[IP] wsj.com: Right Islam vs. Wrong Islam
Begin forwarded message:
From: Bob Rosenberg <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 30, 2005 1:05:27 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: wsj.com: Right Islam vs. Wrong Islam
Dave
This is a bit longer than what I usually send, as co-founder of a local
Muslim/Jewish group, but I believe the topic is important enough for
you to
consider posting it to IP.
Cordially,
Bob Rosenberg
P.O. Box 33023
Phoenix, AZ 85067-3023
LandLine: (602)274-3012
Mobile: (602)206-2856
bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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The responsibility of ministers for the public safety is absolute,
and requires
no mandate. It is in fact the prime object for which governments come
into
existence.
-- Winston Churchill
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HEARTS AND MINDS
Right Islam vs. Wrong Islam
Muslims and non-Muslims must unite to defeat the Wahhabi ideology.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007743
BY ABDURRAHMAN WAHID
Friday, December 30, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST
JAKARTA--News organizations report that Osama bin Laden has obtained
a religious
edict from a misguided Saudi cleric, justifying the use of nuclear
weapons
against America and the infliction of mass casualties. It requires great
emotional strength to confront the potential ramifications of this
fact. Yet
can anyone doubt that those who joyfully incinerate the occupants of
office
buildings, commuter trains, hotels and nightclubs would leap at the
chance to
magnify their damage a thousandfold?
Imagine the impact of a single nuclear bomb detonated in New York,
London,
Paris, Sydney or L.A.! What about two or three? The entire edifice of
modern
civilization is built on economic and technological foundations that
terrorists
hope to collapse with nuclear attacks like so many fishing huts in
the wake of a
tsunami.
Just two small, well-placed bombs devastated Bali's tourist economy
in 2002 and
sent much of its population back to the rice fields and out to sea,
to fill
their empty bellies. What would be the effect of a global economic
crisis in
the wake of attacks far more devastating than those of Bali or 9/11?
It is time for people of good will from every faith and nation to
recognize that
a terrible danger threatens humanity. We cannot afford to continue
"business as
usual" in the face of this existential threat. Rather, we must set
aside our
international and partisan bickering, and join to confront the danger
that lies
before us.
An extreme and perverse ideology in the minds of fanatics is what
directly
threatens us (specifically, Wahhabi/Salafi ideology--a minority
fundamentalist
religious cult fueled by petrodollars). Yet underlying, enabling and
exacerbating this threat of religious extremism is a global crisis of
misunderstanding.
All too many Muslims fail to grasp Islam, which teaches one to be
lenient
towards others and to understand their value systems, knowing that
these are
tolerated by Islam as a religion. The essence of Islam is
encapsulated in the
words of the Quran, "For you, your religion; for me, my religion."
That is the
essence of tolerance. Religious fanatics--either purposely or out of
ignorance--pervert Islam into a dogma of intolerance, hatred and
bloodshed.
They justify their brutality with slogans such as "Islam is above
everything
else." They seek to intimidate and subdue anyone who does not share
their
extremist views, regardless of nationality or religion. While a few
are quick
to shed blood themselves, countless millions of others sympathize
with their
violent actions, or join in the complicity of silence.
This crisis of misunderstanding--of Islam by Muslims themselves--is
compounded
by the failure of governments, people of other faiths, and the
majority of
well-intentioned Muslims to resist, isolate and discredit this dangerous
ideology. The crisis thus afflicts Muslims and non-Muslims alike,
with tragic
consequences. Failure to understand the true nature of Islam permits the
continued radicalization of Muslims world-wide, while blinding the
rest of
humanity to a solution which hides in plain sight.
The most effective way to overcome Islamist extremism is to explain
what Islam
truly is to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Without that explanation,
people
will tend to accept the unrefuted extremist view--further
radicalizing Muslims,
and turning the rest of the world against Islam itself.
Accomplishing this task will be neither quick nor easy. In recent
decades,
Wahhabi/Salafi ideology has made substantial inroads throughout the
Muslim
world. Islamic fundamentalism has become a well-financed,
multifaceted global
movement that operates like a juggernaut in much of the developing
world, and
even among immigrant Muslim communities in the West. To neutralize
the virulent
ideology that underlies fundamentalist terrorism and threatens the very
foundations of modern civilization, we must identify its advocates,
understand
their goals and strategies, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and
effectively counter their every move. What we are talking about is
nothing less
than a global struggle for the soul of Islam.
The Sunni (as opposed to Shiite) fundamentalists' goals generally
include:
claiming to restore the perfection of the early Islam practiced by
Muhammad and
his companions, who are known in Arabic as al-Salaf al-Salih, "the
Righteous
Ancestors"; establishing a utopian society based on these Salafi
principles, by
imposing their interpretation of Islamic law on all members of society;
annihilating local variants of Islam in the name of authenticity and
purity;
transforming Islam from a personal faith into an authoritarian political
system; establishing a pan-Islamic caliphate governed according to
the strict
tenets of Salafi Islam, and often conceived as stretching from
Morocco to
Indonesia and the Philippines; and, ultimately, bringing the entire
world under
the sway of their extremist ideology.
Fundamentalist strategy is often simple as well as brilliant.
Extremists are
quick to drape themselves in the mantle of Islam and declare their
opponents
kafir, or infidels, and thus smooth the way for slaughtering
nonfundamentalist
Muslims. Their theology rests upon a simplistic, literal and highly
selective
reading of the Quran and Sunnah (prophetic traditions), through which
they seek
to entrap the world-wide Muslim community in the confines of their
narrow
ideological grasp. Expansionist by nature, most fundamentalist groups
constantly probe for weakness and an opportunity to strike, at any
time or
place, to further their authoritarian goals.
The armed ghazis (Islamic warriors) raiding from New York to Jakarta,
Istanbul,
Baghdad, London and Madrid are only the tip of the iceberg,
forerunners of a
vast and growing population that shares their radical views and ultimate
objectives. The formidable strengths of this worldwide fundamentalist
movement
include:
1) An aggressive program with clear ideological and political goals;
2) immense
funding from oil-rich Wahhabi sponsors; 3) the ability to distribute
funds in
impoverished areas to buy loyalty and power; 4) a claim to and aura of
religious authenticity and Arab prestige; 5) an appeal to Islamic
identity,
pride and history; 6) an ability to blend into the much larger
traditionalist
masses and blur the distinction between moderate Islam and their
brand of
religious extremism; 7) full-time commitment by its agents/
leadership; 8)
networks of Islamic schools that propagate extremism; 9) the absence of
organized opposition in the Islamic world; 10) a global network of
fundamentalist imams who guide their flocks to extremism; 11) a well-
oiled
"machine" established to translate, publish and distribute Wahhabi/
Salafi
propaganda and disseminate its ideology throughout the world; 12)
scholarships
for locals to study in Saudi Arabia and return with degrees and
indoctrination,
to serve as future leaders; 13) the ability to cross national and
cultural
borders in the name of religion; 14) Internet communication; and 15) the
reluctance of many national governments to supervise or control this
entire
process.
We must employ effective strategies to counter each of these
fundamentalist
strengths. This can be accomplished only by bringing the combined
weight of the
vast majority of peace-loving Muslims, and the non-Muslim world, to
bear in a
coordinated global campaign whose goal is to resolve the crisis of
misunderstanding that threatens to engulf our entire world.
An effective counterstrategy must be based upon a realistic
assessment of our
own strengths and weaknesses in the face of religious extremism and
terror.
Disunity, of course, has proved fatal to countless human societies
faced with a
similar existential threat. A lack of seriousness in confronting the
imminent
danger is likewise often fatal. Those who seek to promote a peaceful and
tolerant understanding of Islam must overcome the paralyzing effects of
inertia, and harness a number of actual or potential strengths, which
can play
a key role in neutralizing fundamentalist ideology. These strengths
not only
are assets in the struggle with religious extremism, but in their
mirror form
they point to the weakness at the heart of fundamentalist ideology.
They are:
1) Human dignity, which demands freedom of conscience and rejects the
forced
imposition of religious views; 2) the ability to mobilize immense
resources to
bring to bear on this problem, once it is identified and a global
commitment is
made to solve it; 3) the ability to leverage resources by supporting
individuals
and organizations that truly embrace a peaceful and tolerant Islam;
4) nearly
1,400 years of Islamic traditions and spirituality, which are
inimical to
fundamentalist ideology; 5) appeals to local and national--as well as
Islamic--culture/traditions/pride; 6) the power of the feminine
spirit, and the
fact that half of humanity consists of women, who have an inherent
stake in the
outcome of this struggle; 7) traditional and Sufi leadership and
masses, who
are not yet radicalized (strong numeric advantage: 85% to 90% of the
world's
1.3 billion Muslims); 8) the ability to harness networks of Islamic
schools to
propagate a peaceful and tolerant Islam; 9) the natural tendency of
like-minded
people to work together when alerted to a common danger; 10) the
ability to form
a global network of like-minded individuals, organizations and
opinion leaders
to promote moderate and progressive ideas throughout the Muslim
world; 11) the
existence of a counterideology, in the form of traditional, Sufi and
modern
Islamic teachings, and the ability to translate such works into key
languages;
12) the benefits of modernity, for all its flaws, and the widespread
appeal of
popular culture; 13) the ability to cross national and cultural
borders in the
name of religion; 14) Internet communications, to disseminate
progressive
views--linking and inspiring like-minded individuals and organizations
throughout the world; 15) the nation-state; and 16) the universal
human desire
for freedom, justice and a better life for oneself and loved ones.
Though potentially decisive, most of these advantages remain latent
or diffuse,
and require mobilization to be effective in confronting fundamentalist
ideology. In addition, no effort to defeat religious extremism can
succeed
without ultimately cutting off the flow of petrodollars used to
finance that
extremism, from Leeds to Jakarta.
Only by recognizing the problem, putting an end to the bickering
within and
between nation-states, and adopting a coherent long-term plan
(executed with
international leadership and commitment) can we begin to apply the
brakes to
the rampant spread of extremist ideas and hope to resolve the world's
crisis of
misunderstanding before the global economy and modern civilization
itself begin
to crumble in the face of truly devastating attacks.
Muslims themselves can and must propagate an understanding of the
"right" Islam,
and thereby discredit extremist ideology. Yet to accomplish this task
requires
the understanding and support of like-minded individuals,
organizations and
governments throughout the world. Our goal must be to illuminate the
hearts and
minds of humanity, and offer a compelling alternate vision of Islam,
one that
banishes the fanatical ideology of hatred to the darkness from which it
emerged.
Mr. Wahid, former president of Indonesia, is patron and senior
advisor to the
LibForAll Foundation (www.libforall.org), an Indonesian and U.S.-based
nonprofit that works to reduce religious extremism and discredit the
use of
terrorism.
Copyright © 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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