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Sheikh Sa'd Sharaf is proceeding from a fact that we have pointed out here again and again: that the jihadists appeal to Muslims by presenting themselves as the exponents of "true Islam," and moderate Muslims (not to say that Fatah is a genuine example of such people) have made no effective comeback. We have, incidentally, been harshly criticized for pointing this out; will Sheik Sa'd Sharaf now be denounced also as an "Islamophobe"?
"West Bank activists push peace, moderation," by Joshua Mitnick for the Washington Times (thanks to Davida):
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Some Palestinian political activists are encouraging the secular Fatah party, which controls the West Bank, to combat radical Islam by incorporating religious teachings that emphasize peace and moderation.Sheik Sa'd Sharaf said he is pushing Fatah leaders to enlist religious figures to openly debate the violent interpretation of the Koran as espoused by the rival Hamas militia.
"The prophet Muhammad says, 'Don't kill those who don't use weapons against you. Don't kill a woman. Don't kill a baby,' " he said.
He is reported to have said that. Unfortunately, the data on this point, as on so many others, is not unambiguous. There is also a hadith in which Muhammad is "asked about the women and children of the polytheists being killed during the night raid." Muhammad responded, "They are from them," which has generally been understood to mean that it was acceptable for them to have been killed.
Also, the idea that Fatah could possibly oppose Hamas because the latter kills women and children and the former doesn't is laughable on its face.
Sheik Sharaf, who preaches in mosques, lectures at a junior college and hosts a television program from the West Bank city of Nablus, said the key to Islamist group Hamas' success has been its ability to present itself as representing the one authentic version of Islam....
Oh Sheikh, you Islamophobe!
Another prominent Palestinian, Mohammed Dajani, has established a religious movement called Wasatia — a term from the Koran meaning "centrism," "balance" or "moderation."Unlike Sheik Sharaf, who hopes to moderate Fatah with religion, Mr. Dajani believes that a new political party is needed to fill a vacuum between Fatah and Hamas.
Although a secular party, Fatah militants are as deadly as Hamas. A radical offshoot of the group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, has also boasted of dozens of suicide bombings inside Israel.
"We are undergoing a social, religious, economic and a political crisis," said Mr. Dajani, who also teaches political science at Al Quds University in East Jerusalem.
"We feel that this crisis will not be addressed without the rise of a new party — a middle-ground Islamic party supporting tolerance and calling for dialogue. This is the only solution."
Alongside quotes from the Jewish holy book, the Talmud, and the New Testament, the Wasatia Web site quotes the Koran as saying "we have created you a midground nation" and ascribes to Muhammad the saying: "The best way to run affairs is moderation."
This "balance" and "moderation" or "midground" is Qur'an 2:143: "We have created you a balanced (or middle, moderate, midground, etc.) nation...."
Mr. Dajani said he wants to change pre-school and elementary school curriculum teachings on "jihad," which he says extol violence and discourage interfaith coexistence."Religion is being hijacked and misrepresented," he said in a recent interview with a Jewish peace group. "Palestinian society is moderate, but being pushed to extremism and fundamentalism. This is not the Islam we were raised on."
Sheik Sharaf, who wants to reform Fatah by creating a religious branch within the organization, acknowledges that politicians in the Fatah movement have largely ignored efforts.
"[Fatah] doesn't understand the danger. They are ignorant in this," he said.
But he also believes that in the two weeks since Hamas' takeover of Gaza and their public executions of Fatah members, more Palestinians have become disillusioned by the Hamas brand of Islam.
"I want to prevent the misleading of the people," he said.
Well, Sheikh, I hope you pull it off.
Posted by Robert at June 29, 2007 9:23 AM
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our old ploy of separation of church and state is admirable, too bad the crazed, bearded, finger pointing Islamic clerics don't see such a thing a being possible....Islam is for losers....
Posted by: exsgtbrown![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 29, 2007 10:13 AM
Qur'an 2:143: "We have created you a balanced (or middle, moderate, midground, etc.) nation...."
Moderation is a relative concept, and therefore how useful it is depends on the basis for comparison. Here, the sheik is up against the fact that the Qur'an defines the "moderate" as a nation of observant Muslims -- an Islamic state with Islamic law.
There, one can be immoderate by being harsher or more liberal than the dictates of Sharia law, so many of which are cruel and unjust by Western standards. Thus, the further "moderation" of the "moderate nation" would require a fundamental rereading and retooling of Islamic law. There, the sheik would obviously face an uphill climb, if he were willing to undertake it.
Otherwise, one runs into the same problem as discussions about "human rights" discrepancies between the Islamic world and the rest: If the Qur'an is held to be Allah's last word on the rights of man, how can it be against "human rights," unless man is out of step with Allah?
In the same way, if the Islamic way of life is upheld as the definition of "moderation," it's everyone else who is "immoderate," and, of course, the notion of the "moderate Muslim" gets even more complicated.
Posted by: MarisolJW at June 29, 2007 10:15 AM
The word "moderation" always sounds so optimistic and hopeful that we often miss just what it exactly means in an Islamic light.
Does it still mean the death of apostates, the dutiful spread of the Ummah, stoning, amputation of lims, honour killings, female genital mutilation and dhimmitude or death for all nonMuslims? Does it simply mean the end of the active jihad and the re-assertion of the breeding one?
The real problem is that deception is so inherent and so fundamental to Islamic nature that even the moderates cannot be trusted and that moderation can even be seen as cutting of the head of a kaffir in one strike as opposed to sawing it off slowly as seen in so many vidoes.
Posted by: MisIslamist at June 29, 2007 10:39 AM
This causes me to wonder, if this fellow is talking about a "middle ground," it would have to be some place equally between extremism as manifested in beheadings, bombings, burqas, bloodletting and so forth, and the other extreme which is.... anybody?
I suspect that that extreme is something that could easily be dismissed as "not Islam."
Here's a start for this sheik: Put together a bunch of "interfaith dialogues" at which Jews and Christians go into mosques in their customary attire, and in a completely one-sided fashion fully defend their faiths and concede nothing, except to vaguely condemn the extreme elements in their respective traditions. (But throw in mentions of bad muslim behavior that is the real cause of "extremeism").
Proclaim the whole thing a great success.
Then see if your head stays on.
Posted by: Greek Fire at June 29, 2007 10:54 AM
'It's not personal, it's just business'.
The path of Islam is not very wide. To deviate from this path, just a little too much make's one an apostate. Allah made it clear numerous time's in his book's, how he want's thing's done. There is not a lot of room for 'interpretation'. Either Allah meant what he said, or he did not. It would seem to me that the 'radical, fundamentalist, especially wahhabis, are the muslims that got it right. All the rest are apostated imposter's. This 'world of Islamic absolutes', is why there is really no such thing as an muslim 'moderate'. As soon as they sound, look or act 'moderate, they have excommunicated themselve's from Allah's grace and are headed straight to hell. Unless of course, they are jihadists, using the psychological warfare tactic of 'good cop, bad cop'. 'Moderate muslims', 'radical muslims'...they are all player's in the same game. 'Law enforcement'...
Posted by: duh_swami at June 29, 2007 10:57 AM
Use them to destroy Hamas, but be ready to do the same to them if they become Hamas II.
Islam is a dangerous foundation for building anything but more Islam.
Containment, divide and conquer, and watch your back.
Posted by: profitsbeard at June 29, 2007 11:29 AM
Sheik Sa'd Sharaf said he is pushing Fatah leaders to enlist religious figures to openly debate the violent interpretation of the Koran as espoused by the rival Hamas militia.
But so far they haven't been able to find any willing to debate the issue.
/sarc
at June 29, 2007 4:21 PM
Here is the frightening part of this article: Mr. Dajani said he wants to change pre-school and elementary school curriculum teachings on "jihad," which he says extol violence and discourage interfaith coexistence.
My children's children (and yours) will be battling islam if the Lord tarries and we don't do something about it soon.
Posted by: eve_anne_gelical at June 29, 2007 4:24 PM
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