Nineteen years after; is this a "moderate" Muslim?
Last week we briefly considered what a "moderate" Muslim was, on the current Iraq thread (Posts 506, 509, 512 & 515). I fully recognise anti-jiahdists voices seldom get MSM coverage, those that do are often labelled by their enemies as "sell outs" etc.
Today I was reminded is the Srebrenica massacre happened in Bosnia, when Serbian forces captured a UN 'safe area'; a matter debated elsewhere on SWC IIRC, mainly in 2013 on:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=18969
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As the Srebrenica Memorial Day anniversary on the 11th of July approaches its 18th year, we are once again reminded of the lengths that man could potentially go to when immersed in a state of fear, hatred and division. The Memorial Day puts to rest any naivety that the lessons of the past have not only been learned, but well and truly headed. Not only are human beings chronically capable of committing the most repugnant of acts against fellow human beings, regardless of the advancement of time, the catalysts for these crimes are invariably similar whatever the different and unique circumstances of each.
The Srebrenica Memorial Day provides a timely reminder to us all of the challenges that can only be met in a sense of togetherness and community.
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The Memorial Day puts to rest any naivety that the lessons of the past have not only been learned, but well and truly headed. Not only are human beings chronically capable of committing the most repugnant of acts against fellow human beings, regardless of the advancement of time, the catalysts for these crimes are invariably similar whatever the different and unique circumstances of each.
The Cordoba Foundation has been working tirelessly to raise awareness of the threat man poses against his fellow man, should particular conditions become established on the ground. Whether Srebrenica, Auswitz, Rwanda, Gaza, Kashmir, Myanmar or Somalia, and whether in the last century, this or the one coming, injustice establishes fear which breads suspicion and ultimately hatred. From there, the move on to violence is neither a difficult nor inconceivable step to undertake. Our objective is to work in common collaboration to remove the very initial elements on that tragic path, and to counter the root causes for clashes based on false and misguided understanding and implementation of the concepts of ‘self’ and ‘the other’.
There's also a link to a sermon by the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzogovina:http://www.thecordobafoundation.com/...mon%202014.pdf
This I thought was powerful:
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I call upon the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject the glorification of criminals and denial of crimes. That will bring them neither good nor fortune.
I am aware the Cordoba Foundation is regarded by many as a Muslim Brotherhood affiliated group.
UK imams condemn Isis in online video
BBC News report:
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Leading UK-based Shia and Sunni imams and clerics have filmed a
video message urging young British Muslims against fighting in Iraq and Syria. They say their film is designed to be distributed online and via social media to counter "digital propaganda" put out by Isis and other extremist groups
Link to story:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28270296 and the message:http://imamsonline.com/blog/2014/07/...itment-videos/
TED: When people of Muslim heritage challenge fundamentalism
A twenty minute TED talk, March 2014:
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Karima Bennoune shares four powerful stories of real people fighting against fundamentalism in their own communities — refusing to allow the faith they love to become a tool for crime, attacks and murder. These personal stories humanize one of the most overlooked human-rights struggles in the world.
Link:http://www.ted.com/talks/karima_benn...make_headlines
She is an Arab-American, of Algerian heritage and now a university law professor; her bio:http://www.karimabennoune.com/about-karima/
ISIS Isn’t the Real Enemy. The “Game of Thrones” Medieval Mindset That Birthed It Is.
Very interesting perspective on ISIS and the shaping of the Muslim mind.
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The Six “Fathers” of ISIS
“ISIS is the offspring of more than one father, and the product of more than one longstanding and widespread sickness.”
1. “ISIS is first the child of despotism in the most heinous form that has plagued the region.”
2. “ISIS is second the progeny of the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, both the way in which it was initially conducted and the catastrophic mismanagement that followed.”
3. “ISIS is third the son of Iranian aggressive regional policies that have worsened in recent years.”
4. “ISIS is fourth the child of some of the Salafist networks in the Gulf (in Saudi Arabia and other states).”
5. “ISIS is fifth the offspring of a profound crisis, deeply rooted in the thinking of some Islamist groups seeking to escape from their terrible failure to confront the challenges of the present toward a delusional model ostensibly taken from the seventh century, believing that they have found within its imaginary folds the answer to all contemporary or future questions.” <- Read this one again.
6. “ISIS is sixth the progeny of violence or of an environment that has been subjected to striking brutality.”
https://medium.com/@AmirAhmadNasr/is...s-4888330dabac
The British Muslims not afraid to fight extremism
Earlier this week John Ware, one of the BBC's intrepid documentary makers had a BBC Panorama programme 'After Paris - The Battle for British Islam' and today an article, as per the title:http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...m-9985531.html
A taster and even more relevant after Paris, even if teh UK is very different from France:
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Although some recent surveys have found that Muslims identify more strongly with Britain and its democratic institutions than the general public, they may mask some uncomfortable truths. “We need to drill down into what that actually means,” says Dilwar Hussain. Might respect for democracy actually mean gratitude for the hands-off multicultural tolerance that encouraged a very conservative version of Islam or marriage with your first cousin? “We’ve avoided these sort of questions in the past because they are all too difficult.”
Other surveys show that overall residential diversity in Britain is growing but, again, this brighter picture may not be matched by the reality on the ground. The Social Integration Commission has found poor social integration in some highly diverse areas, suggesting that residential integration doesn’t necessarily translate to meaningful social interaction.
The half hour documentary is available on IPlayer:http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...-british-islam