| Submit your comments on this article |
| Britain |
| Muslim heads stuck firmly in the sand |
| 2007-07-14 |
| A former jihadist demands some fresh thinking In the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings I remember having a passionate discussion with some friends about who was responsible for the attacks. “It’s the work of the security services; I can put my life on it!” one said. “In fact, I think they’ve killed off these guys, planted their stuff on the trains and then just blamed it on the Muslims again.” Then came a timid voice of opposition. “Shaf, I don’t think they’d kill their own people, I mean Tony Blair isn’t that evil. I think Mossad had a hand in it.” The theories in the Muslim community were wide and varied: some believed the bombings were orchestrated by the Government in order to justify ever more draconian laws. Others believed it was near-impossible for four British-born Muslims to be behind such indiscriminate violence, so the first suicide attacks on British soil must have been the work of other terrorist organisations. Two years on I still hear the same conspiracy theories being clung to by a Muslim community that is living in a comforting state of denial. Denial by definition is a psychological defence system by which people protect themselves from things that threaten them or make them feel uncomfortable. People do this by refusing to acknowledge the awkward person, thing or event, or by attacking any allegation of the existence of such difficulties. I spent many years in the British Jihadi Network. While I was a member of that extremist group, I was told to encourage the spread of such theories because they created a useful, murky state of confusion. Propagating the idea that the Government was victimising Muslims by painting them as the bogeymen of the 21st century recruited young men to the radical camp. This deeply imbedded culture of denial is not a new phenomenon in the Muslim community. Within Muslim families – like any kind of family where its members are expected to live up to demanding traditional standards of behaviour – there has always been a habit of burying their heads in the sand whenever there is something unfavourable happening. For instance, there was a guy in my year at college who was a known drug dealer. He wasn’t at all subtle in displaying the wealth he had obtained from selling drugs and it was widely known that his family knew what he was up to but had decided it was easier to pretend it wasn’t happening, rather then confront the problems within their household. The same happens in our communities if someone’s sister or daughter is seen at a club or in the company of males, the first response will always be: “No, my daughter isn’t that type of girl! How dare you accuse my daughter and stain her untainted reputation.” This tendency towards denial is now writ large with the problem of terrorism and Muslims. Let’s remember that the older generation of Muslims emigrated to Britain aspiring to work hard and to better their standard of living. They had always been law-abiding citizens whose loyalties lay with Britain in the main. Muslim involvement in terrorism here in Britain carries as much or even more shame for them as a drug-dealing son or a promiscuous daughter. Muslims do not deal with shame very well or anything that tarnishes their honour or reputation. Just alcoholics or drug addicts must acknowledge that they have an addiction problem, we Muslims need to accept that there is a problem within our communities. Only when Muslims admit that 9/11 and 7/7 were the work of Muslim terrorists can we move forward to the next juncture: which is recognising the hard truth that Islam does permit the use of violence. Muslims who deny this, preferring instead to mouth easy platitudes about how Islam is nothing but a religion of peace, make the job easier for the radicals who can point to passages in the Koran, set down in black and white, that instruct on the killing of unbelievers. I disagree with those who say the pressing problem is simply how do we deal with an aberrant, extreme minority who have unleashed a reign of terror on Britain – rather, I believe the heart of the matter is Islam itself and how its teachings are interpreted. If we isolate the problem to that of the extreme fringe, then we are merely skimming the surface. What we Muslims need to do is go back to our books: we need to debate the teachings that are used to radicalise young men and legitimise the killing of innocent people. We need to discuss and refashion the set of rules that govern how Muslims – whose homes and souls are firmly planted in the West – live alongside nonMuslims. Only when we do this can we successfully dissect the radicals’ interpretation of Islam and fight back against terrorism. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the driving force behind terror attacks both at home and abroad. It should not matter how painful or embarrassing this admission may be, and nor should it matter how taboo this subject is. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #12 rather, I believe the heart of the matter is Islam itself There, fixes that for ya, Mr. Butt. Actually, that sentence started out right, if he'd only stopped before the "interpretation" mistake. I don't see how you can mis-interpret "Even the tree says Oh, Muslim, there is a Jew behind me, come and slay him." Seems fairly black and white to me. |
| Posted by: BA 2007-07-14 20:38 |
| #11 There is a gullibility with muslims. If they buy islam, they will buy anything. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-07-14 15:46 |
| #10 He might be nothing more than the Cindy Sheehan of the jihadi set. Boy is that a tough concept to wrap your mind around ... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2007-07-14 14:07 |
| #9 SpooK: you hit it there... the muslim denial is minor and trivial in importntce to the political denial of our 'leaders' |
| Posted by: Abu do you love 2007-07-14 12:06 |
| #8 Here, let me correct this for you... Only when |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-07-14 11:22 |
| #7 Here's a thought: Do we believe the deniers actually believe their denials? Or are the denials simply a way of shutting down external questions? |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2007-07-14 11:07 |
| #6 Salt liberally. He might be nothing more than the Cindy Sheehan of the jihadi set. From a Wikipedia entry about Hassan Butt: On his return from Pakistan he resurfaced in London and approached the Mirror newspaper with an offer to sell his story for £100,000. Following the attempt to sell his story, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Great Britain said: "The very wild claims that Butt has made from Lahore show him for what he is: a clown and someone who wants to make himself important" [5] |
| Posted by: Grumenk Philalzabod0723 2007-07-14 10:24 |
| #5 This tendency towards denial is now writ large with the problem of terrorism and Muslims. LetÂ’s remember that the older generation of Muslims emigrated to Britain aspiring to work hard and to better their standard of living. They had always been law-abiding citizens whose loyalties lay with Britain in the main. Muslim involvement in terrorism here in Britain carries as much or even more shame for them as a drug-dealing son or a promiscuous daughter. Muslims do not deal with shame very well or anything that tarnishes their honour or reputation. It's no coincidence that D'Nile flows through Muslim lands. Despite his protestations, even Butt succumbs to it's lackadaisical charms. Although there is a noted tendency for children of immigrant Muslims to become more radical than their parents, there is no way an entire generation of British youth could have become so polarized without the previous one having held such extreme beliefs to some degree as well. More likely, this younger set has merely "come out of the closet" in an atmosphere where Islamic radicalism has been cosseted and coddled. Had their parents not attended Finsbury Park mosque for so many years the lack of support might have shuttered it. Instead it became a hotbed of terrorist activity where NBC (Chemical Weapons) survival suits were found. I believe the heart of the matter is Islam itself and how its teachings are interpreted. While Butt may be quite sincere, he remains a Muslim. Fundamentalists are interpreting the Koran correctly. This remains the central issue. The Koran preaches death. There can be no mistaking this. It is not a problem with translation or perception. Islam is a flawed doctrine whose time has passed. It remains mired in a 7th century mindset that is no longer relevant to modern reality. Instead of modifying itself or reforming the inimical passages of its scripture, Islam has chosen to remain trapped in amber, a living fossil whose sole value is as a specimen of what should have, by now, gone extinct long ago. Let me know when people like Hassan Butt begin to talk about how shari'a law is a brutal code fraught with numerous and barbaric violations of human rights. Until then, he is merely an apologist whose well-meaning efforts do not address the underlying malaise of Islam's totalitarian doctrine. Butt's words may not constitute outright taqiyya but his inability or unwillingness to identify the Koran's overarching incompatibility with progressive Western culture skirts the more salient issues in need of real change. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-07-14 10:19 |
| #4 I hear ya Mac. But I think this Butt guy has demonstrated a true turn and can do much more good if we accept that from him. He's shedding light, via first hand accounts, on the darkest corners of Islamic minds. While these revelations may not be new to Burgers -- to most it is shocking and they'll be forced to see some terrible truth in his comments or keep their blinders on and dismiss him. Forcing more humans to choose sides can only be good. This is not taqiyya. Is too awful true. If he were performing some kind of deception -- to what ends? I've known folks who have made dramatic 180 turns in life -- 100% hedonistic Dead Heads to 100% Born-again Christians. These guys proved to be extremly powerful after their conversion precisely because of their previous life. |
| Posted by: Captain Lewis 2007-07-14 09:29 |
| #3 Sorry, Cap--I think the West would be better off just telling him and the rest of his co-religionists that we've become aware of their intentions, taqiyya no longer works, they are no longer welcome and it's time to go back to their country of ethnic origin. Peacefully or forcibly, run them all out because they simply can't be trusted. |
| Posted by: Mac 2007-07-14 08:56 |
| #2 It sounds to me that this guy really has turned -- Which Burgers doubt this guy's sincerity in his turn? |
| Posted by: Captain Lewis 2007-07-14 08:17 |
| #1 Better Headline: Muslim Heads Stuck Firmly in their Butts, says Butt |
| Posted by: Captain Lewis 2007-07-14 08:14 |