Why do so many Muslims misunderstand the Religion of Peace? Why do they all misunderstand it in the same way?
“Violent Extremism in the Maldives: The Saudi Factor,” by Henry Storey, The Diplomat, December 24, 2019 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Last week, the Maldives Independent reported some rather startling news. Security services revealed that there are close to 1,400 Maldivians who would kill in the name of Islam. Officials also confirmed that an Islamic State bomb plot was foiled in 2017 and that, since 2013, 423 Maldivians attempted to enter Iraq and Syria – 173 successfully – to fight for the so-called caliphate. This makes the Maldives possibly the highest per capita source of foreign fighters of any nation.
The Maldives provide an interesting case study of how the international proliferation of Saudi-sponsored Wahhabism has contributed to violent extremism and the radicalization of foreign fighters. Although there are many complex factors contributing to extremism in the Maldives, Saudi proselytization is nonetheless an important factor.
The increasing religious conservatism and intolerance displayed in Maldivian society contrasts sharply with the island nation’s Sufi-orientated Shafi’i Sunni Islam. Interspersed with influences from the country’s Buddhist past, this mellow form of Islam emphasized tolerance. Overt signs of piety were relatively rare, as was religious-inspired violence.
Some context is necessary to understand the Saudi drive to export Wahhabism. In a bid to placate the powerful Wahhabi religious establishment, in the aftermath of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Riyadh allowed Wahhabism a more prominent place in public life. Part of this grand bargain was to allow the religious establishment to export their puritanical version of Islam to the world. Wahhabi madrassas – or religious schools – began popping up around the world, as the Saudi state poured an estimated $100 billion into spreading the creed. The other side of the equation, of course, is that the spread of Wahhabism was viewed by some in Riyadh as being synonymous with the spread of Saudi influence. This was seen as vital to safeguarding Saudi Arabia’s place at the center of the Islamic world in the face of the challenge posed by Iran and its alternative velâyat-e Faqih (rule of the cleric) model.
The rise of Wahhabi-inspired Islam in the Maldives can thus be traced back to the 1970s and 1980s, when many Maldivian students returned home from studying at Wahhabi madrasas in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Although not a Wahhabi himself, the Maldives’ then president, the Egyptian-educated Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, moved to emphasis the country’s Islamic identity. Under Gayoom’s 1997 constitution, only Muslims can be citizens and non-Muslims are prohibited from practicing their religion in public….
Frank Anderson says
I understand that some questions are “rhetorical”. At some point in a discussion they may cloud the search for truth. Islam teaches death, war, conquest, slavery, abuse, looting and nothing of peace or respect. I would suggest that there is very little doubt to discuss. The “final, perfect, complete and unchangeable” teachings that were changed a number of times as they were “revealed” leave nothing to the imagination. Whatever it takes for those who are undecided is fair game, including “rhetorical” questions if they are felt to be helpful getting people to learn. There is more than one way to achieve most results.
mortimer says
Hypothetical? The estimate of Maldives police concurs with statistics of Muslim attitudes worldwide: an average of 15% of Muslims self-declare as supporting a jihad-terror group. Less than 1% of Muslims are ready to commit jihadic terror. The Maldives have become a Wahhabist hotbed in the last two decades thanks to the importation of Saudi literature and teachers trained by them. Wahhabism is purist or ‘puritan’ Islam … Wahhabism emphasizes hatred and hostility directed by Muslims against the dirty kufaar in a core Islamic teaching called AL WALAA WAL BARAA.
Wahhabism teaches that Muslims who do not hate the kufaar and show hostility towards them will be rejected by Allah on judgment day.
Frank Anderson says
Mortimer, I respect your personal commitment and great knowledge. I may disagree with certain issues because of my experience. But my respect is not diminished by the difference of opinion.
From what I have read all muslims believe in and support jihad violence. Some are defiantly honest when answering polls, while others practice lying and deception whenever advantage can be obtained. There is no peace or tolerance taught or practiced anywhere in islam for difference, reform or for infidel dirty low-born rotten kafirs (us). Former muslims who dare to leave are special. But those who remain claiming to be “moderate reformers” are liars who deserve total disbelief. “The proof of the pudding. . .”
Sincere best wishes for Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. A Joyous Hanukkah thrown in for good measure.
gravenimage says
Frank, Happy New Year to you and yours, and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Frank Anderson says
GI, THANK YOU. We are fighting many struggles that are normal and expected. Happy to report being able to spend short periods at the machine shop and making wonderful progress on more improvements. Some days are better than others; but after trying out being a dead slab of meat on an operating table, life is still better. I ask the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus to bless all who call upon Him as Father and guide us as He has held my hand my entire life.
gravenimage says
Frank, so glad to hear you are feeling somewhat better. Hope you continue to improve in the new Year!
Ray Jarman says
I do no understand why so many westerners are willing to spend huge amounts of money to vacation in places like the Maldives. For Americans and Europeans the Caribbean islands offer as much and maybe even more for a lot less money. Maybe a group of influential people could begin a campaign to boycott all Muslim countries and all Muslim products (including petroleum) until Islam is sent to the trash bin of history.
mortimer says
Boycotting Islamic countries means not buying their oil … a plan that will take a lot of work, but business leaders won’t go along because they ignore ideology when profitability is involved.
We should instead deprogram Muslims by convincing them that the Koran is of human origin.
Once Muslims see the Koran is a human hoax, they leave Islam instantly.
Savvy Kafir says
Mortimer — Your scheme of saving the West by “deprogramming” Muslims is so absolutely certain to fail, one might be tempted to suspect that you’re a secret Islamist, trying to buy time for Muslim colonizers. But I don’t believe that. I think you’re just incredibly unrealistic; and that you choose to believe in this magic wand solution rather than facing up to the extremely difficult, expensive, & bloody conflict that lies ahead.
Conrad says
How naive can one person be? Your comment sounds suspiciously like the duplicitous comment of a disingenuous, lying, imam.
gravenimage says
Conrad, Mortimer is no Muslim–he is a staunch Anti-Jihadist.
But I do agree with you that his scheme to “deprogram” Muslims is quite naive.
mortimer says
It is ‘naive’ to think jihad can be stopped by hiring more police. The source of jihad is the books of the mullahs and Mohammed’s cult and ideology.
All cultists can be deprogrammed. It is very challenging to get these ideas across to Muslims, but once they hear and see them, Muslims are troubled by cognitive dissonance. It is a problem of distribution, especially when speech is controlled so much today.
Deprogramming of Muslims can and should be done by all of us. It is not mysterious. We should all do it.
If not us, then who? Those who criticize deprogramming haven’t done it and don’t have an alternative but to wring their hands and stamp their feet.
When we challenge Muslims to think for themselves, we are deprogramming them.
gravenimage says
Dear Mortimer, few here are saying that the solution of Jihad terror is just hiring more police. Islam does not belong in the civilized world at all.
As for “deprogramming”, I have repeatedly asked how many Muslims you yourself have deprogrammed, it this is something you are so committed to. I note that you have never answered this question. Even without you having government funding, there must be quite a few at this point I would think if this is effective. (I would not, of course, ask for names–just numbers).
And the idea that anyone who is skeptical of the idea that millions of Muslims in the West can be instantly made to leave Islam is just wringing their hands and stamping their feet is absurd–is this what you think Robert Spencer is doing?
Ray Jarman says
Conrad, The African nations that I would mention are Nigeria, Angola and maybe a couple from the Indian Ocean side of the continent that may have reserves. The problem is that some have less than honest governments such as Nigeria but with the right amount of incentives and pure brute pressure, I think that things could change.
Frank Anderson says
R.J. How do the reports of jihad activity in Nigeria appearing here fit in with your proposal? It seems that IF Nigeria is not already under muslim control, it is in play.
Consider the implication that 80 percent of Japan’s oil imports are from muslim countries. Should purchases of Japanese goods be reduced because of the connection? Worth considering for any country addicted to supporting terrorism.
Carol the 1st says
I hope China isn’t being overly cruel to any non-misbehaving muslims – but they do seem to know how to pin them down and *make* them pay attention. How would you propose doing the same, Mortimer? We’ve all seen the videos with chairs flying and the loudest screecher usurping center stage, but, of course, there will always be the less histrionic types capable of and willing to lend an ear and we shouldn’t neglect this group as you suggest.
Somewhat O/T but this video of Christopher Hitchens (such a loss) dealing with Ahmed Younis of MPAC in a ‘discussion’ of the Salman Rushdie affair helps illustrate the above. It ends up with Hitchens conserving energy and efficiently replying to the sidetracking excuses of Younis with “Nonsense”, “More babble” and “Offensive”.
Younis, of course, continues to babble and give a cheery PR smile to the audience as the moderator ends the session.
Carol the 1st says
this is the video:
Ahmed Younis – Re: Danish Cartoons – CNN International
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-yYhq3nOng
Savvy Kafir says
I agree, Ray. We should boycott all Muslim countries & products. I never (knowingly) buy anything from Muslim countries.
And we definitely need to stop buying Muslim oil. That will do a HUGE amount of good, in terms of slowing the spread of Islam into the West & elsewhere, as well as reducing the financing of terrorists & jihadi insurgents. We need to get serious about developing the technology & infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, solar power, wind power, etc.
Frank Anderson says
S.K., if you spend some time on the cost of “alternative energy” proposals I think you will see that most of them cost far more than more conventional sources. Figure more or less triple the cost of coal or natural gas for nuclear power generation, and triple the cost of nuclear for wind and solar.
If you look at what it takes to build a wind generator, which needs to be replaced about every 30 years, or a solar plant with about the same life, the environmental impact of building, operating and retiring these sources is quite high.
Then, consider that there are 8766 hours in a year. How many of those hours do you want to be in the dark. Few places in the US have wind to operate a windmill 2000 hours per year. Even fewer have steady winds at 40 miles per hour that are strong enough to produce rated power. At 20 miles per hour, the output is forced by the “cube law” of simple physics to be less than 1/8th rated power. At 15 miles per hour or less, windmills shut down because they can’t produce enough power to run themselves, much less add power to the grid. If enough wind turbines were built to supply the energy needs now supplied by coal, gas and nuclear plants, the cost would make us shut down most of the ordinary uses of electricity.
Fads come easy when cost is ignored. Buying votes by tax subsidies for $5,000,000 each windmills will not last forever when people learn how they are being (politely) fleeced. Be careful what you wish for. You will hate what you get. There is no free lunch.
James Lincoln says
Ray Jarman,
Following the first OPEC oil embargo in 1973, the United States should have started a crash Manhattan Project style program to permanently stop any need for oil from Muslim countries.
We didn’t do it – and got hit with another disruption in supply occurring in 1979 following the Iranian revolution..
Finally, under Pres. Trump, we are the leading producer of energy in the world…
Ray Jarman says
James Lincoln,
You are so correct. I will probably receive some blow back but if the west completely boycotted the Saudis and others, the Russians could easily make up the difference and I would rather side with one who makes decisions predicated upon money and even power than a religion that believes it is ok to annihilate everyone not of their sect. We could also assist some of the African nations to develop their oil production.
Conrad says
Which ‘african’, whatever that means, nations did you have in mind pray tell.
Gfmucci says
Yup. Yuppie/millennial tourists who have a lot more money than either common sense or knowledge of evil in the world. Thank God they are the ones inheriting the mess they are stupidly promoting.
mortimer says
Sufism is neither pacifist nor tolerant.
Journalist Henry Storey writing in ‘The Diplomat’ is mistaken to opine that Sufism is a ‘peace-and-love’ hippy, pacifist version of Islam. To the contrary, Sufis are considered to be the fiercest of jihad-warriors and among the most intolerant of Muslim fanatics. It is not difficult for Sufis to adopt Wahhabism.
Please read the following to learn about Sufist attitudes to jihad.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2005/05/sufi_jihad.html
https://www.hudson.org/research/13480-justifying-war-the-salafi-jihadi-appropriation-of-sufi-jihad-in-the-sahel-sahara
gravenimage says
So true, Mortimer. This is something that not even all Anti-Jihadists realize, since Sufis are oppressed by other Muslims, and Sufism is so often touted as “peaceful”.
Carson says
Wow, would be a great place for refugee resettlement.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Good God. Western tourists, stay away. The Pacific Ocean will do the rest.
Clayton says
It’s in the Indian Ocean, off the southern tip of India.
Ade Fegan says
How sweet .. One for every year since muhammad was around .. Ahhh
gravenimage says
Maldives: Security services reveal that close to 1,400 Maldivians would kill in the name of Islam
…………………..
Pleas note that the entire population of the Maldives is pretty tiny–this is an island nation.
Yet, foolish Infidels continue to vacation there:
“Top 5 Maldives spots to visit”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSu4zd_c9aA
Carol the 1st says
At 1:23 it looks like a muslima fell in the water!
Kurt says
I have the best solution: climate change. Didn’t some “brilliant” politicians say global warming causes terrorism? Maldives is one of the lowest lying countries on the planet.
Conrad says
It is not the religion of peace, in fact, it is not a religion at all, it is a political ideology, and further, is a satanic death cult, ask any self respecting Knights Templar.
Marcel Berube says
Robert , you need to start a new movement : The Religion of Peace explained to MUSLIMS. I’m sure SOROS philanthropist will give you the funds . If not , ask Bilderbergs, They should meet again in next May or early June .
sidney penny says
“Why do so many Muslims misunderstand the Religion of Peace? Why do they all misunderstand it in the same way?”
Robert Spencer-get it right.It is
“Why do so many Muslims from all the the world misunderstand the Religion of Peace? Why do they all misunderstand it in the same way?
sidney penny says
from all round the world
sidney penny says
Infidels still. for some reason like to go there for a holiday ( as if there is no other place like it for a holiday)