drjamorrow

Muslims in Africa Protect Christians from Certain Death by Terrorists: Yet Trump and the GOP Want to Demonize the Entire Religion

By KJ McElrath

Dec. 22, 2015
The Ring of Fire Network
When a group of Islamic militant terrorists attacked a passenger bus in Kenya earlier this week, their objective was to find all Christians on board and murder every one of them. Those Christians were protected by their fellow passengers – who happened to be followers of Mohammed rather than Jesus.

The militant group that attacked is known as Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, or “Al-Shabaab” for short. It translates from Arabic as “The Movement of Striving Youth,” and is essentially the East African branch of Al-Qaeda, based in Somalia. Al-Shabaab is the product of the Somali Civil War that began in 2006. Designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., the U.K., and six other nations, Al-Shabaab is at war with the Federal Government of Somalia, the peace-keeping African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) – and anyone else it perceives as “enemies of Islam.”

Al-Shabaab “declared war” on Kenya after the Kenyan military marched into Somalia in October 2011 in order to stop the militants from crossing its border with Somalia. Al-Shabaab blames Kenyan civilians for voting in the government that has gone to war against them. As a result, Kenyan civilians are their primary targets. Since September 2013, there have been six attacks on unarmed civilians, including a shopping mall in Nairobi, tourist hotels, a quarry, and most recently, Garissa University College. In one bus attack, members of Al-Shabaab executed 28 non-Muslim school teachers. To date, the death toll is 327 – most of whom were gunned down because they are followers of Jesus instead of Mohammed.

Al-Shabaab’s usual practice is to separate all the Muslims from the Christians, then release the former while murdering the latter. Monday’s incident was no different. Passengers on the bus were ordered to segregate themselves according to religion.

Except that it didn’t work out that way. Instead, the Muslims aboard the bus refused to co-operate. They even provided religious clothing to the Christians in order to confuse the attackers.  One of the Muslim passengers told reporters, “The militants threatened to shoot us but we still refused and protected our brothers and sisters.” A local magistrate, Ali Roba, confirmed the story: “They refused to separate from non-Muslims and told the attacks to kill all passengers or leave.”

There has been some speculation about why the Muslims aboard the bus were willing to stand up for their Christian compatriots. According to Roba, “The locals showed a sense of patriotism and belonging to each other by insisting that the al Shabaab should kill them together or leave them alone.” Another Kenyan official said, “We are all Kenyans, we are not separated by religion…we are one people as a nation. And this is a very good message from my brothers and sisters from the Muslim community.”

There is another aspect to this story. Religious scholar Dr. John Andrew Morrow has published translations of a document dating back to the early 7th Century, written and signed by the prophet Mohammed himself. Known as the Promise to St. Catherine, it says:

As a covenant to those who adopt Christianity…we are with them. Verily, I, the servants, the helpers and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens, and by Allah, I hold out against anything that displeases them….No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet…No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them…Their churches are to be respected…No one of the nation [of Muslims] is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day.

That seems pretty clear. Despite all the attention given to fanatical terrorist groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab by a corporate media that thrives on divisiveness and fear and sowing hatred, the vast majority of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims take their prophet’s directive seriously. Last year about this time, a group of 200 young Muslim men in Nigeria surrounded a Christian church in order to protect those within so they could conduct a Christmas service in peace. In 2013, Muslim men stood guard over a Catholic cathedral in Egypt in order to protect the building from vandalism and congregants from attacks while they celebrated Mass inside. In October of that year, Muslims in Lahore, Pakistan formed a “human chain” around a church in order to show solidarity in the wake of two suicide attacks on All Saints Church in Peshwar.

These actions, along with the courage shown by Muslims in Kenya this week, clearly demonstrate that ISIS and Al-Shabaab do not represent Islam any more than the Ku Klux Klan or the Westboro Baptist Church represent Christianity. These are the stories that need to be heard.

The battle for tolerance and acceptance will not be won by force and violent rhetoric. The outcome will be determined by quiet, courageous action on the part of those of all persuasions – Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Sikh, Wiccan or any other – who take their faith seriously and understand the core principle that underlies all religions: “Treat others as you yourself would be treated.”

drjamorrow

Professor’s journey led him to Islam

December 14, 2015 1:03 AM

Professor’s journey led him to Islam

Jamie Duffy | The Journal Gazette

When John Andrew Morrow was a 13-year-old boy growing up in Montreal, the French-speaking part of Quebec, he started on a spiritual quest.

Three years later, after studying Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and anything else he could find, he chose Islam.

“I like its simplicity. Islam is a belief in one god and to do good. That’s pretty much what Islam is all about. I read the whole Bible and read all kinds of lost books of the Bible and so on. I wanted to study all religions. I found religions very fascinating,” said Morrow, 44, who was raised Roman Catholic.

Six years ago, Morrow came to Fort Wayne as a language professor at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast. Mostly he teaches French and Spanish, but he offers Arabic 101 and Arabic 102 when there are enough students to fill a class.

It was a natural that he would learn Arabic, a study he began in Morocco after he finished his doctorate in Spanish-American literature from the University of Toronto. He has a master’s degree in the same subject and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and French language and literature from the university as well.

“I love Spanish. I love the language, the culture and the civilization. I’m fascinated with Islamic Spain, the indigenous cultures. It was the one department where I could study all of those things,” Morrow said.

He has honed his talents in Arabic on his many trips to Morocco.

All of his study led him to become an imam, which simply means “leader” in the Islamic world. He has preached all over the world, most recently in Jackson, Mississippi, at the International Museum of Muslim Cultures.

“It’s a beautiful little museum strongly supported by the city of Jackson, the mayor, the local politicians and the business people. It makes perfect sense when you go to the South. They have a long history of the civil rights. This is part of the continuum,” Morrow said.

Morrow said he finds more racism and bigotry in the North, “especially in the Northeast,” he said. His travels and acceptance as an imam have led him to publish 20 books.

He is not the leader of a mosque, as some imams are, but he does give sermons.

His latest book is “The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World,” published by Angelical Press.

He was moved to issue a “fatwa,” an edict, ruling or statement, on Nov. 19 in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris. The fatwa, condemning the Islamic State, was based on a declaration he had presented in the summer of 2014 when the Islamic State was starting to make headlines.

Morrow was on tour in Europe sponsored by the Canadian government that is “very strong with the religious freedom,” he said. Morrow spoke at embassies and mosques in Paris, Wales, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Belgium. He testified about the Islamic State at the House of Lords in the British Parliament, he said.

“I’m not afraid of ISIS. They should be afraid of people like me, and they should be afraid of God Almighty,” Morrow says.

“These people represent a small microscopic minority in the Muslim world. There are 1.5 billion Muslims, and yet they get an enormous amount of media attention and commit all these spectacular atrocities. It takes people like to me to speak out.”

As for the stereotype that Muslims treat women poorly, he said, there are Muslim countries that restrict women’s activities and some where women are far more active in government and in business than our own.  In Pakistan and Bangladesh, women have been elected as head of state.

In China, there are mosques for women led by female imams.

“You have to distinguish between religion and culture,” Morrow said. “Every country is different. Morocco and Tunisia are radically different from Malaysia that is radically different from the Gulf States.”

drjamorrow

ISIS/Takfiris Are Friends of Satan, the Enemies of Allah and His Messenger, Foremost In Shirk, Hypocrisy and Apostasy and No Muslim Must Support Them in Any Form or Fashion

ISIS/Takfiris Are Friends of Satan, the Enemies of Allah and His Messenger, Foremost In Shirk, Hypocrisy and Apostasy and No Muslim Must Support Them in Any Form or Fashion

 

 

 

By Dr. John Andrew Morrow, New Age Islam

November 23, 2015

“My Mercy prevails over My Wrath,” says Almighty Allah in a sacred saying (narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah). For Takfiri terrorists like IS, the so-called “Islamic” State, it is wrath that prevails over mercy. When asked to curse the polytheists, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, responded that “I was sent as a mercy” (Muslim). If anything, the rapists, torturers, and mass murderers who have infiltrated Syria, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Nigeria, and other parts of the world, can only be seen as a curse, the likes of which have not been seen since the Mongol invasion of Genghis Khan in the 13th century.

While Islam does indeed permit Jihad, in the form of armed struggle, to combat certain oppressive conditions, it is highly regulated by a detailed code of norms and conduct. The killing of non-combatants, civilians, women, children, imams, priests, monks, nuns, and other members of religious orders, is categorically prohibited in Islam. Torture, rape, and the trafficking of women are all crimes which merit capital punishment under Islamic law. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade Muslims from sacking sacred sites and places of worship, stating that anyone who destroyed a church or a monastery would receive the curse of Almighty Allah.

IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh is a terrorist, mercenary, army at the service of imperial forces. They do not speak for Islam or represent Islam in any shape or form. To describe such psychopaths as Sunnis is to insult the Sunnah. To describe Da‘ish as “Islamic” is an insult to Islam. The only terms that adequately describes the ideology of these demons is Takfiri, Wahhabi, Khariji, and Nasibi, Excommunicators, Wahhabis, Separatists, and Haters of the Household of the Prophet. While they call themselves Jihadists, they pervert the term jihad or sacred struggle. While they call themselves Salafi, followers of the pious predecessors, they are an offense to the true Salaf, the righteous Companions and their Followers.

As Almighty Allah, glorified and exalted be He, warns in the Holy Qur’an, “Do not exaggerate in your religion” (4:171), a verse that can also be translated as “Do not be fanatical in your faith.” The Qur’an also warns believers to “Beware of extremism in your religion” (5:77). In short, Muslims are supposed to be “a justly balanced nation” (2:143). Although some scholars may argue that the reproach against extremism contained in the Qur’an applies only to the People of Book, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explained that it was equally applicable to Muslims. In fact, he warned his followers to “Beware of extremism in your religion for it is that which destroyed the nations which came before you” (Nasai and Ibn Majah). In another tradition, he stated that “The religious extremists are destroyed” (Muslim and Abu Dawud). The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also warned: “There are two groups of people from my Ummah who will not receive my intercession: oppressive rulers, and religious extremists” (Tabarani)

It should be noted, however, that Takfiri combatants are not committed Muslims. In reality, they are all mercenaries. Large numbers of them are non-Muslim soldiers of fortune and guns-for-hire, and many are drawn from the criminal class. “Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty,” says the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace (Muslim). Takfiri terrorists, however, are hideously ugly. “Allah is good and only accepts that which is good,” said the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him (Muslim). Takfiri terrorists, however, are devoid of good. Since “Allah is Just and loves justice,” and “Allah is Loving and loves love,” the true representatives of Islam are Ahl al-Hub and Ahl al-‘Adl, the People of Love and the People of Justice. As Almighty Allah warns in the Holy Qur’an: “Do not commit evil in the land for God does not love the evil-doers” (28:77)

Takfiri terrorists, such as ISIS/ISIL/IS, as well as al-Qa’edah, al-Shabab, the Taliban, al-Nusrah, Boko Haram, and other criminal organizations, do not speak for Islam or represent Islam. Not only are they not Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunnis), they are not members of the Ummah (Community) of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as a result of their own beliefs and actions. The Takfiriyyin, (those who believe that all Muslims, save themselves, are infidels), the Khawarij (those who broke away from the community in the early days of Islam, accusing both the Sunnis and the Shi‘ites of apostasy) and the Nawasib (those who hate the Household of the Prophet and their followers) are agents of the enemies of Islam.

We do not condemn the Takfiris as “infidels who may be legally killed” as they do in the case of traditional Sunnis, Shi‘ites, and Sufis. The traditional Muslim Shari’ah does not grant carte blanche to kill someone simply because he or she is an atheist, an agnostic, a Jew, a Christian, a Hindu, a Bahai or a Salafi-Jihadi. As Almighty Allah warns in the Qur’an: “Whosoever kills a human being unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all of humanity” (5:32).

Although people cannot be condemned to death on the basis of their beliefs, they can be killed in combat or receive the death penalty on the basis of their actions. Consequently, any and all terrorists who have committed crimes against humanity and the Divinity should be brought to justice. And while Shimr may have murdered Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the true culprit was Yazid, his Commander in Chief, may the curse of God be upon him. Likewise, while Takfiri terrorists should be held accountable for their crimes, those who founded them, funded them, armed them, trained them, and supported them, in any form or fashion, should be exposed and face the sword of justice.

The so-called “Islamic State” should be known as the “Satanic State” as it does nothing but spread corruption on earth (Fasad fi al-Ard). Territory under the control of Takfiri terrorists is the abode of unbelief (Kufr), falsehood (Ifk), heresy (Ilhad), and immorality (Fawahish). They represent the path of error (Sirat Al-Dalala), the pulpit of discord (Minbar Al-Khilaf), the den of iniquity (‘Arin Al-Ghawayyah), and the land of criminals (Dawlat Al-Mujrimin). The Takfiris are the enemies of Allah and His Messenger (‘Adu Allah wa Rasulihi). As such, it is categorically prohibited to support them in any form or fashion. Moreover, it is the obligation of all Muslims from Ahl al-Sunnah, Ahl al-Tasawwuf, and Ahl al-Bayt (the Sunnis, the Sufis, and the Shi‘ites), to oppose the polytheism (Shirk), hypocrisy (Nifaq), apostasy (Irtidad), and schism (Shiqaq) that the Takfiris are spreading throughout the lands of Islam.

The only people authorized to establish the Government of God on Earth are the Mahdi and Jesus, the Son of Mary, peace be upon them both. As we anxiously await their rise, we must stand for peace and justice, uphold Islamic ethical values, defend human dignity, and respect and preserve human life. Do not be deceived during these times of trials and tribulations (Fitan). People, who rape, torture, mutilate and murder civilians, non-combatants, hostages and prisoners of war are not Friends of Allah (‘Auliya’ Allah). People who destroy places of worship and sacred sites, who burn churches and blow up mosques with copies of the Holy Qur’an still in them, are not Friends of Allah. People who violate the teachings of the Qur’an, the Sunnah, the Shari‘ah, and the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, are not the Friends of Allah. If anything, they are the Friends of Satan (‘Auliya’ al-Shaytan). As Muslims, our response towards terrorists can only be one: “Fight the friends of Satan” (Qur’an 4:76); “And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away for tumult and oppression is even worse than slaughter” (Qur’an 2:191).

In light of the non-Islamic character of the Takfiris and their role as agents of western and globalist imperialism against Islam, Muslims should find it easy to see through their absurd claim to be “defenders of Islam!”

John Andrew Morrrow (Imam Ilyas Islam) is a native North American, born into a Christian family and a revert to Islam. He represents a rare combination of Western and traditional religious education – PhD from University of Toronto majoring Hispanic, Native, and Islamic Studies, and full cycle of traditional Islamic seminary studies attaining the titles of ustadh, duktur, hakim, and shaykh. Dr. Morrow has spent over a decade in the United States working at various universities including Park University, Northern State University, Eastern New Mexico University, the University of Virginia, and Ivy Tech where he was unanimously appointed to the rank of Full Professor. Aside from his academic duties, Dr. John Andrew Morrow (Imam Ilyas Islam) is the Director of the Covenants of the Prophet Foundation, an organization dedicated to disseminating traditional, civilizational, Islam; promoting Islamic unity; protecting persecuted Christians; and improving relations between Muslims and members of other faiths. He regularly travels the world to promote peace and justice

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/dr-john-andrew-morrow,-new-age-islam/isis-takfiris-are-friends-of-satan,-the-enemies-of-allah-and-his-messenger,-foremost-in-shirk,-hypocrisy-and-apostasy-and-no-muslim-must-support-them-in-any-form-or-fashion/d/105376