Extremism vs Islam

How the radical extremists are so far outside the teachings of Islam and what we moderates should do about it

Asalaamu Alaikam wa ramatullahi wa barakatu.

As I was reading the news this morning, I came across an article about a young revert Muslim (I am assuming he is a revert, based on his very non-Arabic sounding name), and his desire to join the militant extremist group, Al Shabab, and a need to imply that the South Park creators should feel that many Muslims wish to do them harm. Like any sensible, moderately-minded Muslim (do not translate this as meaning "liberal," for I am a far cry from being a liberal!), I was upset and sickened by what I was reading. This young man (who is only 20 years old), I couldn't help but think, has been led astray by those oh-so-very-active extremists, those very extremists who I speak so adamantly against every chance that I get. Like so many others, he fell in with clearly the "wrong" group of "Muslims." And look where it has landed him (to see where it has landed him, here's a link to the article: Man Behind "South Park" Terror Threat Arrested - CBS News).

I am tired of this stupid line of thinking (yes, I said stupid), that Muslims must "defend" the Prophet Muhammad (saws) any time someone draws a picture of him (saws). Exactly what are we "defending" here, when we act violent and ignorant? Are we defending the beautiful teachings of Islam, and our Beloved Prophet (saws), who taught love and mercy, or are we instead defending a stereotype of Muslims being bloodthirsty and vengeful people? When we lash out, we are doing nothing more than proving people "right" about us. Many will nod their heads in affirmation, saying, "See?? I told you those 'Muzlems' were violent people! And 'Izlam' is a violent religion!" Great. Real great. Nice going, people.

Extremism and violence have no place in Islam. The fact that so many Muslims are violent and extreme cannot and should not be representative of the religion. This is the only religion that is currently graded based upon the actions of some crazy psychos. No one thinks for a moment that a serial killer's Christian upbringing caused him to kill over and over again. Everyone understands that his (or her) actions are not indicative of Christianity. The fact that people do not think this, by the way, has nothing to do with a religion based bias. It has everything to do with the fact that people know more about Christianity than they do about Islam.

Muslims have this problem of wanting to just keep themselves. Many are only friends with other Muslims, and never branch out, and try to make friends with non-Muslims. They never invite non-Muslim neighbors over to their houses that they are perhaps on a first name basis with, while at the same time, they will invite a complete stranger over, just because they happen to be Muslim. People think that it's just "safer" this way, being with "your own kind." This is stagnation, and nothing more. If you never ever reach out to others, how will they know anything at all about Islam? Maybe your neighbor is dying to ask a Muslim questions about things going on in the world today, hoping to get a clear answer, but you never give them a chance. You could be the one person to help them to understand that Islam is not a violent religion, and that it teaches the same things that Christianity teaches (love your neighbor, fight for justice for mankind, have good morals, worship God, etc)

If you are like me, and are sick and tired of hearing about Muslims like this young man, then do something about it. Start talking to people in your community, and not just the ones who pray five times a day, wear a scarf on their head, and abstain from alcohol and pork. Talk to everyone. And talk about the tough issues, the really tough issues. You know the ones. The ones that you are just hoping and praying that no one asks you about. The ones like, "so, are Muslim women oppressed?" Or, "are all Muslims terrorists?" Stop dreading this questions, and start encouraging them. Become a voice of moderation, and let people know that extremism is not Islam. Teach them the beautiful examples from the life of Muhammad (saws). Let them know that no where does it say that a non-Muslim is to be threatened or murdered for telling off color jokes about any of the prophets of Islam (yeah, we tend to forget that there were others. Shouldn't we feel upset when we see Jesus being parodied? It is hypocrisy to "defend" one and not the other!).

There are so many hadiths that tell of the kindness and gentleness that our Prophet (saws) displayed to his fellow man (not just Muslims, but all). Even people who were not particularly nice, or did horrible awful things, Muhammad (saws) showed kindness and respect. Think of the lady with the garbage. Every day she threw it at Muhammad (saws). The one day that she did not, he (saws) went to check on her. She was so moved by this, she accepted Islam! Many people came to Islam because of the beautiful examples of Muhammad (saws).

Now, this is not to say that we should only be nice to people in an attempt to get them to accept Islam. I just don't support that at all (there are those "da'ies out there who would tell you that your whole life's purpose should be to make the most aggressive dawah possible, and I just find that a bit irrational). Rather, be kind to people because you want them to think good of you, and of Islam. Do not listen to the extremists who say things like, "who cares what they think?" We should care what they think. We should be working hard to show them that media sources like Fox News are wrong about us, completely wrong. And we should help them to understand that those extremists are not only in the minority (yes, it's hard to believe, but they are!), but they are also preaching something that goes against the core teachings of Islam.

Extremism is not Islam. It has no place in Islam. There are hadiths that support this. Nowhere will you find a hadith that tells you to be extreme in your religion, and to be aggressive in your daily dealings with people. No ayah of the Quran will say that justice only applies to some, and others deserve nothing but abuse. Allah does not tell us to disrespect everyone but those who believe in the exact same things that we believe. On the contrary, we are told to be good, moral, upstanding people, and to preach with kind words, and to debate (not argue!) in a manner that is best.

Just think of what could possibly happen if we all worked hard to spread the word that extremists are not the spokespersons for Islam! Just think! Perhaps the young man that I made mention of at the beginning of this article, would have heard something long before he became Muslim. And then he would have known, after becoming Muslim, that extremists were not telling him the right things. He would have already known to stay away from them. Just think!

Extremism is not Islam. And extremists are not my brothers and sisters. What they preach is hatred and intolerance. I cannot and will not have that being preached as the "message of Islam." Because I know that it is not.

Please join me in actively speaking out against these extremists. Stop hiding in the shadows, sticking with your "own kind." Humans are our own kind, regardless of their religion. Extremist forms of Islam need to be stopped, before another young Muslim is led astray.

wasalaamz,

MY Argument for Zabihah

The following is NOT an expression of my opinion on the issue of zabihah, rather, this post is based on ISLAMIC FACT regarding the matter. Where applicable, Quranic verses, hadiths, and articles will be cited.

Asalaamu Alaikam wa ramatullahi wa barakatu

Bismillah hir rahman nir rahim

The subject of this post is of a very serious nature. I have chosen to write on zabihah, and I hope to, inshAllah, help people to understand just how serious zabihah is. This is a subject of great personal interest to me, and I am often troubled by the lack of understand and support a lot of Muslims have.

The Quran tells us, in Suratal Maida, ayah 3:

Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

For the purists out there, who may want to argue that this is nothing more than a translation of the meaning, I give you the original Arabic:

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

I always use this ayah in particular because I feel that there is a reason why the explanation of halal and haram food is included in the same verse where Allah tells us that He has chosen Islam for us. This verse is a very very important verse. This is literally the verse where Allah is telling us that we are Muslims, because He has chosen us to be Muslims. Islam was not created by just some person, living in the Arabian desert. Rather, it was created by the One Who has created all living things. Would any Muslim reject this? Not likely, because to do so, may place one's self outside the fold of Islam.

So, I pose this question to all: Why would you accept part of this ayah as being important and valid, yet reject the other part? To reject one ayah, is to reject the whole Quran. And one cannot accept part of an ayah. The ayah must be accepted completely.

This means that you have to believe not only that Allah has given Islam to mankind as a mercy, but that Allah has also commanded us to eat ONLY zabihah meat.

People will argue about the verse that says that the meat of the people who received the prior revelations is also halal for us. Okay, that's fine. As long as the animal was not slaughtered in a haram manner that is mentioned in the verse above that I have provided for reference. Common slaughter practices in North America (non-kosher and non-halal slaughter, that is), often involve some of those manners in which Allah has told us are forbidden for us. Large animals, such as cattle, are stunned either by electrified cattle prods, or hammers striking them between the eyes. Sometimes, this act alone can kill the animal (some slaughter houses actually use electrocution as a means of slaughter). Even if this does not kill them, and they are merely stunned, according to Islamic law, this meat would not be halal, because the animal was slaughtered while it was unconscious.

Studies have shown that standard slaughter practices are anything but humane. When electrodes are placed in the brains of animals being slaughtered, pain registries are off the scale in those animals that are slaughtered in standard slaughter houses. On the other hand, animals slaughtered according to zabihah practices, pain barely registered. In Islam, torture is not permissible, which is why zabihah slaughter is not only essential, but obligatory.

There is also the issue of the name of God being invoked at the time of slaughter. Take a trip to any standard slaughter house in the US, and you will very definitely NOT hear the name of God being mentioned (that is, not in the manner in which God's name should be mentioned). It is a weak argument to say that the animals are being slaughtered by "the people of the book" (Christians and Jews). When you look at how many practicing Christians and Jews there really are in this nation, you will be surprised at how disproportionately small the numbers are. Slaughter houses do not hire people based on how religious they are; all they care about is if a person is willing to do the grueling work of slaughtering animals all day long.

In the hustle and bustle that usually takes place when a "shipment" of animals arrive to the slaughterhouse, it is not uncommon for a few of them to get trampled to death, or to fall from high walks and die. Without a doubt, this meat would be haram for a Muslim to consume, and if this occurred at a zabihah slaughter house, the animal would have to be disposed of. In standard slaughter houses, however, these animals are collected and then butchered. Who knows what percentage of meat at your standard, local grocery store is from carrion (which is what this meat should be classified as).

The above was only a discussion on large animal slaughter. When we look at the slaughter of turkeys and chickens, it doesn't get any better.

Some sheikh or scholar a few years ago issued a fatwa that was a major misguidance to the Muslim community. He claimed that poultry did not need to be slaughtered in accordance to Islamic law. Many Muslims in the US were ecstatic to hear such "great" news. This meant that they could suddenly start eating at KFC (non-halal KFC, I mean, of course), and have McDonald's chicken nuggests in wholesale quantities. No one questioned this fatwa, or bothered to look into what zabihah really means (does it only apply to four legged animals, or all animals?). The news of this fatwa got around, and I mean it really got around.

The simple truth is that zabihah applies to ALL animals that are slaughtered for human consumption. If you will look back at the ayah that I quoted above, you will note that it doesn't list the kinds of animals that zabihah is required. It doesn't say anything like, "the above is not applicable for animals with less than four legs." That is because there is no distinction. Food is food, regardless of the number of legs that the animal had in life.

Decapitation is not permissible in Islam. The jugular vein is to be cut, but the head cannot be severed. There is a physiological reason for this. Blood is prohibited in Islam, and zabihah slaughter helps to ensure that blood exits the animal's body at the time of slaughter. When an animal is decapitated, this cannot occur (veins can be cauterized, and therefore, blood cannot flow through them). Decapitation also does not always kill the animal instantly. A phenomenon known (in humans) as "dead man walking" can occur. Emergency medical personnel have all either heard stories, or actually seen it happen, where the body of an individual, when traumatically killed by decapitation, continues to receive impulses from the nervous system, and will actually "walk" around. Similarly, in poultry, a chicken can run around for as much as 5 minutes after having it's head chopped off. This simply does not happen when the jugular vein is cut.

A quick Internet search on zabihah slaughter versus standard slaughter practices, came back with an article posted on the American Humane Society's website, discussing common poultry slaughter practices in America.

Imagine being hung upside down, shocked into paralysis, having your throat cut, then drowned in hot water...while you’re conscious. That’s the stuff of nightmares, and it’s the tragic reality for billions of birds each year. These animals have virtually no protection from the worst slaughter abuses.

Nearly all animals killed for food in the U.S. are chickens and turkeys—more than nine billion each year. They're shackled upside down, paralyzed by electrified water and dragged over mechanical throat-cutting blades ... all while conscious. Millions of birds each year miss the blades and drown in tanks of scalding water.

This occurs because the U.S. Department of Agriculture exempts birds from its enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which requires that farm animals be insensible to pain before they’re shackled and killed. The HSUS is working with retailers to help move companies that slaughter birds toward a less cruel system.

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/slaughter/

When presented with such information, why would someone want to eat non-zabihah chicken at places like KFC, Popeye's, Church's, Chick-Fil-A (the non-halal establishments. Of course, I doubt that we will ever see a halal Chick-Fil-A, since the owners are staunch Christians. Do not take this to mean, however, that their chicken is halal. They are buying their meat from the same suppliers as everyone else.)? Nothing in the way that chicken and turkey are being slaughtered in this manner even comes close to meeting the requirements to be considered zabihah, or even halal (meaning, if you were to actually find true, practicing People of the Book {Christians and Jews} who were slaughtering in accordance with the Old Testament).

Again, I would like to stress the importance of the haram nature of torture. Muslims are not permitted to torture or cause harm to any living thing. One could argue that they were not the ones who directly tortured these animals (to death, in this case), however, they are indirectly associated with the torture of the animal, in as much that they supported the practice by purchasing the meat of the tortured animal.

Legitimate scholars of Islam (not those self-proclaimed scholars, or people who have studied under self-proclaimed scholars) from all four schools of Sunni thought, as well as the schools of Shia thought, are in agreement regarding what constitutes as halal and haram meat. The ayah in the Quran is quiet clear in describing what is prohibited, and there is no other way of looking at it (not legitimately, anyway). This is a case where which particular madhab you follow does not matter. Zabihah is halal, and anything else is not.

I would like to point out here that the scholar who issued the fatwa regarding chicken was perhaps a follower of the Wahabbi movement. Wahabbis, as of late, have been quite guilty of advising Muslims that it's perfectly acceptable to eat non-zabihah meat, citing that there are multiple ayahs in the Quran stating that Allah does not want to put a hardship on us. They argue that zabihah meat can be difficult to obtain, and therefore, one is excused if he or she decides to go to the local grocery store to buy their meat instead. I have heard reports from Saudi students, saying that their sheikh told them that zabihah meat did not "exist" in America or Great Britain, and to just buy whatever meat (non-pork) that they could find. Clearly, they do not know what they are talking about.

Alhamdulilah, zabihah is available just about everywhere now. If you live in a city like Chicago, or New York, there are entire shopping areas that are filled with zabihah markets. Zabihah markets are also scattered throughout these cities, as we as their suburbs. Just about any sizable town with a good Muslim population, will have at least one zabihah market, or there will be one within driving distance. Stores such as Costco are now carrying zabihah lamb (all lamb that is exported from New Zealand is now certified zabihah). Zabihah meat can be purchased online and shipped all across the USA from companies such as Midamar and Green Zabiha.

People will argue that the cost of zabihah is substantially greater than non-zabihah. I have personally found that to simply not be the case. If you go to your local grocery store, and look at the cost for premium ground beef, the price will be very close to that of zabihah ground meat (it has been my experience that in most cases, ground meat in a zabihah market is very good quality). Given the fact that most zabihah markets do not add water to the meat to make it weigh more, you are actually saving money buy purchasing zabihah (grocery stores add water and blood to their meat, so they can sell you less meat for more money. This is a well known tactic!).

As for chicken, try to get your local grocery store to cut up the chicken how you want it. Want to make biryani tonight, but the grocery store only has chicken cut in large, cumbersome pieces, more fitting for frying than biryani? Tough. What you see is what you get. On the other hand, your local zabihah market will gladly cut your chicken how you want it, and they'll skin it, too. If you have to pay a couple extra dollars, I say that it's worth it. I, for one, do not like having to dismantle a chicken!

To summarize, zabihah is neither difficult to find, nor is it something that should be shrugged off or ignored. Muslims need to recognize the need for zabihah, and should start supporting zabihah. If more Muslims understood how important zabihah was, and started supporting zabihah, we would find an increase in availability and a decrease in price. To ignore a commandment as direct as zabihah is just inexcusable, and sinful. Muslims need to educate themselves on this matter, and stop listening to those who would lead them astray.

When someone tells you something that is directly opposite from the Quran, question it! The Quran (which is the word of Allah!) tells us to eat zabihah. Some fatwa (which is the word of some man!) tells us it that's okay to abandon it? Which word should you follow?

May Allah guide us all, and accept our good deeds and forgive our bad deeds. Ameen.

wasalaamz,

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,