DOCSLIB.ORG

SALAFISM in AMERICA History, Evolution, Radicalization

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
SALAFISM in AMERICA History, Evolution, Radicalization SALAFISM in AMERICA History, Evolution, Radicalization ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS October 2018 Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... ii Glossary of Terms ..................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 I. Understanding Salafism ....................................................................................................... 6 I.I What is Salafism? .............................................................................................................. 6 I.II Categorizing Salafism ..................................................................................................... 9 Quietists ................................................................................................................................... 9 Activists .................................................................................................................................. 11 Jihadis .................................................................................................................................... 14 I.III Salafism and Extremism ............................................................................................. 17 Government and Official Views of Salafism in the West ........................................................ 17 Scholarly Views of Salafism in the West ................................................................................ 24 II. Salafism in America ........................................................................................................... 32 II.I The Pioneer: Muhammad Syed Adly ........................................................................ 32 II.II America’s Purist Salafis: From Madkhalis to New American Quietists ......... 40 The Quran and Sunnah Society (QSS) ................................................................................... 41 East Orange, New Jersey ....................................................................................................... 50 Implosion of Early American Quietism ................................................................................. 52 The New American Quietists: The TAM Group .................................................................... 56 II.III Activist Salafis in America ....................................................................................... 64 The Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA) .................................................................. 64 The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA) ........................................................... 78 “Americanized” Salafism: The Al-Maghrib Institute and America’s Post-Salafis ................. 89 II.IV American Salafi Jihadis ............................................................................................ 96 Ahmad Musa Jibril ................................................................................................................ 98 Suleiman Anwar Bengharsa ................................................................................................. 116 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 123 Notes ........................................................................................................................................... 126 Acknowledgments This report was made possible by the dedicated and tireless work of the Program on Extremism’s staff. I would like to thank the Program’s Director Dr. Lorenzo Vidino and Deputy Director Seamus Hughes, whose patience and support throughout the research and writing process was invaluable. Also, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to PoE Research Fellows Bennett Clifford, Audrey Alexander, and Jenna Consigli, all of whom contributed significantly through editorial and research assistance. Several of the Program’s research assistants, including Lauren Conroy, Jon Lewis, and Allie Williams, also assisted in editing and verifying the final product. I would also like to thank Hassan Hassan, Mohamed-Ali Adraoui, Tariq Nelson, and Ismail Royer for taking the time to offer crucial insights that I otherwise would have overlooked. The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author, and not necessarily those of the George Washington University. ii Glossary of Terms Aqida/manhaj: Aqida literally means “creed” whereas manhaj means “method.” Aqida is a crucial concept for Salafis, as they attach great value to following the right religious path. Manhaj refers to the specific method of applying the creed that Salafis follow regarding subjects such as worship. While Salafis broadly follow the same creed, their interpretation of methods is how their various strands differentiate. al-wala’ wa-l-bara’ : al-wala’ wa-l-bara’ literally means “loyalty and disavowal.” According to the Salafi interpretation of this concept, Muslims should live their lives completely under the rules of Islam and reject anything that has any basis outside the confines of Islam. Bid’a/tabdi: Bid’a, or “innovation” refers to unnecessary innovation in Islam. Salafis believe that any practice that developed in Islam that is not directly based on the ways that the first believers practiced Islam is bid’a and therefore not authentic. Tabdi, a term rooted in the word bid’a, refers to the declaration of a Muslim as an innovator (mubtadi’). Dar al-Islam/Dar al-Harb: The terms Dar al-Islam, or “territory of Islam” and Dar al-Harb, or “territory of war” refer to the main geographical distinctions in Islam. Although their exact limits and borders vary across time and interpretation, Dar al-Islam is the territory where Muslims rule according to Islam and Dar al-Harb is the territory where non-Muslims rule and Islamic law is not enforced. Da’wa: Da’wa literally means “making an invitation.” Da’wa refers to proselytization and public outreach and represents the act of convincing others to accept Islam. iii Fard al-ayn/ fard al-kifaya: Fard al-ayn, translated as “individual duty,” and fard al-kifaya, literally “sufficient duty,” represent the two forms of duty recognized as religious obligations by Muslims. Duties which every individual Muslim are required to complete, are considered fard al-ayn; duties which only a certain number of community members are required to complete are fard al-kifaya. Fitna: Fitna refers to a dispute between Muslims within a branch of Islam. Hijra: Hijra, meaning “flight or departure,” refers to migration. In its original context, it refers to the journey taken by the original followers of the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina from 615-620 AD. In the Salafi interpretation, hijra refers to the act of Muslims departing from Muslim-minority countries to Muslim-majority countries or areas being governed under Islamic law. Jihad: Jihad means “struggle.” The method by which this struggle should take place is disputed across Islam. In the context of the Salafi movement, jihad can refer to an internal, personal struggle, a political struggle, or a violent, armed resistance. Those who engage in jihad (usually, in the context of violent resistance) are called mujahidin. Khilafa: Khilafa is the Arabic word for the Caliphate. The reemergence of a Caliphate led by a rightful Caliph and guided by Islamic law is a general, theoretical goal for most iterations of the Salafi movement. However, a specific focus on its re-establishment is more closely associated with Islamist, rather than Salafi, thought. iv Kafir/takfir: Kafir, meaning “unbeliever” or “disbeliever,” refers to a non-believer or someone who is not a Muslim (plural: kuffar.) Takfir is derived from the root “kafir,” and is best translated as “the act of declaring someone to be a non-believer.” Murtad: Murtad, or “one who turns away” refers to an individual who is an apostate. The term is derived from irtidad, literally meaning “relapse or regress,” and refers specifically to a Muslim who has rejected Islam. (plural: murtadin). Munafiq: Munafiq, literally defined as a hypocrite, is someone who outwardly expresses to be a Muslim but secretly acts against the interests of Muslims and Islam. (plural: munafiqin). Rafida: Rafida translates as “rejectionist.” It has been commonly used by Salafi Muslims as a derogatory term to refer to Shi’a Muslims, dating back to the schism within Islam after the death of Muhammad and the refusal of the Shi’a to recognize Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman as the legitimate successors of Muhammad. Taghut: Taghut is best translated as “one who exceeds their limits.” It refers to those who actively rebel against God (plural: tawaghit). Taghut is used by certain strains of Salafis to refer either to secular leaders of Muslim majority countries or to conquering empires that wage war against Muslims. It is frequently used to refer to America, Western European countries, and Russia. Tawhid: Tawhid translates to “oneness of God.” For Salafi Muslims, tawhid is more than the concept that “there is only one God—Allah,” but also that nothing external to Allah should be associated with Allah. Salafis incorporate three
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MİRZA TAKİ FIÂN (Emir Kebir) VE REFORMLARI (1848 - 1851)
    MİRZA TAKİ FIÂN (EMiR KEBiR) VE REFORMLARI (1848 - 1851) GÖKHAN BOLAT* GİRİŞ Yalun dönem İran tarihinde Batı tarzı reform hareketleri Türk kö- kenli Kaçar Hanedanı döneminde (1796-1925) başlamıştır. İran'daki re- form süreci tıpkı Osmanlı Devleti'nde olduğu gibi önceleri askeri re- formlar şeklinde başlamış', daha sonra diğer alanlara yayılmışur. 19. yüzyıl bu açıdan hem Osmanlı Devleti hem de İran'da çeşitli reform ha- reketlerinin görüldüğü bir dönem olmuştur. Bu dönemde İran'daki re- form hareketlerinde ön plana çıkan en önemli isimler Feth Ali Şah'ın oğ- lu Abbas Mirzâ (1789-1833), Mirzâ Ebul-Kâsım Makam (1780-1836) ve Nasıreddin Şah'm hocası ve ilk sadrazamı2 olan Mirzâ rdki I-Iân ya da bili- nen adıyla Emir Kebir (1806-1852)'dir3. Henüz sekiz yaşındayken kendisi- ni İran-Rus mücadelesinin ortasında bulan Abbas Mirzâ on yaşındayken Naib'üs-Saltana (veliaht şehzade) unvamyla Azerbaycan valiliğine atan- mıştır. Rusya karşısında alınan yenilgiler İran ordusunda ciddi bir re- form hareketinin başlatılması gerçeğini ortaya çıkarmış, bunun üzerine Abbas Mirzâ Osmanli'daki Nizâm-ı Cedid ıslahatlanm örnek alarak orduyu Avrupa tarzında yeniden düzenlemeye karar vermiştir. Bunun için İn- giltere, Rusya, Fransa ve Italya'dan askeri uzmanlar getirtrniştir. Özellik- le 1819-1833 arasında yapılan reformlar sadece askeri alanla sınırlı kal- Yrd. Doç. Dr., Erciyes Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Tarih Bölümü, Kayseri/ TÜRKIYE, e-mail: [email protected] ' Steven R.Ward, Immortal A Military History of Iran and Its Aııned Forces, Georgetown University Press, Washington D.C. 2009, s. 61; Stephanie Cronin, "An Experiment in Military Moderni- zation: Constitutionalism, Political Reform and the Iranian Gendarmerie, 1910-1921", Middk Eastem Studies, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Women and Islamic Law Christie S
    College of William & Mary Law School William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository Faculty Publications Faculty and Deans 2008 Lifting the Veil: Women and Islamic Law Christie S. Warren William & Mary Law School, [email protected] Repository Citation Warren, Christie S., "Lifting the Veil: Women and Islamic Law" (2008). Faculty Publications. 99. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/99 Copyright c 2008 by the authors. This article is brought to you by the William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs LIFTING THE VEIL: WOMEN AND ISLAMIC LAW CHRISTIES. WARREN * "Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers." From the Farewell Address of the Holy Prophet Muhammad1 I. INTRODUCTION By the end of February 632 and at the age of sixty-three, the Prophet Muhammad believed that his days on earth were coming to an end.2 He announced to his followers that he would lead the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, himself that year.3 On March 3, the Prophet delivered his farewell sermon near Mount Arafat.4 Among the limited number of topics he chose to include in his last public speech, he encouraged his followers to deal justly with one another and treat women well. 5 In the modem era, the rights of women under Islamic law have come under heightened scrutiny. Some commentators find the Prophet's farewell speech to be inconsistent with the way women are treated in some areas of the Muslim world. In Saudi Arabia, for example, women may neither drive nor vote.
    [Show full text]
  • Reading the Quranic Conception(S) of Justice
    Wesleyan University The Honors College Reading the Quranic Conception(s) of Justice by Benedict S. Bernstein Class of 2009 A thesis submitted to the faculty of Wesleyan University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors from the College of Social Studies Middletown, Connecticut April, 2009 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis is the product of more that just my research and work over the past nine months. There have been many people throughout my life who have made this thesis what it is.. I have been blessed with a wonderful and loving family who have always supported me and whom I can always turn to for guidance. They have been my role models, my harshest critics, and my strongest advocates. This thesis would not have been possible without them. But I have also been blessed, throughout my life, with numerous adoptive families who have had a direct bearing on this work. When I first arrived in Cairo in the fall of 2008, Ibrahim, Hossain, Ali, and their father took me in as one of their own, always making sure that I remained safe and sane in that hectic city; and for that I will always be grateful. I was also surrounded by a group of friends who were and have continued to be my colleagues and my coadventurers, and they will always have a special place in my life. And finally, this thesis was conceived of and nurtured through its early stages under the guidance of two professors at the American University in Cairo, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Volunteer Initiatives
    COVID-19 RESPONSE: VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Seek out the vulnerable among you. Verily, you are only given provision and support due to your support of the weak.” (Tirmidhi). With many more people self-isolating, including elderly, single parents, disabled or others who are social/economically vulnerable, there are more and more volunteer initiatives being started by Muslim activists and institutions all across the UK. Check them out below. This document is constantly being updated. Your initiative not here? Email us on [email protected] to get it added! COVID-19 volunteer response initiatives by region: 1. Scotland 2. North East England 3. North West England 4. Yorkshire and the Humber 5. East Midlands 6. West Midlands 7. East England 8. Wales 9. London 10. Greater London 11. South East England 12. Wider Volunteer Initiatives SCOTLAND GLASGOW CENTRAL MOSQUE Assistance for the elderly and those living alone Contact: 01414 293132 | [email protected] VIRAL KINDNESS SCOTLAND Assistance for those in need, fostering connection across Scotland and building an army of volunteers. If you need help, if you know someone who needs help or if you as an individual, group or business wants to offer help, contact: 0800 054 2284 |www.viralkindness.scot Twitter: @ViralKindScot | Facebook: /ViralKindnessScot NORTH EAST ENGLAND NEWCASTLE CENTRAL MOSQUE Assistance in delivering essential food supplies and medicine for the elderly and vulnerable in isolation. Contact: 07426 313662 NORTH WEST ENGLAND BLACKBURN – LAMMACK PRAYER ROOM (MUSALLA) Assistance in shopping/medication collection & delivery, practical support around home and health visits Contact Sabir: 07930 242425 BLACKBURN – MASJID-E-RAZA Assistance with shopping collection and delivery, medication collection and health care visit, friendly phone call to overcome loneliness, friendly children support and practical support at home.
    [Show full text]
  • Heirs of the Prophet: Islamic Authority and International Politics in the 21 Century by James A. Mikulec, Jr. B.A., Mercyhurst C
    Heirs of the Prophet: Islamic Authority and International Politics in the 21 st Century by James A. Mikulec, Jr. B.A., Mercyhurst College, May 2005 M.A., George Washington University, August 2007 A Dissertation submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 31, 2014 Dissertation directed by Marc Lynch Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and of Media and Public Affairs The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University certifies that James A. Mikulec, Jr. has passed the Final Examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy as of December 13, 2013. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. Heirs of the Prophet: Islamic Authority and International Politics in the 21 st Century James A. Mikulec, Jr. Dissertation Research Committee: Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and of Media and Public Affairs, Dissertation Director Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Committee Member Martha Finnemore, University Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Committee Member ii © Copyright 2014 by James A. Mikulec, Jr. All rights reserved iii Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to Jessica and to my family, especially my parents, James and Donna Mikulec, and my grandparents, Peter and Joyce Izzi and Joseph and Laura Mikulec, who always encouraged me to pursue the things that I love. Without their constant support, I would not be here today. iv Acknowledgements This dissertation was written during (and, in some cases, was an eyewitness to) a particularly important, but volatile period in the political and social history of the Middle East and the Muslim world.
    [Show full text]
  • USAF Counterproliferation Center CPC Outreach Journal #952
    Issue No. 952, 28 October 2011 Articles & Other Documents: Featured Article: U.S. Releases New START Nuke Data 1. 'IAEA Report Can Stymie Iran-P5+1 Talks' 2. German Wavers over Sale of Sub to Israel: Report 3. Armenian Nuclear Specialists Move to Iran for Better Life 4. Seoul, US Cautiously Move on 6-Party Talks 5. N. Korea Remains Serious Threat: US Defence Chief 6. Seoul, Beijing Discuss NK Issues 7. Pentagon Chief Doubts N. Korea Will Give Up Nukes 8. U.S.’s Panetta and South Korea’s Kim Warn Against North Korean Aggression 9. Pakistan Tests Nuclear-Capable Hatf-7 Cruise Missile 10. Libya: Stockpiles of Chemical Weapons Found 11. U.S. Has 'Nuclear Superiority' over Russia 12. Alexander Nevsky Sub to Be Put into Service in Late 2012 13. New Subs Made of Old Spare Parts 14. Successful Test Launch for Russia’s Bulava Missile 15. Topol Ballistic Missiles May Stay in Service until 2019 16. U.S. Releases New START Nuke Data 17. Army Says Umatilla Depot's Chemical Weapons Mission Done 18. Iran Dangerous Now, Imagine It Nuclear 19. START Treaty: Never-Ending Story 20. The "Underground Great Wall:" An Alternative Explanation 21. What’s Down There? China’s Tunnels and Nuclear Capabilities 22. Visits Timely and Important 23. Surgical Strikes Against Key Facilities would Force Iran to Face Military Reality 24. KAHLILI: Iran Already Has Nuclear Weapons Welcome to the CPC Outreach Journal. As part of USAF Counterproliferation Center’s mission to counter weapons of mass destruction through education and research, we’re providing our government and civilian community a source for timely counterproliferation information.
    [Show full text]
  • Intersecting Identities: Cultural and Traditional Allegiance in Portrait of an Emir
    INTERSECTING IDENTITIES: CULTURAL AND TRADITIONAL ALLEGIANCE IN PORTRAIT OF AN EMIR Ariana Panbechi In Iranian history, the period between the eighteenth and early twentieth centuries can be best described as an era of monumental change. Transformations in economics, technology, military administration, and the arts reverberated across the Persian Empire and were further developed by the Qajar dynasty, which was quick to embrace the technological and industrial innovations of modernism. 1 However, the Qajars were also strongly devoted to tradition, and utilized customary Persian motifs and themes to craft an imperial identity that solidified their position as the successors to the Persian imperial lineage.2 This desire to align with the past manifested in the visual arts, namely in large-scale royal portraiture of the Qajar monarchy and ruling elite. Executed in 1855, Portrait of an Emir (Fig. 1) is a depiction of an aristocrat that represents the Qajar devotion to reviving traditional imagery through art in an attempt to craft a nationalist identity. The work portrays a Qajar nobleman dressed in lavish robes and seated on a two-tone carpet within a palatial setting. The subject is identified as Emir Qasem Khan in the inscription that appears to the left of his head.3 Figure 1. Attributed to Afrasiyab, Portrait of an Emir, 1855. Oil on cotton, 59 x 37 in. Brooklyn Museum, accession number 73.145. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Wilkinson, Brooklyn, New York. Image courtesy the Brooklyn Museum. In this paper, I argue that Emir Qasem Khan’s portrait, as a pictorial representation of how he presented himself during his lifetime, is a visualization of the different entities, ideas, and traditions that informed his carefully crafted identity as a member of the Qajar court.
    [Show full text]
  • Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Brent
    MEDINA IN BIRMINGHAM, NAJAF IN BRENT INNES BOWEN Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Brent Inside British Islam HURST & COMPANY, LONDON First published in the United Kingdom in 2014 by C. Hurst & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 41 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3PL © Innes Bowen, 2014 All rights reserved. Printed in the USA Distributed in the United States, Canada and Latin America by Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. The right of Innes Bowen to be identified as the author of this publication is asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. A Cataloguing-in-Publication data record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-1849043014 www.hurstpublishers.com This book is printed using paper from registered sustainable and managed sources. CONTENTS Acknowledgements vii Glossary ix Introduction 1 1. The Deobandis: The Market Leaders 11 2. The Tablighi Jamaat: Missionaries and a Mega Mosque 35 3. The Salafis: ‘Don’t call us Wahhabis!’ 57 4. The Jamaat-e-Islami: British Islam’s Political Class 83 5. The Muslim Brotherhood: The Arab Islamist Exiles 101 6. The Barelwis: Sufis and Traditionalists 115 7. The Shia ‘Twelvers’: Najaf in Brent 135 8. The Ismailis: The Dawoodi Bohras and the Followers of the Aga Khan 165 Notes 187 Index 211 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book could not have been completed were it not for the help of those whom it is about: the followers of Britain’s most important Islamic networks. I am grateful to the many individuals who made time to be interviewed and trusted me to tell their stories.
    [Show full text]
  • Roles of Arabic Language in Determination of Sunnah Corruption
    International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 10, No. 9, 2020, E-ISSN: 2222-6990 © 2020 HRMARS Roles of Arabic Language in Determination of Sunnah Corruption Muhammad Muthi`ul Haqq Fatah Yasin & Basri Ibrahim To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i9/7888 DOI:10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i9/7888 Received: 04 June 2020, Revised: 10 July 2020, Accepted: 12 August 2020 Published Online: 27 September 2020 In-Text Citation: (Yasin, & Ibrahim, 2020) To Cite this Article: Yasin, M. M. H. F., & Ibrahim, B. (2020). Roles of Arabic Language in Determination of Sunnah Corruption. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 10(9), 952-961. Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s) Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com) This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode Vol. 10, No. 9, 2020, Pg. 952 - 961 http://hrmars.com/index.php/pages/detail/IJARBSS JOURNAL HOMEPAGE Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://hrmars.com/index.php/pages/detail/publication-ethics 952 International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 10, No. 9, 2020, E-ISSN: 2222-6990 © 2020 HRMARS Roles of Arabic Language in Determination of Sunnah Corruption Muhammad Muthi`ul Haqq Fatah Yasin1 & Basri Ibrahim2 1University Islam Malaysia, Cyberjaya, Malaysia/ Kolej Universiti Islam Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Hampshire Tnhdigital.Com Monday, March 7, 2016 Vol
    Serving the University of New Hampshire since 1911 The New Hampshire TNHdigital.com Monday, March 7, 2016 Vol. 105, No. 35 Opinion: This week’s “From UNH exited the Hockey East Playo s in the INSIDE the Right” explores diversity rst round at Merrimack College. in the GOP. THE NEWS Page 12 Page 16 Student orgs collaborate, bring DarkMa er to UNH By RAOUL BIRON STAFF WRITER Hoping to foster solidarity, inspiration and acceptance, author and activist Dan Savage told LGBTQ+ youth around the world that “it gets better.” Since releasing his initial video in 2011, Savage’s message has exploded into a kind of marketed rallying cry for LGBTQ+ causes rang- ing anywhere from marriage equality to teen suicide. What happens when a three-word sentence - even one spoken on camera by hundreds of thousands - stops being enough? For Brooklyn based spoken word duo, DarkMatter, it gets bitter. On April 1, the fi rst day of UNH Campus Pride Month, the trans South Asian art and activist collaboration will occupy the Strafford room in the MUB. Sponsored in part by MUSO, UNH Alliance, Trans UNH, and The Kidder Fund, the event is largely designed to ignite a community-wide dialogue about perspective, the nature of privilege, and the missed subtleties of political movements as wide-ranging and general as LGBTQ+ rights. “We try to bring programs, artists and speakers that have a social justice-centered message because as a group we really believe in inclu- sion and activism,” said a spokesperson for MUSO. “We rarely get speakers who encompass multiple marginalized COURTESY PHOTO DARKMATTER DarkMatter, the trans South Asian art and activist duo, will speak in the Stra ord Room on April 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Suffocation of Free Speech Under the Gravity of Danger of Terrorism
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by bepress Legal Repository First Amendment Tim Davis Prof. Raskin The Suffocation of Free Speech under the Gravity of Danger of Terrorism I. Introduction Ali al -Timimi (“al- Timimi”) is an outspoken Muslim scholar who is well respected in the worldwide Muslim community. In his fervent support of Muslims everywhere, he has openly proclaimed that America is one of the chief enemies of the Muslim populace. 1 He has proclaimed that the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia was a sign for Muslims to take action.2 He has urged young Muslim men to jihad, to wage armed conflict with the enemies of Islam. 3 It is safe to say that al -Timimi has made numerous speeches that most Americans would find highly objectionable. On September 23, 2004, the Federal government charged al -Timimi with a six -co unt indictment4, which was later superceded by the present ten -count indictment. 5 During the trial in April 2005, the prosecution introduced over 250 evidentiary exhibits 6, testimony from several expert witnesses on radical Islamism 7, and testimony from various government agents. In 1 Presentencing Report for Muhammed Aatique at 17, United States v. Khan, (No. 03 -296 -A). 2 Presentencing Report for Muhammed Aatique at 17, United States v. Khan, (No. 03 -296 -A). 3 Transcripts, Rebuttal Argument by Mr. Kromberg, Pleading 123 at 14, United States v. Al -Timimi, (No. 1:04cr385). 4 Indictment, United States v. Al -Timimi, (No. 1:04cr385), available at http://www.altimimi.org.
    [Show full text]
  • Online Islamic Da'wah Narratives in the UK: the Case of Iera
    Online Islamic Da'wah Narratives in the UK: The Case of iERA by MIRA A. BAZ A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Religion and Theology College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham September 2016 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis is an in-depth study into two of the UK charity iERA's da'wah narratives: the Qura'nic embryology 'miracle' and the Kalam Cosmological Argument. While the embryo verses have received scholarly attention, there is little to no research in the da'wah context for both narratives. Berger and Luckmann's social constructionism was applied to both, which were problematic. It was found that iERA constructed its exegesis of the embryo verses by expanding on classical meanings to show harmony with modern science. Additionally, it developed the Cosmological Argument by adapting it to Salafi Islamic beliefs. The construction processes were found to be influenced by an online dialectic between iERA and its Muslim and atheist detractors, causing it to abandon the scientific miracles and modify the Cosmological Argument.
    [Show full text]