Search the Community

SALAAM PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST AND UNTIL THE LAST FULL STOP. SUSPEND JUDGEMENT OF THE TITLE.: I BELIEVE CONSERVATIVE-LIBERTARINISM IS THE WAY IN THE MODERN WORLD. HERE'S WHY: Libertarian Islam by S. Hammad Haider | Feb 12, 2017 A commonly used epithet to describe Islam is ‘The Religion of Peace,’ but this is inaccurate and confusing. The phrase became more commonly used after 9/11 by politicians. The Quran never describes the faith in these terms. It is more accurate to describe Islam as a religion of non-aggression and justice. The Non-aggression principle (NAP) is considered to be a defining principle of libertarianism. Many libertarians today like to bend, or flat out break this principle, however, a Muslim can be a Rothbardian libertarian, like Ron Paul, who manages to encompass economic and sociological theories while using the NAP as an axiom. Libertarians who want to learn more about the NAP are blessed to have the many resources such as the Libertarian Institute, the Scott Horton Show and the Ron Paul Liberty Report. The other day I found some time to listen to one episode of the latter. Afterward, the live chat feature remains open, where many libertarians sing praises for Dr. Paul. To my surprise, in the live chat, there were many libertarians or those who call themselves libertarian, who rejected the NAP! If libertarians are wavering on the NAP, then how can a Muslim, who is supposedly in an inherently aggressive religion, adopt this principle? Again, there are many resources available to libertarians who want to better understand how Muslims can adopt libertarian ideals. Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad is a scholar and libertarian activist who ran for US Senate as the Libertarian Party candidate. He is currently the President of the Minaret Freedom Institute, a libertarian Muslim think tank. I urge those who want to know more about Islam and libertarianism to read his publications. Furthermore, the roots of Muslim libertarianism are historically much deeper. Dr. Denise Spellberg, an associate professor in the Department of History, at the University of Texas-Austin has a fascinating interview online about her book on Thomas Jefferson’s Quran. She explains that Jefferson saw a place for Muslims in his free society through the writings of John Locke: “Neither pagan nor Mahometan,” meaning Muslim, “nor Jew ought to be excluded from the rights of the commonwealth because of his religion.” It may also be a surprise to some readers that Muslims have a rich tradition of secularism. According to the International Humanist and Ethical Union, the father of secularism is the influential Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes. In his work The Decisive Treatise he provided the justification for the separation of state and religion. Dr. Gary Adler Jr., an associate professor at Penn State University, summarized Ibn Rushd’s secularism in his book on Secularism, Catholicism and the Future of Public life: “In other words, secularism can be seen as an instrument of the Divine, ensuring that the righteous Muslim would be wise in matters affecting them on earth in the same way as the Quran ensures his correct path with respect to matters eternal.” (Secularism, Catholicism and the Future of Public life Adler; p.86). The Prophet Muhammad himself can be an example of the NAP in practice. Imam Tahir ul-Qadri, the scholar who controversially issued a 600-page fatwa against terrorism and suicide bombing, spoke to the United States Institute of Peace about the life of the Prophet. According to Qadri, the Prophet of Islam had a military career for thirteen years, and he only fought back any aggression imposed on him by the enemy. The scholar summarized five verses in the Holy Quran, Islam’s holy book, which mentions ‘self-defense,’ was revealed to the Prophet in the city of Mecca. He believes the word ‘Jihad’ to have many meanings but in a military context as a ‘defensive war’. Jihad, he maintained, is not an aggression, rather it represents self-protection according to the Quran. Ron Paul, a champion of the NAP and libertarianism, echoes this idea of defensive wars, by consistently clarifying his position of non-interventionism, not isolationism. If you have read this far you may assume that I am a typical Muslim apologist. My intention is not to be an apologist, but to offer you a line of reasoning which allows Muslims to fully adopt the NAP. That said, as a believer in the NAP, I fully condemn all forms of terrorism including that from radical Muslims. The Islamic State is led by Sunni Muslims who follow a radical interpretation of Sunnism in order to feed their aspirations. These radical interpretations are rooted in The Ridda Wars conducted after the death of Prophet Muhammad and in the writings of Sunni thinkers Ibn Taymiyah and Abdul Wahab. The Ridda Wars, or Apostasy Wars, were a bloody and influential innovation in the name of Islam, especially from a libertarian perspective. Many libertarians believe in a voluntary tax system, whereby the citizenry can hold the state accountable. Well, in 7th century Arabia, the Prophet Muhammad held a voluntary tax system, and never fought a war for taxes. This took a drastic change after his death when the Islamic empire began to spread by the sword. The beginning of this evil expansion is exemplified in the Ridda Wars, where the first caliph implemented the first statutory taxes. The caliph mandated that anyone who did not recognize his leadership, and held back taxes in opposition to this authority, was an apostate, and an enemy of the state. This began the killings for Apostasy, and taxes, which were never conducted under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (Sunan an-Nasa’i volume 5, Book 37, Hadith 3978, Eng. Ed., Sahih Darussalam). Ibn Taymiyah and Abdul Wahab aimed to give an academic relevance to this form of terrorism against apostates. Richard Bonney was a History Professor at the University of Leicester, and he wrote the book titled Jihad: Quran to Bin Laden. In his book, he describes Ibn Taymiyah and Abdul Wahab as the inspiration for Osama bin Laden: “Ibn Taymiyah thus should be seen as a revivalist of the doctrine of jihad…His fatwa regarding the Mongols established a precedent: in spite of their claim to be Muslims, their failure to implement shariah rendered the Mongols apostates and hence the lawful object of jihad. Muslim citizens thus had the right, indeed duty, to revolt against them, to wage jihad. For Osama bin Laden, Ibn Taymiyah, along with Shaykh Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, is one of the great authorities to be cited to justify the kind of indiscriminate resort to violence which he terms jihad (Jihad: Quran to Bin Laden Bonney; p.121-2). Libertarian Islam is an oxymoron under the violent interpretations of Sunnism, but all major religions have a history of violent and peaceful interpretations. This gives an added importance to Muslims, and fellow libertarians, to use the NAP as a foundational principle. A principle of non-aggression can have the power to unite people. Libertarianism in its purest form has a profound attraction to people of all backgrounds, and I am proud to call myself an American libertarian Muslim. Like many Americans, I am a small business owner, a husband, and a father of two young girls. Yes, I do sport a full beard and my wife wears a headscarf. Yet we still attended the Republican caucuses and proudly wrote in Ron Paul as our vote for president in 2012, not only due to Dr. Paul’s unwavering NAP-based philosophy but due to our belief in wholly American ideals. Freedom of religion is an important part of our society, and if we want American libertarianism to triumph then we should trust our ideals. Scott Horton, a founder of the Libertarian Institute, summarized it best on his podcast. He described the difficulties we will face if we reject Muslims based on their faith, and do not give them a place in our society, as envisioned by John Locke and Thomas Jefferson: “The Islamic state has been saying ‘see fellow Muslims, the Westerners, the Christians, and the Jews, they hate us and they will always hate us. We have no place in the west!’ In other words, pushing for a clash of civilizations that they need because War is the health of the (Islamic) state… Instead of (the Trump administration) arguing that, oh yeah, we believe in the enlightenment and freedom of religion… Muslims absolutely have a place in our society, plenty of places in our society… instead this (immigration) policy plays into the hands of those on the other side.” Salam Ya Ali Madad

Okay, so here we go evryone on here finna hate me after this bcuz ik what the sc community is like but im gnna say this anyway IN the west, we have interest. In all (almost) every. single. transaction. now, many people FAIL to understand. that in the west living without interest is PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE UNLESS you wish to live as a FAQIR or sumthin and idk about u but i sure as Hell DONT if something is necessary for us to function in society then whats the issue. Like be fr. I AM AWARE that riba is usury and haram and terrible I KNOW! HOWEVER, living in the west IT IS NECESSARY AND UNAVOIDABLE and as we know in islam if something exists which we legit cannot function without due to the fact that the entire society and nation is built upon it in an unavoidable fashion. such thing is permissible, this is obvious cuz allah doesnt want us going to live as malangs (ascetics) in the streets or countryside LOL. I just simply cant fathom how some people will still say "loans are haram" or "mortgage is haram" or "working in banking deals "or"credit card with interest are haram"etc like mate use ur brain??? Just cuz YOU are for some reason okay with living so "humbly" as to not engage in ANY such thing an not move out ur moms basement or live in a 1 bed rent or a homless shelter doesnt mean everyone else has to bruv. OR just cuz u LIVE in a muslim nation DOESNT MEAN we all do live in nations without interest in every part of life. cuz buddy we LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE IT IS BRUV BEFORE someone says "oh u can take loans or pay interest on banking deals at work or pay interest on credit cards IF YOU DO IT with the INTENTION of not paying it back and as a transaction without return even if u do pay it back" this is frankly NONSENSE im sorry! BE HONEST BE FOR REAL MATE purposely changing ur NIYYAH to pretend ur not gonna pay it back then the banks like pay it back and ur like "oh wow i had totally not intended to but now im being forced oh no aaaaa guess i gotta pay the interest" meanwhile u knew DAMN WELL that u were gonna pay it back makes ZERO ZERO SENSE!! THINK ABOUT IT this is the equivalent of me picking up alcohol and pretendining i dont know its alcoholic drink it and say oh I DIDNT KNOW liike be fr it doesnt make any sense its simple in the west, WE HAVE TO PAY AND RECIEVE interest!!! YOU KNOW IT AND SO DO I! so stop avoiding the blatant truth buddy. i personally for any living in the west living BELIEVE TAKING A LOAN ISNT HARAM YOU NEED THEM (UNLESS ITS FOR SOMETHING DUMB LIKE IDK A LOAN FOR A SHIRT OR SMTH LOL ) CREDIT CARDS WITH INTERST ARENT HARAM because; 1) ur paying the money to the bank not one single person its an entitiy who you dont know personally at all an unknown owner malik al majhul i think is what its called 2) working in banking with interst isnt haram IN THE WEST not everywhere of course. its just a job ur gonna deal in the interest no matter what and its a way of earning money BIGGEST POINT HERE READ THE WHOLE THING DONT RAGE it is completley NORMAL and fully ACCEPTED almost compulsory to deal with interst in the WEST therefore due to its complete necessitty its not HARAM obviously living in a muslim nation for example is a diff story. so imma become a banker without ppl telling me im a kaffir for it and imma take a loan OR GET AN AMEX card to BUILD A GOOD CREDIT SCORE AND PAY FOR THINGS I CANT INSTANTLY AFFORD and build a credit score for a rainy day or to buy a nice house or car one day. If i need to take a loan for car house education investment or invest in bonds options forex etfs futures stocks crypto etc i see no problem in this. FURTHERMORE MANY MANY SCHOLARS AGREE THAT THE INTEREST WE HAVE TODAY IN THE WEST IS NOT THE RIBA / USURY THAT IS REFEREED TO IN THE QURAN / HADITH!!!! HOWEVER, if I ever move to a muslim nation insha'allah then yes its a different story WARNING: IM TALKING ABOUT IN REGARDS TO GIVING AND RECIEVING INTERST IN NON MUSLIM NATIONS WHERE IT IS NORMAL AND NOT SEEN AS USURY IM NOT SAYING ITS UNIVERSALLY OKAY I WOULD NEVER SAY SUCH THINGS! AND IM TALKING ABOUT DEALING WITH A NON MUSLIM BANK. SO LIL DISCLAIMER

Salam everyone I know this has been discussed before, and I skimmed several threads, but with the varying opinions and digressions, I just wanted to get a coherent view-point again. So here goes: Is it ok to put money in a savings account? Is it ok to buy a house through mortgage? I realize that the general idea to make those acceptable is to ensure that the intention is not to take a loan, but are there any caveats to that ruling (maybe something like not having a variable rate of interest etc.?). Thanks everyone

Salam az man! I know I'm not the first Muslim to have these thoughts but in this thread I'd like to explore in depth the reasons why the Islamic world as a whole, whether Sunni, Shia or Wahabi, Sufi or non-Sufi, is so far the Western or developed countries of the world by almost every possible measure of success. When did this rot set in if you consider that at one time the Muslim world were world-leaders in almost every measure of success -- albeit many centuries ago now! So what and when did it all go wrong? Please don't let this become a thread about sectarianism, Sunni vs. Shia etc. unless you feel it is really relevant to the topic! Also can we please avoid the typically bland Muslim answers to this question, "We're not good Muslims anymore -- when we become good Muslims again Allah will grant us victory!" I do think that the fact we've been divided internally for so long is one reason for our lack of success. Isn't it interesting that the most developed Muslim countries with the highest quality of life such as Turkey and Malaysia are also the most secular? Some say it was, in the Sunni world at least, when we closed the doors of ijtihad in the 12th century. Others go back further and say that it was with the rejection of rationalism and the Mutazilites that this problem first started... Also is it a coincidence that almost all of the famous "Muslim" scientists we are so proud of such as Ibn Sina, al Farabi, Ibn Rushd, mathematicians like Khayyam, etc. were considered heretics in their own time by most of the orthodox? I think all this is related. These are just some areas of possible discussion.

Hi Everyone I have a few questions regarding living in the west (particularly Canada): 1) How do you ensure that you don't fall into difficulty in following Islamic values/teachings? I know its very broad, but I am just looking for some general tips based on your experiences. Of course, specific tips and tricks would be great as well: 'Bulk-up chicken from a halal grocery store if you live far away' , for example. 2) More importantly, how do you ensure that kids have the correct Islamic values inculcated in them? Esp. considering how many schools over there have become - from what I have gathered - rampant propaganda-machines, thrusting down LGBTQ and what-not down the throats of innocent kids. 3) What are some of the major cities where there's a large Shia population? Does it matter? Would you recommend staying away from less-well known provinces like Saskatchewan/Prince Edward etc.. Thanks all

Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam. According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet's cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a "tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West." Commanding "the strongest army on earth," the new ruler in the West will carry "a clear sign" from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: "Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us."

When or if Shia islam will spread in the west like Sunni or Salafi, i know in the west and muslim world, most of shia converts are from sunni,when will it appeal to non muslims like Sunni or Salafi? I know they get help from dawah ad media coverage and more money spent on literature like books, pamplets, internet media,ect. But When will Shias have this oppretunity,i know Saudi and other countries outspend and outreach more then shias, even the western entertertainment puts sunni out like movies and television shows like erturl and djjn and others and movies about ottomans. When will it be Shias time to Shine, anybody?

For Converts in the West and beyond is coming out as gay to people the same as a convert telling their muslim to non muslim parents or even telling Sunnis their Shia or converts to Shia?

It is permissible to eat food from a restaurant in the west that serves HALAL meat but also serves NON-HALAL meat too at the same time? The restaurant has advised that their chefs are mindful of the HALAL and NON-HALAL meat not cross contaminating? Can someone direct me to a page or a marja that can answer this question?

Assalamu alaykum everyone and Eid Mubarak!! This is mainly directed to the hijabi sisters but anyone is free to offer advice. Brief context: I started wearing the hijab at 17 (Now going onto 19) alhamdulilah and I didn’t know before hand that it was fully obligatory, coming from a non practicing and more so spiritual family. Also, that apparently one should start wearing hijab (khimar) at the age of 9/10 (correct me if I’m wrong). Since I’ve worn the hijab I’ve been receiving a fair share of Islamophobia (living in the West kind of makes you a target). Specifically even today on my way home which inspired me to write this post. However alhamdulilah my convinction for the hijab grows stronger after each event and I’ve gotten over that phases of uncertainty about hijab a while back thanks to clear evidence and logic. Do any of the sisters observing the hijab have any advice on dealing with such situations? Also, if anyone wants to share their stories your more than welcome to. Jazak’Allah.

Al salam alycom, I live in a western country, in which there are many products that is made of real leather, and many of the products states that is "made in Italy" or "made in France" for instance. However most of the leather that is used in for instance car seats and bags have been gone through machines and have been "treated" by for instance colors and other products. As the leather is treated it will be coated and treated. In this case, due to the procedures that the leather has undergone such as coloring and other chemical procedures will this not prevent the leather from getting wet, as it is only the surface that is getting wet and thus for instance rain/water and sweat will not reach the leather itself? And for instance will this not make the leather as istihala? (As There are also many leather products that does not smell nor looks like leather because of the color used). I hope my question was clear. Wa salam.

Read the Reddit comments to understand what the thread was about, since the post has since been deleted. ....................................................................................... I'm so tired of the utterly nonsensical and VERY COMMON Sunni notion of 'I am happy to seek unity with Shias as long as they don't curse/insult/abuse any Sahaba, and especially NOT Aisha, Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman. Firstly, any Shia claim regarding the sahabi that happens to go against the Sunni narrative is considered insulting. Secondly, and more importantly, is that the same notion is true for Shias... You are insulting the Ahlul Bayt by not accepting them as divinely appointed leaders of Allah, and infallible individuals, and perfect preservers of the religion of Islam, and a high means of seeking closeness to Allah (intercession). Not only are you insulting revered Shia figures by not following them, you are commiting MAJOR shirk by giving a false attribute to Allah, by saying that Allah has not always appointed an infallible leader on this Earth, and that there currently isn't an infallible leader. Furthermore, the real kicker is that plenty of revered Shia figures, such as Abu Talib (رضي الله عنه), are considered kuffar by Sunnis. Is this not insulting? So, how can we Shias unite with Sunnis based on their own fallacious logic? Shias are the minority, and Sunnis are the majority. It makes Sunnis think that they are Orthodox and that they have to unite with Heterodox for political and humanitarian reasons, and that Shias must make [ridiculous] compromises. Shias are far more receptive to the unity message, because we actually understand Sunni Islam, and can see the commonalities. We understand that we can't make Sunnis compromise on their beliefs. Simply by being the minority within Islam, by nature we Shias already understand Sunni beliefs, whereas Sunnis have a basic strawman understanding of Shia beliefs... which is natural, considering that they are the majority. Anyways, the point of my post is the following: Let's compile a list of revered Shia figures that are not given their proper status by Sunnis, according to Shia Islam... with an explanation given. ...This is to show that we Shias and Sunnis can unite, but we cannot unite upon revered figures and imamah. ...This will also serve as a way of showing Sunnis that this argument of theirs makes no sense. Another important question we may ask is "What about commonly revered figures like Imam Ali (عليه السلام) who is given different status in both sects? Can we unite upon Imam Ali (عليه السلام)?" ...a common Sunni criticism of political unity is that "Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) is given an improper status in Shia religion because they call upon him... tawassul (intercession) of the 'dead' is Shirk! So there is absolutely no room for unity since we can't even agree on the status of the sahabi" [yes, I am aware that the Imams (عليه السلام) are still alive, but Sunnis don't believe this...] I would love to hear your thoughts. Wassalam. JazakAllah Khair. Fi sabilillah.

Is it advisable to marry before graduation or after in the West as a Shia guy. What age does Islam recommend to marry assuming finances is not an issue? Are humans mature enough to select and choose the right partner at 18/19 or should they wait until they are 25?

Israeli defense minister met with Syrian rebels, former IDF commander reveals in a first In a bombshell admission, a former senior Israeli commander has said that former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon personally met with Syrian rebels at the height of the Syrian war. Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen was speaking at an Israeli Democracy Institute conference when he made a stunning claim – Ya'alon, who was Israel's chief of defense from 2013 to May 2016, held a meeting with a group of Syrian rebels during his tenure. Hacohen, who was Israeli Defence Forces Staff Corps Commander before retiring in September 2014, said that he was also present at the never-before-reported meet-up. Hacohen refused to specify when the meeting took place and or the subject matter of the discussions. He, however, offered a brief portrayal of his three Syrian 'counterparts,' saying that Ya'alon asked one if he was a Salafist because the minister "wanted to understand who they were." The rebel Ya'alon addressed was apparently somewhat perturbed by the prospect of cooperation with Israel. "He [Ya'alon] asked one of them, 'Tell me, are you a Salafist?' And he said, 'I really don't know what a Salafist is. If it means that I pray more, then yes. Once I would pray once a week, on Fridays, now I pray five times a day. On the other hand, a Salafist isn't meant to cooperate with the Zionists," Haaretz reported, citing Hacohen's recollection of the meeting. Following Hacohen's revelation, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing its own sources, that the meeting did indeed take place and that the main topic on the agenda was “humanitarian assistance.” The JP's sources said the outcome of the talks was an agreement on humanitarian aid deliveries to the residents of the Syrian part of the Golan Heights. The effort, which reportedly started as a one-time goodwill gesture, expanded to become Operation Good Neighbor, which formally inaugurated its headquarters in June 2016. Since then, Israel has been openly assisting the rebels, but insists that its assistance is strictly humanitarian and includes treating wounded militants and their families, supplying them with fuel, medicine, food, clothing and other essential products. The operation was reportedly wrapped up this week after Syrian forces retook control over the Golan Heights from the rebels. However, numerous reports have suggested that Israel's support of the rebels is not as benign as Tel Aviv seeks to portray. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the alleged humanitarian assistance, that had begun as early as 2013, included cash payments to rebel commanders who, in turn, used the money to pay militants' salaries and buy weapons and equipment. It was reported that one group received a monthly allowance of some $5,000 from the Israeli military. The handouts were conditional upon the rebels' ability to keep Hezbollah, which Israel sees as Iran's proxies, away from the border. Earlier this year, the Jerusalem Post was forced to hastily remove an explosive report on the IDF’s admission that it provided Syrian rebels with light weapons. The managing editor of the newspaper told RT in September that the story was taken down for "for security reasons evidently," while the IDF declined to comment on the issue. ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTER MET SYRIAN REBELS

as salaam alakim!!! I know this sounds like a dumb question, but all the prophacies are mostly gonna happen in the Middle East and Europe(Rome aka Rum) What about the West and Asian countries, will Imam(as) fight tyrants there?

Alhamdulilah, I was granted an opportunity to study in the West (in Canada specifically) and it will be the first time I will be on my own for an extended period. So I have been reading up on the region I will be staying in,especially on how Muslims are treated there and if there is any xenophobia or islamophobia(I will be a visible minority since I wear a hijab and I found myself falling down in the rabbit hole and reading horror stories on violent attacks, murders,assaults and prejudice in the street and in the work environment. This search was not limited to my future area but encompassed almost every western country. From my uneducated opinion based on reading articles on the incidents I found three major types of incidents: The first is when a crazy psychopathic terrorist attacks a mosque or a gathering of Muslims (yes I decided to label them terrorists because for me a terrorist is someone who wants to kill you and torture you and justifies and rationalizes it by whatever "code" or "reason" he follows). I noticed in almost every case that that was the last straw in a long line of verbal and minor (compared to a mass shooting) attacks on the same community. For example a week before the attack on the Canadian mosque the same terrorist left a pig's head and blood on their doorstep. Think about it, violence is a process especially extreme violence. It does not start from nowhere. Its build up bit by bit. It starts by racist and islamophobic posts on social media (In every incident I read about the terrorist was quite open and unapologetic about his islamophobic views on social media )which are encouraged by the media and his own community. And then the next time he meets an identifiable acceptable target i.e most likely a woman wearing a hijab he will permit himself more leeway and overstep his bounds. Which brings us to the second type of incident :Where the terrorist knows an "identifiable acceptable target"/potential victim in his daily life. For example a neighbor or a colleague at work.The gradual attacks are even more evident in these cases since before the most likely lethal final outcome there will be an almost constant harassment and bullying. And then I found the third type of incident :where the victim doesn't know the perpetrator and is blindsided by the attack. According to one article and my own humble opinion (I resorted to articles because I havent found a survey or statistics on the attack's pattern from the muslim community) the attacker is most likely but not always a young adult white male and the victim is a young woman wearing a hijab.Also the attacks most likely happens in a fringe zone i.e a place of transit like a public transportation station or a parking space or a less frequented side street. As for the time I am sure there is a direct correlation between a surge of attacks on Muslims of the west and terrorist attacks by daesh in the west. Now logically speaking I realize I was being a little paranoid and that there wasn't a witch hunt going on unbeknownst to the rest of the Muslim world but there must be a basis of truth in this phenomenon. If so dear Muslims of the west if you would be so kind to answer my questions (also any feedback and criticism is welcome as I said this is my uneducated humble opinion) Jazekha Allah: -How does it affect you in your daily life ? Are you being prejudiced against in your work environment (especially if you wear a hijab)? Is the issue being addressed in the shia community of the west ? Have they found out a way to teach you on how to disengage or even better how to avoid and prevent it from happening as in schooling you on how to be vigilant and the telltale signs and the ideal situation for attacks to happen? Is there something specific for our kid's safety ? Is there a legal framework by Muslims and for Muslims to deal with prejudice and the aftermath of attacks ? Also Do you have any advice for someone in my situation and any feedback is welcome. Rahmatou Allah for all those who lost their lives in these incidents and I do believe we should honor them by working toward preventing them.

Some time ago I argued that with the passing of time and the growth of Muslim communities in the West there would appear a different and distinct strain of Islam which might be dubbed "Western Islam." What it would mean and how it would look like is a debate that is still in its infancy, so it remains to be seen as what shape and form it would eventually take. There was a counterargument that there wouldn't be such a thing as Western Islam and that Muslims would either be religious in the traditional sense or they would abandon religion altogether. The number of atheists or agnostics is growing if personal experience is anything to go by, but at the same time many more people are trying to find that precarious balance that makes them be an integrated Western Muslim as well as a practicing one.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah In the name of Allah, all praise be to Him, the most High! May Allah send his blessings upon His messenger Muhammad and His messenger's, Muhammad's family, and hasten their reappearance and withdraw His mercy from their enemies! I'm writing this post in order to refute the accusations against Sheikh Hassan Allahyari (ha) and Sheikh Yasser Habib (ha), portraying them as western agents (I seek refuge in Allah). 1. "US funds Sheikh Hassan Allahyari and his TV channel." I will try to present reasonable arguments why such claims against Sheikh Hassan Allahyari are irrational. If Sheikh Hassan Allahyari has been sponsored by the US government, why is his channel not working (for about 8 to 9 months) due to some financial problems of his? The absence of topics cannot be argued because he has opened a channel in YouTube and has been very active discussing various topics, why does he have financial problems when he can get his money directly from US government (if he was funded by US in the first place)? Most importantly, why has he asked for donations if he can manage to get his money from US or any other NATO country for that matter? Therefore, suggesting that Sheikh Hassan Allahyari serves US's interests, while all his work is supported by the narrations of our Imams, prophet and the clear verses of the Noble Qur'an, is irrational. 2. "Sheikh Yasser Habib and his TV channel are funded by the British, thus he is a "British agent"." The same argument can be addressed regarding Sheikh Habib's TV channel. As far as we are concerned, Sheikh Yasser Habib has asked for donations in order to make a movie in his Fadak TV (about Lady Fatimah sa), by using reason and logic, we will come to know that an unbiased mind will confidently tell, that the (non evident) accusations thrown here and there without proof portraying Sheikh Habib as a Western agent (I seek refuge in Allah) don't make any sense. Some try to use West Funded magazines and newspapers to prove that Sheikh Habib had collected a very big amount of money, which seems ironic because why would West Funded newspapers expose their agent. Even if Sheikh Habib has had a lot of money, how is that proof for his money to come from the government while donations could as well be the case? Furthermore, would the same people accuse Ayatollah Sayed Ali Sistani for an agent (I seek refuge in Allah) when he owns a lot of money (which a result of khums)? 3. "But they live in the west." It is very laughable for someone to use this argument, because this doesn't mean anything at all. Very simple, the oppressive governments don't allow them to speak the truth therefore they stay in countries (don't misunderstand, I don't support any country except that I enjoy some of their rights) that offer them this right (which is daily restricting). What about Khomeini,(since most accusers are Khomeini/Khamenei followers and supporters) this question can be applied in regards to him as well, was he a French agent according to you? Khomeini went to France because the Shah had limited his "freedom" of preaching Absolute Wilayatul Faqih, simple as that. Conclusion Finally I present the conclusion of my topic. Through the information presented and arguments cited above, I state and conclude that Sheikh Hassan Allahyari and Sheikh Yasser Habib are not western agents. For all those who want to have a debate, please message me on my PM, I will most surely respond in sha Allah when I have time. For those who are ready to criticize and respond to my arguments let me know and we will discuss all your points in this topic in sha Allah. Glory be to Allah, we are thankful to Him and praise Him for His mercy and guidance He bestowed upon us! May Allah send His blessings upon His last messenger, and upon His last messenger's family, and hasten their reappearance, and withdraw His mercy from their enemies! May Allah guide the ones who are obedient to Him and open to His guidance! Ameen!

Assalamu alaikum As many are aware, there are many conspiracy theories that the Revolution in Iran was a Western made up conflict because the shah was becoming more nationalist and getting "out of their hands". So they destroyed the regime and made it appear as it was anti-West (just like they are thought to have done with ISIS). I only want Revolution defenders' response to such accusations... I would appreciate if you don't get out of the topic and please reply through rational thinking.

Any country that is not under the American government regime, is either under attack, framed, or in a war. Any country that is under the dictatorship may have an artificial boost of economy, and may have some sort of security(which is ironic as they make global terror and terrorists) - but all in exchange of a psychological & soft warfare declared on its citizens, by the billions of dollars governments spend, on order to keep citizens weak and asleep to the reality of the world. The way they achieved all these puppets through almost every government in the world is through colonialism. They did not split and divide the world for nothing - then leave it like that. They instilled corrupt governments for every place to inject their propaganda by the engineers - that seek how to change and shape the world and the people as they like with bad intentions. But of course they plan and Allah Swt plans and Allah Swt is the best of planners - as the Holy Quran al Kareem says. This is just one of the many reasons why Sayed Ali Khamenei (Ha) calls America "the great satan". ‏اللهم صل على محمد وال محمد Thank God we have a good leader like Ayatullah Khamenei (Ha).

Salams This is the second time I have witnessed a Muslim playing the Azaan alarm on his mobile phone on public transport in Sydney. This is rude and unacceptable in my humble opinion. As the peak-hour commuters turned around and looked at the guy hoping that he will show courtesy of turning it off, the 'Muslim mujahid' probably thought that he was inspiring the white man and other non-Muslims. Forcing a sacred recitation in the heads of others not only adds to the hate from the outside but it also causes embarrassment and dissociation from the inside. :End: Rant of the Day.

Alsalamu Alaikum Im a 25-year old women born, raised and living in Denmark. I newly graduated and until a couple of month ago worked in a pharmacy in a rural area in Denmark. I started encountering racism (or at least that's when I became aware of it) when I was 16. Every time since then it has been because of my hijab who seems to trigger these ignorant rusty mostly old wrinkly godless people. It got really bad when I started working at the pharmacy and every other day I had to listen to people muttering about me to my collegues, staring at me like Im disgusting, refusing to be helped/served by me and even yelling at me and calling me disgusting and sexistic names regarding my ethnicity and hijab. And every single time - to avoid the drama - I was the one who had to go hide in the back of the pharmacy until the stupid customer was gone. My boss never asked me If I was okay or what happend - I felt like I should just be happy that I could work there and that since the hijab is my choice I should live with the consequences. Only one single time my collegues asked the customer to leave but that was because he was yelling at them too - for having me there of course. I felt terrible and sometimes so scared I would cry. It interferred with my ability to get my work done. I studied 5 years at uni to help people stay alive giving them their stupid medicine and this is what I get. As a result I feel completely demotivated and exhausted, when before graduating I felt I had so much knowledge to give and I could not wait to get out in the big world to show everyone what I learned and what I was capable of. Now I dont even feel like I want to work anymore. Denmark is generally a very racist country (I say generally, because I've also met the most amazing people here), Im tired of reading awefull facebook threads about muslims and islam. I cant breathe anymore. Here we even have politicians encouraging this racist behaviour by being racist themselves. I know Allah swt is with me and that I must be rewarded for my patience, but it just really really hurts. I feel depressed and unsuccesful which is killing me. I catch myself just waiting for the next racist episode to happen when Im outside. Since my parents dont work and have not been subjected to very much racism they dont fully understand the extent of what I experience. I have only one hijabi friend, but she lives in the capitol city where it's much more natural to see muslims. All my other friends are non-hijabis - they dont get it either. Giving up my hijab would be on my dead body. I would never do that and specially not because of some old stupid racist degenerating toads. Im sorry about my bad English - Im too tired to google translate every word. I need advice - not to stop it - because that's impossible - but to deal with it. I thought I could deal with it by feeling sorry for them being so ignorant or by viewing it in a humorous way but I keep getting this lump in my throat and my face blushes every time it happens. I have no one to support me in this.

Salam Alaikom! Marhaba! Hej på er! Hi all! I've encountered some nationality problems! I'm fine with being mixed but what I'm not fine with is how people react because of it. Here are few examples:: 2 months ago I went to an arabic speaking husseiniye close to my home and alhamdollilah was met with much respect. Although I told people there I was mixed but they refused to believe me. They said (la inti mo 3ajmiyeh!!!! Stop saying that! You speak Arabic perfectly, you look like us, you're 100% Arab and you should be proud of your origin... come here more often....) Well, I thought I should try another husseiniye! Because I like meeting people from all around the world. This time I went to a Farsi/Persian speaking one, and to my surprise they told me exactly the same thing. (Baba to ke Irani hasti! Arabaro vel kon, hamishe beya inja.... Hamvatane aziz) After those events I started 3 weeks practice in the largest hospital in my town and most patients (muslim and non-muslim) kept asking me the same question.... Dr, where are u originally from? Even my mentor said (on the 1st day):: When I read your name I thought this is another foreign doctor who can't speak Swedish well! But to my surprise you speak it fluently... next time don't highlight in your CV that you're a mix. If you want to become successful, talk only in Swedish and no other language..... you're after all a swede who happened to have a multi-national background. But honestly, why is it so important where I'm originally from? I don't feel like I belong to a certain nationality. All that really matters for me is that I'm a good Muslim and I respect people from all different nationalities, racial backgrounds, religions. Why don't they approve when I say I'm proud about being mixed.