Malaysia requires sole use of God's title for Muslims

In June Malaysia authorities ruled that non-Muslims cannot refer to God as 'Allah'.

Allah in Arabic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Muslim-majority country, many Malays believe that the national conscience must be firmly rooted in Islam, therefore they are happy that Putrajaya’s persistence in refusing non-Muslim Malaysians the right to use the word “Allah” so that their faith can be honoured by having the only right to use that title.

The Malaysian people and government forget that God belongs to the whole world. I would have thought the court ruling will soon be made unfinished, but it did not. Holding strong to this court ruling it is not only tantamount to the systematic destruction of the language and culture of the Bumiputera community in Sabah and Sarawak,but also does damage to all other languages where they use "Allah" as title for the the Divine Creator.

Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok said the word “Allah” has been part and parcel of the community’s language for generations and has become “embedded” in every aspect of their culture, including for the Bumiputera Christians, who make up the majority of Malaysia’s Christian population.

The government’s prohibition and the Federal Court’s denial for the Catholic Church to appeal for the right to publish the “Allah” in its weekly newspaper, had made the Bumiputera Christians feel they had been wronged, said the Sarawakian senior clergyman.

“We feel there has been a miscarriage of justice. It is insidious. It is tantamount to an act of language and culture genocide,” said Bolly, who also chairs the Association of Churches in Sarawak.

Malaysia’s Bumiputera Christians are accustomed to praying in their native tongues and the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Their bibles, scriptures and hymns too have been translated into their respective indigenous languages, many of which contain the controversial “Allah” word as reference to God.
In its landmark ruling on June 23, a seven-judge panel at the top court had in a majority decision dismissed the Catholic Church’s bid to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision last year, which held that the word of Arabic origin was not “integral” to the religious practice of Malaysia’s Christians.
The Federal Court has however noted that the “integral” comment in the Court of Appeal was non-binding on other cases as it was just a remark made in passing.

The Catholic Church recently applied for a review of the Federal Court’s June decision while a Sabah evangelical church, Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), succeeded in clearing the first hurdle for its “Allah” challenge to be retried at the High Court, providing a glimmer of hope for Malaysia’s native Christians.

Those people should know that all people who speak Arabic or do have words in their language which came from Arabic, will have "Allah" for the title of "God", be it atheists, Hindus, Jews, Christians or Muslims. It is not a word which Muslims can claim only for themselves. In case such a thing happens all sorts of groups could claim singular words in any language claim for their own use, and forbidding others to use it in their own daily language.

Syed Putra Jamalull writes:

This whole problem can be traced to the home ministry directive way back in 1986 prohibiting non muslims from using certain arabic terms that snowballed malay intolerance. Who was the home minister then? It could either be Musa Hitam or Dr M. Just like books and ideas, words should never be prohibited from being used as its the foundation.

Mark Beaumont, senior lecturer in Islam and mission at the London School of Theology, says that while there is controversy regarding the way that God and Allah are referred in Malaysia, in other parts of the world it's considered far less of a contentious issue.

"In the Arab speaking world there's no difficulty in calling God 'Allah' – they've been doing it in the Christian church and in the Bible for hundreds of years,"

he explains. Which is logical, because it is a word like any other word in the Arabic language and is in that language also used to indicate other gods that the Most High Divine Creator of heaven and earth form the Abrahamic faiths. In the early days of Egypt Pharao was also called Allah.

Muslims also should be aware that in many countries is spoken about "Allah" in respect, presenting the Divine Supreme Being, Whose Name was also given to His People, the Israelites and should come to be known all over the world as Jehovah.

In several churches not always is used the Name, but more often the title of the Elohim, as such

"In the Coptic Church in Egypt, the church in Syria, Jordan, Iraq and even Iran, it's always been the practice to call God 'Allah' using the Arabic form. Although the Arabic Bible wasn't translated fully before Islam came, it's obvious that people were reading the Gospels using 'Allah' before the rise of Islam.

Whatever people want to believe about creation and all that, accepting or not believing in a Divine Creator, they should know that in the ancient history of the Middle East, 'Allah' was the equivalent of 'Elohim', the Hebrew word for the Most High God.

While it may be mostly Malaysian Muslims who are offended by the Christian use of the word 'Allah', many Christian believers the last decennials also have been reluctant to use the Name of God (Jehovah) as well as His title "Allah". With the growing of non-trinitarian Christians and with the growing of the Islamic faith more Christians find the use of "Allah" to be controversial.

in Arabic language. The book was written by the end of 16th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lots of Christians and Muslims do think they have a different God. This makes that people wonder if it  is really possible to reconcile the name 'Allah' with the God of the Bible?

"Anything is possible! You just have to think about the person who is saying 'I believe in Allah,'"

Beaumont insists.

"When I lived in Morocco, there was a Christian man who was being interrogated by the police. He had grown up as a Muslim but came to know Christ and became a Christian. He was told to confess his faith, and he said:

 'There is no God but God, and Jesus Christ is my saviour and Lord'. He confessed it in Arabic, using the word 'Allah', and so he was quite happy to use the Muslim testimony of faith as a Christian because of course we also believe there is no God but God! He was able to affirm the basic statement of faith for Muslims – There is no God but Allah – but wasn't able to affirm Mohammed as God's prophet, which is the second part of it.

Normally Jews, Christians and Muslims should have one and the same God, but I do agree with Jews and Muslims, in case certain Christians take Jesus to be the God of gods, than I as a Christian would also dare to question those trinitarian Christians if they have the same God as me.
An other difficulty by Muslims is that they do get more and more a distorted image of Christians and cannot come to see that a person can really embrace a genuine faith in Christ Jesus, accepting this rabbi and prophet as their Messiah, but still believing in the Only One True God.

Beaumont also says:

"It's usually not that big a difficulty using the word 'Allah' and filling it with a Christian meaning. There are of course people in the West who worry about that – it makes some Christian missionaries feel uncomfortable, and I can understand that – but it's not my personal position."

Beaumont contends that it is not only just possible to use Islamic terminology while offering a Christian meaning, but it is, in fact, a vital part of helping Muslims to understand the message of Christ.

"I favour beginning where Muslims are, with what they understand, and trying to draw them into another way of thinking," he explains.

According to him

"The word 'God' came when the Bible was translated into Anglo-Saxon, and comes from a pagan name for a deity – it's a northern European understanding.

and as such in our regions it is also used regularly for indicating higher or in the picture standing figures, like fashion queens, film-stars, sports-favourites, etc.

So when Christians have strict view on using the word 'Allah' but are very happy to use the King James translation of the Bible, or even more recent, I smile to myself,"

Beaumont says.

"Language can take a word and change it – you can fill an old word with a new meaning, and that's what's going on here. Some people feel uncomfortable with that – they say 'you can't fill an old wineskin with new wine' but nobody says you can't use the Anglo-Saxon word for God.

"There's also a parallel with William Carey, who translated the Bible into Bengali and used the word 'Ishvara' – 'Ishvara created the heavens and the earth' – and that's the word Christians in India still use today.

"Ishvara is the God Hindus believe created the earth, and so Carey thought it would be best word for the Biblical creator – it's interesting to see how different translations use local deities to help explain the Bible, rather than 'Elohim'."

Read more about it:

1. For Bumiputera Christians, ‘Allah’ ban akin to cultural ‘genocide’, says archbishop
2. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
3. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan
4. Migrants to the West #5
5. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
6. An Ex-Muslim’s Open Letter
7. Muslims should also Fear God
8. Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God
9. Prophets making excuses
10. Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God
11. Pluralis Majestatis in the Holy Scriptures
12. Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator
13. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
14. Are Christians prepared to Rejoice in the Lord
15. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
16. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
17. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
18. Al-Fatiha [The Opening/De Opening] Süra 1:1-3 In the name of Allah the Merciful Lord Of The Creation
19. The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity

In Dutch:

1. Sharia een kwaad voor Islam
2. Rellen en Oude Geschriften
3. Koran tegenover veel oudere Heilige Geschriften
4. Onze God ook deze van de moslims

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Related articles

• For bumiputera Christians, 'Allah' ban akin to cultural 'genocide', says archbishop (yahoonewsdigest-intl.tumblr.com)
  

  It is in our language and culture DNA. We feel that the judgment was made without taking into due consideration of what the word means to us.
  Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok

• Dr. Reza Azlan's Argument on the 'Kalimah Allah' (aimanamani.wordpress.com)
  Dr. Aslan mocked the Court of Appeals for unanimously ruling against allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” as the Malay translation for the Christian god in its weekly publication the Herald for which Justice Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali said:
  

  “It is our common finding that the usage of the name ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity. From such finding, we find no reason why the respondent is so adamant to use the name ‘Allah’ in their weekly publication. Such usage, if allowed, will inevitably cause confusion within the community.”

  The Malaysian Insider reported that Dr. Aslan said,
  

  “We Are Laughing At You”.
  “Allah is constuction of the the word al-Ilah. That’s what the word is,” he explained. “Al-Ilah means ‘The God’. Allah is not the name of God.”

• Arabic Bibles has been falsified to please Muslim converts (ivarfjeld.com)
  Most of the Christian media have been silent in regards to new “Muslim-friendly Bibles”. But one American media has sounded the alarm about the corrupt modern “bible translations”.
  This is what has been reported:
  It includes the controversial development is the removal of any references to God as “Father,” to Jesus as the “Son” or “the Son of God.” One example of such a change can be seen in an Arabic version of the Gospel of Matthew produced and promoted by Frontiers and SIL. It changes Matthew 28:19 from this:
  “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”
  to this:
  
  “cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit.”
  A large number of such Muslim-sensitive translations already are published and well-circulated in several Muslim-majority nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.
  According to Joshua Lingel of i2 Ministries,
  “Even more dramatic a change is the Arabic and Bangla (Bangladesh) translations. In Arabic, Bible translations err by translating ‘Father’ as ‘Lord.’ ‘Guardian.’ ‘Most High’ and ‘God.” In Bangla, ‘Son of God’ is mistranslated ‘Messiah of God’ consistent with the Quran’s Isa al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah), which references the merely human Jesus.”
  
• For Bumiputera Christians, 'Allah' ban akin to cultural 'genocide', says archbishop (sg.news.yahoo.com)
  Bolly had cited the “Allah” prohibition as an example of the challenges that Charles Kumar Samuel — who was yesterday installed as the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia’s new assistant bishop — would face as the country experiences growing “irrational racial and religious polarisation”.
  The archbishop added that the churches would be “irresponsible” if they were to stay silent in the face of injustice to the Bumiputera Christians, most of who hail from Sarawak and Sabah but also include the Orang Asli in the peninsula.
  “They can’t understand why certain people take offence and go ballistic when all they do is simply live and pray the way they have been [doing] for generations,” Bolly said, and vowed to “use the word till kingdom come”.
  Despite the Federal Court ruling, the “Allah” dispute is far from over as Malaysia’s churches step up to defend their constitutional rights.
  
• Five Questions With a Former Muslim Who Converted to Christianity (theaquilareport.com)
  Nabeel Qureshi was raised in a Pakistani-American family and grew up a devout Muslim. While he was in medical school, he read the Bible for research in his debate against a Christian friend, and this began a journey that eventually led to his becoming a Christian. He shared his conversion story in his book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, and he also works with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries telling his story and providing encouragement to those who seek to share their faith with a changing world.
  
  In light of the fact that the Muslim world is front and center in the international press right now, we thought it would be particularly helpful to talk with Qureshi. He began by sharing his insights into some common misconceptions about Muslims.
  +
  Misconception #1: “Muslims are violent people.” Of the thousands of Muslims I grew up with and knew as a child, not a single one promoted violence. Without commenting on whether historical Islam teaches violence, I can unequivocally say the vast majority of Muslims in the West are truly peaceful people.
  Misconception #2: “Muslims are all the same.” From Sufis to Salafis, Arabs to Bosnians, nominals to zealots, that could not be further from the truth.
  Misconception #3: “Muslims are godless.” Devout Muslims live their lives in constant remembrance of Allah, trying to follow their creator in prayers, fasts, scripture memorization, sacrificial alms, adherence to tradition, and Sabbath congregations.
  
  
  
• Secularism and a more honest Islam (limkitsiang.com)
  Secularism and liberalism are not unfamiliar terms in this country, although how Malaysians understand them is a different matter altogether.
  In the halcyon post-Merdeka days, our founding fathers would proudly proclaim such ideals to be their philosophical bedrock, so much so that the word liberal actually appears in the preamble to the Rukunegara (national principles). To be secular and liberal was to be constitutional and inclusive.
  Things have changed much since then. Today, the very same terms are used deleteriously as a mark of shame, such that it has become the proverbial scarlet letter of the Malay-Muslim society. To be secular and liberal is to be ungodly and aberrant.
  +
  Far from threatening Islam, a secular state based on democratic ideals would actually emancipate the religion from the vested interests of the state. This would in fact further the cause of Islamic thought and discourse.
  +
  it is suggested that secularism and liberalism are philosophical ideals that would strengthen and embolden Islam. A truly Islamic society is one that is free in thought and conscience, where Islam is practised honestly and where rituals are performed out of firm belief and not out of fear or pressure.
  
• Malaysia: Muslims confiscate Bibles, police threaten arrests if non-Muslims use word "allah" (creepingsharia.wordpress.com)
  

  I write to alert you to the latest development in Malaysia whereby the religious authorities of Selangor (a state closest to the capital) raided the Bible Society and confiscated 300 bibles in Malay and Iban (an indigenous language). Allah is used in Malay and other Malaysian indigenous languages – it has been used for over 100 years, even before Malaysia was formed as a country. This might be due to Arab influence on the local languages when traders came to the Malayan peninsula in the 1300s.
  In this country, Allah has been used to refer to God, whereas Tuhan, which the ruling party wants Catholics/Christians to use, is a generic term which is non specific, hence the refusal by the Malay/indigenous language speaking Catholics and Christians to budge.

  
  +
  Today’s raid comes after the editor of Catholic weekly, Herald, Rev Father Lawrence Andrew said that Catholic churches in Selangor would continue to use the word “Allah” in their weekend services in Bahasa Malaysia, which are primarily attended by Sabah and Sarawak folk.
  +
  
  Police will take action over the “Allah” word  issue in Selangor if its Islamic Religious Department (Jais) requests police to intervene in enforcing the ruling on the issue.
  Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) said this was because Islamic religious matters were under the jurisdiction of the state government,  and police respected its jurisdiction over the issue.
  “All quarters should stop playing up this sensitive issue… those involved should adhere to the decree by the Sultan of Selangor (Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah) and the court order for (non-Muslims) not to use the ‘kalimah Allah’ (in their scriptures),” he told reporters today.
• Islamic Authorities Seize Bibles Because Christians Use the Word 'Allah' (frstephensmuts.wordpress.com)
  Islamic authorities in Malaysia on Thursday seized 321 Bibles from a Christian group because they used the word Allah to refer to God, signaling growing intolerance that may inflame ethnic and religious tension in the Southeast Asian country.
  The raid comes after a Malaysian court in October ruled that the Arabic word was exclusive to Muslims, most of whom are ethnic Malays, the largest ethnic group in the country alongside sizeable Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities.
  
• Will you people stop irritating Muslims? Gaaaah! (iowntheworld.com)
  
  Why irritate Muslims by using allah? Why irritate Muslims by not converting? Why irritate Muslims by breathing?
  +
  Against a backdrop of Selangor religious authorities preparing to clamp down on non-Muslims’ use of “Allah”, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today questioned Christian motives for “annoying others” with their insistence on using the Arabic word to refer to God.The country’s longest-serving prime minister said the Arabic term for God was only a common usage among Christians in Sabah and Sarawak.
  “All this while, we have never quarrelled about this because they (Christians in the peninsula) never use the word, so why irritate other people, it won’t hurt them not to use the word Allah.
  “They have never used it before. Those who use it are in Sabah and Sarawak, there is no objection. But here in the peninsula, why do we want to find a cause to quarrel,” he told reporters at the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) New Year open house today.
  
• GE13: Political Religion in Malaysian Politics (dinmerican.wordpress.com)
  
  Between 2004 and 2008, Malaysia witnessed, for the first time, the rise of politicised Hindusim in the form of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) movement. Its appeal was specifically to the Hindus of the country rather than to Malaysians of Indian or South Asian origin. Then, in the general election of 2008, it was evident that some Christian leaders were also involved in mobilising their fellow Christians, and that trend seems to have continued and even sharpened today.
  These developments indicate that Muslims are not the only ones who are now politically active in Malaysia, but other religious communities too. There is every reason to believe that religion in general, and Islam in particular, will be a key variable that impacts the voting process.
  +
  Malaysia’s complex electorate seems to be guided by theological, as well as ideological, concerns.

More Mexicans start questioning Catholic doctrine and the concept of the Trinity

In Mexico at last more people start questioning Catholic doctrine and the concept of the Trinity — three Gods in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit — as opposed to one God in the unitarian Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

In 1970, Catholics comprised 96.7 percent of Mexico’s population. By 2010, that number had fallen to 82.7 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. Most of this change is attributed to growth in other Christian denominations. Evangelicals, Protestants and Jehovah’s Witnesses now account for 8 percent of Mexicans who identify with a religion.

But we may also find several Mexicans who could not find themselves at ease with the Christians who do not believe in the Trinity, though they say it was that trinity that bothered them. So why did many Catholics not find non-trinitarian Christians but can they at last find enough places in the Bible to prove there is no such thing as a three-une God. what was it that attracted them to convert and to seek spiritual salvation in Islam?
Pew estimates Mexico will be home to 126,000 Muslims by 2030, up from 111,000 in 2010.

Map showing the relative proportion of Christianity (red) and Islam (green) in each country. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Pat Dollard looks into the cause in ‘I Realized It’s A Beautiful Religion’ – Mexican Catholics Leaving ‘Dios’ For ‘Allah’

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• Malaysian Government-Backed Muslim Group Says It's Willing To Suffer A "Bloodbath" To Defend Word "Allah" From Catholics...
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Condemning QSIS or the self-claimed Islamic state ruler, al- Baghdadi their extremist ideologies and to clarify the true teachings of Islam

Dar al-Iftaa signs an open letter addressed to QSIS to condemn their extremist ideologies and clarify the true teachings of Islam

More than 120 Muslim scholars across the globe have signed an open letter which was sent to the leader of QSIS or the self-claimed Islamic state ruler, al- Baghdadi, in their attempt to clarify the true Islamic stance on issues such as the Islamic caliphate, jihad, and treating non-Muslims among other vital issues.

This open letter comes after the horrific atrocities that were committed by QSIS which in no way shape or form could be remotely related to Islam. The Islamic scholars felt the responsibility to cite their vehement rejection and utter condemnation to the theological fallacies and warped ideologies that these terrorist groups embrace.
 

Dr. Shawki Allam, the current Grand Mufti of Egypt was one of the signatories of this open letter to state his adamant refusal of placing any association of Islam with their abhorrent acts of extremism which is prohibited under all religions.

This move was necessary especially due to the unfortunate fact that a number of European Muslims are joining these extremist groups and are lured by the myth of establishing an Islamic caliphate as they are wrongly embracing the notion that establishing a caliphate is the only legally valid political system in the eyes of the Islamic law. Also Muslims across the globe are dismayed with the atrocities that are committed both against Muslims and non-Muslims which totally go against the merciful teachings of Islam.

The "black flag of jihad" as used by various Islamic terrorist organizations (since the late 1990s) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“These terrorist groups failed to recognize that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not sent except to be a mercy to all the worlds and they failed to understand that God bestows mercy on those who are merciful and thus we should have mercy on those on earth, for the Lord in heaven to have mercy on us” said Dr. Ibrahim Negm, the Senior advisor to the Grand Mufti.

QSIS among other terrorist groups lost all meanings of compassion, mercy and affection towards humanity as they use the pathetic classical approach of hiding behind the motto of religion to attain their pity political goals of usurping lands, gaining political power and ruling people through torture, killing and persecution.

To read the open letter, please click here http://lettertobaghdadi.com/

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Please do find as well:

• Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
• Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
• Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator

Related articles

• Islamic Authority: Extremists No 'Islamic State'
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State'
• Islamic State? No, call it QSIS, says top Islamic authority in Egypt

• ISIL, ISIS - Now QSIS? Top Sunni Cleric Says Stop Calling Terrorists 'Islamic' (cnsnews.com)
  “Muslim and non-Muslim thinkers across the world are invited to post their opinions, videos and posts against Qaeda Separatists.”
  The 119-year-old Cairo institution, which issues fatwas or religious rulings on a wide range of topics, said it hoped Muslims and non-Muslims would actively support the campaign, “which does not only seek to exonerate the name of Islam from the terrorist group’s heinous acts but also to condemn these dreadful acts under the name of humanity.”
  Dar al-Iftaa launched the campaign after the appearance last week of an online ISIS video showing a masked militant railing against America before beheading U.S. journalist James Foley.
  Allam’s spokesman, Ibrahim Negm, said the beheading provided “a chance for ill-hearted opportunists to deliberately promote distorted images of Islam and level false and appalling accusations against it.”
  Other atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria include mass executions, crucifixions and other killings, with minority Christians and Yazidis targeted in particular, as well as rapes and sexual slavery.
  The group claims to be acting in the name of Islam, has declared an Islamic “caliphate,” invokes the Qur’an in its propaganda messages and videos, and is led by a man who, by naming himself “caliph,” lays claim to the mantle of Mohammed, Islam’s revered 7th century founder.
  
• 'IS no Islamic State' (arabtimesonline.com)
  The Gulf nation of Qatar is hitting back at suggestions that it supports the Islamic State extremist group, saying that “determined, collective action” is needed to end sectarian violence gripping Iraq and Syria. The energy-rich OPEC member has come under renewed scrutiny over ties to militants, including the Palestinian Hamas and Syrian rebel groups. A German official last week suggested that Qatar may also play a role in funding the Islamic State group, which is fighting in Iraq and Syria and recently beheaded American journalist James Foley. Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah unequivocally denied funding the Islamic State group. “Qatar does not support extremist groups, including ISIS, in any way,” he said in an emailed statement dated Saturday, using an alternative name for the group. “We are repelled by their views, their violent methods and their ambitions.
  The vision of extremist groups for the region is one that we have not, nor will ever, support in any way.” Qatar was one of the first Middle Eastern countries to condemn Foley’s murder, saying it was “a heinous crime that goes against all Islamic and humanitarian principles, as well as international laws and conventions.” The tiny Gulf emirate has supported Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad.
  The Islamic State group is battling Assad’s forces, but it has also clashed with other rebel groups that don’t embrace its extreme interpretation of Islam. Experts say the group generates at least some of its funding from kidnapping, extortion and other criminal business enterprises. Germany’s Development Minister Gerd Mueller suggested Wednesday that Qatar also could be supporting the group.
  
• Islamic authority in Egypt launches campaign against Islamic State (haaretz.com)
  The campaign by the Dar el-Ifta, the top authority that advises Muslims on spiritual and life issues, adds to the war of words by Muslim leaders across the world targeting the Islamic State group, which controls wide swaths of Iraq and Syria. Its violent attacks, including mass shootings, destroying Shiite shrines, targeting minorities and beheadings including American journalist James Foley, have shocked Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
  
  The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, previously said the extremists violate all Islamic principles and laws and described the group as a danger to Islam as a whole. Now, the Dar el-Ifta authority he oversees will suggest foreign media drop using "Islamic State" in favor of the "Al-Qaida Separatists in Iraq and Syria," or the acronym "QSIS," said Ibrahim Negm, an adviser to the mufti.
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (cnsnews.com)
  Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi also weighed in. On Sunday, speaking to editors of Egyptian newspapers, he said the extremist group is part of a plot aiming to "undermine Islam as a belief."
  He said the current religious discourse in the region only feeds "minds that believe that killing and bloodshed is the way to defend Islam," in comments carried by MENA.
  El-Sissi has been a champion of advancing moderate Islam, building his power base in the chaotic region and since he ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on vows to crush extremist Islam.
  
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (stripes.com)
  The Islamic State group has a sophisticated media and Internet-based campaign that has drawn in foreign fighters, which may explain why Islamic scholars chose to adopt a similar approach. But it's unclear how successful this latest push against the group will be.
  Dar el-Ifta is famed among scholars of Islamic jurisprudence and has offered training to many Muslims from around the world since the late 1800s. But its opinions are advisory and are often viewed as too close to official Egyptian government positions.
  
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (nzherald.co.nz)
  Muslims around the world have battled against the backlash that followed the rise of al-Qaida and the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the U.S. Scholars and activist groups have sought for years to disassociate themselves from militants touting their own extremist versions of Islam.
  They say the Islamic State group is another, one that appears more ambitious and aggressive than al-Qaida. The Islamic State group renamed itself on June 29 when it unilaterally declared the territory it held in Iraq and Syria a caliphate, effectively erasing the two countries' borders and setting up a proto-state governed by its own strict interpretation of Shariah law. It previously referred to itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant while fighting in Syria against the rule of President Bashar Assad.
  
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (usnews.com)
  Muslims arrive to attend the Friday prayer at Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, Egypt. Dar el-Ifta, the top Islamic authority in Egypt, revered by many Muslims worldwide, launched Sunday an internet-based campaign aimed particularly at the West against an extremist group in Syria and Iraq, saying it is not an “Islamic State.” The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, and clerics from the oldest Islamic learning institute, Al-Azhar, have condemned the Islamic State saying it was violating all Islamic principles and laws, describing it as a danger to the religion.

Do Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, ISIS and ISIL belong to true Islam

President Barack Obama channeled George W. Bush.  The former has assembled a grand coalition to fight a new Middle Eastern war.  According to Forbes only President Obama acted without legal authority and stuck the U.S. with most of the work.

President George W. Bush and President-elect Barack Obama meet in the Oval Office of the White House Monday, November 10, 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to Forbes Contributor Doug Bandow the Islamic State is evil, but the organization’s raison d’etre is establishing a Middle Eastern caliphate, or quasi-state, not terrorizing Americans.  In fact, grabbing territory provided the U.S. with a target for retaliation in response to any attack, something lacking with al-Qaeda and its many off-shoots.
But are the aims of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State not going further, hoping to convert the whole world to the Islam and having one world regime under Islamic Law?

U.S.A. Secretary Jeh Johnson said:  “We know of no credible information that ISIL is planning to attack the homeland at present.”

Two weeks ago President Barack Obama did try to make a broader point when he uttered

 "Let’s be clear: While this group may call itself the “Islamic State,” it is not “Islamic.”c,"

which made that several Americans and critics on Twitter quickly fired off on the President for making the assertion, with many noting that ISIL in fact stands for the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant." 

What Obama said in his prime-time speech Wednesday night September 10 can be found in ISIL will find no safe haven where the president rightly accuses those who just kill innocent people and destroy also Islamic heritage not to be people who live according the rules of the faith they say to defend. Why would they rape and kill other Muslims if they are real faithful Muslims and how can it that they bomb, burn and destroy Qurans, whilst in case Western people would do such a thing they would call for a fatwa and shout for murder of that person.

Muslim political, religious and social commentator regularly appearing on British television and radio presenter Mohammed Ansar also know as a leading public advocate against extremism, has tackled both international terror threats and domestic far right radicalisation. Mohammed is well known for his advocacy for Muslim civil rights and is outspoken against Islamophobia. Mohammed became the focus of international attention when he was named at the top of terrorist organisation Al Shabab's most-wanted list. In spite of this, Mohammed has continued to speak out publically against the rise of terror and extremism, and to promote peace and tolerance amongst communities. Mohammed advocates a return to an authentic Islamic enlightenment as part of the Muslim revivalist and spiritual reformational movement.

For him there is no doubt that in these coming days, global Islam, almost a third of humanity, will unite across all forms of division, in the worship of one God. But to have Islamic State being part of that true worshipping community seems to be a bridge too far. Many today still have no idea that Islam is the completion of the religion which was revealed to mankind through a single line of Prophets.

On the 11° of September he tweeted:

 ISIL is not Islamic, says prime time @BarackObama (and virtually every Muslim and reasonably educated person on the face of our planet).

Also for Ameena Jandali, the Content Director for Islamic Networks Group ( ING), a non-profit organization that counters prejudice and discrimination against American Muslims by teaching about their traditions and contributions in the context of America’s history and cultural diversity, while building relations between American Muslims and other groups, it is clear there is something wrong in the attitude of those Jihad fighters. 

this year, hajj will take place against the ugly backdrop of a group that has come to represent the antithesis of what the pilgrimage signifies: Unity through diversity, brotherhood and equality, and the sanctity of religion, its symbols and holy places.

For Patheos and Time he writes:

As ISIS sends another two hundred thousand Muslim Kurds fleeing into Turkey after terrorizing Christian, Yazidi, and other populations for months, millions of pilgrims in Islam’s two holiest cities are gathered to peacefully commemorate Abraham, the father, not only of Islam, but of Judaism and Christianity.

Jandali points to the other major theme of hajj which is the interconnectedness of humankind, which is demonstrated by the simple white pieces of cloth which all male pilgrims wear during the duration of the hajj, no matter from where in the world they come.

Jandali continues:

Especially at this holy time, the stark contrast between the lofty goals of the religion and the actions of groups like ISIS, Boko Haram and others who make a mockery of Islam with their brutal and merciless behavior is a painful reminder that religion is not about terminology or slogans. Rather, true religion is explained in a saying of the Prophet Muhammad,
“I was only sent to perfect good character.”

I also think when we see and hear what those fundamentalists do that they do too many things which are against the idea of Quran and certainly against the Words of God like we know them. Seeing how they treat other Muslims makes us think and wonder what their real motives are. There we clearly can see that power and making an own state is the major mover. In case the incentive would be to make a sacred Islamic State than they should accept all Muslim brothers and sisters as part of the people united under the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. In case their ideas, motives are really funded on the believe they should spread the true belief in One God, they would not destroy such books like the Quran, which would and should be a Holy Book for all Muslims.

In my article Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam I go deeper into this matter and show more reasons why Islamic State (IS) is not a real true Islamic Movement.

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Please do find to read:

• Obama's Needless War Against The Islamic State Puts Americans At Risk: Washington Should Let ISIL's Neighbors Defeat The Caliphate-Wannabe
• Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
• ISIS is the Antithesis of Hajj, the Holy Pilgrimage
• Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
• Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator

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• ISIL IS NOT ISLAMIC? -OR- IS ISIS Really ISIL or ISISn't It? (pumabydesign001.com)
  In Todd’s view, calling the group “ISIL,” or the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, avoids the direct reference to Syria in “ISIS.” And since the Obama administration had mostly tried to keep the idea of fighting the group in Syria off the table, they wanted to keep that specific reminder out of the group’s name. With the president’s speech to the nation last week, that inclination may have shifted, but either way, at this point the administration is committed to the term “ISIL.”
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  Surveys have shown these names can cause confusion about the terrorist group that split off from al-Qaeda and has taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria.
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  The Arabic term is Al-Dawla Al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham. Al-Dawla means state, Al-Islamiya means Islamic and al-Iraq means Iraq.
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  given the vast, vast majority of Muslims reject this group, some Muslim scholars have suggested not calling it an Islamic state at all. They say call them what they are: Al-Qaeda separatists in Iraq and Syria, or QSIS.
  “The important thing to understand here is that this won’t become a widely used acronym, but that these words have important meaning, symbolic meaning,” Berkson said.
  
  
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  The stated goal of these religious radicals is to establish an Islamic caliphate which will be governed by a single supreme Islamic leader known as a khalifah.  The law in the caliphate will be Islamic sharia law, and anyone not willing to convert to the form of Islam practiced by the Islamic State will be either killed or persecuted intensely.  But because of Barack Obama’s extreme political correctness, he simply cannot admit that the Islamic State has anything to do with Islam.  As a result, he continues to pursue policies that will not solve anything in the Middle East and at this point our foreign policy in the region is a total joke.
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  Abby
  September 12, 2014 at 7:16 am · Reply
  Well… I have to agree with him. It isn’t.
  Most Muslims around the world are horrified at what ISL is doing and they will tell you that this is not Islam.
  We all know that ISL has been trained in Jordan by the CIA, is funded by Saudi Arabia and in recent disclosures, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a trained actor and is actually an Israeli agent.
  As a number of people have pointed out, ISL attacks Christians and there is a deafening from Christian communities in Europe and in the USA, and it does not attack Israel.
  More recently is it being revealed that the Muslim Brotherhood and their attempt at over throwing Egypt is in lock step with ISL and Saudi Arabia. They were going to hand over the Sinai to Hamas, which in turn was started by Mosaad. The Muslim Brotherhood was also being funded by Obama and Clinton.
  The objective is, the creation of Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates River, including Syria, whilst Saudi Arabia will head and Islamic Caliphate across North Africa and the southern regions of Iraq and Iran.
  The other main objective of CIA, Mosaad and ISL, is to obliterate all Orthodox Christians from the whole area. This, under the Muslim Brotherhood when they controlled Egypt also included a war with Ethiopia, 80% Christian, Orthodox and also one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. In Iran by comparison, Jews and Christians are protected, as they are under Asaad in Syria. Iran has the largest community of Jews outside of Israel.
  Muslims , both Sunni and Shia will tell you that the actions of these people go against the very fundamentals of Islam. These people are MKULtra mind controlled and trained covert military operatives. So Obama is actually right, they are not Islam.
  
• Obama Puts Americans at Risk: ISIL's Neighbors Should Eliminate the "Caliphate" (cato.org)
  Washington has never had much success in fixing the Middle East. The United States has been bombing Iraq since 1991. ISIL would not exist but for America’s 2003 invasion.
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  He lost me when he referred to ISIS as ISIL, thus undercutting their view of themselves as a routinely Islamist imperialist venture which views not only Iraq and Syria as part of their future "Caliphate," but one which includes Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the disputed Palestinian territories—and perhaps Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirates--as theirs to command.
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  If there are currently fewer Christians and Yazidis, not to mention Kurds, in the cross-fire, (let's not forget the Christians of Lebanon or Egypt at the hands of Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood), it is only because those who could, fled long ago or were just forced to flee and now swell the ranks of refugees living on the edge, far, far greater in number than the poster-children among refugees, the Palestinians.
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  +
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  #2 “The establishment of a caliphate is an obligation. The religion cannot be in place unless the sharia (law) is established.”
  #3 “God gave your mujahedeen brothers victory after long years of jihad and patience… so they declared the caliphate and placed the caliph in charge”
  
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  “Muslim and non-Muslim thinkers across the world are invited to post their opinions, videos and posts against Qaeda Separatists.”
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