Good for Them

A coalition of Islamic groups in the U.K. have placed a major ad in newspapers condemning the terrorist attacks last week and encouraging their members not to engage in terrorism.  While my assessment of the Koran is that it does teach violence against non-believers, I'm happy for those who prefer to focus on the peace teachings and ignore the violent teachings.  The average Muslim doesn't really study Islam closely and mostly believes what is taught by leaders.  So good for the leaders who placed this ad and are teaching their followers not to engage in terrorism.

Comments

[Mo]

As soon as I started reading the wording of this document, warning bells went off. I was going to get into it, but I see that Robert Spencer has already done so, and much better than I ever could.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/017278.php

[Karen A.]

Thanks for the link, Mo. Very good analysis. I guess one should never read a Koran verse, either!

[Mo]

Karen - Wise words for any piece of literature, I'd say!

[Alan Pierce]

Yeah, I agree that the Koran teaches violence. However, there hasn't been a surge in fundamentalist Islam like we are seeing today since the hight of the Caliphate in the Middle Ages. For centuries Muslim leaders have been fairly liberal on their interpretation of the Koran. Doesn't it kind of make you wonder what is motivating this shift in Islam? My guess is it's motivated by political matters, namely the western involvement in Middle Eastern affairs. However, I'd like to hear alternative explanations on the shift in Islam.

[Louis Kuhelj]

I suspect the ever increasing wealth and power of the west is just making them envious and greedy. As they look at the past glories of the Otoman empire, they say to themselves...look at how far we have fallen behind...the time for action is now before we slip further behind.
It is about love of money and power hidden under the religious burka of Islam. It simply confirms 1 Tim 6:10.

[Mo]

Alan P. and Louis - I don't know enough of the history speak on it intelligently and effecively, but let's pretend all that is true. Envy of riches or anger at involvement in the ME doesn't justify the violence we're seeing. Never.

It's a problem needing to be addressed both within the Muslim community as well as outside of it.

The fact remains that neither side is doing a whole lot about it. This is a nice gesture, but as noted above, the wording is suspect, as it hints that (as you both seem to be hinting) that it is a problem of the victims of the terrorsim, rather than a problem of those committing it.

[Louis Kuhelj]

"The fact remains that neither side is doing a whole lot about it. This is a nice gesture, but as noted above, the wording is suspect, as it hints that (as you both seem to be hinting) that it is a problem of the victims of the terrorsim, rather than a problem of those committing it.
"

Mo,
If I left that impression, it was not my intention. The problem stems from a culture that has its historical roots well grounded in conquest. It is a culture that is steeped in education about its history (this is something alien to US that tends to abandon its history[slavery etc.]) The feeling that Islam should dominate exists within the Muslim world to varying degrees, but peaks within the leadership of those we now label as Islamists. It is that leadership that is interested in gaining wealth and power through the use of Muslim ideology. Of course, they use others to do their dirty work. This is not unusual if you understand the history where Muslims(during the height of their empire) would occupy a part of a country, kidnap the kids of that part and then train them as solders to go back to their own land to fight against their own people. The difference is that in the west, we learn the lessons of war and the lessons of peace. When Islam is taken to the extreme, the only lessons that radicalized Muslims are interested in learning is that of war. Being the top dog at any cost is the only thing that matters. It is naked ambition at its worst.