New York Jewish Herald

American Embassy “Attacked” in Indonesia for Cartoons. Why?
A brief explanation of “The Traditions of the Prophet” and the “Shari’a.”

The plaguing question that we must discuss is ‘why?’ Why do Muslims react with violence when Mohammed is satirized? Many people are studiously ignoring this question. To understand the waves of protests and violence occurring across the world one must understand Islamic theology and history, and then view the current "cartoon crisis” through that grid. Only then will this seeming overreaction make any sense. Then perhaps we will be able to have an intelligent discussion about the cartoons, the value and definition of freedom, and the real goal of Muslim leaders around the world-- namely, the imposition of Islamic law on every nation.

The fact that we have virtually no knowledge of Islamic history, theology, or philosophy is beginning to take a toll on us as the ‘cartoon crisis’ continues to unfold.
We must allow Islam to define itself; we must take Islam at its own word; we must interpret the actions of Islamic leaders through the grid that they define, not some arbitrary Western grid that we try and impose on them. The goal of devout Muslim leaders is simply this: to obey the dictates and imitate the life of Mohammed, and to establish Islamic Law (the Shari’a) in the earth. Muslim leaders are following the "Traditions of the Prophet." The "Traditions of the Prophet" are the words (Hadith) and the deeds (Sunnah) of Mohammed, which are NOT in the Koran. they are recorded by ancient Islamic historians. Furthermore, the Koran, and the "Traditions of the Prophet" form the foundation of Islamic Law – the Shari'a. will we understand current events, and recognize the place of Shari’a (Islamic Law) in this struggle.

Islam allows no change, but rather deplores and condemns the very notion of change from its original message. Muslims who hold to historic, Orthodox Islam insist on “…the fact that all innovations in Islam and in Islamic beliefs must be rejected. After all, Allah revealed Islam suitable for all times and all ages. Islamic beliefs can never change, and therefore new ideas or beliefs in Islam must be rejected. We must stay with the same beliefs that Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) taught his companions, the first generation of the Salaf [ancestors].” (Muslim web site, Al-Islami) Why are “moderates” who try to avoid or alter the Shari’a (Islamic Law) ignored? Because separating Islam from the Shari’a is tantamount to blasphemy, or an act of apostasy against God himself. See following: Those ‘moderate Muslims’ who seek to remake Islam into a politically tenable western image (or in the image of say -- a politically castrated Catholicism in France) have found little success in the Islamic community; they have rather incurred the wrath of the faithful. In fact, it has cost many “moderate scholars” their freedom or their lives: “In this context, the influential fundamentalist Sheikh, the late Mohammed al-Ghazali, has ruled in a notorious fetwa that every Muslim who pleads for the separation of religion and politics, that is, for the suspension of the Shari’a, is to be branded a murtad/apostate.’ He also stated that any Muslims who kill these apostates should not be punished, because they were doing a service to Allah; this resulted in intellectuals being murdered in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey.” (The Challenge of Fundamentalism, Page 169) [A fetwa, or fatwa, is a legal decision or sentence issued by a religious leader or scholar.]

When Mohammed conquered Mecca, he offered clemency to those who would submit to Islam -- except for those who had satirized and mocked him. The following history is recorded by the revered Islamic historian, Ibn Kathir. Mohammed’s example here recorded (i.e., “The Tradition of the Prophet”) is part of the foundation for the violence and assassination threats against those who have satirized him in cartoons. This history was written in the 1300s, and deals with Mohammed's conquest of Mecca. The messenger of God [Mohammed] had instructed his commanders to refrain from doing battle against any except those who fought them. He did, however, order that a group whom he named should be put to death, even if they were found hiding beneath the hangings of the Ka’ba… [Abd-Allah] had two female singers, Fartana and a friend, who would sing songs mocking the messenger of God and the Muslims. This is why the messenger of God condemned him and the two singers to death. He was killed while he clutched the hangings of the ka'ba…one of his women singers was killed, while the other one was granted clemency." (Ibn Kathir, The Life of the Prophet Mohammed, Vol. III, pages 402- 403) Whether we like it or not, we are at war with the legacy of Mohammed. The two immediate questions we must answer are: 1) Will we learn Islamic history and sociology so we understand what we are dealing with? 2) Will we submit to the dictates of the Shari’a; will we surrender freedom of speech and freedom of religion to Islamic law and the dictates of Islamic mullahs and imams in foreign capitals?”

Randall Terry, is the President, Society for Truth and Justice.

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Mohammed Himself Authorized the Assassinations of Those Who Satirized Him

Muslims who attack or threaten death to those who mock Mohammed are following in the footsteps of Mohammed himself. According to Islamic law, satirizing Mohammed has been a capital offense. Here are historic examples: It is a capital offense under Islamic law (punishable by up to death) to satirize or mock Mohammed. Islamic law (the Shari ’a) is the political aggregate of the Quran, the sayings of Mohammed (the hadith), and the deeds of Mohamed (the Sunna - not to be confused with Sunni Muslims). In Mohammed's lifetime, he ordered the assassination or the execution of individuals who satirized him. His actions are the foundation for why it is a criminal offense to satirize, speak ill of, or in any way publicly deny the authenticity of Mohammed's mantle, mission, and message. We can expect the following: Muslims worldwide will demand that no cartoons or satirizing of Mohammed be allowed in any nation that enjoys freedom of speech and press. Some newspapers will bow to these demands, others who cherish the freedom of speech and the press will resist such political and cultural incarceration. We can expect and Islamic religious leader to issue a fatwa (judgment and condemnation) against the author (s) of such cartoons, calling for their death for the crime of blasphemy.

Threats of death or assassination attempts will be levied against those who authored the cartoons. Threats, assassination attempts, or destruction of property for the newspapers who ran the cartoons will begin to happen. Here are two historic examples of Mohammed orchestrating the assassination of someone who satirized him: (Please Note: the following accounts are recorded by one of the most respected Islamic historians in the world, Ibn Ishaq; his work dates from the 700s A.D. THESE ARE NOT THE WORDS OF A DETRACTOR, BUT RATHER OF A DEVOUT MUSLIM.) Example 1) Ibn Ishaq recounts the killing of "the enemy of God" named Ka'b son of al-Ashraf. After Badr, Ka'b "began to inveigh against the apostle…" He wrote satirical verses of poetry that were insulting to Mohammed and Islamic women. Mohammed said, "Who will rid me of the son of Ashraf?" Muhammad son of Maslama said, 'I will deal with them for you, O apostle of God, I will kill him.' He said, 'Do so if you can.'" Mohammed then gave the assassin permission to lie and deceive the target of his wrath. Amazingly, the killer recruited the victim's foster brother, who had become a Muslim. Together, with the foster brother having the victim's confidence, they led him on a midnight stroll pretending to visit and conduct business with him. On signal, they lunged on him. The assassin reported: "I thrust [my dagger] into the lower part of his body, then I bore down upon it until I reached his genitals, and the enemy of God fell to the ground... Our attack upon God's enemy cast terror among the Jews, and there was no Jew in Medina who did not fear for his life" (See page 365 -- 368, Ibn Ishaq). Example 2) Tragically, we see that women are not exempt from this type treatment. When Abu 'Afak was assassinated for publicly speaking against Mohammed's killing of another man, Asma daughter of Marwan wrote verses of poetry against Mohammed for Abu 'Afak's murder. Ishaq records: "When the apostle heard what she had said he said, 'who will rid me of Marwan's daughter?' Umayr... who was with him heard him, and that very night he went to her house and killed her. In the morning he came to the apostle and told him what he had done and he (Mohammed) said, 'You have helped God and his apostle, O Umayr!' When he asked if he would have to bear any evil consequences the apostle said, ' Two goats won't but their heads about her...'" (Ibn Ishaq, 675-676). Source: The Life of Mohammed; Ibn Ishaq. Translated by A. Guillaume. Oxford University press, Pakistan, 1967.

If we are going to understand the Islamic mind, we must study the life of Mohammed. ‘What would Mohammed do?’ needs to be the grid through which we view Islamic culture, law, and acts of terrorism. If you want to understand the Middle East: study Mohammed. Muslims who attack or threaten death to those who mock Mohammed are following in the footsteps of Mohammed himself. The best thing that newspapers in America and around the world can do is to run the cartoon of Mohammed over and over and over; in this we will simultaneously show the true nature of freedom, and the true nature of Islam.”

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Randall Terry, is the President, Society for Truth and Justice.