"Islam Must Be Peaceful, Because the Muslims I Know Are..."
Debunking the 'Social Proof' Argument
Syed and Tashfeen Farouk
It is common to hear people referring to the Muslim people that they may have contact with as sufficient proof that Islam is not a violent ideology. There are several problems with this approach, not least of which is the fact that those making these kinds of statements are working with a ridiculously small sample size. How on earth can they be sure that what they believe to be true of the handful of Muslims they happen to know personally can be applied to all Muslims? Here are some other problems with this approach:
There are moderate Muslims but Islam itself is not a moderate ideology. It would, obviously, be silly to claim that all Muslim people are ready to commit acts of violence in the name of Islam. As with any faith community, there are different levels of commitment to Islam. There will also be many within the Muslim community who are ignorant of, or simply choose to ignore, some of the more troubling aspects of their faith. This does not, however, somehow magically erase the “verses of violence” in the Qur’an. In fact, story after story can be told of how so-called “moderate Muslims” ended up committing acts of violence after they immersed themselves deeper in their faith and discovered teachings that they have hitherto ignored during their “moderate” phase.
Muslims befriending non-believers are violating clear Qur’anic commands. Many non-Muslims have formed deep, genuine, and lasting friendships with Muslims. I am certainly not questioning that such friendships are often deeply valued by those involved. The fact is, however, that by maintaining strong friendships with non-Muslims, the Muslim parties in such friendships are in direct violation of a clear Qur’anic command: “Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them” (Qur’an 3:28). The fact that they are willing to flagrantly disobey the Qur’an in this instance means that Muslims who befriend non-Muslims are, therefore, perhaps not the best people to use as yardsticks as to how a devout believer should act.
It is possible that some Muslims are disingenuous in befriending non-Muslims. Qur’an 3:28 (quoted above) qualifies the ban on non-Muslim friends with one exception: “…except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them”. In other words, Muslims are allowed to feign “friendships” if it can protect the Muslim community in some way (i.e., through convincing them that the intentions of the community are entirely peaceful). As such, this is one of the areas where Muslim believers are allowed to practice taqiyya (deception or dissimulation). I am, of course, not suggesting that all friendships between Muslims and non-Muslims fall into this category, but multiple examples can be cited of supposed “friendships” that were nothing of the sort. In fact, one of the most common reactions by non-Muslims who knew perpetrators of violence inspired by Muslim beliefs before they committed their atrocities is one of deep shock. People are perplexed at how their non-violent, “moderate” and friendly acquaintance or friend could do such things.
One example should suffice. Syed Farook who, together with his wife Tashfeen Farook, killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California on 2 December 2015, was regarded as moderate and well-adjusted by those who actively befriended him. His friends at work even held a baby shower for the couple and they described Syed as friendly and “part of the family”. In other words, a kind of “Exhibit A” for a non-violent Muslim friend. Except that, about a year after the baby shower, he came back and slaughtered many of those who genuinely believed him to be their “friend”. How can something like this happen? The fact that Muslims are allowed to feign friendship for the sake of Islam may provide at least part of the answer.
For much more about the links between Islamic teaching and violence, please see my book ‘Nothing to do with Islam - Investigating the West’s Most Dangerous Blind Spot’.
Kind regards,
Peter
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