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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Relax: Duke professor Bruce Lawrence says Islam has no connection with terrorism

Feb 22, 2013 3:10 pm By Robert Spencer

Who are you gonna believe? Your lying eyes, or an internationally respected academic? Speaking of our universities being filled with mediocrities who owe their position and stature to the political popularity of their ideas, not to their scholarship, honesty, or competence, here’s another. This poorly written article from the Indian press says that Duke University emeritus professor Bruce Lawrence said that “Islamic [sic] has no connection with terrorism and the propaganda of the forces which are trying to link Islam with terrorism is baseless.”

Lawrence here advances the Islamic supremacist claim that the only ones who “link Islam with terrorism” are non-Muslim “Islamophobes.” Actually it Muslim terrorists, and only Muslim terrorists, who are responsible for this “link”:

“Jihad was a way of life for the Pious Predecessors (Salaf-us-Salih), and the Prophet (SAWS) was a master of the Mujahideen and a model for fortunate inexperienced people. The total number of military excursions which he (SAWS) accompanied was 27. He himself fought in nine of these; namely Badr; Uhud, Al-Muraysi, The Trench, Qurayzah, Khaybar, The Conquest of Makkah, Hunayn and Taif . . . This means that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) used to go out on military expeditions or send out an army at least every two months.” — Abdullah Azzam, co-founder of al-Qaeda, Join the Caravan, p. 30

“If we follow the rules of interpretation developed from the classical “science of Koranic interpretation, it is not possible to condemn terrorism in religious terms. It remains completely true to the classical rules in its evolution of sanctity for its own justification. This is where the secret of its theological strength lies.” — Egyptian scholar Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd

“Many thanks to God, for his kind gesture, and choosing us to perform the act of Jihad for his cause and to defend Islam and Muslims. Therefore, killing you and fighting you, destroying you and terrorizing you, responding back to your attacks, are all considered to be great legitimate duty in our religion.” — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his fellow 9/11 defendants

“Allah on 480 occasions in the Holy Koran extols Muslims to wage jihad. We only fulfil God’s orders. Only jihad can bring peace to the world.” — Taliban terrorist Baitullah Mehsud

“Jihad, holy fighting in Allah’s course, with full force of numbers and weaponry, is given the utmost importance in Islam….By jihad, Islam is established….By abandoning jihad, may Allah protect us from that, Islam is destroyed, and Muslims go into inferior position, their honor is lost, their lands are stolen, their rule and authority vanish. Jihad is an obligation and duty in Islam on every Muslim.” — Times Square car bomb terrorist Faisal Shahzad

“So step by step I became a religiously devout Muslim, Mujahid — meaning one who participates in jihad.” — Little Rock, Arkansas terrorist murder Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad

“And now, after mastering the English language, learning how to build explosives, and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, it is time for Jihad.” — Texas terrorist bomber Khalid Aldawsari

“Islam has no connection with terrorism: Prof. Bruce Lawrence,” from the Siasat Daily, February 22 (thanks to Kenneth):

Noted researcher of comparative study of various religions, Prof. Bruce Lawrence, Professor Emeritus, Islamic Studies, Duke University, U.S.A. said that Islamic has no connection with terrorism and the propaganda of the forces which are trying to link Islam with terrorism is baseless. Prof. Lawrence who is on his visit to various cities of India, told this while talking to selected media persons at the US consulate-general here on Thursday. Prof. Lawrence has also done comparative study of various languages and exhaustively read religious books. He has read the Holy Quran with interpretation (tafseer) with reference to various interpreters (mufassirin). He has expressed his views over linking Islam with terrorism in the present scenario, rights of women and Islamic perspective of Jihad.

Disapproving of the western world’s belief that there is growing Islamic terrorism in the world, noted scholar of Islamic studies Prof. Bruce Bennett Lawrence has said “˜Islamic terrorism” or “˜Islamic fundamentalism” is non-existent. Those who want to link them have their own objective. They are presenting negative image of Islam for achieving their goals. He lamented that some parties and groups have started using religion for their political gains due to which the opponents got chance to distort the image of Islam. Politics has overpowered religion although religion should have overpowered politics. He told that neither Islam nor any other religion allows fundamentalism and terrorism. “Fundamentalism does not fit both Islam and Hinduism,” he remarked.

Commenting upon the misconceptions regarding women’s rights in Islam Prof. Lawrence claimed Islamic teachings are not against women rather Islam elevated the position of woman. Prof. Lawrence also tried to allay the misconceptions about the concept of Jihad in Islam. Prof. Lawrence who is called as “a Christian who believes in the Qur’an” asserted that being a Christian he is in a position to logically claim that the Holy Quran is superior to Bible.

Prof. Lawrence has been studying Islam for more than 50 years, said the term “˜Islamic fundamentalism” came into existence after religion mixed with politics in the last 75 years. Islam got radicalized over the years as it became a “˜political project”.

In a career spanning nearly four decades, Dr. Lawrence has pioneered cutting-edge interdisciplinary scholarly work on Islam and Muslim societies with disciplinary synergies in the humanities, social sciences, law and theology. Dr. Lawrence has contributed to no fewer than 15 books including “˜Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence”. Many are considered major contributions to the field of Islam and public policy. Dr. Lawrence’s translation of the statements of Osama bin Laden, led government leaders to seek him out as a policy advisor.

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