An entire Islamic party full of Misunderstanders of Islam — how on earth do these things keep happening? Behold the glorious complexity of Islam! So incredibly difficult are its peaceful teachings to grasp, that some of its most dedicated and devout adherents keep misunderstanding them and getting the crazy idea that Islam has something to do with violence against unbelievers! Has Islamophobic literature somehow been circulating in Tajikistan, poisoning the minds of the hitherto peaceful and pious?
“Prosecutor-General Accuses Islamic Renaissance Party,” from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, August 30 (thanks to Twostellas):
Tajikistan’s Prosecutor-General’s Office has accused members of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of involvement in crimes connected to extremism and terrorism.
The statement on August 30 gave no indication of what next steps the authorities might take against the party, which is currently the only legal Islamist party in Central Asia.
In an interview with RFE/RL, the party’s deputy chairman, member of parliament Sayidumar Husaini, denounced the prosecutor’s claims as part of a campaign aimed at shutting down the party….
Of course. That must be it. Such campaigns are being waged the world over, inexplicably, as racist, bigoted Islamophobes unaccountably accuse these Amish-like people of involvement in religiously-sanctioned violence. Oh, the humanity!