Imams Urge Britons Not To Travel To Syria Or Iraq

[naomi24]

More than 100 imams have signed what I think is an ambiguously worded 'open letter’ urging Muslim communities "to continue the generous and tireless effort to support all of those affected by the crisis in Syria and unfolding events in Iraq". Will it have a positive influence?

[anneasquith]

yup................dammed if they do. dammed if they don't.

[Khandro]

Absolutely terrific, I see no ambiguity, we should congratulate them and hope it might become a first step in some sort of dialogue.
I think also that the best people to start talking to them should first be clerics of other religions, not our stupid politicians.

[royfromaus]

So the imams are telling those who want to go to Syria/Iraq to fight with Isis not to go . Stay in Britain and help from from the Uk.

I agree with Naomi, you can read into it whatever you want.

[zoe76]

I found the letter clear and also agree with youngmafbog's comments.

Will the extreme ones listen? I doubt it, the imam doesn't hold any power over them, he's just the one who's there for prayers and I suppose advice etc.

But it's good so many have signed the letter, it's about time they 'stood up' and voiced opinion about something, usually they seem in hiding when something happens

[Khandro]

zoe; // the imam doesn't hold any power over them,//
You can't be serious.

[sandyRoe]

Perhaps people overestimate the power of clerics to influence their flocks. Throughout the years of the Irish Troubles the Catholic Church condemned violence. Few listened to them. Islamic hotheads aren't going to heed the moderate Imams, either.

[askyourgran]

I don't trust them either on the one hand the imams are trying to shown their 'concern' mostly because the British Government have voiced concern. But the fight to establish Islam is always more important to them. Young Muslim men are wanting to strut their stuff abroad for the glory of their god and videos of gun-toting soldiers posing with the flag make it look glamorous and easy. I hope they don't allow them back here once they leave.

[kvalidir]

I find it totally unambiguous and cannot see a way to twist it to mean what some here wish it to without a great deal of effort and even then it doesn't hold water and make sense. I don't think it would matter what they said or how they said it, some people will never accept that most Muslims are perfectly decent people.

[naomi24]

sandyRoe, I’ve said it so many times – Islam cannot be compared to any other religion. Really it can’t.

[Khandro]

sandy; Surely you can't be oblivious to the influence of the church's on the Irish population bred largely by indoctrination of children in faith schools and then continuing into adulthood.

[sandyRoe]

Khandro, I know that the RC Church has had a malign influence on Irish society for a very long time.
In my earlier post I was referring to the churchmen condemning Republican violence and the Republicans ignoring them. I thought that young English Muslims who had their hearts set on Jihad, in Syria or wherever, would be as reluctant to listen to moderate voices as members of the IRA were.

[Svejk]

extremely ambiguous, imo, and you'd have to be particularly dim not to get the inference. Keep doing what you're doing but from the 'safety' of Britain.

[Svejk]

Forgive me for repeating this letter from The Times here. An accurate picture of this peaceful religion I keep hearing about. /// I am a Canadian Muslim living in London who has attended various mosques across the city for prayers.
I am often incredulous at the vitriol spewed out in the name of Islam. Some imams and mosque leaders promulgate their intolerant, misogynistic, anti-western philosophy to young, insecure and impressionable Muslims to fulfil their Wahhabi-Salafi agendas.' ///

I suppose its what you call anecdotal but with other things I've read and applying common sense it paints a picture of Islam in Britain today. A very unpleasant picture.

[Khandro]

Everybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism
Ragism, Tagism, this-ism, that-ism
Ism ism ism

All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Everybody's talkin' 'bout ministers, sinisters
Banisters and canisters, bishops and fishops
Rabbis and pop eyes, bye bye, bye byes

All we are saying, is give peace a chance
All we are saying, is give peace a chance

Let me tell you now
Everybody's talking about, revolution
Evolution, masturbation, flagellation
Regulation, integrations, meditations
United Nations, congratulations

All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

.................


John Lennon - Give Peace A Chance Lyrics

[ludwig]

There's no condemnation of extremism or islamist violence in it - there ever does seem to be in these things. It's mainly concerned with pleading with muslims not to get drawn into 'sectarian' violence - ie don't fight other muslims.

I agree that you can probably read into it what you expect or want to see there, depending on your prejudices, but that's the whole problem.

[ludwig]

*never* does

[Brenden]

I totally agree with Naomi and Aog, do not forget the Koran preaches that if you are not muslim you are an infidel and the imams teach their followers that they can lie to, cheat even kill non-believers. Reminds me of a saying from westerns "They speak with forked tongue"

[Eve]

I've just seen this in the local and national news, they are just children.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2682120/Teenage-twin-sisters-Manchester-crept-bedrooms-middle-night-flew-join-Isis-Syria.html