Are Violence and Extremism Islamic Phenomena?

[inchhigh]

Interesting discussion from Islam On-Line. I apologize in advance for including five paragraphs but the last is the pertinent one for us here.


snip

It cannot be said that violence is an Islamic phenomenon. Violence has no religion or nationality. If some Islamic groups are involved in violence and are considered extremist, there are also other groups and even nations that are known for committing acts of violence, such as Israel, or Hindu groups in India.

Violence has no nationality; it exists everywhere. The list of individuals, groups, or even nations that use violence to attain political aims is quite long. Israel has the worst record of using violence and committing atrocities against the Palestinian people as well as the Lebanese.

There is no doubt about the explanation that could be given for the violence practiced by the Islamic groups or the authority fighting them.

Some people, particularly Marxists and communists in general, want to interpret the phenomenon of violence as the result of economic injustice. We cannot deny the truth in this explanation. The Qur’an did not underestimate the financial factor in explaining certain phenomena such as killing the children out of destitution or out of fear of pauperism.

Others explain violence using the conspiracy scheme, meaning that behind all this violence is a diabolic design. This interpretation is quite popular; it alleviates any sort of responsibility because someone else is accountable, and at the same time it renders us impotent vis-à-vis political oppression. We are facing religious, social, and political oppressions. The human being is free; therefore one should not accept this explication. Even if some people really are conspiring against us, is that an excuse? Why don’t we make our own plan? Should we always be victimized by others?

snip

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503548114

[porphyrian]

1. Sure, Timothy McVeigh was a big Muslim.

Terry Nichols, too. And all the members of Kmer Rouge. Oh, and all the drug lords in Central and South America. The governments of those countries as well, come to think of it. Before the end of the Soviet Union, they were all Muslim, too. It's all about them Muslims.

[endarkenment]

2. Timmy McVeigh: devout mulsim. Eom.

[eyepaddle]

5. Don't forget Eric Robert Rudolph,

The Nazis were pretty extreme as well--not to mention violent.

Violence and extremism are possible for all humans. Islamic violence is just currently in the public eye.

[endarkenment]

6. Rupert allegedly denies he is motivated by christianity

It isn't clear what his religion is. I think the topic was limited to religious extremism, and any suggestion that this is somehow a unique trait of Islam is obvious bullshit, bullshit probably put forth by extremist religious nutcases of the non-Islamic persuasion.

While al qaeda indeed claims religious motivations, a recent study of suicide bombers indicates that in general religion is not their primary motivation.

[TXlib]

3. violence as the result of economic injustice

Well, I certainly do believe that extreme poverty will result in people feeling they have nothing to lose, and such people are more inclined to violence than people who feel they DO have something to lose.

I am neither a communist or Marxist, and while I suspect most commies would agree with me on this point, I think the majority of all people who would agree with the same point are not commies.

[wli]

4. no, it's inspired by past violence and economic injustice

[Kraklen]

7. The question itself is violent in a way.

A bit like asking "are black people stupid and lazy?"