Jihadis are not Radical

Howard Pond

“Howard Pond, like most people in the West, paid little attention to Islam, Sharia, or the Koran prior to 9/11. Only after that transformative moment did he start searching for an explanation as to how these assassins could be so confused as to the “peaceful” teachings of one of the World’s great religions. Upon investigation he discovered that the better the follower of Islam might be, the more toxic that person is to a society which honors individual freedoms.

3 Responses

  1. Dr. Nishant says:

    Well said.
    Here i would like to add a new term called “seed”.
    There is a ‘ seed’ that is the basic principle of every religion that resides in the hearts of every religious person of any given religion, be that a radical, fundamentalist, good, or jack variety. This seed is very difficult to eliminate and requires extraordinary courage on the part of follower to eliminate it.
    When a jack reverts back to his religion, under various circumstances, this seed manifests into a tree, that shows its fruits in the actions of a fundamentalist.
    For example a jack Jain, who lives a normal life like any other citizen, when he reverts back he becomes absolutely non violent, which is the basic tenet of Jainism. Thus a fundamentalist Jain would cover his face with a cloth at all times just to protect the microbes from dying accidentally in their mouths!!! While walking he doesnt use footwear and is keenly observant so as to not harm any ants or insects.

    Similarly a buddhist, hindu, christian (not evangelicals) they become increasingly pacifistic and compassionate as they get closer to fumdamentalism of their respective religions.
    Its impossible to get a fundamentalist jain to even comit violence by harsh words to fellow humans.
    This fundamentalism of jains may not be good or appropriate on several circumstances, but atleast they are not harmful to others.

    Lets see how the seed is in islam. Here in India most of the muslim kids will not be able to identify Israel on a map, and they might have never ever in their liferimes met any jew(the jewish population is tiny, and resides in specific locations only)
    Yet every muslim kid would know that Jews are to be hated and Israel is causing attrocities against the arab muslims.

    Now, this muslim may become a jack, good or whatever, the seed resides in him.
    Given the social organisational structure of Islam, it is much much easier to revert back to fundamentalism. Invariably the tree grows as per the seeds in the hearts of the follower.

    All the efforts of the world against islamic terror are directed in plucking the evil fruits of these trees and none are directed at its roots and at the implantation of the seeds of hatred in the impressionable minds.

    1st and foremost measure thus required is to ban all madrasas or islamic schools.
    2nd measure would be to discourage ghettos of muslims, let them live within non muslim communities. The syncretic association with non muslims thus eliminates the prejudices and feelings of separation.
    3rd Once the muslims become pacifistic by above 2 methods, they become more accepting in the modern national constitutions which are similar to Human rights tenets.
    4) With the scope and vision thus enhanced, along with current scientific discources, readymade reasonings and insights get provided to the muslims in discussions and debates about islam, and with a little courage from the self a muslim may become an apostate.

    Jain Religious Fundamentalism is not a problem for humanity, but muslim religious fundamentalism is.
    Thus this venomous tree needs to be attacked at all levels, including its seeds.

  2. Dave London says:

    Great article, but the Merrian-Webster definition of radical is insufficient. In fact, the word’s primary meaning refers to the root or roots of something.
    1.
    of or going to the root or origin; fundamental:
    a radical difference.

    Hence, radical and fundamental can be used almost interchangeably; the jihadis are radicals every bit as much as they are fundamentalists, because they are faithful to Islam’s scriptural roots (the koran, haddiths and the bloody example of Mohammad).

  3. Ali Sina says:

    This article describes the moderate Muslim better than anything i have ever read. Please spread it.