The news coming out of Iraq is really devastating. The violent extremist group known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) continues to take over major parts of Iraq, brutally killing and oppressing any and all who come in their way. The worst of ISIS has been unleashed on Shia Muslims, Christians, and the Yazidis with hundreds of thousands killed and forced to flee.
The leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is as dangerous as he is delusional. In a sermon that he gave several weeks ago, the ISIS leader declared himself as the new “caliph” of Muslims worldwide. In the sermon he attempted to reflect the personality of Islam’s first caliph, Abu Bakr al-Sadiq, in asking those gathered to help him when he is right and correct him when he is wrong and to only obey him so long as he obeys God and the Messenger. But, the Qur’an warns its readers to not be swayed by charismatic figures who, in reality, only spread evil in the world:
“Now, there is a kind of man whose views on the life of this world may please thee greatly, and [the more so as] he cites God as witness to what is in his heart and is, moreover, exceedingly skillful in argument. But whenever he prevails, he goes about the earth spreading corruption and destroying property and progeny [even though] God does not like corruption. And whenever he is told, “Be conscious of God,” his false pride drives him into [even greater] sin…” (2:204–2:206).
Categories: Asia, Extremism, Fundamentalism, Iraq, ISLAM, Islam, Islamism, Islamists, Islamophobia, ISLAMOPHOBIA, Jehad, Jihad, Opinion, Religious Harmony, Terrorism
So? Who will it be that finally confronts, fights (as there’s no other way, face facts) and utterly defeats those unholy ISIS barbarians?
Who?… ‘The West’?… The answer to that is ‘No’, as it must be. The West can only help, and to some degree protect, the victims as well as assist, as requested, those who are currently in battle with ISIS. That is all the West can do.
The answer to the question is ‘The Ummah’.
Righteousness must prevail here and only the Ummah can provide that to end this particular barbarism.
Please don’t think that I presume to tell the Ummah what to do. No, I do not. What I am telling the Ummah, as a non-Muslim, is that I realize that you are the only ones that can end this… and I have faith in you and believe that you can do it.
Because I believe the ‘Righteousness’ exists within the Ummah to do so…
Well Ummah means the whole of humanity in our global village.
If you are following news, USA is bombing ISIS. As USA is the superpower, no force can be effectively used without USA’s open or implied consent.
It has been my understanding that that term applies to the world-wide Muslim community, not humanity as a whole. That is the context of my use of the word. This is the first time I’ve ever seen it used in context you present it.
I disagree that the world needs the US’s consent to act against barbarism. Frankly, I believe the US would rather the world would, the Muslim world would, take action on this plague under its own initiative and not simply rely on the US. Action, not mere words of condemnation. Action, not mere words of dissociation.
Perhaps my aforementioned ‘faith’ was misplaced…
The word Ummah was used by the Holy Prophet of Islam in describing all the peoples collectively that lived in Madinah when wrote the charter of Madina. The word Ummah is not specific to Muslims. And yes, civilizations have always helped each other in the face of overwhelming oppression. Remember that Spain was a heaven for european christians and Jews when they were escaping catholic persecution (almost as cruel as ISIS). Today the judio-christian world must also play the same role and it is doing it.
Robert please also see: http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2014/08/asia/on-the-real-war-front-against-islamist-extremism
There is evidence how west has helped to create ISIS and destroying functioning states to create vacum that has allowed such groups to come into being. Israel helped create Hamas, US helped to create Bin Laden and ISIS fights today with US supplied weapons during the free Syrian struggle. How does it help to lay down the responsibility on Muslims to confront and solve the ISIS problem?
I am thankful to Abdul Alim for helping me to understand the good meaning of the word Ummah as it was used 1400 years ago in Madinah. It was a nation of Muslims and Jews and Christians (and may be polytheists too.) i.e. all people living in Madinah.
@Robert Adams: You are right. Only the Muslims who truly understand Islam will be able to defeat these barbarians. And not through force or violence but prayer and the jihad of the pen (although a time will come when we will have to take up arms against them, but not now). And this will only happen, in the Ahmadiyya Muslim view, when they themselves wake up and are enlightened about the pristine teachings of Islam. Ignorance is the biggest devil.