Muslim attitudes towards terrorism

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Contents 1 Muslim diversity 2 Condemnation 3 Support and perceived support 4 Western perspectives 5 References

[edit] Muslim diversity

Muslims are not a monolithic group. National, political and religious variations highlight stark differences and multiple identities among Muslims. The Sunnis who account for over 80% of Muslims have over centuries fragmented in to three clear strands, the Political, Missionary and Jihad movements who posses individual characteristics and vary in global view. It is only the Jihadists however that pursue and promote an armed Islamic struggle, which led by the al-mujahid can occur in an internal, irredentist or global capacity.^[1]

[edit] Condemnation

In the article "Why are there no condemnations from Muslim sources against terrorists?" Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance summarizes:

A common complaint among non-Muslims is that Muslim religious authorities do not condemn terrorist attacks. The complaints often surface in letters to the editors of newspapers, on phone-in radio shows, in Internet mailing lists, forums, etc.

Actually, there are lots of fatwas and other statements issued which condemn attacks on innocent civilians. Unfortunately, they are largely ignored by newspapers, television news, radio news and other media outlets.

In fact, many Muslims have spoken out against 9/11 [1] and terrorist attacks in general.[2][3]

A 2005 Pew Research study that involved 17,000 people in 17 countries showed support for terrorism in the Muslim world declining along with a growing belief that Islamic extremism represents a threat to those countries.^[2]A Daily Telegraph survey^[3]showed that 6% of British Muslims fully supported the July 2005 bombings in the London Underground.

The Free Muslims Coalition[4] rallied against terror, stating that they wanted to send "a message to radical Muslims and supporters of terrorism that we reject them and that we will defeat them."

On the other hand, Fethullah Gulen, a prominent Turkish Islamic scholar, has claimed that "a real Muslim," who understood Islam in every aspect, could not be a terrorist. ^{[4] [5]} There are several, if not many, other people with similar points of view such as Karen Armstrong ^[6], Prof. Ahmet Akgunduz ^[7], and Harun Yahya ^[8]

[edit] Support and perceived support

In the Palestinian parliamentary election of January 2006, 57% of the electorate voted for Hamas^[9], which is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, Canada, and the European Union. It is responsible for numerous attacks targeting Israeli civilians. Observers are divided over whether the election results represent support for the organization's tactics, support for the organization's social programs, or dissatisfaction with the previous government, which was widely seen as corrupt and incompetent. A public opinion survey released following the election indicated that nearly 75% of the Palestinian electorate believe that Hamas should change its policy regarding the destruction of Israel and 84% of Palestinians support a peace agreement with Israel. Among Hamas voters, 73% of respondents supported a peace agreement with Israel. However Hamas leaders ruled out removing the clause in its constitution which demands the destruction of Israel.^[10]

A 2004 Pew survey revealed that Osama bin Laden is viewed favorably by large percentages in Pakistan (65%), Jordan (55%) and Morocco (45%). In Turkey as many as 31% say that suicide attacks against Americans and other Westerners in Iraq are justifiable.^{[11] [12]}.Iranian Ayatollah Ozma Seyyed Yousef Sanei issued a fatwa (ruling) that suicide attacks against civilians are legitimate only in the context of war.^[13]The ruling did not say whether other types of attacks against civilians are justified outside of the context of war, nor whether Jihad is included in Sanei's definition of war.

Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, a Muslim and the general manager of Arab news channel, Al-Arabiya has said it is a "fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims." Statistics compiled by the United States government's Counterterrorism Center present a more complicated picture. Slightly more than half of the fatalities of known and specified terrorist incidents from the beginning of 2004 through the first quarter of 2005 were attributed to Islamic extremists but a majority of over-all incidents were considered of either "unknown/unspecified" or a secular political nature. The vast majority of the "unknown/unspecified" terrorism fatalities did however happen in Islamic regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan, or in regions where Islam is otherwise involved in conflicts such as the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, southern Thailand and Kashmir.The methodology employed by the Center is sometimes disputed.^[14]

[edit] Western perspectives

Some in the West assume Islam to be polarised between pro-Western and pro-jihadi mentalities, enabling a clear divide between opponents and proponents of violent action.^[15] In reality however, Islamic ideological and political spectrums are far more diverse than this idea suggests. American policy is unpopular among some Muslims, yet this hostility does not directly translate to support or participation in Al-Qaeda’s global jihad and for Political Islamists who support non-violent measures it can not be assumed that they are in agreement with Western agendas.^[16]

[edit] References

1. ^ International Crisis Group. Understanding Islamism: Middle East/North Africa Report. No 37, March 2005
2. ^ Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics. Pew Global Attitudes Project. Pew Research Center (2005). Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
3. ^ King, Anthony (2005). One in four Muslims sympathises with motives of terrorists. News. Telegraph Group Limited. Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
4. ^ The terrorist attacks in London. Rumi Forum (2005). Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
5. ^ A Real Muslim cannot be a Terrorist. Interview with Nuriye Akman of Zaman Daily. Fethullah Gulen's Website (2004). Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
6. ^ The True, Peaceful Face Of Islam. Time. Time Inc. (2001). Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
7. ^ A Muslim cannot be a Terrorist and a Terrorist cannot be a Muslim. Article. Fethulah Gulen's Website (2002). Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
8. ^ Islam Denounces Terrorism. Harun Yahya's Website (2006). Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
9. ^ Hamas sweeps to election victory. Middle East news. BBC (2006). Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
10. ^ Palestinians want Hamas reform - poll. News - Arab World. Aljazeera.Net (2006). Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
11. ^ A Year After Iraq War - Mistrust of America in Europe Ever Higher, Muslim Anger Persists. Survey reports. The Pew Research Center (2004). Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
12. ^ Bin Laden more popular with Nigerian Muslims than Bush. News. Daily Times of Pakistan (2003). Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
13. ^ Iran: Ayatollah Issues Fatwa Against Suicide Attacks. adn kronos international. adn kronos international (2006). Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
14. ^ Glasser, Susan B. (2005). Global Terrorism Statistics Debated. World news. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
15. ^ Michael Doran. ‘Somebody Else’s Civil War. Foreign Affairs. January/February 2002.
16. ^ International Crisis Group. Understanding Islamism: Middle East/North Africa Report. No 37, March 2005