President Barack Obama and other leaders have stressed that the greatest victims of Islamic extremism are not Christians and Jews but Muslims. This week produced another tragic example. Yemen’s top Salafi cleric Samahan Abdel-Aziz, also known as Sheikh Rawi, was found in the southern port city of Aden, Sudan after he gave a sermon denouncing the Islamic State and Islamic extremism. He had been tortured before he was killed.
Aden was liberated by government forces in July but the city remains volatile and dangerous. Affiliates of extremist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State groups are active in the city.
Abdel-Aziz was kidnapped by gunmen outside his mosque late Saturday after he gave a sermon denouncing al qaeda and the Islamic state. He appears to have died for his effort to protect his faith from the extremism of these terrorist organizations. I do not know much about the views of this cleric, but the fact that he was murdered after a sermon shows the grotesque view of these extremists. They are unwilling to tolerate even clerics who hold opposing views. The murderers appear to believe that Allah will reward them to not just torture but the murdering of people who hold opposing views on the meaning of Islam.
To god’s ears, po. To god’s ears.
Here is a 2014 article from a British-Yemeni. He states Islam is very complicated in Yemen. A quick scan did not seem to mention Wahhabism. But that was 2014, before the Saudis began (?) the war. That suggests that Wahhabism has more influence, but Meso is probably mistaken in his opinion about what is mainstream Islam in Yemen.
For those who chose to become better informed:
http://www.yementimes.com/en/1759/opinion/3540/Yemen-is-more-nuanced-than-%E2%80%98Sunni%E2%80%99-amp;%C2%A0%E2%80%98Shia%E2%80%99.htm
After the wanton attacks of Yemen by the Saudis, l’Observer, we can safely assume that wahabism in Yemen will be defeated along with the Saudis.
The Age of Enlightenment didn’t come peacefully. This is a process that will take time and this story is evidence only of where we are in the process. God bless this man and others that will risk their lives for this effort.
Regarding condemnation… if you do not see Muslims condemning extremism in droves, you have NOT been paying attention…
Goes like this:
Muslims should denounce it…
They have.
More vehemently
They have
Consistently
They have been
Their leaders must speak up
They have
I don’t see it
Here, here it is
This is the minority, what about the majority of Muslims?
They have
Yeah? But I don’t see it.
Here it is. Letters, tweets, op-eds, marches, statements, websites, interviews, tv, radio, ads on buses, sermons…thousands of them.
Uh…but they are being duplicitous, they say it but they don’t mean it.
…..
https://twitter.com/LibyaLiberty/status/502055567783780353
mespo727272
1, February 19, 2016 at 7:38 am
“He appears to have died for his effort to protect his faith from the extremism of these terrorist organizations.”
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I think he died for being outside of the mainstream in his religion not the reverse. Wahhabism as practiced in Yemen is the mainstream not the outlier. Ask the Saudis.
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I call BS on that one, Mespo!
Wahabism is a fringe element in Islam, to state otherwise is to be deceptive. It is found in Saudi Arabia mainly, and Saudi Arabia comprises a tiny portion of Muslims worldwide, 19M in around 2Billion.
Wahabism is barely practiced in Yemen, which has a normal sunni and sizable shia population.
L’Observer
There are Muslims that are afraid in this country. Their are a growing number of hate crimes against Muslims and Sikhs. What of those people? What of feeding the flames of that hatred?
Why do extremists believe it appropriate to discuss nonexistent violence but inappropriate to discuss actual violence? Another example of how people will contort themselves into whatever shape necessary to support their politics.
Hate is hate, whatever other label you want to cover it with.
There is a lot of hatred against Muslims in this country. What I find interesting is that there is a strange push back against this trend that was enabled by our government to begin with. After all, hard to keep war support going if your populace doesn’t have a loathing for the enemy. As far as refugees/immigrants, what if we quit contributing to making so many of them and let those people figure it out for themselves? I’m sure the EU countries under the heel of our government are thinking the same thing. Look at our shining examples of liberation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia… Easy to grow a lot of hate in those countries. As far as Trump goes, he–as well as Sanders–are tapping into a lot of anger that will eventually become hatred in this country if trends don’t change.
That’s the thing, Mespo. What is the point? This is like yellow ‘journalism. This is like Trump stirring up a crowd so they pounce on a high school kid holding up a sign. This is encouraging actions such as removing a woman who silently stood in protest at a Trump rally and is removed. A woman in a hajib.
Turley offers no lesson except loathing. He presents no balance.
There is a lot of hate loose in this country, Mespo There are Muslims that are afraid in this country. Their are a growing number of hate crimes against Muslims and Sikhs. What of those people? What of feeding the flames of that hatred?
What about Americans who call for the barring of all Muslims to this country? What of the fear of taking in any Syrian refugees?
Turley is a law professor for chrissakes. He knows what is expected of a good citizen. What is he trying to foster here?
What IS the point, Mespo?
Torturing and killing a cleric must be the new religious, terrorist, murderer’s method of achieving enlightenment. I am sure there is some interpretation of some passage in some holy book that permits and encourages this senseless brutality.
Someone above complained about Islamophobia. Phobia connotes fear. Hate is a better word. But speaking of muslim criminals in one word might be considered hate speech and be subject to censorship.
Good for you Turley. Playing to the ‘holier than thou’ crowd is easy. Playing to the reality crowd, not so easy.
Over 40 murders occur in the US every day. Governments knowingly provide poison water to cities. Ignorance, hate, fear, and violent atrocities are not limited to Islam.
L’ etc:
That there are three such stories in the same day is the point. Isn’t it?
L’Observer:
It’s called reporting. Maybe you should be more upset about the substance of those articles and less upset about their posting.
Islamophobia is bs, by the way. There is a distinction between treating people poorly and attacking beliefs, and the label of Islamophobic is just a dumb attempt at silencing criticism.
All ideas should be attacked, including this one.
“He appears to have died for his effort to protect his faith from the extremism of these terrorist organizations.”
*************************
I think he died for being outside of the mainstream in his religion not the reverse. Wahhabism as practiced in Yemen is the mainstream not the outlier. Ask the Saudis.
President Barack Obama and other leaders have also stressed that more moderate Muslims should be denouncing the violence and activities of their more extremist adherents of Islam.
I guess this is what happens when you take that advice.
Reblogged this on L'horreur islamique à l'âge des ténèbres ن.
Wow. Turley must think this is really a dumb crowd. He posts three Fear and Loathing of Muslims one after another all in a single day and all essentially the same story.
For god’s sake, people. Pay Attention! Or tomorrow there may be five Fear and Loathing posts.
Oooops. Wrong. Tomorrow is Darren. Something, something Washington.
Pitchfork Patrol: Yes. These are horrific acts. But we have read about 100 of them in the past 60 days. Haven’t we all gotten the point? What is the purpose in posting the same stuff over and over? It’s pretty weird. I wonder if Turley has any Muslim friends. I wonder what they think of him. It really does begin to border on Islamophobia.
Islam the religion of peace and love. I’m sure you must be wrong. When are we a going to recognize that even Muslims have reason to fear other Muslims.
That poor man. If he spoke out against the abuses of ISIS, then he was a hero. Change must come from within, but look at what reformers face.
It is the epic challenge that the World has to understand–and I commend you for noting this.