Ten
Ways the Mafia and Islam are Similar
by Raymond Ibrahim
PJ Media
December 5, 2014
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Note: The following article was
published on PJ Media where it is supplemented with clips from various
mafia-related movies like The Godfather to help demonstrate the ten
similarities. Portions of this article were earlier serialized on
Frontpage Magazine.
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"Muhammad:
Dark Mafia," by Imran Firasat
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During a
debate on HBO's Real Time last October, host Bill Maher
declared that Islam is "the only religion that acts like the mafia,
that will f***ing kill you if you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong
picture, or write the wrong book."
Maher was apparently referring to Islam's "blasphemy" laws,
which ban on pain of death any "insult"—as found in a
statement, a picture, a book—to Islam and especially its prophet,
Muhammad.
While Maher has been criticized for his "Islamophobic"
assertion, he and others may be surprised to learn that the similarities
between Islam and the mafia far exceed punishing those who say, draw, or
write "the wrong thing."
In what follows, we will examine a number of these similarities.
We will begin by looking at the relationship between Allah, his
messenger Muhammad, and the Muslims, and note several parallels with the
relationship between the godfather, his underboss, and the mafia.
Next, we will examine the clannish nature of the mafia and compare it
to Islam's tribalism, especially in the context of the Islamic doctrine
"Loyalty and Enmity." For example, in both Islam and the mafia,
members who wish to break away, to "apostatize," are killed.
We will consider how the mafia and Islam have both historically
profited from the "protection" racket: Islam has demanded jizya
from non-Muslims under its authority/territory and the mafia has demanded
pizzo from people that fall under its jurisdiction.
Finally, we will consider what accounts for these many similarities
between Islam and the mafia, including from an historical perspective.
1. Allah and Muhammad/Godfather and Underboss
The padrino of larger mafia organizations and
families—literally, the "godfather" or "boss of
bosses"—has absolute control over his subordinates and is often
greatly feared by them for his ruthlessness. He has an
"underboss," a right-hand man who issues his orders and
enforces his will. The godfather himself is often inaccessible; mafia
members need to go through the underboss or other high ranking
associates.
Unlike the Judeo-Christian God ...
Allah is unreachable, unknowable, untouchable.
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Compare this with the relationship between Allah and his
"messenger" Muhammad (in Arabic, Muhammad is most commonly
referred to as al-rasul, "the messenger"). Unlike the
Judeo-Christian God—a personal God, a Father, that according to Christ is
to be communed with directly (Matt 6:9)—Islam's god, Allah, is
unreachable, unknowable, untouchable. Like the godfather, he is
inaccessible. His orders are revealed by his messenger, Muhammad.
If the Judeo-Christian God calls on the faithful to "come now,
let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18), Allah says "Do not ask
questions about things that, if made known to you, would only pain
you" (Koran 5:101). Just follow orders.
2. A "Piece of the Action"
The godfather and his underboss always get a "piece of the
action"—a "cut"—of all spoils acquired by their subordinates.
So do Allah and his messenger, Muhammad. Koran 8:41 informs Muslims
that "one-fifth of all war-booty you acquire goes to Allah and the
messenger" (followed by Muhammad's family and finally the needy).
3. Assassinations
The godfather, through his underboss, regularly sends mafia men to
make "hits"—to assassinate—those deemed enemies of the family.
So did Allah and his messenger. One example: A
non-Muslim poet, Ka'b
ibn Ashraf, insulted Muhammad, prompting the latter to exclaim,
"Who will kill this man who has hurt Allah and his messenger?" A
young Muslim named Ibn Maslama volunteered on condition that to get close
enough to assassinate Ka'b he be allowed to lie to the poet.
Allah's messenger agreed.
Ibn Maslama traveled to Ka'b and began to denigrate Islam and Muhammad
until his disaffection became so convincing that the poet took him into
his confidence. Soon thereafter, Ibn Maslama appeared with another Muslim
and, while Ka'b's guard was down, slaughtered the poet, bringing his head
to Muhammad to the usual triumphant cries of "Allahu Akbar!"
4. Circumstance is Everything
While the mafia adheres to a general code of conduct, the godfather
issues more fluid orders according to circumstances.
This is reminiscent of the entire "revelation" of the Koran,
where later verses/commands contradict earlier verses/commands, depending
on circumstances (known in Islamic jurisprudence as al-nāsikh
wal-mansūkh, or the doctrine
of abrogation).
While other religions and
scriptures may have contradictions, only Islam rationalizes them
through abrogation—that is, by giving prominence to later verses which
are seen as the "latest" decision of the deity.
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Thus, whereas Allah supposedly told the prophet that "there is no
compulsion in religion" (Koran 2:256), once
the messenger grew strong enough, Allah issued new revelations
calling for all-out war/jihad till Islam became supreme (Koran 8:39, 9:5,
9:29, etc.).
While other religions and scriptures may have contradictions, only
Islam rationalizes them through abrogation—that is, by giving prominence
to later verses which are seen as the "latest" decision of the
deity.
5. Clan Loyalty
Loyalty is fundamental in the mafia. Following elaborate rituals of
blood oaths, mafia members are expected to maintain absolute loyalty to
the family, on pain of death.
Similarly, mafia members are expected always to be available for the
family—"even
if your wife is about to give birth," as one of the mafia's
"ten commandments" puts it—and to defend the godfather and his
honor, even if it costs their lives.
Compare this to the widespread violence and upheavals that occur
whenever Allah or his prophet is offended—whenever non-Muslim
"infidels" blaspheme them. Or, as Bill Maher put it: "Its'
the only religion that acts like the mafia, that will f***ing kill you if
you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong picture, or write the wrong
book."
Islam's "Loyalty and Enmity" doctrine (al-wala'
wa'l bara')—which calls on Muslims to be loyal to one another
even if they dislike each other—is especially illustrative. Koran 9:71
declares that "The believing [Muslim] men and believing [Muslim]
women are allies of one another" (see also 8:72-75). And according
to Muhammad,
"A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor
humiliates him nor looks down upon him…. All things of a Muslim are
inviolable for his brother in faith: his blood, his wealth, and his
honor"—precisely those three things that mafia members respect among
each other. This is why Muslims like U.S. Army Major Nidal Hassan, whose
"worst
nightmare" was to be deployed to fight fellow Muslims, often
lash out.)
6. Death to Traitors
Once a fledging mafia member takes the oath of loyalty to the
mafia—including the Omertà code of silence and secrecy—trying to leave
the "family" is seen as a betrayal and punishable by death. Any
family member, great or small, is given authority to kill the traitor,
the "turncoat."
According to Islamic law, if born
Muslims at any point in their lives choose to leave Islam, they are
deemed "apostates."
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Compare this to Islam. To be born to a Muslim father immediately makes
the newborn a Muslim—there are no oaths to be taken, much less any choice
in the matter. And, according to Islamic law, if born Muslims at any
point in their lives choose to leave Islam, they are deemed
"apostates"—traitors—and punished including by death. Any zealous
Muslim, not just the authorities, is justified in killing the apostate
(hence why Muslim families that kill apostate children are rarely if ever
prosecuted).
In the words
of Muhammad—the messenger ("underboss") of Allah
("godfather"): "Whoever leaves his Islamic faith, kill
him."
7. Distrust and Dislike of "Outsiders"
Aside from loyalty to the family, mafia members are also expected not
to befriend or freely associate with "outsiders"—who by nature
are not to be trusted, as they are not of the "family"—unless
such a "friendship" helps advance the family's position.
Similarly, the second half of the doctrine of Loyalty and Enmity—the
enmity (al-bara')—calls on Muslims to maintain distance from and
bear enmity for all non-Muslims, or "infidels."
Thus Koran 5:51 warns Muslims against "taking the Jews and
Christians as friends and allies … whoever among you takes them for
friends and allies, he is surely one of them." According to the
mainstream Islamic exegesis of al-Tabari, Koran 5:51 means that the
Muslim who "allies with them [non-Muslims] and enables them against
the believers, that same one is a member of their faith and
community," that is, a defector, an apostate, an enemy.
Similar scriptures include Koran 4:89, 5:54, 6:40, 9:23, and 58:22;
the latter simply states that true Muslims do not befriend
non-Muslims—"even if they be their fathers, sons, brothers, or
kin." Koran 60:1 declares, "O you who believe! Do not take my
enemy and your enemy [non-believers] for friends: would you offer them
love while they deny what has come to you of the truth [i.e., while they
deny Islam]?" And Koran 4:144 declares "O you who believe! Do
not take the infidels as allies instead of the believers. Do you wish to
give Allah ["godfather"] a clear case against yourselves?"
8. Deception and Dissimulation
As mentioned, close relations to non-mafia individuals that prove
advantageous to the family (for example, collaboration with a
"crooked cop") are permissible—as long as the mafia keeps a
safe distance, keeps the outsider at arm's length.
Compare this to Koran 3:28 which commands "believers not to take
infidels for friends and allies instead of believers… unless you but
guard yourselves against them, taking precautions." According to the
standard Koran commentary of Tabari, "taking precautions"
means:
If you [Muslims] are under their
[non-Muslims'] authority, fearing for yourselves, behave loyally to them
with your tongue while harboring inner animosity for them … [but know
that] Allah has forbidden believers from being friendly or on intimate
terms with the infidels rather than other believers—except when infidels
are above them [in authority]. Should that be the case, let them act
friendly towards them while preserving their religion.
After interpreting Koran 3:28 as meaning that Muslims may
"protect" themselves "through outward show" when
under non-Muslim authority, Ibn Kathir, perhaps Islam's most celebrated
exegete, quotes Islam's prophet ("underboss") saying:
"Truly, we smile to the faces of some people, while our hearts curse
them."
Similarly, a few years ago, Sheikh Muhammad Hassan—a leading Salafi
cleric in Egypt—asserted
on live television that, while Muslims should never smile to the
faces of non-Muslims, they should smile, however insincerely, if so doing
helps empower Islam, especially in the context of da'wa.
The idea of hating "outsiders" is apparently so ingrained in
Islam that another leading Salafi cleric, Dr. Yasser al-Burhami, insists
that, while Muslim men may marry Christian and Jewish women, they
must hate them in their heart—and show them that they hate them in
the hopes that they convert to the "family" of Islam.
(For more on the doctrine of "Loyalty and Enmity," including
references to the exegetical sources quoted above, see al-Qaeda leader
Dr. Ayman Zawahiri's comprehensive treatise by that name in The
Al Qaeda Reader, pgs. 63-115.)
9. "An Offer You Can't Refuse"
Although the novel-turned-movie, The Godfather, is fictitious,
it also captures much of the mafia's modus operandi. Consider, for example,
that most famous of lines—"I'm
going to make him an offer he can't refuse"—spoken by the
Godfather to one of his "godsons," an aspiring actor and
singer. After being turned down by a studio director for a role that he
desperately wanted, the godson turned to his Godfather for aid.
As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that the offer that can't be
refused consists of nothing less than violence and death threats: after
the Godfather's messenger to the director asking that the actor be given
the role is again rejected, the director awakens the next morning to find
the bloodied and decapitated head of his favorite stallion in bed with
him. The godson subsequently gets the movie role.
Throughout history, converting to
Islam has been an "offer" that countless non-Muslims could
not refuse.
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Throughout the context of the entire Godfather trilogy (which
captures well the mafia's approach to business) making someone "an
offer they can't refuse" means "do as I say or suffer the
consequences," possibly death.
Compare this to Islam's threefold choice. On Muhammad's orders,
whenever Muslims conquer a territory in the name of Islam, its non-Muslim
inhabitants are given three choices: 1) convert to Islam ("join the
family"), 2) keep your religious identity but pay tribute (jizya,
see below) and live as an "outsider," a subjugated dhimmi
or 3) execution.
Throughout history, converting to Islam has been an "offer"
that countless non-Muslims could not refuse. In fact, this
"offer" is responsible for transforming much of the Middle East
and North Africa, which were Christian-majority in the 7th century
when the jihad burst forth from Arabia, into the "Muslim
world."
And this offer
is still alive and well today. For example, several older and
disabled Christians who were not able to join the exodus out of Islamic
State controlled territories opted
to convert to Islam rather than die.
Like the mafia, then, Islam's offer to conquered non-Muslims
("outsiders") is basically "join our 'family,' help us and
we will help you; refuse and we hurt you."
10. The "Protection" Racket
Once the mafia takes over a territory, one of the primary ways it
profits is by collecting "protection money" from its
inhabitants. While the protection racket has several aspects, one in
particular is akin to an Islamic practice: coercing people in the mafia's
territory to pay money for "protection," ostensibly against
outside elements; in fact, the protection bought is from the mafia
itself—that is, extortion money, or pizzo.
Potential "clients" who refuse to pay for the mafia's
"protection" often have their property vandalized and are
routinely threatened and harassed.
Compare the collection of pizzo with the Islamic concept of jizya:
The word jizya appears in Koran 9:29: "Fight those among the
People of the Book [Christians and Jews] who do not believe in Allah nor
the Last Day, nor forbid what Allah and his Messenger have forbidden, nor
embrace the religion of truth, until they pay the jizya with willing
submission and feel themselves subdued (emphasis added)."
In the hadith,
the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad—in our analogy, the
"underboss"—regularly calls on Muslims to demand jizya
from non-Muslims: "If they refuse to accept Islam," said the
prophet, "demand from them the jizya. If they agree to pay,
accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay jizya,
seek Allah's help and fight them."
The root meaning of the Arabic word "jizya" is simply to
"repay" or "recompense," basically to
"compensate" for something. According to the Hans Wehr
Dictionary, the standard Arabic-English dictionary, jizya is
something that "takes the place" of something else, or
"serves instead."
Simply put, conquered non-Muslims were to purchase their lives,
which were otherwise forfeit to their Muslim conquerors, with money. As
one medieval jurist succinctly puts it, "their lives and their
possessions are only protected by reason of payment of jizya"
(Crucified
Again, p. 22).
And to top it off, just as the mafia rationalizes its collection of
"protection money" by portraying it as money that buys mafia
protection against "outsiders"—when, as mentioned, the
money/tribute serves only to protect the client from the mafia itself—so
too do Islam's
apologists portray the collection of jizya as money meant to buy
Muslim protection from outsiders, when in fact the money/jizya buys
protection from Muslims themselves.
Conclusion: Mafia—What's In a Word?
What accounts for all these similarities between Islam and the mafia?
One clue is found in the fact that the very word "mafia," which
means "hostility to the law, boldness," is derived from an
Arabic word, mahya,
which in translation means "bragging, boasting, bravado, and
swaggering."
This etymology is a reminder that Sicily, birthplace of the mafia, was
under Arab/Islamic domination for over 200 years. Aside from a borrowed
etymology, could some of the mafia's modus operandi also have been
borrowed from Islam? Isolated on their island, could native Sicilians
have co-opted the techniques of social controls that they had lived under
and learned from their former overlords—albeit without their Islamic
veneer?
The mafia is not the only historical example of a non-Muslim criminal
organization to be influenced by Islam. For example, the Thuggees —
whence we get the word "thug" — were a brotherhood of allied
bandits and assassins who waylaid and savagely murdered travelers in
India, often by first feigning friendship. Although they were later
associated with the Hindu cult of Kali, the original Thuggees were all
Muslim. As late as the 19th century, a large number of Thuggees
captured and convicted by the British were Muslim.
The similarities are clear: Along with assassinating his opponents,
including, as seen, through treachery, Muhammad also personally engaged
in banditry, ransacking the caravans of enemy tribes.
And if the words "mafia" and "thug" have
Arabic/Islamic etymologies, the words "assassinate" and
"assassin" are derived from a Medieval Islamic sect: the Hashashin,
who pioneered the use of political assassination—with promises
of a hedonistic paradise for the assassin who almost certainly
died—in the name of Islam.
At any rate, when HBO personality Bill Maher recently proclaimed that
Islam is "the only religion that acts like the mafia, that will
f***ing kill you if you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong picture, or
write the wrong book," he was barely touching on the similarities
between the mafia and other criminal organizations, and Islam.
Raymond
Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center,
a Judith Friedman Rosen Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum and a CBN
News contributor. He is the author of Crucified
Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians (2013) and The
Al Qaeda Reader (2007).
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