What to look out for

Submitted by Nabil Ahmad (United States), Aug 9, 2006 at 10:21

Perhaps I can give some advice here to people trying to root out terrorism...

I was born in a Sunni Muslim family and take my religion very seriously for many years now. I'm not perfect, but I do try to live my life according to the Qur'an and Sunna. And I know I can do better.

It is with great despair and sadness that I see so many of my co-religionists acting in violation of one of the most sacred tenets of the faith as dictated by the Qur'an and historical precedence: The sanctity of all life, and not just human life. All I hear is "The Qur'an says this" and "the Hadith says this". But no one bothers to think deeply into the meaning of these great historical texts. Anyone can find justification for violence, chaos and mayhem in any book that's out there. Charles Manson found it in the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter" of all places.

First of all, the government and the mainstream media should not give extremist organizations such as CAIR and ISNA a pass. They should be shut down if any of them have been found to be involved in any anti-American activities. This, I believe, would be in perfect accordance with not just US law but also Islamic principles. Shutting them down would not be an un-Islamic or anti-Islamic act in the least. Just as disbanding the organization known as "Democratic Kampuchea" (That's what the Khmer Rouge called themselves after they had been driven out of power in 1979 by the Vietnamese military) would not be considered to be undemocratic in the least.

Second, keep a close eye on those individuals who constantly harp against "infidels", "Jews", etc. Another character trait that is present in people who are likely to undergo "Sudden Jihad Syndrome" is wildly swinging worldviews. This was certainly the case in Mr. Haq here. People who drink alcohol one day and then become super-religious zealots overnight should make anyone nervous. It is obvious to me that such individuals, regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds, don't have what I would call a "philosophical center".

Not all Muslims are bad people. I'm sure that many Muslims would agree with me with regard to what i have mentioned above. The questions that need to be answered are: How many Muslims living in the USA, many of whom had to flee their native lands and who now call the USA their home, would defend the USA from those who wish to tear it down?

How many of them realize that it is their duty as Muslims to defend the USA, its people and its Constitution and Bill of Rights against those who wish to turn the USA into something that it is not? How many Muslims in the USA have the courage to hold the leaders of so-called "Muslim" organizations accountable for their words and actions? How many Muslims in the USA have the courage to challenge the status quo with regard to popularly-held beliefs in Islam and think critically for themselves and not follow self-appointed "leaders" and "scholars" like sheep?

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