Rules of engagement in war of ideas against Jihadists

   Third part: Aspects of war of ideas : 4  Weapons of war of ideas                                                                                                                             

Chapter 4     Weapons of war of ideas                                                                                                                             

(1 ) Weapon of Fatwa 

Fatwa is a unique weapon in field of war of ideas. It is only in Muslim culture as Islam has its real Islamic Jurisprudence and Muslims have different Shareeah that interfere in the daily life of Muslim people. It is needed to ask Muslim scholars many questions that cover all the details of life. Answering these questions means (Fatwa). One who is qualified to issue fatwa must be knowledgeable by his writings and lectures to have the trust and the credit from the masses, or has PhD from Al Azhar or any Muslim seminary to be officially qualified for this rank. I got my PhD from al Azhar in 1980.

Religious Muslims usually obey and apply the fatwa comes from the sheikh they respect. Some sheikhs make this fatwa as a means of living, some use it to support the dictators they serve ans some use their fatwa for their political agenda. The fanatic sheikhs usually use their fatwa in calling for killing their opponents and in terrorist random killings. All the terrorist action is applied by fatwa, while our fatwas help in stopping many of them as thousands of the Quranists used to be fanatic Muslims, then they converted to be peaceful Quranist Muslim scholars.

Before the Quranists, the field was open to the fanatic sheikhs who monopolized Muslim mentality and controlled their religious daily life. By the Quranists and the free internet, the fanatic sheikh have a big problem. They are too ignorant to refute the Quranists who prove the contradiction between the Sunni Salafi Shareeah and Islam. In the same time, they are too ignorant to give update fatwas that match our time because they depend only on the old scholars who lived and died in the middle ages, knowing nothing about the problem of time. The Quranists have the ability to give fatwas update our time. Having no argument against us, the only available way is to issue fatwas calling for killing us. This proves their failure.

Islamic fatwa
Pure Islam was applied only in the time of the Prophet Mohammed, but was mostly distorted because of the Arab Muslim empires and their bloody medieval culture.
The Wahabis have restored that culture in our time, giving Islam a notorious name. The fanatic fatwa reflects this Wahabi bloody culture. To recognize pure Islam, you have to read the Arabic Quran according to its terminology, and then you will understand Islam as the religion of peace, tolerance, justice, the unlimited freedom of speech and belief and pluralism.
(A)
According to the Quran, Islam means “Submission to God alone and Peace in the world.” This is why Allah, has sent the final prophet Mohammed with the Quran to be a mercy for all the mankind. [21/107] .
Hundreds of verses in the Quran confirm that God wants all people to believe in Him alone, the only God, and to submit themselves to Him only, but He gives them the total freedom of choice to believe or to disbelieve. They will be questioned by God only on the Day of Judgment concerning their belief and deeds. No one in this world has the authority to judge anyone else on his belief.
(B)
God has created mankind in many different ethnicities and cultures but they belong to one father and one mother. God says: “O mankind, we have created you from male and female and we made you into nations and tribes in order to recognize each other. Surly, the best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous. God is omniscient, cognizant.”[49/13].
This Quranic verse clarifies that:
1- All of us belong to the same father and mother, so we are brothers and sisters and equals as human beings regardless of the color, race, money, power and gender.
2- Coming from different nations and being different peoples and tribes give us the opportunity to recognize each other, not to fight each other. To recognize each other we need peaceful coexistence.
3- This Quranic verse clarifies the difference between two important values: equality and justice. Sometimes extreme equality establishes injustice. Suppose all of us are equal in this life and equal also in the paradise of the Day of Judgment regardless of our different deeds in this life? Then it will be wrong to make equality between the criminal and his victim.
God says: “Shall we treat those who believe and do righteous works like those who corrupt the earth? Shall we treat the righteous like the wicked?” [38/28] In the Quran, equality is supported by justice. Here in this verse, we are equal in this world as human beings regardless of the differences of color, race, culture, family, money, gender or anything else. But we are not equal in terms of our good or bad deeds and behavior. The delinquent is not equal to the diligent in the same work, and the criminal is not equal to his victim in the court. This is in our life. The real justice will be in Day of Judgment where the Almighty God will judge among the human beings according to their deeds and belief, not according to their race, culture and wealth. So God says in this verse: “The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous.”
4- God only is the One who will identify the righteous people, because He is only the One who knows the innermost thoughts and secrets of every human being, so the verse says: “the best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous. God is omniscient, cognizant.”
5- So, the believer in this world is prevented from claiming this character to him, or to make it business and religious trade. God says: “Do not exalt yourselves; He is aware of the righteous.” [53 /32].
(C)
God said to the Prophet Mohammed and all Muslims and the Jews and Christians: “We have decreed statutes and methods for each of you. Had God willed, He could have made you one nation. But He thus puts you in test, according to what He has given you. So, you should compete towards the good deeds. To God is your ultimate return, then He will inform you of every thing you disputed” [5/48] .
Here there is pluralism inside the real holy messages, but this pluralism is to make Muslims and Christians and Jew competing each other in the way of righteousness, not in the way of fanaticism and bigotry. For example in establishing peace and advocating the high values and saving the needy and the poor.
Generally, competition in Islam is controlled by cooperation in doing the good deeds only as God says: “And you shall cooperate with one another in righteousness and pity, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” [5/2].
God says “Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians and the converts, any of them who believe in God and the last day, and lead a righteous life, shall have their reward with their Lord, and they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.” [2/62] Read also [5/69].
The real religion of God is to believe in Him alone and in the Day of Judgment and to maintain a righteous life. Anyone who does this will go to paradise regardless of his affinity.
Those different sects have different houses in which they worship God. According to the Quran, all these religious houses should have respect and immunity. God Says: “If it were not for God’s setting up of some people against others, synagogues, churches, houses of prayers and mosques; where God’s names is commemorated frequently; would have been destroyed” [22/40]. This verse talks about Jihad in Islam indicating one of its purposes, not only to defend your country but also to defend all the houses of prayers for all the believers regardless of their different names.
The Islamic fatwa must reflect these Islamic values. The fanatic fatwas reflect the bloody Sunni Shareeah.

My experience in dealing with the fanatic Fatwa:

 1-Islamic Jihad of self defense does not need fatwa or religious justification, because it is acceptable as a high human value to defend yourself if you are wrongly attacked. The extreme Jihad needs this justification, and it is usually issued by verdicts or fatwa, to be applied by those who believe in those Sheikhs and their dogmas.

2- So, we have here two kinds of extremist, the sheikhs and their assistants who issue the fatwa and publish it, then the criminals who apply it by killing the people. Those criminal who applies the fatwa and kill the people is really victim also, because the sheikh and his assistant convinced him - by their fatwa - to do it as a jihad.

3- In my researches, books and lectures and speeches I usually issue fatwas that confirm the peaceful face of Islam, and proving the contradiction between Islam and the Salafi Wahaby religious culture and jurisprudence. It is my fatwas against theirs. Being unable to discuss all the Quranic verses I usually bring as prove in my fatwas, they accused me to be the enemy of Islam and apostate to encourage any terrorist to kill me.

4- In 1987, I used to give lectures in the mosques proving Islam as the religion of peace, tolerance, justice, democracy and human rights, and proving also that the so – called Sunna has the culture of fanaticism and terrorism. I was arrested with more than 40 peaceful scholars. While we were in the prison, the Egyptian media published the fatwas accused us to be fanatic enemies of Islam to encourage the fanatics inside the prison to kill us. Then we were released, but the Media continued insulting us by these fatwas, so I had to escape to the U.S for about ten months to save my life. Then I had to return back to Egypt to be beside my sons because they were so scared.

5-  In 1992, the Fanatics of Egypt committed many crimes against the peaceful Egyptian Christians, and threatened most of the secular intellectuals. So, I and my friend Dr. Farag Fouda worked together to establish a new political party named the Future Party , to defend the Egyptian Christians and to confirm the equality between all Egyptians regardless of religion. One week after the announcement of the new party and the indication of its approval, the fanatic issued their famous fatwa calling for the death of Farag Fouda and me, accusing us to be apostates and the fanatic enemies of Islam. Five days after publishing this fatwa Farag Fouda was assassinated in front of his office and his young child was with him, he was shot also, but survives after long treatment in the hospital.

6- The fanatic in the trial defended the two criminals saying that Farag Fouda was apostate and should be killed by any one as long as the government did not execute him. According to their jurisprudence, fanatics believe that anyone who converts from Islam should be killed. This punishment used to be applied in the middle ages, and is still applied in the Saudi Kingdom and Iran. The Egyptian Muslim fanatics are calling to apply this penalty in Egypt. Killing Farag Fouda and the trial of his killers was their opportunity to confirm this punishment to apply it by them against anyone who might dare to discuss them. It will be easy to issue a verdict or fatwa against him then he will be killed by any one anytime anywhere. This will terrify any one. The only one who could face them in that time was me. So, I published many articles proving that Islam is the religion of the unlimited freedom of belief and speech in the field of faith, and the religion of peace in the field of human rights.  On the weekly forum of the Egyptian  literary Najeeb Mahfouz in which we –Farag Fouda and me used to attend -Many intellectuals asked me to write a book refuting this killing of apostate, I did, and it was my book [the Penalty of apostasy] in 1993, which was published four times and translated into English language.

7 -Until 1994, the weekly open forum of Najeeb Mahfouz used to be held on the Nile every Friday after noon, to discuss the fanatic crimes. Najeeb Mahfouz is the only Arabic writer who wins the Noble prize, born in 1911. The fanatics threatened us not to attend his forum, but we insisted. Then a campaign against Najeeb Mahfouz began ordering him to repent because his novel [Awlad Haretna] or [the sons of our neighbors] has many heresies. This novel was issued forty years before and he was given Noble Prize for it. I wrote article in the monthly magazine [Al Kahera] or [Cairo] accusing them to commit the character assassination against Najeeb Mahfouz to encourage someone to kill him as it happened in the case of Farag Fouda. Six months after that campaign, Najeeb Mahfouz was stabbed in his neck in front of his home on October 14, 1994. The criminal confessed that he never read anything of Najeeb Mahfouz, but he was convinced to kill him by the Fatwa of the sheikhs in that campaign.

8 -From 1995 I worked with Dr. Sa’ad El Deen Ibraheem in his Ibn Khaldoun Center, moderating its weekly forum, and conducting the researches in my Islamic fields. In 1998-1999 we had a project to reform the Egyptian education to refine it from the fanatic dogmas, and another project to teach Egyptians their political rights. Because of those two projects, many fatwas issued against us, and many of my family members and Quranic trends were arrested, Dr. Sa’ad himself was arrested and the center was shut down, and I had to escape to the U.S for the second time leaving my sons behind.

Because of those fatwas or verdicts, bloodsheds are going on in Algeria, in the Middle East and now in the Saudi Kingdom itself which is punished now by its weapons. Those Fatwas were issued and published on line as the same way of this case

 So, we are using the (Weapon of fatwa) on line in our Ahl Al Quran web site against fanatics in Arabic  and English:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/show_fatwa.php?main_id=795

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/fatawa.php

And we wrote this concept proposal to wage (on line war) against fanatics.

(2) Weapon of internet

Sample of concept proposal

On line War of Ideas

I.                 Introduction:

The International Quranic Center, a 501c3 committed to articulating a vision of Islam as an inclusive and peaceful religion has established a website -- Ahl-alquran website (www.ahl-alquran.com) -- that has become a serious participant in the international debate about the future of Islam. IQC is the platform lead by Sheikh Ahmed Subhy Mansour, whose articulation of the Quran and writings have become the foundations of an enlightened view of Islam and its role in the religions of the world.

The majority of the Moslem people are left to the dominating influence of Aljazeera and other media institutions that promote fanatic ideas and hostility towards the west. This is not only taking place through satellite, but also through the internet. According to Alexa.com (the world largest ranking website engine) Aljazeera website is the first and the most read website over the Muslim world particularly, and among the first 500 websites all over the world generally. Furthermore, Islam online, the sister website, is among the first 800 in traffic rank over the internet. Both websites provide constant support for the Wahabi tradition and its militant leaders, by ideologically supporting their jihadist crusade in Iraq and elsewhere.

The Grouped States, the wealthiest nation in the world, is losing this “war of Ideas” against terrorism, according to the former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld himself. The Grouped States, who has previously managed to win the cold war against the Soviet Union through media and propaganda, is losing miserably in this encounter. The reason for that is that Americans lack the ideological, cultural, and historical backgrounds of the Wahabists terrorism phenomena. They are unable to reach out for Muslims through their own

II.                 Objectives of the project:

a.      Analyze, Detect, and fight the extremist culture of terrorism inside the US and abroad

Before you launch a war against someone, you need to know who your real enemy is. There should be a clear understanding of who is who in this “war of ideas” in order for any success to be perceived in this war. 

The so- called moderate Muslims in the Saudi Kingdom and the Gulf States usually deceive the West and the U.S by their principle of Taqeyya (using double faces). They believe in Ben Laden as the Holly Sheikh Mujahid , the sincere Muslim who devotes his life for Al Jihad. This belief in Ben Laden comes from the basic belief in the Sunni Wahabi religion which divides the World into two camps: Their so- called Islamic camp and the camp of war (Dar El Salam Wa Dar Al Harb). They believe that they must fight the West (Camp of war, camp of infidels).

The difference between Ben Laden and the so- called moderate Muslims is just in details. The Saudis want to invade the U.S, and the West smoothly and peacefully using Islamic centers and mosques making them the fifth column inside America and the West. These mosques and Islamic Sunni schools are preaching Wahhabism in the name of Islam and making their best in converting the Americans and the Westerns to Islam in its Sunni Wahhabi vision. Since the late 1970’s the Saudi leaders built hundreds of mosques and Islamic centers in the U.S and the Saudi fund has infiltrated many Islamic and Arabic departments in the American universities to keep them away from discussing the Wahhabism. 

Ben Laden in that time was working in Afghanistan with American against the communist regime. The Saudi dream was to defeat the Soviet Union by the American help, then in two decades America itself will become Muslim country as the Wahhabi mosques and schools and fund are using the American values of freedom of belief and freedom of speech in preaching the Wahhabism in the American soil. By this way, they will accomplish the final triumph which was predicted in their secret sacred old scriptures.

By the end of the war in Afghanistan, Ben laden has chosen his way frankly in attacking the West and the U.S according to the sacred Sunni Jihad which is based on a false saying was attributed to the Prophet Mohammed two centuries after his death. This saying is: “I was commanded to fight all the peoples until they testify that I am the messenger of God). This saying was fabricated to justify to the Muslims in that time attacking the other nations. The Sunni Wahhabists have restored it in our time along with all the Middle aged tradition to attack the West and the U.S and to master and rule the entire Muslim World in this international war against the Jews and the Christians as it is manifested in the Sunni tradition as a sign of the end of the world.

So, all of them have the same belief, no real difference between the frank terrorists like Ben Laden and the so-called moderate leaders in the Saudi Kingdom, Gulf States and the Muslim Brothers. The only difference is in the tactics. Actually the so- called moderate Sunni are more dangerous than the frank terrorist Ben Laden.

b.      Understanding the culture behind terrorism and fighting it from inside Isla:

After answering the question of whom, the question of what needs to be fundamentally cleared. There should be decisive understand of the major facts in the extremist belief in order to know how to fight it.

According to their Sunni jurisprudence, they have to give Ben Laden %10 of their oil income yearly. The true believers in Ben laden ask for %50 of the new oil prices that the Gulf States get because this new high profits come because of  many changes happened by Ben Laden, so they should reward him for this new additional income. The very rich people in the Saudi Crown family and the Saudi State and other Gulf states usually give Ben Laden this right in( Zakat ) as an Islamic obligation for the true Mujahid of Islam.

The other Gulf States have their own reasons to satisfy, please and appease Ben Laden; otherwise he and his followers will destroy the splendid towns and the prosperity of these Gulf States. That is why the famous Aljazeera T.V channel is controlled by partisans of Ben Laden.

It is said in some Arabic sites that Ben Laden is living secretly in the Grouped Emirates. May be it is not true, but it reflects the real religious, political and economical relationships that unite them together against the U.S and the West.

c.       Incorporate Muslim moderates who struggle against the Wahabists monopoly over the Internet in the US administration’s effort to promote the American Image in the Muslim world

There is a great need to use the right credible people who are able to achieve your goals.

The recent news in the Arab media shows that “Al Qaeda calls media to an open debate.” [1] Al Qaeda is handling directly and openly the war of ideas by its master mind, Ayman Al Zawahery. This comes along with other news confirm that Al Qaeda is active now in North Africa and has established its secret groups in England. It is clear that the U.S is the next target. What does not appear in the Arabic news is more dangerous.

This explained why Al Qaeda and the other fanatics Muslims are successfully waging this war of ideas in Arabic language against the U.S, and the Jews. They are also doing their best in brainwashing the majority of the Muslims around the world. There is actually another reason in their success, given to them free by The U.S itself. It is painful to say that the Americans know a lot about the Iraqi oil, but they know a little about the Iraqi people. That is why they have this problem, not only in Iraq but also in the entire Muslim and Arabic World. It is 90 % war of ideas but America is fighting it by its military.  In the same times, America ignores the Quranists; the brave professional soldiers in this soft war of ideas, who are eager to serve the U.S, saving billions of money and thousands of lives.

The International Quranic Center was established in 2006 to comprise a worldwide network of Muslim reformers who are dedicated to fighting terrorism ideologically by analyzing their literature and showing its contradiction to the letter and spirit of the Quran. The founder of the center, Dr. Mansour, is an internationally respected and distinguished scholar of the Quran with expertise in Islamic history, culture, theology and politics.  His interpretation of Islam offers a fact-based understanding of the letter and spirit of the Quran and its systematic application in a manner that enhances the values of democracy and religious tolerance. 

America is under this new kind of war; war of ideas. It has to deal with Islam and Muslim all this new century. America has to be the super power in the Arabic war of ideas. It is not a big challenge because America has the Quranists in its side. The center can convince the fanatics by using the fanatic tradition against them. It is not hard to convince the Arabic majority that their real enemy is not Israel or America but the fanatic terrorists and the dictators. The Quranist Muslims can do all this if they have the U.S support and protection.

III.               Program Approach:

What can the Quranists do in defending the American image in the Arab Muslim World?

The Quranists have many of proposals in mind to help answering this question. This includes but not limited to: 

1) Leading an effort to convince the Islamic world to accept Universal Declaration of Human Rights as Islamic law according to the real core of Islam: By doing so, these resolutions could be the main source of legislation in Muslim countries instead of Islamic Jurisprudence, which actually means the fanatic Wahhabi legislations.

2) Leading an effort to reform Al Azhar of Egypt: Al Azhar is the oldest and the most prestigious university in the entire Islamic world. It is “the Vatican” and the religious authority of the entire Muslim Sunni world. Al Azhar currently is upholding Wahhabism and the bloody culture of Muslim Brothers and Hamas. Reforming it from within Islam, means we can terminate the main source of the violent culture of Wahhabism.

4) Establishing a school for research in the U.S to discuss the sacred secret side of the Muslim tradition. This can take the form of a high institute in which the open minded American Muslim will be graduated to work as (Imams) for American Muslims in prisons, navy, army and other agencies. The U.S agencies have to get Imams form the fanatic Wahhabi organizations like (Cair, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), or (ISNA: Islamic Society of North America). Those fanatic Wahhabi Imams reflect the same mentality of (CAIR and ISNA). It is the time to have an American high institute that educates the American Muslims to reform the American mosques and the so- called Islamic schools and to make them defend America in the name of Islam.

5) Leading an effort to reform the Islamic mosques and the so- called Islamic schools in the U.S.

Some would say: The Americans are not qualified to this kind of war. In the same times, it is not legal for the Americans to interfere in the religious fields.

Actually,this field of war of ideas needs very high qualified Arab Muslim scholars. They must be knowledgeable in the Arabic language which has many levels and different terms especially in the traditional field of the war of ideas. They must be professionals in Islam, The Holy Quran, Muslim Tradition and history and all the minute Muslim sects and cults and the other secret sacred side of the Wahhabism. They must also have this history and background in waging this war of ideas against the fanatic Muslims and have the commitment to continue it as their own peaceful Jihad. Finally, they must be pro-American sincere Muslims who believe in Islam as the religion of peace, tolerance, justice, freedom of belief and Speech, which is the mission of the Quranists.

We are the qualified Muslims to do it. We are Muslims, we are not official agency. We are doing it as free Muslim reformers. The Wahhabists have hundreds of Islamic centers here working as the fifth column against America, what about other Muslims who are willing to defend America?

Our international Quranic Center will do this mission as an independent Muslim center in the U.S. 

IV.               Program’s Activities:

This program has four activities:

1.      Survey Group:

The mission of this group is to survey all the Arabic sites on line and sort them out in different categories.  The group will begin by establishing the criteria that define each site and divide them accordingly. The Arab religious sites have different kinds of moderate and fanatic sites and others in between. They are also having different sects and cults and many lines inside each. It is very important to define the differences between the frank sites belong to Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, and the so – called moderate sites, which are more dangerous than Al Qaeda because it have two discourses.

There are also the fanatic secular sites. They are owned by communists and leftists and the Arab fanatic nationalists who are against America and Israel. There are some Arabic sites that are owned by ex- communists who become Muslim brothers. Their discourse is not pure religious but it is strong and very active in fabricating lies and rumors to tarnish the American image.

Finally, there are neutral Arabic sites and other sites which have not decided its goals.

This first group makes this survey and continues its work dealing with any new Arabic site appears on line, and updates the new sites and the new changes inside the famous sites. This group has to educate other group the criterion that defines the fanatic terrorist Arabic website, the different categories of the fanatic Arabic websites according to this definition, the possibility of getting information about the terrorists from these websites and the professional high tech used in these websites.

2. Investigation Group:

The mission of this group is to investigate the entire fanatic and the so – called moderate Muslim sites.  There are websites seems to be moderates, have nothing to do with the political discourse, concentrating on the religious issues only. For the ordinary Muslim, they seem just religious websites, so they have a millions of partisans. Actually, they are the most dangerous sites. They use the religious tradition to prepare the ordinary Muslim to be fanatic, and then he may become suicide bomber after that.

The most famous moderate web site is Islam online, owned and controlled by Sheikh Al Qaradawy, the spiritual leader of Muslim Brothers. This so – called Moderate Sheikh has a famous bloody fatwa calling to kill all American civilians in Iraq. It is a must to face it and to analyze it.

The Saudis have the biggest number of the fanatic web sites in different discourses. There are the official sheikhs who attack Ben Laden and defending the Saudi Kingdom while they are upholding the same faith and same belief of Ben Laden. There are the sites of some Sheikhs like Salman Al Ouda and Safar Al Hawaly who were against the Saudi regime and put in prison, then were released in one condition: not to attack the Saudi State. Accordingly, they ignore the Saudi policy but focus on attacking the West and the U.S and encouraging the terrorists every where.

Other Saudi oppositions in London have their own websites attacking the Saudi family and the U.S together and encouraging the war against the West. Al Mas’ary and Al Fakeeh are good example for this category. London has many other fanatic Muslims who have famous web sites attacking the Arabic regimes and the U.S and the West. Many of these fanatic websites talk in behalf of Ben Laden, while some of them attack Ben Laden but preaching the same bloody religious culture of Ben Laden but in different tunes and different accents.

All of this jungle of sites has to be investigated thoroughly in order to analyze all the details, especially how they brainwash the young Muslims and prepare them to be suicide bombers, how they recruit them, and how they raise fund, and how to face them.

3.      Fatwas Groups

This group is going to be specialized in the new kind of the war of ideas (war of Fatwa).  Fatwa is the religious verdict said by the high leveled Muslim scholars in the past, or in our time. The fatwa controls the daily life of the religious Sunni or Shiites Muslims. The fanatic Wahhabists and Shiites are using the fatwa calling for violence in the name of the Islamic Jihad, so, by their fatwa many of Muslims become suicide bombers. The fatwa issued by Al Qaradawy to kill the civilian Americans in Iraq has encouraged many of the so- called moderate Sunni Muslims to fight all the Americans and it has also endangered the American lives in any Muslim country.

This group (Squad of Fatwa attack) has to face this war of fatwa in many ways, includes, but not limited on:

·         Discuss the fanatic fatwas proving the contradiction between them and the Islamic laws.

·         Prove the contradiction between Islam and the sacred Sunni and Shiites scriptures of the Middle Ages, which are the resources of the fatwas for the fanatic sheikhs in our time.

·         Writing articles to ridicule these old and recent fatwas.

·         Prove and highlight the contradictions among the fanatic fatwas, using the continuous debate among the old Imams, and also the same dispute among the sheikhs of our time. This will undermine their credit.

·         Issuing a real Islamic fatwas that excommunicate Ben Laden, his people and the so – called moderate as well.

·         Prove the other side of the fanatic Shiekhs who seem saints while they are corrupted and very mean. This will undermine their fatwas.

·         Restore the old Fatwas of the respectable open minded Muslim scholars in the middle ages which contradict the fanatic Imams and their fatwas.

·         Some official sheikhs give fatwas to justify the political interests of the regime. This is usually done specially in all Muslim World, especially in the Saudi Kingdom and Egypt. This reflects the enmity between these regimes and Muslim Brothers. So, so – called moderate sheikhs have to issue fatwas to condemn some terrorist crime done by Ben Laden and others. These temporary fatwas contradict other fatwas they issued and contradict the old fatwas of their old sacred imams of the middle ages. The group can use this in fighting them back.

4.      Daily Guards Groups:

This group will search all the Arabic sites to defend America. Some of this team will comment on every thing said about America to clear the American image. Other will write article to support the American policy. They will prove that the real enemy to the Arabs and Muslims are not the U.S and Israel. It is the local dictators and the fanatic Wahhabists and Muslim Brothers. They will also make a comparison between the American values and the Arabic Muslim dictators, and how the American Muslim Community enjoys the freedom of belief and speech in America while there is no freedom in the Muslim World. They also will prove to the Muslim World that the American values are the same original Islamic values of justice, freedom and tolerance and loving humanity. This does not mean the American foreign policy has not big mistakes. It has but they are brave enough to admit it and correct it while every Muslim dictator punishes any one who dares to oppose him.

5.      Also:

The Center proposes also these five program activities in order to achieve its goals:

1- Creating a formal permanent committee to supervise this online war.

2- Establishing many active websites to serve in this war.

3- Recruiting and organizing the secular and other open minded Arab scholars and their web sites to be in our side against the terrorism.

4- Establishing new Muslim generation of advocates who will be specialized in this online war.

5- Translating and countering the Arabic fanatic websites to the Americans policy makers.

(3) Weapon of TV channel

Sample of concept proposal

Distinctive Production Company of TV Programming for “Freedom” Channel

Introduction:

The Company’s Goal: To produce a program that achieves:

1.      Reform and Introducing Reform by education

2.      Improving the Image of America in the Arab World

3.      Genuine competition to Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel.

The scope of these programs is in the following areas:

First: Reform:

1.      Constitutional Reform:

Approximately 200 45-minute episodes are suggested.

This starts with introductory episodes about the history of struggle to achieve the constitution and the condition of the first constitutions in the Arab region. Also, it will discuss the developments that emerged from the current constitutions. It will include a detailed discussion of each constitution one article at a time to demonstrate those that are no longer valid and what can be added. A comparison between the Arab constitutions and the western ones will be conducted. This will propose an Arabic constitution to be the base for a modern and democratic state in which checks and balances prevail. This constitution shall be a foundation for establishing the human rights and citizenship in the presence of a free press and speech. This will also prevent any attempt to override the constitution or create special laws without good reason. It will define the role of the military establishment in protecting the law and citizens and support the laws of autonomy and the local councils. This will prohibit special tribunes of any kind and using military courts for civil trials. It will outlaw the torture and make it a crime that will not be negated by the expiration status. Mostly, it will prohibit the establishment of religious authority and the clergymen from interfering in the governmental and political affairs.

2.      Reforming Al-Azhar:

Approximately 200 45-minute episodes are suggested.

To reform the Arabs and the Egyptians, it is imperative to reform Al-Azhar. To do so, it is essential to reform Al-Azhar basic law and its educational programs.

Al-Azhar is the oldest educational institution in the world. It is over a thousand years old. It includes seven universities in Egypt and it has its own educational system from the elementary level to the Secondary level. Al-Azhar wields huge authority on the religious life in Egypt from the mosques to the religious and educational programs in press and drama. It is as the Vatican status for one and quarter billion people.

The clergymen in the USA and the west come from Al-Azhar. Its culture is the one that is influential in these societies. Currently, Al-Azhar is under the influence of the extremist Wahhabi culture. So, it has a huge role in spreading extremism in the world. In reforming Al-Azhar, it is possible to halt and eliminate the danger of extremism. The start shall be in the form of preliminary episodes about Al-Azhar historical role in Egypt and the Arab world. Also, to include the reform movements in 150 years and why it ceased to exist. Episodes will discuss the development that carried out by late Nasser to reform Al-Azhar and why it ceased and Al-Azhar remained with its cultural syllables without reforms and how the Wahhabis took over through the Sadat-Brotherhood alliance. After that, a discussion can be conducted for the required reform on both legal and methodological levels. As far as the legal aspect is concerned, the discussion of Al-Azhar law (Number 103/1961) would be conducted on the basis of developing the positive articles and eradicating the ones that do not match modernization and reform.

The executive order that issued by Sadat shall be discussed. This order emerged as prejudiced, backward and allows Al-Azhar to interfere in the freedom of speech and thinking.

The discussion of the laws that give Al-Azhar graduates special privileges shall be explored in demand for change. One of these laws is the one that allow Al-Azhar clergy to retire at the age of 65 while the rest of the civil servants at 60. This is unfair and unconstitutional. By equating Al-Azhar clergy with the rest of the State civil servants, it will be possible to furlough a whole generation of extremists between 60 and 75 years old who are a stepping-stone in the way of reform.

Currently, the educational process at Al-Azhar and at the graduate level produces generations of ignorant graduates. Promotions depend on the professor’s opinion that is keen to make his student more ignorant than him. These processes need to be discussed and new regulations to be adopted for promotions and research. These should be under the supervision of neutral committees formed from professors outside Al-Azhar in order to graduate adequate Masters and PhD holders. In addition to the legal and rules issues, there come the education syllables. These can be explained as follows:

A full revision for the educational syllabuses in Al-Azhar of all levels is needed. This shall concentrate on the reform of the religious, interpretation, narrations, biography, history and belief items. At the university level emphasis shall be on the faculties of the religion fundamentals, legislations, Islamic studies and history.

Alternative syllabuses at all levels shall be proposed based on this revision exercise. These alternatives shall shed the light on true meaning of Islam including democracy, human rights, justice and absolute freedom in belief and the opposition of the terror and extremist intellect.

Also, a legal revision for the rest of Al-Azhar establishments, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Religious Decree Committee and the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs is required. The objective is to make Al-Azhar the citadel that protects the human rights and the freedom of religion. Also, the other objective is to make Al-Azhar the patron of spreading the culture of tolerance and peaceful relationship among sects and religions.

3.      Reforming Higher Education in the Arab World starting with Egypt

The education in the Arab World is suffering from the Wahhabi influence. Not only in the historical and religious material but also in the methodology of education itself. This methodology is based on recital and retention without innovation and invention. Even the concept of “fabrication” is not accepted religiously. Reforming education in the Arab World requires continuous episodes that deal with the following example:

a.      Concepts Correction:

The Wahhabi medieval affected the common syllabuses that form the mentality of the students. Some of the concepts that need to be discussed are: fabrications, Sunnah, Islam, infidel, Shiite, Sufis, Moslem Brotherhood, Wahhabism, Jihad, education, people of the book, Jews, Israelites, Christians, dictation/eradication and several hundreds more of these concepts. These concepts have different perception and interpretation based on the sects and groups. However, the most dominant perception of all these concepts is the Wahhabi one. So, it is required to discuss these concepts and show the original Quranic meaning of them and how these concepts were modified through history and dominated by the Wahhabi interpretation as we see now. It is imperative to cleanse these concepts to match the principles of human rights, democracy and justice and deploy them in the essence of the civil education.

b.      Reforming the Religious Education Material:

It’s imperative to clarify the elements of extremism that encourages terrorism and the hate of the other who is different in belief, sect, sex and national origin. This is in addition to the disrespect of the women.

c.       Deploy alternative religious syllabuses that emphasize the human rights and democracy:   

This would lead to the abandonment of the beliefs that are controversial and leads into the freedom of religion and the respect of the right of every human being to choose his religion. It is an emphasis on human rights, freedom of belief, justice, peace, compassion, bravery and pardon.

d.      Reforming the History Material:

The current material concentrates on the Moslems’ positives and makes the Prophet companions sacred in addition to the important leaders. It prevents the discussion in their negatives or their roles in the civil strive. So, it is important to introduce new material that based on subjective discussion and discusses all the historical events.

The reform would be extended to the contemporary Arab history in the second half of the twentieth century. In these materials, it praises the founding fathers of the governing regimes and curses their opponents locally and internationally. They represent an unfair image of the west and non-Moslems. They are not fair to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the history of Jews in the Arab World. The alternative syllabuses need to be based on facts without camouflage.

e.       Reforming the National Education Material:

This is a brainwashing material for the students to enhance the image that the ruling regime represents the country and the ruler represents the people. An alternative syllabus is needed that emphasizes the human rights, the citizenship and the minorities’ rights. The alternative would enhance the justice and tolerance instead of consolidating the tyranny of the ruling regime.

f.        Discussion of the International Human Rights Charters in the Light of Islam:

The ironic thing is that the International charters of human rights are the closest human scripts to the Islamic law in Qur’an that had been distorted by the Moslems’ sects. It is sad to point out that the Saudi Wahhabism and Shiite rule in Iran and all the secular constitutions in Egypt and other countries are farthest from the Qur’an charter.

It is also, ironic that the Arab rulers and their opposition from Moslem Brotherhood are rejecting the International charters and treaties and stick with their rules that contrary to Islam under the Islamic banner. Clearly, their laws permit the oppression, corruption and persecution and the International ones are Islamic in essence.

This program shall provide discussions of all the articles of the International charters and treaties in the light of the true Quranic laws to prove that they are in synchronous with Islam. This will lead us to adopt the International Human Rights charters in the Arab constitutions or to replace the articles that state Islamic law is the source of legislation where the distorted Wahhabis and Shiites were meant to be their interpretation of Islamic Law that enhances corruption and totalitarianism.

4.      Legislative Reforms in the Arab World:

These reforms include the following:

a.      Reforming of the Elections Law in the Arab World:

The fairness and transparency of the elections need to be quarantined against forging. Also, the follow up on the election process from advertising to voting to votes counting and publishing the results. It is imperative to have an independent establishment to supervise the elections at all levels. The existence of international supervision is essential. Omission all the laws that facilitate the government control shall be abolished.

b.      Reforming the laws of Liberties:

These include the religious, civil, intellectual and civil liberties. This reform will prohibit the interference in the freedom of speech and opinion including religious and artistic aspects. Reforms will prohibit prosecution of the opinion or research in the fields of religion, intellect and politics and to decide the difference between free opinion and defaming without proof.

c.       Reforming the Criminal Law in the Arab legislation:

This reform will protect the individual’s rights in himself, his wealth and his honor. All the punishments that relate to the political , intellectual and religious activities shall be abolished. New laws shall be enacted that do not carry the possibility of double interpretation.

d.      Reforming the Islamic Societies in America:

1.      Reforming the mosque to defend America in the name of Islam

2.      Reforming the Islamic schools.

3.      Reforming the research centers of Islam in the American academia. This is essential to discuss Wahhabism and face its terrorism and extremism.

Second Reform: Here in the USA

This reform has two parts:

First: American Part:

This part depends on descriptive non-critique programs. It includes an informative description of America for the Arab viewer from old and contemporary history. Also, recognizing the American geography and philanthropy. This shall provide documentary movies after translating them to Arabic and give explanations suitable to the Arab viewer perception to satisfy his eagerness about the America: the dreamland.

Here are some details:

1.      The indigenous inhabitants of the new world and their origin.

2.      The old civilizations in the Americas before the Geographic expeditions.

3.      The original geographic explorations, their motives, Christopher Columbus, the Spanish expansion, European competition in settlements between Spain and Portugal, the French and English conflict and their competitions and wars with the indigenous populations, the importing of   Negros from Africa, the revolutionary War, Civil War, Monroe Doctrine, American social conflicts that gave women the right to vote and the civil rights movement, League of Nations, United Nations, Vietnam’s War, Iraq’s War,..etc.

4.      Major American landmarks such as the American Constitution, the Presidents, Type of Government, Congress, Supreme Court, Hollywood, economy, American society… and so on.

Second Part: Arab Americans:

This part concentrates on the Arab Americans and includes the following topics:

1.      The beginning of the Arab migration to USA and its relation with the Christian massacres in Levant in the middle of the 19^th century.

2.       The most dominate nationalities of Arab immigrants.

3.      Distinctive Arab intellectuals in America.

4.      Diaspora Arab poets in North & South America.

5.      The current distribution of Arab population in America.

6.      The Arab & Islamic Museums in America.

7.      The departments of Arabic & Islamic Studies in American Universities.

8.      American Embassies in the Arab countries and the Arab embassies in America.

9.      Type of visas for American entry.

10.  Lottery system.

11.  Immigration laws in America.

12.  The political and non-political asylum in USA and the chances of Arabs in them.

13.  Citizenship laws and its withdrawal.

14.  Is there persecution of Arabs & Moslems after September 11?

15.  Alien’s rights in America.

16.  Most famous Arab events and cases in America.

17.  Academic scholarships for Arabs in America.

18.  Summary of Arab news in America.

19.  The freedom of religion privileges for Arabs. 

20.  The famous rich Arabs in America.

21.  Arab politicians & princes living in America.

22.  The Arab students and their unions.

23.  The Arabic clubs.

24.  The Arab ethnic & sectarian concentrations (Egyptians, Syrians, etc).

25.  Arab refugees.

26.  Arab political refugees.

27.  Illegal Arab Aliens.

28.  Stories of Arabs obtaining US citizenship through marriage.

29.  Arab & Moslem cases in the international tribunes.

30.  Arab in American Jails.

31.  Moslems & Arabs in the US Armed Forces.

32.  Moslems & Arabs in the Congress.

33.  Arab delis and cafes.

34.  Upbringing of Arab children.

35.  The social acclimation of first and second Arab generations.

36.  Mixed marriages among Arabs and Americans, Moslems & non-Moslems.

37.  Marriage of Moslem Arab women to non-Moslem.

38.  Arab girls and American social habits (e.g. boyfriend).

39.  Head cover for Moslem women in America.

40.  Education of Arab Moslem children in private schools.

41.  Problems faced by the immigrant Arab families.

42.  Connection between Arab Americans and their relatives in their original countries.

43.  Arab celebrations.

44.  Arab cab driver interviewing a passenger.

45.  Most famous Arab newspapers/magazines.

46.  Churches converted to mosques.

47.  Christians converted to Islam and the rationale behind it.

48.  Arab relations with Jews in America.

49.  American dream in Arab conscience.

50.  The songs, movies and Arab channels available to the Arab communities.

51.  The Arab American visits to their original homes and their impressions.

52.  Bringing relatives to America.

53.  Difference between “Arab Town” and “China Town”.

54.  Differences between Arab communities and other communities (Africans, Chinese, Indians, etc)

55.  Are there differences between the Arab communities such as the Lebanese, Syrians, Egyptian, etc?

56.  The pilgrimage of the Arab Americans and their difficulties from Arab and American prospective.

57.  The beliefs and habits of Arab Americans such as Prophet Birthday celebration or Shiites Ashoora, Ramadan, in addition to social beliefs like weddings, circumcision and virginity.

The third subject: The Victims in the Arab World:

The sympathy of “al-Horrah” Freedom channel with the victims in the Arab World would increase its respect with the number of those victims and the sympathizers with them. The programs here are varieties depend upon the situation of the victims, for example:

·         The victims of torture in the police stations.

·         The victims of the psychological torture because of terrorism.

·         The victims of torture because of opinion and belief.

·         Victims of torture for no reason.

·         Most famous cases of torture.

·         Torture cases in courts.

·         Most famous accused torturers

·         Treatment of torture victims

·         Most famous Centers for treatment of torture victims.

·         Most famous websites that expose the torture practice.

·         Victims of false accusations

·         Victims of administrative detention.

·         Victims of employment dismissal.

·         Street children.

·         In-house victims: Housekeepers, wives, orphans.

·         Victims of medical malpractices (dirt, contaminated blood and medicine, organs trading, greed, massage for sexual advances and advantages, bribery, etc.)

·         Victims in rural and poor popular areas (contaminated infrastructures, poverty)

·         News of the Human Rights organizations

·         Interviews with the most human rights activists.

The Fourth Subject: Free Tour in the Arab Art:

Arab Cinema and Television

·         Discussion of Censorship in light of freedom of opinion.

·         Most distinctive victims of censorship of Arabic films.

·         Most famous Arab directors and analysis of their works.

·         Most famous stunts/extras.

·         Genius Arab actors disappeared early in their careers.

·         Famous Arab documents and their directors. 

·         Movies with history in the Arab Egyptian cinema.

·         Political opportunism in the Arab cinema.

·         Wahhabi effect on critique writing for Arab and Egyptian Cinema.

·         Egyptian cinema industry between the foreign production and Arab brilliance.

·         Brief history of Arab & Egyptian cinema.

·         Egyptian movies copied from Hollywood.

·         Is there a distinctive Egyptian or Arabic specialty for the Egyptian or the Arab cinema?

·         The Soviet and communist effect in the Egyptian cinema during Nasser’s reign.

·         The Jew’s image in the Egyptian cinema before and after 1952 revolution.

·         The Israeli-Arab conflict in the Arabic drama.

·         Most famous Arab comedians.

·         The western and American images in the American cinema.

·         Egyptian cinema between reform and popular satisfaction.

·         Egyptian movies that caused change in the Arab and Egyptian societies (Cairo 30, The Innocent, etc)

·         The image of the Coptic and the terrorist in the Egyptian cinema.

·         The influence of Wahhabism on the Arabic Drama and society.

·         The influence of the heritage of Islamic drama in spreading extremism and terror.

·         The methodology of the historical cultural drama and its superficial political handling in the TV works.

 The Fifth Subject: The Enlightened Arabic Heritage:

Regrettably, Wahhabism reverted the modern Arab and Moslem life back to the worst and bloodiest extreme dogmas and beliefs in the age of human rights and democracy. More regrettably, Wahhabis is a mere school of thoughts belongs to the Sunni sect. However, it monopolized not only the Sunni sect, but also the whole Islam and Moslems.

In fact, the medieval had witnessed many Islamic sects that were more civilized than the contemporary Wahhabism. There was a reform movement that called for human rights. It’s imperative to shed the light on such movements after the Wahhabis tried to overshadow them.

This subject shall handle these dogmas and their patrons who called for liberty and human rights like Abu Haneefah and Mohammad Abdo who was the most famous reformer. He died a hundred years ago and tried to reform Al-Azhar. He also founded a first civil party that separated religion from politics. This subject shall also demonstrate the most important books that were written by this enlightened group and discuss them based on our time requirements and convention. Some of these scripts were ahead of their time such as the books of Al-Jahedh in Abbasid, Ibn Khaldoun Epilogue in Mamluk and the books of Taha Hussein, Ahmad Amin, Sheikh Shaltout and Mohammad Abdo in the last century. It’s also possible to produce documentaries about these personalities and discuss the subject after viewing the films.

This subject can include Arabic anecdotes either old from the heritage books or new from whatever published on the Internet. It’s possible to produce them as short documentaries and comment on them later.

(4) Weapon of drama

Sample of concept proposal

Building TV drama production, distribution and broadcasting company

I. Background:

The US forced into the war of ideas with the Wahabian fanatics through Al-Hurra TV. That didn't work because the semi official channel was compromised by internal managerial issues and external politics with governments in the region, which turn it into worthless tool in the war. News about corruption inside the station and the growing influence of Egyptian and Saudi governments on the channel are overwhelming.

Most importantly, despite its huge funding, Al-Huraa content was focusing on news about trivial political topics, that doesn't deal with the essence of the war of ideas: the Wahabian culture.

II. Goals and objective:

The failure of Al-Hurra experience lays the ground for a deferent possibility: a truly private and independent company that:

1.      Produces political, religious, and cultural TV shows in Arabic primarily, but with following translations into English, French, Persian, Urdu, and other languages for Muslims around the world.

2.      Produce historic and current TV drama soups.

3.      Market the company productions through local and international distributors.

4.      Launching a satellite channel to broadcast productions globally.

The main objectives of this company are:

1.      Conduct the war of ideas against fanatics from within their culture.

2.      Defend the American image in the Arab, Muslim world.

3.      Spreading the culture of democracy and human rights and assist the reform efforts in the targeted countries.

4.      Liberating the silent majority of Muslims from the Wahabian media control.

III. Strategic Approach:

These goals are feasible, even if the company was managed based on for profit market oriented approach. Fair risk assessment reveals that all factors of success are available: 

1.      Low costs:  Al-Hurra channel receives annual funding of several hundreds millions of dollars every year.  The appropriate financing for the proposed company won't exceed 2o million dollars for establishment costs, and the prospective profits can cover the annual expenses. The main costs include:

a.      Buying appropriate space in North Virginia, similar to the one owned by Al-Hurra, with enough space for permanent residence for staff.

b.      Establishing production studios and main headquarters

c.       Funding for first year salaries.

2.      High market needs: The target audience in this case is very approachable:

a.      By increasing the number of language for productions, it is going to be a global market (includes 1.3 billion Muslim around the world).

b.      The attention is going to be permanent since the subject (Islam) and target regions are and will continue to be the center of threats to the US in the near and foreseen future.

c.       The TV will attract existent and new audience because it will explore many of the off limit topics that current TV station, like Aljazeera, were not able to discuss. This includes critical views of various political, social, and religious aspects of life for Muslims and Arabs. 

3.      Proficient management: The company will be managed by professional management specialized in drama industry. It will be headed by a board of trustees from influential American public figures.

4.      Qualified staff: The station will bring the talent and experience from everywhere. It will includes:

a.      American professionals from the media production field, including management and administration, marketing, public relations, advertisements, and financial management.

b.      Targeted Arab and Muslim staff. This include recruiting around 50 drama professionals (directors, actors, interior designers, couturiers, etc) and 50 Quranists , along with their families, to perform the following:

                                                              i.      Writing drama and T.V programs. The Quranists have already 22 scenarios , and have prepared a full proposal for new T.V programs to defend the American image in the Muslim World.

                                                            ii.      Act in groups when needed for big dramatic scenes.

                                                          iii.      Participate as backing crowds in TV shows and seminars.

                                                           iv.      Participate in advocacy campaigns, like demonstrations and public actions, when needed to defend the American policy or to expose the Wahabi trend.

IV. Preliminary Steps:

1- Forming a board of directors and trustees to register the company and recruit an executive manager who will;

2- Secure enough funding to buy appropriate space and;

3- Recruit professional staff and Quranists from around the world;

4- Coordinate with American officials to provide support, when needed;

5- Work with the board to establish the first year implementation plan.