Silent Revolution

The Silent Revolution 

According to one courageous political leader in the Middle East, there may be only one effective resolution to the problems of Islamic terrorism around the world. In a speech from a couple years ago,  the president of Egypt welcomed in the New Year boldly calling for Revolution.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi was speaking to Muslim clerics at the 1,000 year old al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the most prominent centers of Sunni Muslim thought and teaching in the world. His goal was to purge the Muslim religion of the extremist ideas of intolerance and violence that has energized groups like al Qaeda and the Islamist State. His hope was to impose change using government religious institutions. He has called on the clerics to advocate a reading of Islamic texts with a “truly enlightened” approach to reconsider concepts “that have been made sacred over hundreds of years.” 

Expressing his concern for the future of the Islamic world, el-Sisi made a strikingly dauntless statement, in his New Year’s Day speech, el-Sisi told the Islamic leaders that they must lead a re-thinking of how their religion is interpreted and eliminate such extremism.

"We have to think hard about what we are facing," he said. "It’s inconceivable that the thinking that we hold most sacred should cause the entire (Islamic world) to be a source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction for the rest of the world. Impossible! Is it possible that 1.6 billion people (Muslims) should want to kill the rest of the world’s inhabitants, that is 7 billion, so that they themselves may live? Impossible!” He continued with, "You cannot feel it if you remain trapped within this mindset. You need to step outside of yourselves to be able to observe it and reflect on it from a more enlightened perspective.”

At the time, Egypt’s new leader was developing a reputation of cracking down hard on Islamist extremists. The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists groups are aggressively expressing views that he is an apostate. The speech was criticized by a number of Islamist political opponents who have wide religious followings, alleging that he is trying to corrupt Islam. Even those who would normally promote a more modern interpretation of the religion frowned on el-Sisi's comments for revolution.

One disturbing fact about el-Sisi’s speech was the lack of coverage by the large American media networks. This was a speech worthy of international attention, more so than anything else reported in the New Year, other than the events in Paris at that time. Americans and other Westerners had been calling for this very nature of speech from leaders in the Muslim World since 2001. Now, the prominent leader of a Muslim Nation has called for denouncing Islamic terrorism and there is still little said about it. In one small AP article that appeared in a major news publication, the Egyptian leader’s name was repeatedly miss-spelled and his words were miss-quoted. President el-Sisi delivered a true hard-hitting reality concerning Islam’s relationship to the rest of the world. These were words very few Western leaders dared think let alone assert. And hardly a credible word by any notable news association, although Jonah Goldberg of the American Enterprise Institute did say in USA Today: "This is a big deal. El-Sisi is doing exactly what Westerners have been crying out for since at least Sept. 11, 2001, if not before that. Whatever your own view of the man, and whether you think he's sincere, el-Sisi's efforts to combat Muslim extremism — militarily and rhetorically — deserve closer attention," Goldberg resolved. 

This writer also claims it’s a big deal, and here’s why. 

In Washington, Islamic terrorists are portrayed merely as criminals. Their crimes of terrorism are recounted without reference to the Islamic text or ideology driving them. In the Islamic world, classical Islamic “thinking” divides the world into two warring halves. In this “thinking” is the basis that the Muslim World must be in a struggle with the rest of the world until, in the words of the Koran, “All religion belongs to Allah” (Koran 8:39). It is important to recognize this, to understand how this terrorism can be combated. This is in reference to el-Sisi’s words that, “Is it possible, that 1.6 billion people should want to kill the rest of the world’s inhabitants, that is 7 billion, so that they themselves may live?” 

President el-Sisi also insisted that it is not his job as the president of Egypt to reform the thinking of the Islamic world. That role, he believes, belongs to the imams, which is precisely why he addressed them in such a straightforward manner. He was very adamant that the imam’s must lead this “religious revolution.”

It should also be considered that Muslim leaders in America are reluctant to denounce terrorism in the name of Islam. It is also very relevant that then President Barak Obama, (even to this day) does not publicly associate Islam to terrorism.

This speech in Cairo was indeed a big deal in the war against terrorism. President el-Sisi has very strategically advised the Muslim world to get involved in this war, but on the side of peace. Has any world leader said anything more significant to address the issue? He has given the world a blueprint to end the Islamic terrorism plaguing the world.

Meanwhile in Paris, more than 1.5 million people took to the streets in a massive show of defiance in the face of terrorism. That is nearly 2.5 percent of the entire population of that nation. 

The former President of France, Francois Hollande and an impressive array of world leaders marched in solidarity with the victims of Islamic terror. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas and leaders from as many as 44 nations found it important enough to stand up to those who would kill the critics of Mohammed. This was several years ago! Noticeably absent from the event was a delegation from the United States. This was also a big deal, as little was said in the American press at the time, and still the American press says nothing to challenge American Islamic leaders to denounce the terrorism.  

Every American should be happy and thankful that President Donald Trump has taken a stand for the American people to denounce “Islamic” terrorism just as his Egyptian counterpart did back then. But President Trump has done more than join this call for “revolution” in the world of Islam. He has put is words into action and in just two years, has greatly reduced the threat of a growing califate in the Middle East. Where is the main stream media in celebrating this huge accomplishment towards peace in the world? 

It’s time for someone to say, “Thank you President Trump.” It should be said by the press in a challenge to the clerics in America to ascertain their position, if indeed their position is for a peaceful co-existence in American religion. 

Story by Gil Potts