Arab Majority May Not Stay Forever Silent

[Geronimo]

Arab Majority May Not Stay Forever Silent
BY YOUSSEF IBRAHIM
July 17, 2006
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/36110

Yes, world, there is a silent Arab majority that believes that seventh-century Islam is not fit for 21st-century challenges. That women do not have to look like walking black tents. That men do not have to wear beards and robes, act like lunatics, and run around blowing themselves up in order to enjoy 72 virgins in paradise. And that secular laws, not Islamic Shariah, should rule our day-to-day lives.

And yes, we, the silent Arab majority, do not believe that writers, secular or otherwise, should be killed or banned for expressing their views. Or that the rest of our creative elite - from moviemakers to playwrights, actors, painters, sculptors, and fashion models - should be vetted by Neanderthal Muslim imams who have never read a book in their dim, miserable lives.

Nor do we believe that little men with head wraps and disheveled beards can run amok in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq making decisions on our behalf, dragging us to war whenever they please, confiscating our rights to be adults, and flogging us for not praying five times a day or even for not believing in God.

More important, we are not silent any longer.

Rarely have I seen such an uprising, indeed an intifada, against those little turbaned, bearded men across the Muslim landscape as the one that took place last week. The leader of Hezbollah, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, received a resounding "no" to pulling 350 million Arabs into a war with Israel on his clerical coattails.

The collective "nyet" was spoken by presidents, emirs, and kings at the highest level of government in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Morocco, and at the Arab League's meeting of 22 foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday. But it was even louder from pundits and ordinary people.

Perhaps the most remarkable and unexpected reaction came from Saudi Arabia, whose foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, said bluntly and publicly that Hezbollah's decision to cross the Lebanese border, attack Israel, and kidnap its soldiers has left the Shiite group on its own to face Israel. The unspoken message here was, "We hope they blow you away."

The Arab League put it succinctly in its final communique in Cairo, declaring that "behavior undertaken by some groups [read: Hezbollah and Hamas] in apparent safeguarding of Arab interests does in fact harm those interests, allowing Israel and other parties from outside the Arab world [read: Iran] to wreck havoc with the security and safety of all Arab countries."

As for Hezbollah and its few supporters, who have pushed for an emergency Arab summit meeting, the response could not have been a bigger slap in the face. Take a listen:

* Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, the general manager of Al-Arabiya, possibly the most influential Arab opinion-maker today, was categorical yesterday: "We have lost most of our causes and the largest portions of our lands following fiery speeches and empty promises of struggle coupled with hallucinating, drug-induced political fantasies." As for joining Hezbollah in its quest, his answer was basically, "you broke it, you own it."

* Tariq Alhomayed, editor in chief of the Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, stuck the dagger in deeper: "Mr. Nasrallah bombastically announced he consulted no one when he decided to attack Israel, nor did he measure Lebanon's need for security, prosperity, and the safety of its people. He said he needs no one's help but God's to fight the fight." Mr. Alhomayed's punch line was, in so many words: Go with God, Sheik Nasrallah, but count the rest of us out.

Several other Arab pundits, not necessarily coordinating their commentary, noted that today Sheik Nasrallah has been reduced to Osama bin Laden status, a fugitive from Israeli justice, sending out his tapes from unknown locations to, invariably, Al-Jazeera, the prime purveyor of Mr. bin Laden's communications.

All in all, it seems that when Israel decided to go to war against the priestly mafia of Hamas and Hezbollah, it opened a whole new chapter in the Greater Middle East discourse. And Israel is finding, to its surprise, that a vast, not-so-silent majority of Arabs agrees that enough is enough. To be sure, beneath the hostility toward Sheik Nasrallah in Sunni Muslim states lies the deep and bitter heritage of a 14-century Sunni-Shiite divide, propelled to greater heights now by fears of an ascendant Shiite "arc of menace" rising out of Iran and peddled in the Sunni world by Syria.

The sooner this is settled the better.

http://www.nysun.com/article/36110

[- Qatada -]

That no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another-

That man can have nothing but what he strives for;

And that his striving shall soon be seen-


(Surah Najm 53: 38-40)

If you're posting this to cause a big debate, it won't work insha'Allaah. And it's upto them people to take their own path - we all will die in the end:

Say: "The Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls: then shall ye be brought back to your Lord."

If only thou couldst see when the guilty ones will bend low their heads before their Lord, (saying:) "Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard: Now then send us back (to the world): we will work righteousness: for we do indeed (now) believe."

(Surah Sajdah 32: 11-12)

Peace.

[Keltoi]

Interesting article, but I still don't see evidence of this "Muslim Majority", unless he meant the leaders of Saudi Arabia and media journalists.

[Nablus]

Yes, world, there is a silent Arab majority that believes that seventh-century

Islam is not fit for 21st-century challenges. That women do not have to look like walking black tents. That men do not have to wear beards and robes, act like lunatics, and run around blowing themselves up in order to enjoy 72 virgins in paradise. And that secular laws, not Islamic Shariah, should rule our day-to-day lives.

first of all I would say the principles of islam are suitable for any age.



for

men dont have to wear beards

.do u think wearing a beard is opposing civilisation?!!!!

and run around blowing themselves up in order to enjoy 72 virgins in paradise.

they are sacrifying them selves for the sack of Allah.this is the highest degree of jihad.

What do u call who kills the kids and families in Lebanon?!!!
u want to say for me they r defending

Finally, as muslims we have our own expressions and u have

u called Jihad= Terror

Subhana Allah

'لكم دينكم ولي دين "

[rubiesand]

Keltoi,

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, the subject is the 'Arab majority' and not the 'Muslim majority'.

[Keltoi]

Keltoi,

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, the subject is the 'Arab majority' and not the 'Muslim majority'.

Excuse me...the point remains the same however.

[Geronimo]

Here's another by Youssef:

Opinion: The Muslim mind is on fire
Youssef M. Ibrahim

July 26, 2005

DUBAI -- The world of Islam is on fire. Indeed, the Muslim mind is on fire. Above all, the West is now ready to take both of them on.

The latest reliable report confirms that on average 33 Iraqis die every day, executed by Iraqis and foreign jihadis and suicide bombers, not by US or British soldiers. In fact, fewer than ever US or British soldiers are dying since the invasion more than two years ago. Instead, we now watch on television hundreds of innocent Iraqis lying without limbs, bleeding in the streets dead or wounded for life. If this is jihad someone got his religious education completely upside down.

Palestine is on fire, too, with Palestinian armed groups fighting one another - Hamas against Fatah and all against the Palestinian Authority. All have rendered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas impotent and have diminished the world's respect and sympathy for Palestinian sufferings.

A couple of weeks ago London was on fire as Pakistani and other Muslims with British citizenship blew up tube stations in the name of Islam. Al Qaeda in Europe or one of its franchises proclaimed proudly the killing of 54 and wounding 700 innocent citizens was done to "avenge Islam" and Muslims.

Madrid was on fire, too, last year, when Muslim jihadis blew up train stations killing 160 people and wounding a few thousands.

The excuse in all the above cases was the war in Iraq, but let us not forget that in September 2001, long before Iraq, Osama Bin Laden proudly announced that he ordered the killing of some 3,000 in the United States, in the name of avenging Islam. Let us not forget that the killing began a long time before the invasion of Iraq.

Indeed, jihadis have been killing for a decade in the name of Islam. They killed innocent tourists and natives in Morocco and Egypt, in Africa, in Indonesia and in Yemen, all done in the name of Islam by Muslims who say that they are better than all other Muslims. They killed in India, in Thailand and are now talking of killing in Germany and Denmark and so on. There were attacks with bombs that killed scores inside Shia and Sunni mosques, inside churches and inside synagogues in Turkey and Tunisia, with Muslim preachers saying that it is okay to kill Jews and Christians - the so called infidels.

Above all, it is the Muslim mind that is on fire.

The Muslim fundamentalist who attacked the Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh in the Netherlands, stabbed him more than 23 times then cut his throat. He recently proudly proclaimed at his trial: "I did it because my religion - Islam - dictated it and I would do it again if were free." Which preacher told this guy this is Islam? That preacher should be in jail with him.

Do the cowardly jihadis who recruit suicide bombers really think that they will force the US Army and British troops out of Iraq by killing hundreds of innocent Iraqis? US troops now have bases and operate in Iraq but also from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The only accomplishment of jihadis is that now they have aroused the great "Western Tiger". There was a time when the United States and Europe welcomed Arab and Muslim immigrants, visitors and students, with open arms. London even allowed all dissidents escaping their countries to preach against those countries under the guise of political refugees.

Well, that is all over now. Time has become for the big Western vengeance.

Visas for Arab and Muslim young men will be impossible to get for the United States and Western Europe. Those working there will be expelled if they are illegal, and harassed even if their papers are in order.

Airlines will have to right to refuse boarding to passengers if their names even resemble names on a prohibited list on all flights heading to Europe and the United States.

What is more important to remember is this: When the West did unite after World War II to beat communism, the long Cold War began without pity. They took no prisoners. They all stood together, from the United States to Norway, from Britain to Spain, from Belgium to Switzerland. And they did bring down the biggest empire. Communism collapsed.

I fear those naïve Muslims who think that they are beating the West have now achieved their worst crime of all. The West is now going to war against not only Muslims, but also, sadly, Islam as a religion.

In this new cold and hot war, car bombs and suicide bombers here and there will be no match for the arsenal that those Westerners are putting together - an arsenal of laws, intelligence pooling, surveillance by satellites, armies of special forces and indeed, allies inside the Arab world who are tired of having their lives disrupted by demented so-called jihadis or those bearded preachers who, under the guise of preaching, do little to teach and much to ignite the fire, those who know little about Islam and nothing about humanity.

Youssef M. Ibrahim, a former Middle East correspondent for The New York Times and energy editor of the Wall Street Journal, is managing director of the Dubai-based Strategic Energy Investment Group

[Keltoi]

Youssef M. Ibrahim...I think I've seen him on cable news shows recently. Very interesting perspective.

[Geronimo]

Youssef M. Ibrahim...I think I've seen him on cable news shows recently. Very interesting perspective.

He's been on CNN, Al-Jazeera, and MSNBC. He also write for the Wall Street Journal, Arabnews.com, and ME.com. He's Egyptian

[Somalina]

~Salaam~

Arabs Led The World because of Islam,,,They R suffering because they Neglected Islam n it's Teachings,They Shall Not Come Back To Be On Top Without Properly Following Islam!

Funny,How A man With a beard is so unfit,,in this Lovely Modernised 21 Century,,,hmmmm,,,Wat About the jew I saw down East London hmmmm,,Wat about that "Religious" man ,So well "Accepted" and "Recognised" by "Democratic" Society,,,,So I Accepted the same "democratic" society to accept me and my Tent ,,,I mean I have Nothing against,,the one that has the one million tatto on her body or the one has one trillion piercings ,,,hmmm does "Democracy" mean "Democracy" or "Anti Islam",,, I wonder,,I wonder,,,I wonder,,,LoooL I betta stop b4 i grow grey hair

Interesting Indeed,the Killings of "INNOCENT" started on the 9/11 did it?,,,hmmmm wait,,,,*scratches her skull" someone told me they started way before:X ,,hmmm

I have no problems with "COWARDS" being defeated,,,no problem at all,,,:thankyou:

[Looking4Peace]

Gernonimo is at it again enough said[MAD][/MAD]

[vegael2003]

Geronimo

Who tells us that we are Muslim? We are Arabian, Iranian, Iraqi, Lebanani, Pakistani, Bangladeshi etc. All Muslin are divided by their nationalism. All are express first their nationality then tell Muslim (as religion). So why do you think that "Arab Majority May Not Stay Forever Silent".

[Woodrow]

Excuse me...the point remains the same however.

Not quite the same. The majority of the worlds Muslim's are not Arabic and have no exposure to Arabic culture. Our religion is Muslim, but our ethnicticity is as varied as the members of any religion. We come in all flavors and colors and all cultures. Some of us are things like Mainstream American Caucasian Republicans, Lithuanian Peasants, Polish Aristocracy, French Farmers etc. I'm just mentioning some of my family members.

The vast majority of the worlds Muslims have no ethnic or cultural ties with the mid east or Arabic Culture. Many of us do not speak Arabic nor know what cous-cous is.

Your business partner that you play golf with could be a Muslim. We have no distinguishing colors, language or culture.

Our common tie is our submission to Allah(swt) Not our family backgrounds

[Rou]

Arab Majority May Not Stay Forever Silent
BY YOUSSEF IBRAHIM
July 17, 2006
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/36110

Yes, world, there is a silent Arab majority that believes that seventh-century Islam is not fit for 21st-century challenges. That women do not have to look like walking black tents. That men do not have to wear beards and robes, act like lunatics, and run around blowing themselves up in order to enjoy 72 virgins in paradise. And that secular laws, not Islamic Shariah, should rule our day-to-day lives.

And yes, we, the silent Arab majority, do not believe that writers, secular or otherwise, should be killed or banned for expressing their views. Or that the rest of our creative elite - from moviemakers to playwrights, actors, painters, sculptors, and fashion models - should be vetted by Neanderthal Muslim imams who have never read a book in their dim, miserable lives.

Nor do we believe that little men with head wraps and disheveled beards can run amok in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq making decisions on our behalf, dragging us to war whenever they please, confiscating our rights to be adults, and flogging us for not praying five times a day or even for not believing in God.

More important, we are not silent any longer.

Rarely have I seen such an uprising, indeed an intifada, against those little turbaned, bearded men across the Muslim landscape as the one that took place last week. The leader of Hezbollah, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, received a resounding "no" to pulling 350 million Arabs into a war with Israel on his clerical coattails.

The collective "nyet" was spoken by presidents, emirs, and kings at the highest level of government in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Morocco, and at the Arab League's meeting of 22 foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday. But it was even louder from pundits and ordinary people.

Perhaps the most remarkable and unexpected reaction came from Saudi Arabia, whose foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, said bluntly and publicly that Hezbollah's decision to cross the Lebanese border, attack Israel, and kidnap its soldiers has left the Shiite group on its own to face Israel. The unspoken message here was, "We hope they blow you away."

The Arab League put it succinctly in its final communique in Cairo, declaring that "behavior undertaken by some groups [read: Hezbollah and Hamas] in apparent safeguarding of Arab interests does in fact harm those interests, allowing Israel and other parties from outside the Arab world [read: Iran] to wreck havoc with the security and safety of all Arab countries."

As for Hezbollah and its few supporters, who have pushed for an emergency Arab summit meeting, the response could not have been a bigger slap in the face. Take a listen:

* Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, the general manager of Al-Arabiya, possibly the most influential Arab opinion-maker today, was categorical yesterday: "We have lost most of our causes and the largest portions of our lands following fiery speeches and empty promises of struggle coupled with hallucinating, drug-induced political fantasies." As for joining Hezbollah in its quest, his answer was basically, "you broke it, you own it."

* Tariq Alhomayed, editor in chief of the Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, stuck the dagger in deeper: "Mr. Nasrallah bombastically announced he consulted no one when he decided to attack Israel, nor did he measure Lebanon's need for security, prosperity, and the safety of its people. He said he needs no one's help but God's to fight the fight." Mr. Alhomayed's punch line was, in so many words: Go with God, Sheik Nasrallah, but count the rest of us out.

Several other Arab pundits, not necessarily coordinating their commentary, noted that today Sheik Nasrallah has been reduced to Osama bin Laden status, a fugitive from Israeli justice, sending out his tapes from unknown locations to, invariably, Al-Jazeera, the prime purveyor of Mr. bin Laden's communications.

All in all, it seems that when Israel decided to go to war against the priestly mafia of Hamas and Hezbollah, it opened a whole new chapter in the Greater Middle East discourse. And Israel is finding, to its surprise, that a vast, not-so-silent majority of Arabs agrees that enough is enough. To be sure, beneath the hostility toward Sheik Nasrallah in Sunni Muslim states lies the deep and bitter heritage of a 14-century Sunni-Shiite divide, propelled to greater heights now by fears of an ascendant Shiite "arc of menace" rising out of Iran and peddled in the Sunni world by Syria.

The sooner this is settled the better.

http://www.nysun.com/article/36110

so let me get this straight...

THIS person...is a arab muslim.....

AND he thinks that people who sacrfice or those who do commit suicide think that they will get 72 virgins.....

strange you see beacuse THAT is a misconception by many racist westerners not any arab?

UNLESS he is a very deluded arab in which case again why would any one care what such a ignorant person thinks!?

he obviously quite clearly knows nothing about his religon...???

EITHER -

A. a obvious hoax and a preety funny joke to anyone who knows about islam...

OR

B. a dumb arab who knows NOTHING about islam...

Both make me laugh very much thanx for the post...

[جوري]

there are 1.4 billion Muslims... 20% of whom are of middle eastern origin... Muslim women were given more rights than any other organized religions... I don't have time to get into lenghty wrangle but here are some christian views on women Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:11-
"....and the birth of ANY daughter is a loss" Ecclesiasticus 22:3
In 1 Corinthians 11:6, 7, 10, St. Paul writes: “For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head. The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man...Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the angels” (Douay-Rheims).
I have many many of those... I have done theological studies at length.. I don't see christian women protesting but that is maybe because many aren't practising? yet somehow there is rebirth of conservatism in america?... so why not focus on the bible first before pointing out what is wrong with muslims?

[Keltoi]

there are 1.4 billion Muslims... 20% of whom are of middle eastern origin... Muslim women were given more rights than any other organized religions... I don't have time to get into lenghty wrangle but here are some christian views on women Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:11-
"....and the birth of ANY daughter is a loss" Ecclesiasticus 22:3
In 1 Corinthians 11:6, 7, 10, St. Paul writes: “For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head. The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man...Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the angels” (Douay-Rheims).
I have many many of those... I have done theological studies at length.. I don't see christian women protesting but that is maybe because many aren't practising? yet somehow there is rebirth of conservatism in america?... so why not focus on the bible first before pointing out what is wrong with muslims?

Firstly, none of these things have been practiced by Christians for hundreds of years, at least not Western Christians. Christianity has undergone a transformation, actually many of them. Speaking for me personally, I don't see every sentence in the Bible as the literal world of God, since it was in fact written by men. Translation from Greek and the changes made in the Catholic church leaves the Bible fairly different than it would have been otherwise. Are there some Christians who who follow all those "rules" you posted above? Probably. However, the secular nature of our societies and the belief in individual freedom outweigh any thought of a Christian controlled state with laws based in Christian doctrine. The Taliban is evidence that these societies are brutal and repressive. I don't see myself as being any less of a Christian because I don't want my wife to wear a curtain and never speak.

[Looking4Peace]

Snore........., what was the point of this thread

[Rou]

Firstly, none of these things have been practiced by Christians for hundreds of years, at least not Western Christians. Christianity has undergone a transformation, actually many of them. Speaking for me personally, I don't see every sentence in the Bible as the literal world of God, since it was in fact written by men. Translation from Greek and the changes made in the Catholic church leaves the Bible fairly different than it would have been otherwise. Are there some Christians who who follow all those "rules" you posted above? Probably. However, the secular nature of our societies and the belief in individual freedom outweigh any thought of a Christian controlled state with laws based in Christian doctrine. The Taliban is evidence that these societies are brutal and repressive. I don't see myself as being any less of a Christian because I don't want my wife to wear a curtain and never speak.

Uhhmm..then your not following your religon!??

all i hear is excuses to why muslims can be told this and that and why anyone else cant whatever for godsake how useless!???

look muslims beleive in the old testament as much as the christians so it dont matter anyhow point is your quite lost to what the real wasy of islam are and what are just racist views given to you by ignorant people..so how about you do research instead ofjust throwing basless facts into the debate,lol wear a curtain and never speak!??? and islam says this does it!??

my gosh thats so ignorant...

Greek moreover it was in hebrew or should i say aramic first why you mentioning greek!??

[Looking4Peace]

Uhhmm..then your not following your religon!??

all i hear is excuses to why muslims can be told this and that and why anyone else cant whatever for godsake how useless!???

look muslims beleive in the old testament as much as the christians so it dont matter anyhow point is your quite lost to what the real wasy of islam are and what are just racist views given to you by ignorant people..so how about you do research instead ofjust throwing basless facts into the debate,lol wear a curtain and never speak!??? and islam says this does it!??

my gosh thats so ignorant...

Greek moreover it was in hebrew or should i say aramic first why you mentioning greek!??

dont let them stress u, i gave up arguing with them days ago they just make me x10

[جوري]

Firstly, none of these things have been practiced by Christians for hundreds of years, at least not Western Christians. Christianity has undergone a transformation, actually many of them. Speaking for me personally, I don't see every sentence in the Bible as the literal world of God, since it was in fact written by men. Translation from Greek and the changes made in the Catholic church leaves the Bible fairly different than it would have been otherwise. Are there some Christians who who follow all those "rules" you posted above? Probably. However, the secular nature of our societies and the belief in individual freedom outweigh any thought of a Christian controlled state with laws based in Christian doctrine. The Taliban is evidence that these societies are brutal and repressive. I don't see myself as being any less of a Christian because I don't want my wife to wear a curtain and never speak.

why is that so offensive to you? proper dress wear that Muslims don which is also worn by nuns and orthodox jews is meant to make you modest not opressed... one can argue that a woman who joins the porn industry is objectified for the pleasure of men the you have to have a certain acceptable image for society and in that in and of itself is lack of freedom and the tolerance western societies "adore"... which by defintion is readiness to co-exist and accept the beliefs of others. No one has forced your wife to wear a "veil and walk like a tent" but I do see bush talking of how God speaks to him every day... well that is what it says in the book of God according to the bible .two hypocrisies don't nullify each other.. I think to make a general comment that Muslim women are silenced and tent like is very offensive... all my sisters have their doctorate... their pharmD or are engineers... and they dress modestly and appropriately....it is a personal choice.... not a taliban request