How RAND corportaion believes salafi thought should be tackled

[Ansari]

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2007/RAND_MG574.pdf

Salafi thought:

The formidable strengths of this worldwide fundamentalist movement include:

• An aggressive program with clear ideological and political goals
• Immense funding from oil-rich Wahhabi sponsors;
• The ability to distribute funds in impoverished areas to buy loyalty and power
• A claim to and aura of religious authenticity and Arab prestige;
• An appeal to Islamic identity, pride and history
• An ability to blend into the much larger traditionalist masses and blur the distinction between moderate Islam and their brand of religious extremism;
• Full-time commitment by its agents/leadership;
• Networks of Islamic schools that propagate extremism;
• The absence of organized opposition in the Islamic world;
• A global network of fundamentalist imams who guide their flocks to extremism;
• A well-oiled “machine” established to translate, publish and distribute Wahhabi/Salafi propaganda and disseminate its ideology throughout the world;
• Scholarships for locals to study in Saudi Arabia and return with degrees and indoctrination, to serve as future leaders;
• The ability to cross national and cultural borders in the name of religion;
• Internet communication;
• And the reluctance of many national governments to supervise or control this entire process.

The solution

We must employ effective strategies to counter each of these fundamentalist strengths. This can be accomplished only by bringing the combined weight of the vast majority of peace-loving Muslims, and the non-Muslim world, to bear in a coordinated global campaign whose goal is to resolve the crisis of misunderstanding that threatens to engulf our entire world.

An effective counterstrategy must be based upon a realistic assessment of our own strengths and weaknesses in the face of religious extremism and terror. Disunity, of course, has proved fatal to countless human societies faced with a similar existential threat. A lack of seriousness in confronting the imminent danger is likewise often fatal.
Those who seek to promote a peaceful and tolerant understanding of Islam must overcome the paralyzing effects of inertia, and harness a number of actual or potential strengths, which can play a key role in neutralizing fundamentalist ideology. These strengths not only are assets in the struggle with religious extremism, but in their mirror form they point to the weakness at the heart of fundamentalist ideology.

They are:

• Human dignity, which demands freedom of conscience and rejects the forced imposition of religious views
• The ability to mobilize immense resources to bring to bear on this problem, once it is identified and a global commitment is made to solve it;
• The ability to leverage resources by supporting individuals and organizations that truly embrace a peaceful and tolerant Islam;
• Nearly 1,400 years of Islamic traditions and spirituality, which are inimical to fundamentalist ideology;
• Appeals to local and national—as well as Islamic—culture /traditions/pride;
• The power of the feminine spirit, and the fact that half of humanity consists of women, who have an inherent stake in the outcome of this struggle;
• Traditional and Sufi leadership and masses, who are not yet radicalized (strong numeric advantage: 85% to 90% of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims);
• The ability to harness networks of Islamic schools to propagate a peaceful and tolerant Islam;
• The natural tendency of like-minded people to work together when alerted to a common danger;
• The ability to form a global network of like-minded individuals, organizations and opinion leaders to promote moderate and progressive ideas throughout the Muslim world;
• The existence of a counterideology, in the form of traditional, Sufi and modern Islamic teachings, and the ability to translate such works into key languages;
• The benefits of modernity, for all its flaws, and the widespread appeal of popular culture;
• The ability to cross national and cultural borders in the name of religion;
• Internet communications, to disseminate progressive views—linking and inspiring like minded individuals and organizations throughout the world;
• The nation-state;
• And the universal human desire for freedom, justice and a better life for oneself and loved ones.

Though potentially decisive, most of these advantages remain latent or diffuse, and require mobilization to be effective in confronting fundamentalist ideology. In addition, no effort to defeat religious extremism can succeed without ultimately cutting off the flow of petrodollars used to finance that extremism, from Leeds to Jakarta.

Only by recognizing the problem, putting an end to the bickering within and between nation-states, and adopting a coherent long-term plan (executed with international leadership and commitment) can we begin to apply the brakes to the rampant spread of extremist ideas and hope to resolve the world’s crisis of misunderstanding before the global economy and modern civilization itself begin to crumble in the face of truly devastating attacks.

Muslims themselves can and must propagate an understanding of the “right” Islam, and thereby discredit extremist ideology. Yet to accomplish this task requires the understanding and support of like-minded individuals, organizations and governments throughout the world. Our goal must be to illuminate the hearts and minds of humanity, and offer a compelling alternate vision of Islam, one that banishes the fanatical ideology of hatred to the darkness from which it emerged.

[Saffiya]

MashAllah, the Kuffar and those who have LEFT Islam are trying to teach us our deen!!!! May Allahs curse be on them!

Its already happening. The points suggested are being implemented far and wide. In Victoria, we see ICV is overrun with the sufis and supported by the government. We also see that the federal government is giving millions in aid to islamic schools in indonesia, and this is clearly to try to manipulate their curriculum.

May Allah reward you for trying to bring this to the attention of our brothers and sisters. Its EXTREMLY important that we understand how the
governement(s) is trying to extinguish ISLAM, but WALLAH they will never be able to.

For those who want to know more about this disgusting organisation, they should listen Imam Anwar Al Awlaki (rahimahullah) lecture, 'The battle for hearts and minds'

[Abu Coburg]

In Victoria, we see ICV is overrun with the sufis and supported by the government.

The modern & commercial "sufism" of google "sufis" like mark hanson and afroz ali that is supported by the government is nothing but a new career for losers who have no other worth in life.

Real tasawwuf of men of Allah like Imams Junaid Al-Baghdadi, Hasan Al-Basri, Al-Ghazali, Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani and many many more, teaches the establishment of Tawheed and Shari'ah the shredding to bits of kufr and its systems. Read Imam Ghazali's Al-Wajiz and Fadayih Al-Batiniyyah and you will immediately see the shams that these google sufis like mark hanson, afroz ali, faraz rabbani, etc. are and how they work to undermine Islam and knowingly or unknowingly help kufr and systems of kufr, all the while just abusing the names of great imams like Al-Ghazali! (Specially the amount mark hanson has lied and attributed it to Al-Ghazali is simply shameful. Too bad the masses of ignoramuses simply see good oratory, on youtube moreso, as 'honesty' and couldn't be bothered checking up Imam Ghazali's books and tallying it with the filth that froths at the mouths of such people)

If you have any doubts about what I say, invite them to a mubahala, as the Quran says, and watch them crumble!

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[Cem]

We need to wake up to the fact that non_Muslims are waging an ideological as well as a military war on Muslims, and that we must prepare for this ideological onslaught. The assumptions in that RAND article are laughable (eg that the Salafi movement is in opposition to over 1400 years of Islamic traditions and spirituality; and that they do not respect women; and that they impose religious convictions on others...). The more knowledge I get, the more I realise how beautiful, caring and superior Islam is to all forms of ideology: "When knowledge is scarce, harshness appears" ~ Imam Malik.
Case in point, I came across this article in the democratic and freedom loving land of Germany - a country that protects women's rights:

'IF YOU DON'T TAKE A JOB AS A PROSTITUTE, WE CAN STOP YOUR BENEFITS'
By Clare Chapman
12:01AM GMT 30 Jan 2005
A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services'' at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year.
Prostitution was legalised in Germany just over two years ago and brothel owners – who must pay tax and employee health insurance – were granted access to official databases of jobseekers.
The Telegraph

[Abu Layla]

Yeh spinning 'Sufis' and dancing gooses running acrobatic classes inside mosques are completely different to the likes of Imam al-Ghazaali, Sh. Abdul Qaadir al-Jilaani, and others, may Allaah have mercy mercy and mercy upon them and reward them for all the good they've transmitted to us. People who sit there chanting Allaah and Abdul Qadir Jilaani and Hu over and over, as far as I'm concerned, have nothing to do with the above mentioned `ulamaa'.
I don't know jack about Hamza Yusuf or Afroz Ali, so not going to comment.

[Peki]

The waitress being forced into prostitution was apatently a hypothetical assumption of what might be. Following is a link that explains it:

http://www.snopes.com/media/notnews/brothel.asp

Thanks

[Tay_]

The modern & commercial "sufism" of google "sufis" like mark hanson and afroz ali

Neither Imam Afroz or Shaykh Hamza claim to be Sufis. In fact I have heard Shaykh Hamza deny this completely.

you will immediately see the shams that these google sufis like mark hanson, afroz ali, faraz rabbani, etc. are and how they work to undermine Islam and knowingly or unknowingly help kufr and systems of kufr, all the while just abusing the names of great imams like Al-Ghazali! (Specially the amount mark hanson has lied and attributed it to Al-Ghazali is simply shameful. Too bad the masses of ignoramuses simply see good oratory, on youtube moreso, as 'honesty' and couldn't be bothered checking up Imam Ghazali's books and tallying it with the filth that froths at the mouths of such people)

The only "filth" is the slander that you indulge in against these great scholars for which you will be accountable for. Your claim against them is false.

[Abu Coburg]

Tay, you should really "defend" me for speaking like this about mark hanson and I only state the truth about him.

dante spoke lies and obscenities against the Prophet and yet your beloved mark hanson rushes to "defend" him. See thread: http://www.aussiemuslims.com/forums/...411#post576411

[Tay_]

Tay, you should really "defend" me for speaking like this about mark hanson and I only state the truth about him.

dante spoke lies and obscenities against the Prophet and yet your beloved mark hanson rushes to "defend" him. See thread: http://www.aussiemuslims.com/forums/...411#post576411

You try from every angle and you fail in your attempt each time; you do so obsessively in the process.

[Abu Coburg]

Hahaha. So says the person who has not ever tackled the reason why but always tries to divert off track from the reasons why his idols are ostracized. If you had any decency, you would have replied on the other thread and tackled the reason, but honesty and decency are not your forte.

That's why I engaging in a mubahala is the only way with people like you.

Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us]." (3:61)

Let us both invoke the curse of Allah upon whichever one of us is the liar.