Does Islam Really Have a Peaceful Face

Does Islam Really Have a Peaceful Face?

By Ali Sina

afreethinker@hotmail.com

The following is the response of Faith Freedom Society, the Organ of Freethinkers and Humanists of Islamic Origin to Ms. Karen Armstrong's essay of October 1, 2001 Vol. 158 No. 15   Time Magazine.

The True, Peaceful Face Of Islam

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101011001-175987,00.html

In that essay Ms. Karen Armstrong started by saying "Islam is the fastest-growing religion". The truth however has a different hue. Islam is not the fastest growing religion. The number of people that leave Islam is at least one hundred time more than those who embrace Islam. Those who leave Islam are mostly educated intellectuals born in Islamic families, while those who accept Islam are generally the youngsters and the less educated class of the society who let their emotions take over their rational thinking. It is enough to consider the Iranians who live in Diaspora. Over 50% of them no more call themselves Muslims and are indeed quiet adverse to it. If the present regime of Iran is toppled there is no doubt that the same percentage of Iranians will leave Islam officially.

Nevertheless, the number of Muslims is indeed on the rise and that has to do with their unproportionate rate of procreation. Muslims are generally less educated than the rest of humanity and typically less educated people have more children. This is why the number of Muslims is growing faster than people of other religions.

Ms. Armstrong added, "If the evil carnage we witnessed on Sept. 11 were typical of the faith, and Islam truly inspired and justified such violence, its growth and the increasing presence of Muslims in both Europe and the U.S. would be a terrifying prospect".

The truth is that the evil carnage we witnessed on Sept. 11 were inspired by the teachings of Quran. At the end of this message there is a list of the verses of Quran. Please read them and see if they are messages of peace or of hate and violence. You be the judge.

Now why despite this much violence present in the Quran Islam is not being cast aside by most Muslims? The answer to this question is very simple. Islam does not allow criticism. Any word of criticism will be chastised by a fatwa (religious order to kill the apostate). So in such atmosphere of repression and terror truth will never come out. Also credit should be given to apologists like Maurice Bucaille and Dr. Keith Moore, who because of the financial rewards that they got from Saudi Kings and other wealthy Muslims like Bin Laden's family do lie and sugarcoat the bitter truth of Islam with little scruples. We wonder what is the motivation of Ms. Armstrong's in lying!

Ms. Armstrong writes: "When the Prophet Muhammad brought the inspired scripture known as the Koran to the Arabs in the early 7th century A.D., a major part of his mission was devoted precisely to bringing an end to the kind of mass slaughter we witnessed in New York City and Washington."

This statement is quiet unacceptable from a person who has written a history of Islam. We wonder what are her sources?

Does she know that prior to Muhammad's arrival to Medina there was no religions hostility between the Arabs and the Jews and it was the Prophet of Islam who introduced religious hate in that subcontinent for the first time?

Does she know that the Prophet ethnically cleansed Arabia from the Jews by massacring some of them and banishing others and enslaving their wives and children?

Does she know that ALL the wars that the Prophet fought, except one, were instigated by him, were offensive and not defensive?   The only defensive war That he fought was the war of Khandagh (ditch) that was started by the Meccans in response to tens of raids that Muhammad and his men had made at their merchant caravans killing their men and looting their goods.

Does Ms. Armstrong know that the Prophet of Islam had the habit of assassinating his opponents in the middle of the night?

Two of his victims were a 120 year old man named Abu Afak and Asma Bint Marwan a mother of 5 small children. These two were guilty of composing satirical poetry ridiculing the messenger of Allah.

Ms. Armstrong has been very unfair in her statement to say that the major part of Muhammad's mission was devoted to bringing an end to the kind of mass slaughter we witnessed in NYC. On the contrary we believe that senseless carnage was inspired directly by Quran and verses such as this:

Q4:78: "Where ye are, death will find you, even if ye are in Towers, built up strong and tall"

We wonder whether the attack of the towers of WTC was not inspired by this verse and by the hundreds of verses that call for the killing the unbelievers, some of which we have included in the annexure bellow.

Ms. Armstrong is right in saying that the "Pre-Islamic Arabia was caught up in a vicious cycle of warfare, in which tribe fought tribe in a pattern of vendetta and counter vendetta". But Muhammad did not end this cycle of warfare. He capitalized on that aggressive spirit, united the feuding factions for a bigger kill to invade Syria, Iran, Yemen, Egypt, Palestine, Spain, India and many other countries, massacring millions of innocent people, looting their properties, taking their wives and children as slaves selling them in the markets of Mecca and Medina. No doubt Muhammad was a bonus for the Arab Imperialism but at what cost to the rest of humanity? We still pay for that. 7000 innocent people on Sep 11 paid just that price once more. There is much more to come. No one is safe, not even Ms. Armstrong who lives freely in the West defending Islam. We wonder would she say the same absurdities that she is rehashing today if she is poisoned by a biological bomb released by a devout Muslim in the search of Allah's pleasure and unlimited sex in Paradise?

Ms. Armstrong wrote, "Muhammad himself survived several assassination attempts, and the early Muslim community narrowly escaped extermination by the powerful city of Mecca".

This is utterly a lie. There has never been any assassination attempt against Muhammad. The Meccans did never persecute the Muslims. It was Muhammad who was exhorting his followers to leave Mecca and go to other places. He even threatened them that if they do not emigrate they will be punished in hell.(Q.4: 97) Meccans never persecuted the Muslims. They never expelled them from their town. In fact the relatives of the new converts tried their best to stop their loved ones from leaving.

Muhammad himself was never in danger, though he constantly used to taunt the religion of the Arabs. He escaped on his own volition leaving his own family behind having the assurance that they would be safe. Then he made his Allah reveal the following verse.

"And call to mind when the unbelievers plotted against thee, that they might detain thee, or slay thee, or expel thee. Yea, they plotted; but God plotted likewise. And God is the best of plotters." (Q.8: 29)

Here Allah is simply speculating of what the Meccans might have done to his messenger. It seems the the All Knowing Allah was not sure what was the real intention of the Meccans, which proves the alleged plot against Muhammad's life was nothing but the figment of a paranoid prophet.

Ms. Armstrong wrote, " The Prophet had to fight a deadly war in order to survive, but as soon as he felt his people were probably safe, he devoted his attention to building up a peaceful coalition of tribes and achieved victory by an ingenious and inspiring campaign of nonviolence."

It is disturbing to see someone who claims to be a scholar of religions be so misleading in her statements. Was Muhammad attacked by the Jews that he fought against and exterminated? Was he being attacked by the merchant caravans? Did the Iranians attack Arabia? Did Muslims had to fight in Spain to secure their own survival. Could Ms. Armstrong tell were are those Quranic verses that inspire nonviolence? Ms. Armstrong is in fact twisting the truth. The few verses of nonviolence that are found in Quran date back to the period that Muhammad was in Mecca and still powerless. In that time it was convenient to speak of tolerance. But soon after he reached power, and the number of his followers increased, he started to make wars, loot and impose his religion on others by force.

Yes he reunited diverse Arab tribes. But this is no feat. Changeez Khan also did that. All dictators managed to reunite people around themselves by instigating the hate of others in them and by appealing to their greed. The greatness of a man is in uniting people thru the power of love not by promising them women and spoils of war to attack alien nations and much of the same in the other world if they die.

Armstrong continues: "When he died in 632, he had almost single -handedly brought peace to war-torn Arabia"

Muhammad never brought peace to Arabia. He simply extended the battlefield. Now the Arabs did not have to fight among themselves for the meager belongings of each other. They could dream the wealth of the big empires like Iran and lust after their beautiful white women.

Ms. Armstrong writes something that is regrettable if not shameful in her apologetic defense of Islam which makes one doubt her sincerity. She writes: "Warfare was a desperate business on the Arabian Peninsula. A chieftain was not expected to spare survivors after a battle, and some of the Koranic injunctions seem to share this spirit. Muslims are ordered by God to "slay [enemies] wherever you find them!" (4: 89)."

What this so called scholar forgets is that though killing the prisoners of war was customary among the savage tribes of Arabia, Muhammad claimed to be the messenger of the Merciful God. When Cyrus the Great spared the lives and the rights of his prisoners of war 2500 years ago, how come Muhammad could not do that? King Cyrus wrote the first Declaration of Human Rights that contains the principal points mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights written half a century ago. Yet the book of Quran is noting but violation of human rights. No wonder both Saddam Hussein and Khomeini killed thousands of each others PoWs captured in the Iran/Iraq war. They both followed the tradition (Sunna) of the Holy Prophet.

We challenge Ms. Armstrong to debate with us. We can prove that what she wrote about Islam being the religion of peace is twisting the truth and lies. Though most religions have had violent past and in some instances condone violence, no religion so openly encourages killing the unbelievers, desecrating their beliefs, humiliating them and violating all their human rights as Islam does.

We invite everyone to read the Quran and see for themselves that this book is the textbook of terrorism. No one is more Muslim than Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, the Hezbullahis, the Hamass, and the terrorists of Algeria, East Timor, Philippines and the brainwashed suicide bombers. These people do what Quran tells them to do. Those who say Islam is the religion of peace, either lie or have completely misunderstood the Quran.

In conclusion, we understand the position of the Western politicians and fully support them in trying to separate Islam from the Islamic terrorists. It is not advisable for them to point the finger at Islam itself. This would inflame the precarious situation and would certainly cause major split between the Muslims and the West jeopardizing the peace of the world. However such whitewash of the truth by someone who calls herself a scholar is deplorable, dishonest and unfortunate. We invite everyone to get a copy of the book "Why I Am Not A Muslim" by Ibn Warraq and find the truth about Islam.

Ali Sina

on behalf of Faith Freedom Society

The Organ of Humanists of Islamic Origin

ANNEXURE ‘A’

Sayings of ‘Koran’ which Preach Cruelty,
Incite Violence and Disturb Public Tranquility

Surah 2: ayat 193.
Fight against them until idolatry is no more and Allah’s religion reigns supreme.

Surah 2: ayat 216.
Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it. But you may hate a thing although it is good for you, and love a thing although it is bad for you. Allah knows, but you do not.

Surah 9: ayat 41.
Whether unarmed or well-equipped, march on and fight for the cause of Allah, with your wealth and your persons. This will be best for you, if you but knew it,

Surah 8: ayat 39.
Make war on them until idolatry is no more and Allah’s religion reigns supreme.

Surah 9: ayat 123.
Believers! make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Let them find harshness in you.

Surah 66: ayat 9.
O Prophet! make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal sternly with them. Hell shall be their home, evil their fate.

Surah 9: ayat 73.
O Prophet! Make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites. Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is Hell, a hapless journey’s end.

Surah 8: ayat 65.
O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast men among you, they shall vanquish two hundred; and if there are a hundred, they shall rout a thousand unbelievers, for they are devoid of understanding.

Surah 8: ayat 12.
I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, maim them in every limb.

Surah 69: ayats 30-33.
We shall say, ‘Lay hold of him and bind him. Bum him in the fire of Hell, then fasten him with a chain seventy cubits long. For he did not believe in Allah, the Most High.

Surah 9: ayat 39.
If you do not fight He will punish you sternly and replace you by other men…

Surah 9: ayat 111.
Allah has purchased of the faithful their lives and worldly goods and in return has promised them the Garden. They will fight for His cause, slay and be slain. Such is the true pledge which He has made them in the Torah, the Gospel and the Koran. And who is more true to His promise than Allah? Rejoice then in the bargain you have made. That is the supreme triumph.

Surah 4: ayat 100.
He that flies his homeland for the cause of Allah shall find numerous places of refuge in the land and great abundance. He that leaves his dwelling to fight for Allah and His apostle and is then overtaken by death, shall be rewarded by Allah. Allah is forgiving and merciful.

Surah 48: ayat 29.
Muhammad is Allah’s apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another… Through them Allah seeks to enrage the unbelievers.

Surah 49: ayat 15.
The true believers are those that have faith in Allah and His apostle and never doubt; and who fight for His cause with their wealth and persons. Such are those whose faith is true.

Surah 8: ayats 59-60.
Let the unbelievers not think that they will escape Us. They have not the power to do so. Muster against them all the men and cavalry at your disposal, so that you may strike terror into the enemies of Allah and the faithful, and others besides them. All that you give for the cause of Allah shall be repaid you. You shall not be wronged.

Surah 9: ayats 2-3.
…Allah will humble the unbelievers… Allah and His apostle are free from obligation to the idol-worshippers… Proclaim a woeful punishment to the unbelievers.

Surah 9: ayat 29.
Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given as believe neither in Allah nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allah and His apostle have forbidden, and do not embrace the true faith, until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued.

Surah 8: ayat 67.
It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he has made slaughter in the land…

Surah 29: ayat 6.
He that fights for Allah’s cause fights for himself…

Surah 29: ayat 69.
Those that fight for Our cause We will surely guide to our own paths. Allah is with the righteous.

Surah 61: ayats 9-13.
It is He who has sent His messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, so that He may make it the conqueror of all religions, much as the idol-worshippers may dislike it.

Surah 9: ayat 5.
When the sacred months are over slay the idol-worshippers wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and pay the alms-tax, let them go their way. Allah is forgiving and merciful.

Surah 9: ayat 14.
Fight them! Allah will chastise them at your hands, and He will lay them low and give you victory over them, and He will heal the breasts of folk who are believers.

Surah 4: ayats 95-96.
The believers who stay at home - apart from those that suffer from a grave impediment - are not equal to those -who fight for the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah has given those that fight with their goods and their persons a higher rank than those who stay at home. He has promised all a good reward: but far richer is the recompense of those who fight for Him: rank of His own bestowal, forgiveness, and mercy. Allah is forgiving and merciful.

Surah 3: ayat 142.
Did you suppose that you would enter Paradise before Allah has proved the men who fought for Him and endured with fortitude?

ANNEXURE ‘B’
Sayings of ‘Koran’ which Promote, on Grounds of Religion,
Feeling of Enmity, Hatred and Ill-Will between different
Religious Communities in India

Surah 60: ayat 4.
…We renounce you (i.e. the idolaters): enmity and hate shall reign between us until you believe in Allah only…

Surah 58: ayat 23.
You shall find no believers in Allah and the Last Day on friendly terms with those who oppose Allah and His apostle, even though they be their fathers, their sons, their brothers, or their nearest kindred...

Surah 8: ayats 13-14.
Thus We punished them because they defied Allah and His apostle. He that defies Allah and His apostle shall be sternly punished. We said to them, ‘Feel Our scourge. Hell-fire awaits the unbelievers.’

Surah 8: ayat 55.
The basest creatures in the sight of Allah are the faithless who will not believe…

Surah 25: ayat 55.
Yet the unbelievers worship idols which can neither help nor harm them. Surely the unbeliever is his Lord’s enemy.

Surah 5: ayat 72.
…He that worships other Gods besides Allah shall be forbidden Paradise and shall be cast into the fire of Hell. None shall help the evil-doers.

Surah 9: ayat 23.
Believers! do not befriend your fathers or your brothers if they choose unbelief in preference to faith. Wrong-doers are those that befriend them.

Surah 9: ayat 28.
Believers! know that the idolaters are unclean...

Surah 3: ayat 28.
Let believers not make friends with infidels in preference to the faithful; he that does this has nothing to hope for from Allah - except in self-defence. Allah admonishes you to fear Him; for to Him you shall all return.

Surah 3: ayat 118.
Believers! do not make friends with any men other than your own people. They will spare no pains to corrupt you. They desire nothing but your ruin. Their hatred is clear from what they say, but more violent is the hatred which their breasts conceal…

Surah 4 ayat 144.
Believers! do not choose the infidels rather than the faithful for your friends. Would you give Allah a clear proof against yourselves?

Surah 5: ayat 14.
…Therefore, We stirred among them (i.e. the Christians) enmity and hatred, which shall endure till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will declare to them all that they have done.

Surah 5: ayat 64.
…That which Allah has revealed to you will surely increase the wickedness and unbelief of many of them (i.e. the Jews). We have stirred among them (i.e. the Jews) enmity and hatred, which will endure till the Day of Resurrection...

Surah 5: ayat 18.
The Jews and the Christians say, ‘We are the children of Allah and His loved ones.’ Say: ‘Why then does He punish you for your sins?’…

Surah 5: ayat 51.
Believers! take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends. They are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrong-doers.

ANNEXURE ‘C’
Sayings of ‘Koran’ which Insult other Religions as also the
Religious Beliefs of other Communities in India

Surah 5: ayat 17.
Unbelievers are those who declare: ‘Allah is the Messiah (i.e. Christ), the son of Mary.’ Say: ‘Who could prevent Allah from destroying the Messiah (i.e. Christ), the son of Mary, together with his mother and all the people of the earth?’…

Surah 4: ayat 157.
They denied the truth and uttered a monstrous falsehood against Mary. They declared: ‘We have put to death the Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, the apostle of Allah.’ They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but they thought they did.

Surah 98: ayat 6.
The unbelievers among the people of the Book (i.e. Christians and Jews) and the pagans shall bum for ever in the fire of Hell. They are the vilest of all creatures.

Surah 22: ayats 19-21.
…Garments of fire have been prepared for unbelievers. Scalding water shall be poured upon their heads, melting their skins and that which is in their bellies. They shall be lashed with red iron.

Surah 22: ayats 56-57.
…Those that have embraced the true faith and done good works shall enter the gardens of delight, but the unbelievers who have denied Our revelations shall receive an ignominious punishment.

Surah 5: ayats 36.
As for the unbelievers, if they offered all that the earth contains and as much besides to redeem themselves from the torment of the Day of Resurrection it shall not be accepted from them. Theirs shall be a woeful punishment.

Surah 15: ayats 2.
The day will surely come when the unbelievers will wish that they were Muslims.

Surah 72: ayats 14-15.
Some of us are Muslims and some are wrong-doers. Those that embrace Islam pursue the right path; but those that do wrong (of not embracing Islam) shall become the fuel of fire.

Surah 41: ayat 33.
And who speaks better than he who calls others to the service of Allah, does what is right, and says: ‘I am a Muslim?’

Surah: 4 ayat 125.
And who has a nobler religion than the man who surrenders himself to Allah?…

Surah 25: ayats 27-29.
On that day the wrong-doer will bite his hands and say, ‘Would that I had walked in the Apostle’s path. Oh, would that I had never chosen so-and-so for my companion: It was he that made me disbelieve in Allah’s warning after it had reached me.’ Satan is ever treacherous to man.

Surah 3: ayat 85.
He that chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and in the world to come he will be one of the lost.

Surah 8: ayat 38.
Tell the unbelievers that if they mend their ways (i.e. embrace Islam) their past shall be forgiven: but if they persist in sin (i.e. idol-worshipping) let them reflect upon the fate of their forefathers.

Surah 31: ayat 13.
Luqman admonished his son. ‘My son’, he said, ‘serve no other God instead of Allah, for idolatry is an abominable sin.’

Surah 37: ayats 22-25.
But We shall say: ‘Call the sinners, their wives, and the idols which they worshipped besides Allah and lead them to the path of Hell. Keep them there for questioning - But what has come over you that you cannot help one another?’

Surah 37: ayats 26-32.
On that day they will all submit to Allah. They will reproach each other, saying: ‘You have imposed upon us. It was you who would not be believers. We had no power over ‘ you; you were sinners all. Just is the verdict which our Lord has passed upon us, we shall surely taste His punishment. We misled you, but we ourselves have been misled.’

Surah 6: ayats 40-41.
Say: ‘When Allah’s scourge smites you and the Hour of Doom suddenly overtakes you, will you call on any but Allah to help you? Answer me, if you are men of truth: No, on Him alone you will call; and if He please, He will relieve your affliction. Then you will forget your idols.’

Surah 2: ayat 221.
You shall not wed pagan women, unless they embrace the faith. A believing slave-girl is better than an idolatress, although she may please you. Nor shall you wed idolaters unless they embrace the faith. A believing slave is better than an idolater, although he may please you. These call you to Hell-fire, but Allah calls you, by His will, to paradise and to forgiveness. He makes plain His revelations to mankind, so that they may take heed.

Surah 24: ayat 3.
The adulterer may marry only an adulteress or an idolatress; and adulteress may marry only an adulterer or an idolater. True believers are forbidden such marriages.

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