The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[The Minsky Moment]

Almost two years ago the citizens of London were victims of a great atrocity.  . . There is nothing in Islam that could ever justify these blatant acts of aggression. Islam calls on Muslims to be productive members of whatever society they find themselves in. Islam embodies a flexibility that allows Muslims to do so without any internal or external conflict. . .

This flexibility is not just present in the cultural output of Muslims; it is an integral part of the Islamic legal tradition as well. In fact, you could say it is one of the defining characteristics of Islamic law. Islamic law is both a methodology and the collection of positions adopted by Muslim jurists over the last 1,400 years. Those centuries were witness to no less than 90 schools of legal thought, and the 21st century finds us in the providential position to look back on this tradition in order to find that which will benefit us today. . . .

Fatwas represent the bridge between the legal tradition and the contemporary world in which we live. They are the link between the past and the present, the absolute and the relative, the theoretical and the practical. For this reason it takes more than just knowledge of Islamic law to issue a fatwa. A Mufti who does not know the contemporary world in which he/she lives is like a person who has the ability to walk and might also have the ability to run. However, they move through a dark path without a light in their hand. It is possible that they will make it, but in most cases they will fall and perish. Muftis must also have an in-depth understanding of the problems that their communities are facing. When those who lack these qualifications issue fatwas the result is the extremism we see today, the kind witnessed on 7/7. . . .[The fatwa is] a tool that is of the utmost importance for reigning in extremism and preserving the flexibility and balance of Islamic law.

. . . Many assume that an Islamic government must be a caliphate, and that the caliph must rule in a set and specific way. There is no basis for this vision within the Islamic tradition. The caliphate is one political solution that Muslims adopted during a certain historical period, but this does not mean that it is the only possible choice for Muslims when it comes to deciding how they should be governed.

. . .

The principles of freedom and human dignity for which liberal democracy stands are themselves part of the foundation for the Islamic world view; it is the achievement of this freedom and dignity within a religious context that Islamic law strives for.

The world has witnessed tremendous change over the last two hundred years. . .. The change of the past 200 years, however, has made it necessary to re-examine how everything works. Meaning that the way in which Islamic law is applied must take into account this change.

The flexibility and adaptability of Islamic law is perhaps its greatest asset. To provide people with practical and relevant guidance while at the same time staying true to its foundational principles, Islam allows the wisdom and moral strength of revelation to be applied in modern times. It is through adopting this attitude towards the shari'a that an authentic, contemporary, "moderate" and tolerant Islam can provide solutions to the problems confronting the Muslim world and the West today. Muslims must hold fast to this tradition in order to stand in the face of those who would use our religion for their own agendas.

This is not from some fringe figure.  It is from the Grand Mufti of Egypt, the head of the Azhar school; in the Sunni world that is as orthodox as it gets.  It represents the viewpoint of the mainstream of traditionalist Islam.

Invoking the antics of ISIS as representative of Islam generally is like saying that the views of Baruch Goldstein are representative of Judaism or Anders Breivik of Christianity or the Unabomber of environmentalism.  It is wrong.

[Solmyr]

ISIS now uses cats in its propaganda

CdM to enlist in the jihad?

[Syt]

10 Chechens (asylum seekers with residence permit in Austria) were arrested at the airport Austria when they wanted to travel to Syria to join the Djihad. Some of them had already been there once. Police was tipped off by other Muslims.

Estimates say that ca. 130 Austrian residents are fighting in Syria, half of them Chechens. Last year, 96 recognized refugees lost their refugee status because of their affiliations to extremist organizations ... all from ... can you guess? Yes, Chechnya.

Still, with 26,000 Chechen refugees you're bound to have a few bad apples between them.

[Duque de Bragança]

 
I guess it's easier to pick on the Chechens than on the Turks, who are more powerful as a lobby since they arrived earlier.

[LaCroix]

Let's parse his actual post.

Arab culture AD 2014 is primitive. Film at 11.

No quibble here. Simple statement that I would agree with; I've got no problems with describing one culture as more advanced than another.

...

It's just that Arabs following Christianity would be just as bloodthirsty, imo (as Europeans were in the past).

Point in support of his proposition. Except now he's not talking about culture or religion but a particular subset of humanity. "Arabs" are the problem.

[Martinus]

ISIS now uses cats in its propaganda

CdM to enlist in the jihad?

CAN I HAZ A BEHEADING?

[LaCroix]

And of course you have at your finger tips an abundance of evidence that Christians and Muslims are exactly the same. 

My evidence is what Jake said earlier: the media.  Take total acts of violence, divide by population, and you get an average propensity for violence.

second, i attacked the general idea i thought you were trying to convey -- arab christian groups are less violent than arab muslim groups. i noted there's less opportunity for arab christian groups to display violence based off circumstances.

The only specific discussion of this "opportunity" so far has been majority/minority status.  As I have already pointed out, there are plenty of historical cases where minorities have engaged in violence.

you raised the allegation, and therefore the burden is placed on you.

so, your evidence is anecdotal? i hear more bad stories about black people than i hear good stories about black people. are black people bloodthirstier than white people?

you want to know why there are particularly fewer instances of general christian-driven violence in the arab world?

http://thesinosaudiblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/mid-east-religion.jpg

that's why. with two exceptions, there is no large group of christians gathered in one area. one exception is lebanon, which -- as sheilbh pointed out -- has had christian-driven violence because the opportunity was there. the other exception, syria, had little reason to evoke violence against the vastly dominant portion of society. when minorities are left alone, are completely outnumbered, and don't have a reason to fight, then there's little reason for them to commit violence.

[CountDeMoney]

ISIS now uses cats in its propaganda

CdM to enlist in the jihad?

Awwww   See, that's where A-Q and A-Q Iraq always went wrong: no lollercats.

But no, no joining the jihad.  Already on my own against the true enemies of felines in Beijing.   Meowllah ackbar.

[Solmyr]

ISIS now uses cats in its propaganda

CdM to enlist in the jihad?

Awwww   See, that's where A-Q and A-Q Iraq always went wrong: no lollercats.

But no, no joining the jihad.  Already on my own against the true enemies of felines in Beijing.   Meowllah ackbar.

ISIS will probably be fighting the Chinese long before the US will.

[Agelastus]

I hope Agelastus is just trolling.

Only if you think calling someone on his racist attitude is trolling.

[Redacted due to basic politeness reasserting itself.]

Suffice it to say that I now agree with an opinion of you posted earlier in this thread.

[garbon]

I hope Agelastus is just trolling.

Only if you think calling someone on his racist attitude is trolling.

Martinus might not have expressed his point in the fine, delicate manner that you so desire, but your bizarre semantics game to try and convince us all that he was making racist pronouncements fool no one.

[LaCroix]

I was reluctant to agree with an earlier poster, due both to the limited sample size and the demands of civility, but he was correct; you are an idiot.

anyway, now that we've talked about our feelings, wanna return to the discussion? are you sticking with your misunderstanding of marti's post?

[garbon]

are you sticking with your misunderstanding of marti's post?

You saw his post from this morning right? Clearly he is if he is insisting that you can only use "Arabs" if you are talking about a "race" of people.

[Eddie Teach]

Martinus might not have expressed his point in the fine, delicate manner that you so desire, but your bizarre semantics game to try and convince us all that he was making racist pronouncements fool no one.

Martinus is a racist, like all slavs are. 

[Jacob]

You saw his post from this morning right? Clearly he is if he is insisting that you can only use "Arabs" if you are talking about a "race" of people.

Wait... are you proposing to argue that Marty is not racist? Or merely that one of his posts could be interpreted as being not racist?