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| Olde Tyme Religion |
| Pokemon, fatwas and terrorism |
| 2016-07-19 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Even if we assume that some terrorists are religiously motivated, the fact is that clerics have lost their influence over Muslims. Anyone comparing the lives of most Muslims worldwide and clerical fatwas will see that. An example is a fatwa a few days ago prohibiting Pokemon Go. The response from lay Muslims varied from outright ridicule to rejection. Many Muslims used the edict to emphasize individual religiosity, and dismantling clerical authority and the institution of the fatwa. This is merely one example among scores that illustrate clerical status. We can debate the authenticity of that fatwa and its context, but the point is that many Muslims believed it to be authentic and responded to it as such. Fatwas that incite terrorism are influential not because Muslims abide by edicts or bind themselves to clerics. That fatwa resonated with an ideological impulse, or - as in most cases - was initiated by an ideologized cleric in the spirit of resisting a perceived oppression, not in the spirit of piety. If we want to eradicate terrorism, we need to stop speaking about religion and focus solely on ideology. Otherwise we are wasting our time, and more significantly, doing little to stop the next terrorist attack. |
| Posted by:Fred |