Don't define Muslims by their worst

[Al-zakir]

Thursday, November 12, 2009 3:10 AM

By Leonard Pitts Jr.

A sampling from the Web: "Why are these Muslim invaders allowed to carry on freely in this country . . . protected by outreach, Obama, and PC mental illness?" "Simply put, most Muslims in non-Islamic countries have an evil axe to grind and a scurrilous hidden agenda." "Muslims should be deported from this country! They offer nothing to Americans!"

This outburst from message boards and bloggers is traceable to Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist and American Muslim accused of killing 13 people and wounding 29 in a rampage last week at Fort Hood, Texas. At this writing, we know next to nothing of why he did it.

Maybe he was a stone cold psychopath like Eric Harris who, with Dylan Klebold, shot up Columbine High in 1999.

Maybe he was deranged and delusional like Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 people and himself at Virginia Tech in 2007.

Maybe he was driven by a grudge against the federal government like Timothy McVeigh, who blew up a federal building in 1995.

Maybe he was a terrorist.

Predictably, it is the last possibility that has ignited outrage and condemnation from the usual speak-first, think-later types, employing the usual sweeping half truths and untruths to argue that Muslims are un-American and contribute nothing to this country.

One wonders what they would say, then, to Cpl. Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, U.S. Army, Muslim, American, killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Or to Spec. Rasheed Sahib, U.S. Army, Muslim, American, accidentally slain by a fellow soldier in Iraq. Or to Maj. James Ahearn, U.S. Army, Muslim, American, killed by a bomb in Iraq. Or to Cpt. Humayun Khan, U.S. Army, Muslim, American, killed when he approached a suicide bomber in Iraq.

Would they continue in loud ignorance? Or would they simply, finally, shut up? The latter is probably too much to hope: The majority is often eager to stamp the minority with the worst actions of its worst members. The minority is left to wonder why only its worst are judged emblematic, while its best are forgotten or ignored.

So it is for Muslims, now, sacrifices and service unremembered and unremarked.

If you study the list of American casualties, you find names redolent of every other place on Earth, names that smell of Scottish highlands and Korean marketplaces, Yemeni ports and Nigerian mosques, Russian steppes and Mexican farms. All of them choosing to make their lives in the land of burger joints, rap music and amber waves of grain . . . a land where, it is boasted, a man is not his past, a man is not his culture, a man is not his tribe. A man is a man.

It is an ideal never fully realized and yet, an ideal soldiers with names from every other place on Earth sign up every day to defend. That ought to tell you something. It ought to make you proud.

And it ought to leave you impatient with the shrill, intolerant voices who would have us believe Nidal Malik Hasan is every Muslim in America.

For what it's worth, those same voices sang out when Japanese-American soldiers left internment camps to fight for freedom. And when African-American soldiers went abroad to defend democracy, then came home and were lynched still wearing their uniforms.

The story is told of a black woman who refused to salute the American flag and scorned her father, a veteran, because he did. Finally he explained: He did not stand to honor the nation as it was, but the nation as it could be if only it embraced its own ideals.

One suspects his reasoning would resonate with the Muslim-American soldier walking his post in the wake of the shooting at Fort Hood. He stands up for his country.

Let us hope his country will do the same for him.

Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for The Miami Herald.
E Mail : lpitts@miamiherald.com

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Don't define Muslims by their worst | The Columbus Dispatch

 

[UchihaCG]

He made a stupid generalization........ it's not true that "all" muslims are not patriotic to their country.

But I personally from Muslim friends I have know for a fact. They love Islam more than they love America. (you might be different) but I do live in the middle of an Ismaili community in VA and i have many close friends, who all told me the same answer when i asked.

Though it's wrong, i do believe this article has some truth in it.

 

[fhassan]

"Don't define Muslims by their worst"

Why not? Muslims define jews by their worst even though they haven't done much.

you have the bewildering logic of a child; which when combined with your outrageous ignorance and stupidity forms a cocktail for a disastrous human being.

If I go by the concordance approach to argue:

"Two wrongs don't make a right", should suffice.

If I go by the conflicting approach to argue:

The Zionists have ethnically cleansed swedes of land belonging to Muslims; they are doing it now by evicting Palestinian families from family homes in order for Jews to settle in.

But this isn't much hey kiddo?

It is not Muslims, but Jews themselves who are perhaps the most outspoken critics of Israel:

Jews for Justice for Palestinians

"WHO ARE WE?

Jews for Justice for Palestinians is a network of Jews who are British or live in Britain, practising and secular, Zionist and not. We oppose Israeli policies that undermine the livelihoods, human, civil and political rights of the Palestinian people."

People from all walks of humanity express concern over Israeli terror, including peace loving Jews; only a circus clown would argue that it is Muslims that have a problem over something that "isn't much"

Muslims understand the difference between Zionist Jews, and Jews such as these:

who are peace loving, and stand against terror.

Are these self hating Jews?

what about this British Jewish MP?

Avi Shlaim: How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe | World news | The Guardian

The author writes:

"I write as someone who served loyally in the Israeli army in the mid-1960s and who has never questioned the legitimacy of the state of Israel within its pre-1967 borders. What I utterly reject is the Zionist colonial project beyond the Green Line. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the June 1967 war had very little to do with security and everything to do with territorial expansionism. The aim was to establish Greater Israel through permanent political, economic and military control over the Palestinian territories. And the result has been one of the most prolonged and brutal military occupations of modern times."

Read it all.

These are all Jews who stand against Israeli terror; a terror that you say "isn't much".

so, I ask you - are these self hating Jews, that they should express concern over something that "isn't much".

Now that we have established that Israeli terror is a reality, and that it is not only Muslims but Jews who acknowledge it - your argument is completely uprooted.

I think we should send you to Gaza for a day you ungrateful sod.

 

[Solomon2]

Should we "define Muslims" by their best, then? Would anyone care to list a few examples?

 

[Luftwaffe]

solomon2 Should we "define Muslims" by their best, then? Would anyone care to list a few examples?

American Muslims?? if that's what you mean google famous american Muslims..

If not ur asking generally i can list you numerous in us out of us..now i don't know how old you are maybe 50/60 yrs old but you better google before asking such kidish question..

on the contrary should we define christians by their worst..will happily provide u with list of worst in the history on mankind.

 

[Solomon2]

^^^^^
You could just say, "No, not me, I can't think of even one."

 

[Luftwaffe]

good you found out better be careful next time@ solomon2

 

[Luftwaffe]

Great mr indian or mr whatever change your flag first thing in the morning.

Now to the point ww2 was between christians no muslim involved in all commit crimes killing each other "thou shall not kill" good example of christains to demonstrate their Christianity... you talk high but nothing productive comes out of your mouth think before you leap..
And what did WW2 bring...jews to the land of Muslims now once the palastine was a muslim country now Palestinians are looking for their own identity to have a new state to live freely..u talk about nazis u have nazis in so called israel the occupied land of Palestinian...i can list you the african front where british troops killed insulted and raped many african..those american your licking their balls check out Hiroshima Nagasakihow many japs give their lives...don't take this thread to that level i can really list you many but ur mind won't take much useless to talk to a wall..this post should clear things up thou i don't think ur competent enough to get it.

 

[EjazR]

@xdrive

The point of the article was that muslims are not a monolith and majority of the American muslims are educated law abiding and contribute to America. Whats so difficult there to accept unless you are really bigoted?

Are you not aware of that during the cold war where many muslim countries and people gave financial and logistics support apart from lives fighting against the soviets siding (rightly or wrongly) with the US?
Even in WW1 and WW2 many muslims from Punjab, UP and NWFP were part of the Indian army(almost 50&#37 that was allied to the British and gave their lives. You are unaware of that? It would be good if you do some research before making statements illogical statements like these.



----------------

Here is an article that summarises "some" contributions by American Muslims from www.muslimsweekly.com Editor

Muslims Contributions to America
Historical evidence suggests that there were Muslims within the original, native, Ameri-Indian community and that the first group of immigrant Muslims reached the Americas in 1312 (180 years before Columbus). From Mali and other parts of West Africa, Muslim explorers arrived via the Gulf of Mexico for exploration of the American interior, using the Mississippi River as their access route. Abubakri was one of the first to set sail to America from Africa (according to "˜Muslims in America' by Amir Nashid Ali Muhammad).

In 1492 when Columbus arrived here, he was strongly influenced by the writings of 13th century Arab geographer Al-Idrissi, who served as an advisor to King Roger of Sicily. Columbus arrived with Al-Idrissi's book and Muslim captains, crews, and translators. He had two Muslim captains: Martin Alonso Pinzon and his brother Vicente Yanex Pinzon. The Pinzon family was related to Abuzayan Muhammad III, the Moroccan Sultan of Marinid dynasty (1196-1465) (ibid).

Columbus himself admitted in his papers that while his ship was sailing near Gibara on the northeast coast of Cuba, he saw a mosque on top of a beautiful mountain. Ruins of mosques and minarets with inscriptions of Qur'anic verses have been discovered in Cuba, Mexico, Texas, and Nevada. A historian, Dr. Berry Fell, in his books "˜America, BC' ("˜BC' representing "˜before Columbus') and "˜Saga America! ,' provided evidence of early presence of Muslims in America.

The Muslim country of Morocco was the first to recognize and acknowledge America's independence in 1777. Morocco was the first nation to sign a peace treaty in 1786 with America, followed by Algeria in 1795, Tripoli in 1796, Tunis in 1797, and Muscat (Oman) in 1833. All the earliest signatories were Muslim countries. During 1788 to 1789, President George Washington exchanged letters with the Sultan Mohammad III about peace and asked the Sultan to plead with authorities in Tunis and Tripoli to obtain the right of free navigation for American ships in the Mediterranean. In this way, American ships entered the sea with the support of Muslims.

There are hundreds of examples of contributions of Muslim immigrants to building the nation in all spheres of American life; here are just a few:

The United States Cavalry hired a Muslim by the name of Hajj Ali to experiment with breeding and raising camels in the deserts of Arizona. Hajj Ali came from Syria in the mid 1850's, and in 1868 he went to work prospecting and scouting for the government. He was given the quaint, American nickname 'Hi Jolly' as he became a local folk hero in Quartzsite, AZ, where he died in 1902. His tombstone is a stone pyramid with a camel on top of it (according to "˜Muslims in America' by Amir Nashid Ali Muhammad).

An African immigrant Muslim, Muhammad Ali Ben Said (1833-18820), joined the 55th Regiment of Massachusetts Colored Volunteers. Serving in Company 1, Muhammad rose from corporal to sergeant by July 16, 1863 (ibid).

In 1875, the wave of Muslim immigrants started coming; the first small group came from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Punjab (Pakistan and India). Some of the Syrian-Lebanese Arabs settled on lower Washington Street and in Brooklyn across the East River around Atlantic Avenue and South Brooklyn (ibid).

The agricultural lands of America were cultivated and raised by African slaves; the original religion of most of them was Islam. African American Muslims were among the major working force in building America.

Muhammad Ali, a boxer, is one of the most famous and world-recognized personalities of the twentieth century. Three times World Heavyweight Champion, Muhammad Ali increased the prestige of America. Other Muslim boxers --Saad Muhammad, Eddie Mustafa, Dwight Braxton (Muhammad Qawi Ali), for examples"” have magnified the name and fame of America.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar, a member of basketball Hall-of Fame, is one of the greatest basketball players of all times. Other famous Muslim basketball players are Jamal Wilkes, Walt Hazzard, Charlie Scott (Shaheed abdul Aleem), Spencer Haywood, Hakeem Olajuwoon, Mahmoud Abdul Rauf, Shareef Abdur Rahim, Larry Johnson, TariqAbdul Wahad, and Craig Hodges. Other examples of outstanding athletes among Muslims include Ahmad Rashad, former receiver for the Minnesota Vikings and now a national sportscaster; Abdus-Salam, a former tackle for the New York Jets; Raghib (Rocket) Ismail, a receiver for L.A. Raiders; Salaam, a running back for Chicago Bears; Karim Abdul Jabbar of the Miami Dolphins; Efram Salaam of the Atlanta Falcons; and Mustapha Muhammad of the Colts.

Abdul Hakeem Muhammad, a computer scientist with the IRS, won the "Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service" for his work in the field of computers open system standards and technical architectural environment. This is one of the highest, most rare, and unusual Congressional awards won by an IRS employee.

Dr. Fazlur Rahman, Khan, a Bangladeshi Muslim immigrant, and outstanding architect, designed Chicago's John Hancock Center in 1970, the One Shell Plaza in Houston in 1971, and the Sears Tower in Chicago in 1973.

El-Hajj Malik el-Shabbaz (Malcolm X) was a leader of international fame, and his legacy continues to influence Americans today. There have been dozens of famous Muslims in Jazz music, arts, and other entertainment fields, and American Muslim contributions are visible in every walk of life from the most sensitive and military areas to more common jobs.

Presently, there are more than 5,000 Muslims in uniform on active duty in the military. A Pakistani American in uniform, Azhar Mahmood, recently died in the War in Iraq and is now buried in Long Island, New York.

American Muslim women are also adding their names to the list of distinguished inventors, scientists, engineers, etc. Among them is Lubna Ahmad, a young biomedical engineering student who recently invented a noninvasive sensor for obesity and diabetes management.

In the First World War, Muslim states were allied with America, even against the Muslim State of Turkey. In the Second World War, Muslims were again allied with the US, with all their political, economic, and military resources. In the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Muslim states were allies of America. Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey were the front line states against the Soviet Unio! n; they were vulnerable and exposed to the danger of nuclear assault of the enemy. Till now, US military bases were all over the Muslim world, allied with America.

Since 1945, all the natural resources of the Muslim World have been at the disposal of American companies. Presently, only one Muslim country, Saudi Arabia, has an investment in America that is more than one trillion dollars.

At the society level, Muslims have the lowest divorce rate, lowest abuse rate, lowest domestic violence, lowest criminal percentage, and Islam gives a model for an ideal family. Muslims, making up the second largest religious minority of the country, contribute moral values to the society and thus reduces the crime rates. Masajid (mosques) play a great role in minimizing crime, drug usage, and other social evils. Muslims living in America have helped create a bridge between America and the most resourceful Muslim worlds.

In a nutshell, Muslims in America were always an asset and never a liability.

They are always well-wishers and benefactors of America. Any nation that, instead of rewarding its benefactors, begins punishing them instead invites the wrath of God. I request that all citizens of America stand with Muslims in these difficult times and differentiate between lies and truths so that together we may build a better America based on truth, justice, and a Godly American dream.

 

[Nazru]

The key reasons why muslims will always be looked as a threat to any society is because of the key perceptions that my non-muslim friends have raised.
1. The concept of Ummah is contradictory to the concept of nation-states. "I shall not kill an enemy who belongs to my faith" theory has to be shunned by muslims. We need to take a leaf out of Hindus' holy book, where God persuades the protoganist to fight his cousins, who are evil.
2. Hadiths that prohibit befriending non-muslims, doing business with non-muslims, does not do any good for a muslim in a nation state.
3. Faith Islam and Political Islam is interwined. We cannot differentiate between them because, Islam is a way of life. However rest of world has effectively implemented this separation.
Non-muslims look forward to a reformation in islam to the nature of what christianity underwent under Protestantism. Till then, every society shall look at Islam as a tickling time bomb.
Today though majority of muslim population shall be moderate in thought, there is nothing that guarantees, that 3 generation later, when the muslim poulation % increase, we resort to disturbing the civil society. The intolerance and rioting by muslims in france and other parts of europe only furthers this assertion to a neutral non-muslim.
Unless there is a thorough reformation in Islam, and a revamp of Koranic interpretation applicable to nation-state secular civil society, there is little for a non-muslim to believe today silent majority shall not become violent as time progresses.

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

The key reasons why muslims will always be looked as a threat to any society is because of the key perceptions that my non-muslim friends have raised.
1. The concept of Ummah is contradictory to the concept of nation-states. "I shall not kill an enemy who belongs to my faith" theory has to be shunned by muslims. We need to take a leaf out of Hindus' holy book, where God persuades the protoganist to fight his cousins, who are evil.
2. Hadiths that prohibit befriending non-muslims, doing business with non-muslims, does not do any good for a muslim in a nation state.
3. Faith Islam and Political Islam is interwined. We cannot differentiate between them because, Islam is a way of life. However rest of world has effectively implemented this separation.
Non-muslims look forward to a reformation in islam to the nature of what christianity underwent under Protestantism. Till then, every society shall look at Islam as a tickling time bomb.
Today though majority of muslim population shall be moderate in thought, there is nothing that guarantees, that 3 generation later, when the muslim poulation % increase, we resort to disturbing the civil society. The intolerance and rioting by muslims in france and other parts of europe only furthers this assertion to a neutral non-muslim.
Unless there is a thorough reformation in Islam, and a revamp of Koranic interpretation applicable to nation-state secular civil society, there is little for a non-muslim to believe today silent majority shall not become violent as time progresses.

Do you think the same for 160 million Indian musliums too.

 

[Nazru]

Do you think the same for 160 million Indian musliums too.

The degree of integration and assimilation of the 160 million muslims in india has decreased since independence. [In ideal scenario it should have been increasing]. The voice of fundamentalist point of view of islam is, no doubt, getting louder in india, to the extent that there was an outcry from a group of people against A R Rahman for his visiting a sufi shrine after getting oscars.
This can be attributed to many reasons, the key being the nature of the influential muslim in the society. Leaders of Indian Muslim last century were those who rejected two-nation theory and believed in co-existence and moderation[like maulana azad]. However the influentials in the last 2 decades have been the ones with saudi thought and funding. [Be it criminals like Dawood or the average construction worker in Jeddah]

 

[ssheppard]

Here are some interesting Excerpts from an article I just finished reading:


Talking of extremism, I was bemused recently by the sight of large bearded men blocking the aisle and access to the galley and toilet in a Sri Lankan Airways flight as they spread out mats and knelt and bowed in prayer. It was bad enough when the small club class section was thus used as a flying mosque, but when passengers from economy seats began encroaching, people complained to the staff.

Thats an amazing show of your religiousness....but why trouble yoour fellow passengers....

Apparently, these devout Pakistanis were members of the Tablighi Jamaat; one of them, no doubt taking me for a Sri Lankan, suggested in English that I study Islam. I was so annoyed by this time that I told him rather brusquely in Urdu that I did not need his advice or guidance.

Such holier than thou attitude could be damaging....

This kind of thing often happens in PIA flights, but to inconvenience other passengers is hardly Islamic, especially when there is a clear dispensation from praying for travellers. And there is nothing to prevent people from praying quietly in their seats.

The hypocrisy of these people was exposed when we were waiting for our baggage at Karachi airport. The maghrib azan was relayed over the sound system as our bearded fellow-passengers stood around the luggage belt. Not one of them moved to pray, although there was ample space available. So clearly, their ostentatious display of devoutness while we were airborne was purely for show.

What shouid I say here....


This public parading of piety is yet another legacy of the Zia era we are still struggling with. Now, separate areas have been designated for prayers in various airports around the world due to demands made by Muslim travellers. But they are largely empty as it appears the faithful would rather catch up on their duty-free shopping than pray.

Much as we might deplore the recent phenomenon of Islamophobia in the West, we should recognise that largely, it is fuelled by the outward symbols of their faith so many Muslims insist on displaying prominently. Long, unkempt beards for men, and all-enveloping shrouds for women, have come to symbolise Islam in many Western eyes. Somehow, people who insist on shoving their faith in the face of others seem to think this outer display makes them better Muslims.

A religion is a personal and private thing....so why force other to respect your believes...do what you religion asks you and keep it to yourself.


To some extent, this attitude can be explained by the desire of a minority to express their separate identity in an alien milieu. However, the irony here is that this identity is being asserted by a generation that was born and brought up in the West. By insisting on parading the symbols of their separateness, they are in effect rejecting the values of their host culture. Unfortunately, in these polarised post-9/11 days, erecting this barrier means that many Muslims are marginalising themselves.


In practical terms, this growing gap between Muslim migrants and their descendants, and the host community of Europeans and Americans, means that Muslims remain behind in terms of education and employment. This is truer of Europe than America, but clearly, this cleavage does not help the cause of mutual understanding. Until we learn that belief is a private matter not to be paraded at every excuse, we will continue being viewed with suspicion wherever we go.

DAWN.COM | Columnists | Traveller?s tales

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

Here are some interesting Excerpts from an article I just finished reading:


Talking of extremism, I was bemused recently by the sight of large bearded men blocking the aisle and access to the galley and toilet in a Sri Lankan Airways flight as they spread out mats and knelt and bowed in prayer. It was bad enough when the small club class section was thus used as a flying mosque, but when passengers from economy seats began encroaching, people complained to the staff.

Thats an amazing show of your religiousness....but why trouble yoour fellow passengers....

Apparently, these devout Pakistanis were members of the Tablighi Jamaat; one of them, no doubt taking me for a Sri Lankan, suggested in English that I study Islam. I was so annoyed by this time that I told him rather brusquely in Urdu that I did not need his advice or guidance.

Such holier than thou attitude could be damaging....

This kind of thing often happens in PIA flights, but to inconvenience other passengers is hardly Islamic, especially when there is a clear dispensation from praying for travellers. And there is nothing to prevent people from praying quietly in their seats.

The hypocrisy of these people was exposed when we were waiting for our baggage at Karachi airport. The maghrib azan was relayed over the sound system as our bearded fellow-passengers stood around the luggage belt. Not one of them moved to pray, although there was ample space available. So clearly, their ostentatious display of devoutness while we were airborne was purely for show.

What shouid I say here....


This public parading of piety is yet another legacy of the Zia era we are still struggling with. Now, separate areas have been designated for prayers in various airports around the world due to demands made by Muslim travellers. But they are largely empty as it appears the faithful would rather catch up on their duty-free shopping than pray.

Much as we might deplore the recent phenomenon of Islamophobia in the West, we should recognise that largely, it is fuelled by the outward symbols of their faith so many Muslims insist on displaying prominently. Long, unkempt beards for men, and all-enveloping shrouds for women, have come to symbolise Islam in many Western eyes. Somehow, people who insist on shoving their faith in the face of others seem to think this outer display makes them better Muslims.

A religion is a personal and private thing....so why force other to respect your believes...do what you religion asks you and keep it to yourself.


To some extent, this attitude can be explained by the desire of a minority to express their separate identity in an alien milieu. However, the irony here is that this identity is being asserted by a generation that was born and brought up in the West. By insisting on parading the symbols of their separateness, they are in effect rejecting the values of their host culture. Unfortunately, in these polarised post-9/11 days, erecting this barrier means that many Muslims are marginalising themselves.


In practical terms, this growing gap between Muslim migrants and their descendants, and the host community of Europeans and Americans, means that Muslims remain behind in terms of education and employment. This is truer of Europe than America, but clearly, this cleavage does not help the cause of mutual understanding. Until we learn that belief is a private matter not to be paraded at every excuse, we will continue being viewed with suspicion wherever we go.

DAWN.COM | Columnists | Traveller?s tales

Painted all Muslims with one brush , totally wrong

 

[EjazR]

I guess you have some misconceptions here and no majority do not look at muslims as a "threat" to society. But some misconceptions do create "perceptions". Perceptions is not reality

The key reasons why muslims will always be looked as a threat to any society is because of the key perceptions that my non-muslim friends have raised.
1. The concept of Ummah is contradictory to the concept of nation-states. "I shall not kill an enemy who belongs to my faith" theory has to be shunned by muslims. We need to take a leaf out of Hindus' holy book, where God persuades the protoganist to fight his cousins, who are evil.

First of all Ummah or Ummati Muhammad as mentioned in the Qurana and Hadith refers to the entire mankinf fromt eh time of prophet muhammed till the last day. It includes muslims and non-muslims. "Ummathood" if you may want to call it could be equated to humanitarianism or universal botherhood. It is about having universal humanitarian care and concern of fellow human beings. Why should this be shunned by muslims? The concept of a "Just war" in Islam is similar to case in Mahabharta were Krishna urges Arjun to fight his cousins.

2. Hadiths that prohibit befriending non-muslims, doing business with non-muslims, does not do any good for a muslim in a nation state.

You are again mistaken here, there is no such ruling or verse in the quran that outrightly rejects friendship. Infact, respect is given to those non-muslims who are god fearing and pious. Infact, there are numerous examples were Prophet hiumself had trade relations with non-muslims. Indonesia is another example were Islam was spread mainly by muslim traders. Today the biggest trading bloc accound for USD $100B in trade with India is the predominantly muslim block comprising of Arab league contries. So please tell your friends that muslims "not allowed" to do bussiness with non-muslims is all hogwash

3. Faith Islam and Political Islam is interwined. We cannot differentiate between them because, Islam is a way of life. However rest of world has effectively implemented this separation.

This is again false particularly if you look at traditional Islamic teachings. The political Islamic viewpoint was promulgated by ideologues such as Syed Qutb and Maududi. Even conservatives ulema from Salafi aka Wahabbi groups denounce this ideology and consider wrong. You may not hear a lot on this because most rebuttals to this are in Arabic and targetted mainly to muslim audiences. Extensive discussion on this is already here http://www.defence.pk/forums/curren...red-questions-case-pakistan-6.html#post572729

So the universal and traditional nature of Islam and the religious nationlist discourse is completely different and are actually against traditional Islamic teachings. Whats more this is stated by some of the most conservative ulemas like the Salafi ulema in Saudi Arabia. That is why groups like Al-Qaeda actually denounce these traditional ulema as kafirs and follow the takfiri ideology again completely alient to traditional Islam


Infact, this ideology is a bigger threat to muslims than non-muslims. More than 90% of those killed are muslims by these groups.
http://www.defence.pk/forums/curren...ight-times-more-muslims-than-non-muslims.html

Even in Kashmir, more than 90% of civilians killed by militants are actually muslims
http://www.defence.pk/forums/kashmi...lled-kashmir-militants-kashmiri-official.html

Non-muslims look forward to a reformation in islam to the nature of what christianity underwent under Protestantism. Till then, every society shall look at Islam as a tickling time bomb.
Today though majority of muslim population shall be moderate in thought, there is nothing that guarantees, that 3 generation later, when the muslim poulation % increase, we resort to disturbing the civil society. The intolerance and rioting by muslims in france and other parts of europe only furthers this assertion to a neutral non-muslim.
Unless there is a thorough reformation in Islam, and a revamp of Koranic interpretation applicable to nation-state secular civil society, there is little for a non-muslim to believe today silent majority shall not become violent as time progresses.

Yes it is true that muslims have to reform themselves and instead of falling for these emotional and wrong politcal Islamic discourse they should return to traditional Islamic teachings. But at the same time, it is necessary to remove preconceived notions as well. Rioting by muslims in france? Why not call it rioting by poor immigrants, there were number of christains as well from African countires. What about the IRA, should that be called Catholic terrorism? It was a very secretarian violence between protestants and catholics. Recently in India we had some alleged sanathan sanstha members trying to blow up bombs near a church, should that be called Hindu terrorism or blamed on Hinduism? Ofcourse not.

So I suggest you come out of your comfort zone and stop looking at muslims as a monolith. Like the author stated, yes there are bad apples among muslims, but don't define them using this fringe fanatics.

Because of the world wide funding during the cold war era and state backing by US and the west during the Soviet Afghan war, these politcal Islamist groups had become powerful and hence more prominent that other extremists groups. Just imagine for example what those alleged Sanathan Sanstha members could have done if they had 8years of US and west support and training in subversive activities and then left to do whatever they want.

If you want to look there are plenty of examples were the silent majority of the muslims are not silent bu quite vocally opposing these terrorists.