In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Time and and time again, I am contacted by people wondering why I - and the "silent majority" of Muslims - have not condemned the violence perpetrated against innocent people by "Muslims" in the name of Islam. I put the word Muslims in quotes because anyone who kills innocent people, to me, cannot truly be a Muslim. The specific act of violence varies, but the accusation against Muslims is the same: you so-called "moderate" Muslims do not - and have not - condemned the violence in the name of Islam.
Now, this is not true. Muslims have condemned terrorism and indiscriminate violence ad infinitum. The condemnations, however, are not heard, and we are accused of being "silent" in the face of the vicious murder and violence committed in Islam's name. In addition, no other group, except Muslims, has been repeatedly asked to condemn the acts of the criminals among them. Most people understand that the actions of the few do not reflect the truth of the many...except when it comes to Muslims. This framework implicitly accuses ordinary Muslims of complicity in said acts of violence if they do not shout out condemnations every single time some Muslim somewhere does something wrong. This is untenable.
Having said that, however, I do want to express to people my sincere feelings about the murder of people in the name of Islam. I have repeatedly written about how Islam does not sanction violence against the innocent, that there is no cogent understanding of the sacred texts of Islam that would lead someone to justify the murder of innocent people. I have repeatedly written that Muslims are not called to "kill all the infidels," or even to hate all non-Muslims. My convictions about this issue run to the deepest recesses of my soul, and my repugnance for deliberate violence against the innocent runs through every cell of my body.
Yet, once and for all, let me express - in no uncertain terms - my unequivocal rejection and condemnation of any violence perpetrated against any innocent man, woman, or child. I condemn this violence irrespective of the motivation, and I reserve the harshest repugnance for the religious motivation; I reserve the harshest condemnation against anyone who would use the sacred garbs of religion as a cloak to cover the evil of taking an innocent life. I condemn this violence whether it be perpetrated by individuals, groups, organizations, or states.
My motivations for this comes from the Qur'an itself - the book which is repeatedly accused of calling for wanton murder. In the Qur'an, it says in many verses that human life is sacred. This is just one of them:
And do not take a life that God has made sacred, except for just cause. (17:33)
In no way, shape, or form can the deliberate murder of innocent men, women, and children be described as a "just cause." Never. Furthermore, I subscribe to the concept that to take an innocent life is like killing all of humanity:
If anyone slays a human being-unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth-it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind. (5:32)
The life of every human being - Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, etc. - is sacred and has an inherent dignity, for all human beings were created in the image of God. It is, therefore, condemnable when anyone - or anything - deliberately targets innocent human beings for murder, and I condemn it unequivocally. I make this condemnation in perpetuity, for all times and for all circumstances.
I ask the Precious Lord God, as well as all you here, to bear witness to this my perpetual condemnation.
5 comments:
Salam, I'm glad to see this line included: "I put the word Muslims in quotes because anyone who kills innocent people, to me, cannot truly be a Muslim."
But all the condemnations in the world won't change those critics opinions of us. We're stuck, basically.
They harass us to condemn and when we do, we're practicing taqiyya.
However, our quest for justice and truth doesn't have to be approved by them, thank God. We condemn and reject evil and will continue to do so.
Even if you condemn violence a thousand times a day, those that lambaste you for not condemning loudly or often enough won't believe you really mean it. Their minds are made up already. Allah knows the truth. That is enough.
Ya Haqq!
Dear Dr. Hassaballa,
Peace be with you as well. I must say I was very pleased to read your blanket condemnation of violence. I can feel your sincerity quite strongly, and I thank you for that.
After reading it two or three times, however, it occurred to me that there was a "loop-hole" in it. It condemns violence against all "innocent" persons. But who judges innocence? Shouldn't Allah be the ONLY judge, and not men?
If the Qu'ran condemns apostasy with a sentence of death (which I believe it does), does that mean that Ayaan Hirsi Ali and others who have left the Muslim faith are not innocent, and may thereby be killed? Do you believe Theo Van Gogh was "innocent" for making a movie (however distasteful and offensive) and that his killer (not Mr. Van Gogh) deserves your perpetual condemnation?
I fear that leaving the word "innocent" undefined is quite dangerous because most of the violence perpetuated on behalf of "fundamentalists" (of every faith) are against people that THEY believe are NOT innocent.
Fundamentalist Christians bomb abortion clinics because they believe the doctors are guilty of murder.
A fundamentalist Muslim killed Theo Van Gogh because he believed he was a co-conspirator with Ayaan Hirsi Ali in insulting Mohammad and Allah.
Would you be willing to create an addendum to your condemnation that protects ALL speech and any other activity that is legal under the laws of one's society under the umbrella definition "innocent"? That the act of criticism of Islam (or Mohammad or even Allah) is NEVER an act that is worthy of a jihad, murder or death penalty?
If so, I will do my best to communicate with as many other groups as I can (including fundamentalist Christian organizations) and get them to "match" your wonderful and sincere condemnation of violence.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Peace (to all)!
Mike Ashe
mashe@yahoo.com
Mike, apostasy is NOT punishable by death according to the Quran. Also, there is no punishment for criticism or any type of "speech".
Unless those speakers start killing and harming people or encouraging similar kinds of destruction, they fall under the category of "innocent" (not liable to be killed), in my understanding.
Leena,
Thank you for your correction. I'm glad to hear that you don't think Qu'ran orders the death penalty for apostates, and that you think all speech, even criticisms, should be protected (at least on this Earth in this life!). I think it is reasonable to say, however, that many Muslim scholars disagree with you. This web site has a pretty thorough (but perhaps biased) discussion on the subject.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/001590.php
IV. 89: “They would have you disbelieve as they themselves have disbelieved, so that you may be all like alike. Do not befriend them until they have fled their homes for the cause of God. If they desert you seize them and put them to death wherever you find them. Look for neither friends nor helpers among them…”
Sura II.217 is interpreted by no less an authority than al-Shafi’i(died 820 C.E.), the founder of one of the four orthodox schools of law of Sunni Islam to mean that the death penalty should be prescribed for apostates. Sura II.217 reads: “… But whoever of you recants and dies an unbeliever , his works shall come to nothing in this world and the next, and they are the companions of the fire for ever.” Al-Thalabi and al -Khazan concur. Al-Razi in his commentary on II:217 says the apostate should be killed.
How can we get united consensus on your view? Dr. Hassaballa, can you publicly concur with Leena on the definition of "innocent"?
Thank you again for allowing me to comment on your blog.
Peace!
Mike Ashe
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