Remediation to extremism?.. Educating The Public Islamically

[alsunna]

Remediation

Many people would ask the ways and methods to remedy the societies from extremism that tarnishes the image of Islam and spreads terror and violence in our countries. The answer is that we have to realize that extremists hide under the slogans of Islam in deceit, and propagate ideas that have no relation whatsoever to Islam. So we have to know that the confrontation must come through exposing them and removing the masks they hide behind, and by facing them with proofs that demonstrate the disintegration of their logic and the vileness of their practices based on their devilish ideas.

The war on extremism is a scientific war that must depend on pre-emptive measures to prevent extremists from fortifying themselves behind high ranks and positions that enable them to move and speak deceitfully in the name of Islam. We have to block them from channels that are meant to spread Islam and its concepts that are completely remote from extremism and fanaticism. Here comes the role of scholars, sheikhs and preachers who stand as the first and strongest line of defense against those extremists; if this line falls, the road will be clear to those extremists and their objectives will be much easier to accomplish. Therefore, we emphasize on the importance of preparing the preachers, and for them to be competent with knowledge and ready with proofs and give evidence to uncover those extremists and its followers, exposing them to the world so that they cannot find other means to deceive the ordinary people.

A wonderful example of teaching both the preachers and the public is through the interpretation by the people of the righteousness of the Ayat ((And whosoever does not judge according to what Allah has sent down, then those are they (who are) the disbelievers)). The interpretation of this goes into two directions: first, which is the interpretation of Ibn Abbas, the Interpreter of the Qur'an, and is related in AI Mustadrak by AI Hakim, and authenticated by Al Thahabi, and related by Ahmed in his book the Religious Rulings on Women, it is not that disbelief that you think of, that separates one from religion. It is a kind of disbelief other than infidelity, i.e. a lesser disbelief, just like dissimulation, which the Prophet (the prayers and blessings of Allah be upon him) described as a lesser association of deities when he said "Distance yourselves from dissimulation for it is a lesser association." It is of course known that dissimulation is not infidelity that separates one from religion, and likewise is the ruling according to man-made laws; it is not a case of infidelity that necessitates the separation from religion, but the application of laws contradictory to the Qur'an is what is unlawful.

The other interpretation of the Ayat is the one by the revered companion of the Prophet, AI Sara' bin Azeb, related by Muslim, which said that the three Ayats of the Surah al-Ma1ida (the Table) were all revealed in relation to the Jews who distorted their religion and disbelieved the Prophet. When the prophet told them that the adulterer should be stoned according to the Torah, they insisted on disbelieving him and on claiming that God did not reveal stoning; that of course is infidelity that separates one from religion.

It is obvious how important the role of the authorities is in curbing the spread of the phenomenal extremism by preventing those extremists from reaching the public; it is unacceptable to let those extremists have the opportunity to spread their ideas under the pretext of freedom, for those who threaten the common interests of the people and the security of the nation under such pretext pose an irreversible danger and serious consequences that occur in many cases.

Allah knows best.