I reject Dr. Pipes' distinction between Islam and Islamism

Submitted by Steve (United States), Aug 29, 2007 at 13:43

With all due respect to Dr. Pipes' erudition and scholarship, I do not buy this distinction between Islam and Islamists. My guess is Dr. Pipes would be hard-pressed to argue that Muslims like Osama bin Laden and his many Muslim supporters here in the U.S. and elsewhere are not Muslims in good standing: that they are not following the example of the prophet Muhammad. A cursory reading of the life of Muhammad, there is little doubt he would be in the camp Dr. Pipes calls "Islamists."

Does this make the prophet a bad Muslim? Quite the contrary, Muhammad was a good Muslim.

Formerly Christian Lebanon, through high Muslim birth rate and immigration, has been taken over by the Muslim majority. Ask Lebanese Christians and other non-Muslim minorities --- that have been persecuted, subjugated, even murdered by their Muslim neighbors --- if they distinguish between moderate Islam and Islamists. The answer would be "no." This is not to say there are not moderate Muslims. Clearly there are but as the years go by here in the U.S. and in Europe, these will be more and more marginalized by faithful Muslims who keep the true faith of the prophet. Moderate Muslims will be silenced; perhaps put to death as apostates and infidels.

What Dr. Pipes calls "Islamists," these are good Muslims who walk in the sayings and the deeds of the prophet Muhammad.

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