by MEMRI
-- the problem does not lie only with the returning ISIS members, but with the “multiple layers of radicalization"
Egyptian-German Scholar Hamed Abdel-Samad: Islamic Extremism Stems from the Core of Islam; Tens of Thousands of ISIS Supporters Live among Us
Egyptian-German
scholar Hamed Abdel-Samad said that Islamic extremism and terrorism
stems from the “core of Islam” – from its texts, its history of
conquests, its founder, and its ideology – and that the problem does not
lie only with the returning ISIS members, but with the “multiple layers
of radicalization,” with which the governmental and Islamic structures
are not equipped to deal. “There are thousands, tens of thousands, of
them living among us,” he warned, calling to try ISIS fighters in
international tribunals and to impose harsher punishments. Abdel-Samad,
who was participating on a talk show on the Austrian Servus TV channel
on February 21, talked about the dangers to the child’s worldview posed
by the victim’s mentality, by violence in the family, by mixed messages
on sexuality, and by the clash of cultures. He discussed the violence
and lack of freedom suffered by Muslim women, saying: “How often has
this imaginary god ruined people!”
Following are excerpts:
Following are excerpts:
Hamed Abdel-Samad: Many
Muslims from every Muslim country joined ISIS. The first group came
from Saudi Arabia. I don't think Islamophobia exists there. The second
group came from the middle class of Tunisia. There is not much
Islamophobia there either. There is not a single Islamic country that is
devoid of terrorism and of increasing radicalization. Saying that the
main and only reason [for terrorism], in your view, is that these young
people face Islamophobia is not the way to solve the problem. First, we
can start with what Muslims are doing wrong – what is being preached [in
mosques] here, the worldview that mosques are teaching these young
people. [They teach them] to have a victim's mentality – and
unfortunately, you are part of this. What kind of victim's mentality?
This mentality encourages these people in their inferiority complex and
their victim's mentality, and then it creates an illusion so that they
will join Jihad – so they can save the Muslims, as well as themselves,
and ultimately, reach Paradise. This ideology stems from the core of
Islam and is the primary source [of terrorism]. Without this, there
would be no Islamism or terrorism in any Muslim country or community
anywhere in the world. There are no longer any countries on Earth that
are free of Islamism and terrorism.
Host: But
what you are saying is that the original reason for this movement is
not a separate, extremist, Islamist part of Islam, but that it basically
stems from the core of the religion itself. That's what you are saying.
Hamed Abdel-Samad: These
are the texts of Islam, the history of Islam, and the role model and
founder of Islam. ISIS is doing nothing different than Muhammad and his
successors, at the time. They brought an ideology into the world, using
weapons and the subjugation of peoples. As an Egyptian, I would never
have been born a Muslim, if Muhammad's successors had not behaved like
ISIS does. The same holds true for Morocco, Iran, and, in fact, anywhere
Islam spread. The entire history of Islam is a history of conquest.
[…]
[Muslims say:] We are victims – if I cannot subjugate you now, I am your victim.
[…]
The
problem is not that a few hundred [ISIS fighters] are returning, but
that the governmental and Islamic structures here are not at all able to
absorb these people. Radicalization is increasing on a daily basis. The
state cannot monitor potential terrorists 24 hours a day. It's not
possible. And then we wake up and learn that one of them drove a truck
into a crowd. We wake up and discover that someone has committed a
terrorist attack in a Christmas market. And we have to live with this. I
suggest that we put these people before an international tribunal, and
inflict harsh punishment on them. But they have realized that our
judiciary is very lax in dealing with them. They know that there are
various [legal] loopholes. They hate democracy, they fight against
democracy, yet they take advantage of our democracy against us, in order
to expand their infrastructures, and even in order to kill us.
[…]
I
find it extremely dangerous that we are always talking about these
"popular" 300 or 400 people, and the rest of the Muslims and Islam, in
general, are okay. There are multiple layers of radicalization. There
are ISIS fighters, and there are people who approve of this ideology,
but did not go to Syria. There are thousands, tens of thousands, of them
living among us. There is also a conservative Islamic theology, which
does not directly say: "Go there and fight," but it shares the same
worldview. It shares the same sentiment towards Christians,
disbelievers, and so on, and it feeds this victim's mentality as well.
Of course, there is also the violence these people experience within
their families – when a child grows up and sees that the first strategy
of communication between his father and mother is violence. In other
words, the first solution to a problem is violence. The child grows up
with this trauma, but also with this nature – violence is the first
option in such a situation. When a child wants to deal with problems
involving sexuality in a healthy way, this requires outlets. This is
well known in psychology. When a child receives mixed messages from
school, the family, and the mosque, that is extremely dangerous for
their personal worldview. You need an established worldview. When the
Quran or Islam sometimes says that tolerance is okay, altruism is okay,
but in the next sentence there is another war, and [non-Muslims] are
"sinners," "hypocrites," and "disbelievers," when the world is divided
into believers and disbelievers – that is intrinsic to Islamic theology –
then we actually do have a role model. The Prophet himself must not be
questioned in Islam, although he was a warlord and treated women in a
strange way. When this man is considered a role model by young Muslims,
who study Kant, Spinoza and Voltaire – they go crazy.
[…]
Muslim Panel Member: You
have now insulted Muslims on many many levels in a single sentence.
First of all, if you want to criticize the Prophet Muhammad, you have
the right to do so. I will not forbid you. But please do so objectively
and honorably. You offend Islam on many levels, and you don't have to
wonder why Muslims take this personally and reject your activity.
[…]
Hamed Abdel-Samad: I
am criticizing a man who has been dead for 1,400 years. He was married
to 13 women. He waged 80 wars in the last eight years of his life. He
took women as prisoners of war. Why should an enlightened person in the
21st century not criticize this man? Why does he deserve immunity from criticism?
[…]
When
we talk about violence against women in Islam, we have empirical data.
Go to any women's shelter in Austria or Germany, and see who the
majority are. You will be surprised! Read studies about women committing
suicide, and ask yourselves why Muslim women commit suicide twice as
much [as non-Muslim women]. There are empirical studies. It is always
due to lack of freedom. The daughter wants to study somewhere and is not
allowed, and she kills herself. She wants to marry a non-Muslim, but
good old Islam, the imaginary god of Islam, has whispered that this is
impossible. So love must die, and a young woman dies. How often has this
imaginary god ruined people!
Source: https://www.memri.org/tv/Egyptian-german-scholar-abdel-samad-harsher-punishment-for-isis-terrorists
Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter
No comments:
Post a Comment