Terrorism OR ISLAM (not both)

Islam: a guide to U.S. experts and organizations

Islam was put under a microscope by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Before that, although there were more than 1,200 mosques and more than 1 million Muslims regularly worshipping in the United States, Islam seemed a distant, foreign faith to many Americans.

Since then, the demand for accurate, nuanced and balanced information about Islam and Muslim people has grown, as has the number of scholars in the field. There is no official count, but scholars say demand and opportunity for academics who study Islam has risen significantly since 2001. Some say that jobs now outnumber qualified applicants, but note that a whole new generation of scholars is in graduate school. Job postings for scholars of Islam in American colleges and universities numbered 50 in 2002, 50 in 2003, 71 in 2004 and 67 in 2005, according to the American Academy of Religion, which runs an online employment service.

Classes – particularly those on politics, gender and contemporary Islam – are full, giving more students at more universities background in Islam. Knowledge matters, whether these students move on to careers in business, medicine, education or other fields. According to a2005 Pew Research Survey, people who are most knowledgeable about Islam express more favorable opinions of Muslim-Americans and Islam than people who are less familiar with it.

This ReligionLink guide includes more than 100 experts who specialize in such areas as civil rights, politics, foreign affairs, art, culture, history, law, family issues and more. It also includes Muslim advocacy organizations, research centers and think tanks.

Much more information at the link above. 

Agency urges caution with terrorist language
CNN - USA
Sutherland's nine-page paper says the government should be careful not to demonize all Muslims or the Islamic faith or depict the United States as being at ...

Fighting terrorism with smart weaponry
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
"While it is clearly desirable to assist moderate Muslim leaders in promoting values of tolerance and pluralism within the Islamic community, ... 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Government officials should depict terrorists "as the dangerous cult leaders they are" and avoid words that aggrandize them, like "jihadists," "Islamic terrorists," "Islamists" and "holy warriors," the Department of Homeland Security says in a paper released Friday.

"Words matter," the agency says in the paper, which also suggests avoiding the term "moderate Muslims," a characterization that annoys many Muslims because it implies that they are tepid in the practice of their faith. 

"Mainstream," "ordinary" and "traditional" better reflect the broader Muslim American community, it says.

Dan Sutherland, head of the agency's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and author of the paper, said the paper is a recognition that words can help the government achieve its strategic goals. 

Sutherland said he is starting to see results, with government officials using the term "mainstream Muslims" in meetings.

Sutherland's nine-page paper says the government should be careful not to demonize all Muslims or the Islamic faith or depict the United States as being at war with Islam.

"The terminology the [government] uses should convey the magnitude of the threat we face, but also avoid inflating the religious bases and glamorous appeal of the extremists' ideology," the paper says.

The paper emphasizes that the recommendations do not constitute official government policy. Instead, they represent guidance from influential Muslim leaders who met with Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff in May 2007 to discuss ways that the Muslim community can help the department prevent the violent radicalization of Muslims.

The paper suggests that government officials may want to avoid using theological terminology altogether.

"Islamic law and terms come with a particular context, which may not always be apparent," the paper says. "It is one thing for a Muslim leader to use a particular term; an American official may simply not have the religious authority to be taken seriously, even when using terms appropriately."

The paper, titled "Terminology to Define the Terrorists: Recommendations from American Muslims," was designated "For Official Use Only" and distributed internally in January.

Sutherland said the paper was not released publicly because the Department of Homeland Security did not want Muslim leaders to believe their meeting was an attempt to garner publicity. But the document was widely distributed in government and was published in late April by The Associated Press, "The Investigative Project on Terrorism" and others.

A story about the terminology concerns on the "Jihad Watch" Web site was followed by dozens of comments, most critical of the suggestions.

"Every day, I read another story which angers me. This whitewash of Islam, by our highest-ranking officials is unacceptable!" one commenter said.

The paper is silent on one term frequently used by some people at the highest level of U.S. government but scorned by others: "War on Terror." Sutherland said there is not a consensus on the term.

Some argue that "war" is too grandiose and adds legitimacy to the other side, because there are two legitimate sides to wars.

"We really face a legitimate threat and we need to guard against complacency," Sutherland said, explaining the rationale supporting the use of the term. 

A Fatwa Against Terror: First Time Ever in India
By politico news 
New Delhi: For the first time ever, Islamic seminary Darul-Uloom Deoband issued a fatwa against terrorism on Saturday, stating Islam had come to wipe out all kinds of terrorism and to spread the message of global peace. ... 

Posted by Rev. Jim Sutter at 8:52
Labels: al Qaeda, Islam
Friday

Another part of the continuing series of the world's Muslim leaders who clearly condemn terrorism and violence.

By author(author) Jihad is nothing more than sincere efforts to promote good and banish evil, not to wage war for transformation. The concept of jihad is being grossly misused by some Muslims. In fact by using the slogan of jihad these Muslims are ...

"...So what we hold is that those people who perform these suicide (bombings) have wrongfully committed suicide, and that this necessitates entry into the Hellfire, and Allah's refuge is sought; and that this person is not a shahid (martyr)..."- Shaykh Muhammad Bin Saalih al-'Uthaymeen, Saudi Arabi

"...Hijacking airplanes and kidnapping children and the like are extremely great crimes, the world over. Their evil effects are far and wide, as is the great harm and inconvenience caused to the innocent..."
- Shaykh Abdul-Aziz Bin Baz, Saudi Arabia

"...The terrorist attacks that took place and what occurred of general (mass) killing; this is not permissible and Islam does not allow it in any form whatsoever. Islam frees itself from this action…"
- Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee, Saudi Arabi

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=VEO7CfvIXoU13 minute documentary "islam denounces terrorism"

http://islamdenouncesterrorism.com/

Attacks on Civilians: Forbidden by Islam, http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2001-09/13/article25.shtml Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi

http://www.themodernreligion.com/terror/wtc-heresy.html Bin Laden's Violence is a Heresy Against Islam -- AbdulHakim Murad (Tim Winter)

http://www.livingislam.org/k/dcmm_e.html Defending the Civilians (a fatwa against terrorism), Shaykh Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti

http://www0.mercurycenter.com/local/center/isl0916.htm Expert Says Islam Prohibits Violence Against Innocents

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1690000/1690624.stm Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar Condemns Suicide Bombings, Shaykh Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi

http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=21757&ln=eng Muslim Attitudes about Violence, Shaykh Muhammad al-Munajjid

Muslim leaders condemn bomb blasts in UP Khabrein.info - New Delhi,Delhi,India Maulana Abdul Hameed Numani of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind has severely condemned the bomb blasts and terrorism in all forms is condemnable ...

Islam denounces Terrorism (english) As Muslims, we strongly condemn the terrorist attacks..

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More?  >>> http://www.islamnewsroom.com/content/view/715/1/

>>> www.WhatsIslam.com (all about Basics of Islam)

>>>>>> www.IslamTomorrow.com/groups/