Radical Muslims seem to have recruited a young Shiite Iranian-American, Reza Aslan, who alleges he is “an internationally acclaimed writer”, to promote Jihad. In his book, “How to Win a Cosmic War”, he urges his readers to understand Jihad as “an ideology that seeks eradicating social and political deprivation of Muslims across the globe”, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Palestine. He also claims Jihad is a “social movement”.
But Jihadists have no socio-economic program. The only “program” they uphold is Shari’a, a medieval collection of beliefs and practices that disdain basic human rights, and actually outlaw them.
Sadly, some Western governments are following Aslan’s advice. The European Union recently issued Edict 1605 through which criticism of Islam in no longer tolerated. In Switzerland, a German lady was prosecuted for posting critical articles of radical Islam on her website. She was accused of “racism”. In Germany, the Christian Democratic Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble meets regularly with Muslim leaders, who are predominantly radical Muslims. He and several German politicians across the board want to introduce Islam, as a subject, in school curricula, from an Islamic point of view.
The question is: Who is actually waging this bloody war, in which tens of millions of persons have already died? Have you ever heard or read of a Christian or Jew blowing himself up in crowds of innocent people? Have you even heard of Christians or Jews engaging in violent demonstrations for being ‘insulted’? It is Jihadists who engage in every form of violence in the name of Allah, who orders his Muslims in the Koran and Hadith to maim and hate non-Muslims, and even Muslims that are not their ‘flavor of the month’ (hundreds of thousands such have been murdered in Algeria).
Throughout his book, Aslan tries to justify Jihad yet fails to explain it honestly. For example, he alleges the Dutch Parliament is debating legislation via which the Koran must be outlawed.
This is incorrect, even if some Dutch legislators, led by Geert Wilders, ask if Hitler’s Mein Kampf is banned, than why should not the Koran also be banned as it, too, incites to hatred and violence? Check out “Is Islam a Violent Faith?” Link: http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.2287/pub_detail.asp
If you read the Koran carefully, you will find that the book is studded with hatred, violence, and discrimination against women. According to a report by Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, over 80% of Germans who read the Koran favor banning it like Mein Kampf. And by the way, the translation of the word Jihad in German is - Mein Kampf.
Aslan also claims that Muslims living in the West are “alienated” by the majority in their host countries, and that is why some join Jihad. This is not correct either: Peaceful Muslims are integrated in the West and nobody shows hostility toward them. It is radical Muslims who reject the West, and as a consequence are rejected by others.
Later in the book, Aslan urges the West to recognize that “Islamophobia” gets them nowhere. In other words, “leave us alone to destroy your un-Islamic societies to replace them with Shari’a.”
Aslan also alleges that “Poll after poll across the Muslim world has revealed overwhelmingly majorities among all classes, ages, and sectors of society condemning al Qaeda’s actions.” What “polls” is Aslan talking about? Polls conducted by serious academic institutions prove the contrary. Even polls conducted by Arab institutions consistently show strong support for suicide bombings and other ‘actions’ including full implementation of Sharia.
Adding insult to injury, Aslan contradicts himself when he states that Muslims across the world “consider militant groups like al Qaeda to be the only forces in the Muslim world giving voice to their grievances.”
Aslan has exposed himself in his article, “Depicting Mohammed: Why I'm offended by the Danish cartoons of the prophet.” Link: http://www.slate.com/id/2135661/. In this piece he defends fanaticism and opposes religious and opinion freedom. If what he said previously about Jews and Christians were correct, why do we not see and hear of Jews and Christians offended by the horrible cartoons in official Arab dailies?
Aslan’s suggestion for “cooling down the temperature with Jihadists” does not work and never will. Had the world community cooled down the temperature with Hitler and Pol Pot, even more atrocities would have been committed.
Aslan also brags that “Al Qaeda may never fully dissipate”. This is wishful thinking. Al Qaeda, like most extremist doctrines, will, sooner or later, dissipate. The only question remains - at what price?
When Wolfgang Schäuble meets with Muslim leaders, they tell him that they fully approve of the Constitution, and he believes that. Behind his back and in the absence of media, they gloat, “The fool and his ilk believe us.” Muslim centers, branded as “cultural” are everywhere in Germany. They teach youngsters hatred and violence. Check out “The Radical Muslims of Germany” Link: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1210668665816&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull and “A Deoband Madrassa in the Heart of Germany” Link: http://www.islam-watch.org/Sami/Deoband-Madrassa-in-the-Heart-of-Germany.htm
Aslan claims that the Turkish AKP government used to be a radical Muslim movement, but now it has become a “cautious peaceful government party”. This is incorrect. The AKP is, slowly but steadily, Islamizing Turkey. It is preaching Jihad and dreams of re-establishing an Ottoman Caliphate. It is also still denying autonomy for the 8 million Kurds living in Turkey.
Aslan alleges that Jihadists are fighting the same “cosmic war” as “Christian fundamentalists” and “Jewish Orthodox”. He also claims that the latter are as “zealous” about purity of their faith as the Jihadists. At the end of his book, Aslan concludes that this “war” can never be won, but it can be and must be “managed” properly.
Aslan states a deeper “understanding of the social, political, and economic forces that have made global Jihadism such an appealing phenomenon, particularly to Muslim youth” is required.
If I were the head of the University of California, Riverside, where Aslan is allegedly teaching “creative writing”, I would wonder whether Aslan uses his authority to teach impressionable students how to justify Jihad through “creative writing”.
Radical Muslims and Jihadists, in particular, must be exposed and all root causes of their doctrine and practices must be blasted, isolated, and eventually eradicated. The West, and for that matter the entire world, does not need propagandists like Reza Aslan who play down the threat of radical Islam and Jihad. We need people who tell the truth about this virus which has befallen the whole world so that the root causes of Jihad will be eliminated wherever they are.
Dr. Sami Alrabaa,, is a professor of sociology and Arab culture in Germany and a commentator on Arab affairs. He has taught at Kuwait University, King Saud University and Michigan State University. He also writes for the Jerusalem Post.
