I have yet to see anything but lip service being paid by the other Muslim countries in their condemnation of the Taleban.
With their obdurate stance on turning over or turning out Osama bin Laden, Afghanistan’s government has demonstrated nothing short of complicity with bin Laden. They have not made any strong efforts to distance themselves from bin Laden and their own statement concerning the atrocity in New York contained the predictable slap back at the United States. As they have palpably displayed their tacit support for bin Laden, is this not sufficient reason for other more mainstream Islamic figureheads to excommunicate them from Muslim society? From an admittedly outsider’s point of view it would seem to be in the best interests of the Moslem faith to clearly distinguish themselves from such fanatics. Such exclusion would go a long way towards discrediting this disgraceful splinter group.
I am deeply disturbed by this lack of immediate and unequivocal condemnation for a group that has so besmirched the name of Allah and his followers. It is extremely conspicuous that nothing concrete has been done (to my knowledge). I would appreciate the views of any followers of Islam in helping to explain what I consider a glaring omission upon the part of the larger Moslem community.
Given that there is no “communion” of Islam from which one can be “excommunicated,” I’m not sure what you’re looking for. Given that the U.S. news media is not very good at covering statements made by foreign officials (and particularly religious leaders–unless they are inflammatory), I am not at all certain that we really know just what any Islamic leader has said regarding the Taleban or the Imams of Afghanistan. (If for example, they did, indeed, issue a general condemnation of the Afghani Imams several years ago, or during the destruction of the Buddhist statues a few months ago, they may not feel a need to stand up and repeat the condemnation of the nation’s religion, having already done so, once.)
You can’t excommunicate somebody from Islam, because there’s no central authority to do it. There’s simply the opinions of various Muslim scholars, and a lot of them have actually been critical of the Taliban. I suggest you pay a visit to the Muslim Guy. He talks about this at some length.
Thanks Tom, howevermuch there are definite theological differences between Islam and Christianity (to say the least), loudly and roundly condemning these vermin would be a good place to start. I would tend to think that there is some equivalent of exclusion or shunning in Moslem society and it would be a really good thing to apply here. I’ll have to pay the Muslim Guy another visit and do some more investigation.
One thing that you may be overlooking is that there is a big difference between national and religious authority. If some crazed Lutheran did something wrong, Sweden might condemn the act, but Sweden couldn’t really kick him out of Lutheranism. The religion may control the state, but it does not follow that the state controls the religion.
Um, excommunication in Catholicism isn’t necessarily being kicked out, per se-it’s saying you’re not in a state of grace, and until you renounce your ways or what have you, you aren’t allowed to receive the sacrements. Didn’t Cecil do a bit on this?
I’m not a muslim, but I don’t think there is anything similar to an exclusion in Islam. The most you can expect is that major recognized authorities “loudly and roundly condemn”, as you said, these acts. And though apparently you’re unaware of it, it has been done. For instance the mufti of Cairo, who apparently is considered as amongst the most authoritative islamic figures, did.
I think what the OP is getting at is not an excomminacation for the sake of making the Taliban say “Oh, gosh, we’d better stop,” but for political coverage for the US. Whether binding or not, louder condemnations would provide help with popular support for Al Quaeda in places like Palestine.
It’s worth mentioning that before 9/11, only three governments (all in Islamic countries) recognized the Taliban government of Afghanistan. Since then, two of them, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have withdrawn recognition, and the third, Pakistan, withdrew its last diplomats from Kabul over the weekend.
The web site talks about the ‘reality’ of Islamic teachings of violence etc. The author, Ibn Warraq, is meant to be a former Muslim who is now determined to reveal the ‘real Islam’. I’m not too sure how valid his views are, but they seem to be well written and researched. He has also
written a few books, the main one called “Why I am not a Muslim”. You can purchase his books from amazon, there are links at: