Radio Friday sermon 75: A Reply to the Pope s Lecture

Transcription

1 Radio Friday sermon 75: A Reply to the Pope s Lecture Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations, and Peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, the faithful and the honest. Oh, Allah, w e know nothing but w hat You teach us. You are the All- Know er, the Wise. Oh Allah, teach us w hat is good for us, and benefit us from w hat You taught us, and increase our know ledge. Show us the righteous things as righteous and help us to do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us to keep aw ay from them. O Allah our Lord, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion, unto the lights of erudition and know ledge, and from the muddy shallow s of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity. First serm on: The topic of our sermon of today is a hot issue, namely the lecture that the Pope, Benedict XVI, delivered in the auditorium of his university in Germany on Wednesday, 12/9/2006, in w hich he said that the religion of Islam is based on the idea that Allah s Will is not subject to mental judgment or logic, and that Muhammad came w ith nothing but bad inhuman things, such as his command to spread Islam by the sw ord. But before I put forw ard the Islamic enlightenment to the meanings of the Pope s w ords, I w ould like to put forw ard, in front of my esteemed audience and listeners, the follow ing facts: 1. Quranic teachings and Prophetic Directives forbid us to argue w ith the people of the Book, except in the best possible w ay. Therefore, I shall be committed to our Prophetic decorum, w hich w as substantiated w hen the holy Prophet, Muhammad, (PBUH), sent a message to Caesar, the Roman king, addressed as follow s: From Muhammad, Allah s Messenger, to the great Roman king. 2. This sermon is not meant to be delivered in this Great Umayyad Mosque in order to defame or vilify a certain religious personality in the Western World but rather to clarify things, w hich is the responsibility of religious scholars, about w hom Allah, All Mighty, says, Those w ho convey the Message of Allah and fear Him, and fear none save Allah; and Sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner. 3. In our country, both Muslims and Christians live together w ith a lot of mutual understanding, cooperation and peaceful co-existence, unmatched by any other country. In this context, Allah, All Mighty, says, So long as they are true to you, stand you true to them. Verily, Allah loves the pious and righteous. 4. Christians in our country expressed their deep sorrow and strong condemnation of the Pope s w ords; and none should be held responsible for the faults of another. In this context, Allah, All Mighty, says, And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. [XXXIII; 39] [IX; 7] [VI; 165] 5. International mass media have recently reported a statement of apology made by the Pope, show ing that he did not intend to hurt the feelings of Muslims and that he w as very sorry for the misunderstanding that resulted from his w ords. 6. In this good country, w e refuse strongly to opt for violence. This is because an irrational reaction to a bad action is as dangerous as the bad action is. An idea should be responded to w ith an idea, a saying w ith a saying, a declaration w ith a declaration, a lecture w ith a lecture, and a discussion w ith a discussion.

2 His Holiness, the Pope, quoted, and actually adopted, a saying that w as made by the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel II, in a book published in the 14th C. Such unfair out-of-date saying is a mere false accusation that is not based on a careful objective study but rather on an irrational personal impression, although His Holiness, the Pope, holds a Ph.D. in the field of Comparative Religions, and therefore, he should by no means ignore the reality of Islamic religion. The dangerous thing about the Pope s public address is that it is unprecedented and unfamiliar; and in this public address, the Pope violated not only rules of oration and dialogue but also those of truth and reality as w ell as the former Pope s policy. We used to believe that His Holiness, the Pope, w ho symbolizes the highest Christian authority, w as the furthest Western personality from exploiting religion for the benefit of the Super Pow ers or providing religious covering for the unjust tyrannical aggression launched by the West against the Islamic World. By the w ay, some Muslim religious scholars, in the Muslim World, do provide an Islamic cover for the attitudes and behavior of their rulers. I w ould like to reiterate that such statements of the Pope do not serve w orld peace, dialogue betw een civilizations, or peaceful co-existence betw een religions. According to the teachings of our Islamic religion, it is not permissible for any religious scholar to become the Greatest Imam or to take over the Highest Religious Position unless he is equipped w ith adequate, authentic, and scientifically based know ledge of other religions, w hich makes him able to argue on a fair and just basis. As usual, reactions tow ards the Pope s statements in the Islamic World began w ith condemnation, denunciation and the demand for an apology by the Pope. But w e believe that such a w ay does not befit the Muslim nation - w hich has been made a w itness over other nations and w hich has more than 1.5 billion people - to be content w ith such demands. We even believe that such demands for apology and explanation may entail underestimation of our Islamic nation and holiness of our Islamic religion. But this does not mean that w e should opt for violence. It means that w e should go further than demanding for an apology, i.e. w e should face argument w ith argument and evidence w ith evidence. This is not only a right but a duty as w ell. We have become both familiar and fed up w ith such unfair and unjust accusations of Islam, as being the religion of violence, extremism, fascism or terrorism, w hich come, every now and then, from 4th class w riters and journalists; and w e believe that he w ho know s himself properly is not injured w ith w hat people say about him. But it is most amazing that such unfair and unjust accusations come not only from the highest political authorities in the Western World but also from the highest religious authorities therein. In his public address, His Holiness, the Pope, quoted a statement, made by an ignorant malevolent Byzantine king, that Allah Messenger, Muhammad, (PBUH), came only w ith evil inhuman things. 1. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, (PBUH): Then, she (Mary) brought him (her new born baby, Jesus) to her people carrying him. They said: O Mary! Indeed, you have brought a horrible thing. O sister of Aaron! Your father w as not a man w ho used to commit adultery, nor w as your mother an unchaste w oman. She just pointed at him. They said: How can w e talk to a baby in the cradle? He (Jesus) said: Verily, I am a slave of Allah: He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed, w herever I may be. And He has enjoined on me prayer and almsgiving as long as I live, and (has bidden me to be) dutiful to my mother. And He has not made me an arrogant unblessed tyrant. And peace be upon me the day I w as born, the day I die and the day I shall be raised alive. [XIX; 27-33]? 2. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards the noble af fectionate description of the honorable character of Jesus Christ: When the angels said: O Mary! Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him: w hose name is the Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary; high in honor shall he be in this w orld and in the Hereafter, and one of those w ho are near stationed to Allah.

3 3. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards the miraculous Prophecy and Message of Jesus Christ: [III; 45]? When Allah said: Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My Blessing upon you and upon your mother, w hen I confirmed you w ith the Holy Spirit, to speak to men in the cradle, and of age; and w hen I taught you the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel; and w hen you created, out of clay, by My Leave, as the likeness of a bird, and you breathed into it, and it w as a bird, by My Leave; and you healed the blind and the leper by My Leave and you brought the dead forth by My Leave. 4. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards the Gospel, w hich Allah sent dow n to Jesus, (PBUH): [V; 110]? And We sent, follow ing in their footsteps, Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah before him; and We gave to him the Gospel, w herein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah before it, as a guidance and an admonition to the pious and Righteous. 5. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards glorification of Jesus holy believing mother, Mary, and in defending her, speaking w ell of her and confirming her chastity in Allah s Book, the Holy Quran: And w hen the angels said: O Mary! Verily, Allah has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above all w omen. 6. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards describing some of the people of the Book as being pious and righteous: Not all of them are alike; a party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right and recite the Verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating them selves in prayer. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, they enjoin good things and forbid evil ones, they hasten in good deeds, and they are am ong the righteous. 7. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards making belief in Jesus Christ, (PBUH), as a pillar of Islamic Faith and an entrance into Paradise, w hen he, (PBUH), said: [V; 46]? [III; 42]? [III; 113]? He w ho bears w itness that there is no god by Allah, Alone, w ith no partner, that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, that Jesus is Allah s slave and Messenger, and His Word, Which He cast unto Mary, and a spirit from Him, and that Paradise and Hell-Fire are true: Allah w ill admit him into Paradise, irrespective of w hatever he does, or w hen he said: I am the supplication of my father Abraham, the glad tidings of my brother Jesus, and the vision of my mother, Aminah.? 8. Is it an evil thing that w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith as regards the relationship betw een both religions, of Christianity and Islam, as being established on the basis of affection and high esteem: And you w ill find the nearest in love to the believers (Muslims) those w ho say: We are Christians. That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not proud.

4 [V; 82]? What evil can ever be found in such justice, equity, perfection, and beauty, w hich Muhammad, (PBUH), came w ith to mankind? And w hat reason, or logic, is that w hich turns beauty into ugliness, perfection into imperfection, or veneration of Jesus, (PBUH), and his mother and religion into inhuman disdain? * * * We, as Muslims, w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant spiteful Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope had read The First One Hundred in the Human History by the American astronomer and scientist Michael Heart in After having read a lot about thousands of the greatest men in the human history in all places and times, this catholic American scientist chose a hundred out of such thousands of celebrities all over the w orld; and he placed the holy Prophet, Muhammad, (PBUH), on top of these best hundred, according to certain objective criteria, such as: pow er of influence, kind of influence, range of influence, and length of time of influence. After having applied such criteria to the best hundred, he found that the holy Prophet, Muhammad, w as the top best one. We w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant malicious Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope had familiarized himself w ith w hat the Russian philosopher, Tolstoy, w ho w as so dazzled by the great character of the holy Prophet, Muhammad, (PBUH), w rote, in an article entitled Who w as Muham m ad : Muhammad w as a Messenger and an establisher; and he w as one the greatest men w ho gave the human society a lot of magnificent services. It suffices him in honor that he guided a w hole nation to the light of truth and made them inclined to peace and tranquility and that he prevented them from bloodshed and opened for them the w ay to developm ent and civilization; and only a mighty person can achieve such great things. A man like Muhammad is w orthy of every respect and honor, because his mission gave to the w orld a glorious service, as it deeply rooted pillars of peace, stability and prosperity and paved the w ay for the forthcom ing generations to developm ent and civilization. Undoubtedly, such a person is w orthy of all respect and honor. We w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant hateful Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope had acquainted himself w ith w hat a Western researcher, w hose name became Kamaluddeen after he had converted to Islam, w rote: Muhammad established the greatest Call w itnessed by the w hole w orld, the Call that realized for man his perfect existence and w as deeply embedded in his entire essence. The noble and honorable traits substantiated by the great character of the holy Prophet m ade people believe in all of the principles that he brought them. They did not read about the Prophet s gre at qualities but saw them in his noble character, w hich made them look upon him w ith utmost respect and admiration. He w as, indeed, the greatest exemplar for all mankind throughout its long history; and he w as a guider and teacher w ith his personal behavior that alw ays w ent ahead before his kind gentle w ords. We w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant malicious Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope, had familiarized himself w ith w hat a w estern thinker w rote about Muhammad, (PBUH): In fact, Muhammad came w ith a Message that cannot be denied. It sums up, and excels, all of the form er Messages. Therefore, Muham m ad s Message is, indeed, a stable constitution for the w hole w orld; and his w ords are in perfect harmony w ith the human taste and mentality of this age. We w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant cruel Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope, had read w hat Miller, the w ell-know n British w riter, w rote about this great Prophet, Muhammad: Upon the rise of Muhammad s mission and the religion of Islam, this Prophet proved that his Call is for all mankind, that this sacred religion is suitable for all times, races and nations, and that

5 hum an beings, everyw here and under any civilization, cannot do w ithout this religion, w hose teachings are in full harmony w ith the human mentality. We w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant malicious Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope, had familiarized himself w ith w hat the French w riter, Coursier, w rote about this holy Prophet, Muhammad: When Muhammad carried on his mission, and before and after his mission, he w as a brave noble young man w hose ideas w ere far more sublime than those prevalent in his community. With his noble character and manners, he w as able to rightly guide pagan fanatic Arabs, w ho used to w orship idols, to w orship Allah, the One and Only. Under the rule of his unified democratic government, he w as able to eradicate all kinds of chaos, dissension and w arring, w hich w ere very common in Arabia, and to deeply root good manners, changing the ignorant Arab community into a developed civilized one. We w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant spiteful Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope, had familiarized himself w ith w hat the British philosopher, Thomas Karil, w rote about the holy Prophet, Muhammad, after having singled out a w hole chapter of his book for the Prophet of Islam, w hich he entitled The Hero in the Form of a Messenger, in w hich he considered Prophet Muhammad, (PBUH), as one of the greatest seven men in the human history, and confirmed that the heart of such great man, the son of deserts and desolate regions, w ho had rosy eyes and magnanimous character, w as full of mercy, goodness, tenderness, piety and w isdom. We w ish that before adopting the opinion of an ignorant w icked Byzantine Emperor, w ho knew nothing about the real esteem of the holy Prophets, His Holiness, the Pope, had acquainted himself w ith the reality of this noble Prophet of Islam w ith information extracted from books of Muslims and not from books of their rancorous enemies. This is not only a basic principle of objective scientific research but also an essential requirement for attaining a Ph.D. degree or becoming a professor at university. Writers of Prophet Muhammad s biography described his noble character and manners as follow s: The holy Prophet, Muhammad, (PBUH), w as a man of great modesty and politeness. He w ould alw ays hasten to greet people and pay full attention to those speaking to him, irrespective of their age or social status. He w as the last to pull back his hand after having shaken hands w ith anyone. When giving charities, he w ould hand such charities w ith full respect and modesty tow ards the poor and needy. Whenever he came to attend a meeting, he w ould sit w herever it w as possible for him to sit. In other w ords, he did not have a special lofty place for him to sit among his Companions. He w as never seen stretching his legs w hile sitting dow n. He ne ver rejected haughtily to fulfill his ow n needs or the needs of a friend or a neighbor. He used to go shopping and carry his ow n things by himself; and if someone offered to carry his things for him, he w ould say, It is more appropriate to carry my things myself. He used to answ er the invitation of all people, free men, slaves, and poor people; and he w ould accept other people s apologies. He used to mend his clothes and shoes and do all of his things by himself. He used to hobble his camel and sw eep the floor of his house by himself. He used to serve his family and eat w ith his servants. He used to fulfill the needs of the w eak and miserable people and do favors to them. He used to w alk peacefully and moderately, low ering his gaze. He w as alw ays sad and pensive, and he never spoke unnecessarily. He w as alw ays silent and serious, but w hen he spoke, his w ords w ere most eloquent and meaningful. He w as gentle and kind. He w as never ungrateful or haughty. He used to m agnify and highly appreciate favors even if they w ere little; and he never spoke badly about anything. He never praised, or dispraised, any kind of food. Nothing of this w orld angered him. He w as never angry for himself or avenge for himself. When he got angry, he w ould only turn his face aw ay; and w hen he w as delighted, he w ould only low er his gaze. He used to strive to unify people and not to seed dissension among them. He used to draw people nearer to him and not to alienate them. He used to honor chieftains of all tribes and maintain their honorable positions for them. He w ould alw ays enquire about conditions of his Companions and common people. He w ould alw ays approve of, and encourage, good things, but disapprove of, and discourage evil things. He never neglected to get, or give, a right. Those w ho sit w ith him w ould

6 alw ays feel utmost care, honor and attention on his part. He never neglected or tarried to offer help or do favors to others. He w as alw ays smiling, w ell behaved, kind-hearted and ge ntle; and he w as not rude, hard-hearted, cruel, or impolite. He w as never critical or unserious. He w ould overlook unpleasant things; and he w ould never let anyone dow n. He never criticized or disparaged anyone. He never slandered or defamed anyone. He never spoke in vain or to no avail. He w ould laugh at w hat made his Companions laugh and w onder at w hat made them w onder. He w as alw ays patient w ith strangers and their odd behavior or speech. And He w ould neve r interrupt anyone speaking. In fact, the talk about Prophet Muhammad s noble, honorable, sublime traits needs lots and lots of books and sermons, but the Almighty, Lord, Allah, summed up his noble character and manners, saying, Verily, you are upon a m ighty m orality. Finally, w e, Muslims, w ish His Holiness, the Pope, w ould follow the good example of the former Pope, John II, w ho called for peaceful co-existence betw een religions, and the good example of the former Pope, Paul VI, w ho not only acknow ledged Islam as a revealed religion and stopped Christian missionary activities in the Islamic World, but also declared that those w ho believe in Muhammad s Message w ill be safe on the Day of Resurrection -even if they did not believe in the Savior - and sent cables of congratulations to some Arab and Muslim leaders on the holy Feast of Immolation, and even received a delegation of prominent Islamic religious scholars, most of w hom w ere from Syria, and w hom he honored duly. * * * [LXVIII; 4] We really w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had noticed that Muslims did not build up their glory on the w reckage of other peoples, nor did they build up their richness on the poverty of other peoples. We w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had know n that Muslims did not build up their security on insecurity of other peoples, nor did they build up their honor on the dishonor of other peoples. We w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had noticed that Muslims do not strive to humiliate or oppress other peoples, nor do they strive to misguide or corrupt them and that Muslims do not seek to exterminate other peoples or plunder their resources. We certainly w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had know n that Islamic history does not abound in pictures of the most violent civilization destruction, mass annihilation, selfish exploitation of other peoples resources or usurpation of their treasures. We w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had realized that it w as not Muslims w ho established inquisition (inspection) courts or exterminated the Red Indians and that it w as not they w ho enslaved the Negroes or colonized countries. We w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had understood that it w as Europe that invaded the Islamic World under the name of Crusades and, now, under the name of Democracy or Freedom. We definitely w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had noticed that Islam did not stand behind the First and Second World Wars, in w hich more than eighty million people w ere killed, and tens of millions w ere disabled. We do w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had know n that it w as not Muslims w ho decided to bomb the peaceful cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan w ith atomic bombs that claimed the lives of 300,000 people in a few seconds. We w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had realized that it w as not Muslims w ho used internationally prohibited mass-destruction w eapons, such as smart bombs, cluster bombs, or phosphorus bombs, or even enriched Uranium bombs, in order to kill w omen, children and old men and demolish bridges, buildings and the infra-structure of unarmed peoples. We w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had understood that it w as not Muslims w ho tortured, in a most inhuman w ay, the national prisoners, w ho resisted forces of occupation in Iraq. We really w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had acquainted himself w ith the fact that Islam is not the religion of those w ho migrated to remote countries and called for Freedom after they had exterminated tens of millions of the aboriginals of such countries. Muslims do not know such a thing as ethnic cleansing, w hich the Westerners admitted committing w hen they eradicated the Red Indians in America and the Australian aborigines,

7 claiming that they managed to end the w ar against such innocent peaceful people successfully. Such strong Westerners had no moral values or humanitarian feelings; all they had w as perfect Scenarios and big deals. We do w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had realized that it is not Muslims w ho throw aw ay thousands of tons of w heat and other food crops into the sea or destroy harvests, in order to keep their prices high, and that it is not Muslims w ho poison the extra productions of food crops in order to prevent the poor and needy from eating them gratis. His Holiness, the Pope, should have know n that it w as not Muslims w ho shot 20 million sheep and buried them into the earth in order to keep their price high at a time w hen millions of some peoples die of starvation. We really w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had noticed that it is not Muslims w ho send their nuclear w astes in the form of food aids to w eak peoples, already suffering from famines and civil w ars, to export, to such peoples, cancerous diseases for thousands of years. We certainly w ish that His Holiness, the Pope, had know n that it is not Muslims w ho test new medicines on the w eak poor peoples, as if they w ere guinea pigs, and do not give such medicines to their people except after having been proved safe and healthy. * * * Second serm on: Finally, it is necessary to w hisper the follow ing facts into the ears of Muslims: Why do w e alw ays condemn w ords but over look or fail to condemn deeds? Have not a lot of both Arab and Islamic authorities made the most of their informatory, educational, jurisdictional, and deterrent pow ers and forces to eradicate the correct conceptions of Islamic religion from the minds of Muslims? Why do w e release tens of low ly immoral space channels? Do w e not do that in order to corrupt minds, spoil the youth, and deform facts? What is the purpose of releasing such tens of low ly immoral channels, w hich besiege us from all directions, except to demoralize Islamic communities and turn their youth into dancers, singers, profligates, corrupt irreligious ones, and bisexual ones? Is there another purpose of most of the space channels than to enhance corruption and immorality and to cause Muslims to deviate from the real meaning of Islam? Which is more dangerous for Muslims and their religion of Islam: a w ord uttered by the Pope, or the daily outpour of rotten information by mass media into the minds of both Arabs and Muslims in order to w ash such minds, in an organized w ell-planned manner, and to remove from them all feelings of dignity, honor, self-respect, pride, enthusiasm, and nobility? It is quite clear that the Pope s unfair and untimely lecture came at a time, so critical and serious, that it might give rise to disputation among religions or struggle among civilizations. Such an untimely lecture may also increase ideological, religious, political and human controversies among peoples. Therefore, the Pope s unfair and unjust lecture should be classified among destructive w eapons, such as deadly smart bombs, as it is really meant to hinder attempts of reconciliation and bridging the gap betw een peoples and civilizations. It is not acceptable that the Pope s w ords w ere an unintended slip of the tongue or a misunderstood statement. This is by no means expected from His Holiness, as he holds a Ph.D. degree and a professor position in Comparative Religions. He certainly did not deliver his lecture off-handedly. He actually read it from a w ritten, already prepared and revised, text, just as a university lecturer usually does, even before he becomes the Pope, the highest religious personality in Rome and the head of the Vatican. His Holiness, the Pope, might have meant w ith his w ords but I hope I am w rong in my estimation to push Muslims to Extremism, because Extremism of the West, w ith its organized international terrorism, seeks to produce constant Islamic Counter-Extremism, in order to justify continuity of its secret plans. Even if there w ere no Islamic Extremism, the political and moral leaders of the West w ould push Muslims to it, or w ould make it themselves but attribute it, one w ay or another, to Muslims. Mr. President, Bashar Al-Assad, clarified this point in the Islamic Summit Conference, held lately in Malaysia, saying: In the eighties, the West used to support Islamic Extremism and not Islam; but today, they fight Islam and not Islamic Extremism. If w e ask w hy do these fanatics Westerners fight Islam although it is the religion of justice, love and tolerance, the obvious answ er is: be cause the real

8 Islam forbids Extremism, as it is the religion of moderation. Wishes and actions of those fanatics contradict their claim s. In their actions, there is violation of sovereignty, econom ic blockade, cultural invasion, and secret financial support to som e groups in order to enhance and increase Islamic, or any other, Extremism, because such Extremism is the logical equivalent to their ow n Extremism, and the strong justification for their remaining in the centers of pow er and control in several places of the w orld. In other w ords, Extremism survives through Counter-Extremism, but it cannot survive in an environment of moderation. We have to support the real Islam ic religion in both ideology and behavior, because this w ill fortify Islam and Muslim s and w eaken their enem ies. This support begins by avoiding, and fighting against, all kinds of abnorm al practices resulting from m isunderstanding religion, w hich directly do a lot of harm to Islam and give others, particularly those w ho have evil intentions, an excuse to attribute to Islam different negative and inhum an qualities. Just as w e str ongly reject all attempts to attribute terrorism only to Islam, w e also reject, as strongly, all attempts to attribute the m isbehavior of som e individuals to a certain religion or civilization. Translation : Auditing :