Glenn Beck does some good reporting about the Islamic jihad threat, but he doggedly plays pretend, assuming repeatedly that Islam is a religion of peace, the Qur’an is a book of peace, etc.
What he doesn’t realize is that this doesn’t empower Muslim moderates, as he clearly wants to do — rather, it cuts the ground out from under them, for you can’t reform what you won’t admit needs reforming. Rightly or wrongly, the Protestant Reformers didn’t indignantly deny that the Catholic Church taught Transubstantiation — rather, they argued against this and other doctrines with which they disagreed. How far do you think they would have gotten if they had simply charged with “bigotry” anyone who pointed out that the Church taught the Real Presence or the papal primacy?
If we all pretend that the jihadists have no real leg to stand on in regard to Islam texts and teachings, we may all feel very good about ourselves for being tolerant folks, but the jihadists will continue to use various Islamic texts and teachings to recruit terrorists from among peaceful Muslims, and their efforts will go unchallenged — because we can’t even admit that that is what they’re doing.
So it was last night (thanks to Awake):
BECK: Oh, well, apparently now he`s the George Washington of all of Iran. Unfortunately for us, the “Real Story” is that, in some warped views of Islam, lying is not only permissible, but it is encouraged, so long as that lie will further the cause. The cause? I`ll tell you exactly what that cause is here in just a bit….
Some warped views on Islam:
“Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. ” — Qur’an 3:28
“(unless you indeed fear a danger from them) [or above, ‘unless (it be that ye but guard yourselves against them’] meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda’ said, ‘We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.’ Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, ‘The Tuqyah [taqiyya] is allowed until the Day of Resurrection.”’ — Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir (commentary) on Qur’an 3:28. Ibn Kathir is a mainstream Qur’anic commentator whose commentaries are still widely read today.
“War is deceit.” — Muhammad, prophet of Islam
“Ibn Shihab said he did not hear that exemption was granted in anything what the people speak as lie but in three cases: in battle, for bringing reconciliation amongst persons and the narration of the words of the husband to his wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to her husband (in a twisted form in order to bring reconciliation between them).” — Sahih Muslim 6303, referring to Muhammad’s words.
So: who is responsible for this “warped view of Islam” that allows for lying when one is under pressure, or in order to further the cause of the Muslims? The Qur’an, and Muhammad. Beck can play pretend all he wants, but his game will not make these facts go away. The moderate Muslims he wants so deeply to succeed will have to confront them sooner or later if they want to try to do anything effective to counter the jihadist challenge within the Islamic world.
BECK: Zuhdi, in that note from CAIR, did they say that they were protesting at all his — anything that he said?
JASSER: Absolutely not. And just as the Khatami visit a year ago, they said that it`s a time for dialogue. No criticism about human rights. No criticism about free speech in Iran. No encouragement of dissidents to change that government from a theocracy to a liberal, freedom-loving democracy, not just for democrats and democracies to control the minority, but to give free rights for the minority.
BECK: Well, I have to tell you, Zuhdi, thank you very much for everything that you do. I have to tell you, America, I`m going to write the National Organization of Women, GLAAD, CAIR. I would really like to hear where they were, why are they not protesting someone that says homosexuals should be killed, and women should be stoned to death, and who are so grossly misusing their religion. That will be on tomorrow`s program. Hopefully, we`ll have an update.
Grossly misusing their religion:
“Kill the one who sodomizes and the one who lets it be done to him” — Muhammad (“˜Umdat al-Salik, p17.3).
“If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death” — Abdullah ibn Abbas
And this hadith:
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar:
The Jews came to Allah’s Apostle and told him that a man and a woman from amongst them had committed illegal sexual intercourse. Allah’s Apostle said to them, “What do you find in the Torah (old Testament) about the legal punishment of Ar-Rajm (stoning)?” They replied, (But) we announce their crime and lash them.” Abdullah bin Salam said, “You are telling a lie; Torah contains the order of Rajm.” They brought and opened the Torah and one of them solaced his hand on the Verse of Rajm and read the verses preceding and following it. Abdullah bin Salam said to him, “Lift your hand.” When he lifted his hand, the Verse of Rajm was written there. They said, “Muhammad has told the truth; the Torah has the Verse of Rajm. The Prophet then gave the order that both of them should be stoned to death. (‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar said, “I saw the man leaning over the woman to shelter her from the stones.” — Bukhari 4.56.829
And one more:
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:
‘Umar said, “I am afraid that after a long time has passed, people may say, “We do not find the Verses of the Rajam (stoning to death) in the Holy Book,” and consequently they may go astray by leaving an obligation that Allah has revealed. Lo! I confirm that the penalty of Rajam be inflicted on him who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if he is already married and the crime is proved by witnesses or pregnancy or confession.” Sufyan added, “I have memorized this narration in this way.” ‘Umar added, “Surely Allah’s Apostle carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so did we after him.” — Bukhari 8.82.816
Glenn Beck’s heart is in the right place. He apparently thinks he is helping out peaceful Muslims by pre-emptively exonerating the Qur’an and Muhammad from complicity in such crimes. I hope he and others like him will soon come to see that fantasy-based analysis ultimately won’t accomplish anything, and that peaceful Muslims will never be able to stand up to the jihadists until they have the courage to formulate a radical reinterpretation of the core Islamic sources, acknowledging the violent and supremacist elements within them and explicitly rejecting them. They will never be able to do this, or to do anything but reassure uninformed non-Muslims, by pretending that those elements don’t exist and wishing, wishing, wishing they would disappear.