TCS: Tech Central Station – Four Years After September 11th: The Media Failure

Posted on September 12th, 2005 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, International Terrorism, Religious and Political Radicalization.

An article by Stephen Schwartz on ‘takfir’: Four Years After September 11th: The Media Failure

We have reached the fourth anniversary of the terrible attacks of September 11, 2001. I am sorry to say that, in my view, the U.S. and Western media have completely failed to meet the challenge of reporting on Islam, in the four succeeding years since then, or in reaction to the atrocities that followed, including the extremist violence in Iraq, which I would not dignify with the titles “insurgency” or “resistance,” the Madrid metro and London underground bombings, and the terror assaults in Indonesia, Morocco, Turkey, and elsewhere.

Islamic shari’a is quite clear on what constitutes a state policy that contradicts Islam: it is one that silences the call to prayer (adhan), and prevents the teaching and preaching of the religion. Serbia, Croatia (in Bosnia-Hercegovina), Macedonia, and Russia may be said to have done so in recent times, although indigenous and legitimate clerics did not judge it to be so. Thus, regardless of conflicts over land, Israel does not interfere with the peaceful activity of Muslim teachers and faithful. Nor, most certainly, does the United States. So one could just as quickly describe the U.S. constitution as a document that does not conflict with Islam, as to so label the Iraqi constitution. Is there reason to be concerned about the U.S. constitution as an Islamic theocratic document? I think not.

The failure to grasp the nature of the new Iraqi constitution extends to the document itself. Much noise has been made about Article Two, in which it is stated that “Islam is the official religion of the state and is a basic source of legislation,” and some praise has been issued for Article 14, which proclaims equality of gender, ethnic groups, religion, opinion, social and economic status, etc. But little has been said about one of the most remarkable and significant elements of the new Iraqi charter: The ban in Article Seven on “Entities or trends that justify or propagate racism, terrorism, ‘takfir,’ sectarian expulsions,” as well as the Saddamist Ba’ath party.

The ban on takfir, which means excommunication or expulsion of one’s opponents from Islam, is exceptionally important, but I can say with considerable certainty that most Western journalists do not have the slightest idea about it. I have found no Western media commentaries on the issue of takfir as treated in the Iraqi constitution, but many that seek to associate tribal customs in the treatment of women, which have no basis whatever in Islamic tradition or law, with the future Iraqi legal system.

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Muslims & Katrina

Posted on September 12th, 2005 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

Two different reactions among Muslims about ‘Katrina:

Houston Muslims Feed Katrina Victims

Recognizing Katrina as “the biggest calamity” in the history of the US, Qadeer wondered: “How can we not help out?”

The massive effort was the work of the Houston Muslim Relief Group, a coalition of 20 mosques and local Islamic organizations formed after Katrina to provide help.

It took place in coordination with the Second Baptist Church of Houston and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston (IMGH).

Al-Zarqawi: Katrina an answer to prayers

In the recording, al-Zarqawi said, “I believe the devastating hurricane that hit the United States occurred because people in Iraq or Afghanistan — maybe a mother who had lost her son or a son whose parents were killed or a woman who was raped — were praying for God and God accepted their prayers.”

0 comments.

Muslims & Katrina

Posted on September 12th, 2005 by .
Categories: Misc. News.

Two different reactions among Muslims about ‘Katrina:

Houston Muslims Feed Katrina Victims

Recognizing Katrina as “the biggest calamity” in the history of the US, Qadeer wondered: “How can we not help out?”

The massive effort was the work of the Houston Muslim Relief Group, a coalition of 20 mosques and local Islamic organizations formed after Katrina to provide help.

It took place in coordination with the Second Baptist Church of Houston and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston (IMGH).

Al-Zarqawi: Katrina an answer to prayers

In the recording, al-Zarqawi said, “I believe the devastating hurricane that hit the United States occurred because people in Iraq or Afghanistan — maybe a mother who had lost her son or a son whose parents were killed or a woman who was raped — were praying for God and God accepted their prayers.”

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