QUOTE(nebraska29 @ Oct 22 2004, 01:13 PM)
They've criticized pro-western or "on the fence" Arab governments for supposedly not standing up for the rights of the people.
First off, lets not paint AMS as a peace loving group that just wants westerns out of Iraq.
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It's not suicide, it is martyrdom in the name of God, Islamic theologians and jurisprudents have debated this issue. Referring to it as a form of jihad, under the title of jeopardising the life of the mujahideen. It is allowed to jeopardise your soul and cross the path of the enemy and be killed.
What about Iraq?
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If the Iraqis can confront the enemy, there is no need for these acts of martyrdom. If they don't have the means, acts of martyrdom are allowed. I didn't say that the Iraqis cannot, it depends on their need.
And what of the war?
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It is a different form of democracy. How do you expect in a war situation where people have their land occupied, where they are homeless, how do you expect they will be able to set up democratic institutions in order to take decisions?
That being said, i will address the questions:
1.)Can we have "democracy" in Iraq if groups calling for a boycott are silenced?I don't believe AMS is calling for a boycott of Iraqi goods, but of US as stated
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Dr. Muhammad Bashar al-Faydi, the official spokesman of the Association of Muslim Scholars [AMS], has described the situation in the cities of Al-Ramadi and Al-Fallujah as "extremely bad" and pointed out that the US forces targeted yesterday morning nine mosques in Al-Ramadi. He said: "The US forces violated the sanctity of nine mosques, overturned their furniture, and tore up copies of the Holy Koran."
Besides the AMS claiming that US forces are tearing apart the Koran, I have heard no other source claim such. I do know that the US forces are not allowed to enter mosques, so it will be hard to tear apart something in a mosque, when you can not go in there.
2.)Is this an attack on academic freedom or are these people merely a front for terrorists? Please provide links that I may not have provided if that is the case.These people are moderates that insight extremist to commit acts of violence. Above I have given examples of the words the AMS uses to damn the US forces. Such actions will only insight people. But allow me to add other words being used.
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Participants in the AMS conference called on the UN's secretary-general and Security Council members to fulfil their responsibilities and condemn the "US aggression" on Falluja.
They demanded that an international delegation be sent to investigate the "genocide" being perpetrated by the US Army in Iraq on a daily basis.
The statement expressed surprise at the silence of Arab League and Islamic countries, and called on Arab and Muslim states to take action to stop the "daily killing campaign" against the Iraqi people.
3.)Should criticism of the Iraqi government and the U.S. in general be tolerated in Iraq?Criticism? Yes. Always. Of course. Flat out lies to insight violence against us troops? No. Never. It is like lying about the police actions in the US.
4.)Should action be taken here at home for American scholars who say the same thing or who are critical of our over-seas involvement in Iraq?Only if American scholars call upon Americans to action to end the US over-seas involvement in Iraq. And by take action, I mean by following the example of the Muslim extremist and attack our military occupation. But we have something here that is not in Iraq. POLICE. And it is fear of being arrested that places most Americans in the category of non-extremist.
I understand that by listening to the words of AMS, as a Muslim I would feel enraged against such said "occupation" and I would find ways to end it. But then I would stop and think about what is really going on. How my life has changed, and in what ways my life has improved, and then I would begin to put these extremist on the shelf next to the Unabomber and Timothy McVey.