Amsterdam: Muslim extremists demand the execution of Irshad Manji

Muslim extremists ambushed and interrupted a conference organised by EFD and called for the death of EFD Senior Fellow Irshad Manji and Tofik Dibi MP, a member of the Green Party in Holland.

Amsterdam: Muslimische Extremisten fordern die Hinrichtung von Irshad Manji

Am 7. Dezember 2011 sprengten muslimische Extremisten eine Veranstaltung von muslimischen Reformern. Das Thema der Veranstaltung war die Modernisierung des Islam. Die Konferenz wurde von der Stiftung European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) veranstaltet. Als Hauptrednerin trat die renommierte muslimische Reformerin und Schriftstellerin Irshad Manji auf. Tofik Dibi, niederländischer Politiker der linksorientierten Grünen-Partei trat als weiterer Referent auf.

Rund zwanzig gewaltbereite muslimische Extremisten stürmten die Veranstaltung und forderten die Hinrichtung von Irshad Manji und Tofik Dibi. Nachdem einige der muslimischen Extremisten von der Polizei verhaftet wurden, konnten Manji und Dibi ihre Vorträge über die Modernisierung des Islam fortsetzen.

Roberta Bonazzi, Direktorin der European Foundation for Democracy schrieb in einer Presseerklärung, dass die „Stimmen für eine Demokratisierung des Islam nicht zum Schweigen gebracht werden können.“ http://europeandemocracy.org/media/european-media/we-will-not-leave.html “We will not leave”: Muslim reformers to extremists - On 7 December 2011, twenty radical Muslims hijacked an event featuring Muslim reformists, Irshad Manji and Tofik Dibi, in Amsterdam. The extremists repeatedly declared “Takfir!”, thereby ordering the execution of Manji and Dibi. After threatening to break Manji’s neck, they demanded that the event, sponsored by the European Foundation for Democracy, be stopped.

The speakers refused to leave the stage. Their discussion on the modernisation of Islam resumed after the police arrested a number of the extremists. Stated Manji, “I never felt afraid. Not once. Neither did Tofik. In fact, all of us refused to leave, even when police asked. We wouldn’t play on Jihadi terms. Some things are simply more important than fear”, emphasized Dutch MP, Tofik Dibi, “the disruption shows that even in the Netherlands it is necessary to continue the debate on reforming Islam.” Roberta Bonazzi, Executive Director of the European Foundation for Democracy, added “the voice of democratic Islam will not be silenced by extremism. We are united and will continue to support inspirational Muslim reformers across Europe.” By bringing together two such reformers at the Amsterdam event, the European Foundation for Democracy is pursuing its mission of empowering liberal Muslims who advocate the values of open societies.

Irshad Manji is in Europe to promote her latest book, Allah, Liberty and Love. Manji, a practicing Muslim, is also the author of The Trouble With Islam Today. As part of her tour she is meeting fellow Muslim reformists, youth activists and parliamentarians in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The radicals are believed to be members of Sharia4Belgium, one of several Islamist groups seeking to enact Sharia law throughout Europe.

This article was originally published here.