Ali Shariati is considered to be one of the most influential philosophical leaders of pre-revolutionary Iran. In a book that he entitled “Martyrdom: Arise and Bear Witness” wrote:

“The story of martyrdom and that which martyrdom challenges is so sensitive, so belovedly exciting that it pulls the spirit towards the fire. It paralyzes logic. It weakens speech. It even makes thinking difficult. Martyrdom is a mixture of a refined love and a deep, complex wisdom. One cannot express these two at the same time and so, as a result, one cannot do them justice.”

Shariati is by no means considered a hardliner. On the contrary, he is hailed mostly by the Islamists who oppose the regime of the hardliner Mullahs. So clearly, Wahhabism is not the only problem of Islam.

Even Sufism, the brand of Islam that Mr. Schwartz has embraced, is not immune to intolerance and violence. Indian scholar K. S. Lal wrote:

"The Muslim Mushaikh [Sufi spiritual leaders] were as keen on conversions as the Ulama, and contrary to general belief, in place of being kind to the Hindus as saints would, they too wished the Hindus to be accorded a second class citizenship if they were not converted. Only one instance that of Shaikh Abdul Quddus Gangoh, need be cited because he belonged to the Chishtia Silsila considered to be the most tolerant of all Sufi groups. He wrote letters to the Sultan Sikandar Lodi, Babur, and Humayun to re-invigorate the Shariat [Sharia] and reduce the Hindus to payers of land tax and jizya. To Babur he wrote, "Extend utmost patronage and protection to theologians and mystics... that they should be maintained and subsidized by the state... No non-Muslim should be given any office or employment in the Diwan of Islam... Furthermore, in conformity with the principles of the Shariat they should be subjected to all types of indignities and humiliations. They should be made to pay the jizya...They should be disallowed from donning the dress of the Muslims and should be forced to keep their Kufr [infidelity] concealed and not to perform the ceremonies of their Kufr openly and freely… They should not be allowed to consider themselves the equal to the Muslims. [The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India [1992], p. 237]

Al Ghazali, perhaps the greatest Muslim scholar and a Sufi wrote:  

“One must go on jihad (i.e., warlike razzias or raids) at least once a year...one may use a catapult against them [non-Muslims] when they are in a fortress, even if among them are women and children. One may set fire to them and/or drown them...If a person of the Ahl al-Kitab [People of The Book – primarily Jews and Christians] is enslaved, his marriage is [automatically] revoked…One may cut down their trees...One must destroy their useless books. Jihadists may take as booty whatever they decide...they may steal as much food as they need...  

The dhimmi is obliged not to mention Allah or His Apostle…Jews, Christians, and Majians must pay the jizya [poll tax on non-Muslims]…on offering up the jizya, the dhimmi must hang his head while the official takes hold of his beard and hits [the dhimmi] on the protuberant bone beneath his ear [i.e., the mandible]… They are not permitted to ostentatiously display their wine or church bells…their houses may not be higher than the Muslim’s, no matter how low that is. The dhimmi may not ride an elegant horse or mule; he may ride a donkey only if the saddle [-work] is of wood. He may not walk on the good part of the road. They [the dhimmis] have to wear [an identifying] patch [on their clothing], even women, and even in the [public] baths…[dhimmis] must hold their tongue"…. [From the Wagjiz, written in 1101 A.D.]  

The Chechens who converted to Islam (from the late 1500s to mid-1800s), and have demonstrated their ruthlessness by their consecutive acts of terrorism, not sparing even children,  belong to the Naqshbandi Order of Sufism, the same order that Schwartz claims to be peaceful.  

Sufi saint Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624) who was the head of the Naqshbandi wrote:

"The honor of Islam lies in insulting kufr and kafirs. One who respects the kafirs dishonors the Muslims... The real purpose of levying jiziya on them is to humiliate them to such an extent that they may not be able to dress well and to live in grandeur. They should constantly remain terrified and trembling. It is intended to hold them under contempt and to uphold the honor and might of Islam.--" [letter #163]

It was under the instigation of Sirhindi that the tyrant Jehangir tortured the Sikh Guru Arjun Dev to death, (1605) because he refused to convert to Islam. 

Husain Hilmi Effendi, the founder of Sufi Order Ihlas Foundation in his book "Endless Bliss" 1956  Chapter-11 writes: 

“11- Attaining happiness in both worlds depends only, and only upon following Hadrat (his holiness) Muhammad ('alaihi's-salam), who is the master of this and the next world. In order to follow him, it is necessary to have iman (faith) and to learn and to carry out the rules of Islam. The symbol of true iman's existence in the heart is to bear hostility against disbelievers and to annihilate the things that are peculiar to them and that are the symptoms of disbelief. For Islam and kufr are opposites, antonyms of each other. Where one of them exists, the other cannot stay and goes away. These two opposite things cannot stay in the same place together. To esteem one of them means to insult, to blame the other. Allahu ta'ala commands Hadrat Muhammad, His beloved Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), who has the attribute khulk-i azim and who is very merciful, to perform jihad, to wage war against disbelievers and to treat them severely. This means to say that it is khulk-i azim to behave severely towards disbelievers. The dignity and honor of Islam is in insulting disbelief and disbelievers. He who glorifies and respects disbelievers insults and dishonors the Muslims.”  

“It is a must to abhor and believe as wrong and harmful the disbelievers and disbelief and everything outside of Islam, no matter what theory or ideology it is. Allahu ta'ala has commanded us to take jizya from disbelievers; that is, they must pay taxes. The purpose of this is to insult them. This type of insulting is so effective that they cannot wear valuable suits, nor can they adorn themselves out of the fear of having to pay more jizya. They lead a despicable and miserable life. The purpose of jizya is to offend and disgrace disbelievers. The jizya shows the glory and honor of Islam. If the zimmi converted to Islam, he would no longer have to pay jizya. [ibid]

In Chapter 20 of the same book we read:  

20 - "Disbelievers have adopted various methods against Islam and parted into branches; yet they are summed up in two groups. Those in the first group do their worldly affairs and their worships and do not attack Muslims. Realizing their inferiority against Islam's strength and greatness, they have accepted to give the jizya, thus accepting asylum in Islam's domination and justice. These disbelievers are called Ahl-i zimmat or Zimmi. It is necessary to dislike disbelievers of this kind and to view them as enemies. ["Endless Bliss" is available on the Web in the Sufi site islam786.org/articles3.htm]

Schwartz is of the opinion that Saudi Royals have been backing Osama Bin Laden because he is a Wahhabi. The fact is that Bin Laden enjoys the support of millions of Muslims across the board, from America, Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan and into to Indonesia and the Philippines. Even those Muslim intellectuals who only reluctantly condemned Bin Laden have likewise managed to find America guilty and therefore deserving of the terrorist attacks that have been perpetrated against her. If it’s all the fault of Wahhabism, with Islamic terrorism so widespread and justified by the vast majority of Muslims, where is the “real Islam”?

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