Core Issue (3) Fundamentalism

Many are aware of the Wahabi (or Salafi) from Saudi Arabia.  The word 'salaf' means predecessors, or the early generations.  Their goals are to return Islam to how it was at the time of Mohammad.  Salfieen dress in 7th century clothes, eat, drink, go to the bathroom, brush their teeth and even try to talk just like Mohammad.  This is considered quite extreme by most Muslims, in fact the Salafi have a pretty bad reputation as being quite judgmental and rude to those that don't agree with them (sound familiar to any Christians?). Elements of this are found in everyday Islam though too.  For example, Muslims are usually very kind to cats... because of a story that one time Mohammad would not get up from his seat because a cat fell sleep on a corner of his robe. 

In recent news, the leader of Jund Ansar Allah, or the "Soldiers of the Companions of God," declared the establishment of the Islamic Caliphate of Gaza.  Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the US, and currently in ruling power in Gaza, terminated the cleric, and stamped out the short lived caliphate with deciding force, killing 95 people and destroying a great deal of property.  He and his movement were too radical even for Hamas.  

Those considered Muslims fundamentalists are broader than just the Salafi, though the Salafi implement plans and act on their convictions, sometimes leading to violence.  They have the following as general goals:

1. Worship God according to the teachings of Mohammad (the Qur'an and Hadith, or sayings of the prophet)
2. Preserve monotheism, cleanse the world of idolatry.
3. Preserve morality of the Muslim Umma (community) by removing outside influences (such as Western media) that are ungodly.
4. Enforce justice through the application of God's law (the Sharia)
5. Repel Western military and other influences from the holy lands of Saudi Arabia and other Muslim states (such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt etc).
6. Unite Muslim countries under a theocratic state.

Though it is hard to empathize with violence, it does not take too much to see eye to eye with some of their goals.  Understanding what Islamic fundamentalists are after can help us process many world events.  In fact some Christians talk in similar terms claiming the US as a 'Christian Nation' and issuing edicts for Muslims to 'go back where they came from.'  Are we really that much different? 

How are we to respond redemptively?  In the next post... I'll get back to this important point. It is simply not acceptable to learn these facts, and then isolate ourselves.  We need to be like Jesus!  I invite you to comment on the above, and recommend redemptive responses by commenting on this post.