In this article in The American Muslim, Sheila Musaji decries “a rash of supposed Muslims or pseudo-Muslims (at least they have Muslim names) using the [the Jewish Voices for Peace Petition against intolerance and Islamophobia] petition site as a means to leave derogatory comments about Jews, Christians, America, etc.”
The “Pseudo-Muslim” entered on the petition site actual quotes from Ahmad Bahr, acting Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker; Mahmoud Al Hasan of the Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen, a group aligned to the Jamaat-e-Islami party of Pakistan; Dr. Ismail Radwan, who spoke on official Palestinian TV on March 30, 2007; Anjem Choudary, a Muslim leader in the UK; and Ahmad Bahr again.
Let’s pretend that “Pseudo-Muslim” is a real Muslim, and not a non-Muslim, or an apostate, determined to quite cleverly show up the whole thing — which is what Sheila Musaji may not quite understand, or she may confusedly understand. In other words, let us pretend that “Pseudo-Muslim” is actually a Muslim, like Sheila Musaji herself, and doesn’t quite know what to do with the quotes from important figures who are Muslim that show up all that interfaith feelgood nonsense of the petition.
Here would be a comment if one were to assume that the commenter was Muslim, writing in embarrassed and terminally confused good faith. Embarrassed, apparently, and determined out of filial piety to misrepresent Islam to others and, most importantly, to himself. For those whose views this writer claims do “not represent Islam” do represent it. They represent what is contained in Qur’an, Hadith, and Sira very well. They reflect the behavior of Muhammad, uswa hasana, al-insan al-kamil, not at all inaccurately. Those imams and sheikhs who are quoted, and whom the writer deplores, are not bad Muslims, not misguided Muslims. They are Muslims in a great tradition. Their views were acted upon, over 1350 years, from Spain to the East Indies.
It is the Muslim writer who misinforms Infidels as to the nature of Islam, in the best case out of her own ignorance and naivete. The more likely case is that she does so out of a desire not to see what anyone can see, if they choose without parti pris to study the texts of Islam, the 1350-year history of Islamic conquest and subjugation of non-Muslims, and the present-day behavior and attitudes of Muslims around the world, especially in Dar al-Islam. For there they need not hide their real views. They need not pretend that Islam is all sweetness and light, as does this Muslim writer, supposedly anguished about those whom she ludicrously calls “Pseudo-Muslims.” She carefully refrains from showing us, quoting sura and ayat, in what way those “Pseudo-Muslims” are indeed “psuedo” and not the real thing.
Sheila Musaji needs to read Ali Sina, Ibn Warraq, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan. They were all born into Islam. They were all raised in Muslim milieus. They have all testified as to what Muslims say in front of Infidels, and what they say when they think they are among only fellow Muslims.
Who is the “Pseudo-Muslim”? Is it #1513 Bahr Ahmad Bahr of Gaza “Palestine,” the acting “#1525, Mahmoud Al Hasan of Pakistan, the leader of the Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen? Is it #1527 Dr. Ismail Radwan of Gaza, “Palestine”? Or #1528, Anjem Choudary, Attorney of London, UK?
Well, Sheila Musaji is angry. She is angry, supposedly, at those whose words are quoted. But she is also angry at “the person who did this.” What does she mean by that? She is angry at the very intelligent poster — apostate or non-Muslim — who was sick of the nonsense and lies that the musajis of this world peddle about Islam, never taking the time to show us how the texts contradict the bloodcurdling stuff that has been put right on the phony petition where the unfoolable and also the naive will have a chance to read those words from Chaudry and Baur and Hassan and others, and realize what a crock the whole thing is.
Sheila Musaji ends telling us that the people quoted do not “represent any Muslims I know, and they certainly don’t represent Islam.” Well, she should tell us how she knows this. Because these are not people writing in a void. In some cases, as with the “Palestinians” quoted, they are leaders, and all of them are prominent among Muslims. And does she not know what Saudi sheiks and imams declare every day on Saudi television? Has she not read what the Sheik al-Azhar has written — the informal head of Sunni Islam’s religious education? Or what the late Ayatollah Khomeini has written? (Google “Ayatollah Khomeini” and “Jihad Watch” and “Kill them.”) Or what Al-Qaradawi has said about suicide bombing? Or what tens of thousands of Muslim clerics have said, are saying, every day to hundreds of millions of Muslims?
Or for that matter, what does Sheila Musaji make of the texts of Islam? Start with 9.29 or a dozen others, or a hundred others listed in the Calcutta Qur’an Petitiion, and Sheila Musaji, PLEASE EXPLAIN.
We’re all ears. 5.5 billion non-Muslims (yes, we too can count) are all ears. We’re waiting for the explanation.