Could Awlaki be Right?

[Maiwand]

Could Awlaki be Right?




I start this off by seeking refuge in Allah from the cursed satan and praise Allah and send blessings upon His Messenger

As I have read the latest statements being attributed to Anwar Al-Awlaki, I am initially surprised at such positions by a muslim who has garnered respect from many muslims in the past, and as of late, lost that respect because of statements he has made regarding the USA.

Understandably so, many muslims are very shocked by his positions, whereby many muslims have shunned him and even went so far as to remove any past associations or copies of lectures. Presumably from disagreement with his position or fear of reprisals by the Western media and environment which has surpassed all previous levels of expressing hatred towards Islam.

However, as muslims, we must pause and reflect. Anwar Alawlaki has presented many of us with an uncanny, unprecedented outlook on the Prophet, His companions, the Hereafter, the lives of the prophets, the lives of Abu Bakr and Umar, and many other subjects. Many of us have been made aware and developed a deep love of our deen and our predecessors through his informative talks. He demonstrated not only a knowledge of the past, but an application of the past to our present day. In other words, he made the past glory of Islam come alive to us. Something very few today have been able to do.

So before we judge him, we must acknowledge the good that he has done and also the understanding of Islam he has displayed over the years. For I also have improved in my understanding of Islam, over the years and particularly since September 11, 2001, when I personally witnessed the attacks, deaths and aftermath.

As shocking as it was to me then, it gained a new perspective in the subsequent years. Mainly because of learning more about our Islamic past.

Many of us know Islam as being limited to recognizing the Oneness of Allah, acknowledging the final messengership of the Prophet, praying five times a day, fasting for Ramadan, and living a life of good morals, good treatment of others and some cultural practices. The mere thought of fighting and jihad are uncomfortable for most of us, except through readings of the past.

Many of us look at the West’s War on Terror as justifiable because on Sept 11, the USA was attacked by “extremist” muslims who distorted Islam and brought death to 3,000 innocent people. Thus, the USA and Europe and the World are justified in attacking these men, because these men were wrong in what they did.

However, this is a positon most of us take because we are cozy in our present environment, living amongst the kuffar, watching the kuffar in sports, entertainment, technology, education, and basically completely engulfed in this life of close proximity to the kuffar. So when the kuffar were attacked, we identified with the kuffar and empathized and some of us even went so far as to support and join the kuffar in their attack on muslims (though radical ones, at that).

Sadly, this response was due to our lack of understanding of Islam, our lack of education and exposure of Islam from the perspective of the muslim. Not the muslim of Sheikh so-and-so, or Imam so-and-so, but from the perspective of the lives of the Prophet and His companions.

We read the hadith that states towards the last day, the people would invite each other to kill the muslims as you invite people to dinner. The companions asked, “from the Jews and Christians?” being completely surprised that these weak groups from their time would rise up and unify in attacking the Muslims.

We live in those times. Islam is under siege. Since Sept 11, approximately 2million muslims have been killed by the USA and its allies in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not since the Spanish Inquisition, has the European body openly discussed and displayed its venom towards Muslims. Torture of Muslims is legal and acceptable . Unlawful imprisonment, without charge is legal and acceptable. Invasion of Muslim land, assassination of Muslims, murder of Muslims, innocent women and children is now acceptable by everyone including muslims.

As Al-Awlaki has witnessed himself, the USA is behind much of the carnage and persecution of the muslims in Yemen and elsewhere. We too know this, though we know it from a distance. Those outside of the borders of the USA and Europe know it better.

If you are having a hard time keeping up, think about this. If Al-Qaaida or any other extremist, radical, fundamentalist muslim were to kill 10 Americans or 10 Europeans, you would hear about it in all of the newspapers, television, cable news, wherever you hear your news, it would be there. The USA kills innocent muslims daily in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq and we, the muslims, are silent.

So as a result of our apathy, we have developed a very twisted, pro-kuffar attitude about Islam, Jihad, and the lives of Muslims. Al-Awlaki has not. He is calling the USA the chief proponent of Muslim death and he is holding it accountable and liable.

His position basically is, if innocent muslim men, muslim women, and muslim children can be killed indiscriminately by the USA, then the men women and children of the USA can be killed as indiscriminately.

You may disagree with such a position, because on its face, it is harsh, cold, and murderous……..which is exactly his point. Our ummah is being attacked in a harsh, cold, murderous manner and the only time we show outrage is when the tables are turned.

Looking at the life of the Prophet, and after, you can find battles and skirmishes where things did not go the way we would normally accept today. But as is with much of the sunnah, modern muslims seem to have a problem with it. It is our weakness and misunderstanding, and we have to acknowledge that.

We would have a problem with muslims beheading 800 jews, even if the jews were being treacherous. We would have a problem with raiding the caravan of Badr, when they were unarmed and unprepared. We would have a problem with a 53yr old man marrying a 6yr old, even if her father approved. We would have a problem with much of Islam, and we need to correct ourselves.

Maybe Anwar, in all of his studying and lecturing may have developed a better understanding of Islam than we want to give him credit for. Maybe, he is actually looking at the world and its attack on Islam in a manner that the Prophet and Companions would look at it.

Maybe we are so far from Islam, we do not recognize it when we see it.

As muslims, we can disagree with muslims who are also striving towards Islam. There are issues of fiqh that seem contradictory when you compare with other scholars.

A good barometer to use is, who is standing up for the honor and respect of Muslims as they are under siege these days? Who is the obstacle preventing the kuffar from completely over-running muslim lands?

The Prophet said that jihad would continue until the Last Day, so who is engaged in that jihad today? and what do you think of these people?

Looking around and seeing the death and mayhem of the muslims, globally, what do you think is a solution? Voting? Demonstrating? Petitioning? Becoming more assimilated and accomodating to the enemies of Islam? “Getting along”?

There are many hadiths and ayat where muslims are told that their success is in returning to Islam. Many ayat and hadith that speak of putting our desires of the life of this world aside and seeking the Hereafter.

Maybe it is time we start actually putting the Quran in our lives, instead of trying to live our lives and fitting Quran only where it is comfortable.

[Catya Sher]

Many excellent points raised to make the complacent people think.

I am working on a theory too that maybe some of the charges against Sheikh Anwar have been fabricated or exaggerated.
There are similarities to a different man in a different area, but also a number two wanted person by American authorities. Now that man - not a Muslim - is probably wrongly facing extradition to the US.
It's likely a manufactured enemy to divert the Western public mind, the same way.

[Maiwand]

^ Yes, I agree.

[Catya Sher]

Yes, I'm glad they got a video out showing this and built a convincing case.

Because this point about the perhaps non-existent emails is eerily reminiscent of exactly what was done to make the world feel absolutely SURE that the other man mentioned earlier is the most dangerous villian around.
The facts were found to be SO different.
Nothing at all was proved : all charges were made by the US Govt., citing UNNAMED intelligence sources.
The Intelligence sources in turn passed the buck and cited UN Reports as their sources for the charges raised and to fuel a media frenzy against this guy.

It is ridiculous ! There is simply NO concrete evidence, I bet, in this case. Only mild evidence in the other. Nothing to justify international man-hunts, extraditions, etc.

What about all the money involved in these operations to supposedly capture such suspects?
Who pays?
The taxpayer, theoretically at least.

So shouldn't the taxpayer wonder where his money is going and examine more carefully such elaborate efforts to pull the wool over his eyes?

Not everyone is trained as a lawyer. But common sense is as good - often a better ! - substitute for a legal cross-examination mentality.

It seems entirely lacking in the whirlwind attempt to pin blame on one person as personifying evil on the planet.

Inquiring minds think that the Israelis were behind that abominable Christmas Day figure. There are too many problems with a story of his just sliding through customs and airport checks WITHOUT A PASSPORT ?!

Probably Israel is afraid that Yemen could become a base for operations against its interests and simply acting to silence this Sheikh Al-Awlaki.

[unknownprince]

What do you guys think of Faisal Shahzad? Im sure he was a hoax, and a fake.

Think about it: He was followed since 2004, but 2 days before he supposedly was putting a terrorist plan into effect, they lose him. Then he sits on a plane, and when the FBI/CIA enter the plane, and approach him, he tells them something like this "I was expecting you."

He admits to everything. Tells them he was trained in Waziristan by TTP. TTP then says a few days later that they don't know who the hell he is. haha, whats going on???


Now think about it from another perspective. Lets assume he is a terrorist. What terrorist admits to every single thing? During the court proceedings, he said Im guilty over and over again.

Another big hole in this all is that they said the guy was married to a woman in Peshawar. There were just too many loose facts. He was born and raised here.


Im pretty sure he was either an FBI or CIA agent. Don't laugh, or bring out the conspiracy theory thing, but everything points toward this guy being a fake.


Why would they do this? Simple, they want to attack the Pashtun lands of Pakistan, and also push Pakistan to do more dirty work for them.

Don't tell me you guys did not see this fake. I immediately noticed this. This is not to say that there have not been serious terrorists who have been caught, but Im just trying to show you what I mean. By the way, how come the terrorists who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki have not been held accountable??? Or the terrorist KKK members who killed a little black girl in the South ???? How come??? United States, the nation I live in right now, was built on the ethnic genocide of Native Americans. By the way, I don't observe Thanksgiving!!!

[Maiwand]

What do you guys think of Faisal Shahzad? Im sure he was a hoax, and a fake.

Think about it: He was followed since 2004, but 2 days before he supposedly was putting a terrorist plan into effect, they lose him. Then he sits on a plane, and when the FBI/CIA enter the plane, and approach him, he tells them something like this "I was expecting you."

He admits to everything. Tells them he was trained in Waziristan by TTP. TTP then says a few days later that they don't know who the hell he is. haha, whats going on???


Now think about it from another perspective. Lets assume he is a terrorist. What terrorist admits to every single thing? During the court proceedings, he said Im guilty over and over again.

Another big hole in this all is that they said the guy was married to a woman in Peshawar. There were just too many loose facts. He was born and raised here.


Im pretty sure he was either an FBI or CIA agent. Don't laugh, or bring out the conspiracy theory thing, but everything points toward this guy being a fake.


Why would they do this? Simple, they want to attack the Pashtun lands of Pakistan, and also push Pakistan to do more dirty work for them.

Don't tell me you guys did not see this fake. I immediately noticed this. This is not to say that there have not been serious terrorists who have been caught, but Im just trying to show you what I mean. By the way, how come the terrorists who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki have not been held accountable??? Or the terrorist KKK members who killed a little black girl in the South ???? How come??? United States, the nation I live in right now, was built on the ethnic genocide of Native Americans. By the way, I don't observe Thanksgiving!!!

The biggest and real terrorists in the world are america, Nato, Israel and all the disbelieving forces in the world. They have killed millions of innocent people and muslims all over the world, they occupy, plunder the lands of the muslims, kill innocent people daily. That's why they haven't defined the word terrorism yet, because according every definition that they would use, america and israel would be the biggest terrorist state in the world and history of mankind.

[kandahari ella]

"That's why they haven't defined the word terrorism yet, because according every definition that they would use, america and israel would be the biggest terrorist state in the world and history of mankind."--- Maiwand, you're right, I couldn't agree with you more. However, their the dominant power. Throughout history, the hegemonic power has always won and will continue to win. Even if thousands of us would get up and fight against something, we would never win. So at the end you have groups like these that fight and will argue with whatever new evidence or what not, because they have the power to do so, that's why killing thousands of innocent victims does not matter. It's justice, the "terrorists" are going to win if we don't. One of my professors years ago said, "Think of Israel like America, the Israel's are the White Settlers, the Palestinians are the Native Americans and the Jews that are being told to come and live in Israel are the African Slaves. Israel wants what America got, whether you call it "Manifest Destiny" or "This Land Was Promised to US".

So whatever, power is in control- they get to make the rules that everyone has to follow. And this is the time in which America spines, because it is a global power and you and everyone else who thinks differently is an outcast or better yet-- an extremist, a terrorist.

I'm not inferring that we just sit back and chill as thousands of people world wide are dying, I honestly, started crying on September 12, 2001 because Bush announced that they would start attacking Afghanistan. My thing is, we educate ourselves, not be spoon fed by anyone. Read, research and have our own opinions. And do our best to help those unfortunate souls who have endure war. And we pray that Insha'Allah things will get better. That society is full of interchanging groups, that one day whatever hegemonic power comes about, becomes more humane.

[Maiwand]

"That's why they haven't defined the word terrorism yet, because according every definition that they would use, america and israel would be the biggest terrorist state in the world and history of mankind."--- Maiwand, you're right, I couldn't agree with you more. However, their the dominant power. Throughout history, the hegemonic power has always won and will continue to win. Even if thousands of us would get up and fight against something, we would never win. So at the end you have groups like these that fight and will argue with whatever new evidence or what not, because they have the power to do so, that's why killing thousands of innocent victims does not matter. It's justice, the "terrorists" are going to win if we don't. One of my professors years ago said, "Think of Israel like America, the Israel's are the White Settlers, the Palestinians are the Native Americans and the Jews that are being told to come and live in Israel are the African Slaves. Israel wants what America got, whether you call it "Manifest Destiny" or "This Land Was Promised to US".

So whatever, power is in control- they get to make the rules that everyone has to follow. And this is the time in which America spines, because it is a global power and you and everyone else who thinks differently is an outcast or better yet-- an extremist, a terrorist.

I'm not inferring that we just sit back and chill as thousands of people world wide are dying, I honestly, started crying on September 12, 2001 because Bush announced that they would start attacking Afghanistan. My thing is, we educate ourselves, not be spoon fed by anyone. Read, research and have our own opinions. And do our best to help those unfortunate souls who have endure war. And we pray that Insha'Allah things will get better. That society is full of interchanging groups, that one day whatever hegemonic power comes about, becomes more humane.

Inshallah, with the help and support of Allah (subhanna wa ta'allah) they will be soon defeated first of all in Afghanistan and then their whole hegemonic empire will crumble and become dust. Just wait and see. They will be defeated just like the Soviet Union was defeated at the hands of those courageous mujahideen. The question is just when it will happen, how soon.

[Maiwand]

Mullah Omar - in his own words

• 
  

• The Guardian, Wednesday 26 September 2001
• Article history This12-minute interview with Mullah Omar Mohammad, the Taliban leader, was conducted in Pashtu for the publicly-funded radio channel Voice of America. The broadcast was pulled last Friday, following objections from the US deputy secretary of state and senior officials of the National Security Council. Voice of America interviewer: Why don't you expel Osama bin Laden?
  Omar: This is not an issue of Osama bin Laden. It is an issue of Islam. Islam's prestige is at stake. So is Afghanistan's tradition.
  VOA: Do you know that the US has announced a war on terrorism?
  Omar: I am considering two promises. One is the promise of God, the other is that of Bush. The promise of God is that my land is vast. If you start a journey on God's path, you can reside anywhere on this earth and will be protected... The promise of Bush is that there is no place on earth where you can hide that I cannot find you. We will see which one of these two promises is fulfilled.
  VOA: But aren't you afraid for the people, yourself, the Taliban, your country?
  Omar: Almighty God... is helping the believers and the Muslims. God says he will never be satisfied with the infidels. In terms of worldly affairs, America is very strong. Even if it were twice as strong or twice that, it could not be strong enough to defeat us. We are confident that no one can harm us if God is with us.
  VOA: You are telling me you are not concerned, but Afghans all over the world are concerned.
  Omar: We are also concerned. Great issues lie ahead. But we depend on God's mercy. Consider our point of view: if we give Osama away today, Muslims who are now pleading to give him up would then be reviling us for giving him up... Everyone is afraid of America and wants to please it. But Americans will not be able to prevent such acts like the one that has just occurred because America has taken Islam hostage. If you look at Islamic countries, the people are in despair. They are complaining that Islam is gone. But people remain firm in their Islamic beliefs. In their pain and frustration, some of them commit suicide acts. They feel they have nothing to lose.
  VOA: What do you mean by saying America has taken the Islamic world hostage?
  Omar: America controls the governments of the Islamic countries. The people ask to follow Islam, but the governments do not listen because they are in the grip of the United States. If someone follows the path of Islam, the government arrests him, tortures him or kills him. This is the doing of America. If it stops supporting those governments and lets the people deal with them, then such things won't happen. America has created the evil that is attacking it. The evil will not disappear even if I die and Osama dies and others die. The US should step back and review its policy. It should stop trying to impose its empire on the rest of the world, especially on Islamic countries.
  VOA: So you won't give Osama bin Laden up?
  Omar: No. We cannot do that. If we did, it means we are not Muslims... that Islam is finished. If we were afraid of attack, we could have surrendered him the last time we were threatened and attacked. So America can hit us again, and this time we don't even have a friend.
  VOA: If you fight America with all your might - can the Taliban do that? Won't America beat you and won't your people suffer even more?
  Omar: I'm very confident that it won't turn out this way. Please note this: there is nothing more we can do except depend on almighty God. If a person does, then he is assured that the Almighty will help him, have mercy on him and he will succeed.
  
  
  
  Mullah Omar - in his own words | World news | The Guardian

[unknownprince]

"That's why they haven't defined the word terrorism yet, because according every definition that they would use, america and israel would be the biggest terrorist state in the world and history of mankind."--- Maiwand, you're right, I couldn't agree with you more. However, their the dominant power. Throughout history, the hegemonic power has always won and will continue to win. Even if thousands of us would get up and fight against something, we would never win. So at the end you have groups like these that fight and will argue with whatever new evidence or what not, because they have the power to do so, that's why killing thousands of innocent victims does not matter. It's justice, the "terrorists" are going to win if we don't. One of my professors years ago said, "Think of Israel like America, the Israel's are the White Settlers, the Palestinians are the Native Americans and the Jews that are being told to come and live in Israel are the African Slaves. Israel wants what America got, whether you call it "Manifest Destiny" or "This Land Was Promised to US".

So whatever, power is in control- they get to make the rules that everyone has to follow. And this is the time in which America spines, because it is a global power and you and everyone else who thinks differently is an outcast or better yet-- an extremist, a terrorist.

I'm not inferring that we just sit back and chill as thousands of people world wide are dying, I honestly, started crying on September 12, 2001 because Bush announced that they would start attacking Afghanistan. My thing is, we educate ourselves, not be spoon fed by anyone. Read, research and have our own opinions. And do our best to help those unfortunate souls who have endure war. And we pray that Insha'Allah things will get better. That society is full of interchanging groups, that one day whatever hegemonic power comes about, becomes more humane.

Kandahari ella,

Good thoughts. However, let me remind you that America is no longer the global power it once was. There is China now who have already taken that spot (people do not want to accept it, but it is true). China also owns over a trillion dollars of their debt. I don't really have an opinion on China other than that she has never started unjustified wars.

All the US can do is kill innocent civilians. They can not win wars anymore since they fight only from planes. A war is fought between two fighting parties, not between planes and innocent civilians on the ground. They also lost the Iraq war because they lost the objective which was oil (Iran thankfully made sure of that).

In Afghanistan, there is a guerrilla war, and they are losing it. Pashtuns control 80-90% of the territory.


We have to plan for the way forward which is making sure Afghanistan is strong within our lifetime, and that it is economically and militarily strong. I look to pre-World War 2 Germany and its rapid industrialization and military build-up as the model which Afghanistan will have to follow. Rumor has it that Amin Wardak is returning to Afghanistan. He will be the best representation of Afghanistan (especially for all those Afghans who are freeing Afghanistan).

[Catya Sher]

Re Faisal Shahzad - I will dig up an article which backs up this idea of his being a total hoax.
There were so MANY weird aspects. Why would someone who was trained for even ONE DAY by so-called terrorist professionals in the Tribal Areas - use fertlizer - which the company spokesman protested loudly - wouldn't have enough firepower to blow up a....guess what?
WATERMELON !

This analysis led an Associated Press story right after the inexplicable Times Sq. incident.
But it quickly was suppressed, I thought, for it was never mentioned afterwards.
You had to be quick to catch it!

Perhaps the Times Square vendor who called the authorities was in on the plot -
That's just a thought I had. I found that a little suspicious. For old vehicles smoke all the time, especially SUVs like Shahzad's. So why was the vendor so careful about THIS old SUV?

You're right, unknown, about Faisal's immediate admission of guilt which seems very fishy. I figured they had some prearranged plan to let him off the hook somehow using that as a reason.

Why did they show such efficiency in locating him on the flight too, I think it was Emirates ? That was strange, indeed when so many other more pressing problems are never solved. Or are not solved so rapidly as this was.

I think the story was that Faisal calmly asked the officers: "Are you the NYPD or the FBI?

[Maiwand]

It's OK if you're a white republican pundit--Otherwise, you're dead



Anwar al-Awlaqi, incendiary statements, removed by YouTube at request of federal govt, after request by Rep. Weiner of NY. He said: "Al-Awlaqi's words were too dangerous to be in the marketplace of ideas". He argued that these words were dangerous words, that they were so very dangerous, that they couldn't even be heard, less they cause harm, grievous, deadly harm. Al-Awlaqi is several thousand miles from American shores yet his words are so dangerous, that they must be removed. A reminder of how very good we have become at swallowing mountains and gagging on gnats. Cause if the words that a man thousands of miles away in a desert are too dangerous to hear, what about a madman on a radio show in NY calling for people to take up arms with homicidal intent in search of victims that he has named. Words can be an incitement to violence, but worrying about his words makes it seems that we are engaged in plucking the moat from our brother's eye while missing the beam in our own- Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, O'Reilly, Neil Bortz, Michael Savage are trying to get someone killed. But have yet to hear Rep. Weiner stand up and call for the silencing of those men, but stood up to ask for the silence of Al-Awlaqi. And the Bush, I mean the Obama administration has the right to stand up and call for the assassination of an American citizen. This transcends party. When this country reaches the point where the chief executive has life or death power over human beings absent of any constitutional process, then our little experiment in representative self govt is dead, not dying, dead. Get used to it...

[Maiwand]

[unknownprince]

It is this reason that many writers who have political thoughts that may offend others (they talk against usury) keep their English names.

One author goes by the name Ian Dallas. He is known by many Muslims as Sheikh Abdal Qadir As-Sufi (he is Scottish) (a real Sufi). His thoughts are completely against the grain of the corrupt global system. He is also pro-Ottoman (Osmania), and claims that only the Turks will raise the flag of Islam again.

I suggest you read about him: here is his website

http://www.shaykhabdalqadir.com/content/index.html

[Maiwand]

It is this reason that many writers who have political thoughts that may offend others (they talk against usury) keep their English names.

One author goes by the name Ian Dallas. He is known by many Muslims as Sheikh Abdal Qadir As-Sufi (he is Scottish) (a real Sufi). His thoughts are completely against the grain of the corrupt global system. He is also pro-Ottoman (Osmania), and claims that only the Turks will raise the flag of Islam again.

I suggest you read about him: here is his website

http://www.shaykhabdalqadir.com/content/index.html

yeah, there is also another guy Ahmad Thomas, he has also exposed this Dajjalic system and calls for the implemenation of the real islamic system (shariah) all over the world, as the only solution for humanity.