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Carey Wedler
\nDecember 5, 2015<\/p>\n
(ANTIMEDIA) Though over one billion people in the world subscribe to the faith of Islam, every time a Muslim individual commits a violent and highly-publicized attack in the West, Americans demand unequivocal apologies and condemnations from all adherents to the religion. They cannot be bothered, of course, with the exact, same terroristic slaughter of non-whites in far-off lands.
\nOver and over, Islamic groups around the world condemn terrorist attacks and reiterate that violent radicals do not truly adhere to the religion. Even so, this never seems to be enough for the Fox News-inclined, who often falsely claim Muslims remain silent because they are uncivilized, violent savages. They insist \u2018good\u2019 Muslims must do more to combat extremism.<\/p>\n
\nSuch rhetoric, however, is increasingly, conspicuously false. One of the biggest blows to this mentality comes from Indonesia, where the largest independent Islamic organization in the world not only condemns acts of radical Islam, but has launched a massive, worldwide initiative to counter the ideology that breeds it.
\nNahdlatul Ulama, or NU, was founded in 1926, and boasts 50 million members. As Huffington Post explained, it is \u201cpart Sunni religious body, part political party and part charity.\u201d NU says its goal is \u201cto spread messages about a tolerant Islam in their respective countries to curb radicalism, extremism and terrorism,\u201d which the organization argues \u201coften spring from a misinterpretation of Islamic teachings.\u201d To do so, the group launched a global anti-extremism campaign last year.
\nIn December of 2014, NU began building a center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to serve as its headquarters for the international project. NU is also planning \u201can international conference and cultural event in Washington, D.C.,\u201d scheduled for Spring 2016, according to NU General Secretary, Yahya Cholil Staquf.
\nFurther, NU has collaborated with the University of Vienna to create the Vienna Observatory for Applied Research on Radicalism and Extremism (VORTEX). Staquf says the aim of this project is to \u201cproduce counter-narratives against radical ideas and propagate them globally.\u201d NU is also working on initiatives with the Swedish and British governments.
\nNU condemned last month\u2019s attacks in Paris, and only weeks afterward, participated in the International Conference of Islamic Scholars\u2019 annual forum on the \u201cimportance of promoting a peaceful Islam to combat radicalism worldwide.\u201d
\nThe group also believes its efforts should apply \u201cequally to local radicals\u201d in Indonesia.
\nIndonesia is home to one of the most liberal Muslim populations in the world, and its constitution provides for freedom of religion. Though the government recognizes only six religions (and\/or denominations) \u2014 Islam, Protestantism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Catholicism, and Buddhism \u2014 religious minorities live in general harmony.<\/p>\n
Even so, 88% of Indonesia\u2019s population is Muslim \u2014 and sectarian conflicts persist.
\nTerrorist attacks in Indonesia have increased in recent years, and multiple groups have moved to tackle the problem. The country\u2019s leading clerical body, the Indonesian Ulema Council, which includes groups like NU, recently launched an initiative to \u201cmobilize 50,000 preachers to spread moderate, or \u2018Wasathiyah,\u2019 Islam within Indonesia.\u201d It has also launched a training center in the country to teach Arabic-speaking students how to counter extremist rhetoric and ideology.
\nDomestically and globally, NU is taking a proactive approach to curbing the proliferation of Islamic extremism. What is most relevant about its goals, however, is its condemnation of Wahhabism, a sect of Islam with roots in Saudi Arabia. Like NU, Wahhabism is derived from the Sunni sect of Islam, but their approaches could not be more different. As Huffington Post summarized:
\n\u201cWahhabism is the ultra-conservative reform movement based in Saudi Arabia that advocates for puritanical laws from the time of Islam\u2019s origins. It rejects the modern notion of \u2018religion as a purely private activity\u2019 and the separation of church and state. The Islamic State is highly committed to Wahhabi principles, using its religious textbooks and embracing its hardline tradition of killing unbelievers.\u201d
\nBecause of Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia has been directly linked to the Islamic State, though the United States has failed to highlight this relationship, much less acknowledge the many human rights abuses its monarchical ally commits. In fact, NU was aware of the dangers of Wahhabism when the organization launched, inspired by a direct intention to counter the Saudi-linked ideology.
\nIn light of these facts, the Western response to radical Islam seems woefully insufficient. While NU evidently seeks to strike at the root of the world\u2019s most radical Islamic beliefs, the United States and its Western allies align themselves with the very purveyor of, and inspiration for, ISIS. High-level officials have argued that the U.S. military directly contributed to the rise of the terror group \u2014 but all the while, Western populations condemn Muslims for \u2018not doing enough\u2019 to counter this ideology.
\nNU\u2019s actions run in direct conflict with this repeatedly disproved notion. The organization\u2019s spiritual leader, A. Mustofa Bisri, has said,
\n\u201cThe spread of a shallow understanding of Islam renders this situation critical, as highly vocal elements within the Muslim population at large \u2014 extremist groups \u2014 justify their harsh and often savage behavior by claiming to act in accord with God\u2019s commands, although they are grievously mistaken.\u201d
\n\u201cAccording to the Sunni view of Islam,\u201d he added, \u201cevery aspect and expression of religion should be imbued with love and compassion, and foster the perfection of human nature.\u201d
\nThis article (The World\u2019s Largest Muslim Group Has Been Opposing Radical Islam for 90 Years) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Carey Wedler and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11pm Eastern\/8pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, email edits@theantimedia.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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