Local Muslim-Americans speak out against ISIS movement
As the U.S. continues fighting against the extremist military group known as ISIS, many Muslim-Americans in the Pocatello community want everyone to know the terrorist group is not a representation of their Islamic faith.
Some say since the spark of the ISIS movement, there has been a new narrative of fear that has arisen between both Muslims who are afraid to identify themselves as being Muslim and a fear from some community members who do not understand Islam is based as a peaceful religion.
Daniel Hummel is the general secretary of the Islamic Society and an associate professor of political science at Idaho State University. He has studied Islam for the past 12 years and said he does not understand where the ISIS militants are basing their extremist beliefs from.
“To say that extremism is the simple Islamic phenomenon is factually incorrect,” Hummel said. “There is extremism going on in all major faiths. I think we are living in an era of extremism and I think it’s sad. I think that people in all faiths and orientations need to stand up and declare that extremism and violence is wrong.”
Local doctor and philanthropist Dr. Naeem Rahim said he would like to see a reformation happen, where people from every culture and religious background will gain an understanding for each other. He said bridging this understanding needs to happen starting on a local level.
“Now is the time for reformation,” Rahim said. “Now is the time for Muslims, Christians, and Jews to stand up against the extremists in their respective faith at a grassroots level.”
Rahim said the extremists we hear about in the media today is not the religion he was raised on.
“I’m here to tell you that religion itself professes peace. What you see now in the world is isolated groups of people hijacking those religions,” Rahim added. “In Islam, you cannot kill a single soul. If you kill one soul, you have killed all of humanity, according to the Qur’an.”
Hummel said there is already a strong grassroots movement happening where people are defending the Islamic faith, but he feels nobody is listening.
“There are some who understand that the majority of the Muslim community, without us even having to say anything, is against these barbaric acts. But then there’s also the minority of the community who, for one reason or another, won’t listen or accept what we say,” Hummel pointed out.
He said anytime you have this sort of uprising to the magnitude of the civil war that has been happening in Syria over the past three years, you are bound to see some extremist groups arise from those politically-corrupt situations. But, he said that should not be any sort of reflection on their faith, whatsoever.
Hummel said the grand opening of the new mosque should be completed by this Friday, and he asks the community to come out and grab some free food and celebrate the eve of the Muslim holiday, Eid-al-Adha.
