Understanding Islam

Understanding Islam
"Religion of peace"? Not exactly. Although there are Muslims who don't practice their religion as a form of violence, as it's directed by the Quran, which is meant to be taken literally, that's exactly what it is.

There's a lot of creepy stuff in the Bible (and I'm no fan of the evidence-free belief in god of any stripe), but you don't see the Christians seriously considering stoning their neighbors for adultery or for wearing more than one fabric (although some do, most vilely, use the Bible as an excuse to discriminate against and even hate gays).

Here are a few words on the true nature of Islam, from American Thinker:

The Islamic worldview divides the world into two spheres: the non-Islamic world is the dar al-harb, or the "house of war," and the Islamic world is the dar al-Islam, the "house of peace." From the Muslim perspective, "peace" is achieved only once the enemy has been conquered and subordinated to Islam.

Throughout Islam's imperial reign, no difference has existed between civil law and religious law, or sharia. The distinction between civil and religious law is a Christian, not an Islamic, idea. "Secular society" simply does not exist with Islam properly understood. Apostasy is punishable by death within the Islamic code. Secular rulers in Muslim countries during the twentieth century were a historic aberration, a result of British colonialism. Many, like the Shah of Iran and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, met unhappy ends at the hands of the devout.

A special condition called dhimmitude exists within the Islamic legal code for groups of non-Muslims conquered by Islamic forces who refuse to convert. Some contemporary observers view dhimmitude as an example of Muslim "tolerance," but the truth is quite the opposite; dhimmitude is a subordinate condition. The dhimmi was not allowed to attempt to convert Muslims to his religion, his house of worship was not allowed to be more conspicuous than a mosque, he was not allowed to hold political office, and he was required to pay a special tax.

(It is for these reasons that the existence of Israel is particularly grating to Muslims. Israel exists within what has historically been the dar al-Islam, but modern Israel is not in a condition of dhimmitude subservient to Muslim political authority).

Today's Western elites who think that Islamic militants do not represent "true Islam" are dangerously wrong. From the very beginning of the Islamic faith, the good Muslim, following the example of Mohammed, has been called to do battle against unbelievers, reject secularism, and reject any notion of the equality of faiths. In his 1998 manifesto "Jihad against Jews and Crusaders," Osama bin Laden quoted the Qur'anic injunction to "fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them" and also cited Mohammed's belief that "I have been sent with the sword between my hands to ensure that no one but Allah is worshiped." Osama then concluded that "The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it." (Even if only 10% of the world's 1.4 billion Muslims heed this call, enemy strength still amounts to 140 million).

Donald Collins on Islam from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

As a social liberal but one who believes in reportorial factualness, I was of course shocked at the council's refusal. I hope it will reconsider. However, I suggest, on the basis of common humanity and common sense -- which have always been qualities that bring out the best in Americans of all races, creeds and colors -- that Americans better take a hard look at this fanatical situation.

First, the plain truth: People who believe in Islam have adopted a faith born in medieval times, a religion certainly in part born in violence, which has not evolved in any substantial way since its inception. Islam's benign adherents, who represent that religion's majority, are, I am sure, as shocked as we all are at the dastardly acts of those such as Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood shooter.

However, the record of native-born Muslims in and Muslim immigrants to Europe and the U.S. is far from reassuring. As with all entrants into the U.S., we should be extremely cautious about importing unneeded millions of new migrants of any faith or race -- just as we certainly should not ever be guilty of kowtowing to the fanatical wishes of the Islamic fundamentalists to not publish images of Allah in cartoon form so as to avoid being attacked by those same jihad types.

You may recall my dismay at the behavior of my university, Yale, when the Yale University Press, after consultations with Muslim clerics, diplomats and counterterrorism officials, canceled the scheduled publication in an academic work of 12 cartoons spoofing Muhammad. The cartoons had appeared in a Danish newspaper four years earlier, sparking Muslim protests that resulted in riots and more than 100 deaths.

We had better begin to recognize the uncomfortable truth that Islam just isn't another religion that benignly promotes peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, and certainly not toward women in most Middle East countries.

Here's an explanation of the passages in Major "Allahu Akbar!" Hasan's talk. A little long, the guy at the beginning is a little off-putting, but slide the cursor down to around the 19:32 mark for "The Verse of the Sword" and more:

A Q&A from "Answering Muslims," the site the video is from.

More on "the religion of peace" at thereligionofpeace.com. Solutions, anyone? I'm at a loss.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 9:45 am and is filed under Amy Alkon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. | 648 views | Trackback | Print this page |

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