally accepted definition of terrorism? -- unanswered -- http://www.twf.org/News/Y2010/0303-Fatwa.html.

In 2005, then UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, recognized this need, and called for a "universally accepted definition of terrorism, he endorsed the wording contained in the recent report from the UN High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, . . . The panel defined terrorism as any action intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organisation to do, or abstain from, any act."

Five years later, there's still no generally accepted definition of terrorism -- presumably because it would include acts that major powers now commit with impunity.

Enver Masud
Founder, The Wisdom Fund

This is indeed good Fatwa, and has a chance of making a difference. I have elaborated that in my earlier comment.

The responsibility for peace and safety falls on each one of our shoulders.
Terrorism is an evil cycle that we all need to work on mitigating. When bad guys hit a child, the child either resorts to screaming, cursing, biting or throwing whatever he can find in self-defense or simply surrender to the abuse of the bully. The fight continues, and of course the powerful bully wins. A woman under attack or even a man under attack will do the same, but perhaps a protracted fight ensues. The bully lives in fear of the weak moment.

The responsibility for peace falls on both shoulders not just one.

You push a bully to the corner; the bully knows that the opponent is a stronger bully and is going to win, one of the few choices, if at all, he has is to strike and do the most damage before he is knocked out. No one wants to be a terrorist for the heck of it, our attitudes and arrogance of power entrenches them, we the bigger bullies prevail, but with constant fear.

The residue of unresolved justice lingers on like lava, simmering to erupt some day. Terrorism multiplies with counter terrorism. We the smart people do the dumb things.

The dumbest thing we do is blame the religion; religion is an intangible item, you cannot kill it, you cannot hang it or you cannot jail it. Religion is an excuse to find refuge for bad acts, and you and I, like idiots fall for it and give them that excuse and real criminal remains at large.

They are bad guys; they are Muslims, they are Hindus, they are Jews and they are Christians, their religion had nothing to do with their bad acts, they label it and we suckers buy it, how dumb. It is time to single out bad guys, go after Osama, go after individuals who have wronged and hang them high. Justice has a chance to be restored. Muslims are not terrorists, neither are others, think about it.

Mike Ghouse is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. He is a thinker, writer, speaker, optimist and an activist of Pluralism, Interfaith, Co-existence, Peace, Islam and India. His work is reflected at three websites and 22 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Khan asserts:
“However those who are still unaware that most Muslims condemn terrorists and that there is nothing in Islam that supports terrorism may perhaps become enlightened as a result of this fatwa.”

It is irrelevant whether non-Muslims become enlightened or not enlightened about the Muslim jurisprudence. We are interested in results. When this madness stops and the so-called extremists decide to live in peace with the rest of humanity, then we will let historians and psychologists argue what brought about the change. Till then we are not interested in excuses and we have enough evidence of Taqqiyah in action.

1. Fatwa may not be a deterrent to terrorism, but it begins a process of creating a norm of explicitly expressive disdain towards extremism.

Dr. Qadri can fortify this fatwa with signatures from imams representing each of the major Muslim populations around the world. I am hosting a luncheon meeting at my home for 12 visiting Imams and heads of Waqfs from 12 Middle Eastern countries, and I hope to get them to endorse it as well, if I can get the text before March 24th.

2. The traditional approach of slapping the bad guys with a religion has got to go, and when those criminal boys are arrested, keep the religion out, do not treat them as Muslims. They are bad boys and need to be treated as criminals. I hope the Muslim community cheers when these extremists are rounded up. They need to feel that, bad acts don’t get cheers, no houris and no respectful burial ground either. I hope he adds in the Fatwa that terrorist will not be given a space for burial in the common Muslim cemeteries. And if the religious law permits, throw them to the vultures. They need to feel used.

3. No matter what you do, critics will be always be there and it should be. It keeps every one on their toes. Dr. Qadir needs to build a critical mass of a movement, enlist the Imams around the world, and let the Friday Sermons include that and hope the process will have its full effect within a decade.

4. This however will not change the minds of hard core Neocon Jews, Neocon Christians, Neocon Hindus and Neocon Muslim from doing what they do best; frightening the crap out of the the constipated clientele (yes) and asking Money. But a majority of them see the change and work together in creating societies of co-existence.

5. Thank you Dr. Qadri, just do it, but get at least 100 Signatures to your Fatwa, it will be more effective.

6. May God bring a positive change with this Fatwa, Amen!

Mike Ghouse is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. He is a thinker, writer, speaker, optimist and an activist of Pluralism, Interfaith, Co-existence, Peace, Islam and India. His work is reflected at three websites and 22 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/