Contents

The research is divided into three main parts, after an initial introduction:

·       Part One: Freedom of Religion in Islam

·       Part Two :Fanatic Muslims violating Islamic value of religious freedom:

o   Section one: Muslim History in brief glance

o   Section two: Some samples of the war of ideas in the field of religious freedom, done by the Quranists during the last twenty years

·       Part three: Suggestions for American policy makers in the field of dealing with Muslim World and religious freedom

I. Freedom of religion in Islam: this section discusses the following:

Preface of Part 1

(1) How to understand the Quran and authentic Islam

(2) Freedom of religion in Islam at a quick glance

Chapter I: The Roots of Freedom of Religion in Islam

(1) Freedom of religion as a test for humans

(2) Freedom of religion in Quran

Chapter II: Dialogue is Evidence of Freedom of Religion in Islam

(1) Dialogue is evidence of free will

(2) Decency of dialogue in the Quran

(3) In Dialogue:  Recognizing and accepting religious freedom for the other party

Chapter III: Freedom of Religion Applied by the Prophet Muhammad

(1) “No compulsion in religion”

(2) Freedom of religion in Prophet Muhammad’s Government

(3) How far oppositions enjoyed freedom of opinion

(4) The Extent of Opposition in prophet Muhammad’s Government

Chapter IV: Muslim’s Identity Belongs to His Religious Freedom, not His Country or Nation:

(1) On the practical level

(2) The essence of belonging

(3) The true believer and nationalism

(4) Migration for religious freedom is the essence of belonging to Islam

(5) Contradiction between the Wahhabi Identity and Islamic Identity

(6) In conclusion:

Chapter V:  Religious Freedom and Islamic Values of Justice and Tolerance

(1) Between Islamic justice and forgiveness

(2) Infidel, unbeliever, disbeliever are judged by humans according to their criminal religious behavior, not their faith

(3) ‘Az Zolm’ is against justice

(4) “A-sabr” (Tolerance or Patience) as an Islamic value to respond to “Az Zolm

(5) The terrorist is the worst criminal

Chapter VI: Religious Freedom and Islam as a Religion of Peace

(1) Peace and Islam in a quick glance

(2) The relationship between Islam and peace in Arabic Quranic language

(3) Understanding Muslims and peace in history

(4) Qureish tribe converted to Islam and the disappearance of peaceful Islam after Prophet Mohammed’s death

Chapter VII: Legislation of Jihad in Islam is to Confirm Religious Freedom

(1) Understanding laws of Jihad in Islam

(2) Jihad and freedom of religion

(3) Rules of alliance in time of war

(4) Rules in battlefield

(5) The first order of Jihad as fighting gives as its objective: to defend churches, monasteries, synagogues and mosques

(6) Conclusion

II. Part Two: Fanatic Muslims violating Islamic value of religious freedom has:

Preface: The majority of Muslims throughout their history committed themselves to religious freedom.

(1) Define terms and expressions and not to confuse them with each other.                               

( 2) Judge a certain period of history, with its own cultural standards and not with ours.                        

 (3) Fair-minded western researchers who wrote about Islam’s tolerance as a religion              

(4)Unjustified unfounded accusation of Muslims                                                                      

 (5) Most of Sunni jurisprudence was disconnected from practical life of Muslims during the Medieval Ages                                                                                                                     

(6) Sunni jurisprudence does not reflect the intellectual life of Muslims                                

(7)The lived reality in Muslims’ History, and the theoretical writings of Sunni jurisprudenc               

Section one of part two: Muslim History in brief glance

Chapter one: Arabs and Muslim in a brief Historical account

Arabs in Middle aged history:

(1) Extinct Arabs - Two Lines of the Current Arab Tribes                                                       

(2) South Arabs of Kahtan                                                                                             

(3) The Northern Tribes                                                                                                           

(4) Strong Families inside the Tribe of Quraysh                                                                      

(5) The Two Powerful Families of Quraysh Ruled the Muslim Empire                                 

(6) The Prophet Mohammed                                                                                        

(7) Why did Quarysh Accepted Islam?                                                                                   

 (8)The Omawy Family Used Islam to Restore its Power.                                                     

(9)The Opposition inside the Omawy Empire                                                                      

(10)The Abbasy Dynasty                                                                                          

(11) Quraysh; the most famous tribe in the world:                                                  

(12)Spiritual influence of Quraysh after destroying the Abbasy Empire:                           

(13)Quraysh was the present/absent factor of the Non - Arabic Muslim States:                

(14) Al Khawarej [the revolutionists]; the pioneers of Anti - Quraysh:-                                        

(15) Arabs in Modern History

1-Najd resumes its role                                                                                             

2- Egypt                                                                                                                     

3-Arabs under the European colonialism                                                                             

4- Arabs [1914-1952]                                                                                                

5- Arabs between 1952- 2001:                                                                                              

 Chapter two: Historic roots of Wahabism

(1) Saudi Arabia and bringing back the worst forms of fanaticism to our era and spreading it in the name of Islam                                                                                                          

(2)  This requires a clarification                                                                                           

(3)The rise of man-made religions, Sunni being the most prominent, as an expression of dominance and oppression                                                                                        

(4) Recording the tradition of Muslim man-made religions, starting with the first Abbasid Period (132-232 Hijri) corresponding to (750-847 C. E.).                                                               

 (5)Caliph Al Mutawakkil (232-247 H.) The strict Hanbali fanaticism period, and recognizing it as religion                                                                                                                              

(6) The political struggle between Sunnis and Shiites and the development of moderate Sunni Sufism                                                                                                                         

(7) Saladin the Ayybid and establishment of Sufi Sunni religion                                       

(8) Sunni Sufi Dominance during the Memluk period (648-921 H…1250-1517 C.E)                   

(9) Ibn Taymiyyah (died in 728 H, 1327 C.E.), the Hanbali’s persecution in the Memluk period        

(10) The effect of persecution on Ibn Taymiyyah’s severity in decreeing death and apostasy

(11) The dominance of the Sunni Sufi religion in the Ottoman Era                                    

 (12) Promoting the good and forbidding the detested), between Islam and Sufism and Wahhabism                                                                                                                

 (13) Features or characteristics of( promoting good and forbidding evil ) in Islam                      

 (14) Features or characteristics of( promoting good and forbidding evil ) between Sunni Hanbalis and Sufis                                                                                                                

Finally: Chapter 3: Fanaticism during establishing the current Saudi State

(1) General view                                                                                                                    

(2) The Formation of Nejdi Brotherhood and their role in founding the Saudi State                     

1.     Creation of Al-Hejr (Settlements for Bedouin)                                                                    

2.     Abdul Aziz’s goal for transforming Bedouins into Brotherhood                                        

3.     Was Abdul Aziz the first to try this method, of the settlements?                                        

4.     The meaning of (Al Hojar), (Al Hijra) and (The Brotherhood).                                          

5.     Most famous Wahhabi Settlements and dates of settling activities                        

6.     Management of Al Hojar (Settlements)                                                                   

7.     Life within the settlement                                                                                         

8.     The Brotherhood’s military reputation                                                                                 

9.     The Brotherhood and the founding of Abdul Aziz’s rule                                                     

10.  Final capture of Hejaz and the start of public conflict between Abdul Aziz and

11.  the Brotherhood                                                                                                           

(3) The Brotherhood’s opposition to Abdul Aziz in a brief historical report                                  

1.     Dissension and conflict over work and idleness, and the scholars’ conference in 1919                 

2.     Al-Artaweyya Conference in 1924 and what ensued:                                                          

3.     Annexation of Hejaz and sending the Brotherhood back to Nejd                            

4.     Opposition by Means of Conferences                                                                                   

5.     Al-Artaweyya Conference in 1926                                                                                       

6.     Ar-Reyadh Conference in 1927                                                                                            

7.     Interlude between the 2 Riyadh’s conferences 1927-1928                                       

8.     General Assembly: Public conference in Riyadh November 5th 1928                                

9.     Transforming Brotherhood opposition to military confrontation caused their demise      

(4) Some analysis:

1.     Symptoms of Ibn Abdul-Wahhab thought on the differences between the Brotherhood  

2.     and Ibn Saud                                                                                                              

3.     Allegiance between the scholars and the Brotherhood                                                        

4.     Persecution of the Shiittes                                                                                        

5.     Abdel Aziz resumed his authority

Section two of Part two: Some samples of the war of ideas in the field of religious freedom, done by the Quranists during the last twenty years

Preface                                              

Chapter 1: Attacking terrorism and exposing fanatics: Quranists wage war of ideas having Islam against the fanatics who violate religious freedom

 (1)The International Quranic Center (IQC) condemns the atrocity at Fort Hood, Texas yesterday November 5, 2009.

(2) The latest suicide operations in Israel and their implications

(3) That who explodes himself killing innocent people looses this life& the hereafter

(4) Fanatic Fatwas:

(5 ) The Criteria of the Islamic fatwa

(6 )  Reading –discussing – analyzing –viewing –overview of Ben laden’s latest statement.

(7) Is it possible to reform the Saudi State?  The Saudi State must be reformed , But they refuse the reform to keep their dictatorship

(8) The Saudi Regime needs Al-Qaeda, Why?

(9) Statement from the International Quranic Center:

(10) The official Saudi responsibility in September 11,The Religious Historical Roots of September 11

(11) Exposing radical Islam

(12) Contradiction between the Islamic state and the religious state

(13) Salafi Wahabism is anti Islam. The Contradiction between the Salafi Wahabism and real Islam

(14 ) Free the Holy Mosque .For how long will this violation to God’s Sharee’a last?

(15)To Free the Sacred Mosque from Saudi Family Dominance…Enlightenment Conventions are required

(16) Sheiks of torture

(17) The False Alarm of Evangelism

(18) The False Conviction of The "Territory of Peace& Territory of War"

Chapter 2: Defending the victims of religious persecution

Firstly: Defending the victims of religious minorities

 (1)Persecution of Copts in Egypt Post Muslim Conquest

Prelude to this Research, Preface

 First: Position of Islam Regarding Persecution of Non-Muslims

 Second: Persecution of Copts during the reign of the rightly guided caliphs:  (Imposition Of Poll Tax ( Al Jizyah ) (The Term Ahl-Zimma(People of Covenant of Protection).  

 Third: Persecution of Copts during the Umayyad Period .

Fourth: Oppression of Copts after the Umayyad era :

1- The period from the start of Abbasid dynasty until the reign of caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 255 Hijri .

 2-Second During the time of Al-Mutawakkil, 

3-: The Memluk State:

1.     The tragedy of Bulous the imprisoned monk in 666 Hijri

2.      The Sufi sheikh Khudr Al-Adwi in 672 Hijry

3.     The Christians’ unfortunate incident of 682 Hijri

4.     The Moroccan Vizier incident in 700 Hijri

5.     Sheikh Al-Bakri incident in 714 Hijri.

6.     The incident of collective torching of Egyptian churches at the same time in 721 Hijri 

Epilogue:

(2) A call to the Muslim Brothers: Building Churches in Egypt and defending them is a recognized right in Islam.

( 3 ) The Muslim Brotherhood and the National Party against Egyptian Baha’is   

 Secondly: : Defending the right of apostasy                       

(1 ):Penalty of Apostasy: A Historical and Fundamental Study

Prelude to this Research,   Introduction:

One:The penalty of apostasy in the light of the Holy Qur’an and the true practice of the Messenger

Firstly: The word "Hadd", generally interpreted to mean "penalty" or "punishment", is used in the Holy Qur’an to mean "the truth" or " the law", not to mean punishment.

Secondly: The position of the Holy Qur’an regarding accusation of apostasy.

Thirdly: The position of the Holy Qur’an regarding the verdict of executing someone outside the principle of: "a life for a life".

Fourthly: The penalty of apostasy in the light of the true practice of the Messenger.

Two:The penalty of apostasy in the books of ancestors and in the history of Muslims.

Firstly: The events in the Prophet's life negate the existence of a penalty for apostasy.

Secondly: The penalty of apostasy and the war with the apostates.

Thirdly: Developing the penalty of apostasy between the two scholars "Al-Awza'ee" and "lkremah".

The Tradition of Al-Awza'ee As Reported In Sahih Muslim

Discussing Ikremah's Hadith in: "Sahih-ul-Bukhari"

Fourthly: Is it permissible to put people to death based on traditions that have been reported by one person?

The VerdictConclusion:

The penalty of apostasy, a verdict to kill all people

Chapter 3: Persecuting the Quranists because they are successful in war of ideas against the fanatics

 (1)Islamic tolerance between Egypt and America

 (2)Muslim Brothers and the Quranists

(3) Quranists as persecuted Muslim scholars

 (4)  Because of this article, my half brother Abdellateef Sa’ed and others have beenarrested in May 28th. This article was published in Arabic on May 4, 2007

 (5) In Egypt, interrogating the Quranists under torture

 (6) The Egyptian Taliban State: Holding the Egyptians Hostages

 (7) Is it A Conspiracy To Eradicate the Quranists in Egypt?

 (8) Answering Al-Qa’da Rascals’ Incitement to Murder Me

 (9) Because of this address at the American Congress, Saudi agents sabotaged Ahl-AlQuran site.

 (10)Because of this article, our site was the target of an attack by Hosni Mubarak’s hackers.

Part three: Suggestions for American policy makers in the field of dealing with Muslim World and religious freedom:

Preface

Examples of our proposals of war of ideas:

Example one: Making America the super power in war of ideas in this century with minimum costs: 

Example two : Countering terrorism in the field of war of ideas: What can the Quranists do in war of ideas against terrorism?

Initiative (1): Online War of Ideas to defeat the terrorism and promote the American Image in the Muslim world

Initiative (2): Conferences to understand reform and recruit

 Initiative (3): Writing T.V programs (in brief):

 Initiative (4): Writing drama for T.V and theaters

Example three: My Testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee: October 25, 2005                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Introduction

The First part:The Wahabism and the Saudi State

The Second Part: The bad results of the Wahabism

The third Part: Reforms in the Saudi Kingdom

The Fourth Part: The Wahabist war on America

The Fifth Part: American Mission: How to defeat terrorism in this intellectual war?

 

1)This is the kind of Islamic research that addresses Muslims according to their culture and mentality.

It is not only to discuss the contradiction between the unlimited freedom of religion in Islam and the fanatic Muslim culture, but it also looks at the whole picture to help Ameica in handling the war of ideas against those fanatics and their terrorist culture.

 It is not to convince the Western reader whether Islam is good or bad.  It is not to preach Islam among non-Muslims.  It is to help American policy to understand this religion, and its peoples.    America's founding principles of freedom, democracy and justice are in natural alliance with the true principles of Islam.

 America needs the help of Islamic scholars who understand true Quranic principles and Islamic culture, in order to win the War of Ideas.

2) The basic issue here is the war of ideas. The other side is waging a war of ideas against the West, using the name of Islam while it contradicts Islam in its values, jurisprudence, faith and morals.

American policy is fighting them militarily, and allies itself to the head of Wahhabism, moreover, it called those terrorists and fanatics (Islamists) supporting their false claim of being sincere Muslims.

It is very easy for the American policy to have the religion of Islam on its side because Islam has the same American values.

3 ) America had its expertise in a war of ideas in time of cold war. It used it against the late Soviet Union, and it helped in collapsing it without one bullet spent. However, it is a different case here because communism belonged to the Western culture, so it was easy to face it from within its Western roots. In our case here, the US is dealing with another different culture which is rooted in its people’s mentality for tens of centuries before America itself.

4 ) America has to Islamize this war of ideas against its enemy.

Helping those expert Muslims will help the US defeat this enemy with minimum cost. This will help America promote its image in the Muslim World, reform Muslim World, defeat terrorism and save billions of dollars and thousands of lives.

 

I. The Abandonment of True Islam

Authentic Islam — that is, the truth revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and delivered by him through the Holy Quran — has in large measure been abandoned in the Muslim world.  We can, however, discern the truth of Islam by reading the Quran in the original Arabic, and correctly interpreting its special terminology, uniquely linked to the language in which it was written.

By reading and correctly interpreting the special terminology of the Quran we can come to understand Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance, justice, and freedom of speech and belief. Due to a shared basis on the universal and unchangeable precepts of the natural moral law, we discover a strong similarity between “traditional American values” and the truths discerned in “forgotten” Islam.

Early Arab Muslims established a religion-based political hegemony over a wide area — a “religious empire” — in the generation following the death of Prophet Mohamed.  This was directly contrary to both the social and the purely religious teachings of Islam found in the Quran.  To justify this departure from the purity of the Prophet’s teachings, Sunni scholars during the Middle Ages distorted the purely religious teachings of Islam as well as the universal moral principles found in Quranic jurisprudence, that is, civil laws based on the natural moral law, and thus (unlike purely religious precepts) universal in application without prejudice to anyone’s religious beliefs or convictions.

Wahhabism has revived this Medieval Sunni tradition in the modern age.  Due to Saudi influence, Wahhabism has spread throughout the Muslim world as the official religious interpretation of Islam.  The Wahhabi tradition is known today as “Sharee’a.”  Sharee’a is enforced in many Muslim countries, resulting in tarnishing the name of Islam, and undermining or eliminating completely essential pillars of human society and individual human development such as democracy, justice, peace, religious freedom, and basic human rights.

Sharee’a law as promulgated by Medieval Sunni scholars distorted true Islamic religious and social teachings in four distinct ways.

1. Misinterpretation and Distortion of Quranic Terminology

The most damaging way in which the Medieval Sunni Scholars and their modern Wahhabi descendents distorted true Islamic religious and social teachings was by changing the meaning of critical Quranic terminology.

For example, the Arabic Quranic terms Kafir and Mushrik — signifying variously “disbeliever,” “unbeliever,” “atheist,” “pagan,” or “idol worshipper,” have two meanings in the Quran, depending on the context.  The first is related to the Faith, and refers to a person who does not believe in the One, True God.  According to the Quran, God is the only One who will sit in judgment over people on the Last Day.  No mere human being has the right in this life to interfere in this relationship between man and his/her Creator.

There is, however, another meaning of Kafir and Mushrik.  This other meaning relates to the criminal behavior of a person who uses the Name of God and His religion to justify committing crimes in the name of religion, as Sunni and Shiites terrorists are doing today.  This other meaning of Kafir and Mushrik was ignored or discarded by the Medieval Sunni scholars, and thus by their Wahhabi descendants.

Medieval Sunni scholars related their understanding of Kafir and Mushrik only to faith, that is, to offenses against their understanding of Islam.  This necessarily resulted in the fixed belief that anyone, even another Muslim, who does not adhere to the specific precepts of the Sunni faith tradition is not a true Muslim; even if he is a Shiite or a Sufi Muslim.  Because the Sunnis regarded themselves as the only true interpreters of the Quran, they (in effect) usurped the authority of the One, True God, and assumed the power to judge others in purely religious matters.  Wahhabis believe that they, too, have this authority.

Interpretation of the Quran has been strongly influenced by these distortions forced on Quranic terminology.  This has resulted in the growth of intolerance and fanaticism.  Both are contrary to the religious revelations given to the Prophet, and to the applications of universal principles of the natural moral law found in the Quran.  Understanding Kafir and Mushrik (disbeliever, unbeliever, atheist, pagan, idol worshipper) only in the most narrow and distorted sense of disagreeing with or not believing in the Sunni interpretation of the Quran causes further distortions.  This understanding is related only to Faith and, even then, a perverted version of the faith the Prophet received.  This understanding ignores completely the far more serious crime that abuses the name of God and His religion to advance personal or political ends and goals.

The distortions that have been forced on Quranic terminology can best be illustrated by some examples.  “Yusufali,” “Pickthal,” “Shakir,” refer to specific translations of the Quran.

Chapter 9, Verse 36

YUSUFALI

“And fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together.”

PICKTHAL

“And wage war on all of the idolaters as they are waging war on all of you.”

SHAKIR

“And fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together.”[1]

Saudi official Translation

“And fight against the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) collectively as they fight against you collectively.”[2]

Chapter 2, Verse 286

YUSUFALI

“Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith.”

PICKTHAL

“And have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.”

SHAKIR

“And have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people.”[3]

Saudi official translation

“Have mercy on us. You are our Maulâ (Patron, Supporter and Protector, etc.) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.”[4]

Chapter 9, Verse 123

YUSUFALI

“O ye who believe! fight the unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you: and know that Allah is with those who fear Him.”

PICKTHAL

“O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).”

SHAKIR

“O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).”[5]

Saudi official translation

“O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious).”[6]

Obviously, isolating these passages and distorting them by taking them out of context confirms an understanding of Islamas a religion of terrorism, transgression, and aggression.  These passages appear to order Muslims to fight other people who have different religions, solely on the grounds that they do not share the Sunni understanding of Islam.

Taking the Book as a whole, however, and putting what is said into context, the astute reader of the Quran will realize that interpreting these passages as advocating religious terrorism directly contradicts the hundreds of verses in the Quran that confirm peace, justice, and full freedom of religion in Islam.

The thoughtful reader therefore has to ask him- or herself if the following passages are true, or whether there may be something wrong in the translation from the original Arabic:

·       “And fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together” — This implies that simply being a pagan means that someone is automatically at war against Muslims, so Muslims have the right to attack them.

·       “Have mercy on us.  Thou art our Protector; help us against those who stand against faith” — Here we ask God for mercy and protection against those who attack us, so how can we justify the hypocrisy of attacking others?  It is contradictory to attack other people, and then pray to God to help you overcome them.  The only logical meaning is to be peaceful and fight only in self-defense, not to start a war.

·       “O you who believe, fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)” — It is impossible to be both pious and an aggressor at the same time.

Clearly there is something wrong with these translations.  Using common sense and taking the passages in context, we realize that the Quranic terms Kafir and Mushrik in these verses have nothing to do with religious belief.  They only mean criminal transgressors in behavior, that is, offenses in the civil order, such as individual crimes or aggression in war, not religious differences or offenses.

As noted above, Kafir and Mushrik have two different meanings according to the Quranic context.  In matters of faith, they mean disbeliever, nonbeliever, pagan, infidel, idol worshipper, idolaters.  In matters of behavior in temporal society, however, they refer to someone who commits aggression.  The understanding is transgressor or outlaw, much as criminals are sometimes called barbarians, heathens, or some other pejorative, even though they speak the same language and practice the same religion as law-abiding citizens.

In those verses God talks about the transgressors who start war by attacking peaceful believers.  So, the correct translation should be, “and fight the transgressors all together as they fight you all together.”  “And have mercy on us, You are our Protector, and give us victory over the transgressors.”  “O you who believe, Fight those of the transgressors who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who are the pious.”

Understood in this way, the mere fact of differing in religious belief or practice does not make any individual or nation a transgressor.  It requires that the Kafir or Mushrik, so-called, actually attack a peaceful believer, not just be different or believe differently.

2. Misinterpretation and Distortion of Quranic Laws

The second most damaging way in which the Medieval Sunni scholars distorted authentic Islamic religious and social teachings was by reinterpreting Quranic laws.  This they did to conform the teachings to their opinions and beliefs, rather than form their beliefs based on the truths contained in the Holy Quran.  In the west, of course, the most obvious example is the Law of Jihad.

Jihad in fighting has its order, its rule, and its final objective.  The rules of Jihad control the order of Jihad, while the order and the rules are under the control of the final goal.  God says, “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.”  (2: 190). The order here is “Fight.”  The rule is, “in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.”  So, Jihad by fighting is only to defend, not to attack, thereby starting war.

Medieval Sunni scholars distorted this teaching by ignoring the “rules” of Jihad, and focusing on the “order.”  For them, and today’s Wahhabi, the command is to fight others — not according to God’s rule, but for your own human ego, based on your private interpretations of God’s command.

The final aim — the goal — of the Islamic Jihad is to prevent religious persecution, and to defend religious freedom.  God says: “And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah (To judge on the Judgment Day), but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.” (2: 193), Also: “And fight them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; (To judge on the Judgment Day), but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do.” (8: 39)

This is an example of how the Medieval Sunni scholars distorted the teaching on Jihad by reinterpreting the Quranic term “Fitna.”  Correctly understood, in the Quran “Fitna” means “persecution” (against peaceful people).  The Sunni scholars reinterpreted the term to signify not “persecution of people ,” but disbelief, that is, those who are not Muslims.

The official Saudi version has embodies this reinterpretation. It says: “And fight them until there is no more Fitnah, that is, “disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah,” and “all and every kind of” worship is for Allah alone.  But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zâlimûn (the polytheists, and wrong-doers).” (2: 193)[7]  In another passage the official Saudi version is as follows:

And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of the world]. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do. (8: 39)[8]

Other translations, however, bring out the real meaning of the two verses:

Chapter 2, Verse 193:

YUSUFALI

“And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression.”

PICKTHAL

“And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers.”

SHAKIR

“And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.”

Chapter 8, Verse 39:

YUSUFALI

“And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do.

PICKTHAL

“And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do.”

SHAKIR

“And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do.”

3. Actual Change of Quranic Laws

The Medieval Sunni Scholars changed the essence of many Quranic laws, twisting the Quranic term “Naskh” to mean “abrogation.”  The Arabic word Naskh actually has exactly the opposite meaning.  Properly understood, Naskh means to write, copy, or prove.  The Sunni Sharee’a has, however, ignored or changed many Islamic Quranic laws, claiming that this is permitted as Naskh.  We can see this in three translations that bring out the true meaning of Chapter 2, Verse 190:

YUSUFALI

“Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.”

PICKTHAL

“Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.”

SHAKIR

“And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits.”[9]

The Saudi official translation, however, changes the wording in translation, and adds footnotes to transform what is essentially an injunction for self-defense to call for violent Jihad that is against peaceful Islamic Jihad.  As the official Saudi version has it: “And fight in the Way of Allah[10] those who fight you, but transgress not the limits.  Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors.” [This Verse is the first one that was revealed in connection with Jihad, but it was supplemented by another (9:36)].

 4. Interpolated Teachings Falsely Attributed to the Prophet

After distorting the Quranic terminology and the Quranic laws, Medieval Sunni scholars forged narration or sayings (Hadith) and ascribed them to the Prophet Mohamed, more than two centuries after his death.  With respect to the teaching on Jihad, they forged this false narration (Hadith): “I am commanded to fight (all) the people until they testify that there is no god but one God, and I am the messenger of God.”

Man-made Sunni religion thereby insists on distorting Quranic terminology and the Quranic Jurisprudence, and ascribing false teachings to the Prophet Mohamed, two centuries and more after his death under the name of Hadith and Sunna (customary practice or tradition). According to their Sharee’a, the Medieval Sunni scholars divided the world into two camps; their camp (the camp of Islam), and the other camp: the camp of warfare, of infidels.  According to their Sharee’a, Muslims are ordered to fight the infidel camp until the end of this world.  They also use Sharee’a to accuse other Muslim sects of being “idol worshippers” to justify fighting them as a group and killing them as apostates.

 

II: The Abandonment of True Jihad

1. Misinterpretation of the Concept of Jihad

Jihad through warfare is only permitted when the intent is to defend the Faith and believers — not to attack peaceful people.  This will be explained in details in this research, but it needs to be stated here.  It is essential to understand that every verse containing the order fight is necessarily subordinate to the rule: “In the cause of God, not to transgress the limits because God does not like the transgressors.”  Sometimes, God describes the transgressors in a different way, as in Chapter 9, Verse 29:

Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tribute in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

Verse 2:190 clarifies and explains 9:29: “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.”  We also gain greater understanding of 9:29 when we correlate it with two Quranic rules:

·       Allah does not forbid you, with respect to those who have not made war against you, on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice.

·       Allah only forbids you in respect to those who made war upon you on account of (your) religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up (others) in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them, those are the unjust. (60:8-9)

The official Saudi translation, however, has distorted the meaning of Verse 9:29 to justify the Saudi Wahhabi faith in dividing the world into two camps, and in waging the holy war against the Jews in particular.[11]  We see a graphic example of this in the following verses:

28. O you who believe (in Allah’s Oneness and in His Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)! Verily, the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and in the Message of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are Najasun (impure).[12] So let them not come near Al-Masjidal-Harâm (at Makkah) after this year; and if you fear poverty, Allah will enrich you if He wills, out of His Bounty. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

29. Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islâm) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah[13] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

30. And the Jews say: ‘Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths, resembling the saying of those who disbelieved aforetime. Allah’s curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth![3]

31. They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilâh (God - Allah) Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He)[4]. Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).”

As we can see, Sunni scholars ascribed to prophet Mohamed this false saying: “The Hour will not be established until you fight against the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him’.”  “The Hour” here refers to the end of this world, and the coming of the Kingdom of Allah, the Lord.

2. Adoption of Sharee’a by the Saudi Family

Medieval Sharee’a has been revived, restored, and adopted by the Saudi family since 1158 AH (AD 1745).  Their goal is to lead the Muslim World against the Western camp and the Jews.  The Saudi Kingdom and the radical Sunni Muslims have the same strategy to brainwash the billion and a half Muslims in the world, and in using the Muslim communities in the US and the West as a fifth column.  The final aim is to unite all Islam under a Caliphate to conquer and to occupy the other camp, fulfilling that predict of their tradition about the sign of the end of this world.

In spite of having the same strategy, the Saudis and the Sunnis use different tactics.  The Saudi Kingdom works to use its influence inside the West and the US to spread Wahhabism under the name of Islam in Europe and in the U.S.  They have the hope that Islam will grow in influence until it is the second largest religion in the West, thereby allowing the Saudi royal family to overcome peacefully the entire West and the U.S.

Radical Sunni organizations such as Ben Laden’s do not have the patience of the Saudis.  They seek to hasten the day when they can exercise world domination.  Consequently they fight now, applying the violent Jihad according to their Sunni Sharee’a law.

3. Authentic Islam in U.S. Hijacked by Wahabbism

Muslims in the U.S. share the American values of tolerance and religious freedom.  Following their natural inclinations, they should discover the strong similarity between authentic Islam and traditional American values rooted in the natural moral law.  Realizing this, they should work to export these values and reform the entire Muslim world, undeceiving them as to the nature of Wahabbism, promoting and improving the American image in the Muslim world.

Instead, the Muslim community in America has been hijacked by Wahhabism.  The Saudi royal family is directly responsible for the rising of this fanatic Sunni Wahhabi trend all over the Muslim world.  They work to spread this fanaticism in Islamic Schools, Centers, and Mosques in the U.S and throughout the West.  Supported by Saudi funding and influence, this terrorist Wahhabi trend is hijacking the name of Islam and abusing the American freedom of speech and belief, threatening America and all of the free world.

The Saudi State has insisted on keeping this Wahhabi fanatic sect fixed in its Medieval culture without any reform from within Islam.  Moreover, Saudi influence results in persecuting free Muslim thinkers who struggle to reform Muslims from within Islam.  The Saudis refuse and oppose any reform coming from the West, and at the same time they persecute reformers who call for reform from within Islam.

4. Deliberate Saudi Mistranslation of the Holy Quran

For the past 25 years, I have struggled against Saudi influence in Egypt.  On coming to the U.S. as a political asylee, I found the same Saudi influence at work in Sunni Mosques, Centers, and schools — most of them controlled by the same fanatics who advocate the Wahhabi culture of terrorism.

To take a typical example, the official Saudi translation of the Holy Quran deliberately mistranslates Chapter One, [Al Fatehah] — the opening of the Quran.  It says: “Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your blessing, not of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray.”

The Saudi translation adds commentary on these verses, describing the Jews as those who earned the anger of God, and the Christians as those who went astray.  This Quranic Chapter One, Al Fatehah, is recited seventeen times in the daily Muslim prayers. So, by means of this mistranslation, every American Muslim is brainwashed each day seventeen times to be a terrorist.  Millions of copies of this translation have been distributed in the Islamic centers and schools and mosques in the U.S., asserting that all Christians and Jews are infidels, and — according to the Wahhabi faith — should be killed[14]:

1. In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

2. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord[15] of the ‘Âlamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists).[16]

3. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

4. The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).

5. You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).

6. Guide us to the Straight Way.[17]

7. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace,[18] not (the way) of those who earned Your anger[19] (i.e. those who knew the Truth, but did not follow it) nor of those who went astray (i.e. those who did not follow the Truth out of ignorance and error).[20],[21]

5. Continued Brainwashing of Muslims

If the Saudi influence in the U.S. continues for some decades, a great part of the silent Muslim majority in the Muslim world and Muslim communities in the West and the U.S. will be brainwashed to become terrorists.  We are talking about a billion and a half people, who are increasing daily in number, threatening the West in the near future.  It is enough for the Saudi tactics to brainwash few millions “only” in the West and the U.S. to achieve its aim peacefully without the necessity of armed conflict.  For the terrorist organizations, it is enough for them to use a war of ideas to recruit millions inside the West, the U.S., and in the Muslim world, using them in making dirty bombs to cause chaos among those they believe to be the “camp of evil.”

6. Armed Conflict v. War of Ideas

American policy is responsible for the damage that was caused by Wahhabism since the 1990s.  This is because the U.S. usually fights in the Muslim world using its military power, whereas the war should be a war of ideas.

The first difference between a military war and a “soft war of ideas” is to define your enemy.  It is very easy in a military war to know your enemy, but in war of ideas, you will achieve half the victory when you define your enemies perfectly and sort them in order, dealing with everyone in the proper way according to the rule of this intellectual soft war.

In this analysis, Ben Laden is not enemy number one of the U.S.  On the contrary, the chief enemy is the Saudi royal family.  U.S. policy has therefore been to ally itself with its chief enemy in the war of ideas in an effort to achieve a limited and equivocal military victory against a lesser objective.  Consequently, the U.S. has become bogged down in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, at the cost of billions of dollars and thousands of lives in endless military war, without any hope in achieving real victory.  The only result has been to tarnish the American image, and give more power to the Saudi influence inside the U.S. and overseas.

If current US policy continues, it will be disastrous in the coming decades.

III: The War of Ideas — The Real Battlefield

So, here we have some facts:

·       Real Islam, with social teachings based on the natural moral law, has essentially the same American values in fields of democracy, human rights, religious freedom, justice, and tolerance.

·       Most of Muslim countries are undertheocratic and autocratic regimes that oppose and violate these American/Islamic values.

·       Because of dependence on oil and political reasons that date from the cold war with the Soviet Union, the Saudi royal family has had American support in spreading its Sunni Wahhabism inside America and overseas.

·       After September11, American policy has engaged in military war against one part of the enemy (Ben Laden), but has still allied itself to the core of Wahhabism (the Saudi Kingdom).

·       The American policy has tried to reform Arab dictatorship regimes, but it cannot pressure them because it needs their support in its awkward position in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

So, the call for democracy and reforming Arab educational systems was ended, giving the other side more power and more victory. This is a very negative indication for the future.

The basic issue here is the war of ideas.  The other side is waging a war of ideas against the West, using the name of Islam while it contradicts Islam in its values, jurisprudence, faith, and morals.  American policy is to fight them militarily, and consequently allies itself to the head of Wahhabism.  Moreover, the U.S. has called those terrorists and fanatics “Islamists,” thereby supporting their false claim of being sincere Muslims.

Despite all of this, it will be very easy for America to change its policy and have the religion of Islam on its side.  This is not only because Islam shares essential American values based on the natural moral law common to people of all faiths, and not only because fanatic terrorism is against authentic Islam.  It is because only in this way will America be able to protect itself, its people, and their future.  Military action will not solve this problem.  Effective action in the war of ideas can.

This solution — of having Islam aligned with the U.S. and against the distortions of authentic Islam promoted by fanatics — is not recommended by many of American policymakers for many reasons.  The first reason is that they are not familiar with the ground on which a war of ideas is carried out.  This requires a very high degree of understanding of authentic Islam.  America previously exhibited a high degree of expertise in a war of ideas during the cold war.  America used this expertise against the former Soviet Union, and it helped in collapsing it without one bullet spent.  It is, however, a different case in the current situation because communism belonged to the Western culture.  Consequently it was easy to counter communism from within its Western roots.  In the current situation, the U.S. is dealing with a different culture that is rooted in its people’s mentality that developed for tens of centuries before America itself even existed.

1. A New Tactic: Assisting Authentic Islam Against Aggression

America has to “Islamize” the war of ideas against the enemy.  There are thousands of pro-American Muslim scholars who have expertise in this kind of struggle, and who share values based on the natural moral law common to all religions.  They have been waging the war since the 1980s with virtually no resources and without any American support.  They are so successful that they suffered many waves of arrest during 25 years of persecution.  Helping these expert Muslims will help the U.S. defeat this enemy at minimum cost.  This will help America promote its image in the Muslim world, reform the Muslim world from within, defeat terrorism, and save billions of dollars and thousands of lives.

 

IV: Full Religious Freedom

Religious freedom lies in the center of this dilemma.  Islam as a religion is based on pure monotheism; or the sincere belief in the One God, and full religious freedom to have every individual responsible for his or her choices before God only, on the Day of Judgment.  Muslim leaders currently allied with the US deny religious freedom.  These leaders are also the troublemakers in the Arab and Muslim world, and even in the Muslim communities in the West and the U.S.

As central to Islam and as a responsibility of the U.S., examining the issue of religious freedom in Islam and how it relates to Muslims is an essential aspect of the situation.  Carrying out an in-depth investigation into this issue will give American policymakers the information necessary to develop effective recommendations on how to deal with Islam and Muslims.

Finally:

This research is not to convince the Western reader whether Islam is good or bad.  It is not to preach Islam among non-Muslims.  It is to save hundreds of thousands of lives and thousands billions of dollars.  America, only three centuries old, will have to deal with Islam, fourteen centuries old, all of this century.  It is therefore essential to understand this religion, and its peoples.

America has to be the super power in the war of ideas.  This war of ideas will dominate the current century in this time of globalism.  It is essential that America — “the last, great hope of mankind” and exemplar of the universal moral principles common to all humanity, the West, and human civilization — survive.

America can do it.

Ahmed Subhy Mansour

Preface

How to understand the Quran and the Real Islam

There are two different ways of understanding the Quran and the religion of Islam.

A - The first is to see Islam through its divine source, namely the Quran, provided that Quranic terminology should be solely understood based on Quranic explanation and definitions of the term concerned. Arabic language's rich history and vocabulary usually leaves room for different interpretations of any one particular term, yet our approach is to confine ourselves only to the Quranic explanation of the Quranic term. Therefore, this Quranic approach necessitates a thorough knowledge of the full Quranic text so that definitions of terms would be developed only after going through all the verses connected to the subject being researched, otherwise, interpretation may deviate and lacks precision.

B - The second way to understand Islam is through Muslim traditions. By definition, traditions is a human source as its contributors vary, ranging from the sayings ascribed to the Prophet Mohammed and recorded more than two centuries after his death, the "folklore" developed concerning Quranic stories with a view to proving or promoting certain emphasis, and the sayings of renown Muslim Scholars or ‘the Imams of the Muslim Jurisprudence and the other scholars’. Islam can be understood through the prism of the body of knowledge produced by these human resources, and the Quran, the divine source of the religion, is understood according to the views and explanations of any possible combination(s) of these human sources.

It’s thus clearly natural to face the product of these human sources in the form of contradicting views and opinions, each of which searches for supporting verses in the Quran, and in most cases leading to in slippages in interpretations as relevant verses would be interpreted based on terminology definitions derived from these human schools of thought, influenced by all sorts of political, cultural and historical factors, rather than from the Quranic definitions themselves as explained above.

 The difference between the two ways:

The second method is the one which is overwhelmingly followed by the fanatic Muslims of today, and their behavior is heavily influenced by its precepts. The main part of this human body of knowledge has stopped developing by the 12th century AD; therefore it is heavily influenced by the ethos and mentality of the Middle Ages, such as fundamentalism, fanaticism, holy wars and religious trials, and persecutions, which is found today in the behavior of Wahabism and fanatic Shiites.

This understanding of Islam, based on traditions that froze since the crusades, is the bases of contemporary judicial opinions (fatwa) which is responsible for conferring to Islam the image of a religion keen on terrorism, violence, contradiction and fanaticism (which is no wonder if the bases belong to the age of the crusades.) When Muslims established their mighty empires, it was natural that pure Quranic meanings would be twisted to fit political realities.

The main part of the traditions is Hadith or Sunnah, which is the saying attributed falsely to the prophet Mohamed. They invented sayings that served their purpose and attributed these to the prophet as holy texts that should be obeyed by believers as part of the religion. This is the belief of the Sunni Muslims. It is noteworthy that the Shiite Muslims followed other sayings attributed to the Prophet and his relatives and descendents, while the Sufi Muslims have followed the sayings of their holy saints.

Thus whoever views Islam through the lenses of these traditions will find nothing mixtures of Medieval culture, some full of superstitions (Sufi tradition), violence (Sunni tradition), and a combination of the two (Shiite tradition).

If, however, the first method is followed, the result would be surprising, as Islam would be discovered as a religion of unlimited religious freedom, peace, justice and forgiveness and other lofty values.

I chose the first method of understanding Islam first of all because the Quran is the only confirmed source of Islam. As indicated earlier, interpreting the Quran through its own explanations of its own terms yields totally different results.

 

Freedom of religion in Islam at a quick glance

Freedom of religion is defined here as man’s total freedom of creed and thinking, as well as his freedom of declaring and expressing his rituals and advocating his religion peacefully without imposing it on others. This definition is taken from the Quran. The full religious freedom is a principle that was assured by Islam since it emerged, and applied by Muhammad and some of his successors (caliphs). Yet religious freedom has been abrogated by force during the reign of the Qurayshy Umayyad Caliphates (655-750 AD). Thereafter, the Abbasid Caliphates came up with a theocratic concept of governing the state. That concept was established by fabricating religious texts, distinct from the Quran, but connected to the Prophet through the claim that the texts are his sayings. These texts were so manipulated and elevated to the status of a man-made religion, as Abbasid theocratic concepts, through the long time of Abbasid sovereignty during which these traditions were recorded, were gradually and accumulatively transformed into divine dictates, thus becoming an integral part of Islam, although in reality, these stand at odds with pure Islamic values.
Through the Saudi/Wahaby influence, this Middle Age heritage has became the legislative framework and political doctrine of fanatic Sunni leaders (like Muslim Brotherhood) who in essence call for the application of Abbasid religious and political system. Sharia in their dictionary means the re-establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate, going back to medieval values, viewing the world of international relations through the same lenses of the Abbasids, i.e. the camp of war (largely Christendom) vs. the camp of peace (Islamdom), with continuous war until Islam prevails (being the only true religion). As strange as it may sound to one who does not see deep from within, these are the doctrinal bases of theocratic regimes like that of the Saudi Arabia, and also of other autocratic regimes, such as the Mubarak regime in Egypt, albeit a seemingly secular facade. Dictators in the Arab and Muslim worlds have their own official religious scholars who control education, media and mosques to suppress any religious reform that advocate democracy, tolerance and religious freedom from within Islam. Mubarak needs the Muslim Brotherhood to use them as excuse to stay in power, so he defends their Sunni Wahabi traditions, persecuting the Islamic peaceful reformers who are experts in the war of ideas from within Islam having Islamic values against the terrorism.
As a fact, those dictators and their Scholars along with the fanatic religious oppositions (like Muslim Brotherhood) represent the biggest danger to Islam and the Muslim World and to the safety of the international community. Those dictators usually fight with their fanatic religious oppositions, but they become immediately united in one camp against any Islamic religious reform, advocating –peacefully - the real Islamic values of freedom, justice, tolerance and human rights.

Efficiently fighting against these legalistic fanatics can be conducted by exposing their falsehood from within Islam. The endeavor should start with a call for reforming the Arab and Muslim legislation – especially the penal code – to secure religious freedom and human rights for the entire citizenry, and to establish democratic regimes. Achieving this objective requires endeavor to enlighten and educate Muslims from within Islam so that Muslims realize that true Islam is based on unlimited freedom of belief and speech, justice and tolerance and peace, while the fanatic Sharia contradicts Islam.
Thanks to the United States Commission of international freedom for its help in writing this research in the field of religious freedom in Islam and how the fanatic Muslims have violated it.

 

 

Chapter one: The Roots of Freedom of religion in Islam

Man’s freedom of religion is the origin of his existence in this world. Moreover, it is the reason of God’s creation of the universe, and the idea of the hereafter. This is how far the roots of freedom of religion in Islam go. This puts an end to every pretext of people supporting suppression of religion in the name of God, The Creator.

(1)Freedom of religion as a test for us

Let’s read the verses of Quran, those are dealing with this issue in order:

1-     God created the universe including planets, stars, galaxies, and the seven heavens which exist beyond the universe and beyond our imagination. God Almighty says: “Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater matter than the creation of men: yet most men understand not”.(Ch.40/Vrs.57)

2-     God created the universe and the great heavens because of one aim, choosing a creature called man. God Almighty says: (He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days- and His throne was over the waters- that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct.”(Ch.11/Vrs. 7). So God created heavens and earth to see which one of us is best in conduct.

3-     - At the end of this examination, there will be the Hereafter, when God Almighty will destroy the universe and the heavens to create a new earth and new heavens and reckon people according to their deeds. God Almighty says: “One day the earth will be changed to a different earth, and so will be the heavens, and men will be marshaled forth, before God, the One, the Irresistible”(Ch.14/Vrs.48)

4-      - Thus, man is ordered to contemplate God’s aim of creating heavens and earth. God Almighty says: “Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! Not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire”. (Ch.3 /Vrs.191)

5-     - Thus God hasn’t created heavens and earth in vain. God Almighty says: “And We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them in jest.”(Ch.21/Vrs.16).

6-     God created heavens and earth for a true aim, and He made a specific time for them to end. God Almighty says: “We created not the heavens and the earth and all between them but for just ends, and for a term appointed” (Ch.46/Vrs.3)

7-     - Every man goes through his own examination when he exists on earth, lives his appointed age, then dies. Man is required to know during his life that God created him to be examined. God Almighty says: “ He Who created death and life, that He may try you, which of you is best in deed” (Ch.67/Vrs.2)

8-      - Man fails in the exam and hell is appointed as his fate when he spends his lifetime negligent of the aim of his existence. God Almighty says reminding man of the aim of his existence: “Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?”(Ch.23/Vrs.115). God says this to man in the Hereafter when everything has ended.

9-     - It is noticed that God Almighty made the factors of the examination balanced and fair. He created man with a pure instinct, which is his inner sensitive scale that can distinguish between good and evil and directs his faith to God only. In contrast, God assigned the devil to mislead man, and sent prophets with divine books, beautified life and its pride. However, and above all, He created man free, either to obey Him or not, or to believe in Him or not. Moreover, God created man capable of keeping all his secrets, desires, feelings, concerns and thoughts away from anybody in order to enjoy his independence and freedom of thought. If man wants to be free, he will be, and if he wants to be a slave to another man or any thought, he will be too. What is important is, man is able to choose, and through choice, man can use his freedom however he wants. The majority of mankind – according to the Quran – usually chooses to be nonbelievers, and deny their inner instinct and ignore God’s existence.  To this extent, God Almighty created man with free will. And man’s free thought can lead him to deny the existence of God, the Almighty.

10-In contrast to man’s freedom during lifetime, there’s no prospect of freedom of choice in the Hereafter. Individual freedom of thinking, working and behaving ends at the moment of death, and then man is appointed to take responsibility for his life deeds. This is why God speaks about the Hereafter in Quran in passive tense about the Day of Judgment. For example God Almighty says: “And the earth will shine with glory of its Lord: the record of deeds will be placed open; the prophets and witnesses will be brought forward; and a just decision pronounced between them; and they will not be wronged in the least. And every soul will be paid in full (the fruit) of its deeds; and (God) knoweth best all that they do. The unbelievers will be led to Hell in crowd; until, when they arrive there, its gates will be opened).. .(..And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Garden in crowds”(Ch.39/Vrs.69:73) God doesn’t say: prophets and witnesses will come, but He says: prophets and witnesses will be brought forward. He doesn’t say: The unbelievers will go to hell, but He says: the unbelievers will be led to Hell in crowd, likewise He says: those who feared their Lord will be led to the Garden in crowds. So in the Hereafter everything will be driven. God Almighty says: “But each one of them all will be brought before Us (for judgment)”. (Ch.36/Vrs. 32). And He says “It will be no more than a single blast when lo! They will all be brought up before Us”(Ch. 36/Vrs. 53). “Will be brought” is in passive tense to assure that they will lack free will and ability to run away.

11-So God Almighty gave us free will in this life to set us up for an examination. He sent a religion to follow. He gave us the unlimited freedom to obey his religion or to disobey it. His true religion accompanied with divine books, yet not accompanied with a sword or angels to order people to follow it. God didn’t create hell in life as He didn’t want nonbelievers to be thrown in it before the eyes of other people. If He did, there wouldn’t be any exam. God sent the religion free of this all. He blessed man with freedom and enabled him to choose either to be a believer or a disbeliever. Nevertheless, God postponed the examination until the Hereafter, and said that He would come in the Hereafter to judge among people.

In this Judgment Day, man’s freedom will end forever, and he will face the results of his deeds when God comes in the hereafter, and earth shines with its God’s light. God did not authorize some people to punish, in His name, others just because they have different opinions or because they disbelieve in God. And those who proclaim their right to punish others spoil the case from its roots and play the role of God - as there is no god but Him. They dominate what God Almighty wanted it to be free, as He created human mind free without restraints, able to think with no limits, and believe or disbelieve if it wants. They fake God’s religion and assault His powers that He saved for Himself to practice in the Hereafter, on grounds that there is no need for punishment and reckoning in the hereafter, as long as there is a compulsion in faith and religion in this life. They form a bad, extreme, bloody, stubborn and fusty image of God’s religion, and contribute to get most people away from it. This bad image has nothing to do with God’s religion. It is their image and their human made religion that is entirely opposite to God’s religion.

12-Because they were the real enemies of God, He legislated militancy against them, not to force people to get into Islam, but to assure people’s right of to believe or not to believe, as well as their right to get rid of the domination of insincere religious leaders. The insincere religious leaders in Muslim World (priesthood advocates) are those who pretend to be talking in the name of God, and controlling- in His name- people’s minds and thoughts. Islam fought them with the legislation of militancy. Yet the insincere religious leaders of Muslims succeeded in reversing concepts and misrepresenting Islam, fabricating an ugly human made religion that contradicts the real Islam in the Holy Quran.

13- God confirms in the Holy Quran that He will judge all people in the field of different religions in the Hereafter. In Al Medina, there was a religious political opposition who claimed themselves to be Muslims, to plot against Islam and Muslims. The Holy Quran called them hypocrites. Those hypocrites used to debate with Prophet Muhammad insulting him and his religion, God ordered him not to listen to them and to declare that God will judge between him and them on the Day of Judgment which will be postponed until the Hereafter. God Almighty says: “if they do wrangle with thee, say: God knows best what it is ye are doing. God will judge between you on the Day of Judgment concerning the matters in which ye differ” (Ch.22/Vrs.68-69). God says about disbelievers: “those who reject faith will not cease to be in doubt concerning revelation until the hour of judgment comes suddenly upon them, or there comes to them the penalty of the day of disaster. On that day the dominion will be that of God”(Ch.22/Vrs.55- 56 ).

When the prophet moved to the city of Medina and became a ruler of a state and a leader of a nation, Quran didn’t allow him to force hypocrites to believe in God and obey Him, as they had total freedom of opinion. They entrapped the believers in times of wars, which is considered a great treason in human laws. Yet God has postponed punishment until the Hereafter when He will judge between believers and hypocrites. God Almighty says: “These are the ones who wait and watch you: if ye do gain a victory from Allah, they say: "Were we not with you?"- But if the unbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we not gain an advantage over you, and did we not guard you from the believers?" but Allah will judge between you on the Day of Judgment. And never will Allah grant, to the unbelievers, a way (to triumph) over the believers “. (Ch.4/Vrs.141)

God owns the religion but he does not impose it on us.  God wanted to examine us, so He created heavens and earth, then created us free either to believe in Him or not. Moreover, He did not authorize prophets, the elite of people, to force anybody to believe in Him. The exam of each of us ends at the time of death, and each will face his fate then in the Hereafter. .

(2)Freedom of religion in Quran

1-     Quran approves that God could make people, if he wanted, one nation with no differences, with no choice, and born on absolute piety like programmed machines. Yet God wanted to create people free to choose different opinions and different religions. Some are believers and some are disbelievers, some are guided and some are misled, each according to his choice and desire.

God Almighty says: “If it were God’s will He could gather them together unto true guidance”. (Ch.6/Vrs.35). “If it had been His will, He could indeed have guided you all”.( 6/ 149) . So God’s will, doesn’t interfere to lead people to faith, or else all people would be faithful, as no one can stand in the way of God’s will. Yet people are different, and they own the freedom of choice between faith and infidelity. This proves that God’s will doesn’t interfere, and people will stay different because it is what God wants, and nothing can hamper God’s will. God Almighty says: “but they will not cease to dispute, except those on whom thy Lord hath bestowed his mercy.(Ch.11/Vrs.118-119). There are different choices before people, and God sends books and sends prophets to enable people to distinguish between right and wrong, justice and injustice, then He leaves it free for them to choose between this and that. God Almighty says: “And unto God leads straight the way, but there are ways that turn aside, if God had willed, He could have guided all of you”. (Ch.16Vrs./9.)

2- When people choose the wrong way, they try to find a religious support for their choice by faking the truth which is suggested in divine books. Yet, God’s will doesn’t interfere, and He allows forging the truth, so people can search for the truth and choose between real and fake. God Almighty says: “Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- evil ones among men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone. “. So God wanted to make them free to lie to Him and His messenger, and He said to his messenger: “If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it, so leave them and their inventions alone”(Ch.6/Vrs.112).

3-     God threatens to punish them in the day of Resurrection, He Knows their conspiracies of manipulating His verses, yet though He gives them freedom, He will make them take the responsibility of their deeds on the Day of Resurrection. God Almighty says: “Those who pervert the truth in our verses are not hidden from us, which is better? He that is cast into the hell fire, or he that comes safe through, on the Day of Judgment? Do that ye will: verily He seeth clearly all that ye do”.(Ch.41/Vrs.40-41). He asked them to do what they wanted, and it is clear that He is addressing those who manipulate God’s religion.

4-     Insincere religious leaders are those who earn living by telling lies and attribute them to the Almighty God and His messenger. They own the will to fight against God, but will bear their mistake on the Day of Resurrection. And the practical evidence is clear before us as they practice their job until now.

5-     - As God Almighty calls people for truth and reminds them of it, He approves their freedom of choice and calls it a “will” too, in order to raise the rank of freedom. God says in two Sura of Quran: “Verily this is an admonition: therefore, whoso will, let him take a straight path to his Lord”(Ch. 73/Vrs 19)Ch.(76/Vrs.38 ). So guidance is the choice of everyone. People can choose either to be guided or misled. Eventually, the guided way is good for man, and the misled way is bad for him. God Almighty says: “A warning to mankind, to any of you that chooses to press forward or to follow behind, every soul will be held in pledge for its deeds”. (Ch.47/Vrs.36- 38). The same meaning is repeated suggesting man’s will and his entire freedom of either to believe in God or not. God says: “Nay, this surely is an admonition: let any who will, keep it in remembrance”.( Ch.74/Vrs. 54- 55). “Verily this is no less than a message to all the worlds: with profit to whomever among you wills to go straight”(Ch.81/Vrs.28). And “Therefore let whoso will, keep it in remembrance”.(Ch.80/Vrs.12). Are more evidences on man’s freedom to believe in God or not needed?

6-     Freedom of belief in God is the utmost of the opinion in Islam. As long as the Quran suggests that man is free to believe or disbelieve in God, man is free also to disbelieve in the leader or in any religious or civil authority.

7-     - From here the Islamic principle “let there be no compulsion in religion” emerges. This famous verse Ch.(2/Vrs.256 )was sent while the prophet was in Medina, when the state of Islam was powerful and strong. Yet this principle was sent before in Mecca when the prophet was exaggerating in urging people to believe in God alone. So God told him, reminding him with His will: “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”.( Ch.10/Vrs. 99).

8-     God ordered the prophet to leave alone those who insisted on disbelieving, as God sent him as a messenger with no power over them. God Almighty says: “therefore do thou give admonition, for thou art one to admonish, thou are not one to manage men’s affairs. But if any turn away and reject God, God will punish him with a mighty punishment for to us will be their return; then it will be for us to call them to account”(Ch.88/Vrs. 21- 26) . God is the only One Who will reckon their deeds in the Hereafter. The same meaning is repeated in: “Turn aside from those who join gods with God, if it had been God’s will, they would not have taken false gods. But We made thee not one to watch over their doings nor art thou set over them to dispose of their affairs”.(Ch.6/Vrs. 106- 107). And: “Verily We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner: but to thee no question shall be asked of the companions of the blazing fire”.(Ch.2/Vrs.119). The Holy Quran was sent with specific sayings that assured the freedom of religion. The prophet was ordered to say them, yet he had to respect his enemies’ right to worship other gods than God, as he has the right to devote to God only. God Almighty asks his prophet to say: “it is God I serve, with my sincere and exclusive devotion: serve ye what ye will besides Him”.(Ch.39/Vrs.14-15). God gave them will. A whole sura is saying: “say: o ye that reject faith! I worship not that which ye worship” and at the end it says: “to you be your way and to me mine”.

9-     God orders the Prophet Mohamed to declare that he says the truth that he got from God, and then they have a total will either to believe in God or disbelieve in Him. They would bear the responsibility if they disbelieved, as torture is waiting for them in the hereafter. God Almighty says: “"Say, the truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline” (Ch.18/Vrs.29) . And He says about Quran: “say: whether ye believe in it or not”(Ch.17/Vrs.107). So they are free whether to believe in Quran or not.

Chapter two: Dialogue is Evidence on Freedom of Religion in Islam.

1- Imagine that there was a good leader, whose people demonstrated against him. Yet he chose to use dialogue and persuasion with them instead of force. This means that he followed the approach of justice in governing his land. In the meantime he didn’t compel his people to obey him and left them free. Imagine this sort of rulers in our miserable Muslim World.!.

When we read the Holy Quran we find that God the creator of the universe doesn’t want to force people to believe in Him, His books, and messengers. Because God created people with free will, He conducts a dialogue with them to convince them to believe in Him as the only one God, not to enforce them to believe in him that way. The insincere religious leaders in Our Muslim World are humans like us but they make themselves higher than God. They reject having a dialogue with the intellectuals, and find it enough to issue decisions of condemning them because they have opinions that are different than theirs.

It would take a long time if I presented every means of dialogue in the Holy Quran, so I will go through quick hints:

2-     God has sent the Quran as an intellectual Holy message: (We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in order that ye may learn wisdom) (12/ 2 ) (We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand (and learn wisdom).) (43/ 3). Quran is to guide the humans to the straight path. This guidance is based on reason and free thinking.

3-     So, using mind, thinking and contemplating are necessary to read the Quran and to be a good believer. God urges people to reflect upon Quranic meanings, saying: (Will they not then ponder the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity) (4/ 82 ) (Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Nay, on the hearts there are locks ) (47 / 24 )

4-      God usually in the Quran urges humans to think and consider his creation to confirm the belief in Him alone as the only One God! or ( Allah), saying :.( It is He who sends down rain from the sky: from it ye drink, and out of it (grows) the vegetation on which ye feed your cattle. With it He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a sign for those who give thought. He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the sun and the moon; and the stars are in subjection by His Command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise. And what He has created in the earth of varied hues most surely there is a sign in this for a people who are mindful.) (16 / 10 - 13). If man consider all of this he has to believe in the One God, Allah, so, God says (Is then He Who creates like one that creates not? Do you not then mind?) ( 16 / 17).

God Almighty honors human mind, the resource of free will, when He asks it to judge. At the same time, insincere religious leaders in Muslim World ask us to stop thinking and stop discussing their thoughts and creeds.

5 - God has sent rational proofs that He is the only God, saying:” If there were other gods with God, the universe system would be corrupt”( If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!) (21/ 22).  The unity of creation in the universe proves that God is one with no companions; otherwise there would be a dispute. And because there is no dispute, God is only one. This is presented in God’s saying: “say: if there had been other gods with Him, -as they say, - behold, they would certainly have sought out a way to the lord of the throne! Glory to Him! He is high above all that they say! Exalted and great beyond measures!”. (17/ 42- 43) . If there were many gods, each has his own creatures, there would be a competition and a split that would lead to another different universe, God Almighty says: “No son did God beget, nor is there any god along with him: if there were many gods, behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over other! Glory to God! He is free from the sort of things they attribute to Him”.( 23/ 91).

God Almighty proves that He is the one God, with rational proofs, convincing and replying to some people who think that there are many gods along with God. God granted people the freedom of thought and creed; otherwise He wouldn’t allow them to believe in these thoughts that offend His glory. And He gave them freedom in his religion; he wouldn’t have a dialogue with them or ask their minds to find out the corruption of these thoughts.

6- God did not hesitate to humble His Glorious Self to have a dialogue with human mind in order to make them understand and seek a proof. For example, some of the people of the book had some thoughts concerning Abraham, so God sent a reply saying: “Ye people of the book! Why dispute ye about Abraham, when the law and the gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye no understanding? Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing even in matters of which ye had some knowledge! But why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is God Who knows, and ye who know not!”( 3/ 65- 66.)

It is the best honor given to people’s freedom. God Almighty sent verses in order to answer some thoughts of his creatures and convince them, while He could destroy the earth and the heavens. Yet some creatures give themselves privileges beyond our imagination, and refuse to answer other people who have different opinions and find it enough to declare them renegades and disbelievers deserve death. The comparison is horrible; God answers the allegations of some of his creatures with rational proofs, and insincere religious leaders in Muslim World find themselves higher than any discussion with people just like them.

 7- God didn’t hesitate to record his enemies’ opinions despite its futility and though those opinions were mere swears and offenses. Pharaoh said he didn’t know any god but himself for Egyptians, “Pharaoh said: oh chiefs! No god do I know for you but myself” (28/ 38). He said also he was the highest God of Egyptians, “I am your lord, most high”. (79/ 24). God could keep these sayings secret, yet some of these sayings were told ages before the revelation of the Quran, and we knew about them through Quran. The favorite hobby of the insincere political and religious leaders in Muslim world is to ban books and writings. The world witnessed massacres- during middle ages and in our third world which lives its middle ages- of books, writings and authors. Yet God Almighty recorded all his enemies’ opinions even those which offended His sacred entity. And these sayings became verses of the holy Quran that we read, and through its recital we worship God. It was natural for God to answer with a proper reply, and said He Almighty created man from a tiny clot, then that man turned into an enemy of God. But God allowed this enemy to say freely what he wants. God didn’t ban His enemy’s sayings, but recorded them. There are dozens of verses that tackle the same subject.

After this statement of Quran, we have to inquire if seizing books and views agrees with Islam?!

Decency of dialogue in Quran

1-     During the darkness of Middle Ages, verses of Quran were sent with the best ways of dialogue with antagonists who had opposed Islam. When we think about these verses and look at ourselves, we feel sorry for what some of us, who bear the banner of Islam, do. They impose their own religious opinions suppress others’ rights to declare theirs. Moreover, they persecute them and proclaim them disbelievers who must be killed. If they thought about verses of Quran, they would find out that they were repeating the deeds of the tribe of Qureish at the time of the prophet

2-      The Quranic principle of dialogue is based on wisdom, good preaching and answering enemy’s offenses in the best way. God Almighty says: “invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and graceful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious”.( 16/ 125). God ordered his messenger to invite people to embrace Islam through wisdom, graceful preaching, and to debate with his enemies not in the good way, but in the best way. That was an obligation on the high ranked prophet, thus, it would be more proper for Muslims to bear others’ insults and answer them with the best ways.

3-     God Almighty expresses this in a lovable way saying: “who is better in speech than one who calls men to God, works righteousness, and says: I am of those who bow in Islam? And not alike are the good and the evil. Repel (evil) with what is best, when lo! he, between whom and you was enmity would be as if he were a warm friend. And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, - none but persons of the greatest good fortune “(41/ 33- 35). God considers man of best words as who invites others to believe in God, represents a good example to others in good deeds, declares his surrender to God, and answers with the best ways of patience, forgiveness and meaningful words when people debate with him, or offend him during dialogues. Therefore the enemy would have to apologize and turns into a good friend. This degree of ethical heights in invitation for God can’t be reached but by who suffered patience for God’s sake. This person is considered to be having a” great good fortune”. These are the general principles of decent dialogue: Inviting people to God with wisdom, good preaching, and answering insults with the best of deeds and words.

4-     Quran could only say this, but for the importance of the issue in Islam, which is based on freedom of choice, verses of Quran dealt with detailed stories suggesting decent dialogues. God forbids insulting the enemy or mocking his beliefs and sacred properties in order that he does not insult back the Almighty God, God says: “Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides God, lest they out of spite revile God in their ignorance. Thus have We made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they return to their Lord, and We shall then tell them the truth of all that they did ".(6/ 108).

5-     In this part of the verse: “Thus have We made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they return to their Lord, and We shall then tell them the truth of all that they did ". (6/ 108), God clarifies the significance of this; that who misled, was not forced, but he chose and defended the way. God in turn beautified dark way for him, and eventually he would turn back to God in the Hereafter. Actually man starts with choosing the way he finds comfortable for him, whether true or false. Then God’s will come to indulge each one more in his chosen way. God says: “Say: "If any men go astray, (Allah) Most Gracious extends (the rope) to them, until, when they see the warning of Allah (being fulfilled) - either in punishment or in (the approach of) the Hour, - they will at length realize who is worst in position, and (who) is weakest in forces! Allah increaseth in right guidance those who walk aright, and the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord's sight for reward, and better to resort to” ( 19 / 75 – 76 )  Man starts with choosing his way, then God advance believers in guidance and disbelievers in darkness. In other words, God adorns for believers and disbelievers their chosen ways. God says about believers: “But God has endeared the faith to you and has made it beautiful in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you unbelief, wickedness, and rebellion”.( 49/ 7), and says about disbelievers: “as to those who believe not in the hereafter, We have made their deeds pleading in their eyes; and so they wander in distraction”.( 27/ 4)

In dialogue: Approving and recognizing religious freedom for opponents

1-     Quran forbids debating with misled people who reverse situations and see true as false and false as true. God Almighty says to his prophet Mohammad: “Is he, then, to whom the evil of his conduct is made alluring, so that he looks upon it as good, (equal to one who is rightly guided)? For Allah leaves to stray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. So let not thy soul go out in (vainly) sighing after them: for Allah knows well all that they do! “(35/ 8).

2-     Dialogue should be conducted through wisdom and rational means. Quran includes examples on the dialogue God had with his creation that practiced his right of refusing rational pretexts and logical proofs, and would be responsible before God on his choices in the Hereafter. And thus the one who invites people for truth should leave his opponents and abandon them politely. God says to his prophet as a constitution for him and to any other who invites for God: “And have patience with what they say and leave them with noble dignity”. (73/ 10). And says: “Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant”. (7/ 199).

3-     Turning away from the ignorant in religion means to leave him to the way he chose and liked, and to leave him as well till the day of the judgment. God says to the prophet: “Therefore turn away from them and wait, surely they too are waiting   “  (32/ 30  ).  “Therefore shun those who turn away from Our message and desire nothing but the life of this world. That’s as far as knowledge will reach them”. (53/ 29).

4-     God orders to leave disbelievers assure their religious freedom and their responsibility on this freedom before God in the Hereafter. God says: “say to those who don’t believe: do what ever you can, we shall do our part. And wait ye! We too shall wait”.( 11/ 121- 122). And He says: “say: o my people! Do whatever ye can: I will do my part, soon will ye know who it is whose end will be best in the hereafter, certain it is that the wrong doers will not prosper”.( 6/ 135). and says: “say: O my people! Do what ever ye can, I will do my part, but soon will ye know, who it is whom comes a penalty of ignominy, and on whom descends a penalty that abides”( 39/ 39- 40).

5-     Leaving disbelievers alone, which confirms their freedom of choice and their responsibility for it, bears signs of frightening that reflects a hope to guide them. If there wasn’t hope, focus would be on leaving disbelievers with best ways in dealing. God say: “and certain it is that either we or ye are on right guidance or in manifest error! Say: ye shall not be questioned as to our sins, nor shall we be questioned as to what ye do. Say: our Lord will gather us together and will in the end decide the matter between us and you in truth and justice, ”(34/ 24- ) When hope to guide is lost, and the other side sticks to his position, the answer should be: “Either we or you are on right guidance or misled” do not say to him :“You are infidel, go to hell”. It should be said to him “you are not responsible for our criminality and we are no responsible for your acts”. Similarly it would be said in Quran: “you wouldn’t be reckoned for our crimes, and we wouldn’t be reckoned for your crimes”. However, the decent dialogue of the holy Quran refuses this behavior. Instead, it is said “God will gather us in the Hereafter and will judge between us” not “we are people of Heaven and you are people of Fire”. This is what should be said to those who are opposing religious opinions and persecuting the peaceful believers.

6-      This decent behavior and speech is not considered duplicity or false method. However Quran deemed it to be real emotion that comes from heart and bears grace and forgiveness. This emotion rises from the belief that the opponent has done wrong to himself and he will get severe torture in the Hereafter, because he failed in the exam and misused the freedom God granted him. Faithful man should forgive his enemy if he imagines the atrocity of torture in the Hereafter. This is not a rational effort to explain or prove issues. Yet it is reflecting upon the meanings of the clear and overt verses of Quran. God says about the Hereafter: “And the Hour is surely coming, when this will be manifest, so overlook, any human faults, with gracious forgiveness” (15/ 85). God recommended not just forgiveness but gracious forgiveness. God says: “God has knowledge of the prophet’s cry: oh my Lord! Truly these are a people who will not believe! But turn away from them and say: peace! But soon shall they know!”( 43/ 88- 89). So we should forgive people with different views and creed and say: “peace, you will know” when we lose hope to convince them. God says ordering faithful believers: “tell those who believe, to forgive those who do not look forward to the days of God, it is for Him to recompense for good or ill each people according to what they have earned. If any one does a righteous deed, it endures to the benefit of his own soul, if he does evil, it works against his own soul, in the end will ye all be brought back to your Lord”( 45/ 14- 15).

 

Chapter 3: Freedom of religion applied by the Prophet Muhammad

1- “No compulsion in religion”

Insincere religious leaders in Muslim World don’t feel good about God’s saying: “Let there be no compulsion in religion.” 2/ 256. They misinterpret its meaning alleging that compulsion can’t be used to force people to embrace Islam, yet it should be used to force Muslims to implement the laws that some of which wasn’t legislated by God. One of these false laws they invented is killing Muslim who converted from Islam to other religion.

 This misinterpretation distorts the meaning of this Quranic verse which is confirmed by other verse saying to the Prophet Mohamed ( If it had been your Lord’s Will, surely all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them; will you then force people till they become believers?( 10 . 99). Glory to God Who doesn’t forget anything, and thank God because He kept the Quran away from any violation, otherwise insincere religious leaders would change whatever they want.

 “No compulsion in religion” is a basic Quranic rule, confirmed – directly and indirectly - by more than one thousand verse, and was applied by the Prophet Mohamed during his life.

“No compulsion in religion” was revealed in Al Medina when the Muslims in the time of the Prophet Mohamed had a powerful Islamic state. This verse had been revealed to confirm hundreds of verses were revealed before in Mecca when Muslims were persecuted.

“No compulsion in religion” means clearly that there must not be any compulsion in forcing people to believe in God or not, or to perform rites. God wants people to worship Him out of their choice and conscience, and not to pray for Him out of fear. God wants people to give charity out of loving Him. And out of their desire to satisfy Him, not to satisfy superiors or to gain people’s love.

In Al Medina in the time of the Prophet Mohamed there were the old lecherous of Al Medina before Islam who hated Muslims and Islam, yet they claimed to be Muslims to plot against the Prophet Mohamed and Muslims. God named them “Hypocrites”. Those Hypocrites used to   give charity not for God’s love. So God asked the prophet not to take their charity. God says: “the only reason why their contributions are not accepted is: that they reject God and His Messenger, that they come to prayer without earnestness, and that they offer contributions unwillingly.”( 9. 54 ). And God says about believers who have repented: “Others have acknowledged their wrong doings, they have mixed an act that was good with another that was evil, perhaps God will turn unto them in mercy for God is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful . Of their goods take alms. That you would purify and sanctify them thereby, and pray for them. Verily your prayer is a relief to them” 9/ 102- 103.

 2- Freedom in Quran is a responsible freedom. You are free in what you think and free to obey or disobey under condition of not harming others. Yet you should be punished when you harm others for the benefit of the entire community. That is why God approved punishment of crimes of killing, banditry, robbery, adultery, and accusing pious married women of having sexual relationship with men other than their husbands. However, Quran doesn’t suggest any punishment for renegades, wine drinkers or those who don’t perform prayers. These punishments were invented by Abbasids, two centuries and more after the death of the Prophet Mohamed. It is related to the Sunni Sharee’a which contradicts Islam.

3- Insincere religious scholars find the Islamic Quranic value of “enjoining just and forbidding evil.” a way to dominate others, adding many forbidden matters that were created by them or their ancestors. Those forbidden matters were not known during the time of the Prophet Mohamed; however they see the value of “enjoining just and forbidding evil” as a pretext for compulsion in religion.

“Enjoining just and forbidding evil” is a mere verbal order and a prohibition recommended for every Muslim and not limited to a certain group. It is for the entire Muslim society to be active in advising each other in the field of high values and to purify themselves through good education God describes the good society saying : “Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and join together in the mutual teaching of truth , and tolerance”( 103. 3). It is a kind of cooperation in maintaining the good values as God orders the Muslim society saying “ And help each other in goodness and piety , and do not help each other in evil and aggression” ( 5 . 2).

This verbal advice doesn’t authorize anybody to force others to do good deeds, and this is proved by God’s saying to Muhammad: “ And be kind to the believers who follow you. Then if they disobey you, say: I am free of responsibility for what you do”( 26/ 214: 216). God orders him to be modest with believers, and to say that he is free of responsibility of their deeds when they disobey him, but not to hit them with chains. Likewise, God doesn’t order the prophet to say he is free of them. God says to the prophet: “say: I am free of responsibility for what ye do”. It means he is free of their bad deeds not to be free of them in person. These are the limits of “enjoining just and forbidding evil”. We can say we are free of someone’s misdeeds when he insists on them. This is what Prophet Mohamed used to do with his companions. Yet the problem is that some people grant themselves an authority higher than that of the Prophet Mohamed himself.

How did Prophet Mohamed act with his companions and hypocrites? And how far did hypocrites enjoy freedom during the first Islamic state in Al Medina? The answer to insincere religious leaders lies in the answers of these questions.

2- Freedom of religion in Muhammad’s Government

Muhammad wasn’t a normal ruler. He was a messenger and prophet who used to get a divine revelation and that spread his religion within his state and out of it. Hypocrites represented opposition against Muhammad’s government. They opposed Islam and the prophet’s policies and authority. Yet their fear prevented them from raising an armed riot against the state. They were too weak to demonstrate. So they found it enough to conspire against he prophet, then to swear that they were innocent. However, they enjoyed great freedom of words and deeds - that Quran assured for them- against the state they lived within but worked against.

Quran answered their cons and allegations, and disclosed their conspiracies, yet recommended the prophet and Muslims to turn away from disbelievers and feel that the punishment waiting for them in the Hereafter is sufficient.

3- How far oppositions enjoyed freedom of opinion:

1- Hypocrites insulted believers and described them as fools, Quran answered them saying: “when it is said to them: believe as the other believe, they say: shall we believe as the fools believe? Nay, of a surely they are the fools, but they don’t know” 2/ 13.

2- Hypocrites liked to make fun of believers especially at the times before wars. They described rich people who gave charity as hypocrites, and made fun of poor people who gave charity, while they held their hands and refused to give charity. God says: “They who taunt those of the faithful who give their alms freely, and those who give to the extent of their earnings and scoff at them; Allah will pay them back their scoffing, and they shall have a painful chastisement”.

 Prophet Mohamed used to pray for them asking God to forgive them in spite of their bad deeds. God said: “Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them; this is because they disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people.”( 9/ 79-80).

3- Hypocrites expressed their opinions concerning Quran freely, and they made fun of it publicly in many ways. God says: “The hypocrites fear lest a( Quranic ) chapter should be sent down to them telling them plainly of what is in their hearts. Say: Go on mocking, surely Allah will bring forth what you fear.”( 9/ 64).

4-Hypocrites asked sarcastically whose faith increased when new verses descended. God says: “And whenever a ( Quranic )chapter is revealed, there are some of them who say: Which of you has it strengthened in faith? Then as for those who believe, it strengthens them in faith and they rejoice?”( 9/124).

5- Hypocrites listened to the prophet reciting Quran and went out underestimating what they listened to and asked the people about it. God says to his prophet: “And there are those of them who seek to listen to you, until when they go forth from you, they say to those who have been given the knowledge: What was it that he said just now? These are they upon whose hearts Allah has set a seal and they follow their low desires.?” 47/16.

6- When hypocrites were asked why they made fun of Quran, they said, with no heed, that they were playing. Yet the prophet, the ruler of the state, didn’t take any action against them, because God would punish them in the Hereafter. God says: “And if you should question them, they would certainly say: We were only idly discoursing and sporting. Say: Was it at Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you mocked?. Do not make excuses; you have denied indeed after you had believed; if We pardon a party of you, We will chastise (another) party because they are guilty.”( 9/ 65-66).

7- Hypocrites summoned public councils to mock Quran. Some Muslims attended these councils with good intentions, but Quran was sent warning them not to attend them, some of them kept attending the councils. God says: “And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah's verses disbelieved in and mocked at, do not sit with them until they talk about some other discourse; surely then you would be like them; surely Allah will gather together the hypocrites and the unbelievers all in hell” 4/ 140.

8- Hypocrites insulted the prophet despite that he was the political leader and the messenger who possessed the holy inspiration. The prophet was ordered to consult people around him, so he did, and included hypocrites- who were leaders of Al Medina before him- in his discussions. And through their councils, hypocrites tried to set up traps for the prophet. So God warned him. God says: “O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites “ ( 33. 1). Then they accused the prophet of giving his ear to everyone when they found the prophet listening to others, so God said: “among them are men who harm the prophet and say: he is all ear. Say: he listens to what is best for you, he believes in God, has trust in the believers and is a mercy to those of you who believer. But those who hurt the messenger of Allah will have a grievous penalty”.( 9/ 61).

God Almighty is the One who defended the prophet and described him as a mercy to believers, and pledged to punish those who harmed the prophet. Yet the prophet’s authority as a leader wasn’t given a role in that free community that allowed infidel opposition, covered with faith, to say what it wanted. God ordered his prophet to turn away from hypocrites’ harm and not to obey them. God says: “and obey not the behests of the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and heed not their annoyances, but put thy trust in God, for enough is God as a Disposer of affairs”. (33/48).

9- Hypocrites slandered the prophet when he deprived them from talking charity because they were rich. They rejected that decision and chased believers with their bad words. God says: “And of them ,there are those who slander you in the matter of the distribution of the alms; so if they are given from it they are pleased, and if they are denied it, lo! They are full of rage.” (9/ 58).

In long and short, Hypocrites enjoyed freedom of opinion during the time of Muhammad’s government. And through such freedom, they expressed their own views on Islam, Quran, and the prophet. Quran’s teachings assured this right for them, and the prophet forgave them and prayed for God to forgive them.

4 -The Extent of Opposition in Muhammad’s Government

Hypocrites’ freedom of opinion wasn’t limited to public declaration, but extended to actions, plots and conspiracies. Quranic legislation didn’t interfere until the Hypocrites trespassed the red line and their conspiracies harmed the state when it was surrounded by enemies. That was during the battle of (The Coalition : Al Ahzab). We can follow their conspiratorial steps to declare their views through Quranic verses:

1-Hypocrites were free to corrupt communities. They were free to call for corruption without being questioned or punished. Yet when they were asked about their deeds, they answered freely that this was reformation from their own point of view. God says: “And when it is said to them, do not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers. Now surely they themselves are the mischief makers, but they do not perceive. ”( 2/ 11- 12).

2-While believers were enjoining what was just and forbidding what was evil, hypocrites were enjoining evil, and forbidding what was just and refusing to give Charity. They could declare their stance through an atmosphere of freedom that we can’t imagine to occur now in Muslim World. God says: “the hypocrites, men and women, have an understanding with each other. They enjoyed evil, and forbid what is just” 9/ 67. Believers were the opposite. God says: “the believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil, they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity and obey God and His apostle. Upon them will God pour his mercy.”( 9/ 71).

The concept of “enjoying what is just and forbidding what is evil” was limited within Muslim community to verbal advice, without compulsion, harming or denying others.

3- Hypocrites rejected the prophet’s judgment, though he was the official leader, in an attempt to express their opposition to his authority. However the prophet turned away from them. God says: Have you not seen those who assert that they believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you? They desire to summon one another to the false deity, though they were commanded to deny him, and Satan would mislead them far astray. And when it is said to them: Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger, you will see the hypocrites turning away from you with (utter) aversion.”(4/ 60- 61).

Actually Hypocrites were satisfied with Islamic judgment if it was for their benefit. God says: “when they are summoned to God and His apostle, in order that he may judge between them, behold, some of them decline to come, but if the right is on their side, they come to him with full submission.”( 24/ 48- 49). God suggests that obeying Quranic legislation is optional, yet He states that believers should hear and obey it. God says: “the answer of the believers, when summoned to God and His apostle, in order that he may judge between them, is no other than this: they say: we hear and we obey. It is such as these that will attain felicity.” (24/ 51).

4- Even at times of wars and emergency, hypocrites had total freedom of words and deeds against their state. In spite of the fact that modern democracies resort to human regulations and exceptional laws, Quranic legislation support freedom to an incomparable extent.

*During the battle of (Uhud), hypocrites were free not to fight with Muslims. Then they put the responsibility of defeat on Muslims on grounds that Muslims didn’t obey them and refused to stay in the city of Al Medina. God says: “And that He might know the hypocrites; and it was said to them: Come, fight in Allah's cause, or defend yourselves. They said: If we knew fighting, we would certainly have followed you. They were on that day much nearer to unbelief than to belief. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts, and Allah best knows what they conceal. Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.”( 3/ 167).

God gave the answer to the prophet: “Say : then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.”(

3/ 167 -).

*During the battle of Al-ahzab, the enemy soldiers from different tribes led by Qureish surrounded the city of Medina, and the hypocrites couldn’t get out. So hypocrites got panicked and turned into spies for the disbeliever enemies. Moreover, they mocked the prophet’s promise of victory, called Muslims not to join the fight, and left their posts of safeguarding. Muslims faced hard times that God describes as: “When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes turned dull, and the hearts rose up to the throats, and you began to think diverse thoughts of Allah.. There the believers were tried and they were shaken with severe shaking. And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease began to say: Allah and His Messenger did not promise us (victory) but only to deceive. And when a party of them said: O people of Yasrib! There IS no place to stand for you (here), therefore go back; and a party of them asked permission of the prophet, saying. Surely our houses are exposed; and they were not exposed; they only desired to flee away.” (33/ 10 :13).

God says about hypocrites’ role in calling believers for not joining fight or defending themselves: “verily Allah knows indeed those among you who hinder others and those who say to their brethren: Come to us; and they come not to the fight but in small numbers” 33/ 18.

During those hard times, three groups of hypocrites emerged; each had a damaging role that deserved God to send verses of threatening Hypocrites and defining a red line for them. God says: “If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist, We shall most certainly set you over them, then they shall not be your neighbors in it but for a little while”( 33/ 60).

God warned Hypocrites to stop playing their dirty games and threatened to order the prophet to take an action against them.

*In the battle of (Zatel Ossra) Hypocrites didn’t want to join fight on grounds it was too hot. So God deprived them of the honor of jihad in the future. God says: “Those who were left behind were glad on account of their sitting behind Allah's Messenger and they were averse from striving in Allah's way with their property and their persons, and said: Do not go forth in the heat. Say: The fire of hell is much severe in heat.  Would that they understood (it)”.( 9/ 81). God deprived them of getting the honor of jihad as their life penalty. God says: “Therefore if Allah brings you back to a party of them and then they ask your permission to go forth, say: By no means shall you ever go forth with me and by no means shall you fight an enemy with me; surely you chose to sit the first time, therefore sit (now) with those who remain behind.”( 9/ 83).

The second penalty is that no one would pray for them when they die. God says: “And never offer prayer for any one of them who dies and do not stand by his grave; surely they disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger and they shall die in transgression.”( 9/ 84).

Through Quran, we realize that compulsory recruitment wasn’t included within Islamic military according to Quranic constitution that suggests that there is no compulsion in religion. From here, the principle of volunteering life and money as the only way of mobilizing Muslim army came. And through the same principle of “no compulsion in religion” hypocrites enjoyed their freedom of rejecting recruitment and fight whether to defend the city of Medina in the battle of (Ahzab) or to go out with Muslims in their protective wars over the desert of Arabian Peninsula. Yet punishing them was in passive ways that were limited to turning away from them.

God is the only One who knows what is hidden in people’s hearts. God says: “and Allah knows best your faith: you (branch off), one from the other”( 4/ 25).

God talked about renegades of hypocrites who rejected Islam and made their punishment in life and in the hereafter in His hand. God Almighty says: “They swear by Allah that they did not speak, and certainly they did speak, the word of unbelief, and disbelieved after their Islam, and they had determined upon what they have not been able to effect, and they did not find fault except because Allah and His Messenger enriched them out of His grace; therefore if they repent, it will be good for them; and if they turn back, Allah will chastise them with a painful chastisement in this world and the hereafter, and they shall not have in the land any guardian or a helper” 9 / 74.

5- The opposition of hypocrites reached the level of conspiracy against the state, and this conspiracy took different forms:

*- hypocrites spread rumors at times of wars, and they conspired against Muslims during the battle of ( Al Ahzab) when danger was threatening all.(33/ 60). Yet they kept spreading rumors at times of peace too. God says: “when there comes to them some matter touching public safety or fear, they divulge it. If they had only referred it to the apostle, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have tested it ” (4/ 83). This means, they disclosed secrets and spread rumors and speculations without going back to concerned authorities.

*- Because of their numerous rumors, Medina turned into a beehive within which gossip and rumors were exchanged, as the community of that city was open and free both politically and religiously. Despite God prohibiting the habit of holding secret counsels, yet hypocrites did not obey Him and insisted on holding their secret councils. They showed the prophet fake love. God says: “Have you not seen those who are forbidden secret counsels, then they return to what they are forbidden, and they hold secret counsels for sin and revolt and disobedience to the Messenger, and when they come to you they greet you with a greeting with which Allah does not greet you, and they say in themselves: Why does not Allah punish us for what we say? Hell is enough for them; they shall enter it, and evil is the resort!”(58/ 8).

The habit of holding secret counsels hit some Muslims in Medina. God says to them: “O you who believe! when you confer together in private, do not give to each other counsel of sin and revolt and disobedience to the Messenger, and give to each other counsel of goodness and guarding (against evil); and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, to Whom you shall be gathered together.” (58/ 9).

Then God explains the aim of hypocrites saying: “secret counsels are only inspired by the evil one, in order that he may cause grief to the believers, but he can not harm them in the least, except as God permits, and in God let the believers put their trust”( 58/ 11).

*- Hypocrites conspired against the prophet and pretended to be obedient. Quran revealed their dishonesty saying: “And they say: Obedience. But when they go out from your presence, a party of them decide by night upon doing otherwise than what you say; and Allah writes down what they decide by night, therefore turn aside from them and trust in Allah, and Allah is sufficient as a protector.”( 4/ 81).

*- Hypocrites conspiracy resulted in a split among Muslims, so Quran considered it good for Muslims when Hypocrites rejected to join their fight in the battle of (Zatel Ossra). God says: “Had they gone forth with you, they would not have added to you aught save corruption, and they would certainly have hurried about among you seeking (to sow) dissension among you, and among you there are those who hearken for their sake; and Allah knows the unjust. Certainly they sought (to sow) dissension before, and they meditated plots against you until the truth came, and Allah's commandment prevailed although they were averse (to it).” (9/ 47- 48).

*- Conspiracy dedicated hypocrites to contact Muslims’ enemies of disbelievers to form confidential allies against Muhammad’s government. Quran revealed these allies between hypocrites and disbelievers in many points. Nevertheless, in top modern democracies, contacting enemy governments at times of wars means  a great treason, but Islamic legislation does not specify a punishment for it , it is up to Allah to nullify this plot as peaceful Muslims put their trust in Him alone. God says: “Those who wait for (some misfortune to befall) you then if you have a victory from Allah they say: Were we not with you? And if there IS a chance for the unbelievers, they say: Did we not acquire the mastery over you and defend you from the believers? So Allah shall Judge between you on the day of resurrection, and Allah will by no means give the unbelievers a way against the believers?”( 4/ 141). God says about hypocrites’ confidential alliance with Muslims’ enemies in the time of war: “But you will see those in whose hearts is a disease hastening towards them, saying: We fear lest a calamity should befall us; but it may be that Allah will bring the victory or a punishment from Himself, so that they shall be regretting on account of what they hid in their souls.”( 5/ 55).

God says also: “Have you not seen those who have become hypocrites? They say to those of their brethren who disbelieve from among the followers of the Book: If you are driven forth, we shall certainly go forth with you, and we will never obey any one concerning you, and if you are fought against, we will certainly help you, and Allah bears witness that they are most surely liars.” (59/ 11).

God says about their penalty in the hereafter: “Have you not seen those who befriend a people with whom Allah is wroth? They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear falsely while they know. God has prepared for them a severe penalty; evil indeed are their deeds”( 58/ 14- 15).

*- Hypocrites conspired to expel the Prophet Mohamed and Muslims from Al Medina, and cease providing believers. God says: “They it is who say: Do not spend upon those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they break up. And Allah's are the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand. They say: If we return to Medina, the mighty will surely drive out the meaner there from; and to Allah belongs the might and to His Messenger and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.” ( 63 / 7-8 ).

Quran narrated some events of their conspiracy like spying. God says: “And whenever a chapter is revealed, they cast glances at one another: Does any one see you? Then they turn away:.”( 9 / 127 )

And says: “And when it is said to them: Believe as the people believe they say: Shall we believe as the fools believe? Now surely they themselves are the fools, but they do not know and when they meet those who believe, they say: We believe; and when they are alone with their Shaitans(devils, evil spirits, evil thoughts), they say: Surely we are with you, we were only mocking. Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.

”( 2/ 13-15).

This means that God gave them freedom to choose the wrong way and to reach to its end.

*- Through their huge freedom, hypocrites could build a mosque to be a den used to conspire against Muslims and harm them. They turned that mosque into a place for everyone conspired against Islam and the state of the prophet. God says: “And those who built a mosque (masjid )to cause harm and for unbelief and to cause disunion among the believers and an ambush to him who made war against Allah and His Messenger before; and they will certainly swear: We did not desire aught but good; and Allah bears witness that they are most surely”( 9/ 107). Muslims used to go to that mosque with good intentions, and it seems that the prophet used to go as well, unknowing what was going on in that mosque.

God said to His Prophet :“ Never stand in it; certainly a mosque founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it; in it are men who love that they should be purified; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.” ( 9 / 108 )

In contrast to some narrations written by Muslims two centuries after that, suggest that the prophet burned that mosque, which is against Quranic legislation, the following verse indicates that the prophet didn’t burn the mosque, God says: “the foundation of those who so build is never free from suspicion and shakiness in their hearts, until their hearts are cut to pieces. And God is All knowing, Wise” (9/ 110).

*- The prophet and believers found it was enough to boycott the den to obey God’s saying: “Never stand in it”. It was the policy followed by the prophet to deal with his enemies inside his state. He turned away form them, left them enjoying their freedom of religion and declaring their opinions in words and actions, even if that reached the degree of conspiracy.

6- It may be said that this policy is not proper in our current time and we have to take protective measures or legislate exceptional regulations in order to face conspiracy against freedom. However, Quran recommends the best way of protection against conspiracy: To own more freedom with putting trust in God. God created man free in the field of religion and thoughts. No one – including the prophets – has the right to control man’s freedom or seize it. Actually, it is the best way for safety in time of war and emergency. Most of this fear of potential matters may be just doubts in the minds of leaders. It is for their own desire of power, to make people scared of some illusions. This give the leaders more control on people. Finally it will affect people freedom and security as well. According to the holy Quran, opening ways for exceptions and assaults on free will leads to covert oppression then overt one. God says: “And they say: Obedience. But when they go out from your presence, a party of them decide by night upon doing otherwise than what you say; and Allah writes down what they decide by night, therefore turn aside from them and trust in Allah, and Allah is sufficient as a protector.”( 4/ 81). The protection is to turn away form Hypocrites and put our trust in God who is the supporter and the defender.

*- Hypocrites’ psychology is composed of fear, doubt, disloyalty and inability to trust others. This causes failure to their conspiracies at some point, and this stops them from continuing their plots. God says about the fear of hypocrites: “they swear by God that they are indeed of you, but they are not of you, yet they are afraid to appear in their true colors. If they could find a place to flee to, or caves, or a place of concealment, they would turn straightway thereto, with an obstinate rush”( 9/ 56- 57).

- Hypocrites allied with the enemies of Muslims in order to win the battle with Muslims, saying that they would go out with them if Muslims won. Quran revealed the confidential alliance and predicted that hypocrites would not help their allies: “if they are expelled, never will they go out with them, and if they are attacked in fight, they will never help them and if they do help them they will turn their backs, so they will receive no help.”( 59/ 12-).

Believers were stronger because of their faith in God and their application of His law. With applying the concept of (no compulsion in religion), God can grant victory believers today if they understand the truth of Islam. This truth which was distorted by the Sunni Sharee’a, made up by the insincere Middle Age scholars.

However, we still have the Quran. God says: “Surely We have revealed the Reminder (Quran), and We will most surely be its guardian”(15 / 9) with the Quran we can guide Muslims to accept religious freedom as an Islamic value along with democracy , justice, tolerance and peace. With  the Quran we can confirm the contradiction between Islam and the fanatic bloody religious culture of terrorism.

 

Chapter 4: Muslim’s Identity belongs to his religious freedom, not his country or nation

It is common knowledge in the Wahabi culture that a Muslim’s allegiance is to his faith, regardless of country of birth or nationality. That is why the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt promotes and advocates that a Muslim in Bangladesh or Pakistan is closer to an Egyptian Muslim than an Egyptian Muslim should be to an Egyptian Copt. This rumor is adopted by religious fanatic scholars who long for the establishment of a theocracy that spread all over the world, under the banner of Caliphate to confront the western crusaders and international Zionism. This rumor has no basis in real life besides, it contradicts Islam and here are the details:

On practical level:

1-     Muslims in real life are divided into many man-made sects and denominations that feud among each other. The practical division among Muslims is as follows:

A-A substantial Shiite minority feuding with the Sunnite, this enmity sometimes supersedes the enmity between Muslims and Christians. It is a prolonged deep-rooted enmity renewed by the memories of Karbala and the continuous bloodshed suffered by Shiites at the hands of Sunni extremists, especially in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and in Egypt, due to the Saudi Wahabi Influence. When the Shiite are in power or the majority, they persecute the Sunnite as it happened during the Fatimid period, and as it is taking place nowadays in Iran. In this condition, do not question the allegiance of the Shiite Muslim to the Sunnite Muslim in the frame of same religion, for they are opposing antagonists.

B- A strict Wahabi, Sunnite minority claiming to speak on behalf of Muslims at large. Equal within its ranks, are the plain terrorists like Bin Laden and Alzawaahri, and the civilian branch of terrorism, the Muslim Brotherhood, united by the common dream of a united Muslim State, ignoring realities of matters. Among them also, are the religious scholars in the service of established corrupt regimes. They direct their enmity towards the Sufi and the Shiite whom they consider to be idolaters, calling to wage wars against them, labeling them as graves and graven images worshippers. Hence, to speak of one religion is a waste of time.

C- An atheist Sufi minority that believes in the unity of existence, incarnation and oneness of every thing in the universe. They dropped rituals from their agenda claiming it hinder reaching the so – called union in God , whatever that might be. Based on those convictions, they regard the Muslims’ creed (There is no Deity except Allah) as intended for low level commoners.

D- A vast Sunnite Sufi majority, meaning they worship Sunni style, in performing daily prayers, fasting and pilgrimage, in a very superficial form of worship, yet find no qualms in sanctifying graves starting with the one attributed to the prophet  Mohamed , then the sacred Shiite graves ,then the sacred Sunnite graves and the sacred tombs sanctified by the Sufi . This silent majority, succumbs and yields to every tyrannical dictator, its real allegiance is to make a living and to tend to the needs of everyday life. It endures the injustice of whoever oppressive tyrant in power, applauds him as long as he is in power, and do the same for the one who succeeds him. Consequently, they are not concerned with real religious identification; they are concerned with themselves, and if any of its members migrate, it is for purely economical reasons and temporary in duration. The oppressor conducts a brain washing method with them, directing their national, pan-national or religious allegiance to him alone.

2 -The essence of belonging:

A-    It is that strong feeling that prompts a person to choose a way, a path and strives in its cause. Religion or Faith, linguistically in Arabic, means Way, Path, Road. Every human being chooses for himself a religion or a way in his life to interact accordingly with his Creator and people around him. Belonging is the center piece of this interaction.

B-    According to the Quran, and with respect to divinity, people are of two types. There is the one that believes in Almighty Allah alone as deity, no partner, no counterpart, did not bear an offspring, nor was He borne, and nothing is comparable to Him, believes in the Day of Resurrection, conducts himself in this life according to what Almighty Allah demands from him, obeys Him hoping to be one of the successful on that Day.

Then there is the vast majority of mankind that worships (DESIRE), any thing that the self desires in this life. All DESIRES have but one way, which is the longing for this earthly life, to gain wealth, power, prestige, glory, influence, pleasure and selfish cravings. Under the title of DESIRES, they differ. Some of them are atheists with their gods they belong to, some of them are followers of man-made religions that allows and permits all means to achieve status, power, wealth by any method, and there are some who consider their god they belong to, mere slogans to deceive people by, like pan nationalism, nationalism and workers’ rights, their goals is to reach power and wealth, as manifested by politico- religious careerists.

Then there is the silent crushed majority, the prey that the mightiest of the gladiators compete to rule and exploit, with their religious, national, pan national and social slogans. The dominant desire controlling that silent majority is to secure the basic needs of shelter, guaranteed steady income, health benefits, and security for his children and to live in peace. Towards that end, he sacrifices his strength and his life, and this is his practical religion which never exceeds the requirements of this life. Even when he prays to Almighty Allah, or besieges the saints, holy men, sacred graves and tombs to intercede on his behalf, his aspirations are limited to livelihood, kids’ success and marrying off the girls and to make it safely out of the hands of the oppressive ruler….and the rest of those trivial things. But the afterlife, he does not even think about, because he was oversaturated with ideas from his man-made religion that he will enter heaven, regardless of what he had done, for paradise is guaranteed for him with the prophet’s and other saint’ intercession. Or for the mere uttering of the two phrases of ” I bear witness” (1)-That there is no god except Allah and,(2)-That Mohammad is His messenger, but what is not guaranteed for him in this life is his sustenance, which is exactly opposite what have been mentioned in the Quran. For Almighty Allah has guaranteed sustenance to all creation and mankind regardless of their belief or disbelief. (2.126) (17. 18 - ) (11. 6) (29. 60) (6.151) (17.030 -) As for Paradise, (Entrance) is not guaranteed except for those who work for it diligently.

C-The issue of Identity in Islam has nothing to do with the one who follows his desires and chooses this earthly life over the eternal one. This type, his identity has been determined by his desires in this life; his identity is for this life. The worst of this type is the so called godly that uses religion to achieve power, or to provide means of living ,because he is deceiving people in the name of Almighty Allah, taking up lying as a vocation and spreading untruths upon which his earthly man-made religion is established to cheat and deceive.

D-The issue of identity and belonging in Islam is restricted to those who believe in Almighty Allah and Day of Resurrection, work for the pleasure of Almighty Allah, to attain his favor and his paradise, and always strive to do good deeds, to maintain justice and secure people’s rights without any religious ambitions or without asking for anything in return. It is the task of prophets and those who walk in their footsteps.

E-This believer; who strives in pursuit of Almighty Allah’s pleasure, to whom does he belong? What is his identity?

3-The true believer and nationalism 

Does the true believer belong to his people?

The Glorious Quran recognizes nationalism when it mentions every prophet’s dealings with his own people. Does that mean that the prophets and their followers belong to and have allegiance with their people? Here we have to point out few things:

One-Every prophet used to summon his people to Faith by calling them (My people).This form of speech was repeated in the Quran. Some prophets even addressed their people after their demise, addressed them feeling sorry how they ended up. (7.79, 93) It means they were his people even after death.

Two- Determining nationality in Islam is by ancestry and living within a society, that is coexisting, or by both. For an incoming stranger, acquires a certain people’s nationality by living, sharing and interacting with them. Prophet LUT migrated with his uncle ABRAHAM from Iraq to Jordan and lived with different people than his uncle, and by living with them he became their brother and their description became people of LUT or LUT’s brothers. (50. 13) (11. 78)

A prophet or a person might belong to and be identified with his people by bloodline, though he was brought up far from them, but is considered one of them through bloodline and heritage. Moses grew up and was raised inside the Pharaoh’s castle , while his people were undergoing all sorts of torture from the pharaoh, as soon as he was in contact with the general public, he committed a murder, he fled the scene, leaving his people and his (homeland) and went to Syria. He returned to Egypt, few years later as a prophet, addressing children of Israel as his people, although he never lived among them. (7.128 -)

Here, nationality is determined by bloodline and ethnicity and not by living the society or the environment.

Three- Determination of nationality (being part of a certain people) is not affected by a prophet’s people denial of his message and his mission. They are still considered his people no matter how antagonistic they are to him and his message. He might even use this connection of common background to endear them to his message, and to show them how concerned he is for their safety. Every prophets used to say  to his people (my people) and Almighty Allah refers to them as (his people),) despite their going astray, their deviation from the truth and their refusal of him, he is wooing them and they are abusing him. They are still his people even though they caused him all kinds of hardship. (7. 59 - ) (7. 65) (7. 66) (7. 67) (7. 68) (61. 5)

The same thing happened with the seal of all prophets Mohamed and his people of Quraysh, who denied him. Almighty Allah informs the prophet and about (his people), saying about the Quran: (And most surely it is a reminder for you and your people, and you shall soon be questioned.) (43. 44 ). So prophet Mohammad and his people were asked to believe in this Glorious Quran and to follow it, for they will be asked about it, like he will be, on Day of Resurrection. But Prophet Mohammad’s people, renounced and disbelieved in this Quranic truth all together, consequently, Almighty Allah ordered his prophet to declare that he is not responsible for them, for they are still his people, although they denied him and his mission. (6. 66). 

 The Quran came down with stories of prophets and of previous people, some of those stories came down before the Torah, and some were not mentioned in the Torah, like the stories of Arab prophets from the period of extinct Arabs. The details of those stories were unknown to the people of Mohammad or to Mohammad himself. (11. 49)

Yet they argued, with no basis or foundation for their argument, and tried to refute some of those stories (43. 57) 

Prophet Mohammad passed and his people did too, and on Resurrection Day he will come back to witness that they have deserted the Quran and they are the enemies to the Prophet Mohamed: (25. 30 -) . They are the enemies of prophet Mohammad (PBUH), they are the criminals, yet they are his people.

Four-The duty of a prophet towards his people is to summon them to the worship of Almighty Allah, having no deity except HIM, to advise and preach to them, even when they go astray. He was ordered to persevere with their abuse, and if they insisted upon their conviction, he was not allowed to force them to adhere to the religion, rather to tell them to remain on what they believe in, and that he will remain on what he believes in. We will examine that in detail later on. If this abuse escalated to torture and attempts on life, then time to declare absolution of belonging to the people, to migrate from his abode which he considered home, and not to partake in his people’s actions. Likewise did Abraham and the believers when they declared their innocence of their people’s actions and migrated from their homeland, Iraq. (60. 4 - ) .Here, Almighty Allah used them as an example for the migrating companions to learn not to maintain their allegiance to their people the Qureishite, who expelled the prophet Mohamed and the companions from their towns and their homes. (60. 1- ) 

4-Migration for religious freedom is the essence of belonging to Islam

A-To migrate away from one’s own people and to absolve one’s self from their deeds does negate the presence of nationalism. We saw the people of Mohammad are the same people until all will come back on Resurrection Day, when the prophet will be their adversary and a witness against them that they have deserted the Quran. The existence of nationalism, its permanence and to recognize it does not mean that a believer belongs to it. The believer here includes the prophet and anyone who genuinely believes in and follows the true divinely inspired religion.

 We said that the prophet employs national ties as a means to summon and call for Truth. He addresses his people derived from his love and concern for them, calls upon them to seek righteousness, goodness and success in this life and the hereafter. He does not coerce them into believing; he returns their abuse with tenderness and kindness and endures it. If peaceful methods fail with them, he has to absolve himself from them, leave them and migrate abandoning them and his home. For here, affiliation and belonging of the prophet and the true believer is to Truth and not to people, he does not ask for compensation or glory, he just calls upon them to follow the Truth and what is good. If they refuse, he respects their refusal, and leaves them to their choice, if they went to extremes in abusing and persecuting him, it becomes imperative upon him to desert them and to declare his innocence of their actions, though they are still his people.

B-Migration is the corner stone in the belonging of the believer to his faith and not to his people or his country or homeland. Migration becomes compulsory when persecution reaches unbearable levels, when the believer’s faith is threatened; his practice of his faith is restricted, prohibited, severely harmed, suffer of unjustified pursuit, torture, imprisonment and murder. Migration then is not a choice, but a duty, leaving his home, and his people, despite the fact that they are his people. Migration in this situation is very crucial, for based on his decision; his eternal fate will be decided; if he was capable of migrating and chose not to, holding unto his people and his home, acquiescing to oppression and injustice, his abode will be hellfire. But if he was incapable of migrating though he would have liked to, then he is forgiven. (4. 97- ). Almighty Allah promises those who migrated, endured hardship and relied on Allah, with ample reward in this life and the hereafter.  (16. 41- ) (16.110) (22. 58) 

C-Migration also is a fundamental element in choosing the afterlife. For this life is but a bridge to cross to get to the eternal life, its joys and pleasures are mere ornaments and trials, all will be rendered ruins, that is why a believer keeps the afterlife between his eyes by doing good deeds, for those are the lasting things for the Day of Resurrection. (18. 7 – 8 . 48 ) ( 57 . 20 ) 

D- Migration is tied to the purpose of creating mankind and to creating the universe to test mankind. For, Almighty Allah, created all this, created life and death, to test Man on this earth.(11. 7) (67. 2 - ). And appointed to each human being a time when he comes to this earth to live as a person, to live on it a specified period of time, then the person will die and this (self) will return to that abode it came from. And when all humanity is done with this trial period, this universe as we know it will be destroyed, thereby ending this earthly life and this Present Day making way for the Later Day, Day of Judgment, and either hellfire or paradise.(14. 48 ).

A believer understands that, and ever-present in his mind the notion that Almighty Allah did not create this universe in vain, (3.190-) (21. 16) (46. 3) (75. 36- ) (23.115) 

No, He created man for a trial no one can escape and no alternative for. So his belonging is to the everlasting permanent Afterlife and not to this someday, vanishing disappearing life. A believer is certain with this knowledge, how important it is, this short time he is permitted to be in this life, and how important it is to invest it, in doing what is good, to benefit him later on, and to have a genuine faith in Almighty Allah and in the Day After. It would be foolish for a believer to waste his limited stay in this life and the trial period, in being subjugated to religious persecution, that is why it is important for him, due to his awareness of the Afterlife, to leave his homeland of a country that seizes his right for free worship, and to absolve himself of those arrogant among his people who abuse him, trying to force him to go back off the right track. Belonging to the Afterlife fulfils an expectation for the believer to enjoy his freedom in exercising his faith and religion, for the duration of what is left for him on this planet, till the day he meets Almighty Allah on Resurrection Day and succeed in this trial on the Day of Reckoning.

E- One of the magnificences of Glorious Quran, Almighty’s saying: “O My servants who believe! Surely My earth is vast, therefore Me alone should you serve. Every soul must taste of death, then to Us you shall be brought back” (29. 56 - ).

This earth that Almighty Allah has created is very spacious, and because it is spherical, it extends to no end. A man on this earth is like an ant on a watermelon, an ant would keep moving along the surface of a watermelon without reaching the end, in that context, and earth is spacious with no end. But life is limited for Man, and every human being will someday taste death. Accordingly, if you were predetermined to live 60 years, your age which is limited with the arrival of death to end it, diminishes with every day that goes by, and it is incumbent on you, if you were a believer, who defined his belonging by believing in Allah and the Day After, that you do not waste a single minute of your life, for the minute that expires will never return, for you are riding the train of Time. It is not a train that never stops nor does it go back for any reason but keeps moving forward, and when the station for you disembark arrives-through death-then you must leave the train of life and time, and you become a prisoner to your deeds, good or bad. It is utter foolishness for a believer to waste his life and the time assigned for him on earth in a state of surrender to the one who despises him for his religion, and to the one who prevents him from practicing his faith and his rituals freely. He must migrate to Almighty Allah striving to utilize what is left of his life in attaining belonging to Allah and His religion.

F-Notice the word (My Earth), in His saying Glory to Him, “O My servants who believe! Surely My earth is vast”, (29. 56),here, the term, earth is attributed to Almighty Allah and is owned by Him, It is the only time that the term (My Earth) was mentioned in the Glorious Quran, although the word, Earth and its derivatives were mentioned 461 times in the Glorious Quran. What is intended here with the term (Earth), is that which people fight over, yet it belongs to Almighty Allah. A day will come when Allah Almighty will destroy this earth, and people will be summoned to account for their deeds, after a short predetermined life span, wasted by most people fighting and chasing an earthly mirage, forgetting that death, the big Zero, is in wait for them all. The ones, who will survive and escape the consequences of this Zero, are those who worked for the Hereafter, paid its dues while believing (17. 19).

 G-The reference here to the spacious earth, came to emphasize upon the believer specifically in the matter of migration, if they restricted your freedom in this land, then Almighty Allah’s earth is spacious, this emphasis was repeated in rebuking those who were capable of migrating, yet lagged behind. Upon his death and upon losing his chance, the Angels of death would blame them. Allah says : “When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say: "In what (plight) Were ye?" They reply: "Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth." They say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell,- What an evil refuge! “. (4. 97  )

Almighty Allah says about the spacious earth for those who migrate in it,” He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah, finds in the earth Many hardships, and abundance in the earth, Should he die as a refugee from home for Allah and His Messenger, His reward becomes due and sure with Allah: And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (4.100). By  hardships, you earn Almighty Allah’s pleasure when confronting difficulties and exercising patience in dealing with them, afterwards comes Almighty Allah’s abundant grace in His spacious earth.

This hardship in immigration for the cause of Allah needs patience. Almighty Allah also says "O ye my servants who believe! Fear your Lord, good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world. Spacious is Allah's earth! Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!" (39. 10). It is obligatory on the believer to be God-conscious in belief and in action. In return for his good deed, he will reap good reward. Almighty Allah’s earth is spacious before the believer in his short time on it. Nothing is asked of him except exercise patience, and the reward for patient persevering people is unlimited.

5 -Contradiction between the Wahabi Identity and Islamic Identity- 

(1)-There is the average common type criminal who commits murder; he knows himself to be a criminal, people know he is a criminal. Then, there is a criminal who murders people in the name of Jihad, plunders their wealth, violates their human rights , justifying that by exploiting the religion of Almighty Allah which is based on justice, peace and freedom. This criminal commits injustice against people and against their Lord. He is the worst enemies of Almighty Allah. Those man-made earthly religions which hide behind the banner of Islam are the ones responsible for the misunderstandings that caused Islam to stand suspect of extremism, terrorism and injustice to others. Those man-made earthly religions, especially the Sunnite religion, canonized their unjust rulings by distorting the terminology in the Glorious Quran, and applying it to the concepts of Islam and Beliefs, and by distorting Islamic Law through changing the Quranic terminology, in addition to fabricating divine narrations attributed to the prophet Mohamed, and writing the biography of the prophet to coincide with these lies and fabrications. The masters of these earthly man-made religions used Islam to serve and fulfill their material and political ambitions. They established, by exploiting Islam, empires and dynasties and regimes, the latest of which is the Saudi Kingdom and the Iranian Republic. Along the same patterns, the Muslim Brothers dream, faking moderation; whereas Bin Laden uses the outright bloody confrontation.

(2)-For them , the issue of belonging here is the centerpiece of events:

For them to ride the shoulders of over one billion Muslims, they must talk about Ummet Al-Islam (The one nation of Islam), and every one of them, like Ben Laden, addresses his own Islamic Nation, requiring that belonging to this (Islamic ) Nation, supersedes national boundaries, own people, languages, cultural and economical levels, by doing so, they are stealing the original genuine Islamic concept of belonging, for as we mentioned before, the primary true concern for the Muslim is his creed and his belief in Almighty Allah and the Day after. But the goal remains the fundamental difference between Islam and those man-made religions aiming to acquire Power. Is the goal-The Desire to overpower desire of material greed and manipulate people? Or is it merely to summon people to Truth, to “no coercion in religion”, to promote human rights and justice?

(3) Here, the difference is clear and evident;

A true believer does not ask for or expect a reward or glory, he endures abuse and perseveres, and he migrates and respects everyone’s right in choosing his conviction, that is, he says and practices Truth, avoids the ignorant insolent waiting Allah’s judgment of all on Resurrection Day. This fact was repeated numerous times throughout the Glorious Quran as a command to Prophet Mohamed. Almighty Allah ordered him to declare the truth clearly, all at once, firmly and without equivocation or quibble along with turning away and avoiding the aggressive idolaters.  (15. 94) (7.199)

Avoiding them here was tied also to these concepts;

(a)The command to the Prophet Mohamed to follow the Glorious Quran and stressing the point that he is not responsible for their convictional choices , “Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord; there is no god but He; and withdraw from the polytheists.” (6.106 -).

(b)Emphasizing that he, along with them, have to wait for Almighty Allah’s verdict on Resurrection Day. (32. 30) 

(c) Stressing the concept of equality between them, for one of the two parties is rightly guided and the other is in a state of perversity, and neither party is responsible for the other, at the end, it is Almighty Allah’s role to judge between them on Resurrection Day.(34. 24  - 26) 

(d) By stressing that they have chosen to concentrate on this life only, and because of their love and infatuation with it, they denied the Glorious Quran. (53. 29)

(e) Avoiding them is tied to their right in maintaining and staying their original beliefs. (6.135 ) ( 39. 39 - )

 (f) The same position was asserted again and again when commenting on the stories of previous messengers in yielding to their people’s free choice and their responsibility in regard to that choice, that they have the right to maintain their beliefs, as much as they, the prophets, have the right to keep theirs, and for the two factions to wait until Day of Resurrection, Day of Determination. (11. 93 ) (11.121- ) 

(h) When Prophet Mohammad became the leader of an Islamic state, the same commands came to him to ignore and avoids the Hypocrites. ( 4. 63) ( 4. 81)

(i) All the above is to detail, to assert, to put into effect the universal principal in Islam- :” Let there be no compulsion in religion.”(2.256)

Fourth: This contradicts the so- called Shareeah of the Sunni religion and its jihad

Where there is coercion, pursuing those with different understanding of religion with oppression and the so-called penalty of apostasy, dividing the world into two warring camps, camp of Belief and camp of Disbelief, practicing random killing, even if it means killing Muslims in the process, rather legalizing the extermination of Muslims for achieving the higher goal of establishing the alleged Islamic state, what is worse than that, is the fact under such state, it is permissible in their Shareeah for the head of state to extinguish one third of the populace for the reforming of the remaining two thirds. They consider him to be the Owner of the people, the land and whatever it carries. The same philosophy the Umayyad followed during their Caliphate, followed by the Abbasid who theorized, canonized and sanctified it on religious grounds. The Memluk followed suit, then the Ottomans and now practiced by the Shiite state in Iran and the Sunnite in Saudi Arabia. Along those lines, the moderate Muslim brotherhood dreams, likewise, the extremist Bin Laden brothers.

6 -In conclusion:

Islam is Peace to be in a state of peace with others and to interact with them in peace. Every person peaceful in his conduct is a Muslim in essence, regardless of his creed. Islam in dealing with Almighty Allah is to submit and yield to Him, glory be to Him. It is not for any one to interfere in others’ beliefs and convictions through coercion or deprivation. It is the natural right for every peaceful person to migrate with his beliefs and convictions and to practice it in whichever method he prefers.

A genuine Islamic state is the one that guarantees freedom of religion, belief, thought and practice. People in it enjoy justice and tolerance; they establish practice and enjoy Political Justice: Democracy.

It is not the duty of an Islamic State to bring people into paradise or guide them to Truth, since it is a personal responsibility. Whoever follows guidance, it is for his benefit, and whoever goes astray, the consequence of that falls on him. The duty and function of the Islamic State is to serve its citizens, guarantees their rights and preserve their dignity.

By that definition, no Islamic state exists in Muslim World in our times, rather oppressive regimes raising the banners of Ethnicity, Nationality or Religious slogans, all of which to deceive people.

Islamic State exists in the West, Europe, America, Canada and Japan, where there is democracy, justice and human rights, that is why Arabs and Muslims migrate to the West, fleeing with their religion or in pursuit of making a living and a free dignified life. You will never find a European or an American migrating to an Arab country, fleeing with his religion. Even Israel, with its secularism and its brand of democracy is better than those unjust oppressive Muslim States. If the doors of immigrations to Israel were open to non-, Jews, millions of Arabs and Muslims would migrate to it. This means, the true belonging for Man is where he finds his freedom, dignity and rights, that is how belonging to Islam coincides with genuine belonging of Man.

It is belonging to freedom and justice; but if justice is lost and freedom is confiscated at home, then Almighty Allah’s land is very spacious, where you can find equality, justice, freedom and equal opportunity.

 

Chapter 5: Religious freedom and Islamic value of Justice and tolerance

 (1) Between Islamic justice and forgiveness

The term (Justice) has in Arabic languages two words: (Al Adl) and (Al Qist). The two words are equal in giving the meaning of (Justice). (Justice) as (Qist) comes in this verse (” We sent aforetime our messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; “(57/ 25).It confirms that the aim of the holy messages came from God is to establish justice in this earth.

Justice as Arabic word (Al Adl) comes in this verse “Lo! Allah enjoineth justice (Al Adl) and forgiveness (Ihsan)).

Arabic Quranic term (Ihsan) sometimes comes in the Quran linked to justice, as it is mentioned in That verse :(16 / 90 ). But the term (Ihsan) is usually misunderstood in Arabic tradition. It is usually understood as giving charity or doing the good deeds. This has influenced the translators of the Quran. For example in YUSUFALI translation: (Allah commands justice, the doing of good) and in PICKTHAL’s (Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness), and in SHAKIR’s ( Surely Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good (to others) ( 16 / 90 ).

To know the real pure Islam, you have to read Quran according to its unique terminology. Accordingly, the Quranic term (Ihsan) means a degree which is higher than justice. It is forgiveness. The Quranic verses usually explain each other. For example verse 90 in chapter 16 is explained by verse 40 in chapter 42. It says “The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah” (42 / 40). So, justice is: (The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto in degree). But (Ihsan) is forgiveness and reconciliation. Let’s explain it: Suppose, you slap me for no reason, according to justice I have the right to slap you back, but to be in a state of (Ihsan) or forgiveness I should forgive you.

Forgiveness (Ihsan) in the Quran has two degrees: the good Ihsan and the best Ihsan. Suppose you slapped me for no reason, and I said to you:” Thank you, I forgive you”. This is the good Ihsan, or the good forgiveness. But when I said “Thank you, God bless you, I forgive you” and I give you money, this is the best Ihsan. According to the Quran, you find the good Ihsan in this verse: (These will be given their reward twice over, because they are steadfast and repel evil with good,) (Ch. 28 /Vrs 54), while the best degree is in these verses:  (Repel (Evil) with what is the best) (Ch.41 /Vrs. 34) (Repel evil with that which is best: We are well acquainted with the things they say) (23 / 96).

Those verses were revealed in Mecca along with other tens of verses when the early Muslims in the time of the Prophet Mohamed were persecuted by the mighty Arabic Tribe Qureish. God ordered them to maintain justice and forgiveness. It is the same orders for any believer under persecution.

2- Infidel, unbeliever, disbeliever are judged by humans according to their criminal religious behavior, not their faith

The real Muslim has to deal with all people according to justice and forgiveness. Once he transgresses the limit he will be no longer Muslim because Islam is built also on peace.

Islam means to submit oneself to One God – in faith – or in dealing with Him- and to be peaceful in behavior, or in dealing with people. God alone is the only one who has the power to judge our belief. The society in this world has the right to judge the individuals regarding the relationship among them. So, any peaceful one is Muslim regardless of his belief, and any honest, safe, and faithful person is a believer regardless of his/her inner faith.

On the other hand, anyone who transgresses the limits, wrongs others, or attacks and terrifies them in the name of religion, is an unbeliever or an infidel regardless of any religion or title he claims.
The Quranic language has many descriptions for infidels and disbelievers to characterize them regardless of time or any religion they claim. It’s up to the One God alone to judge their inner belief, but it is left to us as human beings to recognize them according to their transgression.

In criminal law, we can define the criminal according to his criminal behavior.

In the Quran, ( Kafer / Moshrik ) or infidels, disbelievers and idol worshipper in behavior is the one who use the religion or the name of God in persecuting people, killing them, steeling their money, their human rights and their religious freedom.

All these crimes are against justice. So, the term

( Kafer / Moshrik) has additional synonym descriptions to confirm his criminal deeds.

3-‘Al Zolm’ is against justice

‘Al Zolm’ is the first description of the act of being an infidel or a disbeliever. It’s an Arabic term which means to do wrong, to commit outrage, to tyrannize, to be unfair, unjust, to oppress, or to attack innocent people. This term is repeated in the Quran about 300 times as it is the main aspect of the disbelief and infidelity. For example, see: (2:254) (31:13) and: (2: 165) (4: 75 & 168) (6: 45) (10:13 &52) (11: 37& 67& &94& 102 & 116) (14: 44 & 45) (21:13) (29: 49)
The unbeliever chooses to wrong the One and Only God by adding partners to Him, but God is the only one who will judge him/her concerning the realm of faith and religion. If this unbeliever lives peacefully, he is a believer according to our limits in this life as we are concerned about living in peace, safety, and justice in terms of dealing with each other.

Every one believes that their faith is the real truth, so it’s against pure justice to judge each other in faith and belief. It’s a pure justice to leave this to God Himself to judge us as we all have different faiths concerning Him. So He is the only one who will tell us the real truth on the Day of Truth; see: (2:113) (3:55) (10:93) (16:124) (5:48) (39:3, 7, 46). Our concern should only be to live peacefully and justly and not to allow anyone to violate this peace in the name of God while he/she is wronging God and disobeying His commandments. It’s the most outrageous deed to disobey God and proclaim himself a person of God by killing people in His name.

This is an example of the Quranic Islamic culture contradicted by the early Middle Ages. A much greater contradiction was the culture of the Arabian Peninsula, where the Arab tribes used to live in continuous bloodshed, glorifying raiding each other, as a sign of honor and courage. Those Arab tribal incursions meant killing men of other tribes and enslaving their women and children, thus giving the other tribe the right to retaliate. This bloody culture was faced by Islam and its peaceful nature.

The Arabic Quranic language made (Al Zolm) one aspect of disbelief in the One God. The Quran discusses Al Zolm about two hundred times, making it a sign of infidelity and disbelief. In the Quranic context, another Arabic Quranic word ‘transgression’ is given the same meaning, and used in the same context regarding the unbelievers and infidels. Twice in the Quran, God says, “… and transgress not. Verily God loves not the transgressors.” This is mentioned in (2:190) to refer to the rules of fighting, and in (5:87) to confirm the absolute right of God alone in revealing Divine legislation. This was a serious warning to the believers not to prohibit the good things that God has permitted.

God mentioned two kinds of aggressions, one of them is being committed by infidels against peaceful people. Regarding them, God says, “It’s they who are the transgressors.” (9:10) [Read also: (50:25), (68:12), and (83:12).] The other kind of aggression is committed against God, His revelation and His legislation. [See: (4:154), (7:163), (2:229), (4:14), (65:1), (5:87, 94), and (23:7)].   It’s up to God alone to judge those who violate His image, His revelation and legislation. But it’s the responsibility of society to stand firm against those who violate human rights, especially religious freedom.

(4) “Al Sabr” (Tolerance or Patience) as an Islamic value to respond to “Al Zolm).

To face zolm and oppression, God ordered Muslims to be patient. Patience or a-ssabr is a Quranic term mentioned in the Holy book about one hundred times and is a great Islamic value meaning forgiveness, tolerance, forbearance, perseverance and endurance.  Muslims have to uphold a-ssabr all throughout their lives, seeking to please the Almighty Lord in every stance of life. One has to be sabir in forgiving those who insult him/her, and to be sabir if he/she has to fight to defend his/her life or freedom of belief. It’s a positive Islamic value meant to protect peace and to confirm tolerance and forgiveness. It is the middle ground between being totally passive as was the case of the peaceful, early Muslims, and the others who were active in aggression and transgression.

For more details:

1-Prophet Mohamed was ordered to maintain the value of (Sabr), or to tolerate the persecution : (Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and have disputations with them in the best manner; surely your Lord best knows those who go astray from His path, and He knows best those who follow the right way. And if you take your turn, then retaliate with the like of that with which you were afflicted; but if you are patient, it will certainly be best for those who are patient. And be patient and your patience is not but by (the assistance of) Allah, and grieve not for them, and do not distress yourself at what they plan. Surely Allah is with those who keep righteousness and those who are doers of good).( 16 : 125/ 128  ).  

Here the value of (Sabr) is accompanied with forgiveness and positive advocate for truth. It is the same order for all Muslims:  (And who speaks better than he who calls to Allah while he himself does good, and says: I am surely of those submitters (Muslims)? And not alike, are the good and the evil. Repel (evil) with what is best, when lo! he, between whom and you was enmity, would be as if he were a warm friend. And none are made to receive it(Reward in Paradise) but those who maintain patience and none are made to receive it but those who have a mighty good manner.) (41: 33/ 35).

2-(Sabr ) is necessary for believers in the time of persecution,  they escape persecution and immigrate for the sake of their religious freedom; God says : (To those who leave their homes in the cause of Allah, after suffering oppression,- We will assuredly give a goodly home in this world; but truly the reward of the Hereafter will be greater. If they only realized (this)! (They are) those who persevere in patience, and put their trust on their Lord. )( 16 : 41/42)

3-( Sabr) is necessary when you fight the Islamic Jihad ( to defend not to start war). (Did ye think that ye would enter Paradise without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained patient?)( 3 : 142 )

4-In all cases, the real Muslim society has its people advice each other to maintain patience and uphold truth and justice. God says: (I swear by the time. Most surely man is in loss, Except those who believe and do good, and enjoin on each other truth/ justice, and enjoin on each other patience ):Chapter 103) 

5- The terrorist is the worst criminal.

Some unbelievers possess the two kinds of transgression, one of them being killing innocent people in the name of God. The Sunni and Shiites terrorists of our time are clear example of this case. It’s imperative to face them from inside Islam to prove the contradiction between their behavior and the true teachings of Islam and its jurisprudence. The simple criminal kills one person or few people without any religious justification, but the other criminal kills thousands of innocent people believing it’s his/her religious duty to kill those who have different religious beliefs. In this case, the terrorist does not kill the person, but also the real values of the Divine religion. In these circumstances, the killer is not the only criminal; it is also the scholars and religious authorities who preach such bloody culture as religious teachings deceiving ordinary Muslims to be terrorists in the name of Islam. Those liar scholars are the real criminals.

 

Chapter 6:  Religious freedom and Islam, as a religion of peace

1- Peace and Islam in a quick glance

Peace is the origin of the understanding of Islam as a religion as well as in the Arabic language. It is the basis of the relationship between Muslims and others.
The understanding of Islam in the Quran, as was the case with the word ‘belief’, has an outwardly meaning concerning the dealing with people and inwardly meaning concerning the relationship with God.
The inwardly meaning of Islam is to succumb and submit to God alone, pledging allegiance and obedience to Him and Him alone (6:161-163).
This meaning of Islam is the same message that came with all the prophets in all divine messages and in all ancient languages until it finally appeared in Arabic in the final divine revelation of the Quran. God doesn’t accept any other religion different from the submission to Him alone as the only God. This is the meaning of the verse “The religion (with or before or in the sight of) God, is islam …” (3:19). Note that the word Islam is not capitalized on purpose to show that the Quran is describing an attitude or a mode of being and not a specific religion. The verse continues (“Whoever desires a religion other than islam, never will it be accepted of him and in the hereafter he will be in the rank of those who had lost”) (3:85). Here, it describes about his future on the Day of Judgment where only God will judge all of mankind.

Islam means submitting to God alone in any language, time or place and in all divine messages. Alas unfortunately, in our culture, Islam was transformed into an Arabic description of a definite group in a specific epoch.
God is uninterested in the titles and divisions that people choose for them such as Muslims, Jews, Christians and Sabiens.
For this reason, God confirms in two verses that those who believe in God alone as the only God, believe in the Day of Judgment as the divine day of absolute justice and maintain peace and perform righteous deeds as a proof of their belief in the last day, they are the allies of God whether they are the followers of the Quran or the Old and New Testament (2:62, 5:69). These two verses confirm the other two verses: “The religion (before, with or in the sight of) God is islam” and “Whoever desires a religion other than islam, never will be accepted of him” (3:19 &85).
These verses imply that he who believes in God, the last day and performs righteous deeds in this world will be considered a Muslim in the sight of God on the Last Day regardless of the title he/she had in this world. It is up to God alone- not to us - on the Day of Judgment – not now- to judge the faith. Any one that claims this right to him/herself is claiming divinity for him/herself.
The real meaning of the inward face of Islam is submitting to God only and succumbing to Him alone with the language of hearts. It is the universal language that leaves no room for discord among people or believers, and based on this language all people will be judged on the last day. This is the inward meaning of Islam in dealing with the Almighty God, the Creator, or the inner meaning of the faith that lies inside the heart which will be judged by God alone on the Last Day.
God alone is the One who can monitor the real feelings of the human heart in this life, and the only one who- on Judgment Day- will tell us of our religious disputes. It’s up to every human to choose monotheism, paganism or atheism; it’s his freedom of belief and he will be responsible before God alone on the last Day. This describes Islam in dealing with God, or the inner meaning of Islam.
In Islam, outwardly dealing with people is directly related to the safety and security expressed and practiced among people, no matter how different their inner believes are. God says: “O you who believe enter peace wholeheartedly” (2:208). Thus God ordered the believers to enter the reign of peace”). We remember here that the salutation of Islam is peace “Alsalamu alikum” or “Peace be upon you” and that peace is one of God’s wholly names, Al Salam. All of this expresses the confirmation of peace in Islam and it confirms the fact that belief also means feeling safe and secure.

2- The relationship between Islam and peace in Arabic Quranic language 

* Understanding the word Iman or ‘Belief’:

According to the Quranic terminology and its particular language, the word “Believed,” Aamana, has two meanings in Quranic and Arabic language; you can believe in, a doctrine, a creed, a political concept (Aamana be...) or, you put faith in ,be confident  with or trust others (Aamana le --).

The first definition is related to faith as in the verse “the Messenger believed in what was sent down to him from His Lord and the believers. All believe in God, His angles, His books, His Messengers.” (2:285). Thus, to ‘believe in’ means to have a deeply rooted faith in one’s heart concerning the relationship between man and God.

People have had diversified faiths, even within the same religion or even within the same sect or school of thought.  The Quran confirms that people will be judged for the diversity of their faiths by God alone and only on Judgment Day (as found in verses 2:113 , 3:55 , 10:93 , 16:124 , 5:48 , 39:3 , 7:46 ).

The second meaning of (Belief) is the relationship between people, namely believing, having confidence in or trusting others. It implies that when someone is safe and secure, people trust him/her. One is also called a ‘Believer’ because he/she is trusted by people. This meaning is repeated in the Quran, especially in the stories concerning the Prophets. For example, in the story of Noah, the arrogant ones told him “Shall we trust you while it is the contemptible ones that follow you?” (26:111) what is meant here is “how can we trust you and feel secure with you seeing that you are followed by the lowest of the people”.  This meaning of ‘believing’ that involves trusting  someone is repeated in the story of Abraham (26:29), the story of Joseph (12:17), the story of Moses (44:21, 23:47), and also in the Quranic narratives of the life of Prophet Mohammed in Medina (3:37, 2:57). 

When somebody behaves in a trustworthy manner, he/she becomes safe and secure as observed from his/her outward behavior.  According to the Quranic terminology, this person is called ‘a Believer’ regardless of his/her religion or faith.  For that matter, he/she can be a Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Jew or atheist.  It is a private matter between the individual and God that no creature has the authority to judge.  It is reserved for God alone on the Last Day.

The two meanings of the term ‘Belief’ are simultaneously expressed in God’s verses concerning Prophet Mohammed that says, “He believes in God, and trust the believers.” (9:61).

In the Arabic language and in this Quranic verse, the word Yu’menu has two meanings: to believe in and to trust in. Thus, this verse shows that to believe in God is to worship Him alone, and to believe in others is to trust them. To believe in God is to acknowledge that He is the One and Only. The evaluation of this faith, which many people dispute over, is to take place on Judgment Day. Therefore, what concerns and should only concerns humans among themselves is to live in Trust, Safety, Security and Peace.

Therefore faith in Islam is equivalent to peace among people. Being a believer means being a person of God and of peace and trust. This is the understanding of faith in the religion of Islam.

 Understanding the word “Islam’:

The understanding of Islam in the Quran, as was the case with the word ‘believe’,  has an outward meaning concerning the dealings with people and an inward meaning concerning the relationship with God .

The inward meaning of Islam is to succumb and submit to God alone, pledging allegiance and obedience to Him and Him alone (6:161-163). This meaning of Islam is the same message that came with all the prophets in all divine messages in all ancient languages until it finally appeared in Arabic in the final divine revelation of the Quran.

God doesn’t accept any other religion different from submission to Him alone as the only God.  This is the meaning of the verse, “The religion before God is islam …” (3:19).  Note that the word Islam is not capitalized on purpose to show that the Quran is describing an attitude or a mode of being and not a specific religion.  God also says : “Whoever desires a religion other than islam, never will it be accepted of him and in the hereafter he will be in the rank of those who had lost” (3:85). Here, it describes one’s future on the Day of Judgment where only God will judge all of mankind.

Islam means submitting to God alone in any language, time, or place and in all divine messages. Unfortunately, in Muslims culture, Islam was transformed into an arabic description of a definite group in a specific epoch.

God is not interested in the titles and divisions that people choose for themselves such as Muslims, Jews, Christians.  For this reason, God confirms in two verses that those who believe in God alone as the only God, believe in the Day of Judgment as the divine day of absolute justice and maintain peace and perform righteous deeds as a proof of their belief in the last day,  they are the allies of God whether they are the followers of the Quran or the Old and New Testament (2:62, 5:69). These two verses confirm the other two verses: “The religion before God is islam” and “Whoever desires a religion other than Islam, never will be accepted of him” (3:19 &85).

 These verses imply that whoever believes in God, the Last Day, and performs righteous deeds in this world will be considered a Muslim in the sight of God on the Last Day regardless of the title he/she had in this world. It is up to God alone- not to us - on the Day of Judgment – not now- to judge the faith. Any one that claims this right upon him or her is claiming divinity.

The real meaning of the inward side of Islam is submitting only to God and succumbing to Him alone with the language of hearts. It is the universal language that leaves no room for discord among people or believers, and based on this language, all people will be judged on the Last Day. This is the inward meaning of Islam in dealing with the Almighty God, the Creator, or the inner meaning of faith that lies inside the heart which will be judged by God alone on the Last Day.

 God is the only One who can monitor the real feelings of the human heart in this life. He is the only One who- on Judgment Day- will tell us of our religious disputes.  It’s up to every person to choose monotheism, paganism or atheism; it’s his/her freedom of belief and he/she will be responsible before God alone on the last Day. This describes Islam in dealing with God, or the inner meaning of Islam.

   In Islam, outwardly dealing with people is directly related to the safety and security expressed and practiced among others, no matter how different their inner beliefs are. God says :“O you who believe! Enter peace wholeheartedly.” (2:208). Thus, God ordered the believers to uphold peace in dealing with each others.  We remember here that the salutation of Islam is peace, “A-ssalamu alikum,” or “Peace be upon you” and that peace is one of God’s holy names, A- ssalam. All of this expresses the confirmation of Peace in Islam and it confirms the fact that( Belief) also means safety and security.

 Peace and security in Paradise will be for any peaceful believers:

The person who expresses and demonstrates his/her belief in goodness in his/her dealings with people and gains their trust , and  also, has true belief in God alone, deserves security, and will be secured and protected by the Almighty God on the Last Day.  He/she will be rewarded in the hereafter for being trusted by people and for having a sincere belief in God alone in this life.  This is the true meaning of belief in Islam and its reward is in the Last Day.

The same is true with one who practices ‘Islam’ in his/her dealings with others, is peaceful, and as such  practices ‘Islam’ in his/her relationship with God by submitting his/her heart and behaviors towards Him. This person is also entitled to ‘peace’s in the hereafter.

 On this subject God says, “It’s those who believe and confuse not their beliefs with wrong(beliefs or deeds), for them there is a security, and they are truly guided” (6:82).  This means that those who believe in God and have gained the trust of others because he/she did not wrong them will enjoy safety and security as a reward on the last day.  Their reward is nothing but the outcome of their deeds, and God describes their place to be in paradise in the hereafter. Their greeting upon entering paradise will be “Enter ye here in peace and security” (15:46) and about paradise, God says, “for them will be a home of peace in the presence of their Lord” (6:127).

Thus, peace and security in dealing with others plus submission to belief in One God along with obedience to Him alone leads to peace and security in paradise.  Such is the Islamic formula as presented by the verses of the Quran. On the other hand, transgression and injustice inflicted on others and on God leads only to Hell.

3- Understanding Muslims and peace in history

Now that we have clarified the relationship between the notion of peace, the understanding of “Islam,” and its belief and faith according to the Quranic and Arabic languages, let’s turn to the relation between “Islamic peace” and the real Islamic legislation according to the Quran alone.

Let’s examine the rules of ‘peace’ between Muslims and non Muslims.

First however, let’s suppose that early Muslims in the time of Prophet Mohammed did not practice peaceful Islam.   Does this, however, make it right to ignore the peaceful nature of Islam because of its followers’ behaviors?

Religion is just rules and commandments that should be applied by its believers. If those believers ignore the fundamental teachings of the religion, it is their responsibility, and they should be blamed, not their religion. Religion should only be held accountable for the teachings according to its Holy message, and not due to its follower’s human deeds.

It’s not only an Islamic issue, but also an issue in Christianity and Judaism.  We need only to remember what the religious Jews and Christians did in the Middle Ages and modern history. Therefore, it’s imperative to make distinctions between the religion itself and its human adherents whose deeds are mixtures of good and bad. However, we will discover that with Islam and its early Muslim followers, something different needs to be explained.

Recording Islamic History two centuries after Mohammed, widened the gap between the Quran and Muslim Tradition

The recording of Muslim history started and was established in the Muslim imperial periods that followed the footsteps of the Persian and the Roman empires. Thus, the writing of their history was shaped by the concepts of power and influenced by the Middle Age culture of fanaticism. For that reason, the gap between the Quran and the Muslim tradition was widened in terms of legislation and even in beliefs and faith.

As far as our subject matter is concerned, we find a clear gap between what the Quran says about the early Muslims during the period of  Prophet Mohammed and what was said in the recorded history of the Prophet and also, in the history of early Muslims and their battles.

The history of Prophet Mohammed was recorded more than two centuries after his death during the Abbasid Empire. This history was written by Ibn Iss-Haaq, Ibn Sa’d, Ibn Hisham, At-Tabary, and others. They mainly and falsely, concentrated on the Muslims’ actions in the battles during the period of Prophet Mohammed.

Those old historians rooted the concept that Islam is responsible for invading and occupying other people’s lands and it was spread by the sword. They gave to the history of Prophet Mohammed the violent history of the Muslim rulers who succeeded him and made great conquests and invaded other nations establishing their great empires. In the third empire,( Abbasid dynasty ) the historians lived and wrote the Muslims history of their time beginning with the history of Prophet Mohammed - tens of decades after his death - according to their culture, and created a gap between what was actually recorded in the Quran and their accounts.  Those historians were also religious scholars who were invited to respond in their times by religiously legitimizing the establishing and expansion of the Muslim Empire.

Yet, what is found in the Quran is something entirely different from what is recorded in history.

The starting point goes back to the Quranic term ‘those who believed’ and its original meaning being ‘those who choose safety and security in their dealing with others even if they were persecuted and harassed by them. They are believers even if their faith does not correspond to Islamic monotheism.’ We understand better the intended meaning of ‘those who believed’ from the verse that says, “Oh you who believed! Believe in God and His messenger, and the scripture which He sent before. Any who denies God, His Angles, His Books, his messengers, and the Day of Judgment, has strayed far away’. (4:136). Thus, God calls upon the believers, i.e., the peaceful ones to have a belief and faith in God, his prophets and his holy books.  In other words, he calls upon those who chose peace in their behavior to add to it the inner belief of faith in God alone, His prophets, and His books.

The expression ‘Oh you who believed’ does not imply any particular religious group. It addresses those who choose peace as a way of life and calls them to accept the Islamic faith because He said, ‘Oh you who believed!’ In other words, the belief in security and peace needs to be complemented by true sincere belief or faith in one God, His books and all His prophets, so that one is able to reach the blessings of paradise, namely peace and security, in the hereafter,.

 The early Muslims were really peaceful.

The peaceful believers who joined Prophet Mohammed in Mecca insisted on peace and on tolerating persecutions. While they were in Mecca suffering, the Holy Quran revealed the aspects of their coming Muslim state which included belief in One God, trust in Him, obeying Him, keeping prayers to Him and giving alms and conducting the direct democracy among themselves. God said explaining the other aspects, “And those who, when an oppressive wrong is done to them, take revenge, the recompense for an evil is an evil; but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is with God. Verily, He likes not the oppressors.  And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no blame against them. The blame is only against those who oppress people and resort to wrong in the earth unjustly; for such there will be a painful torment. And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgiveness that would truly be from the best commandments.” (42:36-43). This was revealed to prepare them to be ready for the future when they would have to defend themselves and retaliate, or to forgive and reconcile according to the future’s circumstances. Because of severe persecutions, early Muslims had to immigrate twice to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), and then to Yathreb (later on to be named Al Medina), their final immigration where they established their own Islamic state led by Prophet Mohammed.

  Be ready to defend yourself to achieve peace.

 When the permission to fight was granted for the early Muslims, it was expected that they would rejoice with the idea of retaliation, but the opposite occurred. They had grown accustomed to passiveness and toleration of pain, and hated the new legislation concerning jihad. (Note that Jihad here implies holy war in terms of self defense.)  They were oblivious to the fact that they needed to fight to defend themselves and to achieve peace. They didn’t realize that their enemy would cease to attack them once they showed some resistance.

The only way to defend oneself from his/her enemy is to be ready to defend themselves from attacks. It is the Quranic policy of “deterrent”. God said to the early Muslims and to every peaceful state, “And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to terrify the enemy of God and your enemy…”, “And if they incline to peace you must incline to it. And put your trust in God, Verily, He is the All – Hearer, the All-Knower”, “And if they intend to deceive you, then, Verily, God is All- Sufficient for you.”(8:60-62).

By being peaceful and strong, they can establish real peace. They can stop any potential attack against themselves and save not only their people, but also their enemy’s. These verses emphasize that the Quranic policy of ‘deterrent’ means to serve peace, not to encourage violence, especially when read in the context of all the rules of war specified in the Quran.  In the Quran, the purpose of war is only to defend, not to attack.

Beside the basic reason of self defense, God revealed in the Holy Quran other rules of self defense and condemned transgressions against peaceful people.

The early Muslims hated to defend themselves.

In spite of all these rules and their critical situations, the early Muslims in the time of Prophet Mohammed hated the permission to fight. Because of this reason, God addressed them in the Quran saying, “Fighting is prescribed upon you, and you dislike it. But it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you love a thing which is bad for you. But God knows while you know not” (2:216).  Here, God tells them that even though they hate the idea of fighting, it is good for them because they need to defend themselves. Even though they liked to be silent and passive towards raging war, God knows that it is dangerous for them.

The problem the early Muslims faced was that they had gotten accustomed to patience and peace, but conditions had reached to a degree that threatened not only their religion, but their existence as well. The Quranic clarification was not enough to change their attitude and to push them to prepare for defense. A group among them rejected the legislation for fighting and even raised their voices asking God to postpone His command. So God answered, “Have you not seen those who were told to hold back their hands from fight but established regular prayers and spend in regular charity? When at length the order for fighting was ordained to them, be hold! A section of them feared men as-or even more than-they should have feared God; they said ‘our lord! Why have you ordained for us to fight? Would that you had granted us respite for a short period ?” (4:77). In Mecca they were ordered to refrain from self-defense and to consecrate their time and effort in prayer and spending in charity. The fact that a group rejected the order to fight and asked for it to be postponed showed the extent to which they were devoted to peace and hateful toward bloodshed.

Early peaceful Muslims in battles

The battles during the period of Prophet Mohammed were the biggest proof for the tendency of the early Muslims towards peace and their hatred for fighting, even in self-defense when it was forced upon them. We shall demonstrate from the Quran their peaceful attitude during three main battles: Badr, Alahzab, and Al-usra.

The battle of Badr:

This was the first and the most famous of the battles. In order to understand the real causes of this battle, we must first understand the terms (Eelaaf) or convention. This (Eelaaf/ convention) was a privilege given to the mighty tribe of Qureish, and is mentioned in the Quranic Chapter of Qureish (106:1-4). In its four verses, God said that because of His sacred Mosque located in Mecca, the Qureish tribe had its Eelaaf or trade convention.  They used to send their trade caravans between Syria and Yemen in peace during the winter and summer, and lived without hunger or fear, while the other tribes suffered hunger and continuous wars. The same meaning was repeated in other verses: (29:67), (28:57).

The Quraysh traded with Syria and Yemen, exchanging goods once in the summer and once in the winter, carrying the eastern Indian goods from Yemen to the Roman Empire through Syria. They had obtained covenant of security outside Mecca, safeguarding the caravans during their journeys between Mecca and Yemen, and between Mecca and Syria. Inside Mecca, there was another type of covenant among the inhabitants. The Qureish tribe had to participate in financing both of the winter and the summer caravans. The budget needed was divided into shares which the Qureish people invested in. At the end of the year, they calculated the profits of the shares and each one took his earnings. When the Muslims were forced to leave Mecca and go to Medina, they lost their homes, properties and investments. The Qureish transgressors confiscated all Muslims homes and belongings.  The Muslims did not dare ask for their money from their enemy who chased and attacked them for their beliefs. 

Upon receiving the right to fight, the Muslims claimed their due share of the profits back from the Qureish.  It was for this reason that they raided the caravan which traded with their money. They hoped to get their money or the caravan without having to fight. However, on their way to meet the caravan, the Muslims were promised that they would either take over the caravan or that they would win over their enemy. They went for the caravan, but soon enough, an army from Qureish came to save the caravan and repel the Muslims who happened to be few in number.

It was clear that since there were no caravans, they would surely win the battle as was promised by God. Nevertheless, some of the Muslims were frightened to face the enemy in battle. The Quran described this situation as follows, “As Your Lord caused you to go out from your home with the truth, and verily a party among the believers disliked it. They were disputing with you concerning the truth, after it was made manifest, as if they were being driven to death while they were looking actually at it.” (8:5-6). It’s clear that the Muslims hated fighting, that they were honest about their position even though God promised to support them, and when they were ordered to engage in war, it was as if they could actually see death coming to seize them.

We need mention here that what the Quran says concerning the battle of Badr contradicts the stories written about the Prophet during the Muslim Empire. In these stories, the old historians confirmed that all of the Muslims of Badr were anxious to fight and none of them were doubtful about it. If it was not for the Quran, we would not have known the reality of the situation.

The real situation confirms that the early Muslims were not blood thirsty fanatics willing to die for the cause of “Holy War”, although they were persecuted and fought against.  They were peaceful people who wanted to worship God and glorify Him in peace.  But the stories have been twisted around in order to depict the early Muslims ‘incorrectly’, to justify using violence under the name of God. The contemporary Sunni and Shiites culture has until now ignored these verses for the same cause, so most of the Islamic reality is missing and continues to be so.

The battle of Alahzab, [The Allies]

The unbelievers (which we now in the Quranic term understand means those who attack peaceful people) surrounded Al Madina to destroy it and to exterminate all the Muslims who were strongly overtaken by fear and terror. It’s enough to see what the Quran has said about their state of mind, “When they came from above you and from below you, and when your eyes grew deviating, and the hearts reached to the throats, and you were harboring doubts about God. There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking.”(33:10-11). We also understand from these verses that the term of ‘believers’ has nothing to do with the faith, because they harbor doubt about God in this critical time. The only meaning here is they are peaceful people who hate violence even if it is to defend their lives.  Their fears were so great that some of them ran away and called others to give up and spread bad rumors to discourage Muslims. On the other hand, others maintained great courage. (33:12-23).

 The battle of Al-usra:

This was the last of the battles. The Muslims were still not eager to defend themselves against the aggressive tribes in the north of Al Madina. There tribes used to attack the city of Al Madina, then retuned quickly to their desert. Here, the Quran became more reprimanding in certain verses (9:13-16). God said “Oh you who believed: Why is it when you are told to mobilize in the cause of God, you become heavily attached to the ground?”(9:38). Therefore the lack of motivation that they felt in the beginning remained with them until the end of the Prophet’s life.

4 -Quraysh tribe converted to Islam and the disappearance of peaceful Islam after Mohammed’s death

The nature of the daily lives of Arabian tribes of the time can help us understand why the Qureish tribe converted to Islam to keep their political and economic interests. Violence is the key word that describes the life of the Arabs.  In the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, every Arab tribe had its idol under the custody of Quraysh. Quraysh controlled Mecca, the sacred Mosque, and the pilgrimage. They lived in peace and prosperity while the other tribes lived in continuous blood shed for any and no reason. This made Qureish the most powerful tribe. The new religion of Islam threatened the religious trades of Qureish and its political and social situation. To keep its power, the elders of Qureish persecuted the followers of the new religion who were peaceful, helpless people from theirs and others’ tribes. It was daunting for the helpless believers to face the mighty powerful tribe of Qureish. Thus, the only way to save the new converts of the faith from potential genocide was to encourage self defense.

 Many people from numerous tribes converted to Islam, and helped others realize the nonsense of worshipping sacred tombs and statues, and from submitting to Qureish because of their false idols. Some of them wanted to get rid of Qureish, reducing its power and hegemony, and to help the new Islamic state.  This threatened Qureish’s trade routes more. The elders of Qureish reconsidered their situation. To keep their political and economical interests, they converted to Islam to use it for their continuous hegemony, especially since the active people inside the Islamic state were from Qureish tribe, including Prophet Mohammed.

The elders of Qureish quickly and easily surrendered and converted to Islam before the Prophet’s death. After about twenty years, they became the new leaders of the Islamic state and led new kinds of war and a new way of life. They established powerful Muslim empires which ignored the fundamental rules of Islam and its peaceful nature. The empire lasted six centuries under the rule of the children of Qureish’s elders.

 The disappearance of peaceful Islam after Mohammed’s death

After Prophet Mohammed’s death, the other Muslims from the different tribes who converted to Islam found themselves once again under the hegemony of Qureish. They revolted under the leadership of individuals from inside their tribes who claimed prophecy. This was the war of so-called apostasy which was the perfect chance for the elders of the Qureish to maintain the leadership of the Islamic state after the death of Mohammed. The Qureish tribe, consisting of the new Muslim converts along with the early Muslims, - led war against the other tribes who revolted against Islam and Qureish. By defeating them, the Qureish became the real leader of all the Arab tribes under the banner of Islam.

To avoid other tribal revolts, Qureish led all the Arab tribes to fight two super empires: the Romans and the Persians. By defeating them both at the same time, the Qureish established the powerful mighty Muslim Empires which influenced world history in the Middle Ages and ruled most of the world in that time according to the culture of the Middle Ages, and not according to the real values of Islam. So, the Islamic values were ignored, including the fundamental concept of peace, religious freedom, tolerance and justice.

During the time of the Muslim Empires, the true Islamic rules of Jihad were changed to attacking other peoples just to establish wealth, power and empire, while using the name of Islam.

Here, we have to explain the real meaning of jihad in Islam.

 

Chapter 7: Legislation of jihad in the Islam is to confirm religious freedom:

1- Understanding laws of Jihad in Islam

According to Quranic terminology, jihad is the striving of the soul, money, and energy to please God by all means. It includes giving money to the poor regardless of their religion and faith, peaceful disc evers, and to fight them only to defend not to attack. (29:8, 8:72, 25:52).  The Quran sets the legislation for jihad, its commandments, its principles and its final aims.

Generally, Quranic legislation is based on commandments or orders which serve principles or rules, and those principles or rules in turn serve the basic Islamic aims and values.

Regarding jihad, the order: “fight” is based on rules of self-defense in response to violent attack, or in the Quranic term, “fighting in the cause of God.” This principle serves the final aim/value of fighting which is to assure religious freedom and prevent religious persecution.

The greater value of jihad in Islam is to allow every person to follow the religion of his or her choice without any persecution. The Muslim state has to fight to prevent persecution and to defend itself and its freedom of belief and speech for the value of jihad.  In this way, every one has the freedom of choice in the realm of religion and he or she will be responsible before God only on the Last Day based to his/her freedom of choice. In this life, one is responsible only before society if he or she violates the rights of other people. 

For example, God said, “And fight in the cause of God those who are fighting you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, God loves not transgressors.” (2:190). Here the commandment is to fight and the principle is “in the cause of God those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, God loves not transgressors.” To fight for the cause of God means to fight according to His legislation which forbids transgression. God repeated and confirmed the same meaning, “...Then whoever attacks you, you may attack them to inflict an equivalent retribution.” (2:193).

The ultimate goal of this legislation in His saying is, “and fights them until there is no more oppression.”(2: 193). Therefore, the prevention of oppression is the essential aim for the legislation of fighting. Oppression in the Arabic and Quranic language means ‘fitnah,’ which is used in the Quranic terminology to refer to religious persecution committed by the criminal unbelievers in Mecca against the early Muslims. That persecution included the continuous fight against the peaceful early Muslims even after their escape from Mecca to Al Madina. God says, “And oppression is worse than slaughter. And they will not cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can” (2: 217).

By allowing religious freedom and preventing oppression in religion, every one deals with God alone, obeying or disobeying him, and every one will be responsible for his or her deeds only before God on the Day of Judgment.  None has the right to take upon oneself God’s sovereignty or judge other people’s faith or to persecute those who hold different religious opinions. This makes the realm of religion belong to God alone without any kind of human religious authority. This is precisely what the Quranic verse calls for when it says, “And fight them until there is no more oppression and all the religion will belong to God alone.” (8:39). God may forgive them if they refrain and stop transgression and persecution, and the Muslims have no right to attack them; otherwise they become transgressors themselves as God says, “And fight in the cause of God those who fight you, and transgress not the limits. Truly, God loves not the transgressors... But if they cease, then God is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful. And fight them until there is no more oppression and the religion will belong to God. But if they cease, let be no more transgression except against the transgressors only.” (2:190-193). This is confirmed in other verses (8:38-40). This legislation concerning fighting agrees with what is understood from the term ‘Islam’ which means submission and peace, and protects peace from any animosity or transgression.

2- Jihad and freedom of religion

Jihad assures religious freedom. It’s enough here to remember that the Quranic principle states, “There shall be no compulsion in religion.” (2:256). Moreover, God said to Prophet Mohammed, blaming him, “And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you then compel people until they become believers? ” (10:99). This confirms the Quranic fact that religion belongs to God alone without any human religious authority, and that  Prophet Mohammed does not have religious authority over people , as it’s the will of God alone that let people exercise their freedom of choice and be responsible for their beliefs before Him alone on the Last Day.

Freedom in religion is the key of democracy, as is the freedom of thought and speech.

3- Rules of alliance in time of war

For the first time in the Arab Peninsula, some Arabs established a real state according to our modern definition of state.  It was the first –and may be the last- Islamic state in the time of Prophet Mohammed. The new Islamic state had its border, army, people, and government. It also had allies and enemies.

Any believer from the Arab desert who wanted to be a member of this state had to immigrate to it and live inside its borders.  All the believers inside this state were allies to each other against their enemies who attacked the peaceful state. The Quran stated to them that the believers outside the state should immigrate to be a part of the state. If believers outside the Islamic state asked for protection, the state was obligated to defend them unless a treaty between the Islamic state and those who attacked these outsider believers existed.  So, all believers were to be allies to each other inside their state to stand firm against the transgressor unbelievers who were united against the Islamic state. (8:72 -73) .

Inside that Islamic state, there were different groups of oppositions who were against the state and its religion. The Quran called them the hypocrites.  They enjoyed freedom of speech and belief, and also the freedom of conspiracy against the state. The Holy Quran used to expose theirs plots and their inner thoughts, but at the same time, order the believers to avoid them, turn aside from them as long they did not fight the state.  Details can be found in the following :( 2:8-14, 204-206 ), (3:118-119, 155-158, 167-168), (3:60-69, 81-83, 105-115, 138-146), (5:52), (8:49), (9:42-68, 73-87, 93-98, 101, 107-110, 124-127), (24:11-26, 46-54), (33:1, 12-20, 24, 48, 57-61, 73), (37:16, 20-30), (48:6, 11-16), (58:7-22), (59:11-16), (63:1-8), and (66:9).

Although, the hypocrites inside Al Madina were under control, there was another kind of hypocrites who lived in the desert and used to come to the Islamic state claiming belief in Islam, with an inner goal of deceiving Muslims and to spy on them. Some of them offered to become allies to the state while in reality; they were enemies to the Islamic state. These hypocrites were a real danger to the Islamic state, so the Quran ordered Muslims not to ally with them until they immigrated to the state.  If they refused to immigrate, then they were to be treated as enemies in the battle field.  However, if they did not immigrate but did not attack the state, the Muslims were not allowed to fight them (4:88-91). God described most of those Arab Bedouins as the “worst in disbelief and hypocrisy and more likely to be in ignorance of the God’s Legislation.” (9: 97).

Most of them had a good relationship with the Arab Christians and Jewish tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. Some Arab Christians and Jewish tribes united together against the new Islamic state. Some people inside the Islamic state – including the hypocrites – had a good relationship with those allies in spite of their enmity. So, God ordered the Muslims not to take the hypocrites as allies as long as they fought the Islamic state.  If they did not fight the Muslims, the hypocrites were to be allies and a part of the Muslim state (5: 51-58).

The Islamic state had to defend itself against the attacks of Christian Arabs allied with Jewish tribes.  God ordered the Islamic state to fight them as they violated God’s commandment until they paid expiation as a punishment for their aggression (8:29).  It means not to occupy their land, nor to force them to convert to Islam, but only to pay back for their aggression as our modern international legislation deals with any country attacking other country and is finally defeated.  These rules of alliance protected the new peaceful Islamic state against all of its enemies who surrounded it.

Generally, God makes clear rules in dealing with the non- Muslims who are outside the Islamic state:

[1] Islamic state should deal kindly and justly with those who do not fight them, nor drive them out of their homes.

[2] Muslims are not allowed to be allies to those who attack and fight them because of their religion, those who expelled them from their home, or helped the transgressor unbelievers in driving the Muslims out of their homes.

God says:”Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice. Allah only forbids you regarding those who made war upon you on account of (your) religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up (others) in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them, these are the unjust.”.(60:8, 9).

(3) If Muslims are persecuted inside a country that attacks Islamic state and this transgressor country is terrorizing the helpless Muslims, then those Muslims have the right to use (Al TAqyyyah) to save their lives, means to appease those transgressors. God says: “Let not the believers take the transgress unbelievers allies against believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, unless you fear them.”( 3: 28 )

4 - Rules in battle field:

Not only does the Quran establish a clear relationship between the terms ‘Islam’ and ‘peace’ and the legislation of war , but the Quran also presents other legislations in order to confirm the main value of peace and to leave no ground for ambiguity or intended misuse.

1- A clear-cut example is presented in chapter 4 which talks about the prohibition of killing a peaceful, safe and secure believer.  The verse states, “It’s not for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake.” (4:92), this means that it is impossible or unjustifiable, that a true believer would intentionally kill another. The verse goes further in talking about the compensation due such a case and the rules related to it. Then, verse 4:93 talks about the Divine punishment awaiting the killer of a peaceful person or a believer, for, that matter doesn’t make a difference. The verse says, “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein forever, and the wrath and the curse of God are upon him and a dreadful punishment is prepared for him.” (4:93). Thus, whoever kills a peaceful believer faces eternity in Hell, wrath, curse, and great suffering. These are stated in the Quran as separate punishments each. Yet, it seems that the person who commits such a dreadful crime deserves all of these punishments added together.

Chapter 4 continues as verse 94 declares the right of life to any peaceful person regardless of his or her inner belief, it says, “Oh you who believed! When you go to fight in the cause of God, investigate carefully and say not to anyone who say peace to you ‘You are not a believer’.” Thus in times of war, the believers must carefully investigate to make sure that they aren’t committing the crime of killing a peaceful man, who by misfortune happens to be in the battle field. God gives everyone on the other side (the enemy) a constant right to be saved simply by pronouncing the words, “peace”, or the Islamic greeting: “Peace be upon you”. If the enemy says so, it then becomes unlawful to kill him or her. He/she even becomes a peaceful believer regardless of his/her inner belief and his /her strange presence in the battle field. If he/she is killed, the killer will deserve the punishments mentioned in the verse 93. Therefore, any peaceful person is a Muslim and a believer even during war time and in the battlefield. If he/she is killed, then the killer deserves the abode in Hell, the great suffering, and God’s curse and wrath.

2- It was a common practice of that time to kill the captives, enslave them, or free them for money or ransom. God blamed Prophet Mohammed when he set free all the captives of Badr Battle for money, as the main mission of the Prophet was not to seek the vanity of this life, but to be a good example to people. God ordered Prophet Mohammed to tell them that He would forgive them if they had any good in their heart, “O Prophet say to the captives that are in your hands, ‘If God knows any good in your hearts, He will give you something better than what has been taken from you and He will forgive you, and God is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.’” (8:70). God ordered Prophet Mohammed and the Muslims only two choices in dealing with the captives: to either set them free or exchange them as prisoners of war. (37:4). Under all circumstances, the prisoner of war after release becomes Ibn Al Sabeel, or  a guest as long he is in the Muslim State, and should be given charity and alms and shelter until a safe return home. (76:8), (2:177, 215), (4:36), (8:41), (9:60), (17:26), (24:22), (30:38), (59:7).

These Quranic laws about the captives were ignored by Muslims during their history, and captives were killed as it was a bad habit in the Middle Ages. This used to happen during the battles between the Muslim Empire, the Roman Empire, and other nations, along with domestic wars during Muslims civil wars.  Moreover, killing the captives or enslaving them was accompanied by enslaving women and children. It was the culture of the dark Middle Ages which made Muslim traditions and history full of these aspects that manifested defiance to the real Islamic values.

3- In the case of a warrior fighting against the Muslims who decided to cease attack, he/she only has to seek an asylum. When he/she does so, his/her life is safe and secured. He/she should be allowed to listen to the Quran, to have no excuses before God on Judgment Day. The Muslims are ordered to escort him/her to a safe place, or a home, in security and peace. That is precisely what the Quranic verse says, “If one amongst the transgressor unbelievers seeks protection from you, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of God, and then escort him to where he can be secured, that is because they are without knowledge.” (9:6). So, it is to make him know the peaceful message of the Quran, not to force him to be Muslim , then to escort him safely to his home, leaving him responsible for his choice before God in the Day of Judgment after knowing the Quran.

5 -The first order of Jihad as fighting gives another aim : is to defend churches, monasteries, synagogues and mosques.

 The early Muslims in Mecca who were around the Prophet Mohamed suffered continuous persecution. It was so intense that God allows the believer to appease the transgressors even by uttering disbelief in God, :( 16 / 106).

When persecution became so intense the believers had to immigrate to enjoy religious freedom. (16 / 41-42) (4 / 97 - ) (29 / 56 – 57).

After they migrated to Al Medina, they were continuously attacked by Quraysh who wanted to force them to go back to their previous idolatrous religion.  It is an unknown historic fact mentioned in the Quran only and ignored by old Muslim historians and scholars.  No Muslim scholar in our time knows that the mighty tribe of Quraysh used to attack Al Madina and fight the peaceful Muslims living inside who did not defend themselves because they did not have permission from God.

If it were not for the Quranic verses sent down which allowed them to practice self-defense, the early Muslims would have being destroyed and eradicated. Yet, the old Muslim scholars and historians during the Middle Ages did not consider these verses rationally, because rationalizing these verses would bring out a meaning that they preferred to be kept silent about.

The verse says, “Permission to fight is given to those were fought against because they have been wronged and verily God is most powerful in their aid.” (22:39), this verse gives permission for self-defense in case of persecution and injustice regardless of what the religion is. God encourages self-defense and brings victory to the victims who do so. The old Muslim scholars were oblivious to the generalization of this verse because it gave anyone the right to fight for his/her freedom of religion. Since this meaning is not exactly what the Middle Ages were about, it was better to disregard it.

The same scholars and historians also neglected a major factor of the verse. Since the followers of Prophet Mohammed were facing a dangerous enemy, if they had not been allowed to defend themselves, they would have easily been completely massacred.

The Quran demonstrates here a historical reality disregarded by the historians of the Abbasid Empire. The fact is that transgressors of Quraysh disbelievers repeatedly raided Al Madina, often killing the habitants, but the peaceful Muslims would not take action because they were not yet allowed to do so. It was not until they received the permission to fight that they began to defend themselves.

The following verse is another case where the old Muslim scholars chose not to rationalize.  The next verse talks about those peaceful early Muslims: “Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly only because they said ‘God is only Our Lord’. For had it not been that God checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in a abundant measure would surely have been pulled down.” (22:40).

We understand from this verse that not only did the victims face a threat of genocide, but the reason for their expulsion from their homes was the commemoration of God’s name as their only God and Lord.

In Islam: Fight to defend the churches, monasteries, synagogues and mosques.

Due to the religious fanaticism during the Abbasid Empire, the religious scholars chose to overlook the main point of this verse (22:40), namely that all followers of the Divine messages pray to the same God, and thus, all the houses of prayers are all equal in God’s eye. If the believers had not defended themselves altogether, their houses of prayers would not have remained standing. The verse clearly mentions, without differentiation, the places of worship of the Christians , Jews, Muslims and others, all united by the act of ‘constantly commemorating God’s name’. What is of extreme importance here is that the Quran assures the need to protect and respect all these houses of prayers regardless of the disputes among all of their followers, because in spite of disputes, these houses of prayers are shelters of peace and security, or it should be so.

It is very important also to note that the mosques – of the Muslims - are mentioned last.  Had the Quran been biased for Islam only, the verse would have said ‘In which God’s name alone is constantly recited,’ but since there are non- Muslims who have attached other saints and names beside God, they are also taken into account even though they clash with the Islamic monotheist faith of ‘there are no Lord but God’ La illah illa ALLAH.  Therefore the aim of this verse is to put all houses of prayer belonging to all faiths under protection from any violation, making it religiously accepted for any of these groups to defend themselves and their places of worship even if blood has to be shed.

It is clear here that the only reason for fighting is to protect the freedom of belief which God grants to all mankind, no matter what the religion is, as long it is a peaceful one void of any violence or transgression. Every person who builds a house of prayer has his/her own view and perspectives about God and worships Him accordingly. By all means, these houses and the people praying in them must enjoy safety and peace regardless of the differences among them. God is the only one who will judge them on the Day of Judgment.

God said to his final Prophet ( Mohamed) in dealing with the people of scripture ( Christian and Jews ): “  And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it, therefore judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their low desires (to turn away) from the truth that has come to you; for every one of you did We appoint a law and a way, and if Allah had pleased He would have made you (all) a single people, but that He might try you in what He gave you, therefore compete with one another to hasten to virtuous deeds; to Allah is your return, of all (of you), so He will let you know that in which you differed;” It is an order to compete in doing the good deeds, leaving their religious disputes to the One God on the Day of Judgment to judge among them telling the truth. But in this life, the houses of worship must be protected, all of them.

6 – Conclusion

According to the Holy Quran, there are only two religions; one comes from God, the creator, and the other comes from Satan. The real religion of God had come by divine revelations through the prophets and the messengers of God. The final message is the Holy Quran, and the final prophet is Mohamed. After the Quran and after Prophet Mohamed there is no divine revelation from God to any human.

Humans by the revelation of Satan usually twist and distort the real religion of God, establishing on its ruins different kinds of human made religions to serve their hunger for power and the vanity of this live.

This happened before and after Quran. Although God confirms the completion of the religion of Islam by the completion of the Quran, yet Muslims have different man made religions through the satanic revelation, under false saying were ascribed to Prophet Mohamed and God. Ironically, God – in advance - has exposed it in the Quran.( For examples :( 6/ 112: 114 ‘ 121) (5 : 90 ) ( 26 /  210 :212, 221: 223 )( 10/ 15 : 17) ( 36 / 60 : 62 ).

There are many differences between the real religion of God and the satanic man made religions.

In faith, in the real religion of God, there is no son, no idol, no partner with God, the creator. In behavior there is no transgressor, no persecution, no unjust, no dictatorship.

As far as our subject is concerned, there is no persecution in religion; it is unlimited freedom in the field of religion. The only excuse for fighting in Islam is to defend freedom of religion and to defend your life against transgressors. God says: (Therefore let those fight in the way of Allah, who sell this world's life for the hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of Allah, then be he slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward)( 4 / 74 ).

Here the fight is not for the vanity of this life, but sacrifice this life for God and the hereafter. Fighting in the cause of God means to defend and to save those who are persecuting by the transgressors. The next verse says, addressing the real Muslims :( And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are persecuted, Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!"( 4 / 75 )
Those are the transgressing disbelievers who follow the revelation of the Satan like this false (Hadith) that says (I am commanded to fight all the people until they say there is no god but one God and I am the messenger of God).

Now, there are two kinds of fight, one for the cause of God to defend the religious freedom while the other is fighting for the cause of Satan, to impose religion and to persecute people and to enslave them. This is mentioned in the next verse: (Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Satan . Fight therefore against the allies of the Satan ; surely the strategy of the Satan is weak.) ( 4/ 76).

Looking at the so - called Muslim World, you will find persecution in religion, theocratic and autocratic dictator regimes that enslave and torture their peoples and steal their money while they are upholding the satanic revelation of Sunni and Shiites.

In the US and the West, you will find religious freedom, democracy and justice.  This is under the title of secularism and civil society.

Which side is nearer to the real religion of God? 

Preface

First: Assessing American Policy A Year After Obama’s Visit To Cairo

 America and the manufacturing of a Jinni

Would modifying the American Strategy save it from the effects of manufacturing a Jinni?

 Before modifying the American strategy:

1-               It is easy to transform a friendly ally into an enemy.

 At the end of World War II, The world was split into two camps. After the annihilation of the Axis powers and the dominance of the Allies, the Allies camp itself split further into two camps, The Warsaw pact and the NATO pact. Due to the nuclear deterrence, the conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was centered primarily on the cold war, in which the U.S. launched against the communist camp, a soft ideological war utilizing radio broadcasts, artistic dramas and printed materials. With the advancements in communications and transportations means and devices, this ideological warfare penetrated the depth of the soviet citizen imprisoned behind the iron curtain. It portrayed a robust, bright, dreamy free capitalist world in contrast with his dreary, deprived and repressive reality he was under. At the same time, the U.S. exhausted the Soviet Union with an armament race that sapped its resources, diverting it from basic needs of its citizenry, eventually losing the ability to keep pace. Additionally, the culture of freedom and human rights made the Soviet Union a dinosaur living out of its times, hence its and its satellites’ collapse without a single shot being fired, with the NATO Alliance as the only remaining power on the international arena, in wait for the emergence of a new threat to the new world order. Fearing such a threat, which could be a unified Europe or a Japan, allied with China, thereby reviving the Eastern camp, it was imperative for the U.S. to manufacture this enemy, preferably easy to triumph over, and easy to unify the new world order against. The U.S. found the Muslim World to make an enemy of replacing the old Soviet System.

2-               By doing so, The U.S. did not realize that it had created a Jinni for itself.

Many contributing factors led to the successful creation of this Jinni. One of which is the traditional animosity towards the colonial West held by the two most popular and widespread trends in both, the Arab and Islamic worlds, the Nationalists and the Religious Salafi (The Muslim Brotherhood and the Wahhabis), coupled with the siding of the West- Especially the U.S.-with Israel. Also, the oppressive regimes allied to the West, directing its populace’s animosity and hatred towards Israel and the U.S., spreading and circulating the myth that the West is conspiring against Arabs and Muslims. Yet, the most prominent factor, is the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is raising the banner of war against the U.S. and Israel, to hide its nationalistic and sectarian goals, of controlling the oil in the Gulf area and to assume leadership of the Sunni World and to revive the Khosrauite Persian Empire.

Those factors helped Iran in formulating an (Islamic) camp facing the American one, which is leading the world community, sometimes accompanied by the United Nations and its 7^th clause of its charter. From Afghanistan, the war started with the September 11^th. attack and the U.S. answered through Afghanistan then Iraq. Ten years later, it became evident that defeat is certain for the U.S. and its allies, because it did not create a traditional enemy in a traditional camp; rather it created a Jinni with all the connotations of such a word.

3-Few factors contributed to the American miscalculations:

     A-America does not posses England’s expertise in dealing with the Islamic World. America, despite its power, is but 3 centuries young, most of which was spent isolated from the outside world, before and after the Monroe doctrine. It entered the world arena during WWI. American experts, with their superficial outlook towards the Islamic World, thought that it was living a (civilizational) backwardness that would last for centuries, and that backwardness would render them a defeated enemy. War would be a profitable market for American and Western arms, a ready field to test its new weaponry, and to sell it its outdated ones. America would invade and impose its will upon it as it pleases. It would enjoy this hegemony over the Islamic World for few centuries until they catch up with (civilizational) maturity.

     B-It looked at the Islamic World through its defeat by Israel. There is no comparison between Israel’s population and the population of the Arab World, much less with the Islamic World, so what gives? The mistake in the perception here is that Israel did not defeat the Islamic World, not the Arab World, not even the Egyptians; it only defeated oppressive militarized regimes that indulged in politics, thereby forgetting the art of war, besides it is regimes at odds with its population, which (those regimes) need Israel to maintain its role in (riding) its people.

     C- America confused Arab and Muslim people with their oppressive rulers, thinking that it was dealing with a billion and a half Muslims, in reality it was the 30 or so despot that it was dealing with, most of, if not all of them are cronies of America doing its bidding. When America was forced to deal with a few thousands of Arab and Muslim people (represented by Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations), it found itself, with all its military might, fighting unseen ghost, not knowing when they strike, when they appear and where they disappear. The question is, what if a billion of tho

se Muslims turned into ghosts?

     D- It is true there is a gap, civilization wise, between Islam and the West, between Israel and the Arabs, but it is a temporary transitory gap, created by regional oppression that would not last except by maintaining the state of backwardness. That state could not survive for long, due to current factors, which are modern cultural influences, which are destined to triumph, (culture of democracy, human rights, the spread of technology and the transformation of the world to become a global village, in which time and distance are reduced to nonexistence). Also, for historical reasons, for the Muslims of today are the descendents of Muslims of yesteryears, leaders of civilization in medieval period, from whom Europe acquired its knowledge. They will not start from Zero (for they were the ones who invented it), did we forget that human civilization originated in Iraq and Egypt, lasting for tens of centuries before moving to Greece?

    E-The U.S. looked at the Muslim World while comparing it to the Soviet Union, thinking that if the former Soviet Union’s nuclear capability was a deterrent for America from attacking, then it was a different case with the backward Muslim World, which was banned from entering the nuclear club, the outcome was the discovery by the Muslim World of a more potent weapon than a nuclear one, a weapon America could not face with its nuclear arsenal; Suicidal explosion.

     F- America dealt with this new enemy camp (the Muslim Camp) with a confrontational militarized style only. Consequently, based on this erroneous assumption, it sent its troops to fight a wrong battle at a wrong location. It found itself stuck in a quagmire, every time it tried to pull itself out of; it sank deeper in it, for it is fighting militarily in an arena that better suited for an ideological warfare. It is impossible for tanks, warplanes and missiles to chase religious concepts out of the mind of a youngster, poised for a bright future, yet hell bent on racing to blow himself up to get into paradise and enjoy the company of those un-betrothed virgins. How is it possible for that American weaponry to learn or know the inward thoughts and feelings of others, and to distinguish between a friend and a foe? That is why an American tank in the streets of Iraq stands still, confused and puzzled, if it were to fire, it might kill innocent people, even some who support it among the Iraqis, and if it stopped, destruction befalls it from all directions.

(Worthy note to those interested, one of the numerous differences between ideological and military wars, is that the objective of the military one is to physically annihilate its opponent, whereas the ideological one’s objective is to save and preserve its adversary, because in this war, the real enemy are the ideas and thoughts dominating his mind, and by convincing and persuading him with what is right and true, he transforms from enemy to friend…).

4-By miscalculating, America jeopardized its position in many ways:

A-Your supposed enemy within the confines of the battle field is unidentifiable, meaning he is a Jinni or a ghost. You could expect a blow from any location…your enemy could be the closest to you…your closest Muslim supporter could turn against you in no time to become an explosive device…(exactly as it is taking place now).

B-The supposed enemy is not confined to the battlefield or to Muslim lands, now it extends to the depth of America and Europe, embedded among American and European Muslims, with their antagonistic propaganda and ideology, they become a fifth column transferring the war to American soil, as it is happening now.

C-The ease by which to acquire or to manufacture weapons of mass destruction, from primitive nuclear, to chemical and bacterial devices, and since it is lawful, in the fundamental Salafi ( in its Wahhabi Sunni or Iranian Shiite components) doctrine to kill civilian opponents, the destruction of Western and American major cities becomes a declared target, pursued by all opposing groups, a possibility that American authorities take every precautionary measure to prevent.( The likelihood of it taking place in the near future is very possible).

D-The terrorism camp is ready with its convincing argument ;( America is the one, who came here with its armies, invading our country, killing hundreds of thousands of our innocent relatives, and if it is said they were mistaken casualties, the ready reply would be: who brought here in the first place?)

E-The near future would bring even a greater threat; the exploding Muslim population. For, as the White population of Europe and America is on the decline, the Muslim population in Asia and Africa is bursting at the seams, their influx to the West is on the increase, carrying with them, their hatred for Judeo-Christian West. Within few decades, Islam would increase its folds, and Muslims would become the majority. If this majority bears animosity towards Christianity, Judaism and the West, then there are massacres awaiting future white generations in America, Europe and Israel. It is the current American and Israeli policies which, through the use of its weaponry, is writing down all the justifications to be used in the near future, say by the middle of this century, by Muslim Extremists, in explaining, theorizing and implementing the massacres intended for future innocent white generations, who as a minority will paying the price for current American and Israeli policies carried out in our times.

5-(Continuity) is one of the main differences between ideological and militarywars

Military warfare uses devices that become obsolete as the war winds down. Its aftereffects remain vivid in the psyche carrying hatred, animosity and burning desire for revenge. Warplanes drop its loads; tanks fire its ammunitions, bullets, rockets, bombs, warplanes, tanks and all military hardware end up as rubble, what remains is the victims’ hatred and the desire for revenge. Pictures of dead and injured, demolished homes atop its inhabitants’ bodies are being recorded, documented and circulated in our times. It is being preserved forever. Its continuous display renews the victims’ painful cries, agitating the emotions for vengeance from one generation to another…..For weapons are not permanent….their effects are …they remain bloody and full of hatred.

It is different with ideological wars…when won…its weapons are continuous…permanency is some of its aftereffects.

Means of ideological war are permanent. It comprises letters and pictures within an article, a research paper or a book. It could be a documentary film, a drama or a television program. Most of traditional Sunni books about Hadith and Jurisprudence were written and recorded during the Abbasid period, about 12 centuries earlier, yet with its wide printing and wide circulation is considered the most valuable ammunition for extremists in their war of ideas against Christians, Jews and the West.

The impact of these (weapons) is permanent, be it in waging war as with the Sunni tradition, or in waging peace, calling for justice and freedom as in the case of  the Quranists tradition, in their peaceful reformative approach inspired by lofty Islamic values of freedom, justice, peace, benevolence, tolerance and compassion.

6-The strange thing is that America has tried both approaches in its war with Japan, armed warfare in its worst and ugliest form, and the ideological war in its most brilliant form. America committed its nuclear massacre in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, right afterwards, Japan fell under American occupation, and America atoned for its misdeeds by waging a war of ideas. Through that, Japan got rid of its chauvinistic, racist culture of war (The Samurai), the culture of imperial despotism, Emperor’s adoration, establishing instead, the culture of peace, freedom and democracy. Consequently, Japan rose to become one of the mightiest economical and industrial powerhouses in the world and the greatest friend for America….thereby forgetting and forgiving the twin massacres of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

 Is it possible for America to employ war of ideas to reform Muslims and to confront the culture of terrorism from within Islam?

 That’s what was ignored by the New American Strategy formulated by president Obama,  a year after he addressed the Muslim World from Cairo.

Finally:

             This New American strategy is insufficient, though it does not consider the Muslim world as an enemy, rather the terrorists only. It lacks a clear stipulation indicating adoption of war of ideas as a tool in interacting with the Muslim World. War of ideas absolutely does not mean animosity to Muslims; on the contrary, it means rescuing Muslims through political, educational, social and religious reforms, from within Islam, confronting religious extremism by showing its contradiction to Islam.

Last note, please do not forget that Muslim victims of  extremism, religious and otherwise, by far exceeds many folds, Non Muslim victims. 

Preface 2

 Freedom of Religion needs War of Ideas

 First: War of ideas, a new kind of peaceful war

1-     The usage of the term (war) in this context might create a problem, since we are talking about an intellectual war, (a peaceful war) as a substitute for a military war, or as a de-escalating factor, curtailing the use of military might except in the most compelling situations. It is the culture of our contemporary times, where Humanity has reached a level of civilization, practice of democracy, human rights recognition and peace, it realized that war is not the solution for conflicts at all times, rather war could be the worst solution, better yet, itself becoming an added problem. We are still feeling the pains of two world wars that resulted in the death of millions of combatants and civilians, and what followed them of local and regional wars, in Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East, none of which succeeded in accomplishing the desired objective, which is peace, tranquility and harmony among people, and the removal of causes of future wars.

2-     Hence, to use the term (war) in our war of ideas, is considered distasteful due to the negative connotations it elicits ,yet we are forced to use it for two reasons:

A-Our war of ideas against terrorists is the only peaceful one that prohibits or limits the use of military force, halts or limits terror attacks and random killing of the innocent civilians, whereas the other party who murders the innocents, uses the war of ideas, to brainwash simple Muslims into committing suicide attacks, killing themselves and others with no distinction. In other words, our war of ideas is meant to maintain peace, and to save lives including those of the suicide bombers, whereas, the war of ideas of those terrorists is meant to kill the innocents randomly.

B-The second reason, it is an actual and real war but of a different nature. A rational intellectual war, ideas collide, religious, historical, cultural and fatwas struggle against each other, and there is no other adequate description befitting this condition except the term (War). It is a war of ideas comparable to an actual militarized war, yet it attempts to replace if not limit the latter one in order to save lives on both side.

3-         Furthermore, the war of ideas against terrorism differs than the militarized war in as much as the militarized one considers the other party as an enemy that should be killed, his infrastructure should be destroyed and himself should be exterminated. On the other hand, our war of ideas does not consider the opponent an enemy; rather it regards his evil ideas as the enemy, those controlling ideas that make him sacrifice himself in killing others, thinking that that jihad is the price to be paid for an eternal abode in paradise. The war of ideas against terrorists is meant to save them from those misconceptions, whereby they become friends instead of enemies. In addition, of our goals, is to reform Muslims from within Islam, to embrace democracy, religious freedom of choice, values of justice, equality, human rights, tolerance, benevolence and peace as the essence of Islam in interacting and dealing with others, it also aims at motivating the Muslim masses, a billion and a half billion of them, to understand and come to terms with the plundering of its rights by the tyrants, and to assume its active role in doing what is good as commanded by Islam, and to remain as a subjugated mount for a corrupt insolent tyrant.

The ammunition of a war of ideas differs from that of militarized war. Its ammunition is extensive knowledge of Islam and Muslims. To use such ammunition in new armaments like a written word, a picture, through publishing books, articles, research papers, the internet, radio, TV and the arts. The foot soldiers of this war of ideas are the Muslim scholars, whether extremists, war and terror mongering as on the other side, or peace and reform advocates as in our camp.

The battle field is the one and the same for both; the heart and the mind of the Muslim. We try to teach and inform him with the forgotten principles of Islam, try to win his heart and mind, to reform him peacefully from within Islam, and they try to force upon him, their Wahhabi doctrine, the culture of enslavement, and jihad that they interpret as the killing of the other different in religion or sect. This is evident in the young man whom they arm with their doctrine to become a suicide bomber; they fill his heart with hatred for the other, and the urgency of murdering him, they convince him ,through their Wahhabi or extreme Shiite doctrine to  blow himself up in order to kill the innocent other. In contrast, our war of ideas, tries to convince him from within the Quran, that killing himself and others, is nothing more that utter and absolute enmity to Allah, Glory be to Him, to His messenger and to Islam, and that if he were to commit such an act, he would earn Allah’s wrath, he would be accursed by Allah, and his destination on Judgment day would be eternal hellfire.

Second:  Obstacles in implementing religious freedom in the Arab and Islamic World

There are two obstacles facing this objective: Culture of religious fanaticism, and Tyrannical regimes, which are interconnected. The fanatical religious trend, in its two branches: The pro regime, represented in the religious apparatus or establishment, and the other branch aspiring to gain control of power represented in the Muslim Brotherhood (with their open and secret organizations and sub organizations), persecuting its adversaries in doctrine (Copts, for example in Egypt), its adversaries in sect (like the Shiite, Quranic and Baha’is, in Egypt and Saudi Arabia), Also the Sunnis in Iran. On the other hand, the tyrannical regime tries to outdo the religious fanatics by presenting itself more religious and more extreme judged by prevailing forms of religiosity.

Yet it is in the interest of tyrannical Arab regimes, friendly to the West, to promote and advocate the culture of religious extremism for many reasons:

1-     To scare and alarm the West externally, and the secular, civil organizations internally, about the danger of extremism, and that the regime is the only one capable of confronting, suppressing and eradicating it. For as long as this threat is looming, the regime is the one specialized in dealing with it, which means that it needs this extremism and its religious culture as a justification for its existence. That is why; the system indirectly, promotes and spreads the culture of extremisms, and at the same time, forcefully pursues any militarized attempt that threatens its power. It persecutes any free discourse or debate or discussion of this extremist thought from within Islam, trying to prove its contradiction with its tenets, and that is paramount reason why it persecutes the Quranists.

2-     The extremist religious trend could never make peace with or reconcile itself to democracy, because its political creed is derived from its religious creed which, according to them, states that the ruler has the right and duty to govern in the name of religion. Thereby, it is easier for a tyrant to deal with a tyrannical mentality like that, than having to deal with a democratic mentality that sees the ruler as no more than a servant of the people. Moreover, it is impossible for the Eastern tyrant to reconcile with transparency, since his culture and the culture of traditional religious extremism regard the ruler as possessor of both wealth and power, or as described in traditional terms (He owns the land and what is on it). He does not have a watch dog or an overseer; he is not accountable for what is being collected or what is being spent. In an effort to look good, he resorts to some (democratic cosmetics), making sure that parliaments and houses of representatives behave in a secretarial fashion to his bidding, brought about through fake elections to hoot, holler and dance in his processions. The competing extremists wish for the same things, because they believe they are more deserving of it, the wealth, power and mounting the populace, and why not, since they are seeking it in the name of religion. Considering the compatibility between the tyranny of the regime and the corruption of the extremists, neither one could coexist with Democracy and Transparency that we (The Quranists) advocate and promote, two characteristics of the essence of Islam and its forgotten obligations.

3-     Religious extremism allows the tyrant to play a wider role in sawing the seeds of dissension among the people along religious and sectarian divides. The tyrant strives to turn religious fanaticism into religious conflict and violent acts whereby religious and sectarian minorities become the victims of the religious majority, hence pleading and begging for the tyrant’s protection, who never tries to find permanent and comprehensive solutions, rather superficial band aid measures, to exacerbate and maintain the status quo, at the same time, the fanatical rhetoric is reigning supreme in media, educational and cultural outlets. And as long as the religious fanatical fomenting is producing the desired religious strive, the tyrant is content to have them busy with each other instead of resisting and fighting his oppression. Taking in consideration this political and sometimes militarized conflict between the tyrant and those fanatical extremists seeking to topple him, yet they stand united against religious and political reforms, and against those who promote it. And since religious freedom is the cornerstone in religious reform, it becomes the top of the list in prohibited items with both contestants, the tyrannical ruler and the religious fanatics , and since the tyrant ruler usurps both wealth and power, suffocates reform movements on the inside, then the last resort left for reform and reformers, is the world community, the United Nations and the Unites States of America, through its specialized organizations, most notably of is the American Commission for religious freedom in the World.              

Third: War of Ideas is the solution.

1-     Since militarized wars are impractical and useless in effecting changes in extremist’s religious cultures and in establishing ideas of reforms, the only alternative avenue left available is war of ideas. This type of war benefitted from the transformation of this world into a global village, where vast separating distances are rendered useless, and access to people’s minds and hearts is made simple via satellite TV, Radio and the Internet.

2-     Regrettably, it was the extremists terrorists who initiated the use of war of ideas against America and the West, in the fifties of the twentieth century, followed by the Shiite extremists in 1979, both trends are experts at using the war of ideas in fomenting hatred against the other, and spreading religious fanaticism and extremism. Through this war of ideas, they penetrated America and the West, managed to brainwash the minds of Muslim communities to be used as fifth columns. The rampant diffusion of religious extremism among Muslims in the West is an obvious phenomenon, resulting in terroristic behavior and activities, committed by homegrown civilian and military Muslims, in America and the West, indicating conclusive evidence that those extremist Wahhabis were successful in waging their war of ideas against the West since the fifties.

3-     Therefore, it is expected of the West, especially America, to wage a counter offensive of war of ideas, led by sincere genuine Muslims, loyal to the same values that are shared by Islam and the West, values of freedom of religion, justice, human rights, democracy and religious tolerance; experienced and qualified to defeat those extremists, on intellectual and Islamic grounds, to show and prove in no uncertain means, the contradiction between terrorism, extremism ,and Islamic principles, its creed, its legislation and its moral values. A feat exemplified in and by the Quranists, who have been waging an unabated war of ideas with the Wahhabi extremists since the mid eighties of the last century. They have been so successful at it, that those oppressive suppressive fanatic extremists could not face up to the challenge except through persecution, imprisonment, torture and fatwas of apostasy and bloodletting. The tyrants and the extremists unite in facing the Quranists, since both cannot contend and argue with the Quranists, they resort to available means, which are violence and use of force. Each group uses what he is qualified to use, the Quranists use their knowledge of Islam, their expertise of Islam in combating its adversaries, and the extremists use all their resources, their power, their prestige, unlimited capabilities in persecuting the Quranists, who are devoid of any protection or material resources.          

It is incumbent upon the U.S. and the Quranists to be allies against the common enemy. America should provide the Quranists with adequate protection, adequate support, material and moral, and in turn, the Quranists would dedicate their lives to fighting extremism, intellectually through the Internet, Satellite TV, Media, TV programs and all means of delivering ideas, in all languages spoken by Muslims inside America and outside.

4-     The cost of waging this war in one year is less than what is costing America in one hour in Afghanistan and Iraq. And although the end of the tunnel in both wars is not certain, with all its military expense, yet victory is almost certain in the war of ideas, without shedding any blood or assuming that exorbitant expense.

5-     In reality, the war of ideas is the perfect solution, not only in spreading religious freedom in contrast to extremist’s fanaticism, but also in combating tyranny, by advocating, teaching and spreading the culture of democracy. People have to be exposed to and learn about the benefits of democracy before implementing it. The U.S.A. committed a mistake by using military force in dealing with Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, and before that, in Somalia and Lebanon. A more effective war would have been the war of ideas, backed up by the threat of using military force without actually using it. We have already explained that the war of ideas needs the military might to protect those carrying it out. The weak point with the Quranists, the experts in war of ideas with extremists, is the lack of protection and material resources.

6-     It is regrettable and very unfortunate that America still ignores the Quranist’ struggle in their war of ideas against the extremists.   

It is also regrettable that America, with all its resources, does not have one single website facing or standing up to tens of thousands of websites spewing Al-Qaeda ideology and helping Bin Laden in recruiting foot soldiers, collecting monies, getting aid, training terrorists and preparing suicide bombers.

            It is regrettable that the only website defending America against the extremists is www.ahl-alquran.com                      

It is regrettable that the only Islamic center in America dedicated to combating extremists and extremism through war of ideas, defending the principles and values of Islam, the same as America’s, is the International Quranic Center, a not for profit American center, located in the state of Virginia, with tax deduction status for donations and contributions. With its tremendous positive reputation throughout the Muslim World, as the leader of the Quranic movement, and as the overseer of the website, yet both entities have been met with total indifference by the Administration and its policymaker, this despite of all the attempts and efforts we have pursued since 2002.

All that the Quranists in America and in the West have been accorded was few lines in the annual report about religious freedom and human rights, that they were persecuted, but no reference to the cause of this persecution; their struggle in defending freedoms and higher values, and their opposition to tyranny and oppression.

This American position of indifference towards the Quranists, their struggle and their war of ideas against the extremists, beginning in June 2002 and until today (June 7^th 2010), deserves an analysis; we will give it a year’s time to deliver, if we were still alive.

During President Bush’s administration, I managed to introduce my plans for War of Ideas to the inner circle of decision makers at the White House…then I lost hope.

Now at the time of writing this article, Wednesday July 14^th 2010, words about my plans for War of Ideas have reached the inner circle of President Obama, and as it happened with Bush’s administration, I have not received a response. During Bush’s administration, some of his aids met up with me and listened to my proposal. This has not happened yet with any of president Obama’s aids.

But I am still hopeful, based on President Obama’s openness and his acceptance of new ideas. No matter how hard it is to get to the President personally, I am still hopeful. And in order for this hope not to be in vain, I am willing to wait another year, for President Obama‘s administration to take a decision. After that, I will be writing an analysis of both, President Obama’s administration and the refusal of America to engage in a war of ideas, after a fruitless struggle that lasted more than 10 years.

In one of my letters to the President, that I have received no reply for, I stated:

How long will it take to convince America to help us in defeating Al-Qaida and other terrorists in the war of ideas?

•           How many thousands of lives and thousand of billions America will lose until the American policy makers will be convinced to wage war of ideas?

•           Who will be responsible for this wasting of money and lives?

            In a year’s time I will write my testimony for posterity, if I don’t receive the desired reply.

In conclusion:

At any rate, recommendations to policymakers remain as follow:

1-You cannot separate advocating for religious freedom among Muslims from advocating for democracy, freedom in general and justice, without opposing religious fanaticism and political oppression. It is all in one reformation entity that cannot be split.

2- This necessitates the employment of war of ideas instead of military war alone.

3-Utilizing a war of ideas requires a change in the mentality of the American decision makers. It also requires a fundamental change in the core of the American policy, centered on the friendship of America with the Arab people, rather than with few oppressive hated and despised individuals, shifting from allying itself with a bunch of criminals to the respect and admiration of vast number of people. Those criminals should be brought to justice, to be tried as war criminals and perpetrators of crimes against humanity, human rights organizations, whether American or international, along with the united Nations, attest to that fact. How can the U.S.A. deal with them as true genuine presidents and monarchs? How can it deal with Mubarak in the same fashion as it deals with the French President? How can it deal with Abdullah, the Jordanian and the Saudi versions, the same way it deals with constitutional monarchs of Europe? There is a humungous difference between a president elected by his people to be their servant, and a ruler who oppresses and suppresses his people, uses torture to subjugate and terrorizes them, transforms his country into a big prison, and fills it with hidden mass graveyards.

America’s alliance with those criminals is against its short and long term interests,( a subject deserving of  a more in detail analysis), it is not only against American values and against the spirit of the American constitution, it is contradictory to the American slogan, learnt by every American child, and sung  every morning at school while saluting the flag…and justice for all.

The painful reality is that with all the changes in conditions abound, America did not change its old worn policy with Arabs and Muslims since the cold war, a good reason why America’s Policy is met with failure there, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Palestine, etc..etc…Even internally, Al-Hurrah TV channel (which means, The Free Channel), aimed at Arab speaking people, to promote freedom and democracy in the Arab World, is utter failure, because it takes into consideration the interests of Arab governments, and ignores the Arab Man , even the whole Arab People, and pays them no mind. Why? Because it follows the dictates of the American policy, and forgets about being (Free) as its name indicates.

As a symptom of this perpetual American policy failure, is the aid it bestowed on Mubarak in Egypt, what amounts to over 100 billion dollars in assistance, who used it to direct his people’s sense of failure and their anger towards America, instead the rightful target; himself. Hatred for America increased directly proportionate to the level of monies America spent on Mubarak and his corrupt cronies, monies went directly to his and his aid’s bottomless pockets…..Then the Americans foolishly wonder: Why do they hate us?

The answer is two pronged…we keep emphasizing:

1-     You are fighting a military war in fields that are better suited for war of ideas.

2-     You are allying yourselves with the biggest enemy of the people: The Arab Tyrant. A carnivore, who in order to stay in power relies on 4 legs:

A-A monopoly of unlimited military and police forces, and directing them ruthlessly against defenseless people

B-Continuation of Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflict….unresolved

C- Unabated growth and intensity of terror tide.

D-Unconditional support of America for Tyrants

  Examples of our proposals of war of ideas:

 As just examples, I present here three of our proposals in war of ideas, were sent to whom it may concern in the American policy makers.

Making America the super power in war of ideas in minimum cost

First:

The mission::

1- Promoting the American image in the Muslim World.

2-Win the war of ideas against the radical Muslims

3-Reforming Muslim World to accept democracy peacefully

4-Reform the American Muslims to defend America in the name of Islam

5- Recruiting the open minded Muslims to work with us in this mission.

Second:

How? By:

(A) - Network of Arabic web sites on line to handle Online War of Ideas to defeat the terrorism and promote the American Image in the Muslim world.

It will explore, analyze and combat the radical Muslim web sites on line.

(B)  Conferences to reform Muslim World in these fields:

1- Reforming the Muslim communities in the U.S by:

*-Reforming mosque in the U.S to defend America in the name of Islam not to insult America by misusing Islam

*-Reforming the Islamic schools in the U.S

*-Reforming the research centers of Islam in the American academia to discuss Wahabism and face its terrorism and extremism.

2- Constitutional and Legislative Reforms in the Arab and Muslim World, such as:

*-Reforming of the Elections Law in the Arab World

*-Reforming the laws of Liberties:

*-Reforming the Criminal Law in the Arab legislation

*- Leading an effort to convince the Islamic world to accept Universal Declaration of Human Rights as Islamic law according to the real core of Islam

.

3- In the field of education:

*-Reforming Al-Azhar:

*- Reforming Higher Education in the Arab World starting with Egypt

 * -Discussion of the International Human Rights Charters in the Light of Islam

(c) Independent T.V channel and company to produce programs and drama to reach and undeceive the silent Muslim majority ( more than one billion people)

( D ) High Islamic institute in which open minded Imams will be graduated to undeceive the American Muslims.

Finally:The Quranists can do it with minimum costs

The Quranists are the pro American Muslim scholars who are represented by theInternational Quranic Center (IQC).

War of ideas has its unique aspects. Its battle field is the mentality of Muslims in the entire World. It needs ammunitions, weapons and professional soldiers.

The Quranists are the professional soldiers. They have the 30 years expertise and the sincere commitment.

The Quranists have also the ammunitions which is the Islamic and the Muslim knowledge.

The Quranists are professional experts in producing articles, researches, books from this knowledge. They are also experts in dramatizing their knowledge and in making T.V programs. Drama and T.V programs are the most effective ammunitions in the war of ideas.

The only aspect that the Quranists need is the weapons of war of ideas. These weapons are company of producing drama and free independent T.V channels that can reach the entire Muslim World.

The Quranists are working in dramatizing their knowledge since 1977. They have more than 20 scripts ready for producing now. The Quranists can provide this proposed company of movies for decades. The same is in T.V programs.

It is not impossible to establish a company and T.V channels that produce the scripts and TV programs.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/sep/26/anti-al-qaeda-base-envisioned/

What can the Quranists do in war of ideas against terrorism?

Initiative (1): Online War of Ideas to defeat the terrorism and promote the American Image in the Muslim world

Generally: This aims to:

*Analyze, Detect, and fight the extremist culture of terrorism inside the US and abroad.

*Understanding the culture behind terrorism and fighting it from inside Islam.

*Waging the War of Fatwa against them

*Translating and countering the Arabic fanatic websites to the Americans policy makers.

Briefly: It’s to explore & Action together.

To explore the battle field to analyze and detect the Arabic fanatic websites, sort them, know how they brainwash the young Muslims and prepare them to be suicide bombers, how they recruit them, and how they raise fund. To find the best way to defeat them and how to deal with “Al Fatwa”- the verdict or the rule given by the Sheikh – as the most dangerous weapon against them. Also, it is very important to expose the so – called moderate Muslims and sheikhs - who have two discourses, who are deceiving the West and the U.S, while they are working for the terrorism.

In details: This needs four professional groups:

1. Survey Group:

The mission of this group is to survey all the Arabic sites on line and sort them out in different categories.  The group will begin by establishing the criteria that define each site and divide them accordingly. The Arab religious sites have different kinds of moderate and fanatic sites and others in between. They are also having different sects and cults and many lines inside each. It is very important to define the differences between the frank sites belong to Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, and the so – called moderate sites, which are more dangerous than Al Qaeda because it have two discourses.

There are also the fanatic secular sites. They are owned by communists and leftists and the Arab fanatic nationalists who are against America and Israel. There are some Arabic sites that are owned by ex- communists who become Muslim brothers. Their discourse is not pure religious but it is strong and very active in fabricating lies and rumors to tarnish the American image.

Finally, there are neutral Arabic sites and other sites which have not decided its goals.

This first group makes this survey and continues its work dealing with any new Arabic site appears on line, and updates the new sites and the new changes inside the famous sites. This group has to educate other group the criterion that defines the fanatic terrorist Arabic website, the different categories of the fanatic Arabic websites according to this definition, the possibility of getting information about the terrorists from these websites and the professional high tech used in these websites.

2_: Investigation Group:

The mission of this group is to investigate the entire fanatic and the so – called moderate Muslim sites.  There are websites seems to be moderates, have nothing to do with the political discourse, concentrating on the religious issues only. For the ordinary Muslim, they seem just religious websites, so they have a millions of partisans. Actually, they are the most dangerous sites. They use the religious tradition to prepare the ordinary Muslim to be fanatic, and then he may become suicide bomber after that.

The most famous moderate web site is Islam online, owned and controlled by Sheikh Al Qaradawy, the spiritual leader of Muslim Brothers. This so – called Moderate Sheikh has a famous bloody fatwa calling to kill all American civilians in Iraq. It is a must to face it and to analyze it.

The Saudis have the biggest number of the fanatic web sites in different discourses. There are the official sheikhs who attack Ben Laden and defending the Saudi Kingdom while they are upholding the same faith and same belief of Ben Laden. There are the sites of some Sheikhs like Salman Al Ouda and Safar Al Hawaly who were against the Saudi regime and put in prison, then were released in one condition: not to attack the Saudi State. Accordingly, they ignore the Saudi policy but focus on attacking the West and the U.S and encouraging the terrorists every where.

Other Saudi oppositions in London have their own websites attacking the Saudi family and the U.S together and encouraging the war against the West. Al Mas’ary and Al Fakeeh are good example for this category. London has many other fanatic Muslims who have famous web sites attacking the Arabic regimes and the U.S and the West. Many of these fanatic websites talk in behalf of Ben Laden, while some of them attack Ben Laden but preaching the same bloody religious culture of Ben Laden but in different tunes and different accents.

All of this jungle of sites has to be investigated thoroughly in order to analyze all the details, especially how they brainwash the young Muslims and prepare them to be suicide bombers, how they recruit them, and how they raise fund, and how to face them.

3- Fatwas Groups

This group is going to be specialized in the new kind of the war of ideas (war of Fatwa).  Fatwa is the religious verdict said by the high leveled Muslim scholars in the past, or in our time. The fatwa controls the daily life of the religious Sunni or Shiites Muslims. The fanatic Wahhabists and Shiites are using the fatwa calling for violence in the name of the Islamic Jihad, so, by their fatwa many of Muslims become suicide bombers. The fatwa issued by Al Qaradawy to kill the civilian Americans in Iraq has encouraged many of the so- called moderate Sunni Muslims to fight all the Americans and it has also endangered the American lives in any Muslim country.

This group (Squad of Fatwa attack) has to face this war of fatwa in many ways, includes, but not limited on:

• Discuss the fanatic fatwas proving the contradiction between them and the Islamic laws.
• Prove the contradiction between Islam and the sacred Sunni and Shiites scriptures of the Middle Ages, which are the resources of the fatwas for the fanatic sheikhs in our time.
• Writing articles to ridicule these old and recent fatwas.
• Prove and highlight the contradictions among the fanatic fatwas, using the continuous debate among the old Imams, and also the same dispute among the sheikhs of our time. This will undermine their credit.
• Issuing a real Islamic fatwas that excommunicate Ben Laden, his people and the so – called moderate as well.
• Prove the other side of the fanatic Shiekhs who seem saints while they are corrupted and very mean. This will undermine their fatwas.
• Restore the old Fatwas of the respectable open minded Muslim scholars in the middle ages which contradict the fanatic Imams and their fatwas.

Some official sheikhs give fatwas to justify the political interests of the regime. This is usually done specially in all Muslim World, especially in the Saudi Kingdom and Egypt. This reflects the enmity between these regimes and Muslim Brothers. So, so – called moderate sheikhs have to issue fatwas to condemn some terrorist crime done by Ben Laden and others. These temporary fatwas contradict other fatwas they issued and contradict the old fatwas of their old sacred imams of the middle ages. The group can use this in fighting them back.

4 -Daily Guards Groups:

This group will search all the Arabic sites to defend America. Some of this team will comment on every thing said about America to clear the American image. Other will write article to support the American policy. They will prove that the real enemy to the Arabs and Muslims are not the U.S and Israel. It is the local dictators and the fanatic Wahhabists and Muslim Brothers. They will also make a comparison between the American values and the Arabic Muslim dictators, and how the American Muslim Community enjoys the freedom of belief and speech in America while there is no freedom in the Muslim World. They also will prove to the Muslim World that the American values are the same original Islamic values of justice, freedom and tolerance and loving humanity. This does not mean the American foreign policy has not big mistakes. It has but they are brave enough to admit it and correct it while every Muslim dictator punishes any one who dares to oppose him.

Initiative (2): Conferences to understand reform and recruit

Conferences to call for peaceful reform and to explore real reforming Muslims and:

1- Reforming the Muslim communities in the U.S by:

*-Reforming mosque in the U.S to defend America in the name of Islam not to insult America by misusing Islam

*-Reforming the Islamic schools in the U.S

*-Reforming the research centers of Islam in the American academia to discuss Wahabism and face its terrorism and extremism.

2- Constitutional and Legislative Reforms in the Arab and Muslim World:

*- Leading conference for measuring the level of Infiltration of Wahabism in Egyptian Education and Society

*-Reforming of the Elections Law in the Arab World

*-Reforming the laws of Liberties:

*-Reforming the Criminal Law in the Arab legislation

*- Leading an effort to convince the Islamic world to accept Universal Declaration of Human Rights as Islamic law according to the real core of Islam: By doing so, these resolutions could be the main source of legislation in Muslim countries instead of Islamic Jurisprudence, which actually means the fanatic Wahabi legislations.

3- In the field of education:

*-Reforming Al-Azhar:

To reform the Arabs and the Egyptians, it is imperative to reform Al-Azhar. To do so, it is essential to reform Al-Azhar basic law and its educational programs.

 Al-Azhar is the oldest educational institution in the world. It is over thousand years old. It includes seven universities in Egypt and it has its own educational system from the elementary level to the Secondary level. Al-Azhar wields huge authority on the religious life in Egypt from the mosques to the religious and educational programs in press and drama. It is as the Vatican status for one and quarter billion people.

*- Reforming Higher Education in the Arab World starting with Egypt

Reforming the Religious Education Material:

Deploy alternative religious syllabuses that emphasize the human rights and democracy:                       

Reforming the History Material

Reforming the National Education Material

Discussion of the International Human Rights Charters in the Light of Islam.

Recruitment:

During these conferences:

*Recruiting and organizing the secular and other open minded Muslim scholars and their web sites to be in our side against the terrorism. *Incorporate Muslim moderates who struggle against the Wahabists monopoly over the Internet in the US administration’s effort to promote the American Image in the Muslim world.

* Undeceiving scholars and activists who still have bad feeling against the U.S.

* Convert and undeceiving the soft lines among the radical Muslims.

Initiative (3): Writing T.V programs (in brief):

To use the T.V satellites as weapons against the radical Muslims and to promote the American image

In case if we have a free independent T.V channel and company to produce and broadcast program that achieves: 

1. Reform and Introducing Reform by education
2. Improving the Image of America in the Arab World
3. Genuine competition to Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel.

The scope of these programs is in the following areas:

First: Reform:

1. Constitutional Reform:
2. Reforming Al-Azhar:
3. Reforming Higher Education in the Arab World starting with Egypt
   1. Concepts Correction:
   2. Reforming the Religious Education Material:
   3. Deploy alternative religious syllabuses that emphasize the human rights and democracy:    
   4. Reforming the History Material:
   5. Reforming the National Education Material:
   6. Discussion of the International Human Rights Charters in the Light of Islam:
4. Legislative Reforms in the Arab World:

1. Reforming of the Elections Law in the Arab World:
2. Reforming the laws of Liberties:
3. Reforming the Criminal Law in the Arab legislation:
4. Reforming the Islamic Societies in America:

1.     Reforming the mosque to defend America in the name of Islam

2.     Reforming the Islamic schools.

3.     Reforming the research centers of Islam in the American academia. This is essential to discuss Wahhabism and face its terrorism and extremism.

Second Reform: Here in the USA: This reform has two parts:

First: American Part: This part depends on descriptive non-critique programs. It includes an informative description of America for the Arab viewer from old and contemporary history. Also, recognizing the American geography and philanthropy. This shall provide documentary movies after translating them to Arabic and give explanations suitable to the Arab viewer perception to satisfy his eagerness about the America: the dreamland.

Here are some details:

1. The indigenous inhabitants of the new world and their origin.
2. The old civilizations in the Americas before the Geographic expeditions.
3. The original geographic explorations, their motives, Christopher Columbus, the Spanish expansion, European competition in settlements between Spain and Portugal, the French and English conflict and their competitions and wars with the indigenous populations, the importing of   Negros from Africa, the revolutionary War, Civil War, Monroe Doctrine, American social conflicts that gave women the right to vote and the civil rights movement, League of Nations, United Nations, Vietnam’s War, Iraq’s War,..etc.
4. Major American landmarks such as the American Constitution, the Presidents, Type of Government, Congress, Supreme Court, Hollywood, economy, American society… and so on.

Second Part: Arab Americans: This part concentrates on the Arab Americans and includes the following topics:

1. The beginning of the Arab migration to USA and its relation with the Christian massacres in Levant in the middle of the 19^th century.
2.  The most dominate nationalities of Arab immigrants.
3. Distinctive Arab intellectuals in America.
4. Diaspora Arab poets in North & South America.
5. The current distribution of Arab population in America.
6. The Arab & Islamic Museums in America.
7. The departments of Arabic & Islamic Studies in American Universities.
8. American Embassies in the Arab countries and the Arab embassies in America.
9. Type of visas for American entry.
10. Lottery system.

The third subject: The Victims in the Arab World:

The sympathy of “al-Horrah” Freedom channel with the victims in the Arab World would increase its respect with the number of those victims and the sympathizers with them. The programs here are varieties depend upon the situation of the victims, for example:

• The victims of torture in the police stations.
• The victims of the psychological torture because of terrorism.
• The victims of torture because of opinion and belief.
• Victims of torture for no reason.
• Most famous cases of torture.
• Torture cases in courts.
• Most famous accused torturers
• Treatment of torture victims
• Most famous Centers for treatment of torture victims.
• Most famous websites that expose the torture practice.

The Fourth Subject: Free Tour in the Arab Art:

Arab Cinema and Television

• Discussion of Censorship in light of freedom of opinion.
• Most distinctive victims of censorship of Arabic films.
• Most famous Arab directors and analysis of their works.
• Most famous stunts/extras.
• Genius Arab actors disappeared early in their careers.
• Famous Arab documents and their directors. 
• Movies with history in the Arab Egyptian cinema.
• Political opportunism in the Arab cinema.
• Wahhabi effect on critique writing for Arab and Egyptian Cinema.
• Egyptian cinema industry between the foreign production and Arab brilliance.
• Brief history of Arab & Egyptian cinema.

 The Fifth Subject: The Enlightened Arabic Heritage:

Regrettably, Wahhabism reverted the modern Arab and Moslem life back to the worst and bloodiest extreme dogmas and beliefs in the age of human rights and democracy. More regrettably, Wahhabis is a mere school of thoughts belongs to the Sunni sect. However, it monopolized not only the Sunni sect, but also the whole Islam and Moslems.

In fact, the medieval had witnessed many Islamic sects that were more civilized than the contemporary Wahhabism. There was a reform movement that called for human rights. It’s imperative to shed the light on such movements after the Wahhabis tried to overshadow them.

This subject shall handle these dogmas and their patrons who called for liberty and human rights like Abu Haneefah and Mohammad Abdo who was the most famous reformer. He died a hundred years ago and tried to reform Al-Azhar. He also founded a first civil party that separated religion from politics. This subject shall also demonstrate the most important books that were written by this enlightened group and discuss them based on our time requirements and convention. Some of these scripts were ahead of their time such as the books of Al-Jahedh in Abbasid, Ibn Khaldoun Epilogue in Mamluk and the books of Taha Hussein, Ahmad Amin, Sheikh Shaltout and Mohammad Abdo in the last century. It’s also possible to produce documentaries about these personalities and discuss the subject after viewing the films.

This subject can include Arabic anecdotes either old from the heritage books or new from whatever published on the Internet. It’s possible to produce them as short documentaries and comment on them later.

Initiative (4): Writing drama for T.V and theaters

To use the drama and movies as weapons against the radical Muslims and to promote the American image.

In case if we have a company to produce and broadcast drama.

The silent Muslim majority get their knowledge from mosques and T.V drama. The fanatic Sunni and Shiites Muslim leaders usually use drama to brainwash this silent Muslim majority. Our mission is to use drama to undeceive this silent Muslim majority. By this drama, we can reach all the Muslims in the entire world, if we produce it subtitled with all Muslim languages.

The Quranists are experts in writing drama. They have written more than 22 scenarios which are ready to be produced now, beside new ideas for drama that can provide the proposed company for many years. Of course the Arabic censorship refuses the Quranist’s drama writings.

The drama written by the Quranists covers three fields:

1- Muslim history and Muslim tradition that discuss and expose – directly and indirectly – the sacred secret side of the fanatic tradition.

2- Current Muslim life – especially in the Arab World - to discuss the prohibited fields in Arabic drama, religion and politics.

3 – The real life of the Muslim communities in the U.S in many aspects, like their religious life, their different sects and cults and their relationship with Americans and with the fanatic extreme leaders inside U.S.

It is easy to establish that company to produce and distribute this drama as a business and as a mission.

But if there is not such company

Sooner or later, Islam and Muslims will be the main topic for the American drama. The Quranist’s drama writings are available for any company from now. The American support is needed here. It is not difficult to marketing these scenarios in Hollywood and New York.

My Testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

Washington, D.C.

October 25, 2005

Introduction

 For more than two decades, this witness, as a writer has struggled in his home country in discussing the untouchable side of Muslim tradition in order to reform the religious Muslim life to confirm and to conform to the real Islamic values of peace, justice, tolerance and freedom of speech and belief. This has angered the hardest line of Sunni Muslim sect; known as Wahabi cult, or the fanatic Muslims. Finally, the writer had to escape to the U.S to practice his freedom of speech and belief, and to make his religious knowledge available to benefit those who may be concerned.

Coming to the U.S, and finding the Islamic schools influenced by the Wahabi fanatic culture, has been a great disappointment. The efforts to publicize the writer’s teachings and his articles are generally opposed by the well-trenched Muslim institutions in the US, namely the mosques and other centers. The writer has very similar experience in Egypt, when he tried to reform the religious courses in general education in Egypt through Ibn Khaldoun Center in Cairo. The project was confiscated in Egypt by the pressure of the Wahabi influence.  Despite the tremendous differences in the societies of Egypt and the US, the writer sees the same problem here in the Islamic mosques and schools. 

Working on one year’s visiting fellowship at Harvard Law School, Human Rights Program, the writer intends to dedicate his time in research  to reform the religious teachings in Islamic schools in the U.S with the original pure teachings of the Quran and Islam which happen to be in conformity with the Western and American values highlighting basic Human Rights.

, The writer has moved to Alexandria VA, to seek needed support in his struggle for theses needed reforms in the religious education and training of Muslims. After moving to VA, the writer helped some brave Americans in Boston in their struggle against the fanatic Wahabists in their mosque

The writer is honored by giving this testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee Judiciary Committee.

To make the respected members of this committee easily understand the gist of my testimony, I will give this testimony in a question and answer format.

The First part: The Wahabism and the Saudi State

1- Does Wahabism represent Islam officially?

No. No one particular group of Muslims can claim official representation of Islam. The religion of Islam is represented only by the Quran. All Muslims believe in the Quran as the official (and final) word of God for this world.

2- Do Wahabists represent all Muslims?

No, Muslims now are in three traditional sects: The Sunni sect, the Sufi sect and the Shiites. The Sunni sect is the most fanatic sect among them. The Wahabists belong to the fanatic Sunni sect.

3- Do Wahabists represent the entire Sunni Muslim sect?

No, the Sunni sect has four schools. The most fanatic Sunni school is Hanbelah. The Wahabists belong to this Hanbelah Sunni School.

4- Do Wahabists represent the entire Hanbelah School?

No, they belong to the hardest line among the Hanbelah School. This hardest line named Ibn Taymeya groups.

5- Do Wahabists represents the entire Ibn Taymeyah groups? 

No, they are the most fanatic group among the followers of Ibn Taymeyah.  They are a very minute but most fanatic Sunni cult within the group.

6- If they are such a minute cult, why do they wield so much power?

Because they are backed by one of the most oil-rich monarchies in the world today: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

7- Is there a conflict between the modern intellectual Muslims and the traditional Wahabi sect?

To understand this dilemma in the Muslim world, let us bear in mind that there are now more than one billion Muslims, spread all across the globe. Most of them (>80%) are non-Arab and constitute a silent majority. Nearly half of the present Muslim population (approx. half billion) live in the Indian subcontinent of India, Pakistan and Bangla Desh. Indonesia constitute another big chunk of the Muslims. Egypt is the largest Arab Muslim nation.

Due to the wide spread illiteracy of eth general Muslim population in the Muslim lands, the religious Muslim scholars and sheikhs, numbering not more than just few thousands; wield tremendous power over the masses. These “scholars” popularly known as Imams, seem to fall under two main categories: 1- the anti- Western (and now more so anti- American) including the fanatic Wahabists, and  2- The Quranic intellectual Muslims who tend to admire the West (and America) for its achievements and for what it stands for society. They believe in Islam as the religion of peace, tolerance, freedom of speech, with core democratic principles for justice and human rights for all subjects.

These two groups are locked in a struggle against each other for the support of the Muslim silent majority. In this fight for survival, the Wahabists have the tremendous advantage of unlimited monetary help and more support from the Saudi Kingdom.  On the other hand, the so-called Quranic scholars, who being a minority to begin with, generally find themselves helpless in the entire Muslim World. Even with their small numbers, they are considered a big threat by the majority Wahabi-influences Muslim clerics and their backers. The leaders of the Quranic groups were persecuted and all of them are under the pressure of these terrorists and the dictators in Muslim lands. For their very survival they need protection and support to carry out their “Jihad Against Terrorism”.

8- How to understand the root causes of this evil known today as “Wahabism”

The Saudi State was established three times and was destroyed twice in recent history.

The initial process of the first Saudi State began in 1745, when Ibn Abdel Wahab, the zealot Sunni scholar, revolting against the Sufi and Shiite Muslims in the 18th.century, had formed an alliance with Ibn Saud, the prince of Al Dare’iah in Najd, north of the Arabian Peninsula. According to this agreement, the Saudi Prince was given the religious justification to conquer his neighbors and occupy their lands under the banner of Jihad. This sowed the seeds for the Wahabi cult in the first Saudi State.

Generating its Wahabi dogma from the hardest line of the Sunni tradition, the first Saudi State used the name of Islam and Jihad to occupy most of the Arabian Peninsula and to invade and massacre the Shiites and Sufi Muslims in Iraq and Syria. The helpless and dwindling Ottoman Empire of that time asked its strong ruler of Egypt; Mohammed Ali Pasha to eliminate the Saudi Wahabi danger. After seven years of hard battles, Mohammed Ali was finally able to destroy the first Saudi State and its capital in 1818.

9- Did the defeat of the Saudi State in 1818 eliminate the Wahabi faith?

No. On the contrary, the Military solution against the first Saudi State apparently helped the Wahabi faith to learn an important lesson. While the Turkish military uprooted the first Saudi State, but it gave the Wahabis  more strength and determination to help the broken Saudi house to reestablish their second state in Najd for some decades in the 19th century.

Due to the absence of strong Islamic ideology during that time to counter the emerging Wahabi doctrine from inside Islam, the Wahabi teachings spread unopposed in the heart of Muslims even in the absence of a well-defined Saudi State itself.

Moreover, their military defeat had made the Wahabi scholars become more determined in their extreme ideology. 

10 –What is the role of Wahabism help in reestablishing the current Saudi State?

The second Saudi State collapsed because of inner military conflicts.

Abdel Aziz, [Ibn Saud] is the founder of the current third Saudi State by his tough wild Wahabist followers named Al Ikhwan; or “Brothers”.

Those ardent fanatic Wahabi soldiers[ Ikhwan] helped Abdel Aziz in reestablishing his Saudi State, [1914 – 1925] which was called [The Saudi Kingdom ] in 1932.

The wild tough Bedouins of [Ikhwan] were inculcated with Wahabi dogma as real and forgotten Islam which should be applied by their swords and military Jihad.

After adding Al Hejaz and the Muslim Sacred Mosques, the Ikhwan continued their military conquests by invading Iraq and Syria where they committed many massacres. It was against the will of the mighty British Empire and its interests and allies. Abdel Aziz refused to defy the greatest power in the world to keep his new state secure.

This apparent conflict between the Saudi political authority and its religious Wahabi hierarchy, was absent during the first Saudi State. The tough soldiers of Al Ikhwan, believed in the continuous military Jihad and condemning Abdel Aziz and accused him to be friend of the idol worshippers [the other Muslims] and the infidels, [the British]. They had a strong Wahabi argument against Abdel Aziz who tried to eliminate this dissension by some of his other religious official scholars, who were unable to help him against the basic teachings of their sacred old masters ; Ibn Abdel Wahab and the oldest Imams; Ibn Taymeya and Ibn Hanbal.

11- How could Abdel Aziz solve this problem ?

Abdel Aziz’s policy was mainly aimed at the protection of his state, rather than reform the Wahabi faith. This has created the problems and the resultant bloodsheds extending to our present times, manifested by the emergence of leaders like Bin Laden.

12- This needs more explanation.

It was clear that the Wahabi doctrine needed reform in the 20th century, but the helpless non-Wahabi Saudi scholars found themselves incompetent for such an important task. So the peaceful political efforts of continuous conference in Riyadh on 1927 and 1928, failed to avoid the military conflict.

Abdel Aziz had to fight his own brothers [Ikhwan], defeating them militarily in 1929, but he could not defeat their extreme religious beliefs, nor could he reform them. Leaving this problem unsolved until now, makes the Saudi State, the core of extremism and fanaticism for the entire Muslim World, including the Western World as well.

Abdel Aziz had another problem in protecting his new state from its enemies, the Shiite Muslims around his borders in Iran, Iraq, Syria and in Yemen, and inside his state, in its eastern part and in Al Hejaz. He planned to convert the Muslims around his state from Sufism to the Wahabi faith. He concentrated first on Egypt and India where there were a big Muslim Sunni masses suffering from the British colonization and who would find solace in the Wahabi doctrine to provide religious motive for revolt against the occupiers of their lands. He acted on his plan as soon as he established full control over Al Hejaz and its sacred mosques and hence the Muslim pilgrimage. This gave the Saudi State a control over the religious heart and nerve center for the entire Muslim World.

So as early as 1928 the Muslim Brotherhood organization was created in Egypt by Hassan El Banna and his Spiritual master Rasheed Reda, an agent of Saudi Abdel Aziz in Egypt.

Between 1928- 1948, Hassan El Banna established some fifty thousand branches of the Muslim Brotherhood all across Egypt, besides many international collaborators and the secret military organizations. Muslim Brotherhood orchestrated the Egyptian Revolution in 1952, which changed the history of Middle East. After that conflict between the Brotherhood and Nasser the leader of the Revolution (1952), most of the Muslim Brotherhood members escaped from prosecution to Saudi State, their spiritual home. They finally returned to Egypt in the time of Al Sadat (1970’s) who gave them controlling authority in Egyptian religious and educational  life. They used their influence to create their public and secret organizations to take over Egypt, and in turn assassinated Al Sadat himself in 1981.  Finally, the Egyptian Muslim Brothers produced two famous leaders, Sheikh Omer Abdel Rahman, currently imprisoned in the U.S and Ayman Al Zawahery, the right hand of Bin Laden, beside Mohammed Atta the leader of the attack of September 11. Muslim Brotherhood and its public and secret organization are some of the bad fruits of the policies of Abdel Aziz.

13- Besides Egypt and the Middle East, what were the effects of this fanatical policy in the India subcontinent?

It was relatively easy for Abdel Aziz to force his doctrine in recruiting Indian Muslims who were against the British and other majority of their Indian people; they found in the Wahabi faith a religious justification to revolt against their British masters and other Indians, sowing the seeds for the division of the great Indian state and its people into two countries, creating Pakistan, which has been one of the greatest calamities of the 20th century.

Pakistan by the help of the Saudi State and its Islamic university in Islam Abad and its [Madrassas ] or Islamic primary schools, created Taliban, who took over Afghanistan subsequent to Russian departure in 1989. The problem of Taliban in Afghanistan still persisting despite their military route by the US in 2001. 

14- Is Abdel Aziz, the founder of the current Saudi State and the father of the current Saudi king Abdullah, mainly responsible for all the ills of Wahabism we face today?

Yes.

Instead of up-dating and reforming the Wahabi faith after his clash with his [Ikhwan], Abdel Aziz preferred to export the Wahabi cult in its original Middle-Age teachings to the Muslim world creating religious bloody conflicts and turmoil from Algeria to Indonesia and from Sudan to Russia, and finally to the West and the U.S.

His sons are keeping his policy until now.  They have steadfastly refused any political reform entering the kingdom, either coming from the West or from within Islam. Moreover, they continue to use their influence in persecuting any Muslim thinker and scholar if he dares to counter their Wahabi dogmatic culture.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the time for true reform for Muslims, for their own safety and the safety of the entire word and civilized society.

It is also time to realize that while some battles may be won by military force in select places, this ideological war between the U.S and the Wahabism will have to be won by the Quranic Muslims who are pro Americans. Empowerment of such Muslims is therefore the need of the hour.

The Second Part: The bad results of the Wahabism

1- Does the Saudi State still uphold its founder’s policies?

 Do they seem to care about the world’s  concerns for reforming their primitive society?

Yes and No.

After the death of the Saudi founder Abdel Aziz, his sons have maintained their absolute grip on power by relying on the Wahabi doctrine. This hypocritical approach has been boosted by their new-found oil wealth and their eager enthusiasm to make Saudi Arabia as the leader of the entire Muslim World. The U.S – because of its political and economical interest in the region inadvertently provided a moral support for the Saudi policy. Moreover, the Western nations including the US have continued to provide facilities to the Saudis to create the Islamic Centers inside the West to spread the Wahabi dogma as the real religion of Islam, and gave them the opportunity to mislead and misguide the Muslim communities in the West.

Although the oil wealth has given the Saudis the ability to modernize the material life, their religious, social and cultural lives are still controlled by the fanatic Wahabi dogma. This apparent contradiction between the Middle-Aged fanatic teachings and their government’s policies of allying with the infidel West (according to the Wahabi doctrine) has caused increasing resentments among the new brand of radical Muslims, typified by the likes of Bin Laden.

2- How significant is the Saudi State problem in dealing with its own extreme Wahabists, in becoming a victim of its own policies?

It is extremely big.

Trying to keep the Wahabi teachings intact under the rising tide of radicalism and discontentment against government policies makes the Saudi State a prime target from these radical religious factions.

On the first day opening the 15th century of the Muslim calendar [November 22, 1979] some of these fanatic Wahabists, lead by Johayman, laid a siege on the Sacred Mosque of Mecca dooming the Saudi State to seek military help from their Western allies (the infidels). This in turn gave the ultra Wahabists an ax to grind claiming that the Saudi State is anti Islam. As expected, the Saudi authorities used their borrowed military power to eliminate Johayman and his group while its official religious scholars were - and still are - unable to rebut Johayman’s arguments.

3- What is the level of current opposition groups within the kingdom?

Besides the Kingdom itself, the U.S and the entire World have to deal with the current Saudi opposition which produced the likes of Ben Laden. The current Wahabi opposition- born after the first Gulf war in 1992 – includes many different intellectuals with different backgrounds; most of them have graduated from the Western universities but still maintain their fanatical and extreme Wahabi views.

4- What is the effect of Wahabism on the Arab World?

The Arab World is the first victim of the Wahabi culture.

The medium of dictatorship has generally supported in the spread of the cancer of Wahabi Faith around Arab Muslim World.

Democracy is the forgotten Islamic virtue, a dirty word allied with the infidel West, but the Wahabi faith gives the Muslim dictator unlimited political power in accordance with the Middle aged political culture. The Saudi royal family could not let go of the monarchy to face any democratic aspirations of its people to hold on to their absolute power. However, the current neo Wahabi opposition while believing in absolute authority of the Muslim ruler or [the Caliph] is in conflict with the Saudi regime as the real enemy of Islam. These extremists, allied with Muslim Brothers around the world are condemning the military despotic regimes, as the followers of the [infidel West]. Their aim is to take over the political power and establish theocratic regimes. So the irony is that while the political oppositions around the world uphold democracy and human rights, the  Wahabi political oppositions inside Muslim World are against the [Infidel  West] FOR its democratic culture and their total rejection of all non-Muslims.

In this complex game of political power, the Military despotic regimes in Muslim World seem to support that Wahabi oppositions only to scare the intellectual opponents and the unsuspecting world making a choice on their behalf: Us (meaning the dictatorship) vs. them (meaning the Wahabists)? That is how they have been able to maintain their control over the Wahabi culture as well as the masses, at the same time by using military power against the selected Wahabi terrorists who propagate overthrow of regimes by violent means (jihad) as true teachings of Islam.

As a result of dictatorships of the regimes and their religious oppositions, the wave of democracy abandons the Middle East while it invades other nations in Africa which are less civilized than the Muslims.

5- What about the Saudi Wahabi influence in Egypt?

Muslim Brotherhood was created in Egypt by the efforts of the Saudi agents. After Nasser destroyed their organization for his own political survival,  they returned back to Egypt - with renewed Saudi oil-rich influence – during the time of Al Sadat, who gave them limited authority to control the Egyptian religious and educational life. But extreme religious zealots are seldom satisfied with limited power and soon they began their influence to create other public and secret organizations to take over entire Egypt. Though Mubarak seems to have kept them at bay to gain control, they have the great power in the Egyptian street. Muslim Brothers are not just an organization. It is a live powerful Wahabi culture. It is the culture that makes the Wahabi fanatic dogma acceptable in the entire Muslim World. Ironically, this Muslim Brother culture (with the Saudi influence) have taken full control of Al Azhar .

6- What more do we need to know about The Al Azhar University of Egypt?

Al Azhar was initially a Mosque, built in 972, the same year the Egyptian capital Cairo was built. As the original seat of many great Islamic scholars and thinkers, it continued to be the magnet over the centuries to attract Muslims scholars from around the world to come and learn about the Islamic Jurisprudence and religious philosophy. Soon it obtained the status of the most respected name as the premier Islamic institution in the Muslim world for its scholarly expertise to dispense religious knowledge and train Muslims scholars who pursued knowledge in specific fields of their interests.

It is not only the oldest university in the entire world, but also the biggest as it has more than fifty colleges and five universities in Egypt, beside its own educational religious system in Egypt for the primary, preparatory and secondary schools. You can find its schools in every Egyptian village and neighborhood. Al Azhar trained Muslim Imams control the entire network of Egyptian mosques and hence the religious life of all Muslim Egyptians.

As a legendary part of the Egyptian life and history, Al Azhar has been manipulated by the modern Egyptian rulers to brain wash the masses in the name of Islam.  Its current President Mubarak has tightened his grip on Al Azhar to preach the Wahabi culture to preserve his power. Paradoxically, this has made the Egyptian streets and mosques increasingly hostile to the U.S and its policies in the Middle East.

It is a must to reform such a critical Islamic institution as Al Azhar to support real democratic values of Islam, which are not opposed to America because of its freedoms and its charter for basic human rights. The reformed Al Azhar must defend the freedom of speech and belief, democracy, tolerance and human rights as real Islamic values.

For 15 years (1973- 1987), I struggled against the Saudi fanatic influence inside Al Azhar and tried to reform it in my limited capacity without much support.  I was fired from Al Azhar University for my views and put in prison on trumped-up charges. My struggles against them continued  as a free Islamic Scholar trying to propagate Islam according to its original teachings from the Quran of peace and tolerance. For this I was constantly persecuted until my escape to the U.S in October 2001.

Thus reforming Egypt will not be possible without the needed reforms at its religious nerve center- Al Azhar.

And in trying to reform the Middle East, reformed Egypt with a renewed Al Azhar can play a central role. If we approach it with a right understanding of the issues, I humbly submit in front of this committee that it is possible to reform Al Azhar and Egypt with the right people at the helm. This can be one sure way to blow a death nail to eradicate Wahabism .

7- In the short run, what can the U.S do to resurrect its image in the hostile Arab Muslim streets?

The U.S and the West become victims of the Wahabi culture, by their unflinching support of the dictatorial regimes in spite of their apparent falling out with their home grown neo Wahabists.

The uninterrupted dictatorships have hatched continuous corruption and chaos in creation of terrorists and their organizations in the Middle East. To deviate the masses from the real issues of corrupt governance (education, health, law and order, security ect), these despotic regimes and the Wahabi organizations have used each other in their game for political power. Wahabists tell the masses that the [Infidel West], is the ardent enemy of Islam, and is plotting against Muslims to keep them behind all nations. The dictators on the other hand are able to scare the Western powers from the bogey of Wahabists (their own creation) to keep them in power perpetually.  So the West finds itself in this perplexing dilemma of who to support to guarantee a safe passage for their strategic interest. They have obviously chosen a path of least resistance by sticking with their “trusted allies” the fewer members of the ruling class in favor of the “unknown chaos “ of the masses.

In the meantime, finding it relatively helpless within their own borders, neo Wahabists have refocused their ire at the Western backers of their rulers. Their obsession with the complex of the “Western/Jewish Conspiracy against Islam” was the main motive behind the terrorist attacks of September, 11.

To provide religious sanctity to this radical ideology of declaring war on the so called “enemies of Islam”, these Wahabists have restored the old traditional fanatic Sunni faith of  dividing the world into two camps of the believers (Dar-ul-Islam), and that of the infidels (Dar-ul-Harab). In their twisted way of thinking, it gives them freedom to attack (openly or subversively on unsuspecting civilians) any land where Muslims are not in control. To achieve this aim, they are working relentlessly to take over political power in Egypt, Saudi State and Pakistan to set the stage their ultimate goal for the One Islamic United Nation to finally crush the Christians the Jews and anybody else that comes in their way and against their medieval understanding of their religion.

8- How could this radical religious opposition within Muslim nations carry out this big dream?

Their unified goal is to take over the world and raise the Islamic banner by military means as the sole arbitrator of world affairs.

So far these Wahabists have made substantial progress:

1-They have already controlled most of the mosques and Islamic centers inside, including Al-Azhar and out side the Muslim World, including most of the Western European cities (especially London, Germany and Holland) and the US.

2-They already control the most educational, media and cultural outlets in the Arabic lands and gaining steadily in their control non-Arab Muslim World.

3-They use all these means to make the Wahabi the only representative of Islam, by referring to Muslims as “Al Ommah”, meaning “One Nation”. It sounds that there is one Ommah or one nation in this world, the Muslim Nation, ignoring the other nations.  Hence they assume leadership to represent all Muslims by default!

4-Their absolute control of the Sunni Muslim communities to preach the Wahabi –inspired doctrine in the West and the U.S centers is enough to create a volatile atmosphere against the host nations.  A systematic approach in dealing with this menace is required instead of gut reactions on isolated instances as we have seen since 9/11.

5-Wahabis have been successful in recruiting not only the Muslims who have been brainwashed against the West and the U.S, but using the tactics of the communists during the cold war, manipulating other groups, mostly non-Muslims to do their dirty work to avoid detection. It is very much like the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

6-They use historic references of the grandeur of the original caliphate empire to lure present Muslim generations into an artificial aura of super Islamic Utopic generation on earth.

7- By distracting the U.S and the West by this new kind of war where you could not predict where and when and how the next terrorist attack will happen, their aim is to exhaust the economic resources of the West and to eventually make them weak and winnable.

8-In this new kind of war, they have many different faces and sides. They are masterminding Western technology against the West and its inability to defend itself against this faceless enemy. Use of the internet for recruiting has basically taken care of the need of travel of possible suspects, with chances of being apprehended. They have trained soldiers and made loose secret organizations to commit the terrorist crimes under the various names of jihad. Their secret agents seem to have penetrated many regimes, due to their wide spread support among the mostly uneducated Muslim masses; some of them are even famous writers and (so-called) Islamic scholars to provide religious cover to defend them for their crimes against humanity. Many are constantly collecting money and funds for them, in the guise of Muslim sufferings around the world, while others are trying to recruit young Muslims for brainwashing and preparing them for the terrorist crimes.

The third Part: Reforms in the Saudi Kingdom

1– Why the efforts to reform the Saudi Kingdom from within have not been successful?

Briefly, the Saudi family has two major problems: its Dictatorship, and its Wahabi bloody culture. The Saudi Royal family represents in our modern time the worst of the Middle Ages culture with a dangerous mix of political ambition and religious hegemony over the entire Muslim population. Thus they have refused any reform in the preaching of the Wahabi faith, even when the demands to change come arise from within the core of Islam.

They rely on the religious Sunni term( Al Hakemeyya) meaning : “The Divine Rights of the King “ which is afforded to the royal family by their Wahabi counterparts- giving the Saudi family the religious justification to monopolize the wealth and the political power for themselves exclusively, as it used to be in the Muslim Empire in the Middle ages.  By giving the kingdom their Saudi family name, it reflects the Middle-Age culture where dynasties were named after their founders e.g. the Abbasid, the Fatemid, the Omawwid,and the Ottoman Empires.

To understand their line of thinking we can show that within  the official Saudi documents, all non-royal family members, including their own citizens, are referred to as [Al Tabe’eyah] which means those that are under their control, and are regarded as an asset or belongings. Saudi family members are only those who are free citizens in their own country and kingdom.

By owning the country, its wealth, and its people, takes the royal Saudis out of any need for accountability to anyone. In their belief system, it is “AL Shoyoukh Abkhas”, meaning that “The king is the only one who knows better” ! Any discussion of such political terms and issues is a crime. Some intellectuals who have questioned this phenomenon are paying the price by being in prison in the Saudi State at this time.

The mention of the key word “slavery” in the CDLR report highlight this brand of thinking by the Saudi Royals, implying that they believe that they own all the people inside the kingdom. By aligning with the street Mutawwis (the Wahabis) the Saudi Royal Family has been given this unlimited power to enslave its population. Although the royal family members seldom show any personal religious piety for themselves by their lavish lifestyles, indulgence in drinking, womanizing and gambling away their millions, they are unlikely to abandon their ties with Wahabism anytime soon.

2 – What about the hopes with the changed Saudi leadership of king: Abdullah? 

The sons of Abdel Aziz generally have belonged to three camps:

1-     The most corrupt to back absolute dictatorship; e.g. their modern patriarch, late king Saud and now late king Fahd and their living brothers Sultan, Nayef, Turkey and Salman.

2-     Few with some good ideas about democracy, like Tallal who revolted against his brother king Saud during the sixties and was excommunicated.

3-     Others are famous for their religious leanings according to the Wahabi culture, like late king Faisal and the current King Abdullah.

When the present king was crown prince, the Saudi opposition in London during the late 1990’s pinned great hope on him due to their opposition to the then king Fahad and his full brothers Nayef, Sultan and Salman. It was said that Abdullah had some secret relationship with some members of this opposition to use them to strengthen his power inside the Saudi Kingdom. The facts however, seem to point out that king Abdullah has more partisans in the Wahabi extremist crowd than his late half brother, king Fahd.

The Wahabists have great hopes in him.

The Fourth Part: The Wahabist war on America

1-  How Is Saudi Arabia spreading Wahabism here in our American mosques and schools?

The Wahabi Muslim Americans are using the Islamic schools and mosques and internet in spreading the Wahabi culture of hatred and terrorism.

According to the Wahabi religious verdicts [Fatwas] and their historical wars, Al Jihad means to hate and to fight the enemy of Islam. The term “enemy”includes all Christians, the Jews, all non Muslims as well as other Muslims who do not follow their Wahabi ideology. They justify waging wars- as military Jihad – to kill not only the army personnel, but also innocent civilians, including elderly, children and women, even their pets. At the same time, the Wahabi Soldier, if he martyrs himself he gains instant access to his final abode in paradise, with the highest rank of being granted the power of intercession before God on the Day of Judgment to intercede for his family and friends. The current wave of suicide bombers are the clear manifestation of this bigoted ideology of their Jihad against the infidels.

2- More details about their influence in the American mosques and Islamic schools.

According to one recent survey, there are 1,209 mosques in America; most of them were founded during the last 20 years, making the Wahabi Islam one of the fastest growing religions in the United States. By 2010 it is expected to become the second largest faith practiced in the country. There are about 200 fulltime Muslim schools, about 500 Sunday Islamic schools, and six schools of Islamic higher learning in America.

The fanatics Wahabi Imams are now in charge of most of these mosques and schools in countering the Western ideas of liberty, justice and peace and fighting the U.S. system from within its home territory.

Ironically, many of these Sheikhs and Imams claim Al Azhar and Saudi backgrounds, giving them a religious hierarchical position difficult to challenge by ordinary Muslims. They can be more dangerous than the open foes like the Ben Laden.

A cursory look at the official Saudi translation in the holy Quran of Al Fateha (the opening chapter) can highlight this point. [Al Fateha]- is recited  at least 17 times through the daily Muslim prayers- they on purpose have mistranslated the last two verses in [Al Fateha]. It should say:" Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom you have bestowed your blessing, not of those who earned your anger, nor of those who went astray”

The official Saudi translation comments on these verses to describe the Jews as those who earned the anger of God, and the Christians as those who went astray 

There are hundreds of other examples in this Saudi Wahabi Translation. Thousands of copies of such translations are regularly distributed in the Islamic centers and schools and mosques in the U.S  to make Muslims believe that all the Christians and Jews are infidels, enemies of Islam and according to the Wahabi faith, they should be fought and killed. This translation is also available on line on this official Saudi web site:

http://www.qurancomplex.org/Quran/Targama/Targama.asp?TabID=4&SubItemID=1&l=arb&t=eng&SecOrder=5&SubSecOrder=1

Are we now to believe in their assurance to the US government and its people that they are with us in their fight against war on terror with the likes of Ben Laden? I do not think so and the evidence suggest otherwise.

The hypocrite scholars are worse than the frank extremists like Ben Laden, who speak their discourse and apply it openly as they can. Those hypocrites are more dangerous because they keep the religious culture of terrorism untouchable, which provides a rich breeding ground ready to produce thousands of Bin Laden.

The only way to expose them is to face them from inside their culture, proving their enmity towards Islam, and the big contradiction between their tradition and real Islam (evident fro the Quran), and to discuss and criticize their tradition in the light of Quranic discourse.

3- What about the Freedom House Report “SAUDI PUBLICATIONS ON HATE IDEOLOGY FILL AMERICAN MOSQUES.”?

Yes, I believe that the report is fair in its overall assessment of the problem. Actually, it provides a wakeup call which comes a little late. Such a report should have been generated twenty years ago. But while hind sight is 20/20, it is still a good first step. But continued scrutiny of Wahabi lobby activities including their centers, fund raising and money transfers, their Arabic newsletters, Arabic sermons and conferences are warranted.

4-What about the Arabic online war against America?

By the help of the American counterparts, the fanatics Arab Bedouin Wahabists are controlling most of the Arabic websites. Muslim Brothers were the first people in Egypt in using computers for their political cause, so are the Saudis fanatics and others. It is their best way to reach all their secret organizations and cells and individuals in the entire world. They use it within the U.S soil by hijacking Islam and the American value of freedom of belief and speech, while benefiting personally from these value systems to escape scrutiny. While the American agencies may have the most sophisticated internet security tools, they are not qualified in facing them in the Arabic websites because they use their confidential terminology and codes.

For example; there are websites which seemingly focus on religious issues only and in general way. For the ordinary Muslim, they seem just religious websites, so they may have a large following and supporters. Under deeper scrutiny by expert scholars, however, one may find that the so-called moderate traditional web sites are the proving to be more dangerous in propagating fanatic Wahabist views to ordinary Muslims.

The most famous moderate web site is “Islam Online”, owned and controlled by Sheikh Al Qaradawy, the spiritual leader of Muslim Brothers. This so – called Moderate Sheikh has issued his famous bloody fatwa calling to kill all the American civilians in Iraq. In addition, the Saudis have the most number of the fanatic web sites. It is easy to say the Saudi Arabic web sites have many different fanatic kinds of discourse. There are these official sheikhs who attack Ben Laden and defend the Saudi Kingdom while they are upholding the same faith and beliefs as Ben Laden himself. There are the sites of other Sheikhs like Salman Al Ouda and Safar Al Hawaly who were against the Saudi regime initially and were put in prison. After some compromise – they were released on one condition: not to attack the Saudi State. Accordingly, they have learned to ignore the Saudi repressive regime and have instead focused their attacks on the West and U.S interest to encourage the terrorists every where else.

Al Mas’ary and Al Fakeeh are other example for this category of websites operated by Saudi dissidents in London where they attack the Saudi family and the U.S together and encouraging the war against the West in general. Other London websites attack the Arabic regimes and the U.S and the West: Yaser Al serry and Hany Al seba’ey from Egypt as example. Some websites provide portals for Ben Laden and Al Zarqawy to propagate their messages. But generally, all of these fanatic web sites share common preaching of hatred and a bloody religious culture inspired by Ben Laden but with different tunes and different accents.

The Fifth Part: American Mission: How to defeat terrorism in this intellectual war?

1- How to respond to this intellectual war?

This war against terrorism should be 90% ideological and intellectual peaceful war. It is very easy and cheap war if it is handled by the right people. Unfortunately America is using its military in 99% of this war.

This is dangerous since it will have serious implications of draining its economy, the eventual aim of its enemy.

2- What are some other details of this intellectual war which must be fought to defeat Wahabism?

This is a new kind of war. We can summarize its new aspects with one concrete example: the suicide bomber. He is eager to blow himself up in order to kill as many innocent people as possible from among Christians, Jews and other Muslims. Young men are usually inspired by their dreams of the future and of enjoying their lives, but the suicide bomber is motivated only by the thought of being a martyr and he is convinced that virgins are waiting for him in paradise to reward him for blowing himself up amongst “infidels”.

The suicide bomber is a human ticking bomb walking the streets ready to destroy other people, any time and any place. It is very difficult to recognize him and to predict where and when he will strike.

With this new weapon -- the human bomb – the Wahabi  terrorist enemy has neutralized the most horrifying weapon of all times, the nuclear bomb.

This War’s chief Ingredients:

1-The most lethal weapon is the suicide bomber.

2-The ammunition is the Muslim medieval tradition and religion.

3-The factories of ammunitions are the mosques, the Islamic centers in the West and in the U.S, the Muslim system of educations and the Arabic web sites.

4-The battle field is the mentality and attitude of all Muslims.

5-The soldiers and the generals of war are fanatic extreme Muslim scholars and the Sheikhs.

6- The very nature of this war is 100% intellectual-ideological religious war.

7-Who will win this kind of war?  The terrorists, unless challenged by the Islamic scholars.

8-Why: Because so far only the U.S army is waging about 90% of this war.

The Crucial Reassessment:

1-How can the U.S win this war and save thousands of lives and billions of money? 

 By using the same tactic of the intellectual-ideological religious war.

2-How could the U.S use this tactic?

By responding to every enemy weapon to neutralize it:

The weapon [suicide bomber] must be convinced that if he kills innocent people or himself he will be the enemy of Islam.

The ammunitions [Muslim tradition and religion] must be used against the terrorist themselves.

The factories of ammunitions: [Mosques, Islamic centers in the West and the U. S and the educational system in Muslim World] are under the control of U.S. allies. These factories of ammunitions in the Muslim World must be reformed in the name of Islam by the pressure of the U.S, and the U.N. -- along with real political reform. The mosques and the so-called Islamic schools in the U.S must be reformed, and the Arabic fanatic web sites must be faced.

The battle field of this war will be the mentality of all Muslims.

The soldiers and the generals of this war against terrorists are the free Muslim scholars and sheikhs. We are willing to fight but need the support of the West and the U.S.

The very nature of this war against terrorists: A large percentage of it can be – and must be -- intellectual war.

Who will win this kind of war?

The civilized world including the West and the U.S. will win it.

Why?

Because the fanatic terrorist Wahabists have their power by using the name of Islam. We must explain from within Islam the contradiction between Islam and the bloody culture of Wahabism.

It is not hard to have the silent Muslim majority on our side if we can reach them. It is not hard also to convince some of the fanatics by using the fanatic tradition against them. Also, it is very easy to recruit the open-minded Muslims and organize them in this peaceful war against terrorism. Actually, they are eager to be organized and supported by the U.S to get their freedom and to get rid of the terrorist danger.

3- Does America have the Ability to win this war of Ideas?

America has not used its unique abilities to win this intellectual war. America has the most powerful media productions in the world and the great number of the Islamic departments within its Universities. Moreover, there are the Quranic groups in Egypt and the entire Muslim world, who are manifestly pro democracy and anti Wahabism. They can easily defeat the Wahabists if they have the American support and protection.

I have a painful experience in this regard. After 25 years of struggle against the Wahabism as a Muslim scholars and freedom fighter, I came to the U.S eager to serve this great country which gives me a shelter after the Egyptian fanatics have rooted me out from my home, family and career.  Since October 2001 until now (October 2005) I worked only 15 months. 3 months in the National endowment For Democracy, and one year at Harvard Law School. Because of the Saudi Wahabi fund no Islamic Department in the American Universities responded to my application to teach in my Islamic field, in spite of my knowledge and expertise. This explains why these Islamic Departments in the American Universities ignore Wahabism and how to counter it.

During my 3 months at N.E.D, I wrote my first book in English”: The root of democracy in Islam” in 2002. I called in this book to establish many T.V Arabic free channels to defend America and its democratic values. After establishing the Arabic American T.V channel, Al Horra, I contacted them several times to work with them, but they ignore me totally. Some months ago, Magdi Khalil who worked at Al Horra hosted me to talk about Islam and the contradiction between Islam and Wahabism. I also talked about the American role in establishing democracy in Iraq, saying it is a real Islamic Jihad which must be supported by All Muslims. Because of this Magdi Khalil was fired from Al Horra. This proves that Al Horra is controlled by the wrong people.

I sent many proposals to many American agencies and figures in the fields of reforming the Islamic mosques and schools and recruiting the free minded Muslims to activate and win the silent Muslim majority to our side, and how to handle this war of ideas. The response so far is zero and very frustrating.

I stand alone with my Quranic people facing the fanatic Wahabists on line in the Arabic internet. In my weekly article on line, I usually attack the Wahabism and the dictatorships, giving my Quranic people a hope that one day they will have the American support.

4- What is the practical step in handling this war?

This new war against terrorism will save billions of money and thousands of lives, although it may last for some decades in this century. It is impossible to change people mentality in some years. America must have its own powerful agency to win this war peacefully and intellectually and perfectly. This will confirm America as the only super power in this century.

This American agency will be specialized in Islamic cultural fields to produce and publish and broadcast books, drama and television programs in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi and English languages throughout the Muslim World and the Muslim communities in the U.S and the West.

Its production must reach all Muslims in every street, every mosque, on line, and in theaters and homes.

5- In some details: What is the mission of this proposed American agency? And how it will handle its mission?

Briefly, this agency has two new expressions in handling its mission: Amricanizing Islam and Islamizing this war. Amricanizing Islam means to preach the core of Islam among Muslims. When you read the Arabic Quran according to its terminology you will find Islam has the same American values. Islamizing this war means to recruit the intellectual Muslims to handle it by the support and the control of this American agency.

The proposed agency needs the following departments:

A) Department of International Affairs, to organize the Quranic Muslim groups in the entire World, to give them assignments, and to recruit other intellectual Muslims. This department will hold regular conferences to help the agency in handling its mission overseas. 

B) –Department of Islamic Reform:

1. For the Islamic mosques in the U.S. to defend democratic values in the name of Islam)

This will enable the U.S. to drive extremists out of the American mosques, making them advocate American patriotism as part of core Islamic values of faith.

2. For the Islamic Schools in the U.S.

It’s useless to reform their religious curriculum; the only way is to present to them alternative Islamic subjects, to preach the Islamic values of Peace, tolerance, justice, freedom and democracy.

This department will provide these subjects as available materials for these schools, calling on the schools to reconsider this in their teaching. It will also publish these subjects calling on the American Muslim community to discuss them and to be an active part in pressing the Islamic schools to uphold them instead of the fanatic teachings. 

If they refuse, then it will be a unique opportunity to discuss this issue in the public eye of the media.  A public debate may disclose some absent facts concerning the secret relationship between some Islamic schools and other fanatic organizations in the Muslim World.

In such a debate, they will be faced with these important questions: If you really believe that Islam is the religion of great values, why do you ignore this in your courses? If you claim you did not have the ability to write it in your courses, and information to this end has now become available, why do you continue to refuse to uphold it in your courses? If you are against the fanatic culture, why do you keep it in your courses?

The final goal is to make these Islamic schools serving Islam compatible with the United States nation in its war against terrorism.

C: Department of Publishing

It should publish books and newsletters in Arabic and English languages and to distribute them in all the American Muslim mosques, schools and stores and communities and publishing it also online.

Publishing these books and newsletter aims to:

1- Expose and disclose the dark side of the fanatic tradition and the big contradiction between it and the real teachings of Islam.

2- Recruit open minded Muslim Americans to work against the fanatics inside and outside the U.S.

3- Through the discussions and the reactions of those who control the Muslim communities and schools and mosques, it will be easy to define the terrorist Imams and their followers in order to free the American mosques from their control.

D Higher Institute for Islamic Research and Reform in which open-minded Muslims will be trained to be Imams, not only in the mosques but also in the Islamic schools and to work as Imams for Muslims in prisons and army instead of these Wahabi fanatic Imams. It is also necessary to train some other brilliant free minded Muslims to infiltrate the fanatic groups inside the mosques to pave the way for taking over them in the right time.

This high Islamic institute will be also a think tank specialized in the Islamic fields and the other secret sacred sides of the Wahabism. It will tackle researches and assignments for the American agencies.

F- Arabic Library specialized in the secret sacred scriptures and texts and the hidden manuscripts of the Sunni Wahabi cult. It is said that the Saudi agents in Egypt have stolen many of these unpublished manuscripts from the very Old Al Azhar library and the official Egyptian Library. We need copies in our proposed library to serve us in this intellectual war. Using these sacred secret books will be an atomic intellectual bomb against them.

G- Department of Online War

It is painful to say, that the greatest super power in the human history has not single Arabic web site to defend itself and to clear its image, while it is usually insulted and attacked severely every day in the Arabic on line web sites. The Wahabists have a jungle of these Arabic websites. Their sole mission is to brainwash Muslims against America. This department will be supervised by Arabic experts who will maintain this online war and has a team work inside and out side of America to keep commenting on all the articles and the books that insulting America on line and in the local media overseas.

It also will hold many conferences to :1- Explore this new kind of war.2-Analyze the fanatic websites, and how they brainwash the young Muslims and prepare them to be suicide bombers, how they recruit them , and how they raise fund.3- How to face them. 4- How to deal with “Al Fatwa”- the verdict or the rule given by the Sheikh – as the most dangerous weapon against them. 5- Translating and presenting this unknown field - the Arabic fanatic web sites - to the Americans. 6-Expose the so – called moderate Muslims and sheikhs who have two discourses, deceiving the West and the U.S. while they are working for the terrorism.7-Establish many web sites to serve in this war.9- Organize the secular and other open minded Arab scholars and their web sites to be in our side against the terrorism. 10- Establishing new Muslim generation specialized in this online war.

H: New Arabic Satellite Channels for multi media productions of Movies, T.V serials and other programs

Only intellectual Muslims have access to internet and read books and newspapers. Most of Muslims get their education and knowledge from T.V channels and its drama which 90% of them are owned and controlled by Wahabists and dictators. To defeat them , the magic word here is “ Hollywood”. By drama and few T.V satellites the U.S can win 90% of this war.

Proponents of extremism and terrorism are not just clerks or imams. The most dangerous are script writers who compose historical, Islamic, and ordinary dramas. In their movie and soap-opera scripts, they usually  promote terrorism through subtle ideas which they convey indirectly and effectively to the conscious and subconscious of viewers, shaping their ideas and outlook while enjoying the show without any discussion or protest.

Most Arab countries monopolize the media, including local and satellite TV channels, to serve a ruling dictator and the Wahabism.  Egypt and Saudi Arabia are working together in promoting the Wahabism.

When small Qatar set up its anti American Al jazeera channel with a reasonable margin of freedom and independence, the satellite channel has become famous in Arab countries and the whole world.

The success of Al Aljazeera motivated the USA to set up Al-Hurra (the Free) Arabic channel. When the United States thought about establishing Al-Hurra Channel, Arab regimes and advocates of terrorism were caught by horror. Yet despite all the facilities and financial assistance given to Al -Hurra, the American channel turned into something similar to a local Lebanese channel, without any impact. Al-Hurra was born dead, when it ought to have been born a giant to confront the intense hatred for the United States in the Arab region, spread a culture of democracy in the Middle East, and uproot the Wahabi culture.

It has become imperative to establish more free and independent TV channels to address the Islamic world preaching the American Islam against the Wahabism. The address must be well-studied and void of any direct preaching or demagogue presentation. Ideas must be presented with such ease and subtlety as to persuade viewers.

Establishing TV and drama production companies

If the proposed channels have a unique message to convey, then they require specific drama and cultural program production companies which will be unique in their production in drama and T.V programs.

Drama has the most effective impact on Arab and Muslim viewers. All kinds of drama – social, political, and even thrillers – can easily serve our cause, either in the main plot, or in deliberate comments said by the characters. Historical drama teems with thousands of issues which a writer can use to highlight virtuous values and raise the awareness of viewers. In all kinds of drama, different themes can be incorporated in natural conversations that are both congruous with the context, and void of direct preaching. 

TV programs are generally popular and effective. We have our issues that have not been presented or discussed yet by other channels, because they are not bold enough to raise them. Even if they do, they are not qualified to run the talk.

Human rights in Islam have not been frankly and objectively discussed. They cannot discuss questions like these: if Islam is really a religion of peace, why has terrorism been cultivated among Muslims? How has terrorism come to be inextricably associated with Islam? If Islam is valid for all times and places, why have Muslims lagged behind other nations? And why is there a call for ancestral fundamentalism? If Islam is a religion of freedom, tolerance, democracy, and compassion, why do Muslims have despotic regimes? Why do they reject democracy and advocate radicalism and fanaticism? Hundreds of questions like these need to be answered in free and objective arguments in talk shows run by real thinkers, and not by people who promote superstition, ignorance, fanaticism and backwardness.

In short, it is necessary to raise the issues that have remained undisclosed in the Islamic literature for ages, including edicts, rulings, legislations, and interpretations that contradict the core of Islam and all its values and virtues.  A daring and scientific discussion of these issues will ensure prompt success for such programs, especially when discussions are based on freedom of opinion, thinking, and belief, tolerance, and respecting the right of others to differ and disagree, without holding them infidels, traitors, or contemptible. There are other taboo issues which the Arabic TV satellite channels usually neglect in order to avoid collision with Arab old despotism. Among these issues are the corruption, the real history of the Saudis and their fanatic Wahabism, and torture in the Arab Muslim World.

Finally

This proposed agency by these departments will defeat terrorists and their Wahabi culture at a very cheap cost and giving the world more safety.

Ahmed Subhy Mansour