Does the phrase "muslim extremist" mean anything?

Question

I saw a PBS Frontline special a while ago, where an aussie reporter convinced some Islamists in Iraq to let him film the insurgency. He almost got killed several times by other Muslims who insisted "the kafir must be killed" despite his arrangement with a top leader.

The footage was amazing. Muslims firing mortar rounds or shoting, in the middle of the village, and all the villagers walking by like they were a part of normal life. The Muslim Jihadists made no efforts to conceal themselves from any of the Muslim villagers, they only hide when troops got closer.

Whats an extremist? A man Muslim with a gun? Poll after poll shows that most Muslims worldwide support the Jihadist doctrines. Bin Laden is adored, widely adored by most muslims. Ive posted PEW studies before, other posted cultural pieces or other studies that say the exact same.

So why do we keep using this horribly deceptive term "extremist". It misleads everyone into thinking this is not a majority view.

Answer 1

the phrase "muslim extremist" is redundant. it's a tautology, a=a.

Answer 2

In my view, any Muslim who thinks the world ought to be Muslim and at any cost, is an extremist. More obvious, a Muslim who supports the political and militia movement to terrorise the infidels is extremist.

I am sick and tired of hearing from Muslims that Islam is a religion of "peace." Well, thank Allah Islam is such a "peaceful" religion. Can you imagine if it weren't??!

It's time for Muslims to take accountability for their religion and culture. Stop spinning, and address the fact that the Muslim culture is one of the most oppressive and violent cultures, against its own people, and certainly against other cultures.

For those who believe that the extremist element in Islam is small, the numbers are staggering. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in this world. Lets take a very liberal view that only a very small percentage of Muslims are exterme, while the rest of the Muslim world is very peaceful. So if only 10% of Muslims have extreme point of views, and may be a threat, and must be dealt with, meaning dealing with 120 million Muslims! How about 1%? Then you must deal with 12 million Muslims. How about 1/10 of a percent? Then you must deal with 1.2 million Muslims. The numbers are staggering! How do you propose dealing with even the "very low" figures of 1.2 million Muslim extremists?

It would be to the benefit the World to rid of Hezbollah, Hamas, the Syrian and Iranian regime. It must be done to finally have a chance for peace in the world.

Answer 3

An extremist is someone who disagrees with the majority opinion.

With Islam, it is usually used to indicate terrorists, but that is inaccurate. Polls demonstrate that terrorism against civilian targets is supported by a majority of Muslims in many countries.

The phrase "Muslim extremist" could more accurately be used to indicate pacifist Muslims because that is the true extreme position within the faith of Islam.

Answer 4

Could you link the polls you are quoting? If the majority of the muslim world supported jihad (this includes malaysia, the largest populace of muslims in one place) wewould be dead.

plain and simple. there are enough people in the world who don't like us, CHina for, who simply tolerate us. If there was a majority against us they would say, "Hey China (or another anti US country), lets get the US. and it would be over. If a SMALL cell, by comparison, could pull off 9/11 - I think the majority could have torn into us already.

Answer 5

Does the phrase "muslim extremist" mean anything?

Sounds a bit like ""White pale face""

otherwise.. no.

Answer 6

You make a good point. The numbers out there do support that more "mainstream" Muslims do support this ideology than we probably think. I'm no theologian, but thanks for bringing some attention to this.

Answer 7

they're trying to use our humanity and political correctness to extract sympathy for their people and use that as a weakness. they know it doesn't sit well with american people (or any democratized nation) to see women and children being killed but what's funny about that is that they sacrifice and oppress their own women and children.

Answer 8

i watch pbs all the time...and yet i never remember any such....episode..the other station i watch is demorcarcy now..on free speech t v....

you should too ..it might expand your knowldge

and secondly....what do you call..a person who is ..constantly ..looking to ...make Muslims look bad,...and spread hate.........??

Answer 9

The path of Islam of that of moderation -middle path. The Almighty says: "And thus have we willed you to be a community of the middle way." The Prophet said:“ The religion is easy and whosoever will deal with religion harshly, it will defeat him. So be straight, follow the middle course, give good news and seek help by moving in the morning or the evening or part of the night .” (Al-Bukhari 38)

Muslims have to follow the middle path, the path that has no extremes or excesses. You can't be a true Muslim and be radical in your belief.

In interesting story that illustrates this:
Anas reported that three persons came to the wives of the Holy Prophet to enquire about acts of piety of the Prophet. When they were informed of them, they considered them little as it were and said: I fast all the day long and will not break. And another said: Where are we in comparison with the Holy Prophet while Allah has forgiven his past sins and what will be in future. One of them said: as for me, I pray all night long. And another man said: I keep aloof from women and shall never marry. Then the Holy Prophet came to them and said: Are you the persons saying such and such things? Behold! By Allah, I fear Allah more than your selves and I am most dutiful among you to Him, but still I keep fast and break it, and keep up prayer and keep awake at night and take wives, So whoever turns away from my way is not of me. (Bukhari, Muslim)

In Islam the killing of innocent is a crime.Even in a declared war, certain rules must be followed:

The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) has given clear instructions about the behaviour of the Muslim army. He observed:

"Set out for Jihad in the name of Allah and for the sake of Allah. Do not lay hands on the old verging on death, on women, children and babes. Do not steal anything from the booty and collect together all that falls to your lot in the battlefield and do good, for Allah loves the virtuous and the pious."

So great is the respect for humanly feelings in Islam that even the wanton destruction of enemy's crops or property is strictly forbidden. The righteous Caliphs followed closely the teachings of Allah and those of His Apostle in letter and spirit the celebrated address which the first Caliph Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) gave to his army while sending her on the expedition to the Syrian borders is permeated with the noble spirit with which the war in Islam is permitted. He said:

"Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules for your guidance in the battlefield. Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman. nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy's flock. save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone"


I doubt those polls, as I'm Muslim and most Muslims I know abhore what Alqaeda is doing especially in Iraq. When Binladen was asked on Jihad and killing the innocent he himself , in an interveiw with aljazeera this is what he said:

Q [interrupting]: How about the killing of innocent civilians?

BIN LADEN: The killing of innocent civilians, as America and some intellectuals claim, is really very strange talk. Who said that our children and civilians are not innocent and that shedding their blood is justified? That it is lesser in degree? When we kill their innocents, the entire world from east to west screams at us, and America rallies its allies, agents, and the sons of its agents. Who said that our blood is not blood, but theirs is? Who made this pronouncement? Who has been getting killed in our countries for decades? More than 1 million children, more than 1 million children died in Iraq and others are still dying. Why do we not hear someone screaming or condemning, or even someone's words of consolation or condolence?

How come millions of Muslims are being killed? Where are the experts, the writers, the scholars and the freedom fighters, where are the ones who have an ounce a faith in them? They react only if we kill American civilians, and every day we are being killed, children are being killed in Palestine. We should review the books. Human nature makes people stand with the powerful without noticing it. When they talk about us, they know we won't respond to them. In the past, an Arab king once killed an ordinary Arab man. The people started wondering how come kings have the right to kill people just like that. Then the victim's brother went and killed the king in revenge. People were disappointed with the young man and asked him, "How could you kill a king for your brother?" The man said, "My brother is my king." We consider all our children in Palestine to be kings.

We kill the kings of the infidels, kings of the crusaders, and civilian infidels in exchange for those of our children they kill. This is permissible in law and intellectually.

Q: So what you are saying is that this is a type of reciprocal treatment. They kill our innocents, so we kill their innocents.

BIN LADEN: So we kill their innocents, and I say it is permissible in law and intellectually, because those who spoke on this matter spoke from a juridical perspective.

Q: What is their position?

BIN LADEN: That it is not permissible. They spoke of evidence that the Messenger of God forbade the killing of women and children. This is true.

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/02/05/binladen.transcript/index.html

Now some might support him anyways because they think as long as the enemy oversteps these red lines in war, why should they hold back. This has no place in Islam though, tough living enviroments leads to desperation. Injustice breeds injustice, the cycle will continue with these binladen types as long as non-Muslims commit injustice against Muslims, and as long as they occupy Muslim land these extreme views will be held. They are still a minority though, even though propaganda would deceive you to think otherwise. The majority are sick of the binladen types as they making it difficult for us and bringing a bad image to Islam. Maybe if mainstream Muslims are lended a voice as often as binladen types , they'd show like the majority they are.

Answer 10

Why yes it does...it say many negative things