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Monday, September 15, 2014

Islam and ISIS-Partners or Enemies Part II

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                      

The concern from the West for Jihad terror attacks commenced with September 11, 2001, or 9/11.  This is when people started to realize that there was something going on between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds.  Jihadists and the ordinary Muslims the world over invoke Muhammad as their example and guide.  It seems there is a general consensus of his behavior and what he said, but the extremists of course do not agree with the general population.

There has also been a power struggle over who holds the power since Muhammad, a warrior prophet died and left no heir.  Muhammad was a political and military leader who expanded his rule by force of arms and promised his warrior great happiness in Paradise if they were killed in his cause.  He led war against unbelievers.  He was a preacher of "hellfire and damnation."  Ibn Ishaq reports that Muhammad participated in 27 battles. Somewhat  like Joshua and the Israelites in Canaan 1,900 years before, he brought his religion to land he needed, only he wasn't told by G-d to do so.  His goal was to create many followers of his new religion. "Prophet Muhammad's work was to spread Monotheism(of the One True (Indivisible)God).. and righteousness amongst the people all over the earth till the end of this world. 

His work was to warn them about the day of Judgment when they'd be resurrected. And to deliver God's message to them."

                                                                         
 When he thought that the Jewish tribes of Medina would be his first followers, he seemed to be most angry that they wouldn't comply.  Some of his writings reflect this agitation as he wrote about Jews hiding behind rocks from Muslims in a hadith.  43 references are made in the Qur'an about the Children of Israel and 11 references are found about Jews. Having enough of Jews, he went onto other people to convert.  His followers have been very successful for they have 1.6 billion Muslims in the world today.  Jews, being the older religion by 1,900 years and the target of much hatred, have dwindled down to about 14 million in the world but are of a religion that is 3,285 years old.   Muslims have been around for about  1,393 years according to one of their calendars or 1435 years according to the other.   It was Abraham, born in the 2nd millennium BCE (2,000 BCE) who brought monotheism.   Abraham's sons were Ishmael (father of the Arab people) and  Isaac (father of the Israelite  people who were later called Jews).

One big difference I need to interject here is that Judaism followed the message that Moses gave to us; the 613 laws which are the same number as bones in our bodies.  We do not have to emulate Moses.  We are even told of Moses's failings, such as his temper.  Only G-d can be perfect, we believe.  Whereas in Islam, the emulation of Muhammad is most important, he could do no wrong,  and the message is in competition with it, it seems to me.  

The Shi'a Muslims make up only about 15% of the world's Muslim community.  "Shi'ites are those who followed Ali, the closest relative of Muhammad, as Muhammad's successor. Today there are approximately 120 million Shi'ite Muslims in the world."   

A huge majority are in Iran which has a population of about 76,923,300 people of which 98% are Shi'a.  Iraq's 31,234,000 people are 97% Sunni and some Shi'a.  Iraq had 200,000 Christians who have been either killed or forced to flee for their lives from ISIS.   Syria had 22,505,000 before the Civil War of which only 90% were Sunnis and the rest were Shi'a with possibly some Christians living there as well.  The Jewish population had been forced to live in a Jewish ghetto and were not allowed out at all.  They couldn't even have telephones.  Lebanon, which is right next to Syria with only 4,196,453 people, were 60% Sunni and Shi'a while the rest were Christians.  Jordan has a population of 5,568,565 Hashemite citizens of which 95% are Sunnis.  This is their state religion.

 Salafis  are an offshoot of the Sunnis. ISIS follows the Salafis.   "The majority of the world's Salafis are from QatarUAE and Saudi Arabia.    46.87% of Qataris and 44.8% of Emiratis are Salafis.   5.7% of Bahrainis are Salafis and 2.17% of Kuwaitis are Salafis."   Qaradawi is the head religious leader in

 Qatar whose goal is to destroy Israel and kill Jews with his bare hands, even though he is an 

old man in a wheel chair.  

  
ISIS has come out of northern Syria and into Iraq, attacking everyone in sight in order to take the land for their Caliphate.  No matter who they are, those met have lost their lives and have been beheaded or killed by the latest of arms.

Islamic law forbids aggressive warfare, and ISIS is attacking not only Christians but Muslims as well.  The Qur'an says, "But if the enemies incline towards peace, do you also  incline towards peace."  In other words, if the enemy is not inclined to attack you, do not attack them first but talk it over.  "And trust in G-d!  For He is the one who hears and knows all things."
2:190, a chapter in the Qur'an, called "The Cow, says, "Fight in the way of G-d against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities.  Lo!  G-d loveth not aggressors."

ISIS has been the aggressor in the Middle East.  Stemming from al-Qaeda, a terrorist group, they have branched off to even shock their mother group so much that al Qaeda wants nothing to do with them.  They have disowned them.

Beheadings are against Islam says Abu Qatada, a radical Islamist Salafist cleric who speaks from his cell in Jordan that he has been in since July for a bomb plot that will be tried on September 24th.  .  This highlights the  rift between the jihadist groups of Islamic State  (IS) and Jabhat al-Nusra.  As I mentioned in Part I, the Salafist groups do not have their act together on what they accept or believe.  He quoted Muhammad by saying that "Messengers should not be killed."  He was referring to the recent beheadings of the 2 journalists and the English aid worker.  "Abu Qatada's support for Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaida's offshoot in Syria, deepens the split between ISIS and Nusra supporters among Jordan's Salafist jihadists.   Another radical cleric, Abu Muhammad al-Makdisi, recently denounced ISIS as well after his release from a Jordanian prison."  In Iraq a little Christian girl was beheaded as a warning to others.  In  the picture taken she looks like a doll that has been cut apart. * .  Nobody knows what has happened to the Christians of Mosul exactly. "The Human Rights Watch reported on July 14 that homes in Mosul were painted with red letters to indicate Christian homes. Other homes of Shiite Muslims were also adorned. "

Jordan seems to be the next target for ISIS.  Jordan is made up of a mixed population other than their own Hashemite Kingdom population.  It contains "hundreds of thousands of Syrian, Iraqi and Palestinian refugees (some affiliated with the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and other Salafist groups), a diverse citizenry that is vulnerable to radical influences, chaotic civil wars on two borders, turbulent politics and a weak economy. A major misstep by Jordan could provide the Islamic State with an opening to a successful attack and might also drag Jordan's allies Israel, the United States and the Gulf States into the conflict.  Of course Israel is on their agenda to attack as well as the USA, and Israel is first in line of the two.  

Resource:  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-arab-backing-isis-saudi-jordan-turkey-payoffs-in-syria/
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/07/isis-beheadings-islam-abu-qatada
The Truth about Muhammad, by Robert Spencer
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wikistrat/can-isis-really-pose-a-th_b_5627078.html
http://www.catholic.org/news/international/middle_east/story.php?id=56339 *
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_antisemitism
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091201210842AAYVw5Y

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