Cultural Islam and Fundamental Islam

Islam: Where fundamentalism and culturalism collide

What is radical Islam? Where does that term come from? And why do so many politicians and media members in the western world use it today?

The term "radical Islam" is a politically correct phrase that was invented by the western world to distinguish violence, or "extremism" committed in the name of Islam from "moderate" or mainstream Islam. Islamic radicals, we're told, are people who either pervert the Quran to justify their violence, or practice a "9th century" version of Islam, whatever that means.

However, a close inspection of the Quran and the Hadith (Sayings of Muhammad) reveals that those who commit violence in the name of Allah, do so in obedience to what those texts teach, rather than in opposition to what they teach. For example, the Quran encourages jihad as an essential method of propagating Islam and doing away with unbelievers: 

Fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you. And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers. (Sura 2:190-191)

Here's another example: 

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned. This shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement. (Sura 5:33)

Concerning the Jews, the Hadith commands this of all Muslims:

The last hour (Judgement Day) will not come until the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims will kill them until the Jews will hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree will say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him. (Sahih Muslim 41:6985)

And so, who are the real radicals? Are they the ones who kill, destroy and maim in the name of Islam? Or, are they those who attempt to make peace with "infidels?" Those who make peace with non Muslims, or recognize any other religion besides Islam are considered apostates. By whom? By the Hadith that declares: "When a person who has reached puberty and is sane and voluntarily apostatizes from Islam, he deserves to be killed." (Reliance of the Traveler 8:1) 

Thus, there's no such thing as "radical Islam." There's either cultural Islam, or fundamental Islam. Cultural Islam is a way of life that's observed according to the customs and traditions of Islam. That includes observing such things as religious holidays, pilgrimages and the dietary laws according to that religion. However, a cultural Muslim generally doesn't take the Quran literally in most situations.

A fundamentalist lives strictly according to the teachings of the Quran. As such, a Muslim who kills in the name of Allah is merely being obedient to his religion. For example:

Those who disbelieve follow falsehood, while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord... So, when you meet (in fight Jihad in Allah's Cause), those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives)... If it had been Allah's will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight), in order to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost. (Sura 47:3-4)

Certainly, there's cultural and fundamental Christianity. However, cultural Islam is a lot closer to fundamental Islam than cultural Christianity is to fundamental Christianity. Why? Because the Quran and the Hadith are an integral part of cultural Islam, while the Bible--at least in such major sects as Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity--isn't integral to cultural Christianity.

What does that mean? That means that cultural Muslims are much closer to the Quran and the Hadith than cultural Christians are to the Bible. Why? Because for nearly 16 centuries, the Catholic Church discouraged her members from reading the Bible.

It wasn't until Vatican II (1962-1965) that the Catholic Church finally relented and permitted her members to read the Bible. However, the church issued a caveat that warned Catholics not to deviate from historic church teachings. Why? Because the Bible is often at odds with Roman Catholic teaching, especially concerning sanctification, salvation and eternal life.

Thus, cultural Islam is much closer to fundamental Islam than cultural Christianity is to fundamental Christianity. And that's why so many Muslims today are switching sides from culturalism to fundamentalism. They've been taught that they must conquer the world for Allah--by force if necessary--in order to establish a global caliphate and eradicate sin and moral depravity, of which the western world has become the leading exporter of.

Many young jihadists have come from cultural Islamic families that didn't take the Quran literally. But they do because they've been indoctrinated by fundamentalist clerics who are teaching that Allah has commanded them to murder all the Jews and eradicate apostasy from the planet. And the clerics have promised them heaven if they die fighting Allah's cause. In their minds, they have everything to gain by dying and nothing to lose.

What's the solution for this? Is it destroying ISIS, Islam's latest incarnation of global terrorism? Rather, the solution is twofold: (1) to preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world; "the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile," (Romans 1:16) and (2) to outlaw Islam and close down all mosques throughout the world.

Are those radical ideas? Is the second solution cruel and heartless? Then think of the multitudes of victims of the "Religion of Peace" who can no longer speak because they're buried in the ground. If they could come back and talk, I think I know what they'd tell us.