Extremism and Solution – by Ali Taj

What is the bigger sin? Dancing (or watching dance) in a private party within one’s four walls – or beheading someone? This is a question asked by a christian friend after reading this news:

Taliban behead 17 caught dancing to music at party Taliban militants beheaded 15 men and two women for holding a late night party with music and dancing, according to Afghan officials. This is the shocking title of Daily Telegraph Article dated August 27th 2012.

World Shia Forum condemns these heinous and barbaric acts as nothing whatsoever to do with Islam. These are the actions of Khawariji enemies of Islam or the enemy within. There are several Hadeeth relating to Prophet Mohammed PUBH in Sahi Books that describe such acts as the acts of Khawarij. Literally out of Islam, some of the hadeeth describe them as people who have little education and are young. They appear to be very staunch Muslims but have no room for love in their hearts, which is the essence of Islam.

[Al-Ahzaab 33:21] Certainly we have in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct!
Prophets (AS) and Messengers (AS) are sent as Role Models for entire humanity. They are designated as Divinely Appointed Representatives when they enter the world. This was established in the Quran’ic Narration of Prophet Adam (AS)’s story. But for forty years Mohammad Bin Abdullah did not declare his Prophet-hood and Messenger-ship. That is, for two-third of his life he just established his superiority through his deeds. He showed people that he is Truthful (Sadiq) and Trustworthy (Ameen). Once these facts had been registered he began the preaching. Thus forty years spent in preaching through practice, and only twenty three in verbal propagation!

Here is the take of Hamza Yousaf a Sunni Muslim American Scholar.

The notion that one interpretation of Islam is right and all others are wrong (and I must make sure everyone else comes to the right path by hook or by crook) is taught by some of the new Islamic political movements such as Wahhabism, Qutibism, Salfism and Deobandism to name a few. These political movements came about for various political reasons such as the end of Moghul (Muslim) Empire in India, the end of the Ottoman Caliphate and other reasons. The leaders of these movements had political ambitions for Muslims, so the notion that THIS interpretation is correct and all others are wrong is central to these movements.

The followers of the more aggressive movements mentioned above are prime targets for radicalization. These movements have been used by Western Powers for their own objectives. The Wahhabis of Nejd were used by the British against the Ottoman empire.

The followers of the Deobandi movement in Pakistan and Afghanistan were used by the Americans against Soviet Union.

Every time these movements are used by World powers to wage war, they have a tendency to become war hardened and more severe. The result of these radicalization are the Khawarij including the Talibaan, Al-Queda and its related groups. There are dozens of these Jihadi/khawariji but they always find willing recruits form these new Islamic political movements (Wahhabism, Deobandism, Qutbism and Salafism). You will be hard pressed to find a terrorist not belonging to these movements that professes Islamic origin. On the other hand you will never find a terrorist coming from orthodox Islam such as Hanfis, Malikis, Shafies, Hanbali or Jafferi. The Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia condemn and Shun Osama Bin Laaden but they cannot deny the fact the Osama is a product of Wahhbism.

It is the policy of preaching that creates the breeding ground for radicalization. Wahhabis of  Saudi Arabia are perhaps more to blame than the Deobandi movement because the use the pulpit of Mecca and Medina to fool ordinary Muslims into thinking that their message is somehow divine.

The solutions lie in:

1) Creating awareness among Muslims that Orthrodox Islam is fine they do not need to go to new innovative political movements and seek Islam.

2) The West must stop supporting and using these movements, short term goals maybe accomplished but longer term ramifications are expensive.

3) Mecca and Medina together with Jerusalem should be made international cities of peace. So these cities cannot be used to further the agenda of one religious movement or another.

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