by Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed
Trump's national security advisor pick, Lt.-Gen. Michael Flynn, is only saying "what we ourselves say – that there is a dangerous virus inside Islamic society called extremism."
In his December 13, 2016 column in Al-Arabiya,
titled "Which Muslims Are Against Trump?" senior Saudi journalist 'Abd
Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, former editor of the London-based Saudi daily
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and also former director of Al-Arabiya TV, expressed
satisfaction that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is putting together
an administration that is aware of the Iranian danger. It is "Iran,
Al-Qaeda, and Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood" that
object to Trump's choice of top officials, and that seek to depict him
as anti-Muslim, he wrote, adding that the Muslim Brotherhood was angered
by Trump's friendly stance towards Egyptian President Al-Sisi. He
underlined that Trump's national security advisor pick, Lt.-Gen. Michael
Flynn, is only saying "what we ourselves say – that there is a
dangerous virus inside Islamic society called extremism."
The following is his column, in the original English: [1]
Al-Rashed (source: Alarabiya.net)
"Extremist powers in our region have
declared war against President-elect Donald Trump under the excuse that
he has a project to fight Islam and Muslims. They are trying to incite
around one billion Muslims against the new U.S. administration and
against the U.S. Those performing this task are doing so through
religious and media platforms affiliated with extremist Islamic parties,
including the Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian regime.
"Is Trump really hostile to Muslims in
general? Do his secretaries of state [sic] really have hostile stances
against Islam as a religion?
"Ever since Trump announced the
appointments of major secretaries of state [sic], many in our region
spoke out against them, claiming Washington was willing to launch war on
one billion Muslims. General James Mattis, whom Trump chose as
secretary of defense, has in fact clearly and frankly voiced hostility –
but against terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda. He also has frank
stances against what Iran is doing in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
"General Michael Flynn, Trump's new
national security advisor, has also made outspoken speeches against
extremist Islamic groups. Many have used these speeches to indicate that
he is hostile against Islam and Muslims. Truth be told, what General
Flynn said is what we ourselves say, that there is a dangerous virus
inside Islamic society called extremism that has killed Muslims and
threatened them everywhere and harmed them more than it even harmed the
West and followers of other religions.
"The 'Dangerous Disease'
"Doesn't this dangerous disease exist in
Muslims' societies across the world? It certainly exists. Look at what
happened in Turkey and Egypt during the past few days and what had
happened in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Jordan. Hideous crimes were
committed by extremist groups – the same ones which Flynn and Mattis
call for confronting. Mike Pompeo, whom Trump chose to manage the most
important foreign security institution, the CIA, has the same opinions
about the necessity of confronting extremism and he's aware of Iran's
sabotaging role in the region and the world.
"If we realize that those who are angered
by these three appointments are Iran, Al-Qaeda, and Islamic groups, like
the Muslim Brotherhood, we can understand that the problem is not in
Trump's choices, but in these men's project to confront terrorism which
the former parties sponsor or at least benefit from. The majority of
Islamic countries agree with these state secretaries' proposals and
vision of the crisis that threatens the entire world. We, as Muslims,
have for a decade and half now been engaged in a war against extremism
and extremists, as an ideology and groups, and want the world to
differentiate between Muslims and not put them all in one category and
to stand with the majority of peaceful Muslims against this evil
minority. It's in our interest to deter regimes like Iran that supports
terrorist groups, be it Sunni or Shi'ite, and allies with them and
engages in regional wars under dishonest slogans such as defending Islam
or standing against the West.
"We understand that Hillary Clinton's
defeat in the elections angered the Muslim Brotherhood. What fueled the
latter's anger was how Trump received Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah
Al-Sisi in New York earlier this year. It's on this basis that they try
to picture Trump's administration as racist and as an enemy of Islam and
Muslims. They want to establish a popular bloc that exerts pressure to
confront the new American government in order to intimidate it and force
it to alter its stances and they are doing so by entrenching themselves
behind Islam and Muslims.
"Iran's Leadership Of Extremists
"However, the Muslim Brotherhood must
realize that we don't agree with them and don't care about their
aspirations for power and don't want to stand with them. At the same
time, we support any government in the world that's willing to ally with
us against extremism and terrorism as this has always been our desire,
even before Trump entered the political arena. These groups must realize
the threat of media, political and religious incitation against Trump
and the West and how it will cause new waves of violence under false
justifications.
"For 40 years now, Iran has led extremist
groups, whether armed or politicized or Sunni or Shiite, in Lebanon,
Palestine and the Gulf, and it continues to do so. It's currently guilty
when it comes to Iraq and the sectarian chaos across it and it's
responsible for the rivers of blood in Syria. It's for the first time
that we see Washington officials who realize the facts on the ground and
frankly declare that they will not accept blackmail or keep silent over
extremist and terrorist regimes' and groups' practices.
"We must understand the motives behind the
groups that launch incitement campaigns against the new American
administration. Iran knows that two of the appointed generals know it
through expertise and personal experience. ISIS knows that the phase of
truce will end with President Barack Obama's exit. The Muslim
Brotherhood, which enjoyed Obama's support and bet on Clinton's election
as president, is now before a new phase that may not be in its
interest.
"These are the reasons behind the anger
and quick judgments against the new American administration, and they
reflect the stance of all three groups, i.e. Iran, ISIS and the Muslim
Brotherhood, and those who sympathize with them. Meanwhile, the majority
of Islamic countries will be very happy if he who arrives to the White
House desires to fight extremism and terrorism."
Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed
Source: https://www.memri.org/reports/former-al-sharq-al-awsat-editor-abd-al-rahman-al-rashed-which-muslims-are-against-trump
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Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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