An eloquent piece by Ruba Ali Al-Hassani published last year in The Huffington Post: Wahhabism: The Ideology of Hate. Ruba uses the myth of Islamic foundations (Muhammad did this and said that, etc) to justify some of her points on a “theological” basis, but that’s okay. I don’t mind too much people using myths for positive reasons. Anyway, a few excerpts. . . .
Wahhabism is an immense threat to any chance of peace in the Muslim and non-Muslim world. It is an ideology that openly advocates for violence against minorities and any majority-member Sunni who opposes it. It is an ideology that arose with violence since day one. It is an ideology that is misogynistic, sectarian, takfiri, and violent.
Wahhabism is an ideology that tells women they’re intellectually challenged and morons. . . .
It is worth noting that Wahhabism not only tells women that they are sub-human, but that non-Arabs are especially sub-human. Wahhabism prevents Arab women from mingling with Arab men lest they “fall in sin”, yet they can be left alone with their male South-Asian drivers. This double standard is based on a racist idea that South-Asian men are not “men” & no Arab woman would be attracted to them and fall in sin.
Wahhabism is an ideology that is openly takfiri. It takes the liberty of determining who is Muslim and who isn’t. Wahhabism’s favourite apostates are Shi’a, whose murder is openly pushed in sermons, speeches, and the like. . . .
Arab racists who adhere to Wahhabism use the term “majoos” or “Zoroastrian” as an insult, because they view Iranians as lesser beings.
In addition to being racist, misogynistic, and sectarian against Shi’a, Wahhabism is also hateful in general. In public sermons, Wahhabist clerics have been documented (in both audio & video) as they cursed Shi’a, Christians, and Jews. Shi’a receive the greatest hate. . . .
To recap: Wahhabism is racist, misogynistic, sectarian, and hateful. Let’s stop pretending that it isn’t.
Let’s especially stop pretending that it isn’t, for the sake of defending Islam’s true image in a world that is becoming increasingly Islamophobic. It is Islam that the world has come to hate (and it truly pains me to the bone that this is the case) instead of the real ideology behind the violent attacks taking place worldwide. Wahhabism spares no one. . . . .
The full article is at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wahhabism-the-ideology-of-hate_us_57da37e6e4b04fa361d99306?
Other posts on the role of Saudi Arabia and Wahhabism in the spread of terrorism today:
- The Origins of Islamic Militancy
- So why did militants turn to attack the West? — The Saudi Arabia driver
Neil Godfrey
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