Manifesto Against Sharia

I became acquainted with the Wiener Akademikerbund through our Austrian correspondent ESW, and was fortunate enough to meet a number of the group’s members during my visit to Austria for the Counterjihad Vienna meeting this time last year.

The Akademikerbund is in the forefront of efforts to confront and roll back the Islamization of Europe. I reported last fall on its “Fifteen Demands” for Islamic reform in Austria, as showcased during the forum on Euro-Islam (from which Tariq Ramadan withdrew at the last minute).

More recently the Akademikerbund brought to my attention a parallel effort in Germany known as the “Manifesto Against Sharia”. Piggy Infidel has kindly translated the Manifesto into English:

Press-release
Manifesto Against Sharia
Joint Statement of Muslim Organisations in Germany

Cologne: along with the German Central Council of Muslims (ZMD), the declaration was signed by ten other organisations. According to the ZMD, this would ease dialogue between Muslims and other religious communities and the mainstream.

The signatories:

• Islamrat für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V.
  
• Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland (ZMD)
  
• Türkisch-Islamische Union der Anstalt für Religion e.V. (DITIB)
  
• Islamische Gemeinschaft Milli Görüs (IGMG)
  
• Union der Türkisch-Islamischen Kulturvereine in Europa e.V. (ATIB)
  
• Verband der Islamischen Kulturzentren e.V. (VIKZ)
  
• Islamisches Zentrum München
  
• Islamisches Zentrum Aachen Bilal Moschee (IZA)
  
• Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg Imam-Ali-Moschee
  
• Ahmadiyya-Muslim-Jamaat e.V.

We the undersigned hereby state:

OUR AIMS —

• To explain to Muslims the dangers contained in the Islamic religious texts, as well as the necessity of a reform of Islam
  
• To explain to non-Muslims the differences between moderate Muslims and Islamists (a.k.a. religious fanatics, radical Muslims, fundamentalists, extremists, Islamo-fascists)
  
• To inform both Muslims and non-Muslims that they are both the targets of Islamic terrorism

Our Declaration

Acknowledging mistakes

The majority of terrorist attacks during the last three decades, including the 9/11 attacks, have been carried out by fundamentalists in the name of Islam, specifically based on the Koran. For us as Muslims it is despicable that Islam is being used to murder millions of innocent people, non-Muslims as well as Muslims

Contradictions in the Koran

There are unfortunately religious texts in the Koran, as well as in the Hadith, that call for Islamic supremacy and incite violence against non-Muslims. It is time to change this. Islamic fundamentalists believe the Koran is the literal word of Allah. But could Allah the Compassionate really order the mass murder of people just because they are not Muslims?

The Koran and the Bible

Many biblical figures, from Adam to Jesus, are recognised and respected as prophets in Islam. Islamic scholars believe, however, that both the old and new Testaments are from God, but that they have been falsified by Jews and Christians. Could it be possible that the Koran itself has been falsified by Muslims during the last thirteen centuries?

The Necessity of Reform

Islam in its current form is not compatible with the principles of freedom and democracy. Muslims have two possibilities: We can continue with the barbaric practices of the seventh century and with the politics of Hassan al-Bannah, Abdullah Azzam, Yassir Arafat, Ruhollah Khomeini, Osama Bin Laden, the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, Hizbullah, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, etc. This will lead to a global war between the Islamic world and the West.

Or we could reform Islam, keeping our rich cultural heritage and cleansing our religion of the ugly relics of the past. We as Muslims who want to live in harmony together with people of other religions, agnostics and atheists, choose the latter possibility. We have to protect future generations of Muslims from the brainwashing of Islamic fundamentalists. If we fail to prevent the spread of fundamentalism, some of our children will become murderous terrorists.

Accepting Responsibility

To begin this healing process we have to remove the evil that has been carried out by Muslims in the name of Islam, and we have to accept responsibility for these misdeeds. We have to remove the bad passages from the Islamic texts, so that future Muslims are not confused by contradictory statements. Our religious message should be clear: Islam is peace, Islam is love, Islam is the light. War, murder, violence, division and discrimination are not Islamic values.

Private Religious Sphere

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Religion is the private affair of each individual. It should be possible for any person to practice his religion freely, so long as that religion does not break local laws, and no one should be forced into any religious practice. Any type of belief which is spread through violence is fundamentally immoral and is no longer a religion, but rather a political ideology.

Equality

Islam is one of many world religions. There will be no peace and harmony in the world if Muslims and non-Muslims do not have equal rights. The doctrine of Islamic supremacy is just as repellant as the doctrine of Aryan supremacy. History has shown us what happens to societies whose members see themselves as superior to other peoples. All moderate Muslims have to reject the notion of Islamic supremacism.

Sharia

Sharia law has to be abolished; it is incompatible with the rules of a modern society.

Outdated Practices

Any customs which may have been acceptable in the seventh century, such as stoning, limb amputation, marriage/sex with children or animals, must be condemned by all Muslims.

Outdated verses

The following verses encourage division and religious hatred, fanaticism, and discrimination. They either have to be removed from the Koran or else declared as obsolete and irrelevant: Sura 9:111, Sura 8:55, plus many more.

Out-dated words and phrases

Use of the following words and phrases as well as all their variations must be banned from religious ceremonies:

• Unbeliever — this has a negative connotation and leads to division and aversion from others; Islam is not the only religion.
  
• Jihad — often interpreted as holy war against non-Muslims.
  
• Mujahideen — no more wars in the name of Islam.
  
• American occupation (or Christian/Israeli/Zionist) — these expressions lead to fanaticism. To date, Muslims living in non-Muslim countries enjoy far more freedoms than Muslims in the Islamic world.

Islam against Violence

There is no place for violence in Islam. Anyone calling for violence in the name if Islam must be ejected from Islam. All instances of this must be brought before the relevant authorities. It is the religious and civic duty of all Muslims to condemn any act of terrorism carried out in the name of Islam. Any Muslim group which has connections to terrorism in any way, shape or form, has to be totally condemned by both religious and secular Muslims alike.

Artistic Depictions of the Prophet

Although artistic representations of the prophet are unacceptable in Islam and considered insulting by many Muslims, other religions do not share these restrictions. Therefore the artistic representation of the prophet must be protected as a basic freedom of expression.

The Crusades and the Inquisition

While the Inquisition was a repressive period of Christian fundamentalism, the Crusades were not unprovoked acts of aggression. They were actually attempts to take Christian areas back from under Muslim control. They were hardly known about by the Islamic world at the time, and are nowadays being used by Islamic fundamentalists simply as propaganda against Christians. We reject such propaganda and are starting a critical review of the history of brutal Islamic warfare.

Brothers and sisters!
Don’t make the next generation of Muslims pay for your mistakes!
Let’s fight Islamic fascism today, so that your children don’t have to!