Islam, a religion built on balance, mercy, and deep-rooted scholarly tradition, has been hijacked—not by its own adherents, but by a global system that thrives on distortion. In today’s world, two distorted versions of Islam dominate public discourse: one hyper-violent and radical, the other hollowed out, secularised, and stripped of its spiritual essence. What is suspiciously absent from the global stage is the Islam of the middle path — the Islam of Ash‘ari theology, classical fiqh, and Tasawwuf — the Islam that unified, civilised, and uplifted.
This is no accident. This article reveals how both the violent extremes and the ultra-liberal “reforms” are actively funded, supported, or tolerated by Western regimes and regional proxies — not despite their deviation, but because of it. Their shared purpose? To drown out and delegitimise authentic Sunni Islam that could unify the Ummah and challenge global hegemony.
I. Two Wings of the Same Strategy: Extremists and Secularists
In every Western capital, Muslim “thought leaders” are handpicked for platforms, conferences, and advisory panels. These voices are often those who have abandoned basic tenets of Islamic belief — from denying the obligation of hijab, to mocking Hadith, to calling Shari‘ah outdated. Their Islam is redefined as a cultural identity devoid of law, resistance, or transcendence. They’re celebrated as “moderates.”
Meanwhile, in warzones and refugee camps, another kind of Islam is funded: hyper-violent, takfiri, militarised. Groups like ISIS and its clones are allowed to fester, and in some cases — as U.S. and UK declassified files confirm — were armed or facilitated to destabilise regions hostile to Western and Israeli interests.
On the surface, these two forces appear to be opposites. In reality, they serve the same function: to confuse, divide, and discredit the Islamic revival. One presents Islam as a threat to humanity. The other presents Islam as irrelevant to humanity. In both cases, the result is the same: the middle is erased.
II. The Silencing of the Scholarly Middle
Where are the voices of mainstream Sunni Islam — the inheritors of al-Ghazali, al-Nawawi, al-Razi, Ibn Hajar, and al-Suyuti? Why are the institutions of Ash‘ari, Maturidi, and Sufi scholars either co-opted, marginalised, or painted as “backwards”? The middle has been intentionally silenced.
Colonial regimes understood that to destroy the Muslim world, they had to first disable its intellectual and spiritual compass. Al-Azhar was bureaucratised. The Ottoman madrasa system was dismantled. Sufi orders were either banned or emptied of meaning. What replaced them? Either literalist, puritanical ideologies exported from the Gulf, or secularised Islam reduced to personal “spirituality.”
III. Extremism as a Tool of Power
Extremist groups — especially those labelled “Islamic” — have been incredibly useful to empire:
-
- They justify never-ending wars on Muslim lands.
-
- They demonise Islamic symbols in media and law.
-
- They create fear that allows governments to surveil, detain, and silence Muslims.
Documents like the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency memo (2012) admitted that a “Salafist principality” was “desired” in eastern Syria to weaken Assad’s regime. Hillary Clinton acknowledged that “we created and funded the Mujahideen” in Afghanistan. Even ISIS leaders reportedly had contacts with intelligence agencies. These facts are not theories — they’re declassified history.
Meanwhile, the liberal-reformist wing is used to reshape Islam into a digestible identity that fits neoliberal capitalism. No jihad. No Islamic governance. No critique of occupation. Just culture, cuisine, and “coexistence” on terms defined by empire.
IV. Case Studies in Engineered Islam
-
- France & UK: Crackdowns on traditional Muslim scholars and da’wah movements, while promoting secular-friendly imams and “state Islam.”
-
- Gulf States: Billions spent on exporting Wahhabi literalism for decades — now pivoting to a state-controlled entertainment Islam.
-
- U.S. Countering Violent Extremism (CVE): A programme that funded community leaders only if they promoted “soft,” apolitical Islam.
-
- NGOs & Foundations: Western-funded Muslim platforms that censor any talk of Palestine, jihad, or Islamic law, while showcasing LGBTQ inclusion and feminist theology.
V. The Target: Islam with Roots and Resistance
The Islam that stood against colonialism, that birthed intellectual giants, that resisted occupation — that is the Islam the system fears. It is balanced, principled, and powerful. And unlike extremists or secularists, it is hard to control.
This Islam teaches love for Allah, loyalty to the Ummah, and resistance to tyranny. It produces scholars who don’t sell their fatwas. It builds communities that resist cultural erasure. And it unites people around timeless truths.
VI. What Must Be Done
-
- Reclaim the Middle: Restore platforms for Ash‘ari, Maturidi, Sufi, and traditional Sunni voices.
-
- Reject False Binaries: Don’t fall into the trap of choosing between “liberal Islam” or “radical Islam.” The real Islam is neither.
-
- Build Independent Institutions: From media to madrasas, we must fund our own spaces free from regime or NGO agendas.
-
- Expose the Strategy: Muslims must learn to identify manipulation — and call it out.
Conclusion
The greatest threat to empire is not extremism. It’s clarity. It’s balance. It’s prophetic wisdom. And that is why the middle of the Ummah — the sound heart of Islam — must rise again.
We were never meant to choose between two poisons. We were meant to revive the medicine.
We don’t run ads. We run on dua, dedication, and your support. Help us stay online
