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The guy was a crackpot...

Reader comment on item: [Ra'ed Mansour al-Banna:] The California Suicide Bomber

Submitted by Nabil Ahmad (United States), Apr 5, 2005 at 12:02

Ra'ed Mansour al-Banna was described by his father as "not very religious" initially by his father. Perhaps this is what we need to look for. Some people have had a way of going from being "secular" to "fundamentalist" within a relatively short period of time...these are the people that may need to be looked into. I don't think most of them truly understand Islam themselves, nor took the time to reflect. To them, I would be just another West-loving "Kaffir" or "traitor" to my Muslim "brothers". Well then, so be it. God will be the ultimate judge of us all, anyway.

I was raised in a moderately religious Muslim home by my parents. I turned more seriously towards religion in my teens, but could never become a "fundamentalist"...to me, Islam and "fundamentalism" just don't go together. Many, if not all, "Muslim fundamentalists" have total disregard for the central tenets of Islam...mercy, compassion and equity towards others, love and fear of God and His Judgement, a commitment to working for peace, harmony and understanding and observing and respecting the laws of whatever land that the individual lives in. If the law of the land prevents one from being a Muslim, it would be the duty of that individual to leave that land one way or the other. If one wishes to spread Islam, he/she must first prove to others through words as well as deeds in order for Islam to have any appeal at all to non-Muslims. This was the case throughout history; Islam forbids forcing anyone to "convert" to Islam.

Suicide-bombing and other violent acts of war from within a community, "forced conversions" and other acts of persecution and oppression have no place in Islam and are considered rightfully to be acts of "terrorism". All wars in Islam (Jihad) must be waged between armed bodies of men/women with the purpose of protecting against persecution and oppression. I don't believe that any truly religious Muslim would support terrorism. Those that support terrorism while passing themselves off as "devout Muslims" are the worst curse that Islam has faced...they are destroying Islam from within. It saddens me deeply. But I also believe that in the end, God will take care of His own, and He owns everything. We shall all return to Him.
Submitting....

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Reader comments (35) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
How Terrorists Could Use the California Values Act to Evade Detection [107 words]JamesMay 26, 2018 00:06243091
Answer to Mumbai [323 words]Arlinda DeAngelisApr 26, 2005 08:1721821
Why does this not happen in other religions? [146 words]Yldaed SurivApr 15, 2005 15:0921684
How much Islam is responsible for creating terrorists [27 words]A.AhmedApr 13, 2005 11:4721624
The article [323 words]AllenApr 10, 2005 11:2121504
The problem with that formula [127 words]Emmanuel PApr 8, 2005 13:3721486
1How come the family did not know about their son? [623 words]N. KhalediApr 7, 2005 21:5921477
Fodder for a teddy boy [196 words]Donald OApr 7, 2005 21:1721476
Why does a normal Muslim turn into a terrorist? [20 words]Ayesha A.Apr 7, 2005 13:0221468
Honesty [79 words]S.C.PandaApr 6, 2005 05:5421428
Missing the wood for the trees [417 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiApr 6, 2005 00:5721418
Looking for new recruits [451 words]JohnApr 5, 2005 15:4321375
Australian model: Sure, but.... [150 words]JB TantApr 5, 2005 14:2121370
Preview of things to come......... [228 words]Warren BaconApr 5, 2005 12:5621368
The guy was a crackpot... [378 words]Nabil AhmadApr 5, 2005 12:0221366
Friend or Foe?? [211 words]Rebecca E. MouldsApr 5, 2005 12:0121365
Probably recruited while still in Jordan [88 words]Richard ConoboyApr 5, 2005 11:2021363
Strange Biography [152 words]WernerApr 5, 2005 00:0521353
1Why are Muslims so obsessed with "honor"? [98 words]Funk Soul BruhvaApr 4, 2005 23:2921351
Apropos muslim immigrants who become jihadists [218 words]Gabriel RinzlerApr 4, 2005 22:5221350
So what if someone who hated us passed through? [217 words]Peter J. HerzApr 4, 2005 21:5921348
Jihadis [59 words]Donald W. BalesApr 4, 2005 19:5821347
To Error is Human, to Kill is Martydom [69 words]Chris KApr 4, 2005 19:5221345
Or, perhaps, a distraught man? [198 words]G. LobeApr 4, 2005 18:5821343
The case for immigration control: the Australian model [188 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Octavio JohansonApr 4, 2005 17:5021341
The Australian immigration-system [18 words]JAFeb 18, 2006 19:2121341
Australian immigration policies [58 words]KevinJan 2, 2009 20:1121341
Great Details and Analysis [79 words]AlexApr 4, 2005 17:1721338
What are we looking for? [91 words]Marcy GlanzApr 4, 2005 16:5921337
The California Suicide Bomber and Cognitive dissonance [126 words]Stan FuttermanApr 4, 2005 16:0521335
Credibility [126 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
David PintoApr 4, 2005 15:5721334
Another brick in the wall [89 words]Darwin BarrettApr 4, 2005 15:5721333
Islam a Jihadist religion [194 words]Gloria StewartApr 4, 2005 15:1621331
SLEEPERS'S TACTICS [192 words]Marcos BerensteinApr 4, 2005 14:5321329
Where are the real America Moslims? [31 words]JP ArcherJun 1, 2006 12:5021329

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