On 9-11-2001, Muslim terrorists killed almost 3000 people
in New York as they flew their hijacked airplanes into
the World Trade Towers in New York city while their
spiritual kindred danced in the streets in the Middle
East. To this very day, rockets are still being fired
from predominantly Muslim Gaza into Israel with the
clear intent of doing harm to civilians. Iran's rulers
have made it very clear that their goal is to cause
Israel to cease to exist with exactly the same racist
and fanatical mindset as the National Socialists of
Hitler's Germany in their attempt to kill every Jew in
Europe. The examples of Muslim aggression across the
years and world are legion.
So, are those who
commit these despicable acts nothing more than
apostates who are defiling their religion? Or are they
doing exactly what the Quran mandates with this being
supported by their fundamentalist clerics? In looking
to find the truth of the matter, I can think of no
better place to start than in the Quran itself. As a
matter of fact, if we look for the sake of brevity only
at how it tells Muslims to deal with Christians and
Jews, I believe we will gain a great deal of insight
into this very question.
2:62. Lo! Those who
believe [in that which is revealed unto thee,
Muhammad], and those who are Jews, and Christians, and
Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day
and doeth right - surely their reward is with their
Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither
shall they grieve.
It certainly sounds as
if both Jews and Christians are to be held in high
regard and respected. This verse no doubt is used to
argue for a benevolent approach to be taken with those
of these other two Abrahamic religions. That would
certainly make those who carry out terrorist acts
heretics to Islam. But is this admonition consistent
throughout the Quran? Let's look further:
2:120 And the Jews will not be pleased with thee,
nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed.
Say: Lo! the guidance of Allah [Himself] is Guidance.
And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the
knowledge which hath come unto thee, then wouldst thou
have from Allah no protecting guardian nor helper.
This verse is clearly diametrically opposed to
the sentiments of the first and occurs later in the
second sura. Does that mean that Allah, whom the
Muslims say is the same God that Jews and Christians
worship (that a topic all of its own!), changed his
mind in the time between when they were delivered to
Mohammed?
What, then, are we to make of what
the Bible says about God?
Malachi 3:6 For I am
the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed.
Furthermore, doing a word
search for "everlasting covenant," yields fifteen hits
in the King James Bible. With this evidence, it appears
that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Father
of Jesus Christ neither changes himself nor goes back
on his word. Does this complete change of attitude seem
consistent with God who never changes?
There are
several possibilities which come to mind:
1) Allah
is not the same God that Jews and Christians worship.
2) Mohammed made a mistake
3) The revelation to
Mohammed was not from God or an angel sent from him.
From just these three alone, what does this suggest
as to the Quran's ultimate reliablity?
Let's
now look at even more militant and aggressive verses:
2: 190. Fight in the way of Allah against those who
fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah
loveth not aggressors. 191. And slay them wherever ye
find them, and drive them out of the places whence they
drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter.
And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of
Worship until they first attack you there, but if they
attack you [there] then slay them. Such is the reward
of
disbelievers. 192. But if they desist, then lo!
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 193. And fight them until
persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But
if they desist, then let there be no hostility except
against wrong-doers.
9:5. Then, when the
sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever
ye find them, and take them [captive], and besiege
them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they
repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then
leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
These passages suggests several basic
principles:
1) Allah calls Muslims to defend
themselves against those who attack them. The question
becomes, what is considered an attack? A military
attack? Or would it extend to those who merely
challenge their beliefs? The evidence is that in
Muslim-controlled societies the latter is the case.
2) If a person converts to Islam, they are not be
persecuted any more. But no other religion is allowed
this latitude.
3) Verse 191 suggests that any
territory that was ever under the control of Islam is
to be recaptured! What do you think the ramifications
of this are for a true Middle East Peace Treaty?
Let's examine a little more closely the calls
of those Muslims who call for "tolerance" for
themselves. Does the Quran also instruct them to "give"
that which they want to "get?"
5:19 They
indeed have disbelieved who say: Lo! Allah is the
Messiah, son of Mary. Say: Who then can do aught
against Allah, if He had willed to destroy the Messiah
son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on earth?
Allah's is the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth
and all that is between them. He createth what He will.
And Allah is Able to do all things.
5:54 O ye
who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for
friends. They are friends one to another. He among you
who taketh them for friends is [one] of them. Lo! Allah
guideth not wrongdoing folk.
9:30. And the Jews
say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say:
The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying
with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who
disbelieved of old. Allah [Himself] fighteth against
them. How perverse are they!
When
broaching this topic before, I've been accused of being
"intellectually lazy" and dishonest, taking these
verses out of context to deliberately mislead people.
My response has been that I have always provided sura
and verse so anyone who wishes can go to the Quran and
read them presented in their context for him or
herself.
I have also asked the question as
to what kind of context would "nullify" those clearly
hostile verses which instruct Muslims to treat
Christians and Jews with nothing but contempt?
Conclusion
I am quite frankly astounded - no,
make that appalled! - that in the face of both the
words and actions of those who commit acts of terrorism
and praise Allah while doing them that the leadership
and media of Western Civilization for most intents and
purposes fails to recognize the existential threat
posed by a belief system that ultimately affords no
quarter for anything else but itself.
Now
if my arguments have still not convinced you, maybe
this will. I can show you mosques, churches, and
synagogues everywhere in the free world. Can show you
me just one church or synagogue in Medina or Mecca?
Finally, if you are a non-Muslim, would you
like to move to either of those two cities and bring
your family along to live there, too? (By the way, this
is a rhetorical question since Jews and Christians are
forbidden to even visit them! Source:
http://islam.about.com/od/hajj/f/mecca.htm)
*Bible quotation is from the King James Version
*Quran quotations are taken from The Holy Quran,
English Translation of the Meanings by Mohammad
Marmaduke Pickthal. Formatting by William B. Brown*