The Collected works Of Tawfik Hamid Observations on Radicalized Islam 2009-2011 Understanding Radical Islam 1 Understanding Radical Islam Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 2 BY: Dr. Tawfik Hamid Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 3 Authors Note Dr. Hamid would like to thank all those who assisted him to make this work available. He would like to give special thanks to: Blake Musser for his invaluable assistance to Dr. Hamid while producing this final product. Mr. Musser’s suggestions, creating the references, and creating the final structure for this collection has been instrumental in producing this product. Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 4 Introduction The field of Islamic radicalism is a complex area of research. It includes security, political, sociological, psychological, technological, and other dimensions. This is a collection of Op- Ed‘s written by Dr. Hamid. These articles address the phenomenon of Radical Islam from several angles and address these different dimensions to suggest some approaches to deal with radicalization. Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 5 Glossary Al-Azhar: the most reputable Islamic University in the world. Al-Buchary: the most authentic Hadith (sayings of prophet Mohamed) book in Sunni Islam. Apostates: a Muslim who converted from Islam to other faith or rejected one of its basic fundamentals. At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb: Targheeb is to encourage Muslims on applying Islamic edicts and Tarheeb is to warn them with hell fire if they did not do so. Baha'i: a relatively modern faith that believes in global peace. Bukhari: same as Al-Buchary (Al- means ‗the‘) Burqa: Islamic face cover for women. Caliphate: worldwide Islamic empire that implement Sharia (Islamic Law). Fatwa: statement by Islamic scholars to establish and Islamic religious edict and rule. Hadith: words and deeds of prophet Mohamed during his live (it does not include the Quran which is seen as the words of God himself) Hijab: Islamic head scarf for women. Hizb Ut Tahrir: an Islamic organization in the UK. Imam: Islamic leader or scholar Jizia (Jizya): a form of humiliating tax that Non-Muslims MUST pay to Muslims when the latter are majority and controlling the country. Mecca: Most holy city in Islam Minhaj Al-Muslim: a bestselling Islamic book for Islamic jurisprudence that is printed and distributed worldwide. Mulla: Islamic scholar or leader Niqab: an Islamic dress for women that covers completely her face and body Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 6 Glossary Continued Sahih Albuchary: same as Al-Buchary Sahih Al-Bukhari: same as Al-Buchary Salafi: a form ofregressive and literal way of thinking within Islam. Sheikh: Islamic scholar. Shia: the biggest sect in Islam after Sunni Islam. It exists is several parts of the world, however, it is more common in Iran, Iraq, and eastern parts of the Arab peninsula. Sufi: a Mystical and Non literal way of thinking within Islam (Note Sufi Movements does not necessarily follow the ultimate Sufi way of thinking) Sunna: words and deeds and biography of prophet Mohamed Sunni: a person who follow the Sunna of Mohamed Sura: A chapter of the Quran is called Sura. The Quran has 114 Sura(s)Each chapter is divided into verses. Tabari: a well-known and highly reputable Islamic book about the biography of prophet Mohamed Umma: Islamic nation that includes ALL Muslims worldwide. Wahabbi: a sect of Islam that has been created and is currently very influential in Saudi Arabia. Its aim is to implement Sharia rules in the country. Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 7 Table of Contents Contents Islamic Culture .................................................................................................................................. 11 How Pew Surveys In The Muslim World Can Give More Accurate Results ................. 12 Differences between Islam, West Must Be Addressed ....................................................... 18 Sharia Law ............................................................................................................................................ 20 The US Must Suppress Sharia Law To Uphold Freedom Of Religion ............................ 21 The Cruelty Of Sharia Law Is Not A Western Perception But An Islamic Reality .... 23 Is Sharia Law Un-Islamic? ............................................................................................................ 26 The Movie "The Stoning Of Soraya M." Shakes The Foundations Of Radical Islam29 Terrorism .............................................................................................................................................. 32 The Mystery Of The Word "Jihad‖ .............................................................................................. 33 A Jihadist's Advice On How To Win The War In Afghanistan .......................................... 37 Do We Only Need More 'Security Measures' Or More 'Common Sense'? ................... 41 Not "Hardly Existential" ................................................................................................................. 44 Lessons To Learn From The Times Square Bomb Plot ....................................................... 47 Who Is To Blame For Terrorism? ............................................................................................... 50 Applications Of Medical Lessons To The War On Terror .................................................... 52 Lessons Of The Cold War For The War On Terror................................................................ 55 Confronting Radical Islam .......................................................................................................... 57 How Much Support Does Bin Laden Have In The Arab Street? ...................................... 58 US Could Have Used Bin Laden's Death To Expose Sympathizers ............................... 60 What Al-Zawahiri Said About The Killing Of Bin Laden? ................................................... 62 Why, As A Muslim, I Support The Congressional Hearings About Radical Islam .... 65 Inabilities To See The Dots, Not Merely Failures To Connect Them, Is What Hinders Our Ability To Defeat Radical Islam.......................................................................... 69 Is Your Local Mosque 'Moderate' Or 'Radical'? ..................................................................... 72 'Intolerance' To Sharia Necessary for Liberty, Freedom ................................................... 75 Approaches To Addressing Radical Islam - What Will Work And What Will Not ...... 77 Copyright by Dr.Tawfik Hamid 2011 8 A Challenge To The Ground Zero Mosque Leaders ............................................................. 80 Shall The Us Start Fighting Terrorism In 'Brainistan'? ...................................................... 83 Apologetic Attitudes Towards Radical Islam Aggravate It ............................................... 85 Reformation Of Islam .................................................................................................................... 87 Can Fresh Interpretations Of Islamic Text Prevent A Possible "Clash Of Civilizations?" ..................................................................................................................................... 88 Passive Attitude Toward Violent Islamic Text Is Destructive .......................................... 91 A Message to the Muslim World ................................................................................................. 94 An open letter the Second in command of Al-Qaeda ......................................................... 98 Killing Sorcerers for Practicing 'Witchcraft' in Islam: Another View ........................... 101 Fighting Islam With Islam ........................................................................................................... 103 Can We Turn Burning The Quran Day Into Something Positive? ................................ 105 Is The Anger Of The Muslim Street Justifiable By Islam? .............................................. 109 Does The UN Want To Ban The Quran? ................................................................................. 112 Fighting Radical Islam with "Broad Band" ............................................................................ 115 Islam In The United States ...................................................................................................... 119 Rise Of Homegrown Islamic Radicalism Raises Concerns .............................................. 120 What The US Needs To Do To Avoid Another 9/11........................................................... 123 Supreme Court Takes A Correct Step To Fight Terrorism .............................................. 126 A Comment On Mr. John Brennan's Speech To CSIS, "Protecting The American People From Terrorism And Violent Extremism" ................................................................ 129 Analysis Of The Recent Bin Laden Tape (Today on CNN) .............................................. 135 Shall We Treat Islamic Terrorism As A Criminal Act Or As An Act Of War? ............ 137 Bridges Between The US And The Muslim World Must Be Two-Way ......................... 140 The Case Of The 5 Young American Muslim Jihadists Raises Several Concerns ... 142 The Media Must Convey The True Message Sent By The Jihadists ............................. 145 Ignoring The Role Of Ideology In The Ft. Hood Massacre Is Disastrous .................. 147 US Reaction To Muslims In Its Military MUST Be Well Calculated..............................