So there was a group of vegans at my campus today, and they had a big TV showing film from a slaughter house.
Yes, because that’s definitely what people want to see on their way to class or to lunch. Good job trying to make vegans look good! I’m sure no one will think that you’re out of touch or extreme for showing that sort of thing to everyone in the open!
“We conclude that verses extremists cite from the Qur’an do not suggest an aggressive offensive foe seeking domination and conquest of unbelievers, as is commonly assumed. Instead they deal with themes of victimization, dishonor, and retribution. This shows close integration with the rhetorical vision of Islamist extremists. Based on this analysis we recommend that the West abandon claims that Islamist extremists seek world domination, focus on counteracting or addressing claims of victimage, emphasize alternative means of deliverance, and work to undermine the 'champion' image sought by extremists.”
—A new study of propoganda from 1998 to 2011 shows that Muslim extremists are more concerned with defending against foreign intrusion than striving towards worldwide offensive Jihad. The study’s researches, Jeffry Halverson, R. Bennett Furlow and Steven Corman, assert that
continued claims to the contrary, by both official and unofficial sources, only play into a ‘clash of civilizations’ narrative that benefits the extremist cause. These claims also undermine the credibility of Western voices, because the audience knows that extremist arguments are really about victimage and deliverance.
This, of course, only adds to the long line of research that points toward motivations for extremism that don’t agree with the Islamist narrative often promoted in the West.
When Jewish Terrorists Attack
My my, Netanyahu had an interesting day yesterday:
In an attack Tuesday — which an Israeli official termed an act of Jewish terrorism — around 50 right-wing Israeli extremists infiltrated and attacked the Ephraim Regional Division Headquarters, an Israel Defense Forces military base in the West Bank.
The activists entered the base, damaged property, set tires on fire, threw stones and damaged vehicles according to a statement released by the IDF.
The right-wing extremists also tried to attack the commander of the area, Col. Ran Kahana, by throwing stones at his vehicle.
“I intend to fight this phenomenon with all the force available to me as prime minister of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “No person can raise his hand against IDF soldiers and police.”
In a separate incident around 50 right-wing activists arrived Monday night at the closed military area on the Israeli Jordanian border. They cut the security fence and occupied a structure near the Qasr el Yahud baptism site.
Haaretz reports that he calls this situation “intolerable” and that “we must take care of these rioters with a firm hand”. Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni (Kadima), also took the opportunity to speak out:
The prime minister treats the incidents as matters of law enforcement rather than ideology, because “he feels uncomfortable confronting his natural allies.”
Yossi Gurvitz, a blogger for 972Mag, says the government has not been treating self-described acts of “Jewish terrorism” serious at all, and the military-police is complicent:
“I assume, Carmela, that you wouldn’t expect the brigade commander to open fire at a Jew standing in front of him, I am certain you didn’t mean that.”
Central Command Chief, General Mizrahi said that “I’ve never seen such hatred against soldiers”:
“I have yet to hear any harsh condemnation from the settler leadership, which is mostly normative and Zionist,” he added. “In my 30 years in the IDF I have yet to see such Jewish hatred like the one directed at our soldiers.”
Mizrahi continued to say that the violence was “planned, not sporadic,” adding that it had erupted “in light of the government’s order to evict West Bank outposts by the end of the year, in accordance with its pledge to the High Court of Justice.”
The Central Command chief said Ephraim Brigade commander Ran Kahana was injured when a settler hit him with a stone at close range. Mizrahi said the settler called Kahana a “Nazi.” “The brigade commander’s grandmother is a Holocaust survivor,” Mizrahi told the press conference. Red lines have been crossed.
The religious community also chimed in, with mixed messages. Former IDF Chief Rabbi (and head of the extremist Itamar settlement) strongly condemned the attack:
“We must stop this thing at once, we cannot carry on as normal. I am calling on educators in Judea and Samaria, and on heads of settlements, to meet and see what they should do, it is impossible to continue like this… I am telling you something from my gut. If this reality will govern here, then I have no more place here, I will not stay in this place”
“The Brigade Commander described an appalling incident to me – they opened the door of the jeep and threw a concrete block that passed between the brigade commander and the driver, it could have killed him,” he said.
National Union party member MK Katz, however, said the attackers were “planted” by the government to discredit the settler movement.
We will wait and see what Netanyahu’s decision is, but the IDF is mulling evicting all the attackers from the West Bank, permanently:
Defense officials were critical Tuesday of the legal system in Israel that has until now only prosecuted a small number of those involved in so-called “price tag” attacks against IDF soldiers and Palestinians.
On Tuesday, for example, the IDF failed to arrest even a single attacker involved in the infiltration and vandalizing of the Efriam Regional Brigade base near Kedumim.
IDF officers have held talks recently with judges from courts throughout the country in an effort to explain the difficulty in collecting evidence that can be used against the perpetrators and how the light punishments, which those arrested received, was not deterring future attacks.
Even JPost’s editorial team took these attacks harshly.
It's a real shame that when you search 'Islam' online you're flooded with masses of articles and blogs all dedicated to bashing the religion. Islam is not synonymous with terrorism; it never has been and never will be. When you scapegoat an entire group of people on the actions of a tiny minority, then it shows exactly what type of person you are, and that is a person I would not like to know.
Question: Is the hadith of Sahih Muslim, Book 34, Number 6450 accurately translated as “Ruined are the extremists”? Or is it “Ruined, were those who indulged in hair-splitting”? Are there other hadiths that forbid extremism? What exactly is meant by extremism, or even moderation?
Narrated Abdullah (رضى الله عنه): The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:“Ruined are the extremists.” He said it three times.
[Sahih Muslim, Book 34, Number 6450]
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ”هَلَكَ الْمُتَنَطِّعُونَ” قَالَهَا ثَلاَثًا
Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas
Answer: assalamu `alaykum
The hadith in Sahih Muslim you refer to may in fact be translated both ways.
The original word used is “mutanati`”, a derived noun from “tanatu`” which indicates delving deeply into something and exorbitantly. Due to this meaning of deep engagement, the original term also refers to the sounds articulated from the back of the oral cavity, namely the throat. [Ibn Faris, Mu`ajam al-Maqayis; Ibn Athir, al-Nihaya]
Imam Nawawi states that in the context of the narration, it refers to “those who delve too deeply, are extreme, and go beyond bounds in their speech and actions.” [Sharh Sahih Muslim]
Some scholars interpreted this as applicable to those who research things of no benefit and which do not concern them, such as delving into matters of the unseen, inconsequential subtleties of law, and so forth. Others also included those who go beyond the legal bounds in their worship and fall into baseless misgivings. [Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir]
Thus, the wording of the narration indicates the blameworthy nature of all sorts of immoderate activity – excessiveness, hairsplitting, pedantry, fanaticism, and so forth.
Moderation: The Trait of the Believer
Moderation and balance are key traits of a believer and vividly present in the practice of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Thus, one will find a number of verses and prophetic narrations emphasizing the praiseworthy nature of moderation and the harms of excessiveness.
Some of the Qur’anic verses that promote moderation and balance are:
The verse, “Likewise, We have made you a mid-most nation (wasatan).” (2:143) Imam Tabari states in his commentary, “Allah only attributed them with the term mid-most because of their balance in the religion.”
The verse, “Be steadfastly balanced witnesses (qawamin) for Allah in equity (qist), and let not hatred of any people seduce you that you deal not justly (la ta`dilu). Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty.” (5:8)
Within this verse, Allah Most High uses three very important words, “qawwam”, “qist”, and “`adl”, which indicate the meaning of uprightness, moderation, fairness, equity and balance, both in religious and worldly dealings, even with those whom one is at enmity with.
The verse, “Guide us to the straight path (sirat al-mutaqim)” (1:6), where the word “mustaqim” entails the meaning of balance and moderation, being from the same root as the word “qawwam” mentioned in the previous verse.
The verse, “those who, when they expend, are neither wastefully extravagant nor stingy, but between that is a justly balanced stand (qawaman).” (25:67)
The verse, “God loves the just (muqsitin).” (5:42)
The verse, “Oh People of the Book, do not go to excesses in your religion.” (4:171)
Among the prophetic narratives that promote moderation and prohibit extremism and excess are:
The Prophet (Allah bless him) stated, “None makes the religion difficult except that it overcomes him. So, aim for what is right, stick to the moderate way…” [Bukhari, Sahih]
Ibn Hajar in his Fath al-Bari quotes Ibn Munir as stating, “In this narration is a sign from the signs of prophethood for we and those before us have witnessed that every excessively immoderate person (mutanati`) in the religion is cut off. The purpose [of this narration] is not to prohibit seeking perfection in one’s worship since it is something praiseworthy.”
The Prophet (Allah bless him) stated, “Beware of excessiveness in religion for those before you only perished due to excessiveness in religion.” [Ahmad, Musnad]
What is Moderation?
Giving a precise definition of moderation is not easy. However, what we can be certain of is that anyone who sticks to the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him), outwardly and inwardly, will not fall into excess.
At the same time, our understanding of the way of the Prophet (Allah bless him) is not primarily gleaned from books but people who embody his way. These people, the rightly guided scholars, are examples of what it means to “stick to the sunna” in every action of life, from the apparently mundane to the spiritual. Almost all the time, it is our misunderstanding of the sunna that leads us to immoderation, but whoever follows a tried, tested, and accepted scholarly tradition will be safe from such error.
We should imitate these people in our own lives and seek out their advice to correct our own perceptions of the sunna fits into our lives.
Wassalam
Salman
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani
South Dakota Moves To Legalize Killing Abortion Providers
motherjones.comThe full article is at the source.
Tue Feb. 15, 2011 3:00 AM PST
A law under consideration in South Dakota would expand the definition of “justifiable homicide” to include killings that are intended to prevent harm to a fetus—a move that could make it legal to kill doctors who perform abortions. The Republican-backed legislation, House Bill 1171, has passed out of committee on a nine-to-three party-line vote, and is expected to face a floor vote in the state’s GOP-dominated House of Representatives soon.
“The bill in South Dakota is an invitation to murder abortion providers.”
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Phil Jensen, a committed foe of abortion rights, alters the state’s legal definition of justifiable homicide by adding language stating that a homicide is permissible if committed by a person “while resisting an attempt to harm” that person’s unborn child or the unborn child of that person’s spouse, partner, parent, or child. If the bill passes, it could in theory allow a woman’s father, mother, son, daughter, or husband to kill anyone who tried to provide that woman an abortion—even if she wanted one.
Jensen did not return calls to his home or his office requesting comment on the bill, which is cosponsored by 22 other state representatives and four state senators.
“The bill in South Dakota is an invitation to murder abortion providers,” says Vicki Saporta, the president of the National Abortion Federation, the professional association of abortion providers. Since 1993, eight doctors have been assassinated at the hands of anti-abortion extremists, and another 17 have been the victims of murder attempts. Some of the perpetrators of those crimes have tried to use the justifiable homicide defense at their trials. “This is not an abstract bill,” Saporta says. The measure could have major implications if a “misguided extremist invokes this ‘self-defense’ statute to justify the murder of a doctor, nurse or volunteer,” the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families warned in a message to supporters last week.
The original version of the bill did not include the language regarding the “unborn child”; it was pitched as a simple clarification of South Dakota’s justifiable homicide law. Last week, however, the bill was “hoghoused”—a term used in South Dakota for heavily amending legislation in committee—in a little-noticed hearing. A parade of right-wing groups—the Family Heritage Alliance, Concerned Women for America, the South Dakota branch of Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum, and a political action committee called Family Matters in South Dakota—all testified in favor of the amended version of the law.
“And I have had one very well known Muslim voice say to me directly that a majority of Muslims share the extremist views.”
—Herman Cain and “his Muslim Friend” feeding into the same kind of American Islamophobia that caused a dramatic spike in hate-violence against Muslim-Americans.
-Joe
Secret Service Reportedly Investigating Right-Wing Radio Host Pete Santilli
“I want to shoot her in the vagina and let her suffer”Santilli defends his comment: “You need to understand that what I said was very clear. I didn’t want Hillary Clinton to die. I want her to suffer painfully, right in front of me, after she’s convicted for committing crimes against humanity. Tried for crimes against humanity. For drug trafficking, for killing human beings, anybody that opposes that is an idiot.
Now, the penalty for which I would volunteer to shoot her right in the vajayjay. I want her to remain alive, I don’t even want the death penalty for that. I think my penalty is more lenient than the penalty for treason.”
Mob ‘lynching’ of Palestinian minors marks rise of Zionist extremism
mondoweiss.netOn Friday four Palestinian teenagers were mobbed by 50 Israelis of similar age who were prowling the streets of Jerusalem shouting “Death to Arabs” and “Arabs, Arabs,” looking for Palestinians to beat. Disturbingly, during the Zion Square attack Israeli authorities said around 100 witnesses stood by and watched as one victim, Jamal Julani, was kicked as he laid on the ground unconscious. The violence only stopped after police intervened.
Nir Hasson detailed the assault in Haaretz through quotes from a witness’ Facebook page:
‘When one of the Palestinian youths fell to the floor, the youths continued to hit him in the head, he lost consciousness, his eyes rolled, his angled head twitched, and then those who were kicking him fled and the rest gathered in a circle around, with some still shouting with hate in their eyes.’
‘When two volunteers [from local charities] went into the circle, they tried to perform CPR and the mass of youths standing around started to say resentfully that we are resuscitating an Arab, and when they passed near us and saw that the rest of the volunteers were shocked, they asked why we were so in shock, he is an Arab. When we returned to the area after some time had passed, and the site was marked as a murder scene, and police were there with the cousin of the victim who tried to reenact what happened, two youths stood there who did not understand why we wanted to give a bottle of water to the cousin of the victim who was transferred to hospital in critical condition, he is an Arab, and they don’t need to walk around in the center of the city, and they deserve it, because this way they will finally be afraid,’ she added.
‘Children aged 15-18 are killing a child their own age with their own hands. Really with their own hands. Children who’s hearts were unmoved when they beat to death a boy their age who lay writhing on the floor,’ she wrote.
Haaretz then reported on Sunday the Israel police escalated their initial assessment of a “brawl” to a “lynching.” In addition, four additional suspects, between the ages of 13 and 15, were arrested.
The mob attack came just a day after a firebomb was hurled at a taxi transporting a Palestinian family of six, including two children, and weeks after settlers planted a car bomb in a Palestinian village near Ramallah. The explosions come in the context of the highest rates of settler violence in the past five years, according to a report by the Jerusalem Fund. In 2011 alone, there were 10 “price tag,” arson attacks on Palestinians.
Noting the increase in Jewish Israeli violence against non-Jews, the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) published a fact-sheet linking the attempted lynching to the recent wave of mob violence against African migrants:
In May 2012, a wave of anti-African racism and violence, including physical assaults and a string of arson attacks, hit Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel, fueled by inflammatory statements made about asylum seekers by Israeli politicians including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Eli Yishai.
IMEU’s report, titled “A Culture of Impunity: Violence Against Non-Jews in Israel & the Occupied Territories,” points to an unspoken government acceptance of settler attacks on Palestinians as some of the incitement originated from members of the Israeli Knesset and state-funded rabbinical authorities. Settler rabbi, Dov Lior is described as a patron radical whose:
salary is paid by the Israeli government told a conference that Arabs are ‘wolves,’ ‘savages,’ and ‘evil camel riders.’ Earlier in 2011, he warned Jewish women against marrying non-Jewish women, stating: ‘Gentile sperm leads to barbaric offspring.’
Friday’s mob violence seem to indicate the Israeli hard-right’s incendiary political discourse has paved the way for extremist Jewish violence, all will the tacit support of the state of Israel.
