The meaning and implications of "Takfiri"

This is the AI response to "Takfiri Islam"

"Takfiri" is a term for a Muslim who excommunicates another Muslim by accusing them of apostasy or unbelief (kufr). The practice is referred to as takfir. While mainstream Islam considers it a grave sin for individuals to declare a fellow Muslim an apostate—a right reserved for God alone—various extremist groups have historically and currently used takfir to justify violence and assert political power. 

Ideological roots

• The Khawarij: The earliest historical example of a group using takfir was the Khawarij, a faction that emerged during the early Islamic Caliphate. The Khawarij, or "seceders," were known for declaring their Muslim political opponents infidels and killing them.
• Ibn Taymiyyah: The writings of the medieval Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyyah are sometimes cited by extremists to justify takfir. His followers, including Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, further propagated these ideas.
• Wahhabism: The founder of Wahhabism, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, also relied on the concept of takfir to justify military campaigns against perceived opponents. This alliance with the House of Saud helped establish the first Saudi state.
• Sayyid Qutb: In the mid-20th century, the Egyptian Islamist ideologue Sayyid Qutb developed on these ideas, using takfir to brand Muslim societies as being in a state of pre-Islamic ignorance (jahiliyyah). This was used to justify rebellion against Muslim leaders seen as corrupt. 

Use by modern extremist groups

Contemporary extremist organizations like the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda extensively utilize takfir to mobilize supporters, justify terrorism, and consolidate power. For these groups, takfir is a strategic and political tool to: 

• Divide and conquer: They declare other Muslim groups, including mainstream Sunnis and Shiites, to be unbelievers and legitimate targets.
• Recruit and motivate: The ideology frames the conflict as an apocalyptic war between believers (themselves) and apostates, creating a clear-cut mission for followers.
• Eliminate opponents: By applying takfir, they can justify the killing of rival groups and those who do not pledge allegiance to them. 

Counteracting takfiri ideology

Mainstream Muslim scholars have widely condemned the practice of takfir, asserting that its application is forbidden. 

• The Amman Message: A major initiative, the Amman Message, was launched in 2004 by King Abdullah II of Jordan to promote religious tolerance. It explicitly prohibits takfir among Muslims by providing a clear and precise definition of who is a Muslim and affirming the validity of the major schools of Islamic thought.
• Counter-narratives: Efforts to combat takfiri ideology also involve creating credible counter-narratives that debunk the extremist interpretations of Islamic doctrine. 

Americans travel to assist takeover of West Bank Palestinian land

While no recent reports document a specific group of Americans traveling to Hebron to seize Palestinian land, human rights organizations have documented the long-term, ongoing involvement of American citizens in actions that support Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including Hebron. This involvement includes financing extremist settler organizations and volunteering on private Palestinian land. 

Direct involvement in Hebron and the West Bank

• Americans volunteering on Palestinian land: An Instagram post from November 2025 shows a Palestinian landowner in Hebron confronting American volunteers and Israeli soldiers for working on his private land in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood. The post notes that Israeli forces regularly restrict access for Palestinian landowners in this area, which is situated in the Israeli-controlled section of the city.
• Volunteers from abroad for settlements: Organizations like Birthright Israel have advertised volunteer opportunities supporting Israeli communities for Jewish adults since the October 7, 2023 attacks. While these programs do not explicitly mention illegal settlements, some participants have been documented volunteering in affected areas and kibbutzim. Human rights groups have also highlighted cases of American volunteers assisting settlers in agricultural work on private Palestinian land.
• Forcible displacement: The United Nations reported in July 2025 that Israeli settlers in the south Hebron Hills, with army support, have forcibly displaced Palestinians from their land, with the goal of creating buffer zones.
• Increased settler aggression: News reports indicate a documented increase in violence and aggression by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023. The UN and other rights groups have reported on the displacement of Palestinian communities, including in Hebron, due to intensified settler activity. 

U.S.-based financial and political support

• Tax-exempt funding for settlements: Investigations by The Intercept and The Guardian have shown that tax-exempt U.S. nonprofits have provided millions of dollars in funding to Israeli settler organizations, with some potentially violating U.S. law. These funds help expand illegal settlements and contribute to the displacement of Palestinians. Organizations like the Hebron Fund and the Central Fund for Israel have been identified as contributors to settler activities.
• Sanctions by U.S. government: In response to escalating settler violence, the U.S. government has imposed sanctions on several Israeli settlers and organizations since early 2024. President Biden signed an executive order allowing for financial sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals involved in violence or intimidation against Palestinians. The U.S. has also reversed a previous administration's policy by stating that Israeli settlements are "inconsistent with international law". 

How and when were Russian oblasts put inside Ukraine?

The incorporation of Russian-speaking oblasts into 

Ukraine

's borders occurred primarily during the Soviet era, particularly in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution and during territorial transfers within the 

USSR

. This process was driven by a combination of historical shifts, population policies, and industrial development. 

The Soviet era and the Donbas region

Following the Russian Civil War (1917–1922), the Bolsheviks incorporated the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts) into the 

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR)

. 

• 18th and 19th-century industrialization: Large-scale industrialization in the Donets Basin began in the 18th century after Russia annexed the territory from the Crimean Khanate.
• Influx of Russian workers: As Donbas became a key industrial center, it attracted an influx of workers from other parts of the Russian Empire, including many ethnic Russians.
• The Soviet period: Throughout the Soviet era, Moscow pursued policies of Russification, further increasing the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukrainian cities, particularly after World War II. 

The transfer of Crimea in 1954

The 

Crimean Oblast

, which has a large Russian-speaking population, was administratively transferred from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) to the Ukrainian SSR by decree in 1954. 

• Rationale for the transfer: Soviet officials stated the move was based on "the integral character of the economy, the territorial proximity and the close economic and cultural ties" between Crimea and Ukraine. It was also done to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's unification with Russia.
• Legacy of the transfer: At the time, the transfer was largely symbolic within the Soviet Union. However, after the Soviet collapse, it became a major source of conflict between Ukraine and Russia. 

Broader historical factors

The Russian Empire's expansion and subsequent Soviet policies contributed to the demographic and linguistic makeup of many Ukrainian territories. 

• Russian imperial expansion: In the late 18th century, the Russian Empire annexed vast, sparsely populated lands in what is now southern Ukraine, known as Novorossiya ("New Russia"). Russian nobles were granted large tracts of land, which attracted a mix of new settlers, including many Russians.
• Soviet border adjustments: During the early years of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian borders were established to include 
  Novorossiya
   and other areas with significant Russian populations. This was intended to gain support from the local population.
• Post-WWII resettlement: After World War II and the deportation of Crimean Tatars, the Crimean Peninsula was resettled by new migrants, many of whom were ethnic Russians. 

******

Ukraine

 formally became an independent country on August 24, 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. On that date, the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) approved the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. 

Key events confirming Ukraine's independence include:

• December 1, 1991: A nationwide referendum overwhelmingly confirmed the declaration of independence, with over 90% of voters supporting it.
• December 25, 1991: The United States officially recognized Ukraine's independence. 

While 1991 marks the modern state's founding, Ukraine has a long and complex history that includes earlier periods of statehood. For example, a Ukrainian People's Republic was formed in 1918 following the Russian Revolution, but its independence was short-lived. 

Organ Donation Non-profit in the News

The NJ Sharing Network, a New Jersey organ donation non-profit, is under a congressional investigation following whistleblower allegations of serious misconduct. A letter detailing the accusations was sent to the organization's president and CEO by the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee on November 19, 2025. 

Allegations of misconduct

• Harvesting organs from a patient who showed signs of life: Whistleblowers allege that the organization attempted to continue the organ recovery process from a patient who had "reanimated". According to congressional investigators, the CEO allegedly ordered staff to continue, but personnel at a hospital in Camden intervened to stop the procedure.
• Skipping patients on waiting lists: The committee alleges that the NJ Sharing Network has "allocated more than a quarter of its organs 'out of sequence' from the national transplant waiting list". This practice may have harmed patients waiting for transplants and potentially violated federal transplant rules.
• Mass-discarding organs: Records show that the organization allegedly discarded 100 pancreata intended for research in a single day in March 2024, despite reporting far fewer discards over a much longer period. Lawmakers suggest this may have been done to manipulate performance metrics.
• Pressuring families for consent: The organization is accused of using redacted donor records from the Motor Vehicle Commission to push back against families who believed their loved ones had revoked consent to donate.
• Withholding records and misleading investigators: The committee alleges the non-profit failed to fully comply with document requests and provided misleading information during a federal survey in late 2024. 

Congressional action

Following the whistleblower claims, the Ways and Means Committee is demanding documents and interviews from more than 30 NJ Sharing Network employees. The organization was given until December 3, 2025, to respond. 

Broader investigation

This investigation is part of a larger, ongoing congressional probe into federally designated Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs). In recent months, other OPOs in Indiana, Miami, and Kentucky have also faced scrutiny. In September 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services moved to decertify the Miami-based Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency after finding unsafe practices, staff shortages, and paperwork errors.