Dissent from the dogma that Islam is a religion of peace will not be tolerated. My latest in PJ Media:
How divorced from reality are our nation’s college and university campuses today? This divorced from reality: a terrorism class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has become the focus of controversy for daring to discuss Islamic jihad in connection with terrorism. The connection between Islamic jihad and terrorism is as obvious as the fact that water is wet, but not on campus today.
“Lectures slated for October,” the College Fix reported Wednesday, “include topics such as ‘Islam and the West,’ ‘The origins of Jihad,’ ‘Al Qaida,’ ‘9/11,’ ‘The Islamic State’ and ‘Jihad in Africa,’ according to a syllabus screenshot.”
That all seems fairly straightforward — but only in the real world, not at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State do exist, 9/11 did happen, and there is jihad activity against the West and in Africa. However, Muslim student Ali Khan “took to social media to express outrage over the content of ‘Political Science 347: Terrorism’ and the way the professor approached the subject.”
Khan fumed that the class represented “an American exceptionalism perspective to advance a zionist, orientalist, and/or neocolonialist agenda.” He added: “You cannot define terrorism singularly by the actions of terrorist groups or non-state actors without including state-sponsored terrorism,” a clear indication that he wanted the class to discuss supposed Israeli terrorism.
Khan had more complaints: “There’s a whole module titled ‘Jihad.’ This legitimizes a perception that the concept of Jihad is one-dimensional, single-faceted, and inherently violent and connected to terrorism.” No, it doesn’t, although his complaint is a commonly repeated one. To study jihad in this context is simply to recognize that jihad is what jihad terrorists say they’re doing. To refuse to acknowledge that or to study it because of some a priori view that Islam is a religion of peace and jihad means taking the kids to school or blowing milk bubbles through a straw is to cut oneself off from understanding the motivating ideology of jihad terrorists as they state it. Why should the study of their self-perception be off-limits?
Still livid, Khan fulminated: “Will we be discussing the different types of jihad (by the heart, tongue, and hand)? Is the professor an Islamic scholar who can accurately speak about jihad?” Why should those be discussed, except insofar as they are relevant to the discussion of jihad terrorism? Does a discussion of the Mafia’s self-professed Catholic identity have to include material about Catholic charitable activities?
Khan’s underlying assumption is that the university is obligated to portray Islam in a favorable light, and if any negative information is presented, then it has to be balanced with positive material. This assumption seems to be shared also among the establishment media. But why must this be so? Why can’t there be a study of jihad terrorism in a dispassionate, accurate manner, without further considerations of how people are going to think about Islam one way or the other?
Khan’s outrage should have been dismissed out of hand for what it was. But of course, it led to a “campuswide conversation on alleged culturally insensitive classes,” during which Khan published the email address of the professor, Andrew Kydd.
If it was unpublished before, this is a clear invitation to harassment, and in keeping with the increasing atmosphere of thuggery and one-party state environment on campuses both great (Stanford University) and insignificant (Saint Anselm College). Khan is also graciously going to bestow upon Kydd “alternative academic readings to broaden the scope of the class,” as the professor becomes the student and the student becomes the professor, attempting, no doubt, to turn the class on terrorism into a dawah session.
Read the rest here.
mortimer says
Definitions of Jihad
Jihad is: imposition of Sharia law upon those who don’t want it
Jihad is: the removal of the human rights and civil liberties of women and ‘others’ by all means.
The following commentary is as close to an “official” definition of jihad as we can get. It is contained in the footnotes on p.39, ‘The Noble Koran’, published by King Fahd Complex for Publication of the Quran, Madinah, KSA.
“Jihad is holy fighting in Allah’s Cause with full force of numbers and weaponry. It is given the utmost importance in Islam and is one of its pillars. By Jihad Islam is established, Allah’s Word is made superior (which means only Allah has the right to be worshiped), and Islam is propagated. By abandoning Jihad Islam is destroyed and Muslims fall into an inferior position; their honor is lost, their lands are stolen, their rule and authority vanish. Jihad is an obligatory duty in Islam on every Muslim. He who tries to escape from this duty, or does not fulfill this duty, dies as a hypocrite.” – footnotes on p.39, ‘The Noble Koran’, published by King Fahd Complex for Publication of the Quran, Madinah, KSA.
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From the Koran
Koran 48.29 “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
Those with him are VIOLENT (ashiddaa’) against the unbelievers (kufaar)
Compassionate amongst themselves.”
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From Sharia law, “Reliance of the Traveller”, Chap. o9
From Sunni Sharia Law:
The Legal Definition of Jihad is…
“Jihad means warfare against non-Muslims (kufaar).” o9.0 Reliance of the Traveller (Sharia)
“The caliph (o-25) makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians” Book O: Justice, Chapter O-9.0: Jihad, Reliance of the Traveller.
“The caliph fights all other peoples until they become Muslim”, Book O: Justice, Chapter O-9.0: Jihad, Reliance of the Traveller.
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From the Four Schools of Islamic Jurisprucence:
Maliki Fiqh: “The Muslims are to fight with (against) the Kuffar to advance Allah’s religion.”
Shafi’i Fiqh: “The meaning of Jihad in Sharee’a terms is to make utmost effort in fighting in the Path of Allah.”
Hanbali Fiqh: “Jihad means to fight against the unbelievers.” (Fadhail-e-Jihad).
Hanafi Fiqh: “Jihad means to be involved in fighting in the Path of Allah by one’s life, wealth and speech.” It is further explained “to call the unbelievers towards the true religion of Islam and to fight against them, if they are unwilling to accept the true religion.”
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From the Commentary of Sheikh Umar Barakat:
“Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada signifying warfare to establish the religion.”
The scriptural basis for jihad, prior to scholarly consensus is such Koranic verses as:
(1) “Fighting is prescribed for you” (Koran 2:216);
(2) “Slay them wherever you find them” (Koran 4:89);
(3) “Fight the idolaters utterly” (Koran 9:36);
and such hadiths as the one related by Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and perform the prayer, and pay zakat. If they say it, they have saved their blood and possessions from me, except for the rights of Islam over them. And their final reckoning is with Allah”;
and the hadith reported by Muslim,
“To go forth in the morning or evening to fight in the path of Allah is better than the whole world and everything in it.” (o9.0)
DogOnPorch says
How rare…an outraged Muslim.
A Jihadi complains about the use of the word Jihad…why am I not surprised?
gravenimage says
+1
mortimer says
All Muslims deny or obfuscate concerning the meaning, motive and methods of jihad.
If they tell the truth about jihad Muslims are saying they have left Islam. Very few like Anjem Choudary have told the truth about jihad when talking to kafirs.
underbed cat says
I am impressed that UWM would have a accurate course on jihad..and not a dawah class that separates jihad from the source and pretends sharia law is compatible with U.S.law. I guess I assumed wrong. It truly is a bold move since that is not for public infidel consumption and would “offend” muslims and break sharia law of ( slander) to silence of the facts or was the students complaints right on target to as they say “remove hate speech” or truth, thiink CVE and know nothing about the problem in this infidels opinion.
gravenimage says
Agreed–all too many university courses whitewash Islam. Glad that this one does not.
gravenimage says
Robert Spencer in PJ Media: Wisconsin Student Outraged Because Terrorism Course Discusses Jihad
………………………
How *dare* the ‘filthy Infidels’ notice that Islam is so violent?
JDow says
Gee, Muhamadenism IS a religion of peace – long long deferred peace which can only come when the entire world is one Muhammedan sect.
{o.o}
Mark D says
Rage: the default emotion of muslims.