Muslims Against Sharia and for Reform

Below is the Goals / Manifesto of a group called

MUSLIMS AGAINST SHARIA (ISLAMIC REFORM MOVEMENT)

They seem worthy enough. Certainly no one reasonable could object to the aims listed below, but if they represent 0.01% of the Muslim community, I would be surprised at it being that high!

 

The problem is that the term 'no one reasonable' is exactly the one least likely to hit the target audience. Islam is currently more like a cult, than a thoughtful religion and so if these worthy souls were to go public, with pictures, offices and contact details, they would most likely be attacked, whether Muslims or not.

The biggest indicators of a cult are:

1. The inability to leave it without hassle. Ask anyone who has been in the Moonies, or Scientologists about this. Islam often kills anyone who publicly renounces it, and
2. The inability to question the creed or its interpretation. Few live to question, even in the most diffident manner the tenants of Islam.

I don't know who is behind the group, and even if they will last (probably not long). Still, there aims are worth our support, if they even make one radical stop and think for a second.

OUR GOALS to educate Muslims about dangers presented by Islamic religious texts and why Islam must be reformed to educate non-Muslims about the differences between moderate Muslims and Islamists (a.k.a. Islamic Religious Fanatics, Radical Muslims, Muslim Fundamentalists, Islamic Extremists or Islamofascists) to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims alike that Moderate Muslims are also targets of Islamic Terror OUR MANIFESTO Acknowledging mistakes The majority of the terrorist acts of the last three decades, including the 9/11 attacks, were perpetrated by Islamic fundamentalists in the name of Islam. We, as Muslims, find it abhorrent that Islam is used to murder millions of innocent people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Inconsistencies in the Koran Unfortunately, Islamic religious texts, including the Koran and the Hadith contain many passages, which call for Islamic domination and incite violence against non-Muslims. It is time to change that. Muslim fundamentalists believe that the Koran is the literal word of Allah. But could Allah, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate, command mass slaughter of people whose only fault is being non-Muslim? The Koran & the Bible Many Bible figures from Adam to Jesus (Isa) are considered to be prophets and are respected by Islam. Islamic scholars however believe that both the Old and the New Testament came from God, but that they were corrupted by the Jews and Christians over time. While neither Testament calls for mass murder of unbelievers, the Koran does. Could it be possible that the Koran itself was corrupted by Muslims over the last thirteen centuries? The need for reform Islam, in its present form, is not compatible with principles of freedom and democracy. Twenty-first century Muslims have two options: we can continue the barbaric policies of the seventh century perpetuated by Hassan al-Banna, Abdullah Azzam, Yassir Arafat, Ruhollah Khomeini, Osama bin Laden, Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, Hizballah, Hamas, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, etc., leading to a global war between Dar al-Islam (Islamic World) and Dar al-Harb (non-Islamic World), or we can reform Islam to keep our rich cultural heritage and to cleanse our religion from the reviled relics of the past. We, as Muslims who desire to live in harmony with people of other religions, agnostics, and atheists choose the latter option. We can no longer allow Islamic extremists to use our religion as a weapon. We must protect future generations of Muslims from being brainwashed by the Islamic radicals. If we do not stop the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, our children will become homicidal zombies. Accepting responsibilities To start the healing process, we must acknowledge evils done by Muslims in the name of Islam and accept responsibility for those evils. We must remove evil passages from Islamic religious texts, so that future generations of Muslims will not be confused by conflicting messages. Our religious message should be loud and clear: Islam is peace; Islam is love; Islam is light. War, murder, violence, divisiveness & discrimination are not Islamic values. Religious privacy Religion is the private matter of every individual. Any person should be able to freely practice any religion as long as the practice does not interfere with the local laws, and no person must be forced to practice any religion. Just as people are created equal, there is no one religion that is superior to another. Any set of beliefs that is spread by force is fundamentally immoral; it is no longer a religion, but a political ideology. Equality Islam is one of the many of the world's religions. There will be no Peace and Harmony in the World if Muslims and non-Muslims do not have equal rights. Islamic supremacy doctrine is just as repulsive as Aryan supremacy doctrine. History clearly shows what happens to the society whose members consider themselves above other peoples. All moderate Muslims must repudiate the mere notion of Islamic supremacy. Sharia Sharia Law must be abolished, because it is incompatible with norms of modern society. Outdated practices Any practices that might have been acceptable in the Seventh Century; i.e., stoning, cutting off body parts, marrying and/or having sex with children or animals, must be condemned by every Muslim. Outdated verses The following verses promote divisiveness and religious hatred, bigotry and discrimination. They must be either removed from the Koran or declared outdated and invalid, and marked as such. Outdated words & phrases Use of the following words and phrases or their variations must be prohibited during religious services: • Infidel / Unbeliever: these terms have negative connotation and promote divisiveness and animosity; Islam is not the only religion • Jihad: this word is often interpreted as Holy War against non-Muslims • Mujaheed/Holy Warrior: no more wars in the name of Islam • American (Christian / Crusader / Israeli / Zionist) occupation: these terms promote bigotry; at this point in time, Muslims living in non-Muslim lands have more freedoms than Muslims living in Muslim lands Islam vs. violence Islam has no place for violence. Any person calling for an act of violence in the name of Islam must be promptly excommunicated. Any grievances must be addressed by lawful authorities. It is the religious and civic duty of every Muslim to unconditionally condemn any act of terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam. Any Muslim group that has ties to terrorism in any way, shape, or form, must be universally condemned by both religious and secular Muslims. Portrayal of Prophets While portrayal of Prophets is not an acceptable practice in Islam could be personally offensive to some Muslims, other religions do not have such restrictions. Therefore, the portrayal of the Prophets must be treated as a manifestation of free expression. The Crusades vs. The Inquisition While the Inquisition was a repulsive practice by Christian Fundamentalists, the Crusades were not unprovoked acts of aggression, but rather attempts to recapture formerly Christian lands controlled by Muslims. Brothers and Sisters! Do not make the next generation of Muslims clean up your mess! Fight Islamic Fascism now, so your children won't have to!