War Against Islam; Tell it Like it is

The Nixon Centre recently organized a two-day workshop, attended by International experts and law-enforcement agencies, focussing on threat of ‘Islamists and terrorism’. The director of International Security and Energy Programs at the Nixon Centre released an article entitled ‘The Road from Tashkent to the Taliban’. The article explains how many Muslims in the West are becoming increasingly active politically, by supporting or engaging with political organisations seeking to overthrow despotic regimes in the Muslim world. The analysis goes on to make a staggering conclusion that Muslims and Muslim organisations have an obvious propensity for violent, terrorist activity. It concludes that the War on Terror is more correctly referred to as the War of Ideologies. The article openly insinuates that all ideological Muslim organisations, even those employing non-violent means, act as “a conveyor belt for producing terrorists” and produce “thousands of manipulated brains which then graduate ... and become members of Al-Qa’ida”. This crazy logic would be ridiculous were it not written in an article from a prestigious western think tank. If one were to apply the same twisted logic and take note of the vast amounts of paedophiles that exist within the western social fabric, then one could suggest that the common factor between them would be the western schools that they all attended. Would it be correct to suggest that all western schools are a breeding ground for paedophiles, where they graduate and go on to commit sickening crimes? Clearly that is a false assumption; it is not the schools themselves that are at fault, rather the decadent western beliefs in freedom and sensual gratification combined with a lack of spiritual accountability, which lead some individuals to engage in the most horrific abuse of children. Yet, the article asserts that a Muslim organisation though “not operational itself, it is superbly positioned to channel people into undertaking the mission of the day.” The article also singles out the activity of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a well known non-violent Islamic political party. It concedes that in the 50 year history the organisation has never been “implicated in a single terrorist act”; however it offers little to explain the contradiction of the link between the party and the theme of their analysis. The article suggests that removing the ‘declined socio-economic conditions’ prevalent in the Muslim world may discourage Muslims from becoming ideological, whilst contradictorily pointing out that western born, raised and educated Muslims, talented and successful are joining the ranks of non-violent Ideological organisations like Hizb-ut-Tahrir. It offers no explanation for why such Muslims are responding to ideological Islamic groups. In conclusion the Nixon Centre, law-enforcement agencies and International experts grudgingly concede that ideological Islamic organisations that call for Khilafah are not engaged in violent activity, hence a link between the ‘War and Terror’ and such groups cannot be made. They instead choose to cloud the issue again, and suggest the war be renamed to be more inclusive, “This is a war of ideologies, and terrorist acts are the tip of the iceberg” concludes the article. One is curious to know what is beneath the visible tip, connected to an integral part of the iceberg? The Nixon Centre article attempts very much to cloud the distinction between Muslims who act ‘violently’ and Muslims who act ‘politically’, however passive or intellectual they may be. This article is very revealing of the approach that the western world is taking in viewing ALL Muslims. Whilst terrorist violence, and that which can be attributed to terrorism, lends much support to the War on Terror, it falls far short of the justification required to hunt all those who disagree with the western ideology, its beliefs and its systems. Their declaration of a War of Ideologies is an admittance that this is most definitely a War on Islam, since Islam is an ideology from which a comprehensive culture evolves. It is not a War on Muslims, since the object is to encourage Muslims to re-interpret their Islamic thoughts to be in conformity with western secular values. For precisely this reason, institutions such as the Nixon Centre, the Commission for Racial Equality and even prominent personalities such as Archbishop Carey and Lord Ahmed, are keen to see Islam and Islamic identity redefined in the western mould. And in the process blur the lines between ‘violent activity’ and legitimate Islamic political viewpoint that is an alternative to the western ideology; even if such a view was expressed by intellection, political and ‘non-violent’ means. The lack of intellectual and political debate in the western media regarding the comprehensive nature of Islam suggests that the only agenda they have is to promote this new polarisation of Islam. You’re either a secular moderate Muslim or a legitimate target of war, even if you never raise a hand. However, in suggesting a ‘War of Ideologies’ the Nixon Centre inherently admits that Islam is an alternative Ideological System. Implicit also in their fears is that the heightened awareness and response to the Islamic Ideology in the Muslim world, is overtaking those engaging in violent actions. Such an Islamic awareness is leading Muslims to shun the label of being ‘moderate’, even whilst they don’t support terrorism. It is leading to Muslims rejecting the call of western governments to integrate into the western culture, and rather pushing them to be at the forefront of the work for Islamic Revival. Such a process of revival could lead the Muslim Ummah to awaken from her slumber, and take control of her own interests and political destiny; a future that would spell disaster for western political and economic hegemony. Muslims in the West should take heart and pursue the work towards the Islamic revival and the re-establishment of the Islamic Khilafah with renewed vigour. They need not be like the Christians, who were secularised to such an extent that they remain Christian only in name. The West is desperate, which is why it uses such underhanded smear campaigns, lies and deceit. Muslims have to remember that this was the same tactic that was used by the Quraysh against the early Muslims, many centuries ago; and it clearly failed. The Muslims, as intellectual and political carriers of the Truth, and with the help of Allah (swt), triumphed over all odds, and overcame all hurdles. By pointing out the contradictions of the non-Islamic society, its shortcomings, its injustices as well as the lack of a sound thought about the origins of this world, the Islamic ideology was successful. The Islamic System in its entirety, both political and spiritual, was implemented by the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his Companions in Medina. This Islamic political system, carrying the Islamic Ideology, dominated the earth with its justice and guidance for over 1400 years. Allah (swt) gave advice to the carriers of the Truth, “Invite to the way of your Lord with (hikma) and fair preaching. And argue with them with what is better. Verily your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His way and He knows best those who are guided” [TMQ An-Nahl: 125]