Gordon Brown har beordrat sina och regeringskansliets anställda att inte använda begreppet "islamisk terrorism”. Officiellt finns den inte längre, utan har ersatts med vanlig kriminalitet…
Detta är ju inte någon stor sensation i sig; semantiska reformer för att lösa politiska problem har ju snarare varit standard under de senaste decennierna, i Storbritannien såväl som i Sverige, men tyvärr får det ju inte problemen som sådana att försvinna!
I gårdagens tidningar redovisades återigen utslagen av en terroristrättegång, och faktum är att även jag, som ändå är intresserad av problemet, inte längre orkar hålla reda på alla komplotter och processer.
I centrum för problemet står tolkningen av begreppet ”jihad”. Den militanta hållningen som växer i styrka har också kommit att kallas jihadism.
Ordet som betyder ”kamp” används inom islam på fyra olika sätt:
Först är det hjärtats jihad – kampen mot det onda i det egna hjärtat.
Sedan kommer tungans jihad – spridandet av islam genom propaganda.
Den tredje innebörden är handens jihad – att i praktisk handling stödja det som är gott.
Och den fjärde innebörden slutligen är svärdets jihad – att försvara islam med vapen, när islam förtrycks eller ett islamiskt land blivit militärt attackerat.
Koranen är dock mycket noga med att inskärpa förbudet mot oprovocerat våld – sura 2:190-194, t.ex. – och varnar uttryckligen för angrepp på de otrogna i religionens namn, med materiell vinning som verkligt motiv:
“O you who believe, if you strike in the cause of GOD, you shall be absolutely sure. Do not say to one who offers you peace, "You are not a believer," seeking the spoils of this world. For GOD possesses infinite spoils. Remember that you used to be like them, and GOD blessed you. Therefore, you shall be absolutely sure [before you strike]. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.” (Sura 4:94)
Inom sufismen används ett besläktat begrepp: mujahadah (ungefär ”strävan”).
En gång när jag var i Dubai hittade jag en bok på flygplatsen som briljant beskriver problemet med
islams ”radikalisering”. Boken heter Islam Rediscovered (New Delhi 2001) och är skriven av den
islamiske apologeten maulana Wahiduddin Khan. (Maulana är en titel för en islamisk lärd med specialiteten arabiska eller persiska, i Indien och Pakistan.)
Här följer några citat ur boken. Det är ganska långt, men det förtjänar att läsas noggrant!
This is where the principle of jihad has been distorted and bent to political ends. It must be stressed that the word “jihad” has nowhere been used in the Qur’an to mean the waging of war. The Qur’an is imbued with the spirit of peace and tolerance. Its culture is not that of war but of mercy.” [- - -]
Yet today, the ‘Muslim Mujahidin’ under unfavourable conditions have equated “God is Great” with “War is Great.”
In the light of on-going conflict, we must ask why so great a contradiction has arisen between the principles of Islam and the practices of Muslims. [Page 135]
It is an incontrovertible fact that Muslims have not been able to join the mainstream in modern times. At all places and in every department they are leading their lives as if driven into a corner. This is undoubtedly an extremely critical problem, for it has relegated Muslims to second class positions all over the world.
To me, the greatest reason for this is the violent attitude of the Muslims. Today’s Muslims are easily provoked and become violent at anything which is against their way of thinking. It is true that not all Muslims become involved in acts of violence. Yet all Muslims would be regarded involved in this matter. This is because that section of Muslims – in fact, the majority – who are not personally involved, neither disown those members of their community who are engaged in violence, nor even condemn them. In such a case, according to the Islamic sharia itself if the involved Muslims are directly responsible, the uninvolved Muslims are also indirectly responsible. [- - -]
In modern times the violent approach of our intellectuals, and leaders of movements, is the sole reason for the present violent mentality of Muslims all over the world. It is as a result of this mentality that, if anyone writes a book against Islam, Muslims are prepared to kill the writer. [- - -]
This violent mentality of Muslims is responsible for having alienated them from their neighbours everywhere. Their conduct clearly shows that they no longer cherish the ideal of universal brotherhood. [Page 126-127]
There is a great need to study Islam from its original scriptures in order to re-discover it in its original form. In modern times many books have been published with the aim of removing misunderstandings about Islam. One title is as follows:
'Islam, the Most Misunderstood Religion'.
But titles such as these are not in accordance with the actual state of affairs. These books start with the premise that non-Muslims have mistakenly come to regard Islam as a religion of intolerance and violence and then they attempt to remove these misapprehensions. But the actual question to be addressed is why there should ever have been such a misunderstanding. It has to be conceded that it is based not on some allegation but rather on the fact that the Muslims today, in almost every country, repeatedly display violence and intolerance towards others. They have adopted this course of action in the name of Islamic movements or Islamic Jihad. Were Muslims to do so in the name of their communal interest and people attributed that to Islam, this would amount to misunderstanding based on allegation. But when Muslims themselves attributed their activities to Islam, it becomes a case of proper understanding and not that of misunderstanding. [Page 65]
A state of affairs has developed in which Muslims have come to believe that the cause of Islam can be served only through jihad activism, that is, armed struggle. With this mindset, they are unable to understand the significance of peaceful struggle. Anyone who talks in terms of peace and tolerance finds his integrity in question. Any attempt at making them understand the importance of peaceful struggle is seen as a conspiracy to keep them from performing jihad as a “religious duty”.
It is thus an extremely dificult task to call Muslims to peaceful Islam. Such a mission involves the risk of being discredited among one's own co-religionists. In consequence, the call, goes unheeded. [Page 69-70.]
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