IslamIsaReligionofViolence

Can the wave of violence sweeping the Islamic world be traced back to the religion's core
teachings? An FP debate about the roots of extremism.

BY AYAAN HIRSI ALI NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Inthepastfewweeks,bothRussiaandtheUnitedStateshaveescalatedtheirmilitarycampaignsagainstthe

IslamicState.AsthebrutaljihadistgroupcontinuestowreakhavocinSyriaandIraq,ForeignPolicysPeace

Channel,apartnershipwiththeUnitedStatesInstituteofPeace,askedAyaanHirsiAli,authorofHeretic:Why

IslamNeedsaReformationNow,andUnitedStatesInstituteofPeaceactingVicePresidentManalOmar,oneof

theforemostvoicesonpeaceandIslam,todebatewhatisbehindthisnewestbreedofextremismandhowcanit

bedefeated.IntheageofalQaeda,theIslamicState,andBokoHaram,istherealinkbetweentheviolencethese

groupsperpetrateandthefaiththeyprofess?(ReadManalOmarspiecehere.)

Inthe14yearssincetheattacksof9/11broughtIslamicterrorismtotheforefrontofAmericanandWestern

awarenessandthen-PresidentGeorgeW.BushlaunchedtheGlobalWaronTerror,theviolentstrainofIslam

appearstohavemetastasized.WithtractsofSyriaandIraqinthehandsoftheself-styledIslamicState,Libyaand

Somaliaengulfedinanarchy,Yemenbeingtornapartbycivilwar,theTalibanresurginginAfghanistan,andBoko

HaramterrorizingNigeria,policymakersarefartherawayfromeliminatingthethreatofviolentIslamismthan

theywerewhentheybegantheeort.Infact,Westerncountriesareincreasinglywitnessingdomesticattacks

suchasthemurderofBritishmilitarydrummerLeeRigbyandtheBostonMarathonbombingsin2013,the

shootingsatParliamentHillinCanadain2014,theattacksatsatiricalnewspaperCharlieHebdoandataJewish

supermarketinParisthispastJanuary,andmostrecentlytheterroristattackinChattanooga,Tennessee,ona

militaryrecruitingcenterandnavalcompound.

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ButdoesthisviolentextremismstemfromIslamssacredtexts?Orisittheproductofcircumstance,whichhas

twistedandcontortedIslamsfoundations?

Toanswerthis,itsworthrstdrawingtheimportantdistinctionbetweenIslamasasetofideasandMuslimsas

adherents.Thesocioeconomic,political,andculturalcircumstancesofMuslimsarevariedacrosstheglobe,butI

believethatwecandistinguishthreedierentgroupsofMuslimsintheworldtodaybasedonhowtheyenvision

andpracticetheirfaith.

Therstgroupisthemostproblematicthefundamentalistswhoenvisionaregimebasedonsharia,Islamic

religiouslaw.TheyargueforanIslamlargelyorcompletelyunchangedfromitsoriginalseventh-centuryversion

andtakeitasarequirementoftheirfaiththattheyimposeitoneveryoneelse.IcallthemMedinaMuslims,in

thattheyseetheforcibleimpositionofshariaastheirreligiousduty,followingtheexampleoftheProphet

MohammedwhenhewasbasedinMedina.TheyexploittheirfellowMuslimsrespectforsharialawasadivine

codethattakesprecedenceovercivillaws.Itisonlyaftertheyhavelaidthisfoundationthattheyareableto

persuadetheirrecruitstoengageinjihad.

ThesecondgroupandtheclearmajoritythroughouttheMuslimworldconsistsofMuslimswhoareloyalto

thecorecreedandworshipdevoutlybutarenotinclinedtopracticeviolenceorevenintolerancetowardsnon-

Muslims.IcallthisgroupmeccaMuslims.Thefundamentalproblemisthatthemajorityofotherwisepeaceful

andlaw-abidingMuslimsareunwillingtoacknowledge,muchlesstorepudiate,thetheologicalwarrantfor

intoleranceandviolenceembeddedintheirownreligioustexts.
Morerecently,andcorrespondingwiththeriseofIslamicterrorism,athirdgroupisemergingwithinIslam

Muslimreformersor,asIcallthem,modifyingMuslimswhopromotetheseparationofreligionfrompolitics

andotherreforms.Althoughsomeareapostates,themajorityofdissidentsarebelievers,amongthemclericswho

havecometorealizethattheirreligionmustchangeifitsfollowersarenottobecondemnedtoaninterminable

cycleofpoliticalviolence.

ThefutureofIslamandtheworldsrelationshipwithMuslimswillbedecidedbywhichofthetwominority

groupstheMedinaMuslimsandthereformerswinsthesupportofthemeccanmajority.Thatiswhy

focusingonviolentextremismistofocusonasymptomofamuchmoreprofoundideologicalepidemicthat

hasitsrootcausesinIslamicdoctrine.

TounderstandwhetherviolenceisinherentinthedoctrineofIslam,itisimportanttolookattheexampleofthe

foundingfatherofIslam,Mohammed,andthepassagesintheQuranandIslamicjurisprudenceusedtojustify

theviolencewecurrentlyseeinsomanypartsoftheMuslimworld.InMecca,Mohammedpreachedtohisfellow

tribesmentoabandontheirgodsandaccepthis.Hepreachedaboutcharityandtheconditionsofwidowsand

orphans.(Thismethodofproselytizingorpersuasion,calleddawainArabic,remainsanimportantcomponentof

Islamtothisday.)However,duringhistimeinMecca,Mohammedandhissmallbandofbelievershadlittle

successinconvertingotherstothisnewreligion.So,adecadeafterMohammedrstbeganpreaching,heedto

Medina.Overtimehecobbledtogetheramilitiaandbegantowagewars.

AnyoneseekingsupportforarmedjihadinthenameofAllahwillndamplesupportinthepassagesinthe

QuranandHadiththatrelatetoMohammedsMedinaperiod.Forexample,Q4:95states,Allahhathgranteda

gradehighertothosewhostriveandghtwiththeirgoodsandpersonsthantothosewhosit(athome).Q8:60

advisesMuslimstostriketerrorinto(theheartsof)theenemies,ofAllahandyourenemies,andothersbesides,

whomyemaynotknow,butwhomAllahdothknow.Finally,Q9:29instructsMuslims:Fightthosewhobelieve

notinAllahnortheLastDay,norholdthatforbiddenwhichhathbeenforbiddenbyAllahandHisMessenger,

noracknowledgethereligionofTruth,(eveniftheyare)ofthePeopleoftheBook,untiltheypaytheJizyawith

willingsubmission,andfeelthemselvessubdued.

MainstreamIslamicjurisprudencecontinuestomaintainthattheso-calledswordverses(9:5and9:29)have

abrogated,canceled,andreplacedthoseversesintheQuranthatcallfortolerance,compassion,andpeace.
AsfortheexampleofMohammed,SahihMuslim,oneofthesixmajorauthoritativeHadithcollections,claimsthe

ProphetMohammedundertooknofewerthan19militaryexpeditions,personallyghtingineightofthem.Inthe

aftermathofthe627BattleoftheTrench,MohammedfeltfreetodealharshlywiththeBanuQurayza,executing

theirmenandsellingtheirwomenandchildrenintoslavery,accordingtoYaleProfessorofReligiousStudies

GerhardBoweringinhisbookIslamicPoliticalThought.AsthePrincetonscholarMichaelCookobservedinhis

bookAncientReligions,ModernPolitics,thehistoricalsalienceofwarfareagainstunbelieverswasthus

writtenintothefoundationaltextsofIslam.

ThereliesthedualitywithinIslam.Itspossibletoclaim,followingMohammedsexampleinMecca,thatIslamis

areligionofpeace.Butitsalsopossibletoclaim,astheIslamicStatedoes,thatarevelationwassentto

MohammedcommandingMuslimstowagejihaduntileveryhumanbeingontheplanetacceptsIslamorastate

ofsubservience,onthebasisofhislegacyinMedina.ThekeyquestionisnotwhetherIslamisareligionofpeace,

butrather,whetherMuslimsfollowtheMohammedofMedina,regardlessofwhethertheyareSunniorShiite.

Today,theWestisstillstrugglingtounderstandthereligiousjusticationfortheMedinaideology,whichis

growing,andthelinksbetweennonviolenceandviolencewithinit.Twomainviewpointshaveemergedinthe

debateonthecausesofviolentextremisminIslam.Thedierencebetweenthemisreectedinthedierent

terminologyusedbyproponentsoftherivalviews.

PopularacademicssuchasJohnEspositoatGeorgetownandauthorKarenArmstrongbelievethatreligion

Islam,inthiscaseisthecircumstantialbitandthattherealcausesofIslamistviolencearepoverty,political

marginalization,culturalisolation,andotherformsofalienation,includingrealorperceiveddiscrimination

againstMuslims.TheseapologistsforIslamusewordssuchasradicalism,violentextremism,andterrorism

todescribethevariousattacksaroundtheworldcommittedinthenameofIslam.IfIslamismentionedatall,itis

tosaythatIslamisbeingperverted,orhijacked.TheyarequicktoassertthatIslamisnodierentfromanyother

religion,thatthereareterribleaspectstootherreligions,andthatIslamisinnowayunique.Thatviewismoreor

lesstheocialviewofpolicymakers,notonlyoftheU.S.government,butalsoofmostWesterncountries

(thoughpolicychangesarebeginningtoappearonthisfrontinsomecountriessuchastheU.K.,Canada,and

Australia).
Buttheapologistspositionhasbeenacompletepolicyfailurebecauseitdeniesthereligiousjusticationsthe

QuranandtheHadithprovideforviolence,genderinequality,anddiscriminationagainstotherreligions.

Proponentsofthealternativeview,suchasthelateacademicPatriciaCroneandauthorPaulBerman,relyon

dierenttermssuchaspoliticalIslam,Islamism,Salasm,Wahhabism,andJihadism.Allofthesetermsare

designedtoconveythereligiousbasisofthephenomenon.Theargumentisthatanideologicalmovementto

imposesharialaw,byforceifnecessary,isgaininggroundacrosstheMiddleEast,NorthAfrica,SoutheastAsia,

andeveninEurope.InaspeechthispastJuly,BritishPrimeMinisterDavidCameronsaid:[S]implydenyingany

connectionbetweenthereligionofIslamandtheextremistsdoesntwork,becausetheseextremistsareself-

identifyingasMuslims.ThefactisfromWoolwichtoTunisia,fromOttawatoBali,thesemurderersallspoutthe

sametwistednarrative,onethatclaimstobebasedonaparticularfaith.Nowitisanexerciseinfutilitytodeny

that.Iagree.

TheviewthattheideologyofradicalIslamisrootedinIslamicscriptureunderstandsfullythecauseofterrorism;

ittakesreligiousargumentsseriously,anddoesnotviewthemasameresmokescreenforunderlyingreal

motivations,suchassocio-economicgrievances.Thisschoolofthoughtunderstandsthattheproblemof

radicalizationbeginslongbeforeasuicidebomberstrapsonhisvestoramilitantpicksuphismachinegun;it

beginsinmosquesandschoolswhereimamspreachhate,intolerance,andadherencetoMedinaIslam.

WesterngovernmentshavetriedtoengagewithmoderateMuslims:imamsandcommunityleaderswho

denounceterroristattacksandclaimtorepresentthetrue,peacefulIslam.Butthishasnotamountedto

meaningfulideologicalengagement.Theseso-calledmoderaterepresentativesofIslaminsistthatviolencehas

nothingtodowithIslamandasaresulttheintolerantandviolentaspectsoftheQuranandtheHaditharenever

acknowledgedorrejected.ThereisneveranydiscussionaboutchangewithinIslamtobringthemorallyoutdated

partsofthereligioninlinewithmodernityorgenuinetoleranceforthosewhobelievedierently.

Despoticgovernments,civilwar,anarchy,economicdespairallofthesefactorsdoubtlesscontributetothe

spreadoftheIslamistmovement.ButitisonlyaftertheWestand,moreimportantly,Muslimsthemselves

recognizeanddefeatthereligiousideologyonwhichthismovementreststhatitsspreadwillbearrested.Andif

wearetodefeattheideologywecannotfocusonlyonviolentextremism.Weneedtoconfrontthenonviolent

preachingofshariaandmartyrdomthatprecedesallactsofjihad.
WewillnotwinagainsttheMedinaideologybystoppingthesuicidebomberjustbeforehedetonateshimself,

whereverhemaybe;anotherwillsoontakehis(orher)place.WewillnotwinbystampingouttheIslamicStateor

alQaedaorBokoHaramoral-Shabab;anewradicalgroupwilljustpopupsomewhereelse.Wewillwinonlyifwe

engagewiththeideologyofIslamistextremism,andcounterthemessageofdeath,intolerance,andthepursuitof

theafterlifewithourownfarpreferablemessageoflife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.

ReadManalOmarspiecehere.

Photocredit:MAHMUDHAMS/AFP/GettyImages

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