About time---if the angry Muslims making these claims are right: "UK targeting Islam not extremism, says Muslim News editor," from Mathaba, July 18:
The British government Friday was accused of trying to interfere in the Muslim community on religious matters by announcing controversial plans to fund a board of theologians to prevent Islam being abused by extremists.Could it be---gasp!---because "Muslim extremism" is a direct byproduct of "matters of Islam," that is, Islamic theology?Muslim News editor Ahmed Versi said that the government was being "wrong-headed" as other attempts to have control of a state-version of Islam had "no credibility."
"It proves that the whole strategy of the UK government is to target not just Muslims but Islam itself," Versi said. "It is not targeting extremism but the Muslim community, including now on matters of Islam," he warned.
[...]Is Versi admitting what has long been suspected---that Islam is not a religion, merely a political ideology?Blears acknowledged that it is "not for Government to dictate on matters of faith or religious teaching," but insisted that it was the "Muslim communities themselves have told us that stronger leadership is needed on what are often controversial issues."
Speaking from the interfaith conference in Madrid, Versi told IRNA that the latest government measures show it was "not only targeting Islam itself but religion too now" and warned that it was misguided.
Simply because that was a gathering for Christians to behave like dhimmis, and Muslims to practice taqiyya."There was unanimous agreement among Christian and Muslim delegates in Madrid that extremism is not a problem of religion but of politics," he said.
Other critics of the government's new measures included Azzam Tamimi, a Palestinian academic and director of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought in London.Tamimi warned that Muslims would be "skeptical" about the government's involvement in trying to set up a state version of a "Muslim church."
Of course, that would lead to accountability. Much better to have Islam the way it's always been: no heirarchy, no organization, no "final word," and thus, no accountability.
"Azzam Tamimi, a Palestinian academic"
Academic? Pull the other one, it's got bells on.
Islam is the root cause and the Muslims can protest all they want but it time to take a stand and attack the ideology there is nothing racist about that. It is attacking the ideas of this political supremacist ideology. In the history of Mankind there have been many such examples of hateful political ideology that has created great harm and violence against otherwise peaceful humans. Examples would include Nazi Aryans supremacist, KKK, Marxism that were bent on control, fear and scapegoating groups of people as targets of their evil. Of course, from their view they would equate us as evil as we see now with Islam and its view of Infidel societies.
In November 2004, Azzam Tamimi - UK-based "Palestinian academic", Hamas spokesman, and director of Islam Expo - was interviewed by Tim Sebastian for the BBC's Hardtalk programme. It was a remarkable interview. Not only was Sebastian pressing in his interrogation, but Tamimi was extraordinarily frank in his views on Islamist violence, Israel, and suicide bombing.
I've transcribed part of the interview below. I apologise for such a long post, but it's worth the read.
TIM SEBASTIAN: What is being offered now by Hamas – a cycle of violence, continuing violence ... ?
DR AZZAM AL-TAMIMI: It's what Sharon offers.
TS: No, this is what you said.
AT: That's what Sharon offers.
TS: You say Hamas now enjoys the support of the Palestinians and will follow a different way from the Palestinian Authority – continuing struggle with the Israelis – that's your view?
AT: Of course. If your land is still occupied ...
TS: ... continuing violence:
AT: No – continuing struggle. You see you're replacing the words. It is a legitimate struggle.
TS: But you're giving it a meaning that actually takes away some of the force of what it is that you're doing and the true meaning. When you go into a marketplace, as happened on Monday – a suicide bomber and kills people indiscriminately, you call that struggle?
AT: If Sharon was not killing Palestinians ...
TS: No, please answer ... No, please answer that ...
AT: ... in Palestinian towns and villages this would not have happened.
TS: Please answer my question. You call that 'struggle' – when a suicide bomber goes into a market and kills people indiscriminately, whether it's women or children – you call that 'struggle'?
AT: When you force people to ...
TS: 'Yes' or 'no'? Please Dr Tamimi answer the question
AT: Of course it is a struggle; of course it is a struggle ...
TS: It's murder isn't it?
AT: It is a struggle ...
TS: It's murder.
AT: ... because Sharon started it. Sharon kills Palestinians ...
TS: It doesn't matter who started it ...
AT: It does matter of course ...
TS: You can go back thousands of years ...
AT: Of course it matters ...
TS: Are you murdering people today ... ?
AT: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth .. of course it matters ...
TS: Are you murdering people today? The answer is 'yes':
AT: No – you are not murdering people if you are responding to attack. We were attacked in the first place.
TS: So those women and children are responsible for attacking you and you just simply fought back – people who die and have their bodies strewn over the ground?
AT: Why don't you ask the question: What are they doing there? Where did they come from?
TS: You don't like to face this unpalatable reality do you? You don't like to face the images of what your killing does in Israeli markets?
AT: No – I'm facing it day and night. I can see ...
TS: And you like it? You like it?
AT: ... I can see Palestinian children and women killed day and night ...
TS: And the Israeli women and children ... ?
AT: ... by Israeli F16s, by Apache helicopters ...
TS: And the Israeli women and children ... ?
AT: ... by Apache helicopters ...
TS: And the Israeli women and children ... ?
AT: ... they would not have been killed ...
TS: You don't like the sight of that
AT: .. they would not have been killed if their democratically elected government did not bomb the Palestinians day and night.
TS: Also there's always an excuse for it. There's always an excuse:
AT: This is not an excuse ...
TS: No?
AT: This is explaining reality. The reality is ...
TS: It sounds like it:
AT: ... that we are a victim. We are victims. You slap me on my face - what do you expect [me] to say 'thank you' to you?
TS: And who were those women and children in the Israeli market? Weren't they victims?
AT: Why don't you talk about Palestinian women ... children who are being massacred by Sharon ...
TS: I talked to Israelis about their violence. I'm to talking to you about that violence carried out in the name of the Palestinians. Aren't they victims as well – the Israeli women and children who are blown up by your suicide bombers?
AT: They are. They are Indeed. I agree with you – they are the victims of their own government. They are the victims of the people who ...
TS: So they're the victims of their government ?
AT: Yes – who planted them on somebody else's land?
TS: Their own government blew them up? Their own government blew them up?
AT: They are the victims of whoever ...
TS: It's not logical Dr Tamimi:
The interview went on, and then Tamimi made this honest admission:
TS: Well you can you answer that question. No – this is important; this is an important issue here Dr al-Tamimi. What would it take to stop the fighting – the end of an Israeli State? Can Israel live side by side? Has Israel the right to exist?
AT: The current violence can be stopped without having to talk about the end of Israel.
TS: Does Israel have the right to exist?
AT: No, as far as the Palestinian is concerned ...
TS: No?
AT: No – of course not. Of course not…
TS: What is there to talk about when you say Israel has no right to exist?
AT: No – you see ...
TS: You want them to sign their own death warrant and then you'll talk to them?
And then, pressed by Sebastian, Tamimi admits that if he had the opportunity, he would become a suicide bomber:
TS: You advocate suicide bombing. You said on an internet chat forum early in 2003: "For us Moslems martyrdom is not the end of things but the beginning of the most wonderful of things." If it's so wonderful to go and blow yourself up in a public place in Israel why don't you do it?
AT: Martyrdom is not necessarily suicide bombings as you call them. Martyrdom is...
TS: No, please answer my question. It was a serious question.
AT: I'm trying to answer it...
TS: Why don't you do it?
AT: I'm trying to answer it because this is a concept. Unless it is explained, how can you answer it? Because martyrdom means giving, sacrificing yourself for a noble cause. Now these bombings, the human bombs...
TS: Are you prepared to do this or not?
AT: I am prepared, of course.
TS: You would [go] and blow yourself up?
AT: No. I'm trying to explain to you...
TS: Ah—so it's okay. So that's just for the poor and the disillusioned to go and blow themselves up? You would not be prepared to do it...
AT: Most of the...
TS: ...you advocate other people to do it?
AT: Unless you give me a chance to explain...
TS: Please... Please...
AT: Not a single person of those who bomb themselves, bomb themselves because they are desperate or poor. It doesn't happen because of this. They do it because they want to sacrifice themselves for a cause after all avenues have been closed before them. If the Palestinians today are given F16s and Apache helicopters ...
TS: No—please come back to my question. Please come back to my question. Why if it is so glorious and honourable to do this, why don't you do it?
AT: I would do it...
TS: When?
AT: If I have the opportunity I would do it...
TS: When are you going to do it?
AT: When? If I can go to Palestine and sacrifice myself I would do it. Why not?
http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/Documents/TamimiHardtalk.htm
That interview is the height of absurdity-it is second nature for Muslims to lie about everything and try to rationalize-poorly, I might add.