“Every Single Muslim Who Understands Islam Shares These Opinions”

It’s always refreshing to hear the plain truth spoken plainly, and we are fortunate that Muslim spokesman are so often eager to speak the plain truth about Islam. Despite the earnest desire on the part of the leftist establishment for a different account of Islamic teachings — one that would dovetail neatly with their own Progressive worldview — Muslims themselves repeatedly insist that they follow what is written in their scriptures and recorded in their traditions.

Our Norwegian correspondent The Observer has translated a video clip from the Norwegian state broadcaster NRK concerning the planned Al-Haddad seminar in Oslo this weekend hosted by Islam.net. He sends this introductory note:

It’s a debate between Audun Lysbakken, the leader of SV (Socialist left), and Fahad Qureishi, the leader of Islam.net. In the clip Qureishi dismisses Lysbakken’s naïve claim that the majority of Muslims don’t agree with the views that Al-Haddad espouses, and he does so in a very clear and concise manner.

The discussion is interesting because it shatters the view held by many leftist Norwegians that ‘radical’ Muslims are bearded fanatics who salivate and scream their lungs out at rallies and rant at obscure sites on the internet. Fahad Qureishi, the leader of Islam.net, is very calm. In this interview he delivers a clear and unambiguous message that can’t really be misinterpreted: there is only one Islam — and it is very evil and undemocratic.

We need more TV appearances like this one. Let honest Muslims explain what Islam really is, and spare us the politically sanitized version by leftist apologists and other useful idiots about what they want Islam to be.

Also pay particular attention to the very subtle threat at the end of the clip where Qureishi admonishes Lysbakken to select his words more carefully when he refers to Islam.

And, by the way, Qureishi wasn’t assaulted by any left-wing brownshirt thugs when he left the building, which would surely have been the case if members of SIAN or the NDL had appeared on the show and presented similar material about this sinister political ideology. I wonder if Qureishi is guilty of ‘Islamophobia’ in the eyes of the leftists?

Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Transcript:

0:20
0:29		The controversial Sharia judge and Islamic preacher, Haitham al-Haddad will return to Oslo
0:36		tomorrow to deliver another lecture for Norwegian youths, organized by Islam.net.
0:42		You have described the opinions of the preacher as barbaric,
0:46		leader of SV, Audun Lysbakken. What do you mean by that?
0:50		It is very hard to describe it as anything but barbaric when people advocate
0:56		the stoning of adulterers and support the death penalty for apostates in Islamic states.
1:04		I believe the death penalty is barbaric in general, but when arguments
1:08		such as these are added to the equation it creates a whole new dimension.
1:12		In addition to that, al Haddad has expressed some
1:16		very reactionary views on the role of women in society and gays.
1:21		He has also argued that women should stay out of the work force
1:25		and that girls should marry when they are quite young.
1:29		He has also stated that marriage should only be entered in order to
1:32		have children and that domestic violence is a private matter, etc.
1:35		This is not a man who should be a role model or moral authority figure for Norwegian youths.
1:41		But shouldn’t Islam.net have the right and opportunity to invite
1:47		a controversial person and allow him to express his opinions?
1:53		Yes, of course, and nothing that I have said or written
1:58		can be interpreted as an attempt to deprive Islam.net of that right.
2:02		But you are encouraging them to cancel the event?
2:05		An important aspect of religious freedom is that one has to accept criticism
2:09		and that one has to accept differing views when promoting values that are so controversial.
2:13		And I believe that it would be unfortunate to allow al Haddad to come
2:17		to Norway without anyone exposing his views, and that is why I am doing it.
2:21		Are you afraid of the impact he might have on young people?
2:27		No, I don’t believe that the values and attitudes that he expresses are shared
2:33		by that many. Not by Norwegian Muslims and not by Norwegian Muslim youths.
2:39		But, I still believe that it is appropriate to challenge Islam.net
2:44		about the attitudes that he has brought to the table.
2:48		Do they see these as healthy and positive views and do they believe
2:52		that a person who espouses such opinions is a good role model for young people?
2:56		I’ve also noticed that they have marketed al Haddad as man who is
2:59		very capable at teaching others what it’s like to be Muslim in the West,
3:02		but many of the values which are promoted here
3:06		will actually make it very difficult to function in the West.
3:09		And it will lead to more isolation and segregation, something which
3:14		I consider to be negative values to pass onto Norwegian youths.
3:18		Leader of Islam.net, Fahad Qureishi, do you believe that
3:22		this preacher is a good role model for young Muslims in Norway?
3:27		I think he is a good role model for many people, both Muslims and non-Muslims,
3:34		because the things that he talks about are quite common in Islam
3:42		and something that the great majority of Muslims can relate to.
3:47		The only difference is that he is a little bit more direct than others.
3:52		And to take things out of its proper context and isolating them from the overall picture
3:58		can of course come across as a little bit weird and . Interviewer – and very cruel.
4:04		Cruel, yes, they can seem very cruel… But isn’t that exactly what he means?
4:07		He talks about things in their proper context. Let me give you an example.
4:12		Let’s say that you have a wonderful painting and
4:15		that you remove a tiny part from the painting
4:18		and isolate it from the rest of it. When you look
4:22		at this tiny part you don’t understand what it is.
4:24		It just looks weird and strange. But as soon as you put it in its proper context
4:28		in the place where it belongs, then you’ll see that, yes, this is a wonderful painting.
4:32		But can you explain to me why. And so it is with Islam, you have to look at the
4:36		overall picture of Islam, and see what Islam really is.
4:39		Which doctrines does Islam promote, and are they beneficial to mankind
4:43		or are they disadvantageous to mankind? And when you look at it from that perspective,
4:48		one is able to understand that opinions that might seem strange today are
4:53		actually beneficial to mankind as a whole.
4:56		But can you explain to me how stoning, which you believe
5:00		has been taken out of context, can fit into a unified and harmonious picture?
5:06		It is quite possible to do so, but it cannot be done
5:10		in the short time that we have at our disposal here.
5:13		So I would rather encourage everyone to read the Qur’an and learn about Islam
5:18		and study it thoroughly. And understand what
5:21		the Islamic message is, and then maybe people will
5:24		get a better understanding for certain aspects of Islam that may appear strange today.
5:30		But you make it sound as if there is a general consensus on Haddad’s interpretations,
5:34		but he is a controversial figure even in the Islamic community.
5:38		To be completely honest with you, you’ll find one hundred percent agreement
5:42		on this from the time of the Prophet (PBUH) to present day.
5:47		You will not find any Sunni Muslims with actual knowledge of Islam and who are familiar
5:52		with what the Prophet (PBUH) taught reject basic things in the teachings of Islam.
5:57		Because these things are written in the Quran,
6:00		and you have direct quotes from the Prophet (PBUH)
6:03		and therefore to criticize a person for having such opinions is to criticize
6:07		the existence of the religion. Because these are
6:10		opinions that are deeply rooted in the religion,
6:12		and to dismiss it is akin to suggesting that the religion should be banned,
6:17		which is a very radical stance to take. I think Lysbakken should meet with Dr. Haddad
6:23		and talk with him and try to get a better understanding of why he has these opinions,
6:29		rather than to deny him the right to speak, or suggest that we cancel the event
6:36		so that he will be unable to convey his message. Freedom of expression should also apply
6:41		to those who have opinions that you might not
6:44		necessarily understand or which might seem strange,
6:46		or to exaggerate seems barbaric to some. But if you are unwilling to engage
6:50		such opinions with dialogue, then you will never be able to understand
6:54		why 1.6 billion people have a different perception of reality than yourself.
6:58		But these actions don’t just seem barbaric; they are in fact illegal here in Norway.
7:03		But we’re not discussing Norway here. Haddad strongly encourages people
7:08		to respect Norwegian law in Norway or U.S. law in the United States.
7:13		He just points out the Islamic position in relation to certain crimes and how
7:20		they will be dealt with in an Islamic state where Muslims are in charge.
7:27		So it seems quite obvious to me that you’re not going to cancel
7:30		tomorrow’s lecture. But you had probably not expected that, Lysbakken?
7:34		No, I hadn’t expected that, but I think Qureishi’s answers are quite discouraging.
7:38		Because it is one thing to invite someone to hear what they have to say.
7:43		But what Qureishi is doing here is admitting that he shares some
7:48		of the very controversial beliefs that al Haddad promotes.
7:54		Freedom of speech doesn’t mean that just because you belong to
7:59		a certain religion you are somehow exempt from criticism.
8:04		Nor is it true that all religious people are as fundamentalist as is being portrayed here.
8:10		There are many Muslims living in Norway, and I’m happy about that and I believe
8:16		that many of them disagree with your claim that all Muslims share such views.
8:22		It is incorrect and I believe the views you are promoting
8:25		are not shared by the great majority.
8:28		And it doesn’t really matter that you support stoning in some ideal future society.
8:34		It is just as reprehensible to stone people for adultery whenever and wherever it may be.
8:38		And it’s just as reprehensible to support the death penalty for apostates.
8:42		There are certain things that simply don’t belong in a humane and decent society.
8:50		Qureishi you are going ahead with this lecture,
8:54		how many people do you expect will show up tomorrow?
8:56		Yes, we are going ahead with the lecture and we don’t anticipate that many attendees,
9:00		for the simple reason that the premises will only seat 50 people.
9:03		Thus I expect 50 people tomorrow. But just to clarify, I did not
9:07		say that every single Muslim shares these opinions.
9:11		I said that all Muslims with knowledge of the religion
9:14		and who follow the teachings of Sunni Islam,
9:17		which have been practiced for 1400 years, share these views, which includes scholars
9:23		with an understanding of the religion. And once again I wish to point out that
9:26		Lysbakken is taking things out of their proper context,
9:29		and claims that these values are reprehensible and repugnant.
9:32		But it’s Islam that he’s talking about here. These are basic values that we’re discussing.
9:36		He doesn’t simply criticize the person conveying
9:39		the values, but he also criticizes our Prophet (PBUH)
9:42		who had the same values and who himself practiced these values.
9:45		We have authentic sources that prove that these values have been practiced,
9:49		and therefore I believe that one should use more suitable words
9:52		rather than dismissing it as barbaric and reprehensible.
9:55		Well you got the chance to highlight that. I wish to thank you both
10:00		for appearing on the show. Thank you very much to Audun Lysbakken and Fahad Qureishi.
10:05