Contrary to the impression one may get from this article, hatred is not an STD. Nor can it be transmitted through sneezing or coughing, or by handshakes or other casual contact. The gorilla in the living room of this article is why so many of his hearers believed the teachings of Abdul Nacer Benbrika. If they didn’t catch them as one might catch a cold, what did happen? Could it be that what he said resonated with what they knew of the teachings of the Qur’an, Hadith and Sira? Of course, no one wants to admit that, because no one wants to deal with its implications.
But what if the media (liberal and conservative) and policymakers did admit that Islam contains incitements to violence within its traditions, theology and law? What would these dreaded implications be? Genocide? Of course not. Acknowledging this would simply be a step toward calling the Muslim communities in the West to account, asking them specific questions about their commitment to Western pluralism and disavowal of the Sharia. Of course, the answers, if favorable, would have to be followed up with education and action. But no one can even ask those questions today because we are all not supposed to notice that Islam contains any elements that might be incompatible with Western pluralism in the first place.
From The Australian, with thanks to all who sent this in:
IT was the day that changed the life of accused terrorist ringleader Abdul Nacer Benbrika. Other Muslims see it even more darkly – as the day when al-Qa’ida first infected Australia’s Islamic community with its toxic distortion of Islam.
Now for the first time The Weekend Australian can reveal what unfolded on a country property in Victoria in the sunset of 1994. There, in front of the nation’s leading Islamic fundamentalists, including Benbrika, a bearded cleric in flowing robes was giving a sermon which many now believe gave birth to radical Islam in Australia.
The speaker was Abu Qatada, now the spiritual leader of al-Qa’ida in Europe. Qatada had been invited to Australia by his childhood friend and fellow hardliner, Melbourne cleric Sheik Mohammed Omran. His message mesmerised the group – and Benbrika.
“He spoke out against Arab governments for not being Islamic enough, for not adhering to pure sharia law,” recalls one senior Muslim who asked not to be named.
“He was radical and politicised – we had never heard this stuff before. His impact was enormous and that is where it all began. This is how the ideology of Abu Bakr (Benbrika) entered Australia. Prior to Abu Qatada’s visit, most radicals were just normal guys.”
And so it goes. Normal guys became jihadists. They were “infected.” And this preposterous non-analysis is printed in a major newspaper.