Humanist And Former "Moderate Muslim" On How To Tell A Moderate Muslim From A Radical Muslim
Short answer: "You can't."
Simi Rahman, a female US pediatrician, writes in a pretty incredible Facebook post:
Every Muslim humanist is asking themselves a question I first asked myself in September 2001.How do you tell a radical Muslim from a moderate peace loving one?
And here is my train of thought.
The 9/11 hijackers reminded me of boys I had gone to school with in Dubai in the 80s and 90s. They were the same age, background, and modern enough to have listened to 80s pop and chased girls. Meaning that just like most young people in the Muslim world, we weren't that religious.
So, I thought, maybe I could locate the differences between them and me, and at some point I would identify a breakaway point. Something they would do that I never would. And it took me a while to realize this, and now with the California shootings, it has reaffirmed for me, that indeed, when it comes to being able to tell a moderate from a radical in Islam, you can't.
You really can't tell until the moment before they pull the trigger, who is moderate and who is jihadi. Tashfeen has broken our moderate backbone, by revealing that she lived among us, unnoticed, normal, experiencing motherhood, enveloped in our secure community and yet, had radicalized.
And that's the problem, that there are many others like her with exactly the same beliefs, who may not have been ignited yet by a radical cleric, but if the opportunity presented itself, they would follow. They're like a dormant stick of dynamite, waiting for the fuse to be lit. The TNT is already in there.
What's it made of? Not the 5 pillars, belief, charity, prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. Not the sayings of the prophet as to how to lead a good and just life. Not the celebration of Eid ul Fitr.
It possibly glimmers through in the fealty that Allah demands during the Eid ul Adha, when Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son as a sign of his superior faith is commemorated in a sacrifice and celebration very much like the American Thanksgiving, with family and food. But without the football. And oh yes, the fratricide.
It is there in the silence one must maintain during prayer, brooking no interruptions, because it would make the prayer invalid. It is there in the severity of the hijab when it is followed to a tee. Not a hair can show. It is there in the forced separation of men and women at social gatherings.
It is present in every act that is performed that excludes us from the mainstream. It is present in the very concept of Us and Them. Because the only way we remain Us is to reject Them. The only way to be an exemplary Us is to reject westernization at every turn. Halal only is a sham, constructed out of this notion of meat that has been cut a certain way. It's the same meat. And yet there is a magical difference that people will attest to in all seriousness.
...And so, to understand the moderate mind, you have to envision it on a continuum from radical to middle, but the closer you get to liberal, there is a wall. It creeps up on you, in the condemnation of homosexuality, in the unequal treatment and subjugation of women, but it's there. Beyond that wall that they are afraid to look over, for fear of eternal hell fire and damnation, is where the answer lies though. So being a Muslim moderate these days is like running a race with a ball and chain attached to your feet. A handicap. Unless you can imagine what the world beyond that wall looks like, you can't really navigate it. If you're so terrified of blasphemy that you refuse to look over, you're forever stuck. Right here. And behind you is the jihadi horde, laying claim to real Islam, practicing it to perfection, as it is laid out in the Quran. A veritable rock and a hard place. I feel your pain. I've been there. And it was untenable.
I read, discussed, debated alongside many good Muslim young people from all over the world, in Internet forums, trying to argue our way to a solution, much like we are doing on social media right now. I knew I rejected the homophobia, I knew I rejected the subjugation of women. And it all remained a theory until I saw it in practice. In the drawing rooms of the Midwestern professional moderate Muslim. There was the discussion of whether the verse that allows a man to strike his wife instead actually means, he should strike her with a feather. As a doctor, I am a humanist first, and so the blatant homophobia was irrational, dangerous and something I stopped tolerating politely. I attended presentations at the mosque of videos from the Palestinian Territories, played to rouse the outrage of the gathered congregation.
And that's when the absurdity started to really hit home. What in the world were we doing? We were training our children to kowtow without questioning an authority that we believed would keep them safe from evil western ways. And so the community's children went to Sunday school, wore hijab, prayed and fasted. They were enveloped in a Muslim identity that was unlike any that I had experienced before. I was raised in a Muslim country in the Middle East and religion was something we kept in its place, somewhere after school, soccer and cartoons. Here was a more distilled, pure and, most dangerously, a context-free Islam. There were no grandmothers here to sagely tell us which parts of the Quran to turn a blind eye to. There were no older cousins here who skipped Friday prayers and goofed off with their friends instead. Oh no. This was Islam simmered in a sauce of Midwestern sincerity, and boiled down to its dark, concentrated core. This was dangerous.
As my children grew older, I grew more afraid. I had tolerated their father's insistence on sending them to Sunday school, where mostly they played and learned a few surahs. But as they grew older I knew it would change. A sincerity would creep in to their gaze, teenage rebellion would find just cause in judging your less religious parents as wanting and inferior. Bad Muslims. How many teenagers have started to wear hijab before their own mothers? I've lost count. Mothers who found themselves in this dilemma would choose to join their child on this journey. They would cover too, and as such offered a layer of protection from the ideology by offering perspective.
I worried though, about the Internet, about radical recruiters posing as friends, finding willing and malleable clay in our unformed children. For we would keep them unformed. We would shield them from western influences in order to protect them, only to create a rift that could be exploited as an entry point. We would in essence be leaving our children vulnerable to radicalization.
And that is exactly what has been happening. The young girls from Europe and the US who have traveled to Syria to join ISIS, have done so because they're looking for what all teenagers are looking for, a sense of identity, to differentiate themselves from their parents and find a separate identity, the thrill of rebellion, adventure. They can't date, drink or dance, so they might as well Daesh.
This thought is what drove me to scale that wall. I dropped prayer, stopped feeling guilty for not praying. I drank alcohol, in moderation like most people do in the west, and I didn't instantly turn into an alcoholic. I dropped the need to cover to my ankles and wrists, and wore regular clothes. Bacon. I mean, seriously, it's bacon, I don't have to explain how good it was. I turned to look back at the wall from the other side, and it was...a relief. I relief to lose that fear of apostasy. To realize there was no such thing, it was purely in my mind. The ideas that had worn a groove in my mind, the guilt, the anxiety, the self flagellation for being a bad Muslim, all were gone.
...We have to make the problem bigger. Instead of minimizing, we need to blow it up big and examine it and let go of this idea that a sacred text is unchangeable. Or unquestionable. We have to look at it instead as a humanism problem. Is Islam, in the way it is practiced and preached, humanistic enough? In that does it respect the personhood of a human being enough, and if it doesn't, then what can we do about it.
We have to make it ok to walk away. We have to come out of this closet and into the light. Because none of us are safe anymore. And none of the old bandages will hold much longer before it becomes a full on carnage that we only have ourselves to blame for.
via @djgrothe, via @aliamjadrizvi
Three thousand years ago the Jewish sages reinterpreted "an eye for an eye" as monetary damages - and placed legal restrictions on the death penalty that made it very rare. They also continued the legislative trajectory of the Torah which points clearly to elimination of slavery and the chattel status of women.
I have stated this process as "reinterpretation" -but less "modern" Orthodox Jews assert that these readings are part of an oral tradition going back to Sinai itself - making them an even *more* intrinsic part of Judaism... these is now the standard explanations of the Torah text, and have been for millenia.
Islam has yet to undergo such a reformation.
Ben David at December 5, 2015 11:50 PM
I am an infidel. I therefore understand that every single devout Muslim hates me, wishes to kill me in the name of Allah, or wishes to subject me to dimmi-tude. There is no peaceful resolution between me and them. So fuck them and their refugees. I am not willing to eat that 1/100 poisoned cookie. They should fight for their country, if they give a damn.
Matt at December 6, 2015 1:04 AM
Stop bombing their countries killing hundreds and thousands of innocent people. Help Muslims in your countries to integrate and you will be amazed how the situation with Islamic terrorism changes. If Britain had not started air strikes on Syria that man would have never attacked anyone. Imperialistic wars are the reason for terrorism, not religion.
This comes from person who hates all religions, including Islam - the most violent and barbaric one.
Vlad at December 6, 2015 1:56 AM
Kimberly Key, a past division president of the American Counseling Association said that terrorism is beyond religion." Terrorism is really about a group of people using hate and terror tactics to achieve a political cause. In examining how a person becomes a terrorist, several factors need to be taken into consideration like birth and family, health and epigenetics, social support system, anger, identity and culture. Love, trust, soothing, protection, and genuine attunement helps shape the child’s healthy brain development."
Rashid at December 6, 2015 2:38 AM
A fundamental improvement can be obtained if we cease to pump petro-dollars into the entirety of the middle east. Spend our Billions on pure science research to remove our dependence on oil and gas. Research, not bombs.
Taking the money out of the middle east equation will have a long lasting positive effect.
Bob at December 6, 2015 3:19 AM
While largely agreeing with the author, as a keen observer of moderate Hindus in the west and in cosmopolitan cities of India, I have to say this is a trend that is not limited to Islam.
Recently, there was a series of acts of moral policing in parts of India, including in Kerala. This was instigated by the Hindu fundamentalist organization RSS. they went around and beat up anyone who was walking around holding hands, hugging our kissing(the"kiss of love" movement was a reaction to this). The funny thing is that, most of the major Hindu temples are filled with sculptures and pictures of gods and people and animals (not necessarily segregated that way) having all kinds of sexual acts!! They are depicting the stories from Hindu sacred books.
What you are describing is the new religion. Moderates who open their eyes to the world outside of their books and rituals are faced with a reality that makes it hard to keep on believing. One can either stop believing or reject the outside world and resist any effort to reconcile it with the ridiculousness of their beliefs. The solution? Make up a belief system that puts rejecting reality as it's core tenet. Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Hindu fundamentalist movements demonstrate this amply.
Salim at December 6, 2015 6:01 AM
I'm w/Bob on this.
First step is to stop supporting countries that teach their children to hate (Jews, the West, etc.) in government schools and religious teachings.
Second step is to clearly state that self-defense is a necessity and that likewise no violent targeting of 'others' will be tolerated.
Third step is to stop allowing countries to benefit from the oil flowing to them (cough Turkey cough) that fund terrorist attacks against civilians anywhere.
Fourth step is to insist that MSM cover events (ours and others) such as the practice of giving 45 minutes warning before bombing targets. State what 'targets' will be considered valid once and then get on w/it. The public needs to know what our strategy is and to have a voice in it.
As to those that say stop bombing and the 'bad guys' will come to their senses, show me where either now or in history that this has happened w/Muslim fanatics. We can talk about how those examples are applicable or not to our problem.
Bob in Texas at December 6, 2015 6:07 AM
Help Muslims in your countries to integrate
Um, by rewriting the Quran? It has a failsafe -- it is said to be the infallible, unchangeable word of Allah.
Islam means "submission," and Islam is truly a totalitarian system masquerading as a religion.
To be a Muslim who follows Islam is to be someone who is commanded to slaughter the Infidel to install the "House of Islam" around the world. That means removing the civil liberties of all of us and installing Sharia law.
Did you "slip" a little in your marriage? If your neighbor sees you at a motel and tells on you, you could be stoned to death.
Amy Alkon at December 6, 2015 8:36 AM
IMHO... the best and simplest explanation for what caused the rise of ISIS, is the one put forth by the Lebanese writer, Karl Sharro:
After the end of British, French, and Ottoman imperial rule in the early to mid-20th century, Arab leaders failed to establish anything like stable democratic societies. Instead, they imposed unpopular and brutal military dictatorships that prevented any real sense of national unity developing and squandered the region's economic potential.
The Middle East's progressive and democratic parties failed, due to a combination of incompetence and interference, to put together a viable alternative to these regimes.
This created a large population of people in the Middle East who were disenfranchised and looking for a new form of politics. During and after the Cold War, Islamism rose to fill that void: It appealed to an identity and a set of values that many in the Middle East shared and understood. This was part of a global revival of different forms of identity politics.
Some governments — like Saudi Arabia's quasi-monarchy, quasi-theocracy — had an interest in helping spreading a fairly hard-line version of Islam, as it shored up domestic legitimacy. Radical Islamism also got a boost from foreign powers, as things like US support for Iran's brutal shah and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan created understandable resentment that radicals were well-positioned to support.
More recently, the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the Arab Spring threw the Middle East's normal geopolitical order into chaos, creating a vacuum in which sectarianism (encouraged by a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia) became a powerful force. ISIS flourished in this kind of religiously polarized chaos, bringing us to the point we're at today.
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In 2 more days will be the 35th Anniversary of John Lennon's death. For me his song, IMAGINE, comes to mind often during days of late:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVg2EJvvlF8
IMAGINE
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
Sky King at December 6, 2015 8:44 AM
Islam has yet to undergo such a reformation.
Islam can not undergo any reformation. They believe that the Quran is the literal word of Allah.
How can one reform perfection?
I R A Darth Aggie at December 6, 2015 8:45 AM
Found this site that appears to give a very good job of explaining the major differences between Christianity and Islam:
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/jesus-muhammad.htm
Sky King at December 6, 2015 9:26 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/12/06/former_moderate.html#comment-6338162">comment from I R A Darth AggieApparently, the mass-murdering California housewife became devout in her Islam in recent years.
http://www.aol.com/article/2015/12/06/tashfeen-malik-mom-in-california-rampage-became-very-devout/21279183/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-799356099
This is what too often happens with the devout (as in correct) practice of Islam: one follows the commands to convert or kill.
Amy Alkon at December 6, 2015 9:27 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/12/06/former_moderate.html#comment-6338164">comment from Amy AlkonFrom the above story:
Amy Alkon at December 6, 2015 9:28 AM
It doesn't appear the Republicans are helping much:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/16/why-the-nra-opposed-laws-to-prevent-suspected-terrorists-from-buying-guns/
Sky King at December 6, 2015 9:41 AM
Islam has yet to undergo such a reformation.
Islam has undergone a reformation, the result is what you see today. Philosophers like Al-Ghazali influenced ideas like: there is no cause and effect, only the will of God.
Stinky the Clown at December 6, 2015 9:51 AM
"Help Muslims in your countries to integrate and you will be amazed how the situation with Islamic terrorism changes."
Yes, VICTORY (the name for "integration", where Sharia law is allowed) DOES change behavior. Then your daughter could be attacked with acid for showing her face.
Please explain the horrible behavior of these fundamentalists in countries NOT bombing any majority-Muslim nation.
Radwaste at December 6, 2015 10:01 AM
"There are about 700,000 people on the watch-list — "
So Sky King you trust the gov't boys that much?
We have laws. Violate them and suffer the consequences (unless you are Black and then you are evidently caught up a "white" effort to conduct "mass incarceration"). Until then you are given enough rope to hang yourself.
Bob in Texas at December 6, 2015 11:58 AM
Anyone who thinks making the "No Fly List" a "No gun list" is a good idea should remember that the "No Fly list" is a list of names which, if you happen to have the same name as a vile terrorist (like Ted Kennedy) then you don't get to fly. It is a list of people who MIGHT be a threat according to unaccountable bureaucrats operating in secret. You should also remember that you can get put on the list for things you might not expect. I am reliably informed that several members of the Internet magazine "The Libertarian Enterprise" were put on the list because they wrote nasty things about the US government, I should know, I was one of them. My name has since been removed (so I understand) but how easy is it to put back? Does my thinking, and saying that the US government is a bloated monstrosity which tramples the rights of the American People and beats up third world countries to steal their resources a crime? Does it make me a terrorist? Is that a stick YOU want to be beaten with?
As for the article, I think she needs to be praised for standing up to the forces of Radical Islam. Islam can be reformed, but only when the basis of Islam stops being what it is, a totalitarian political movement. The terrorists ARE engaged in the practices required by Islam, that of hating and subjugating the unbelievers. I read the Koran and dome of the ancillary materials and that IS what it says. Can Islam change? Possibly, but only when it ceases to be Islam.
warhawke223 at December 6, 2015 12:08 PM
Remember when some of those on this board got upset when some of our Marines pissed on some dead terrorists. If you got upset, get your card "radical muslim."
Dave B at December 6, 2015 12:46 PM
"Help Muslims in your countries to integrate and you will be amazed how the situation with Islamic terrorism changes."
Although Minnesota is not a country, a lot has been done there to help muslims integrate. Based on the results, muslims do not want to integrate, and I am not amazed with how the situation changes. Any more bright ideas?
Drove through Pelican Rapids last Friday. Nary a muslim on the street, not one. Must have been prayer time.
Dave B at December 6, 2015 1:13 PM
This is the department that will have the guns right?
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/72-dhs-employees-on-terrorist-watch-list/
Bob in Texas at December 6, 2015 4:49 PM
Fuck these assholes.
And can someone tell me why this sorry excuse for a fucking President keeps referring to Isis as Isil? Isil? Isil!? Is he deliberately insulting?
Feebie at December 6, 2015 5:41 PM
Feebie; "ISIL" is the official US State Department acronym. No doubt, this is something Obama prefers. And, yes, he is a fucking moron.
However, French President Holland, when speaking after the attacks in Paris, used the term "Da'ish."
Arab leaders opposed to the terrorists prefer to use this term "Da'ish." Something about the acronym being a play on words in Arabic meaning something that trounces others underfoot. It is meant as a derogatory term.
Mind you, Obama had no problem with insulting Americans supporting the Tea Party Movement by calling them "tea-baggers." And, I don't believe for a minute that no one in the White Houses didn't know what that meant!?
Obama had no problem with giving the finger to his political opponents.
Obama had no problem with calling some Americans "bitter" and "clinging to their guns and religion."
But, good heavens! Expect Obama to insult any Muslim, even terrorists? Not gonna happen. He'll insult Americans first.
charles at December 6, 2015 7:02 PM
"Help Muslims in your countries to integrate and you will be amazed how the situation with Islamic terrorism changes. "
We tried that, decades ago. The result was 9/11. Islam's goal is not to integrate. Islam's goal is to kill the nonbeliever.
Cousin Dave at December 7, 2015 8:31 AM
said the maid who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of jeopardizing her job with the family.
How many maids does this family have that they will be unable to discover her identity because she didnt give her name?
That reporter was an asshole
lujlp at December 7, 2015 8:39 PM
Very good points made by the author of this note. Yes, the solution is the emancipation from all forms of religion. Sadly, I see a long struggle to do so and, unfortunately, an uncertain outcome. In fact, considering the economic and ecologic challenges ahead, it seems that the future is bleak.
Coco at December 8, 2015 3:56 AM
You keep dreaming that dream Coco. Religion isn't the problem. Look at the wonderful atheist nations and see where your dreams lead.
Ben at December 9, 2015 3:55 PM
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