Islam: Political or Religious?

– the educational solution for the non-Islamic state

Nov 18, 2023

Allahu Akbar has been the clarion call of jihad since it’s first utterance by Mohammed at Jewish Khaybar fourteen centuries ago. While humble Meccan caravans were the first targets of jihad, in the last month alone you can add Israel, Nigeria, Lebanon, Somalia, India, Pakistan, Philippines and many others to the list.(i)

The history is well known. Mohammed began receiving revelations at age 40 and over the next 13 years gained approximately 150 followers. After his migration to Medina he picked up the sword, thus becoming a politician and jihadi – these days that is called a ‘change of career’.

This new career brought with it incredible success in terms of numbers and booty. In fact, an entire chapter of the Koran, revealed to Mohammed after the battle of Badr, is called ‘the spoils of war’ describing how the spoils of war should be divided between Mohammed and his followers, particularly for those who fought.

During the last 9 years of his life, Mohammed was involved in a battle on an average of once every six and a half weeks as Islam expanded to encompass the entire Arabian peninsula. If an entire community simply acquiesced without fighting, then the tribute belonged entirely to Mohammed and Allah.

A steady income was also obtained from ‘dhimmis’, conquered people who were allowed to retain their beliefs but live under much reduced circumstances, be made to feel themselves ‘subdued’, pay as much as 50% of their income as ‘jizya’ for this protection, and liable to be routed at any time.

Today, the Koran and Mohammed remain as the guiding lights of Islam and yet Islam is still referred to solely as a ‘religion’.

For those who have been conquered over the centuries, up to and including the present day, not so much. Jihad continues as a threat in many non-Islamic countries and for their citizens, a source of genuine fear, not a phobia.

For this reason, it is time to take a closer look at how Islamic studies are taught in non-Islamic countries, who is teaching them, what they contain and how they are funded at every level.

In Europe, school books from the early grades present information about Islam in a very positive light that isn’t necessarily historically accurate. Likewise, in North American universities, Islamic studies are frequently combined with activism promoting the concept of ‘Islamophobia’ with no representation for those who have been oppressed by Islamic regimes.

A new approach is overdue. Perhaps Political Science is the correct place to study the Political aspects of Islam, from a non-Islamic standpoint - after all, 51% of Islamic foundational doctrine is about the non-Muslim. (ii) The perspective of those who have been and are oppressed is also important, deserves study and an opportunity for academic representation.

Factors recommending Islam as a political entity:

31% of foundational Islamic doctrine is about jihad (iii)
Countries are either Islamic or non-Islamic, as in communist or democratic
The doctrine demonizes ‘opposition’ in the same way political parties often do
The Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) 57 member states and forms the largest voting block at the U.N. In 2022 the U.N. designated March 15 as ‘Islamophobia Day’ to be recognized annually in 140 countries.
Political lobbying and activism by Islamic organizations – for example Canada’s ‘Special Representative to Combat Islamophobia, the ‘Muslim Voting Guide 2019’ and demands on non-Islamic governments at every level for changes to benefit Islam.
Co-opting of National Institutions: Islamic banks and finance, the Liberal-Muslim Parliamentary caucus; Sharia ‘courts’ in the U.K., Universities, Labour Unions, trade, political parties, judiciary, the Military
Islamophobia reports published annually by the OIC with recommendations that are in essence, political
Mandatory payment of ‘zakat’ (Islamic tax) – one of the ‘Five Pillars’ of Islam
Jihad is military and 1 of 8 categories entitled to support from Zakat
Jihad persists in states until they become fully Islamic ‘Dar al-Islam’
Jihad is often referred to in the doctrine as the ‘best deed’ rewarded with booty and if it results in death – then paradise. When Mohammed died, thousands tried to leave Islam resulting in the ‘Ridda’ (apostacy) wars and massive slaughter
Apostacy is forbidden and in the doctrine, warrants a death sentence. In the West apostates critical of Islam may be called Islamophobes
A person born Muslim has no choice in the matter
The dualistic nature of Islam facilitates abusing non-violent Muslims as civilian shields, or as a Trojan horse for jihad. This is currently exemplified in Israel with jihadis using schools as munitions bases
The stated goal of Islam is world domination
As previously non-Islamic states become Islamic, the existing social networks, traditions, structures and institutions from the ‘period of ignorance’ prior to Islam are destroyed and replaced with Islamic ones.

Discussion:

The foregoing examples tick every box describing the ‘5 modes of entry’ identified by the 2019 Multinational Capability Development Campaign (MCDC) as evidence of hybrid warfare (Figures 1 and 2).

In an Islamic country that subscribes to the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, and thus sharia – the ordained way of Islam – this would be expected. This is not the case for non-Islamic countries as sharia does not recognize all human beings as equal, and this is reflected in Islamic instruments of power.

Conclusion:

So is Islam religious, or is it political, and how does a ‘religion’ retain such a designation? Should it have to pass some test, and should that test include a requirement that it does not demand the annihilation of those who do not submit?

Perhaps the time has come to examine these questions carefully, and make haste to find the answers.

Koran 9:14 “Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts of a believing people”

Sources:

20. Guillaume, Alfred. 'The Life of Muhammad: a Translation of Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah'. Oxford University Press, 1967 https://archive.org/details/history-ibn-ishaq-sirat-rasul-allah-the-life-of-muhammad/page/n7/mode/2up

21. Sharia, (Reliance of the Traveller h8.17, o9.1, o8.7(20) ) Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Amana Publications 2015 https://archive.org/details/relianceofthetravellertheclassicmanualofislamicsacredlaw

22. Battles of Mohammed: https://www.wikiislam.net/wiki/List_of_expeditions_of_Muhammad

23. Anti-jew text: https://www.cspii.org/learn-political-islam/methodology/statistical-analysis-political-islam/anti-jew-text-trilogy/

24. OIC members: https://www.oic-oci.org/states/?lan=en

25. Canada Muslim Liberal Caucus: https://capforcanada.com/new-muslim-liberal-party-caucus-speaks-to-the-future-of-canadian-society/

26. ‘Special representative to combat Islamophobia’ https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/01/26/nccm-combatting-islamophobia/

27. Lobbying: https://www.nccm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NCCM-Islamophobia-Summit-1-Year-After-2022.pdf

28. Canadian Summit: https://www.nccm.ca/islamophobiasummit/

29. Muslim Voting Guide: https://torontosun.com/news/national/canadian-muslim-voting-guide-breached-federal-law-elections-commissioner

30. Co-opting National Institutions: ‘Countering Hybrid Warfare’ 2017 p.9-10 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8228a540f0b62305b92caa/dar_mcdc_hybrid_warfare.pdf

31. U.K. organizations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Islamic_organisations_based_in_the_United_Kingdom

32. Finance: https://thebanks.eu/articles/Islamic-banks-in-the-United-Kingdom

33. Shariah mortgage: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/fatah-why-shariah-mortgage-is-a-deception

34. ‘Shari’ah Standards’ The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Finance 2015 Sec 35 (9) p.897 https://aaoifi.com/shariaa-standards/?lang=en

35. Trade: Halal Investing https://woodgundyadvisors.cibc.com/web/khaled-sultan/halal-investing?lang=en_US

36. Halal Expo: https://halalexpocanada.com/index.html

37. Education: Georgetown U. https://bridge.georgetown.edu/about-us/

38. Wilfred Laurier U.: https://bridge.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Canada-Factsheets-on-Islamophobia-Project-Language-1.pdf

39. Berkeley U. https://crg.berkeley.edu/research/research-initiatives/islamophobia-research-and-documentation-project

40. Canada Elementary grades: https://www.nccm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EN-_GSC_Education_Material-1.pdf

41. Labour Unions: https://documents.clcctc.ca/human-rights-and-equality/islamophobia/IslamophobiaAtWork-Report-2019-03-20-EN.pdf

42. Political parties: https://jcpa.org/is-canadas-justin-trudeau-the-great-reformer-of-islam/

43. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2021/07/the-government-of-canada-concludes-national-summit-on-islamophobia.html

44. Judiciary: UK Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/10/28/mosque-chairman-praised-hamas-leader-advises-cps/

45. UK Crown Prosecution Service advised by Hamas supporter: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1134987/Independent_Review_of_Prevent__print_.pdf

46. Canadian courts: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/fatah-shariah-law-makes-a-comeback-in-ontario

47. Military: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canadian-military-seeks-muslim-recruits-1.599390