Tuesday, June 10, 2008

A Muslim Supporter of the Danish People’s Party

There are many people in Denmark who support Dansk Folkeparti, the Danish People’s Party. But not many of them are practicing Muslims.

Here’s the story of one such Muslim, a native of Egypt who is now a Danish citizen. This is from an article in yesterday’s Avisen, which was kindly translated into English by Zonka. Make sure you read Mr. El-Ayouty’s “Manifesto for a Present Day Muslim”:

Cherif is a Muslim and votes DPP

63-year-old Cherif El-Ayouty is a believing Muslim who has voted DPP since the party was created. Now he is in the process of writing a manifesto for present day Muslims.

Cherif El-AyoutyCherif El-Ayouty is one of the few Muslims in Denmark who votes for Danish People’s Party (DPP). According to him the party is the only one that defends his values.

“The Army can defend my country against attacks from the outside. The police can defend my property. However, it is only the Danes themselves who can defend their values. That is what DPP is doing,” says Cherif El-Ayouty.

63-year-old Cherif El-Ayouty came to Denmark from Egypt to work as a civil engineer in 1968. Since then he became a Danish citizen and thus has the right to vote, and he gave his first vote to the Progress Party [the predecessor of DPP — translator]. He has voted for DPP since the party was created in 1995.

“Other parties say that they represent the same values, such as human rights and equality between men and women. But the other parties do not defend Denmark against those who attack those values. To me DPP is like a political army.”

Cherif El-Ayouty came to Denmark long before the much debated 24-year rule and countless tightenings of the immigration policies. Yet he supports the tightenings, which according to him lets the right immigrants in and keeps the wrong ones out.
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“I still believe that I would have been let into Denmark today. And I’m certain that those scientists and artists, who can make a contribution to Denmark, can still get in. Several hundred doctors from the Middle East and other countries are being hired. I don’t believe that DPP is against importing skilled people. But if Denmark had imposed the tightenings 20 years earlier, we would have avoided getting the wrong immigrants,” he says and refers to the comprehensive family reunion for immigrants, who weren’t self-sufficient.

The West is Best

Cherif El-Ayouty does not believe that DPP is anti-Muslim, as Kristian Thuelsen Dahl has said and later retracted. He believes that DPP just is against those Muslims whose beliefs conflict with Danish values.

Cherif El-Ayouty is an observant Muslim. He prays and complies with Ramadan; however, he doesn’t pay much attention to halal. He currently works on a book with the working title “A Textbook for Present Day Muslims.” In the voluminous manuscript of printed A4-papers in a plastic charteque he describes the principles for a modern Islam without head-scarves and sharia law, but with equality between the sexes and human rights.

“If the Islamic world does not evolve and follow the rest of the world, they will be lost. Like the Neanderthal people.”

Off with the Scarves

In his view the message of Islam has been misunderstood by many Muslims. They are now dragging the Islamic world further and further behind. He would like to have the Muslims of the world to create a better society in the Middle East and encourages the Muslim countries to follow the West, by separating church and state and aiming for scientific development.

“Everything that mankind has achieved, such as buildings, progress, technology and science, has happened in the West. The best life you can have is in the West.”

Cherif El-Ayouty looks like a man, who has done well in business life. He has never interrupted his work to pray. Contracts for millions have made it possible for him to live in an 250sqm apartment with a view of Langelinie at an estimated price of 9-10 million kroner. His flatscreen is either 52 or 60 inches, he can’t remember. He is 191cm tall and athletic. To him it is important to blend into the Danish society unlike the Muslims, who according to him ‘bother’ their neighbors by wearing head scarves and not shaking hands with people of the opposite gender.

“The scarf has nothing to do with Islam. It is a symbol of suppression of women, and it is an abomination to humanity itself. Those women who wear the scarf accept being suppressed and being worth less than men. It is nonsense, when they say that they have chosen to wear it themselves. If they don’t wear it the men won’t marry them,” says Cherif El-Ayouty.

Furthermore he believes that the suppression of women in the Muslim world portrays the man as the weak gender, since he has a need to make women worth less.

“The men are so weak that they believe they cannot handle an equal woman. They believe that she by force has to be worth less than them. By social force, by religious force, by the state’s force. It is weak men. But a man has to be strong and have a woman as an equal partner.”

Faith Is A Private Matter

He has never prayed in a Danish mosque. Because many Danish Muslims, according to him, are practicing their religion ostentatiously to compete about who is the better Muslim.

“To me Islam is something inside. It is a private matter between me and my God. But there are men who keep score with their actions. If they do a good deed, they get points. If they pray in Mecca, they get points. If they say something good about Islam, they get points. It is rather bothersome.”

The Prophet Can Be Drawn

Cherif El-Ayouty also believes that the Muslims of the world are themselves to blame for the Islam-skepticism that started in the West after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. It is hard for him to be offended over the Mohammed Cartoons. The cartoonists only drew their impression of Islam.

“When Islam has a poor image in the West, the Muslims must also accept being criticized. It is their own fault, that Islam has a poor reputation. It is not something the Christians have invented,” says Cherif El-Ayouty.

He loves the prophet Mohammed, just like many other Muslims, but he doesn’t get offended about the cartoons.

“The Prophet is above such things. Neither do I get offended if a dog barks at me on the street, or if somebody says I’m a “stupid pig”. I just don’t understand why the Muslims in the Middle East aren’t offended why they are living in such misery. You live suppressed, like a lowly animal in one’s own country. Wouldn’t you be offended over that?” he asks rhetorically.

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Excerpts from Cherif El-Ayouty’s manifesto for a ‘Present Day Muslim’

A Present Day Muslim ought to:

  • Respect all religions as equal.
  • Imitate the prophet Mohammed’s good deeds, not just his clothing.
  • Only use democratic ways to express their dissatisfaction and to achieve his goals.
  • Effectuate a complete separation of religion from the state’s and community’s affairs.
  • Accept a complete equality between men and women in work, inheritance, marriage, divorce, parenthood, and judicial matters.
  • Reject terrorism.
  • Reject honor-killings, death sentences, stoning, cutting of limbs, and whipping.
  • Accept that Muslims can leave Islam, become atheists or join other religions.
  • Accept that Muslims as well as non-Muslims may criticize Islam.
  • Be as inconspicuous as possible in dressing and behavior in the society that one lives in.
  • Consider religion to be a personal and private matter and practice ones religion in private.
  • Not use scarves, hijab and niqab, because they subjugate women, insult men, and incompatible with progress.
  • Reject slavery.
  • Reject the use of sharia law.
  • Use democracy as a core value for governing.
  • Accept that sexual preference is a personal choice, as long as the civil society’s laws are observed.
  • Accept that freedom of speech is a protected right that is supported by society.
  • Recognize that the laws of the civil society have priority over religious considerations.
  • Base one’s relationship with God on a direct contact, through worship and not through middlemen like imams, mullahs or sheikhs.


Hat tip: TB.

26 comments:

Western Resistance said...

Very interesting, thanks for posting this. I know at least two dozen Muslims like El-Ayouty. The common thread between them is that they are white: blond, blue-eyed (or green-eyed) Muslims from Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, etc. They have the same attitudes as this gentleman.

ANTI-ISLAMIST said...

This is crap!
Here we are delivered 18 points defining an ex-muslim and one point defining a muslim: "Imitate the prophet Mohammed’s good deeds, not just his clothing."
But do tell us - what good deeds?
This manifesto for a ‘Present Day Muslim’ is BULLSHIT!
Mr Cherif El-Ayouty is an undefined mixtum compositum - he might very well be a decorous person practising the golden rule and all that, but he is no muslin and his bloody god is not allah.
Why not then leave this false religion?
This mental illness called islam.
Does he not dare to take the final step?
Why remain a thought-slave?

Fortress said...

This man is no more Muslim than I am Christian. By the tennants of his own faith, his book, and those that claim to represent God in Islam, he is an apostate. He rejects Jihad, claims equal rights for all(including women and the infidel), rejects sharia...in fact rejects just about everything that makes Islam...well, Islam.

I suppose you'd call this a true reformist, and I'd love to see how far he goes. Though to be honest I'd also like to hear an explanation on exactly what he believes Islam to be all about, and his personal views on such. Given Islam's history however, I'd note, even with a guy like this, it'd be better to wait and see.

Proud Infidel said...

He's a brave man. How soon before the Ummah hears about this guy and the fatwas start to fly? How soon until they start to lambaste the guy as an apostate and heretic?

Afonso Henriques said...

I have tyo agree with the Anti Islamist.

I'll only add this:

What is better, more worth respecting?

Being low, but be "semper fi" to our people or adapt to the Latest fashion and "betray" our people?

It would be an interesting question.

As I said, I'm that kind of guy who don't care about Martin Luther King but would kill to drink a bear with Malcolm X...

Diamed said...

This guy is great, but how many does he speak for? I agree it would be a shame to lump him into the same category as other muslims, but neither will moderates like him save the day.

Esther said...

There were a couple more articles about El-Ayouty in Nyhedsavisen yesterday, which I translated on my blog. One about the fact that DPP rejected him as a member, and one about his upcoming marriage to a Danish Christian.

ole said...

Basicly it looks as if we should wellcome this Egyptian engineer into the society of peoble who are capable of thinking independently.
There is just one tiny little detail that needs to be sorted out first : what does his CHILDREN think of all this ? how has he brought them up? If they went to muslim after-class- brainwash sessions ,they might see things very differently...

Sir Henry Morgan said...

And while we know his Muslim son is permitted to marry my non-Muslim daughter, can his Muslim daughter marry my non-Muslim son?

That, to me, is the key question to be asked.

Profitsbeard said...

An apostate trying to hold onto the word "Muslim".

Why bother?

Islam has proved itself too homicidal to acccept humane reform.

Just bail.

It's a sinking ship of a morbid ideology.

Based on a plagiarizing pedophile warlord's diseased, egomaniacal theocratic terrorism.

Nostalgia de la boue?

Western Resistance said...

The views of this man are much more common amongst Muslims in the West than we should assume. Islam is a very personalised faith and has no centralising authority, like the Catholic Church for example. It is unrealistic to expect many Muslims to speak out for or against other Muslims.

Henrik R Clausen said...

This guy is great, but how many does he speak for?

Doesn't matter, not at all. He's an individual who stands for his own ideals, and thus he becomes an example for others, as well as clear evidence that DPP ain't an evil, immigrant-hating party. Very useful.

The fact that he still declares himself 'Muslim' is causing trouble, though. As anything related to Islam does.

randian said...

Islam has no centralizing authority? That's a lie. Islam has no Pope, but it does have centralizing authority. What the heck do you call the 4 orthodox schools? In practice, the guy who runs al-Azhar University is pretty darn close to being a Pope when it comes to Sunni religious practice. When he talks Muslims listen.

Henrik R Clausen said...

Saharians, it doesn't matter much that many Muslims share the view. What matters is how many stand up and speak their view, in face of the threat from the fundamentalists.

That takes courage, and makes a very real difference.

Henrik R Clausen said...

Randian, Saharians has a valid point here. Islam has no central *responsible* authority, and is in this way different from the Chatolic Church, which takes responsibility for atrocities committed by its members and representatives.

If Islam did likewise towards Islamic terrorists, first the Islamic institutions would face ruin having to pay compensations. Second, their prestige would lie in ruins as well, for taking responsibility for such behaviour.

Which is, after all, not a bad idea.

randian said...

Randian, Saharians has a valid point here. Islam has no central *responsible* authority, and is in this way different from the Catholic Church

I am certain that's not what Saharian means. The claim that "Islam has no central authority" is pretty much always meant to imply that Islam is a free-for-all religion lacking orthodox interpretation. It is even more frequently used by Islam's apologists to imply that since there is no "central authority" jihadists have no theological basis for their acts and beliefs and that those acts and beliefs are at odds with conventional understanding. We all know neither implication is true.

Henrik R Clausen said...

Yes, Islam *is* a free-for-all religion where just about any crime can be justified 'in the name of Islam'. There is no core of ethics in the scriptures nor in the tradition, and no solid basis for standing up against the fundamentalists.

I don't think a reform is possible.

Henrik R Clausen said...

It is unrealistic to expect many Muslims to speak out for or against other Muslims.

Which is very, very unfortunate. As I mentioned before, no formal central authority means no responsibility for what takes place in the name of Islam.

We really could use some more responsibility. Crap religion...

randian said...

Yes, Islam *is* a free-for-all religion where just about any crime can be justified 'in the name of Islam'. There is no core of ethics in the scriptures nor in the tradition, and no solid basis for standing up against the fundamentalists.

I agree, but that isn't because, as Saharian put it, "Islam is a very personalized faith". That claim is either a fabrication or ignorant. Islam regulates the life of its adherents to the minutest degree. Nearly everything is either forbidden or mandatory, and the 4 orthodox schools are in general agreement on those things. That is not the mark of a personalized faith, it's the mark of an intensely conformist and collectivist one.

Henrik R Clausen said...

Islam is a very personalized faith.

It is. It's a free-for-all to abuse it for political purposes and force others to accept your interpretation.

This is a major and fundamental flaw in the religion.

Anonymous said...

Taqiyya

ANTI-ISLAMIST said...

Is Mr Cherif El-Ayouty a MUSLIM or is he a MUZLIM?
- - - - -
from Faith Freedom:

Islam vs. Izlam
by OneGod on May 25, 2008 - 01:08 AM
Islam (peace and surrender to Creator's Will) is a way of life, which is full of love, mercy, kindness and forgiveness [1], for everyone [2], opposes terror and oppressors [3], strongly forbids unjust killing and suicide [4], self-defensive and tolerant [5], gives equal status and rights to men and women [6], strongly condemns female infanticide [7], offers freedom of faith [8], freedom of religion [9] and freedom of free-thinking [10], against priesthood and religious peddlers [11], against communalism and racism [12], gives rights to orphans, needy and widows [13], strongly encourages people to free their slaves that they already possess [14], protects religious temples [15], ensures justice in this world and in the hereafter [16], offers various logics for the unbelievers of Creator [17], offers falsification test and challenge for the skeptics of the Quran [18], encourages people for seeking knowledge and asking question [19], encourages traveling [20], condemns bad magic [21], offers golden rule [22], promises eternal peace and salvation in the hereafter [23], and so on.
Moreover, unlike some other religions, there is no racism, nationalism, caste system, untouchability, slave trade, witch burning, widow burning, honor killing, stoning to death for apostasy, blasphemy and adultery, genocide, superstitions, etc. in the Quran. And above all, Quran is the most positive, progressive, logical and rational book in the world.

On the other hand, Izlam (a derogatory term) is a cult created by anti-Muslim media (in the name of Islam), which is full of terrorism, extremism, fanaticism, violence, killing, suicide bombing, intolerance, hatred, bigotry, misogynist, rape, and what not!
Now, the million-dollar question is which religion/cult have the self-proclaimed ex-Muzlims left? Is it Islam or Izlam? If it's Izlam, then let there be congratulations to them! Because Muslims do not believe in such a hateful, misogynist and terror cult call Izlam either. So, it's crystal clear that the self-proclaimed ex-Muzlims like Ali Sina (fake name), Ibn Warraq (fake name), Abul Kasem (fake name), Syed Mirza (fake name), Asghar (?), Ayaan Hirsi Ali et al. have been fooled and deceived by anti-Muslim media! [QED]
http://www.news.faithfreedom.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1908
Solid references from the Quran follow.

Henrik R Clausen said...

there is no racism, nationalism, caste system, untouchability, slave trade, witch burning, widow burning ...

Imaginary religion.

Now, the Islamic scripture is full of racism, anti-nationalism (One Religion, One Umma, One Prophet - sounds familiar), supremacism (dhimmi system), pure/impure division, slave trade and assassination of dissidents. One point holds, though. Muhammad preferred taking the widows into his harem over killing them.

Certainly ain't Islam we're talking about here.

Funny you mention widow burning. This tradition was invented because the widows of killed Indians preferred that fate over having to go into the harem of the Mogul...

Henrik R Clausen said...

Anti-Islamist, interesting link you provide. A sample:

Me and my brother against my cousin; me, my brother, and my cousin against the other. This is an old Muslim saying and Muslims live by this motto. To be sure the people of the-religion of peace- find the world full of “other,” to oppress and kill, both within as well as without the Islamic Ummeh.

Civilized peoples’ idea of the “other” is the exact opposite of that of Muslims. All over Europe, for one, people have been singing the praises of multiculturalism; the idea that everybody should bend over backwards to accommodate the different in society. However, the different in this case are the hordes of invasive Muslims with their rigid medieval ideas about every aspect of private and public life.

To Muslims, anyone who doesn’t toe the line of Islam, as each sect defines it, is the “other” and fair game as kafir (blasphemous; unbeliever in Allah). The “other” covers a broad spectrum: the six billion or so people of the world who are not Muslims, including the Jews and Christians who are considered Dhimmis. Every one of the numerous sects and sub-sects of Islam consider every other sect and sub-sect as “other” to be punished and even eliminated.

Centuries old Sunni-Shiite bloodletting is only one glaring example of the Islamic unceasing animosity for the “other.” Yet, these devotees of Allah never lose sight of the most important objective: destruction of everything non-Islamic and imposition of Islam on everyone and every land.

Just recall what the Taliban did to the statues of Buddha, among other things; what the Wahabis are doing throughout the world; and, what the bomb-seeking Shiite mullahs of Iran are doing to the Baha’is in Iran in relentless race to dominate the region, destroy Israel, and later rule the world.

The Objectivist Viking said...

"Only use democratic ways to express their dissatisfaction and to achieve his [Muhammad's] goals." - El-Ayouty

Um, wasn't one of Muhammad's goals to bring Islam to all the earth?

Anonymous said...

How does this all go together with his upcoming marriage to a danish woman, to be executed by infamous wahabist traitor imam Abdul 'Pedersen' Wahid, see SIAD, then article 'Ægteskab muslim-kristen' ?!?