There is a new report that came out last week that was put together by David Shanzer of Duke University, Charles Kurzman of North Carolina University and Ebrahim Moosa of Duke University, titled Anti-Terror Lessons of Muslim-Americans. It is an excellent report and a must read, that amongst other things finds that a majority of Muslims who commit terrorist acts have very little Islamic knowledge,
This study identified 139 Muslim-Americans with a linkage to terrorist violence between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2009, an average of about 17 people per year. The dataset contains information about both the offenders and the nature of their activity. All but one of the offenders are men. Their average age is 28. Almost two-thirds (65%) are under 30.This puts a dent in the theories expounded by Islamophobes such as Spencer and company.
This research confirmed what has been observed in other studies of Muslim terrorists: most of those who engage in religiously inspired terrorism have little formal training in Islam and, in fact, are poorly educated about Islam. Muslim- Americans with a strong, traditional religious training are far less likely to radicalize than those whose knowledge of Islam is incomplete.
Also read this: Study: Threat of Muslim-American Terrorism is Exaggerated
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January 11th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Thanks, this is certainly a must read. I imagine the Islamophobes will just brush this under the carpet.
January 11th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
No no no no no. You’ve got it all wrong Emperor. Spinster the great scholar on Islam and his devout sidekick Pamela Geller have put in immense research for years coming to the conclusion that these terrurists are devout Muslims. Research included interviewing Dr. Andrew Bostom, Wafa Sultan, Nonie Darwish, and Bat Ye’Or. Spinster and geller came to the chilling conclusion that any Muslim who commits terrurist acts in the name of Allah, goes to the mosque five times a day, has a beard, wears hijab, goes to hajj, gives zakat, fasts in Ramadan, and also gave his/her shahadah is and always will be intentionally or unintentionally, willingly or unwillingly a terrurist.
Research funded by Faux News*
January 11th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Much of the terrorism in Islam today is very recent, and it originates with the Muslim Brotherhood, not with Wahabism as most misled people believe.
This movement is a recent one, and doesn’t originate from the Quran. Even an Islamophobe like Daniel Pipes says that.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Thanks for this reminder Emperor,
Of course we all know it, but for those who don’t and those who have Islamophobes feeding them lies, especially in the USA, this helps.
It is noteworthy that there is more ignorance about Islam in the USA, that’s why they’re having trouble fighting terrorism. Europe is much more savvy, and tackles this problem at the root, using the right techniques, Muslim connections, and their own ties to the Muslim World.
The reason for this disconnect from reality in the USA is because there is a well paid propoganda machine whose mission it is to lie and feed misinformation. MEMRI and SITE play a big role in this. Much of the information in the US about Islam comes either from these Likud linked Israeli formed “media” or from the likes of Robert Spencer, paid by another neo con (Horowitz) to lie.
There is also the Christian Right (Fox News, World Net Daily), who have their own agenda to propogate lies against Islam, support for Israel terrirotial expansion for the Armaggedon, for which they need to demonise Islam.
January 11th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
This was also made clear in “Who Speaks For Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think” by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed.
Read the book! Real data, not speculation.
January 11th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Great article, Emperor.
January 11th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
duh. this only proves (sort of) what we already know
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:50 pm
lol, written by David Shanzer, who is the Director of the Triangle Center of Terrorism and Homeland Security in the U.S.
It’s funny who you choose to trust when it comes to Muslims.
The inventors of Islamophobia want you to believe that fighting is not allowed in Islam and that those who do have no knowledge thereof. That’s the classic British Tactic “Turn people away from scholars, so we can reteach them our philosophy”
The guy who is responsible for upholding laws that call for racial profiling against Muslims and the spreading of Islamophobia across America, is the one Muslims like you turn to for advice ? He’s going to tell me about Islam now ? Like there is a shortage of scholars in the Ummah?
Assuming that a majority of ‘terrorists’ don’t know about Islam. What about the thousands of scholars all around the world who support these so-called “terrorists”. They’re probably just crazy? Didn’t get enough milk in childhood or something? What about well learned and trusted scholars that the entire Ummah respects such as Ibn Uthaymiyeen or the writer of the most renowned Tafsir of the Qur’an “Ibn Kathir” ? They also hold the same philosophy on Jihad, are they also uneducated on Islam ?
The only people educated are the scholars who are paid by the U.S. government such as Government affiliated organizations ISNA and CAIR ? Or directors of homeland security organizations ? Or wait perhaps Charles Kurzman ? A self-proclaimed scholar of Islam (who incidentally happens to be a Jew, well trusted by other famous Jews).
Or wait, there’s also Ebrahim Moosa: With a name and credentials like his, he has got to know about Islam. The same guy who is running Ford-Foundation funded projects against Islam (Wikipedia has more on that)
Once again, I implore you to be careful about who you trust. I know this is a tough time we live in, where most if not all of the media conglomerates are paid for by think tanks and governments for a simple purpose. Eliminate religious freedom.
You know this better than I do. You show how Media is spreading Islamophobia, what do you think is the purpose?. What is the motive? It’s to stop Jihad from ruining what they call ‘Democracy’. It’s to stop people from questioning leaders. It’s to establish a clouded Fascism under the guise of Democracy. The only thing that stands in their way is “Islam”. Islam says “There is no need for man made constitution”, and that leaves Man with no power over others. Islam leaves no opportunity for power-hungry fascists to rule over people because Islam hands the final judgment always over to God. “They” can’t stand that.
They are even willing to spread a ‘fake’ version of Islam as long as Muslims stop believing in Shariah and become submissive to humans because then Islam is no longer a threat to global control.
You might think I’m a brain washed crazie who has little or no knowledge of Islam, I will tell you this though. Study Islam yourself, and Allah-willing, you shall see where the Prophet (SAWS) stood on this issue and how strict it is. We call ourselves servants of Allah, but curse the Mujahideen.
What do you make of the story of Ka’ab (the jew who used to slander against the PRophet SAWS) ? Prophet SAWS ordered him to be assasinated. Not because he faught against Islam but because he wrote poems defaming Islam. If we now do the same thing against the Danish Cartoonist, we’re all of a sudden Terrorists? Following the PRophet (SAWS) in words and actions makes us now Terrorists ? And some how this guy is telling us that we have no knowledge of Islam ?
What about the way Sa’ad (RA) handled the case of the hypocrites in Madina? This isn’t made up stuff. It’s in all the Sahih Hadith’s you can pick up. It’s in Qur’an, it’s in tafsir of Qur’an. It isn’t some ’secret Al-Qaeda literature, that is only given to these ‘uneducated’ terrorists’ It’s common knowledge.
Prophet SAWS called for the public execution of hypocrites (from the ruling party of the country they were living in!). Why didn’t the Prophet (SAWS) say ‘we’re in contract with them, so let’s shutup and live our lives’. Why drastic measures?
What about the sayings of the PRophet (SAWS)? “Fighting in the cause of Allah will continue till the last day” (Bukhari). “A day will come when people will be afraid to fight in the cause of Allah, that day Islam will be weakened because the love of Jihad would be taken from the hearts of Muslims” (Sahih Bukhari).
What about “A caravan from among my people would continue to be on the right path and continue to fight in the way of Allah till the last day” (Bukhari).
Let’s ignore all that, and listen to David Shanzer?
January 29th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
it said spare women and children, and allah loveth not transgressors. Can you actually provide evidence? You’re not even a real muslim, your like one of those losers ali sina uses to justify his rather weak arguements. and ka’ab was never assasinated.
January 29th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
also, Islam says to be a loyal citizen to your host country even if they are predominately a religion you disagree with.
January 29th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Abdul Jabbar:What do you make of the story of Ka’ab (the jew who used to slander against the PRophet SAWS) ? Prophet SAWS ordered him to be assasinated. Not because he faught against Islam but because he wrote poems defaming Islam.
Looking at it in the context of all reports, including the one which states that the Prophet(saw) did not take revenge on others (which makes it highly implausible that he would order the assassination of the Jewish poet simply because he composed derogatory poems about him), and consequently taking into consideration that poetry constituted a highly effective medium of galvanizing people, the only reasonable conclusion is that the Prophet(saw) had Kaab executed to protect the Muslims.
Abdul Jabbar:Assuming that a majority of ‘terrorists’ don’t know about Islam. What about the thousands of scholars all around the world who support these so-called “terrorists”. They’re probably just crazy?
Obviously the statement that thousands of scholars support terrorists is an exaggeration. Even if you are right, that still doesn’t justify terrorism. To say that something is right simply because the majority subscribes to it is tantamount to an argumentum ad populum.
Abdul Jabbar:You might think I’m a brain washed crazie who has little or no knowledge of Islam.
Absolutely!
Abdul Jabbar:I will tell you this though. Study Islam yourself, and Allah-willing, you shall see where the Prophet (SAWS) stood on this issue and how strict it is. We call ourselves servants of Allah, but curse the Mujahideen.
Funny how you extol what allegedly thousands of scholars say and then encourage other people to study Islam for themselves. What exactly do you mean, to study Islam through its primary sources, or to study it through the opinions of scholars whose own views were largely shaped by their times and surroundings? Thank God there is no Islamic pope!
January 29th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
You’re right; it does say to spare women (who were often sold into slavery) however the part about children is a bit of a half truth, by the standard of those times a child was a pre pubescent, so children 13 and older were not spared.