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Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Was the Pope Wrong?

Was the Pope Wrong?

By Timothy R. Furnish

Mr. Furnish, Ph.D (Islamic History), is Assistant Professor, History, Georgia Perimeter College, Dunwoody, GA 30338. Mr. Furnish is the author of Holiest Wars: Islamic Mahdis, their Jihads and Osama bin Laden (Praeger, 2005).

One might think that Muslims would be offended because the head of the world’s largest Christian denomination considers them, well, unreasonable. But the rent-a-mobs in Gaza and Kashmir are proving the truth of his assertion in that regard. As for the numerous statements by Muslim spokesmen that the pope is “ignorant” of Islam and Islamic history—well, the reality is that they simply can’t handle the truth.

First, Muhammad was not just a man claiming that God spoke through him; he was also a political and military leader. Driven out of Mecca and taking the reins of power in Medina, Muhammad and the Muslims spread their faith not just via da`is (missionaries), but by the sword; in fact, Jews in Medina who refused to accept Muhammad’s prophethood (and who, to be accurate, were accused of plotting against King Muhammad) were killed or enslaved. The conquest of Mecca in 630 CE was accomplished at swordpoint, not by persuasion. The creation of a huge Islamic Empire by the first four caliphs, the Umayyads and the Abbasids (between 632 and the end of the first millennium CE) was carried out via conquest—not by handing out brochures. Granted, Jews and Christians within the Muslim-ruled territories from the Pyrenees to the Indus were not all forced to convert—but the relegation to second-class status known as dhimmah led, eventually, to the majority of people in North Africa and the Middle East converting to Islam.

The initial phase of Islamic conquests resulted in about half the territory of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire switching hands. For several centuries the borders stabilized and the Byzantines ruled a state pushed back into Anatolia and the Balkan Peninsula. But in the 14th century CE a new wave of Muslim jihadists, the Ottoman Turks, were again moving on Byzantine lands. This was the situation facing Manuel II, and no doubt his view of Islam as “evil and inhuman” was in no small measure influenced by watching what was left of his empire disintegrating. (Indeed, less than three decades after his death Constantinople would fall to the Ottoman ruler Mehmet II.) One might ask how many Muslims setting fire to Christian churches, or to effigies of the pope, are even aware of this? I suspect that even if they were, it would make no difference.

For, in the view of some Muslims, it is not unreasonable to spread their religion by violence, for two reasons: 1) it is the final revelation of God to humanity and 2) the Qur’an enjoins it. To paraphrase Dr. Henry Jones (Indiana’s father): “goose-stepping morons like yourselves should be reading your holy book instead of burning churches.” If they did, they would discover that:

Surah Muhammad [47]:3 says “When you meet the unbelievers on the battlefield, strike off their heads….
Surah Anfal [8]:12 says “I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the tips of their fingers.”
Surah al-Nisa’[4]:74 says “Let those who would exchange the life of this world for the hereafter, fight for the cause of God….”
Surah al-Nisa’[4]:56 says “The true believer fights for the cause of God, but the infidel fights for the devil.”
Surah al-Nisa’[4]:101 says “The unbelievers are your inveterate enemies.”
Surah al-Ma’idah [5]:51 says “Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends.”

Only in a truly Bizarro world can those passages NOT be an incitement for some to violence, to “evil and inhuman” acts. Are there other passages in the Qur’an mitigating these? Yes. But many of these more benevolent passages are also considered by many Muslims to have been abrogated by the more martial ones.

http://hnn.us/articles/29989.html

4 comments:

  1. The Holy Quran explains itself in any language because it is the Word of God who created all languages. And it is a word which God [TWT] protected from weaknesses in men's hearts unlike the others. No muslim would even dare change a letter in the Holy Quran for they won't succeed niether will they be able to live with the guilt and it will be caught. There were attempts by enemies of Islam to circulate a tampered-with version of the Holy Quran and irony has it that most attempts were discovered and stopped by blind men who knew the Holy Quran by heart. It is the work of God. He said in the Holy Quran that He has revealed it and that He will protect it.

    Oh indeed I explained what that Holy Verse from the Holy Quran refers to and I even directed you to the right source that will clarify any confusion regards the Holy Verse. Read what I said carefully please. But once again you prove that you just want to follow blindly without using your mind or heart. A muslim knows all about it and you will never be able to shift them away from the meaning of the Holy Verse at hand or any other Holy Verse.

    Indeed you try to twist the meaning of the Holy Verse as to where it looks like we should follow you. "Ask" is not "follow"!!! If the reader has any logic they would automatically think that it is impossible that someone tells you to do something and tells you to do the opposite, and at the same time!!! I asked you to use logic and not belittle the minds of the readers. Allah (theGod in Arabic) orders us to worship Him only and not to ascribe to Him [TWT]. We muslims say: There is no god but God, and Muhammed is the messenger of God. How do you want the reader to think that a Quran that says only that and nothing else but that would tell us to go follow the opposite to that? Where's the logic here? The flaw is in your interpritation itself which is deliberate. Islam is a complete system. You take anything out of context and it would be just any other words said by just anyone. That's part of the Quran's perfectness.

    On the other hand you guys say: there are many gods it depends on the mood, can be jesus or god or jehovah or the holy spirit or all of them or half of them or non of them (ie. mother nature) or the sun or the moon or mars or the dollar, etc...!!!!!!!!!!!

    What God [TWT] meant in this Holy Verse is something you can find everywhere in the Muslim literature and in the books of Tafsir (ie. translation or clarification of the Holy Quran). I urge you to go look it up and this should be a great start and a beginning for forming the right opinion about Islam and its teachings.

    Now the way I see it is, you are trying to drag the argument over this point in order to avoid the logic in what I said previously eventhough this is the second time I provide an answer. I have many questions for you that are not as lenghthy as the ones you provided for me and are less boring to the reader from a detail point of view. Add to that they are logical and to the point. And they don't require anyone to open any books or dig in references. They just require an open mind and a clean one; might I add :)

    I mean why get into detail when the title of the book is so clear; both books I might add ;)

    Who is God? Who is jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit? How many gods do you worship? How did "god" allow the jews to torture and kill "him"? Who brought "god" back to life after "he" died? When "god was dead for a couple of days" who governed all of this we see around us and took care of all of the universe? Who ruled the universe when "god" was busy trying to convince the jews on earth? Howcome the ones "he" came to convince and save were the main ones who did not listen to "him"? If "god" was at a point human doesn't that make us equal?! If God is not bound by anything (ex. a time and a place, etc...) like Islam says then how does Christianity bound "god" by a time, a place, and even a level of strenght/power?! If jesus was "god" and the salvation then what happens to the people from Adam until jesus's time (who saved those guys)? If jesus came to wipe out our sins then why do you go to church, pay for charity, feed the poor, fast, pray, or even make mension of "him" (for everything was taken care of by "him") or why even preache to me?! If jesus came to wipe out our sins then why is there still killing, stealing, fornicating, adultring, wars, famins, etc...? Did jesus go to the bathroom, get sick, sleep, get hungry, walk in the markets and roam the streets, etc...? Aren't these the characteristics of a human?!

    And the lists go on :)

    I challange anyone to answer these questions logically. If you can't answer them logically and you CANNOT possibly answer them with logic then fear the God of all; the God of Muhammed [PBUH], the God of Jesus [PBUH], theGod (ie. Allah) the Creator. The God who promised terrible torture for your likes in the hereafter. Remember that you worship a dead man and that God never dies ;)

    Until tomorrow just remember that Islam is the fastest growing religion on earth. Remember that Muhammed is the most popular name on earth. Remember that Islam is the most faught and agressed against religion on earth. And remember that Allah [TWT] promised that His chosen religion (Islam) will enter every house and reach every corner in the planet by means of those who support it and those who don't and it's happening ;)

    And that's what makes you attack Islam...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I urge you to not quote any book or reference on earth and to speak mind to mind. Don't push yourselves into the corner you cannot handle which is quoting
    books. If your house is of glass don't throw rocks at people.

    I haven't quoted the Holy Quran or the many currupted scriptures you have and if I start doing that it won't be a pleasant seen. You all have read the

    sample in Matt. 26:27 I used earlier.

    Now let's talk logic and brain to brain. I challange all the chritians here and all over the world to come up with answers that can fit in brains and in

    hearts. I want answers that are logical and clear. Try to use your head not what your pope(s) wrote with his own hands in order to sit on an endless

    treaure which can feed the whole world 70 times if shared and in order to enjoy more money and givings from blinded people from all over the world just so he

    can sit on a thrown not even the worst monarchs and dictators on the face of earth can ever afford. And what's in hiding is even worse. Wake up people.

    Your religion is a wealth generating machine for such crooks who lead you by the necks blind foldedly to your inescapable fate. You feel it. You know it.

    But that's besides the point :)

    Answer this (I am looking for logic here remember):

    Who is the christian god?
    1. The Creator (ie TheGod of all).
    2. Jesus.
    3. The holy spirit.

    I challange the whole christian world to answer this question ;)

    Until you do answer **it won't ever happen lol** remember that:

    Islam is the fastest growing religion on earth. Remember that Muhammed is the most popular name on earth. Remember that Islam is the most faught and agressed

    against religion on earth. And remember that Allah [TWT] promised that His chosen religion (Islam) will enter every house and reach every corner in the

    planet by means of those who support it and those who don't and it's happening ;)

    And that's what makes you attack Islam...

    ps. It doesn't matter how it's growing .. hehe .. the fact remains it's growing faster. And in Africa we all know what the white anglosaxon christian did
    to locals so let's not go there. But it's not true that Islam is passing away in Africa. If you mean under the guns of the French and the English then we

    agree and point is made in favor of Islam :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Who is God? Who is jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit? How many gods do you worship? How did "god" allow the jews to torture and kill "him"? Who brought "god" back to life after "he" died? When "god was dead for a couple of days" who governed all of this we see around us and took care of all of the universe? Who ruled the universe when "god" was busy trying to convince the jews on earth? Howcome the ones "he" came to convince and save were the main ones who did not listen to "him"? If "god" was at a point human doesn't that make us equal?! If God is not bound by anything (ex. a time and a place, etc...) like Islam says then how does Christianity bound "god" by a time, a place, and even a level of strenght/power?! If jesus was "god" and the salvation then what happens to the people from Adam until jesus's time (who saved those guys)? If jesus came to wipe out our sins then why do you go to church, pay for charity, feed the poor, fast, pray, or even make mension of "him" (for everything was taken care of by "him") or why even preache to me?! If jesus came to wipe out our sins then why is there still killing, stealing, fornicating, adultring, wars, famins, etc...? Did jesus go to the bathroom, get sick, sleep, get hungry, walk in the markets and roam the streets, etc...? Aren't these the characteristics of a human?!

    LOGICAL answers please ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. christianity says that if someone slaps you turn the other cheek.

    Howcome you guys are slapping back?

    Yet another logical flaw in your fake religion ;)

    ReplyDelete