Taqiyya

Hi
Regardless of how snazzy the "3 things" video is, it is still propaganda and nearly every Muslim you will meet will tell you that there is only very partial truth in it. In other words, its a bunch of crap with shades of truth mixed in.

Do people really believe that all Muslims would be so programmed that they will all collectively and consistently lie? It doesn't even make a lot of sense. As a born Muslim, I didn't hear about this term until I was in College and it was only in relation to Shiism.

The Islamic implication of taqiyya, at least for sunnis, is clear and is a reinforcement of the value of life. If your life is in danger, you can renounce even your faith to escape, just like you can eat pork or drink alcohol (both forbidden under normal circumstances) if its a matter of life and death. Another application is actual warfare, which is like any other war strategy/propaganda. But it is specifically for the battlefield.

It is unfortunate that others who have a clear agenda in lying and deceiving, are being trusted more to say what Muslims believe, than the Muslims themselves!

Get to know a Muslim... talk to him, and you'll realize that Islam has a huge overlap with other Abrahamic faiths, and values of truthfulness, honesty, charity, kindness are enshrined in it.

thanks.

You are welcome...

and thank you for the clarification from your Sunni perspective.

Personally I know several Muslims, all Canadians, none of whom are particularly radical or devout to point of being obnoxious. None of them had ever mentioned the "taqiyya" term or concept to me although we had many discussions about the faith and cultural contrasts. If you have read any my other recent posts, you know that I am not an anti-Muslim bigot, though I do confess to being anti-religious on the whole and particularly anti-zealot no matter what the religion or politic.

I simply found the video interesting and agree with you that it is propaganda. The taqiyya concept makes perfect sense as a survival mechanism but I'm sure you would agree that in the hands of zealots of any stripe it can be used as a means of subterfuge.

Whether or not those teachings are commonly known or taken to heart by the average Muslim (which, even by your admission of not having encountered it until college age, is highly doubtful), the fact that it is actively declared in Islamic knowledge and in some sense coupled to the injunction to make the entire world fall under the umbrella of Sharia demonstrates to me that there is a certain dangerous "us or them" premise behind it. I find it repugnant in exactly the same way that I find proselytizations from any quarter dangerous.

It's zealotry that is our enemy, not our individual religious or secular world views.

Thanks again for your input. Its appreciated.

The only reason I commented because I did recognize you as someone reasonable and not a bigot.

There is a reason that taqiyya is declared. It has clear context to it. There was a companion of the Prophet, Ammar b. Yasir, and here's his story:

Said Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This verse was revealed about Ammar ibn Yasir. The idolaters had taken him away along with his father Yasir, his mother Sumayyah, [etc.]…and tortured them. As for Sumayyah, she was tied up between two camels and stabbed with a spear in her female organ…[and] killed. Her husband Yasir was also killed…As for ‘Ammar, he was coerced to let them hear what they wanted to hear [i.e. renunciation of Islam]. God’s Messenger was told that Ammar has renounced faith, but he said: ‘Never, Ammar is filled with faith from his head to his toes; faith is admixed with his flesh and blood!’ Ammar then went to see God’s Messenger, crying. God’s Messenger used his hands to wipe Ammar’s tears, and said: ‘If they return to you, let them hear again what you told them’. Then Almighty God revealed this verse [16:1o6].”

Mujahid said: “This verse was revealed about some Meccans who accepted faith [i.e. Islam]… The Quraysh caught up with them…and coerced them to renounce their faith. It is about them that this verse was revealed.”

We plan to have an Islamic article on this issue in the next 2-4 weeks that will address the issue completely in a scholarly fashion. Meanwhile, there is already a solid piece on Loonwatch:
http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/08/silencing-spencer-taqiyya-and-kitman-are-part-of-judeo-christian-belief/

Thanks for the discussion.

Excellent. Thanks for the link and the heads up about your planned Islamic article at your site. I will be sure to read both.

Peace to you and yours.