I am not Muslim nor am I hear to attack any supported or believer. I am just befuddled at this article I read a few minutes ago about the recent executions of two Somali girls by an Islamic extremist group. This story broke my heart. Read for yourselves:

[size=18pt]Two Somali girls executed by firing squad 'for spying'[/size]
By Mohamed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu
[size=5pt]Friday, 29 October 2010
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/two-somali-girls-executed-by-firing-squad-for-spying-2119535.html[/size]

An Islamic group that controls much of southern Somalia executed two girls by firing squad, and hundreds of residents of a town were forced to view the spectacle.


Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim sentenced the girls to death on Wednesday in the town of Belet Weyne for spying for government soldiers fighting the Islamist group al-Shabab.

The local al-Shabab administration appoints judges and the only qualifications required are that the person must be a man who knows the Koran.

Al-Shabab is linked to al-Qa'ida and has carried out several whippings, amputations and executions to enforce its own strict interpretation of Islam. This was the first public execution of girls in Belet Weyne, a western Somali town.

Abdiwali Aden, a witness, told the Associated Press by phone that al-Shabab militiamen had walked through Belet Weyne's streets, informing residents about the pending executions by loudspeaker and ordering everyone to attend. Ayan Mohamed Jama, 18, and Huriyo Ibrahim, 15, were brought before hundreds of residents. Ten masked men opened fire on the girls, who were blindfolded, soon after the sentencing.

As the girls were shot, they shouted "There is no God but Allah", said a witness who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.

A woman fainted after she saw the girls being shot, said Da'ud Ahmed, another witness.

An al-Shabab official, Sheikh Yusuf Ali Ugas, said the girls had admitted to spying. But Sadia Osman, who witnessed the execution, said one of the girls said she was innocent.

Sheikh Ugas also warned residents against using their mobile phones or cameras to document the execution, saying those violating his rule risked amputation.

Human Rights Watch said in an April report that al-Shabab imposes "unrelenting repression and brutality".

Al-Shabab, which vows allegiance to al-Qa'ida and whose members include foreign fighters, controls large parts of southern Somalia and much of the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia has not had an effective central government for 19 years. The UN-backed government controls only a few blocks of Mogadishu, while its allies control much of central Somalia.

@Topic it breaks my heart not only to hear this but to also see the negative comments and the assumptions made about the Islamic faith when such news reach the media or when these executions even occur at all. God, Allah, Amen-Rah, Jah; etc, no matter the name, the Creator is a loving one and I dont think killing was intended to show devotion to him. For every Islamic extremist you have 4 more Muslims who live by the Koran and are good people. They should not have to be grouped and stereotyped with this madness. What are your opinions?

Sister I share your concern and it  breaks my heart as well to see those thugs gunning down those two girls but on other hand I am glad you understand that those extremists are not in any way representatives of Islam or Muslims
Our Role Model as Muslims is the Prophet Mohamed PUH He was sent as Mercy to human kind " We have sent you as mercy to all mankind " Koran 21:107 The recipients of this quality were not limited just to Muslim nation but also extended to non Muslims this mercy and forgiveness is clearly demonstrated in the fact that the Prophet PUH never took revenge on anyone for personal reasons and always forgave even his staunch enemies
His mercy and compassion PUH was so great that more than one occasion God Himself Reprimanded Him for it one of the opponents of Islam and a personal enemy was Abdullah ibn ubay the leader of the hypocrites of Medina outwardly proclaiming Islam he inflicted great harm to Muslims and the Mission of the Prophet PUH knowing his state of affairs The Prophet Mohamed PUH still offered the funeral prayer on him and still pray God for his forgiveness the Koran mentions this incident in  these words " And never (Mohamed ) pray for one of them who dies nor stand by his grave Lo
they disbelieve in God and his Messenger and they died while they were evil doers " Koran 9:84
this hypocrite also  withdrew his 300 supporters in the battle of Uhud he engaged in acts of intrigues and spying more he tried to bring shame on
The Prophet by inciting his allies to falsely accuse the Prophet's  PUH wife Aisha of adultery to discredit Him and His Message
Our Beloved Prophet Mohamed PUH was The complete example of Forgiveness and Kindness as mentioned in The Koran "keep to Forgiveness (O Mohamed ) and Enjoins Kindness and Turn away from the ignorants "Koran  7 :199
With His forgiveness He freed people from the bondage of sins and crime and also make them great friends of Islam He was an epitome of the Koran
"Good and evil are not alike repel evil  with what is better then He between whom and you there was hatred will become as though a bosom friend " Koran 41:34
So from the above examples I hope you understand that the killing of those little girls was wrong and unislamic  I pray Almighty God to open wide the doors of the Paradise for them and give their families the strength to endure their lost 
Last and not least welcome on the Muslims forum I pray Al mighty God to guide you and  us to the right Path and Please feel free  to   proceed with your queries if you have any

zubeyr:

Sister I share your concern and it breaks my heart as well to see those thugs gunning down those two girls but on other hand I am glad you understand that those extremists are not in any way representatives of Islam or Muslims
Our Role Model as Muslims is the Prophet Mohamed PUH He was sent as Mercy to human kind " We have sent you as mercy to all mankind " Koran 21:107 The recipients of this quality were not limited just to Muslim nation but also extended to non Muslims this mercy and forgiveness is clearly demonstrated in the fact that the Prophet PUH never took revenge on anyone for personal reasons and always forgave even his staunch enemies
His mercy and compassion PUH was so great that more than one occasion God Himself Reprimanded Him for it one of the opponents of Islam and a personal enemy was Abdullah ibn ubay the leader of the hypocrites of Medina outwardly proclaiming Islam he inflicted great harm to Muslims and the Mission of the Prophet PUH knowing his state of affairs The Prophet Mohamed PUH still offered the funeral prayer on him and still pray God for his forgiveness the Koran mentions this incident in these words " And never (Mohamed ) pray for one of them who dies nor stand by his grave Lo
they disbelieve in God and his Messenger and they died while they were evil doers " Koran 9:84
this hypocrite also withdrew his 300 supporters in the battle of Uhud he engaged in acts of intrigues and spying more he tried to bring shame on
The Prophet by inciting his allies to falsely accuse the Prophet's PUH wife Aisha of adultery to discredit Him and His Message
Our Beloved Prophet Mohamed PUH was The complete example of Forgiveness and Kindness as mentioned in The Koran "keep to Forgiveness (O Mohamed ) and Enjoins Kindness and Turn away from the ignorants "Koran 7 :199
With His forgiveness He freed people from the bondage of sins and crime and also make them great friends of Islam He was an epitome of the Koran
"Good and evil are not alike repel evil with what is better then He between whom and you there was hatred will become as though a bosom friend " Koran 41:34
So from the above examples I hope you understand that the killing of those little girls was wrong and unislamic I pray Almighty God to open wide the doors of the Paradise for them and give their families the strength to endure their lost
Last and not least welcome on the Muslims forum I pray Al mighty God to guide you and us to the right Path and Please feel free to proceed with your queries if you have any

Thank you bro for pointing that out. That is their own tradition and nothing islamic abt that.

So is there anything 'real' muslims are doing to regain their religion from 'thugs'?Because frankly,this aspect of islam as portayed to the world is a major reason why many who may be considering islam get discouraged.
I am not a muslim but such enrages me cos i have a lot of sane, good and morally upright muslim friends.It saddens me that here in the Uk some are discriminated against just because people have the impression they all they are after is to harm the local population.
There has to be something you sane guys here will do or can do to stop this.

What Muslims can do to improve the situation is first to be aggressive and decisive in eliminating extremism within our communities
We must condemn and reject all forms of rhetoric extremism especially the one coming from the wahabi doctrine a school at the origin of all Muslims troubles Today this school holds very rigid and fundamentalist view of Islam and unfortunately adopted as Saudi Arabia 's own vision of faith
Another problem the biais against Muslims in mainstream media stereotypes and the rise in Islamophobia discrimination religious profiling and travel hassles should be addressed by Muslim leaders to improve the situation of Muslims and their image in the west

The prophet (SAW) said that knowledge is the lost property of a Muslim. I dont think there's a better way than to make known the true teachings of Islam. an extensive da'wah that can cut across nations,get to people considering this path, already in it, or future victims of their recruitment.


We also have to stand strongly against them. We shouldnt keep waiting for the west to condemn these acts.Believing men and women are afterall referred to in the Qur'an as those who enjoin good and forbid evil.

May Allah help us to achieve these

Although i am not a muslim but i say a big AMEN to your last prayer.

Islam has its enemies; within the muslim communities. these people project views that the enemies of Islam who are not muslims use to forment their flame of blaming islam and all muslims, instead of mentioning just the anomalies who are doing these evils.

but the enemies of islam from outside her fold will the good coming from muslims, but will only attach it to the individuals, will any evil is on all muslims. but then when something good from their own community, it is not the individuals that is lionized/praised, but they praise their collective community, and any evil from their community, they attach it solely on the one who committed it.

the above are the rules of double standard, though i vigorously condemn any act of evil committed by muslims on anyone, i am not happy when evil acts, as mundane as subtle discrimation and to the extremism of even hurting innocent people just because they are muslims by non muslims, using the case of the cap driver cut on the neck in nyc in just recent weeks by a white christian avenging whatever he was avenging in his head.

muslims need to have proactive agenda instead of the reactionary we are all too familiar with; cleanup your individual self first, and do the next layer by cleaning up your family, then your community and the nation of islam of all evil individuals by collectively fighting them to stop themfrom doing evil, which in essence is a support of them from islamic perception.

make dawah to yourself, other muslims and dawah to non muslims by being a good muslim, and let us start broadcasting the truth to all to see and or hear. our jihad [struggle] is not about gun or killing any soul, it is about becoming a source of noble change and example. Harb, fight or battle is not to be fought as individual, or as faction. we need a united leadership, a kalifah for singular direction for world wide brotherhood and sisterhood.

it is a shame that muslims who should be the ones to emulate are now the ones used as symbol of whats not good.

What i think is more important is an accurate projection of positive accomplishments in islam.
Let the world see muslims building and donating hospitals to environments and their people, let the world see muslims building schools to educate their people, let us see an improvement of lifestyles in muslim communities, then the image might change, one of my friends who was recently discriminated against decided he was going to ensure that a particular community in nothern Nigeria gets the best health care index in nigeria in the next 15years and that i must say shouuld be what the whole islamic world needs to do.
This coupled with straight and prompt condemnation of unislamic acts when they happen such as that in this thread will change the image.
For too long,the muslim world has allowed itself become like the black race, always blaming the white man for everything wrong with them instead of getting up and doing things for themselves.
Somehow i hope things will change soon

^^^^^^ All that you have mentioned are happening and has not stopped in 1400 years. Maybe not enough, but is there, happening right now. Almost all educated and achieved muslims happened on the shoulder of islam. there is no other religion that stressed and commands education and achievement for mankind, other than Islam.

no jew or christian or others who became a phenom in anything apart from their core religious doctrine, because the Jewish religion or Christian religion or others, does/do not stress any of them

Allah says in the Quran that education (Iqra, Qurat, etc), wondering, reseaching for knowledge so that you can know your Lord and therefore you are empowered to worship Him. Achievement in all aspects of life, including extreme wealth, each is recommended, so that you can be charitableto others.

Thank God that you see "medical doctors" who are northern nigerian muslims. many nairalanders dont even know that education exist among the northerners. There are other nigerians from the south who every northerners known to him/her in are highly qualified people, masters degree in engineering at 20.

islam is not a northern nigerian religion. right here on nairaland, there is an igbo woman muslim who is on her way to becoming a doctor. and to her, islam comes naturally, not in nigeria, but in america. May Allah make her big. Amin.

sir, in the so called muslim countries, the people who are their doctors, engineers, lawyers, etc are proportionally muslims, in agreegate to her citizenry. Turkey is not being medically cared for but by turk muslims. one of the most famous doctors in america is 49 year old muslim turk blood, whose father is also a doctor. one of the leading lawyers spearheading cases of 911 in america is a nigerian blooded muslim from minna.

nothing others achieve that muslims are not a step behind, pursuing to overtake , or already was the trailblazer whose idea was developed or used to develop, or muslims are on the same footing or a step ahead of the others. just because people are blind to it and only showcase and sometimes exaggerate the negatives, will not obliterate the truth, it simply shows the obtrusive nature of man, when they detest something.

by the way, am a muslim from the yoruba enclave of nigeria. there are muslims all over nigeria, now. and am sure you see a good number of muslim doctors from indo-pakistan community, if you look fairly hard enough, since you saw northern nigerian muslim doctors, saying in essence, others dont own education, achievement, etc, while islam frowns against muslims do or getting them.

I think you missed the point.
No one disputes all these happening, the question is ''what does the world see, hear or perceive of islam/muslims''?
and that is my point.What front is islam showing the world?im saying there needs to be more projection of positives and proactivity than reactionary messages.

@reindeer,

U'r right about the projections but all of these exist. at least i Know of many schools owned by Muslims in Nigeria, there's an orphanage by Muslim women inIbadan,another one in Osogbo,and i think there's also one in Lagos. They also have schools at different parts of the country.

There are also Muslim professionals across all walks of life, also trying to project the true Islam.

How about Muslim students, studying medicine because they want an avenue where Muslims, especially Women can be treated in Islamic manners


Although these might not be enough, they try as much as they can.