Asalaamu Alaikam wa ramatullahi wa barakatu!

As anyone who knows me knows, I despise extremists, in all their despicable forms. I have been accused (by extremists) that I am being extreme in my desire to avoid them at all costs. I have given this some thought, and come to the conclusion that they may actually be right. Perhaps I AM extreme in the way I deal with them, but I have decided that I would rather be extreme against extremists than be extreme against non-extremists.

I do try to be open-minded and accepting of all, but I just cannot make myself accept that some people have the right to spread hateful, inaccurate, extremist doctrine to the world. I sincerely feel that the number one threat to Islam is extremism. I don't care if you are Shia, or Sunni. Regardless of the label, we are all Muslims, and we all believe in ultimately the same thing (that Allah is ONE, and that Muhammad (saws) is His last, and final messenger). Shia and Sunni have the right to live side by side, attend their respective masjids, and enjoy a peaceful co-existence. I do not feel that either are a threat to the other.

When I say "extremist" I am NOT talking about the horrible divide that has developed between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Those who know me, know exactly who I am talking about. The "W" word. Those people who follow the teachings of some mad man who lived in the Arabian peninsula, what we now call Saudi Arabia. For those who do not know me, I will help you out a more. I am speaking of Wahabbis (as if you could not figure that out by reading a few of my other blog entries).

Why do I have such a problem with them, and why can I not "just leave them alone," you may be asking. Well, the answer is (to me) quite simple. Their dawah is some of the most active and effective dawah being made in the WORLD. They are building masjids in places like the US, UK, and Canada, that are so impressive (due to the fact that they are very largely funded by the Saudi government), they draw people in. Many new reverts to Islam find themselves learning the religion in such masjids and "Islamic centers," and some never find out exactly who (or what) they are learning the religion from.

My own personal experiences put me in a Wahabbi masjid in the beginning. In Austin, Texas, the Wahabbi masjid is neither impressive or grand. It is simply (and sadly) the most active masjid in Austin. It seems as though they always have something going on. Some "scholar" or "sheikh" is visiting just about every weekend, and for those who are just starting to learn about Islam, this can be very appealing. I was going to every lecture and program that I could, and was gobbling up what I thought was accurate information about Islam. Never for a moment, did I think that I was being given grossly misguided information.

There were some alarms that finally went off, and it was only because I was suddenly experiencing the bullying and abuse that many extremists dish out. I was a new Muslim, and doing my very best to try to pray as "perfectly" as possible (the right posture, etc), and I found myself being attacked (sorry, there is no other, more accurate word to describe it) for the manner in which I was praying. I was witness to a woman standing up one day after the Jummuah salat, shouting (yes! Shouting! In the masjid!) that we were "all praying like dogs!" She criticized the South Asian women in particular (not all who attended the masjid were Wahabbi, and there were a few South Asian women who followed Hanafi fiqh I came to discover), for their low posture while in sujud (I came to find out later than in Hanafi fiqh, this is the way that women are to pray, as it is much more MODEST, since their rear is not sticking up in the air). She criticized the fact that their arms were flat on the floor (again, the Hanafi take is that this is more modest). She picked apart their entire salat, and even tried to suggest that their salat would not be accepted , based on their postures.

I was alarmed and horrified. Although a very new Muslim, I at least knew that no one should stand up in the masjid and shout at others for the manner in which they pray!! I was disgusted to see that most of the women sitting around me were nodding in agreement to this woman's abuses!! When I got home (shaking all the way!), I went online, and talked with some of my friends. I told them what had happened, and they calmly told me that it sounded like a Wahabbi masjid. I already knew a bit about Wahabbis, from my awful experiences with them cutting and pasting things online anytime they disagreed with someone. I was already becoming familiar with their circulatory (and weak) logic. I stopped going to that masjid, and shortly thereafter, relocated to Chicago, Illinois, to be around more Muslims.

I was relieved, thinking that I had left them behind. I also thought that I knew enough about them that I could easily avoid them if I was unfortunate enough to run into them again. I was confident that I could spot a Wahabbi straight away. I was wrong. Very very wrong.

Chicago is blessed by having one of the largest, most culturally diverse and vibrant Muslim communities in North America. MashAllah, it is truly wonderful, and to be Muslim in Chicago is easier than being Muslim in many other parts of the country (for one thing, there are halal restaurants everywhere!). In Chicago, you will find Muslims from all walks of life. North Africa, East African, West African, South Asian, Central Asian, Southeast Asian, Arab, Eastern European, Turkish, they are all in Chicago. And they all have their own masjids. And they all go to the same masjids, at one time or another.

I discovered, over time, that in just about every masjid, there is at least one woman like the one in Austin. It's almost as though they are rationed or something. "Hey, we don't have a bully in this masjid, could you start going there? Thanks!" They run almost everything that is being done in the masjid. The halaqas are being put together by them (only approved topics will be discussed), Quranic studies are overseen by them, shahadas are even controlled by them (they give the new Muslims a stack of "approved" books). And it's not only the small masjids where they reign supreme, it's EVERY masjid (I only know of one masjid where they do not seem to be able to do anything, and it's this dirty, tableeghi masjid on Devon Ave. I think that they tableeghis would run them out if they tried anything!).

Alhamdulilah, I have managed to stay Muslim for almost eight years now. And, I have recently discovered that I still have a lot of damage to undo. The Wahabbis taught me a lot of things incorrectly. They tried to press their views on me. And in my ignorance, some of it worked. Other things, I tried to talk to so-called "friends" at the time (people that I knew in person, not my wonderful and amazing friends from online, which I had fallen out of contact with for a few years), and they were either disinterested, or ignorant of the issues themselves. I didn't receive help from people in deciphering the mess that I was being taught. Sometimes, people would "confirm" what I was being taught, but as I have now discovered, this was due to the fact that they, too, had been taught incorrectly.

There are self-proclaimed "scholars" who buy up TV spots on Pakistani and Middle Eastern satellite stations, which are broadcast all around the world. People will watch them, thinking that since they are on TV, they must be well versed in Islam, and "know their stuff." I have had heated discussions with (now former) friends regarding such individuals. For instance, there was some woman "scholar" on PTV or Geo (Pakistani satellite channels), who was telling women all sorts of things that if they would just use their minds, they would know that this woman didn't know what she was talking about. But they listened to every misguided word from this woman because she was "on TV."

I had the opportunity to meet a woman from the UAE who has a program on QTV (Quran Television, a largely Urdu language Islamic satellite channel). After five minutes of conversation with her, it became quite clear to me that she did not know much about Islam (her two daughters knew more, and she argued with them). This woman is also heavily quoted.

Both women show strong Wahabbi influences. They probably don't even know that they are preaching Wahabbi doctrine. That's where the danger comes in. People don't even know what they are being exposed to. And then, they are passing it on. When questioned about it, some become adamant that they know what they are talking about, because some "sheikh" or "scholar" said in a book somewhere. They never think for a moment to look up this individual's credentials. If they were to do so, they would discover that many of them have no credentials, and are nothing more than self-proclaimed "scholars" (which is why I use quotes around the words sheikh and scholar here). They are no more authorized to issue fatwas than I am! Or my cat, for that matter!

To say that they are simply a disease is perhaps a gross understatement. They are more like a cancer. They are that serious. But, just like cancer, there is a chance of surviving, through radical treatment. When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, the doctor doesn't say something like, "oh, you'll be fine. Just ignore it, and don't let it bother you" (if they did, they would be a horrible doctor!). Instead, discussions regarding forms of treatment are started almost immediately, looking into what would be the best course of action to eradicate the disease from the body. There is no sitting around and waiting. Or trying to ignore. So why do we try to ignore Wahabbis? Why are we blind to the damage that is being done to this Ummah by their hands?

In closing, I urge all to exercise caution, and be sure that you are learning your religion from one who is qualified to teach the religion. Check their credentials. A true scholar of Islam will not hide their credentials, and will readily tell you where they studied, and with whom. When the facts become muddy, there's a reason: they are trying to hide the fact that they are unqualified. Also, be sure to check where they studied. Be wary of Islamic institutions based in Saudi Arabia. It has been my own experience that most of these institutions (I am sure that there may be some that are exceptions) teach Wahabbi doctrine. And anytime you come across a website that gives you an "approved" list of books and "scholars," likewise beware. Standard Sunni scholars will never tell you to not read something. However, they will let you know if a book is grossly inaccurate, or whether or not a certain "scholar" is really qualified.

Islam is a religion of beauty. And compassion. Always remember that. Anytime you find yourself faced with ugliness and hatred, remember that this is NOT Islam. This is something else entirely.

wa alaikam asalaam,