Understanding Radical Islam - Dr. Tawfik Hamid

The Collected works 

Of 

Tawfik Hamid 

Observations 

on Radicalized Islam 

2009-2011 

Understanding Radical Islam

1 

Understanding 

Radical Islam 

Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011

2 

BY: 

Dr. Tawfik Hamid 


3 

Authors Note 

Dr. Hamid would like to thank all those who assisted him to make this work 

available. 

He would like to give special thanks to: 

Blake Musser for his invaluable assistance to Dr. Hamid while producing 

this final product. Mr. Musser’s suggestions, creating the references, and 

creating the final structure for this collection has been instrumental in 

producing this product. 


4 

Introduction 

The field of Islamic radicalism is a complex area of research. It 

includes security, political, sociological, psychological, 

technological, and other dimensions. This is a collection of Op- 

Ed‘s written by Dr. Hamid. These articles address the 

phenomenon of Radical Islam from several angles and address 

these different dimensions to suggest some approaches to deal 

with radicalization. 


5 

Glossary 

Al-Azhar: the most reputable Islamic University in the world. 

Al-Buchary: the most authentic Hadith (sayings of prophet Mohamed) book 

in Sunni Islam. 

Apostates: a Muslim who converted from Islam to other faith or rejected one 

of its basic fundamentals. 

At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb: Targheeb is to encourage Muslims on applying 

Islamic edicts and Tarheeb is to warn them with hell fire if they did not do 

so. 

Baha'i: a relatively modern faith that believes in global peace. 

Bukhari: same as Al-Buchary (Al- means ‗the‘) 

Burqa: Islamic face cover for women. 

Caliphate: worldwide Islamic empire that implement Sharia (Islamic Law). 

Fatwa: statement by Islamic scholars to establish and Islamic religious edict 

and rule. 

Hadith: words and deeds of prophet Mohamed during his live (it does not 

include the Quran which is seen as the words of God himself) 

Hijab: Islamic head scarf for women. 

Hizb Ut Tahrir: an Islamic organization in the UK. 

Imam: Islamic leader or scholar 

Jizia (Jizya): a form of humiliating tax that Non-Muslims MUST pay to 

Muslims when the latter are majority and controlling the country. 

Mecca: Most holy city in Islam 

Minhaj Al-Muslim: a bestselling Islamic book for Islamic jurisprudence that is 

printed and distributed worldwide. 

Mulla: Islamic scholar or leader 

Niqab: an Islamic dress for women that covers completely her face and body 


6 

Glossary Continued 

Sahih Albuchary: same as Al-Buchary 

Sahih Al-Bukhari: same as Al-Buchary 

Salafi: a form ofregressive and literal way of thinking within Islam. 

Sheikh: Islamic scholar. 

Shia: the biggest sect in Islam after Sunni Islam. It exists is several parts of 

the world, however, it is more common in Iran, Iraq, and eastern parts of 

the Arab peninsula. 

Sufi: a Mystical and Non literal way of thinking within Islam (Note Sufi 

Movements does not necessarily follow the ultimate Sufi way of thinking) 

Sunna: words and deeds and biography of prophet Mohamed 

Sunni: a person who follow the Sunna of Mohamed 

Sura: A chapter of the Quran is called Sura. The Quran has 114 Sura(s)Each 

chapter is divided into verses. 

Tabari: a well-known and highly reputable Islamic book about the biography 

of prophet Mohamed 

Umma: Islamic nation that includes ALL Muslims worldwide. 

Wahabbi: a sect of Islam that has been created and is currently very 

influential in Saudi Arabia. Its aim is to implement Sharia rules in the 

country. 


7 

Table of Contents 

Contents 

Islamic Culture .................................................................................................................................. 11 

How Pew Surveys In The Muslim World Can Give More Accurate Results ................. 12 

Differences between Islam, West Must Be Addressed ....................................................... 18 

Sharia Law ............................................................................................................................................ 20 

The US Must Suppress Sharia Law To Uphold Freedom Of Religion ............................ 21 

The Cruelty Of Sharia Law Is Not A Western Perception But An Islamic Reality .... 23 

Is Sharia Law Un-Islamic? ............................................................................................................ 26 

The Movie "The Stoning Of Soraya M." Shakes The Foundations Of Radical Islam29 

Terrorism .............................................................................................................................................. 32 

The Mystery Of The Word "Jihad‖ .............................................................................................. 33 

A Jihadist's Advice On How To Win The War In Afghanistan .......................................... 37 

Do We Only Need More 'Security Measures' Or More 'Common Sense'? ................... 41 

Not "Hardly Existential" ................................................................................................................. 44 

Lessons To Learn From The Times Square Bomb Plot ....................................................... 47 

Who Is To Blame For Terrorism? ............................................................................................... 50 

Applications Of Medical Lessons To The War On Terror .................................................... 52 

Lessons Of The Cold War For The War On Terror................................................................ 55 

Confronting Radical Islam .......................................................................................................... 57 

How Much Support Does Bin Laden Have In The Arab Street? ...................................... 58 

US Could Have Used Bin Laden's Death To Expose Sympathizers ............................... 60 

What Al-Zawahiri Said About The Killing Of Bin Laden? ................................................... 62 

Why, As A Muslim, I Support The Congressional Hearings About Radical Islam .... 65 

Inabilities To See The Dots, Not Merely Failures To Connect Them, Is What 

Hinders Our Ability To Defeat Radical Islam.......................................................................... 69 

Is Your Local Mosque 'Moderate' Or 'Radical'? ..................................................................... 72 

'Intolerance' To Sharia Necessary for Liberty, Freedom ................................................... 75 

Approaches To Addressing Radical Islam - What Will Work And What Will Not ...... 77 


8 

A Challenge To The Ground Zero Mosque Leaders ............................................................. 80 

Shall The Us Start Fighting Terrorism In 'Brainistan'? ...................................................... 83 

Apologetic Attitudes Towards Radical Islam Aggravate It ............................................... 85 

Reformation Of Islam .................................................................................................................... 87 

Can Fresh Interpretations Of Islamic Text Prevent A Possible "Clash Of 

Civilizations?" ..................................................................................................................................... 88 

Passive Attitude Toward Violent Islamic Text Is Destructive .......................................... 91 

A Message to the Muslim World ................................................................................................. 94 

An open letter the Second in command of Al-Qaeda ......................................................... 98 

Killing Sorcerers for Practicing 'Witchcraft' in Islam: Another View ........................... 101 

Fighting Islam With Islam ........................................................................................................... 103 

Can We Turn Burning The Quran Day Into Something Positive? ................................ 105 

Is The Anger Of The Muslim Street Justifiable By Islam? .............................................. 109 

Does The UN Want To Ban The Quran? ................................................................................. 112 

Fighting Radical Islam with "Broad Band" ............................................................................ 115 

Islam In The United States ...................................................................................................... 119 

Rise Of Homegrown Islamic Radicalism Raises Concerns .............................................. 120 

What The US Needs To Do To Avoid Another 9/11........................................................... 123 

Supreme Court Takes A Correct Step To Fight Terrorism .............................................. 126 

A Comment On Mr. John Brennan's Speech To CSIS, "Protecting The American 

People From Terrorism And Violent Extremism" ................................................................ 129 

Analysis Of The Recent Bin Laden Tape (Today on CNN) .............................................. 135 

Shall We Treat Islamic Terrorism As A Criminal Act Or As An Act Of War? ............ 137 

Bridges Between The US And The Muslim World Must Be Two-Way ......................... 140 

The Case Of The 5 Young American Muslim Jihadists Raises Several Concerns ... 142 

The Media Must Convey The True Message Sent By The Jihadists ............................. 145 

Ignoring The Role Of Ideology In The Ft. Hood Massacre Is Disastrous .................. 147 

US Reaction To Muslims In Its Military MUST Be Well Calculated............................... 150 

The Disaster at Ft. Hood Army Base in US Raises Critical Concerns ......................... 153 

Does Rifqua Bary have to wear the Hijab or become a terrorist to get care from 

the US president? ........................................................................................................................... 156 


9 

Discrimination Against Non-Muslims In The U.S. Must Stop ........................................ 160 

10 Questions some Liberals Must Ask Themselves ........................................................... 162 

US Relations With Muslim World .......................................................................................... 165 

US Intervention in Libya MUST follow ‗All or Nothing‘ Rule ........................................... 166 

Was Muslims' Violent Reaction To Burning The Quran Preventable? ......................... 167 

The US Need To Expand Its Focus In Fighting Radical Islam ....................................... 170 

Analysis Of President Obama's Speech To The Muslim World ...................................... 173 

Weakening Islamism Is Vital To Improve US Image In The Muslim World ............. 177 

The Future Of Egypt Between Secularism And Islamism ............................................... 183 

Democracy Will Not End Radical Islam .................................................................................. 186 

Islam In Europe .............................................................................................................................. 189 

Swiss Reject Building Minarets ................................................................................................. 190 

Is The Decision Of A "Partial" Ban On The Burqa In France Enough? ....................... 192 

How The "Hijab Martyr" Case In Germany Demonstrates Moral Hypocrisy In The 

Muslim World ................................................................................................................................... 195 

The Arab-Israeli Conflict............................................................................................................ 198 

Ensuring Israel Military Superiority Is Vital To Maintain Peace Treaties In The 

Middle East ........................................................................................................................................ 199 

Why George Mitchell Failed ........................................................................................................ 202 

How Israel Should Respond To The Recent Palestinian Terror Acts ........................... 204 

Why the Arab-Israeli Conflict Has Not Yet Been Resolved ............................................. 206 

Where To Point The Finger Of Blame In The Flotilla Incident ....................................... 209 

Few Questions to Osama Bin Laden ....................................................................................... 212 

Defeating Hamas Is Vital To Bring Peace To The Middle East ...................................... 215 

A New Relationship Between Muslims And Jews Is Required ....................................... 219 

Is The West Is Pushing The Wrong Button Of The Arab Israeli Conflict? ................. 221 

Bin Laden Lying To The West To Defame Israel ................................................................ 224 

Iran ......................................................................................................................................................... 226 

Remove The Iranian Nuclear Cancer NOW Before It Metastasizes ............................. 227 

Dealing With The Iran Threat Requires Wisdom ................................................................ 229 


10 

The lessons that Muslims must learn from the Iranian model: Islam is NOT the 

solution ............................................................................................................................................... 232 

Iran Must Stop Blaming Others for Its Faults ..................................................................... 234 

Iran‘s Defeat Necessary For Mideast Peace ......................................................................... 237 

Saudi Arabia ...................................................................................................................................... 239 

Is Saudi Arabia leading A Reformation of the Muslim World? ...................................... 240 

A Man Charged With Sorcery And Sentenced To Death In Saudi Arabia May Be 

Beheaded This Friday After The Prayer ................................................................................. 243 

Saudi Fatwa Against Terrorist Finance Is A Good Step, But More is Needed ......... 245 

Egypt ...................................................................................................................................................... 248 

Is There A Way To End The Riots In Egypt Peacefully? .................................................. 249 

Finally, the First True Reformation Of Islam Is Starting ................................................. 251 

How The United States Can Act To Help The People Of Egypt And Win The Hearts 

And Minds Of The Entire Muslim World ................................................................................. 253 

Possible Case Scenarios For The Future Of Egypt ............................................................. 255 

The Delay In Removing Mubarak Can Change Chaos In Egypt From 'Reversible' To 

'Irreversible' ..................................................................................................................................... 258 

There Is Nothing That Can Stop This Nightmare But The Resignation Of The 

President Immediately ................................................................................................................. 259 

Playing Chess With The Muslim Brotherhood ...................................................................... 260 

The Egyptian Revolution: A Brief Moment of Opportunity For Israel......................... 264 

How Further Radicalization Of Egypt In Post-Mubarak Era Can Be Prevented ...... 266 

US Must Strike While The Iron Is Hot .................................................................................... 269 

What's Next For Egypt? ............................................................................................................... 271 

How The US Should Deal With The Muslim Brotherhood ............................................... 275 

The Straw That May Break Egypt's Back .............................................................................. 278 

Book Review ...................................................................................................................................... 281 

Who Really Does Speak For Islam? ........................................................................................ 282 


Islamic Culture 

11 


How Pew Surveys In The Muslim 

World Can Give More Accurate 

Results 

12 

It is fair to say that the methodology and statistical analysis of Pew surveys 

in the Muslim world follow correct scientific methods. However, the results of 

the survey can be significantly affected by the type and the wording of the 

Questions (as the survey itself acknowledged. 

This can be illustrated in the recent Pew survey in Egypt that was released 

on April 25 th . The results of this survey could have yielded much more 

accurate description of the situation in Egypt if the following points were 

addressed. 1 

1- Better selection of the words of the survey: 

One of the questions of the survey asked the participants to give their 

opinion about the future law in Egypt. The question offered 3 possibilities: 

a- If they would prefer the laws in the country should strictly follow the 

teachings of the Quran. 

b- Only follow the values and principles of Islam 

c- The laws should not be influenced by the Quran. 

The results showed that 62% of the participants wanted the law to strictly 

follow the Quran. These results would indicate for many that the 

overwhelming majority of the Egyptians will choose an Islamic party like 

the Muslim Brotherhood to rule the next government. To the contrary, the 

result of the survey showed that only 17% of the participants in the 

survey wanted the Muslim Brotherhood to rule the next government 

(compared to a majority of 57% wanted Non-Islamic parties to rule the 

government). 

The use of the word "Sharia Law" rather than using the word "Quran" was 

a better indicator of the percentage of the population who truly want to 

see full implementation of Sharia Laws in the country. For example some 

Muslims (especially Sufis) may see the Quran mainly as a book for doing 

1 Egyptians Embrace Revolt Leaders, Religious Parties and Military, As Well. (2011, April 

25). Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://pewglobal.org 


13 

rituals; others (such as the Quranics) may reject several elements of 

Sharia Laws such as stoning for adulteries as it is against the Quran. In 

fact, some progressive Muslims currently try to 'strictly' use verses from 

the Quran to support freedom of religion (Quran 2:256, 18:29) and to 

stop the traditional Sharia principle of killing the apostates. This, again, 

illustrates the importance of making a distinction in the questions 

between "Sharia Law" and the "Quran". 

Ideally, the questions should have been even more specific by asking the 

participant if they want to see the Egypt controlled by Sharia Laws such 

as the case of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Somalia, and the Taliban or that they 

are content by the Sharia inspired Law that they already have in the 

country. The results of such a specific question can clearly demonstrate if 

Egypt will turn into another country that is ruled by Sharia Laws (which 

may will grave consequences on the economy as such a choice will be a 

big blow to tourism industry) or the country will be secular with Islamic 

flavor as in the case of Turkey (in this situation tourism Industry can 

survive with its positive impact on the economy). 

2- Asking some questions in a specific context: 

According to the survey 54% of the participants wanted to annul the 

peace treaty with Israel. This is a useful piece of information that is 

compatible with the level of growing Anti-Semitism in the country. 

However, the result did not clarify if the majority of the Egyptians would 

still support ending the peace treaty with Israel if this step will cause 

significant damage to their economy. For example, a person who might 

be working at a Hotel or as a Taxi driver may support ending the peace 

treaty with Israel as an abstract concept but may have different response 

if he recognized that this decision can damage tourism in the country and 

thus affect negatively his personal income or job. 

To illustrate this point in the Egyptian culture it is useful to use a wellknown 

Egyptian joke that says that a Muslim farmer asked the Sheik 

(Religious Scholar) of his village that what Islam says if a dog touched a 

wall. The Sheik answered him by saying that "the wall must be 

destroyed". The farmer then informed the Sheik that he has asked this 

question as a dog touched the wall of the house of the Sheik himself. The 

Sheck-according to the story said to him "in this situation all what is 

needed is to clean it with small amount of water"!!! The point here is that 

asking the same question in a different context may yield a completely 

different answer. 

It was also important to ask the participants of the survey if they would 

also support ending the peace treaty with Israel even if this decision 


14 

would cause serious damage to the economy of the country and their 

personal income as well. If the percentage of those who want to annul 

the peace treaty with Israel decline significantly when they consider the 

impact of the decision on their economy this could be used to start 

information and educational media campaign to clarify to the population 

in Egypt the negative impacts of ending the peace treaty with Israel on 

the economy of the country and their personal welfare. 

3- Put clear definition to the used terminology: 

According to the survey 31% percent sympathize with the Islamic 

Fundamentalists. The word "fundamentalists" need to be clearly defined 

in this situation as it might mean for some "terrorists" and for others it 

might mean those Muslims who want to force women to wear the Niquab 

(full face cover). The former case is frightening as it simply means that 

31% of the population would support terrorism. This could be true, 

however, a clear definition for the word MUST be given to understand the 

true way of thinking within the society. 

In addition, the survey demonstrated that 50% of the participants consider 

religious freedom as one of their top priorities. Again, the expression 

"Religious Freedom" MUST be clearly defined as it might mean for some 

people in the Egyptian society the right of every individual to choose his faith 

and believe and for others it might mean the freedom of Muslims to 

implement suppressive Sharia Laws. 

In general, the survey was very beneficial however; some improvements on 

the questions are needed to yield more useful results. 


Understanding Islamic Culture Vital in 

Dealing with Its Problems 

15 

In an Op-Ed published August 27 th in the New York Times, Thom Shanker 

mentioned that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, 

has written an intense critique of government efforts at "strategic 

communication" with the Muslim world. 2 The critique comes as the United 

States is widely believed to be losing ground in the war of ideas against 

extremist Islamist ideology. 

The issue is particularly relevant as the Obama administration ordered fresh 

efforts to counter militant propaganda, part of its broader strategy to defeat 

the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

"To put it simply, we need to worry a lot less about how to communicate our 

actions and much more about what our actions communicate," Mullen wrote 

in the critique, to be published by Joint Force Quarterly, an official military 

journal. 

Members of Congress also have also expressed concern about the 

government's programs for strategic communication, public diplomacy, and 

public affairs. Both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have 

raised questions about the Pentagon's programs for strategic communication 

- and about how money is spent on them. 

Understanding Islamic culture and types of Muslims is vital to develop 

effective strategic communication approaches. A simplistic visual analysis of 

Islamic culture can be illustrated using five concentric circles that represent 

categories. 

The outer circle consists of "cultural Muslims," who follow their religion in a 

somewhat superficial manner. They consider their religion a part of their 

culture, but do not necessarily read much about their faith or practice their 

religion actively. Islam simply forms a framework identity for the social 

activities they engage in or identify with. 

The second circle is occupied by "ritual Muslims" who mainly practice the five 

pillars of Islam and are against violent edicts of Sharia laws (such as stoning 

adulteries and killing apostates). 

2 Shanker. T. (2009, August 27). Message to Muslim World Gets a Critique. The New York 

Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com 


16 

The third circle represents "theological Muslims," who study in greater depth 

Islamic texts and are interested in implementing Sharia law to replace the 

secular law of the land. This group can represent major threat to values of 

liberty and the stability of the free world once their percentage exceeds 

certain threshold in the society. 

The fourth circle represents "radical Muslims" who accept and promote using 

force to subjugate others to their beliefs. 

The final and innermost smallest circle represents terrorists, who represent 

only a very small fraction of Islamic society but who are ready to sacrifice 

their lives to attack others and have the potential to do major harm. 

Our ultimate goal must be to transition terrorists through the various stages, 

or circles on the bull's eye, so that they leave the center and reside in the 

circles closer to the periphery. In addition, we must prevent the transition of 

individuals from outer circles towards the center. This suffocation type 

strategy of the most inner circle is important to achieve a viable long term 

solution. 

Based on the former analysis we need to tailor our strategic communications 

to suit each group as follows: 

Cultural Muslims: Simple logic and working with this group to promote 

common values of humanity can work effectively to win hearts and minds of 

this group. 

Ritual Muslims: Showing compassion, respect of word and giving care is 

extremely effective tool to win this group to our side against the extremists. 

The state department can play an important role in strategic 

communications with these two groups. 

Theological Muslims: Respectful critique of the violent edicts of Shariah 

law is important to deal with this group as on one hand ignoring such violent 

aspects will only allow the growth of violent and radical believes in the 

society and, on the other hand, disrespectful critique create irrational 

emotional response (such as anger) rather than a sane rational constructive 

response. The government should not be directly involved in this form of 

critique. Other organizations or groups can contribute to this part of the 

strategic communications. 

Radical Muslims: Tactics to create a state of psychological defeat are vital 

to weaken this group as traditional diplomatic approaches are interpreted by 

them as weakness and thus aggravate the problem of Islamism. U.S. 

Intelligence agencies can play major role in this part. 


17 

Terrorists: One of the crucial ways to deal with this group is to prove to 

them that their acts of terror or suicide bombing bring the opposite of what 

they want to achieve. This can create strong deterring message that can 

weaken them psychologically and makes many of them think twice before 

launching an attack. 

Parameters to characterize each of the above groups (or Muslim categories) 

are needed to be able to: 

Understand the structure of different Islamic societies 

Measure the degree of radicalization within Muslim communities 

Evaluate the effect of anti-radicalization measures used by governments to 

solve the problem of radical Islam. The more we shift toward center and 

away from the periphery, the less effective our measures to weaken Islamic 

Radicalism are, and vice versa. 

Dealing with Islamism phenomenon without addressing the above mentioned 

Muslim categories is a primitive approach that does not allow us to deal with 

the problem effectively. 


Differences between Islam, West 

Must Be Addressed 

18 

President Barack Obama issued a special Ramadan message to the Muslim 

world. The president emphasized the importance of what the United States 

and the Muslim world hold in "common." This is a great approach and 

concept to bridge the gap between civilizations ONLY if the areas of 

difference are not destructive. For example, emphasizing common values 

between the free world and the Nazi regime, such as the building of a strong 

economy, would not have bridged the gap between the two systems unless 

the latter had denounced its barbaric and anti-Semitic values. 

The same principle applies to the current friction between the West and 

Muslim worlds. The problems that currently exist between the latters are not 

because of the "common values" but rather because of the difference in 

specific values that pose a threat to human civilization. Those who criticized 

Islam after September 11 th did not do so because Islam promotes charity, 

fasting, and praying. The criticism was mainly about specific violent 

teachings in mainstream Islamic theology and the deafening silence of the 

Muslim world and its religious scholars against such teachings. These values 

that totally contradict the principles of freedom and liberty of mankind 

include: 

1- Declaring wars on non-Muslims to spread Islam 

2- Killing Muslims who convert to other faiths (Redda Law) 

3- Women until death for having extramarital sexual relations 

4- Permitting the beating of women to discipline them 

5- Allowing polygamy, pedophilia, slavery, and gay killing 

The West did not criticize Buddhism as it did with Islam because the areas of 

difference between the West and Buddhism are not destructive. The areas of 

difference between faiths regarding perception of the creator, percentage of 

charity, type of prayers, and fasting do not pose a threat to others. On the 

contrary, the above-mentioned areas of difference with the Muslim world 

pose a major threat to the security and the freedom of the free world. 

Emphasizing the common values between religions without addressing the 

areas of destructive differences will not solve the problem or bridge the gap 


19 

between the West and Islam. This is simply because the common values are 

not the cause of the problem. 

Bridging the gap between the West and the Muslim world will not occur until 

the Muslim world and its scholars admit that these values (see points above) 

are unacceptable, and find other ways to understand the religious text that 

do not justify such crimes in the name of religion. 

The Muslim world has the responsibility to reciprocate the president's 

invitation to improve relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world. The 

Muslim world can play positive role in building bridges with the West by: 

1- Sending greetings from leading Islamic scholars and organizations to 

Christians at Christmas and to Jews at Hanukkah. 

2- Denouncing Redda Law, thereby allowing Muslims to convert to other 

faiths without any punishment, just as non-Muslims can freely convert 

to Islam in the West without any punishment. 

3- Change and suspend the traditional teaching that Muslims must wage 

wars on non-Muslims to offer them one of three options: convert to 

Islam, pay jizia (humiliating tax paid by non-Muslims to Muslims), or 

be killed. 

4- Publish new theologically-based books of Islamic jurisprudence that 

stand against beating women, slavery, killing apostates, and other 

violent edicts of Sharia. 

5- Stop dehumanizing Jews in mainstream Islamic teaching. 

As long as the Muslim world insists on teaching violent principles or refused 

to reject them as mentioned earlier, the gap between it and the West will 

only increase, and the efforts to bridge the gap of civilizations will be 

inefficient. 

Once the Muslim world puts an end to these destructive points, the voices 

that emphasize the "common values" will be able to succeed in their great 

mission to make our world better. 


20 

Sharia Law 


21 

The US Must Suppress Sharia Law 

To Uphold Freedom Of Religion 

A popular new law that bars Oklahoma courts from considering Islamic law, 

or Sharia, when deciding cases was put on hold Monday after a prominent 

Muslim in the state won a temporary restraining order in federal court. 1 This 

ruling was issued in the name of freedom of religion and minority rights. 

U.S. District Court Judge Vicki Miles-LeGrange ruled that the measure, which 

passed by a large margin in last Tuesday's elections, would be suspended 

until a hearing on November 22 nd , when she will listen to arguments on 

whether the court's temporary injunction should become permanent. 

"Today's ruling is a reminder of the strength of our nation's legal system and 

the protections it grants to religious minorities," said Muneer Awad, 

executive director of Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in 

Oklahoma, who filed the suit last Thursday, claiming the law violated his 

constitutional rights. 2 

"We are humbled by this opportunity to show our fellow Oklahomans that 

Muslims are their neighbors and that we are committed to upholding the 

U.S. Constitution and promoting the benefits of a pluralistic society," Awad 

said. 

Awad's statement blatantly misrepresents the realities of Sharia law. 

Sharia Law advocates the opposite of freedom of religion and minority 

rights. For instance, one of the fundamental principles of Sharia Law is that 

Muslims who leave Islam, i.e., apostates, should be killed. Allowing Sharia 

Law to pertain in US courts completely ignores the rights of the Muslim 

apostate minority and in so doing endangers their lives. 

Imagine that a Muslim apostate was in the courtroom in the US. If an 

Islamic Mullah insisted that Sharia law mandates that this apostate be killed, 

would the judge allow this ruling of Sharia Law? If the judge stopped the 

killing process, according to the ruling by US District Court Judge Miles- 

LeGrange, the judge would be limiting the religious freedom of the Mullah. 

1 Barnes, E. (2010, November 08). Oklahoma's Ban on Shariah Law Blocked: Supporters 

Blame State Attorney General. Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/us/ 

2 Muslim's Lawsuit Says Okla. Amendment Violates Constitution Posted. (2010, November 

04). Counsel on American-Islamic Relations. Retrieved from http://www.cair.com 


22 

The judge must suppress the "religious freedom" of the Mulla in order to 

give the apostate his constitutional rights to freedom of religious beliefs. It 

is impossible to have it both ways: the man will live if the Constitution is 

regarded as the law, or he will die if Sharia is allowed to overrule the 

Constitution. 

The US courts MUST draw a clear line between parts of acceptable parts of 

Sharia that are considered personal issues, which are usually not debatable 

in court rooms, such as washing before prayers and those foundational and 

fundamental parts of Sharia that promotes violence, discrimination, and 

gender inequality. These Sharia rules include killing apostates, beating 

women, stoning of women for adultery, killing homosexuals, accepting 

slavery, and inequality in inheritance between a man and a woman. 

Some may argue that Sharia can be accepted in US courts as there are 

many interpretations of Sharia Law. This naïve approach ignores the fact 

that differences in Sharia interpretations are not about the acceptability of 

violent edicts but rather about details of their implementation. For example, 

the four main schools of Jurisprudence in Islam are Shafii, Maleki, Hanbali, 

and Hanafi. Without exception, including in contemporary times, none of 

these schools of Islamic jurisprudence have ever condemned the punishment 

of stoning. The views of the four schools of jurisprudence differ only with 

regard to insignificant issues such as the size of the stones that must be 

used. 

Those who promote the acceptance of Sharia Law in the US need to realize 

that, not one single approved Sharia Law book clearly rejects the Redda Law 

(Killing of Muslims who convert to other faith or deny a fundamental part of 

the religion). Islamic Sharia texts rejecting this inhumane practice does not 

now exist, and has never existed. The Redda Law is still taught as 

fundamental part of Sharia, practiced by radical Islamic groups, and is 

considered the law of the land in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. 

Others may argue that Sharia in the US should be allowed only to influence 

American courts with regard to regulation of family matters. While this arena 

may sound innocent, the family practices that Sharia allows and even 

encourages include beating women, polygamy, and forcing underage girls to 

marry older men. Women and girls within Islam need American laws to 

protect them from the injustices of Sharia. 

In short, it is impossible to uphold the US constitution and Sharia Law at the 

same time. It is impossible to accommodate both systems together because 

the one protects freedom and equality of humans and the second advocates 

violence and domination. 


23 

The Cruelty Of Sharia Law Is Not A 

Western Perception But An Islamic 

Reality 

President Barack Obama's adviser on Muslim affairs, Dalia Mogahed, has 

provoked controversy by appearing on a British television show hosted by a 

member of an extremist group to talk about Sharia law, the Daily Telegraph 

reported on October 8, 2009. 3 

Ms. Mogahed, an appointee to the President's Council on Faith-Based and 

Neighborhood Partnerships, said the Western view of Sharia is 

"oversimplified," and that the majority of Muslim women around the world 

associate Sharia with "gender justice." 

The White House adviser made the remarks on a London-based TV 

discussion program hosted by Ibtihal Bsis, a member of the extremist Hizb 

ut Tahrir party. 

Hizb ut Tahrir believes in the non-violent destruction of Western democracy 

and the creation of a global Islamic state under Sharia law. 

Mogahed said: "I think the reason so many women support Sharia is 

because they have a very different understanding of sharia than the 

common perception in Western media". Her views on this matter are similar 

to the conclusions that she made of her survey in the Muslim world which 

she summarized in her 2007 book Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion 

Muslims Really Think, co-authored with John L. Esposito. 

What matters in this story is not that Mogahed's comments were said to a 

Hizb ut Tahrir member, but rather the lack of factual reality about Sharia law 

contained in her statements and conclusions. 

At the theoretical level, Sharia books teach and instruct the followers of 

Islam to implement cruel and inhumane treatment for women, such as 

beating wives and stoning them for committing adultery. Endorsements of 

polygamy and underage marriage are also established teachings of Sharia 

Law. These concepts, which clearly discriminate against women, are 

unchallenged in the mainstream Sharia books. 

3 Gilligan, A.& Spillius, A. Barack Obama adviser says Sharia Law is misunderstood. (2009, 

October 08). The Telegraph. 


24 

It would have been much better if Dalia Mogahed, instead of blaming Sharia 

cruelty on Western perception, had mentioned to the audience the name of 

even a single approved Sharia book that stands clearly against these 

inhumane teachings. 

In Mogahed's survey, female Muslim respondents might well have said that 

Sharia represents justice partially because criticizing Sharia Law can create 

major trouble for these women in their societies. In addition, based on 

traditional ways of teaching Islam, denying a well-established and approved 

Islamic law (called in Sharia: "Maaloom Mina Al-Deen Bil Darura,") such as 

any of the former laws, makes the critic an "apostate," who deserves to be 

killed by the Muslim society and who will then "go to hell to be tortured 

forever". Such a fear of punishment can impede an honest critique of Sharia 

law in the Muslim world, thereby casting doubt on the accuracy of the 

conclusions driven from the survey. 

Asking a Muslim living in a Muslim society about his views about Sharia is 

like asking a German living under the Nazis or a Russian during Stalin's era 

about their views regarding Nazism or communism, respectively. Can we 

expect to receive honest answers to such questions? The fear of punishment 

for criticizing the system can completely override people's free will and 

impede their ability to give honest responses. 

When I was young and living in the Muslim world we used to brag that Islam 

is the ONLY religion that gives women their rights, and that polygamy, 

beating women, and stoning them for adultery represents wisdom that is 

beyond our human comprehension. Our fear of criticizing such teachings or 

interpretations prevented us from being able to give an unbiased evaluation 

of Sharia law. The research of Ms. Mogahed should have sought to eliminate 

this element of fear or to use indirect evaluation methods; given that she did 

not, it is hard to draw reliable conclusions from of her research. There is no 

single piece of evidence in Mogahed's book that suggests that the fear factor 

was considered in the evaluation process or that her statistics were 

corrected for this bias. 

It is also important to note that the questions that were asked of Muslim 

women as described in this book were rather non-specific; thus, it is difficult 

to use them to give an accurate evaluation of Sharia. For example, there is 

no single question in the above mentioned book that asks specifically about 

the mentioned violent edicts of Sharia law. 

It can be extremely inaccurate to evaluate the reality of Sharia by simply 

doing a questionnaire asking for the views of Muslims about it. As an 

analogy, what if we asked Bin Laden about Sharia law? He would likely tell 


us that "it represents justice." In his view, the killing of infidels is justice! 

The same concept applies to Ms. Mogahed's questionnaire. 

25 

For example, when Muslim women in the survey say that Sharia represents 

justice, this does not necessarily mean that those women consider beating 

women, polygamy, or stoning for sexual misconduct to be forms of injustice. 

The questions should have been tailored to ask about specific laws such as 

beating or stoning of women, rather than general points. 

Furthermore, at the practical level, all the current systems that implement 

Sharia Law-such as those in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Taliban-controlled 

Afghanistan and Pakistan, and parts of Somalia-legalize the abovementioned 

barbaric teachings against women. It would have been better if, 

instead of trying to convince her Western audience that Sharia law is fair to 

women, Ms. Mogahed had given the audience one single example of a 

country that applies Sharia law and at the same time forbids polygamy, 

beating of women, or stoning. In fact, the Muslim countries that do not 

legally discriminate against women or justify cruelty to them, such as Turkey 

and Tunisia, are only those countries that refuses to implement Sharia Law, 

relying instead on secular laws. 

To conclude, if all approved Islamic Sharia books and all the systems that 

apply Sharia accept or practice the previously mentioned barbaric treatment 

of women, then how come Ms. Mugahed is trying to sell the idea that Sharia 

law is fair to women? As mentioned earlier, the view of some Muslim women 

that Sharia law represents justice could stem from extreme fear of criticizing 

an Islamic law, or it may represent a form of cultural pride that prevents 

many Muslims from openly criticizing their traditional teachings. If all Muslim 

women were to say that Sharia Law is just in its treatment of women, this 

would not make it true, as the terrorists would also claim that Sharia law 

legalizing fighting infidels to subjugate them to Islam is a just law. Some 

people's perceptions about Sharia Law do not change its fundamental 

nature. The only way to change the Western perception about Sharia is to 

change its reality. 


Is Sharia Law Un-Islamic? 

In the last few decades implementing Sharia law has become a point of 

focus and discussion in many parts of the world. 4 

26 

Acknowledging the role of Sharia was addressed by both terror groups such 

as the Taliban and by civilized countries such as the United Kingdom, where 

the Archbishop of Canterbury backed the introduction of Sharia laws. 5 In 

the United States there is an ongoing war between groups and organizations 

that support Sharia -compliant finance and those who are against it. 

One of the arguments used by those who support Sharia -compliant finance 

is that Muslims have the right to adopt an Islamic financial system in the 

West as part of their religious rights. Many in the West were inclined to 

accept this as a matter of respect to Islam. This raises an important issue: Is 

Sharia law truly a part of Islam or is it a man-made political system that 

aims to control others? 

In the first case Sharia law could receive legal privileges granted to religions 

but in the second case it should not be given any of those privileges since it 

would not be considered part of the religion itself. 

Examining Sharia law carefully reveals many important facts that cast 

doubts as to whether it is part of Islam. 

First, the expressions of "Islamic Sharia " and "Islamic law" were never used 

in the Quran or in the Sunna of the Prophet Mohammed. They were invented 

after his death. Since most of the details and structure of Sharia law such as 

the rules of jurisprudence and interpretations of the religious text were 

made after the revelation of Islam was completed, it is hard to consider 

Sharia as part of the religion itself. In other words, if Sharia law with its 

details was part of the Islamic religion it should have been noted before the 

end of the revelation. The Quran states clearly that Islam has been 

completed as a religion far before the invention of the " Sharia law" (Quran 

5:3). 

4 Taher, A. (2008, September 14). Revealed: UK‘s first official sharia courts. The Times of 

London. Retrieved from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ 

Trevelyan, L. (2004, August 26). Will Canada introduce Sharia law? BBC News. Retrieved 

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 

5 Butt, R. (2008, February 07). Archbishop backs sharia law for British Muslims. Guardian. 

Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/ 


27 

Second, Sharia law typically has five sources: the Quran, the Sunna (words 

and deeds of prophet Mohammed), Fiqh (jurisprudence), acts of Prophet 

Mohammed's disciples, and interpretations (Tafseer) of the Quran. 6 ALL 

sources of Sharia other than the Quran are a matter of controversy between 

the two major sects in Islam (Shias and Sunnis). These sects - who agree 

only on the Quran as a source - have completely different sources for Sharia 

law. These sources contradict one another to a level that makes it impossible 

to define Sharia law as part of Islam, as the Quran made it clear that having 

contradictions in the statements or regulations of the religion is evidence 

that the words are not revealed by Allah, not being part of the religion. 7 

Third, Sharia law promotes concepts that contradict the Quran itself. For 

example, Sharia law promotes killing apostates and stoning women until 

death for committing adultery while the Quran - which is the most authentic, 

agreed upon book in Islam - promoted freedom of religion and never 

mentioned stoning as a punishment for adultery (Quran 4:25). In fact the 

Quran made the punishment for concubines who commit adultery half of the 

punishment of the married women (Quran 4:25). Obviously, it is impossible 

to "half-stone" someone until death. This shows that some Sharia laws are 

even against and contradict the Quran itself. 

The same principle applies to Islamic finance as the Quran only mentioned a 

few general principles aimed at having justice and agreement in monetary 

relations between people. Some Islamic scholars are trying to convince the 

West that "Islamic finance" is fundamental to Islam. The Quran never 

suggested a completely detailed law for finance. Most of the rules and 

regulations of Islamic finance were all made after the evolvement of Islam 

as a religion during the lifetime of the prophet. 8 

6 [See Usul Al-Fiqh –Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi Publications 1997 for Imam Mohamed Abu-Zahra 

p191] 

7 (Quran 4:82) ―Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein 

much discrepancy.‖ 

8 The Quranic verses that deals with the Usary or ―Riba‖ are: 

2:276 Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity: For 

He loveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked. 

2:278 O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and give up what remains of your demand for usury, if 

ye are indeed believers.2:275 Those who devour usury will not stand except as stand one 

whom the Evil one by his touch Hath driven to madness. That is because they say: "Trade is 

like usury," but Allah hath permitted trade and forbidden usury. Those who after receiving 

direction from their Lord, desist, shall be pardoned for the past; their case is for Allah (to 

judge); but those who repeat (The offence) are companions of the Fire: They will abide 

therein (forever). 


28 

The question that must be raised in this context is that if the expression 

"sharia law" is not mentioned in the Quran, was created after the end of the 

revelation of Islam, and contradicts clear statements in the Quran, how does 

it have the legal privileges given to religions? Banning Sharia must not be 

seen as banning Islam. 

According to Islamic teaching itself, the former must be considered a manmade 

law that was structured after Islam. It may have some basis in the 

religion but it should not be considered as a part of the religion itself. 

Decision makers should not be reluctant to take active steps against Sharia 

law since it should not be considered a part of Islam. In fact many of its 

rules can be seen as "un-Islamic" or contradictory to the Quran itself. 

3:130 O ye who believe! Devour not usury, doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah. that ye 

may (really) prosper. 

30:39 That which ye lay out for increase through the property of (other) people, will have 

no increase with Allah. but that which ye lay out for charity, seeking the Countenance of 

Allah, (will increase): it is these who will get a recompense multiplied. 

4:161 That they took usury, though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men's 

substance wrongfully;- we have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous 

punishment. 


29 

The Movie "The Stoning Of Soraya 

M." Shakes The Foundations Of 


On Friday night June 26th, the E Street Cinema in Washington, DC hosted a 

packed showing of the film, "The Stoning of Soraya M." The suffering of the 

woman portrayed in the movie is based on the story of an actual stoning 

that took place in Iran in 1986, as described in Freidoune Sahebjam's book 

"The Stoning of Soraya M." 

This extraordinary movie must raise many questions in the collective 

conscience of mankind. 

The first question is: Does the Muslim world expect that non-Muslims -after 

watching such punishment- believe that ―Islam is the religion that gave 

women their rights?‖ [a sentiment shared by many Muslims] 

The second question is: If Islam is truly against the stoning of adulteress, 

where are the approved Sharia (Islamic law) books that clearly and explicitly 

say that stoning is obsolete? Further, where are the voices within the Muslim 

world and Islamic organizations in the West that stand against such 

inhumane punishment? 

To date, all main Islamic schools of jurisprudence -with no single exception - 

approve stoning for adultery. The difference in views within Islamic Sharia 

law about stoning is not about the punishment itself but rather over nuances 

which include the size of stones required for a proper stoning. 

If modern Islamic theology continues its support of the stoning of women, 

Muslims must not expect anything but criticism of their religion. Historically, 

stoning is mentioned in the Bible; however, both Jewish and Christian 

scholars unambiguously agree that it cannot be applied anymore. Currently, 

the stoning of women for the crime of adultery is not only approved by most 

leading Islamic scholars and organizations but also practiced almost 

exclusively in the Islamic world. 

Instead of providing lectures about how Islam is ―tolerant‖ and ―peaceful,‖ 

Islamic scholars and organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic 

Relations [CAIR] and the Islamic Society of North America [ISNA] must be 

clear on their stance against such barbaric practices. If these organizations 

refuse to stand boldly against stoning, it will be difficult for them to speak 


30 

against their critics and the ―Islamophobic‖ community. In fact, developing a 

phobia of a system of law that promotes the stoning of human beings until 

death is the most normal reaction of any sane individual. 

This movie –in my view- is the most powerful weapon in the war against 

Radical Islam. The reason is simple. Peaceful Muslims with a conscience 

only have three possible responses to the film. 

First - to reject stoning; a fundamental concept in the Sunna of prophet 

Mohamed (his acts and deeds) and adopt only the Quran. Stoning as a 

punishment for adultery is only mentioned in the former. This response can 

shake the foundations of the entire religion of Islam as the Sunna plays an 

integral part. The main pillar of Islam (Emad Aldeen) or the five prayers has 

never been described in the Quran itself and is only mentioned in the Sunna. 

In fact, the Quran only calls for prayer three times a day. 9 Rejecting parts of 

the Sunna such as stoning to avoid the criticism of Islam will subsequently 

cast doubt on the only source for the main pillar of Islam, the five prayers. 

Second – selective use of the Sunna; this will demonstrate to many Muslims 

that the Prophet Mohamed is not ―the perfect role model‖ for mankind. This 

–by itself- can shake another major foundation of the religion which requires 

Muslims to follow the footsteps of the Prophet. This presents a Catch-22 for 

many Islamic scholars who are now faced with the reality of what they 

currently promote and teach in mainstream Islam. 

Third – proving that stoning exists in the Quran; Islamic scholars may try to 

teach Muslims that stoning had been mentioned in as a verse in the Quran 

that was later abrogated -only from the writings of the Quran- but remained 

a valid law. This Islamic theological concept is established in ―Al-Bukhari‖ 

and ―Muslim‖, the most authentic Hadith books in Islam. 10 Such books do 

quote the verse that existed in the early Quran, but was not included in the 

final version. This too can raise doubts in the mind of many Muslims about 

the authenticity and accuracy of the available Quran. 

In conclusion, this movie will produce nothing short of an earthquake in 

current Islamic theology. On one hand, accepting the act of stoning will 

make many Muslims unable to defend Islam as a religion of peace or one 

that gave women their rights. On the other hand, rejecting this barbaric 

punishment can raise doubts about following the Prophet as the ―perfect role 

model‖ and will create distrust in the authenticity of the Sunna and/or the 

Quran. In both situations, Islamic theology will be shaken. 

9 See Quran 11:115. 

10 Al-Jaza'iry, A. B. (2001). Minhaj Al-Muslim (The Way of the Muslim), 2 Vols. Dar-us- 

Salam Publications.p.506 


Some apologists might say that the stoning depicted in this movie did not 

conform with Sharia Law as there were only two witnesses who testified 

while Sharia Law requires four. This should not in any way discredit the 

reality that Islamic Sharia still promotes the stoning of women to death if 

they commit adultery. Rather, the question that must be asked is: Does 

having four witnesses make the stoning in any way a humane form of 

punishment? 

31 

Today, many women living in countries controlled by Sharia Law such as 

Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia, as well as regions under the Taliban have 

been murdered by stoning. Such terrorism against women must end. I urge 

you to encourage others to see this film, which is currently playing in select 

theatres across the United States. 11 

11 To learn more about the film, please visit their website: http://www.thestoning.com 


32 

Terrorism 


The Mystery Of The Word "Jihad‖ 

Since September 11, few words have been considered more controversial 

than the term "jihad" in theological, political, and military discussions. 

33 

Apologists for Islamic radicalism immediately raced after 9/11 to convince 

the West that "jihad" is predominantly understood in a peaceful way. Many 

in the West accepted and relied on this comforting definition without 

adequate scientific research in Arabic and Islamic literature. 

For example, John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland 

Security and Counterterrorism, mentioned that the meaning of "jihad" is to 

"…purify oneself or to wage a holy struggle for a moral goal" in a speech at 

the Center for Strategic and International Studies on August 6, 2009. 

In addition, John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed defined 'jihad' in their book, 

Who speaks for Islam in the same peaceful way. 1 

Hiding the violent meaning of Jihad has also permeated reputable 

encyclopedias for terrorism such as Encyclopedia of Terrorism by Combs & 

Slann. 2 

However, scientific honesty necessitates that we present all views about the 

meaning of the word jihad instead of selecting the definition that makes us 

feel most comfortable. 

According to classical Islamic texts and sources, jihad can be understood in 

the following five ways: 

Meaning 1: 

From an Arabic linguistic perspective, the literal meaning of the word jihad is 

to "struggle" or to "resist" something. 

Meaning 2: 

The traditional Salafi (the predominant meaning in traditional Islamic books 

as noted later) understanding of jihad includes defending oneself as well as 

going on the offensive and attacking others solely to spread Islam. This 

violent meaning was behind the offensive wars of the early Muslims to 

1 Esposito, J. & Mogahed, D. (2008). Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really 

Think. Gallup Press 

2 Combs, C. C. & Slann, M. (2003). Encyclopedia of terrorism. New York: Checkmark Books 

p. 165 


34 

spread their religion in North Africa, the Middle East, and to parts of Europe 

such as Spain and Turkey. 

Meaning 3: 

The Sufi understanding of jihad is mainly to struggle against and resist the 

evil thoughts and ideas emanating from within oneself. This view was based 

on a Hadith (saying) of prophet Mohamed that described jihad as "the 

striving of the servant against his desires". 

Meaning 4: 

Jihad can also mean preaching by the using the word of the Quran. This rare 

view is based on a verse that uses the Arabic word "jahidhom" which is 

derived from the word jihad (Quran 25:52). 

Meaning 5: 

Jihad can be also understood as a struggle to understand God by studying 

his omnipresent touch in nature. This very rare understanding is based on a 

verse (Quran 29:69). The original Arabic verse used the word "jahadu" 

which is also derived from the word jihad. 

For more comprehensive understanding of the word jihad, the following facts 

MUST be addressed to understand the most dominant meaning of the word 

Jihad in the Muslim world: 

1- Currently, the words "Jihadi Islam" are used by the mainstream Arab 

media to refer to the violent form of Islam. If jihad is mainly peaceful, 

why do the Arab media use the word predominantly to describe 

violent Islam? (Note: Jihad is the noun, Jihadi is the adjective) 

2- The word jihad is interpreted in most of the reputable traditional 

Islamic books in a violent manner. Most mainstream interpretations 

for the Quran mentions for Sura 9, Verse 73 that "Jihad against the 

Infidels is achieved by fighting them until they submit to Islam." Is 

this the moral goal that Mr. Brennan's speech writers and "Islamic 

experts" are alluding to? Modern Islamic books written by top Islamic 

scholars and distributed globally still adopt the violent meaning of the 

word to fight the disbelievers until "Allah alone is worshiped". For 

example, see Chapter 5 of Minhaj Al-Muslim Vol 2. The book states 

clearly on page 167 that the aim of violent jihad is that "Allah alone is 

worshiped". Minhaj Al-Muslim is published in Saudi Arabia, London, 

Houston and New York and is written by Al-Jaza'iry who is a lecturer 

in the Noble Prophetic Masjid in Saudi Arabia. This position is one of 

the highest positions in Islam that could be attained by any Muslim 

scholar. It is unrealistic to assume that he, too, does not understand 

the definition of jihad. 


35 

3- If the word jihad is primarily understood in a peaceful way, why do we 

not hear about peaceful jihadi organizations? The word "jihad" is 

almost always used by the violent radical groups. If the word is 

understood predominantly in a peaceful way, we would have seen it 

used predominantly by peaceful Islamic organizations rather than the 

violent ones. 

4- The Hadith (or sayings of the prophet Mohammed) that described 

jihad as a struggle against one's desires ("You all have come with the 

best arrival, and you have come from the minor Jihad to the major 

Jihad…It is the striving of the servant against his desires") is a Daiif or 

weak (unbinding) Hadith. 3 An example of a Sahih (strong and 

binding) hadith (in Al-Buchary) that is used by the radicals to incite 

violence is the following: "I have been ordered to fight all mankind 

until they say no God other than Allah". 

5- Modern Islamic scholars such as Yusuf Al-Quradawy who are 

considered "moderates" by many in Western media and academia 

mention clearly that jihad has to be conducted via wars to spread 

Islam and make Islam as the ONLY religion. 4 How is it that such a 

knowledgeable and leading "moderate" Islamic scholar is not aware of 

the meaning of the word jihad while non-Arabic speakers are aware of 

it? 

6- Aiman Al-Zawaherri (second in command of Al-Qaeda) encouraged 

the Muslim Uma (nation) to wage Jihad against the West. If Most 

Muslims do not understand the word Jihad in a violent way, Al- 

Zawaherri would not have used it to convey his message of fighting 

the West. 

It should not be complicated to figure out that the Arab media, most 

classical as well as modern Islamic scholars, and Islamic organizations are in 

a much better position than most Westerners to define the most dominant 

meaning of the word jihad. Unsophisticated forms of research in the Muslim 

world that do not consider cultural factors such as "Tequia" (the Islamic 

concept of deception) are not sufficient to stand against the reality of above 

mentioned violent theological, linguistic, and historical usage of the word. 

One of the easiest ways to know how the word is truly understood in the 

Muslim world is to ask covertly some young Arabic children in any Arab 

country about what the word jihad means for them. Is it "War to kill the 

infidels" or "a struggle against the desires of oneself"? 

3 Al-Jaza'iry, A. B. (2001). Minhaj Al-Muslim (The Way of the Muslim), 2 Vols. Dar-us-Salam 

Publications.p.167 

4 [Arabic] Quradawy, Y. (2001). Islamic Revival: Islamic Solution is an Obligation and a 

Necessity. Wahba Library: Cairo. p. 91 


36 

It is fair to say that jihad "can be" understood in a peaceful way. However, 

there is huge difference between saying that "Jihad can be understood in a 

peaceful way" and "Jihad is a peaceful concept". The former is an honest and 

accurate statement, while the latter is a wrong and deceiving one that 

indicates a serious lack of knowledge. 

Creating a Western definition for a word that does not represent how it is 

primarily used by native Arabic speakers is both misleading and dangerous 

to our national security. It would be great to convince Arabic speakers and 

the Muslim world to change the meaning of the word instead of deceiving 

ourselves. The change must occur in their educational books rather than in 

the public statements, they release to the West to convince it that jihad is 

peaceful. Insisting that the word is mainly peaceful while it is mostly used in 

Islamic texts and media as a violent one is misleading and is like a non- 

English speaker who insists that the word "war" in English is a form of 

chocolate. 

The most effective way to know the true meaning of the word "jihad" is to 

simply evaluate how the word is used by the Arab street and how it is 

defined in Islamic texts and in the Arab media, as seen above. As Mr. 

Brennan wisely put it in his speech, "How you define a problem shapes how 

you address it" - and eight years after September 11 th , we are still having 

problems defining the problem. 


37 

A Jihadist's Advice On How To Win 

The War In Afghanistan 

On September 23, 2008, Dan Ephron wrote in Newsweek Web Exclusive that 

"America's war in Afghanistan, soon to enter its eighth year, is arguably at 

its lowest point since troops drove the Taliban from power in 2001. 

Throughout the country, Taliban forces are making inroads. Allied casualties 

are at their highest since the war began. And Al Qaeda operates from a safe 

haven on the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan, just out of 

America's reach". 5 

The lack of success in this war has been recognized and the U.S. military 

commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, has recently 

launched a new counterinsurgency strategy. 6 In addition, on October 1, 

2009 the Washington Times mentioned that President Obama is meeting 

with his national security team to plan the next moves in Afghanistan. 7 

American generals demanded thousands of additional soldiers for 

Afghanistan in order to accomplish their mission. 8 

The above-mentioned points indicate that the decision about how to proceed 

in Afghanistan is crucial, as there will be grave consequences if the U.S. and 

its allies lose this war. This is partially because this war is seen by many as a 

war between our civilization and barbarism. Both President Obama and 

former President Bush have emphasized this point. 9 

It is important to realize the difference between traditional war, where two 

traditional army forces face each other and war against radical groups & 

suicide bombers, who target civilians. 

5 Johnson, T. (2008, September 22). Winning in Afghanistan. (D. Ephron, Interviewer) 

Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com 

6 McGreal, C. & Boone, J. (2009, September 24). US launches new Afghan 

counterinsurgency strategy. The Guardian. Retrieved from 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ 

7 Mosk, M. (2009, November 29). Obama faces hard sell on Afghan decision. The 

Washington Times. 

8 U.S. Generals to Demand Thousands of Additional Soldiers for Afghanistan [Blog Post]. 

(2009, August 03). Retrieved from http://mostlywater.org/ 

9 Why We Must Win In Afghanistan [Blog Post]. (2009, September 15). Retrieved from 

http://www.thenextright.com/tomganley 


The difficulties that the U.S. and its allies face when dealing with Taliban 

fighters can be summarized in the following points: 

38 

1- The enemy is launching irregular warfare using insurgency as a tool 

2- The enemy's fighters are scattered as many small groups rather 

limited front lines. This makes it more difficult to win using the 

traditional military approaches used in conventional wars. 

3- The enemy predominantly targets civilians in markets, funerals, and 

hospitals. This factor aggravates the problem as it is virtually 

impossible and extremely costly to continuously protect all civilian 

areas in the country. 

4- They use simple tactics and human factors rather than sophisticated 

technology to communicate. It is often easier to trace messages 

conveyed via the Internet or by telephone than those messages 

passed from one person to another one across a table in a busy café. 

5- They gather in rural areas where the military is not concentrated. 10 

Considering this situation, an increase in traditional troop numbers may be 

inefficient unless it is coupled with an enhancement of certain tactics that 

can deal more effectively with this situation. 

The U.S. needs to consider the following points to deal more effectively with 

this unconventional situation: 

1- The winning factor in this war may be improved infiltration of the 

radical groups from within, by well-prepared intelligence agents. 

Infiltration by agents suits the scattered nature of the enemy. Special 

methods that can work with Islamist radical groups are needed to 

prepare such kind of spies. 

2- This infiltration has to be enhanced both qualitatively and 

quantitatively. 

3- Effective synchronization with military units is needed to launch sudden 

attacks on the leadership of these small groups or on the members of 

the group while they are gathering together. The best defense is a good 

10 Johnson, T. (2008, September 22). Winning in Afghanistan. (D. Ephron, Interviewer) 

Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com 


offense! 

39 

4- Many people in the rural areas of Afghanistan are illiterate and simple 

people. This can give us the opportunity to launch effective 

psychological operations to create a rift between them and the Taliban 

fighters. Such a rift could be used for our benefit: the more that 

ordinary people hate the Taliban, the better intelligence and 

cooperation we can get from them to fight the insurgents. We need to 

suppress the growth of the Taliban by suppressing the environment 

that allows them to grow and function. 

5- An example to illustrate the previous point is that the ordinary people 

in these Afghan villages need to realize that every suicide attack 

conducted by the Taliban will likely make the U.S. prolong its stay in 

Afghanistan. This message can be conveyed via the media, or by using 

a "war of rumors." If this message is conveyed effectively, it can 

weaken the ability of the Taliban to convince the Afghan people that 

these attacks will force the U.S. to pull out. The more the Afghan 

people feel that these attacks by the Taliban are counterproductive, the 

less likely they are to support them. 

6- Another example is that such psychological operations should also aim 

at discrediting the Taliban leadership (especially morally) and distorting 

or degrading their image as "mujahedeen." Specific covert intelligence 

tactics are needed to achieve this. The emotions of the simple, 

primitive, rural people in Afghanistan could be directed against the 

Taliban leaders, which could further weaken the leaders' ability 

function. 

7- If we engage in effective diplomacy with some Arab Muslim nations and 

leaders, they could also contribute by issuing fatwas (Islamic religious 

statements) to denounce suicide bombers and those who support them 

as apostates who will go to Hell forever. Such a fatwa, if worded 

correctly, could significantly discredit the Taliban fighters in the eyes of 

Afghan society and limit their ability to get support from the Afghan 

people. In order for the Fatwa to be effective, it would have to be 

issued initially in Arabic-the language of the Quran-by Arab Muslim 

scholars and organizations, rather than by Afghan scholars. Generally 

speaking, non-Arab Muslims look up to Arab Muslims, as the latter 

speak the original language of the Quran and the Hadiths of the 

Prophet Mohamed. In addition, most Islamic theology is written in 

Arabic. This form of ideological war against the Taliban-if used 

properly-could be an extremely effective tool and adjunct to the US 


efforts to win this war. 

40 

8- A long-term parallel strategy must be also in place to provide young 

Afghans with better religious education, in order to decrease the 

possibility that they become attracted to radical views. Such an 

educational system must encourage critical thinking, use effective 

cognitive psychology tactics, and provide an alternative theological 

answer to young Afghans. 

To conclude, nontraditional warfare may also require the usage of 

nontraditional tactics. Improving our intelligence techniques to allow the 

infiltration of radical groups from within, having better synchronization with 

military units, and using better psychological operations are vital elements if 

we want to achieve victory in this war. The roles that ideology and the 

issuance of certain fatwas against the jihadists can also play must not be 

ignored in dealing with this complex situation. 


Do We Only Need More 'Security 

Measures' Or More 'Common 

Sense'? 

41 

On Christmas day, a man identified as a young wealthy elite Nigerian Muslim 

(Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab), with possible links to Islamic Radical groups, 

set off an explosive device in a failed terrorist attack on a Northwest Airlines 

plane as it was landing in Detroit, Michigan, federal officials said. 11 

The White House called the act an attempted act of terror. If the mission of 

this man had succeeded more than 270 people on board would have been 

killed and both tourism and airline industries in US could have been seriously 

affected. 

It is vital to emphasize that it was just mostly luck that prevented the 

explosion. Otherwise, Christmas day in the US would have turned into a 

disaster. 

The profile of Abdulmutallab adds another piece of evidence to support the 

view that lack of education and poverty are not the main cause of terrorism 

as some suggests. Abdulmutallab is from a wealthy family and is highly 

educated which fits with the pattern of many other Islamic Jihadists. 

The question that we need to address is, do we only need more security 

measures or do we predominantly need more logic and more common sense 

in addressing the phenomenon of Islamic Radicalism. 

It will be erroneous if we could not see this terror attempt in the context of 

the other recent terror plots such as Fort Hood massacre and the increasing 

home grown Islamic Radicalism in the US. Inability to see these atrocities 

linked together by a common ideological thread is like failure to identify the 

underlying disease that causes the patient's symptoms. In such a situation, 

treatment would be incorrectly directed to treat the symptoms rather than to 

treat the underlying disorder or the true cause of the problem. The same can 

happen if we only focused on treating terrorism and ignore treating the 

11 Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab: Christmas Terrorist Attack 12/25/2009. (n.d.) Terrorist 

Plant Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.terroristplanet.com 


underlying factor, namely the ideology behind Radical Islam. Failure to 

address this ideological component and consequently failure to treat it 

effectively is disastrous. 

42 

Addressing the contribution of the religious ideology is crucial, as if Al-Qaeda 

adopted a new approach to attack Metro passengers, cinemas, sport 

stadiums and other big gathering areas in USA, it would be very difficult and 

extremely inconvenient to do a security check for every individual at these 

places. 

If our only approach to terrorism is to increase security measures for 

individuals, the terrorists can in fact paralyze our life if they shifted their 

target from attacking airplanes to attacking the formerly mentioned places. 12 

Our policy should move from only symptomatic treatment of the problem to 

include defeating the ideology behind it. It is vital in this situation to develop 

a complete comprehensive strategy to treat the cause of the problem at the 

psycho- behavioral and ideological levels rather than only working at the 

security front. 

This is particularly significant when we realize that the phenomenon of 

Islamic Radicalism is using several fronts both tactically and geographically. 

At the tactical level terrorists planned to attack airplanes, buildings and 

shopping moles. At the geographical front new fronts for terror, include 

Yemen and possibly Somalia. Defeating Al-Qaeda at the military level in 

Afghanistan will not end the problem, as new fronts for terror will develop as 

long as the radical ideology exists. On the contrary, defeating Islamism at 

the ideological level can add a needed and fundamental component to the 

current antiterrorism approach. 

CNN quoted President Obama as saying that America would continue to 

"keep up the pressure on those who would attack our country," asserting 

that the US is doing everything in its power to stop terror. This statement 

raises an important issue. If all previous US efforts intended to defeat terror, 

including expenditures of billions of dollars, have failed into today to 

eradicate this problem, then America MUST adopt new approaches and 

12 After writing this Op-Ed there was an attempted attack on the Washington DC Metro. 

Collins, H. (2010, October 27). Man Arrested in Alleged Washington Metro Terror Plot. AOL 

News. Retrieved from http://www.aolnews.com 


43 

strategies. Previous measures, including President Obama's outreach to the 

Muslim world, were not very successful until today. This does not mean that 

these approaches must be stopped but significant improvement for their 

quality is needed. 

In short, using military and security approaches to defeat terror without 

addressing the ideology behind it is not sufficient. We certainly need to 

improve our security measures and technology to protect civilians, however, 

we also need more 'common sense' to see the common factor or the 

Ideology behind terrorism and treat it. 


44 

Not "Hardly Existential" 

In a recent op-ed published by Foreign Affairs under the title "Hardly 

Existential: Thinking Rationally About Terrorism," the authors John Mueller 

and Mark G. Stewart argued that spending to further reduce the likelihood or 

consequences of terrorism is rarely justified. They based their argument on 

the view that according to the number of terrorist attacks in comparison to 

other threats such as fatal accidents and homicidal acts, terrorism is "hardly 

existential" and presents an "acceptable risk." In fact, based on their 

analysis, car accidents should be considered more important and dangerous 

than terrorism. 13 

The authors have not addressed the following important facts: 

1- Deciding if a threat is existential or not depends predominantly on the 

inherent lethality of that threat. The potential to cause massive killing 

carries greater weight than the actual number of victims at a given 

time. For example, a rapidly contagious and fatal infection problem 

within a country must be treated as existential and should be taken 

more seriously than car accidents, as the former has the potential to 

spread and kill millions in a short period of time while the latter 

remains pretty stable. To demonstrate this point, based on the death 

toll numbers from the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919, that same 

phenomenon could kill 62 million people today. 14 Therefore, evaluating 

the magnitude of the terrorism threat by only the number of current 

victims, which the authors suggest be done, is a limited approach to 

the problem that leads to underestimation. 

2- The rate at which a phenomenon occurs is also fundamental to 

understanding its potential to cause death and destruction. For 

example, the number of car accidents per capita remains relatively 

13 Mueller, J. & Stewart, M. (2010, April 2) Hardly Existential: Thinking Rationally about 

Terrorism. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles 

14 Brown, D. (2006, December 22). World Death Toll Of a Flu Pandemic Would Be 62 Million. 

The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com 


45 

stable over time. 15 However, the number of terrorist attacks conducted 

by Islamists has increased by more than one hundred-fold over the 

last few decades. 16 This exponential growth rate of Islamic terrorism 

simply means that if we simply ignored the problem, we might face 

tens of thousands of terror attacks over the next few decades, which 

could lead to an uncontrollable problem, thereby threatening the 

security of the entire world. 

3- Another factor that needs to be considered in the evaluation process is 

the intention of the terrorists. It is known by many, that most if not all 

Islamic terrorists will not hesitate to use WMDs if given access to them 

[See the recent comment of President Obama about this topic (4)]. 17 

In such a case, a single attack on a major city could kill hundreds of 

thousands instantly. However, car accidents tend to occur 

unintentionally and, from a statistical standpoint, their numbers are 

relatively stable over years. In other words, the possibility that car 

accidents can in one day kill hundreds of thousands of people is very 

unlikely possibility. On the contrary killing such number of people in a 

single day is a valid possibility when we deal with terrorism. 

4- In addition, the authors should have mentioned that the number of 

fatalities they used to evaluate the threat was calculated during the 

aftermath of the attacks on the Twin Towers, when security measures 

have been higher and more sophisticated than ever. This is 

comparable to measuring the temperature of a patient while he or she 

is under the use of antipyretics (medications that lower body 

temperature), as the real temperature could actually be higher if 

antipyretics were not used. This relates to the terrorism problem 

because it is hard to tell how many people would have been killed in 

the US from terrorist attacks if extra care had not been given to post- 

9/11 homeland security measures. 

15 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2009). Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes. 

NHTSA. Retrieved from http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov 

16 Statistics on Terrorism. (2008, August 2). Retrieved from 

http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/ 

17 Obama: Al-Qaida would use nuclear weapons if it could. (2010, April 18) Japan to Day. 

Retrieved from http://www.japantoday.com/ 


5- I agree with the authors' view that less costly measures may be 

needed to deal with the problem of terrorism. However, 

underestimating the threat - as the Op-Ed implied - can end in a 

disaster for the US. 

46 

In short, factors such as the potential to cause massive damage, the rate of 

growth of a phenomenon, and the intention of the attackers to use WMD 

rather than just the actual number of fatalities, MUST be included in the 

evaluation process of a threat, such as that of terrorism. 


Lessons To Learn From The Times 

Square Bomb Plot 

47 

After the recent failed attempt to explode a car in the Times Square in NY 

City, it is vital to learn some lessons to prevent further attacks on the US 

soil. 18 There is no doubt that our HLS is doing a great job keeping us secure 

and it is fair to say that their efforts need to be saluted. However, learning 

from the NYC attack is also fundamental to avoid major disaster in the 

future. 

The following points need to be addressed: 

1- What if the person who conducted this failed attempt in NY was 

wearing an Islamic Niqab that covers the whole face and body? In this 

situation, searching for the suspect would be much more complicated. 

It is time to think of how religious freedom must be weighed against 

our security measures. Wearing the Niquab can limit our ability to find 

terrorist suspects and consequently impede our efforts to prevent 

terrorism. 

2- The incident in Times Square further confirmed the fact that terrorists 

are still having the "will" to attack us and they have the capability to 

"penetrate" our systems. All they need to cause massive damage to 

the US is to "attain" a destructive weapon. Efforts in the US are 

clearly directed toward preventing the penetration of our systems by 

the Jihadists and limit their ability to attain WMDs. It is time to 

seriously consider using better psychological warfare tactics to weaken 

the "will" of the terrorists. Addressing ALL components of this Fetal 

Triad i.e. "The will to destroy", "The ability to penetrate"- and 

"Attaining more destructive weapons" is crucial in winning the war 

against terrorism. Ignoring one of these components, for example, 

failure to declare an effective psychological warfare to weaken the 

"will" of the terrorists can have grave consequences on our future 

security. 

18 Suspect in Times Square plot faces terror charges. (2010, May 04). The Washington 

Times. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news 


48 

3- The US administration MUST analyze the reasons and factors that 

have contributed to the increasing number of terrorist acts and 

attempts inside the US in Year 2009/2010. Not including the Pakistan 

case of the 5 American Jihadists, the Rand Corporation says that 

nearly 30 homegrown terror plots have been uncovered in the U.S. 

since Sept. 11, 2001. Ten of these attacks surfaced in 2009 alone, 

including two actual attacks - in Little Rock, Ark. and Fort Hood, 

Texas. 19 The possibility that some actions of the Obama 

administration were perceived as signs of weakness by the Jihadists 

and thus have contributed to such an increase in their "will" to attack 

the US must be addressed and analyzed. 

4- In the last 5 months "Luck" has played a major role in preventing two 

disasters in the US. The first was the failed attack to destroy an 

airliner on the Christmas day. 20 The second is the latest attempt to 

explode a car in Times Square on a busy Saturday night. 21 Just 

imagine the negative impact on the US if we were not 'lucky" on those 

days and the explosions exploded! The damage would include: 

a- Loosing trust and confidence in US security measures (which can 

encourage Jihadists to launch more attacks on the US). 

b- Economic damage to the airline industry. 

c- A major blow to tourism industry in NY (and possibly all over the 

US!). 

The question that MUST be raised: What measures are the US administration 

going to take to improve our security so that we do not rely on "luck" 

anymore in defending our home land? 

I mentioned earlier the importance of being pro-active against the tourists 

via using effective psychological warfare (EPW) to weaken the 'will' of the 

Jihadists and to limit their ability to launch more attacks on the US. 

19 Macedo, D. (2009, December 14) Homegrown Terror on the Rise in 2009. Fox News. 

Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/us 

20 Siegel, H. & Lee, C. (2010, December 25). 'High explosive' - U.S. charges Abdulmutallab. 

Politico. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/news 

21 Latest Updates: Times Square Car Bomb Scare [Blog Post]. (2010, May 03). CNN News. 

Retrieved from http://news.blogs.cnn.com 


49 

In short, we cannot rely on our 'luck' while dealing with Islamist Terrorists. 

We must analyze our strengths and weaknesses and consider new 

approaches to enhance our ability to protect our homeland. Psychological 

Measures to weaken the "will" of the Jihadists are needed to achieve victory 

in this war. 


Who Is To Blame For Terrorism? 

50 

The recent terrorist attempt in New York's Times Square 22 (possibly 

conducted by Islamist terrorists) 23 and the global nature of Islamic 

terrorism 24 in the last few decades raises an important question: Who is to 

blame for these acts of terror? 

Let us assume that a father teaches a child to hate his neighbor. Years pass 

and the child becomes a young adult full of hatred towards this neighbor 

leading to the end scenario where the young man kills his neighbor. Shall we 

only blame the child for killing the neighbor or shall we also blame the 

person (or people) who taught him how to hate? Is it acceptable to ignore 

the role of the teaching person in this process of killing? The same applies to 

terrorism, Shall we only blame the terrorists who conduct the attacks or also 

blame those who taught them how to hate 'others'? 

It is easy to only blame the terrorists for the attack; however, deep analysis 

of the problem reveals a better understanding and allows for better answers 

to such questions. Looking back on the Nazi regime and its barbaric 

inhumane atrocities against the Jews illustrates the dynamics of evil. This 

type of cruelty has set an example to understand Islamism terrorism and 

who is to blame. 

The following people should be held responsible for contributing to the 

atrocities of Nazi's: 

1 Adolf Hitler and those who taught the ideology of hate. 

2 The system that allowed such an ideology to flourish such as the 

Nazi party. 

3 The soldiers who conducted the killing of the innocents. 

22 Police examining video from Times Square. (2010, May 3). CNN Justice. Retrieved from 

http://www.cnn.com 

23 Roggio, B. (2010,May 2). Pakistani Taliban claim credit for failed NYC Times Square car 

bombing. Retrieved from http://www.longwarjournal.org/ 

24 See examples at http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/ 


4 Those who stayed silent until millions of people were killed. 

5 Those who encouraged the Holocaust by verbal or logistical 

support. 

Similarly, in the case of Islamist terrorism the following must be held 

accountable: 

51 

1 Those who promote religiously based ideology of hatred toward 

Non-Muslims. It is easy to detect a level of hatred in many 

mainstream Islamic books and media sources. 25 

2 The Islamic systems that adopted, encouraged, and supported such 

negative forms of teaching in the last few decades. These include 

many radical mosques and Islamic schools. The role of the Wahhabi 

regimen of Saudi Arabia in promoting such an ideology should not 

be ignored. 26 

3 The terrorists who accepted such teachings of hatred and 

materialized it into violence. 

4 The passive attitude of many in the Muslim world against the 

terrorists. 27 

5 Those who abused the values of Liberty and allowed the ideology of 

hate to grow under the banner of religious freedom. 

All of the above are to blame and should be held responsible for the problem 

of Islamic terrorism as each has contributed to the growth of this 

phenomenon. Individual terrorists play the role of the soldiers who killed the 

Jews during the Nazi era. It is not enough to only blame the soldiers without 

blaming the leaders of the system and those who promoted the ideology of 

hatred. Similarly it is unreasonable not to hold accountable those scholars 

and Islamic systems that preach, teach, or promote hatred toward Non- 

Muslims. Stopping the hatred is the first step toward ending terrorism. 

25 Examples can be found at http://www.memrijttm.org/ 

26 Friedman, T. (2007, April 15). The Power of Green. The New York Times Magazine. 

Retrieved from http://query.nytimes.com 

27 Hamid, T. (2008). Inside Jihad: Understanding and Confronting Radical Islam. 

Abdelhamid. p. 91-96 


52 

Applications Of Medical Lessons To 

The War On Terror 

Analysis of the performance of the US in the War on Terror can clearly 

demonstrate that the US is not winning it as it should. The same 

mechanisms that may cause failure in treating a disease are more or less 

similar to the factors that may cause failure in treating Islamic terrorism. 

Studies in the field of medicine can help us understand the possible causes 

that lead to failure of certain treatment. Let us examine some of these 

factors. 

Failure to treat a medical condition can be due several reasons. These 

include: 

1- Failure to treat the underlying cause of the problem 

2- The use of improper remedy 

3- Insufficient use of medication 

4- Failure to distinguish between the disease and its aggravating 

factors 

5- The presence of factor(s) impeding the action of the used treatment 

6- Relying on a medication to treat a new medical condition based 

solely on its former success in treating another disease 

Observing the course of the War on Terror can demonstrate that a similar 

dynamic exists, which resulted in difficulty to achieve victory over Islamic 

Radicals: 

1- Failure to treat the underlying cause of the problem. 

One of the basic rules in medicine is that failure of traditional therapies to 

treat a medical disorder must raise the possibility of an underlying 

condition that must be treated. For example, failure to treat high blood 

pressure must raise the possibility of an underlying cause that has not 

been treated yet. The same principle applies to radical Islam. Failure to 

acknowledge Radical Islamist Ideology as the main underlying case of the 

problem of terrorism has limited the US ability to properly treat the 

condition. The US was focused for nearly 10 years on treating the 


symptom of the problem (terrorist attacks) while the ideology of the 

Islamists (the underlying cause of the problem) was not treated. 

2- The use of improper remedy 

53 

It is not surprising to know that the use of incorrect type of treatment will 

result in nothing but failure of treatment of the disease. Conventional 

military confrontation may not be the best remedy to deal with suicide 

bombers and Islamist insurgency. Effective Intelligence infiltration and 

destruction of targeted terror cells may be the best treatment to deal with 

this phenomenon. Improving the way the US is using the latter approach 

and giving it a priority over conventional military confrontations may play 

a pivotal role in changing the course of the war against terror to become 

more successful. 

3- Insufficient use of medication 

The use of low dosages of antibiotics instead of using the full dose will not 

only result in failure to treat an infection but may also result in the 

emergence of resistant strains. The US has increased its troops several 

times to overcome the enemy in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Better 

estimation of the capabilities of the enemy and more accurate evaluation 

of the threshold of military power that is needed to defeat it was and is 

still crucial to achieve victory. Had the US used sufficient power from the 

beginning of this war the situation would have been much different from 

now. 

4- Failure to distinguish between the disease and its aggravating factors: 

It is important to care for the contributing factors that aggravate a 

medical condition; however, without treating the condition itself the 

patient cannot be properly treated. For example, Diabetes mellitus can 

be aggravated by several factors. Treating these factors may improve the 

condition to some extent but should not replace the treatment of the 

disease itself. Failure to distinguish between the disease and its 

contributing factors can be catastrophic. The same principle applies to 

terrorism as political, social and economic factors may contribute to 

aggravating it and thus must be treated. However, failure to treat the 

disease itself or the Islamist radical ideology is disastrous. The US has 

been trying to give attention to the possible contributing factors that 


54 

aggravate the disease of Radical Islam without giving similar attention to 

addressing the disease itself. This approach is undoubtedly a losing one 

as treating the disease in such cases is fundamental. 

5- The presence of factor(s) impeding the action of the used treatment: 

Factors that impede the action of a given medication may seriously affect 

the ability of the medication to work effectively. For example, the use of 

cortisone may impede the action of Insulin treatment and result in failure 

in treating diabetes. The same principle can help us understand the 

failure of treating Islamic Radicalism. Apologetic attitudes toward radical 

Islam can impede the active steps taken to defeat it. Finding justifications 

for terrorism by claiming that it is caused by the Arab-Israeli conflict or 

that it is a reaction to US foreign policy gives a green light and 

justification to the terrorists to continue their violent acts and impedes 

our efforts to treat the problem. 

6- Relying on a medication to treat a new medical condition based solely on 

its former success in treating another disease 

A doctor might fail in treating a disease simply because he was unable to 

realize that former success of a medication in treating certain disease 

does not necessarily mean it will work with other medical conditions. For 

example, cortisone can significantly improve some inflammatory diseases 

in the body but is likely to aggravate other medical conditions such as 

hypertension and Diabetes. The same applies to the Islamism 

phenomenon. For example, previous successful tactics that worked with 

the Cold War will not necessarily be effective in defeating radical Islam. 

Novel tactics and new approaches are needed to deal with the latter case. 

In other words, we need to create a new medication or medications to 

deal with the phenomenon of Islamic terrorism. 

In short, America MUST focus on fighting the ideology that creates terrorism, 

adopt novel strategies to deal with the problem at different levels, and STOP 

the apologetic attitudes toward Islamism, as this actually aggravates the 

problem. Failure to do so may result in a disaster if the terrorists put their 

hands on more sophisticated types of weapons (we have been lucky that we 

have not yet been attacked with a WMD), Shall we rely on luck forever or 

shall we start addressing the problem in a strategic manner in order to end 

it? 


Lessons Of The Cold War For The 

War On Terror 

55 

I was recently invited to speak to the 19th Economic Forum that was held in 

Krynica, Poland on September 9-12 2009. The topic of discussion was 

"Lessons of the Cold War for the War on Terror". 

A summary of the points that I discussed is below: 

1- It is vital to realize that if some strategies or tactics succeeded in the 

cold war this does not necessarily mean that they will succeed in 

dealing with radical Islam (A key that opened one room cannot 

necessarily open another room!). This is partially due to the difference 

in cultural and ideological factors between the two cases. Special 

strategies need to be created to deal with radical Islam. 

2- The main differences between communism and Islamism must be 

understood, as this affects the way we deal with the latter. 

Communism is an economically-based model while Islamic radicalism 

is a religiously-based one. 

In economic models it is much easier to prove something wrong by simply 

showing that it failed to improve people's living conditions. It is also much 

easier to decrease people's enthusiasm toward it, as their relationship to the 

model is more or less processed at the higher cortical brain centers 

(responsible for critical thinking) rather than the subconscious, or emotional, 

level. In addition, in economically-based models the followers of the modelunlike 

jihadists-want to live. 

On the contrary, it is relatively difficult to prove to its followers that the 

religiously-based model of radical Islam is wrong, as its hopes are not 

necessarily on Earth. For example, it is hard to convince a Jihadist that he 

will not find the "72 virgins in Paradise" if he dies as a martyr. 

Furthermore, it is much more difficult to decrease people's enthusiasm 

toward the religion-based model as opposed to the economically-based one, 

as the former is usually processed at the subconscious rather than the 

higher cortical level of the brain. To clarify this point, it is possible to 

convince a smoker logically that smoking is "harmful," as the processing of 

data occurs at the higher cortical levels; and yet the same person might still 

"love" and enjoy smoking, as the features of love (or hate) are processed in 

the emotional parts of the brain. The same applies to the Islamists: it might 


e possible to convince them logically that their model is ineffective, yet 

they may still "love" it and continue in the same path of violence. 

56 

In addition, the opponent in the economically-based models may develop 

military power, but at the end-unlike the jihadists-it is not in the opponent's 

interest to destroy the others and die as a result of this. Dealing with 

enemies such as the jihadists, who are willing to die (as martyrs) just to 

destroy their opponent, makes it mandatory to develop different strategies 

to deal with them than those strategies that were previously used to defeat 

communism. 

3- When we think about suggesting solutions to the problem of radical 

Islam, we need to consider the following lessons from the Cold War: 

� It is important to be able to negotiate from a position of power. The 

opponent must feel defeated, either militarily or economically, 

before it will accept change. 

� It is important to find and work with reasonable and progressive 

leaders of the opposition. For example, working with Michael 

Gorbachev was crucial in making changes to communism. The same 

principle applies to the Islamic world. 

Ideological defeat of the enemy can sometimes be more important than 

military confrontation. The US won the Cold War without going into war or 

military confrontation with the Communists. The defeat occurred 

predominantly at the ideological, psychological, and economical levels. The 

media played an essential role in this war. These principles can also be 

applied to radical Islam; however, unlike in the case of the Cold War, 

military confrontation with the jihadists is sometimes a necessity and should 

not be ignored. 


Confronting 


57 


58 

How Much Support Does Bin Laden 

Have In The Arab Street? 

Analysis of more than 2500 Readers' comments on the killing of Bin 

Laden from Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabia 

After the killing of Bin Laden it was important to know how much support he 

truly has in the Arab street. 

Recently, I did an evaluation for the responses to the death of Bin Laden in 

the major Arabic news media. I choose Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabia because the 

news media they produce is viewed by literally millions in the Arab world and 

to a great extent they represent the mainstream educated sector in Arab 

society. Additionally, this choice was made on the basis their consumer base. 

In general, Al-Jazeera audience represents the more conservative pro- 

Palestinian side of the society and Al-Arabia represents more of the more 

liberal thinkers. I analyzed the comments of the readers on the death of Bin 

Laden. The number of reader's comments in Al-Jazeera was 966 and the 

number of reader's comments in Al-Arabia was 1851. All comments were in 

written Arabic Language. 

The results are as follows: 

Readers' comments in Al- Jazeera 1 

Total Number of those who commented on Bin Laden death: 966 

Number of those who clearly support Bin Laden: 881 

Number of those who are clearly against Bin Laden: 45 

Number of those who did not moshow a clear position: 40 

This comes too approximately: 91% support for Bin Laden, 4.8% against Bin 

Laden, 4.2 % unclear answers 

Readers' comment in Al- Arabia 2 

Total Number of those who commented on Bin Laden death: 1851 

1 Original comments in Arabic: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/05/02/147475.html 

2 Original comments in Arabic:: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2F09761A-7F7A-4A20- 

9CB9-A93E1B1537BE.htm 


59 

Number of those who clearly support Bin Laden: 995 

Number of those who are clearly against Bin Laden: 492 

Number of those who did not show a clear position: 364 

This comes too approximately: 54% support for Bin Laden, 26.5% against 

Bin Laden, and Unclear answers 19.5%. 

The total number of the reader's comments was 2817 comments. 

The mean results show approximately: 67 % support for Bin Laden, 19 % 

against Bin Laden, and Unclear answers 14%. 

The above results are in harmony with the results of a recent publication by 

a nationally representative Gilani Research Foundation (Poll conducted by 

Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistan affiliate of Gallup International Association). 3 

The poll was conducted among 2530 representatives (men and women) of 

the adult (18+) population of Pakistan. According to this Poll (51%) say they 

are sad about the death of Osama bin Laden (i.e. Supporters), 11% were 

happy (i.e. Against Bin Laden), a significant 30% described their emotions 

as unconcerned or uncommitted (unclear). 

These results suggest that there is a serious problem in the Muslim world 

and that this problem must be addressed. Killing Bin Laden is an excellent 

step toward fighting radical Islam. However, with this level of support for Bin 

Laden in many parts of the Islamic world it is vital to realize that this 

problem is much bigger than one person. 

Note: the above data suggests that analyzing the comments of the readers' 

of Arab media can reflect, with a reasonable level of accuracy, the same 

results of question-based surveys. Moreover, the use of analyzing comments 

left by readers of Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabia is an approach which is much 

easier, less costly, and a lot faster. 

3 Pakistani Views on THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN. (2011, May 16). Gallup Polls. 

Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com.pk/Polls/16-05-11.pdf 


US Could Have Used Bin Laden's 

Death To Expose Sympathizers 

The issue of burial is very important in the Muslim mind. There is a special 

prayer over the body which is typically followed by burial in the dust. 

60 

Burying in the Islamic way gives the close relatives and friends (or followers 

in case of bin Laden) psychological comfort that the person died as a Muslim 

and will go to the paradise. This concept has roots in the following verse 

(Quran 12:101) ―…O Thou Creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art 

my Protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Take Thou my soul (at 

death) as a Muslim…" 

The punishment for early Muslims who refused to share in jihad was to 

forego the funeral prayer and not to bury them as Muslims (Quran 9:84) Nor 

do thou ever pray for any of them [who refused to do Jihad] that dies, nor 

stand at his grave; for they rejected Allah and His Messenger, and died in a 

state of perverse rebellion). 

Furthermore, according to sharia, if a Muslim is considered to be an 

apostate, he must not be buried as a Muslim. Indian Muslims, for example, 

refused to bury as Muslims the Islamic terrorists who committed the Mumbai 

attacks in 2008, as refusing to bury them as Muslims is the most powerful 

sign of rejecting terrorism. 

After killing bin Laden the United States should have asked leading Islamic 

organizations such as the OIC, Muslim Brotherhood, and leading Islamic 

institutes & scholars whether or not they would consider bin Laden a Muslim 

and thus wanted to give him a Muslim funeral or not. 

If these groups, which claim to be peaceful, consider Bin Laden a Muslim and 

asked for a Muslim burial for him, then their sympathy and support for bin 

Laden would be exposed. 

On the contrary, if these groups refuse to give him a funeral prayer and 

reject considering him a Muslim, then this would have been a stronger blow 

to al-Qaida ideology and its supporters than the killing bin Laden itself. 

Asking Muslim groups and organizations if they wanted to bury bin Laden as 

a Muslim would have been a win-win situation for the U.S. 

© Newsmax. All rights reserved. 


Monday, May 2, 2011 01:05 PM 

http://www.newsmax.com/blogs/TawfikHamid/id-59 

61 


What Al-Zawahiri Said About The 

Killing Of Bin Laden? 

Today, June 8, Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri appeared on video to give words of 

condolences for Bin Laden's death. 4 His appearance (which is the first 

response to Bin Laden death) and his way of speaking indicate that he 

presumes to be currently leading Al-Qaeda. 

62 

The video (in Arabic) started with Bin Laden saying to the US that they will 

never have peace (i.e. Al-Qaeda will continue fighting them) until the 

Palestinians have peace (in Jihadists' jargon this means erasing Israel from 

the map rather than living peaceful with the Israelis). This was taken from a 

earlier video that was released years ago by Bin Laden. 

The use of a video of Bin Laden speaking at the beginning of the tape aims 

to give his followers the feeling that he is still 'alive'. This feeling is meant to 

create more enthusiasm in the hearts of his followers. 

The verse that was used in the tape further established the common 

Muslim's belief that martyrs (like Bin Laden -in the view of the Jihadists) are 

not dead but alive. The whole verse was quoted and it says: (Quran 3:169): 

"Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, 

finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord." 

Early in the video, there was also a very passionate and powerful song about 

Bin Laden describing him and presenting his images on a horse as a 

honorable and great knight. 

Al-Zawahiri was very passionate in his message and he was pointing with his 

index finger which is a classical Islamic sign that is used in a Muslim's prayer 

to indicate that "There is no God but Allah". 

The main features of Al-Zawahiri's talk are: 

1- More than 20% of the speech was poetry which shows his very high 

command of Arabic language. Some of the poems about Bin Laden 

seem to be authored by Al-Zawahiri himself. It is not surprising that 

Al-Zawahiri has this very high command of classical Arabic as he was 

the grandson of a former Sheik Al-Azhar (the most reputable Islamic 

University in the Muslim world), and well-read in Sayed Qutb's books 

4 To watch original video [Aribic] please go to: http://news.nawaret.com/?p=197961 


63 

and interpretations (Tafsseer) of the Quran. As is well known, Sayed 

Qutb's command of classical Arabic was very impressive. 

Interestingly, when Bin Laden was speaking at the beginning of the 

video he made two mistakes in Arabic language in a very short 

segment (less than 2 minutes). On the contrary, Al-Zawahiri spoke 

more than 20 minutes with virtually not a single mistake in the Arabic 

grammar or the language. 

2- Al-Zawahiri strongly encouraged the "Arab Spring" as he sees it as a 

way to establish Sharia (Islamic) Law in the area (i.e. to be like the 

Taliban). 

3- He was trying to humiliate the US for what he described as its defeat 

in Tora Bora, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He also considered the removal of 

US allies in the Arab world and withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan 

as evidence for the defeat of the US. 

4- He threatened the US with forthcoming acts of terror in revenge for 

Bin Laden's killing. 

5- He reminded Muslims all over the world about Palestine, Kashmir, and 

Chechnya in an attempt to make the Muslim world enthusiastic about 

the return of the Caliphate. 

6- He thanked Ismail Haneia (the leader of the Hamas organization) for 

praising Bin Laden after his death. 

7- He encouraged the Pakistanis and people in the Gulf area to follow the 

footsteps of other Arab countries' revolutions to remove their leaders 

to establish Sharia. (Comment: Al-Zawahiri does not see Saudi Arabia 

as applying true Sharia as it allows non-Muslims to exist on its Holy 

land, allows western banks and T.V. satellites, and does not declare 

Jihad on the West.) 

8- Al-Zawahiri also criticized the US for not respecting the rules of the 

Geneva Convention with Muslim prisoners of war (Comment: It is 

ironic to see those who behead innocents and kill thousands of their 

fellow Muslims by bombing their markets and funerals, demanding 

respect for the rules of Geneva convention!). 

9- He also reminded Muslims of the historical wars of Salah Al-din against 

the people of the "Cross" to encourage them to fight the West. (Note: 

the West as a whole and people who have fair skin and colored hair 


64 

and eyes are seen as "people of the Cross" by many in the Muslim 

world irrespective of their beliefs). 

10- Al-Zawahiri gave an oath of Loyalty to Mullah Umar (the leader of the 

Taliban). This indicates that the Taliban sponsoring Al-Qaeda is a likely 

outcome after the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan. 

[Note: giving such an oath in the jargon of radical Islamic groups 

means that Al-Zawaherri is currently the leader of Al-Queda) 

11- He encouraged the whole Muslim Umma (world) to follow the path of 

"Jihad". 


Why, As A Muslim, I Support The 

Congressional Hearings About 


65 

House Homeland Security Committee chairman, Republican Peter King, of 

New York, opens hearings on the threat of homegrown Islamic terrorism in 

Washington, DC, on Thursday 10 March. Congressman Keith Ellison, a 

Muslim, objected to Rep. Peter King saying that, "Singling out one 

community is the wrong thing to do". Congressman Ellison should have 

realized that it was not Rep. Peter King, but the unequivocal statistical data 

that showed that almost all - if not all, home grown terror attacks and plots 

in the US since September 11 have been conducted by Muslims. 

Similarly, the statistical data in Europe was the reason why Tony Blair a few 

months ago had to single out Muslims as the cause of failure of integration 

in Europe. In an Op-Ed published in the WSJ on November 9 2010, Mr. Blair 

mentioned, "We have to nail down the definition of the problem. There is no 

general failure to integrate. 5 In the U.K., for example, we are not talking 

about Chinese or Indians. We are not talking about blacks and Asians. This is 

a particular problem. It is about the failure of one part of the Muslim 

community to resolve and create an identity that is both British and Muslim". 

Failure of Muslim communities to address the root causes of homegrown 

radicalism in their communities in the last 10 years supports the view that 

these communities failed to solve the problem and indicates that Muslim 

communities need unbiased research conducted by outsiders to get to the 

root causes of this problem and solve it. The failure of the Muslim 

communities is exemplified in the fact that, according to a May 2010 Rand 

Corporation report, between September 11, 2001, and the end of 2009, the 

U.S. government reported forty-six incidents of "domestic radicalization and 

recruitment to jihadist terrorism" that involved at least 125 people. There 

had been an average of six cases per year since 2001, but that rose to 

thirteen in 2009, a worrisome sign to some experts. 6 

Proclaiming, "Today I am a Muslim too," about 1,000 protesters gathered 

last Sunday in Times Square to decry Rep. Pete King's upcoming hearings. It 

5 Blair, T. (2010, November 09). Making Muslim Integration Work. The Wall street Journal. 

Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/ 

6 Jenkins, B. M. (2010). Would-Be Warriors: Incidents of Jihadist Terrorist Radicalization in 

the United States Since September 11, 2001. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation. 


was much better that such communities ask their religious scholars to 

remove or challenge the mainstream Sharia teachings that encourage 

Muslims to declare wars against Non-Muslims and undervalue the lives of 

'Un-believers' instead of demonstrating against the hearings. 7 

66 

Congressman Ellison mentioned that he welcomes confronting the ideology 

of Al-Awlaki, the American-born cleric who is hiding in Yemen now. I fully 

agree with him on this; however, Congressman Ellison needs to realize that 

the violent teachings that can end in creating terrorists is not limited to Al- 

Awlaki or Bin Laden teaching but is an integral and unchallenged part of the 

current mainstream teachings that are available to many young Muslims in 

the US and overseas. 

Muslims must ask themselves that why these hearings are not about 

Buddhists or followers of the Baha‘i faith. The answer is simply that it is the 

undisputable statistics rather than individual opinions that made it a 

necessity to "single out" the Muslim communities in the West for these 

hearings. If Muslim communities were capable of solving the problem of 

home grown radicalism within their own communities, these hearings would 

not have been initiated. 

If there is any one to blame for this, it is the Islamic scholarship that failed 

to bring a new understanding of Islam that challenges values of hatred or 

violence that are widely available in the mainstream Islamic books. 

Muslims in the US must realize that the Quran stated that (Quran 4:135) "O 

ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to the Lord, even 

as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin". Accordingly, Muslims 

need to be honest enough and admit that there is a particular problem that 

affects their Muslim communities more than other communities and that 

they failed to solve such problems. As a Muslim, I send my full support to 

Rep. Peter King in his noble and desperately needed research about the root 

causes of home grown Islamic Radicalism in the US as his work can save 

many human lives including Muslim's lives as well. If the efforts of Rep. 

Peter King resulted in saving even one human live it is as if he saved all 

mankind (Quran5:32 If any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the 

life of the whole people). 

7 Mcauliff, M., Croghan, L. & Sisk, R. (2011, March 07). Protesters call Rep. Pete King's 

upcoming hearings on Muslim radicalization a witch hunt. New York Daily News. Retrieved 

from http://www.nydailynews.com 


Why Using The Word "Islamophobia" Is 

Misleading 

67 

Name-calling with the term Islamophobia is an aggressive tactic popularized 

by apologists for Radical Islam to silence individuals who attempt to tell the 

truth about Jihadist Islam. 

In the spirit of "the best defense is a good offence," accusations of 

Islamophobia were first slung broadly in this country to suppress attention to 

the Islamic Jihadist motivations of the perpetrators of the September 11th 

Twin Towers attack. Most recently Islamophobia name-calling has been 

utilized with renewed vigor to discredit Rep. Peter King (US) whose 

Congressional Hearings threatened to expose the realities of the ideological 

basis of terrorism. The accusations of Islamophobia have been also used to 

silence European Politicians such as Geert Wilders and UK Academics such as 

Patrick Sookhdeo. 

The psychological term phobia describes an excessive and irrational fear. Socalled 

Islamophobia, by contrast, is appropriate willingness to heed the solid 

evidence of who commits terror acts and their motivations. 

The statistics are striking. According to a recent survey by the Justice 

department, while Muslims constitute about 1% of the American population, 

they contribute 80% of the Home Grown Terrorism. 8 According to these 

data, the probability of an American Muslim to conduct a terrorist act in the 

US is approximately 400 times the probability of American Non-Muslims to 

an act of terror. Furthermore, the vast preponderance of the last decade's 

worldwide terror acts have been conducted by Radical Islamic groups. 9 

In addition, the ONLY nations that punish or kill in our modern times for 

religious crimes are majority Muslim states. 

Likewise, one of Sharia (Islamic) Law's central ideals which is approved by 

ALL the main schools of Islamic Jurisprudence-even to today- is declaring 

wars against Non-Muslims to spread Islam across the globe. This has led 

several of its practitioners to believe that violent acts are a legitimate means 

of accomplishing that goal. 

8 Islamists Dominate DOJ's List of Terror Prosecutions. (2011, March 09). IPT News. 

Retrieved from http://www.investigativeproject.org. 

9 A list of these terror acts has already exceeded 15 thousand acts by Radical Islamists 

since September 11 th -is available at http://www.thereligionofpeace.com . 


68 

The above can be just added to the practices of Sharia laws in Muslim 

countries such as killing apostates & sorcerers, hanging gays, Honor Killing, 

stoning adulteries and using violence against women. The reality is that, it is 

seldom, in our modern times, to see similar atrocities practiced in the name 

of any religion other than Islam. 

The lack of a powerful denouncement in the Muslim world or by leading 

Islamic scholars to the formerly mentioned atrocities just adds more salt to 

the wound. In fact, many-if not most-of Islamic institutes and scholars 

actually promote such values. These are facts-NOT irrational beliefs. 

Therefore, labeling fear of Islam "Islamophobia" is clearly inappropriate and 

misleading. 

American health authorities recently have begun conducting tests to 

evaluate nuclear irradiation in foods imported from Japan. The Japanese 

people are not labeling these actions that protect the American people from 

fallout from the distressed Japanese nuclear reactors as "Japano-phobia." 

They are not complaining that this information gathering is a discriminatory 

response to Japan. 

Similarly, singling out Muslims for evaluation in the counter-terrorism 

Congressional hearings of Rep. Peter King or in other forms of research is an 

appropriate response to the facts and dangers of Islamic terrorism. 

Failure to take appropriate steps to evaluate a statistically validated danger 

violates the Constitutional mandate that the federal governmental protect its 

citizens from "domestic violence." Moreover, the outcomes of ignoring 

terrorism's Islamic roots can be disastrous. Yet, perhaps because of the 

American spirit of goodwill plus prevailing winds of political correctness, the 

intimidation tactic of name-calling with the term "Islamopobia" has been all 

too effective in inhibiting our political leaders and the American media from 

pursuing an understanding of the role of religious ideology in Islamic 

terrorism. The result has been a confused public and muddled understanding 

within our State Department, Congress, and Department of Homeland 

Security. 

In conclusion, fear of Islam cannot be described as "Islamophobia" as this 

fear is based on facts and realities rather than irrationality as the word 

'phobia' would indicate. American concerns that religious teaching is the 

primary factor in contemporary terrorism must be heeded, not suppressed 

by name-calling tactics. Americans who allow themselves to be silenced by 

"Islamophobia" accusations serve as radical Islam's enablers. Finally, fear 

from Islam can ONLY be changed when the Muslim world challenges itself to 

change the above mentioned frightening facts and realities. 


Inabilities To See The Dots, Not 

Merely Failures To Connect Them, 

Is What Hinders Our Ability To 

Defeat Radical Islam 

69 

After the recent terror attempt on Christmas Day President Barack Obama 

boldly said that U.S. intelligence officials had "sufficient" information to 

uncover and disrupt the plot to blow up Flight 253 over Detroit but "failed to 

connect the dots." 10 

This terror attempt by the Nigerian Muslim Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab 

raised several concerns in addition to the above mentioned president's 

concern about a failure of the US system to connect the dots. There is no 

single doubt that this event among many others such as the Fort Hood 

Massacre point to a serious problem in connecting the data together. 

However, the question that MUST be raised in this context is, have we only 

failed to connect the dots or have we actually failed to see them to begin 

with? 

Since September 11 th and in fact before it we failed miserably to see several 

clear dots and threats that could have changed our approach to the problem 

of radical Islam and enhanced our capabilities to fight it. 

Some of the dots that we failed to see include the following: 

1- We failed to see that in most approved Islamic Sharia books Jihad is 

predominantly taught in a violent manner. We lived in our dreams and 

imaginations that Jihad is a peaceful concept instead of doing our 

homework to learn how it is defined by mainstream Islamic books and 

media in the Arab and Muslim world. We obviously failed to confront 

the reality of the problem until the reality confronted us. 

10 Grim Obama says terror attack 'dots' not connected. (2010, January 05). Retrieved from 

http://www.mlive.com/ 


70 

2- We could not see that the problem of terrorism is clearly linked to a 

religious ideology. Our political correctness made us unable to see the 

most apparent thing which is that when thousands of terror attacks and 

suicide bombings are conducted predominantly by dedicated and 

devout Muslims who belong to different economic and educational 

levels, it is imperative to think in the ideology as the number one cause 

for the problem. 

3- We did not recognize that in the present, Sharia Law that allows 

stoning of women until death for adultery and encourages promoting 

wars against Non-Muslims to spread Islam is not only violent and 

inhumane, but also carries a major threat to the future of our 

civilizations. 

4- We were unable to see the clear link between teaching violence in 

mainstream Islamic jurisprudence books and the development of a 

violent mind that can ultimately lead to terrorism and barbarism. 

5- We kept talking about moderate and radical Islam without setting 

parameters to define the terminology that we use. This made us 

support some radical Islamic groups, organizations, and individuals 

thinking that they are 'moderates'. 

6- We failed to comprehend that the lack of a strong reaction in the 

Muslim street against the terrorists is indicative of a serious cultural 

problem that encourages and supports radical Islam. 

7- We failed to see that allowing radicals who clearly express sympathy 

and support for our enemy in our military - such as the case of Nidal 

Hasan, who committed the Fort Hood massacre, is a form of insanity. 

8- We could not realize that carrying a US passport or having US 

citizenship does not grant immunity from becoming radicalized. 

9- We could not figure out that Muslims killing one another in extremely 

barbaric manner in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot be due to or explained 

by the presence of an Arab Israeli conflict or by the US foreign policy in 

the Middle East. We failed to ask the basic question: Why Muslims kill 

one another in such barbaric way? 


71 

10- We failed to see that disrespect for the life of non-Muslims as 

currently taught in many mainstream Islamic jurisprudence books is 

one if not the main underlying factor behind terrorism. We simply could 

not see that the barbarism practiced by radical Islam has its roots in 

what we call "moderate Islam" or Sharia Laws. 

In brief, our failure to defeat radical Islam is not simply a failure in 

connecting the dots and is primarily a failure to see these dots 


Is Your Local Mosque 'Moderate' 

Or 'Radical'? 

72 

Ask the Imams of Mosques, the Muslim leaders, and the Islamic 

organizations in the US and worldwide to sign this declaration (See 

below) 

After the problem of Ground Zero Mosque has escalated it becomes an 

urgent necessity to distinguish 'Moderate' from 'Radical' Islam. 11 Without 

making such a distinction the US and the rest of the world will remain 

divided regarding this issue. Debates about the issue can be endless unless 

we define the words 'radical' and 'moderate'. 

Mosque leaders, Islamic scholars, and organizations who want to be 

considered Moderates MUST clearly and unambiguously declare the following 

declaration in their media outlets and on their websites. 

I suggest that you send this declaration to Mosque leaders and the Islamic 

organizations inside the US and worldwide to see if they are ready to accept 

such a declaration or not. 

Please feel free to circulate this newsletter so that we can start a process 

that allows us to distinguish radical from moderate Islam. 

Declaration of Beliefs of Muslim Moderates – 

I (We) are Muslims who want contemporary understandings of Islam to 

replace currently predominant harsh and radical (Salafi/Wahabbi) 

interpretations of our religion. We therefore declare that: 

1 Redda Law, the Sharia Law that allows the killing of Muslims who 

convert to other faiths, must be banned in Islamic teachings and in 

Sharia legal doctrine. Islamic countries that practice Sharia must 

stop the practice of this law and must admit that Freedom of belief 

and the right to convert to other faith or believe is a basic right that 

must be given to all Muslims. 

2 Current mainstream Sharia doctrines justify the use of violence 

against women. They encourage men to beat their wives to 

11 Altman, A. (2010, August 19). TIME Poll: Majority Oppose Mosque, Many Distrust 

Muslims. Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/nation/ 


Signed, 

73 

discipline them. They allow women accused of adultery to be stoned 

to death. These doctrines are barbarically inhumane, nonegalitarian, 

and teach Muslim children to be violent. These 

teachings must be ended by reinterpreting the Islamic text that 

justifies such violence. 

3 Traditional Sharia doctrines teach Muslims that they must engage in 

war so that Islam will dominate the world. When Islam becomes 

dominant, Non-Muslims are offered three options: to convert to 

Islam, to pay Jizzia (a humiliating tax), or to be killed. These 

doctrines run contrary to modern respect for diversity and for 

personal freedom of speech and belief. This understanding of Jihad 

that seeks domination of Islam over other peoples must no longer 

be regarded as an Islamic value and its teaching as a duty for 

Muslims must end. 

The early Islamic wars known as "Futohaat Islameia" were fought to 

implement this doctrine of Jihad. These wars therefore should now 

be regarded as un-Islamic and un-justifiable. 

4 Jews are individuals who deserve the same respect accorded to all 

individuals. They should not be called "pigs and monkeys." The 

Islamic teaching that Muslims must fight and kill all Jews before the 

end of days is totally incorrect and unacceptable as it does not exist 

in the Quran. All teachings that encourage anti-Semitic attitudes, 

violence or disrespect toward Jews must be declared un-Islamic. 

5 Slavery is a crime against humanity. All Sharia laws that justify 

slavery in our modern times must not be taught any more. Muslim 

scholars must have a clear and loud voice against slavery. 

6 Islamic Sharia laws currently permit the killing homosexuals. These 

laws also are advocating a crime against our fellow human beings. 

They must be declared un-Islamic and their implementation must 

be considered criminal. 


Aug 2010 


Comment: 

The above violent teachings, which currently are taught in mainstream 

Islamic books in America, are implemented in countries that allow 

governance according to Sharia Law. Future Muslim generations must be 

protected from these destructive doctrines, interpretations and customs. 

74 

These violent Sharia doctrines must be replaced with clear and unconditional 

explanations of why they no longer are valid. 

Anything short of a fully clear and unequivocal stand against these doctrines 

indicates passive approval. Therefore, all Islamic leaders who genuinely 

consider themselves to be Muslim moderates must post these principles in 

English and in Arabic in full public view on their websites and declare them in 

their media outlets. 

Failure to publically post and support these principles should be interpreted 

as clear evidence that a leader's mosque or Islamic organization must be 

considered radical. 


'Intolerance' To Sharia Necessary 

for Liberty, Freedom 

75 

One of the questions being asked is, Should the United States become more 

tolerant to radical Islamic law (Sharia)? 

President Barack Obama's comments to American Muslims at the recent 

Ramadan dinner at the White House suggest that he believes that the value 

of "tolerance" was the main driving force that made America a beacon for 

liberty and equality throughout history. 12 

The president appealed to the American people to honor the memory of the 

September 11 th attacks by hewing to the values of diversity and tolerance. 

"We will not sacrifice the liberties we cherish or hunker down behind walls of 

suspicion and mistrust," the president declared. 

In another statement the president said, "Americans must cling to the 

shared belief in religious tolerance and clarity about who their enemies are." 

Furthermore, on the ninth anniversary of the greatest mass murder on 

American soil in the history of our country, far-left, faux-documentarian 

Michael Moore issued a clarion call to the United States. "If the [ground 

zero] 'mosque' isn't built," he wrote, "this is no longer America." 13 

In fact, Moore said he was opposed to building the ground zero mosque two 

blocks from ground zero. "I want it built on ground zero," he wrote. 

The president should have had a clear distinction between the religious 

values that must be respected and those values that must not be granted 

any form of tolerance. 

Those who promote the value of "tolerance" in an absolute form miss that it 

is simply not possible to be tolerant of every ideology. It is the delicate 

balance that has preserved the American dream of equality and liberty. 

For example, where would we be if the United States was tolerant of 

slavery? If not good men stood up to be intolerant of such cruelty? 

12 Obama, B. (2010, August 13). Religious Tolerance in America: Remarks at IFTAR Dinner. 

Retrieved from http://www.presidentialrhetoric.com/speeches 

13 Shapiro, B. (2010, September 15). Build the Ground Zero Mosque on Michael Moore. The 

Patriot Post. Retrieved from http://patriotpost.us/opinion 


Similarly, "intolerance" of the discrimination against the blacks, the Jews, 

and women in the American history has been the main foundation for our 

current freedoms and equality. 

76 

It is fair to show tolerance to religious values that do not physically harm or 

threaten the lives of other people (such as fasting in Ramadan or praying in 

a mosque). However, showing any tolerance to oppressive barbaric, violent, 

religions and giving them protection under the umbrella of "religious 

freedom" is a form of facilitation for criminal acts as those who will practice 

these values advise killing apostates, stoning women, having slaves in their 

houses, and killing homosexuals under the name of practicing their religious 

values. 

The United States must show the same level of intolerance to Sharia, which 

allows the use of violence against women and homosexuals and justifies 

killing Muslims who convert from Islam to another faith - or no faith at all. 

Above all, if President Obama wants to make a true contribution to the 

debate, he must uphold American values by showing "intolerance" to Sharia. 


Approaches To Addressing Radical 

Islam - What Will Work And What 

Will Not 

77 

The problems of radical Islam have been escalating during the last few 

decades and have affected the world in diverse ways. On one hand, the 

socio-religious-political impacts have directly affected our homeland and 

national security; and on the other hand, they have had a negative impact 

on our freedoms of expression and the social stability of many countries that 

have Muslim majorities or significant Muslim minorities. An analysis of the 

current responses to radical Islam reveals at least five different approaches 

or schools of thought. 

The first approach, which is used by many Muslims as a defensive 

mechanism for their faith, is to simply deny the existence of any ideological 

or religious role in the problem. This group typically promotes that Islam is a 

peaceful religion. This approach cannot work in solving the problem, as it 

always confronts the reality that almost all approved interpretations of 

Islamic core text and Islamic jurisprudence books that exist today promote 

values such as declaring wars to spread the religion, justify killing Muslim 

apostates, and allow beating women, polygamy, and stoning for adultery. In 

fact, such an approach makes things worse, as many westerners become 

angrier when they learn more about the Islamic teachings and recognize the 

reality that not only do these violent teachings exist, but also that they are 

unchallenged in mainstream teachings. 

The Bashers are the second group, who can only see the violent texts in 

Islam, its violent practices, and its traditional interpretations to conclude 

that it is impossible to change or reform it. This group promotes that 

peaceful Muslims are the ones that do not apply Islam. In other words, they 

are peaceful despite of - not because of - Islam. For example, a Muslim who 

does not beat his wife will start beating her if he started to become more 

religious and implement the mainstream interpretation of the (Quran 4:3) 

that allows men to beat their women to discipline them. It is hard to explain 

the motives of the bashers solely on the basis of bigotry, as many of them 

did not have the same stand against Buddhism or Hedonism. This illustrates 

that the views of this group are not just an issue of hatred against the 

'others' but, rather, a specific fear of certain violent teachings in Islam. 

Furthermore, it is fair to say that it is virtually impossible to stop criticism of 

Islam until the mainstream Islamic jurisprudence and interpretation books 


78 

clearly stop the discriminatory and inhumane edicts in Islamic (or Sharia) 

Law. In other words, Islamic teaching needs to change first, before asking 

this group to stop their criticism of Islam. This group has a problem in that 

by denying any possibility for reformation within Islam they end any hope in 

having a realistic solution for the problem. The Bashers simply expose the 

problem without offering pragmatic solutions for it, which makes many 

unwilling to accept their views. 

The Apologists are the third group, who play a different role by blaming 

external factors such as socioeconomic and political circumstances (e.g., US 

foreign policy) for being the cause of the phenomenon of Islamist terrorism. 

This group completely ignores the role of ideology in causing the problem. 

Critics of this group raise the point that if this view was correct, why do non- 

Muslims who live under the same circumstances not become suicide 

bombers? In other words, why do these external factors selectively choose 

and affect young Muslims? In addition, the external factors theory failed as it 

is hard to convince any sane human being that Islamists kill, behead, and 

explode their fellow Muslims in a barbaric manner because of elements in US 

foreign policy. 

The Idealists are the fourth group, who assume that we must show 

'tolerance' to any religion just for being a religion. This group fails as well, as 

tolerance for Islamic Law simply means intolerance for its victims. In other 

words, tolerance of Sharia Laws means extreme and sometimes fatal 

intolerance for apostates, adulterous women, and gays who will be killed 

with such a law. Idealists have to clarify their position if they are willing to 

show 'tolerance' to the religious rights of Muslims who practice this barbaric 

Sharia Law, or respect the religious rights and the lives of the latter groups 

by showing 'Intolerance' to these Islamic laws. It is insane to show tolerance 

to cancer cells and normal cells at the same time as the former will kill the 

latter. The Idealists need to distinguish between tolerating 'belly dancing' 

under the banner of Cultural Relativism, and tolerating 'stoning' of women 

until death under the same banner. Tolerating the part of Islam that teaches 

fasting in Ramadan is completely different from the teachings that promote 

suppression of women and justify killing homosexuals. 

The fifth group uses an un-objective dishonest approach by selectively 

choosing information to prove their view that there is no ideological basis for 

the problem. For example, this group uses a peaceful- but an atypical - 

definition of Jihad to prove that it is a peaceful concept and ignores the more 

widely used violent definition and usage of the word. Every sane person who 

will do honest research in Islamic theology and history will recognize that 

this approach is unscientific and misleading. 


Each of the former groups can contribute to solving the problem of radical 

Islam. 

79 

Those who deny the existence of any violent teaching in mainstream Islam 

must face the unavoidable reality that violent teachings do exist, and are 

still unchallenged in the mainstream Islamic books. This group needs to 

provide at least one single mainstream-approved Islam book that negates 

and theologically refutes the above violent Sharia concepts. As long as this 

approved book does not exist, the problem will remain, claiming that "Islam 

is peaceful" without changing the violent teachings is merely unrealistic lip 

service that aims at deceiving others. 

The Bashers need to continue exposing the violent teachings and practices in 

Islam as exposing such texts and its practices is vital to initiate a true 

reformation within the religion. However, the bashers can also play a role by 

declaring that they have no problem of peaceful coexistence with a new 

Islamic teaching that refutes the violent edicts of Sharia and emphasizes the 

peaceful aspects of the religion. This will put more responsibility on the 

shoulders of the Islamic scholars to change the interpretations of the violent 

texts if they are truly willing to stop "Islamophobia". 

The Apologists need to stop the self-flagellation attitude that ignores the 

ideological component of the problem, as ignoring the role of the ideology 

impedes efforts for reforming Islam. Muslims will NOT feel the need to 

reform if others are telling them that the problem is all about the US foreign 

policy and that it has nothing to do with the religious ideology. 

Those who use the Idealistic approach can also contribute to solving the 

problem by stating that 'tolerance' must only be given to the peaceful 

teachings that do not harm other human beings and cannot be applied to the 

religious teachings that discriminate against or threaten the lives of other 

human beings. Failure to make this distinction can be fatal. 

Followers of the un-objective dishonest approach must adopt an honest and 

scientific approach that addresses the facts without trying to distort or hide 

them to serve certain agendas. This group can convey a better message by 

acknowledging the existence of the violent interpretations and stating that 

that we need to foster the peaceful interpretations so that they dominate the 

Islamic jargon and teachings. 

In conclusion, solving the problem of radical Islam will require us to 

cooperate with one another rather than fight against each other. The 

responsibility of solving this problem is a joint responsibility that needs the 

cooperation of different groups rather than the actions of one single group. 


A Challenge To The Ground Zero 

Mosque Leaders 

Controversy is heating up on plans for building a giant 15-story Islamic 

community center and mosque on Ground Zero. 

80 

Journalist Thomas Friedman 14 and many others including New York's mayor 

consider the building of a mosque proof of American tolerance that will have 

positive impact on the Muslim world. 15 

Yet others, myself included, say to the contrary that Radical Muslims and 

their sympathizers want to raise the giant mosque as a sign of victory of the 

Jihadists over the US. 16 Such a mosque would signal to the Islamic world 

that Jihadists' overt and covert attacks against America and its interests are 

succeeding and should be continued. 

Allowing the erection of a Ground Zero Mosque would enable Jihadists to 

extend their narrative of success: "First our 9/11 attacks destroyed the 

World Trade center, symbol of American power, and now the mosque 

symbolizes Islam's rise to power within America." 

How the public to know which side is correct? Fortunately, Friedman's 

hypothesis that the Islamic world respects religious tolerance can be tested. 

One test would be to ask Mosque leaders request that Saudi Arabian leaders 

reciprocally allow churches and synagogues to be built in their country. 

A second test would be to ask questions that would clarify if the mosque's 

proponents are truly moderates or in fact Jihadist radicals disguised as 

moderates. Americans who defend the building of this mosque could ask the 

14 Friedman, T. (2010, August 03). Broadway and the Mosque. The New York Times. 

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/ 

15 Adams, R. (2010, August 04). Bloomberg defends mosque as a symbol of New York's 

tolerance [Blog Post]. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world 

16 Sidman, F. (2010, June 08). Rally Against the Ground Zero Mosque Retrieved from 

http://frontpagemag.com 


mosque's Islamic proponents to publicly post to the media and on their 

websites answers to the following questions: 

81 

1- Islamic Law (Sharia Law) states that Muslims who convert to 

Christianity must be killed (Redda Law), women in adulterous 

relationships must be stoned to death, men can beat their wives to 

discipline them, and homosexuals should be killed. 

Are you willing to recommend that these traditional Muslim practices 

be banned and to condemn countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran 

which accept such practices as religiously mandated? 

2- Several Muslim texts declare that ―Jews are pigs and monkeys‖ 17 and 

that killing Jews before "end days" is a religious duty for Muslims. 18 

Are you willing to declare that these texts must be changed and/or 

reinterpreted and that Muslim teaching of such anti-Semitic values 

must stop? 

3- Muslim texts that is approved by ALL the schools of Jurisprudence in 

Islam (Shafeii, Hanbali, Maleki, and Hanafi) state that Muslims must 

declare wars against non-Muslims to spread Islam and those they 

conquer must either convert to Islam, pay Jizzia ( a humiliating tax) or 

be killed. 

Are you willing to declare that this belief, used in "Foutohhat Islameia" 

the early wars to spread Islam and praised currently in much of the 

Muslim world, is un-Islamic and unacceptable? 19 

Mosque leaders issue statements such as that 'Islam is the religion of 

peace,' 'Islam respects freedom of religion,' 'Islam is the religion that gave 

them their rights,' or 'Islam is not anti-Semitic.' Their answers to the 

17 (Qur'an 5:60) Shall I point out to you something much worse than this by the treatment 

it received from Allah (The Jews), those who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath, 

those of whom some He transformed into monkeys and pigs, those who worshipped evil - 

these are (many times) worse in rank, and far more astray from the even path!" 

18 Littman, D. (2006, July 20). The Charter of Hamas and the UN. Retrieved from 

http://archive.frontpagemag.com 

19 Richard, G. (2006, November 19). Primer on Islamic imperialism. Retrieved from 

http://www.americanthinker.com 


82 

questions above about Sharia teachings would clarify if it would be unfair to 

call these leaders Jihadist Islamic radicals, or if in fact their statements 

about Islam are misleading propaganda. 

Are Islamic Mosque advocates willing to declare publicly, in English and in 

Arabic, that their answers to these three questions are yes? If so, let the 

mosque proceed. If not, plans to build a shrine to Islam on the grounds of 

the World Trade Center are contrary to America's values should be halted 

immediately. 


Shall The Us Start Fighting 

Terrorism In 'Brainistan'? 

83 

The war on terror and the US military confrontation with Al-Qaeda in 

Afghanistan and Pakistan is considered to be one of the longest wars in our 

modern history. 20 

It has actually surpassed WWII in duration. The jihadist-related terrorism 

phenomenon has not been defeated yet, 'Home Grown Radicalism' in the US 

is increasing in the last couple of years, and the Taliban is regaining power 

and killing more US troops. 21 This state of affairs should lead us to think that 

the US may be fighting the correct war but in the wrong locations. 22 

Traditionally, military confrontations occur in a physical territory or a 

geographically describable piece of land and ends with military control over 

this territory. The global nature of the jihadist phenomenon and its ability to 

span the globe from Indonesia to Spain and from Russia to the US makes it 

very difficult - if not virtually impossible - to confront it only at a territorial 

level. Furthermore, the use of the internet to transmit radical teachings by 

someone like Al-Awlaqui in Yemen to effect Major Nidal Hasan - who 

conducted the Fort Hood massacre in Texas and Faisal Shahzad - who 

recently attempted to explode a car bomb in Times Square in NYC - add 

another dimension to the problem and further support the idea that we need 

to think outside traditional warfare tactics and a territorial way thinking 

when we deal with the phenomenon of Islamist radicalism and terrorism. 

When we look deeper into the phenomenon of terrorism we need to ask 

ourselves: What makes a person decide to go get a bomb or a weapon just 

to kill some innocent people without achieving any materialistic gain for 

themselves? In other words, what happens in the brain of such an individual 

to make them take such a destructive, frequently self-destructive, decision? 

20 Bergen, P. (2011) The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al- 

Qaeda. Free Press 

21 Bolderson. C. (2010, September 22). The struggle to tackle home-grown Islamic 

radicalism in the US. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news 

22 Afghan Roadside Bombs Killing More U.S. Troops. (2011, January 26). CBS News. 

Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories. 


84 

Studies in physiology tell us that an impulse(s) has to originate in the mind 

of this individual that will ultimately make them make such a decision and 

take such an action. This impulse could represent an impulse of hatred, 

revenge, animosity, or other forms of negative feelings toward others. 

Hence, the real territory in the war on terror is actually the brain 

("Brainistan"), and our real challenge is to fight this impulse in the minds of 

these individuals and to replace it with an impulse of love, forgiveness, and 

humility. 

Electrical impulses in the brain that make an individual choose the path of 

violence over the path of peace can be either nourished or inhibited via 

education, ideology, cultural behaviors, and other factors that affect the 

psychology of a human being. 

Humans are born equal. One of the main differences between us is the way 

and the quality of the education we receive. If we acquired an education that 

promotes love and harmony it is likely that we will become good human 

beings. On the contrary, if our education and upbringing created hatred 

toward others, suppressed our human conscience, and created a feeling of 

superiority above others, the outcome can be completely different. 

In 'Brainistan'' the tools of winning the war on terror are approaches to 

education that encourage critical thinking, uphold the use of our human 

conscience, and ultimately teach us how to be able to love others 

irrespective of their religious backgrounds and views. The main challenge 

that faces us in 'Brainstan' is, on one hand, to create an impulse of love and 

tolerance toward others in the minds of the youngsters in the Muslim world 

to protect them from becoming terrorists, and on the other hand, to 

suppress the existent impulses of hate in the minds of those who have been 

already radicalized. This does not in any way mean that we ignore or 

underestimate the physical nature of the threat posed by the terrorists, but 

mainly points out that our confrontation in this war has to be extended 

beyond the physical territory in Afghanistan or Pakistan to include and give 

more focus to fighting it in "Brainistan" as well. 


Apologetic Attitudes Towards 

Radical Islam Aggravate It 

85 

Ignoring a problem or trying to find justification for the problem instead of 

confronting it can only make things worse. For example, if someone 

disregarded the start of a fire in his house, or a doctor ignored the beginning 

signs of cancer in the body, the outcome would be disastrous. 

Overwhelming evidence supports the view that a radical and lethal form of 

Islam has been growing in the Muslim world since the late seventies. The 

Iranian Islamic revolution, the application of inhumane Sharia rules in 

several parts of the Muslim world, and the growing threat of Islamic 

terrorism are concrete evidence of the rising of a major threat to the world's 

security and harmony. 

Failure to recognize and confront this threat (or Islamism) at its early stages 

has resulted in several devastating consequences such as September 11 th 

and the many other atrocities conducted by radical Muslims all over the 

world. 

Some apologists thought that ignoring the ideological component of the 

problem of Islamic Radicalism, would appease the Muslim world and prevent 

a possible clash of civilizations. However, by adopting such a defenseless 

attitude the apologists actually made things worse and increased the 

possibility for such a clash of civilizations to happen. 

The impact of ignoring the role of ideology in creating Islamic Radicalism 

has resulted in the following three outcomes: 

1- The apologetic attitude towards Radical Islam has impeded 

reformation efforts within the Muslim world. Ignoring the role Ideology 

played in creating the problem has made reformation within Islam 

simply unnecessary. The Muslim world is unlikely to consider changing 

violent interpretations of the religious text as long as western 

apologists insist ideology played no role in creating the problem. In 

other words, by ignoring the truth there is no incentive for Muslims to 

make any changes in the traditional interpretations of their religion. 

Criticisms of the violent interpretations of Islam are needed to 

encourage the Muslim world to make a change in such interpretations 

and to adopt more moderate understanding of the religion. 


86 

2- The apologetic attitudes toward Islamic radicalism encouraged 

Jihadists and terrorists to attack more because they recognized that 

whatever they do Western apologists will find justifications. The same 

applies to those who practice stoning of women as part of Sharia Law 

and the Western apologists who claim that Sharia Law is compatible 

with human rights! To make it clearer, why should someone change 

his violent behavior if everyone is telling him that it is 'peaceful'? 

3- The apologetic attitudes towards Radical Islam have made many 

policy makers in the West unable to make appropriate decisions to 

deal with it. Postulating Non-ideological reasons for the problem and 

ignoring the obvious ideological factors have mislead many leaders 

and directed their efforts to the wrong cause(s) of the problem. 

The integration of the above outcomes of the apologetic attitudes to Radical 

Islam has given more fuel to the fire of Islamic Radicalism and actually made 

things worse. If the apologists for radical Islam were honest enough to admit 

the role of the Ideology, appropriate steps and measures to prevent violent 

atrocities could have been taken years ago. Ignoring the true cause of the 

problem has only made things worse. 

The rising number of people who have a negative perception of Islam and 

the recent vote in Switzerland to ban the Minarets is clear evidence of the 

failure of the apologetic attitudes to improve the image of Islam. 23 

Addressing the problem of Radical Islam in an honest & scientific manner 

and dealing with it with wisdom was and is still the best way to go. 

23 Deane, C. & Fears, D. (2006, March 9). Negative Perception Of Islam Increasing: Poll 

Numbers in U.S. Higher Than in 2001. The Washington Post. Retrieved from 

http://www.washingtonpost.com 


Reformation Of 

Islam 

87 


Can Fresh Interpretations Of 

Islamic Text Prevent A Possible 

"Clash Of Civilizations?" 

88 

Since 9/11, the possibility of a clash of civilizations has become an 

unavoidable area of discussion among intellectuals as well as the general 

public. The inaction of Islamic scholars around the world to those who 

interpret the religion's sacred texts to further the influence of extremism 

undoubtedly increases the likelihood of such a clash. The war declared by 

jihadists on the free world has resulted in the killing and torturing of 

thousands of people. This has ranged from terror attacks, and the murder of 

innocent victims in the name of Islam, to paralyzing vital cities such as 

Mumbai. All such events share the common involvement of Islamic groups 

that are fueled by ideologies of hatred and violence. 

The passive attitude of many Muslims and Islamic scholars has aggravated 

the problem because this passivity is interpreted by the jihadists - correctly 

or incorrectly - as a permission for terrorist activity. What message do these 

scholars convey when they issue a fatwa of apostasy against Salman 

Rushdie for writing a novel or when they issue other fatwas against many 

modern Islamic reformers without issuing a similar one against Bin Laden 

and the terrorists? As an ex-jihadist, I believe that such a fatwa labeling 

terrorists as apostates can prevent many young Muslims from pursuing the 

path of terror. 

Islamic scholars need to start teaching certain phrases in the Quran 

differently. There are certain phrases and expressions in the Islamic text 

that have the capacity to encourage violence unless that text is taught in 

peaceful way. For example, there are verses in the Quran about killing 

infidels and idolatries, as well as fighting Jews and Christians. 1 These include 

the well-known verse of the sword that says "...slay the Idolatries wherever 

you find them"(Quran 9:5). Jihadists simply use such verses to create a 

mindset of hatred and violence toward others. 

Current mainstream books of Islamic jurisprudence add more fuel to the fire 

by noting that it is an obligation for the Muslim Umma to declare wars on 

1 (Quran 9:29) Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that 

forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the 

religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with 

willing submission, and feel themselves subdued 


89 

non-Muslim nations until the people of these nations convert to Islam. 

According to ALL accepted schools of Islamic jurisprudence, non-Muslims are 

to be offered conversion to Islam, to pay a Jizzia (humiliating tax), or to be 

killed. Bin Laden was therefore not inventing a new rule when he offered the 

US subjugation to Islamic rule (in order to stop terrorism). 2 

The jihadists are responsible for their acts of violence, but so too are our 

Islamic scholars for teaching such jurisprudence and not changing it. These 

same scholars, who loudly proclaim that "Islam is a religion of peace," still 

teach that Jews are pigs and monkeys. For example, in Friday prayer service 

on Jan 9 2009, inside the al-Azhar Mosque, a 1,000-year-old center of 

religious learning, the preacher Sheik Eid Abdel Hamid Youssef described the 

Jews as: "Monkeys and Pigs‖ ―God has inflicted the Muslim nation with a 

people who God has become angry at and who He cursed so he made 

monkeys and pigs out of. They killed prophets and messengers and sowed 

corruption on earth. They are the most evil on earth.‖ 

a people whom God has become angry at and whom he cursed so he made 

monkeys and pigs out of them. 3 They killed prophets and messengers and 

sowed corruption on Earth. They are the most evil on Earth." This anti- 

Semitic view is not solely that of this preacher, but rather is a widespread 

teaching articulated by many Islamic scholars that is derived from 

mainstream Islamic books. 4 

One of the ways to solve some of the aforementioned theological problems is 

to look deeply into the Quranic text itself. ALL verses that order believers to 

declare wars on non-believers or to use violence against infidels use the 

suffixes Al or Alazhina (meaning "The") before the word "Infidel." The use of 

this expression really applies more to a certain stage in history when early 

Muslims were fighting with other tribes. The difference in Arabic between kill 

"Man Kafar" (any Infidel) and Kill "Al-Kafereen" (the Infidels) is like the 

difference between visiting "a white house" and visiting "the white house" in 

Washington! Therefore, emphasizing the meaning of "The" in the Quranic 

verses can serve to better prevent many young Muslims from pursuing the 

path of generalized violence. Without teaching the text in this manner, we 

actually allow radicals to use such texts to win the hearts and minds of 

young Muslims. 

2 Warrick, J. (2007, September 8). In a New Video, Bin Laden Predicts U.S. Failure in Iraq. 

Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com 

3 Naggar. M.(2009, January 9). Rage Over Gaza in Friday Prayers [Blog Post]. The New York 

Times. Retrieved from http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com 


Abdelhamid. 


90 

It is hard to deny the presence of inflammatory statements against the Jews 

in our Islamic text. The Quran uses at least 5 different expressions that 

describe certain groups of Jews in different historical contexts. The first of 

these is Yahood, or certain tribes in the Arabian Peninsula during the early 

stages of Islam who, according to Islamic history, had a conflict with 

Mohamed (Quran 5:64; 9:30). Others are AlaZhina Hadu, which are those 

who returned back to God (Quran 7:156), and Bani Israel, which refers to 

Children of Israel (Quran 44:30). The fourth is Ashab Al-Sabt (Quran 4:47), 

which was a village that disobeyed Moses and the Torah, and the fifth is 

Ashab Mosa (Quran 26:61), Israelites who crossed the sea with Moses. 

All of these Arabic expressions are interpreted and translated simply as 

"Jews." However, this incorrectly targets all Jews throughout history, even 

those in the present day. It is essential to teach the proper context of any 

text in order to better curb the influence of radical Islam. For example, most 

of the criticism in the Quran is directed toward the "Yahood" and to "Ashab 

Al-Sabt" rather than to the Children of Israel. 

In fact, Muslim scholars who insult the Children of Israel must realize that 

most of the messengers described in the Quran belong to these Children. 

Therefore, insulting all the Children of Israel by labeling Jews as pigs and 

monkeys is an insult to these messengers. Such an insult is considered a 

grave sin in Islam. In fact, the Quran actually has positive verses about the 

Children of Israel (Quran 2:47; 44:32; 45:16). 

In addition, the Quran forbids judging someone by the mistakes of someone 

else (Quran 6:164; 17:15; 35:18; 39:7). Therefore, judging and hating the 

current Jews based upon possible historical conflicts between some of them 

and Mohamed is - in actuality -un-Islamic and is undoubtedly against the 

teaching of the Quran. The same goes for judging all Jews based solely on 

the grievances many Arabs have with the Israeli government. Applying the 

verses about the Yahood or Ashab Al-Sabt to all Jews and, on the other 

hand, limiting the usage of the more positive ones about the Children of 

Israel in Islamic religious textbooks, has resulted in an unprecedented wave 

of anti-Semitism in the Muslim world. 5 

In short, if Islamic scholars issue a fatwa labeling the terrorists as apostates, 

start limiting the use of "The" in violent Islamic texts to ONLY a historical 

context, and stop cursing all Jews as well as calling them pigs and monkeys, 

a possible war of civilizations can be better avoided. 

5 Samber, S. (n.d.). New Report on Anti-Semitism in Arab World Called "Bone-Chilling" 

Retrieved from http://www.interfaithfamily.com/news_and_opinion 


Passive Attitude Toward Violent 

Islamic Text Is Destructive 

The recent growth of cases involving home-grown Islamic radicalism in the 

US raises an important question. 6 How should Muslim leaders address the 

religious text that is used to promote violence among young Muslims? 

91 

According to several reports, Mustafa Abu Maryam who is youth coordinator 

at the I.C.N.A. Center, an affiliate of the Islamic Circle of North America, in 

Alexandria, Virginia defended the mosque's activities, saying discussion of 

fighting against others (jihad) had no place in the congregation or the youth 

program. 7 

This passive approach regarding concepts such as fighting against others 

(i.e. violent Jihad) did not protect the young Muslims from the radicalization 

process. Reciting the peaceful verses in the Quran without addressing and 

confronting the aggressive teaching and refuting it with new interpretations 

is an inefficient approach. Being passive in this situation means tacit 

approval of the violent interpretations. 

It would have been much better if Abu Maryam addressed the issue of Jihad, 

rejected its violent interpretations in mainstream Muslim books, and 

provided new interpretations for it instead of remaining passive and avoiding 

its discussion. 

Under-valuing human life is a main psychological and ideological factor that 

gives justification for the terrorists to do their barbaric acts. Without 

changing the values that under-value human life in mainstream Islamic 

books, it is virtually impossible to prevent the phenomenon of terrorism. 

Some of these values are currently promoted in mainstream Islamic books 

inside the US (See below). 

The following are just two examples from a well-known, modern and bestselling 

Islamic jurisprudence book (Minhaj Al-Muslim) to illustrate how 

human life of Non-Muslims is disrespected and considered lower than 

Muslim's lives. These are found in the mainstream modern Islamic books 

that are used to educate young Muslims. According to this book: 

6 Macedo, D. Homegrown Terror on the Rise in 2009. (2009, December 14) Fox News. 

Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/us/ 

7 Americans' Arrests in Pakistan a 'Wake-Up Call' for Virginia Muslims. (2010, April 22). 

PBS New Hour. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour 


92 

1- Value of the life of Non-Muslims is less than a Muslim: "A Muslim is 

not killed for a disbeliever nor a free person for a slave. This is due to 

the Prophet's statement, "A Muslims is not killed for a disbeliever". 

(Ahmed and At-tirmithi and it is Hasan [the word Hasan in the last 

statement means a good Hadith based on the level of accuracy of the 

Hadith). 8 

2- Blood Money (Compensation given to the family of the victim in cases 

of murder): "If the victim was a non-Muslim under the protection of 

the Islamic state (Dhimmi), whether he was a Jew, a Christian, or of 

some other religion, his blood money is half the blood money of the 

Muslim. The blood money of their females is half the blood money of 

their males. This is due to the Prophet's statement: the blood money 

of the disbeliever is half the blood money of the (Muslim) man." (At- 

Tirmithi and it is Hasan) [the word Hasan in the last statement means 

a good Hadith based on the level of accuracy of the Hadith) 9 

The author, a Lecturer in the Noble Prophetic Masjid (Mosque) in Saudi 

Arabia, stated in the introduction of this book: "I spared no effort in 

investigating and searching for the most sound opinion of the eminent 

scholars such as Imams Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ash Shafl'i, and Ahmad, may 

Allah have mercy on them all, when there was no conclusive text or 

apparent proof from the Book of Allah the Almighty and the Sunnah of the 

Messenger of Allah (S) for a topic." Note: This means that the book 

represents the mainstream views in Islamic Sharia as the above mentioned 

four scholars represent all the approved Mazthhab or School of 

Jurisprudence in Sunni Islam. 

In addition, this book is widely distributed all over the world and translated 

into several languages. In fact, it is published in London, Houston, and New 

York as well. 

The book has been described as follows by the publisher (A respected 

Islamic publishing house) "A comprehensive work by the great scholar Abu 

Bakr Jabir Al-Jaza'ri comprising all that concerns a Muslim regarding creed, 

manners, providing direction for righteous character, acts of worship, and 

dealings with his colleagues." 10 

8 Note: according to the same book a Muslim should be killed if he intentionally kills another 

Muslim. 


Publications. [p: 492-493]. 


Salam Publications. 


The book is sold and distributed on Amazon.com and on many mainstream 

Islamic web sites such as OnlineIslamicStore.com and 

IslamicBookStore.com. 11 

93 

The book has also been described by IBS-Canada (Division of ISNA Canada) 

as follows: 12 

"This book Minhaj - Al -Muslim, or "The way of a Muslim" is a very important 

book composed by the great scholar Abu Bakr Jabir Al - Jaza'iri, presently 

lecturer in the Noble Prophetic Masjid and former teacher in Al-Madinah 

University who worked there till his retirement. This book comprises all that 

concerns the righteous Muslim regarding his creed, manners, providing 

direction for righteous character and acts of worship, and dealings with his 

colleagues." 

Giving peaceful lectures during Friday prayers to be perceived by the West 

as moderate while remaining silent against such aggressive teaching is not 

only a passive form of endorsing this teaching but is also a fruitless and 

deceiving approach to the West. If Muslim leaders are truly willing to prevent 

radicalism of the young Muslims they must confront these violent areas and 

provide new theology or interpretations for it. Staying passive against this 

inhumane teaching is not enough. 


Salam Publications. 

12 The book can be found at http://www.islamicbookservice.ca/ 


A Message to the Muslim World 

94 

Many in the Muslim world repeatedly express anger when Islam and its 

founder are criticized. This anger-while unacceptable-could be fully 

understandable, especially when we take into consideration the sensitivity of 

talking about religious issues. However, it is vital that the Muslim world 

realize that most-if not all- the criticism of Islam and of the prophet is based 

on what traditional and mainstream Islamic books teach. In other words, it 

is unfair to say that criticism of Islam has been merely based on or 

motivated by bias against the religion, especially when we see thousands of 

Mosques and Islamic schools built in and sometimes supported by Western 

countries. We have actually seen much more limitations placed on the rights 

of minorities to build their religious temples or to practice their religion freely 

in Muslim countries than in the West. For example, Christians are not 

permitted to have their bibles with them in Saudi Arabia while Muslims have 

complete freedom to have the Quran in the US and European countries. 

Muslims MUST ask themselves who actually discriminates against the other, 

is it the West who is discriminating against Islam or is it that the Muslim 

world is discriminating against people of other faiths? Who needs to change 

and show more tolerance for religious minorities, the West or the Muslim 

world? 

In addition, when the Taliban destroyed the historical Buddha statues the 

Muslim world was virtually silent, which may indicate a form of acceptance 

for this barbaric act. The Muslims MUST ask themselves, what would they 

have felt if the Buddhists- for example- destroyed the Muslim Holy mosque 

in Mecca? 

Furthermore, Muslims enjoy full freedom in the West to preach to non- 

Muslims and to convert them to Islam. On the contrary, Muslims-in general- 

become very furious if they discover that non-Muslims are proselytizing to 

Muslims to convert them to other faiths. In fact, proselytizing to Muslims is 

illegal in many Islamic countries. The Muslim world needs to question itself. 

Again, is it the West discriminating against them, or is it the Muslims 

discriminating against the others. 

The Muslim world needs to realize that the negative image of Islam in the 

West has been created by the Muslims themselves. 

When mainstream Islamic books of Sira (Biography of Prophet Mohamed 

that was essentially written by Muslims) teach that prophet Mohamed took a 


95 

woman as booty in the war after forcing her to see her father and brother 

decapitated. 13 Do Muslims expect the world to tell them that.... Wow, this is 

a wonderful model for tolerance! 

When we teach in several Islamic books including Sahih (accurate) Hadith 

that prophet Mohamed said that he was ordered by Allah to fight the entire 

world until they subjugate to Islam 14 and when we teach in current approved 

Sharia books that Muslims have to wage wars against Non-Muslims and offer 

them to choose one of the following options: to convert to Islam, to pay 

humiliating tax (Jizzia), or to be killed….Do we expect others to tell us that 

Islam is the religion of peace? I wonder if non -Muslims declared war against 

Muslims to spread their religion and offered Muslims to convert out of Islam 

(to the new religion), to pay a humiliating tax to the invaders, or to be 

killed…Will Muslims consider this to be a peaceful act? 

When our traditional Islamic books mention that prophet Mohamed ordered 

his followers to torture his opponents. 15 Does the Muslim world expect that 

the world will tell us that the prophet of Islam was sent as a mercy for 

mankind? 

When we teach in Al-Butchery [mainstream Hadith book for Sunni Muslims] 

that prophet Mohamed married and had sex with a 9 year old child 16 and 

used to bring dolls for her so that she can play with them 17 or that the 

13 Tabari IX:137 "Allah granted Rayhanah of the [Jewish] Qurayza to His Messenger as 

booty [but only after she had been forced to watch him decapitate her father and brother, 

seen her mother hauled off to be raped, and her sisters sold into slavery]." 

14 Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 196 

15 Tabari VIII:122 

Ishaq:515"The Prophet gave orders concerning Kinanah to Zubayr, saying, 'Torture him 

until you root out and extract what he has. So Zubayr kindled a fire on Kinanah's chest, 

twirling it with his fire stick until Kinanah was near death. Then the Messenger gave him to 

Maslamah, who beheaded him." 

16 Sahih Al-Buchary Volume 7, Book 62, Number 64: 

Narrated 'Aisha: that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he 

consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him 

for nine years (Note: according to Islamic books, Mohammed was above 50 years old when 

he married this young child). 

17 Sahih Al-Buchary Volume 8, Book 73, Number 151: 


96 

prophet used to have sex with his 9 wives in one night. 18 Do we expect the 

world to tell us that the prophet was a role model for mankind? If 

mentioning these stories are considered an insult to Islam then Al-Buchary - 

not the West-should take responsibility for insulting the religion. 

When non-Muslims realize that Muslims who convert away from Islam must 

be killed by Redda Law (killing the apostates) and that this law is approved 

by ALL schools of Islamic jurisprudence based on Hadith of prophet 

Mohamed. Shall we expect them after this to sing praises for how Islam 

respects the value of religious freedom? 19 

When non-Muslims read in our current mainstream books that stoning of 

adulterous women is acceptable in our modern times, 20 and that it is 

permissible for a man to beat his wife to discipline her, 21 and that polygamy 

is permissible for men up to four wives ........Do we expect that the world 

will tell us that Islam is the religion that gave women their rights? 

When non-Muslims read in some Hadith books (sayings of prophet 

Mohamed) that prophet have said that if the wife licked a wound pouring pus 

from her husband she would (still) not have fulfilled his right (as a 

Narrated 'Aisha: 

I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girlfriends also used to 

play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide 

themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the 

dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a 

little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.) (Fateh-al-Bari page 143, Vol.13) 

18 Narrated Anas: The Prophet used to go round (have sexual relations with) all his wives in 

one night, and he had nine wives. (Hadith Sahih; Sahih Albuchary Volume 7, Book 62, 

Number 14: Chapter of Marriage or Allnikah). 

19 Sahih Al-Bukhari (52:260) - "...The Prophet said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his 

religion, kill him.' " 


Salam Publications. p. 505 

21 Quran (4:34): Men are superior to women because Allah has given them more preference 

to women, and because they financially support them. Therefore the righteous women are 

devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them 

guard. As to those women on whose part you fear that they do not obey you, admonish 

them, avoid making sex with them (as a form of punishment), and beat them; but if they 

return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, 

great (above you all). 


97 

husband) 22 and when they hear Fatwas from some of our leading scholars 

that drinking the urine of the prophet was a blessing for the disciples of 

Mohamed. 23 What do we expect their reaction to this form of teaching? Shall 

we expect words of admiration or criticism? 

When we teach in our approved Islamic books that early Muslims army 

invaded many countries to spread Islam and that the agreement between 

the second Caliphate and non-Muslim minorities in these countries (Al-Uhda 

Al-Umareia) did not allow non-Muslims to sit while Muslims were standing 

and did not allow non-Muslims to raise their voices while crying when 

following their dead, do we expect that others to be speaking loudly about 

the 'tolerance' of Islam? 

It is important that the Muslim world realize that they need to stop 

discrimination against its non-Muslim minorities and that the negative image 

of Islam was not created by the West but by Muslims themselves. Denying 

that the above teachings exist just makes things worse as such teachings do 

exist in our Islamic books. The best way to stop criticism of Islam is to admit 

that violent teachings exist and that Islamic scholars must work on providing 

modern ways for interpreting and understanding their religion instead of 

accusing those who expose the problem and raise valid questions of being 

Islamophobes. 

22 Reported by Ahmad (3:159) and others. It's of narration is declared to be good by al- 

Mundhiree in at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (3:75): The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said, "It is 

not right that any human being should prostrate to another human being I would have 

ordered the woman to prostrate to her husband due to the greatness of his rights upon her. 

By Him in whose Hand is my soul, if from his foot to the crown of his head there was a 

wound pouring forth pus, and she (the wife) came and licked that, then she would (still) not 

have fulfilled his right." 

23 Azuri, L. (2007, June 13). Media Uproar Following Egyptian Mufti‘s Fatwa on Companions 

of the Prophet Muhammad Being Blessed by Drinking His Urine. Retrieved from 

http://sweetness-light.com/archive 


An open letter the Second in 

command of Al-Qaeda 

98 

Dr. Al-Zawherri, many years ago, as a student at University of Cairo Medical 

School Mosque, when I joined Jammaa Islamia, I sat in front of you, and 

listened fervently to you sermons. At that time, I looked up to you as my 

mentor who was going to guide me through the correct path to the divine. I 

cannot forget your fiery speeches, enthusiastic, extraordinary charisma and 

your dedication to the cause of Islam. 

Once, I remember you placing your hand over my shoulder, telling me that 

my generation is the hope for Islam. I was truly captivated; I was so young 

and mislead by your appealing charm as many others were. As I looked 

deeply into your eyes, I hoped that you would lead me to find my path to 

spirituality. Instead, you led me into the corridor of hatred and violence. I 

was deceived by your sharp authoritative look and your powerful e 

speeches, but after all, I was fortunate to recognize early enough that I was 

on the wrong course. 

You taught me and other members of the JI that the west is evil because it 

does not implement Sharia law. You explained that they allow women to 

dress as they wish, and provide them full freedom. Back then, I was 

deceived by your statements. But let me ask you now which is preferable; 

the western system that respects basic values of freedom for women or the 

Salafi Islamic system that you follow which suppresses and justifies beating 

women, allows polygamy, permits slavery and still promotes stoning women 

to death for adultery? 

Dr Al-Zawaheri, after all these years, I discovered that the values that you 

promoted for 'modesty' of our Muslim women are not sincerely values of 

modesty as you claimed, but rather immoral means to enslave them. 

According to our Sharia system, a Muslim woman engaged sexually with a 

man on her free will, should be punished by death, yet, if a man sold the 

same woman as a slave to the same man to engage in sex with him - 

against her free will - it is until now acceptable in our Islamic laws. Do you 

consider that moral or just? Obviously, the entire issue is not modesty for 

Muslim women as you claimed but rather a way to control them. 

Through your video tapes, you try to sway the west against America, 

blaming the "evil" US foreign policies against the Islamic world. If the US is 

truly as wicked as you claim, it could have used its devastating military 

power to rape the land of Arabia and get its oil for free as our Islamic 


99 

ancestors did under the banner of spreading Islam! Or probably is it 

American evil foreign policy that saved millions of Muslims in Kosovo and is 

trying to do the same in Darfur? Or is it the evil Americans who saved 

Kuwait from the Iraqi vicious despot Saddam Hussein? 

If it's only the "others" causing the Muslims misery, why then didn't you ever 

protest against the Pakistani Mullas who issued a fatwa to justify for 

Pakistani Muslim soldiers to rape the Bangladeshi women as concubines in 

the name of Allah during the war between the two countries in the 1970s? Is 

that because of the damage done to Muslims by the west? 

Through your publicized videotapes you claim that your Muslim "brothers" 

suffer in Iraq. Don't your Muslim "brothers" suffer in Iraq primarily because 

your Sunni Islamic thugs "brothers" are torturing, killing other Muslims and 

mutilating the dead bodies of their fellow Muslim Sunni "brothers"? Maybe If 

you ordered your Muslim Sunni "brothers" to suspend their barbaric acts, the 

Iraqi people would enjoy the fruit of democracy that was offered to them 

with American soldiers' blood, scarifying their lives to provide them with 

such dignified opportunity. 

Dr. Al-Zawaherri, in many of your tapes, you maintain that Israel is 

oppressing the Palestinians. You should know that, the Jewish state that you 

so despise allows Muslims to build Mosques and practice their religion freely. 

Compare it to Saudi Arabia which denies basic rights to Christians or other 

non-Muslims to build churches or practice freely their religion. Compare it to 

your Taliban system which destroyed the historical statues of Buddha. You 

are merely lucky that your evil acts against civilized people have not been 

countered by destroying our sacred places in Mecca and Medina. 

I vividly remember you teaching us in our JI Mosque that the Jews are the 

world's worst enemies; that they are "pigs and monkeys." To my pleasant 

surprise, I must share with you that I later found out that unlike you and 

your followers, Jews have brought immense constructive contribution to our 

civilization. 

You repeatedly taught us that the US and the West are oppressing Muslims. 

I used to believe it when I first met you, but after living in the West and 

having seen how Muslims are treated in the US, I can openly say to you; Dr. 

Al-Zawaherri, you are a liar! The US has allowed Muslims to build mosques, 

to practice freely our religion, to enjoy economic opportunities, to thrive in 

their education as any American citizen does. US constitution simply does 

not allow discrimination against minority. If this is what you call "oppressed 

Muslims in the west" then I wish Islamic systems like Saudi Arabia, the 

Taliban and Iran treat their non-Muslims in the same way US treats its 

Muslim population! 


100 

Dr. Al-Zawaherri, your heinous attacks on innocents all over the world have 

deprived our world of tremendous amount of resources as an attempt to 

protect ourselves from people like you. So instead of diverting the money of 

the world to build, to cure disease and to improve the environment, we now 

need to direct a major portion of our budget to protect our nations from your 

evil acts. 

I am asking you to remember the orphans who lost their parents because of 

you, the parents who lost their children because of you, and the innocents 

who still suffer because of you. Use your conscience if it still exists and 

remember them even for a moment as an opportunity to evaluate your 

deeds. 

After all these years, I tell you vociferously that if "the hope of Islam" is 

cultivated by the damage you cause to the world then never blame anyone 

for questioning Islam's nature, genuine motives and criticizing it. 

Dr. Al-Zawaherri, I must confess that I am not sure whether I should blame 

only solely you for your crimes or should I also hold responsible the entire 

culture and our religious system that have been guiding you and millions 

other to hate the "others". Should I only blame you or also my fellow 

Muslims who have been passively watching your dreadful actions with 

minimal expression of dismay over your brutality? Or maybe I should also 

blame those in the West who still try to find irrational justifications for your 

terrorist acts instead of confronting its true cause which is the Ideology that 

changed an innocent child that you were, into a beast who deprived others 

of their life. 

Dr. Al-Zawaherri -as a surgeon your hands were supposed to heal and help 

reduce suffering, but instead, you caused anguish to thousands if not 

millions of our human race. Therefore, the blood on your hands is the blood 

of your victims rather than your patients during surgical operations. 

Now, I live too far from you geographically, and more importantly, 

ideologically. Unlike you, based on fresh interpretation of the Quran, I 

preach a message of love and respect to all humans; regardless of their 

religion, race or nationality. It is a peaceful and non-conventional 

interpretation which attempts to heal the world that you have injured. One 

day, the Muslim world will have to decide if they should follow my path or 

your path. Our paths cannot converge. 

Dr. Al-Zawaherri....Awake before it is too late! 

Your old colleague in the JI 



101 

Killing Sorcerers for Practicing 

'Witchcraft' in Islam: Another View 

A few weeks ago the Saudi religious authority was going to behead a 

Lebanese TV psychic because he had been convicted of practicing 

witchcraft. 24 While to us this seems ludicrous, the current Sharia Law 

justifies and promotes killing "witchcrafts." 25 

It is vital -an innocent person could be killed based on this law-to explore 

new and different ways to look at the issue of killing sorcerers in Islam. 

First of all, it is important to clarify that killing witchcrafts has NEVER been 

mentioned in the Quran itself. The sources for the law of killing sorcerers are 

in the Sunna or Hadith (sayings of the prophet) books that were collected 

more than 200 years after the death of the prophet. These books are 

accepted by mainstream Islam as fundamental parts of the religion. 

The following points need to be discussed: 

1- Were the acts of this man's 'sorcery' consistent with the type of acts 

that directly harm others described in the Qur'an as the work of "Al- 

Naphathati Fi Al-Uquad?‖ (Quran 113:4) Or instead, were the acts of 

this man more consistent with a variety of future telling "Istiqsam Bi- 

Alazlam" that are only considered haram (forbidden, yet non- 

punishable in Islam)? (Quran 5 : 3) The later expression, "Istiqsam Bi- 

Alazlam," indicates an act of using stones to predict the future luck of 

a person and make decisions accordingly. 26 

2- Acknowledging that the acts of the accused were a form of future 

telling, means they should not be classified as black magic "Al- 

24 Lawyer: Beheading planned in Saudi sorcery case. (2010, April 1) CNN World. Retrieved 

from http://www.cnn.com 



26 See Quran 5:3 for Tafseer Al-Shawkani. 


102 

Naphathati Fi Al-Uquad" [the punishable form of magic in Islam]. This 

calls for further review and revising of the case. 

3- Since the rule of killing a person for sorcery (black magic) or future 

telling has never been mentioned in the Qur'an it is fundamental to 

question the sources for this Non-Quranic law. 

4- There are two main sources for the rule for killing the accused in the 

Sunna. 

A statement by Prophet Mohamed: The only statement about killing the 

sorcerers that is supposed to be said by the Prophet Mohammed: "The Hadd 

(punishment) for the magician is striking with the sword" is weak 

(unbinding) Hadith. 27 

A statement by Sahaba (a disciple) of Mohamed: This statement is 

considered according to the science of Hadith as accurate. Assuming that 

this is correct, or in other words the statement is accurate, it is important in 

this context to mention that some of the top Sahaba such as Umar Ibn Al- 

Khatab stopped the punishment (Hadd) for stealing [supposed to be 

amputating the hands of the thief] in "Aam Al-Ramada" (the latter 

represents a year of extreme poverty) due to the possibility that 

implementing this law could be unjust for some people (as poverty was 

prevalent in this year due to lack of rain so a person may steel in order to 

survive). Therefore, using the same approach of Umar Ibn Al-Khatab may 

justify stopping the present beheading of this man since this law is basically 

not in the Quran. In addition, the statement of the prophet about killing 

magicians is a weak Hadith, and the act itself can be classified under another 

category of "Istiqsam Bi-AlAzlam"- which is not considered 'black magic'. 

In short, the concept of killing a person for being a sorcerer or a magician 

needs to be reviewed by the Islamic religious authority. New Laws in Islam 

that allow freedom are desperately needed as the current Sharia Laws 

promote several violent concepts that ultimately help in creating the violent 

radical minds that underestimate the value of human life. 




103 

Fighting Islam With Islam 

Unbiased observation of the Islamism phenomenon reveals beyond doubt 

that barbaric acts and discrimination against non-Muslim minorities are 

repeatedly practiced and conducted in the name of Islam. 

Preventing Christians in Saudi Arabia from having a churches or even 

carrying Bibles, the recent attacks on Christian Churches, 28 the recent 

incident which could lead to the possible hanging of a Pakistani Christian 

Mother -of five in Pakistan for criticizing prophet Mohamed are just few 

examples of many that exemplify the inhumane discrimination that is 

currently practiced against innocent non-Muslim minorities in several parts 

of the Muslim world. 29 

Unfortunately, many Islamists or radical Muslims use Islamic religious text to 

justify such injustice and repeated hate-based barbarism against the non- 

Muslim minorities. It is shocking to see the leading scholars and 

organizations of the Muslim world -who want Islam to be called the religion 

of peace- not standing strongly against such unacceptable acts. One would 

expect that these scholars and organizations to strongly denounce the laws 

that prevent Christians from building their Churches, issue powerful fatwa to 

call those who attack churches as 'apostates', and have a declaration to 

denounce the ruling which could lead to hanging of the Pakistani woman who 

insulted the prophet-if they truly want others to call Islam 'peaceful'. 

Deep analysis of Quranic verses reveals that preventing Christians from 

building Churches is against the Quran itself. The Quran in fact considered 

destroying non-Islamic worship places as a major crime. 30 

The practice of suppressing Church building in the Muslim world is based 

largely on the unjustifiable practice of some early leaders of the Muslim 

Caliphate who politicized the religion. Suppressing building Churches as 

practiced by some Islamic regimes is not only unjustifiable in the Quran but 

is opposed to the teachings of the Quran. 

28 Dozens killed after Iraq church attack [video]. (2010, November 01) BBC News. Retrieved 

from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news 

29 DeSouza, R. (2010, November 10). Pakistani Christian Mother of 5 Sentenced To Death 

for Blasphemy. Retrieved from http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news 

30 (Quran 22:40) Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would 

surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which 

the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure. 


104 

Furthermore, attacking innocents for being Non-Muslims is clearly forbidden 

in the Quran. 31 The practice of attacking Non-Muslims has stemmed from the 

Sharia Laws and Quranic Interpretations that undervalue the lives of Non- 

Muslims and promotes war against them to spread the religion. 

Understanding violent Quranic verses in their historical context and 

upholding the value of freedom of religion can assist in ending such barbaric 

practices against the small non-Muslim minorities in the Muslim world. 32 

It might be surprising for many -including Muslims themselves- to know that 

the Quran blamed Mohamed for even 'thinking' in forcing others on his 

religion. 33 

In addition, the Quran never mentioned any punishment for insulting the 

prophet. On the contrary, the Quran mentioned that if Islam was insulted 

the prophet can do nothing but to temporary avoid sitting in situations when 

Islam is insulted and mocked. 34 The concept of killing those who insult 

Mohamed or Islam is one of the parts of Sharia Law that contradicts the 

Quran itself. Mohamed was called "mad" (Quran 15:6; 68:51) and the 

other prophets were considered a "mockery" (Quran 15:11; 36:30; 43:7) 

yet none of them was instructed to retaliate for this. 

It is vital that the Muslim world start distinguishing between the historical 

violent and discriminatory practices of Islamic Caliphate and the Quran as a 

source for the religion. Many of the former inhumane practices against Non- 

Muslim minorities are actually against the Quran and insisting on doing them 

under the banner of Islam is not only against the teaching of Quran but can 

also ignite a war of civilizations. 

Fighting Radical teaching in Islam with secular views is ineffective as the 

radicals usually provide a theological base for their violent views. On the 

other hand, looking to the Quranic verses via eyes of modernity and 

upholding some of its suppressed values can be one of the best antidotes for 

Radical Islam. 

31 (Quran 2:19) Do not transgress limits or attack others for God loveth not transgressors. 

32 For example (Quran 18:29) Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, 

and let him who will, reject (it). 

33 (Quran 10:99) If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on 

earth! Wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe! 

34 (Quran 6:68) When thou seest men engaged in mocking and insulting our verses 

[Quran], turn away from them unless they turn to a different theme. 


105 

Can We Turn Burning The Quran 

Day Into Something Positive? 

Nearly a decade after 9/11 it seems that the world may be headed toward a 

clash of civilizations. 35 On one hand, nearly 70% of Americans are against 

P51 (or the Ground Zero Mosque) and on the other hand plans to burn the 

Quran in a Florida Church on 9/11 are imminent. 36 It is clear that the 

radicals on both sides are controlling the game. This is a crucial time for true 

moderates to come to the table and do something to prevent the escalation 

of the endless cycle of hatred that can drag our civilization to a dark future. 

The responsibility to act to stop this case scenario is a shared responsibility 

and the burden of it is on the shoulders of enlightened and likeminded 

people irrespective of their faith. 

Various groups and personnel can contribute to the process of healing 

between civilizations. These groups may not be able to stop the bookburning 

event itself; however, their collaborative actions can help prevent an 

irrational violent response in the Muslim streets. In other words, our aim 

now must go beyond stopping the burning to stopping or ameliorating the 

reaction to the burning. 

The Muslim world has the full right to feel insulted by the burning the Quran 

event. This should lead them to also understand the feelings of the families 

of the victims of 9/11 who also feel insulted by the building of the mega 

mosque close to ground zero. As we Muslims expect others to respect our 

feelings we also need to avoid doing or accepting things that hurt the 

feelings of the others. In such a case a genuine offer by Imam Raouf to 

relocate the Ground Zero Mosque as a matter of respect for the feelings of 

most Americans can probably interrupt this cycle of hatred and religious 

intolerance. In fact stopping the Burning the Quran day is currently in the 

hands of Imam Raouf as the pastor who is planning to do the burning 

offered to stop the burning of the Quran if Ground Zero mosque is relocated 

to another place. 

Islamic scholars MUST take certain steps to avoid a violent backlash against 

innocent Christians and Non-Muslims all over the world. This can be 

35 Russell, L. (2010, July 30). Church plans Quran-burning event. CNN. Retrieved from 

http://articles.cnn.com 

36 Katz, C. (2010, August 11). CNN Poll: Nearly 70% Of Americans Oppose NYC Mosque Plan 

[Blog Post]. New York Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs 


106 

achieved by emphasizing the value in the Quran that clearly teaches that no 

one can be punished by the actions of others (Quran 6:164). In addition, the 

leading Islamic authorities MUST issue a powerful Fatwa against those who 

might use violence against Non-Muslims as a response to the burning of the 

Quran day. In order to make this Fatwa effective it MUST clearly consider 

those who will do violent acts against Non-Muslims to revenge for the 

burning event- as 'apostates', state that Muslims are not permitted to pray 

on the dead bodies these of these terrorists when they die, and declare that 

such criminals who attack Non-Muslims must not be buried with Muslims if 

they died. Unfortunately, these are the kind of words that resonate in the 

minds of Islamic radicals that can deter young Muslims from going down the 

path of violence. Ideally, the Fatwa must warn radical Muslims that they will 

go to "hell forever" if they did such acts of violence. Fatwas that solely call 

violent acts against Non-Muslims 'Un-Islamic' are too weak to produce any 

significant deterrent in the minds of radicals. 

The US government needs to learn that supporting acts that hurt the 

feelings of most Americans -such as President Obama's support for building 

the Ground Zero Mosque-based on respecting the first amendment rights, 

will put them in a difficult situation as some may ask them to support 

burning the Quran based on the same principles. There is inconsistency of 

the official comments that on one hand supported the building of Ground 

Zero mosque despite the fact that it will hurt the feelings of most Americans, 

and on the other hand denouncing burning the Quran day because it will 

hurt the feelings of Muslims. Clearly, this can be perceived as discrimination 

against Non-Muslims which may result is a feeling of injustice among the 

latter and ultimately create anger and breed hatred. Having double 

standards in these situations can only make things worse. 

In addition, the complex situation of burning the Quran day highlights the 

need for more effective efforts to educate the Muslim world that the US 

government does not have full control over America's private institutions. 

Traditionally, people in the Muslim world see both as the same entity. This 

leads many in the Muslim world to react against the US government in 

response to actions of the media and other private organizations. The 

cartoon issue of prophet Mohamed is evidence for this lack of understanding, 

when the Muslim world asked for an apology from the Danish government 

for publishing cartoons of the prophet Mohamed in the Danish media. The 

US MUST use 'effective' tactics to inform the Muslim world that the 

government in America is separate from the private sector. This is a vital 

issue because thinking that the US government has full control over its 


107 

private sector allows the radicals to promote their agenda against the US 

based on the actions of the latter. Without forging such as separation 

between the government of the US and its private institutions in the minds 

of Muslims it will be very hard to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim 

world as Muslims will always blame the US government for any comment or 

act against Islam that occurs within the United States. 

Furthermore, if we are ready to stand against Burning the Quran day as it 

insults the feelings of others we should also be ready to stand with the same 

passion against insulting Jews in the Muslim world by calling them "pigs and 

Monkeys." We also need to stand against more appalling things such as 

beheading humans who convert out of Islam based on Islamic Sharia -and 

we must also have the same strong reaction toward women who die in the 

most inhumane manner when they are stoned to death for adultery based 

on mainstream Islamic laws. Hurting the feeling of Muslims by burning pages 

from the Quran cannot be compared in any way to the real sufferings of 

beheadings or stoning (Interestingly both of these Sharia rules are never 

mentioned in the Quran itself!). 

We also need to raise the point that if the Pastor Terry Jones uses this 

shocking approach by burning the Quran because he realized the failure of 

Interfaith dialogues since September 11, 2001 in stopping terrorism or 

ending the barbaric acts in the name of Islam? 37 Then, we need to develop 

more effective ways to deal with hatred and stop radicalism so that we stop 

the causes of hatred, rather than just asking people not to hate. 

Finally, the more the response of Muslims is honorable in this situation and 

the more they show tolerance to freedom of expression the more they can 

improve the negative image of Islam that contributed to the creation of such 

a situation. The best example for Muslims to follow in this case is to follow 

what the Quran mentioned about Prophet Ibraham (Abraham) when his 

father threatened to stone him to death and the response of Abraham who is 

considered in the Quran as "the role model of all prophets" -was not by 

revenging but rather by offering peace (Not violence) to him: (The father) 

replied: "Dost thou hate my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will 

indeed stone thee: Now get away from me for a good long while!" 

[Abraham] replied: "Peace be upon thee! I shall ask my Sustainer to forgive 

37 See the following video: Children of the Night-Sharia Law [Video]. Retrieved from 

http://www.youtube.com 


108 

thee: for, behold, He has always been kind unto me (Quran 19:46 & 47).‖ 

The more the Muslim world follows this Quranic model the more they can 

bring more peace to the world and decrease the possibility that others will 

think of burning the Quran in the future. 

If the Muslim world responded to the burning event by following the above 

example and by following this Quranic verse: Nor can goodness and Evil be 

equal? Respond to evil with doing good deeds to the evildoer…then will he 

between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and 

intimate! (Quran 41:34) We may be able to avoid a major clash of 

civilizations. 


109 

Is The Anger Of The Muslim Street 

Justifiable By Islam? 

In the last few decades, Muslims have committed several violent acts 

because they felt their religion had been insulted or attacked. These acts 

ranged from murders and violent riots against Salman Rushdie 38 for writing 

the "Satanic Verses" to violent riots as a response to rumors of US armed 

forces insulting the Quran. 39 The aggressive Muslim reaction after the 

publishing of cartoons of prophet Mohamed by the Jyllands-Posten 

newspaper in Denmark is another well-known example of the Muslim world's 

reactions. 40 Sadly, these acts of violence have resulted in devastating 

consequences such as the burning churches and the killing many innocent 

people. 

The question many have raised is: are these violent reactions condoned by 

Islam and the result of Islamic teachings? 

The answer to this question is that the reaction depends largely on the 

sources used by a particular follower and their understanding of the 

appropriate religious texts. The following are a few examples to illustrate 

how a Muslim's response to insulting Islam can vary depending on the 

religious references used: 

Option 1: A Muslim who mainly follows the Quran and does not believe in 

the abrogation of the verses is likely to be forgiving if Islam or the prophet is 

insulted. 41 This is because the Quran never mentions any punishment for 

insulting Islam. In addition, the Quran in more than one verse clearly states 

that a Muslim can only avoid sitting with those who insult their religion 

during the time of insult and that they are permitted to interact normally 

38 The Satanic Verses Affair. (n.d.) BBC 2. Retrieved from 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes 

39 Riots over US Koran 'desecration'. (2005, May 11). BBC News. Retrieved from 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 

40 Asser. M. (2010, January 2). What the Muhammad cartoons portray. BBC News. 

Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 

41 Traditional Islam teaches that Quranic verses that were revealed to Mohamed cancelled 

or abrogated the peaceful verses that were revealed at the early stages of Islam. This view 

has been based on the understanding of the following verse, (Quran 2:106). None of Our 

revelations do We abrogate (nansakhu) or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute 

something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things? 


110 

with them at any other time. 42 In fact, the Quran in another verse mentions 

clearly the concept of insulting Allah himself without approving or justifying 

any violent reaction to this. 43 

Option 2: If a Muslim believes in the abrogation of the verses as described in 

many traditional and approved Islamic books that provide Quranic 

commentary, they may consider that the above peaceful verses were 

revealed only when Muslims were weak and that those verses were 

abrogated later on by violent verses. 44 

(Note: A complex theological analysis and interpretation is needed and is 

possible to explain how to understand the above abrogation verse in a way 

that produces a net outcome of peace rather than violence.) 

Option 3: Another Muslim who strictly follows the Hadith and Sunna books 

(Non-Quranic sources for Islam) may justify the angry and violent reactions 

to insulting Islam. The story of prophet Muhammad ordering his men to kill 

the poet Asma bint Marwan for criticizing him is an example of this type of 

violence. In such a case, a sincere follower of the prophet (as described in 

these sources) may do crimes, in the name of the religion, if someone 

insulted the prophet. 45 

Option 4: Muslims who follow the current mainstream Islamic jurisprudence 

books of all four legal schools can also justify barbaric reactions to insulting 

Islam through the well-known rule in Islamic jurisprudence. This rule 

justifies killing those who insult the prophet or Islam. 46 

The Muslim world has to choose between the above ways or options of 

understanding Islam. Understanding the religion and teaching it as described 

in Option 1 can prevent many violent acts by Muslims in the future. 

Ironically enough, the 'peaceful Muslims' - or the Muslims who do not use 

violence against those who insult Islam - are the ones who do not practice 

the mainstream Islamic jurisprudence and Sharia Laws "properly"! 

The Muslim world needs to learn that Islam will be perceived by others as 

Muslims practice and portray it. Since Sharia laws justify killing a human 

42 See Quran 4:140, 6:68. 



45 Asma bint Marwan's Murder (n.d.). Retrieved from http://inthenameofallah.org 


Salam Publications.p.525 


111 

soul because he or she insulted the prophet Mohamed or insulted Islam, 

then the Muslim world must not expect others to call Islam a peaceful 

religion and the westerners must not expect the outcome of this teaching to 

be anything but violence and barbarism. When the Muslim world at large 

changes its teachings and understanding of the religion to promote 

forgiveness for those who insult the religion (as described in Option 1) then - 

and only then - can Muslims demand that "Islam is the religion of peace". 


112 

Does The UN Want To Ban The 

Quran? 

The General Assembly of the United Nations has for the fourth straight year 

adopted a resolution prepared by the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic 

Conference (OIC) calling upon all UN member nations to adopt legislation 

banning "defamation" of religion. 47 

This decision will put the UN in a very difficult situation as some may ask for 

Islamic books - including the Quran itself – to be banned for ―insulting‖ Jews 

by calling them ‖pigs‖ and ―monkeys.‖ 48 

The problem can become more complicated by historical information written 

about the Prophet Mohamed, such as that written in Sahih Al-Buchary, the 

most authentic Sunni book for the Hadith (traditions of the prophet 

Mohamed). According to this work, the Prophet Mohamed commenced 

marriage with his wife Aisha when she was nine years old and he used to 

have sex with all his nine wives in one night. 

Publicizing this information can be viewed in different ways within the 

Muslim world itself. 

For some traditional Muslims they may see this as defamation or insult to 

Islam. Dedicated Salafi or a Wahabbi Muslims can see such stories as 

evidence for how the prophet of Islam was greater and distinct from the 

believers in every aspect of his life including his sexual abilities. Some Salafi 

books actually brag that prophet Mohamed had extraordinary abilities in 

having sex. 49 

Followers of the Quranic Islamic sect may support publicizing this 

information as it proves their view that the Quran (not Al-Buchary) must be 

the ONLY source of religious information for Muslims as it does not portray 

prophet Mohamed in such manner. Furthermore, some Sheiia Muslims may 

47 U.N. to make ban on criticizing Islam mandatory? (2009, March 04). World Net Daily. 

Retrieved from http://www.wnd.com 

48 (Qur'an 5:60) "Shall I point out to you something much worse than this by the treatment 

it received from Allah (The Jews), those who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath, 

those of whom some He transformed into monkeys and pigs, those who worshipped evil - 

these are (many times) worse in rank, and far more astray from the even path!". 

49 The Sex Life of the Prophet. (n.d.). Retrieved from 

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran 


113 

feel happy with publicizing this as it supports their view that Al-Buchary is an 

inaccurate book and that the Shia Hadith books are more authentic than the 

Sunni ones (as the Shia books claim that the prophet married Aisha when 

she was 18 years old-Not 7 years old). 

Things can get much more complicated if some Muslims asked for banning 

Al-Buchary itself for insulting Islam and its prophet by mentioning such 

―fake‖ stories. So, what the UN is going to do in this situation? 

Banning books that insult Islam can be a double-edged sword. For example, 

the issue of criticizing religions can be viewed by some as the most powerful 

motivating factor for reforming or modernizing the religion itself. The recent 

history of the West is the best evidence for this as without criticizing some 

religious practices of Medieval Europe the West would not probably have 

enjoyed such level of liberty and freedom in our modern times. Similarly, 

without criticizing negative elements in Islamic practices and interpretations 

the Muslim world will never reform. 

In fact, the criticism of some elements in the Islamic teaching in the past 

few years has resulted in unprecedented positive changes in the Muslim 

world. For example, the leaders of Jihadi groups in Egypt such as Dr. Fadl 

have revised their concept of violent Jihad, 50 many Islamic reformers started 

to speak out (E.G. Gamal Al-Bana, 51 Saudi Arabia started for the first time in 

its history an initiative for Interfaith dialogue, 52 Turkish religious authority 

have started reviewing and editing the old Islamic Hadith books, 53 and Qatar 

allowed building churches on its land. 54 In fact some of the leading thinkers 

and Islamic scholars in Egypt have recently accepted fundamental changes 

50 Bakier, Abdul. (2007, December 10). Imprisoned Leader of Egypt‘s Islamic Jihad 

Challenges al-Qaeda. The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved from 

http://www.jamestown.org 

51 The following video is in Arabic: Egyptian scholar Gamal al-Bana in Al-Jazeera's al-Itijah 

al-mu'akis [Video]. (2007, March 27). Retrieved from http://video.google.com 

52 Saudi King Abdullah Commences Interfaith Dialogue Conference in Madrid, Spain. (2008, 

July 17). Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from 

http://www.saudiembassy.net/affairs 

53 Turkey ―not reforming Islam, but itself‖ with hadith review [Blog Post]. (2008, February 

29). Reuters. Retrieved from http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/ 

54 Verma, S. (2008, March 14). Qatar hosts its first Christian church. The Times. Retrieved 

from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ 


114 

in Islamic teaching especially those teachings that causes hatred and 

violence toward the others. 55 

Such positive changes only happened after many in the west -and in the 

Muslim world itself -criticized certain teachings within traditional or 

mainstream Islam. 

It is very hard to stop criticism of Islam as long as its religious leaders still 

promote concepts such as killing apostates, beating women, killing gays, and 

stoning of adulteries. Muslim scholars must first provide modern 

interpretations for the Islamic text that clearly prevent insulting people of 

other believe systems and that clearly prohibit calling Jews ―pigs and 

Monkeys‖ before asking others to stop criticizing Islam. The UN and the OIC 

need to realize that criticism of Islam will stop naturally when the Muslim 

scholars themselves unambiguously stand against the violent or 

unacceptable teachings in their text or –at least- provide an alternative 

interpretation for such text. 56 

55 Hamid, T. (2011, January 26). Essay Reveals Steps to Reform Radicals. Retrieved from 

Newsmax.com 

56 Also see http://www.oicun.org/ 


115 

Fighting Radical Islam with "Broad 

Band" 

Traditional measures of fighting Islamist Terrorism and Radicalism have 

failed to end this phenomenon in several parts of the world. Some areas are 

relatively more resilient than others. For example, in the Arab world, Yemen, 

Somalia, and Iraq became safe havens for many Islamist terrorists. 

Similarly, Non-Arab countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan are well 

known areas where Islamic terrorism has flourished to serious levels. On the 

contrary, countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria -showed decline in 

the number of terror acts in the last decade. 

The difference between the above mentioned countries in terrorism levels 

cannot be solely explained by a difference in Ideology or Anti-terrorism 

measures. Radical religious beliefs exist in most of the above countries. In 

addition, many of these countries use more or less similar security and anti- 

terrorism measures. 

This phenomenon illustrates the fact that Islamist terrorism is a complex 

phenomenon that is not only determined by the existence of Jihadist 

ideology and anti-terrorism measures but it also includes other factors such 

as the culture that allows the Jihadist ideology to flourish. Certain types of 

Islamic cultures can be more permissible (or in other words less 

suppressing) than others to Jihadist ideology. Accordingly, Culture 

Influence (or Modification) can help us suppress the spread of this 

ideology and thus weaken the phenomenon of Islamist Terrorism. Poor 

economic situation, Human Development Index HDI, and the degree of sex 

deprivation of young Muslim men may play a role in allowing the spread of 

Jihadists' ideology. This Op-Ed, however, will focus on the use of the 

Internet as a possible culture-modifying factor. 

Many countries such as Egypt, Algeria and Saudi Arabia have shown success 

in decreasing the number of terror acts in their countries compared to other 

countries. This success is possibly because they rely on infiltration of Radical 

groups rather than major combat operations in fighting Islamist terrorists. 

Another variable that MUST be considered in explaining the difference is the 

use of the Internet. 

The lowest level of Internet Penetration in Islamic countries is in Yemen, 

Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The level of internet penetration in these 

countries is as follows: Yemen (1.4%), Somalia (1.0 %), Iraq (1%), and 


116 

Afghanistan (1.5%). On the contrary, countries such as Egypt, Algeria, and 

Saudi Arabia enjoy much higher internet penetration levels as follows: Egypt 

12.9%, Algeria 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 22.2%. In additi0on UAE that seems to 

be relatively immune from terrorist acts have the highest levels of Internet 

penetration in the Muslim world 48.9%. 

It is hard to assume that the difference in terrorism levels is exclusively 

because of this difference in using the Internet; however, however; it is also 

hard to ignore the possibility that internet penetration have played a role in 

fighting the spread of terrorism ideology in some Islamic societies via 

suppressing it at the cultural level. 

Based on the number of the terrorist acts in 2010 and the number of 

population of the above countries the probability (per million) for an 

individual or citizen in the above mentioned countries to do a terrorist act is 

as follows: 

Egypt 0.13, Saudi 0.03, Algeria 0.72, and UAE Zero. 

Yemen 2, Somalia 13.5, Iraq 25.70 Afghanistan 10.13, and Pakistan 2.34. 

The following table illustrates some of the above mentioned 

variables: 

Country Number of 

terror acts in 

2010 

Approximate 

Population 

number in 

millions 

Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 

Probability 

(per million) 

of an 

individual to 

do a terror 

act 

Internet 

Penetration 

Egypt 11 80 millions 0.13 12.9% 

Saudi Arabia 1 27 millions 0.03 22.7% 

Algeria 24 33 millions 0.72 

UAE Nil 2.5. millions Nil 48.9% 

Yemen 42 21 millions 2 1.4% 

Somalia 108 8.5 millions 13.5 1.0% 

Afghanistan 304 30 millions 10.133 1.5% 

Pakistan 390 166 millions 2.34 10.1% 

Iraq 694 27 millions 25.703 1% 

The data from the above table suggests that after Sep 11, the internet could 

have played an important role in shaping the views and opinions of Islamic 

societies by allowing interchange of ideas and theological debates. The fear 

of criticizing the radical teachings has declined as the internet allowed free

117 

thinking. Islamic teachings that promote violence have been challenged on 

social media and chat rooms by many people in the Arab world. These 

Internet-based theological discussions seem to have resulted in modification 

of the religious views within some Islamic societies and thus have impeded - 

to some extent-the spread of the Jihadists interpretations of the religion that 

permits terrorism. In other words the use of the Internet played a role in 

suppressing the phenomenon of terrorism by impeding it at the cultural 

level. 

The ONLY exception of the above mentioned observation is Pakistan as it 

enjoys internet penetration levels of 10.1 % yet it became a major 

contributor to terrorism phenomenon. Several factors such as geographical 

proximity to Afghanistan and the creation of the state on religious basis in 

1933 could have contributed to the proliferation of the violent Jihadi ideology 

and thus the high levels of terrorism. However, when it comes to the use of 

the Internet it is important to clarify that the Pakistanis are deprived from 

the formerly mentioned high levels of theological debates within Islam as 

they do not speak Arabic language which is a factor that is considered 

fundamental to engage in real theological debates and discussions within 

Islam. For example, unlike the situation in Pakistan major Jihadi 

organizations in some Arab countries have reviewed and changed some of 

their traditional violent interpretations. Similar change has not been 

observed yet in Pakistan. This could be partially attributed to the fact that 

the Pakistanis -despite the existence of comparable internet penetration 

levels to these Arab countries- have difficulty to initiate their own theological 

discussions within their society and were also deprived from getting some 

benefit from the Arab debates that are on the internet because of the 

language barrier. 

Countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have shown the trend of high 

Internet Penetration associated with less terrorism. This is unlikely to be 

related to benefiting from 'theological debates' on the Internet as both 

countries do not speak Arabic. The relatively less terrorism in these 

countries compared to countries like Afghanistan, and Pakistan is likely to be 

due to the predominant style of Islam in the area (Sufism) which promotes 

more tolerance to the other faiths compared to the style of Islam 

(Salfi/Wahabi) that dominate is many other Islamic countries (Salafism) and 

is characterized by literal, regressive, and aggressive understanding of 

Islam. 

It is important to mention that, the Internet has been used to radicalize 

some young Muslims, however, the possible role of the Internet in impeding 

the phenomenon of Islamic Terrorism at the cultural level deserve serious 

consideration. The US may need to consider supporting the use of the 


118 

Internet in the Muslim world as an effective tool in fighting terrorism. This 

approach can be more effective and probably less costly than building 

schools for girls in Afghanistan as it is easier for Radicals to physically burn a 

school than to interfere with the power of the Internet. 

In brief, the proliferation of terrorism in a given country or location depends 

largely on the interaction between several factors such as the number of the 

Jihadists, the Anti-Terrorism measures within this country, and the cultural 

permissibility that allows unchallenged spread for Jihadists views and 

ideology. The use of the Internet can play an important role in fighting 

radical Islam by allowing theological challenges to the radical views and thus 

impede the phenomenon of Islamic Radicalism by decreasing permissibility 

to its spread at the cultural level. The Internet can also play an important 

role in fighting radical Islam via properly prepared psychological warfare. 

Note: A more detailed report which will include analysis of different variables 

that can affect the level of terrorism in different countries will be published 

soon by Dr. Hamid. 


119 

Islam In The 

United States 


120 

Rise Of Homegrown Islamic 

Radicalism Raises Concerns 

Note: this Op-Ed was written on Mon, Nov 2, 2009 before the Fort Hood massacre 

November 5, 2009 1 

Recently, U.S. officials have announced charges in several terrorism probes 

in various states. This was described by CNN as a confluence of cases unlike 

anything the country has seen since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 2 In all 

cases the convicted were Muslims. 

No. 1: Najibullah Zazi, 24, an immigrant from Afghanistan who lived legally 

in Denver, was plotting to use one or more weapons of mass destruction" 

inside the U.S. Authorities characterized the suspected plot against New York 

City subways and trains as one of the most significant threats to the United 

States since 9/11. 3 

No. 2: Two North Carolina men - Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, 19 and 

Michael C. Finton, 29 - have been held since July on international terrorism 

charges. They have also been accused by prosecutors of plotting to kill U.S. 

military personnel. 4 

Federal officials said Hosam Maher Husein parked what he thought was an 

explosive-laden truck in a parking garage beneath the 60-story Fountain 

Place office tower in Dallas. Michael C. Finton, who also went by the name 

Talib Islam and idolized the American-born Taliban fighter John Walker, was 

arrested Wednesday in Springfield, Ill. Federal officials said he attempted to 

detonate what he believed to be explosives in a van outside a federal 

courthouse in the Illinois capital. 

1 Friedman, E., Esposito, R., Nelson, E. & Adib, D (2009, November 5). Fort Hood Gunman 

Who Killed 12, Wounded 30 Surivved Gun Battle. World News. Retrieved from 

http://abcnews.go.com 

2 Spate of Terrorism Arrests Not Connected Analysis Say. (2009, September 25). CNN. 

Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com 

3 

Cummings, J. (2010, February 22) Najibullah Zazi pleads guilty in New York terrorism plot. 

CNN. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com 

4 

Standora, L. (2009, September 25). Authorities nab Michael C. Finton, Hosam Maher 

Husein Smadi, in unrelated Illinois, Texas bomb plots. Daily News. Retrieved from 

http://articles.nydailynews.com 

Copyright by Tawfik Hamid 2010

No. 3: Betim Kaziu, 21, was indicted for conspiracy to commit murder 

abroad and support foreign terrorists. The U.S. attorney's office said that 

Kaziu wanted to join the militant group Al-Shabaab in Somalia and was 

planning to take up arms against perceived enemies of Islam. 5 

121 

No. 4: In addition, Last week, Noor Faleh Almaleki was run down by her 

father in Arizona in an attempted honor killing, for being "too westernized." 

Yet the media has decided to bury the story and we are unable to find any 

updated information about her condition or her father's whereabouts. 6 

No. 5: Also, last week, a radical Muslim leader (Imam) Luqman Ameen 

Abdullah, 53, was killed in a raid by the FBI. The Imam used violence 

against authorities and led an Islamic separatist group that wanted to 

implement Shariah Law (such as stoning for adulteries, killing homosexuals, 

killing apostates, and allowing beating of women and underage marriage) in 

America instead of the U.S. Constitution. 7 

This recent increase in the number of Home Grown Islamic Radicalism 

(HGIR) raises some imperative questions: 

1. Do these cases represent the tip of an iceberg that may bring more 

threats to the United States in the future? 8 In other words, how many 

in the Muslim communities here have been radicalized to such a high 

level? Using proper parameters to measure radicalization in Muslim 

communities, as well as performing correct analyses of the statistical 

data, is mandatory. 

2. Is the American government ready to declare war on or stand against 

the ideology that drives these radicals in order to protect our 

homeland from future attacks? 

3. If using military and security measures since September 11 has failed 

to uproot the ideological drive for Islamic radicalism, will the decisionmakers 

in the U.S. consider adding non-military tactics to defeat this 

lethal ideology? These tactics must include effective psychological 

operations and proper educational methods. 

5 Nardoza, R. (2009, September 24). Brooklyn Resident Indicted For Conspiracy To Commit 

Murder Overseas And Conspiracy To Provide Material Support To Terrorists. Press Releasses. 

Retrieved from The United States Attorney's Office: http://www.justice.gov/usao/nye 

6 Bodeeb, J. (2009, November 2). Noor Almaleki Murdered by Her Father in Arizona. 

Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com 

7 

Ryan, J. & Thomas, P. (2009, October 28). FBI Gunfight Leaves Mich. Suspect Dead. World 

News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com 

8 

Note: Fort Hood massacre occurred after 3 days of writing this Op-Ed 


122 

4. Why haven't "moderate" Islamic scholars and organizations in the 

United States issued have not issued a fatwa to consider Islamic 

Terrorists as Apostates to deter them from following their violent 

path? 9 

5. Are powerful Fatwas that call a person an "apostate" limited to or kept 

only for thinkers and authors such as Salman Rushdie? 10 

6. Is there a positive correlation between the religious education of young 

Muslims and the development of the Jihadist mind-set which can 

ultimately create such ruthless terrorists and radicals? Proper research 

is needed to evaluate the potential correlation between these 

variables. A positive correlation would mandate serious intervention to 

make sure that young Muslims do not get education that promotes 

hatred and violence in their Islamic schools or mosques. 

9 Up to the day of publishing this Op-Ed. Shaikh Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (Shaikh ul-Qadri 

is not a very influential figure in the Muslim world) issued a Fatwa against terrorism that 

considered them as apostates See: 

Power, C. (2010, March 12). Can a Fatwa Against Terrorism Stop Extremists? Time. 

Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/world 

10 The exact wording of the Fatwa of AlKhumini against Salaman Rushdi include the 

following clear statement against persons not just the act: "I inform the proud Muslim 

people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses book which is against Islam, the 

Prophet and the Koran, and ALL involved in its publication who were aware of its content, 

are sentenced to death. (FATWA issued February, 1989against Salman Rushdie) 


123 

What The US Needs To Do To 

Avoid Another 9/11 

The leaks of more than 90,000 records about the Afghanistan conflict by 

Wikileaks has raised the possibility that Pakistan, assumed to be an ally of 

the United States, and its ISI spy service, has met secretly with the Taliban 

to not only organize militant networks to fight against American soldiers, but 

also to even plot to assassinate Afghan leaders. 11 If this is true, the 

possibility of terrorists using WMDs against major cities in the US must be 

given extra care and attention, as Pakistan has a considerable WMD arsenal. 

This extremely dangerous and destructive possibility may necessitate some 

mandatory reforms to US intelligence policies. Below are some 

recommendations for how to enhance America's ability to counter such 

threats associated with radical Islam. 

1- It is vital that the US Government learn how to detect radicalism 

more attentively. Failure to do so can be destructive, as putting trust 

in so-called 'Moderates' when they are actually radicals serves to 

undermine American counterterrorism efforts. 12 These radicals 

posing as moderates could ultimately use American support, aid, and 

shared information to harm the US. Failure to recognize who the 

radicals are among government officials of Islamic countries as well 

as failure to define precisely what we mean by the word 'radical' can 

seriously impede the ability of the US to win the war against the 

terrorists, not to mention potentially lead to disastrous 

consequences. 

2- Just fighting terrorism in and of itself is not enough. Prevention can 

sometimes be more important than treatment. To better understand 

this concept, an analogy can be made to medical history. Smallpox 

11 Davies, N. & Leigh, D. (2010, July 25). Afghanistan War Logs: Massive Leak of Secret 

Files Exposes Truth of Occupation. The Guardian. Retrieved from 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world 

12 A suicide bombing on a CIA base in Afghanistan was carried out by a Jordanian doctor 

who was an al-Qaida double-agent. The attack killed 7 CIA officers. Windrem, R. & Engel, 

R. (2010, April 1) Al-Qaida Double-Agent Killed CIA Killed Officers. MSNBC. Retrieved from 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com 


124 

was virtually eradicated from the world through mostly preventative 

measures (that is, through vaccination), as opposed to just using 

medications to kill the virus once it had already established itself 

within a human body. On a similar note, a preventative style should 

be applied to the terrorism problem, as weakening Islamic radicalism 

at both the psychological and ideological levels is fundamental to 

interrupting the transformation process that makes one become a 

terrorist. 

3- Radical Islam must be treated as a real threat that needs immediate 

intervention rather than just being used as an area of academic 

interest. Research studies and conferences about radical Islam need 

to focus on realistic courses of action as opposed to just giving a 

mere overview about the problem. For example, studying the history 

and politics of Islam as well as its different sects are important, yet 

these things in and of themselves are not enough to solve the 

problem. Such studies must result in suggestions for realistic, active 

measures. 

4- Vertical growth for intelligence is essential and is probably more 

important than Horizontal growth. In other words, our focus must be 

to increase the knowledge of intelligence officers about the problem 

rather than just increasing the number of the personnel who deal 

with the topic. Increasing the number of chess players who are only 

able to think about one move ahead is not going to solve a problem 

that needs thinking about four steps ahead. On the contrary, 

increasing the knowledge of just a single player to the point where 

he or she can think four steps ahead may be all that is needed to 

win the game. The same principle applies to countering radical 

Islam. Having one person or one small group of people who truly 

understand the problem and how to treat it can be much more 

effective than using multiple individuals who are not as able to 

implement active solutions due to a potentially lower threshold of 

knowledge about the problem. 

5- Common sense and logic must be used to deal with the problem of 

radical Islam. Waiting for evidence to prove every point can be 

useful but can also be destructive as well. For example, if a patient 

took a penicillin injection and immediately went into shock, it would 

be fatal and insane to wait until we find antibodies against penicillin 

to provide evidence that the shock has resulted from an allergic 


125 

reaction to the medication. The patient in such a case must be given 

treatment based on pure logical analysis before finding the 

'evidence,' as common sense and logic simply tells us that going into 

shock immediately after getting penicillin injection is a life 

threatening emergency that needs to be immediately treated. 

Waiting to for evidence in such a case can be fatal. Similarly, it is not 

so difficult to figure out that when people become more Islamized 

and devout in following Salafi Islamic teachings they have more 

potential to become terrorists. Trying to prove the obvious and 

waste time on finding evidence for this crystal clear situation can 

work only for the benefit of the radicals who increase in number and 

power and make us liable to more threats. Using logic and common 

sense in dealing with radical Islam is fundamental. The 'evidencebased' 

approach is excellent in most circumstances but can be fatal 

when we use it with Islamic radicalism, as with the case concerning 

shock caused by penicillin allergy. 

To conclude, the US needs to adopt a strategy that does the following: 

1- Defines clearly what is meant by the term "radical Islam" 

2- Uses common sense and logic to deal with the problem 

3- Uses more of preventative approach to interrupt the process of 

radicalization in young Muslims before some of them reach the stage 

of their development that classifies them as terrorists 

4- Treats radical Islam as a threat to our civilization that must be ended 

rather than as an area for endless research and academic study 

5- Increasing the knowledge of intelligence workers concerning radical 

Islam, not just their personnel size 


126 

Supreme Court Takes A Correct 

Step To Fight Terrorism 

The supreme court upheld the government's authority Monday to ban aid to 

designated terrorist groups, even if such support may be intended to direct 

groups toward peaceful and legal activities. 13 Once the State Department 

places a group on the list, it is illegal for Americans or others in the country 

to provide ''material support or resources'' to the group. The law also bars 

travel to the U.S. by representatives or by members of the group and 

freezes any assets that the organization has in U.S. jurisdictions. 

The justices voted 6-3 to reject a free-speech challenge from humanitarian 

aid groups to the law that bars ''material support'' -- everything from money 

to technical know-how to legal advice -- to foreign terrorist organizations. 

Human rights organizations say the law's ban on providing training and 

advice to nearly four dozen organizations on a State Department list 

squanders a chance to persuade people to renounce extremism. 

Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion for the court that material 

support intended even for benign purposes can help a terrorist group in 

other ways. 

I add my voice to the decision of the Supreme Court, as meeting with 

terrorist groups and giving them any form of support (even humanitarian) 

can have several negative consequences. These include the following: 

1- Terrorist groups who have a humanitarian wing can do different 

forms of money laundering to use the money given to them under 

the banner of a humanitarian 'aid' to ultimately support their 

terrorism agenda. In fact they may sell the material aid that could 

be given to them and uses its money for their violent purposes. 

2- More humanitarian support for terrorist groups decreases the 

pressure on them to spend part of their own money to support the 

humanitarian needs of their own societies. This actually allows such 

13 A Bruise on the First Amendment. (2010, June 21). The New York Times. Retrieved from 

http://www.nytimes.com 


127 

groups to have more available money to spend on their violent 

activities. 

3- Giving humanitarian aid to these groups can help them improve their 

image among their local population and thus allow them to get more 

votes in democratic elections. For example, giving support to Hamas 

in the form of a humanitarian aid can help them to win in the next 

election against the PLO. To the contrary, depriving these groups 

from such an aid can help turn their society against them for failure 

to provide the basic needs of the population. The latter approach can 

also send a clear and strong message to the societies that choose 

terrorists to represent them (such as the Palestinians who choose 

Hamas in their last election), that violence and barbarism will not 

solve their problems. 

4- Giving aid or support to Islamist terrorist groups under the banner of 

humanitarian purposes can be perceived by the jihadists as sign of 

weakness by the US. The jihadists can interpret this humanitarian 

American hand as a failure of its anti-terrorism and military 

measures and thus may aggravate the desire of the radical groups to 

further attack the "weak" US at the military front. 

5- Giving the terrorist the advantage of getting humanitarian support 

for their local population is a form of acknowledging the legitimacy of 

these groups. This can make such terrorist groups more reluctant to 

accept the decisions of the international community as they simply 

get what they want in the form of aid and some element of 

recognition without accepting the international laws. 

Depriving the terrorists from all forms of support including the humanitarian 

one is crucial to defeat terrorism. Any form of support or recognition given 

to these groups can be counterproductive and can actually give more fuel to 

the radicals to continue using violence. This is like giving a humanitarian aid 

to the Nazi regime in Germany during WWII. It can only help this regime to 

continue fighting. 

The above decision of the Supreme Court is certainly a correct one to help 

the US defeat terrorism. The next step that needs to be addressed by both 

the Executive and Legislative branches is the formal definition of "material 

support" to include ideological support in the phenomenon of terrorism. 


128 

Persons, organizations, and governments that publish or promote teachings 

that undervalue the lives of non-Muslims and dehumanize them must be 

held accountable for giving material support for terrorism, as these texts 

help terrorists to lure young Muslims and recruit more people to their 

groups. For example, best-selling mainstream Islamic books that are written 

by leading Muslim scholars and mainstream Islamic institutes and mosques 

promote the idea that the lives of non-Muslims have less value than that of 

Muslims. 14 Also, they promote the idea that fighting and killing non-Muslims 

to subjugate them to Islam is a religious duty 15 and that dying as a martyr 

in violent Jihad is the greatest deed for a Muslim person. 16 This form of 

teaching to young Muslims is probably one of the -or the- most important 

support factor for the terrorists, as it guarantees a continuous breeding 

ground for jihadists and suicide bombings. A decision by the Supreme Court 

to consider the promotion of such an ideology and value system that 

disrespects human life as a material support for the terrorist groups is 

desperately needed. 

14 Hallaq, M. S., & Strauch, S. (2009). Fiqh According to the Qur'an & Sunnah (Vol. 2) . 

Houston: Dar-Us-Salam Publications. p. 494-495 

15 Abu Bakr Jabir Al-Jaza'iry. (n.d.). Minhaj Al-Muslim (Vol. 2). Houston: Dar-Us-Salam 

Publications. p. 529 

16 Sabiq, S.; Khokhar, A., Zarabozo J. & Dabas M. (1992). Fiqh us-Sunnah (Vol. 2): Alms 

and Fasting. American Trust Publications p.27-29 


129 

A Comment On Mr. John Brennan's 

Speech To CSIS, "Protecting The 

American People From Terrorism 

And Violent Extremism" 

When the US President's principal advisor on counterterrorism speaks about 

National Security issues, we should expect nothing but objective, unbiased, 

and scientific analysis. 

On May 26, 2010, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) 

hosted a discussion with John Brennan, the assistant to the president for 

homeland security and counterterrorism. 17 His speech, "Protecting the 

American People from Terrorism and Violent Extremism," laid out the 

president's comprehensive approach to protecting the American people from 

terrorism and defeating the short-term threat from al Qaeda and other 

terrorist groups. The speech in several ways conveyed a similar message to 

the speech that he also delivered to the CSIS on Aug /6/ 2009. 18 

Some of the positive points in Mr. Brennan's message: 

1- Pointing out that the President has called his single most important 

responsibility as president - keeping the American people safe 

2- Addressing both the immediate, near-term challenge of destroying al- 

Qaida and its allies, and the long-term challenge of confronting violent 

extremism. 

3- Acknowledging the dynamic and evolving nature of the terrorism 

threat and the need for innovative and non-military approaches to 

dealing with it. 

17 Brennan, J. O. (2010, May 26). Events. Retrieved from Center for Strategic and 

International Studies: http://csis.org/event 

18 Remarks by John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Secutirty and 

Counterterrorism-As Prepared for Delivery ―A New Approach to Safeguarding Americans‖. 

(2009, August 6). Office of the Press Secretary. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov 


130 

There are also several negative areas in Mr. Brennan's message that must 

be addressed. The following are few examples: 

1- Honest scientific approach necessitates non-selective presentation of 

the data. Mr. Brennan praised both banning the use of enhanced 

interrogation techniques and closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay. 

Irrespective of the motives behind these decisions, there is 

overwhelming and irrefutable evidence that terrorism plots inside the 

US (Home Grown Radicalism) has risen dramatically since the new 

administration took power in 2009. 19 Mr. Brennan should have 

mentioned the latter fact as well as informing the audience about 

these statistics; in such a case, may support the view that the former 

approaches (i.e. banning the use of enhanced interrogation techniques 

and closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay) have actually been 

counterproductive. 

2- Mr. Brennan mentioned that enhanced interrogation techniques "not 

only fail to advance our counterterrorism efforts; they actually set 

back our efforts. They are a recruitment bonanza for terrorists; 

increase the determination of our enemies.... In short, they undermine 

our national security". 

On the contrary, the dramatic rise in terrorist's plots inside the US in 

2009 after banning these enhanced interrogation techniques and after 

taking more active steps to close Guantanamo Bay may actually 

support the opposite of such unfounded views. In addition, the 

President's principal advisor on counterterrorism did not give any 

evidence to support his view that such techniques in fact increased 

"the determination of our enemies". My former experience with 

several jihadists in the Jammaa Islameia and other radical groups as 

well tells me that soft attitudes toward them aggravate their barbaric 

and violent trend. They simply become more encouraged to attack an 

enemy, knowing that there will be unresponsiveness to aggression. 

The repeated attacks on peaceful, non-Muslim minorities in several 

parts of the world support this view. These peaceful non-Muslims did 

not use any enhanced interrogation techniques against Muslims, yet 

this did not protect them from getting attacked repeatedly and killed 

19 Macedo, D. (2009, December 14). Homegrown Terro On the Rise in 2009. Fox News. 

Retreived from http://www.foxnews.com/us 


131 

viciously by radical Muslims. The repeated attacks on the peaceful 

Baha'i, 20 Ahmadeia members, 21 Buddhists, 22 and Christian minorities, 23 

in the Muslim world further support the latter view. 

3- Mr. Brennan mentioned the peaceful practice of Islam in Indonesia and 

ignored commenting on the practice of Islam when he spoke about 

Saudi Arabia. The latter form of practice of Islam supports killing 

apostates (Redda Law), permits the beating of women, justifies 

stoning of humans until death for committing adultery, and 

encourages violent Jihad to spread Islam. Speaking only about the 

positive aspects of Islam in Indonesia without mentioning any 

comment on the negative aspects of the practice of Islam in Saudi 

Arabia is a biased and misleading approach that should not be used by 

those who lead our nation's security. 

4- Mr. Brennan supported the view that the US should avoid using 

expressions like "terror", "terrorist" and "terrorism" in the President's 

speech to the Muslim world as, in his view, this (using these words) 

will threaten the US relationship with more than a billion Muslims 

around the world. The avoidance of using the former words to avoid 

hurting Muslim's feelings actually indirectly implies that most Muslims 

are terrorists. After all, why should Muslims be offended by a war 

against terrorism if they are not terrorists themselves? In fact, 

Muslims are the primary victims of terror attacks, 24 something also 

mentioned in Mr. Brennan's speech! 

20 Baha‘is face increasingly violent attacks in the Muslim world [Blog Post]. (2009, April 05). 

Retrieved from http://atheistnews.blogs.fi/ 

21 Dogar, B. & Toosi, N. (2010, May 28). Pakistan Mosque Attacks: At Least 80 Killed. 

Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com 

22 Petty, M. (2009, June 15). Thai Buddhist Beheaded, Another Shot in Muslim South. 

Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com 

23 FaithWorld: Religion, faith and ethics, (2009, July 14). Baghdad church bombings leave 

tiny Christian minority trembling [Blog Post]. Retrieved from 

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/07/14/baghdad-church-bombings-leave-tinychristian-minority-trembling/ 

24 Al Qaeda hurts Muslims most. (2010, January 14). The Washington Times. Retrieved from 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news 


132 

5- Mr. Brennan mentioned that the intention of Al-Qaeda is to create a 

clash of civilizations. In his own words: "After all, this is precisely 

what Osama bin Laden intended with his September 11th attacks - to 

use al-Qaida to foment a clash of civilizations between the United 

States and Islam". It is hard to comprehend how Mr. Brennan speaks 

with such confidence about Bin Laden's intentions without any 

evidence to support his views. A person who holds the position of the 

President's principal advisor on counterterrorism should not have 

portrayed his assumptions about Bin Laden's intentions as if they are 

facts without having a strong prove for such assumptions. Bin Laden's 

intentions in Sep 11 could be creating fear in the hearts of the 

disbelievers (Quran 8:60). Other intentions may include fighting the 

Jews and Christians based on traditional interpretations of certain 

verses from the Quran (Quran 9:29). It is difficult to understand how 

Mr. Brnnan can define the exact intention of Bin Laden with such a 

precision. 

6- Mr. Brennan refrained from describing the efforts of the US as "a 

global war," as according to his views "this only plays into the warped 

narrative that al- Qaida propagates". This contradicts an earlier 

statement of Mr. Brennan that confirmed the global nature of the 

Islamist threat. The statement says: "al-Qaida's own capabilities are 

further leveraged by the web of relationships the group maintains with 

other, locally run terrorist organizations around the world, from Iraq to 

the Arabian Peninsula, from East Africa to the Sahel and Maghreb 

regions of North Africa". Our decisions should be taken based on the 

reality of the nature of the threat rather than merely to contradict the 

enemy's propaganda. For example, if the propaganda of the Nazi 

regime was that it wanted to kill the Jews, we should not refrain from 

stating this fact because it "plays into the warped narrative" of the 

enemy. Facts are facts as the president said in his Cairo speech and as 

Mr. Brennan actually quoted in his previous speech to the CSIS "these 

are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with." 

7- Mr. Brennan supported the President's view "declaring that America is 

not and never will be at war with Islam". What truly matters in this 

regard is that if Islam is at war with America or not? It is not very 

valuable if you are not at war with someone unless he also 

reciprocated the same peaceful attitude toward you. Ritualistic Islam 


133 

that is limited to the practice of the five pillars of Islam in a mosque is 

probably not at war with America, but theological Islam that teaches 

Muslims to wage war against non-Muslims and offer them one of the 

following three options: to convert to Islam, to pay a humiliating tax 

(Jizia), or to be killed or promotes the use of violence to establish 

Sharia Laws instead of secular constitutions is certainly at war with 

America. 

8- Finally, it would have been much better if Mr. Brennan avoided going 

into Islamic theology by stating that Jihad means "to purify oneself or 

to wage a holy struggle for a moral goal". While this meaning for Jihad 

is correct in some circumstances, it ignores the broader and well 

established definition of the word in the approved Islamic theological 

books as a war to spread the religion. Mr. Brennan also did not 

mention that Jihad is predominantly used in the Arab media to 

describe the spread of Islam via wars. We also have not seen Islamic 

peaceful groups or organizations named "Jihad". We only see the word 

predominantly used by the violent groups. Since, unlike Mr. Brenan, 

Arabic is the native language of the leaders of many - if not most - of 

these groups, their understanding and usage of the word has more 

credibility than his definition for the word. Mr. Brennan may also need 

to explain to us the following verse in the Quran that uses the word 

"Jahid." An Arabic word that means to perform Jihad (Quran 9:73). 

َو ُمّنَهَج ْمُها َوْ أَم َو ْمِهْيَلَع ْ ظُلْغا َو َنيِقِفاَنُمْلا َو َراّفُكْلا ِدِهاَج ْيِبّنلا اَهْيَ ري ِصَمْلا َسْئِب 

أ اَي 

(Quran 9:73) O Prophet!("Jahid") against the unbelievers and the 

Hypocrites, and be cruel to them. Their abode is Hell- an evil refuge indeed. 

Mr. Brenan must inform us if this meaning for Jihad is also "to purify oneself 

or to wage or to wage a holy struggle for a moral goal". 

It were better that Mr. Brennan avoid talking about Jihad before reading 

enough about it as giving the audience selected information about the topic 

is unscientific and can be misleading. I was shocked with these comments 

about Jihad as I assume that the President's principal advisor on 

counterterrorism should have studied Jihad meticulously as it represents the 

ideology that is used by the terrorists to justify their acts. Pretending that 

Jihad is ONLY a peaceful concept jeopardizes our national security efforts 

simply because it is not predominantly taught in such a 'peaceful' way. For 


134 

example, Jihad is defined in Minhaj Al-Muslim which is written by one of the 

leading Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia and published globally, including the 

US, 25 and defines Jihad in the following order: 26 

1- Fighting the disbelievers, 

2- Using violence against the sinners, 

3- Resisting the devil 

4- Resisting a person's own desires. 

The "wisdom behind Jihad" as the book described is that Allah alone is 

worshiped. Interestingly the book quoted many violent verses and hadith to 

support the violent meaning of Jihad and on the contrary provided strong 

theological evidence that the hadith that supports a peaceful meaning of the 

word as a "weak" hadith or in other words. 27 

The assumption that Jihad represents ONLY a peaceful concept can be 

accepted ONLY after the Muslim world changes the definition of the word in 

its mainstream Islamic books and clearly rejects the traditional violent 

interpretations of the word. 

Ignoring the violent definitions of the word Jihad to sugarcoat the meaning 

of the word is dangerous, as it limits our ability to know the facts and the 

true nature of the threat. 

Finally, I respect Mr. Brennan and appreciate his sincere desire to make 

America safe. My former comments about his speech are to clarify certain 

points that I felt morally obligated to clarify them. 


Publications. p. 529 

26 Ibid. p. 165-167 

27 Ibid. p. 167 


Analysis Of The Recent Bin Laden 

Tape (Today on CNN) 

135 

The latest recording purportedly from the al-Qaeda chief was broadcast 

Thursday on Al Jazeera. Osama bin Laden, in a new audio recording, 

threatened to kill any Americans that al-Qaeda takes prisoner if Khalid 

Sheikh Mohammed is executed. 28 Mohammed is considered one of the 

masterminds behind the September 11 th attacks. 

My brief comments on Bin Laden's tape: 

1- Bin Laden started by saying "Peace be upon those who follow the right 

path." While some in the West might think he is sending a message of 

peace, the reality is that this was not a message of peace. By limiting 

the message of peace to 'those who follow the right path', Bin Laden is 

actually limiting the peace offer ONLY to devout Muslims and not to 

westerners. On the contrary, the hidden message of his statement is: 

War be upon those who do not follow the right path (Islam). In the 

views of Islamists, Non-Muslims are Infidels who are not on the right 

path- Islam. 

2- Bin Laden avoided using the name of President Obama in his message 

and he used the expression "your friend at the white house." Not using 

President Obama's name is a form of disrespect to the American 

President. This could be a result of being perceived as ‗weak‘ by Al- 

Queda. 

3- Bin Laden tried to relate terrorism to the US support for Israel. It 

would be useful if Mr. Bin Laden could explain how American support 

for Israel can justify the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent 

Muslims by the hands of the Jihadists in Algeria, Iraq, Pakistan, and 

Afghanistan. In addition, why are Sunnis in Iraq kills Sheia, exploding 

their Mosques and funerals, and mutilating their dead bodies after 

beheading them? Are these atrocities, Muslims against their fellow 

Muslims, also due to American support of Israel? 

4- Bin Laden threatens to kill Americans if the US executes Khaled Sheik 

Mohamed however; Al-Qaeda already kills many innocent people 

28 Bin Laden Threatens to Kill U.S. Prisoners (2010, March 25). CBS News. Retrieved from 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories 


136 

including Americans. The threats are not actually adding anything new 

to the traditional approach of Al-Queda of killing innocents. 

5- Showing any sign of fear or weakness towards Al-Qaeda will only 

encourage them to continue their war against the free world. In fact, 

using 'effective' psychological warfare against them after they release 

such messages can weaken their ability to continue their barbarism. 


137 

Shall We Treat Islamic Terrorism 

As A Criminal Act Or As An Act Of 

War? 

After September 11, the issue of how to classify Islamic terrorist acts has 

become an important topic for discussions. Some see the acts of Islamic 

terror or violent jihad as crime that only needs to be treated as any other 

crime while others consider it to be an act of war that needs military 

intervention. The answer to this dilemma is simply that Islamic or (Al-Qaeda 

Style) - terrorism does not fit fully into any of the former definitions. In 

other words, we need a new classification for jihadist acts of violence. This is 

similar to a situation if someone asked the question should angina be 

classified as an infection or a malignancy. The answer is simply that it 

cannot be classified as any these two conditions as it is a different 

phenomenon that needs to be classified separately as an ischemic heart 

disease. This is vital as treating angina as if it is an infection or as a 

malignancy can be fatal. Similarly, failure to see that new and novel 

approaches are needed to defeat Islamic jihadism can be also deadly. 

Generally speaking, in cases of crimes and wars, the offender usually aims 

at a specific materialistic gain on earth that is typically motivated by 

economic factors such as gaining money or control of the resources of 

specific territories. In addition, the opponents in most of these 

circumstances do not want to die. For example, the emperor of Japan in 

WWII surrendered when he realized that he and his nation would be 

annihilated if he continued the war. Furthermore, in normal situations if the 

opponent has WMD he will avoid using them if this will result in his total 

destruction. The Russians, as an example, were not ready to attack the US 

with WMD as they knew that such an act will be reciprocated by the US if 

they started the attack. 

On the contrary, Islamic terrorists seek to die as martyrs, and to cause 

maximum pain and suffering to the "Infidels" until they surrender to their 

barbaric ideology. Their ambitions are not financial or territorial. For 

example, Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda terrorists did not seek any materialistic 

gains after September 11 th . Just causing pain to the US and seeking the 

honor of conducting jihad for Allah and dying as a martyr was sufficient for 

them to do the attack. The same principle applies to the Palestinian terrorist 


138 

groups who have repeatedly expressed their religiously based-desire to 

annihilate all Jews - irrespective of the issue of the land. 

In the case of dealing with an enemy who wants to commit a crime or 

declare a war, it is usually feasible to negotiate with such an enemy as his 

ambitions are typically focused on tangible things. Negotiations that can 

result in giving this enemy some satisfaction in achieving some of his worldly 

desires may be successful in ending the problem. Furthermore, the enemy in 

these circumstances will be more likely to surrender if he is going to die and 

will certainly hesitate to use WMD if his opponent is ready to use them 

against him as well. 

On the contrary, the Jihadists cannot be satisfied by giving them some 

materialistic gains as their target is subjugating others to their ideology as 

Aiman Al-Zawaheri stated clearly that Al-Qaeda will stop terrorism if the US 

converted or surrendered to Islam. 29 Furthermore, Jihadists are unlikely to 

surrender even if their decision will result in their annihilation or will cause a 

total destruction for their nation. Additionally, the Jihadists and ideologically 

motivated Islamists will not hesitate a second if they can use a WMD against 

their opponent as they evidently do not care for human life including the 

lives of their own Muslim people. Indeed, they will be happy to die in jihad 

for the cause of Allah. 

On the other hand and the tactical level, Islamic Radicals tend to 

predominantly target civilians rather than combatants - unlike in traditional 

warfare where combatants take great care to reduce collateral damages. 

It is worthwhile to point out that religiously-motivated terrorist acts 

conducted by some radical Christians against doctors who perform abortions 

iare limited in their numbers and targets compared to the global nature of 

Islamic terrorism. Moreover, unlike Islamic terrorism, the demands of 

conventional terrorist groups such as ETA and the Tamil Tigers are limited 

only to regional geographical areas and could be solvable via negotiations as 

their objectives are to achieve some political gains rather than to die for 

their cause and to cause pain for the "unbelievers". Similarly, unlike 

Jihadism-based violence, individually conducted crimes usually lack the 

29 American al Qaeda: U.S. should convert to Islam. (2006,September 02) CNN World. 



139 

ideological thread that can transform them into a global phenomenon that 

threatens the world security at a large scale. 

This complex situation necessitates that we should look at the phenomenon 

of Islamic Terrorism as a completely different phenomenon that has different 

dynamics and new rules of engagement. It is different from ordinary crimes, 

from conventional and from traditional warfare. Developing novel 

approaches to deal with this phenomenon including legislative ones is 

mandatory as classical approaches in dealing with it as a crime, as 

conventional terrorism, or as a traditional war may not be enough to deal 

effectively with it. The phenomenon of Islamist Terrorism certainly has some 

elements of all of the former violent acts; however, it also has many 

features that make it un-classifiable under any one of them. A new 

approach is needed that treats Islamic Radicalism as a separate entity or a 

distinct type of violence as it does not fully fit under traditional categories of 

violent acts. 


Bridges Between The US And The 

Muslim World Must Be Two-Way 

140 

The United States Postal Service has issued stamps to celebrate some 

religious holidays including the "Eid" or one of the holy festivals of the 

Muslim world. 30 The Postal Service mentioned on its news release, "This 

year's holiday stamps extend diverse greetings. The 44-cent First-Class 

stamps include Christmas: Madonna and Sleeping Child by Sassoferrato, Eid, 

Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Winter Holidays". The Eid stamp was published in 

2001 soon after the attacks of September 11 th . 

While there have been many diverse views expressed on the topic of 

outreach to the Muslim world, the following are a few points that have not 

received serious attention: 

1- Who was supposed to issue a stamp for reconciliation after September 

11 - the US that was attacked or the Muslim world that produced, 

indoctrinated, and both actively and passively supported violent acts in 

the name of Islam. 31 

2- In the spirit of "mutual respect and understanding", it was naturally 

expected that the Muslim countries should have also issued a stamp to 

celebrate Christmas to reciprocate the US celebration of the Eid on an 

US stamp. This simply has not happened. Reconciliation needs both 

sides to take active steps toward mutual understanding. It cannot be 

effective if it is only a unilateral act. 

3- Even before September 11, the US has showed respect for Muslims 

and Islam. The average American-Muslim income is higher than the 

national average, and mosques and Islamic schools are permitted in 

the country irrespective of what they teach. In addition, in full defense 

of religious freedoms, Muslims are allowed to preach Islam and 

convert others to it. This generous and very tolerant attitude toward 

Muslims was not reciprocated by many countries in the Muslim world. 

Converting people to Christianity is prohibited and illegal in many 

Muslim countries. Having Bibles or other non-Islamic religious texts or 

building churches, temples and other houses of worship are not 

permitted in Saudi Arabia. The US should have requested that its 

30 Eid Stamp Part of Holiday Celebrations Series. (2001, August 1). United States Post 

Office. Retrieved from http://www.usps.com/news 


Abdelhamid. 


141 

generous attitudes toward Muslims and Islam be reciprocated in the 

Muslim world before issuing a stamp to celebrate Muslim religious 

festivals. The message that is conveyed by doing the former without 

asking for the latter or reciprocation is that the Muslim world feels that 

they do not need to do anything in improve their relationship with the 

West as the West seems to always show tolerance to Islam 

irrespective of what the Muslim world does. Showing the Muslim world 

that they should not take the tolerance of the West for granted is 

actually beneficial as it can encourage the Islamic world to start taking 

some active steps toward reconciliation. If the West will continue 

showing such levels of tolerance irrespective of how the Muslim world 

is treating its non-Muslim minorities, there will be no incentive for the 

Muslim world to make any improvement for its discriminatory decisions 

against non-Muslims including freedom of conversion of Muslims to 

other faiths and the basic freedom of worship. 

In summary, the Eid stamp for Muslims would have been a great step in 

efforts of reconciliation between civilizations ONLY if the Muslim world 

reciprocated this by issuing a stamp for Christmas, allowed Muslims the 

freedom of conversion, and allowed non-Muslims to worship freely in any 

part of the Muslim world. Until these fundamental and basic human rights 

are respected all over the Muslim world, issuing stamps to celebrate 

Muslims' festivals may not be effective in bridging the gap between the West 

and Islam and, in fact, it could be counterproductive. 


The Case Of The 5 Young 

American Muslim Jihadists Raises 

Several Concerns 

142 

Five American Muslims were arrested in Pakistan for planning to do terror 

acts in Pakistan. 32 Pakistani authorities described the men as college 

students who "were of the opinion that a jihad must be waged against the 

infidels for the atrocities committed by them against Muslims around the 

world," a report states. The parents of the missing youths and local Muslim 

leaders approached the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) about 

the disappearances and the organization "immediately informed the FBI," 

the council said. Preliminary investigations suggest they had sought to link 

up with the militant Islamic groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Jamaat ud Dawa 

organizations. Neither group showed interest in having them. The young 

men were described as devout young men who participated in a youth 

program at a community mosque in suburban Virginia, representatives of 

the congregation said Friday. A mosque representative, Abu Maryam, 

defended the mosque's activities, saying discussion of jihad had no place in 

the congregation or the youth program. 33 CAIR realized there is a problem 

and is "going to launch a major campaign of education to refute the misuse 

of verses in the Quran, or the misuse of certain grievances in the Muslim 

world", said Awad. 34 

This story raises many points that need to be addressed: 

1- If Jihad was predominantly a peaceful concept, as many Islamic 

organizations promote in the West, why then did the Mosque 

representative say that "jihad had no place in the congregation or the 

youth program"? Why should Mr. Abu Maryam feel embarrassed of 

32 Gillani, W. & Tavernise, S. (2010, June 24) Pakistan Sentences Five Americans in Terror 

Case. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com 

33 Americans arrested in Pakistan had bright futures. (2009, December 11). CNN US. 


34 The Missed Signal on American Muslim Radicalization. (2009, December 11). Retrieved 

from http://www.rightsidenews.com 


143 

teaching a peaceful concept? Avoiding discussing jihad, as the mosque 

representative mentioned, further confirms that the word Jihad in 

Muslim's jargon is basically used and understood in violent manner 

(otherwise the mosque would not have avoided discussing it!). In other 

words, if Jihad was truly a peaceful concept the mosque should not 

have shy away from discussing it. 

2- Why did the families of these 5 young men inform CAIR organizations 

before doing the more simple thing - which is to inform the local police? 

Why the families did not think in the most logical possibility when 

someone disappears in US that he was (or they were) kidnapped? 

Informing an Islamic organization first instead of informing the police 

raises doubts if the families knew from the beginning that the young 

men went to Pakistan with some jihadist intentions? 

3- The men were described by the Pakistani authorities as college 

students who "were of the opinion that a jihad must be waged against 

the infidels for the atrocities committed by them against Muslims 

around the world." This must make us question why these young men 

did not have the same negative feelings against the Muslim terrorists 

who kill their fellow Muslims. If these young men were truly caring for 

Muslim's lives as they claim, why then we have not seen them waging 

Jihad against Al-Qaeda for exploding Mosques, funerals, and markets 

that have killed thousands of innocent Muslims? Is it OK for Muslims to 

intentionally kill innocent Muslims but not OK for the US to defend itself 

against those who attacked it or threatened its security? Failure to 

show the same hatred or reaction against Islamic terrorists who killed 

thousands of Muslims all over the world raises the point that hating the 

US by these young Jihadists is not based on care for Muslims' lives 

otherwise they would have showed the same reaction against Bin laden 

and other Islamic terrorists. 

4- It is clear that many of these young Muslims were considered 

"Moderates" in their universities and by their local communities. This 

raises an important issue of defining who should be called moderate 

and who should be called a radical and confirmed the need for a clear 

definition for radical Islam. 35 Without defining Radical Islam and putting 

35 Hamid, T. (n.d.). ABCs Test for Radical Islam. Retrieved from 

http://www.tawfikhamid.com/abcs-test-for-radical-islam/ 


144 

parameters for it, many radicals can spread their toxic views in the 

society and radicalize more young Muslims. 

5- Going to the radical Islamic groups to offer them to become volunteers 

showed that these young men were naïve in jihadism as, in general, 

sophisticated jihadi groups do not accept volunteers in this way since 

they usually choose their own people and new members based on 

certain selection criteria. More sophisticated approaches are needed to 

properly infiltrate such radical Islamic groups. 

6- It is good that CAIR finally realized the 'ideological' root of the problem 

and is going "to launch a major campaign of education to refute the 

misuse of verses in the Quran", as Awad said. Obviously justifications 

for Islamic Radicalism such poverty, lack of education, and lack of 

democracy were not going to explain this case of Home grown Islamic 

radicalism among university students in the US! 

7- If these young Muslims were planning to join Jihad against the US 

troops, should this be considered a form of treason to their country and 

should they be considered traitors to the US by collaborating with its 

enemies? 


The Media Must Convey The True 

Message Sent By The Jihadists 

145 

CNN has reported that Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, 

appeared in a video that has been made available on the internet. Gadahn 

was portrayed as though he had offered 'condolences' for innocent victims, 

as seen in the text below. 

"On the heels of a U.S. announcement of a massive troop surge for 

Afghanistan, an al Qaeda spokesman Saturday appeared to be trying to 

improve the group's image in the region with a new audio message in 

English. Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, appeared in a 

17-minute video released on Islamist online forums late Friday, offering 

condolences to the families of innocent people killed in al Qaeda attacks." 36 

It is important to note that the title used by the CNN for this topic could be 

perceived by many as a positive step by Al-Qaeda, yet careful observation 

and analysis of what has been said clearly reveals that the condolences were 

ONLY offered to Muslims. Non-Muslims were not included. 

"We express our condolences to the families of the Muslim men, women 

and children killed in these criminal acts and we ask Allah to have mercy on 

those killed and accept them as shohadaa [martyrs]," he says. "We also 

express the same in regard to the unintended Muslim victims of the 

mujahedeen's operations against the crusaders and their allies and puppets, 

and to the countless faceless and nameless Muslim victims of the murderous 

crusades" in Afghanistan, Pakistan's Waziristan regions and Swat Valley, and 

elsewhere." 

The title that fits more with what Gadahn has actually said is "Al Qaeda 

offers 'condolences' ONLY for Muslim victims" rather than "Al Qaeda offers 

'condolences' for innocent victims". 

Sincere condolences should be offered for all victims who are killed 

irrespective of their faith. The message of Adam Gadahn was portrayed as if 

36 Al Qaeda offers 'condolences' for innocent victims (2009, December 13). CNN World. 

Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com 


146 

it is a good thing, yet in actuality it only confirmed that many Islamists do 

not see a need to offer condolences for innocent victims if they are non- 

Muslims. Failure to include non-Muslims in the condolences indicates serious 

disregard for the lives of non-Muslims. 

Undervaluing the lives of non-Muslims, which is taught widely within 

mainstream Islamic jurisprudence and various Sharia books is one of the 

main factors that leads some devout Muslims to develop the mind of a 

terrorist that does not show respect for human lives of the 'others'. 37 


Publications. 


147 

Ignoring The Role Of Ideology In 

The Ft. Hood Massacre Is 

Disastrous 

After the heinous attack at Ft. Hood, many questions were raised about the 

underlying cause of the atrocity. 38 Some pointed out that the Muslim 

background of the suspect, Mr. Hasan, was the motivating factor, while 

others presented the case suggesting that being 'teased' for being a Muslim 

and the US wars in Iraq & Afghanistan were trigger factors for the massacre. 

This wide difference in opinions should lead us to analyze carefully the 

concept of the 'underlying cause' and the 'trigger' factors. 

If an external factor provoked a different response in one group of people 

compared to others, then it is more likely that there is an underlying cause 

in the former that explains such a difference. For example, if two people ran 

100 meters and one of them developed severe chest pain, then an 

underlying coronary heart disease in the one who developed the pain must 

be suspected. In this situation, running could be seen as the 'trigger' factor 

that provoked angina in a patient with underlying heart disease. Both the 

cause of the problem (the heart problem) and the trigger factor (running) 

must be addressed if we are to treat the patient effectively. 

Similarly, if the external emotional or political factors were the true cause of 

terror acts, we would expect that these factors will produce the same 

response in all humans irrespective of their faith. 

Basic observations of the responses of Muslim populations to insults, 

critiques, and to political situations in the last few decades clearly 

demonstrate that there is an underlying factor in Muslim societies that 

predisposes many of them to react in a violent manner. 

Let us just examine the difference in responses between many in the Muslim 

world and people of other faiths when both are exposed to trigger factors: 

People identified as Muslims committed terrible atrocities that included killing 

innocents, burning places, and many other barbaric acts as a reaction to the 

following 'triggers': 

38 Whitelaw K. (2009 November 6). Massacre Leaves 13 Dead At Fort Hood. NPR. Retrieved 

from http://www.npr.org 


148 

Publication of Danish cartoons of prophet Mohamed 39 

� Critique of Islam by Pope Benedict 40 

Comment about prophet Mohamed by a journalist in a beauty queen 

event in Nigeria provoked extreme violence and a Fatwa to kill the 

journalist 41 

� Publishing a book that was perceived as critical of Islam by Salman 

Rushdie 42 

� Rumors of US military personnel insulting the Quran 43 

On the contrary, many non-Muslims were exposed to much more distress 

yet they did not react in the same manner. The following are only few 

examples of many: 

The Jews were put into ovens during the Nazi era and are currently called 

"Pigs and Monkeys" in several parts of the Muslim world yet we have not 

seen the Jewish people beheading the Germans or exploding themselves to 

kill innocents all over the world. 

� Some Christian minorities who live in some Muslim majority countries 

have their churches burnt, their priests killed, their religion insulted, 

and suffer from different forms of discrimination - yet they do not 

attack innocents as a result. 44 

� Many Buddhists in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand & Bahia in 

Iran suffered from severe discrimination from the Islamic systems yet 

we have not seen any of them killing their fellow innocent human 

beings to revenge this discrimination. 45 

39 Muhammad cartoons: a timeline. (2006, October 26). CBC News Online. Retrieved from 

http://www.cbc.ca/new 

40 Muslims kill nun, Pope apologizes [Blog Post]. (2006, September 17). Retrieved from 

http://www.freedomszone.com 

41 Somerville, K. (2002, November 27). Controversy over Nigerian fatwa. BBC News. 

Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk 

42 Pollard, L. (2009, February 14) Satanic Verses' polarising untruths. BBC News. Retrieved 


43 Afghanistan Protests Continue; 8 Killed. (2005, May 13) Fox News. Retrieved from 

http://www.foxnews.com 

44 Vermaat E. (2011, 21 January) Christians and Their Churches Targeted By Radical 

Muslims. Retrieved from http://europenews.dk 

45 Examples can be found at: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/ 


149 

The difference in response to the external triggers strongly supports the 

view that an underlying factor in Muslim societies is the main cause of the 

violent reactions. 

In other words, why does 'teasing' or 'insulting' or a 'political situation' 

provoke such barbaric responses in devout Muslims at a global level but do 

not provoke similar violent reactions in the followers of other faiths who are 

exposed to much more injustice and prejudice? Since humans are born 

equal, the difference in responses in these situations is likely to be caused 

by differences in their religious education or ideological factors. These 

educational or ideological factors must be addressed in an honest manner to 

avoid further calamities and to protect young Muslims from the damaging 

effects of these forms of teaching. 

Some may argue that if religious education was the main cause behind these 

atrocities then why do some Muslims not react in a violent manner while 

other Muslims do? The answer to this question is that this difference in 

response within Muslim populations can be due to one or a combination of 

the following factors: 

1. Lack of exposure to the same form of religious education 

2. Lack of exposure to the same trigger factor. 

3. Lack of sufficient religious motivation or courage to perform an action 

that may threaten their personal life 

In addition, if we accept the concept that 'teasing' and 'insults' can justify 

such a level of brutality, then we should ask ourselves: will we also justify 

the situation if non-Muslims started burning mosques in the US and 

engaging in killing innocent Muslims as a response to the discrimination they 

have in some parts of the Muslim world? 

Since it is practically impossible to stop all possible 'trigger factors' it is 

extremely important to treat the underlying cause of the problem (or the 

form of religious education Muslims receive) that leads many of in the 

Muslim world to react in such a violent manner. 


US Reaction To Muslims In Its 

Military MUST Be Well Calculated 

150 

After the Ft. Hood tragedy, I have been asked by many to address what the 

US must do with American Muslims in the military. 46 Some took an 

emotional response and promoted the view that Muslims should not be 

allowed in the US military. Others tried to approach the issue in a more 

rational manner. 47 The possibility of a backlash against Muslims in the 

military was also discussed on the CNN. I will summarize my answer as 

follows. 48 

There are three possibilities (or options) for the reaction: 

Option 1: Stop all Muslims from working in the military 

Option 2: Give permission to Muslims in the US Army so that they do not 

fight against their fellow Muslims. 

Option 3: Do nothing 

The first option (to stop all Muslims from working in the military) will deprive 

the US from benefiting from the experience of true moderate Muslims who 

also fight Islamic Radicalism. The experience of these moderates can be 

pivotal and invaluable in achieving the needed victory over radical Muslims. 

This situation makes it imperative for the US officials to set parameters to 

define who is moderate and who is. 49 Using proper parameters to define 

these terms can allow the US to use the knowledge of true moderate 

Muslims effectively to fight radical Islam and at the same time avoid 

discrimination against all Muslims. Failure to set these parameters can allow 

many radicals to infiltrate sensitive positions in the military and may end in 

catastrophic consequences. 



47 Dreazen, Y. J. (2009, November 9).Muslim Population in the Military Raises Difficult 

Issues. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/ 

48 Fort Hood shooting: army chief fears backlash against Muslim troops. (2011, June 07). 

The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ 

49 Hamid, T. (2010, August 16). A Muslim Declaration Against Shariah, Violence. Retrieved 

from http://www.newsmax.com 


151 

The second option (to give exemptions to Muslims in the US military so that 

they do not fight against their fellow Muslims) raises several important 

concerns as well. 

1. This option could be seen as a form of discrimination against non- 

Muslims in the military. In other words, why should non-Muslims take 

the risk of going to war and die while their fellow Muslim soldiers are 

refusing to defend their nation? In this case we will face one of the 

most bizarre situations in history when non-Muslims have to die to 

defend Muslims who sympathize with the enemy and refuse to fight it. 

2. What if ALL US military soldiers converted to Islam? Shall we just 

surrender to Islamic Radicals because No one in the military is willing 

to defend the country anymore? 

3. Accepting this option casts doubt on the loyalty of these Muslims (who 

refuse to fight another Muslim to protect the US) to the US. If these 

Muslims were more loyal to their "Umma" (Muslim nation) than to the 

US then they should be considered a fifth column and MUST not be 

allowed to work in military or any sensitive position. 

4. Those American Muslims who refuse to fight another Muslim to defend 

the US must be ready to answer the following imperative question: Is 

it OK for them to kill Christians or Hindus if they attacked the US but it 

is unacceptable by them to kill Muslims if they did attack their 

country? 

5. If Radical Muslims declared war on the US, will Muslims in US military 

allow the killing of their fellow American citizens to avoid fighting their 

radical Muslim brothers? In other words, are the lives of their fellow 

Americans less in their view than the lives of the radical Muslims? 

As we can see the second option raises very serious concerns. 

If the third situation (Do Nothing) is accepted as the best type of reaction, 

many Islamic radicals will be able to infiltrate our military. In this situation, 

the disaster of Ft. Hood may look trivial compared to what could happen if 

these radicals managed to use radiological, biological, or chemical weapons 

against our society. In such a case, we may wake up one day to the news 

that an Islamic radical in US army released a lethal bacteriological or viral 

agent inside the US that will kill thousands (or millions) of people and will 

destroy the economy of the country. The tragedy that could happen in this 

case is far beyond words to describe it. Doing nothing and just waiting for 

another attack by a radical Islamist inside the US is a catastrophic approach. 

We were just lucky in the US that Dr. Nidal Hasan, who allegedly committed 


152 

the atrocity in Ft. Hood, did not have access to a biological weapon. An 

important approach to deal with such a complex situation is to educate 

selected officials in the US how to detect early signs of radicalization-both 

overt and covert- as this can allow these officials to take appropriate 

measures to prevent a possible catastrophe. 


153 

The Disaster at Ft. Hood Army 

Base in US Raises Critical 

Concerns 

An Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan M.D., an American Muslim who 

counsels troops, opened fire on an unarmed crowd at Fort Hood Army base 

in the Texas. 50 According to officials, 13 people were killed and over 30 

wounded. Before he killed his fellow human beings, Hasan made the 

comment "Allah Akbar", which is Arabic for "Allah is great!" 

This horrible event raises some vital issues with the teachings in Sharia Law, 

the blame Muslims place on westerners for linking violence to Islam, and 

numerous decision makers not focusing on the main cause of Muslim 

violence. 

When Sharia Law teaches disrespect for Non Muslims' life, how can we be 

surprised to hear about a dedicated religious Muslim follow such teachings 

and commit barbaric acts against Non-Muslims? Islamic Sharia, available in 

mainstream Islam jurisprudence books (such as Fiqh Us-Sunna for Sayiid 

Sabeq and many others jurisprudence books), promotes that the 

punishment for killing a human being "Dheia" is less in cases of killing a 

Non-Muslims than in cases of killing a Muslim. In fact, (according to Sharia 

Law) if Non-Muslims refuse to pay the Jizzia (humiliating tax) or convert to 

Islam they should be killed. 51 Can we expect the outcome of such teachings 

and interpretations to produce anything but violence and disrespect for 

human life? 

After this attack Muslims must stop blaming westerners who link Islam to 

violence. Thousands of terror attacks all over the world, including Sept. 11, 

beheadings in the name of Islam, and many other barbaric atrocities were 

conducted commonly by people who are identified as Muslims. 52 It is 

virtually impossible to stop people from linking violence to Islam unless 

violence in the name of Islam stops. 




Publications. 

52 Lists of terror acts conducted by Muslims are available at 

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com 


154 

Instead of continuing to blame the West for "Islamophobia" and for linking 

violence to Islam, the Muslim world should work on changing itself to stop 

producing generations that accept violence as integral parts of their religious 

teaching. 

There is a tendency among various decision makers to discuss why some 

Muslims turn to the use violence while others do not, considering Muslims 

are exposed to the same religious teachings. This approach may 

theoretically allow decisions makers to avoid addressing the role of religious 

teaching as the true cause of the problem and allow them to focus instead 

on the individual factors that make a particular person use violence. In this 

regard I would like to mention the following illustrative example: When 

people smoke cigarettes only some of them develop lung cancer. This does 

not mean that smoking is not the main cause of lung cancer. The same 

applies to Islamism phenomenon. When Muslims are exposed to the Salafi 

Islamic teaching, only some of them become violent. 53 Similarly, this does 

not mean that the religious teaching is not the cause of developing the 

violence. 

The most simple solution for the problems in the previous examples is 

simply to limit the exposure to the offending agent (either smoking or to the 

radical teaching) rather trying to change the response of the cells or the 

humans to the causative agent. This can happen in Muslim societies by 

providing them with an alternative to the radical teachings to promote 

values of love and peaceful coexistence instead of hatred and intolerance. 

If I could make a suggestion to the senior officials in the Military, 

Intelligence, Home Land Security, and others, I would tell them to learn how 

to detect early signs of Islamic Radicalization among their employees in 

order to take appropriate measures before radicalization manifests. Failure 

to do so or learn these signs can lead to a disaster inside the US, especially 

if Islamic radicalism appears in facilities that deal with WMDs. 

The American investigators of the Fort Hood case who will interrogate the 

suspect must be fully aware he may practice "Tequia" (Lying to Non- 

Muslims), or he may pretend to have a psychiatric disorder to avoid 

punishment. The latter can be a very viable option for a trained psychiatrist 

who knows the symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Relying predominantly on 

the suspect's words to understand his motives for doing his crime can be 

completely misleading in such a case. 

53 Note: Salafi teaching is a regressive form of Islamic teaching that currently dominates 

most Islamic educational systems and Institutes 


155 

We need to address in an honest and scientific manner the different 

dimensions of the problem of Islamic Radicalism and to be able to 

understand its dynamics, root causes, and devastating consequences. In 

addition, using proper strategies to deal with the phenomenon is imperative. 

Failure to do so can end in disastrous consequences. 


156 

Does Rifqua Bary have to wear the 

Hijab or become a terrorist to get 

care from the US president? 

Few weeks ago the 17-year old Rifqua Bary had to flee from Ohio to Florida, 

where she sought refuge with a Christian couple whose church she had 

learned about from the Internet. 54 Rifqa said she ran away from home 

because her father discovered she'd become a Christian-and then threatened 

to kill her. Rifqua's parents say that whatever fears their daughter has of 

them have been put in her head by evangelical Christians hostile to Islam. 

The Barys said they are willing to let their daughter practice whatever 

religion she wishes. 

If the information released to the media is correct, the law enforcement 

findings in both Ohio and Florida support the parents. This simply means 

Rifqua's life could be seriously threatened, if what she has said about her 

father is correct. 

Generally speaking, it is unlikely that Rifqua would have this degree of fear 

from her family if she was not actually threatened. If she were confident that 

her family will not hurt her and that she would be safe with them, she most 

likely would not have escaped. In other words, why would a child in her age 

escape from his family if she did not feel threatened? 

In more specific terms, Rifqua's fears are fully justifiable for the following 

reasons: 

First, the father neither clearly rejected nor denounced the Redda Law 

(Islamic Sharia law that allows the killing of apostates). His statement that 

the parents are willing to let their daughter practice whatever religion she 

wishes does not negate his right to kill her according to Redda law. He can 

simply give Rifqua the right to practice her new religion, while at the same 

time giving himself or others in his community the right to kill her for 

apostasy. Unless Rifqua's father publically denounces killing the apostates 

(the Redda Law), his statements should not be taken seriously. 

Second, until today ALL of the main schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence 

(Shafeii, Maleki, Hanbali, and Hanafi),in addition to the main Sheia teaching, 

54 Mauro, R. (2009, August 20). Honor Killings Come to America. Front Page Magazine 

Retrieved from http://archive.frontpagemag.com 


157 

approve and promote the killing of apostates. This violent form of teaching is 

unchallenged in authoritative mainstream Islamic books. Until the Muslim 

world and its religious authorities develop new jurisprudence that prohibits 

killing apostates, it will be extremely unsafe to force Rifqua to live in a 

Muslim society where any dedicated Muslim can apply the Redda law on her 

at any time. 

Third, the deafening silence of Muslim society and organizations and their 

failure to take any clear stand against the Redda Law support the view that 

many in this society agree with such a law. This by itself casts doubt on 

whether Rifqua, even after converting from Islam, could be safe while living 

within this community. 

Fourth, in the last few decades many innocent Muslims were brutally killed 

or attacked in accordance with the Redda Law after being declared as 

apostates. 55 

Shall the free world return Rifqua back to her society where she can suffer 

the same fate? If the Muslim majority is truly against the Redda law, why do 

not we hear their public condemnation for it? Where are the voices in the 

Muslim world or of the Muslim organizations in the West, such as CAIR and 

ISNA, that unambiguously denounce this barbaric law? In fact, the voices 

that are heard are those of the leading Muslim scholars in the West, such as 

Harvard Muslim chaplain Taha Abdul-Basser, who in 2009 noted in one of his 

blogs the "wisdom" of the death penalty for apostasy in Islam. 56 

55 Examples for attacking apostates include: 

1- The Egyptian thinker Farag Fouda who was declared an apostate by Al-Azhar 

scholar Mohammed al-Ghazali and shot to death in his office on 8 June 1992 by two 

Islamic fundamentalists. 

2- The Sudanese reformer Mahmoud Taha was Killed by the government authority on 

Jan 18/1985. 

3- Egyptian Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz was attacked and seriously injured by a 

young Muslim radical on Oct 16/1994. 

4- Salaman Rushdy (author) was declared an apostate and a fatwā requiring his 

execution was proclaimed on Radio Tehran by AyatollahRuhollah Khomeini on 14 

February 1989. 

5- On the day of writing this Op-Ed Monday, September 14, 2009 Afghanistan's upper 

house of parliament has condemned the release of an Afghan journalist Perwiz 

Kambakhsh who was originally sentenced to death for the crime of 'Apostasy'. This 

has changed under pressure from the free world to 20 years in jail. 

Afghan parliament condemns journalist release. (2009, September 14). Retrieved 

from http://www.metro.co.uk/news/world 

56 Landes, R. (2009, April 16). Harvard‘s Muslim Chaplain Notes the Wisdom of Killing 

Apostates [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.theaugeanstables.com 


158 

Fifth, simply following news from all over the world makes it clear that the 

deaths of daughters at the hands of their fathers for religious causes-such as 

refusing to wear the hijab (Islamic head cover) or having an affair-has been 

frequently practiced in Muslim communities. 57 

The abovementioned points support the view that Rifqua's fears of returning 

to her family and to the Muslim community are based on concrete facts and 

were not "put in her head by evangelical Christians hostile to Islam," as her 

father claims. 

In this context it is vital to question whether President Obama will stand 

beside Rifqua and support her right to convert to Christianity as he 

supported the rights of Muslim women to wear the hijab? 58 In fact, Nashala 

Hearn, a Muslim girl from Muskogee, Oklahoma, who insisted on wearing the 

hijab, was invited to the Iftar dinner on September 1 at the White House in 

Ramadan. 59 The president supported her right to wear the hijab in U.S. Is 

President Obama going to give Rifqua the same level of support that he gave 

to this girl, and is he willing publicly to show solidarity with Rifqua by clearly 

supporting her right to convert from Islam to another faith; or does Rifqua 

have to wear the hijab to get this level of support from the U.S. President? 

Furthermore, the U.S. government showed much care for the detainees at 

Guantanamo Bay, and always wanted to make sure that they are released to 

countries that will not torture them. U.S. officials have said for years that 

they could not return Guantanamo Bay detainees to their original countries 

(such as returning the Uighur detainees to China) for fear of persecution or 

execution. 60 The innocent Rifqua deserves the same level of concern for her 

safety as these detainees. If this does not happen, and Rifqua is forced to go 

back to a community that may kill her, then the ONLY message that can be 

logically concluded from this is that it is better to be a terrorist and kill 

innocent Americans to make the US government care for your life. 

Returning Rifqua to a system that ideologically justifies her killing is like 

returning a Jew to the Nazis during WWII. The spirit of U.S. law is to protect 

57 Geller, P. (2009, July 27). More Honor Killings In The West, Yet No Outrage? Retrieved 

from http://www.humanevents.com/ 

58 Obama. B. (2009, June 4). Remarks by the President on a New Beginning. Office of the 

Press Secretary. Retreived from http://www.whitehouse.gov 

59 Obama. B. (2009, September 1). Remarks by the President at IFTAR Dinner. Office of the 

Press Secretary. Retreived from http://www.whitehouse.gov 

60 Glaberson. W. (2009, June 12). 6 Guantánamo Bay detainees released to other countries. 

The New York Times. Retrieved from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ 


159 

human life. Returning Rifqua to a community that accepts Redda Law 

contradicts this spirit, as it puts her life at risk and opens the gate for 

barbarism to take advantage of our laws. The message that must be 

conveyed to the Muslim communities regarding this subject is that freedom 

of religion does not include the freedom to kill apostates. 


160 

Discrimination Against Non- 

Muslims In The U.S. Must Stop 

Upon landing in the U.S. (September 13, 2009) after speaking at a 

conference in Poland, I noticed that the first picture welcoming international 

visitors to the U.S. at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) was of 

two Muslim women wearing the hijab. The photo also portrayed a mosque 

and the crescent as a symbol for Islam. I have noticed on other visits to the 

airport that the same photo is in the same position: Window A1 of the 

immigration hall, where the travelers show customs officials their 

documentation. 

I have checked the other pictures in the hall to see if other religions are also 

represented in the same manner. To my surprise, there were none. The 

ONLY religious symbols that existed in such a manifest manner are the 

Islamic ones. 

This situation raises an important question: why don't the airport authorities 

acknowledge other faiths as well? If the answer is that Muslims are a 

minority, then why doesn't acknowledge the other religious minorities? 

Aren't they humans who deserve respecting for their faiths, too? Jews, 

Hindus, and Buddhists are also minorities in the U.S., yet their faiths are 

neither recognized nor respected by the airport authorities to the same 

extent that the Muslim faith is. 

It is not only unfair but also discriminatory against other religious minorities 

when Islam is the ONLY faith that is respected in such a manner, while other 

faiths are ignored. 

If the authorities in the airport want to show that they respect religions as a 

form of multiculturalism, they should have used photos that portray Muslim 

women in hijab, Christian nuns carrying a cross, a Jewish Rabbi wearing a 

kippah, or perhaps a synagogue with the Star of David on it as well. 

The second question that occurs to many people when they see that Islam is 

the only faith that gets such respect in the airport is, "what did Muslim 

communities do to deserve such recognition?" Are they being recognized 

because members of their society committed the 9/11 attacks and continue 

to conduct barbaric atrocities and terrorist acts all over the world on a neardaily 

basis? If this is the case, then giving such respect to Muslims and 

ignoring other faiths conveys a message to other religious communities that 


161 

the best way to get respect for your faith in US is to commit similar 

atrocities! Is this the message that the airport authorities want to convey? 

Another important question is whether the airport authority has realized 

that, according to Sharia teachings, the hijab is a dress code that aims at 

discrimination? Free women are allowed to wear it, while slaves are not 

permitted to wear it. Is it a good choice for Dulles International Airport to 

display prominently such a discriminatory symbol? 

In addition, Muslim women who do not wear the hijab could feel alienated if 

they see that such respect and recognition in the U.S. is given only to 

Muslim women who wear the hijab. Many Muslim women who do not wear 

the hijab already face some element of discrimination and disrespect from 

their Muslim societies for not wearing it. Is the U.S. also going to share in 

the crime of discrimination against these liberal Muslim women who want to 

dress as they wish? What would be the problem with showing respect for 

both types of Muslim women instead of only for those who wear the hijab? 

In brief, discrimination against non-Muslims and Muslim women who do not 

wear the hijab must not occur in the US. If the authorities want to show 

religious tolerance, they must acknowledge faiths other than Islam. The U.S. 

is not an Islamic country, and attempts to show Muslims' contribution to the 

U.S. must be accompanied by recognition of the greater contributions of 

other faiths, such as Christianity and Judaism. The choice is either to 

recognize all faiths equally or not to recognize any of them. Showing respect 

to one faith (Islam) and ignoring the others is a form of discrimination that 

MUST stop. 


10 Questions some Liberals Must 

Ask Themselves 

162 

In my opinion, there are self-explanatory answers to all of the following 

questions: 

1. What would liberals say to women who are stoned to death for 

adultery, 61 to gays facing capital punishment, 62 and to Muslims 

persecuted or killed for converting from Islam to another faith, 63 all 

according to Islamic law? Will liberals say that they must show 

"tolerance" and accept this barbarism as a matter of respect for 

religious values or stand against inhumane laws? 

2. Where can we find sharia books that clearly stand against the above 

violence? Instead of trying to convince the world that sharia law is 

peaceful and that it is all a matter of different interpretations, it would 

be much better if the Liberals asked the leading Islamic scholars to 

unambiguously declare that stoning women, killing gays, and 

beheading apostates are unacceptable. 

3. Why do the liberal thinkers try to find justifications for terrorism such 

as poverty, lack of education, and the historical "feeling of injustice" 

among Muslims at the hands of the West? The Jews were exposed to 

some of the worst forms of suffering and torture in human history at 

the hands of the Nazis yet they have not performed terrorist acts and 

suicide bombings against German civilians. 

4. Muslims in the West enjoy rights as equal citizens. However, Jews in 

the Muslim world are called pigs and monkeys on mainstream media in 

the Muslim world, 64 Christians are not allowed to build churches in 

61 Stoning victim 'begged for mercy' (2008, November 4). BBC News. Retrieved from 

http://news.bbc.co.uk 

62 Eke, S. (2005, July 28). Iran 'must stop youth executions'. BBC News. Retrieved from 


63 Browne, A. (2005, February 5). Muslim apostates cast out and at risk from faith and 

family. The Times. Retrieved from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk 

64 3-Year-old Egyptian Basmallah: Jews Are Apes and Pigs. (2002, May 7). Retrieved from 

http://www.memritv.org 


163 

Saudi Arabia, 65 and the Baha'i community is discriminated against in 

Iran. 66 Who should really feel angry? 

5. Why are socioeconomic conditions and political circumstances often 

used to justify acts of terrorism committed by Muslims? Christians, 

Buddhists, and Hindus live under the same circumstances and do not 

instigate such a level of violence. What is the reason for this 

selectivity? 

6. Why do liberals demonstrate against Israel for killing Palestinian 

civilians, which is unintentional and happens because Palestinian 

terrorists hide among the victims, yet do not use their passion to 

demonstrate against Hamas, who has intentionally killed 'Palestinian' 

civilians? Note: Hamas assassinated three children of their opponent 

Dahlan who was one of the leaders of the Palestinian authority. 

7. The Arab-Israeli conflict is often viewed as a historical source of 

modern day terrorism, yet how could this possibly explain why 

Muslims have killed and mutilated the dead bodies of fellow Muslims in 

areas such as Iraq, Pakistan, and Algeria? 67 

8. If non-Muslims were to begin promoting the idea that "Muslims are 

pigs and monkeys," would the liberals stand against this or would they 

remain silent as they usually do when Muslims call Jews by these 

names? 

9. If a Muslim decided to follow in the "footsteps" of the Prophet 

Muhammad by marrying and having sex with a 9 year-old girl, would 

liberal thinkers stand against this or allow it to happen out of respect 

for religious freedom? Note: This story is mentioned in Al-Buchary, the 

most authentic hadith book in the Sunni world, but it is not in the 

Quran and the age of marriage is different in Sheia books. 68 

How would liberals respond if radical Muslims declared war on them and 

used the standard sharia rule to offer the three choices of conversion to 

Islam, paying a humiliating tax called the jizya, or be killed? Would liberals 

65 Israely, J. (2008, March 19). A Church in Saudi Arabia? Time. Retrieved from 

http://www.time.com/time/world 

66 Iran: Arbitrary arrests / Prisoners of conscience. (2008, May 15). Retrieved from 

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/ 

67 See several examples at: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/ 

68 Al-Buchary is considered by most of the Muslim world as the most authentic books of the 

Hadith or sayings of prophet Mohamed 


espect these religious values by accepting one of these options OR stand 

against such barbarism in order to protect human civilization? 

164 


165 

US Relations 

With Muslim 

World 


166 

US Intervention in Libya MUST 

follow ‗All or Nothing‘ Rule 

Wednesday, 27 Apr 2011 

The U.S. intervention in Libya can significantly alter the United States' image 

in the Muslim world. The inability of the United States to achieve a real 

victory in Afghanistan and in Iraq has weakened its image and thus 

encouraged Islamic radicals to continue their war against the West. 

If Gadhafi is defeated, the United States can regain its status in the eyes of 

the Muslim world. But defeat will encourage radicals. 

Even a protracted campaign will be viewed as failure by the Muslim world. 

According to the media, Libyan soldiers break into homes and create terror 

by raping women, mostly married ones. Hundreds of Libyan women who had 

been abused and raped by Gadhafi's loyal men desperately seek to commit 

suicide for they do not want to live with the torture done to them in front of 

their children. There are even reports of those who are safe and untouched 

wanting to be killed by their relatives rather than face rape. 

The inability of al-Qaida to protect the civilians or to prevent the rape of 

these Muslim women can work in the United States favor - if the United 

States success Gadhafi. (Protecting the women is the most important issue 

for Muslims.) 

There is another danger to the West: If Gadhafi's defeat is not complete, he 

may turn to supporting international terrorism against the United States and 

against other countries that supported his opponents. 

It's all or nothing for the United States. If Gadhafi remains in power, in any 

capacity, it would have been better for the United States to not intervene in 

Libya at all. 

© Newsmax. All rights reserved. 

From Newsmax.com 

Wednesday, 27 Apr 2011 08:13 AM 

http://www.newsmax.com/blogs/TawfikHamid/id-59 


Was Muslims' Violent Reaction To 

Burning The Quran Preventable? 

April 1 2011 

167 

Last Friday, at least seven United Nations workers were killed (including two 

who were beheaded) and several more were injured after officials said a 

protest in Afghanistan against a Florida pastor's burning of the Quran turned 

violent. 

On Saturday, the deadly attacks extended to Kandahar. Nine have been 

killed and several were also injured. 

The violent reactions of the Muslim's on the streets which have resulted in 

the killing of many innocents are a result of the perception that Islam has 

been insulted. This has occurred on several other occasions such as the 

publishing of cartoons of prophet Mohamed by a Danish newspaper, the 

comments of one of the participants in a beauty queen competition about 

prophet Mohamed in Nigeria November 21, 2002, and rumors that US 

military persons have insulted the Quran. 1 

Preventing Islamist violent reaction in the future cannot simply occur by 

preventing people from insulting Islam. This approach can be Unconstitutional 

and is practically impossible. 

The barbaric reaction to the Quran burning demonstrates the existence of 

several factors that may have contributed to such unjustifiable and 

unacceptable atrocities. 

These factors include: 

1- Tolerating - in several parts of the Muslim world the use of violence, 

when it empowers religious values, gives justification and prepares 

some Muslims psychologically to use violence or resort to its use to 

express their religious views and opinions. 

2- Undervaluing the life of Non-Muslims- traditional mainstream Sharia 

Law books teach that the monetary compensation for killing a Non- 

Muslim is half of that of a Muslim. This is an important root cause for 

1 Miss World contest sparks off riots in Nigeria. (2002, November 21). Express India. 

Retrieved from http://www.expressindia.com/news 


168 

disrespecting human life and justifying attacking and killing Non- 

Muslims. 

3- Failure to use Islamic Education to empower certain Quranic values 

that can prevent such violent reaction. These include "Not punishing 

someone for the mistakes of others" (Quran 35:18) and "respecting 

human life" (Quran 5:32). 

4- Individual Thinking- There is a failure of the educational systems and 

Media to encourage individual thinking instead of the mob or "Umma" 

mentality. The latter way of thinking suppresses individual thinking in 

favor of the thinking of the group around him. This makes that person 

more vulnerable to participate in such violent acts. 

5- Failure of legal systems to make the Mullahs who incite hatred and 

violence responsible for the outcome of their teaching. The violent 

response against the UN personnel occurred after Friday prayer. It is 

vital to know what has been said exactly in the ceremony that could 

have led to such brutal demonstrations. 

6- Failure of the Islamic scholars to denounce the terrorists (NOT 

terrorism) in strong words that are powerful enough to deter Muslims 

from participating in acts of violence. Using expressions to describe 

these acts as being "Un-Islamic", or "No religion will justify such acts" 

are too weak to deter Muslims who are driven by religious zeal to 

participate in such violent acts. 

Prevention of similar barbaric responses in the future MUST be holistic and 

Multi-Dimensional. 

Suggested steps to prevent similar violent reaction in the future include: 

1- Islamic Religious scholars MUST issue a Fatwa, calling those Muslims 

who contributed to the violent attacks that result in killing "Apostates"if 

they do not repent. Unfortunately, such expressions are needed to 

decrease participation of Muslims in such violent acts in the future. 

2- Islamic teaching MUST give more emphasis on the Quranic values that 

can prevent generalization and show respect for Human life. For 

example; the Quran clearly states that it is unacceptable to punish a 

person for the actions of another one (Quran 35:18) and that "killing 

an innocent human soul is equal to killing all humanity" (Quran 5:32). 


169 

The above values-if taught properly-could have prevented the attack on and 

the killing of the innocent UN personnel who have no relation, at all, to the 

act of burning the Quran. 

3- Encouraging individual thinking instead of Mob or 'Umma' mentality in 

the Muslim world can be achieved via proper educational tactics. These 

tactics must modify the thinking process of individuals and can be 

assisted by certain Quranic verses that establish the meaning that 

each individual will be judged based upon his personal deeds and 

actions (Quran 19:95: "And everyone will come to the Lord singly on 

the day of judgment"). 

4- Negative reinforcement psychological tactics MUST be used to 

decrease the possibility of similar barbaric attacks in the future. These 

tactics include clarifying to radical Muslims that such an attack on the 

UN is likely to create more hatred to Islam and thus can cause more 

Qurans to be burned-rather than the other way around. The Muslim 

scholars need to explain this to the Muslim world and put the sin of 

burning Qurans-that may happen in the future-on the shoulders of 

Muslims who conduct these violent acts. 

Feeling the individual responsibility for burning more Qurans as a result of 

the violent acts is an important deterrent factor that can prevent religiously 

motivated Muslims from participating in similar violent atrocities. The 

Quranic verse (Quran 6:108 "Revile not ye those whom they call upon 

besides Allah, lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ignorance") can be 

used as a model to teach Muslims that merely insulting others-let alone 

killing them-is a major sin as these acts can bring more insults to the 

religion. 

Finally, winning the war against Radical Islam cannot only occur at the 

Military front. Furthermore, it is practically impossible to stop criticism of 

Islam. The prevention of future-and probably more devastating-atrocities by 

violent Muslims requires the proper use of ideological, educational, and 

psychological tactics. 


The US Need To Expand Its Focus 

In Fighting Radical Islam 

170 

The US costs in the War on Terror has exceeded, in some estimates, 2 

trillion dollars. Despite this huge cost, the phenomenon of Islamic radicalism 

and terrorism has not been defeated. Killing Bin Laden has been a great step 

but it is certainly not the end of the story. Terrorist acts are still threatening 

the world and lately the attacks on Non-Muslim minorities have been on the 

rise in many parts of the Muslim world. 

The US has reached the point where it MUST reevaluate its strategies in 

fighting Radical Islam. 

The primary focus of the US in the war on terror has been to target the 

terrorists themselves. This approach, while needed, has proved to be 

unsatisfactory. 

Albert Einstein famously defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and 

over again and expecting different results." This is a very important lesson 

to be learned by the US administration. They need to start thinking in 

alternative and more efficient approaches to fight Islamic Radicalism. The US 

cannot simply spend another 2 trillion dollars using the same approach again 

and again and hope for a different result. This approach is not going to 

defeat Islamic Radicalism and expecting a different outcome will be 

disastrous. 

The US must consider expanding their primary focus in the war on terror 

from the Jihadists to include the Mullahs and scholars who incite hatred, 

violence, and dehumanization of others. The hate-filled teaching of Mullahs 

and scholars ultimately manifest itself as terrorism. The US must interrupt 

the radicalism cycle at the incitement stage. This approach is much more 

effective than a late intervention when terrorists have already been created. 

The advantage of this approach is that the scholars who incite the use of 

violence-unlike the Jihadists-are fewer in number, more visible, and above 

all want to live. The latter point is extremely important. Targeting Jihadists 

does not deter other Jihadists from committing acts of terrorism because a 

Jihadist's motivation is martyrdom. Conversely, many of the scholars who 

preach violence, without participating in the Jihadi activities, are interested 

in living and enjoying their political power and occasionally wealth. 


171 

An example to illustrate how violent teaching can materialize can be found in 

the Islamic scholar from Egypt (Ashraf Abou Anas) who recently said to his 

followers, in a province called Imbaba, "We will not be real men if we did not 

burn every church in Imbaba." This simple statement that appeared on You 

Tube triggered thousands of Muslims to attack churches in Cairo and 

resulted in burning of churches and the killing of many innocents. 2 Some of 

these innocents were burnt alive. 

When the scholar's statement was put on YouTube, he realized that he 

would be prosecuted and severely punished by the authorities. He 

immediately released another statement to change his message of hate. He 

replaced his message of hate with a new message, a message that promoted 

peace, love, and harmony. This obviously was an attempt to save himself 

from punishment. This illustrates how preaching can incite violent atrocities 

and how the scholars who incite the violence can turn to peaceful preaching 

but only if they believe that they will be held responsible for the violence 

that results from their teaching. Conversely, the threat of being punished 

will not easily change the beliefs of a true Jihadist. 

When scholars who promotes violence realizes that they will be persecuted 

as terrorists and judged as a criminals they are likely to change their violent 

message to a peaceful one. This change can prevent many terrorist acts and 

atrocities. Targeting these scholars must also include targeting the 

individuals and organizations that help them promote their violent message. 

Therefore, promoting violence against others needs to be treated as material 

support for terrorism. 

Some may argue that those who incite violent acts or justify them are 

protected by the laws of freedom of speech. Pastor Terry Jones, who 

recently burnt the Quran, was not allowed by a US court decision to 

demonstrate peacefully in front of a mosque. The US authorities made this 

ruling in the belief that this demonstration could disturb peace. Therefore, if 

the act of a peaceful demonstration in front of a mosque is seen as 

disturbance to the peace in our society; then how should the teaching of 

young Muslims to declare war on Non-Muslims to spread Islam is a religious 

duty be seen?. This same principle needs to apply to those who promote 

that the life of Non-Muslims is inferior to the life of Muslims. These beliefs 

are being taught from many Sharia books which give Jihadists the 

justification that they may kill Non-Muslims. 

Many violent and deadly Muslims riots were initiated by Mullahs who incite 

violent acts. In addition, some leading Islamic scholars such as Sheik 

2 Muslim Salafi Sheikhs in are urging that the burning Coptic Churches & killing Christians in 

Egypt [Video]. Retrieved on 2011, June from youtube.com 


172 

Youssof Al-Quradawy have justified suicide bombings against Israeli civilians 

(to including pregnant mothers). If these scholars knew that they would be 

prosecuted in international courts for inciting such hatred and violence, 

perhaps many of them would change their message of hatred. This in turn 

would protect many young Muslims from the destructive outcome of violent 

teaching. 

Expanding our focus in the fight against Islamic Radicalism is imperative. 

The US needs to change from just targeting the Jihadists, who conduct the 

terror acts, to targeting the scholars, who promote violence. Treating and 

persecuting the scholars who promote violence as terrorists and criminals 

will be a more effective tool in weakening the phenomenon of Islamic 

terrorism. 


173 

Analysis Of President Obama's 

Speech To The Muslim World 

President Obama's speech to the Muslim world on June 4th was, by all 

means, a historical one. 3 The tension between Islam and the West has 

become more prominent after 9/11, after too many violent acts have been 

conducted by people who belong to the Muslim faith. The atmosphere 

surrounding the speech was nerve racking. On one hand, some in the 

Western world were afraid that the speech would be too apologetic, as this 

attitude may actually increase Islamism rather than decrease it. On the 

other hand, some in the Muslim world were waiting to hear an explicit 

apology from the President about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Others 

in Muslim communities dreamed that President Obama, who has a Muslim 

middle name, Hussein, would end U.S. support for Israel as an attempt to 

have a fresh start with the Islamic world. The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt 

and organizations like Hamas were also waiting to hear unconditional 

support for democratically elected governments so that they would receive 

U.S. recognition irrespective of what they will do after being in power. 

In short, the expectations from the speech were numerous and reflected the 

desire of these various groups, but it was relatively hard to be too 

confrontational while addressing over one and a half billion people in the 

context of a very tense atmosphere at this particular time in history. 

However, the President did a good job in many parts of his speech. 

On the positive side, it was excellent that the President not only insisted on 

"mutual respect" but also made it clear to the Muslim world that if they 

expected the U.S. to respect them they must also respect the U.S. in return. 

He also conveyed a very powerful message that the actions of some 

Muslims, including terrorism and the abuse of human rights in many parts of 

the Muslim world, are the main causes of distorting the image of Muslims in 

the West. The message was clear that it is not America's fault that Islam has 

a bad image as many Muslims believe and promote (these acts of violence). 

President Obama did a fine job of forcing the Muslim world to face reality by 

clearly stating that the U.S. relationship with Israel is unshakable, that 

Holocaust denial is wrong, and that Jerusalem is not only for Muslims. It was 

also important that the President set a new rule that democracy of the ballot 

without being associated with human rights and without a mechanism that 

ensures that it will persist after the election is simply meaningless. This was 

3 Obama, B. (2009, June 4). President Obama Addresses Muslim World in Cairo [Transcript]. 



174 

a strong message to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood who want to use 

democracy only to get to power without consideration for human rights or 

for the persistence of the democratic process itself. 

It was also great that the president emphasized the rights of minorities who 

live in Muslim majority countries such as Coptic Christians in Egypt and 

Maronites in Lebanon. It is important that the Muslim world realize that, as 

they expect the U.S. to respect its Muslim minority and their religious rights, 

they too should know that the U.S. is also expecting the same kind of 

respect for non-Muslim minorities. 

On the other side of the coin there were also some negative aspects of the 

speech. Firstly, the speech was perceived by many in a way that made Israel 

look as if it is responsible for all the Palestinian suffering. The reality is that 

most suffering of the Palestinians is caused by their own leadership that 

refused to: accept unconditionally the existence of the state of Israel, 

denounce the promotion of the annihilation of all Jews, and accept that they 

have created a generation of young Palestinian Muslims who believe that the 

Jews are sub-human and must be killed on religious basis. This destructive 

Palestinian attitude - rather than building settlements by Israel - is what 

causes the Palestinian suffering. As President Obama put it in clear 

perspective, his responsibility as a president is primarily to protect the 

American people; hence people must also realize that the Israeli leadership 

has a primary responsibility to protect its own people. Had the Hamas 

organization accepted the state of Israel, vouched to stop terrorism and 

respect the previous international agreements, many - if not most - of the 

current frictions between both sides would not have existed. Israel proved to 

the whole world that it is a country that truly wants peace. This happened 

when Israel returned back all of Sinai to Egypt and got nothing but a peace 

agreement. It is unfair to put Israel that uses the Arabic language on its 

street signs to help its Arab minority and make their life more comfortable in 

the same basket with the Palestinian leaders that burn synagogues and 

promote the killing of all Jews. 

Secondly, the President was ambiguous about how he would work with 

American Muslims to help them fulfill "Zakat". The obligation of "paying" the 

Zakat (or charitable donation of 2.5 percent) to the needy is one of the five 

pillars of Islam. On the other hand, "collecting" it by an organized group is 

not one of those pillars. It is important to recall that the organized collection 

of the Zakat was the main power behind the establishment of the Islamic 

Caliphate that gave the early Muslims the ability to declare wars on others 

and to dominate many regions of the world at some stage of history. It is 

not wise to allow this to happen again and supporting Zakat "collection" 

through organized channels overseas must be carefully calculated to avoid 


175 

the misuse of these funds for terrorism or even fueling a broader global 

religious war. Ultimately, it is important for the President to stress where he 

will draw the line for religious freedom. Is he going to allow Muslims to stone 

adulteries women to death? Kill homosexuals, and allow marriage of young 

girls to respect their 'religious rights'? The president should have made it 

clear that he will support the right of Muslims to practice Islam but he must 

have added unambiguously that this has to be within the borders of U.S. 

Law and that it must not be in any way a threat to the national security of 

his nation. 

A third negative element of the speech was the use of the story of Isra to 

show Muslims that Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived in harmony in 

Jerusalem. This particular story is actually used by many Muslims and 

Islamic scholars to claim superiority of Muslims and Islam over all other 

nations and religions since the Prophet Mohamed according to the Hadith 

(sayings of the Prophet) was the leader or the "Imam" of all prophets at the 

Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The president should have used an example 

other than Isra to make his point. 

(Note: The Al-Aqsa Mosque was traditionally understood, as the King 

Solomon Temple as Islam had not reached this area before Mohamed was 

there - so how was there a mosque? In fact, the Quran did not use the word 

"Jamaa" or Mosque in this story but instead it used the expression "Masjid" 

(Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa) which means any worship place - not necessarily Islamic 

- where people of faith prostrate to God). 

Lastly, the president should have realized that defending the Hijab (Islamic 

head Scarf for women) was probably not very wise in this speech as the 

Hijab, according the Sharia and the traditional Tafseer (Interpretation) of the 

Quran, is a discriminatory dress that has to be worn by "free" women to 

distinguish them from the slaves as the former are "more precious" than the 

latter. This totally contradicts the president's view that "any world order that 

elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail". It 

was good just to mention that the U.S. defended the right of Muslim women 

to wear the Hijab without overstating the issue of female Muslims' dress 

code. Many Muslim women do not wear the Hijab as it is simply not one of 

the five pillars of Islam. It would have been much better if the president had 

said 'as the U.S. defended the rights of Muslim women to wear the Hijab, he 

also expects the Muslim world to defend the rights of Muslim women not to 

wear it'. 

In conclusion, President Obama managed to eloquently convey a powerful 

message that the Muslim world needed to hear. It made the Muslim world 

feel that they should share responsibility in the relationship and insisted on 


176 

"mutual" respect from both sides and not only from non-Muslims toward 

Muslims. He established the importance of human rights above democracy 

and upheld the unshakable relationship between U.S. and Israel. 

Furthermore, he acknowledged the rights of religious minorities in the 

Muslim word and gave evidence to prove that the U.S. is not against 

Muslims. However, the speech put the blame of the Palestinian suffering 

equally on both Israelis and Palestinian leadership without making it clear 

that the suffering of the Palestinians is predominantly caused by the unwise 

decisions of the Palestinian leaders and the rhetoric of hatred and violence 

promoted by their religious scholars. The President could have also been 

better advised about certain Islamic theological issues such as Zakat, the 

Hijab and the story of Israel. 


177 

Weakening Islamism Is Vital To 

Improve US Image In The Muslim 

World 

In the December 1, 2009 issue of the WSJ, Fouad Ajami - in an Op-Ed 

entitled "The Arabs Have Stopped Applauding Obama" - argued that 

President Obama's diplomatic approach to win the hearts and minds of the 

Muslim world has not been successful. 4 Poll results have shown that 

unfavorable views of the US are as high as 82%, 69 %, and 70% in the 

Palestinian territories, Turkey, and Egypt respectively. In fact, the Op-Ed 

stated that unfavorable views of the US in Pakistan have risen from 63% in 

2008 to 68% in 2009 according to a recent Pew survey. 

In addition, after President Obama came to office in 2009, the number of 

home-grown Islamist terror plots inside the US has risen dramatically 

compared to the previous years. The Year of 2009 represents the highest 

level of domestic home-grown Islamic radicalism in the US since 2001. 

We must question why President Obama's approach with the Muslim world 

has not succeeded yet in at least having a more positive effect in improving 

the US image in several Muslim countries or in decreasing the rate of homegrown 

Islamic radicalism on the home front. One of the main reasons for this 

lack of success is that US strategic communications with the Muslim world 

was largely based on the assumption that the problem of Islamic Radicalism 

and hatred to America is primarily because of the US foreign policy with the 

Muslim world and thus changing this policy will change the latter. This can 

only work if the main problem was in the US approach; however, if the main 

problem was in the Muslim world, such an approach cannot succeed as it will 

be like trying to change the keys to open a room while the problem is in the 

rusty lock! In the latter situation, changing the lock - or in other words 

changing the Muslim world itself - is crucial to solving the problem. 

Improving the image of the US in the Muslim world before the proliferation 

of the phenomenon of Islamism was a very different task compared to trying 

4 Obama, B. (2009, June 4). President Obama Addresses Muslim World in Cairo [Transcript]. 



178 

to improve its image after the phenomenon has proliferated. While 

traditional approaches of diplomatic, economic and social engagement had 

the possibility of working with the earlier situation, non-traditional ways to 

weaken Islamism are now needed for today's situation. 

Islamism, or the broad collection of movements to impose intolerant forms 

of Islamic teachings and practices, has made many in the Muslim world 

unable to be satisfied with any political system that does not implement 

Sharia law in some form or fashion. Any Un-Islamic system is seen as an 

enemy to Islam that must be opposed through violent or even non-violent 

means. Bin Laden was clear is his offer for the US to convert to Islam in 

order to stop terrorism against it. 5 

In addition, Islamism has made many in Muslim societies dream about 

regaining the superiority of the historical Islamic Caliphate over the world. 

This is clearly observed on web sites and comments by many Muslims in the 

Muslim world. In this case, it is hard for many Islamists to accept a country 

like the US that is viewed as denying this position to the Islamic world. 

Furthermore, Islamism has aggravated criticism of the US as it advocates 

and supports values of freedom and liberty around the world that are seen 

by Islamists as "Un-Islamic" - particularly the values of freedom of religion, 

women's rights, gay rights, and more humane punishments for criminals 

(e.g., not stoning women for committing adultery). Some may argue that 

Muslims are still very interested to come to the US even if they see it as 

"Un-Islamic". The answer is simply that many Muslims are attracted by the 

economic factors rather than the values of freedom and liberty in the US and 

the West. 

The above complex situation illustrates that the US may need to address the 

challenge of weakening the Islamism phenomenon first in order to improve 

its image in the Muslim world as this phenomenon plays an important role in 

creating hatred of America. In other words, removing the obstacle that 

impedes improving the US image in the Muslim world or at least significantly 

reducing it is fundamental to succeed in this diplomatic mission. 

5 Spillius, A. (2007, September 08). Osama bin Laden tells US to convert to Islam. The 

Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ 


179 

Trying to satisfy the Muslim world by changing the US will not be effective 

unless the US is ready to end its values of freedom and liberty and adopt an 

Islamic Sharia system. 

The US administration must realize that the problem of poor views of this 

country in the Muslim world could actually be predominantly in the Muslim 

world and not in America. In such a case, changing the latter or the Muslim 

world rather than the US is fundamental to improving the image of the US 

among Muslims. This also can lead to the conclusion that the US may need 

to work on changing the perception of the Muslim world to its foreign policy 

rather than focusing on changing its foreign policy to win the hearts and 

minds of Muslims. Sophisticated psychological and behavioral modification 

methods may be needed to achieve this. 

In this context, it is also important to raise the point that the Muslim world is 

in far greater need than the US to improve its image in the world as its 

image has been painted by terrorism and barbarism especially in the last few 

years. 

In brief, no matter what the non-Islamic world does - short of submitting to 

the Islamic Sharia - the Islamists will never be satisfied completely. The US 

must either change itself to adopt an Islamic system to satisfy the Muslim 

world or alternatively assist in changing the latter. Weakening the Islamism 

phenomenon is vital to ultimately improve the image of the US in the Muslim 

world as Islamism is currently a - if not the - major obstacle to enhancing 

the US image among Muslims. 


180 

The Missing 'Balance' In US 

Diplomacy With The Muslim World 

The rising cases of homegrown Islamist Radicalism in the US and the several 

terror plots that were discovered in 2009 in the US are alarming. 6 The five 

Muslim students who went to Pakistan to wage Jihad against their own 

country, the Fort Hood Massacre, and the latest Christmas airline terror 

attempt are just a few examples of many. In fact, statistically speaking, the 

number of homegrown Islamist terror plots inside the US was the highest 

since 2001. In trying to understand this trend in the first year of the current 

Administration, one should question whether some actions of the President 

are perceived in a way that is encouraging the Jihadists to intensify their 

attacks on the US. While there could be several explanations for this sharp 

rise of terrorism cases in the US after President Obama took office, the 

possibility of adverse reactions to some of his actions should not be 

discounted. 

Firstly, from a cultural perspective, the Arab world resonates with 

appearances of strength and weakness. This could be related to the 

admiration of the role played by wars and the military defeat of non-Muslims 

in the early expansion of Islam or it could be also be related to the classical 

Islamic notion of God that is based on 'fear' from his power. Other factors 

such as ancient Arabic poems that glorified tribal warfare played a role in 

creating this mentality that respects power. Irrespective of the cause of this 

psychological makeup, it is vital to mention that actions taken by the US in 

its outreach efforts to the Muslim world MUST be evaluated carefully so that 

they are not perceived by the Jihadists as signs of weakness. A delicate 

balance is needed so that the US can win the hearts and minds of moderate 

Muslims without being perceived as a weak country as this perception can 

actually aggravate the problem of Jihadism. Such notions are indeed, foreign 

to a Western mentality, but it is crucial to be able to understand these 

cultural "translation" issues. 

Some of the actions of President Obama that could have been perceived as 

weakness by the Jihadists include: 

6 Macedo, D. (2009, December 14). Homegrown Terror on the Rise in 2009. Fox News. 

Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/us 


181 

1- Excessive bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia instead of giving him the 

normal Saudi greetings or hug. 7 Bowing is seen by many Muslims as a 

sign of extreme weakness and an act of worship that should be given 

only to God. President Obama could have given the king a traditional 

Saudi hug without doing an act of worship as the latter would only 

make the President perceived as weak in the eyes of the radicals. 

2- Giving the closure of Guantanamo Bay a priority on the President's 

agenda 8 was another action that could have been perceived as a sign 

of weakness by many radicals. Many believed that the existence of the 

Guantanamo Bay prison was used as a recruitment tool for Al-Qaeda. 

However, statistics are showing that the number of terror attempts 

and attacks on the US have actually increased after active steps were 

taken to close the prison when President Obama took office in 2009. 

3- Raising the issue of possible punishment for CIA officials for using 

tough measures against the terrorists could be perceived by the 

Radicals as another sign of US weakness. 9 This issue should have been 

dealt with in a very secretive manner within the government to avoid 

giving the Jihadists a feeling of victory that might encourage them to 

do more attacks on the US - as well as revealing sensitive information 

regarding our intelligence gathering methods. 

4- Defending the rights of Muslim women to wear the Hijab without 

showing the same level of care to defending the rights of Muslim 

women who want to practice their freedom to be 'westernized' or to 

choose their faith has sent another message of weakness that could 

aggravate Islamic radicalism. 10 The president praised Nashala Hearn (a 

Muslim) from Muskogee, Oklahoma for standing for her right to wear 

7 Obama Bows to Saudi King [Video]. (2009, April 02). Retrieved from 


8 Tran, M. (2009, January 22). Obama signs order to close Guantánamo Bay. The Guardian. 

Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ 

9 Obama: Charges For Bush Officials Possible. (2009, June 18). CBS News. Retrieved from 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories 

10 Obama, B. (2009, June 04). Text: Obama‘s Speech in Cairo. The New York Times. 

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com 


182 

the Hijab and invited her to be a guest in Ramadan dinner (Iftar) at 

the White House in September 2009. 11 

On the other hand, the President did not show the same level of care by 

showing a clear stand beside Muslim women who want to practice their 

freedom in the US. One of the recent Muslim victims for freedom was Noor 

Faleh Almaleki- a 20-year-old woman from Iraq who was killed in the US by 

her father who ran her over with a car because she had become "too 

westernized". Furthermore, President Obama neither praised nor invited 

Rifqua Bary (a Muslim) - who could be killed for apostasy inside the US 

according to Islamic Sharia rules - to show a similar stand with her rights to 

choose her beliefs. 12 Showing such care to young Muslim women who want 

to wear the Hijab and failure to show the same level of care to Muslim 

women who want to be 'westernized' or who want to practice freedom of 

religion in the US was another action that can only be perceived as 

weakness by the Jihadists that invites more aggression against the US. 

The above factors may not be perceived as weakness in Western minds; 

however, what is more important is how they are perceived in the Jihadists' 

and Radical's minds. Presidential actions cannot be interpreted as weakness, 

because if so, this will actually aggravate Islamic Radicalism. A careful 

balance and consideration of cultural notions is needed in US diplomacy to 

'win the hearts and minds' of Muslims without being perceived as weak. US 

actions need to be developed and carried out through the lens of the target 

audience - not from a Western perspective - in order to create a positive 

impact on the Muslim world. 

11 U.S. to defend Muslim girl wearing scarf in school. (2004, March30). CNN Justice. 


12 Fokianos, N. (2010, January 20) FOX 35 talks to Rifqa Bary supporter [video]. 

Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.myfoxorlando.com 


183 

The Future Of Egypt Between 

Secularism And Islamism 

The future of Egypt has been a hot media topic in 2010. The topic has been 

discussed in major news media. Currently, parliamentary elections are held 

in Egypt to determine who will rule the Parliament for the next five years. 13 

This election is seen as a significant stage on the way to the 2011 

presidential election. 

Critics of the Mubarak regimen believe that the country is collapsing under 

the current regimen. They suggest different leadership for Egypt such as 

Aiman Nour [leader of Al-Ghad (tomorrow) party and a founding member of 

Kefay (enough) movement], Al-Baradeii [former head of International 

Atomic Energy Agency IAEA], or one of the members of the Muslim 

Brotherhood. 

It is almost impossible to deny that Egypt needs improvements and reforms 

in several dimensions; however it is also unfair to completely ignore the 

positive aspects of the current ruling regimen. For example, the Egyptian 

currency remained relatively stable over several years against the US dollar. 

In addition, Schistosomiasis -an endemic parasitic disease in Egypt for 

thousands years- has been eradicated only during Mubarak era. The regimen 

also maintains significant elements of secularism. For example; women are 

not forced by the government to wear the Hijab in public places, people are 

not forced to pray, and hotels can offer alcohol and gambling in casinos. 

The Mubarak regimen managed to a great extent to weaken the military 

wing of Islamism phenomenon however the regimen could not effectively 

weaken the spread of Islamism at the ideological level. The Egyptian 

regimen is not unique in this as several regimens including western 

governments were also and are still unable to fight this ideological dimension 

of Radical Islam. In fact, after Luxor massacre in Egypt 1997 President 

Mubarak recognized the global nature of Radical Islam and suggested an 

international conference to unite the world's efforts against it but 

unfortunately western governments did not listen to this advice back then. 14 

The growth of the ideology of Islamism phenomenon is creating a challenge 

for the ruling regimen in Egypt and for others regimens as well. 

13 Note: This Op-Ed was written on November 28, 2010. 

14 Massacre in Luxor. (2002, December 06). BBC News. Retrieved from 



184 

Allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to rule the country by will have irreversible 

and grave consequences on the future of Egypt and the Middle East. If the 

Muslim Brotherhood took power it will essentially ban what they see as "Un- 

Islamic" practices such women wearing swimming togs on beaches or 

drinking alcohol and gambling in hotels. This will certainly have major 

negative impact on tourism in the country. In addition, it is unlikely that 

tourists would love to visit the country when it is controlled by a party that 

promotes Sharia Laws such as stoning adulteries, hanging gays, and 

beheading apostates in public places. The above factors can undoubtedly 

ruin tourism industry. The collapse of this industry - which will inevitably 

happen if Muslim Brotherhood came to power- can drag the country into 

more poverty, more unemployment, and facilitates the recruitment of more 

Jihadists. 

Furthermore, the Muslim brotherhood will not respect at all the peace treaty 

with Israel. Just a day before the current parliamentary elections in Egypt, 

the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie, said if his 

movement wins the election, it will work to sever relations with Israel. This 

factor can drag the country to major confrontations with Israel and end any 

hope for peace in the area. 

Aiman Nour who might run against President Mubarak in the coming 

presidential elections is relatively secular; however, he is not much different 

from the Muslim Brotherhood when it comes to their Anti-Israel position. In 

2006, the Kefaya movement launched a campaign demanding ending the 

peace treaty with Israel. 15 

Al-Baradeii- who might also run for the presidential elections in the country 

in 2011 has recently received celebration by the Muslim Brotherhood and 

has appeared with the flag of the Muslim Brotherhood behind him in this 

celebration. 16 

At this stage of history, Egypt needs a strong leader who can be strong with 

the Jihadists to ensure stability of the country and at the same time is 

secular enough to maintain -if not improve-secularism. Supporting the 

current ruling regimen in Egypt against the Muslim Brotherhood and at the 

same time working with the regimen to improve its performance in certain 

aspects such as improving certain minority rights and improving the 

relationship with Israel is fundamental to ensure stability of the country and 

the region. Working against the ruling regimen by supporting its opponents 

15 Hendawi, H. (2006, September 14). Egyptian Activists Turn Against Israel. The 


16 Chick, K. (2010, August 1). Muslim Brotherhood supports El Baradei. The Washington 

Times. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news 


185 

can lead to devastating and probably irreversible negative economic, social, 

and political consequences. 


186 

Democracy Will Not End Radical 

Islam 

After September 11, many voices in the West argued that the lack of 

democracy in most of the Muslim world is the main cause of terrorism. Their 

analysis was based on their assumption that when young Muslims do not 

find a way to express themselves or say their opinion in a democratic 

process, they have no other option but to start down the path of extremism. 

This theory, while it seems attractive, does not explain certain fundamental 

observations. 

Advocates for solving the problem of Islamic radicalism via implementing 

democracy need to explain the following: Why do Christians in the Middle 

East, who live under the same political circumstances as their fellow 

Muslims, not contribute to terrorism and suicide bombings? If a lack of 

democracy is the true cause of terrorism, it should affect both Muslims and 

Christians to the same extent. 

Furthermore, the 'lack of democracy' theory cannot explain why homegrown 

terrorism and Islamic extremism developed in democratic countries and 

societies such as the UK. The theory also cannot explain why Islamic 

extremism has developed in US, as we have recently seen with some young 

Muslims from North Carolina, and with some US citizens of Somali origin who 

travelled to Somalia to wage violent Jihad. 

The following are just few examples of Home grown Islamic extremism in 

the US ONLY in 2008: 

� A convert from Long Island joined al Qaeda (disclosed this past week) 

and gave the group information about Long Island trains and New York 

City's subways. 

� A plot to kill hundreds of soldiers at Fort Dix formulated by American 

Muslims who have lived here for 25 years (all convicted). 

� A plot to operate a terrorist training camp in Oregon(pleaded guilty). 

� A plot to blow up two synagogues and a National Guard plane in 

upstate New York by prison converts (scheduled to go to trial). 

� A plot to blow up buildings by the Liberty City 7 (all convicted). 

� The cases of young Somali teenagers raised in the U.S. going overseas 

to become suicide bombers. 

It is hard to say that all the above incidents were due to the lack of 

democracy in the US! 


187 

In fact, concrete evidence shows that premature implementation of 

democracy in some Islamic countries can bring radical Islamic regimes to 

power. This happened in the early 1990s when a Salafi radical Islamic group 

in Algeria came to power in a democratic election and vouched to end 

democracy itself after being elected. 17 The sweeping victory of terror groups 

such as Hamas in the Palestinian elections in January 2006 is another 

example that suggests that "Sudden Democracy Syndrome" in the Middle 

East can be disastrous. 

Looking at democracy as a process of establishing values of liberty, and not 

as the end result, can help solve this dilemma. The Middle East may be 

better off with a non-democratic system that provides people with elements 

of liberty than with a democratic system that brings Islamic extremists and 

fascists such as the Taliban to power. 

The visit of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to Washington this August 

has stirred up this issue again, as many asked the US administration to 

exert more pressure on the Egyptian regime to implement democracy. 18 

The US may need to engage and co-operate with the current leaders of 

Islamic countries such as the Mubarak regime on three strategic steps: 

Step 1: Weakening Radical Islam 

Step 2: Promoting educational systems that teaches values of mutual 

understanding and peaceful co-existence. 

Step 3: Democracy 

Trying to jump to step 3 before step 1 and 2 can cause many problems, as 

explained earlier. In addition, forcing democracy on the current regimes can 

create another enemy for the US in addition to the Islamic extremists. We 

do not need to have more enemies to the US if we can have less. 

Changing societies cannot happen all of a sudden. Working with the current 

political leadership of Islamic countries to bring gradual but progressive 

changes in society can be beneficial to the free world. On one hand, failure 

to support the current regimes and American allies in the Muslim world can 

allow radical Islamists to gain more power; on the other hand, supporting 

these regimes unconditionally may not be very effective either. Working 

17 Murphy, K. (1990, June 16). Islam Fundamentalism Sweeps Over Algeria Like Desert 

Wind. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/ 

18 Hassan, A. (2009, August 17). EGYPT: Mr. Mubarak and son go to Washington [Blog 

Post]. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ 


188 

effectively with, not against, US allies in the Muslim world and using 

incentives for these countries conditioned by achieving progress in certain 

areas of education, low, and media, to modernize the society; can be the 

best available option. 

On a personal note, I as an Egyptian citizen would prefer to live under the 

Mubarak regime than to live under a democratically elected Muslim 

Brotherhood group. 


Islam In Europe 

189 


190 

Swiss Reject Building Minarets 

Last Sunday Swiss voters supported a referendum proposal to ban the 

building of minarets. 1 Official results show more than 57% of voters and 22 

out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favor of the ban. 

Building Minarets was seen by many as a sign of Islamisation of their free 

country. The government opposed the ban, saying it would harm 

Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world. Several points must be 

raised in relation to this issue: 

1- Can Muslims blame the Swiss people for being afraid of Islamisation in 

their country? No, especially while the entire world sees the inhumane 

applications of Islamic Law (Sharia) wherever it is implemented? 2 It 

should not be unexpected that the Swiss people would not want a 

system that even today practices discrimination against women, gays, 

and minorities in the name of religion. The vivid images of stoning 

women and hanging gays in the Muslim world should make any sane 

individual inclined not to allow such an intolerant system to grow in his 

or her country under the banner of freedom of religion. 

2- The Swiss people who rejected building Minarets may be sending a 

message that their tolerance did not change the Muslim world. For 

several decades Muslims have been allowed to build Mosques in 

Europe, wear their religious symbols such as the Hijab, and preach 

Islam to Non-Muslims. Despite such high levels of tolerance towards 

Muslims in the West, Non-Muslims are not permitted to practice similar 

rights in several parts of the Muslim world. Preaching Christianity is 

criminalized in a number of Muslim countries. Furthermore, Non- 

Muslims are not permitted to have their holy books or to build their 

religious temples is many Sharia controlled areas. This lack of 

reciprocity of the Western tolerance will naturally make many 

Westerners feel that showing tolerance to Muslims has not been 

effective. 

1 Bremner, C. (2009, November 30). Swiss Voters Back Right-Wing Minaret Ban. The 

Sunday Times. Retrieved from http://www.timesonline.co.uk 

2 Sharia Law promotes values of killing apostates, stoning adulteries, killing gays, and 

slavery for more information about this law the reader can review approved Islamic 

jurisprudence books such as Minhaj Al-Muslim or Fiqh Al-Sunna and observe the practices of 

systems that implement Sharia laws such as in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Taliban, and 

others. 


191 

3- It seems strange that Muslims would insist on building Minarets for 

Mosques in Switzerland while thousands of Mosques already exist 

inside the Muslim world without Minarets. 

Furthermore, The Minarets are seen by many as representation of 

superiority of Islam, especially when their level is higher than the 

Churches' level; this sheds some light on the hidden intentions of 

those Muslims who insisted on building Minarets in the heart of 

Europe. It is important that Muslims in Switzerland explain why they 

insist on using such historical symbols of Muslim superiority when it is 

neither mentioned in the Quran nor considered vital to building a 

mosque. 

4- It seems too hypocritical that Muslims demand building Minarets in 

Europe yet many Non-Muslims in the Muslims world are denied their 

basic and fundamental religious right to build churches, or even carry 

their holy book with them. The more important problem for Muslims in 

Switzerland to address is the Muslim world not giving basic religious 

rights to its Non-Muslim minorities, not building these unneeded 

Minarets. 


Is The Decision Of A "Partial" Ban 

On The Burqa In France Enough? 

192 

French lawmakers recommended a partial ban on any veils that cover the 

face (the niqab), as well as the burqa - the full-body covering worn by some 

Muslim women or "total veil". This ban, recently announced by a French 

parliamentary commission, would apply in public places like hospitals and 

schools, and on public transport. It would also apply to anyone who 

attempts to receive public services, but it would not apply to people wearing 

such coverings on the street, the commission said. 

French lawmakers believe the burqa is a growing phenomenon beneath 

which lies a not-so-subtle message of fundamentalism. In addition, the Ipsos 

poll for Le Point magazine found 57 percent of French people said it should 

be illegal to appear in public wearing clothes that cover the face. 3 

This step when seen in the context of banning the Mosque minarets in 

Switzerland last November is indicative of the beginning of a movement to 

reject growing signs of Islamist superiority and radicalization in Europe. 

It is fundamental to raise the issue that solely focusing on the 'burqa' 

(Islamic dress that covers the face) may lead to ignoring the hijab (the 

Islamic head scarf). The latter is a much more powerful tool in promoting 

Islamism at the societal and community levels than the burqa as it is worn 

by many more Muslim women (compared to the burqa). The acceptance of 

some Islamic leaders in France the ban of the Burqua without addressing the 

Hijab can be misleading as it is like a magician that makes you focus on one 

hand so that you ignore his other hand that will perform the trick. 

Experience over the last few decades in many Muslim countries shows that 

the proliferation of the hejab has been pivotal in spreading Islamism and the 

desire to implement Sharia Law. 

Furthermore, this discriminatory dress makes Muslim women feel that they 

belong to the Muslim Umma rather than to their mother countries or to 

humanity which adds more salt to the wounds of segregation and divisions 

between humans. The impact of the hijab on the psyche and mind of Muslim 

children who grow up in a hijab -dominated society or community and the 

possible role of this symbolism on their radicalization and its impact on their 

feelings of alienation in the West must be also addressed and studied. 

3 France: Partial ban on any veils that cover the face. (2010, January 26). Retrieved from 

http://www.hotindienews.com 


193 

It is important in this context to mention that the battle against the niquab, 

burqa, or the hejab must not be seen by Muslims as a war against Islam. 

Indeed, the words "niquab" and "burqa" are not mentioned in the Quran and 

the term "hejab" has never been used as a code of dress in the Quran (the 

word hejab was used in the Quran ONLY to express several meanings, but 

not a dress code. 4 Furthermore, the Hadith of prophet Mohamed that 

described how Muslim women should dress after puberty is a weak Hadith as 

its narration does not follow an unbroken chain of transmission from the 

time of the prophet. The Hadith is ranked as Hadith "Mursal" which indicates 

that it is not a Sahih (or accurate) one. 5 These theological facts may explain 

to us some of the foundations for the recent and wise decision of Sheikh Al- 

Azhar (Head of Al-Azhar Mosque and University) in Egypt who decided to 

ban the niquab or burqa in Al-Azhar University which is the top Islamic 

University in the world. 6 

It is both ironic and painful to see how the liberal values in France have been 

used for years to protect a discriminatory dress code such as the hejab that 

is described in Islamic Law as a dress aimed at making a distinction between 

free women and slaves. 7 According to Sharia law, only the former are 

permitted to wear it as they are "precious"! 

The burqa battle should not make us ignore the threat of the hijab which 

represents - based on the percentage of Muslim women wearing it in France 

- more threat to the values of liberty in the West than the burqa. The hejab 

as a widespread phenomenon in many Muslim communities represents a 

trend toward implementing Sharia Laws. This can lead to civil wars in the 

future if Muslims reached sufficient numbers in the West to demand the 

implementation of Sharia Laws or the use force to achieve an Islamic state 

in Europe. Free societies in the West need to protect themselves from this 

situation by limiting the growth of Radical Islam in their societies. For those 

in the West who are ready to accept Sharia Laws under the banner of 'the 

will of the majority', they better begin to collect the stones for stoning 

adulterers/adulteresses in public in Europe and US - as we already see in 

Islamic countries and societies that implement these laws! 

4 See Quran 7:46; 17:45; 19:17; 33:53; 38:32; 41:5; 42:51 

5 Muslim Women‘s League. (December 1997). An Islamic Perspective on Women‘s Dress. 

Retrieved from http://www.mwlusa.org/topics 

6 Egypt Cleric ‗To Ban Full Veils‘. (2009, October 5). BBC News. Retrieved from 


7 The Hijab. (2009, October 12). Retrieved from http://www.bogvaerker.dk/wordpress 


194 

It is also important to note that several Islamic organizations may be 

erected to collect money from the whole Muslim world in order to pay for the 

fines that will be paid by the "Munaquabat" (or Muslim women who wears 

the Niquab) when they break the law in France and insist on wearing the 

burqa! The lawmakers in France should be aware of this possibility and take 

proper decisions to guard against this. 

Finally, the decision of France to start a partial ban on the burqa is a good 

step to protect France from the spread of Islamism; however, it is still not 

enough to prevent the Islamisation of the country via the Hijab. Muslims 

need to stop fighting for the hejab and the burqa and start fighting 

radicalism that has spread in many of their own societies and communities 

all over the world. The hejab must change from a physical cover for the 

body to be a cover of love that surrounds the hearts of individuals. 


195 

How The "Hijab Martyr" Case In 

Germany Demonstrates Moral 

Hypocrisy In The Muslim World 

The recent murder in Germany of a pregnant Muslim woman, Marwa Al- 

Sherbini, 8 at the hands of a German man, has provoked bitter reactions and 

protests in several parts of the world, and precipitated strong diplomatic 

responses. This can be illustrated by the following examples: 

1. Demonstrations by Muslim communities erupted in Germany, 9 Iran, 10 

Egypt, 11 Turkey 12 and France 13 and many other countries. 

(Note: some of these demonstrations were linked with threats to Germany) 

2. Strong reactions from leaders of Islamic groups and organizations in 

several parts of the world, including the United States 

3. Diplomatic responses at the highest levels conveying condolences for 

the woman's death 

4. Significant public response and outcry, which has been portrayed in 

the Arab and Islamic media Retrieved 

5. Labeling the victim as a "hijab martyr" 

8 Hauslohner, A. (2009, July 12). Tragic Symbol: Egypt‘s Headscarf Martyr. Time. Retrieved 

from http://www.time.com/time/world 

9 Connolly, K. & Shenker, J. (2009, July 7). The Headscarf Martyr: Murder in German Court 

Sparks Egyptian Fury. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world 

10 Iranian Sudents Protest Agaisnst Al-Sherbini‘s Murder. (2009, July 12). Tehran Times. 

Retrieved from http://www.tehrantimes.com 

11 Martin, J. (2009, July 8). Egypt: Murder Case Turned Into Protest Accusing Germany of 

‗Racism‘. The European Union Times. Retrieved from http://www.eutimes.net 

12 Murder of ―hijib martyr‖ at German court to be protested in Turkey. (2009, July 17) World 

Bulletin. Retrieved from http://www.worldbulletin.net/news 

13 French Muslims Protest ‗Hijab Martyr‘ Killing. (2009, July 19). PressTV. Retrieved from 

http://previous.presstv.ir 


196 

No righteous human can deny that to kill any person in cold blood is 

unacceptable and barbaric. However, in light of the reactions by Muslims to 

this murder, there are a few questions that must be raised. 

First, why does such a reaction ONLY occur when the killer is a westerner? 

Thousands of Muslim women who also wear the hijab have been murdered 

by Islamic terrorists. Yet, when such an incident occurs, a heated response 

by Muslim communities around the world against the actions of the 

perpetrators is nonexistent. Does this silence imply tacit acceptance of such 

terrorist acts by Muslim communities so long as they are conducted by 

Muslims? 

Second, would the Muslim world have reacted to the murder in the same 

manner if Marwa had not been wearing the hijab? Muslim communities must 

stop classifying women as Muhajabat, meaning "wearing the Hijab," a 

respected title, and Mutabarigat, meaning "not wearing the hijab," which is 

generally considered especially by dedicated Arab Muslims as a disrespectful 

description of a woman. The soul of every human being must be regarded as 

sacred irrespective of whether a woman wears the hijab or not. 

Third, where was the Muslim outcry in March 2002 for young girls in Saudi 

Arabia who were burned to death in a fire at their school when religious 

police decided to delay their evacuation because they were not wearing the 

hijab? 14 These girls deserved the same public response that was evoked by 

Marwa's murder. 

Fourth, there have been many honor killings of innocent young Muslim girls 

in Europe and other parts of the world. 15 

Why have Muslim communities not demonstrated against such killings, and 

not called these victims "martyrs"? Is the 15 year-old girl's blood cheaper 

than Marwa's because she was not wearing a Hijab? 

Fifth, how would Muslim communities feel if an apologist claimed that we 

must understand the frustration and anger of the man who killed Marwa, in 

14 Saudi Police ‗Stopped‘ Fire Rescue. (2002, March15). BBC News. Retrieved from 


15 Chesler, P. (2010 Spring). World Wide Trends in Honor Killings. The Middle East 

Quarterly, 3-11. 

Note: In a study, worldwide, 91 percent of perpetrators were Muslims. In North America, 

most killers (84 percent) were Muslims, with only a few Sikhs and even fewer Hindus 

perpetrating honor killings; in Europe, Muslims comprised an even larger majority at 96 

percent while Sikhs were a tiny percentage. In Muslim countries, obviously almost all the 

perpetrators were Muslims. 


197 

reaction to acts of terror committed by Muslims, instead of blaming him for 

the murder? This scenario, while theoretical, actually occurs when some 

apologists attempt to justify and excuse the activities of Islamic terrorists. 16 

Why have these apologists not found justification and excuses for the 

criminal who killed Marwa? Is it perhaps because they can only find 

justifications when Muslims are the killers? 

Furthermore, if Muslims truly consider human lives as equal, they should 

have responded with the same passion as they did in the Marwa case 

against Islamic terrorists who have killed hundreds of thousands of their 

fellow human beings - both Muslim and non-Muslim - in several parts of the 

world, including Iraq and Algeria. 17 

In short, killing Marwa Al-Sherbini was a grave crime. But the selective 

reaction to these sorts of crimes by Muslim communities, and the ignorance 

of similar ones committed by fellow Muslims demonstrates a significant 

double-standard. 

16 Bukay, D. (2008, July 1). The Esposito School: Islamic Apologists in Action, or Who is the 

"Near Enemy"? Campus Watch. Retrieved from http://www.campus-watch.org 

17 For examples please visit: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/ 


The Arab-Israeli 

Conflict 

198 


199 

Ensuring Israel Military Superiority 

Is Vital To Maintain Peace Treaties 

In The Middle East 

The recent revolutions that swept several countries in the Middle East have 

created a new situation that can seriously affect the current peace treaties 

between some Arab countries and Israel. These include the Camp David 

peace treaty with Egypt. Arab regimes that pretended to be friends with 

Israel have allowed -for several decades-unprecedented levels of anti- 

Semitism to flourish in their societies. Unlike anti-Semitism in the Arab world 

during the 1950s and 1960s that was predominantly political, the current 

form of anti-Semitic views in the Arab world is predominantly religious in 

nature. This change makes addressing anti-Semitism much more 

complicated and difficult to solve. 

It appears that some of the former Arab leaders allowed anti-Semitism to 

develop to pathological levels so that they could always blame Israel for the 

problems within their countries. For example, it was normal for some 

government officials in Egypt to blame "foreign hands" (referring to Israel) 

to put the blame on Israel for any problem they face - including terrorist 

acts. 

Currently, there are two important trends that can affect the course of the 

relations between Arabs and Israel. 

The first trend is caused by having more hostile governments toward Israel 

as a result of these revolutions. The worst-case scenario of this trend is if 

such governments decided to end their peace treaties with Israel. 

The second trend is one that can have a positive impact on Arab-Israeli 

relations and is based on the following observations: 

1- Arab countries are now more concerned about their local national 

problems after the revolutions than with the Palestinian issue. For 

example, despite the attempt of some religious scholars such as 

Sheikh Al-Quradawy attempting to resurrect the Palestinian issue with 

Egyptians, the general theme of the revolution in Egypt has been 

focused on the domestic situation rather than the Arab-Israeli conflict. 


200 

This trend was also noticed in other Arab countries such as Tunisia and 

Bahrain. 

2- The logic that was used in the past that Israel is behind all the 

problems in the Arab world has become invalid as the same logic was 

used by the former Arab regimes to defame the revolutions and the 

revolutionaries by claiming that popular revolt in the Arab world was 

an Israeli conspiracy and that the revolutionaries were being paid by 

Israel. 

3- Challenges to the orthodox Islamic way of thinking that suppressed 

individual thoughts and freedoms are now available on mainstream 

media in the Arab world. For example, there is a rising doubt about the 

accuracy of the authentic books of the Hadith (words and actions) of 

prophet Mohamed. Some of these Hadith were behind the mainstream 

Islamic teaching that Muslims must fight all Jews and kill them. As an 

example of this rising doubt about Hadith books a main stream TV 

Egyptian Channel called Dream 2 has aired recently several 

discussions with Adnan Al-Refaaii that created unprecedented doubt 

about the accuracy of the Hadith books. These discussions (in Arabic) 

were on a program called "Fi Sabeel Al-Hikma" (In the Path of 

Wisdom). 

Israel cannot rely solely on the above positive trends as Islamist based anti- 

Semitism is deeply imbedded in the minds of millions of Muslims. In fact, 

ensuring Israel military superiority is the best antidote for wars in the area. 

For example, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) that repeatedly stood against the 

peace treaty with Israel has recently announced that they will respect the 

treaty. This was not simply because they changed their views about Israel 

and the Jews but it was primarily because of the 'fear' of the Israel Military 

retaliation. The MB knows very well that if they came to power and cancelled 

the peace treaty with Israel, the Israel military retaliation in such a case can 

paralyze the country and prove beyond doubt to many Muslims that the 

slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood "Islam is the solution" is hoax. 

It is important in this context to mention that 'fear' is an important 

component of Islamists minds. The fear of "Hell Fire" is for example an 

essential component of the religious education of millions of Muslims. The 

fear from retaliation of "Allah" is what makes many follow the religion so 

strictly as they are afraid of the punishment. 

Israel MUST learn the lesson that all its negotiations with the Palestinians to 

stop terrorism inside Israel were virtually fruitless. On the contrary, a single 

powerful attack on Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009 that created 'fear' in the 


201 

mind of the Palestinians from the Israel Military power managed to almost 

stop Palestinian terror attacks inside Israel until today. The existence of the 

security barrier has also possibly contributed to such an effect. 

In brief, "fear' is an important and influential component of the Arab Muslim 

minds. If Israel lost its Military superiority in the area, the new Arab 

governments will be encouraged to end the peace treaties with Israel which 

can drag the whole area into wars. The best guarantee to maintain peace 

treaties in the area is to ensure the Military superiority of Israel in the Middle 

East. 


202 

Why George Mitchell Failed 

Special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, the man charged with 

reconciling the Israelis and Palestinians, resigned this weekend. 

Mitchell, a former Senate majority leader in the US, failed to achieve peace 

between the two sides. There‘s no disgrace in that – the line of failed envoys 

is long and well-known. He successfully brokered peace in Northern Ireland, 

but couldn‘t even get things started in the Middle East. 

The question is why. 

Obviously, it‘s impossible to solve a problem without addressing and treating 

its true cause. Approaching the Arab-Israeli conflict from the perspective 

that it is about land, so that giving more land to the Palestinians will solve 

the problem, is a failed endeavor. 

Israel has already given Egypt the whole of the Sinai, and got nothing in 

return except a cold peace and rising anti-Semitism in the country. Similarly 

the disengagement from Gaza did not magically lead to a decline in the wave 

of anti-Semitism in the Muslim world. 

Pro-Palestinian Muslim demonstrators across the world repeatedly use the 

chant ―Khyber Khyber Ya Yahood... Gaish Muhammad Sawfa Yaood,‖ which 

reminds the Jews that the army of Muhammad is coming back for a repeat of 

what was done to the Jewish Khyber tribe. 

According to authentic Islamic history books, the Islamic army, led by 

Muhammad, annihilated the Jewish tribe of Khyber, raping its women and 

killing all its men. 

Such barbaric statements against the Jews have been used by many in the 

Muslim world, and even inside the US and Europe. Sadly the chant was also 

used on Friday by thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Cairo‘s 

Tahrir Square. 

The Hamas charter also calls for the destruction of Israel. This violent 

principle has its roots in the traditional Islamic teaching, based on Hadith 

books, that encourages the killing of all Jews before the end of days. 

Until US envoys to the Middle East realize that the problem in the eyes of 

the Palestinians and their supporters is not the borders of Israel but the very 

existence of the country, all future missions will similarly fail. Solving the 


203 

Arab-Israeli conflict must be done initially at the theological rather than the 

political level, as the former is impeding the latter. 

It is unfair to ask Israel to trust those who shamefully advocate the killing of 

Jews, and claim that Islamic annihilation of the Jews by an Islamic army is a 

model that must be emulated today. 

The problem is not only in the existence of violent teachings in historical 

Islamic texts, but also in the dangerous desire of many Islamists and violent 

Islamic scholars to revive such violence in modern times. Violent texts exist 

in other religions as well, but we do not generally see such destructive desire 

to use the texts to justify killing others, and we rarely hear about modern 

scholars of other faiths who advocate using such texts literally. 

The problem is that this disastrous anti-Semitic religious dimension is not 

limited to verses in books, but is also propagated by a powerful media 

machine that utilizes vicious, Nazi-style propaganda across the Muslim 

world. Publishing dehumanizing cartoons in the mainstream media, and 

blaming Jews for nearly every problem in the world has become much too 

common in the leading Arab media over the past few decades. 

It is virtually impossible to promote any form of peaceful resolution to the 

Arab-Israeli conflict without reducing such levels of anti-Semitism in the 

Muslim world. 

Until future envoys to the Middle East understand the religious dimension of 

the problem, and that the Arab- Israeli conflict is not about borders but 

about the existence of the state of Israel, all future attempts to make peace 

in the area will fail. 

By TAWFIK HAMID 

05/15/2011 22:53 

Link to the Op-Ed- see below : 

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=220694 


204 

How Israel Should Respond To The 

Recent Palestinian Terror Acts 

The recent Palestinian terror acts against Israeli civilians raises several 

questions, particularly about the timing of the attacks. 

Today on March 23rd, a bomb blast in a cowardly terrorist attack in 

Jerusalem killed one and injured more than 20 other Israeli civilians,. The 

bomb, which was packed with more than a kilogram of explosives and 

shrapnel, was left on the sidewalk near the city's central bus station 

and might have been trigged by remote control just as a bus drove. One 

woman who was critically injured in the blast later died, according to several 

reports. 

In addition, on March 19, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired more than 50 

rockets into Israel. This was considered the heaviest barrage in two years, 

Israeli officials said. 1 

Furthermore on March 12 th , a terrorist infiltrated the West Bank settlement 

of Itamar, southeast of Nablus, early Saturday and brutally stabbed five 

family members to death. The shocking attack occurred around 1 am as the 

terrorist entered the family home and murdered three children aged 11, 3, 

and an infant along with their parents. The victims were apparently sleeping 

as the killer came in. 2 

These terror attacks that occurred after a period of relative calm are likely to 

be attempts by the Palestinian terror groups to divert the attention of the 

recent Arab revolutions to the Palestinian cause as many of these revolutions 

did not put the Palestinian issue on their priority list. On some occasions, as 

the Friday prayer by Sheikh Youssef Al-Quaradawi in Tahreer square in 

Cairo, the Palestinian issue was mentioned; however, it was certainly not the 

theme of these revolutions that focused predominantly on local national 

issues and problems. 

It is likely that the Palestinian Jihadist groups attacked Israel repeatedly 

during this particular time in an attempt to force Israel to respond in a 

strong military manner that would provoke widespread Arab anger against 

1 Smith, E. (2011, March 19). World Hamas Fires Dozens of Rockets at Israel, Heaviest 

Barrage in Years [Blog Post]. The Blaze. Retrieved from http://www.theblaze.com/stories 

2 Altman, Y. (2011, March 12). Horror in Samaria: Terrorist murders family of 5. Retrieved 

from http://www.ynetnews.com 


205 

Israel. The objective would be to bring back attention to the Palestinian 

cause and unite the revolutions under a common cause against the Jews and 

Israel. 

It was wise that Israel was not dragged until the moment of writing this Op- 

Ed in this path as an immediate devastating military attack on Gaza or the 

West Bank would play into the agenda of the Palestinian radical groups such 

as Hamas and others. Military retaliation is certainly needed; however, what 

can be a more painful deterrent to the Palestinian Radical groups is that the 

Israeli government declared its intention to build new settlements. This 

"they kill, we build" strategy could be a big deterrent move on the 

Palestinian radical groups and many of their supporters. 

In brief, the recent Palestinian terror acts on Israel are likely an attempt by 

Islamic radical Palestinian groups to provoke a strong immediate military 

retaliation from Israel to bring back the Palestinian issue to the attention of 

the "Arab street" since it had been largely overshadowed by recent 

revolutionary events across the Middle East and North Africa. The Israeli 

government may need to show some self-constraint at the moment to avoid 

helping this agenda of the radicals. However, the Israeli government MUST 

not stay silent and should: 

1- Delay the military response for some time - as an immediate military 

action can work for the benefit of the agenda of the Palestinian 

radicals by diverting the anger in the Arab street and uniting it against 

Israel. 

2- Declare that Israel will respond in a very strong military manner in a 

time that it will see as appropriate for this retaliation and that the 

Israeli response will make the radical groups regret that they attacked 

Israeli civilians. 

3- Take a decision to build a new settlement in response to every attack 

that occurred on Israeli civilians. Ideally, Israel also should declare 

that some of these new settlements will be named after the names of 

the victims of terror to honor them and remember their names. 


Why the Arab-Israeli Conflict Has 

Not Yet Been Resolved 

206 

The Arab Israeli conflict has repeatedly proved itself resistant to negotiated 

solutions. Despite peace treaties such as the Oslo accord, 3 hatred toward 

Jews and Israel has risen to unprecedented levels in the Palestinian areas 

and continues to rise in much of the Muslim world. 4 This consistent lack of 

progress should lead us to think anew about the underlying causes. 

The view that solutions for the Arab-Israeli conflict have failed because of 

what some in the Muslim world call the 'expanding and colonizing ideology of 

Zionism' is unfair and devoid of truth. Israel proved its dedication to peace 

when they withdrew from Sinai, Lebanon, and Gaza in hope of peace with its 

neighbors. 

What therefore are real factors causing the repeated failures of negotiated 

attempts to solve the Arab Israeli conflict? What perpetuates the stalemate? 

One of these factors is that Palestinians do not accept the existence of 

Israel. Until Palestinian leaders, in both Arabic and English speeches, declare 

that Israel is their legitimate neighbor whom they no longer will strive to 

overrun, their participation in negotiations is fake, hypocritical, doomed to 

fail. It is impossible to negotiate with a partner about borders if this partner 

does not accept your existence to begin with. 

The second factor blocking progress is the selfish mentality of the Palestinian 

leadership. Palestinian leaders seem to be interested in proving their "merit" 

by destroying Israel than in gaining a better life for their people. True 

leaders must be ready to do concessions to ensure better life for their 

people. Until Palestinian leaders are ready to make some concessions to the 

Israelis the problem will not be solved. 

3 Text: 1993 Declaration of Principles. (2001, November 29). BBC News. Retrieved from 


4 Milson, M. (2008, May 27). Arab and Islamic Antisemitism. The Middle East Media 

Research Institute. Retrieved from http://www.memri.org/report 


207 

A third factor is the international community's naive belief that less radical 

Palestinians are "moderates." Fatah is not much different from Hamas in its 

refusal to accept that Israel is an established country with the same right to 

continue to exist as any other country in the world. Fatah is similarly 

virtually identical to Hamas with regard to its promotion of extreme anti- 

Semitic and anti-Israel propagandist incitement. Considering the Fatah 

leadership as 'moderate' because they are less radical in terms of their 

Islamic practices is like considering grade III cancer as a 'benign' tumor 

because it is less malignant than grade IV cancer. 

The fourth reason that makes things worse is that the Palestinian leadership 

prefer to live -and make their population live -in delusions rather than in 

reality. Just recently, an official Palestinian report claimed that a key Jewish 

holy site - Jerusalem's Western Wall - has no religious significance to Jews. 5 

It is impossible to solve the Arab Israeli conflict if the Palestinian leaders 

persisted on living in such delusions instead of admitting the archeological 

reality that Jerusalem's Western Wall is Jewish. Problems are not solved by 

living in fabrications and lies but rather by facing and admitting realities. 

The fifth factor that aggravates inability of Palestinians to participate as 

serious partners in peace discussions is that the Palestinians of Gaza who 

elected Hamas have not had to pay the price for their choice. Hamas was 

elected on the promise of the Muslim Brotherhood that "Islam is the 

solution." 6 Allowing Palestinians to see that Hamas is unable to fulfill its 

promises would weaken radical Islam in the area. European and American 

economic support for Gaza under the banner of humanitarian aid masks the 

realities of the radical group's poor governance and enables them to 

survive. 7 

With Hamas still strong, Gazan Palestinians have zero interest cooperating 

with peace arrangements negotiated by the West Bank PLO leadership. To 

the contrary, their version of Islamic doctrine forbids any accommodation 

with the Jewish state. 

5 Hadid, D. (2010, November 11). Western Wall Not Jewish Says Palestinian Official. The 

Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com 

6 Wilson, S. (2006, January 27). Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections, Complicating Peace 

Efforts in Mideast. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/ 

7 Global Appeal for Gaza Humanitarian Aid. (2009, January 05). Voice of America. Retrieved 

from http://www.voanews.com/english/news 


208 

What about Israel's role in the stalemate? What mistake does Israel 

continue to make? 

The fifth factor inhibiting progress has been insufficient use by Israel of 

negative consequences, perhaps in part because their American and 

European "allies" would balk at Israel's use of such tactics. Israel, for 

instance, could announce that it will build a certain number of new West 

Bank towns every year, or will annex West Bank land each year, unless and 

until Fatah and Hamas accept the minimal principles necessary for Israel to 

participate in any further negotiations. These principles would include: 1) 

Declaration of the right of the Jewish state of Israel to exist, 2) Cessation of 

both verbal incitement and physical violence against Israeli civilians and 3) 

Implementation of all previous agreements between Palestinians and 

Israelis. 

Lastly, what of America's role? By contrast with encouraging Israel to 

establish negative consequences for continued Palestinian hostility, the 

current American strategy for obtaining a peace agreement in the region is 

counter-productive. President Obama's pressure on Netanyahu to make 

further concessions to recalcitrant Palestinian leaders adds yet another 

obstacle to peace. 8 Concrete evidence shows that unilateral concessions 

from the Israeli side without significant concessions from the Palestinian side 

are counterproductive. 

Unfortunately, given the mentality of the Palestinian leadership, a strategy 

by Israel and its allies of negative consequences is probably the only 

strategy with potential, at last, to give peace a chance. 

8 Obama lead Netanyahu towards national suicide [Blog Post]. (2010, November 08). 

Retrieved from http://ivarfjeld.wordpress.com 


209 

Where To Point The Finger Of 

Blame In The Flotilla Incident 

The recent interruption of the flotilla ship that was supposed to carry food 

and medicine to the people in Gaza has resulted in global anger and strong 

reactions against Israel. These reactions included many demonstrations 

against Israel and denouncements by different governments and 

government officials. 9 

The question that came to my mind when I saw such demonstrations is why 

we have not seen many in the Muslim world until today reacting in such an 

angry manner against the terrorists who actually killed thousands of their 

fellow Muslims. If we can see tens of thousands in the Muslim world an 

Europe demonstrating against the killing of the pro-Palestinian activists we 

should wonder why we do not also see similar powerful reaction against the 

Islamists who conduct terror acts nearly on daily basis and resulted in the 

loss of thousands of innocent lives. If the aim of the demonstrators is to 

show respect to human life then one should ask why the demonstrators do 

not respect to the same extent the human lives of the victims of terror by 

also demonstrating against the terrorists. In addition, why we have not seen 

the pro-Palestinians in the West also demonstrate with such anger in support 

of the human life of the Israelis who were brutally killed by Palestinian 

terrorists. Are these demonstrations a true expression of sincere care for 

human life or does it only represent a covert form of anti-Semitism that is 

expressed by selective demonstration against Israel. If the demonstrators 

truly care about human life we would have also seen them also 

demonstrating against Hamas as well when it killed many Palestinians in 

Gaza in its fight with Fatah to gain power and control over Gaza. 10 

Furthermore, a radio discussion between the IDF and the leaders of Flotilla 

demonstrated clearly that Israel offered the Palestinian activists to deliver on 

9 World condemns Israel aid ship raid [Video]. (2010, May 31). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from 

http://english.aljazeera.net 

10 Riots Between Hamas and Fatah Factions in Gaza Strip, West Bank Kill 8. (2006, October 

01). Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/ 

Issacharoff, A. (2007, December 06). At least 10 killed as Hamas forces seize Fatah HQ in 

northern Gaza Strip. Retrieved from http://www.haaretz.com/news 


ehalf of them the food and medicine to the people in Gaza. 11 If the 

intention of the Flotilla was only to deliver this support to people in Gaza 

why the Palestinian 'activists' rejected such an offer and thus resulted in 

such bloody end to the problem? 

210 

Before blaming Israel for attacking flotilla it is fair to mention that previous 

experience with Palestinian terrorists showed that on several occasions they 

disguised under different humanitarian covers in order to achieve violent 

goals. 12 In such a case, it is unfair to deny Israel the right to be suspicious 

about the intentions of the Flotilla especially when its leaders refused to let 

the Israelis deliver the support on their behalf to the people in Gaza. 

To understand another dimension of the problem, let us imagine that a ship 

full of food and medicine has been sent to Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan- Is it 

correct to allow such a ship to deliver the material knowing that the main 

aim of Al-Qaeda is to destroy the US? 

Allowing such support for Al-Qaeda can be considered as an indirect support 

for killing more Americans. 

Some may argue that, Al-Qaeda is different from Hamas. Let us have a look 

on some statements from Hamas Charter to see the similarities between the 

two groups: 

The Covenant and Slogan of the Islamic Resistance Movement 

� Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution: 

Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its 

wishes. 

� Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international 

conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic 

Resistance Movement. 

11 IDF video of 2010 flotilla timeline [Blog Post]. (2011, June 03). Retrieved from 

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com 

12 Terrorist Misuse of Medical Services to Further Terrorist Activity. (2002, August 26). 

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA 


211 

� It is necessary to instill in the minds of the Muslim generations that 

the Palestinian problem is a religious problem, and should be dealt 

with on this basis. 

� Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs 

all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by 

other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be 

supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and 

Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is 

realized. 

Some may argue that the ship was for the people in Gaza rather than to 

Hamas. It is important here to mention that those 'people' in Gaza are the 

ones who actually choose Hamas and gave it a sweeping victory in Jan 

2006. 13 

All what is needed to stop the Palestinian suffering is that the Hamas 

organization accepts the three basic and justifiable demands of the 

international community (i.e. to accept the right of Israel to exist, to respect 

the former international agreements of the PLO, and to stop violence against 

civilians). Had the Hamas organization accepted these international 

demands, people in Gaza would not have suffered and the flotilla incident 

and loss of lives would not have occurred. 

So, before pointing a finger of blame at the Israelis, this finger should point 

first at the Hamas organization and its leadership for refusing these basic 

demands of the international community and also at the leaders of flotilla for 

refusing that the IDF deliver the support that was carried on the ship to the 

Palestinians. 

13 Wilson, S. (2006, January 27). Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections, Complicating Peace 

Efforts in Mideast. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com 


212 

Few Questions to Osama Bin 

Laden 

A one minute audio message from Osama Bin Laden directed at U.S. 

President Barack Obama released recently through the Al-Jazeera television 

network says the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound 

jetliner was part of al-Qaida's campaign against U.S. interests. 14 Osama Bin 

Laden not only claimed responsibility for the failed attempt to bomb the 

Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas, but also threatened more attacks on the 

United States. 

As usual, Bin Laden tried to use the Arab-Israeli conflict to justify the 

barbarism of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. 

Some of Bin Laden‘s statements in this audiotape are below: 

"The message delivered to you through the plane of the heroic warrior 

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was a confirmation of the previous 

messages sent by the heroes of September 11 th ‖ 

"America will never dream of security unless we will have it in reality 

in Palestine," he added. 

"God willing, our raids on you will continue as long as your support for 

the Israelis continues." 

"It is unfair that Americans enjoy their life while our brothers in Gaza 

live miserably." 

Irrespective if analysts doubt whether bin Laden was involved in the 

planning of the Detroit bombing attempt or not, Bin Laden and other Al- 

Qaeda and Taliban members must be asked the following questions: 

1- Is exploding market places, 15 mosques , 16 and funerals 17 of 

fellow Muslims and butchering them in such inhumane ways by 

14 Keyser, J. (2010, January 24). Bin Laden Claims Responsibility For Flight 253 Christmas 

Day Bombing Attempt. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com 

15 Kami, A. & Al-Salhy, S. (2010, May 10). Attacks kill over 100 in Iraq, al Qaeda blamed. 

Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article 

16 Attackers strike sect mosques in Pakistan; 80 dead. (2010, May 29). USA Today. 

Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/world 


213 

Al-Qaeda and its affiliates also because of the "Palestinian 

Suffering"? 

2- Is the barbaric treatment of women and burning schools for girls 

to prevent them from getting an education as Al-Qaeda and the 

Taliban are already doing in Afghanistan, also due to the 

"oppression of Palestinians in Gaza"? 18 

3- Why does Al-Qaeda not attack the Hamas organization as the 

Palestinians "suffer" predominantly as a consequence of its 

decision to attack Israeli civilians and to reject the requests of 

the international community for peace negotiations? 19 

4- Was destroying the 2,000-year-old Buddhist masterpieces in the 

central province of Bamiyan - including the world's tallest 

standing Buddha measuring 50 meters (165 feet) in Afghanistan 

in March 2001, also because of the so-called "Israeli oppression 

of the Palestinians"? 20 

5- Are people like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and those who did 

the attack of September 11 th who intentionally attacked 

unarmed innocent women, elders, and children true heroes - - as 

he mentioned - or barbarians who deserve nothing but 

disrespect and scorn from the entire world? 21 

6- Why is Al-Qaeda only caring for "Palestinian suffering" and they 

do not show the same level of care for the suffering of their 

fellow Muslims in Darfur as well? Are Muslims in Darfur in their 

view "sub-humans"? 

17 Abdul-Zahra, Q. & Salaheddin, S. (2011, June 6). Rocket Barrage Kills 5 US Soldiers In 

Baghdad. NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/ 

18 Taliban Destroy Girls' Education, Pakistan Is Powerless. (2009, February 02). The 

Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ 

19 Roggio, B. (2010, January 27). Taliban reject peace talks. The Long War Journal. 

Retrieved from http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/ 

20 

Taliban destroying Buddha statues in Afghanistan [Video]. (2009, June 03). Retrieved 

from http://www.youtube.com 

Note: associated voice over includes verses from the Quran (Verses 37:83-99 that describes 

how Ibraham (Ibrahim) destroyed the idols 

21 Hosenball, M. (2010, January 02). The Radicalization of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. 

Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com 


214 

7- If they (Al Qaeda and the Taliban) truly care so much for the 

suffering of their fellow Muslims (as they claim), then why do 

they not stop attacking civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan and 

Iraq to stop the suffering of the Muslim orphans and widows who 

mainly suffer because of their attacks on civilians as part of their 

"Jihad" to enter the paradise? 

8- Is the barbaric stoning of women until death in public places for 

committing adultery as the Taliban and other Islamic countries 

practice and Sharia Law actually promotes until today) also the 

result of the "Palestinian suffering" in Gaza? 22 

We just need a simple answer for these basic questions! 

22 Taliban Stone Woman to Death in Pakistan [Video]. (2010, September 23). ABC News. 

Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/video 


215 

Defeating Hamas Is Vital To Bring 

Peace To The Middle East 

For more than 60 years, the Arab-Israeli conflict has inflamed the Middle 

East. In addition, most political attempts have not succeeded in bringing an 

enduring solution to the problem. Peace at government levels occurred 

between Israel and neighboring countries such as Egypt and the kingdom of 

Jordan. However, peace treaties and agreements failed to stop the ideology 

behind the growing anti-Semitism in the Middle East - which was fueled by 

the rise of Radical Islamism. 

The growth of Islamic Radicalism has resulted in the creation of radical 

Islamic organizations such as the Hamas organization (Islamic Resistance 

Movement). This organization that was elected by the majority of 

Palestinians in a democratic election promotes religiously-based annihilation 

of all Jews and the eradication of the state of Israel. 23 Hamas was behind 

hundreds of terror attacks and thousands of rockets aimed at killing Israeli 

civilians. 

Negotiations with Hamas failed to change its aggressive attitudes. This 

should not be surprising as history taught us that the ONLY way to stop 

tyrants and barbarians is not to negotiate with them but to decisively defeat 

them. Until recently, the attitude toward Hamas was in many situations 

characterized by softness and weakness. 

Analysis of the factors that contributed to the survival of Hamas is 

important. These factors include: 

1- Financial support by sympathizers. This support comes from 

individuals, from Hezb Allah in Lebanon, and from the Iranian regime 

that shamelessly declared its desire to erase Israel from the map. 

2- Smuggling weapons via the borders between Gaza and Egypt. 24 

23 Anti-Semitism at Core of Hamas Charter. (2006, February 27). The Anti-Defamation 

League. Retrieved from http://www.adl.org/PresRele 

24 Gaza Strip Underground Barrier Causes Tension Between Egypt and Hamas. (2010, 

January 19). The Right Side News. Retrieved from http://www.rightsidenews.com 


216 

3- Political support by several leaders such as former US President 

Carter 25 and from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Marrti Ahtisaari, former 

president of Finland, who supported an end to boycotting Hamas. 26 

Former President Carter's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" has 

been used by many Hamas sympathizers to promote its agenda. This 

form of political support was exploited by Hamas and its sympathizers 

to promote and support the Hamas agenda. 

4- Ideological support by well known, leading Islamic scholars such as 

Sheikh Youssof Al-Quaradawy who supported the suicidal ideology of 

Hamas and its mission to kill innocent Jews. 27 

5- A false sense of victory that was based on the soft Israeli response to 

Palestinian terrorism for several years. 

6- The ability to 'market' their ideas under the banner of the Muslim 

Brotherhood or "Islam is the Solution." 28 This marketing strategy 

attracted many young Palestinians and Muslims all over the world to 

support Hamas by thinking that the Hamas Islamist agenda will solve 

all the problems of the Palestinian people. 

A change of the above factors will be fundamental to defeating Hamas and 

to change the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Recently, several 

potentially positive steps to weaken Hamas were taken and must be 

acknowledged as they may significantly contribute to defeating Hamas and 

thus potentially assisting in a non -violent solution to the Arab-Israeli 

conflict. These include: 

1- The devastating military defeat of Hamas in the latest Israeli attack on 

Gaza in January 2009 has given the organization a sense of military 

defeat (even if they did not or do not admit it publically!) and 

25 President Jimmy Carter pounds Israel [Video]. (2007, April 26). Retrieved from 


26 West must stop boycotting Hamas – Ahtisaari. (2009, April 07). Retrieved from 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east 

27 Apologists or Extremists: Yusuf al-Qaradawi. (2008, July 09). Investigative Project on 

Terrorism. Retrieved from http://www.investigativeproject.org/ 

28 Muslim Brotherhood slogan in Egypt elections: 'Islam is the solution. (2010, October 11). 

World Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.worldtribune.com/ 


217 

dramatically reduced the number of rockets launched against Israeli 

civilians. 29 

2- Recently the Egyptian government took a correct decision to build a 

wall on its borders with Gaza to stop the smuggling of weapons to the 

Palestinian terrorists and to protect Egyptian national security. 30 This 

bold decision can significantly enhance the efforts to demilitarize 

Hamas to force it to accept peaceful solutions. 

3- The recent apology of former President Carter to the State of Israel 

asking for the Jewish community's forgiveness for any negative stigma 

he may have caused Israel over the years is another blow to Hamas at 

the political level. 31 

4- Failure to achieve economic prosperity for the people in Gaza 

disproves the slogan "Islam is the Solution". 

The missing components that are needed today to defeat Hamas and bring 

some hope for peaceful or political solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict 

include: 

1- Weakening all possible financial sources to Hamas. This approach must 

include weakening the Iranian regime and Hezb Allah in Lebanon so 

that they become unable to support Hamas. In addition, carefully 

tracing the money of charitable Islamic organizations is vital as some 

part of this money could be given to support Hamas activity. 

2- Defeating the ideology of terror and anti-Semitism by encouraging and 

supporting peaceful interpretations for Islamic texts and developing 

effective educational systems to stop the ongoing hatred and anti- 

Semitism. 

29 The number of the attacks on Israel went down from 1,752 attacks in 2008 to 106 

attacks in 2010 (Until Sep 30). More data about the number of Quassam rocket attacks on 

Israel are available at: http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/prr/history.php 

30 Egypt completes initial building of security towers along Gaza border. (2010, December 

25). Haaretz. Retrieved from http://www.haaretz.com/news/international 

31 Jimmy Carter Offers Apology to Jews. (2009, December 24). CBS News. Retrieved from 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/ 


218 

3- Criminalizing the Radical Islamic scholars who promote anti-Semitism 

and justify suicide bombings. 

4- Supporting the efforts of the Egyptian government to weaken the 

Muslim Brotherhood group as it is the mother organization for Hamas. 

5- Standing with the Israeli government in its legitimate measures to 

defend itself from terrorism (such as building a security barrier) and 

support its actions to give Hamas a sense of military defeat as this 

psychological element is fundamental to bringing peace to the area. 

We need to always remember that peace came to the world in World 

War II ONLY after achieving devastating military and psychological 

defeat for the enemies of humanity (such as the Nazi regime). 

Using this effective cocktail of approaches to achieve ultimate victory over 

Hamas is needed to bring new hopes for the Middle East peace process. 


219 

A New Relationship Between 

Muslims And Jews Is Required 

The relationship between Muslims and Jews has been through several stages 

during the course of history. In some stages the relationship has been based 

on peaceful co-existence; in other stages, however, it has been 

characterized by anti-Semitism. Kicking Jews out of many parts of the Arab 

world in the 1950s and 1960s provides clear evidence for the latter. In 

addition, the recent wave of anti-Semitism in the Arab media is undeniable. 

Many Muslim scholars and writers, despite the peace agreements between 

Israel and many Arab countries, promote hatred of the Jews. This has been 

common in mosques, television, books, and other media. 32 

Looking at Muslim-Jewish relations from a different angle reveals that 

Muslims should actually be grateful to the Jews instead of hating them. 

First, according to the story of the Israa and Miaraj that described the 

ascend of Mohamed to Heaven to meet with other prophets and God, he was 

instructed by Allah that every member of the Muslim nation, or Umma, must 

perform fifty prayers per day (each one usually needs around ten minutes to 

perform). This would have been an unbearable burden on Muslims. 

According to this story, which is available in authentic Islamic books, it was 

only the intervention of Moses 'a Jew' that led to a change in the number of 

required prayers: the original fifty prayers per day were reduced to ONLY 

five prayers per day. 33 Five has remained the number of prayers traditionally 

performed by Muslims all the way through to the present day. According to 

the story, Moses played an advisory role to Mohamed, counseling him to go 

back to Allah repeatedly to tell him that fifty is an impossibly high number of 

prayers. If Moses had not played such a major role in changing this, then 

most Muslims would not have been able to perform their required prayers. 

This could have made them candidates for Hell, according to traditional 

Islamic teaching (Quran 74:42-43). Thus, Muslims must be very grateful to 

the Jews, as Moses saved the Muslim nation from an intolerable religious 

command that would have condemned them to hell fire if they could not 

obey it. 

32 Several examples of Islamic-based anti-Semitism are available at: 

http://www.memritv.org/ 

33 These can be found at http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/isra/Israa_Miraj_Hadith.shtml 


220 

Second, the word amen, which Muslims regularly use several times in their 

daily prayers as well as their Friday prayers, is actually a Hebrew word that 

is never mentioned or used in the Quran. In fact, the word has no roots in 

Arabic language at all. This means that Muslims are using a Hebrew word in 

their regular prayer every day. Since the prayers cannot be completed 

without the use of this 'Jewish' word, Muslims should be also grateful to the 

Jews for teaching it to them. 

Third, the concept of circumcision that Muslims implement is similarly never 

mentioned in the Quran. It is well-known to be a Jewish concept, which the 

Muslims just adopted from the Jews. Since Muslims consider circumcision to 

be an important part of the Islamic religion, they should be appreciative of 

the Jews for teaching them this concept. 

Fourth, according to the Quran, Muslims are instructed to ask the people of 

the Torah (i.e., the Jews) for guidance if they do not know the answer to a 

particular religious question (Quran 21:7 and 16: 43). Given that the Quran 

itself instructs Muslims to trust the Jews and to seek their advice on issues 

related to the Muslim faith, how come many in the modern Muslim world 

consider the Jews to be untrustworthy? 

To conclude, despite increasing levels of anti-Semitism in the Arab and 

Muslim world, deep analyses of Islamic texts can reveal some important 

issues that should change how Muslims should perceive the Jews. 

Performing a tolerable number of prayers, using the word amen, and the 

Quranic command for Muslims to seek advice from Jews in religious issues 

should open the way for a relationship that is based on respect and 

appreciation rather than disrespect and hatred. 


221 

Is The West Pushing The Wrong 

Button Of The Arab Israeli 

Conflict? 

On repeated occasions the EU, 34 the US, 35 and the UN 36 pressured Israel to 

make more concessions to the Arabs as an attempt to bring peace to the 

Middle East. The pressure on Israel was mainly to stop building more 

settlements in the West Bank. 

The question that must be asked regarding this issue is whether pressuring 

Israel to make more concessions to the Palestinians is the correct way to go? 

In other words, is the world pushing the wrong button in its attempts to 

solve the Arab-Israeli conflict? Additionally, should the pressure be on the 

Palestinians and Arabs, rather than the Israelis, in order to solve the 

problem? 

Evidence from the past few decades clearly shows that Israeli concessions 

did not bring the desired peace. Rather, they brought more Arab animosity 

and aggression toward the Israelis. 

For example, any honest observer of the Arab media and street can clearly 

notice that anti-Semitism has increased dramatically since Israel has made 

peace treaties with the Arabs. Many famous instances of anti-Semitism in 

the Arab street are available on www.memri.org. These include teaching 

anti-Semitism to Arab children, as well as top Islamic scholars cursing the 

Jews and calling them "pigs and monkeys". 37 The number of examples in the 

Arab media leaves no doubt for unbiased observers that anti-Semitism in the 

Arab street has actually increased since Israel started making concessions to 

34 Gutkin, S. & Charlton, A. (2009, September 10). Israel-EU relations chill as Netanyahu 

lets settlements continue unabated. The Daily Star. Retrieved from 

http://www.dailystar.com.lb 

35 Hider, J. (2009, June 5). Obama delivers strong attack on Israeli settlements in speech to 

Muslim world. The Times of London. Retrieved from 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world 

36 UN "disappointed" at Israeli settlement activity [Video]. (2010, September 28). Retrieved 

from http://www.youtube.com 

37 See several many examples of Arab Anti-Semitism at: 

Antisemitism On Egypt's Al-Rahma TV. (2009, July 30). The Middle East Media Research 

Institute. Retrieved from http://www.memri.org/report 


222 

the Arabs. In addition, the number of terrorist attacks against the Israelis 

was much lower when the West Bank and Gaza were completely under the 

control of Israel between 1967-1973; that is, before the peace treaties. 

Another example is that rocket attacks against Israelis from Gaza side have 

not decreased since Israel withdrew from Gaza in September 2005 as part of 

the Israel Disengagement Plan. In fact, between April 2001 and the end of 

2008, 4,246 rockets and 4,180 mortar shells were fired into Israel from 

Gaza, killing 14 Israelis, wounding more than 400, and making life in 

southern Israel intolerable. During what was supposed to be a cease-fire in 

the last half of 2008, 362 rockets and shells landed. After Israel retaliated in 

a strong manner in Gaza War, (December 2008-January 2009) there have 

been just over two dozen rockets and mortar strikes on Israel - fewer than 

on many single days before the war. Life in the Israeli town of Sderot and 

the area around it has returned almost to normal. 38 

If we are going to follow statistics instead of emotions, it will become clear 

that the Israelis have not attained true peace after making concessions to 

the Arabs. The main reason for this, in my view, is that concessions in the 

Arab-Israeli conflict have almost always been made from the Israeli side 

without equivalent concessions from the Arab side. 

Israel gave land, yet anti-Semitism has increased. This has created a 

situation where many Israelis feel that they do not have any incentive to 

make further concessions. It has become hard to convince many Israelis 

that stopping the settlements will bring any peace, as they have already 

made many more concessions to the Arabs, and the result has mainly been 

more hatred and aggression. In other words, if concessions to the Arabs did 

not work in the past, why will making further concessions work now? 

The only solution to this complex situation is that the international 

community must push the correct button of the conflict; in other words, it 

must exert more pressure on the Arabs and Palestinians, rather than the 

Israelis, to show a genuine interest in peace. In this case, the Israelis will 

feel that their previous concessions were fruitful, and they will be persuaded 

that concessions can work and bring true peace. An internationallymonitored 

incitement-free period in the Arab media has to precede any 

further peace talks or negotiations. When the Israelis see evidence that the 

Arabs are genuine about living with them in peace, they will be encouraged 

to continue the peace process. As long as the Arabs fail to prove that they 

are truly interested in living in peace beside Israel as a Jewish state, it is 

extremely unfair to ask the Israelis to make more concessions. It is now the 

38 Diehl, J. (2009, September 21). Israel's Gaza Vindication. The Washington Post. Retrieved 

from http://www.washingtonpost.com 


223 

Arabs' turn to reciprocate the Israeli concessions by showing genuine 

interest in living in peace with the Israelis. 


224 

Bin Laden Lying To The West To 

Defame Israel 

I have listened to the latest Bin Laden tape in Arabic on Al-Jazeera TV. He 

released it in memory of September 11. 39 It was clear that Bin Laden was 

trying to convince a Western audience that the attack on the Twin Towers on 

9/11, and the larger phenomenon of Islamist violence, is caused by the 

Arab-Israeli conflict. He argued that the land of Palestine belongs to Muslims 

rather than the Jews, and that Muslims will never forget this. 

This tape raised some questions that need to be answered: 

Is Bin Laden trying to convince us that his fellow jihadists in Iraq, Algeria, 

and Pakistan-who explode mosques, detonate Muslim funerals to kill 

innocents, and behead their fellow Muslims-are committing these barbaric 

atrocities because of the Arab-Israeli conflict? 

If the cause of terrorism against the West is the Arab-Israeli conflict, why 

don't the Christians in the Middle East, who live under the same 

circumstances, commit suicide bombings and attack Western targets as their 

fellow Muslims do? 

If the cause of Islamic terrorism is the "occupation" of the Arab land, as Bin 

Laden claimed, how can he explain the lower levels of terrorism against the 

West between 1976 and 1993, when the Palestinians started to take more 

control over the West Bank and Gaza as stipulated by Oslo Accords? During 

the pre-1993 period, Israel fully controlled the West Bank and Gaza, but 

Islamic terrorism was much less common than we see today. In brief, 

terrorist acts by radical Muslims became much more frequent after Israel 

started to withdraw from these areas and cede them to Palestinian control. 

If Bin Laden is using Islam in his argument and trying to convince his 

followers that he is a good Muslim who follows the Quran, why does he not 

then apply the Quranic verses that clearly and unambiguously state that the 

Holy Land belongs to the Children of Israel? These include the following 

verses: 

Quran 17:104: "And we said thereafter to the Children of Israel, "Dwell 

securely in the land of promise." 

39 ‗Bin Laden audio tape' warns US. (2009 September 14). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from 

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/ 


225 

Quran 26:59: "Thus it was, but we made the Children of Israel inheritors of 

such things [i.e. the Promised Land]." 

Quran 7:137: "And We [God] made a people, considered weak [i.e., the 

children of Israel], inheritors of the lands in both east and west, lands 

whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was 

fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, 

and We leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which 

Pharaoh and his people erected [with such pride]." 

So according to the Quran itself, the Holy Land is the land promised to the 

Jews, given to them as a contract and their inheritance. How come Bin 

Laden ignores these unambiguous verses of the Quran? 

If Bin Laden rejects these verses in the Quran he should be considered an 

apostate, and thus he MUST be killed according to his strict interpretation of 

Sharia Law! 

Further questions: 

If Jerusalem belongs to Muslims, why isn't it mentioned by name in the 

Quran even once? By contrast, it is mentioned in the Bible hundreds of 

times. 

Muslims claim Jerusalem is theirs because the Prophet Mohamed visited it 

once in his vision of the "Israa." But the Jews had lived in Jerusalem for 

thousands of years and built a kingdom in the land of Israel far before the 

Prophet Mohamed saw it. The Jewish people's claim to the land is thus based 

on reality rather than visions. If visions are taken into considerations, would 

Muslims accept the idea that the Baha'i, for example, could legitimately lay 

claim to Mecca if one of their prophets had seen it once in his vision? 

Bin Laden and his Muslim brethren destroyed the Buddhist temple in 

Afghanistan, stoned women until death for adultery, and burned the faces of 

young girls who go to schools to prevent them from getting education. Were 

these barbaric atrocities also due to the Arab-Israeli conflict? 

I am waiting for Mr. Bin Laden to answer my simple questions! 


Iran 

226 


227 

Remove The Iranian Nuclear 

Cancer NOW Before It 

Metastasizes 

The US and European approach is failing; using economic sanctions and 

engaging Iran via diplomacy did not halt the nuclear ambitions of Tehran. 1 

The passage of time is a factor that works only for the benefit of the Iranian 

regime and increases its ability to develop a nuclear bomb. Unless we 

improve our strategy, we may awake one day soon to the headline, "Iran 

has the nuclear bomb". The Iranian Islamic regime is getting closer to 

developing a nuclear capability that may allow it to develop a nuclear bomb. 

Such a development will not only threaten the Middle East but will also have 

grave consequences for the security and the stability of the entire world. 

A nuclear bomb in the hand of civilized nations that respect the value of 

human life is a very different story from one where such a fearsome weapon 

is in the hands of a theocratic Islamic regime that shows no respect for 

human life. Some may think that the Iranian regime is a rational actor, 

however, when we know that the Iranian Mullah Regime used to send 

children as young as 11-12 years old to die as "martyrs" in its war against 

Iraq we must question this assumption. 2 Furthermore, the Iranian theocratic 

regimen that -until today-continues to justify the brutal killing of people if 

they convert from Islam to another faith or hangs or stones them to death 

for having sex outside marriage or having a different sexual orientation 

should not be entrusted with having a nuclear weapon. 

Many may believe that the Iranians will need years to develop long range 

missiles to be able to reach the US and Europe and that our strong antimissile 

system will be able to protect us from this threat. The Iranians are 

likely to use another but more destructive tactic to paralyze the free world. 

The Iranians can simply focus on smuggling nuclear bombs to the major 

cities in the West and inform the Western countries that Iranian nuclear 

bombs are already inside all their major cities. In this scenario, these bombs 

will be like cancer metastasis that spreads all over the world. It does not 

1 Parisa, H. (2009, May 4). U.S. sanctions will not halt nuclear work: Iran. Reuters. 

Retrieved from 

2 Cringely, R. (2004, November 4). Bob Don't Know Diddy: Post-Election Reflections on Polls 

and Other Stuff [Blog Post]. Retrieved May 21, 2011, from I Cringely, The Pulpit from 

www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/ 


228 

need a genius to imagine the panic and paralysis that can happen to the 

Western world if they faced such a situation. The Iranians in this case can 

demand anything from the West and Western governments would be in a 

very difficult situation to refuse any of these demands as it will put them at a 

risk of destroying their capitals. Attacking Iran in this case will not be very 

helpful to the West as the Iranian Islamic regime would be likely to welcome 

dying Iranians as "martyrs" while exploding the major Western cities and 

capitals. 

The success of drug dealers in smuggling drugs into the US and Europe and 

to other parts of the world is a clear evidence that our borders are not so 

secure to take the risk of smuggling nukes by the Iranian regime. 3 

Once the Iranian regimen develops a nuclear bomb, the simple act of 

releasing false rumors that it managed to smuggle several atomic bombs 

inside some of the key cities in the world such as New York City, Washington 

DC, or London and others can have a major psychological impact that can 

result in devastating economic consequences. Similarly, smuggling nuclear 

bombs into areas of oil production in Saudi Arabia and other oil producing 

countries can cause chaos in the world's markets and economy. The 

Iranians can use this psychological warfare and threaten to explode such 

bombs at any time to paralyze the free world and create a situation where 

the Iranian Mullahs impose their will on others. 

It is well known in medicine that attacking the primary cancer before it 

sends metastasis is much more effective than trying to treat it after having 

metastasis. Waiting for the Iranian nuclear cancer to 'metastasize' by 

smuggling nuclear bombs in our main cities is an ill-considered judgment 

that can ruin the future of our world. Resection of this Iranian nuclear 

'cancer' NOW via 'surgical' military interventions and attacks of their nuclear 

facilities before it can 'metastasize' is likely to be the best way to go with the 

Iranian regimen especially after the proven failure of other approaches. This 

prophylactic military approach can prevent a nightmare that could happen in 

the free world if Iran developed a nuclear bomb and can protect the world 

from a global catastrophe if the Mullah regime decided one day to use some 

of these bombs against other nations. 

3 Foundation, N. S. (2009, July 1). Border Patrol Agents to Spot Tunnels With Advanced 

Ground-Penetrating Radar. US News. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/ 


229 

Dealing With The Iran Threat 

Requires Wisdom 

On Monday, September 28 2009, Iran successfully tested upgraded versions 

of the medium-range Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles. 4 The missile tests were 

meant to demonstrate both Iran's military might and its readiness for any 

military threat. Both missile systems can carry warheads and have a range 

of 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers), putting Israel, American military bases in 

the Middle East, and parts of Europe within striking distance. 

It is vital to make the right decisions on how to deal with such an Iranian 

regime. History can teach us many lessons on how we should respond to 

tyrants. 

One of the greatest lessons that we must learn from history is that the 

integration of the will or the desire to do evil with the ability to do it is 

catastrophic. The Nazi regime, for example, would not have been capable of 

carrying out the Holocaust if the free world had had the conscience to stand 

against it at an early stage to prevent it from getting sufficient power to 

harm others. 

Ahmadinejad expressed clearly his desire to erase Israel from the map, 

which would entail the killing of millions of innocent people. It would be a 

disaster if the free world failed to stop him from getting the power to do so. 

It is shameful that neither the Mulla regime in Iran nor the other Islamic 

scholars in the Sunni Muslim world denounced his statements to erase Israel 

from the map. 

It is unwise not to believe the Iranian president on his statements. If we are 

not going to believe the Iranian regime in this, then why should we believe 

them when they say that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes! 

It is also important to mention that the title of the military operation to test 

the missiles, Al-Rasoul Al-AaZam (The Greatest Prophet-Mohamed), used 

Islamic names that carry certain a symbolism. "Shahab" and "Siggil" were 

both used in the traditional Islamic text to indicate destruction of others (see 

4 Iran test-fires advance missile. (2009, December 16). BBC News. Retrieved from 



230 

the verses below). 5 Using Islamic names with such powerful symbolism may 

be an indicator of some hidden intentions of the Iranian Islamic regime. 

Time is on the side of the Iranian regime: if they surprise the world with the 

development of a nuclear bomb, all the rules of the game will change. It will 

be much more complicated for the free world to deal with a nuclear Iran 

than to deal with it before making a nuclear bomb. 

Another lesson that we need to learn from history is that those who have the 

intention to do crimes against humanity do not obey borders for their evil 

deeds. For, example the evil acts of Hitler extended to affect non-Jewish 

people as well. 6 This tells us that to believe that Ahmadinejad's threats 

against Israel will only affect the Jews is naive. Once a tyrant has the power 

to implement his evil upon others it will be difficult to set limits to it. Israel 

could be the first nation affected, but other nations will likely to be attacked 

next. 

When we see a cancer growing it is vital to attack it or stop it at an early 

stage before it spreads. Failure to use this approach with the Iranian Islamic 

regime could result in a catastrophe. We must not wait for this regime to 

become able to manifest its virulent ideology. Time is crucial in this 

situation, as the more time passes before we take an action, the closer 

Iranian regime will get to a having a Nuclear weapon. Time works ONLY for 

their benefit, not ours. 

An important fact that we need to know about radical Shia Islamists is that 

they master the concept of "Tequia," or "deception." Unlike Sunnis, this 

concept has always been a fundamental part in their theology. This fact 

must also be considered when dealing with or trying to understand the 

intentions of Shia regimes, such as the Iranian one. 

The free world must be ready to launch a surgical military attack on the 

Iranian nuclear facilities if other economic and diplomatic measures fail. It is 

vital to give the Iranian regime an ultimatum with a definite day and hour by 

which they must comply with the demands of the international community. 

The U.S. and the international community must be ready to take serious 

actions if the Iranian regime does not meet the conditions of the ultimatum. 

5 (Quran 37:10) Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they (the devils) are 

pursued by "Shahab" -a flaming fire, of piercing ability (to destroy them). {Quran 105:4-5} 

which smote them with "Sajjil"- stone-hard blows of chastisement pre-ordained, that caused 

them to become like a field of grain that has been eaten down to stubble. 

6 Stoddard, A. L. (2010, April 8). Why Did Adolf Hitler and the Nazis Persecute Jehovah‘s 

Witnesses? Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com 


231 

The Iranian regime is unlikely to stop its nuclear ambitions unless it feels 

that its actions will lead to its losing its power soon. The desire of the powerhungry 

regimes-such as the Mullah regimen in Iran-to remain in power can 

be used against them, by sending a clear message that they will lose power 

or be destroyed if they insisted on ignoring the demands of the international 

community. 


232 

The lessons that Muslims must 

learn from the Iranian model: 

Islam is NOT the solution 

For decades the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated Islamic groups such as 

Hamas used the expression "Islam is the solution" as their slogan. They used 

it in a way to convince Muslims that Islam will bring solutions to all their 

problems. Many young Muslims became attracted to Islamism because they 

believed that using Islam in politics and implementing Sharia would bring a 

solution to the problems they face in their societies. The economic success of 

Saudi Arabia, which implements Sharia Law, and the success of early 

Muslims in building a huge powerful Islamic empire, were two powerful 

examples that attracted many of our young Muslims, myself included, to this 

"Islamic Solution". Failure of many Muslim societies to succeed in several 

fields, including economic state, has fueled the feeling that adopting the 

Islamic solution is the only answer for our problems. 

The Iranian Revolution was also seen by many Muslims as a proof that Islam 

is the solution. On the contrary, the failure of the Iranian regime in bringing 

prosperity to its people can debunk this concept. The recent demonstrations 

against the Iranian regime are clear evidence that Islam is NOT the solution, 

as the government has not brought success and true justice to its people. 7 

The Muslim world also needs to look to other failures of the Islamic systems 

and regimes. Sharia laws have been implemented in Sudan, parts of 

Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Nigeria, and in Somalia. This has not 

brought wealth and prosperity to people as many Muslims expected. On the 

contrary it has brought poverty and misery to their populations. The best 

evidence for this is that we see tens of thousands of young Muslims applying 

to immigrate to the West but we do not see many of them trying to 

immigrate to Somalia or Taliban-controlled areas. 

The Muslim world must face the reality that Islamic and Sharia-based 

solutions for countries have failed to bring prosperity to people in most parts 

where they have been implemented. The media has a role to play in showing 

the failure of many Islamic systems in several parts of the world. The Muslim 

7 Editorial: Iran‘s Twitter Revolution. (2009, June 16). The Washington Times. Retrieved 

from http://www.washingtontimes.com 


233 

world must wake up from its dream that applying Sharia will solve all their 

problems and recognize the reality that "Islam is NOT the Solution." 


234 

Iran Must Stop Blaming Others for 

Its Faults 

On July 31, the Iranian regimen accused Western countries of deaths of 

demonstrators who protested the results of the controversial presidential 

election held in June. The Iranian foreign minister declared that the victims 

were the victims of Western "interventionist countries," and not abusive riot 

police or militiamen. 8 

On May 30, Iran also blamed the United States and Israel for a bombing in a 

Shiite mosque in southeast Iran that killed 25 people, saying the countries 

were trying to stoke sectarian tension with the Sunni Muslim minority. 

Iranian Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said on the ministry's Web site "I 

announce that….those who committed the bombing are neither Shiite nor 

Sunni. 9 They are Americans and Israelis," who want to stoke sectarian 

conflict in the country. Iran has repeatedly accused the U.S. and other 

Western countries of backing militants and opposition groups in the country 

— charges they have denied. 

Furthermore, at the United Nations‘ Durban Review Conference in 

Switzerland from April 20-24, a forum meant to counter racism, Mahmoud 

Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, accused Israel of being ―racist.‖ In 

addition, he continually accused the Zionists of controlling the U.S. and the 

West. He also did not hesitate to deny the Holocaustor to shamelessly 

promote erasing Israel from the map. 10 

It seems that the Iranian regimen can only accuse others instead of 

admitting its own faults and mistakes. This phenomenon is typically called 

―projection‖ in behavioral sciences. 11 For example, Instead of blaming Israel 

8 Iran: Western countries to blame for protestor deaths. (2009, July 31). The Jerusalem 

Post. Retrieved from http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast 

9 Dahl, F. (2010, January 14). Ahmadinejad Sees ―Zionist Style‖ in Iran Bombing. Reuters. 

Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com 

10 DPA. (2010, September 07). Ahmadinejad Questions ‗Fairy Tale‘ Holocaust Denies being 

Anti-Smite Retrieved from http://www.haaretz.com/news/international 

Fathi, Nazila. (2005, October 27). Wipe Israel ‗off the map‘ Iranian Says. The New York 

Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com 

11 Projection (defence mechanism). Psychology Wiki. Retrieved on June 6 from 

http://psychology.wikia.com 


235 

for being ―racist,‖ Ahmadinejad should have accused Islamist regimes, 

including the Iranian one, for this negative aspect. Anyone who visits Israel 

can easily notice that the street signs are written in both Hebrew and Arabic 

as a sign of care and respect for the Arab minority. Is this a feature of a 

racist country? In fact, this gesture is virtually unseen in many parts of the 

free world. 

The Iranian president should stop discriminating against his own country‘s 

Baha'i community 12 first before falsely accusing others of being racist. In 

light of the fact that his own country tolerates stoning women, 13 

discriminating against gays, 14 and killing Muslims who convert to other 

religions, 15 he should be the last one to speak when it comes to 

discrimination and racism. 

Considering that ―Zionist control‖ of the U.S. and Europe has resulted in the 

creation of societies where women are treated equally, people are allowed to 

convert to any faith as they wish, and homosexuals can survive freely, the 

Iranian regimen should probably ask the Zionists to control their country 

too. 

In reality, the Jews have built a country where all groups are allowed to 

partake in the nation‘s prosperity. The best evidence for this is that 

Palestinians who live in Arab countries stand in line to enter Israel to find 

work while Arabs who live in Israel are not relocating elsewhere in the 

region. If Israel is truly racist and really discriminating against the Arabs, as 

Ahmadinejad claims, then why are Israeli Arabs not escaping from this 

―racism‖ to live in Arab countries? 

Sadly, the only place in Israel where discrimination exists is at the Muslimcontrolled 

gates of al-Aqsa mosque, where Muslims practice discrimination 

against Jews and Christians by not allowing these groups to enter or visit. 

On the other hand, Muslims are welcome to visit the Wailing Wall and the 

Church of the Nativity. Who discriminates against whom, Mr. Ahmadinejad? 

12 Blair, C. (2010, August 09). Iran is Attempting to Decapitate its Baha‘i community. The 

Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk 

13 Dehghan, S. K & Black, I. (2010, July 8). Iranians still facing death by stoning despite 

‗reprieve‘. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk 

14 Kennicott, P. (2006, July 20). Pictures From An Execution Come In Foucs. The 


15 Hanged for Being a Christian in Iran. (2011, June 06). The Telegraph. Retrieved from 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/ 


236 

When comparing the number of mosques and churches that were built in 

Israel since 1948 to the number of synagogues and churches that were built 

in the rest of the region during the same time period, it is clear that area 

Muslims discriminate against minorities, not the other way around. 16 

However, these Muslims are not hesitant to accuse the entire world of 

discriminating against them. 

Ahmadinejad and the Iranian regimen must first look to their own country 

and fix its discriminatory policies before accusing others. They must stop the 

Sharia-based barbarism against women, gays, and converts from Islam 

instead of attacking the civilized nations. 

16 See the Demographic Facts: http://www.aina.org/news/20080213165617.htm 


237 

Iran‘s Defeat Necessary For 

Mideast Peace 

February 16, 2010 

Neutralizing Iran's mullah regime in the Islamic Republic is pivotal to any 

peace negotiations in the Middle East. 

In a recent Op-Ed published in Haaretz, A.B. Yehoshua argued that Israeli- 

Palestinian peace would neutralize the Iranian threat. 17 

Deep analysis of the Iranian issue and its impact on several Islamic 

movements actually supports the opposite of that assumption: Defeating the 

Iranian regime is pivotal to solving the Arab-Israeli conflict rather than the 

other way around. 

Whether we want to believe it or not, the main obstacle to the conflict is the 

widespread radical Islamic views that promote hatred of Jews in the Muslim 

world. 

It is rather difficult, or virtually impossible, to have real peace in the area 

while leading Islamic scholars teach that Jews are pigs and monkeys and 

that Muslims must fight and annihilate them before the end days. 

Radical Islamic movements that promote violent jihad instead of peaceful 

solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict were both inspired and supported by the 

Islamic revolution in Iran in several ways. 

The success of the Iranian Islamic revolution to replace a secular regime 

with an Islamic system was, and still is, in the view of Islamic radicals, an 

applicable model that encouraged many people to pursue the path of 

Islamism, as it was in their view a successful model to achieving power. 

Defeating the Iranian regime is vital to discrediting it in the eyes of the 

followers of radical Islamic movements, thus weakening their interest in 

pursuing radical Islamism as a path. Furthermore, defeating the mullah 

regime can partially deprive some of its affiliated militant organizations, such 

as Hamas and Hezbollah, who resist peace with Israel on a religious basis, 

from their financial support. 

17 Yehoshua, A.B. (2010, October 02). Israeli-Palestinian peace would neutralize Iran threat. 

Haaretz. Retrieved from http://www.haaretz.com 


238 

This can cause an economic blow to these organizations and open the path 

for less radical political players to have more leadership roles in the area. 

In addition, defeating the regime can bring an end to the inflammatory role 

played by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for followers of radical 

Islamic organizations who see him as a hero, because he threatens Israeli 

security. 

Typically, they see Ahmadinejad as the next "Saladin" who will bring victory 

to Islam over the "infidels." 

Ahmadinejad‘s rhetoric continuously adds fuel to the fire regarding the Arab- 

Israeli conflict. Defeating him and changing him from a symbol of victory to 

an example of weakness can play a vital role in the psychological warfare 

needed to weaken Islamic radicalism. 

When we know that hundreds of Iranian boys, many as young as 10, were 

sent to die on the front lines of the Iranian war with Iraq and that the 

founder of the Iranian Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, gave 

these boys plastic keys to heaven and reassured them that, if they were 

killed on the battlefield, they would go directly to paradise, it becomes 

mandatory to defeat such a crazy regime and prevent it by all means 

necessary from getting a nuclear weapon. 18 

Such a weapon in the hands of such a regime not only carries a major threat 

to the security of the free world but also fuels a psychological sense of 

victory for radical Islamic organizations, encouraging them to resist any 

peaceful solution with Israel. 

Trying to have Israeli-Arab peace before neutralizing the Iranian threat will 

not be effective. In fact, this approach will only buy more time for the mullah 

regime in Iran to achieve its nuclear ambitions. 

Defeating the Iranian regime first and ending its ambitions of having nuclear 

weapons capabilities can weaken radical Islamic movements and open the 

door for actual peace in the Middle East. 

18 Hamid, T. (2010, Febuary 14). Iranian defeat first. Jerusalem Post. Retrieved from 

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion 


239 

Saudi Arabia 


240 

Is Saudi Arabia leading A 

Reformation of the Muslim World? 

In the last few years especially after September 11 th Saudi Arabia has been 

accused of promoting a radical form of Islam. It is hard to deny that the 

Wahabbi style of Islam promotes a value system that suppresses some of 

basic elements of human freedoms such as freedom of religion. In addition, 

it promotes suppression of women in several ways. 1 

In one of my recent Op-Eds I raised the issue that the progressive elements 

within Saudi Arabia need to use the power of the religion itself to promote 

values of freedom and liberty as the Muslim on the street needs to have 

religious justification for these values to adopt them. I was both happy and 

surprised to see an active application of this principle -which is to use 

religion to bring the Muslim world to modernity- by the Saudi system. 

For years the religious police in Saudi Arabia ("Haiat Al-Amr Bil-Maaroof Wa 

Al-nahei An Al-Munkar") was advocating separation between men and 

women in education and daily life activity. Many other parts of the Muslim 

world and Islamic societies have gradually adopted the same gender 

separation approach. 

Since the most unexpected things often happen, last week Sheck Dr. Ahmed 

Ibn Khasem Al-Ghamdy the head of the religious police in Mecca (that used 

to punish people for mixing with the other gender) has announced that 

mixing between males and females is completely Islamic and permissible in 

the religion. 2 

1 Lappen A. A. (2009, February 26) The Evils of Islamic Political Ideology, Suppression of 

Women. Retrieved from http://www.rightsidenews.com 

2 The man of the hour [Blog Post]. (2010, April 25). Retrieved from 

http://saudiwoman.wordpress.com 

Note: Unfortunately, the head of Saudi Arabia‘s powerful religious police fired Al-Ghamdy 

after his statements about sex segregation in Islam 

Saudi Cleric Fired for Rejecting Segregation of Sexes – Ahmed Qassim Al-Ghamdi. (2010, 

April 21). Retrieved from http://www.realcourage.org 


241 

The Sheck actually accused those who promote a complete separation 

between different genders in education and in normal life activities for lack 

of correct knowledge about the true Islam. 

It is important in this context to mention that, in traditional Islam a relative 

or a husband can be called Mahram and a stranger man is called Non- 

Mahram. A man and a Muslim woman can only mix together if he was a 

Maharam for her. This was the main Islamic theological reason for 

separating men and women in Education and in other activities. 

Sheck Al-Ghamdy provided the following theological evidence to support his 

view that Muslim women can mix with Non-Mahram men. Al-Ghamdi's view 

was based on the following points: 

1- Women (not men!) used to care for cleaning the hair of Prophet 

Mohamed. 

2- The Hadith(s) (Non Quranic words of Prophet Mohamed) that forbids 

women from shaking hands with men or prevent mixing between men 

and women are weak Hadith(s) (i.e. neither accurate nor binding to 

Muslims) 

3- Prophet Mohamed's disciples used to allow women to ride and sit with 

them on the back of the same hoarse or donkey (Note: This can be 

extended today to riding with a different gender on the same motor 

bike or a bike). 

4- According to accurate (Sahih) Hadith any slave girl used to hold hands 

with the Prophet Mohamed and take him to where she wished. 

5- Accurate Hadith supports that it is permitted for Muslim women to look 

to men. 

(Note: In the above given examples men were considered Non-Mahram to 

the women.) 

To understand the significance and the difficulty of making such a change in 

the Saudi society it is important to remember that Saudi Arabia's religious 

police stopped schoolgirls from leaving a blazing building in March 2002 


ecause they were not wearing correct Islamic dress, according to Saudi 

newspapers. 3 

242 

This novel approach -to allow the mixing of Muslim females and males- by 

some of the leading Saudi scholars gives evidence that Saudi Arabia is 

currently pursuing a gradual and ‗hopefully‘ progressive form of reformation 

of the Muslim world via providing fresh theology. 

The initiative of interfaith dialogue by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia 4 and his 

decision to start the first University in the country that does not segregate 

students based on sex 5 are two other steps taken by Saudi Arabia that must 

be applauded and encouraged as they can ultimately lead to a desperately 

needed reform in the Muslim world. 6 I hope we will see more progressive 

steps by Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries in the same direction of 

reform, freedom, and modernity 

3 Saudi police 'stopped' fire rescue. (2002, March 15). BBC News. 

Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk 

4 King Abdullah addresses UN meeting on interfaith dialogue. (2008, November 13). Royal 

Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from http://www.saudiembassy.net/affairs 

5 Boys and girls together in Saudi primary schools. (2009, October 20). Retrieved from 

http://www.asianews.it/ 

6 Ulf Laessing, U. & Alsharif, A. (2009, September 24). Saudi Arabia opens first mixedgender 

university. Reuters. Retrieved from http://in.reuters.com/article/ 


A Man Charged With Sorcery And 

Sentenced To Death In Saudi 

Arabia May Be Beheaded This 

Friday After The Prayer 

243 

A Lebanese man charged with sorcery and sentenced to death in Saudi 

Arabia is scheduled to be beheaded on Friday, the man's lawyer said 

Wednesday. 7 

This Sharia (Islamic Law) based sentence in Saudi Arabia raised several 

questions and concerns: 

1- Why did the Saudi system not think to conduct a 'rehabilitation program' 

for this man to treat him from using sorcery (the supposed use of 

magic). Are rehabilitation programs and soft approaches using art 

therapy only limited to the terrorists who kill innocents in a barbaric 

manner? 

2- People who claim that Sharia Law is 'peaceful' MUST stop bragging 

about the 'tolerance of Islam' until these barbaric laws are banned in 

Islamic laws. 

3- Will the CAIR organization and leading Islamic scholars criticize the 

Wahhabi religious system in Saudi Arabia for having such inhumane 

laws that belong only to the dark ages? 

4- The free world needs to realize that such laws that teach young Muslims 

intolerance are the root causes of terrorism. A Muslim child who learns 

that it is OK to kill a human being because he thinks differently (e.g., by 

practicing sorcery) will become a very suitable candidate to be 

convinced that it is also OK to kill others because they are different or 

non-Muslims. We cannot defeat terrorism without ending the barbaric 

Sharia laws that ultimately feeds it. 

7 Lawyer: Beheading planned in Saudi sorcery case. (2010, April 1) CNN World. Retrieved 

from http://www.cnn.com 


244 

5- I am not surprised to see such barbarism that allows the killing of 

magicians when mainstream Islamic books that are used to teach Islam 

globally are published in the West like London and NY and are sold on 

Amazon.com shamelessly promoting the killing of magicians in our 

modern times. 8 

6- It will be a good step if the Saudi king intervened to stop killing this 

man. However, this is not sufficient to addressing the problem at its 

roots. Changing these laws that teach barbarism and intolerance is 

fundamental - especially when we know that the law of killing magicians 

is not in the Quran. 


Publications.p.527 


245 

Saudi Fatwa Against Terrorist 

Finance Is A Good Step, But More 

is Needed 

Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority issued a fatwa (edict) denouncing 

all acts of terrorism and criminalizing of its financing, the Asharq al-Awsat 

Daily reported on April 14, 2010. 

The London-based newspaper said The Council of Supreme Scholars 

declared "any act of terrorism, including providing financial support to 

terrorists, a crime," regardless of where it takes place. 

According to the fatwa, the financier of acts of terrorism will be considered a 

"partner" in the crime. The fatwa begins with a clear definition of terrorism, 

which it calls "a crime aiming at destabilizing security." The document goes 

on to list examples of this criminal activity: "blowing up of dwellings, 

schools, hospitals, factories, bridges, airplanes (including hijacking), oil and 

pipelines." It doesn't mention any geographical area where such actions 

might be permissible. 

David Ignatius addressed the issue in his Op-Ed in the Washington Post on 

June 13, 2010. 9 The Pentagon also spoke positively about the fatwa. 10 

Generally speaking, the denouncement of an action or wrongdoing in the 

Muslim and Arab world can be effective in deterring others from doing this 

act if the denouncement follows certain criteria: 

1- It is directed against a person rather than just the act itself. For 

example, the Quran did not only denounce adultery, but also warned 

that the 'persons' who do it will face severe punishment in hell (Quran 

25:68-69). 

9 Ignatius D. (2010, June 13). Saudis act aggressively to denounce terrorism. The 


10 Ignatius, D. (2010, June 13). Pentagon impressed by Saudi fatwa: Terrorism is wrong. 

The New Haven Register. Retrieved from http://www.nhregister.com/articles 


246 

2- It uses powerful expressions such as 'Kufr' (Kufr is the act that makes a 

person an Infidel or a Kafer) and 'Redda'(Apostasy). There are several 

levels of describing mistakes in Arabic and Islamic jargon. In order of 

less severe to more severe, the following Arabic words could be used to 

denounce a person who commits a wrongdoing: 

Level 1: Khatyea (made a mistake), 

Level 2: Muzhneb (committed a minor sin), 

Level 3: Daal (on the wrong path), 

Level 4: Faal Fahesha (committed major sin), 

Level 5: Mujrim (criminal), 

Level 6: Kafer(Infidel), and 

Level 7: Murtad (apostate). 

3- It is Unconditional- Denouncement for the evil nature of the act itself, 

not because it was 'not beneficial' to Muslims. The latter implies that it 

is okay to take a particular action if it is beneficial to Muslims. 

4- It must be general to all acts irrespective of the faith of the victim. 

Denouncement of acts of terror for killing Muslims is indirect approval 

of acts of terror that kill non-Muslims. 

5- It does not give any justification for the act of terror. 

Fatwas that do not fulfill the above criteria can only serve the purpose of 

improving the image of Islam in the West without upholding the main role of 

fatwa. The main role is to deter young Muslims from doing these acts of 

violence or participating in them in any way ever again. 

An example of the powerful Fatwa is the Fatwa issued recently by Shaikh 

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri against terrorism at the Institution of Mechanical 

Engineers in London on March 2, 2010. In this Fatwa the Shaikh described 

the terrorists as "Infidels" who would go to "hell.‖ 11 

11 Power, C. (2010, March 12). Can a Fatwa Against Terrorism Stop Extremists? Time. 

Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/world/ 


247 

Another powerful message of disapproval of terrorists was displayed when 

Indian Muslims said they did not want the gunmen, killed by security forces 

during the attacks in Mumbai, to be buried in a Muslim cemetery. They 

considered the terrorists non-Muslims or Apostates. 12 Refusal to burry a 

Muslim in a Muslim cemetery is extremely powerful message that can deter 

young Muslims from pursuing the path of terrorism. 

The Saudi Fatwa mentioned above is a promising one as it considered the 

act criminal activity (level 5 denouncement), did not give any justification for 

terrorism, and did not limit the Fatwa to denouncing killing Muslims. 

However, this religious edict could have been much more effective if it: 

1- Considered the terrorists as "Kafer" (Infidels) or "Murtad" (Apostates) as 

this is the highest level of denouncement. 

2- Mentioned that the terrorists will be punished in the day of judgment by 

"Hell Fire" (In normal circumstances, I would not recommend using 

these words with others , however, Radical Islamists have a different 

mindset that makes the use of words such as hell fire effective and 

useful to achieve the aim of the Fatwa) 

3- Stated that the terrorists must not be buried with Muslims in Muslim's 

cemeteries. 

Muslim Scholar Issues Fatwa Against Terrorism [Video]. (n.d.). Retrieved from 

http://en.kendincos.net 

12 Ahmed, Z. (2008, December 01). Muslims refuse to bury militants. BBC News. Retrieved 



Egypt 

248 


249 

Is There A Way To End The Riots 

In Egypt Peacefully? 

Jan 28 2011 

Riots have escalated in Egypt all over the country. Initially, the protestors 

demanded solutions for unemployment and poverty. Later on, some of them 

demanded an end to President Mubarak ruling the country. The 

demonstrators shouted against the president and his son Gamal "Oh, Gamal 

say to your father ALL the nation hates you". 

The government initially responded with heavy-handed violence until the 

demonstrators started burning and causing damage to private and public 

property as the police become more aggressive. This has resulted in several 

causalities and deaths on both government and civilian sides. 

As a result of the chaos, Egyptian currency and stocks suffered severe 

losses. In addition, demonstrators continued burning more places, including 

the main office of the National Democratic Party that represents the 

government. The government responded by ordering a curfew all over the 

country and asked the Army Forces to intervene. 

The escalation of these events occurred very fast and threatens the stability 

of the country. 

The problem that currently faces the country is that if the Mubarak 

government collapses, the country can sink into chaos for an unknown 

period of time. 

In such a situation, it will not be surprising if internal divisions within the 

Mubarak regime may end his control over power so that those who will 

revolt against him may be perceived as heroes by the protestors and thus 

can remain in power. 

In this critical situation, wise decisions must be made to save the country 

from an uncontrollable situation. The following are some suggestions that 

hopefully can bring a peaceful end to this bloody situation - although only in 

the near-term. 

1- President Mubarak MUST address the nation (he has not done so as of 

the time of writing this Op-Ed) to show demonstrators some respect. 

This can absorb part of their anger. 


250 

2- He needs to give people hope without appearing weak as weakness 

may actually aggravate the riots. The president MUST clarify to 

individuals that violence affected the economy negatively and this can 

make prices of food and other consumer products even higher. The 

president must welcome peaceful expression of opinion and be clear 

that there will be zero tolerance of violent demonstrations. 

4- The president MUST appoint a Vice President at this stage. Appointing 

a Vice President who is not hated by the Egyptians can be very helpful 

to give people some hope for a change in the political situation and 

can put an end to their anger that is partially related to the inheritance 

scenario for the presidency that gives power to the son of the 

president. 

5- Defining clear time limits for the government (e.g. 3 months) to take 

some decisions and active steps to relive extreme poverty in the 

country. Giving promises without having a time line makes the 

situation worse as for several decades people have been used to hear 

lip service without actions from some government officials. 

6- President Mubarak MUST declare that he will appoint a special advisory 

committee for his office at the presidential level. This committee must 

include leaders of different opposition groups and respected individuals 

such as Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, and others including those of the 

Muslim brotherhood (even if he disagrees with their views). This 

approach may provide some relief and absorb some anger that 

developed after the recent election when the government nearly 

controlled every seat in the parliament with no representatives from 

the opposition. The public will see this as a form of respect to some of 

their demands which may help in calming the situation. 

These short term solutions aims at controlling the current situation until 

more complex long term solutions such as proper economic reforms to 

decrease poverty take place. 


251 

Finally, the First True Reformation 

Of Islam Is Starting 

Jan 27 2011 

A historic and potentially momentous event occurred on January 24, 2011 

impacting the teachings and understanding of Islam. 

To put that event in perspective, we have seen over the last few decades 

problems related to Islamism, including terrorism, suicide bombings, but 

also suppression of values of human rights in several Islamic societies. 

Reforming the understanding of Islam has been suppressed for hundreds of 

years after the leading Sunni scholars stopped the process of Ijtihad or 

renewing the understanding of the religion. As a result, young Muslims did 

not have options to learn Islam except from anachronistic and old fashion 

interpretations and jurisprudence books. 

On January 24, 2011, the first document advocating the renewing of Islamic 

teachings and understanding has been published in Al-Youm Al-Sabeii (The 

7th day). 1 According to the journal, 25 leading Egyptian thinkers and Islamic 

scholars including scholars from Al-Azhar University contributed to the 

document. 

The importance of this event cannot be overestimated. Here are some of the 

Journal's main points that are the subject of renewal. 

1 

1- New evaluation of the Hadith books and better selection for the Hadith 

of prophet Mohamed. 

2- Changing some traditional teachings regarding the concept that Non- 

Muslims must pay Jizzia (humiliating tax) to Muslims. 

5- Changing the traditional Islamic understandings in relation to dealing 

with women 

7- New understanding for the concept of Jihad 

8- Allowing Muslims to use Non-Sharia compliant banking systems. 

http://youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=343007 


252 

9- Better preparation of the preachers and allowing independent thinkers 

who were not educated in Islamic institutes to contribute to Islamic 

teaching and reform. 

10- Separation between the Mosque and the State 

11- Accepting that women and Christians can lead Islamic countries 

12- Modernizing Al-Azhar Islamic education 

13- Creating better relation with Non-Muslims via the school and houses 

of worship. 

It is fair and accurate to say that this step and approach-if applied correctly- 

can be considered the first significant change that ever happened in the 

history of Islam toward its desperately needed reformation. 

The power of this step stems from the fact that it acknowledges the 

existence of a problem, addresses its root cause(s), and admits the need for 

a change in Islamic teaching and education. On the contrary, to the 

appeasing approach that denies the existence of an ideological component 

for the phenomenon of violent Islam, the previously mentioned honest 

approach is the ONLY approach that will ultimately lead to a real and long 

term solution for the phenomenon of Islamic Radicalism. 

The impact of this step- if it resulted in a real change in the educational 

systems of the Muslim world- can be tremendous despite the fact that many 

regressive minds in the Muslim world will resist such a change. The use of 

modern Internet technology and T.V. satellites can speed up the process of 

reformation. It is reasonable to say that the new document heralds the 

beginning of vital change within Islam and that this change may not 

influence every Muslim as there is no single control system for Sunni Islam 

but certainly, such an approach can produce a significant change in Muslim 

population toward modernity. The educational change can prevent 

radicalization of many young Muslims. 


253 

How The United States Can Act To 

Help The People Of Egypt And Win 

The Hearts And Minds Of The 

Entire Muslim World 

Jan 30 2011 

Egypt has been always considered the heart of the Arab and Muslim world. 

Currently the country is in a crisis that threatens to create a vacuum of 

power and may allow Islamic Radicals to gain a greater foothold in governing 

the country. Egypt will very soon find itself with food shortages as a result of 

the ongoing chaotic situation. 2 Such an inevitable shortage of food will only 

aggravate the current situation making it even more uncontrollable. 

The US has been trying for years to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim 

world. The attempts included president Obama addressing the Muslim world 

after his election in 2009, the use of US media channels such as Al-Hura 

Radio & Hi Magazine to reach the Muslim world, political statements, 

supporting the building of Ground Zero Mosque and the wearing of Islamic 

Hijab by Muslim women. None of these measures were at all effective in 

ending the negative image of the US in the Muslim world. 

On the contrary, after a long period of hatred of the US during Nasser's 

time, the US won the hearts and minds of the Muslim world during former 

president Sadat's presidency by using simple yet effective tactics. One of 

these tactics was helping to solve the shortage of certain food items such as 

the shortage of chickens during the late 1970s. At that time, Egyptians used 

to stand in very long queues for hours just to get one or two chickens for 

their families. The relations between US and Egypt improved dramatically 

during that time as the US was seen strongly providing the people of Egypt 

with frozen chickens packaged in the insignia and colors of the American 

flag. This USAID successfully contributed to the creation of a very positive 

image of the US in the minds of many Egyptians as their brains linked the 

US and US flag images to a good thing given to them as an act of kindness. 

In memory, studies such links are created via a mental process called the 

Spreading Activation Model. It was a gift given because there was a need, 

2 Abelaziz, S. Food staples starting to run out in Egypt. (2011, January 31). CNN World. 

Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2011/world 


254 

and it was received as an act of friendship from the people of America to the 

people of Egypt. 

What the US needs to do in the current Egyptian crisis to truly improve its 

image in the Muslim world is to repeat the same mechanism by sending 

urgent food packages that are wrapped in the American flag to the Egyptians 

to help them deal with the current problem of food shortage. When the 

chaos and fighting leaves the front-page the next chapter to fill the screen 

will show anger borne of hunger because there is no food. The United States 

can foresee this and act quickly to provide the needed foodstuffs. If this is 

done during the current crisis, i.e. starting NOW, the US can forestall the 

next problem of food shortage and food riots, be seen as a good friend who 

cares for Egyptians despite the riots, and significantly improve its image not 

only in Egypt but in many other parts of the Muslim world as well. 

Egyptians typically get their monthly salaries at the end of the month, 

(Note: many may not be able to get these salaries this month due to the 

current chaotic situation) and many people just barely survive on a daily 

income. This situation of disruption of normal business adds to the difficulty 

where food channels and supplies are in short supply. This makes an 

American gift of ready-to-use-meals to the Egyptian people during this 

disaster an invaluable tool to win the hearts and minds of many people in 

the country. Timing is crucial as Egyptians might be fighting to get food a 

few short days from now. The signs of this problem are already starting. This 

precious and needed American aid can also impede the attempts of Islamists 

who may utilize the food shortage problem for their benefit. A late reaction 

or no reaction in helping to solve this problem will be perceived by many in 

the Muslim world as the United States not caring enough about the Muslim, 

and letting people down in crucial times of need. The benefit to be gained by 

doing the right thing, not for political gain but because America sees the 

need of the Egyptian people, will create the same positive image that 

prevailed during the Sadat years when America also interceded for good. 

This is a unique opportunity for the US to raise its stock among Muslim 

nations throughout the world by doing what it has always done; come to the 

aid of those in need. Saving the people of Egypt from chaos and deprivation 

will do more to restore civility between Islam and America than all the 

political showmanship that has been offered so far. 


255 

Possible Case Scenarios For The 

Future Of Egypt 

Feb 2 2011 

Violent clashes erupted in Egypt between the anti-Mubarak groups and 

others who were described as "pro-Mubarak". Some of the pro-Mubarak 

groups attacked the anti-Mubarak demonstrators while riding on horses and 

camels thundering through the central square of Cairo, "Liberation Square". 

The latter who were described in some official Egyptian media as "Pro- 

Stability" attacked the former with clubs and rocks. Ultimately, the once 

uniform demonstration against the government has now escalated into a 

two-sided, pro and anti-Mubarak confrontation. At the moment of writing 

this Op-Ed, these very violent clashes, including the use of Molotov cocktails, 

is becoming uncontrollable mayhem and chaos. 

It is clear that violent approach of the pro-Mubarak groups, who may or may 

not be supported by some elements in the government, was completely the 

opposite of the initial peaceful demonstrations of the Anti-Mubarak groups. 

The violence of the Pro-Mubarak elements has changed the ongoing scenario 

from peaceful demands to violent confrontations that could spread to others 

areas. 

The anti-Mubarak groups were not satisfied with the promise of President 

Mubarak that he will not run for re-election in the coming election simply 

because the very same president promised that he would not seek a third 

term when he came to power in the early 1980s (he is now in his 5th term!). 

Many Egyptians, including myself, heard these promises in his speeches to 

the nation. Therefore, in the current situation the anti-Mubarak groups are 

not ready to trust him again with such promises. 

It is clearly observed that when opponents of Mubarak felt that they have no 

representation in Parliament after the recent elections brought nearly 100% 

of the seats to the Mubarak supporters, they turned to the streets to express 

their opinion in the form of peaceful demonstrations. If the Pro-Mubarak 

alliance continues to suppress this as well, as they are currently, doing, the 

next stage which is now beginning, will be a change from peaceful to violent 

demonstrations but even more so violent clashes between opposing forces. 

If the latter option is also blocked, they may become small groups of 

guerrillas doing violent acts as we see in Iraq which will be another step 

beyond control to an actual civil war. 


256 

President Mubarak could have avoided the current disaster and protected the 

country from a possible bloody case scenario if he left power yesterday or 

within a few days to prove to the people of Egypt that his promise is serious 

this time. Now the Military must simply choose between protecting Mubarak 

or protecting Egypt and the fate of the next real government will be in their 

hands. 

Islamic elements supported by Hamas, Hezb Allah, and Iran may utilize this 

opportunity to end true popular rule in the country. In fact Islamists have 

been seen in the demonstrations and some of them were involved in 

damaging the ancient Egyptian historical monuments as they is seen by the 

Islamists as "Idols" that must be destroyed. 

The highly expected long-term economic problem that will inevitably occur 

as a result of the current chaos can actually increase the possibility that 

anti-Mubarak groups can turn to the use of violence. The loss of enormous 

amounts of money coming from tourism directly into the hand of many 

Egyptian businesses and workers, and the likely shut down of many of these 

businesses as a result of the problem can add more fuel to the fire of 

poverty that is already so prevalent in the country. This poverty can only 

work to increase Islamic Radicalism and that most likely is their goal. 

In brief, the loss of hope that the change can happen peacefully, the 

unavoidable economic crisis that will certainly follow, and the possible role 

for Islamists in the coming stage, can end in collapse of the country. In fact, 

as I am writing this Op-Ed demonstrations are erupting outside of Cairo to 

support the Anti-Mubarak groups. 

The more the Military of Egypt delay in their intervention to remove Mubarak 

and take power the more likely they will be seen as collaborators with 

Mubarak and the less likely that people will accept them in the future. The 

same lack of urgency that cost Mubarak the initial peace now may claim the 

military in the same way. They must urgently act now to save Egypt! 

In my view, the most effective way to avoid this destructive case scenario is 

the following: 

1- Military in Egypt MUST remove President Mubarak from power NOW 

and take control of the country. 

2- The Military MUST inform the people of Egypt that they will investigate 

the rumors that the Mubarak family used the power of the president to 

steal the money of Egypt and that they will bring this money back to 

the Egyptians if these rumors were true. 


257 

6- Announce that they will act under Martial Law for short period of time 

and will have no mercy with those who will threaten the security of the 

country (to deter those who are thinking of using violence) 

14- Announce that the government will restore the Internet and that the 

banking system will start very soon and announce a specific time to 

resume normal activities. (This can give people in Egypt a desperately 

needed hope which is vital to create stability in this situation) 

15- Emergency food aid MUST be sent to those who are unable to get 

food due to the current crisis. If US started now sending some USAID 

to Egypt they would be the first country to do so. Again, this act of 

friendship will mean more to the Egyptian people than all the claims of 

leadership by the Obama Administration. 

Note: It is clearly observable that ALL demonstrations that occurred around 

the Egyptian Embassies in Europe and in the US in relation to Mubarak were 

anti-Mubarak (with NO single exception until now). This complete lack of 

pro-Mubarak demonstrations outside Egypt make it more likely that the so 

called "Pro-Mubarak" demonstrations in Egypt are actually created by the 

government itself rather than a genuine reaction of the Egyptian people to 

support the President (otherwise we would have seen some of these 

demonstrations outside the borders of the country). 


258 

The Delay In Removing Mubarak 

Can Change Chaos In Egypt From 

'Reversible' To 'Irreversible' 

Feb 4 2011 

The single most important desire of millions of the protestors in Egypt is to 

end the presidency of President Mubarak immediately. This desire is not 

coming from one single group but, on the contrary, it represents the desire 

of most sectors in the Egyptian society irrespective of their faith, socio 

economic class or level of education. 

President Mubarak said that he is worried that if he left now chaos will 

ensue. The reality is that he is the one who started this chaotic situation 

when he refused to leave power until now. 

There are several factors that can lead to a destructive vicious cycle. These 

factors include: 

1- The expected collapse of the tourism industry. 

2- The likely weakening of the Egyptian currency. 

3- The loss of trust in the Egyptian economy which discourages foreign 

investors. 

These factors can significantly increase the already existent very high levels 

of poverty. Such an increase in poverty can lead to an increase in crime 

rates and in Islamic extremism, which can accelerate previously mentioned 

destructive vicious cycle described. 

If President Mubarak continues to refuse to leave power, it is likely that a 

percentage of those millions who are currently demonstrating against him 

will turn to the use of violence. This -in the current gloomy situation- can 

bring the above mentioned destructive cycle to a situation of irreversibility 

and make is much harder to control. 


259 

There Is Nothing That Can Stop 

This Nightmare But The 

Resignation Of The President 

Immediately 

Feb 4 2011 

Timing is very crucial as the more the president remains in power the more 

likely the problem will become more complicated and difficult to cure. In 

addition, the delay of intervention by the military - who were celebrated by 

the protestors in the early stages of the demonstrations - to remove 

Mubarak will be seen by the Egyptian people as collaboration with a tyrant 

and will make the job of the military much more complicated to control the 

country in this unusable and explosive situation. 

The delay in removing Mubarak by the military can change the situation in a 

way that makes it uncontrollable by any one. The respect that the military 

have in the hearts and minds of the Egyptian people can be lost if they do 

not remove him NOW. This respect for the military is fundamental to 

bringing stability back to the country. 

The time factor in this situation is similar to the situation of coronary heart 

disease when the delay in treating a heart attack can change it from 

reversible angina to irreversible myocardial infarction. In other words, giving 

a correct treatment to a patient after his death is useless. 

The plan of Mubarak was simply to create this situation of chaos so that he 

finds a reason to remain in power (to control it). What we need to realize is 

that the more the delay in removing Mubarak the more the problem is likely 

to change from a potentially controllable situation to an uncontrollable one. 

If the US informed the Military in Egypt that the US will stop its military aid if 

they did not immediately remove Mubarak it is likely that he will be removed 

within 24 hours of receiving this information. 


260 

Playing Chess With The Muslim 

Brotherhood 

Feb 9 2011 

The US is facing a dilemma on how to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood in 

Egypt. On one hand, accepting them means accepting an Islamist system 

that will certainly have an anti-American and anti-Israeli agenda, and on the 

other hand rejecting and delegitimizing this group can turn some of its 

members to the use of violence. The group has very strong anti-American 

and Anti-Israeli views, and hence defeating them requires wisdom similar to 

playing chess rather than direct confrontations especially in the current 

volatile situation. This approach is possible because we know that the 

leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, unlike other Jihadi groups, can sit at a 

table to negotiate. In chess, one may win the game by executing a proper 

gambit', or a well-calculated sacrifice. Direct confrontations with the Muslim 

Brotherhood may be much less effective than well planned 'gambits'. 

The current reality in Egypt is that despite being officially banned, the 

Muslim Brotherhood exists. For nearly 30 years, the Mubarak regime has 

been unable to suppress the spread of the ideology of this group. For 

example, the Brotherhood managed during the ruling of President Mubarak 

to increase the Islamic-based hatred of Israel and both anti-Americanism 

and anti-Semitism have reached very high levels in the country. In addition, 

they managed to Islamize a significant portion of the society. Currently, 

most Muslim women are wearing the hijab, Islamic jargon is used in 

mainstream media, and the support of Sharia is prevalent among the 

population. During the time of President Sadat, anti-Semitism and anti- 

Americanism was declining and during Nasser's time, signs of Islamisation of 

the society were virtually non-existent. This indicates that the Muslim 

Brotherhood achieved its best success during the time of Mubarak. 

The reliance of Israel and the US on one person in power in Egypt without 

pressuring him to change the educational systems and the governmentcontrolled 

media to actively fight anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism was a 

shortsighted approach that was doomed to fail. It was much better that the 

US - instead of pressuring Mubarak on democracy - should have used its 

relation with the President to make changes in education and to implement 

effective strategies to weaken Islamism. This would have guaranteed a much 

better long-term relationship between Egypt and the US and Israel. 


261 

Mubarak's approach that allowed anti-Semitism to flourish in the country 

while pretending to be a friend to Israel was schizophrenic and indicates that 

he was not a true ally to these countries. His refusal to visit Israel even for 

once during his 30 years of presidency is another indication of the lack of 

sincerity in his relationship with Israel - despite receiving billions of dollars in 

aid from the US. A man who truly believes in peace would not have allowed 

anti-Semitism to flourish to such pathological levels in his country. For 

example, President Sadat who believed in peace took many active steps to 

change Egyptian society and used religion effectively to fight rather than 

promote anti-Semitism. Sadat's approach was to a great extent successful in 

decreasing anti-Semitism in the country - despite him being assassinated by 

extremists who deemed him an "apostate." 

While the Muslim Brotherhood flourished over the last few decades in Egypt, 

they lost a significant amount of their popularity in the last few years due to 

several reasons. These include: 

1- The emergence of open criticism of Islam and the exposure of radical 

teachings that contradict human conscience. The Internet and modern 

media allowed a level of debates and discussions that weakened the 

appeal of political Islam to many people. This was evident by the 

refusal of the protestors in Egypt to use the flag of the Muslim 

Brotherhood. 

2- The failure of sharia-inspired Islamic groups in Somalia, Taliban, and 

Gaza (Hamas) to provide a better life for their people contradicted the 

basic slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood that "Islam is the Solution". 

Furthermore, the failure of the Islamic solution proved too many that 

the wealth in Saudi Arabia was not necessarily because they 

implement Sharia. 

3- The refusal of the Muslim Brotherhood to join the demonstrations at 

the beginning (they only joined them when they started to succeed!). 

This made the group to be perceived by many as a group of political 

opportunists. The Muslim Brotherhood had no other option to use their 

flag in the protests but to arrange a few separate insignificant parallel 

demonstrations. It is important to note that, the prayers that were 

held during the protests represented a common ritual level of Islam in 

the country rather than an ideological movement belonging to the 

Muslim Brotherhood. 

In the current volatile and exploding situation in Egypt, dealing with the 

Brotherhood has become a very sensitive and demanding issue. The 

following are a few - but essential - recommendations on how to handle the 


current situation with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in a way to avoid 

complete collapse of the country. 

262 

1- Try to 'contain' or 'accommodate' the group to some extent as direct 

confrontations with them in this situation can turn some of its 

members to become violent or support other more violent Islamic 

groups to do terrorist acts in the country. Stability at this stage is vital 

to defeat this group in the long run. 

2- Allow some of the members of this group to have limited roles in the 

next government in areas that do not allow them to control the 

strategic policies of the country, education, or the sensitive security 

and military apparatus. One could assign more technical ministries to 

them to test their competence - such as the ministries related to 

environmental affairs, or water and irrigation or housing and utilities. 

This offer to the Muslim Brotherhood MUST be conditioned by their 

approval of the former international treaties of Egypt including the 

peace with Israel. 

3- Fight the group ideologically - as putting their members in prisons 

without fighting their ideology has been ineffective and failed to stop 

the proliferation of their ideology. 

4- Use religion to fight the Muslim Brotherhood and embarrass them. For 

example the secular government can declare that they must respect 

the peace treaty with Israel and ask the group to agree with this as 

the Quran stated clearly that: 

Quran 17:34 Fulfill (every) promise and treaty 

Quran 5:1 O ye who believe! Fulfill (all) obligations. 

Quran 13:20 Those who fulfill their oath and never break their treaties 

(the context is praising them) 

5- Provide humanitarian aids from non-Islamic organizations to compete 

with the Muslim Brotherhood in using this humanitarian tactic to win 

the hearts and minds of people. 

This 'gambit' to accept a limited and controllable role of the Muslim 

Brotherhood in the next stage of Egypt's political future, while using effective 

approaches to win them at the ideological level, will be vital to avoid further 

instability in the country that can breed uncontrollable radicalism. 


263 

Note: This does not in any way mean that I do not see the threat of the 

Muslim Brotherhood. I am only trying to put pragmatic approaches that deal 

with the reality as banning the group simply did not stop them from 

promoting their ideology. 


The Egyptian Revolution: A Brief 

Moment of Opportunity For Israel 

Feb 8 2011 

264 

Israel is facing a dilemma on how to deal with the current situation in Egypt. 

There are fears that the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel can be at 

risk if Mubarak is out of power. There are at least three sources for the anti- 

Israeli views in the country: the well-organized Muslim Brotherhood, the 

ordinary individuals who have been brainwashed anti-Semitism through the 

Arab media and religious education, and the secularists who hate Israel for 

political reasons as many of them are followers of the anti-Israeli views of 

Nasser (former president of Egypt). 

Israel is fully justified in concerns that the coming leaders in Egypt may try 

to end the peace treaty with Israel. They are particularly fearful of change 

bringing an increase in power for the Muslim Brotherhood with an Iran-like 

enemy state arising on their borders. In response to this concern, Israel 

must sustain appropriate military preparedness. 

At the same time, supporting Mubarak and standing against the will of 

people in this stage of history can actually make this scenario more likely to 

happen because Israel will be perceived as supporting an oppressive tyrant. 

Mubarak has killed many peaceful demonstrators in the latest 

demonstrations. According to several news media, he has stolen 40-7- billion 

dollars from his people. And he permitted chaos and violence to spread all 

over the country when his Interior Minister (Habib Al-Adli) released secretly 

thousands of criminals and thugs from the prisons of Egypt in order to create 

fear that would motivate his population to turn them against the 

demonstrators and believe that Mubarak is vital for the security of the 

nation. 

The collapse of 'Mubarak' is inevitable. Siding with him -given the profoundly 

negative image he has for most citizens in Egypt -will only work to increase 

the already dominant anti-Semitic views in the country. 

By contrast, siding with Egyptian demonstrators, supporting their right to 

live in freedom and sending them the best wishes of the people of Israel 

could prove very fruitful. Israeli support could create doubt among many 

Egyptians that their traditional judgment that the Jews are bad people might 

be unfounded. 


265 

The Jewish people have a very strong point to use to win the hearts and 

minds of Egyptians at this critical time. Jews lived in Egypt under oppression 

from the Pharaohs. Their story of achieving freedom after years of slavery 

and suppression could resonate with modern Egyptians. Informing Egyptians 

that the Jewish people feel for their suffering having endured and then 

escaped from similar circumstances years ago could have huge positive 

impact on Egyptians' images of Jews. 

Israel would do well to convey this message by quoting the following Quranic 

verse describing the suffering of the Jews in Egypt thousands of years ago. 

(Quran 28:4-5) "Truly Pharaoh elated himself in the land [of Egypt] and 

broke up its people into sections, depressing a small group among them 

[The Jews] their sons he slew, but he kept alive their females: for he was 

indeed a maker of mischief. And we wished to be Gracious to those who 

were being depressed in the land (The Jews), to make them leaders (in 

Faith) and make them the heirs." 

The message that should reach the Egyptians now is that Jews do not hate 

them but rather wish them success in their struggle for freedom. 

This message would remind Egyptians of 1940s movies such as "Fatima, 

Marica, and Rachel" or "Hassan and Mark, and Cohen." These films 

portrayed Jews, Muslims, and Christians living together in peace. History can 

give permission for Egyptians to believe that the three religions could live in 

true peace together once more. 

Siding with Mubarak now is like betting all your money on a failing hoarse. 

Switching support to the protestors after the inevitable end of Mubarak will 

be perceived as hypocritical. Doing this step NOW could however be 

perceived as genuine, opening open a new era of mutually respectful 

dialogue with the Egyptian people 

Israel must seize this historical opportunity. 


266 

How Further Radicalization Of 

Egypt In Post-Mubarak Era Can Be 

Prevented 

Feb 10 2011 

The revolution in Egypt can take one of two more likely directions. On one 

hand, the values of liberty and freedom may prevail and on the other hand, 

Islamic radicals may hijack the revolution and create a theocratic state. The 

future of the country and the Middle East largely depend on which of these 

case scenarios will succeed. 

It is important to mention that unlike the Iranian revolution - which was 

clearly an Islamic one - this revolution is not religious in its roots. However, 

the more the delay in ending the power of Mubarak, the more likely the 

country will collapse economically which can allow Islamists to direct the 

revolution to serve their Islamic agenda. 

On the positive side, Islamists have suffered several blows in this revolution. 

These include: 

1- Unprecedented unity between Muslims and Christians. Both Friday 

Muslim and Sunday Christian prayers were held in the Tahreer Square 

with support and blessings from the protestors. 

2- Clear rejection to giving the revolution any religious title. In fact, many 

protestors prevented the members of the Muslim Brotherhood from 

using the flag of their organization. 

3- The founders of the revolution have been inspired by the values of 

freedom. The very same people who started the revolution are unlikely 

to accept an Islamic agenda that will inevitably suppress their 

freedoms. 

4- The logic that was regularly used by many Islamists that the US and 

Israel are behind all the problems in Egypt has been discredited as the 

Mubarak government tried to accuse the demonstrators that they are 

paid by the US and Israel. This despicable lie is likely to diminish the 

ability of Islamists to use such reasoning to further ruin the already 

negative image of the US and Israel. 


267 

5- The refusal of the Muslim Brotherhood initially to share in the 

demonstrations will make them loose some of their already declining 

credibility in the Egyptian street. 

Despite the above mentioned potentially positive points against the 

Islamists, the following factors can significantly nullify such points and on 

the contrary allow Islamists to hijack the revolution. These factors include: 

a- The expected economic crisis that is likely to happen in the country as 

a result of a sudden collapse of the tourism industry. 

b- The contradictory statements of some US officials regarding the exact 

position of the US regarding to the revolution. On one hand Frank 

Wisner, a US envoy to Egypt, suggest that Egyptian President Hosni 

Mubarak President Hosni Mubarak should remain in office and on the 

other hand the Obama administration was clear in that there is a need 

for power transition in the country. 3 This ambiguity has been used by 

Al-Jazeera (Arabic) to convince many Egyptians that the US is 

supportive of Mubarak against them. The US disowned his comments, 

however; the exact US position is still unclear in the eyes of many 

Egyptians. Such lack of clarity-at least as perceived by many - about 

the real US position can create a wound between the US and the 

Egyptian people that may take long time to heal. 4 

c- The delay of the Egyptian military in taking a clear stand with the 

people against Mubarak will make them perceived by many as traitors 

who supported one person against the will of a whole nation. This 

delay of the military in taking a clear side against Mubarak has put 

the country into a state of chaos and economic crisis that can ONLY 

work for the benefit of Islamists and can make many Egyptians 

unwilling to cooperate with the military in the future. 

d- A sudden termination of the Emergency Law in Egypt as the US 

demanded from the Mubarak regime may allow many Jihadists to 

utilize the chaos and conduct acts of terror that can further aggravate 

the already existent economic crisis and increase radicalism. 

The following can help to avoid more Islamisation and radicalization of the 

country after the inevitable collapse of Mubarak: 

3 Hosni Mubarak should remain in office during a democratic transition. (2011, February 

05). Retrieved from http://www.newstimeafrica.com 

4 Egypt unrest: US disowns envoy comment on Hosni Mubarak. (2011, February 5). BBC 

News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada 


268 

1- Immediate economic support to prevent the economic crisis to block 

the positive feedback potential of the vicious Poverty-Terrorism cycle 

where poverty (in the presence of radical Islamic ideology) facilitates 

recruitment for terrorist groups who commit terror acts that further 

aggravate the poverty situation. 

2- Immediate support for the efforts of the Egyptians to get Mubarak's 

family and -if possible-money back to the country if the allegations are 

true that they stole $40-70 Billion dollars from public money. 

3- Clarifying that the US position is for freedom of the Egyptian people 

and against Mubarak. Currently, the US can choose either to loose 

Mubarak and the Egyptian people or loose the former and win the 

hearts of the Egyptians (and many in the Muslim world as well). An 

unambiguous US position in this critical time is vital if the US is 

interested to win many Egyptians to its side. 

4- Immediate intervention of the Egyptian military to remove Mubarak. 

5- Modifying (NOT suspending) the Emergency Law to avoid using it 

against innocents or against political opponents of Mubarak and limit 

its use to the terrorists. A strong punishment MUST be given to those 

who use this law against innocents or to suppress political opposition 

of the government. Unfortunately, this law is needed, at least in some 

situations, to prevent some devastating terrorist acts. 

6- Building on the positive momentum that has been described earlier 

against the Islamists via proper use of media campaigns. For example, 

well organized media campaigns to discuss, for example, how the 

Muslims and Christians united during the protests, how the Muslim 

brotherhood initially refused to share in the demonstrations, and how 

the conspiracy theories can be incorrect- can assist in preventing more 

Islamisation of the country after Mubarak. 

Failure to IMMEDIATELLY give attention to the factors that can drag the 

country toward more Islamism can jeopardize all future relations between 

US and Egypt. 


269 

US Must Strike While The Iron Is 

Hot 

Feb 15 2011 

Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to improve its image, the 

US failed to significantly improve its image in the Muslim world. In June 

2010 Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Centre, said the 'bad 

news' was that the Muslim public is more critical of US than in last year's 

study. 5 

In Egypt the percentage of Muslims expressing confidence in Obama fell 

from 41 percent in 2009 to 31 percent in 2010, while in Turkey it fell from 

33 percent to 23 percent during the same period of time. In the 2009 

survey, only 13 percent of Pakistani Muslims were confident in Obama. That 

figure fell to 8 percent in 2010. 

Overall, the US image fell in Egypt and Jordan. 33 percent of Egyptians held 

a positive view of the United States, dropping from 42 percent the year 

before, and in Jordan, the image slumped from 31 percent to 26 percent. 

For several years, the US has been trying to use different approaches and 

tactics to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world. These include 

USAID, American media channels such as Al-Hurra Radio, publishing 

magazines in Arabic such as Hi magazine, etc... None of these made a 

significant improvement of the US image. 

This tells us that winning the hearts and minds of Muslims is not a matter of 

how much money is being spent for this target, but rather how this money is 

being spent. 

For example, the US now has a golden opportunity to win the hearts and 

minds of millions in the Muslim world if they utilized the Jan 25 Revolution in 

Egypt properly and in a timely fashion. The US MUST "strike while the iron is 

hot" and send a message to congratulate the Egyptian people for the 

success of their revolution and convey to them the best wishes from the 

American people to continue their path successfully to have freedom. 

In the Egyptian culture, it is practically meaningless to congratulate 

someone after a long time of their success. The US needs to congratulate 

5 US image stays high in Europe; weak in Muslim countries. (2010, June 18). Retrieved from 

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/usa 


270 

the Egyptians in Arabic language via major advertisement pages in leading 

Egyptian newspapers that are seen and read by millions of Egyptians. 

Sending congratulations as verbal messages in the media is not as effective 

as having it printed in Arabic in such key Egyptian newspapers. The words 

MUST be carefully selected to avoid any misunderstanding. 

The US needs to do this within 72 hours of the celebrations that will start in 

Egypt this Friday on February 18, 2011. Timing is a crucial factor as sending 

these congratulations after a long period of time will make it loose its 

effectiveness. Publishing these congratulations in Egyptian Newspapers this 

Friday (Day of celebrating the Revolution), Saturday, or Sunday can create a 

very powerful positive psychological link to the US. 

If the US did this it can win the hearts and minds of millions in Egypt, 

weaken the negative perception of the US in the country, and open the gates 

for a new relationship with the Egyptians. Furthermore, these 

advertisements can limit the ability of people like Ahamdy Najad to ruin the 

image of the US in the Muslim world by claiming that the US is not happy 

with their revolution. Unfortunately, many in the Muslim world have 

tendency to believe such lies especially when they damage the image of the 

US. 

Compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars that were spent by the US 

and were ineffective in winning the hearts and minds of the Muslims world, 

printing such congratulations "from the American people to the Egyptian 

people" in major newspapers all over Egypt will only cost few hundred 

thousand dollars and can be much more effective in improving US image in 

the Muslim world. 

Because of the historical position of Egypt in the Arab world, the positive 

outcome of these congratulations in major Egyptian newspapers can go 

beyond the borders of Egypt and affect many others in the Arab world. The 

US MUST utilize this historical opportunity in Egypt to direct its money more 

effectively to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world. 


271 

What's Next For Egypt? 

Feb 13 2011 

The Future of Egypt will be largely determined by the Military, the Media and 

the Muslim Brotherhood group. The former groups and the main street can 

follow the progressive way of thinking of many of the initiators of the Jan 25 

revolution and move in the direction of liberty& modernity or, on the 

contrary, they can become more radicalized and follow a more oppressive 

form of Islam. 

In general, the initial trend of the above-mentioned key players -until the 

moment of writing this Op-Ed -is in the direction of more liberty. For 

example, the Military repeatedly asserted that they give power to the people 

via democratic elections; the Muslim Brotherhood welcomed a non-theocratic 

country and accepted the Peace treaty with Israel. In addition, the official 

Egyptian Media is currently taking a more honest position in addressing 

problems of the country. 

The causes for such initial pro-modernity trend differ among these groups. 

The Military recognized the power of people and realized that the people can 

repeat the revolution-which could be bloody next time- if the Military 

betrayed them. The official Media learnt a lesson, that they can't deceive 

people forever especially in the presence of competing media, satellite T.V., 

and the Internet. Factors that were involved in initiating some change in the 

Muslim Brotherhood (MB) included failure of the MB to move the masses 

since they started in 1928 compared to the liberal and progressive founders 

of the revolution who managed to move the masses and make a change in 

relatively very short period of time. Furthermore, the Slogan of the MB 

"Islam is the Solution" has lost a significant portion of its appeal after the 

miserable failure of Islamic regimens in Taliban, Somalia, and Hamas 

controlled Gaza. It is unclear yet if this change in the attitude of the MB 

represents a genuine desire toward more liberty or a tactical step to get to 

power and ultimately implement oppressive Sharia Laws. 

It is also fair to say that some Islamists are trying to hijack the revolution by 

creating an Islamic leadership for it. Their attempts included having huge 

Friday prayer service in the Liberation Square led by famous and radical 

Islamic scholars such as Sheik Youssef Al-Quradawy who justified terrorist 

acts against innocent Israeli civilians. These ceremonies while frightening 

could not change -until today- the nationalist theme of the revolution to an 

Islamic one. For example; most protestors -until today- carry the flag of 

Egypt rather than the flag of the Muslim Brotherhood. 


272 

Several factors (see below) can impede this initial pro-democracy trend and 

can actually reverse it toward Islamic radicalism. These factors include: 

1- Sudden Economical failure: Economic failure due to collapse of tourism 

industry and escape of foreign investing can aggravate the levels of 

poverty in the country which may increase the crime rates and thus 

cause further weakening in tourism industry and diminishes foreign 

investing. This cascade can drag the country into further economic 

failure. This disastrous negative vicious cycle can also open the gate 

for many Islamic radical groups to dominate the society. The delay in 

removing Mubarak from power has aggravated this problem. 

2- Lack of hope: Loss of hope in improving the living standards of 

individuals on the short term can make people turn to the use of 

violence. People can tolerate a decline in their living standards after 

the revolution if they have a hope that their situation may improve in 

the near future. If this hope is lost many will lose the trust in 

democracy and thus can turn to radical forms of Islam with the hope 

that this may solve their problems. Giving hope to people in this 

crucial time is fundamental to the future stability of the country. 

3- Lack of trust in the leadership: Despite the fact that several former 

Egyptian government officials in the Mubarak regimen have been put - 

after the revolution -in prison due to accusations of corruption, the 

Mubarak family seems until today to be above the law. Despite 

allegations that Mubarak family has stolen 40-70 Billion dollars from 

public money, unlike many other officials who were put in prison for 

corruption allegations, no single member of Mubarak family has been 

put in prison for similar allegations. 6 The people who suffered as a 

result of corruption by the former rulers of the country will never trust 

the new system that currently rules the country until they see that 

they apply the law on Mubarak family as well. In other words millions 

of Egyptians will lose their trust in the current leaders of the country 

until they see members of Mubarak family persecuted by law. The 

double standards in applying the law will open the gate to civil 

disobedience and nourishes radical views in the society that will 

ultimately impede the path toward modernity. If the people of Egypt 

felt that the current leadership is more faithful to Mubarak Family than 

to their own people they will gather around an Islamic leadership to 

resist this form corruption. 

6 ) Inman, P. (2011, February 04). Mubarak family fortune could reach $70bn, says expert. 

The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world 


273 

4- Terrorist Acts: Radical groups such as Al-Qaeda may utilize the current 

chaotic situation to ruin the hope of modernity in the country by 

conducting some terrorist activities. In fact, Aiman Al-Zawaherri 

expressed his opposition to the Jan 25 revolution as it is based on 

Democracy rather than on Islam. 

The above factors -if not immediately addressed -can reverse the direction 

of the initial pro-modernity trend and direct the country to the path of more 

radicalism instead of more modernity. 

The following suggestions can help continue the initial pro-modernity 

momentum and prevent a catastrophic reversal of the trend toward more 

Islamic Radicalism: 

1- Immediate measures to deal with the post-revolution economic crisis 

to protect the country from succumbing to the formerly mentioned 

disastrous cascade. This step can be facilitated and assisted by urgent 

active steps to get some of the stolen public money back to the 

country. 

2- Current Egyptian leaders MUST immediately give the people in Egypt 

'HOPE' that their situation will change on the short run by decelerating 

that the income of Suez Canal that used to go to the president and his 

surrounding presidential guard will be from now on directed to the 

people of Egypt. 

3- Current Egyptian leaders MUST regain 'TRUST' of the Egyptian people 

by proving to them that Mubarak and his family are NOT above the 

law. This may need freezing their assets inside Egypt, preventing them 

from travelling overseas, and even putting members of Mubarak 

Family in prison to be treated in the same way as the other former 

corrupt government officials of the Mubarak regimen have been 

treated. 7 These officials who included ex-ministers of Interior, Tourism, 

Housing and business mogul Ahmed Ezz are now in prison waiting for 

the results of the investigations of the allegations against them. Failure 

to treat the Mubarak family in the same way as these officials have 

been treated will end trust in the leadership and is likely to cause in a 

disaster for the whole country that may drive it into more radicalism. 

4- Amending the Emergency Law so that it cannot be used against 

political opponents of the government yet can still be used to stop 

7 Egypt corruption probe: Ex-minister, state TV boss held. (2011, February 24). BBC News. 

Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news 


274 

possible terrorist acts. A specific Anti-Terrorism Law can be a suitable 

substitute for the current Emergency Law. 

A reconciliation program that allows former corrupt officials to apologize for 

the people of Egypt, repent from their wrongdoings against the nation, and 

taking active steps to return back significant portion of the stolen money to 

contribute to building the country can help in preventing the escalation of 

destructive forms of anger within the society. 

In brief, the future of Egypt will be largely determined by the immediate 

actions that will be taken by the current military leaders. If the above issues 

are addressed by the Egyptian leaders without delay there will be a high 

possibility that Egypt can progress toward more liberty. On the contrary, if 

the Egyptian leadership ignored these recommendations or took long time 

before implementing them the country is likely to succumb to Islamic 

radicalism. 


275 

How The US Should Deal With The 

Muslim Brotherhood 

April 26 2011 

The Muslim Brotherhood and how to deal with it is a Political dilemma for 

decision makers in the US. Recently, Rep. Sue Myrick held her House 

Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis and 

Counterintelligence hearing to examine the history, beliefs and positions of 

the Muslim Brotherhood. 

The Muslim Brotherhood does not seem to be as violent as Al-Queda. 

However, it is hard to completely separate them from the phenomenon of 

Radical Islam. The word they use for their slogan is "Wa-aidou" which is 

Arabic for "prepare." This is taken from verse 8:60 of the Quran which 

states, "Prepare (Wa-aidou) against them (the Un-believers) to the utmost 

of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) 

the enemies of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may 

not know, but whom Allah doth know. "Therefore, the use of "Wa-aidou" 

underneath the two swords in the MB flag indicates this is much more 

complex word than many can imagine. 

Initial statements by some leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood after the 

January 25th revolution in Egypt seem promising. However, what the group 

says today can be very different from what they will do when they come to 

power. 

The statements from the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are typically 

general statements without addressing the specifics of the issues. This 

approach allows the leaders of the MB the flexibility to completely change 

what they will say if they come to power. For example, the leaders of the MB 

defended religious freedom. However, this is not specifically state if a Muslim 

can convert to other another faith without being killed. Recently, a leading 

member of the MB mentioned on one of the mainstream Egyptian TV 

channels that it is so easy to convert to Islam but it so hard to leave it (his 

facial expressions actually changed from a peaceful smile when he was 

talking about entering into Islam to expressing anger and disgust when he 

mentioned leaving it). In addition, they speak about equality and yet they 

refuse to allow a Coptic or a woman to be the president. This was recently 

illustrated when several Islamists (including members of the Muslim 

brotherhood) in the Upper Egypt province of Quena, started a civil strike 

protesting the new governor mainly because he is a 'Copt'. "It is hard to 


276 

witness such destructive discriminatory reactions, but this superiority 

complex rhetoric is often found in Islamist groups such as the Muslim 

Brotherhood. These groups cannot accept Infidels or Non-Muslims as a ruler 

over Muslims." 

To understand how the US should deal with the Muslim Brotherhood it is 

vital to mention the following facts: 

1- The fall of Mubarak was inevitable and any intervention by the US to 

stop it would have failed. So, it is better to deal with the current reality 

than just blame the US government for not standing beside Mubarak. 

2- The MB is a reality on the ground. Ignoring their existence does not 

change the reality. 

3- There are growing internal conflicts and divisions within the MB. Some 

young members, female members, and some senior members have 

expressed several views that contradict the traditional views of the 

organization. These include acceptance of Copts in leadership 

positions, more roles for women in the organization, and different 

views about some of fundamental Hudud (punishments) in Islam such 

as stoning for adulteries. 

4- Due to several ideological reasons, the Muslim Brotherhood cannot be 

a sincere ally to the US. They can only have a parasitic form of 

relationship with the US. The MB will use the US support until they 

become more powerful. 

5- Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israeli views in Egypt are not limited to the 

MB. Secular groups in Egypt also share the same views. 

The following are some recommendations for the US decision makers on how 

to deal with the MB: 

1- The US government MUST understand the reality of what they are 

dealing with. Asking about the specifics rather than general issues is 

vital. For example, it is important to know clearly the position of the 

MB on the intentional killing of Israeli civilians by Palestinian Islamic 

groups. It is also crucial to ask the MB about how they can respect the 

peace treaty with Israel (as they claimed) and at the same time 

uphold the Islamic principle, which is used by Hamas organization, to 

destroy Israel and erase it from the map. Furthermore, it is imperative 

to know how their new party that is called Al-Hureia Wa Al-Adala or 

'Freedom and Equality' will practically deal with freedom of Muslims to 

covert to other faiths. Or, how will they deal with equality between 


277 

Muslims and Non-Muslims and between different genders. Pushing the 

MB on these specific points can help the US officials to understand the 

real views of the organization. 

2- Maintaining a good relationship with the secular elements of the 

Military in Egypt. These military leaders are vital to protect Egypt from 

becoming another Taliban. 

3- Direct more of USAID or other humanitarian support to Egypt toward 

the humanitarian efforts of secular organizations. In this way these 

organizations can compete with the MB in their humanitarian work. 

This will create a needed balance, allowing Egyptians to see that the 

MB is not the only giver of food and humanitarian work. 

4- The MB MUST know clearly that if they supported terrorist groups, 

such as the Hamas organization, they will confront a very strong action 

from the US and they will also be considered and treated as a terrorist 

group. The "Paradise and Hell" approach of traditional religious 

education mimics the intentions of "Carrot and Stick" policies. Thus, a 

strategy of negative and positive consequences is effective when 

dealing with any Islamist groups. 

5- The USAID to the country, if the MB took power, MUST be linked to 

their implementation of Human Rights. 

In brief, the US may soon face the situation where the Muslim Brotherhood 

is in control of the government of Egypt. It is vital that the US clearly 

understands the position of the MB towards the activities of terrorist groups 

such as Hamas. Equally important, is to convey a powerful message to the 

Muslim Brotherhood that any support for any terrorist group will have grave 

consequences both on the MB and on the whole country. US support or Aid 

to Egypt needs to be used wisely to avoid giving support to Islamist groups 

that can ultimately turn against the US. 


278 

The Straw That May Break Egypt's 

Back 

May 18 2011 

Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak, was 

granted bail in a corruption probe after agreeing to hand over her assets 

inside Egypt amounting to 24 million pounds," (around USD 4 million), as 

her husband pledged to do the same, in a bid to secure an amnesty. 

She had been held on corruption charges in a 'luxury' hospital at the Red 

Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, along with her husband, who is also being 

investigated for allegedly ordering the shooting of anti-regime protesters. 

Meanwhile, Mubarak, 83, is said to be preparing to hand over his assets in 

Egypt and apologize to the Egyptian people in return for an amnesty from 

the military rulers who took power when he was overthrown on February 11. 

This situation and decision, that aims at avoiding punishment of Mubarak's 

family, is likely to initiate a destructive process within the country, and can 

be "the straw that will break the Camel's back". 

After the Jan 25 revolution many poor Egyptians lived with the hope that 

some of the public money that was stolen from the country by the Mubarak's 

family which amounts -according to the Guardian-to 70 billion dollars 8 and 

according to other sources 700 billion dollars will come back to them and 

this will relieve, or even end, their suffering. 9 Many Egyptians have started 

to calculate how much money they will have after the government brings 

back Mubarak's money from overseas. 

Many Egyptians trusted the new military rulers of the country and lived with 

the optimism that the new leadership will care for and stand by the people of 

Egypt. 

Furthermore, many Egyptians lived with the dream that the time of 

corruption of Mubarak's family is over and that after the revolution no one 

will be above the law. 

8 Inman, P. (2011, February 04). Mubarak family fortune could reach $70bn, says expert. 

The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world 

9 O‘connor, Clare. (2011, April 11). Egyptian Estimate Of Mubarak‘s Wealth Soars To $700 

Billion [Blog Post]. Forbes. Retrieved from http://blogs.forbes.com/clareoconnor 


279 

The release of Susan Mubarak and the possible release of the former 

President is likely to have serious, uncontrollable, and irreversible 

consequences on the country. 

The loss of hope, that the money that will come back from Mubarak's family 

to the people of Egypt will drive many of them to become violent. In 

addition, the loss of trust in the current leadership will make many unwilling 

to listen to their instructions or orders. Moreover, the feeling that Law is not 

above everyone will give a justification for many deprived people to do 

criminal acts as they will simply say "Why should we follow the law if the 

leadership of the country allows the Mubarak's family to be above it". 

The cumulative effect of the above factors i.e. losing hope in a better future, 

losing trust in the current leaders, and losing respect for law can cause a 

significant increase in crime rates, which can further weaken the economy. 

In addition, this atmosphere creates a very fertile ground for Al-Qaeda and 

other terrorist groups to orchestrate a wave of terrorist acts within the 

country and make it like Iraq. The economic collapse that can result of an 

increase in crime rates and terror acts can lead to loss of more investors, 

and result in the collapse of the tourism industry, which will further 

aggravate poverty, and increase the crime rates. This negative feedback 

loop can cause uncontrollable negative consequences. 

On the contrary, the current leadership of Egypt can prevent this disastrous 

case scenario, if they actually did the opposite, and instead of releasing the 

Mubarak(s), put more pressure on them to bring back the stolen money. 

Only in this situation can the current leaders regain the trust of the people 

and bring them hope for a better future. 

To conclude, due to several factors, Egypt is already suffering from major 

economic and security problems. The decision of releasing Susan Mubarak 

and the possible release of the former President as well, is likely to be "the 

straw that will break the camel's back" and can initiate a destructive cascade 

of increasing crime rates and terror acts and works only for the benefit of 

Islamic radical groups. 


280 


281 

Book Review 


282 

Who Really Does Speak For Islam? 

Analysis of the book "Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims 

Really Think" by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed 

The Gallup Polls have a reputation as genuinely reliable surveys. Indeed, 

sophisticated statistical methods and sampling techniques are used to collect 

survey data across many different populations. However, in the book Who 

Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, published late last 

2007 there are major deficiencies at several levels that need to be 

addressed concerning the questions and the interpretation of the data 

collected in this survey. 

First, the authors did not appear to take into consideration that certain 

aspects of Islamic culture may have had an influence on the responses given 

by those who were surveyed, which would have surely impacted the 

collected data. One such factor includes al-Taqiyya, an Islamist concept that 

it is permissible to lie in order to defeat an enemy. 1 In addition, many of the 

participants live in suppressive political environments, which may have 

reduced the willingness of those polled to freely criticize their societies. 

Furthermore, there is a great sense of intense cultural pride in many parts of 

the world where this survey was conducted that may have led participants to 

answer questions in a way that honors their culture irrespective of whether 

the information given is true or not. By not taking into account these three 

points, the authors ran the risk of conducting inadequate data analysis as 

well as drawing flawed conclusions. 

Given this circumstance, how can we eliminate as much as possible the 

effect of potential cultural bias? 

Using internet polls that already exist in the Muslim world, such as those 

conducted by Al-Jazeera or Al-Arabia, may provide some insights, as the 

participants express their views anonymously and remotely. This reduces the 

potential for embarrassment or fear, thereby increasing the likelihood of 

questions being answered freely. 

1 The concept of Al-Taqiyya means to hide ones believes to deceive the unbelievers. This 

concept is more prominent is Sheia theology than Sunni teachings however it do exist in the 

latter as well. The concept is based on the traditional understanding of the following verse in 

the, Quran 3:28, Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than 

believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah. Except by way of 

precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To 

remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. 


283 

While in general, random human to human based surveys that are not 

Internet-based are more accurate than those that are (due to the former's 

capacity to represent a wider range of the population), the complex and 

sensitive nature of views concerning religion and politics in the Muslim world 

may necessitate the increased use of the latter as well. 

The exponential growth in using the Internet in many parts of the Muslim 

world especially among the educated gives more support for using Internet 

polls on larger scales. Generally speaking the Internet-based Polls are easier 

to conduct and can be less costly than traditional human to human based 

surveys. Evaluating the feedback of Muslim societies on the news is another 

way to give an indication about the views of these societies in a cost 

effective manner. In both human to human surveys and Internet data 

analysis bias elements of the study must be considered and minimized as 

much as possible. 

The striking difference between the authors' interpretation for the Gallop 

Surveys and the relatively limited Internet-based polls of Al-Jazeera 

certainly deserves some attention. For example, according to the authors' 

interpretation of Gallup survey results, less than 10% of the Muslim world 

supports terrorism yet according to many Al-Jazeera polls, the majority of 

participants showed support for it in some fashion. In an Al-Jazeera poll 

from July 1, 2006, 57.9% of respondents showed support for Ayman al- 

Zawahiri. In another poll from April 4, 2004, 75.5% showed approval for 

kidnapping and killing innocent civilians in Iraq. Furthermore, a poll from 

December 12, 2007 recorded 54.7% support for Al-Qaeda attacks in Algeria 

against innocent civilians (that killed nearly 200,000 innocents). It should be 

noted that a Gallup poll typically represents the views of 1,000 individuals 

selected randomly, which represents more segments of the population than 

internet polls. The 2006, 2004, and 2007 Al-Jazeera internet polls 

represented the views of 30,487; 2,556; and 30,009 individuals, 

respectively. These results raise the need for further analysis and evaluation 

of the true views within the Muslim world. 

Second, when the authors evaluated the support of the Muslim world for 

women's rights, focus was placed on issues such as the freedom to drive 

cars and vote instead of giving attention to more serious topics related to 

sharia law. For example, the permissibility of beating women and stoning 

them to death for adultery was not covered. These are fundamental issues in 

the Muslim world and should not have been ignored. 

Third, the authors concluded that the vast majority of Muslims are 

"moderates" simply because the survey results indicate that they do not 

support terrorism. This analysis raises an important question regarding the 

authors' view about Muslims who reject terrorism but at the same time 


284 

believe in killing apostates, hanging gays, calling Jews "pigs" and 

"monkeys," and promoting barbaric punishments for women such as stoning 

to death for adultery. Should we really classify these Muslims as 

"moderates" just because they reject terrorism? Defining what is meant 

exactly by terrorism is also crucial as some may give an answer that they 

are against terrorism but they may only consider killing fellow Muslims (not 

non-Muslims) as terrorism. 2 

Fourth, when the authors mention the topic of jihad to explain to the readers 

its meaning they quote the following phrase from the Hadith, "We return 

from the lesser Jihad [warfare] to the greater Jihad [struggle against ego, 

selfishness, greed, and evil]" but they do not clarify to the reader that this 

Hadith is Hadith Daeif, or weak and non-binding according to standard 

Islamic theology. 3 This vital fact about the Hadith should not be ignored. 

Fifth, in order to distinguish Quranic from non-Quranic sources of sharia to 

present the view of some Muslim Reformers who want to separate the two 

sources to give more adaptability to the religion, the authors mention that 

the source of prayer rituals in Islam is the Quran. One of the basic facts of 

Islam is that the rituals of the five prayers have never been described in the 

Quran itself and to begin with, the concept that there are five prayers is 

actually derived from non-Quranic sources. 4 The authors should have been 

aware of this fundamental tenet of Islam. 

In conclusion, while the goal of this Gallup survey was laudable in 

attempting to understand public opinion in the Islamic world on some 

complex issues, the uncertainty and ambiguity of many of the questions 

highlights the need for a reassessment of the questions used in the survey. 

More importantly, the editorial and speculative conclusions drawn from the 

data do not capture potential cultural biases and, in many cases, indicate a 

2 It is not sufficient that Islamic organizations or individuals denounce killing innocent 

people without defining what do they mean by the word ‖innocent‖ as radical Muslims may 

consider that Non –Muslims are not innocent as they do not follow Islam. It is vital in such a 

case to insist that the denouncement is for killing civilians irrespective of their faith and to 

clearly articulate that the denouncement includes killing Non-Muslims. 

See the following video: British Muslim leader: Only Muslims are innocent [Video]. (2006, 

December 17). Jihad Watch. Retrieved from http://www.jihadwatch.org 


Publications. 

4 The ONLY verse in the Quran that mentioned clearly the times for performing the prayers 

mentioned 3 times (not five): (Quran 11:114) And establish regular prayers at the two ends 

of the day and at the approaches of the night: For those things, that are good remove those 

that are evil: Be that the word of remembrance to those who remember (their Lord). 


285 

fundamental unawareness of basic Islamic tenets. In the important arena of 

understanding public opinions in the Islamic world, scientific polls need to be 

used to discover trends and serve as the inputs for rigorous analysis - not as 

support for pre-determined viewpoints. 


286 

Miscellaneous topics 


287 

The Torture of an Indonesian maid in 

Saudi Arabia raises several concerns 

Last week an Islamic Sharia court in the Saudi city of Medina has sentenced a Saudi 

woman to three years in jail[i] for the severe physical abuse of her Indonesian maid. 

Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa, 23, was admitted to hospital in November with broken 

bones and burns to her face and body. The Saudi woman for whom she found work as a 

maid was arrested after allegedly beating Ms Sumiati so severely she had broken bones 

and internal bleeding. She was accused of putting a hot iron to Ms Sumiati's head and 

stabbing and mutilating her with scissors. 

The case received worldwide attention, and prompted the Indonesian president to 

demand justice for her "torture". 

This "Sharia" punishment raises several concerns about the so called "justice of Sharia" 

Law as demonstrated two years ago when Abdul-Aziz al-Mutairi, a 22 year old Saudi , 

suffered a spinal injury which left him paralyzed when he was struck with a cleaver 

intentionally by another man. Saoud bin Suleiman al-Youssef, a Sharia judge of the 

northwestern Tabuk province contacted several hospitals in the area to see if they could 

perform a surgical procedure on the attacker which would paralyze him[ii],[iii]. The 

sentence was based on the Sharia concept of "An Eye for An Eye". This concept has roots 

in the Quranic verse {5:45 We ordained therein for them (the children of Israel): "Life 

for life, eye for eye, nose or nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for 

equal." 

In the case of the Indonesian lady it is reasonable to ask ourselves why the Sharia judge 

did not use the same Sharia principle "An Eye of An Eye" that had been used in the 

other case. Can this be related to the fact that the victim was not a Saudi citizen? In 

other words, was the Sharia court going to limit the punishment to only 3 years in 

prison for the assailer assailant if the situation was the other way around and the 

Indonesian servant was the one who tortured the Saudi lady? 

Furthermore, when we, on one hand, see that the punishment of the Saudi Lady was 

only 3 years in prison after torturing another human being to this extent and, on the 

other hand, realize that a Lebanese man charged with sorcery (or future telling) had 


288 

been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia and was scheduled to be beheaded in March 

2010[iv], we must question not only the "Sharia Law" but the whole justice system that 

permits this bizarre situation to exist. 

I hope that the soft punishment that has been given to the Saudi lady for torturing her 

maid is not in any way based on or related to the Sharia rule that a free man is not to be 

killed for the killing of a slave[v]. 

Didi Wahyudi, from the Indonesian consulate in Saudi Arabia, told the BBC that this 

country would press for a harsher sentence. "We are going to file an objection to the 

judge's verdict because the sentence is too light compared to the maximum jail sentence 

of 15 years according to Saudi law, whereas Sumiati has suffered extraordinary 

consequences." In addition, the defendant's lawyer also said she would appeal against 

the sentence, reported Saudi Gazette. 

The Saudi Sharia judges should at least seek justice between humans irrespective of 

their class or nationality as the Quran states clearly {4:58 God doth command you to 

render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; And when ye judge between 

humans, that ye judge with justice: Verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth 

you! For God is He Who heareth and seeth all things. In addition, these judges need to 

learn from the Hadith of prophet Mohamed that described the reason for destroying 

some ancient nations was that they used to avoid punishing the criminals if they were 

from higher class and on the contrary they used to give touch punishment for the 

criminals if they were from a weak family. 

In brief, the Saudi scholars need to reevaluate the sentence in Ms.Mustapa's case and 

enforce true justice. 

[i] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12151454 

[ii] http://searchwarp.com/swa616763-Saudi-Sharia-Law-In-The-News-Again-Man- 

Sentenced-To-Be-Paralyzed.htm 

[iii] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G03-0jr0q00 


289 

[iv] http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-31/world/saudi.arabia.sorcery_1_appeals-courtsaudi-ministry-saudi-city?_s=PM:WORLD 

[v] See: Fiqh: According to the Quran & Sunnah Compoled -by Muhammad Subhi bin 

Hasan Hallaq Vol:2 Darussalam Publications 


290 

The Israeli Gambit that can save the 

Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty 

By Tawfik Hamid 

www.tawfikhamid.com 

Recent attacks from the Sinai and Gaza on Southern Israel triggered strong 

military responses from Israel followed by angry reactions from within Egypt. 

Egypt's response has been two-fold: attempts from the leadership to 

negotiate a cease-fire, plus calls and protests from the citizenry demanding 

an end to the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement of 1979. The latter protests 

are telling. 

Thousands of Egyptian demonstrators have been demanding an end to the 

peace treaty with Israel. These outcries have unmasked the pathological 

levels of popular hatred toward Jews and Israel that had been nurtured in 

Egypt during the several decades of Hosni Mubarak's rule. 

Hostility to the peace treaty with Israel is not simply the outcome of 

removing Mubarak from power. Rather, it is the outcome of the Mubarak 

regimen's blind eye to, and maybe even encouragement of, anti-Israeli 

propaganda. 

The result is that nearly 30 years after the treaty was signed, values of 

peaceful co-existence toward Israelis have not taken root among Egyptians. 

Unfortunately, virulent hatred toward Israel and demands to end the peace 

treaty are also winning tactics for garnering political support in the coming 


291 

Egyptian elections. Public surveys confirm the unfortunate reality that a 

majority of Egyptians want to end the peace treaty with Israel. 

The current Egyptian government and the Military Council of Egypt therefore 

now face a Catch-22. On the one hand they want to respect the international 

commitments of the country. They also realize that war will bring the 

opposite of prosperity to their nation. 

On the other hand they want to satisfy the desires of their local population, 

if only to gain and keep political legitimacy. 

In crisis lies opportunity for creative new approaches. 

The current Egyptian hysteria about ending the peace treaty with Israel 

stems from failure of many Egyptians to understand the negative 

consequences of ending this treaty. 

Egyptians in general understand only one aspect of the agreement - 

normalization of the relations between the two countries. The part of the 

treaty which they ignore or forget is that in exchange, Israel returned the 

Sinai to Egyptian control. 

Tourism in the Sinai brings Egypt much-needed foreign currency, as does 

American foreign aid that has been paid to the country after signing the 

treaty. In addition, Egypt's control over Sinai brings billions of U.S. dollars 

every year to the country via the Suez Canal. 

Egyptians need to be informed that ending the peace treaty with Israel does 

not simply mean ending the normalization of the relations between the two 

countries as they wish, but it also mean a return of Sinai back to the control 

of Israel. 


292 

The latter fact by itself can significantly diminish the emotionally based 

demands of the Egyptian street to end the peace treaty with Israel. 

Furthermore, many Egyptians will also start to realize the major economic 

disasters to Egypt's economy if they ended the treaty. For example, the 

Sinai's tourist cities would become part of Israel, along with the Sinai's oil 

potential. 

Worse still, with abrogation of the peace treaty, Israel might end up 

controlling one side of the Suez Canal. Paralysis of the Suez Canal could levy 

a further significant blow to Egypt's economy. 

Statements by Israeli officials that show how the peace treaty with Egypt is 

very important to Israel are misinterpreted by many Egyptians as it confirms 

to them their unfounded belief that the treaty is only beneficial to the 

Israelis. This actually increases animosity toward the treaty and encourages 

many Egyptians to demand ending it. 

Israel can offer the following gambit to change the Egyptians' public opinion 

about the treaty. 

The Israeli government can clarify in a clear message to the Egyptian people 

that if the Egyptians insisted on ending the peace treaty, Israel will accept 

this as it means a return of control of Sinai back to Israel. 

This gambit from the Israeli government is a winning tactic as the Egyptians 

will never accept ending the treaty if they realized that this also means a 

return back of Israeli control over Sinai. 

Emotional reaction in the Egyptian street against the peace treaty with Israel 

must be faced with facts and realities. Informing the Egyptians about the 

negative consequences of ending the treaty can bring the whole topic from 


the emotional and irrational parts of their brains to the rational centers of 

their mind. 

This can create major change in the attitude of the Egyptians toward the 

treaty. 

293 

In brief, the feelings of many Egyptians that the peace treaty with Israel has 

been beneficial only to the Israelis must be confronted with facts and reality. 

The more the Israeli government mentions and publicizes how important the 

peace treaty is for Israel the more the Egyptian street demand an end for 

the treaty. 

On the contrary, Israel can reverse the anti-peace treaty attitude in the 

Egyptian street if it announced that it will not hesitate to accept ending the 

treaty if the Egyptians want to end it - as this means the return of Sinai back 

to the control of Israel. 


294 

Calculating the future US-Pakistani 

Relationship is Crucial 

The US-Pakistan relationship has been shaken after the killing of Bin Laden. 

Many could not believe that Bin Laden stayed for years inside Pakistan 

without the knowledge of the leaders of the country or its military and 

intelligence organizations. An investigationhas been ordered into how Bin 

Laden managed to hide under the nose of Pakistan's military in Abbottabad 

for this long period of time. 

In addition, the Obama administration is facing a clash with Congress where 

pressure is buildingto slash the huge aid budget to Pakistan as punishment 

for Osama Bin Laden's presence in the country. 

It is important to calculate the different possibilities of a possible Pakistan- 

Bin Laden relationship correctly as wrong decisions in this time of history can 

end in disastrous uncontrollable consequences. 

Generally speaking, there are two main possibilities regarding the knowledge 

of the Pakistanis of the whereabouts of Bin Laden. 

The first possibility is that a low ranked intelligence officer knew about his 

location. In this situation if this officer was a supporter for Bin Laden he 

would not tell any higher ranked officer in the government about this piece 

of information. On the other hand, if this officer was against Bin Laden he 

would likely try to directly inform the Americans to get the 25 million dollars 

bounty on Bin Laden. It is hard to image that someone who opposesBin 

Laden would resist the temptation of getting this amount of money. 

The second possibility is that a high ranked officer in the government or the 

military or intelligence communities had known about Bin Laden's location. 


295 

In this case, this knowledge is likely to be limited only to this individual as it 

is very unlikely that the government as a whole would risk its relationship 

with the US and the potential loss of billions of dollars in aid. It is also fair to 

say that the government of Pakistan that choose secular government 

officials such as Taseer Salman, the prominent governor of Punjab Province, 

who was recently killed by religious extremists for standing against the 

blasphemy law in Pakistan, is unlikely to hide a terrorist like Bin Laden. 

However, it is more likely that the government has been infiltrated by Al- 

Qaeda sympathizers who may have aided Bin Laden. 

In all the above mentioned possibilities, it is unfair to accuse the 

government of Pakistan as a whole for assisting the hiding of Bin Laden. 

However, it is realistic to say that the government of Pakistan MUST takes 

active steps to stop infiltration of its system by radicals and to get the 

radicals out of the government. 

Accusing all the Pakistani government of assisting Bin Laden and stopping 

the US support for the country can push Pakistan toward more radicalism. 

This case scenario is frightening knowing that Pakistan is a nuclear power 

and pushing it to become more radical can help terrorist Islamic groups to 

get a nuclear bomb. Furthermore, if the Pakistan-US relationship is 

damaged, the Pakistan can become an ally to the Iranian regime which can 

make counterterrorism efforts much more complicated and can helpIran to 

become another nuclear power. 

To conclude, calculating our future relationship with Pakistan is crucial. 

Judging the government as a whole as collaborators with Bin Laden and 

taking decisions to stop aid to the country can push Pakistan toward more 

radicalism and result in uncontrollable consequences. Working with the 

secular leadership in the Pakistan government to strengthen them and to 

decrease infiltration of the radicals is a more pragmatic approach to deal 

with this complex situation. Distinguishing between the radicals and the true 

moderates is vital 

for the success of the latter approach. 


296 

For links to some of Dr. Hamid articles, Op-Eds, and media appearances see 

next pages: 


297 

Analysis of the current situation in 

Egypt: Who the US Should Support in the New Egypt 

Sep 6 2011 

It is still unclear how the future of the NEW Egypt is going to be. Several 

groups are currently fighting to gain power and to have control over the 

country. The US support for the wrong group can be disastrous to the whole 

of the Middle East as changes in Egypt typically affect neighboring Arab 

countries as well. 

Currently, the following powers or groups may have control over the New 

Egypt: 

1-The Military 

2-The Liberals 

3-The Islamists 

The Military: 

The Military declared that they wanted to leave the power into the hands of 

the civilians. This could be true however the current security situation in 

the country especially from Radical Islamists may need some form of 

military control for longer period of time. In addition, some persons in the 

Military may have difficulty to let the civilians control them. This may 

create fight for power in the future that can cause more problems to 

the country. The desire of the Military to have more power in the NEW 

Egypt can be observed when several people of the Military declared on the 

Egyptian media that the Military is not only a protector for the revolution 

but it is an integral and essential part of it. 

In general, the Military is committed than the other groups to keeping the 

peace treaty with Israel. Furthermore, the Military can give more protection 

to Coptic Christians. After the revolutions the Military re-built several 

churches that had been attacked by Radical Islamists. The Military is not 

faultless; however, currently it is the most reliable power that can protect 

the US interests in the region. The fears that the Military can be another 

Mubarak ruling the country is exaggerated as the rules of the game has 

changed. After the revolution the Military realized the power of people 


298 

which will make them more likely avoid Mubarak‟s style of ruling the 

country. 

Currently the Military is trying to satisfy all the other players in the 

game of democracy. For example, on one hand they sit with the Muslim 

Brotherhood in their celebrations and on the other hand they rebuilt the 

destroyed churches to satisfy the Coptic Christians. In addition, they try to 

satisfy the liberal groups by showing some acceptance to having 

foundational rules for the new Egyptian constitution to protect secularism 

of the country. Also, an attempt to satisfy the Egyptian street the Military 

decided to put Mubarak behind bars in a court room. 

Mistakes of the Military after the revolution included choosing some 

Islamists such as „Subhi Saleh‟ in the committee that modified the 

constitution of the country in the transitional stage. This could be partially 

due to sympathy with the Muslim Brotherhood but is more likely to avoid 

frictions with Islamic groups during the unstable transitional stage after the 

revolution. Frictions with Islamic groups during this stage can bring more 

instability to the country. 

During Mubarak time and the Jan 25 revolution there was a feeling that if 

Mubarak left power the Military will take over the control of the country. 

Currently, the feeling among the Military is that if they lost the power in a 

disorganized manner the country as a whole will collapse as there will be no 

one to lead it but radical Muslims. This feeling probably led the Military to 

peruse touch approaches such as holding Military Tribunals for many 

civilians who spokek against them. 

The Islamists: 

Several factions work under this title for the aim of Islamizing the country. 

These include the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafi groups, and the 

Jihadists. 

Despite the relatively moderate image of the Muslim Brotherhood 

compared to the other groups they certainly pose several threats. 

Initially some of the leading members of this group such Essam Al-Irian 

declared that he wants to encourage more tourism to the country. Later on 

his real intentions became clearer when he and other members of the group 

announced that they will not allow alcohol to be sold in the country expect 

probably for tourists (as they are Not Muslims i). Al-Irian said that tourists 

can bring g their alcohol with them. In addition, members of the Muslim 

Brotherhood strongly rejected that female tourists be allowed to wear 

Bikini on the beaches of Egypt. This is a clear sign that if the Muslim 


299 

Brotherhood came to power we will certainly see Religious Police (as is 

the case in Iran and Saudi Arabia) in the country to implement such laws. It 

is also likely that if these values are implemented tourism industry will 

collapse and poverty levels and thus radicalism are likely to increase. This 

can certainly negatively affect the future stability in the country. 

Furthermore, the Muslim Brotherhood until today do not refer to Israel on 

their official website statements but by the expression “the entity” without 

mentioning the word „Israel ii‟ or „Zionist‟ as they see that these words will 

make the website „filthy‟. 

The Salsfi groups on the other hand expressed their reality in a hostile 

demonstration to support Sharia implementation in Egypt. Many of them 

un-shamefully expressed their full support for Bin Laden. These groups –if 

in power- will simply make Egypt another Taliban. 

The difference between the ideology of Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafi 

groups has been elucidated when the former started a musical song in 

Tahreer Square to support the revolution and the Salafists objected to them 

and wanted to stop the song –as musical songs, in their view, “Un-Islamic”. 

The Jihadists showed their teeth in Sinai area by repeatedly attacking the 

gas pipelines to Israel and by declaring parts of Sinai an Islamic state. Many 

of these groups collaborate with Palestinian terrorists in Gaza. 

All these groups are united in implementing Sharia Laws and in their 

extreme animosity to Israel which is likely –if Islamic groups came to 

power-to end in declaring war against the Jewish state. If this happened we 

are likely to see a very destructive case scenario in the Middle East. 

The liberals: 

In general, these groups are dedicated to secularism of the country. 

Unfortunately, they may lose the battle against the Islamists as the latter 

use the power of religion and have already Islamized a significant portion of 

the society during Sadat & Mubarak time. 

On one hand, the biggest advantage of the Liberal groups is their dedication 

to values of liberty and freedom. On the other hand, their biggest problem 

is that they are idealists in implementing their values. For example, they 

do not allow any level of flexibility in accepting that the Military can have a 

political role in the NEW Egypt. This has made the Military more inclined 

to accept Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood as they are less 

likely-at least at this stage- to try to deprive the Military from all its political 

powers. 


300 

In fact, in the day when Essam Al-Iran of the Muslim Brotherhood was 

leading some of the demonstrations to support Sharia with the Salfi groups 

in Tahreer Square he was shouting in support of the Military Council by 

singing loudly “Ya Musheer Ya Musheer Alf Taheia Min Al-Tahreer” which 

means “O‟ General Tantawi…we send you a 1000 greetings from Tahreer 

Square”. 

Liberals need to accept more roles of the Military in the New Egypt to avoid 

pushing the Military toward the Islamists. 

The population of Egypt wants a hybrid system that combines elements of 

the above powers. 

1-They want to feel secure with the Military as they have been under 

military control for several decades. This feeling has increases because of 

the post revolution increase in crime rates. 

2- They want to have a role of Islam in the society iii. 

3- They want some level of freedom iv and liberty so that the country does 

not become like Saudi Arabia or Iran. For example, Egyptians will not 

tolerate another man of Religious Police beating their wives for dressing 

“improperly”. 

In brief, the Military feel that they have been fundamental to the success of 

the revolution (which is true) and thus deserve more political role in the 

NEW Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood will accept that the Military have 

more role as long as they allow them to implement some Sharia Laws in the 

society. The Liberals are idealists and their trend to insist that the Military 

play no political role in the NEW Egypt may end up in pushing the 

Military more toward Islamic groups which means that we will end 

up with an Islamic theocracy in Egypt supported by the Military. The latter 

case scenario is frightening to the whole of the Middle East. 

The best situation for the NEW Egypt that allow the country to remain part 

of the international society, to respect the peace treaty with Israel, and to 

avoid succumbing into the path of Radical Islam is the situation of Turkey 

30 years ago when the Military remain in power to protect secularism of 

the country. A Liberal-Military form of coalition to weaken the Islamists is 

likely to be the best case scenario for the New Egypt. This means that the 

Liberals need to show more flexibility to allow more role of the Military in 

the New Egypt. 

Despite the fact that the model of Turkey 30 years ago is not an ideal one in 

the view of many, it could be -in the meantime- the best situation that can 


301 

protect the US interests in the area. The US administration may need to 

consider supporting this option to protect its interests in the Middle East as 

demanding an ideal democratic situation can turn into the opposite and can 

actually be harmful to US interests in the region. 

i How about the Muslim tourists? Will the Muslim Brotherhood treat them as tourists or as Muslims? 

ii Interestingly, the Muslim Brotherhood avoids using the word Israel on their official statements despite 

the fact that it exists more than 4o times in the Quran while the word Palestine NEVER existed in the 

Quranic text. 

iii People may differ in the extent of this role. 

iv Egyptians in generals love jocks, watching movies, and listening to songs. Islamists, generally speaking, 

will try to prohibit these activities. 


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Stop Misleading the West 

The mother of Zakareia Mossawi El-Wafi, spoke to CNN at a recent conference in 

Dublin organized by Google to tackle extremism and promote reconciliation. 

Last Friday, CNN mentioned parts of the comments of El-Wafi about the radicalization 

of her son and her failure to recognize this early enough. 

El-Wafi, who was born in Morocco, believes Moussaoui was victimized because of the 

color of his skin. "He loved a girl he was forbidden from seeing... well the Islamists and 

the extremists found a grievance in the heart of my son. My son was born in France, my 

son loves France ... but he was not accepted. He was rejected by French society. In 

addition, she said, "My son suffered a lot from daily racism". In the city of Narbonne, he 

was called a "dirty Arab and dirty negro" and told to go home. "These are words that kill 

a child when he is 16, 18, 19 years of age." 

These quotes presented Mossawi as if he is the victim and not the criminal. In addition, 

these quotes failed to explain to us how racism against Mossawi by some „French‟ in 

„France’ should lead him to kill „Americans’ in the US! 

While it is fair to say that racism against someone can contribute to the development of 

radicalism, it is also fair to ask how young Pakistanis in Pakistan are radicalized to 

become suicide bombers. Is this also because these young Pakistanis also suffer from 

discrimination and racism by their own people inside Pakistan? 

Portraying the story of Mussawi as if he has been the victim of racism is misleading as it 

diverts us from giving attention to more important causes for the phenomenon of 

Islamic radicalism namely - the Ideology behind it. 

In our modern history, the Jews suffered some of the worst forms of discrimination and 

racism in human history. Yet young Jews did not become suicide bombers to kill 

innocents. 

The comments of Mossawi‟s mother also failed to explain to us why young Buddhists, 

Hindu and Bahai minorities in France did not become suicide bombers. In other words, 

why does racism effect young Muslims in a different way than it effects other religious 

minorities in Europe? 

It is important also to question if the Islamic values and teachings that reject western 

values of freedom and equality, promote discriminatory forms of dress code such as the 

Hijab for women, and forbid Muslims from sharing in activities that serve alcohol are 

contributing factors to the failure of acceptance of Muslims in some western societies. 


303 

In brief, racism against someone can certainly contribute to the development of his or 

her radicalism however it is very misleading to present the case of Mussawi - Who was 

convicted on being the “20” hijacker of Sep 11 - as if is the victim. Ignoring the pivotal 

role of the religious ideology in creating Islamic Radicals is dangerous as it makes us 

blind to the main underlying factor that breeds Islamic terrorism. 


1. The Wall Street Journal: 

� The Trouble With Islam 

� How to End Islamophobia 

304 

Articles/Op-Eds 

� Islam Needs to Prove it is a Religion of Peace 

� A Muslim Response to Quran Burning 

� A Symposium: What is Moderate Islam? 

2. New York Daily News: 

� Call Radical Islam by Its Name 

4. The Jerusalem Post: 

� Former al-Zawahiri Disciple Backs Alternate Islam (about Dr. Hamid) 

� Fight Radical Islam with Ideology (about Dr. Hamid) 

� Gaza Solution is in the Hands of Palestinians 

� Iranian defeat first 

� Why George Mitchell failed 

� Playing chess with the Muslim Brotherhood 

� How the US can help the Egyptian people 

� Can we blame the Swiss? 

5. The Hudson Institute: 

The Development of A Jihadist's Mind 


305 

6. The Huffington Post (about Dr. Hamid): Inside Jihad: Lessons on Brain 

Washing-Pat 1 

Speeches/talks 

1- At US Congress (Testimony of Dr. Hamid at the US House Armed 

Services Committee): The Evolution of Strategic Communication and 

Information Operations Since 9/1: 

2- On C-Span: Future of Egypt: 

3- On ABC News 20/20 : Islam 

4- On Fox News Bin Laden Killing: 

5- At the European Parliament 

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu93J4fSt_E 

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lrzEWqWcbs 

In the Washington Post: 

Quotes 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2009/06/15/AR2009061502584.html 

In Voice Of America VOA 

On Egypt: 

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/US-Aid-to-Egypt-Depends-on- 

Events--114983219.html 

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Egypt-Military-Relationship- 

Might-Impact-Crisis-114979569.html 


On Iran: 

306 

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Egypt-and-Iran-Thaw- 

Once-Frosty-Relations-121597409.html 

In The National Journal 

http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/the-culture-of-egypt-smilitary-could-determine-mubarak-s-fate-20110131 

DVD 

Dr. Hamid DVD ‘In The Red Chair’ is now available Online (You Tube): 

You can watch the full episode here (20 minutes): 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_568600&feature 

=iv&v=tmW4irQUByE 

Books 

Inside Jihad: Understanding and Confronting Radical Islam 


307

Understanding Radical Islam - Dr. Tawfik Hamid

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