From an article posted over at the Muslims Speak Out Blog, hosted by the Washington Post, comes what I view as textbook taqiyya. Step lightly and with rubber boots on, there’s much bull#$%! ahead (denoted by added emphasis):
Ideology vs. Information: Developing a Muslim Fourth Estate
By Firas Ahmad & al-Husein N. MadhanyRobert Baer, the former Middle East CIA operative, recently interviewed a 17-year-old suicide bomber from Afghanistan who was caught before he could undertake the attack. Baer discovers that, far from being a rabid, frothing-at-the-mouth, anti-American zealot, the boy was simply brainwashed into believing Al Qaeda’s ideology. Among the absurdities the boy believed was that the President of Pakistan, Pervaiz Musharaff, was a Jew.
Ideology is the refuge of con men. Its influence is derived from restricting the availability of information so as to manipulate the way people view the world. Ideology flourishes in environments where reality is oversimplified into a vapid, monochromatic, black-and-white view of the world. “Either you’re with us, or you’re against us” can go both ways.
One way to mitigate the influence of ideology is by broadening the worldview of those most susceptible to its grip. While this task is admittedly difficult in a country like Afghanistan–where institutions and infrastructure have been crushed under 30 years of foreign-backed proxy wars–, it is equally so in the major metropolitan centers of New York City, London, and Paris. This is because the ideologues who organize suicide bombings and videotaped beheadings realize that controlling and manipulating the flow of information is more important than scoring military victories. In fact, more so than being a military threat, the greater danger of Al Qaeda is that it convinces the general public–both Muslim and otherwise–that Islam is an ideology, fixed in time and inexorably charging towards a confrontation with anything “Western.” If it is successful, those who accept this false premise will carry out the war that Al Qaeda has no inherent capacity to fight on its own.
OK, read that last sentence again. “…that Al Qaeda has no inherent capacity to fight on its own.” So, which is it then? Are we fighting Al Qaeda or not? Is this an admission via a Freudian slip that the war continues not because Western forces are confronting Al Qaeda but because more and more Muslims are joining into the fight? The authors here want to make you believe a big fat lie is being given to Muslims about Islam on one hand, and then they turn right around and claim that Al Qaeda would never be able to wage war upon the world without those Muslims believing the lie. I’m sorry, but contradictions like this make me place a big red flag right here.
It is important we all ensure that this war is never fully realized. To this effect, many within the mainstream media call for the moderate Muslim community to speak out and condemn extremism in the name of Islam. While condemnation is important from a symbolic standpoint, the act does little to change the underlying problem. In addition to condemnation, what is needed is a broadening of perspectives, a deepening of discourse and a strengthening of independent and reasonable thought.
For all they are worth, simple condemnations of terror or the reiteration of the hackneyed phrase “Islam means peace” are limited in their impact. What will strengthen the hands of the mainstream, and weaken the influence of ideology, is the development of authentic Muslim discourse that explores ideas and promotes broader, more encompassing views of the world. Islam is not an ideology; it has a vast and rich tradition of discussion and debate. This discourse, far from being novel to the Muslim world, in many ways represents a return to the values that contributed to centuries of peaceful coexistence between Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and others in places like Spain, Jerusalem, and India.
“…represents a return to the values that contributed to centuries of peaceful coexistence between Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and others in places like Spain, Jerusalem, and India.” You have got to be kidding me?
The values that promote discussion and dialogue are particularly well developed in North America and Europe. Here we instituted them into core principles that have resulted in a number of important institutions, including a free press. The freedom to inform the public of the abuse of power and provide a countervailing force against ideology is a fundamental aspect of American and European democracy. Unfortunately, due to decades of overbearing dictatorial rule, many parts of the Muslim world are without these basic freedoms. For this reason ideologues are so influential in manipulating public sentiment abroad.
Therefore the need for a Muslim fourth estate–a truly independent Muslim media in the West–is paramount. In North America the signs of its print and online emergence can be found in efforts like Islamica Magazine and altmuslim.com. Rooted within the Muslim community, these publications establish a professional arena where Muslim intelligentsia can articulate their views in a safe forum that is not tethered by larger political narratives or soapbox rhetoric. They can meaningfully engage in the reformulation and development of ideas that influence the Muslim community. It is one thing to dissect a people from the outside, it is entirely different when the community engages itself, drawing from its past with a collective eye on the future.
Oh, nice. And what’s the next step after all this? Let me guess: a Muslim-run television station on the national U.S. cable market. Sorry, I don’t think so.
And what of this “dialogue” with each other. Shouldn’t you be more concerned with proving to the vast majority of non-Muslims out here in the good old U.S. of A. that you are going to reform Islam? I’m not getting that impression though. I didn’t read one thing in this article that admits that Islam has a problem. As usual, the problem is with everyone else’s interpretation of Islam, even Al Qaeda’s.
Unfortunately, I already know that’s patently absurd. Islam is the problem.
“…in a safe forum that is not tethered by larger political narratives or soapbox rhetoric.” That’s code for: where we can safely cultivate more taqiyya to spread to these gullible infidels without them overhearing us. Donuts aplenty, Arabian coffee and absolutely no bacon or sausage bagels!
In every religion there will be groups that reduce faith to ideology to advance their own political agendas. Either through charisma, violence, chicanery, or otherwise, they hijack religion as a means of mobilizing the masses. If people were exposed to the realities of this process and the underlying deceit which it embodies, then the totalitarians’ power over the people would be greatly diminished. Al Qaeda’s long term success is based not in perpetrating violence, but rather in controlling how we think, feel, and act towards others who may be different than us. Our long term success will be in making Al Qaeda’s message irrelevant. One way to achieve this is by creating intellectual and artistic spaces within the Muslim community where a broader view of the world is allowed to flourish. To do any less would be playing into the hands of the conmen.
Firas Ahmad is deputy editor and al-Husein N. Madhany is executive editor of Islamica, an international magazine based in the United States and Jordan. It aims to broaden perspectives on Islam and provide a forum for Muslims to articulate their concerns while establishing cross-cultural relations between Muslims and their neighbors and co-religionists.
And I’ve got a bridge and large tracts of swampy land to sell anyone who’s believing any of this hubabalooh. Taqiyya smells.
“In every religion there will be groups that reduce faith to ideology to advance their own political agendas. Either through charisma, violence, chicanery, or otherwise, they hijack religion as a means of mobilizing the masses.”
I’ll be damned if you two didn’t just describe Muhammad to the tee!
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@TFrevolution: Again, you’re making things up. Go to that page. tgusa never said f—.
Every time you type that word you lessen my work here. You are deliberately attempting to smear my blog, aren’t you?
Funny enough I just had to go into your last post and attempt to fix the links to the screenshots you posted so that they even work, but they still hit a 403 forbidden. They lead to the SAME shot of the same comment that’s still available, and that’s not even the comment where tgusa is ranting at you — the one you CLAIM I deleted or edited, which I did not. I never deleted or censored tgusa because he’s had a long history of posting rationally. It wasn’t until YOU posted here and started asking me invasive questions that he flew off the handle the first time and then the second after I scolded him for it. Now I’m starting to see what this is all about.
The comment from that page is exactly the same as the one that I reprinted in this article.
I didn’t make a mistake in straightening tgusa out, nor did I make a mistake in posting an article based on the incident in hopes of clarifying for more readers what etiquette I expect here in the Anvil comments. The mistake I made was not bouncing you that same day.
I want to ask you something right now, TFrevolution: If you attempt to manufacture evidence as you have here, and add words where they never appeared in the first place, is this evidence for all of us of the mentality of the average Truther, which you are by your own series of evidential comments on the Anvil? It seems pretty cut-and-dried to me that you have a bolt and a screw loose.
But, in the interest of fairness, since I already let things slide this far, I might as well make this a democratic vote by other readers and get some entertainment value out of it.
Does TFrevolution stay or go? Everyone please vote on the poll in the sidebar to decide TFrevolution’s fate.
By around 1 minute past midnight tonight (July 28) Central time, the votes will speak for themselves.
foehammer.net/2007/07/taqiyya-on-...tube.html/all-comments/#comments
I’m referring to when he said “You’re a piece of f—— shit. Can I say that?”
Yet instead of your attempt at making a scene, as you did with me, you instead DELETED HIS COMMENT, and only included a partial piece of what he entirely said in a separate blog regarding the statement.
Here is proof
Here is a Screen shot, just in case FoeHammer tries to delete the sequence. http://tinyurl.com/ynrndf
There is tgusa obviously responding to FoeHammer after Foehammer told him to o CHILL OUT ON THE HATE SPEECH. The hate speech that here, FoeHammer, deleted. I mean, you made a pretty big deal out of a few f-words that were not even directed towards anyone.
And here is FoeHammer telling tgusa to “take it down a notch.” This is just a lower screen shot from the same blog page.
http://tinyurl.com/2e8unp
I’ll post a link to the page in a few because I don’t want to get banned for spamming.
Attention, pottymouths: This is not a bathroom wall.
If you want to post comments full of swears, then go back to Digg. Swearing is allowed on Digg; truthfulness often is not, but then, trolls generally don’t have much of a problem with that! 
Nobody is arguing that the majority of Muslims are currently involved in jihadist activities. But that isn’t the point. The point is that the Muslims who ARE involved in jihadism find it all too easy to conceal themselves amongst those who aren’t. Meanwhile, they find opportunities to radicalize others. Another point is that the doctrine of Islam supports jihadism and aggressive warlike expansionism by definition. Most Muslims aren’t involved in overt jihadism at the present moment, but the potential is always there simply because that’s what the doctrine is all about. In other words - it’s the belief system. Ideas have consequences.
Find the f-word (and not fark) in that statement you correctly claim I didn’t censor — because he never stated what you claim he stated.
And yet, I took that comment of tgusa’s to task in hopes that I would not deal with the absolute garbage you have just now spewed onto my site in a fit of childish hubris.
As for “holding” your comments in moderation — you had at least 4 LINKS in that last message you sent in — which amounts to an automatic hold. Seeing as you know absolutely NOTHING about webmastering or fighting spam or dealing with inbred lowlifes like you every week, I’m hardly surprised that you are tossing insults at me and jumping to conclusions because you failed reading comprehension in grade school and have the attention span of a squirrel.
This is what it states under the comment box on every comments page — in BOLD and the last line in italics:
DISCLAIMER: The comments in response to articles here are entirely the property of the respondents in question and these comments do not necessarily reflect the views or opinons of Foehammer or Foehammer’s Anvil. Vulgar, off-topic and otherwise trivial commentary may be edited or removed without notice. Some comments may be automatically held for approval, filtered or otherwise delayed.
Now, yes, I’m now personally insulting you and attacking you because you are way, way, way over the line with me, grasshopper. Your days here on the Anvil are numbered in minutes now. Be very careful what you type next. I’m a busy man and quite frankly, I do not have any reason to tolerate your bullshit again.
Awww. That’s cute FoeHammer. You censored me. Yet you let a visitor cuss me out and call me a peice of fucking shit? You didn’t censor him.
You’re obvious.
And all my comments are awaiting moderation. You scared FoeHammer?
Are my intellectual thoughts clashing with yours? Too much pressure?
“Where is the Christian love we should be spreading to these people? They are suffering serious persecution….”
I’ll tell you where the Christian love is. We brought millions of muslims into our western nations, from the hellholes they called home, the same homes they couldn’t stand anymore, to escape the mental, religious, personal and political persecution, gave them sanctuary, housing, jobs, support for their families, rights, security the same opportunity of seeking the dream as we have, to be free, and invited them to become one of us, to practice their religion freely, peacefully as does Christianity.
And now what do we have?. Us, looking over our shoulders, 26% of the young ones who think jihad is OK on US soil and 12% who think the same on Canadian soil, and similarly ,or worse, in the UK, their so called watch dog groups like CAIR professing Islam should rule the US someday, and bring back the very hateful, persecuting laws and religious political system they ALL fled from.
You can’t say we didn’t try to “spread the love” and fear of terrorism, submission, conversion or death is our reward.
TFrevolution: Well, I had to censor your ranting F-words. That shows a distinct immaturity that goes right along with your utter density when it comes to the realities that pervade this world war, so I’m not surprised, but it also shows a lack of respect for ME. Would you go and start cussing like that over at Jihad Watch? I highly doubt it.
I already defended your right to be heard and pissed off one of my regular readers in the process. An act on my part you also conveniently ignored. Don’t press your luck.
As for this:
What is there that I can say to this paragraph and not end up making obvious personal characterizations of you? Not much. Suffice it to say this though — “Where is the Christian love” — well, why don’t you go ask those kidnapped Korean Christian missionaries that are being terrorized by the Muslim Taliban in Afghanistan right now. You won’t be able to talk to one though; his bullet riddle body was just found yesterday. I guess you overlooked that article here because it wasn’t what you viewed as an attack on poor, poor “persecuted” American Muslims.
“…can’t even turn on Fox News or CNN without feeling like a morbid outcast…”
CNN is the handmaiden for the Far Left. No other network does more apologizing for Islam. As for FOXNews, even they are 5% owned by a Saudi Prince! The truth about Islam isn’t being discussed. I AM ONE OF THE ONLY SOURCES ANYWHERE THAT IS OUTRIGHT CALLING ISLAM THE ENEMY!
ME.
Get your facts straight, buckaroo.
You want to lash out at someone that’s telling it like it is, then you’ve come to the right place, but don’t start dragging in these MSM outlets into the argument. For all their hand-wringing, they have yet to actually have the brass to discuss this conflict in the terms I do. Not Sean Hannity, not Wolf Blitzer, not Bill O’Reilly — none of them.
Excuse me if I don’t buy into your crazy accusations that the Muslims are being put upon. What about the entire U.S. population? What about Spain and the UK? We can’t fly without being inspected like criminals. We can’t live our lives without looking out of the corner of our eyes at shadows to make sure someone isn’t placing a bomb near a playground or walking away from a backpack that’s holding a bomb. How about we get our lives back first, then let’s talk about how we’re going to hand-hold with the very people that are responsible on some level for this mess.
If I didn’t know you were a perfect representation of what the crazy liberal professors in the USA have done to the Y generation, I would have already banned you for being an Islamist plant. That’s how slanted your thinking is — you sound like one of the enemy!
Foehammer,
WC and I are devoting the first half-hour of this week’s radio show to discussion of “Muslims Speak Out.” It’s a live show–you can call in to join the discussion. Information about the show is posted at my site, but you’ll need to scroll down a bit.
@ A Plague:
Fair enough.
@FoeHammer:
Are you (BLEEP) kidding me? The majority of this nation has their head firmly planted in the one sided media filming their minds that Islam is all evil. There are more peaceful Muslims in the world than violent ones! Wtf?! Seriously! I’m not saying their religion is right. But without a doubt, it has been hijacked by 9/11. And don’t get me started with 9/11. I’m still trying to hear a logical explanation to why WTC 7 fell like a ton of bricks (from fires?) and why there was molten metal still spewing three days after WTC 1 and 2 fell?? Where is the investigative media on these issues? No where.
Go to your local gas station, and talk with the foreign guy behind the counter at around 4-5am when they aren’t busy. Chances are he has an Islamic devotional on him and will gladly suffice that Al-Qaeda and Islamic terrorism are a horrible and false representation of the religion of Islam. I met with an Indonesian man today, at a gas station, whose entire homeland was Islamic. He thinks Al-Qeada is a (BLEEP) joke and would agree that Islam is portrayed as a violent religion in this western world.
Where is the Christian love we should be spreading to these people? They are suffering serious persecution, and the Muslims who are actually practicing their religion are battling very serious problems day by day because of our media. They can’t even turn on Fox News or CNN without feeling like a morbid outcast in this country because of our inane war on terrorism. Iraq? Afghanistan? War on terror? Wtf?
What is needed here are educated opinions. Opinions based on nothing but Leftist prattle and Pollyanna-wishful-thinking are a waste of my time and everyone else’s. There is NO excuse for not better understanding the cult of Islam before trumping up their pack of lies with more contrived falsehoods because you would prefer to lob tomatoes at your own nation and culture and/or continually apologize for the “enlightened barbarians” of Islam:
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Never forget that the only reason people can even have the right to spew nonsense is because we live in free nations. In places like Russia, even speaking the Truth can get you killed, let alone lies. My patience isn’t what it once was. This war isn’t a phantasm — this is real world war and it’s growing more dangerous with every passing month because too many people still want to keep their heads firmly planted in the sand.