More Questions about Islam from CNN

How do many Muslims feel right now?

According to the Pew Research Center (April 2013) 86% of Muslims in Malaysia, 77% in Thailand, 99% in Afghanistan, 84% in Pakistan, 82% in Bangladesh, and 91% in Iraq support sharia law as the official law of the country just to give examples.

Why is Mohammed so important to Muslims?

He is their prophet. According to alim.org: Muhammad was chosen by God to deliver His Message of Peace, namely Islam. The revelation that he received is called the Qur'an, while the message is called Islam. Muhammad is the very last Prophet of God to mankind. He is the final Messenger of God. His message was and is still to the Christians, the Jews and the rest of mankind. He was sent to those religious people to inform them about the true mission of Jesus, Moses, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.

Does Islam need a Reformation?

Yes, I believe it does. The Jewish and Christian faith had reformations. Why not Islam? There was a Protestant Reformation where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis on a church. If a moderate or traditional Muslim nailed his “95 thesis” on a mosque he might want to go into hiding afterwards especially if he signed the thesis. There might be a fatwa on him. Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a moderate Muslim, wants to reform Islam. In his book, A Battle for the Soul of Islam (2012) suggested these reforms:

1. An Islamic narrative that does not constrain universal principles.
2. Muslim leaders who support the separation of mosque and state, even as they take strands on social or political issues.
3. The affirmation of an egalitarian approach to faith beyond the constraints of simple tolerance. Tolerance implies superiority, while pluralism implies equality.
4. Recognition that if government enacts the literal laws of God rather than natural or human law, then government becomes God and abrogates religion and the personal nature of the relationship of God.
5. Creation of movements and organizations that are specifically opposed to such radical or terrorism-supporting groups as Al Qaeda, Hamas, etc. by name, rather than simply being against undefined, generic  notions of terrorism.

Following these suggestions (there are ten in all) would be good start to reform Islam. But as long as the Islamists don’t respect women there probably will never be a reformation. The Jewish and Christianity religions are maternalistic by nature—that’s how they were to reform themselves.

Why have there been so many recent attacks by extremist Muslims?

It could be to bring back the Mahdi. When he comes back, according to Islamic theology, those will we be the last days. They want another world war. Add to the fact the Islamists feel emboldened by America having a weak president.

How can the extremists be stopped?

A much harder question to answer. We must destroy their bases and kill them much as possible. But this takes leadership. It would help if the NATO would go after the extremists too. I thought France invoke the “attack one, attack all” clause but they didn’t. Maybe because they are waiting for an adult to be leader of the America. Don’t know. It would also help if the moderate leaders in the Muslim community spoke out against the extremists but again that is wishful thinking.

Does Islam Encourage Violence?

Here is what several passages from the Quran says:

You will find other hypocrites who wish to be safe from you as well as from their own people; but who would plunge into mischief whenever they get an opportunity. Therefore if they do not keep distance from you and neither offer you peace, nor cease their hostilities against you, you may seize them and kill them wherever you find them, against such people We give you absolute authority. (4.19)

Male or female, whoever is guilty of theft, cut off the hand (that was used in theft) of either of them as a punishment for their crime. This is exemplary punishment ordained by Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise. (5.38)

The Jews say: "Uzair (Azra) is the son of Allah," and the Christians say: " Messiah (Christ) is the son of Allah." That is what they say with their mouths, imitating the sayings of the former unbelievers. May Allah destroy them! How perverted they are! (9.30)

The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication—flog each of them with hundred stripes: Let no compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by God, if ye believe in God and the last day. (24.2)

Those who accuse a chaste woman of fornication and do not produce four witnesses to support their allegation, shall be flogged with eighty lashes and their testimony shall not be accepted ever after, for they are the ones who are wicked transgressors   - except those who repent thereafter and mend their conduct; for Allah is surely Forgiving, Merciful. (24.4)

Therefore, when you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield smite their necks and, when you have thoroughly subdued them, then take prisoners of war and bind them firmly. After the war lay down her burdens, then you have the choice whether you show them favor or accept ransom. Thus are you commanded. If Allah wanted, He Himself could have punished them; but He adopted this way so that He may test some of you by means of others. As for those who are slain in the cause of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost. (47.4)

This was a question that CNN asked.

Does Islam really ban all images of the Prophet Mohammed?

Another question from CNN. Let’s take a look at the Hadith this time:

We were with Masruq at the house of Yasar bin Numair. Masruq saw pictures on his terrace and said, "I heard 'Abdullah saying that he heard the Prophet saying, "The people who will receive the severest punishment from Allah will be the picture makers.' " (7.834)

Allah's Apostle returned from a journey when I had placed a curtain of mine having pictures over (the door of) a chamber of mine. When Allah's Apostle saw it, he tore it and said, "The people who will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be those who try to make the like of Allah's creations." So we turned it (i.e., the curtain) into one or two cushions. (7.838)

I purchased a cushion with pictures on it. The Prophet (came and) stood at the door but did not enter. I said (to him), "I repent to Allah for what (the guilt) I have done." He said, "What is this cushion?" I said, "It is for you to sit on and recline on." He said, "The makers of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and it will be said to them, 'Make alive what you have created.' Moreover, the angels do not enter a house where there are pictures.'" (7.840)

According to a Wikipedia article, the Quran doesn’t strictly forbid pictures of Mohammed. Most Sunni Muslims believe that visual depictions of all the prophets of Islam should be prohibited. In Shia religion the depictions are common now. The only reference in the Quran that could be possible talk about images of Mohammed is the one about idolatry:

They set up equals with Allah to mislead people from His Way. Tell them: "Well, you may enjoy yourself for a while, but your final destination is going to be hellfire." (Quran 14:30)

Former Al Qaeda Terrorist Offers Chilling Warning: Another Attack Coming ‘Within the Next Two Weeks’

From the Blaze.com (Nov. 17):

A former member of Al Qaeda in Yemen warned Tuesday that a terror attack is likely within the next two weeks.

Morten Storm, an ex-terrorist who later became a double agent for the CIA, told Fox News host Megyn Kelly that he believes an attack is imminent.

“I believe that within the next two weeks, we will have an attack,” he said.

Storm added, “The people who are on the run at the moment from ISIS in Europe are very desperate, and they know their time’s up, and they will need to do as much damage as possible.”

The ex-terrorist said an attack on American soil could happen, but would be a “bit different” because of the security precautions currently in place.

“And I also believe that copycats in America will do their best to do what their brothers have done in Europe,” Storm said.

Storm’s warning comes just days after terrorists killed at least 129 in France in the deadliest violence the country had seen since World War II. [source]

God forbid this from happening. If it does happen I am blaming Obama for not taking the terrorists seriously—although he probably won’t accept the blame—just pass it on to someone else.

If America takes Syrian refugees without any kind of filtering to keep out the dangerous element then an attack becomes more probable. The Islamic State thugs will infiltrate the refugees population. The simplest way is just to filter out the Muslims in the refugee population. Some will say well Islamic State thugs will just pretend to be Christian or some other non-Muslim religion. I guess it is possible, but I don’t think so. The IS thugs believe Christians and Jews as inferior. If a refugee says he is a Christian ask that person if he believes Jesus is divine or the son of God. Then watch the reaction. Muslims believe Jesus is just a man not divine. So, a true Christian will answer yes without hesitation that He is divine.

You can also check to see what the refugees are carrying. If they are carrying a prayer rug and a Quran they are Muslim. They might also being carrying a Hadith.

If America feels it has to let Muslims in then filter out the fundamentalists. That’s going to be trickier. First, you need to filter out the 15-30 year olds single Muslims. The age range doesn’t have to that exact. I would have said 15-30 year old single male Muslims but woman are being radicalized too. One of the terrorists in France was a woman. Second, of those you filtered out, you could ask a Muslim what a country should do with homosexuals. Or what is their opinion about honor killings, Sharia law, drawings of Allah, dancing, etc. If they give extreme views then they are fundamentalist. Maybe a moderate or traditional Muslim could help in filtering process. If it is possible these questions would be asked in private so other refugees can’t prepare an answer.

Obviously, the best course of action is to have refugees put in a camp or safe zone somewhere in Syria or Egypt or somewhere not in America.

The lone wolf problem or sleeper cells in America are a different animal. America needs to put Muslim informants in Mosques in most major cities like Washington, New York, Wichita, KS, Los Angeles, etc to see what the Imams are preaching.  That would be a good start.

I agree with the cartoon. The Islamic State is a world problem. But until the world does something NATO can and should do something. France is a part of NATO and since an attack on a NATO country is an attack on all NATO countries—that’s in the by-laws—NATO has to start doing some butt-kicking. But that takes leadership from America which America doesn’t seem to have at the moment. I hope it doesn’t take another attack in this country before Obama starts caring. Hitler was taking over countries left and right before the world decided to do something. It seems history is repeating itself again. Is this the Fourth Turning that William Strauss and Neil Howe talked about in their book? The American Revolution, Civil War, The Great Depression and WWII were fourth turnings.

Attacking Our Founders

An article by Walter E. Williams on Townhall.com (Nov. 11):

Many of my columns speak highly of the wisdom of our nation's founders. Every once in a while, I receive an ugly letter sarcastically asking what do I think of their wisdom declaring blacks "three-fifths of a human." It's difficult to tell whether such a question is prompted by ignorance or is the fruit of an ongoing agenda to undermine American greatness. Let's examine some facts about our founders and slavery.

At the time of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, slaves were 40 percent of the population of southern colonies. Apportionment in the House of Representatives and the number of electoral votes each state would have in presidential elections would be based upon population. Southern colonies wanted slaves to be counted as one person. Northern delegates to the convention, and those opposed to slavery, wanted to count only free persons of each state for the purposes of apportionment in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The compromise reached was that each slave would be counted as only three-fifths of a person.

If the convention delegates had not reached this compromise, the Constitution would have not been ratified and there would not have been a Union. My questions to those who criticize the three-fifths clause are twofold. Would it have been preferable for the southern states to be able to count slaves as whole persons, thereby giving southern states more political power? Would blacks have been better off without constitutional ratification and a Union made possible by the three-fifths compromise? In other words, would blacks have been better off with northern states having gone their way and southern states having gone theirs and, as a consequence, no U.S. Constitution and no Union? Abolitionist Frederick Douglass understood the compromise, saying that the three-fifths clause was "a downright disability laid upon the slaveholding states" that deprived them of "two-fifths of their natural basis of representation." [read more]

Mr. Williams goes on to say George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin to name a few were against slavery. It seemed to these Founders black lives matter. For example, Benjamin Franklin (my favorite Founder) said "Slavery is ... an atrocious debasement of human nature."

For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Williams is a black economist at George Mason University.

Navy SEALs Reveal the One Thing That Will Cause You to Fail as a Leader ’99.9 Percent’ of the Time

From The Blaze.com (Nov. 10):

Two former Navy SEALs are revealing the one thing that causes people to fail as a leader “99.9 percent of the time,” and it has nothing to do one’s physical or mental abilities.

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, who co-authored the book “Extreme Ownership,” explained in a Business Insider video recently that having success as a SEAL leader has nothing to do with one’s physical skills or even their mental toughness.

“What it has to do with is the fact that the person is not humble enough to accept responsibility when things go wrong, accept that there might be better ways to do things, and they just have a closed mind,” Willink said. ”They can’t change, and that’s what makes a person fail as a leader.”

[read more]

Good advice for anyone running for president and the current president—especially the current president.

Secrets Behind The USS Constitution

From All That Is Interesting.com (Nov. 11):

During the War of 1812, the United States’ small and relatively new navy was taking a major beating at the hands of the powerful British. The U.S. needed a victory, and the USS Constitution would help provide one.

In August 1812, she met head on with Britain’s HMS Guerriere and astonished sailors on both sides with her resilience. When British cannonballs bounced off the Constitution’s hull, one British sailor was said to have exclaimed “Her sides are made of iron!” From there, it was more wartime heroics, battles with pirates, and the most venerated career of any U.S. warship.

Here are some of the secrets:

1. The USS Constitution has never been defeated in battle.
2. The first US Marine Corps officer to die in combat, Lt. William Bush, was killed on the USS Constitution in a battle with the HMS Guerriere.
3. The ship’s copper fastenings were constructed by Paul Revere himself!
4. The USS Constitution first launched in 1797, making her the world’s oldest commissioned warship.
5. She’s actually made of wood—the original trees making up the Constitution’s frame were chopped down in 1795. It took more than 1,500 of them.
6. The USS Constitution is 204-feet-long, 43-feet-wide and has a 21-inch-thick hull.
7. Many people to believe the USS Constitution to be haunted.
8. One of the ghosts said to haunt her is that of the unfortunate Neil Harvey, who fell asleep on watch in the 1880s. Commodore Thomas Truxton had him stabbed in the gut, tied over a canon, and blown to pieces.*
9. Another popular ghost story claims that a 24-pound cannonball once rolled across the deck while the ship was completely still.
10. The last night watchman of the USS Constitution was replaced by an alarm system in 1963. His spirit allegedly plays cards on the lower deck today, and gave a tour of the ship to a priest.

[read more]

*What a way to die! I guess that is what happens when you fall asleep during your duty. He won’t be doing that again!

Are You a Buccaneer-Scholar?

You life for…

• Firsthand knowledge instead of learning from an authority figure (like a lecture, rules, etc.)
• Self-directed learning. Your methods are heuristic, not dogmatic.

You hunt ideas…

• Curiosity drives you. You are driven by the power of novel and diverse ideas.
• Puzzles intrigue you.
• Complexity dares you. You know that if someone else has learned it, you can too.

You win your place in the thinking world…

• You construct yourself. For you, learning is about ongoing personal transformation, not just fact accumulation. You see yourself as thinker-learner-teacher.
• You earn reputation. You establish and maintain your reputation through the merit of your ideas. You want to earn the respect of people whom you respect.

Source: Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar. How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion Can Lead to a Lifetime of Success (2009) by James Marcus Bach.

Here are some of the author’s great secrets:

• My [the author] education is the mind I have constructed and my process of constructing it.
• My mind is free, even from me.
• Most of my learning is a side effect.
• What appears to be chaos is just a form of order I don’t yet understand.
• At a distance, many fun things to learn look scary.
• If I try to understand, but fail, that’s progress.
• Few people out there want exactly what I’m offering, but a few is all I need.
• Intelligence is just a tool. Love is the point.
• Whenever I’m learning something difficult, I keep expectations low, and aspirations high.
• To build my brand name, I must stand for something, even if many people won’t get it or don’t like it.
• Anything I learn is a gateway to everything else I will ever know.

The author’s website is: Self Made Scholar.com.

The Silicon Valley Entrepreneur

The Characteristics of the Silicon Valley entrepreneur:

1. Passion- the deep desire to change the world—and the full experience that this will be achieved.
2. Authenticity.
3. Idea-driven- ideas are the commodity, produced and consumed in the way traditional goods are produced and consumed elsewhere.
4. Risk-taking- they take risks to create disruptive innovations or take on the competition, actions that are central to receiving the ecosystem’s respect and encouragement.
5. Trustworthiness- they operate in an open and collaborative environment, rarely shying away from sharing what they’re truly working on. This type of sharing drives the entrepreneurs to keep evolving, since the smallest bit of relevant information can allow one to keep pace with changing technologies or protect one from a fatal flaw in a business strategy or product.
6. Resilience.

Four shades of entrepreneurship:

1. Serial entrepreneur- love to start companies, and can’t imagine staying at any one company for too long. They find a formula that works and apply it over and over, often running several ventures concurrently.
2. Transformational entrepreneur- tend to drive the Silicon Valley culture. They are perceived as focused, committed, and revolutionary in their thinking. They see themselves as agents of evolutionary change; they have a proposed solution to any question about the world’s problems.
3. Acquisition entrepreneur- they acquire and develop technology.
4. Visionary entrepreneur.

Source: Secrets of Silicon Valley. What Everyone Else Can Learn from the Innovation Capital of the World (2013) by Deborah Perry Piscione.