News & Politics - Muslim group apologizes for 9/11, the Russian hostage crisis, etc: "We are so sorry."

ColorMist · 09-11-2004, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Muslim group takes responsibility for 9-11: 'We are so sorry'
Friday, September 10, 2004

We Are So Sorry for 9-11

This September 11 marks the third unforgettable anniversary of the worst mass murder in American history.

After September 11, many in the Muslim world chose denial and hallucination rather than face up to the sad fact that Muslims perpetrated the 9-11 terrorist acts and that we have an enormous problem with extremism and support for terrorism. Many Muslims, including religious leaders, and “intellectuals” blamed 9-11 on a Jewish conspiracy and went as far as fabricating a tale that 4000 Jews did not show up for work in the World Trade Center on 9-11. Yet others blamed 9-11 on an American right wing conspiracy or the U.S. Government which allegedly wanted an excuse to invade Iraq and “steal” Iraqi oil.
As to apologizing, we will no longer wait for our religious leaders and "intellectuals" to do the right thing. Instead, we will start by apologizing for 9-11 . . .
After numerous admissions of guilt by Bin Laden and numerous corroborating admissions by captured top level Al-Qaida operatives, we wonder, does the Muslim leadership have the dignity and courage to apologize for 9-11?

If not 9-11, will we apologize for the murder of school children in Russia?

If not Russia, will we apologize for the train bombings in Madrid, Spain?

If not Spain, will we apologize for suicide bombings in buses, restaurants and other public places?

If not suicide bombings, will we apologize for the barbaric beheadings of human beings?

If not beheadings, will we apologize for the rape and murder of thousands of innocent people in Darfour?

If not Darfour, will we apologize for the blowing up of two Russian planes by Muslim women?

What will we apologize for?

What will it take for Muslims to realize that those who commit mass murder in the name of Islam are not just a few fringe elements?

What will it take for Muslims to realize that we are facing a crisis that is more deadly than the Aids epidemic?

What will it take for Muslims to realize that there is a large evil movement that is turning what was a peaceful religion into a cult?

Will Muslims wake up before it is too late? Or will we continue blaming the Jews and an imaginary Jewish conspiracy? The blaming of all Muslim problems on Jews is a cancer that is destroying Muslim society from within and it must stop.

Muslims must look inward and put a stop to many of our religious leaders who spend most of their sermons teaching hatred, intolerance and violent jihad. We should not be afraid to admit that as Muslims we have a problem with violent extremism. We should not be afraid to admit that so many of our religious leaders belong behind bars and not behind a pulpit.

Only moderate Muslims can challenge and defeat extremist Muslims. We can no longer afford to be silent. If we remain silent to the extremism within our community then we should not expect anyone to listen to us when we complain of stereotyping and discrimination by non-Muslims; we should not be surprised when the world treats all of us as terrorists; we should not be surprised when we are profiled at airports.

Simply put, not only do Muslims need to join the war against terror, we need to take the lead in this war.

As to apologizing, we will no longer wait for our religious leaders and “intellectuals” to do the right thing. Instead, we will start by apologizing for 9-11.

We are so sorry that 3000 people were murdered in our name. We will never forget the sight of people jumping from two of the highest buildings in the world hoping against hope that if they moved their arms fast enough that they may fly and survive a certain death from burning.

We are sorry for blaming 9-11 on a Jewish or right wing conspiracy.

We are so sorry for the murder of more than three hundred school children and adults in Russia.

We are so sorry for the murder of train passengers in Spain.

We are so sorry for all the victims of suicide bombings. We are so sorry for the beheadings, abductions, rapes, violent Jihad and all the atrocities committed by Muslims around the world.

We are so sorry for a religious education that raised killers rather than train people to do good in the world. We are sorry that we did not take the time to teach our children tolerance and respect for other people.

We are so sorry for not rising up against the dictators who have ruled the Muslim world for decades.

We are so sorry for allowing corruption to spread so fast and so deep in the Muslim world that many of our youth lost hope.

We are so sorry for allowing our religious leaders to relegate women to the status of forth class citizens at best and sub-humans at worse.

We are so sorry.

For more information visit our website at: www.freemuslims.org.

Link

This part made me tear up: "We will never forget the sight of people jumping from two of the highest buildings in the world hoping against hope that if they moved their arms fast enough that they may fly and survive a certain death from burning."

I don't blame the world's Muslims for 9/11 (and I hate that some people do), and I wasn't even really expecting anything like this apology to come out today. But I'm glad I read it.
-[-*colormist*-]-

Clash181 · 09-11-2004, 02:06 PM

That same part that touched you made me stop and read it over again.
I'm glad I read this too.

*Ledi* · 09-11-2004, 02:36 PM

I was hoping for something like this to happen...

JohannafromIHJ · 09-11-2004, 03:02 PM

Sorry, but to me "Muslims" apologising for the actions of a group of individuals who happen to share their religion is like Christians apologising for Fred Phelps.

If moderate Muslims want to make Muslims a part of the war on terror (which does not equal war on muslims, as I'm fairly certain that there are thousands of terrorists who are not Muslims) and all that, they need to start by realising they do not share one brain, and individuals have to take responsibility for their actions. The herd mentality is what gets people to go with extremism in the first place.

ros2nz · 09-11-2004, 03:33 PM

I'm disgusted. The Muslims who'd even consider apologizing for 9/11 are beyond me. Dignifying these acts under the 'Muslim' umbrella is the worst insult I can think of. The terrorists bore the names of Muslims, but their actions were anything but. By apologizing for them, they made it a 'Muslim' act and that's unforgivable. Muslims around the world are already stigmatized enough; they don't need to give more opportunities. Especially when more than 99% of the Muslim population denounced the attack in the first place. I'm not a terrorist. I should not be considered a part of them and I definitely shouldn't have to apologize for them. That doesn't cut the line between 'good' or 'bad' Muslim, it makes us equal. And that's unacceptable.

ETA - It makes a few good points. A lot of the religious leaders are bigots and their teachings affect a lot of young people. They, in turn, become bitter and oppressive. This attitude of blaming the West and the Jews is stupid; it's like the medieval ages when the Church preached about the merits of poverty and fattened their own coffers. That's not saying that the West hasn't caused any problems, but it isn't the root cause for ALL of it. That, I definitely agree with.

The issue of women is a lousy one. Women aren't ill-treated because the men happen to be Muslim; it's because they have no education and no income. That doens't automatically make them Muslim, it makes them poor and ignorant. Granted that most of these men come from Muslim countries, but I believe the generalization should be made in terms of economics, rather than religion.

Semmer · 09-11-2004, 05:38 PM

It's not fair for the whole Muslim community to be blamed for something a few extremist did. Killing others is not something that is taught in their religion. It's like saying that Christians should be shunned if one if their extremists does a terrible act in the name of "their God".

always2nl · 09-11-2004, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ros2nz
I'm not a terrorist. I should not be considered a part of them and I definitely shouldn't have to apologize for them. That doesn't cut the line between 'good' or 'bad' Muslim, it makes us equal. And that's unacceptable.

I agree, i'm not muslim, but my best friend is and i just got back from a holiday to Pakistan. I've not met any one who's not glad to see more or who wasn't nice to. These innocent people shouldn't apologize for what happen, the people who did it should. Because there the ones that are reasponable.

**Avatar** · 09-11-2004, 09:15 PM

That's a very pretentious article. Of course, that's all it is, because the entire pretence of it is false. The 11/9-terrorists weren't any more Muslim than the Spanish conquistadors were Christian - i.e. not at all. The terrorists were and are idiots, fouled by beliefs very far from the true spirit of Islam. And therefore, Muslims don't need to answer or apologize for 11/9, because they didn't do anything. That 19 individuals decided to twist the word of Allah to suit their needs doesn't make Islam at fault for what they did, the same way that blowing up an abortion clinic in the name of Jesus is your own fault, not the fault of the Christian religion.

peacecorps2006 · 09-11-2004, 10:59 PM

Those were moving words. but, why do they apologize? Surely people realize just because some extremists are causing destruction under the name of Islam, dosen't mean that Islam is to blame. Those extremists are those who should apologize. They are destroying the name of Islam, but I know the difference between Muslims and terrorists who say they are acting under Muslim law.

J@NeY · 09-12-2004, 12:04 AM

I am mixed up about this...!

I don't think Muslims are all to blame just because a few of them choose to do something that was horrific yet somehow I dunno hearing someone apologizing makes me shake my head. I need to hear it but I can never except it as what happened can never be forgotten or forgiven. An apology just isn't enough ya know - And it isn't even one from people that had a huge part in it.

Maggie aka Sarah · 09-12-2004, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by peacecorps2006
Those were moving words. but, why do they apologize? Surely people realize just because some extremists are causing destruction under the name of Islam, dosen't mean that Islam is to blame. Those extremists are those who should apologize. They are destroying the name of Islam, but I know the difference between Muslims and terrorists who say they are acting under Muslim law.

peacecorps: There is a very long list of groups that have apologized for stuff that was done in the name of their religions or countries. And usually the people doing the apologizing are not the ones who perpetrated the wrongs.

Here's a link:
http://reserve.mg2.org/apologies.htm

Whether an apology helps or not is for each individual to decide.

From my point of view I appreciate that the group that wrote this acticle is working to bring understanding between those of different religions.

Maggie

Timeo · 09-12-2004, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Maggie aka Sarah
From my point of view I appreciate that the group that wrote this acticle is working to bring understanding between those of different religions.

They may be trying to do that, but they're just cheapening themselves in the process. Personally, I'm kind of offended and turned off by the idea that people who had nothing to do with these issues or attacks felt the need to apologise on behalf of those who did perpetrate them. I don't hold them accountable, I hold the ones who did them accountable.

Washi · 09-12-2004, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ros2nz
I'm disgusted. The Muslims who'd even consider apologizing for 9/11 are beyond me. Dignifying these acts under the 'Muslim' umbrella is the worst insult I can think of. The terrorists bore the names of Muslims, but their actions were anything but. By apologizing for them, they made it a 'Muslim' act and that's unforgivable. Muslims around the world are already stigmatized enough; they don't need to give more opportunities. Especially when more than 99% of the Muslim population denounced the attack in the first place. I'm not a terrorist. I should not be considered a part of them and I definitely shouldn't have to apologize for them. That doesn't cut the line between 'good' or 'bad' Muslim, it makes us equal. And that's unacceptable.

ETA - It makes a few good points. A lot of the religious leaders are bigots and their teachings affect a lot of young people. They, in turn, become bitter and oppressive. This attitude of blaming the West and the Jews is stupid; it's like the medieval ages when the Church preached about the merits of poverty and fattened their own coffers. That's not saying that the West hasn't caused any problems, but it isn't the root cause for ALL of it. That, I definitely agree with.

The issue of women is a lousy one. Women aren't ill-treated because the men happen to be Muslim; it's because they have no education and no income. That doens't automatically make them Muslim, it makes them poor and ignorant. Granted that most of these men come from Muslim countries, but I believe the generalization should be made in terms of economics, rather than religion.

Right on Sistah! I'm muslim too, but I'm not a terrorist or an Islamist. That's what people should understand. That there is a difference between Islamists, who are the ones who are extremists, and Muslims, who are just following the religious teachings of Mohamed.
That article is doing nothing more than to mix those up once more, making Muslims once again the 'bad' guys.
Also, the women issue is a bunch of bull. In Tunisia, women get the same pay as men, no discrimination there. Women being treated badly isn't just something that happens in "Muslim" countries, but, sadly, something that happens all over the world. It's not the religion, it's the ignorance.


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