Recently, the grand mufti of Al-Azhar, the highest and most authoritative religious institution in Egypt, has issued a fatwa stating that he cannot declare Daesh non-Muslims. He has received a flurry of criticism and colorful comments due to his refusal to state that Daesh are outside the fold of Islam.
What came to mind amid reading and hearing this torrent of criticism, however, was a mixture of confusion and sympathy—yes, you read that right: sympathy. The declaration of Daesh as non-Muslims by some Muslims has led to accusations of employing the no true Scotsman fallacy in favor of Islam. The refusal to declare Daesh non-Muslims by the grand mufti of Al-Azhar has led to criticism of Islamic scholars on the grounds that they refuse to disavow extremism and extremists.
If I were a Muslim, I would be truly bewildered at this status quo. On the one hand, it seems tempting to renounce Daesh and those like them and label them non-Muslims. On the other hand, it is hard to dismiss the religious affiliation of these groups—after all, they and a lot of the supporters of terrorist organizations are self-identified Muslims who believe in the Shahada (the Islamic testimony of faith), pray, fast, and uphold the Qur'an as an all-encompassing constitution and code of conduct. The true dilemma here lies in whether or not the average, peaceful Muslim can call Daesh non-Muslims. Personally, I think recognizing them as Muslims while renouncing their actions is the most reasonable course of action, although this is only from my perspective as a non-believer. It seems inconsistent to me to dismiss them as non-Muslims and effectively deny that there are any problems with mainstream Islam that can lead to the rise of terrorist, violent organizations like Daesh and Al-Qaeda.
However, despite my personal stance on this issue, I also sympathize with the sentiments of the Muslims who call Daesh non-Muslims, at least to an extent. To those Muslims, Islam represents a paragon of peace, coexistence, and kindness. Within this context, any violent, hateful, or inhumane person would logically be outside the realm of Islam. One could argue that it is necessary to recognize the likes of Daesh and Al-Qaeda as Muslims to begin addressing the problems befalling mainstream Islam, but there is little question that one would be hard-pressed to argue that labeling them non-Muslims necessarily reflects support for extremism, even tacit support.
I do not envy the average Muslim who has to grapple with this dilemma. In either case, he or she will be criticized either as being dismissive of problems with mainstream Islam or as being unwilling to renounce extremists and extremism. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
What came to mind amid reading and hearing this torrent of criticism, however, was a mixture of confusion and sympathy—yes, you read that right: sympathy. The declaration of Daesh as non-Muslims by some Muslims has led to accusations of employing the no true Scotsman fallacy in favor of Islam. The refusal to declare Daesh non-Muslims by the grand mufti of Al-Azhar has led to criticism of Islamic scholars on the grounds that they refuse to disavow extremism and extremists.
If I were a Muslim, I would be truly bewildered at this status quo. On the one hand, it seems tempting to renounce Daesh and those like them and label them non-Muslims. On the other hand, it is hard to dismiss the religious affiliation of these groups—after all, they and a lot of the supporters of terrorist organizations are self-identified Muslims who believe in the Shahada (the Islamic testimony of faith), pray, fast, and uphold the Qur'an as an all-encompassing constitution and code of conduct. The true dilemma here lies in whether or not the average, peaceful Muslim can call Daesh non-Muslims. Personally, I think recognizing them as Muslims while renouncing their actions is the most reasonable course of action, although this is only from my perspective as a non-believer. It seems inconsistent to me to dismiss them as non-Muslims and effectively deny that there are any problems with mainstream Islam that can lead to the rise of terrorist, violent organizations like Daesh and Al-Qaeda.
However, despite my personal stance on this issue, I also sympathize with the sentiments of the Muslims who call Daesh non-Muslims, at least to an extent. To those Muslims, Islam represents a paragon of peace, coexistence, and kindness. Within this context, any violent, hateful, or inhumane person would logically be outside the realm of Islam. One could argue that it is necessary to recognize the likes of Daesh and Al-Qaeda as Muslims to begin addressing the problems befalling mainstream Islam, but there is little question that one would be hard-pressed to argue that labeling them non-Muslims necessarily reflects support for extremism, even tacit support.
I do not envy the average Muslim who has to grapple with this dilemma. In either case, he or she will be criticized either as being dismissive of problems with mainstream Islam or as being unwilling to renounce extremists and extremism. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
