Five American Muslim youths were arrested this week in Pakistan for allegedly seeking to join a militant group affiliated with al-Qaida. The five young men – who all live near the Islamic Circle of North America mosque in Alexandria, Va., – were reported missing by their families in November. One family even admirably reported the case to the FBI after discovering a video left behind by their son in which he vowed to fight on behalf of Muslims.
As an American Muslim youth myself, I vociferously condemn the alleged terrorist activities of these five youths. Any attempt to breed disorder and violence in the land is a direct violation of Islamic teachings, and I denounce any and all such actions.
At the same time, however, I urge my fellow Americans to not make the mistake of generalizing about all American Muslim youths according to the alleged activities of those in this case. The Islamic Circle of North America has openly condemned this act, and to link the activities of these troubled youths to this organization is premature and unfair.
Some have attempted to link these alleged acts to Muslim youths more broadly in America, which is an inaccurate and gross generalization. There are many Muslim youths, like myself, who are very proud to be American and hope that their fellow Americans will not label them otherwise.
But there have been some young Muslims in this country who are turning to aggressive and violent means of solving their problems, and I call on all Muslims in America to unite and put and end to this before it gets out of control. We must not be afraid to speak out against the actions of other Muslims who are found guilty of actions contrary to Islamic injunctions.
I also call on all my fellow Americans not to judge all Muslims based on the recent news of a few Muslims. Rest assured that Islam requires every one to be loyal to the country under which one lives.
The Holy Quran teaches good behavior and discipline in public matters. It makes loyalty to ruling authority an Islamic duty.
The five Americans arrested in Pakistan have not yet been found guilty of the acts they were alleged to have undertaken, but even if they are, do not assume that they represent all American Muslim youths who are loyal to this country. Similarly, do not assume that people like Maj. Nidal Hasan, the gunman who killed several people at Fort Hood, Texas, represent the scores of other Muslim Americans proudly serving their country in the armed forces.
Let us work together – not against each other – to establish truth, justice and peace.
(Originally published in the Oregonian on December 16th, 2009 with title "Condemning the guilty -- without condemning all".)
For original article: Please visit the Oregonian website.
Comments
yes - people seriously need to slow down and BREATHE anytime the name "Muslim" comes up in a sentence ... this potential crime (or not) coincides with the the release of the Murphy Report which concludes that the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin covered up more than 2 DECADES of child sexual abuse by priests ... should we cringe everytime we hear Catholic now too?
It's refreshing to finally hear Muslims openly and categorically condemn acts like this. I'm not yet convinced that enough Muslims do this, but reading this gives me SOME hope.
Thoughtfully, passionately presented. Nice to read a Muslim voice of reason. But doesn't the Quran also teach that it's OK to kill non Muslims? How else can these guys justify their actions?
Will G. - The Qur'an does not state that at all. On the contrary the Qur'an declares that to take one innocent life is equal to killing all mankind. Islam teaches that every human life has immense value regardless of religion.
These people received their motivation from extremist factions that have nothing to do with Islam. Take the Catholic church example. Are these paedeophiles getting their motivation from the Bible? After all, the Bible says that Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) slept with his own minor daughters. If incest with minor girls is ok, then paedeophilia with young children is certainly ok, right?
For the record Islam rejects that accusation on Prophet Lot. However, you can see how a twsited mind would think it's ok to do what so many Catholic priests are doing. It's important to put the blame where it lies, on the people, not on the religion of Islam.
Will G. - Thank you for your comment. As Love4All accurately stated, the Quran does NOT teach that it is OK to kill non Muslims. You will find websites trying to take verses from the Quran out of context as some "proof" of instructions to kill non Muslims, but do not be fooled by their manipulation. Read the Quran, and you will see that such verses are used in the context of war. First, war is only permitted in Islam when Muslims have been attacked because of their religion. War is forbidden unless it is to defend your right to your faith. And in such a war when one is being attacked by someone who wants to kill you simply for being a Muslim, the Quran only allows such loss of life in self-defense. Otherwise, it forbids the taking of any life, and any "allowance" to take a life is only given in the context of a war between two nations.
Love4All is right that people of all faiths can find a way to mis-use their religion to "justify" bad deeds. The religion cannot be blamed for this
Nice article. It's good to hear rational voices from Islam and not just the media clips of fanatics.
The five American Muslims and Major Hassan before them, they certainly followed the Islamic teaching.
This is the fact that has to be dealt with by the American Muslim Community, when people read the Quran's verses of killing, the reaction of everyone is different but the true Muslims follow the exact teaching.
Sorah An-Nisa 4:59 that was quoted in the article “O ye who believe, obey God and obey the Prophet and obey those in authority from among you”
The writer explained as (It makes loyalty to ruling authority an Islamic duty.)
That was good, but the fact is the Verse says (obey those in authority from among you)
Which means obey the Muslim Authority from among you Muslims, not from outsiders.
So the writer took it the nice way, but the true Muslims in general consider, those in authority from among you must be Muslims, and therefore the governments of the Muslim Countries do not appoint a Non Muslim in authority because it is against the Islamic teaching of the Quran
@DP -
Sorah An-Nisa 4:59 that was quoted in the article “O ye who believe, obey God and obey the Prophet and obey those in authority from among you”
This verse does make loyalty to the ruling authority an Islamic duty period. There are no distinctions made in the above quoted verse as to the religious background of the ruling authority.
To Ahmad
Allah commanded the believers (Muslims) not to take the unbelievers for friends (in Sorah AN-NISA 4:144)
Allah also commanded the believers (Muslims) not to take the Jews and Christians for friends (in Sorah Al-MAEDA 5:51).
So these two verses explain and ascertain what it meant by (obey those in authority from among you) and the three quoted verses are Allah’s Words.
Sorah AN-NISA 4:144
O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?
Sorah Al-MAEDA 5:51
O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people
Sorah AN-NISA 4:59
O ye who believe, obey God and obey the Prophet and obey those in authority from among you”
To Ahmad
As I mentioned before, in the Muslim Countries, The Governments do not appoint Unbelievers (Non Muslim, Christians and Jews) as Ruling Authority because it is against the Quran’s teaching.
Only in the Non Muslim Countries Where Muslims do not have Authority and Power or Upper Hand, they interpret (Sorah AN-NISA 4:59) as you did and ignore the other two verses, until they have the Power and The Upper Hand and the Control on that Non Muslim Country, then they apply Sharia Law and The Quran’s teaching.
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