WintonsWeek Muslim Silence on Beheadings Shames The Religion 2 More Innocents are dead; if only reform was their legacy? Islam Must Modernise To Avoid Terrible Clash With Civilisation Where was the Muslim rage? Where was the clamour to cease and desist? Where was the crescendo of voices demanding that these awful acts of barbarity stop? Where was the shame and humiliation that these beheadings of the innocent were taking place in the name of Allah? Until this weekend, I hadn’t heard any British Muslim leaders, or any Muslim leaders at all, seek to stop the Islamist fanatics in Iraq who have pitilessly and mercilessly put two innocents to death in the name of their religion. Now, a week after the two Americans Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley were put to death, and days after the British hostage Kenneth Bigley has been at death’s door, the Muslim Council of Britain is visiting Iraq. Why have they been silent thus far? We are told that Islam is a religion of tolerance, peace and piety. But extreme Islam is not a religion at all. It is a fascist, political creed which brainwashes its fanatical adherents into justifying despicable, criminal behaviour. If there were some warped band of extremist Christians (or Buddhists, or Hindhus, or Jews) who were trying to make political capital out of an act of sheer barbarity, people would be on the streets protesting. The airwaves would be full of Christians and their leaders demanding that the action stop. The perpetrators would be in no doubt that demented acts like this bought shame on the religion. They would be saying “Not in my name. Cease and desist you cowards.” Onward Christian Soldiers Charles Moore in the Daily Telegraph put it superbly, commenting on the fact that the murders were carried out to the accompaniment of Koranic chants. “Imagine if we saw film of ”Christian” terrorists playing Onward Christian soldiers as they beheaded their victims. Is there a bishop in the west that would not condemn them without equivocation?” But British Muslim leaders, and Muslims around the world stay silent. Christian priests and leaders would be anxious to say that murder in the name of Christ would mean excommunication. It would be crystal clear that such behaviour was totally unacceptable. In fact, no Christian would even consider committing such a cold-blooded, heinous crime. Christianity, and most other religions, is about loving your neighbour as yourself, laying down your life for your friends, the meek inheriting the earth. And the bible is unequivocal. “Thou shalt not kill.” Period. Not “You may not kill, but if the circumstances justify it maybe you can go ahead. If this person sympathises with Jews, kill him. And if you do it in the name of Allah, chant the right chants, and cut off their heads with a knife; then it will be alright.” Moon Shadow Cat Stevens reminded us of this contradiction when he’d been returned to Britain by the U.S. He quoted the Koran as saying “to kill one innocent is like killing all the world”. In fact the Koran goes on to equivocate about the possibility of a just execution, and justifies the ultimately cruelty. As Irshad Manji puts it in her book The Trouble with Islam: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith, “the Koran verse that's cited as "unequivocal" actually bestows wiggle room. Here's how it fully reads: "We laid it down for the Israelites," meaning those who believe in one God, "that whoever killed a human being, except as punishment for murder or other villainy in the land, shall be regarded as having killed all mankind." Sadly, the clause starting with "except" can be deployed by militant Muslims to fuel their jihads.” The Koran is full of advice like this. It says that Moslems shouldn’t eat meat, but if you are a bit hungry, then it’s ok. It says you mustn’t pay interest (what’s wrong with interest?), but if you fiddle around with the language a bit so that it doesn’t appear as though you are, then that’s alright. You mustn’t kill animals, but if you hang them upside down, slit their throats, point them towards Mecca, and mumble some idiotic words from the Koran over them, that’s ok. “Honour” Killing An Oxymoron To The Civilised Muslims despoil the language with concepts like so-called “honour killings” – an oxymoron to a civilised religion - which occurs when some Islamists decide that it’s alright to murder in cold blood one’s sister because she has bought “shame” on the family, whatever that means. What kind of religion is it that seeks to justify an act of merciless, ultimate violence against a female member of your own family, in the name of some warped and outdated religious idea? Flatearthism Recently on BBC Radio 4, there was discussion programme about modern Islam. One of the women on the programme, who had converted to Islam, proudly told how good it was that Muslim women led lives of sheltered exploitation. They have their marriages arranged for them. They walked behind their men with their eyes lowered. The covered their bodies from head to toe. Obviously, men would be overcome with lust otherwise. This convert also admitted that the radio interviewer couldn’t talk to her without a chaperone. These people do live in another world, a world that thankfully, the west managed to wriggle free from at least 500 years ago. It did occur to me, when I heard that this woman had converted to Islam, that moving to such a medieval, contradictory, childish religion was a bit like converting to Flatearthism. Totally without reason, a truly stupid, counterproductive thing to do. And yet we are asked to treat Islam with respect, just like other religions. Of course proper religions should be treated with respect, faiths that raise mankind’s levels of respect for one another and animals who share this world with us. But Islam is not like this. Speak Out Why are Muslims in Britain who are aware of our values, not speaking out? Are they afraid to do this? Will they face action from other Muslims? If Islamic terror is going to continue, we in Britain need to hear from our Muslim fellow citizens, that it is not in their name. Is it possible to bypass the mullahs and hear their voices? Islam continues to enslave and impoverish billions of people, who lead hopeless, ambition-free lives. It is currently a running sore for the rest of the civilised world. The only way that the problem is going to be solved is if Muslims themselves take the initiative to modernise and reform. Can British Muslims take the initiative? They at least can lead the need for change without fear of reprisal, can’t they? Neil Winton – September 27, 2004 Top