Though the French political figures have made clear that the terrorist acts were committed by Islamist jihadists, the most important commentary on Islamist behavior has come from Egyptian president Abdel al-Fattah el-Sisi in a speech before religious scholars and clerics at Al-Azhar University, Cairo on December 28, 2014. He put the issue starkly and clearly. There was a need for reform. The problem for the Muslim world was not their faith, but their ideology, which was hostile to the whole world and was a source of concern. That ideology was a body of ideas and texts that had become sanctified in the course of centuries to the point that challenging them had become very difficult. Was it conceivable, Sisi asked, that 1.6 billion Muslims would kill the world’s population of seven billion? The Islamic nation was being torn apart and destroyed. Sisi implored the clerics to revolutionize the religion and get closer to a truly enlightened ideology. There are two outstanding issues: the support that has been given to Muslim clerics who preach the same hatred – hatred against Jews, the State of Israel, and the democratic world in general – and the politicization of Islam. The latter problem, the combination of religious and political power, goes back to the origin of Islam, since in 624 the first raid by the Prophet Mohammed against a caravan in Mecca, and the continuing subjugation of other peoples. From the 7th century on, the Islamic empire stretched from Spain to Constantinople (the center of Christendom at the time), Persia, India, and the borders of China. Holy Islamic wars continued until the 18th century, when the Ottoman Empire suffered some defeats. Such conflicts have been reignited in the late 20th century. Muslimsʼ goal was to spread the “true” faith, led by a spiritual leader who would implement sharia law in the areas conquered. The world was divided into two parts: Dar al-Islam (Home of Peace) and Dar al-Harb (Home of War). The fundamental problem facing the world is whether the extreme Islamist ideology can be ended or controlled. The Western world must act in this regard. Passivity is complicity. Nevertheless, the argument of President Sisi suggests that Muslims must fix the problem. In this regard, it is worth asking where American Muslims stand on this issue. Will the imams and Muslim clerics in the U.S. make categorical statements on Islamic terrorism and condemn all attacks made in the name of the “true” faith? Their voices ought to be heard in mosques condemning Islamic violence. The haunting question is whether the Muslim world can reform itself and embrace freedom of expression, religious freedom, tolerance, and an end to violence based on religious hatred. World peace depends on the outcome.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:53:37 +0000
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