As many in the United States get ready for a round of “Arab bashing” and as old Afghani wounds are reopened in Russia, we ask What is Islam? What is the difference between Islam and Islamism and request Mr. Bin Laden and his Taleban protectors to read this article, which will prove these fanatics to be heretics in their own religion.
Islam is the religion followed by those who use the Holy Qu’ran as their guidance. The Qu’ran is the word of God (Allah) revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Those obedient to these teachings are Moslems. This religion teaches that there is one God only (Allah) who is superior to all other Gods. Man can worship only this God and not images or saints. Allah hears, sees and knows everything.
Jesus (the Messiah) was not God but simply a prophet in Islam, in which the Trinity does not exist because God is singular. Angels exist and are honoured as worshipping Allah alone. The angel Gabriel revealed the words of Allah to Muhammad. Prophets and Messengers respected under Islam are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, the last of the Prophets.
The Day of Judgment will come, when Allah will judge the behaviour of the mortals, the end of the journey called Al-Qadar (Divine Predestination). The Qu’ran is the word of God and the Sunnah, the words, deeds and approvals of the prophet Muhammad are the bases of the religion.
Our readers, whatever creed they follow, can judge for themselves whether or not Islam is substantially different from their own religion, respect being requested by the author for the finer points of discipline and doctrine to be pardoned by the religious scholars. This is an article, not a religious treatise.
The Sunna is the “custom” of following the Divine Hidayah (Guidance) of the Prophet. Following the Prophetic Sunnah (plural of Sunna) is a compliment to the Holy Qu’ran. The roots of the Party of Ali (Shi’at ul’Ali) appeared after the prophet Muhamad died, here being the origins of the Sunni and Shiite Moslems.
Nothing so far connecting Arabs, Muslims or Islam to terrorism.
Regarding Islamism, this is a movement which has the hallmarks of “back to basics” stamped on it, rather like the centre-right political parties are doing in the western world. Islamism is the desire to protect the customs and practices of Islam against other cultures (invasive western tendencies). This movement includes a leftist political tendency to protect the poor against the incursions of the rich and is hostile to social divisions between rich and poor.
The superfluous nature of many western societies therefore awaken the suspicion of Islamists, aware of the Golden Age of Islam in the 7th – 12th Centuries AD and of the fact that this culture has never again found a reflection of the super-power status it once enjoyed by emulating capitalist or socialist systems from other cultures. Islamism is seen as a radical Third Way.
Islamists defend the practice of Shura in their societies (one ruler being in contact with the will of the whole of society).
Islamism is therefore a pan-Islam political movement, a cause rather than a Creed, but disassociated from terrorism or violence as a fundament of its existence.
Regarding terrorism, the author of this article now directs himself directly and personally towards Bin Laden and the Taleban, and accuses them hereby formally and unequivocally of being nothing more than heretics. This is not to say for a moment that either are being accused of having any responsibility in the terrorist attack on New York, because there are indeed doubts. However, both have been linked to the terrorists in Chechnya, who have been waging a murderous campaign against Russia, a campaign only now understood by the international community.
Islam is a religion of tolerance and mercy and as such, it does not permit terrorism.
If these drug traffickers are able to read through the haze of opium befuddling what is left of their brains, they will see clearly that the Holy Qu’ran states “There is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human”. It also states “Do not be excessive”.
It says “Do not kill a newborn child”. “Do not betray”. “God loves just dealers”.
In short, Islam is a religion which preaches doing good to one’s neighbour, being non-violent, treating the woman as an individual, who has her individual rights and, Mr. Bin Laden and that gang of bandits which call itself “Students of Theology” (Taleban), you should also be able to read the teaching:
“The first cases to be adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgment will be those of bloodshed”.
Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY
PRAVDA.Ru
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