silence is not agreement

The greatest lie of the jafi is that muslims are silent on terror. The ordinary actions of every law abiding and decent citizen muslim are themselves a loud condemnation of fanaticism in and of themselves. expecting that muslims have an obligation to condemn is itself evil. it says that we in the great great majority must all day do nothing except watch for and repudiate the actions and words of that tiny tiny fraction all day who are obscene. well, we have real lives to live! I am not a condemnation machine.

so why did i accuse the Mujahid of giving ammunition to the jafis? because he too wants mulsims to condemn. and like the jafis he says that not condemning is the same as agreement, tacit or implied.

The Mujahid wrote this:

So, I ask, either the societies aren’t Islamic, or Islam is no longer an adequate protection for the lives of women. In fact, Islam has become a scourge. Which is it? Since there are many who will ‘protect’ Islam from this ‘merely cultural’ evil (”let’s not mix culture and Islam” they will say), I will say that every Muslim, practicing or not, who in any way stays silent in the face of this evil, is complicit. Therefore, I myself am guilty and I don’t know how to atone.

I said before that his question, "Which is it?" is the part that is the problem. He makes it a false choice. Why is it only these two options? Why isn't it that the societies are both Islamic and also tribal, patriarchal, backwards? Why can't we just say flat out that Pakistan's culture still retains some element of barbarism which is thankfully absent in the new world to which pakistan's best and brightest have emigrated? this is the NEW WORLD and there are no honor killings here. Pakistanis who emigrated to europe took some of that barbarism with them. where is that recognition in the Mujahid's comment above? Or is critique of pakistan's culture (my culture too!) off limits?

No! Pakistan is NOT a barbaric culture - I said that it has retained elements of barbarism just as most cultures do. But there is no shame in calling spades spades. We must attack the barbarism not the Islam - it is the barbarism that prevents Islam's vision of true gender emancipation. So attack that, even if it means that precious Pakistan gets a black eye. Hey America didnt give women the vote until just 50 years ago so really its not like anyone is perfect.

and the Mujahid thinks that the following actually makes it better and clear:

the part “every Muslim, practicing or not, who in any way stays silent in the face of this evil, is complicit” makes it pretty clear that when I say “Islam” there I mean the actions of Muslims.

i think he means that we should read the earlier quote as:

So, I ask, either the societies aren’t Islamic, or Islam is no longer an adequate protection for the lives of women. In fact, (the actions of muslims) has become a scourge.

ok, but this still is a false choice and in fact even worse because its not the fact that the evil people who do honor killings are muslim that is worth commenting on, but that they are barbarians. Why not say:

So, I ask, either the societies aren’t Islamic, or Islam is no longer an adequate protection for the lives of women. In fact, (the actions of barbarians) has become a scourge.

and the Mujahid says plainly that every muslim who stays silent is complicit. Is the Alim complicit? Is the Shayk? Is the Mughal? Am I?

Why has The Mujahid rushed to condemn, to show the Jafis that he is not like the rest of us who do not condemn? I dont think so. I think that the Mujahid sincere feels that the honor killing problem must be stopped. But the way to do is call the murderers MURDERERS. Say they follow BARBARISM. Instead he has given the jafi the license to say that this is Islam. And worse, the Jafis will point to me and say look how the moderate muslims are treated by their own when they speak out about the evil of their horrid little religion.

I do not castigate the Mujahid for i know his goal is true. But his method is too much aware of the jafi's favor. When he casts aside his need to stay in the graces of them, then he will be a more effective champion for us.