Expert: Mohammed - 12/5/2006

Question
Sir,  In America there is the perception that radical Islam is not being shouted down loudly enough by true Muslims.  There is the perception that true Muslims, because they do not ensure the safety of the quality of Islam knowledge and they encourage radical jihaadists ( IE donations of money etc to such causes ) ...that there is NO true Islam at all..but simply political activists using a religion of Islam as a cover for the main object , being to wipe out Israel even though God made them to live.  

This , by the way, is not just a perception in America..but seems to be worldwide.  Radical Islam seems bent on blaming America for all the ills of the world, which cannot possibly be true, since America is only slightly older than two hundred years..compared to Egypt ( and thus Arabs )being over five thousand years of age.  Radical Islam and certain benefactors of such terrible people reside in places such as Germany, where hatred of Jews, though God made the Jews and gave them life as well as all people, helps radical Islam.  

No.  I am not a Jew.  But I respect that God has given ALL people life.  What I think I am asking is this... when is TRUE Islam going to RID itself of radical and thus fake Islam?  I believe that hardly any Muslims are even allowed to read their own Qu'ran as in many cases in Christian countries people also do not study their bibles enough.  When will REAL Muslims stand up to the fakes and say NO MORE!?  

Answer
Hi,
You have raised very good points, and I will try clarifying these points to you and I hope that you will understand my language:

In Islam "Jihad" means fighting enemies when they attack Muslims or size their lands or when they use force to prevent the spreading of Islam.
Muslims are not allowed to kill civilians or innocent people while fighting the enemy unless the enemy kills Muslim civilians first.

Muslims watch every day on TV how Israeli army kills dozen of Palestinians, most of them are innocent and some of them are children.

Israel has sized Palestine and many other Arab lands such as Golan Heights in Syria and south of Lebanon.

America fully supports Israel and provides it with all advanced weapons. Also America always protects Israel in Security Council by using the Vito.

Now if you add the poverty, the military rule, and the absence of democracy in most Islamic countries to the above mentioned points, you will understand why jihaadists are growing and why they want to wipe Israel and why they have attacked America.

Jihaadists power is not coming from the silence of the true Muslims as you have said. Their power is coming from the wrong policy of America in our region, and from the extensive use of force by Israel against Arabs.

God gave life to Jews, this is true, but he also gave life to Palestinians and Iraqis. But Israel and America are taking the life of Palestinian and Iraqis every day by killing innocent people in Iraq and Palestine.

Most Muslims including myself don't agree killing innocent people, and wish to see peace spreading our lands, and we wish that America and Israel share us the same feelings and stop their criminal activities against us, and then there will be no Jihaadists or radicals.