Thursday, June 19, 2008

What can you buy with $300,000? A whole lot of Al-Takeyya, apparently


Photo of Mubin Shaihk, courtesy of The Toronto Star
What can you buy for $300,000 these days?

Two years ago there was a huge media flare up when combined police forces and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) allegedly cracked a nest of 18 wannabe Muslim terrorists. Since then the number has dwindled to 11, with charges against 7 being stayed.

The trial of these folks that has been trundling along for a week suddenly took a steep dive south yesterday and the day before.

The prosecutor's case mainly hangs on the testimony of a police informant, Mubin Shaikh, who was paid $300,000 for his services in infiltrating the group and attending its alleged terrorist training camp. Two days ago, under cross examination, the witness agreed with a defence lawyer that the leader of the group was engaging in a fantasy world with his calls for jihad. He also contradicted other evidence he had given by saying that the youth at the camp did not know its real purpose. Yesterday, the prosecutor turned on its own witness and, in effect, called him a liar.

I loved Shaikh's response to this attack: "I seek refuge with Allah for such an implication."

I remember when these guys were arrested how the authorities went out of their way to describe them in ways that had nothing whatsoever to do with Islam: "They come from all walks of life." When you are a lawyer there is no substitute for thorough research. A little less analysis from the perspective of political correctness and more Islamic scholarship would have better suited the purpose. The prosecutor ought to have familiarized himself with the concept of Al-Takeyya.

See a fuller explanation of this religiously sanctioned practice of deception at this site, but the shorter version is outlined below.

Lying in Islam

By Abdullah Al Araby

Like most religions, Islam in general, forbids lying. The Quran says, "Truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies." Surah 40:28. In the Hadith, Mohammed was also quoted as saying, "Be honest because honesty leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise. Beware of falsehood because it leads to immorality, and immorality leads to Hell."

However, unlike most religions, within Islam there are certain provisions under which lying is not simply tolerated, but actually encouraged. The book "The spirit of Islam," by the Muslim scholar, Afif A. Tabbarah was written to promote Islam. On page 247, Tabbarah stated: "Lying is not always bad, to be sure; there are times when telling a lie is more profitable and better for the general welfare, and for the settlement of conciliation among people, than telling the truth. To this effect, the Prophet says: 'He is not a false person who (through lies) settles conciliation among people, supports good or says what is good."

... lying is a common policy amongst Islamic clerics and statesmen.

This point is proven by many incidences in the life of Mohammed. He often lied and instructed his followers to do the same. He rationalized that the prospect of success in missions to extend Islam's influence overrode Allah's initial prohibitions against lying.

Provisions for lying in Islam

Most Muslims are familiar with the principles of Islam that will justify lying in situations where they sense the need to do so. Among these are:

War is deception.
The necessities justify the forbidden.
If faced by two evils, choose the lesser of the two.

These principles are derived from passages found in the Quran and the Hadith.

... the Quran clearly reveal that Muslims' unintentional lies are forgivable and that even their intentional lies can be absolved by performing extra duties. It is also clear that if forced to do so, Muslims can lie while under oath and can even falsely deny faith in Allah, as long as they maintain the profession of faith in their hearts.

In the Hadith, Mohammed, emphasizes the same concept.

From "Ehiaa Oloum al-Din," by the famous Islamic scholar al-Ghazali, Vol. 3: PP.284-287:
One of Mohammed's daughters, Umm Kalthoum, testified that she had never heard the Apostle of God condone lying, except in these three situations:

For reconciliation among people.
In war.
Amongst spouses, to keep peace in the family.

The principle of Al-Takeyya

The Arabic word, "Takeyya", means "to prevent," or guard against. The principle of Al Takeyya conveys the understanding that Muslims are permitted to lie as a preventive measure against anticipated harm to one's self or fellow Muslims. This principle gives Muslims the liberty to lie under circumstances that they perceive as life threatening. They can even deny the faith, if they do not mean it in their hearts.

...a Muslim can pretend to befriend infidels (in violation of the teachings of Islam) and display adherence with their unbelief to prevent them from harming him.

Under the concept of Takeyya and short of killing another human being, if under the threat of force, it is legitimate for Muslims to act contrary to their faith. The following actions are acceptable:

Drink wine, abandon prayers, and skip fasting during Ramadan.
Renounce belief in Allah.
Kneel in homage to a deity other than Allah.
Utter insincere oaths.

The implications of the principle of Al-Takeyya

Unfortunately, when dealing with Muslims, one must keep in mind that Muslims can communicate something with apparent sincerity, when in reality they may have just the opposite agenda in their hearts. Bluntly stated, Islam permits Muslims to lie anytime that they perceive that their own well-being, or that of Islam, is threatened.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

so every muslim is a liar? get real

Navigator said...

Anonymous. I would have no idea whether every Muslim is a liar, nor would I venture to assert such an obviously unprovable thing. But, I am pretty sure from the reporting of the testimony of the trial that this guy Shaihk is, and when he cited Allah in response to the accusation that he is one, it was not simply a throw away line.