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2/24/2012 Naseer Ahmed

Introduction: ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 What is Islam and how does it relate with other religions? .................................................................................... 4 Why the followers of Mohammed (PBUH) are not called Mohammedans or their faith Mohammedanism? ... 7 Islam in its infancy ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Siege of Medina ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Treachery of Qurayzah clan ............................................................................................................................... 8 What Non-Muslim Scholars Have Said about Prophet Muhammad .................................................................... 10 denigratiom of Islam and its Prophet ................................................................................................................... 13 Examples of a Muslims high standard of behaviour ............................................................................................ 15 The Spread of Islam .............................................................................................................................................. 16 On the conquest of Persia, Iraq etc ................................................................................................................... 17 Mongols ........................................................................................................................................................... 18 Islam at the Point of Sword? ............................................................................................................................ 19 Were Dhimmis ill-treated? .............................................................................................................................. 20 Quran, Bible and the Hindu scriptures.................................................................................................................. 22 Growth of global terrorism ................................................................................................................................... 24 War on Islam? ....................................................................................................................................................... 24 Is America truly secular or is it just a polished veneer? ................................................................................... 24 If you are unaware of the crimes, then Why so? .............................................................................................. 25 Does the US and its allies support democracy? ............................................................................................... 25 How liberal is the American system? ............................................................................................................... 25 What is the truth about Israel and Palestine and acts of aggression? ............................................................... 25 US and its political compulsions for pro Jewish policies ................................................................................. 26 Magnitude of the problem of Islamic Terrorism ........................................................................................... 26 Why is the West demonizing Islam? ................................................................................................................ 28 Distorted Morality........................................................................................................................................ 28 False Flag Operations ................................................................................................................................... 29 911 Attack on WTC ..................................................................................................................................... 29 London Train Bombings .............................................................................................................................. 31 2

Evidence of existence of False Flag operations ........................................................................................... 31 Terrorism in India ................................................................................................................................................. 32 How do we stop participating in Terrorism? .................................................................................................... 33 Relationship with non-Muslims in the light of the Quran and Hadith .................................................................. 34 Diversity Celebrated ......................................................................................................................................... 34 No compulsion in Religion .............................................................................................................................. 35 Seekers of Truth find the Truth ........................................................................................................................ 36 Nature of the Prophetic Mission ....................................................................................................................... 36 Relationships with non-Muslims ...................................................................................................................... 38 Hadith regarding Minorities or Dhimmis ......................................................................................................... 39 Reconciliation sought and not necessarily conversion ..................................................................................... 41 The Misunderstood verses ................................................................................................................................ 42 Taqiya ................................................................................................................................................................... 48 Al Taqiya is the law of all Civilized countries .................................................................................................... 50 Al Taqiya in Hinduism ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Qurans message to those who reject faith ........................................................................................................... 51 Reference Sites and Book ..................................................................................................................................... 52

INTRODUCTION:

This document is a compilation of responses to various posts on the subject of Islam and covers 100s of posts in SBICITIZEN. The purpose is to avoid cyclical arguments, where after a time, the same questions repeat, albeit by different persons. It also provides answers to the most frequently asked questions.

The authors, who have been quoted, have been carefully chosen for their reputation for either a) honesty and integrity besides their authority on the subjects that they cover or b) Their known animosity to Muslims, so that the little that they concede most grudgingly, can be taken as reliable. or c) the vantage point that they enjoy to speak about the subject and their being western Christians or Jews who are not expected to be biased in favour of the Muslims

I also hope and pray to Allah almighty, that this document will help to dispel many common misgivings. Quran 41:34. Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!

Quran 16:128. For Allah is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good. As regards those who disbelieve and argue (not for understanding the truth) only for spreading mischief, the Quran advises: Quran 73:10. And have patience with what they say, and leave them with noble (dignity).

WHAT IS ISLAM AND HOW DOES IT RELATE WITH OTHER RELIGIONS? Islam is recognizing, accepting and affirming the oneness of God without ascribing any partners and submission to His will. Submission to the will of God entails leading a life in accordance with divine guidance given through the Prophets/Messengers of God. According to the Quran, Islam was the religion of Adam and of all the prophets. God sent prophets (124000 according to a hadith) all through the ages to every nation to guide people to the true and simple faith of recognizing the oneness of God and submitting to His will. Islam was thus not a new religion but an affirmation of what had come before. The Quran makes it clear, that Prophet Muhammad was the last of the Prophets, to whom was revealed the Quran, containing guidance for all of mankind. Quran 6:42. Before thee We sent (apostles) to many nations, and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity, that they might learn humility.

003:144 Muhammad is no more than a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude. 003:084 Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)."

God fulfills His obligation as a Creator by providing guidance to man, his creation, about the purpose of mans life, his relationship with the Creator, and how to conduct his worldly life in a manner that fulfills the purpose of Gods creation. Every other creation is guided through instinct. In addition to mans basic nature or instincts, he is also provided with intellect and the proper exercise of this intellect requires the right teaching of the right concept of God and the right purpose of mans life which is what the divinely inspired scriptures provide. Without such guidance, man would be free to follow his own path guided by his reasoning alone and misguided most likely by his emotions and fears. How do we know what is true guidance? The answer is simple by what the scriptures invite you to and whether these make logical and moral sense. Quran 3:79. It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the prophetic office, should say to people: "Be ye my worshippers rather than Allah.s": on the contrary (He would say) "Be ye worshippers of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of the World 3:80. Nor would he instruct you to take angels and prophets for Lords and patrons. What! would he bid you to unbelief after ye have bowed your will (To Allah in Islam)?

The concept of God as the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, the Uncreated, and the Creator of every creation does not admit of a second. From the concept of God, the conclusion about the oneness of God is but very natural. It is also most logical to believe that the Uncreated creates but does not beget which is an act of procreation. Procreation is a function of the created and not that of the Creator. There are many people, who meditated and sought the truth and on their own have come to similar conclusions. The Islamic belief is therefore, the most natural and most logical belief. There are 99 names of Allah in the Quran and the Quran says Quran 7:180. The most beautiful names belong to Allah. so call on him by them; but shun such men as use profanity in his names: for what they do, they will soon be requited. Quran 17:110. Say: "Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Neither speak thy Prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course between

Now if God provides guidance through prophets, then it is but natural to expect God to have provided guidance to all nations in all ages. This is indeed what the Quran affirms. However, we do see people following different paths and even polytheism and idol worship. How do we account for it? Quran 010:019 Say All people (once) followed one belief. Then they began to follow different beliefs.
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Had not a word of your Lord (His decision to give every one time and free will) been decreed, God would already have settled their differences. Quran 011:118 And if thy Lord had enforced HIS will, HE would have surely made mankind one people; but they would not cease to differ;

The Quran says that all people once followed the correct beliefs but the beliefs were subsequently corrupted. We do find verses about the oneness of God in other scriptures as well and also other verses which dilute this concept. Religion has been used by the priestly class to exploit people. They have turned a simple religion into an item of consumption using every principle of sales and marketing to increase their hold and maximize consumption by: 1. Offering variety and choice (polytheism). Adding categories and brands increases sales. 2. Create Unique Selling Propositions for each deity (for example deity for Wealth, Knowledge, War etc) to make people patronize all places of worship and all deities. This increases both the mindshare and share of the wallet of the consumer. 3. Create USP for each place of worship to increase its patronage and income by spreading stories of miracles.

Quran 10:36. But most of them follow nothing but fancy: truly fancy can be of no avail against truth. Verily Allah is well aware of all that they do. 10:37. This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah. on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds.

Knowledge about the scriptures was closely guarded and the general population was made to depend on the priests for their deliverance. Rituals were made complicated and superstitions were promoted to increase the number of occasions requiring performance of rituals and prayers for propitiation of gods or warding off evil. All this worked powerfully for the elevation of the priests and religion became an instrument of exploitation and oppression.

The mission of Muhammad (PBUH) as the last Prophet was to purify, perfect and complete the religion and give the final Book of revelation with a clear message of which there can be no doubt and whose words cannot be changed. The Quran is unique in this respect. It is in a language that is still spoken and preserved exactly as it was recited by the Prophet. Unlike every other religion, Islam is also a religion without priests. There are no mystical rituals; there are no human intermediaries or divine interceders between man and God.
Quran 18:27. And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.

The Quran is Gods legacy to man, unreservedly available to all. For a Muslim therefore, the central act of devotion is not to be found in following any supervised rite or sacrament, but by reading and contemplating Gods direct word to man, set out in a book which he can open, read and interpret for himself.
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Conversion to Islam, as a practical example of this straightforwardness, follows a simple formula. After repeating the words of the Kalima (I affirm that there is no god but the God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God), the speaker has become a Muslim, responsible for gathering his belief for himself directly from the original sources of the Quran and Hadith, although this process may, of course, be assisted by the writings and teachings of experts. (Robert Grieve)

WHY THE FOLLOWERS OF MOHAMMED (PBUH) ARE NOT CALLED MOHAMMEDANS OR THEIR FAITH MOHAMMEDANISM? The faith that the followers of Mohammed (PBUH) follow is called Islam in the Quran and the Quran says that this was the faith of Abraham and of all the prophets that came before Mohammed. Islam therefore connects with all prophets of the past and a hadith mentions the number of prophets as 124000. A Muslim therefore does not show disrespect to any revered figure of any religion since they could have been the prophet of God.

ISLAM IN ITS INFANCY

The history of Prophethood is only 23 years. Out of this, for the first 13 years, there was no command to fight. All the wars were fought in the last 10 years. During these 13 years, the Muslims bore atrocities, persecution, torture and even death for their faith. The vulnerable sections were advised by the Prophet to seek refuge in neighbouring Abyssinia which was ruled by a just Christian King. The Prophet (PBUH) had the protection of his powerful uncle Abu Talib and some of his close companions were also powerful chiefs such as Hazrat Abu Bakr (rA) and Hazrat Umar (rA). There came a time after the death of the Prophets Uncle Abu Talib and his influential wife Hazrat Khadija (rA) when the opposition became so intense that there was a danger to the Prophets life and he was commanded by God through a revelation to migrate to Medina. In Medina he found ready acceptance for his message. For 6 years, after the migration to Medina, the Muslims were not allowed to perform pilgrimage.

The first to accept the new religion was the Prophet's very influential and rich wife Hazrat Khadija (rA). She was older than him by 15 years and a great comforter and supporter of the Prophet during the difficult years of his Prophethood. The second was Abu Bakr - another very influential person with good means who supported the new religion with his entire wealth and his own self. The third was his cousin Ali.

Muhammad PBUH was in the employment of Khadija. She proposed marriage impressed by his character. He was known as Amin (meaning trustworthy) by the Meccans. Her acceptance of his prohethood therefore had much to do with her independent and uninfluenced conviction about it. For the first 13 years, it was a struggle and if the Religion grew during these years, it was only on account
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of the sterling character of the Prophet and the power of the message and the very strong faith that his companions had in him.

Among the enemies of Islam were two most powerful chiefs Abu Jahal and Umar Bin Khattab. During the period of persecution when the Muslims were weak, the Prophet prayed that Islam should be strengthened with one of the two accepting Islam.

Umar was chosen by the Meccans to kill the Prophet. He set out for the mission with a drawn sword swearing to kill the Prophet. The rest of the story you can read in the hadith. It is not only fascinating but shows the state of mind required for the Quranic verses to penetrate the heart. For Umar, the brave, fearless and the mightiest of the mighty, the pride of the Meccans, setting out to kill the Prophet and returning as a Muslim was no ordinary incident. Read more about all the close companions of the Prophet, their sterling character and implicit faith in the Prophet. No ordinary person can inspire such faith and loyalty. These 13 years were a period of sacrifices, bearing humiliations and persecutions. For the faith to grow strong enough from nothing, to take on the powerful Meccans, should mean a lot for a man of understanding and intelligence.

The first war was the war at Badr in which 313 Muslims, ill equipped defeated a force of 1000. The second war would have been even a greater victory but for some who disobeyed explicit orders resulting in the enemy attacking from a side which became unprotected. The prophet himself was grievously injured.

SIEGE OF MEDINA

The Meccans then attacked Medina with a strong army. The city was protected by digging a trench around it, making it difficult for the enemy to advance.

"This time the Muslims did not offer pitched battle; instead they prepared Medina for siege by digging a defensive trench across the only level approach to the oasis accessible by cavalry, which was further defended by infantry with spears and arrows. This previously unknown method of warfare frustrated the provision less Meccans, and their political federation, camped beyond the ditch, rapidly disintegrated into squabbling factions in the face of inaction. Unseasonably cold April weather together with a wind storm hastened their departure. Robert Grieve

TREACHERY OF QURAYZAH CLAN

During the siege, the Jewish Qurayzah clan attempted to shed their promised neutrality, offering to let the confederate tribes into the oasis from the rear, which would have been fatal to the entire Muslim cause. Once the enemy had departed, Muhammad (PBUH) besieged the Jewish forts, from
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which the tribe asked to be allowed to depart under the same conditions as had been applied to the an-Nadir. Due to the mortal threat that the Jewish treachery had represented, this was refused, and a judge was appointed from an Arab tribe having connections to the Qurayzah to preside over a trial of the Jews. The sentence was death, justified ironically, by the application of the vengeful terms of the Book of Deuteronomy. The Jewish males were executed , with their women and children sold as slaves. The decision was supported by the entire Muslim community and was not unusual for either the times or the offense. Those smaller groups of Jews within the oasis of Medina who had remained true to the Commonwealth were permitted to stay unmolested.

The Meccan cause was now lost. Their greatest efforts had not unseated Muhammad (PBUH) and their trade routes were no longer secure. But rather than a war of vengeance, Muhammad (PBUH) launched a series of diplomatic, missionary and military deputations to the outlying tribes, leading to the establishment of a blockade against Mecca .......

Muhammad halted at the well of al_hudaybiyah where a treaty was negotiated with Mecca, restoring peace ..........." Robert Grieve In the 6th year after the migration, the Muslims tried to perform pilgrimage but were turned back. A treaty was signed which was heavily one sided and favouring the enemy and the Muslims were required to return without performing pilgrimage. The enemy broke the treaty by attacking Muslims whereupon the Prophet marched into Mecca unopposed and without bloodshed. And when he conquered Makkah, God gave him the decision concerning those who had abused and persecuted him, plotted his assassination, expelled him from his homeland, killed his companions and tortured them because of their religion. One of his companions said, "Today is a day of massacre." But the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, "No, but today is a day of mercy." Then he went before the defeated people whose eyes were wide with fear and whose hearts were trembling, waiting to see what the victorious conqueror would do with them. Their own practice was that of revenge and murder. But the Prophet said to them, "O Quraysh, what do you suppose I should do with you?" They replied, "What is good. You are a generous brother and the son of a generous brother." The Messenger of God replied, "Go, for you are free." Such an all-inclusive pardon was due to mercy in the Prophet's heart. It was so great that it included those enemies who had harmed him and his companions most. The verses referred to as the sword verse by the denigrators, were revealed at this point in time commanding Muslims to fight those who fight with them and turn them out of their homes after the expiry of 4 months during which time, the enemies of Islam could accept Islam or leave Mecca. Another verse made it clear that the Muslims had no permission to fight those who kept their treaty and did not fight the Muslims. The outcome of this verse is that it prevented bloodshed by giving a clear warning and a 4 month time period. Abu Sufiyan their leader was one of the last to accept Islam.

The story of the Prophet and Islam is truly fascinating and beyond compare with anything that happened before or since. Such an event was bound to have been foretold and indeed it is foretold in the Bible and Torah but they twist the words today. The name Mohammed appears in the song of Solomon in the Greek Bible which does not appear as Mohammed in the English translation but as a translation of the meaning of Mohammed.

WHAT NON-MUSLIM SCHOLARS HAVE SAID ABOUT PROPHET MUHAMMAD Pandit Ved Prakash Upadhyay has argued in his book Kalkii Autar aur Muhammad Sahib that Muhammad completed all the prophecies of the Kalki avatar. The book Muhammad in the Hindu Scriptures claims Muhammad (PBUH) to be Kalki based on research from all Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads. However, as can be expected, this is disputed by many others just as there seems to be no consensus about anything. I however found the arguments very exhaustive and detailed and very clearly, for Pandit Ved Prakash Upadghyay, it represents an undeniable truth. The link to the document is provided below: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sbicitizen/attachments/folder/1818461181/item/list

Alphonse de Lamartine in 'Histoire de la Turquie', Pans 1854, vol. 11, pp. 276-77. "Never has a man undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he (Muhammad) had, in the conception as well as in the execution of such a great design, no other instrument than himself and no other aid except a handful of men living in a corner of the desert. Finally, never has a man accomplished such a huge and lasting revolution in the world, because in less than two centuries after its appearance, Islam, in faith and in arms, reigned over the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in God's name, Persia Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, all the known continent of Northern Africa, numerous islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, and part of Gaul. "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in onethird of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. "Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs.... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?" W. Montgomery Watt writes in Mohammad at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p 52 His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad. Bosworth Smith writes in Mohammad and Mohammadanism, London 1874, p 92. He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a
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palace, without fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life." "In Mohammadanism everything is different here. Instead of the shadowy and the mysterious, we have history....We know of the external history of Muhammad....while for his internal history after his mission had been proclaimed, we have a book absolutely unique in its origin, in its preservation....on the Substantial authority of which no one has ever been able to cast a serious doubt."

James A. Michene ~ Islam: The Misunderstood Religion, Reader's Digest (American ed.) May 1955, pp. 68-70. Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about 570 AD. into an Arabian tribe that worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At twenty he was already a successful businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five, his employer recognizing his meet, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he married her, and as long as she lived remained a devoted husband. Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God's word, sensing his own inadequacy but the angel commanded Read'. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: "There is one God." In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred, and rumours of God's personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced, "An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being." At Muhammads own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: 'If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives forever. The German Poet, Wolfgang Goethe said: I looked into history for a human paradigm and found it to be in Muhammad. Lane-Poole in 'Speeches and Table Talk of the Prophet Muhammad' He was the most faithful protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence; those who came near him loved him; they who described him would say, "I have never seen his like either

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before or after." He was of great taciturnity, but when he spoke it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he said... W.C. Taylor in 'The History of Muhammadanism and its Sects' So great was his liberality to the poor that he often left his household unprovided, nor did he content himself with relieving their wants, he entered into conversation with them, and expressed a warm sympathy for their sufferings. He was a firm friend and a faithful ally. Dr. Gustav Weil in 'History of the Islamic Peoples' Muhammad was a shining example to his people. His character was pure and stainless. His house, his dress, his food - they were characterized by a rare simplicity. So unpretentious was he that he would receive from his companions no special mark of reverence, nor would he accept any service from his slave which he could do for himself. He was accessible to all and at all times. He visited the sick and was full of sympathy for all. Unlimited was his benevolence and generosity as also was his anxious care for the welfare of the community. Washington Irving in 'Life of Muhammad,' New York, 1920. His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory as they would have done had they been effected by selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manner and appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonial of respect was shown to him. Arthur Glyn Leonard in 'Islam, Her Moral and Spiritual Values' It was the genius of Muhammad, the spirit that he breathed into the Arabs through the soul of Islam that exalted them. That raised them out of the lethargy and low level of tribal stagnation up to the high watermark of national unity and empire. It was in the sublimity of Muhammad's deism, the simplicity, the sobriety and purity it inculcated the fidelity of its founder to his own tenets, that acted on their moral and intellectual fiber with all the magnetism of true inspiration. Jules Masserman in 'Who Were History's Great Leaders?' in TIME Magazine, July 15, 1974 Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammad, who combined all the three functions. To a lesser degree Moses did the same.

Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay write in History of the Saracen Empire, London 1870, p 54. It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder; the same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Madina is preserved, after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran...The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of
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man. I believe in One God and Mahomet is the Apostle of God' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.
DENIGRATIOM OF ISLAM AND ITS PROPHET Islam has a very simple and powerful message based on reason and its attraction is undeniable. It affirms what has come before and the faith is a culmination of the messages brought by a very long line of Prophets who have preached essentially, the same message to every nation. Followers of every other faith have failed to avoid corrupting the original message which makes certain aspects of these religions illogical or difficult to accept. In this age of reason, many people have rejected their religion and are drifting or looking for better answers to some of their questions. Quran is the only scripture, which has never been out of sight and was memorized by thousands of followers in the Prophets lifetime, and the tradition continues to this day, with millions of Hafizs (those who have committed the whole of Quran to memory). Quran is therefore very carefully preserved in its original form in the hearts of people and also in writing . The purity of the word of the Quran and the fact that it is uncorrupted, and the simple and very logical faith, poses a great challenge to every other religion that is losing its adherents. We therefore see concerted efforts to reduce its appeal by tarnishing its image. The severity of the attacks is an indication of the danger it poses to other faiths which have lost their hold on the people. People looking for better answers are increasingly finding them in Islam. For example, Myriam Francois-Cerrah who became popular when she was a child for acting in the 90's hit film 'Sense and Sensibility' and has embraced Islam after detailed study has the following to say:
I embraced Islam after graduating from Cambridge. Prior to that I was a skeptical Catholic; a believer in God but with a mistrust of organized religion. The Quran was pivotal for me. I first tried to approach it in anger, as part of an attempt to prove my Muslim friend wrong. Later I began reading it with a more open mind. The opening of Al Fatiha, with its address to the whole of mankind, psychologically stopped me in my tracks. It spoke of previous scriptures in a way which I both recognized, but also differed. It clarified many of the doubts I had about Christianity. It made me an adult as I suddenly realized that my destiny and my actions had consequences for which I alone would now be held responsible. In a world governed by relativism, it outlined objective moral truths and the foundation of morality. As someone whod always had a keen interest in philosophy, the Quran felt like the culmination of all of this philosophical cogitation. It combined Kant, Hume, Sartre and Aristotle. It somehow managed to address and answer the deep philosophical questions posed over centuries of human existence and answer its most fundamental one, why are we here? In the Prophet Muhammad, I recognized a man who was tasked with a momentous mission, like his predecessors, Moses, Jesus and Abraham. I had to pick apart much of the Orientalist libel surrounding him in order to obtain accurate information, since the historical relativism which people apply to some

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degree when studying other historical figures, is often completely absent, in what is a clear attempt to disparage his person. I think many of my close friends thought I was going through another phase and would emerge from the other side unscathed, not realizing that the change was much more profound. Some of my closest friends did their best to support me and understand my decisions. I have remained very close to some of my childhood friends and through them I recognize the universality of the Divine message, as Gods values shine through in the good deeds any human does, Muslim or not.

Myriam Francois-Cerrah is gaining popularity for being one of a growing number of educated middle class female converts to Islam in Britain. She has contributed to a series of videos on Islam produced in the UK titled (Inspired by Muhammad). There are many like Myriam (for example Cat Stevens who is now Yusuf Islam) who embrace Islam in thousand every year in the US, Britain and the rest of the World. They provide visible proof of the attraction of Islam despite the concerted attempts by a large number of extreme right wing elements from every faith to denigrate Islam and its Prophet. In fact, it would appear that these elements from every faith have joined hands for a fight to the finish with the only remaining living faith.

One of the most vocal and rabid denigrator is Robert Spencer who has written several books
including The Truth about Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion. Most other denigrators have little knowledge of Islam themselves and rely on material from people like Spencer to spread calumny. Moustafa Zayed has responded with an excellent rejoinder point by

point in his book The Lies-About Muhammad - How you were deceived into Islamophobia. You can purchase his book or download free a scanned copy from:
http://www.islamicsearchcenter.com/library/allegations/The-Lies-About-Muhammad.pdf

Interestingly, Robert Spencer has also written a book Did Muhammad Exist? When Spencer is not even sure if Muhammad existed, how could he write a book on the Prophet and say it was the truth about him? But such niceties and logic is not what the denigrators care about - hate and envy blinds them to their own debasement.
Among them is a group who distort the Book with their tongues so that you think it is from the Book when it is not from the Book. They say, "It is from Allah," but it is not from Allah. They tell a lie against Allah, and they know it. (Qur'an, 3:78)

The responses to attacks by other denigrators can be found on the following site: http://www.islamhinduism.com/

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Accusing the Prophet for marrying a Child Most denigrators do not miss even the faintest opportunity and try to make much of the following authentic hadith of Ayesha: The Messenger of God married me when I was six; my marriage was consummated when I was nine. Reference Saheeh Muslim, Number 1422 If the Prophet of God had thought that at his age of fifty marrying a nine year old was righteous in whatever set of circumstances at the time, then it is, and it is accepted by every Muslim and someone elses idea of right and wrong is of no consequence to Muslims. The most important criteria are that the female has reached puberty and that she can mentally carry the responsibility of marriage. When she said that she was nine at the time, was it her precise age or her guess? We are talking about someone 1400 years ago when records of date of birth were not kept and age was determined based on guess work. We know that even in this age, the youth teams from Asia and Africa dominate sports competitions at the junior levels but at the senior level, the Asian and African teams do not fare well. This is because, they have poor or no records to determine the correct age and even 21 year olds play for the under 17 teams. Understating the age is therefore fairly common and not necessarily deliberate. Also, Ayeshas many sayings during the Prophets lifetime show her not as a child but as one of the wisest women and if we go by her version of age, she was under twenty at the time of the Prophets death. Moreover, when Ayesha thought that her age was six, she was already engaged to Jubair Ibn Muttaaem and the engagement was broken. In the state of Alabama USA, the legal age for marriage is 14 and it was 12 in Delaware only 200 years ago. We also know that girls in hot climates mature faster than girls in cold climates by as much as 5 years. All innuendos must therefore be seen to be what they are churlishness of the denigrator. The Prophet had 12 wives and the remaining were all widows when he married them, the first one 15 years his senior and some beyond the child bearing age. So what do we see as the pattern?

EXAMPLES OF A MUSLIMS HIGH STANDARD OF BEHAVIOUR

Attempt to Kill the Prophet When the Prophet (PBUH) was resting under a tree, a man surprised him by approaching with a drawn sword and asked Who can save you now from me? The Prophet calmly replied Allah. The man was overcome by a strange power and he dropped his sword which the Prophet picked up and asked the man Who would protect you now from me?. The man replied No one. The Prophet asked him to accept Islam which he refused. He then asked the man to promise that he would cease to be an enemy of Islam and not attack any Muslim or participate in any battle against the Muslims. The man promised and was let off. Narrated by Jaber ibn Abdullah, source Oumdat Altafseer, Number 567/1, Degree: Correct.

Return of Jiziya

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Khalid bin Walid in the time of the Caliph Umar (rA) failed to protect the city of the Christians of Homs (Emesa), as he did not posses the power to repel the attacks of the Christian Byzantine Emperor Heraclius on Homs. He returned to them their taxes saying:We accepted (the Jizyah) as a token of your good will and in return for defending you, but (in this), we have failed (you).

Ruling of Islamic court in favour of a Jew and against the Caliph

Ali, when he was the Khalifa or the ruler at the time, lost his shield in a battle. One day, Ali saw his shield with a Jew and asked for its return. The man refused and claimed that it was his. Ali took the man to the Islamic court and stood before judge Shoriah a black African. Ali had only his sons as witnesses and in Islamic law their testimony did not amount to more than Alis own testimony. It was thus Alis word against that of the Jew and since the Jew had the possession of the item in dispute, the matter was decided in favour of the Jew.

Amnesty to enemies for a period of 4 months after conquest of Mecca The Prophet was persecuted by the people of Mecca and had to flee to Medina. His companions during those early days were persecuted, tortured and some even killed for their faith. The vulnerable suffered the most and were first to emigrate to a neighboring country Abyssinia on the advice of the Prophet. The Meccans tried unsuccessfully to get them ousted even from Abyssinia. They fought several battles with the Muslims after the migration Badr, Uhud and the battle of the trenches. Each battle was an attempt to exterminate the Muslims. They even violated the 10 year treaty of Hudaybiah and killed 40 Muslims which made the Prophet march into Mecca with 10,000 of his followers. The Meccans surrendered without a fight. After the fall of Mecca, the Prophet would have been within his rights to: 1. Bring the persecutors and killers of his companions during the pre migration period to justice 2. To execute the leaders of the tribes who had plotted to kill him in his bed while he was asleep. 3. To execute the leaders for waging wars. 4. To kill every member of the tribe which broke the treaty and killed 40 Muslims The Prophet however chose to declare a general amnesty for all past crimes and not a drop of blood was shed and the Muslim victorious army behaved and showed restraint.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM

Extract from Paul Grieves book Islam (History, Faith and Politics: the complete introduction)
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Muslim expansion into Spain was Islams most dramatic move westward. The speed of the victory reflected the ill will of the native Spanish for their Visigoth rulers. Spanish Jews who had been continuously persecuted and subjected to forced Christian conversions by the previous regime also welcomed the Arabs. Then from their new forward base in Spain, Muslim horsemen raided north across the Pyrenees into modern France. The Arabs captured Narbonne and Toulouse in 718 CE, but their excursions were stopped by the Frankish General Martel at the battle of Poitiers (732 CE). Muslim historians maintain that the dark ages of Europe date from the Muslim defeat: lost centuries that would have been avoided had the light of Islam been permitted to shine. Certainly, Islamic Spain was spared the bleak fate of the rest of Europe during the middle ages, stretching from the ninth to the eleventh centuries CE. The Umayyad established their capital in Cordoba, which was to become the largest, richest and most civilized city in Europe during the two centuries up to the end of the first millennium. The great mosque of La Mezquita was built in the city centre, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world until punctured by a Christian church during the sixteenth century on the orders of Charles V, the holy Roman emperor (who on visiting the site came to regret his actions, even before the roof of the church was on). Islamic religious and racial tolerance formed the basis of a brilliant Arab-Liberian civilization. Science flourished, with advances made in botany, medicine, philosophy, irrigated agriculture and astronomical mathematics. Later Spain was to contribute this fund of invaluable knowledge to the reawakening of Europe during the Renaissance. Arts of all kinds were practised: poetry, song (which has influenced Spanish flamenco and Portuguese fado to this day), ceramics, textiles and most famously of all, architecture. The Alhambra Palace in Granada was the culmination of Moorish achievement in Spain and the basis of Western Gothic architecture in subsequent centuries. Unified Umayyad rule disappeared from Spain in 1031 to be replaced by fractured Arab-ruled kingdoms and principalities squabbling among themselves . The last of these, based in Granada, was overthrown in 1492 by the strengthening Catholic powers from the north. Under Spanish rule, starting with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Islamic tolerance came to an abrupt end. Conversions to Christianity were once again forced, books were burned, the inquisition was established, and all nonChristian practices suppressed. Even regular washing was suspect, linked to the Muslim practice of ablutions before prayers. After a number of protest risings against Catholic persecution, the entire Muslim and jewish populations of Spain were expelled. The Moors were banished: for a while Christian Spain shone on, but like a moon with a borrowed light. Then came the eclipse, and in that darkness Spain has grovelled ever since. (Lane-Poole, Moors in Spain 1934)

ON THE CONQUEST OF PERSIA, IRAQ ETC

In his last years Muhammad had sent envoys to the Arab Christian tribes on the borders of Sassanid Persia and Christian Byzantium, urging them to convert to Islam. The response had been the murder of one of his envoys...... The astonishing advances by the Arabs into what is now Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran and central Asia were made possible by a series of historical accidents working in the Muslims favour.

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The Byzantine emperor Heraclius had created internal weakness by the persecution of both Jews and schismatic Christian sects. The historical moment was dramatic. With two great battles, the first and most important being Yarmuk in 636 CE, the Arabs overturned 1000 years of rule by the Christian West in the eastern Mediterranean, while at the same time the way was opened for Islam to become the inheritor of the Sassanid Persian Empire. The second crucial battle of the two at Qadisiyyah in modern Iraq in 637 CE, led to the fall of........

Suddenly, a small town in the distant Hijaz ruled the entire fertile crescent, including Ctesiphon, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Damascus, as well as vast territories beyond, stretching in the east from Herat in Afghanistan and Sind in India to modern Libya in the west.

The character of this new Muslim Empire was entirely different from what had gone before. There was no wholesale plunder of the conquered lands by the new rulers. Instead, the Arab armies were contained in disciplined garrison towns, Fustat in Egypt, for example, or Kufah in Iraq. Religious persecution of minorities by the Greek Orthodox Church came to an immediate end and tolerance was declared following the injunctions of the Quran. Muslims had no preference between the intricate factions that had formed among both Christians and Jews, ironically respecting both as `people of the Book, despite their military defeat. (The `Book is not the Christian Bible or Jewish Torah, but the mystical `divine text from which all scriptures, including the Quran flow). The occupied non-Muslims were, however, required to pay the jiziyah, a tax levied on income in return for protection. But the levy was generally less than the previous fiscal impositions of the departing Persians and Byzantines, and non-Muslims were exempted from paying zakat. Islam was not forced upon the population, rather the early conversions were as a result of the personal and community examples set by the Muslims and the ease with which this powerful new religion could be understood. Even converts, however, were not exempted from the protection tax which was needed to fund the operation of the new empire. Robert Grieve

MONGOLS
In the first decade of the 13th century, Mongol horsemen fron central asia entered Muslim history by overwhelming the Seljuks. Genghis Khan was proclaimed supreme Mongol chief in 1206, claiming that he would `rule the world. He created a vast empire, incorporating most of Russia, China, Afgahnistan, Persia. Then under his successors, Baghdad was sacked in 1258, with Persia and Iraq occupied. The Mongols were originally pagan, but in the middle of the fourteenth century their leaders became Muslim, and Islam was subsequently bourne eastward as far as China by Mongol agency. After the retreat of the Mongols, Islam was sustained in the near east by the Timurids (1370-1506), rulers of Persia and Iraq. The famous Timurid leader Timur Lang claimed to be descended from Genghis. Bothe the Mongol and Timurid dynasties destroyed much and built little new, but the invasion facilitated the spread of Islam backwards through vast areas of Asia.
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This eastward transmission of Islam was completed by the Mughals (1526-1858), another group descended from the Mongols, who ruled Afghanistan, northern India, and what is now Pakistan.

In the book, Two old faiths, essays on the religions of the Hindus And the Mohammedans, by J. Murray Mitchell, and sir William Muir, the authors have run down Islam and their motive clearly is to show Islam in a poor light vis--vis Christianity. Some of their more obvious lies and ulterior motive can be easily exposed. However, they admit the following:

It is far from my intention to imply that the truths set forth by the new faith had nothing to do with its success. On the contrary, it may well be admitted that but for those truths success might have been impossible. The grand enunciation of the Divine Unity, and the duty of an absolute submission to the same; the recognition of a special providence reaching to the minutest details of life; the inculcation of prayer and other religious duties; the establishment of a code in which the leading principles of morality are enforced, and the acknowledgment of previous revelations in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, told not only on the idolaters of Arabia and the fire-worshipers of Persia, but on Jews and Samaritans and the followers of a debased and priest-ridden Christianity.

In summary, we can say the following: Islamic victories were swift and therefore minimized bloodshed. Jerusalem fell without a drop of blood being shed. The Romans surrendered. The conquered lands enjoyed peace and prosperity for several centuries. Earlier, the Iranian and Byzantine rulers were constantly at war. One war and a swift victory eliminated all war for several centuries. Islamic rule replaced tyrannical orders in Spain, Iran and the rest of the World. The common people therefore welcomed the new rulers who were just and honest. Religious persecutions ended Jiziya was less than the taxes the subjects had to pay to their earlier masters. Graft, forced labour and other oppressive practices were eliminated. There was law and order and caravans of merchants could travel through the land without fear of being attacked or robbed for the first time in the history of these lands. The new rule proved the following Quranic verse right: "We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], but as a mercy unto all the Nations"

ISLAM AT THE POINT OF SWORD?

One of the bizarre myths perpetuated about Islam, during the centuries of mistrust during and after the Crusades, is that Muslim armies forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword. Unfortunately this myth survives to this day.

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Many Western scholars have now repudiated this myth. The great historian De Lacy OLeary wrote in Islam At the Cross-roads: History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated. Indeed, it is a historical fact, that Islam spread much faster during periods of peace than in periods of war. Islam continued to spread, as it does now, when Muslims were not prevailing economically, socially or politically. Muslims have ruled Arabia for 1400 years, except for brief periods of British and French rule. Yet there are today 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians whose families have been Christians going back several generations. The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. They had the power to forcibly convert each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India is non-Muslim. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness to the fact that Islam was not spread by the sword. Thomas Arnold, a former Christian missionary in India, who cannot be accused of being pro-Islam, in his famous book The Preaching of Islam, indicates that there have been certain periods where Muslim rulers have diverted from this tolerance, but it was due to a deviation from Islamic principles, rather than conformance to them. He concludes that the two primary reasons for the spread of Islam all over the world were merchants and the Sufis, two groups of people who went out, worked with humanity and gently invited others to their faith. Interesting fact written by Non Muslims: The world population has increased 136% from 1934 through 1984, Christianity increased by 47% and Islam by 235%. Source: The Plain Truth, February 1984, in its 50 Year Anniversary issue, quoting from The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1935 and Readers Digest Almanac and Yearbook 1983. On the 18/7/2005, in a B.B.C. news report it was acknowledged that ISLAM is still the fastest growing religion in the world not withstanding the 9/11/2001 bombings in America, the Madrid bombings in 2004 and the London bombings of 7/7/2005 etc.May one ask, Which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?

Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. May one ask, Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia, and to the East coast of Africa? Today the fastest growing religion in America and in Europe is Islam. Who is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?

WERE DHIMMIS ILL-TREATED?

In the book cited above, J. Murray Mitchell, and sir William Muir write as follows: Besides the tribute and various other imposts levied from the "People of the Book," and the duty of receiving Moslem travelers quartered upon them, the dress of both sexes must be distinguished by broad stripes of yellow. They are forbidden to appear on horseback, and if mounted on a mule or ass their stirrups must be of wood, and their saddles known by knobs of the same material. Their graves must not rise above the level of the soil, and the devil's mark is placed upon the lintel of their doors.
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Their children must be taught by Moslem masters, and the race, however able or well qualified, proscribed from any office of high emolument or trust. Besides the churches spared at the time of conquest no new buildings can be erected for the purposes of worship; nor can free entrance into their holy places at pleasure be refused to the Moslem. No cross must remain in view outside, nor any church-bells be rung. They must refrain from processions in the street at Easter, and other solemnities; and from any thing, in short, whether by outward symbol, word, or deed, which could be construed into rivalry, or competition with the ruling faith. Such was the so-called Code of Omar. Enforced with less or greater stringency, according to the intolerance and caprice of the day, by different dynasties, it was, and (however much relaxed in certain countries)

Notice the last line and the words within the parenthesis. They save the authors from being called outright liars. There is no mention of where the practice described existed and during what period. Very clearly Spain which was under the Muslim rule for nearly 800 years and prospered immensely and was an enlightened place compared to the rest of Europe which was in the dark ages, could not have had these restrictions (if at all) for more than a year. The truth in what is said is therefore of the order of 0.1%.

Much is made about the Quranic verse which says that the conquered people should be `subdued. What it means is that the conquered people should be made subjects of the new Authority. Muslims accept the authority by an oath of allegiance and pay zakat to the ruler and obey all orders including the order for military duty. The conquered people are not required to take the oath of allegiance or to take up military duty. They accept the new authority by agreeing to pay Jiziya and observing rules that are imposed on them for such period as is necessary to ensure order and to prevent acts of open defiance and hostility to the new authority. Even the US which went into Iraq to `liberate the country, imposed several restrictions on the movement of the local people and there were instances of innocent people being shot at and killed for not understanding the orders and arousing suspicion. Non-Muslims had every right that Muslims had before the law; not only is this shown in the Holy Quran (as well as all over Islamic laws references and throughout 1400 years of history), but here is a very well known example which proves beyond doubt that non-Muslims enjoyed equal rights under law : Ali, when he was the Khalifa or the ruler at the time, lost his shield in a battle. One day, Ali saw his shield with a Jew and asked for its return. The man refused and claimed that it was his. Ali took the man to the Islamic court and stood before judge Shoriah a black African. Ali had only his sons as witnesses and in Islamic law their testimony did not amount to more than Alis own testimony. It was thus Alis word against that of the Jew and since the Jew had the possession of the item in dispute, the matter was decided in favour of the Jew.

Will Durant writes about Jizya:

The people of dhimma: Christians, Zaradishts, Jews and Sabi'a'; enjoyed a degree of tolerance during the Umayyad rule which can never be assimilated to Christian countries nowadays. They were free to practise their rituals. They maintained their churches and synagogues and the only obligation was that they should wear a special color and pay tax for every person pro
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rata his income. This sum ranged between two and four dinars at most. This tax was exclusively levied on non-Muslims who can go to war. However priests, women, children, slaves, elderly men, the disabled, the blind and the destitute were exempted from the tax. Dhimmis were exempted from military service in return. They were also exempted from Zakat which is 2.5% of the annual income (that Muslims are required to pay) and the government was bound to protect them." Instance when Jizyah collected was returned to the people Khalid bin Walid in the time of the Caliph Umar (rA) failed to protect the city of the Christians of Homs (Emesa), as he did not posses the power to repel the attacks of the Christian Byzantine Emperor Heraclius on Homs. He returned to them their taxes saying:We accepted (the Jizyah) as a token of your good will and in return for defending you, but (in this), we have failed (you).

Sir Thomas Walker Arnold, the most famous Orientalist writes: The eastern churches in Asia were already separated from the rest of the Christian world which was not to support in any way considering them infidels of the religion. Therefore the sheer existence of these churches today is in itself a strong evidence of the general tolerance of Islamic governments towards them John Taylor Caroline, the American political philosopher (Republican Jeffersonian) writes: We have not heard that under the rule of Islam about any predetermined attempt to force non-Muslim factions to convert to Islam, or about any deliberate organized oppression to eradicate the Christian faith. If any of the Caliphs chose to execute any of the two plans they would have crushed Christianity with the ease that Ferdinand and Isabella eradicated the religion of Islam from Spain, that made Louis XIV ordained that the protestant faith followers punishable in France or like the way that Jews were exiled of Britain for 350 years

QURAN, BIBLE AND THE HINDU SCRIPTURES

The Bible is one of the most genocidal books in history Noam Chomsky

The Quran says in 2:190

Fight in the cause of Allah

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Those who fight you, But do not transgress limits: For, verily, Allah loveth not transgressors

In contrast, Judaeo-Christian mythology is rooted in the rewards promised by God to the Hebrews for their entirely unprovoked attacks against the Canaanites and the Philistines. Nothing in the Quran can match Yahwehs bloodthirsty authorization to the Jews in the Book of Deutronomy for the violent occupation of Palestine. Robert Grieve.

The Bhagwat Geeta upadesh is also experiential. The message of fighting for dharma, even if the enemy is once own kin, is delivered through many incidents of injustice and transgressions which make the final war and destruction of the Kauravas and their allies inevitable. Didnt Krishna know all along what the final outcome would be? He did, and yet, he tried everything to avoid the war including a trade off for peace, where Duryodhan was asked to give one village to the Pandavas for peace which was also turned down.

Look at the similarity in Mecca Broadly, the context of those days is very clear. Islam facing total annihilation from enemies who drove them out of Mecca, persecuted them, fought wars with heavy numerical superiority, prevented them from performing pilgrimage, broke their treaties, plotted and schemed to weaken/destroy Islam. The hypocrites were those who pretended to have become Muslim but their objective was to destroy from within. One of the methods was to become Muslim in the morning and an apostate in the evening to make the ignorant think that the new religion was tried and rejected by "learned people of the scriptures" and therefore not worthy of being accepted. The law of apostasy should be understood in this context and also blasphemy.

Read the circumstances surrounding each battle, skirmish and war and you will realize how the acts of the Muslims become justified on account of the excesses and transgressions of the enemy bent on the destruction of Islam. Read the verses in their context and you will understand how justified it was under those circumstances.

If we judge the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas by todays standards, it is impossible to see any justification for the same, let alone accept that principles of Dharma can expounded through this incident. The struggle between warring cousins for dynastic succession where one cousin lost not only his empire but also his wife in a game of chance, will find no sympathizers today. Is it not odd that such a great destructive war was waged to settle a dispute between cousins, when the cousins wronged, had lost their kingdom through their own folly. Krishnas army was given to the Kaurvas since Arjun chose to have Krishna as his charioteer rather than his sena. What was their fault? Were they subhuman who could not make a moral choice and decide whether they wanted to fight at all and if yes, then on whose side? To justify the war in Mahabharata, we need to apply liberally, the yardstick of historic relativism.

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No such historic relativism is required to understand the Quran but the verses are to be understood in the context of the conditions prevailing just as the Upadesham in the Gita to wage war against own kin, makes sense in the context of the wrongs (determined by applying historic relativism) done by the Kauravas and their intransigence in giving even a village to the Pandavas.

GROWTH OF GLOBAL TERRORISM The beginning of the so called Islamic terrorism, outside of Palestine/Israel, coincides with the destruction of the USSR (1982-91). The first bombing of a US target was on 26 February 1993 World Trade Center bombing, New York City. Six killed. Until this time, the World was unaware of how evil Islam is and now there are websites devoted to the subjects and books being churned out. The date is not just a random coincidence. After the fall of the communist bastions, US was looking for a new ideological enemy. Until such time the US was an ally/friend/supporter of Iraq and Afghanistan and Osama Bin Laden was on their payroll along with his army of mujahideens. They have chosen Islam as the next ideological enemy to be destroyed after communism.

Ala Qaeda are the people who were on the rolls of the CIA for fighting the Russians in Afghanistan. After the Russians were thrown out, do these people bear any animosity to the Russians or communists? Do they target communists and Russians anymore? But the war in Afghanistan against the Soviets was also called Jehad. The objective was political as well as religious (to drive out the aliens who had occupied a Muslim country) and their friend and ally in this Jehad was the US. Once the objective was achieved, they bear no animosity to the Communists or the Soviets. Now their enemy is their former friend and ally the US for reasons we all know too well. This Jehad will also end if true democracy comes to the entire ME region because then,the US will be thrown out. The US is there in the ME to prop up regimes such as the Saudi monarchy and for the oil. So all these so called Jehads are situational. Prior to the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, terrorism was confined to Israel and Palestine where also a situation exists. Islam is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for terrorism.

Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose etc also could have been categorized as terrorists. What made them take to arms was again the situation.

WAR ON ISLAM? Let us look at the reality through the eyes of a very distinguished American Jew, Noam Chomsky through his quotes. You can read up the entire article/interview on the internet from which the quotes are picked up, if you wish.

IS AMERICA TRULY SECULAR OR IS IT JUST A POLISHED VENEER?

Since Jimmy Carter, religious fundamentalists play a major role in elections. He was the first president who made a point of exhibiting himself as a born again Christian. That sparked a little light in the minds of political campaign managers: Pretend to be a religious fanatic and you can pick up a
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third of the vote right away. Nobody asked whether Lyndon Johnson went to church every day. Bill Clinton is probably about as religious as I am, meaning zero, but his managers made a point of making sure that every Sunday morning he was in the Baptist church singing hymns.

If the Nuremberg laws were applied, then every post-war American president would have been hanged.

IF YOU ARE UNAWARE OF THE CRIMES, THEN WHY SO?

Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media. (The US media is remarkable consistent in its commitment to the US official position).

DOES THE US AND ITS ALLIES SUPPORT DEMOCRACY?

Bolivia is a striking example. The mostly white, Europeanized elite, which is a minority, happens to be sitting on most of the hydrocarbon reserves. For the first time Bolivia is becoming democratic. So it's therefore bitterly hated by the West, which despises democracy, because it's much too dangerous.

It's not radical Islam that worries the US -- it's independence

Why doesnt the US support democracy in the ME. Read his full article with the same title as the quote above.

HOW LIBERAL IS THE AMERICAN SYSTEM?

I have often thought that if a rational Fascist dictatorship were to exist, then it would choose the American system.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE AND ACTS OF AGGRESSION?

The new crimes that the US and Israel were committing in Gaza as 2009 opened do not fit easily into
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any standard categoryexcept for the category of familiarity. Noam Chomsky, Of course all such conclusions about appropriate actions against the rich and powerful are based on a fundamental flaw: This is us, and that is them. This crucial principle, deeply embedded in Western culture, suffices to undermine even the most precise analogy and the most impeccable reasoning. Noam Chomsky, Hamas is regularly described as 'Iranian-backed Hamas, which is dedicated to the destruction of Israel.' One will be hard put to find something like 'democratically elected Hamas, which has long been calling for a two-state settlement in accord with the international consensus'blocked for over 30 years by the US and Israel. All true, but not a useful contribution to the Party Line, hence dispensable. Noam Chomsky,

Read why Dan Gillerman, Israel's former ambassador to the United Nations, warns that "the morning after the anticipated announcement of recognition of a Palestinian state, a painful and dramatic process of Southafricanization will begin" -- meaning that Israel would become a pariah state, subject to international sanctions. in the article In Israel, A Tsunami Warning http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20110707.htm

US AND ITS POLITICAL COMPULSIONS FOR PRO JEWISH POLICIES

Read an article By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN who is a prominent Jew and a renowned jounalist http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/opinion/friedman-newt-mitt-bibi-andvladimir.html?_r=1&ref=thomaslfriedman MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM OF ISLAMIC TERRORISM
Charles Kurzman is a Professor of Sociology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who specializes in Middle East and Islamic studies. In his book

The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists,

He writes: Why are there so few Muslim terrorists? With more than a billion Muslims in the world--many of whom supposedly hate the West and ardently desire martyrdom--why don't we see terrorist attacks every day? Where are the missing martyrs? In this startlingly counter intuitive book, a leading authority on Islamic movements demonstrates that terrorist groups are thoroughly marginal in the Muslim world. Charles Kurzman draws on government sources, public opinion surveys, election results, and in-depth interviews with Muslims in the Middle East and around the world. He finds that young Muslims are indeed angry with what they see as imperialism--and especially at 26

Western support for local dictatorships. But revolutionary Islamists have failed to reach them, as can be seen from the terrorists' own websites and publications, which constantly bemoan the dearth of willing recruits. Kurzman notes that it takes only a small cadre of committed killers to wreak unspeakable havoc. But that very fact underscores his point. As easy as terrorism is to commit, few Muslims turn to violence. Out of 140,000 murders in the United States since 9/11, Islamist terrorists have killed at most three dozen people. Of the 150,000 people who die each day, worldwide, Islamist militants account for fewer than fifty fatalities-- and only ten per day outside of the hotspots of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. The real bulwark against Islamist violence, Kurzman finds, is Muslims themselves, who reject both the goals of the terrorists and their bloody means. With each bombing, the terrorists lose support among Muslims. Incisive and authoritative, The Missing Martyrs provides much-needed corrective to deep-seated and destructive misconceptions about Muslims and the Islamic world. The threat of Islamist terrorism is real, Kurzman shows, but its dimensions are, so far, tightly confined. The number of deaths due to terrorism in the US since 911 is 235 and 33 of these are attributed to Islamic terrorism! An interview with Kurzman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ESk_TwEF30

Terrorist caused Deaths vs. "Reality"

by Walter Burien - 08/02/07
http://cafr1.com/Terror.html

Outside of the politics, and just looking at World statistics for terrorist fatalities, it stood out that worldwide;

1. More fatalities occur "each day" from auto accidents than occur from terrorism for the "whole year". (1.2 million deaths per year Worldwide)

2. More fatalities occur worldwide each year from animal attacks than occur from terrorism. ( Stats for US Only 1882) 3. More fatalities occur each year from falling down stairs (falling down) than occur from terrorism. ( Just for the Netherlands 1700 deaths in 1999)

4. More fatalities occur "each day" from medical malpractice than occur from terrorism for the "whole year". ( US stats Only - 120,000 deaths worldwide 1.4 million)

Proportion of so called Islamic terrorism

While total deaths due terrorism itself is a small number, Islamophobes have been popularizing the claim that not all Muslims are terrorists, but (nearly) all terrorists are Muslims. Despite this idea becoming axiomatic in some circles, it is quite simply not factual. Official FBI records to show that only 6% of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil from 1980 to 2005 were carried out by Islamic extremists. The remaining 94% were from other groups (42% from Latinos, 24% from extreme left wing groups, 7% from extremist Jews, 5% from communists, and 16% from all other groups).
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But what about across the pond? The data gathered by Europol strengthens the argument even further. Europol publishes an annual report entitled EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report. On their official website, you can access the reports from 2007, 2008, and 2009. The results are stark, and prove decisively that not all terrorists are Muslims. In fact, a whopping 99.6% of terrorist attacks in Europe were by non-Muslim groups; a good 84.8% of attacks were from separatist groups completely unrelated to Islam. Leftist groups accounted for over sixteen times as much terrorism as radical Islamic groups. Only a measly 0.4% of terrorist attacks from 2006 to 2008 could be attributed to extremist Muslims. In India, the numbers of terrorist incidents from 1971 to 2009 were 6104 out of which not more than 20 can be attributed to Muslims or 0.3%. The rest are incidents by separatists in Punjab, Kashmir, insurgency in the northeast and by Maoists in the rest of the country and a few by Hindus. http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/01/not-all-terrorists-are-muslims/ http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/01/terrorism-in-europe/

WHY IS THE WEST DEMONIZING ISLAM?

Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state. For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit. Noam Chomsky, Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World The more you can increase fear of drugs, crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all of the people. We need not stride resolutely towards catastrophe, merely because those are the marching orders. Noam Chomsky, 9-11: Was There an Alternative? Also listen to the following lecture by a distinguished philosopher, linguist, political analyst, author of 70 books and the most quoted author of our times. DISTORTED MORALITY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urMxrdBDgnU.

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The hypocrisy of the U.S. government is powerfully scrutinized in Distorted Morality, a scathing thesis presented by renowned scholar Noam Chomsky. Speaking before an intimate audience at Harvard University on February 6, 2002, Chomsky sets fair and logical parameters to his thesis (namely, we are all hypocrites and, for the purposes of debate, the U.S. government should always be given benefit of the doubt) before outlining, with academic precision and citation of real history (as opposed to biased written history), the reasons why America's post-9/11 war on terror is a logical impossibility. This, according to Chomsky's carefully supported analysis, is because the U.S. government has been, and continues to be, a major supporter of state-supported terrorism, favoring retaliatory or preemptive aggression over mediation in the world court, and avoiding accountability by excluding itself from the globally accepted definition of terrorism. (To underscore his point, Chomsky repeatedly volunteers his sources, inviting scrutiny at every turn.) With an additional hour-long Q&A session (in some ways more compelling, since it offers Chomsky's response to opposing viewpoints), Distorted Morality deserves the widest possible audience. In the short period between Chomsky's Harvard speech and the start of America's war against Iraq in March 2003, Chomsky's thesis has attained the chilling status of prophesy. Inevitably, Chomsky will be labeled anti-American, but at least his morality is crystal clear, immune to the obfuscation of politics and mainstream news.--Jeff Shannon FALSE FLAG OPERATIONS Passive consumption of all that you hear and read is dangerous. An interesting interview with Annie Machon an ex MI5 spy and whistleblower, whose book Spies, Lies and Whistleblowerswas banned. She talks about cases of false flag terrorism and the willing complicity of the mainstream media in carrying the official version and ignoring all evidence to the contrary. http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/face-to-face-with-annie-machon/

The worldwide paranoia with Islam is a recent one, when the Faith is 1400 years old. In this new found paranoia however, Islam is being demonized for all time. There are right wing Christians, racist skin heads, Right wing Hindus as well as right wing Muslims. You do not find videos about others on the Internet nor their extreme views aired. The other day we had the chief exorcist from the Vatican giving his opinion that all other religions are the works of Satan and Christianity is the only true Religion. He topped it with calling yoga `satanic. You do not see anybody taking notice of it but if a Khomeini from Iran with little influence outside Iran had said something similar, all hell would have broken loose by now. The World's focus is exclusively on the Right Wing Muslims, when they are as much a fringe of their society as the other extremist groups. The reason for it is not far to seek. The right Wing Muslims today have to be made out to be a threat to World peace to justify its wars. Is that a valid justification? For the US, the illusion of a fig leaf is enough.

911 ATTACK ON WTC

What is the reality about Al Qaeda? Is it not just a rag a tag group of former fighters in the Afghanistan war looking for a cause? If it was anything but weak and powerless, we would have seen some reaction to the killing of OBL. What is their record in acts of terrorism? Is it not just a frustrated and weak group of people who have killed more of their own people? What are the big ticket items of their acts of terrorism?
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The attack on the WTC 9/11 and the 7/7 London train bombings?

Why do conspiracy theories abound about these incidents? Is it just because there are cranks and Nuts who get a kick out of weaving a conspiracy theory about every major incident?

We have a paradigm of the democratic, secular and the civilized USA and the UK. In this paradigm it is impossible for us to imagine that such countries could indulge in deliberate acts of aiding, abetting or conspiring in acts that result in the death of their own citizens.

The US government and its media and much of the West has also created a paradigm of the evil that Al Qaeda represents, although the fact is that it is a group of little consequence and can only create minor nuisance.

While there are let us say 50 stories pointing to a conspiracy, 49 may be capable of being rebutted by creating sufficient doubt about each of these stories. However what has never been explained is how the speed with which the buildings collapsed could be that of a free fall which is impossible without a controlled demolition. If you have seen a 100 story building in construction, what you would see when the frame of the building is ready is an all steel frame.The joints are 1.5 - 3 times stronger than the member (you don't want a joint to fail before a member does). So although it has joints you could imagine it as a monolith steel frame structure where the pillars or columns are as high as the buildings. We also know that aviation fuel is kerosene and its burning temperature is far below the melting point of steel. Let us say that the building is 110 storeys high and the plane hits the 100th floor. The hundredth floor burns and the steel loses it strength on the 100 th floor. In the worst case scenario, you would see this floor capsize slowly as the steel loses its strength to bear the weight above. The collapse would be slow since steel does not dramatically lose its strength at any particular temperature. The floors above and the floors below will remain intact. Even if the building is hit by a separate plane on each floor, after the building capsizes, you would see mangled steel which is 110 storeys high. What you see instead is a perfectly coordinated collapse where the building collapses perfectly on its own footprint. This is impossible without controlled demolition, breaking up steel into thousands of pieces in a coordinated fashion to make the building collapse so perfectly. A free fall speed imples that the top floor encountered no resistance in its fall and fell as if it was falling through air. No large pieces of steel were found either let alone 100 storeys high. What few people know is that a third building (W7, 45 storeys) which was not hit by a plane that day also collapsed. Now listen to Architects, Engineers, Demolition experts and Scientists on this subject.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/911-explosive-evidence-experts-speak-out/ Islam is the fastest growing religion in the USA today because of conversions. It is therefore very easy to plant a few agents as neo converts and monitor every activity of the community. The highjackers who flew the planes were trained in the US. Do you think the FBI would not keep a tab on such students when the possibility of terrorists flying a plane into a tall building was very much
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anticipated? Controlled demolition has to be planned well in advance. Unknowingly, the highjackers may have become a part of a larger plan of the US government. While the hijacking and the attack may have been real, it was not without foreknowledge and unseen help from the agencies. The act of crashing into the towers would otherwise have created nothing more than a visual impact without bringing the buildings down. In April 2002, the head of the FBI, Robert Mueller, informed the press that after the most intensive investigation in history, the FBI could say no more than that it believed that the plot was hatched in Afghanistan, though implemented in the UAE and Germany. What they only believed in April 2002, they obviously didnt know 8 months earlier, when Washington dismissed tentative offers by the Taliban (how serious, we do not know, because they were instantly dismissed) to extradite bin Laden if they were presented with evidencewhich, as we soon learned, Washington didnt have. Thus Obama was simply lying when he said, in his White House statement, that we quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda. Nothing serious has been provided since. There is much talk of bin Ladens confession, but that is rather like my confession that I won the Boston Marathon. He boasted of what he regarded as a great achievement. Noam Chomsky in an interview. Link provided below:

http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2652/noam_chomsky_my_reaction_to_os/

LONDON TRAIN BOMBINGS For the London Train bombings, watch this documentary detailing the gaps in the official story of the 7/7 London Bombings that demand further attention. This film, presented by ex-Mi5 whistleblower David Shayler, argues the need for an Independant Public Inquiry into 7/7 and the surrounding events. http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/mind-the-gap/ False flag operations are part of a strategy of tension designed to instil fear in the civilian population and create unprovoked hatred towards minority groups. EVIDENCE OF EXISTENCE OF FALSE FLAG OPERATIONS

Learn more about false flag operations in the past from declassified official material. JFK however turned down the Operation Northwood plan of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Many crazy plans rejected earlier by the older Bush were carried out by his son.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods

The wars are being conducted by secular democracies. These wars are also being waged for oil and other considerations. Since these countries are democracies, they need to convince their people that it is a just war for upholding high principles. The justification is that it is a war on terror - to make the
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world safe from barbarians who are about to take over the entire world. Even the collapse of the twin towers did not justify war on Iraq. The war was based on blatant lies and the US and UK and other NATO countries are party to it. The people in the US however, thanks to their excellent media, believe that Sadam was responsible for the twin tower collapse. Is a secular democracy that has killed about 700,000 in Iraq alone, without cause, without compunction, without guilt, without remorse, a lesser evil than the so called terrorists who have killed more of their own people and very few of the so called enemy? A person should be out of his mind to think so. Who is the greater threat to the World peace today and which is the true axis of evil other than the NATO alliance?

TERRORISM IN INDIA

Has anybody done a research on the growth of terrorism in India, the factors involved (sociological, psychological, cultural, ideological)? The first terrorist act was 12 March 1993 with which one of the worst communal riots in Mumbai came to an end. I was in Mumbai and even my Hindu friends were terrified with the lawlessness that prevailed during those days and were most uncomfortable when we refused to move into their homes for safety. A Hindu lady colleague of mine had her cousin visiting Mumbai and she had asked me to accommodate her with us which I happily did, but the riots made her change her mind because she said that when we ourselves were not safe in our homes, it was a risk to her cousin to be staying with us and I agreed with her. Are communal riots not terrorist acts? Is it then fair to say that Hindu terror is a reaction to Islamic terror? Go into greater details to discover that the common Muslim population which is > 99.9% has nothing to do with terrorism - they are averse to it and condemn it. So, this constant demonizing is unfair and as you may have noticed, very few Muslims in the forum respond, but if they are listening, then they must be seething and if they are seething, then they are getting radicalized.

Who were involved in the first act? If my remembrance of the news of those times is correct, it was the local mafia and probably Dawood's men. Dawood was I think outside the country and maybe on the run. There used to be frequent encounter killings those days and I remember reading that the victims were all from the same gang. Was it therefore a kind of war between the State and Dawood? Mumbai also has been the most frequent target. Again is it Dawood but now with ISI as a partner?

We just do not have any study/analysis available and glibly attack a religion and its ideology.

You realize that low representation of Muslims in the Police and Intelligence agencies could be a major strategic flaw that has resulted in the lack of intelligence on the activities of inimical groups? Add to that the segregation of the populations.

I agree with the charge of pseudo secularism against the Congress political party but not against apolitical individuals. After 60 years what do the Muslims have? Less than 3% representation in Government jobs at all levels? Their localities lack civic amenities and the list goes on.
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Vote Bank politics has played havoc. The BJP took up the Babri Masjid/Ram Mandir issue as a reaction to RG legislating based on the Shah Bano case. What is the connection between the two? I never could understand but now I do. It only makes sense from the point of vote bank politics. If you have won Muslim votes by legislating to appease the Muslims, we need to do something to garner Hindu votes and therefore ........... How cynical! If in the process, the communities get polarized, thousands are killed in riots etc is that a price worth paying for the dirty politics of both the parties? Both parties are equally to blame for the state of affairs and the Congress more so.

HOW DO WE STOP PARTICIPATING IN TERRORISM?

Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it. Noam Chomsky

From the book The Happiness Principle by Jonathan Haidt

"People usually have reasons for committing violence, and those reasons usually involve retaliation for a perceived injustice or self-defence. This does not mean that both sides are equally to blame: Perpetrators often grossly overreact and misinterpret (using self serving biases). But Baumeisters point is that we have a deep need to understand violence and cruelty through what he calls the myth of pure evil. Of this myths many parts, the most important are that the evildoers are pure in their evil motives (they have no motive for their actions beyond greed and sadism); victims are pure in their victimhood (they did nothing to bring about their victimization) ; and evil comes from outside and is associated with a group or force that attacks our group. Furthermore, anyone who questions the application of the myth, who dares muddy the waters of moral certainty, is in league with evil.

The myth of pure evil is the ultimate self-serving bias, the ultimate form of nave realism. And it is the ultimate CAUSE of most long running cycles of violence because both sides lock themselves into a Manichaean struggle. When George Bush said that the 9/11 terrorists did what they did because they hate our freedom, he showed a stunning lack of psychological insight. Neither 9/11 hijackers nor Osama were particularly upset because American women can drive, vote and wear bikinis. Rather, many Islamic terrorists want to kill Americans because they are using the myth of Pure Evil to interpret Arab history and current events. They see America as the great Satan, the current villain in a long pageant of Western humiliation of Arab nation and peoples. They did what they did as a reaction to Americas actions and impact in the Middle East as they see it through distortions of the Myth of Pure Evil. However horrifying it is for terrorists to lump all civilians into the category of enemy and then kill them indiscriminately, such actions at least make psychological sense, whereas killing because of a hatred of freedom does not."

So the simple answer to the question is:

1. Stop demonizing Islam and Muslims 2. Fight the problem by looking at the Psychological factors
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This paranoia about a bomb bursting in your face is overdone. Just look at the statistics. Death due to such incidences is not even 0.1 % of deaths due to road accidents. (Number of deaths in road accidents= 122000 in India alone and number of deaths due to terrorist incidents 1700 worldwide last year). So the chances of dying in a road accident are 1000 times the chances of dying in a terrorist incident. The chances of dying in a road accident are itself 1% of the chances of dying due to other causes.

You are many times more likely to win a lottery ticket than .......

Terrorism makes big news for several days, even months and years and accidents do not because they are common and also `just accidents'. If people make so much fuss about terrorism, then they are achieving their end. Radicalization is a process of generating inter-faith distrust and hatred. When these people can do so little harm in real terms (the psychological damage is much higher), they are not worth so much of your attention. What are worth your time are processes that build trust and understanding.

RELATIONSHIP WITH NON-MUSLIMS IN THE LIGHT OF THE QURAN AND HADITH

DIVERSITY CELEBRATED

In the chapter, Al-Hujurat (The Apartments), Allah has drawn Mankind's attention to the diversity of Allah's creation and the purpose of mans existence:

O mankind, we created you from a single pair of a male and female and made you into tribes and nations that you may know one another (not that you may despise one another). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who is most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well aware of all things (49:13).

Notice the emphasis in the verse on diversity is on righteousness and the most honoured is the most righteous.

Verse on diversity says that all people are born from a common ancestor and are therefore brethren and have been scattered by design, so that they develop in different ways, and in this diversity is a blessing. So do not despise others because they are different but get to know yourselves better by getting to know others better. (What the science of anthropology tries to achieve).

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NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION

The spirit of Laa ikraa-haa fid-deen ("Thee is no compulsion in religion." [The Quran, chapter 2, verse 256]) always remained a guiding principle in the relationship with those unbelievers who lived and enjoyed civil liberty and security among the Muslims in Madinah. You have your religion and I have mine (Surah al-Kafirun [The Quran, Chapter 109]).

There is no cause, need or justice to persecute or abuse anyone for his faith or belief or whose views and appearances were different.

The Prophets Unlce, Abul Talib, did not recite the Kalima, while acknowledging that Muhammads religion was a true religion. The reason he gave was `lest people think that the fearless Abu Talib accepted Islam out of fear. The Prophet did not break his relationship with Abu Talib because he was a non-believer and as a matter of fact, Abu Talib breathed his last, with his head resting in the Prophets lap. Abu Talib was also a righteous man and had brought up the Prophet who was an orphan. There are verses that talk about who will go to heaven and my understanding from this verse (although God only knows best what is intended and I cannot be certain), is that Abu Talib may go to heaven if he believed in the oneness of God and did not associate any partners with God.

17:25. Your Lord knoweth best what is in your hearts: If ye do deeds of righteousness, verily he is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again (in true penitence).

There is a verse in the Quran from which it can be inferred that simple tribals leading uncomplicated lives do not need religion beyond a simple faith in the oneness of God and can be left alone after minimal teaching. 18:89-91 Then followed he (another) way, Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun. (He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before him.

The following verses are from the Quran concerning those who do not believe in the Quran. 3:113. Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a portion that stand (For the right): They rehearse the Signs of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration.

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114. They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous. 115. Of the good that they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right. SEEKERS OF TRUTH FIND THE TRUTH
One day while the Quraish were celebrating a festival, singing praises of their idols, offering presents to them and going round them in reverence, four persons, viz. Warqa bin Nofal, Abdullah bin Jahsh, Usman bin Alhowairis and Zaid bin Amr bin Nofail were holding a secret meeting away from the din of festivities and taking pledges of secrecy. They were discussing that their community was going the wrong way, had drifted from the religion of their ancestor Abraham and were worshipping idols of stone, which could neither see nor hear, nor could they do any harm or confer any boon. And they resolved to go about in search of the true followers of Abraham. Later Waraqa bin Nofal became a Christian, Abdullah bin Jahsh in his restlessness first adopted Islam and then went over to Christianity, Usman went to the emperor of Rome and became a Christian. But Zaid did not adopt Christianity or any other religion and continued his search for truth and gave up the religion of his community. He gave up idol worship, refrained from eating the sacrificial food presented to the idols and preached against killing of newborn daughters, proclaiming that he was following the religion of Abraham. He used to say that he did not know the right manner of worshipping God and would have adopted the way if he knew it. He often used to recite the following verses: God should be one or a thousand, Is that a religion which divides its Affairs among so many deities? I have forsaken Lat and Uzza and all (idols of the Quraish). And this is what the firm and patient men do. But I worship my God, the Sustainer. That He, the Lord, forgive my sins. So you maintain the fear of God alone. And so long that you retain it you will not be at a loss. Whenever he entered the Kabah he cried. I am present, my Lord, as an obedient worshipping servant with all sincerity. He also prayed that he was seeking the protection of the Lord whose protection was sought by Abraham. Khattab bin Nofails hostility to him grew to the extent that he expelled him from the city and deputed some youngsters to guard against his re-entering Makkah. Whenever he secretly went there he was driven out and beaten. At last he left his country and wandered about Mosul, Aljazira (Iraq), Syria, etc. in search of the unadulterated religion of Abraham. At last he met a learned anchorite of Damascus who told him that he could not find any follower of the religion of Abraham anywhere, but a prophet would arise from the place he had left and he would proclaim the religion of Abraham. As advised by him Zaid started for Makkah but someone killed him on the way at Lakhim. His son said, and Hazrath Umar asked the Prophet later if they could pray for his salvation and the Prophet said; Certainly. He will be raised as a community by himself.

NATURE OF THE PROPHETIC MISSION

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16:125. Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance. 29: 46. And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)."

2: 119. Verily We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner: But of thee no question shall be asked of the Companions of the Blazing Fire.

2:272. It is not required of thee (O Messenger., to set them on the right path, but Allah sets on the right path whom He pleaseth. Whatever of good ye give benefits your own souls, and ye shall only do so seeking the "Face" of Allah. Whatever good ye give, shall be rendered back to you, and ye shall not Be dealt with unjustly.

19:75. Say: "If any men go astray, ((Allah)) Most Gracious extends (the rope) to them, until, when they see the warning of Allah (being fulfilled) - either in punishment or in (the approach of) the Hour,- they will at length realise who is worst in position, and (who) weakest in forces! 19:76. "And Allah doth advance in guidance those who seek guidance: and the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of (their) eventual return."

28:56. It is true thou wilt not be able to guide every one, whom thou lovest; but Allah guides those whom He will and He knows best those who receive guidance.

29:18. "And if ye reject (the Message), so did generations before you: and the duty of the apostle is only to preach publicly (and clearly)."

010:019 Say All people (once) followed one belief. Then they began to follow different beliefs. Had not a word of your Lord (His decision to give every one time and free will) been decreed, God would already have settled their differences.

011:118 And if thy Lord had enforced HIS will, HE would have surely made mankind one people; but they would not cease to differ; Please note that no responsibility is assigned to the Prophet for conversion but only to preach publicly (and clearly). Free will is decreed by Allah.

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RELATIONSHIPS WITH NON-MUSLIMS

23:96. Repel evil with that which is best: We are well acquainted with the things they say. 60:7. It may be that Allah will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as enemies. For Allah has power (over all things); And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 60:8: Allah does not forbid you with regards to those who do not fight you on account of your religion nor drive you out of your homes, to treat with good and to be just to them. Truly Allah loves those who are just. (60:9) Allah only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong.

004:094 O ye who believe! When ye go forth (to fight) in the way of Allah, be careful to discriminate, and say not unto one who offereth you peace: "Thou art not a believer," seeking the chance profits of this life (so that ye may despoil him). With Allah are plenteous spoils. Even thus (as he now is) were ye before; but Allah hath since then been gracious unto you. Therefore take care to discriminate. Allah is ever informed of what ye do. The call for justice and fairness in dealing with non-Muslims who are neither at war with nor hostile to Muslims is the recommended golden rule. The verse clearly states the normal state for a relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims should be based on the best morals and justice with those who declare peace and do not fight them.

The Noble Quran uses the word, Bir, which is typically used to describe the highest relationship one could have with parents. The Quran also uses Bir to describe the type of relationship we should have with Non-Muslims. Bir includes all the good things that a relationship should have, and excludes all the bad aspects of a relationship. For that reason, Muslim scholars said that Bir is the foundation of the relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims.

This verse was revealed after the story of Asma. and her mother. Imams Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad reported that Asma. the daughter of Abu Bakr (R.A.) said: My mother came to me while she was still a non-believer, so I asked Allah.s Messenger (PBUH), My mother, who is ill-disposed to Islam, has come to visit me. She wants something from me. Shall I maintain relations with her? He replied, Yes, maintain relations with your mother.

After Imam At-Tabari mentioned various opinions for the explanations of this verse, his final conclusion was that: The most correct opinion in understanding this verse is that Muslims should be just, fair, and have the best relationship with all Non-Muslims who do not fight against us on account of our religion and do not drive us out of our homes.. This includes people of all faiths and sects and the support of this correct opinion came from the story of Asma. with her mother.

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Sayyid Qutb also attempts to explain this verse, saying that:

Islam is a Deen of peace and a conviction of love. It is a system that has compassion to all people. It gathers all people (Muslim and Non-Muslim) under the banner of Allah like brethren in accord and love. There is no obstacle that prevents this from happening except an aggression from its enemies against it and its people. If those enemies show peace, Islam does not want animosity or to start it. Even when the enemies still show animosity, Islam always looks for ways to bring the relationship to normalcy through great conduct and justice.

He continues: Islam allows Muslims to seek accord and love with Non-Muslims who did not fight them for their religion and expel them from their lands.

He continues: Islam makes peace as the normal relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims. This relationship is not distracted except with an aggression that must be dealt with, a breaching of truce, an obstacle in the face of delivering the message of Islam, shackling the freedom of religion. Other than that, the relationship is a relationship of peace, love, justice for all people. {In the Shade of Al-Qur.an, 6:3544.}

There are many things that Muslims can do to establish tolerance, compassion, and justice in relationships with Non-Muslims. Some of these things in the book Fiqh of Muslim Minorities. By Khalid AbdulQader, from pages 574 to 591}

Greeting, handshaking, hugging, and exchanging visits with them in their homes and places of worship. Also, welcoming them in Muslim homes and mosques. Accepting their invitation, offering them a meal. Offering congratulations on happy occasions like weddings, having a newborn, and etc Exchanging gifts with them. Visiting their sick people, and asking Allah (S.W.T.) for their recovery and their guidance. Offering condolences when they are struck by any disaster, tragedy, or death.. Collaborating with them in all good things.

HADITH REGARDING MINORITIES OR DHIMMIS

In an Islamic state non-Muslim residents are entitled to enjoy equal rights and freedom to practice their own faiths. "He who hurts a dhimmi (minority) hurts me, and he who hurts me hurts and annoys Allah," says a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

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The Quran and Sunnah (Traditions of the Prophet) explicitly dictate regulations and rights for the protection of non-Muslim minorities living under the rule of Islam. The Prophet, peace be upon him (pbuh), even said that if a Muslims hurts a covenanted person, i.e. a non-Muslim living under the rule of Islam, or commits any injustice to him, then on the Day of Judgment the Prophet would be the advocate on behalf of the non-Muslim against the Muslim. What would be the sense and need for all of these prescriptions and advice, if Islam required that they be compelled to accept the religion?

The meaning of dhimmi which in urdu is zimmi is the guaranteed/protected. The word for minorities in Islam therefore means the one who is guaranteed protection. This is of course subject to jiziya. Jiziya was exempted for the poor and destitute, the old and infirm. It was a fixed amount based on means, (typically three different amounts for the lower, middle and high income category). Jiziya was allowed to be called charity, when some Christians wanted to pay it as Charity, to conform with their Religious duty to pay charity.

In Sura Al Ma-ida The Holy Qur.n, describes the mission of the Prophet, in these words:

"We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], but as a mercy unto all the Nations"

So any Muslim who turns Islam into a religion of oppression is an enemy of Islam and not a Muslim

On fighting wrongs/aggression Repel evil with good 41:34. Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!

Patience and forgiveness recommended 42:39. And those who, when an oppressive wrong is inflicted on them, (are not cowed but) help and defend themselves. 42:40. The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah. for ((Allah)) loveth not those who do wrong. 42:41. But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them, against such there is no cause of blame. 42:42. The blame is only against those who oppress men and wrong-doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice: for such there will be a penalty grievous. 42:43. But indeed if any show patience and forgive, that would truly be an exercise of courageous will and resolution in the conduct of affairs.

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Exercise restraint and be patient 16:126. And if ye do catch them out, catch them out no worse than they catch you out: But if ye show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient. 16:127. And do thou be patient, for thy patience is but from Allah. nor grieve over them: and distress not thyself because of their plots. 16:128. For Allah is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good.

Do not cause any harm based on rumors 49:6. O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done. The Quran permits fighting to protect any place of worship 22:39. To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged;and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid;22:40. (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,- (for no cause) except that they say, "our Lord is Allah.. Did not Allah check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure. Allah will certainly aid those who aid his (cause);- for verily Allah is full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (able to enforce His Will).

RECONCILIATION SOUGHT AND NOT NECESSARILY CONVERSION

Say: Come! Let us gather together -- our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us earnestly pray and invoke the wrath of Allah on those who lie (3:60).

In the year of Deputation, 10th Hijrah [Islamic year], a Najran deputation went to the Prophet and were impressed with the passage of the Quran on the true position of Christ. They entered a cordial relation with the new Muslim state, but did not accept Islam.

The Prophet arranged a mubahala (solemn meeting) in which both sides should pray jointly to Allah and invoke His wrath on those who should lie. The Christians declined and they were dismissed in a spirit of tolerance with a promise of protection from the Islamic state.

Further revelation helped the prophet to forge a universal link with them:

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Say: O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate no person with Him, that we erect not from among ourselves lords and patrons besides Allah. If they turn back, say ye: Bear witness that we are Muslims (3:64).

The above is also the meaning of Islam in the Quran, when it says that Islam was the religion of all the Prophets that have come before Muhammad (PBUH) from Adam.s time. A Hadith mentions the number of prophets as 1,20,000. Another verse asks Muslims not to make any distinction between the Prophets.

The Prophet communicated the above verse to Heraclius, and to rulers in the regions of Egypt, Byzantine and Persia. (The manuscript of this letter is still in existence today in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey, as historical and factual evidence of the friendly and tolerant relationship of the Prophet of Islam with non-Muslim rulers and "People of the Book [e.g., Christians and Jews]".)

THE MISUNDERSTOOD VERSES

In the last stages of prophetic mission in Medinah, Muslims had emerged as a dominant power and had set up a society of their own. At the same time, the polytheists of Makkah as well as Jews and Christians had also established setups and in case of an armed conflict, it seemed that any of them could have emerged as victorious. In such an environment the hypocrites amongst Muslims maintained ties with Jews and Christians and supported them in secret. Their support was in order to safeguard their interests with whoever the victorious party would be. In addition, the hypocrites obviously had not accepted Islam from within their hearts and their conversion to Islam had not affected their ties with Muslims' opponents.

It is in this context that Quran revealed the following verses specifically admonishing these hypocrites amongst Muslims and warning the Muslims of the danger:

"O believers, do not take the Jews and the Christians as your friends and protectors, they are friends of each other. And whoever makes them a friend then he is from amongst them. Verily God does not guide the unjust people. And you will see that those (Muslims) in whose hearts is a disease run towards them saying 'We fear that a calamity may befall us.' So God will soon bring victory or a decision from Him, causing them regret on account of the thoughts they harbored in their hearts." (Quran 5:51-52)

The explanation above should depict the correct meaning of the verses under discussion. The verse is therefore specific to a situation at a particular time in history.

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In addition to the general context, where the verses are addressed to the hypocrites among Muslims, it should also be noted that Quran has used the words 'the Jews' and 'the Christians' making it very clear that it is a specific group of Jews and Christians and this verse is not a general prescription. The attitude of these people has been explained further in the following verses for instance:

O you who believe! do not take for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers. And when you call to prayer they make it a mockery and a joke; this is because they are a people who do not understand. Say: "O people of the Book! Do ye disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and the revelation that hath come to us and that which came before (us), and (perhaps) that most of you are rebellious and disobedient?" (Quran 5:57-59) As it can be clearly seen, the Jews, Christians, unbelievers mentioned above are those 'who take your religion for a mockery and a joke.' The `Sword verses So, when the sacred months expire, kill the Mushriks wherever you find them, and catch them and besiege them and sit in ambush for them everywhere. Then, if they repent and establish Salah and pay Zakah, leave their way. Surely, Allah is most Forgiving, Very-Merciful. [Quran 9:5] In 6AH, was a treaty between the Quraysh and the Muslims was concluded at Hudaibiya. One of the clauses of the treaty was that there will be no war for a period of 10 years and the tribes which wish to join alliance with the Quraysh will be allowed to do so and those who wish to join the Muslims are free to do so. Following this, Bani Khuzaa became allies of the Muslims and Banu Bakr joined the Quraysh. After about 18 months of the signing of the treaty of Hudaibiya, Banu Bakr attacked Bani Khuzaa in the darkness of the night. The people of Bani Khuza tried to escape the attack by taking shelter in the Kaaba but were butchered. The Quraysh joined in this attack hoping that their treachery would not be discovered. The attackers thus violated both the sanctity of the place as well as the treaty. Some 40 of Bani Khuzaa were able to flee and reach the Muslims and inform them of what had transpired and how the enemy butchered their people and did not even spare those who were at the time worshipping in a position of kneeling or prostrating. Surah 9 verses 1-5 1. Here is a disavowal (proclaimed) by Allah and His Messenger against the Mushriks (polytheists) with whom you have a treaty.

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2. So, move in the land freely for four months, and be aware that you can never frustrate Allah, and that Allah is going to disgrace the disbelievers. 3. And here is an announcement, from Allah and His Messenger, to the people on the day of the greater Hajj, that Allah is free from (any commitment to) the Mushriks, and so is His Messenger. Now, if you repent, it is good for you. And if you turn away, then be aware that you can never frustrate Allah. And give those who disbelieve the good news of a painful punishment. 4. Except those of the Mushriks with whom you have a treaty, and they were not deficient (in fulfilling the treaty) with you, and did not back up any one against you. So fulfill the treaty with them up to their term. Surely, Allah loves the God-fearing. 5. So, when the sacred months expire, kill the Mushriks wherever you find them, and catch them and besiege them and sit in ambush for them everywhere. Then, if they repent and establish Salah and pay Zakah, leave their way. Surely, Allah is most Forgiving, Very-Merciful. Fighting back against the enemies of Islam was made lawful because they violated the treaty and thus initiated war with the Muslims. Verse 4 explicitly mentions that war is not permitted with the Mushriks who did not violate the treaty. This is enough to refute the claims of non-Muslim propagandists that the Quran tells Muslims to go on `seek and destroy mission against the polytheists. Thus it is clear that kill the Mushriks mentioned in verse 5 refers to those who violated the treaty and thus initiated war. Zamakshari (rh) in his tafsir mentions, faoqtuloo almushrikeena means those who have violated their agreement and helped (the enemies) against u. In tafsir al-Baydawi it is written regarding the same phrase, Those who violated the terms of agreement. So, contrary to the propaganda spread by some, this verse does not command Muslims to go out and kill all Mushriks.

Moreover, those who love to quote this verse also somehow always manage to not read the following verse which is reproduced below:
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And if any one of the Mushriks seeks your protection, give him protection until he listens to the Word of Allah, then let him reach his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know. [Quran 9:6] This verse is self-explanatory and refutes the propaganda of the non-Muslims.When studied in its appropriate context, there remains no doubt that this verse has nothing to do with killing every single Mushrik. It was revealed regarding a specific group of people who had violated their treaty with the Muslims and thus by default initiated war.
Does verse 98-6 teach Muslims to hate non-Mulsims since they are described as the worst of creatures?

Surah 98. The Clear Proof, Evidence 1. Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, were not going to depart (from their ways) until there should come to them Clear Evidence,2. An apostle from Allah, rehearsing scriptures kept pure and holy: 3. Wherein are laws (or decrees) right and straight. 4. Nor did the People of the Book make schisms, until after there came to them Clear Evidence. 5. And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight. 6. Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures. 7. Those who have faith and do righteous deeds,- they are the best of creatures. 8. Their reward is with Allah. Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein for ever; Allah well pleased with them, and they with Him: all this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher.

The argument of the people before the coming of the Prophet was that they would not change their ways until clear evidence came to them. Also the coming of the Prophet and the Quran was clearly prophesized in their own scriptures and they had a clear expectation of the coming of the Prophet. See document below: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sbicitizen/attachments/folder/1818461181/item/list

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This Surah says that the clear evidence in the form of the Prophet and the Quran which they had been demanding/expecting has now come. If people still reject the Truth, after knowing it, they will then be in hell fire as they now have no excuse to disbelieve. This verse or Surah does not teach hate. It is a clear warning from God to those who still choose to disbelieve after the Truth has been revealed in a Book that is very clear. Would it not be odd if God did not warn before putting the disbelievers into hell? Are not the people who have clear evidence of the truth and yet choose to disbelieve the worst of creatures? The adjective of worst of creatures has also been used for believers when the context so warrants it in the Hadeeth and the Bible. Please note that the adjective of `worst of creatures has been used for those who choose disbelief after they have recognized the truth. This verse does not does describe those who disbelieve out of ignorance.

The Quran also says: 010:019 Say All people (once) followed one belief. Then they began to follow different beliefs. Had not a word of your Lord (His decision to give every one time and free will) been decreed, God would already have settled their differences. The differences have come over a period of time. The Prophetic mission was to restore the original religion and concept of true God which is also found in all divinely inspired scriptures. Indeed, the Quran makes it very clear that Islam (submission to the one true God) was the religion of all Prophets who have preceded and who were sent to all nations in all periods to guide the people to the true beliefs and religion. However, if man insists on reviling and denying God, he has himself to blame. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah Almighty has said: The son of Adam denied Me and he had no right to do so. And he reviled Me and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me, it is his saying: He will not raise me up after my death - and the initial creation [of him] is no easier for Me than raising him up after his death. As for his reviling Me, it is his saying: Allah has taken to Himself partners, while I am the One, the Everlasting Refuge. I begot not nor was I begotten, and there is none comparable to Me. The concept of oneness of God exists in every scripture. If people choose to dilute it after clear proof and confirmation of what is there in their own scriptures has come in the Quran, then they themselves are to blame.

All human behavior is motivated by two things seeking pleasure and avoiding pain The concept of heaven, hell and the Day of Judgment therefore ensures good behavior in a believer and must count among the mercies of God. People should read Surah 55 (Rehman) to understand the favors of God to man where hell is also counted among the favors. That requires understanding. As far as the charge that the reading of the Quran makes Muslims hate non-Muslims is concerned, nothing can be farther from the Truth. No true Muslim considers himself superior to a non-Muslim for the simple reason that:

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1. He has no idea about the others faith and beliefs and his sincerity in seeking the ultimate truth and Gods pleasure. Please see the following from which it is clear that labeling anyone as Kafir is not permitted to man . That is the right of God alone. http://darultavhid.com/en/forum/index.php?topic=3160.msg8125;topicseen#msg8125 3. He has no knowledge of the future and cannot therefore know his own end state nor that of another 4. Potentially every human being can rise to the highest level or sink to the lowest irrespective of his current state. 5. Only a fool therefore considers himself superior and others inferior.

TAQIYA
Thomas Carlyle, the English writer, said:

"I like Muhammad for his hypocrisy-free naturewith clear and sound words he addresses the Roman Tsars and Kings of Persia. He guided them to what he loves for them in this life and in the eternal life."
He further writes in 'Heroes and Hero Worship and the Heroic in History,' 1840.

"The lies (Western slander) which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammad) are disgraceful to ourselves only." "A silent great soul, one of that who cannot but be earnest. He was to kindle the world, the worlds Maker had ordered so."
The word Taqiya is used quite often in a derogatory way to imply that Muslims are allowed to practice deception which is not just a lie but a great calumny as it goes against all evidence. The Quran instructs as follows: 2:42. And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). 17:35 "Fill the measure when ye measure, and weigh with a right balance; that is meet, and better in
the end."

2:282. O ye who believe! When ye deal with each other, in transactions involving future obligations in a fixed period of time, reduce them to writing Let a scribe write down faithfully as between the parties: let not the scribe refuse to write: as Allah Has taught him, so let him write. Let him who incurs the liability dictate, but let him fear His Lord Allah, and not diminish aught of what he owes. If they party liable is mentally deficient, or weak, or unable Himself to dictate, Let his guardian dictate faithfully, and get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her. The witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (For evidence). Disdain not to reduce to writing (your contract) for a future period, whether it be small or big: it is more just in the sight of Allah, More suitable as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves but if it be a transaction which ye carry out on the spot among yourselves, there is no blame on you if ye reduce it not to writing. But take witness whenever ye make a commercial contract; and let neither scribe nor witness suffer harm. If ye do (such harm), it

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would be wickedness in you. So fear Allah. For it is God that teaches you. And Allah is well acquainted with all things. 283. If ye are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, a pledge with possession (may serve the purpose). And if one of you deposits a thing on trust with another, Let the trustee (Faithfully) discharge His trust, and let him fear his Lord. Conceal not evidence; for whoever conceals it,- His heart is tainted with sin. And Allah Knoweth all that ye do.
A contract in writing eliminates any scope for changing the terms later and avoids disputes.

Further, according to the sayings of the Prophet, The two parties to a transaction have the option (of cancelling it) until they part. If they are honest and disclose any defects, their transaction will be blessed, but if they lie and conceal defects the blessing will be erased. (Bukhari; Muslim). It is also clarified that this holds irrespective of whether the counterparty is a Muslim or a non-Muslim. Muslim traders were known for their exceptional honesty. It was these traders who converted many to Islam and countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and East Africa are prime examples of lands which never came under Muslim rule but whose population converted to Islam.

http://darultavhid.com/en/forum/index.php?topic=3139.msg8102;topicseen#msg8102
Another authentic hadith makes clear that lying is slander. Malik related to me from al-Walid ibn Abdullah ibn Sayyad that al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab alMakhzumi informed him that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, "What is backbiting?" The Messenger of Allah, PBUH, said, "It is to mention about a man what he does not want to hear." He said, "Messenger of Allah! Even if it is true?" The Messenger of Allah, PBUH, said, "If you utter something false, then it is slander." (Book #56, Hadith #56.4.10)

The verse that is cited to prove the charge is Surah 16:106

Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.

The following is commentary on the verse from the following source: http://islamicstudies.info/maarif/ The religious ruling is about a person who has been compelled to utter a word of infidelity (kufr) under the threat that he would be killed if he did not do that. If he feels that in all likelihood, the people threatening him have the full capability of doing just that, then, this is a state of duress. If he were to utter some word of disbelief, verbally but, with a heart firm on faith, a heart that shuns saying what is false and evil then, there is no sin on him.(Qurtubi Mazhari) This was revealed when some noble Sahabah were arrested by the Meccan mushriks. Among those arrested were, Sayyidna Ammar and his parents Sayyidna Yasir and Sayddah Summayah, Sayyidna Suhaib, Bilal and Khabbab. Out of these, Sayyidna Yasir and his wife Sayyidna Summayah and Khabbab refused to utter any word of disbelief. Sayyidna Yasir and Khabbab were killed and Sayiddah Summayah was tied to two Camels who were made to run in different directions and killing her in the most barbaric fashion by tearing her apart in two halves. These were the first to gain martyrdom for the sake of Islam. Sayyidna Ammar made a mere verbal declaration of unbelief and was released. On his release, he met the Prophet and narrated the incident with great anguish. The
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Prophet (PBUH) asked him when you were making this statement, what was going on in your heart? He answered as for my heart, it was at peace and was firmly set on faith. The Prophet put his mind at rest by saying that he was not to face any punishment for that. The verse 16:106 was revealed confirming it. Muslim scholars, in their books of Fiqh have further clarified that Taqiya is permitted only under

conditions of coercion where the coerced apprehends that the coercer is both capable of carrying out the threat and also most likely to do so, and the threat is to his life or limb. The standard of morality for Muslims is very high: A Muslim is not permitted to lie even against those who lie against them A Muslim is not allowed to fornicate with the women of another who fornicated with his women.

The simple principle applied is that whatever is prohibited remains prohibited and is not permissible even in retaliation. For more details, use the link below. http://darultavhid.com/en/forum/index.php?topic=3160.msg8125;topicseen#msg8125

AL TAQIYA IS THE LAW OF ALL CIVILIZED COUNTRIES Incidentally, India and most of the civilized world have codified the Quranic law of `Taqiya' in their statutes. To that extent, they follow the Shariat. For example, confessions made to a police officer is inadmissible as evidence in a court of law as coercion is assumed unless rebutted through presence of a magistrate while recording the confession. Contract made under duress or coercion is voidable AL TAQIYA IN HINDUISM For comparison, consider the following from Mahabharata book 8 section 69: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08069.htm O son of Pandu, this mystery connected with morality, this mystery that was declared by Bhishma, by the righteous Yudhishthira, by Vidura otherwise called Kshatri, and by Kunti, of great celebrity. I will tell thee that mystery in all its details. Listen to it, O Dhananjaya! One who speaks truth is righteous. There is nothing higher than truth. Behold, however, truth as practised is exceedingly difficult to be understood as regards its essential attributes. Truth may be unutterable, and even falsehood may be utterable where falsehood would become truth and truth would become falsehood. In a situation of peril to life and in marriage, falsehood becomes utterable. In a situation involving the loss of one's entire property, falsehood becomes utterable. On an occasion of marriage, or of enjoying a woman, or when life is in danger, or when one's entire property is about to be taken away, or for the sake of a Brahmana, falsehood may be uttered. These five kinds of falsehood have been declared to be sinless. On these occasions falsehood would become truth and truth would become falsehood. He is a
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fool that practises truth without knowing the difference between truth and falsehood. One is said to be conversant with morality when one is able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. What wonder then in this that a man of wisdom, by perpetrating even a cruel act, may obtain great merit like Valaka by the slaughter of the blind beast? What wonder, again, in this that a foolish and ignorant person, from even the desire of winning merit, earns great sin like Kausika (living) among the rivers?"

The scope for Al-Taqiya is far narrower in Islam than what is taught by Krishna in Mahabharata as part of his upadesh. If lying to a woman makes her more pliable during lovemaking, even that is considered sinless. Lying is permissible in marriage, for the sake of a Brahmin and even if one fears loss of property. In brief, lying for what one considers an expediency is permitted in Hinduism, whereas in Islam, it is permitted only under conditions of coercion where the coerced apprehends that the coercer is both capable of carrying out the threat and also most likely to do so, and the threat is to his life or limb.

QURANS MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO REJECT FAITH

7:172. When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful":

3:83. Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah.-while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to His Will (Accepted Islam), and to Him shall they all be brought back. (All creatures follow natural instincts and the animate and inanimate are subject to the laws of nature (laws of cause and effect physical, psychological, behavioural) Allah (SWT) allows free will to man to choose his path and therefore all his arguments for choosing the wrong path are rejected. On account of their wickedness, people become impervious to calls for accepting and following the path of righteousness. Only those who constantly strive for truth accept the message and follow it)

The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout like a goat- herd, to things that listen to nothing but call and cries: deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom. (Al-Baqarah: 171). If Allah so willed, He could make you all one people: but He leaves straying whom He pleases, but ye shall certainly be called to account for all your actions. (An-Nahl: 93) Those who give partners (to Allah) will say: 'if Allah had wished, we should not have given partners to Him, nor would our fathers;nor should we have had any taboos.' So did their ancestors argue falsely, until they tasted of Our wrath . Say: Have ye any (certain)knowledge? If so, produce it before us. Ye follow nothing but conjecture: ye do nothing but lie.(Al -An .. am: 148)
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The worshippers of false gods say: 'If Allah (SWT) had so willed, we should not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our fathers - nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His. ' So did those who went before them. But what is the mission of messengers but to preach the Clear Message? (An-Nahl: 35) And when they are told: 'Spend ye of (the bounties) with which Allah has provided you,' the Unbelievers say to those who believe: Shall we then feed those whom, if Allah had so willed, He would have fed, (Himself)? Ye are in nothing but manifest Error. (Yasin: 47) (Ah!) They say, 'If it had been the Will of (Allah) Most Gracious, we should not have worshipped such (deities)!' Of that they have no knowledge! They do nothing but lie! (Az-Zukhruf: 20) 002:139 Say: Will ye dispute with us about Allah, seeing that He is our Lord and your Lord; that we are responsible for our doings and ye for yours; and that We are sincere (in our faith) in Him?

14:3. Those who love the life of this world more than the Hereafter, who hinder (men) from the Path of Allah and seek therein something crooked: they are astray by a long distance. 39:18. Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.

REFERENCE SITES AND BOOK

Illustrated guide for non-Muslims who would like to understand Islam.

http://www.islam-guide.com/ The following is a site for tafseer or commentary for the serious researcher who would like to find the meaning, background and explanation for any verse in the Quran. http://islamicstudies.info/maarif/ Other useful site containing translation of Quran and Hadith with search facility is http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=52&translator=1&start=0&number=0

I have found the book A Brief Guide to Islam by Paul Grieve (Price: Rs. 673) which can be ordered on Flipkart very good. It is a recent book first published in 2006 and very comprehensive and yet brief. Junglee.com also can be checked and sometimes it is cheaper there.

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