Open Mosque – Muslims Serve up Tea and Taqiyah

Sunday, October 27, was Open Mosque Day at twenty-two Mosques and Islamic Centers in Southern California. An invitation communique from the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California assured non-Muslims that “Muslims are happy to answer questions about their religion.”   Based on reports from those who visited the mosques, their hosts were very cordial.  The visitors were provided with refreshments, guided tours, and even question-and-answer sessions about the mosque and Islam in general. However the answers to ideological questions left more than a few visitors disappointed and they felt their intelligence was insulted by the evasive answers.  Taqiyah – the art of deception to hide the shameful truth about Islam -- was on full display.

For those unfamiliar with this term, the Quranic reference to taqiyah is Surah 3:28:  ‘’Let believers not make friends with infidels in preference to the faithful – he that does has nothing to hope for from Allah – except in self-defense.”  The Arabic word for self-defense here is tuqah which means to guard against.  In Reliance of the Traveler, section r8.2 on Permissible Lying , it says, “When it is possible to achieve such an aim (as advancing Islam) by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible, and obligatory to lie if the goal is obligatory.  . . . But it is religiously more precautionary in all such cases to employ words that give a misleading impression, meaning to intend by one’s words something that is literally true, in respect to which one is not lying, while the outward purport of the words deceives the hearer . . . .”  As we will see below, the hosts at the mosques could not defend their ideology by telling the truth, so they resorted to lying.

The mosquing of America is proceeding at a rapid pace, underwritten by oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The number of mosques and Islamic Centers almost doubled from 1,209 in 2000 to 2,106 in 2011, most of this increase occurring after Islamic terror attack on 9/11/01.   It is estimated that 80% of the new establishments  are sponsored (and guided) by the Wahhabi sect in Saudi Arabia, with their U.S.-based Muslim Brotherhood affiliates operating as the front-men for the projects.  (See Chapter 8, “Mosques, Enclaves, Victory,” in Erick Stakelbeck’s 2013 book “The Brotherhood, America’s Next Great Enemy.”)  In 1995, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, boasted at an Islamic conference in Ohio, “We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America, not through the sword but through dawah [proselytizing].”  He has since been banned from entering the U.S.

But dawah and taqiyah seem to work only among the uninformed. Sooner or later, however, the converts to Islam will read the actual sacred texts of Islam and realize that the sweet words and deceptive answers to questions about Islam are not true.  It is reported that 75% of the converts to Islam leave the faith within a few years. (See:  http://somalifreethinkers.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-muslims-are-leaving-islam.html )   Muslims themselves acknowledge that over 6 million Muslims leave Islam every year.  Truth has a way of catching up with falsehood.

In view of the prevalent deception during Open Mosque Day, it is important to pay close attention to the answers given to the ideological issues that are of most concern to non-Muslims.  The following is a compilation of the issues discussed at various mosques along with the truth found in the recognized sacred Islamic texts.

1. Ritual demeaning of Jews and Christians by Muslims --  It is well-known that Muslims pray five times a day, but fewer people realize that within those prayers Muslim are required to recite Surah 1 of the Quran (Al-Fatihah) at least seventeen times a day.  (See Reliance of the Traveler, sections f8.17 and f10.2 and http://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/21811 .)  Surah 1 contains the passage asking Allah to guide Muslims to the straight path, “not of those who have incurred Your wrath nor of those who have gone astray.”   Muhammad himself confirmed that the people referred to in the passage are the Jews and the Christians (See Bukhari, Vol. 1, Book 12, Number 749)  Further confirmation of the demeaning of Jews and Christians in Al-Fatihah is provided in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 1, page 87, and in Tafsir Al-Jalalayn, page 2.

When asked about this verse, the imam of the Islamic Society of Orange County, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, responded that you cannot take one verse alone to make a point about Islam because that verse may take things out of context. He added that the demeaning of Jews and Christians occurred only during a certain period of time when Muslims were fighting Jews and Christians   (If that is so, why do Muslims continue to pray their anti-Jewish and anti-Christian prayer seventeen times a day some 1400 years later?)  The host at the Lomita mosque acknowledged that the interpretation was true, but he said he was “not comfortable” with that interpretation.  (Sure, when Jews and Christians are asking, it would be difficult to be comfortable about a sacred text in the Quran demeaning them!) 

Another verse in the Quran that demeans Jews and Christians is Surah 5:51: “Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends.”  The same prohibition is reflected in Surahs 3:28, 3:118, and 9:23. Responding to this command, the host at the Lomita mosque said that a lot of his friends were Jews and Christians and that Muslims respect all religions.  To prove his point he called up some middle school students who parroted the same mantra.

Another offensive text in the Quran is found in Surahs 5:59 and 5:60 that says most Jews (People of the Book) are evil-doers and that Allah transformed them in to apes and swine and those that serve the devil.  The only response to this that could blurted out was that the quotation was “taken out of context.”  That phrase was repeated quite often during Open Mosque Day.   

2. Worldwide violence against Christians -- The Quran instructs Muslims in Surah 8:60, “Muster against [the unbelievers] all the men and cavalry at your command, so that you may strike terror into the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides them who are unknown to you but known to Allah.”  The first part of this verse is also the motto of the Muslim Brotherhood, written in Arabic on their logo. During September and October of this year alone, there were over 800 Christian casualties at the hands of Muslims, including Kenya (249, mostly Christian), Nigeria (240), Pakistan (196), Syria (82), and Iraq (23).  The Islamic terrorists in the Kenya shopping center attack in September quizzed their captives on the Shahada and other Islamic trivia questions to determine who they would spare and who they would murder.

When asked about this lethal persecution of Christians, Dr. Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of Orange County blamed the violence on old tribal customs in geographically isolated countries, not Islam.  The host at the Lomita mosque said that Americans are not getting the real news. The Imam of the Anaheim mosque blamed Latinos for 42% of the terrorism in the U.S., and he said Muslims account for only 6%, but he didn’t cite his source.    Obviously, if the data sample goes back far enough in time, one could probably produce data that shows that most of the terror attacks in the U.S. were perpetrated by Native Americans (aka Indians).  Here is an article showing the ominous present-day trend of Islamic terror attacks around the world: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/28/terrorist-attacks-and-deaths-hit-record-high-report-shows/

When asked about 9/11 the host at the Lomita mosque said that “we Muslims suffered the most. We were scared to go to work or school.”   (That “suffering” is compared with the violent deaths of three thousand innocent victims plus over 6,000 who were treated for injuries!)  The same spokesman also asserted that many of the terrorists don’t even go to mosques and don’t have a connection with Islam.  He acknowledged that those doing the work of Allah would go to heaven, but “we may not agree with their methods.”  (Perhaps he should read the Quran-laced final instructions of Muhammad Atta to his fellow 9/11 hijackers. Atta quoted the Quran 24 times and seemed to be more versed in the Quran than most Muslims.  (See:  http://www.islamreform.net/new-page-108.htm )

3. Perverted definitions of good and evil -- Islamic Sharia Law is based on a concept that good and evil cannot be determined by the use of reason.  Instead, it is based solely on what Muhammad (and Allah) determined was good or evil.  (Reliance of the Traveler, Section a1.4)  The Quran states in Surah 33:21 that Muhammad is the “good example” for Muslims to follow, even though many of his acts would be criminal offenses in most civilized countries today.  This is why Muslim countries rejected the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and adopted their own Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam in 1990. It states in Article 24, “All the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic Sharia.”

So when the Open Mosque Day hosts at the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City were confronted with some clearly evil acts perpetrated by Muslims, they could not respond with appropriate outrage.  Here are just a few of the situations they dodged:

·       Muslim destruction of churches and temples – Host: That is taken out of context. The Prophet made sure churches and temples were not destroyed.  (Actually, Muhammad expelled all three Jewish tribes from Medina, finally beheading 600-900 Jews in the market square of Medina.  See Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, para. 690.) 

·       Muslim targeting Christians in Syria – Host: Bad things happen on both sides in time of war.

·       Wife beating per Surah 4:34 – Host: That is taken out of context. The Prophet never beat any of his wives. (Aishah claimed that Muhammad struck her and caused her pain in the reliable Sahih Muslim hadith, Book 4, Number 2127.)

·       The Muslims’ silence about acts of jihad – Host: Most Muslims are busy working and raising families and don’t get involved with speaking out.  (Actually, Sharia Law says it is unlawful for a Muslim to criticize the acts of other Muslim. See R of T, Section r2.8 and r20.2.)

·       The fact that the Muslim Student Association recites the Muslim Brotherhood creed that says “Jihad is our Way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” – Host:  I’ll put you in touch with the president of the MSA West.

What is more tragic is that the King Fahd mosque is shielding its own congregation from the unsavory truths about Muhammad despite the Quran’s endorsement of Muhammad as the “good example.” Here is one visitor’s story in her own words:

After the men went away, a very friendly young girl with a hijab came to me and I was talking with her.  She was from Saudi Arabia and her parents dropped her off at the mosque for Quran study.  She was 9 years old. . . I then said to her did you learn about your prophet? She said she was learning some.  Then I told her did you know that he married a 9 year old girl, just like you? Her jaw dropped and she was astounded.  I told her that he was “engaged” to her when she was 6 and then he married her and was over 50.  I also told her it was his favorite wife, Aishah.  She was stunned.  (See the reliable Bukhari hadith Volume 5, Book 58, Number 234) 

4. Inequality of women -- Women are definitely in an inferior position based on the Quran and reliable hadith.  Surah 4:34 says that Allah has made men superior to women.  The testimony of two women is equivalent to one man (Surah 2:282).  Women inherit one-half of their male counterparts. (Surah 4:11) A reliable hadith has Muhammad asserting that women are deficient in intelligence and religion (See Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 6, Number 301.)

So it was almost laughable when a Muslim woman at the Anaheim Mosque claimed that it wasn’t until Muhammad appeared on the scene that women actually became respected on earth.  When the imam was questioned about the requirement of four male witnesses to lead to a rape conviction (per perversions of Surahs 4:15 and 24:14), the imam suddenly said he had to leave.

5. Hijab as rejection of Western customs -- Many of the visitors to Southern California mosques noted that the Muslim women all wore hijabs.  While “liberated” Muslims insist that there is no Islamic requirement to wear hijabs or niqabs, there is increased pressure on women by their mosque leaders to wear them to signal their rejection of Western customs.  Sharia Law (Reliance of the Traveler, Section w23.1) says a woman is naked (‘awra) if any part of her body is exposed in public, except perhaps her hands and face.  However, the Quran (Surah 24:31) only requires women to be modest in their appearance.

When a woman who was selling hijabs one of the mosques was asked why she wore a hijab, she replied that the Quran says women must wear it.  Calling her bluff, a visitor handed her a Quran and asked her to show him the specific verse.  She could not.

6. Distortion of United States history – The first war entered into by the United States was against the Barbary Pirates in North Africa. After winning independence from the British, the U.S. was no longer protected by the treaties (and tribute) negotiated by Great Britain.  The Barbary Coast pirates began attacking American ships and enslaving the crew and passengers. In 1785 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to London to negotiate with Tripoli’s envoy, Sidi Haji Abdrahaman, and they were told “…that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.”  At one time the United States was spending 20 percent of its national budget paying tribute (extortion) to the Barbary Pirates in order to buy time to develop a Navy so the U.S. could defeat the Muslim pirates and their Islamic government sponsors. This Barbary War is memorialized in words of the Marine’s Hymn about “the shores of Tripoli.”

So it was a bit disturbing that the State College Mosque of Omar Al-Farouk in Anaheim featured a display titled “The Quran’s Place in American History” which asserted that 1) there was no hostility between Muslims and Americans in the early American history, and 2) that both Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson read the Quran.  (The truth is that both Adams and Jefferson had copies of George Sale’s 1734 English translation of the Quran to help them understand the Muslims’ ideological basis for attacking U.S. ships, with no apparent provocation.  This translation included a 145 page Preliminary Discourse which made following assertions: 1) the Quran is a manifest forgery; 2) Muhammad owed his progress and establishment almost entirely to the sword; 3) Muhammad was really the author and chief contriver of the Quran; 4) Muhammad told a woman that no old woman would enter paradise, and 5) the pilgrimage to Mecca was so filled with silly and insignificant things that Muhammad found he could abolish idolatry much more easily that he could eradicate the superstitious bigotry to which Muslims were addicted at that temple. Congressman Keith Ellison should be ashamed that he swore his oath of office on Jefferson’s Quran in 2006.)   

7. Mosque-planting for worship or for establishing enclaves?  -- It is apparent from the mosques that were visited that the local Muslims had little to do with the financing of the mosques or even deciding on their location.  Generally, many of the new mosques in the U.S. are not in areas where there are large numbers of Muslims.  Examples include Culver City (CA), Lomita (CA), Murfreesboro (TN), and Sheepshead Bay (NY).  Erick Stakelbeck, in “The Brotherhood,” suggests that there is a sinister strategy at play:  By locating a mosque away from where the Muslims actually live, it makes the mosque a commuter destination, and the resulting traffic and congestion drives out the non-Muslims from the community.  Then the Muslims can buy housing at depressed prices and create a Muslim enclave near the mosque.  

Related to this political strategy is a telling statement by the Muslim Brotherhood in their 1991 Explanatory Memorandum outlining their long-range strategic plans for the United States:

 Understanding the role and the nature of work of the “The Islamic Center” in every city with what achieves the goal of the process of settlement:

. . . Thus, the Islamic center would turn into a place for study, family, battalion [for launching jihad?], course, seminar, visit, sport, school, social club, women gathering, kindergarten, office of the domestic political resolution [i.e., enforcing Sharia law], and the center for distributing our newspapers, magazines, books and our audio and visual tapes.

Note that nowhere in that statement is the idea of worship even mentioned. Several mosque observers at this year’s Open Mosque Day noted that the prayer demonstrations seemed to be perfunctory; “rushed and dull,” as one observer put it.

 8.  Literature advocating violence in mosque libraries and bookstores --   Some of the books found at the mosques included works by Syed Qutb, Sayyid Mawdudi, and Bilal Phillips.  Examples of their teaching:

Qutb: “The true basis of the Islamic approach . . . moves forward to liberate mankind from servitude to other human beings, so that they can worship Allah alone. Its aim is to destroy tyrannical forces and regimes which force people to submit to a rule different from that of Allah, and apply a law other than His own. . . From the Islamic point of view, jihad has its own justification, derived from its own system.”  (In the Shade of the Quran, Vol. VII, page 25-28)

Mawdudi: “Anyone who wants to uproot mischief and disorder from this world and wants to reform

mankind should realize that he cannot do so by mere sermonizing and counseling. It is useless. He should rise against the government of false principles; he should seize power, remove the wrongdoers from the seat of authority and set up a government based on sound principles and just administration [i.e., Sharia law].” (The Essence of Jihad, Page 10-11)

The Saudi-paid imam of the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, Fahad al Thumairy, was expelled from the United States in 2003 for his support of terrorists in the 2001 attack on New York City and Washington, D.C.  At the Open Mosque event, the hosts at the King Fahd mosque announced that they are now expecting a new Imam from Saudi Arabia in February. (Good luck with that!)  Earlier in October of this year, a new convert to Islam from Southern California, Hasan Abu Omar Ghannoum (aka Sinh Vinh Ngo Nguyen), was arrested as he boarded a bus bound for a likely jihad engagement overseas.  No local mosque is willing to claim credit for his conversion or his radicalization.  

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