« It really is an art | Main | Ex Rummy Aide to Head NATO! »
July 14, 2006
In His Own Words
This was pointed to by WND. I am printing it in its entirety since USC's muslim association removed it from their website and only a cache page remains...
In the Name of Allah, most Compassionate, most Merciful
Becoming Muslim
Yahiye Adam Gadahn
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My first seventeen years have been a bit different than the youth experienced by most Americans. I grew up on an extremely rural goat ranch in Western Riverside County, California, where my family raises on average 150 to 200 animals for milk, cheese, and meat. My father is a halal butcher [a butcher who slaughters in an Islamic manner -ed.] and supplies to an Islamic Food Mart a few blocks from the Islamic Center in downtown Los Angeles.
My father was raised agnostic or atheist, but he became a believer in One God when he picked up a Bible left on the beach. He once had a number of Muslim friends, but they've all moved out of California now. My mother was raised Catholic, so she leans towards Christianity (although she, like my father, disregards the Trinity). I and my siblings were/are home-schooled, and as you may know, most home-school families are Christian. In the last 8 or so years, we have been involved with some home-schooling support groups, thus acquainting me with fundamentalist Christianity. It was an eye-opening experience. Setting aside the blind dogmatism and charismatic wackiness, it was quite a shock to me when I realized that these people, in their prayers, were actually praying TO JESUS. You see, I had always believed that Jesus (pbuh) was, at the very most, the Son of God (since that is what the Bible mistranslates "Servant of God" as). As I learned that belief in the Trinity, something I find absolutely ridiculous, is considered by most Christians to be a prerequisite for salvation, I gradually realized I could not be a Christian.
In the meantime, I had become obsessed with demonic Heavy Metal music, something the rest of my family (as I now realize, rightfully so) was not happy with. My entire life was focused on expanding my music collection. I eschewed personal cleanliness and let my room reach an unbelievable state of disarray. My relationship with my parents became strained, although only intermittently so. I am sorry even as I write this.
Earlier this year, I began to listen to the apocalyptic ramblings of Christian radio's "prophecy experts." Their paranoid espousal of various conspiracy theories, rabid support of Israel and religious Zionism, and fiery preaching about the "Islamic Threat" held for me a strange fascination. Why? Well, I suppose it was simply the need I was feeling to fill that void I had created for myself. In any case, I soon found that the beliefs these evangelists held, such as Original Sin and the Infallibility of "God's Word", were not in agreement with my theological ideas (not to mention the Bible) and I began to look for something else to hold onto.
The turning point, perhaps, was when I moved in with my grandparents here in Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange, California. My grandmother, a computer whiz, is hooked up to America Online and I have been scooting the information superhighway since January. But when I moved in, with the intent of finding a job (easier said than done), I begin to visit the religion folders on AOL and the Usenet newsgroups, where I found discussions on Islam to be the most intriguing. You see, I discovered that the beliefs and practices of this religion fit my personal theology and intellect as well as basic human logic. Islam presents God not as an anthropomorphic being but as an entity beyond human comprehension, transcendent of man, independant and undivided. Islam has a holy book that is comprehensible to a layman, and there is no papacy or priesthood that is considered infallible in matters of interpretation: all Muslims are free to reflect and interpret the book given a sufficient education. Islam does not believe that all men are doomed to Hell unless they simply accept that God (apparently unable to forgive otherwise) magnanimously allowed Himself to be tortured on a cross to enable Him to forgive all human beings who just believe that He allowed Himself to be tortured on a cross... Islam does not believe in a Chosen Race. And on and on...
As I began reading English translations of the Qur'an, I became more and more convinced of the truth and authenticity of Allah's teachings contained in those 114 chapters. Having been around Muslims in my formative years, I knew well that they were not the bloodthirsty, barbaric terrorists that the news media and the televangelists paint them to be. Perhaps this knowledge led me to continue my personal research further than another person would have. I can't say when I actually decided that Islam was for me. It was really a natural progression. In any case, last week [November 1995 -ed.]I went to the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove and told the brother in charge of the library I wanted to be a Muslim. He gave me some excellent reading material, and last Friday I took Shahada [accepted the creed of Islam -ed.]in front of a packed masjid. I have spent this week learning to perform Salat and reflecting on the greatness of Allah. It feels great to be a Muslim! Subhaana rabbiyal 'azeem!
Posted by Aaron at July 14, 2006 07:32 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.lifelikepundits.com/cgi-bin/mt3/mt-tb.cgi/2577
Comments
An honest young man writes here about searching for and finding a religion that gives his life meaning and makes sense to him. That's what America is all about.
Now the bigots at World Net Daily are trying to paint this young man as a "terrorist", and that may or may not be so. But even the WND article mentions that "FBI has no information indicating this individual is connected to any specific terrorist activities".
Young men everywhere tend to contemplate violence when faced with percieved injustice, particularly to their own tribe. But until be actually does "go on a killing spree in base housing at Camp Pendelton" he's no worse then the people who used to produce "Of Race and Reason" on cable TV. And As far as I know they weren't arrrested for espousing violence against blacks and non-christians, either.
Posted by: IaintBacchus at July 14, 2006 10:46 AM
It's going to feel great when one of our boys puts a bullet in little Adam.
Posted by: Chris at July 14, 2006 10:59 AM
IB, this man is a spokes person for al-Qaeda--LITERALLY. Not that he is muslim. He released a video celebrating the London bombings.
He is a terrorist, advocates the destruction of Western Civilization and calls for your murder.
Poor wittle misunderstood boooy...
NOT. We need to knock on his door with a MOAB.
Posted by: Aaron at July 14, 2006 11:16 AM
This kid hasn't advocated anything for the US or Brittan that Ann Coulter hasn't advocated for any number of people in progressive politics of main stream journalism. I don't imagine you advocate a knock at her door. Until he actually does something he's nothing but a jaw jacker. If he's cheering on the bad guys, that's his problem. Anybody can say they're in Al Quaida. They don't publish a membership list. Should everybody in Sinn Fein be arrested too?
We're right back to the "Race and Reason" argument.
Of course if he DOES want to take that trip to Pendleton, well, Marines in base housing aren't required to keep their personal weapons in the armoury.
Posted by: IaintBacchus at July 14, 2006 02:32 PM
Mary, Mary, quite contrary. aka IaintBacchus, when you are ready to accept reality we'll be here for you.
Posted by: PatrickP at July 14, 2006 02:42 PM
"As I began reading English translations of the Qur'an, I became more and more convinced of the truth and authenticity of Allah's teachings contained in those 114 chapters. Having been around Muslims in my formative years, I knew well that they were not the bloodthirsty, barbaric terrorists that the news media and the televangelists paint them to be." --
Seems to me this young man needs to pull his head out and listen to/read the news. Very sad.
Posted by: Skul at July 14, 2006 04:12 PM
Good, Patrick. You don't agree with me so I must be crazy. Just like in the USSR under Stalin.
Reality doesn't always conform to your political views. Nor to mine. But the fact remains that this guy hasn't commited a terrorist act as far as anybody knows, and he's entitled to call for any outrageous, illegal action on the part of religious fanatics he wants to. Just like Ann Coulter and Pat Robertson. The only real difference is YOUR religious preference. Perhaps you should examine your own grasp of reality before you question mine.
Skul, the Koran talks a great deal about peace and loving ones neighbor. Just like the Bible. The giving of Alms is one of the pillars of the faith. Would you have all Christians judged by the actions of the Army of God or Christian Identity? Or for that matter the actions of 5 Marines the Phillipines?
Posted by: IaintBacchus at July 14, 2006 04:57 PM
IB, don't get melodramatic. I was merely pointing out that you refuse to accept reality. You are a contrarian. You seem to disagree just for the sake of it.
Nor to mine. But the fact remains that this guy hasn't commited a terrorist act as far as anybody knows, and he's entitled to call for any outrageous, illegal action on the part of religious fanatics he wants to.
Likewise, I am entitled to call for a bullet to be placed firmly in his traitorous skull.
Posted by: PatrickP at July 15, 2006 04:47 PM
Skul, the Koran talks a great deal about peace and loving ones neighbor. Just like the Bible. The giving of Alms is one of the pillars of the faith. Would you have all Christians judged by the actions of the Army of God or Christian Identity? Or for that matter the actions of 5 Marines the Phillipines?
Posted by: IaintBacchus at July 14, 2006 04:57 PM
-
-
Unfortunately, it frequently also calls for murder, mayhem and violence far more than love and peace. Love and peace ONLY applies to "followers" of the so-called prophet. Give it a rest, Islam's actions betry it's true nature.
Posted by: Skul at July 15, 2006 08:31 PM