Like white supremacy, another monster rears its head in America, and no one is talking about it
- They claim to follow Islam. They are ‘of the Satan.’ They are enemies of our faith and our nation.
- They are ‘the worst infidels,’ worse than the Jews!
- America should ban their immigration and refuse them refugee status with immediate effect.
- We should be sure not to vote for them! If in doubt, ask us and we will affirm the faith of political candidates in your area.
- Boycott them, befriending them is evil. For sake of God, do not do any business with them. It is better to die hungry than work with them.
- Remove their Qurans from public libraries across the country.
- We can never permit them to to call their places of worship as Mosques.
- They are not a legitimate religion. They are a fraud and a dangerous cult.
- There was a time when war was waged against such infidels. They were killed with the sword. It is unfortunate that this country’s laws do not allow for such punishment.
- We call on the government to outlaw these ‘imposters.’
KKK? Neo-Nazis? Alt-Right? Think again! These calls were made last weekend at a Sunni extremist rally (fundraiser) in Northern Virginia . These demands by two radical groups - ‘ Idara Dawat-O-Irshad, U.S.A. Inc ’ & ‘ Khatme Nabuwwat Center, Inc. ’ - mainly comprising of Pakistani American clerics, bear stark resemblance with the demands of white supremacist groups that promote Islamophobia in the U.S. and want these same unconstitutional restrictions on ALL American Muslims. Instead, the Sunni extremist groups were targeting a specific Muslim Community - the Ahmadi Muslims.
In addition to these calls, armed Jihad (Holy War) was repeatedly glorified and America disdainfully and repeatedly referred to as “the land of the infidels.” America’s Ahmadi Muslims - a peaceful reformist Islamic community - were demonized and condemned for rejecting the doctrine of “Holy War.” Referring to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the organizers lamented that he was a ‘false prophet’ who “subdued the spirit of Holy War in Muslims” and served ‘Western interests’ by “discouraging and eliminating the concept of Holy War from Islam.” The speakers gave examples of how the Shariah ( their twisted interpretation of it of course) at the time of Prophet Muhammad required that such infidels be fought against and killed. It is often following such open incitement that Ahmadi Muslims are gunned down in countries such as Pakistan where Sunni extremists act with impunity.
Interestingly, organizers at the rally also passed edicts of heresy against America’s Shiite Muslim community. They also engaged in antisemitism, with multiple references to ‘the Jews and the Christians’ being the yardstick for infidelity. I sat quietly through this four-hour long hate fest and reported on it here . (audiostream available)
Although we often address the threat of white supremacy in America, this threat of Sunni Supremacy is largely ignored. The rally in Virginia was sadly not a sporadic incident. Although these extremists form a fringe minority within the American Muslim community, and although the majority of Muslim activists (of all sects and denominations) condemned their bigotry as soon as I broke the news on social media , there are still some mainstream Sunni figures who continue to patronize Sunni Supremacist groups.
Chief executive director of CAIR Florida, Mr. Hassan Shibly , is one such figure. He describes himself as a civil rights activist, yet publicly put his weight behind the extremist rally in Virginia. In a message publicly shared on the Khatme Nabuwwat Center’s website, Shibly expressed complete support for the rally.
Of course Neo-Nazi groups also have the right to spew bigotry and hate. Of course they also believe they are doing the Lord’s sacred work. Of course they also feel bullied by rights activists who call them out on their dangerous rhetoric. And of course, they also claim to have nothing to do with violence . That is not the point. Shibly reduces the substance of what the Virginia rally was about to a mere exercise of free speech and theological disagreement. But such grandstanding masks the assertion of Sunni Supremacy as a legal right as opposed to a moral wrong.
I would happily give my life for anyone to freely hold whatever theological beliefs they chose for themselves. I am also perfectly fine with Shibly disagreeing with my theology. This is NOT about theology. This is NOT about anyone “accepting” my position. Go believe in the flying spaghetti monster for all I care. This is about civil rights. This is about calling out extremism, bigotry and discrimination. This is about American lives, because such pronouncements have the potential to quickly lead to violence. This is about principle. The same principle which compels me to condemn Islamophobia as dangerous and evil. If it is bad when a white supremacist does it, how does it suddenly become Halal when a Sunni supremacist does?
Imagine a Christian leader trying to mainstream the Neo-Nazis by giving them legitimacy on grounds of free speech and downplaying their vitriol as mere “theological difference.” This is the danger in Shibly’s public support of the Virginia hate rally. He ignores the considerable social and moral repercussions of such hate rallies. I reached out to Shibly repeatedly, but despite having read my messages, and despite my informing him of the unconstitutional restrictions on civil rights the rally advocated for, he refused to comment.
Imraan Siddiqi , another CAIR executive, also refrained from covering the Sunni supremacist rally on his Hate Hurts platform that claims to be a watchdog against all hate directed at Muslims. He blocked me on Twitter. Like Shibly, Siddiqi has also categorically refused to identify me as a member of the American Muslim community (takfir), for my Ahmadiyya Muslim affiliation.
I then reached out to Jonathan Brown , a Sunni convert and currently an associate professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, about his views on the ‘Islamophobic’ demands made at the Virginia rally. Even as someone who vocally condemns Islamophobia, he hesitated to condemn the bigotry, insisting that the groups were “exercising their constitutionally protected freedom of religion.” Well, at least Sunni Supremacists know the U.S. Constitution well.
Soon after, Brown posted on his Facebook page saying I was “throwing Sunnis under the bus,” ( was I? ) and insinuated that I was in bed with Islamophobes, particularly naming Robert Spencer. Interestingly, Spencer thinks I throw “anti-terrorism activists” under the bus when I condemn their Islamophobia, and claims I am in bed with Sunni extremists and ‘Jihadists.’ (Robert Spencer attacking me here , here and here . Pamela Geller attacking me here ). I was also accused of “appearing on FOX News.” Well, the only time I did, I was opposing the #MuslimBan . How evil of me.
Tags
Who is online
54 visitors
Wow, so one radical sect of Islam hates another sect and calls them Satan and infidels. That would never happen in Christianity, except for Catholics, Southern Baptists and Mormons.
Although we often address the threat of white supremacy in America, this threat of Sunni Supremacy is largely ignored.
Gee, why would that be?
Maybe because Muslims are 1% of America, and these Sunni Supremacists are a small fraction of that 1% ?
It is mind boggling that we have an article which compares this issue to white racism.
Not that it is not important, but it is not remotely in the same ballpark even, as the other.
The first thing we have to acknowledge here is that this is a report on an intramural feud inside the Muslim faith. This points directly to the uncontrovertibly obvious fact that Islam is no different than any other faith in that they disagree with each other on a number of issues.
Please take note of the fact that the following paragraph contains no references to Islam:
What is relevant to me in this article are these discussions of violence against those that disagree with them, and hatred for America. Clearly, there's no room for that. We should not try to understand the nature of their contempt, nor should we attempt to bring them into our collective bosom to show them the love and understanding they can get from being in America. We should deport them, and not let them back in. When we let people into our country, their stay should have contingencies. I believe that 1)the desire to do violence and 2)hatred of America would be 2 criteria that would nullify their right to remain in this country.