Shiite Muslims hold anti-terrorism rally in Washington
Recommended read for folks here who claim Muslims don't speak out against terrorism.
Hundreds of Shiite Muslims turned a major annual spiritual ritual into an anti-terrorism rally Sunday, marching, singing and praying for hours from trendy Dupont Circle to the White House as tourists and brunch-goers rubbernecked.
Connecticut Avenue was a sea of black as Shiites mostly from the D.C. region waved banners with the name of their spiritual forefather, Imam Hussein, and pounded their chests with their fists simultaneously as an expression of mourning. His martyrdom 1,400 years ago is a major part of Shiite narrative and a defining event in the break between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, and is marked annually. A few days ago, more than 22 million Shiites and others visited the Iraqi city of Karbala in a pilgrimage to the place where Hussein died.
But this year the event twinned as a peace march. Muslims — including head-covered women, young children and hipsters with man buns on hoverboards — held signs condemning terrorism and the Islamic State and handed out hot chocolate and doughnuts in an effort to open conversations with passersby.
Some American Muslim groups and prominent U.S. Muslims have been making extra public efforts since the recent terrorism-related killings in San Bernardino, Calif., to speak against the Islamic State terrorist group, which is also known as ISIS, and radical Islamists.
“What’s happening now is we feel even more compelled to come out of our homes,” said Zehra Raza, 27, an electrical engineer from Alexandria, Va., who was at the rally with her husband.
The crowd was smaller than in past years, she and others said, because many Muslims were afraid of being harassed or targeted with violence. Such incidents have been on the rise. Many police officers were on hand, and there were no obvious protests against the rally.
When the crowd arrived at Lafayette Park across from the White House, tourists pulled out their cellphones. One group from Poland attempted in broken English to explain to a pair from Colombia what was going on.
“Some [Muslims] were afraid, but I think this is the perfect time to come out and stand with people who are oppressed. ISIS is the same as what Hussein was fighting 1,400 years ago,” Raza said.
ISIS has persecuted Shiites — among other religious minorities — in Syria and Iraq, called them infidels and killed them.
As Raza spoke, and offered strangers Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a woman from outside the group approached her to offer support and give her a hug. “God bless. Or whomever bless — the universe bless,” the woman said as she walked away.
Many of the signs echoed the views of marchers — that Shiites are victims of ISIS, and in particular of the Wahhabi branch of Islam that dominates Saudi Arabia. The front row of the marchers was a phalanx of young boys holding posterboards with words such as “Americans unite against Wahhabi terrorism,” “Muslims against ISIS” and “American Shia Muslims stand with the victims of San Bernardino.”
Ali Alkhafa, 23, a University of Maryland student who grew up in California but was born in a Saudi refugee camp, said Muslim Americans are hindered from being a louder voice against terrorism by their own internal divisions.
“Muslims aren’t as vocal as we need to be,” he said as the sound of men thumping their chests punctuated the air. “It’s cultural. We’re welcoming but not as open to one another as we should be. My folks’ generation are still isolated [by ethnic group], but my generation is really open.”
The crowd appeared conservative. Men and women marched mostly separately, and women’s heads were covered. However, participants said they were more ideologically diverse, and were deferring to the more traditional gestures out of respect for one another. In the mix were convenience store managers, emergency room doctors and chemistry teachers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/shia-muslims-hold-antiterrorism-rally-in-washington/2015/12/06/03b2bf80-9c81-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html?tid=sm_fb
I understand why Shia Muslim leaders and adherents are against the wahhabi form of Islam. Sunni Muslims by and large consider Shia to be out of the primary fold of Islam since they hold to the hereditary lineage of Islam [similar in some ways to Roman Catholicism - elections of Popes is similar to election of Ayatollahs ] and other doctrinal differences.
Sunni Muslims have clashed with Shia Muslims in Iraq for decades and in Yemen more recently.
If Sunni Muslims ever get to the point of denouncing terrorism in the name of islam it would be wonderful. I do not expect Sunni leaders and adherents to take that step. Fringe Muslim groups such as Druze, Yazidi, etc. can well be expected to speak out against wahhabi islam because like teh Shia they have been killed by wahhabi adherents fro over a century.
As far as I know the wahabi doctrine adherents in Pakistan seem to be dominant in the northwest territory and the border areas of Pakistan with Afghanistan.
I expect that the wahabi doctrine adherents are so fiercely against the Saudi's is because that family was lifted to rulership after WWI specifically because of their assistance role in WWI. This breeds resentment in more than teh wahhabis in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has a more recent history as a nation and was formed in the brutal civil war of India. Since Pakistan was formed around a belief instead of a family it is harder for wahhabis to form a personal hatred and they resort fighting against the established institutions of Pakistan.
Wahhabis are the only reason the House of Saud gained, and has maintained their position as the Royal Family. Without the alliance King Salman would be gone quickly.
Wouldn't it be great to see Sunni Mosques across the street from Shia Mosques as you have Baptist Churches, Catholic Churches and Jewish Temples in America? It will only happen if that 1.6 billion Muslims insist on Peace.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/the-problem-is-not-guns-it-s-islam-is-this-a-true-statement-or-is-this-reporter-being-overbearing?urlhash=1157203
The problem is not guns, it's Islam! Is this a true statement or is this reporter being...
By Bryan Fischer Follow me on Twitter: @BryanJFischer, on Facebook at "Focal Point" Host of "Focal Point" on AFR Talk, 1-3pm CT, M-F www.afr.net Fourteen are dead and 17 are wounded in San Bernardino – in another gun-free zone – because of a devout Muslim committed to obeying his holy book, his prophet, and his god by killing infidels at a Christmas party. (Emphasis mine.) Some challenged me last night on Twitter to tell them the difference...
We have tried for years to get along with others and we do not demand anything of anyone other than respect the land and do not take from it what is not offered to you. That is where we are now with pollution and so called global warming (That comes in cycles). I do not know. I am not here to deny or disrupt this ideology but just like all religions that is what it is. To me I set back scratching my head and saying or thinking .. who do I follow? Why do I follow?
Respect to all and have a blessed day.
Chuck D
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/08/458869660/some-muslim-americans-irritated-by-obamas-call-for-them-to-root-out-extremism
Some Muslim Americans Irritated By Obama's Call For Them To 'Root Out' Extremism
Muslim Americans feel unfairly maligned, singled out and asked to do more than others when it comes to terrorism.
"Now, I have an ask," he said. "It is an ask of the people in this room and all Muslims across the country. Terrorist organizations overseas have targeted your communities. They seek to pull your youth into the pit of violent extremism. Help us to help you stop this."
Shia and Sunni's do not see eye to eye on much. As ISIS is Sunni it is easy for the Shia to call out the adversary inside their faith (much akin to protestants calling out Catholics). I am not saying this isn't a good thing to see but there is some context to consider as well.