an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah"

bullehshah · November 1, 2007, 8:37pm

http://umarlee.com/2007/10/25/american-muslims-looking-at-cali-fires-from-two-different-vantage-points/

As American-Muslims we are presented with a choice; we can remain isolated in this society and either yearn for a return back to out homelands or yearn for hijrah if we are converts or we can fully embrace our status as Americans. If one makes the decision, as I have, to be fully American and full Muslim at the same time, and to be a person that eagerly awaits Ramadan and Eid as I eagerly look forward to the World Series and Super Bowl every year, then you have another decision of whether you will be a “in the closet Muslim” or be a Muslim on the offensive proudly declaring your Islam to all.I have chosen to be a Muslim on the offensive and an American who is comfortable in my skin and I look to support those Muslim leaders and organizations that are like-minded. I do not want to work with Muslims who live in an Islamic fantasyland and do not want to recognize the complexities of the world we live in and therefore cannot work to formulate any solutions to solve the problems we are facing other than regurgitating some fatwas from long dead people or people who have never lived in this country.

Since I posted the words of Imam Mahdi Bray of the MAS Freedom Foundation yesterday in which he encouraged all Muslims to donate and volunteer in the effort to help the victims of the fires in California and to help with the MAS Service Corps if they can in addition to their prayers some other deranged Muslims have attempted to post comments on my blog critical of Mahdi Bray and myself.

These Muslims have said that the fires are a blessing from Allah as a punishment to the American people and specifically prayed for the fires to reach those marines at Camp Pendleton in Southern California ( where my grandfather was once stationed). These deranged Muslims (coming from the same source as those highlighted in the New York Times article recently who I have clashed with before, namely Sameer Khan) represent an extremism that runs counter to the spirit of Islam and a danger to the American people while Imam Mahdi Bray represents a spirit of Muslim activism combined with American patriotism born out of his experience as an African-American Muslim.

Active Muslims in America have a choice; do we follow the path of sanity and logic as offered by Mahdi Bray and others in the mainstream or do we follow the path of extremism and hate as offered by Sameer Khan and those who think like him and if we choose the way of Khan, as a very tiny percentage of Muslims do, then isn’t your presence in America an act of hypocrisy in and of itself?

If we are going to be in this country we must love it and want what is good for it and care for our neighbors whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims, and if this is not what we want, then there is an option to leave if you hate this country so much (after all no one is forcing you to be here and you can denounce your citizenship at any time).

This spirit of an American-Muslim does not mean that we cannot be critical and oppose those polices that are unjust in America as those such as Mahdi Bray do in opposing the war in Iraq, a policy of confrontation with the Muslim World, racism, economic injustice, the lack of universal health-care and the attacks on civil liberties we face in our country. It simply means that we want to make America a better place for us all.

And here’s the PAKISTANI Muslim blogger’s view about the fires:

http://inshallahshaheed.muslimpad.com/2007/10/24/the-california-fire-and-allahs-wrath/

Who support his stance? I know there’s a lot of jihadist sympathizers on this site that hold similar views, so they would have no problem expressing their support for this.

lakkis25 · November 1, 2007, 8:41pm

Re: Muslims happy about the California fires, touting it as a “punishment from Allah”

this type of foolish thoughts makes us alieneted from the Americans

X2 · November 1, 2007, 8:45pm

Re: Muslims happy about the California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah"

lot of jihadist sympathizers on this site?
whatchu been smokin holmes :D

let the nut jobs say what they want, senisble people should do whatthey are doign already, educate their kids, and their communities. if we look at extreme views of some ppl and react each time, that will do not good, communities need to have strategies, and just go on a steady path. mainstream majority directly engaging with these type of ppl gives them the exposure and legitimacy that they crave so badly, why give it to them, counter their tyype of message in deed and words on a daily basis.

Mamaof3 · November 1, 2007, 9:10pm

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

Since there were - what? 6 deaths? - in these fires, I'd have to say to this guy that Allah has kept so many Amrikaans safe. So whats the story with the horrible earthquake over in Pak last year with the hundreds (of thousands?) who lost life and life-savings?

ravage · November 1, 2007, 10:07pm

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

bullehshah, once again you open a thread talking to purported supporters of the idiotic stuff you post, yet nobody talks back to you. perhaps you need to talk on one of the forums you dig this stuff out from?

system · November 2, 2007, 12:02am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

Some muslims are just idiots.. Just as some Christian, and Jewish fundamentalists are idiots.
While its deplorable, Muslims dont have the market cornered on this line of thinking...

saieen · November 2, 2007, 1:41am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

…here is something that you prolly missed when u were having about muslim extremists. :halo:

first the image to make u feel proud n excited…

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/us/26funeral.html?ex=1351051200&en=bc4b0d6a6e453d20&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

follow up and result…

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/31/jury_awards_father_29m_in_funeral_case/

and to clear up things for your confused mind…these are not muslims…

Monk · November 2, 2007, 1:55am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

FREAKIN MEAN!!!!
Do we not have any AMerican chat forums on the net???

phatima · November 2, 2007, 2:20am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

People say this about all big natural disasters. The earthquake in South Asia, Katrina, etc. It's all just a bunch of nonsense.

God isn't a racist. =\

bullehshah · November 2, 2007, 3:41am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

And your point? No one likes the Westboro morons, but there are a lot of Muslims on this board who sympathize with the jihadis. I bet you if you go to Peshawar or Karachi and ask people what they thought of 9/11 or 7/7 they will express glee and delight over what happened there.

Mamaof3 · November 2, 2007, 12:20pm

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

Sorry KA, I really didnt intend to be so mean. But really, I get mad over things like this, its just so ignorant and one-sided. Disasters happen to americans and its a punishment from God. But what about when disaster happens to Muslims? They ignore that particular side of things.

There are extremist idiots from every country and every religion, Muslim extremists havent cornered that market. It just boils down to ignorance IMHO.

Monk · November 2, 2007, 1:15pm

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

Because we misinterpret Allah word.
Its said "Don't you see the signs when some disaster of that magnitude occur "
We pakistani saw those signs. That day and the following week we found out that
pakistan has power to destroy any country, but do not have power to save our own people.
I don't know how shame less officials have to be to say such a thing "we don't have that kind of equipment"
I mean do they not manage to get all kind of bombs/war planes???

I wonder how my muslim brothers/sisters missed that HUGE sign from allah.

simplyme · November 7, 2007, 2:37pm

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

^^

To add to this, and Pakistan had to depend on the Kaffir countries for aid.
Wasnt that too a sign from God.

Rebel_X · November 7, 2007, 4:28pm

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

yawn this is still going on..
how many times is this sign from god discussion going to take place.
move on people, nothing to see here..

Captain1 · November 8, 2007, 3:07am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

"azaab" over nations used to be for "cleansing" earth of sinners, leaving behind "non-sinner".... so after these fires 6 people died, does it mean remaining are "non-sinners"? :D

Sharaabi · November 8, 2007, 7:30am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

Whats the big deal about it? Whats so extreme about saying the fires in Greece and Cali were a punishment from God? Since God is the uncaused cause of all events, and since this disaster couldn't have been a blessing (except for, in my view, those who were not sinning and those who were pious and got hurt in any way, they reward shall be with Allah, and hence its a form of blessing for them)....so it has to be Allah's Wrath.

Katrina was a punishment and so was the earthquake in Pakistan( why Muslims dont sin?). So there is nothing extreme or racist about this view.

And religious texts support the view that natural disasters are punishments from God. My personel view on it, a Natural Disaster can be a blessing and wrath for those upon whom it falls. A wrath for those were sinning, and blessing for those who were innocent, like children and the pious, as it is known that people who die from drowning, from getting burnt in fire, and those who died after the roof of the house collapsed upon them.....are all Shaheed, hence it is a blessing.

And for people like us, who are watching from the sidelines, it is a grave warning!

underthedome · November 8, 2007, 4:57pm

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

^
So be a good Muslim and one day you may be lucky enough to be rewarded a earthquake or Tsunami as a blessing?

picoico · November 9, 2007, 2:19am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

Because it's arbitrary. Because such natural events happen where no people are (so, they're not always punishments). Because such things are predictable and trackable. Because if Pakistanis had any wit or concern about them, they could have built structures that could have minimized death. Because it is man made structures which failed and for the most part caused death, and claims to the contrary are no less than putting blame on God for human incompetence. Because such a view lends one to think that it would be in fact blasphemous to try and guard oneself from this kind of 'Wrath'. Because perhaps it wasn't a punishment...and thinking it was is a slander of the dead on our part.

Because it presumes an absolute understanding of the natural order of things, an a priori knowledge of what God is 'thinking'.... not a humble admission of ignorance as to how or why things happen. Because the past occurrence of such punishments, as divinely revealed, is not sufficent to make the claim that the occurrence of all such events is a punishment (again, such natural events happen with no consequence). Because all happens by Allahs leave, it's pointless and redundant to point out the source of all events when people are suffering. They knew. We know. Everyone who cares to believe knows.

Because such a view, from a position of comfort, places focus on other peoples misdeeds. It places in our hearts a sense of complacency...certainly the wretches among the victims must have deserved this sort of punishment. And the innocent will be rewarded. However, at such times our thoughts should be of solidarity and how to help those who live. What matter is it to us how the dead are treated? Or why they died? Because there's a difference between being tried and punished.

hareem01 · November 9, 2007, 10:35am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

^Thank you, very nice post.

Crescent · November 21, 2007, 4:16am

Re: an extremist happy about California fires, touting it as a "punishment from Allah

So when people of Ahad, and Nuh witnessed disasters, we accept them as calamities while reading the Quran, but whenever something happens in contemporary times, its not God's doing?

Right.