OPINION: Islam danger: Beware of wolf in sheep's clothing

Who could argue against Fethullah Gulen’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal that, on the surface, professes the need to denounce terrorism, defend human rights, and promote education? Certainly not any American enjoying the fruits of our Judeo-Christian culture and with a clear sense of right and wrong.

But Mr. Gulen’s article is grossly misleading in that he blames ISIS for tainting Islam with their atrocities and professes the Koran and writings of the life of Muhammad dispel any claims terrorists make of religious justification for their atrocities.

Mr. Gulen lists five specific things that Muslims must do to protect Islam’s reputation. They are:

1. Denounce violence.

2. Promote a holistic understanding of Islam.

3. Promote human rights, dignity, and life and liberty.

4. Provide educational opportunities to everyone.

5. Support equal rights for women and men.

Most believe the Koran is the bible of Islam. However, there are three books that together make up the dogma of Islam: the Koran, the Hadith (acts and sayings of Mohammad), and the Sira (biography of Muhammad). It is these three writings that Gulen referred to in his attempt to separate Islam from ISIS atrocities and denounce violence.

Mr. Gulen uses references from the Koran to make his point about Islam and I do not argue that his quotes are valid and that they are as so stated. For example, he quotes from Koran 5:32 that taking the life of a single innocent is a crime against all humanity. However, using this reference is misleading in that there are other references that directly conflict with it. For example, Sharia Law text, Division O Section 8.1 deals with an apostate (one who leaves Islam). It states one who leaves Islam deserves to be killed. There are also many passages pertaining to the killing of kafirs (nonbelievers) through jihad.

So, how can both of these passages be valid? The fact is that these three documents are replete with contradictions because they are based on Muhammad’s life, acts, and sayings. The quotes that Mr. Gulen uses to describe the religious, loving, and benign Islam originate from his early life living in Mecca. The political side of Islam that forms the basis of Sharia Law justifies Jihad against all kafirs originated later, when he lived in Medina.

So what aspects of Islam should we believe? The loving, accepting, peaceful Islam as described in the early writings or the political Islam under Sharia Law? The answer is provided in the Koran that provides the method of abrogation. While conflicting verses are both true, the later verse (the political version) is the stronger.

Sharia Law is a compilation of the three documents as interpreted by Islam’s finest scholars and has stood for over 1,000 years. It is considered the universal moral code (law) for all humanity until the end of time. According to Muslims, it is Allah’s law and is universal, complete and perfect. Under Sharia, there is no place for the U.S. Constitution, which is considered a product of man and imperfect and temporary. Under Sharia there is no freedom of speech, religion, press, thought, no equal rights, and no equal protection under the law.

Sharia Law lays out a complete strategy for islamicizing a society. In early stages, Islam is described as a brother religion to Christianity and Judaism and quotations are used from the early writings as proof. As Islam is more integrated, requests for such things as prayer rooms, special food, the use of Sharia Law in courts, the use of Sharia-compliant clothing, etc., become demands.

So this is Mr. Gulen’s strategy. Through his Hismet movement, he has targeted education as a primary method to inculcate Islam into the minds of our youth. This is why his organization and his article is a threat to our U.S. Constitution, freedom, and way of life. Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Clough is a resident of Bigfork.