http://www.secularislam.org - Similar statements in all sastras worldwide

[Guest guest]

Duty I meant by sankirtan and spreading Bhagavata-dharma which is an eternal

function of the soul (vaisnavas).

 

As far as I know the Quran advocates far more violence upon human beings

than any other so-called scripture:

 

Quran tells Muslims to kill the disbelievers wherever they find them (Q.

2:191), to murder them and treat them harshly (Q. 9:123), slay them (Q. 9:

5), fight with them, (Q. 8: 65 ) even if they are Christians and Jews,

humiliate them and impose on them a penalty tax (Q. 9: 29). Quran takes away

the freedom of belief from all humanity and tell clearly that no other

religion except Islam is accepted (Q. 3: 85). It relegates those who

disbelieve in Quran to hell (Q. 5: 11), calls them najis (filthy,

untouchable, impure) (Q. 9: 28). It orders its followers to fight the

unbelievers until no other religion except Islam is left (Q. 2: 193). It

says that the non-believers will go to hell and will drink boiling water (Q.

14: 17). It asks the Muslims to slay or crucify or cut the hands and feet of

the unbelievers, that they be expelled from the land with disgrace and that

they shall have a great punishment in world hereafter (Q.5: 34). As for the

disbelievers, it says that for them garments of fire shall be cut and there

shall be poured over their heads boiling water whereby whatever is in their

bowls and skin shall be dissolved and they will be punished with hooked iron

rods (Q. 22: 9). Quran prohibits a Muslim to befriend a non-believer even if

that non-believer is the father or the brother of that Muslim (Q. 9: 23),

(Q. 3: 28). Quran asks the Muslims to strive against the unbelievers with

great endeavor (Q. 25: 52), be stern with them because they belong to hell

(Q. 66: 9). The holy Prophet demanded his follower to strike off the heads

of the disbelievers; then after making a wide slaughter among them,

carefully tie up the remaining captives (Q. 47: 4). As for women the book of

Allah says that they are inferior to men and their husbands have the right

to scourge them if they are found disobedient (Q. 4:34). It teaches that

women will go to hell if they are disobedient to their husbands (Q. 66:10).

It maintains that men have an advantage over the women (Q. 2:228). It not

only denies the women's equal right to their inheritance (Q. 4:11-12), it

also regards them as imbeciles and decrees that their witness is not

admissible in the court (Q. 2:282). This means that a woman who is raped

cannot accuse her rapist unless she can produce a male witness. Muhammad

allowed the Muslims to marry up to four views and gave them license to sleep

with their slave maids and as many captive women as they may have (Q. 4:3).

He himself did just that. This is why anytime a Muslim army subdues another

nation, they call them kafir and allow themselves to rape their women.

Pakistani soldiers raped up to 250,000 Bangali women in 1971 after they

massacred 3,000,000 unarmed civilians when their religious leader decreed

that Bangladeshis are unislamic.

 

The vices of Kali-yuga (Krishna's will) is the cause of Bharata's demise.

However, Sri Krishna himself has descended in this age as Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu in Bharata to inaugurate the sankirtan movement and bestow the

highest spiritual perfection of Krishna prema on everyone. Therefore

"Hindus" are especially favored by Krishna Himself for taking birth in the

land where He and his devotees have their pastimes.

 

If you have been abreast of the news you would know that the Al Qaeida

organization headed by Osama Ben Ladin is the perpetrator of the World Trade

Center terrorist attack. The evidence presented by the US was also

acknowledged by Great Britain and Pakistan.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,35827,00.html

 

- Harinam

 

 

-

Taru Amrta <ta_108

<vaisnava_synod>; <vediculture>;

<nihar_singh76; <harinam; <lawyer

Cc: <b.landman; <cc27183; <hannekepeer;

<jairadhakrsna; <jamesbarbieri;

<jlover56; <jrjplugo; <judith.baarda;

<laguna17; <madhava.>; <pleus;

<princessxxx33177; <qkroeze; <ramanyadasa;

<soulreaver_397

Tuesday, October 16, 2001 11:56 AM

http://www.secularislam.org - Similar statements in all sastras

worldwide

 

 

> Dear HarinAm, Nice essay.

> A few questions. You mentioned religious duties.

> 1) Was it BhImasena's religious duty to tear off his cousin DuhsAsan's

arm, cut out his heart & drink his blood?

> 2) Was it Kuntidevi's religious duty to keep quiet for 100 yrs, not

revealing Karna to be her 1st child?

> 3) Was it Arjun's duty to cut off his would-be-king older brother's head?

> Was it ZrI Gandhari's duty to punch her own stomach?

> Everything you wrote below can apply to Christians & Jews too.

> Hindus have only Hindus to blame for allowing so much Muslim conversion

within Bharatavarsa.

> If Israel lets go of Palestine, allows a separate state, 90% of Middle

East problems are solved. Within minutes.

> In every scripture worldwide there are similar or even more violent

statements.

> We still don't know what happened 11Sep2001, id est, who really flew those

planes into WTC & Pentagon.

> If Bushala & Sharony know, they won't tell you. That's for sure.

> ZrIla ZrIdhar Mhrj explained: "If Uddhava had heard Bhagavad-gita, he

would NOT have fought."

> In his Gita 1.36 purport, ZrIla NArAyan Mhrj explains the difference

between artha-zAstra & dharma-zAstra.

> Good health. ys, Tarun

>

> > "Harinam" <harinam Re: Re

http://www.secularislam.org/call.htmDate: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 01:41:58 -1000

> >

> >Thank you for the info. The terrorists attack on the US on Sept.11

killing

> >6,500 people represents the beginning of global karmic cleansing in which

> >the demonic ideology of violence on religious pretext will have to be

> >isolated and/or killed. India has suffered historically from this

(Islamic)

> >invasion beginning from around 11th century and has suffered much

atrocities

> >even up till the 1947 partition and the creation of Pakistan. Then more

> >recently the Talibanization of Afghanistan and the pan-islamic militancy

and

> >terrorism and also the ongoing carnage in Kashmir poses a threat to what

is

> >left of Bharata-varsa.

> >

> >In this age the upper brahmana and ksatriya classes will be infiltrated

by

> >asuras (demonic philosophies and religions) and it is our duty to defeat

> >them philosophically and even militarily. This can only be done by strong

> >vaisnava preachers.

> >

> >Here are some basic philosophical defects on violent offensive Islam:

> >

> >(1) Violent Islam lacks transcendental and eternal epistemology thus it

> >cannot overcome material dualities (sectarianism). It is simply a state

of

> >religious sentiment and not the liberated state of pure spiritual

existence.

> >Simply dividing the world into believers and nonbelievers without

complete

> >transcendental knowledge of the supreme Absolute Truth is false

philosophy

> >and idolatry.

> >

> >(2) It does not differenciate the soul from the material body thus is

unable

> >to liberate one completely from material bondage. Accepting the material

> >body and its ego as absolute truth is illusion because material nature is

> >temporary whereas the soul is eternal.

> >

> >(3) It limits unlimited and eternal glories of the Supreme Lord to only

> >one prophet in all of eternal time which is sectarianism and a form of

> >atheism. How can true (eternal) religion be limited to only one

> >occurance in eternal time?

> >(4) It allows their followers to offensively engage in violent politics

> >(killing people including Muslims) without respecting progressive

knowledge

> >of reality distinguished from illusion for welfare of all people

> >regardless of race, religion, occupation, and nationality which is

> >irreligion and totalitarianism.

> >TWO TYPES OF ISLAM

> >There are two types of Islam. One is peaceful Islam for believers and

> >the other is violent Islam for unbelievers. However violence based on

> >religion is only allowed in self-defense. Offensive violence is criminal

and

> >when claimed to be based on religious duty is none other than mixing of

> >sectarian religion and politics which is proof of ignorance and

corruption.

> >"Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their

necks;

> >At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on

> >them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until

> >war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been

> >Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them

> >(Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with

others.

> >But those who are slain in Allah's Way,- He will never let their deeds

> >be lost." (Quran[047:004], Al_Qital/ Muhammad. Translation by Abdullah

Yusuf

> >Ali)

> >

> >The cause of terrorism and ethnic cleansing against all nonmuslims is

> >misunderstood by jehadi terrorists to be sanctioned in their sacred

> >scripture Quran. However, the subject of religious violence against

> >"nonbelievers" is for self-defense only and thus it is clearly not for

> >offensive violence. In today's modern pluralistic democracies which

respect

> >religious freedom, need for violent jehad is clearly unnecessary.

> >The Quran was written about 500 A.D. in a very violent culture and

history.

> >However subsequent Islamic laws have not taken into consideration today's

> >pluralistic and democratic political system. Today's Islamic scholars

have

> >simply failed to keep their religious laws current. The problem is

> >because call to violence against non-moslems ((nonbelievers) are

> >repeatedly stated in Islamic scripture (Quran), it is easily

> >misinterpreted and misused by political opportunists and militants posing

as

> >Muslims and/or Muslims posing as political opportunists and militants to

> >simply carryout offensive violence and terrorism in name of so-called

> >religious duty and divine sanction against all "nonbelievers"

(nonmuslims).

> >Therein is real cause of all offensive violent religious fundamentalism

> >or so-called "Islamic" terrorism.

> >

> >- Harinamdas

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >-

> >Mahesh Raja <mahesh.r

> ><vaisnava_synod>; Harinam <harinam;

nihar

> >singh <nihar_singh76; <lawyer; Vediculture

> ><vediculture>

> >Cc: VIKASH <SRIYAH; Jaladuta

> ><jaladuta; Madhusudana

<july9th_77;

> >Adridharana <adri; Ameyatma ACBSP <ameyatma;

> ><quetzal; <caturbahu386; <japa-mala;

> ><netman; <edhuntere; Rocana <rocana;

> >Gauridas <Gauri>; <gbc_staff;

<JGCEC;

> >Isadasa <isa>; <jndas2;

> ><jgallagher77; <krsnacabletv;

> ><janamejaya>; mukunda

> ><PSSHearing; <kerry;

> ><lawhuff; Locananda <LFELDA; Madhu pandit

> ><mpandit; Madhudvisa dasa <madhudvisa;

> ><mahaksa_d; Nara narayana <zakheim;

> ><sridam; <jayana

> >Monday, October 15, 2001 9:59 AM

> >Re http://www.secularislam.org/call.htm

> >

> >

> >>

> >> A friend sent me this site address: I think--- you will find it

> >interesting.

> >>

> >> I am sending you the web site regarding some very serious quotes

> >> from the Qu'ran by a group of American moslems:

> >> http://www.secularislam.org/call.htm

> >>

> >> Below is some excerpt from it.

> >> ========================

> >>

> >> A Call to the Muslims of the World

> >> from a Group of Freethinkers and

> >> Humanists of Muslim Origins

> >> Dear friends,

> >>

> >> The tragic incidents of September 11 have shocked the world. It is

> >> unthinkable that anyone could be so full of hate as to commit such

heinous

> >> acts and kill so many innocent people. We people of Muslim origin are

as

> >> much shaken as the rest of the world and yet we find ourselves looked

upon

> >> with suspicion and distrust by our neighbours and fellow citizens. We

want

> >> to cry out and tell the world that we are not terrorists, and that

those

> >who

> >> perpetrate such despicable acts are murderers and not part of us. But,

in

> >> reality, because of our Muslim origins we just cannot erase the "stigma

of

> >> Islamic Terrorism" from our identity!

> >>

> >> What most Muslims will say:

> >>

> >> "Islam would never support the killing of innocent people. Allah of the

> >Holy

> >> Qur'an never advocated killings. This is all the work of a few

misguided

> >> individuals at the fringes of society. The real Islam is sanctified

from

> >> violence. We denounce all violence. Islam means peace. Islam means

> >> tolerance."

> >>

> >> What knowledgeable Muslims should say:

> >>

> >> That is what most Muslims think, but is it true? Does Islam really

preach

> >> peace, tolerance and non-violence? The Muslims who perpetrate these

crimes

> >> think differently. They believe that what they do is Jihad (holy war).

> >They

> >> say that killing unbelievers is mandatory for every Muslim. They do not

> >kill

> >> because they wish to break the laws of Islam but because they think

this

> >is

> >> what true Muslims should do. Those who blow-up their own bodies to kill

> >more

> >> innocent people do so because they think they will be rewarded in

> >Paradise.

> >> They hope to be blessed by Allah, eat celestial food, drink pure wine

and

> >> enjoy the company of divine consorts. Are they completely misguided?

Where

> >> did they get this distorted idea? How did they come to believe that

> >killing

> >> innocent people pleases God? Or is it that we are misguided? Does

really

> >> Islam preach violence? Does it call upon its believers to kill

> >> non-believers? We denounce those who commit acts of violence and call

them

> >> extremists. But are they really extremists or are they following what

the

> >> holy book, the Qur'an tells them to do? What does the Qur'an teach?

Have

> >we

> >> read the Qur'an? Do we know what kind of teachings are there? Let us go

> >> through some of them and take a closer look at what Allah says.

> >>

> >> What the Qur'an Teaches Us:

> >>

> >> We have used the most widely available English text of the Qur'an and

> >> readers are welcome to verify our quotes from the holy book. Please

have

> >an

> >> open mind and read through these verses again and again. The following

> >> quotes are taken from the most trusted Yusufali's translation of the

> >Qur'an.

> >>

> >> The Qur'an tells us: "not to make friendship with Jews and Christians"

> >> (5:51), "kill the disbelievers wherever we find them" (2:191), "murder

> >them

> >> and treat them harshly" (9:123), "fight and slay the Pagans, seize

them,

> >> beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem" (9:5). The

> >> Qur'an demands that we fight the unbelievers, and promises "If there

are

> >> twenty amongst you, you will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, you

will

> >> vanquish a thousand of them" (8:65).

> >>

> >> Allah and his messenger want us to fight the Christians and the Jews

> >"until

> >> they pay the Jizya [a penalty tax for the non-Muslims living under

Islamic

> >> rules] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" (9:29).

Allah

> >> and his messenger announce that it is acceptable to go back on our

> >promises

> >> (treaties) and obligations with Pagans and make war on them whenever we

> >find

> >> ourselves strong enough to do so (9:3). Our God tells us to "fight the

> >> unbelievers" and "He will punish them by our hands, cover them with

shame

> >> and help us (to victory) over them" (9:14).

> >>

> >> The Qur'an takes away the freedom of belief from all humanity and

> >relegates

> >> those who disbelieve in Islam to hell (5:10), calls them najis (filthy,

> >> untouchable, impure) (9:28), and orders its followers to fight the

> >> unbelievers until no other religion except Islam is left (2:193). It

says

> >> that the "non-believers will go to hell and will drink boiling water"

> >> (14:17). It asks the Muslims to "slay or crucify or cut the hands and

feet

> >> of the unbelievers, that they be expelled from the land with disgrace

and

> >> that they shall have a great punishment in world hereafter" (5:34). And

> >> tells us that "for them (the unbelievers) garments of fire shall be cut

> >and

> >> there shall be poured over their heads boiling water whereby whatever

is

> >in

> >> their bowels and skin shall be dissolved and they will be punished with

> >> hooked iron rods" (22:19-22) and that they not only will have "disgrace

in

> >> this life, but on the Day of Judgment He shall make them taste the

Penalty

> >> of burning (Fire)" (22:9). The Qur'an says that "those who invoke a god

> >> other than Allah not only should meet punishment in this world but the

> >> Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to them, and they will

> >dwell

> >> therein in ignominy" (25:68). For those who "believe not in Allah and

His

> >> Messenger, He has prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing

Fire!"

> >> (48:13). Although we are asked to be compassionate amongst each other,

we

> >> have to be "harsh with unbelievers", our Christian, Jewish and Atheist

> >> neighbours and colleagues (48:29). As for him who does not believe in

> >Islam,

> >> the Prophet announces with a "stern command": "Seize ye him, and bind

ye

> >> him, And burn ye him in the Blazing Fire. Further, make him march in a

> >> chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits! This was he that would not

> >> believe in Allah Most High. And would not encourage the feeding of the

> >> indigent! So no friend hath he here this Day. Nor hath he any food

except

> >> the corruption from the washing of wounds, Which none do eat but those

in

> >> sin." (69:30-37) The Qur'an prohibits a Muslim from befriending a

> >> non-believer even if that non-believer is the father or the brother of

> >that

> >> Muslim (9:23), (3:28). Our holy book asks us to be disobedient towards

the

> >> disbelievers and their governments and strive against the unbelievers

with

> >> great endeavour" (25:52) and be stern with them because they belong to

> >Hell

> >> (66:9). The holy Prophet prescribes fighting for us and tells us that

"it

> >is

> >> good for us even if we dislike it" (2:216). Then he advises us to

"strike

> >> off the heads of the disbelievers"; and after making a "wide slaughter

> >among

> >> them, carefully tie up the remaining captives" (47:4). Our God has

> >promised

> >> to "instil terror into the hearts of the unbelievers" and has ordered

us

> >to

> >> "smite above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them"

(8:12).

> >> He also assures us that when we kill in his name "it is not us who slay

> >them

> >> but Allah, in order that He might test the Believers by a gracious

trial

> >> from Himself" (8:17). He orders us "to strike terror into the hearts of

> >the

> >> enemies" (8:60). He has made the Jihad mandatory and warns us that

"Unless

> >> we go forth, (for Jihad) He will punish us with a grievous penalty, and

> >put

> >> others in our place" (9:39). Allah speaks to our Holy Prophet and says

"O

> >> Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be

> >> stern against them. Their abode is Hell - an evil refuge indeed"

(9:73).

> >>

> >> He promises us that in the fight for His cause whether we slay or are

> >slain

> >> we return to the garden of Paradise (9:111). In Paradise he will "wed

us

> >> with Houris (celestial virgins) pure beautiful ones" (56:54), and unite

us

> >> with large-eyed beautiful ones while we recline on our thrones set in

> >lines

> >> (56:20). There we are promised to eat and drink pleasantly for what we

did

> >> (56:19). He also promises "boys like hidden pearls" (56:24) and "youth

> >never

> >> altering in age like scattered pearls" (for those who have paedophiliac

> >> inclinations) (76:19). As you see, Allah has promised all sorts or

> >rewards,

> >> gluttony and unlimited sex to Muslim men who kill unbelievers in his

name.

> >> We will be admitted to Paradise where we shall find "goodly things,

> >> beautiful ones, pure ones confined to the pavilions that man has not

> >touched

> >> them before nor jinni" (56:67-71).

> >>

> >> In the West we enjoy freedom of belief but we are not supposed to give

> >such

> >> freedom to anyone else because it is written "If anyone desires a

religion

> >> other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of

him;

> >> and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost

(All

> >> spiritual good) (3:85). And He orders us to fight them on until there

is

> >no

> >> more tumult and faith in Allah is practiced everywhere (8:39).

> >>

> >> As for women the book of Allah says that they are inferior to men and

> >their

> >> husbands have the right to scourge them if they are found disobedient

> >> (4:34). It advises to "take a green branch and beat your wife", because

a

> >> green branch is more flexible and hurts more. (38:44). It teaches that

> >women

> >> will go to hell if they are disobedient to their husbands (66:10). It

> >> maintains that men have an advantage over the women (2:228). It not

only

> >> denies the women's equal right to their inheritance (4:11-12), it also

> >> regards them as imbeciles and decrees that their witness is not

admissible

> >> in the courts of law (2:282). This means that a woman who is raped

cannot

> >> accuse her rapist unless she can produce a male witness. Our Holy

Prophet

> >> allows us to marry up to four wives and he licensed us to sleep with

our

> >> slave maids and as many 'captive' women as we may have (4:3) even if

those

> >> women are already married. He himself did just that. This is why

anytime a

> >> Muslim army subdues another nation, they call them kafir and allow

> >> themselves to rape their women. Pakistani soldiers allegedly raped up

to

> >> 250,000 Bengali women in 1971 after they massacred 3,000,000 unarmed

> >> civilians when their religious leader decreed that Bangladeshis are

> >> un-Islamic. This is why the prison guards in Islamic regime of Iran

rape

> >the

> >> women that in their opinion are apostates prior to killing them, as

they

> >> believe a virgin will not go to Hell.

> >>

> >> Dear fellow Muslims:

> >>

> >> Is this the Islam you believe in? Is this your Most Merciful, Most

> >> Compassionate Allah whom you worship daily? Could Allah incite you to

kill

> >> other peoples? Please understand that there is no terrorist gene - but

> >there

> >> could be a terrorist mindset. That mindset finds its most fertile

ground

> >in

> >> the tenets of Islam. Denying it, and presenting Islam to the lay public

as

> >a

> >> religion of peace similar to Buddhism, is to suppress the truth. The

> >history

> >> of Islam between the 7th and 14th centuries is riddled with violence,

> >> fratricide and wars of aggression, starting right from the death of the

> >> Prophet and during the so-called 'pure' or orthodox caliphate. And

> >Muhammad

> >> himself hoisted the standard of killing, looting, massacres and

bloodshed.

> >> How can we deny the entire history? The behaviour of our Holy Prophet

as

> >> recorded in authentic Islamic sources is quite questionable from a

modern

> >> viewpoint. The Prophet was a charismatic man but he had few virtues.

> >> Imitating him in all aspects of life (following the Sunnah) is both

> >> impossible and dangerous in the 21st century. Why are we so helplessly

in

> >> denial over this simple issue?

> >>

> >> When the Prophet was in Mecca and he was still not powerful enough he

> >called

> >> for tolerance. He said "To you be your religion, and to me my religion"

> >> (109:6). This famous quote is often misused to prove that the general

> >> principle of Qur'an is tolerance. He advised his follower to speak good

to

> >> their enemies (2: 83), exhorted them to be patient (20:103) and said

that

> >> "there is no compulsion in religion" (2:256). But that all changed

> >> drastically when he came to power. Then killing and slaying unbelievers

> >with

> >> harshness and without mercy was justified in innumerable verses. The

> >verses

> >> quoted to prove Islam's tolerance ignore many other verses that bear no

> >> trace of tolerance or forgiveness. Where is tolerance in this

well-known

> >> verse "Alarzu Lillah, Walhukmu Lillah." (The Earth belongs to Allah and

> >thus

> >> only Allah's rule should prevail all over the earth.).

> >>

> >> Is it normal that a book revealed by God should have so many serious

> >> contradictions? The Prophet himself set the example of unleashing

violence

> >> by invading the Jewish settlements, breaking treaties he had signed

with

> >> them and banishing some of them after confiscating their belongings,

> >> massacring others and taking their wives and children as slaves. He

> >> inspected the youngsters and massacred all those who had pubic hair

along

> >> with the men. Those who were younger he kept as slaves. He distributed

the

> >> women captured in his raids among his soldiers keeping the prettiest

for

> >> himself (33:50). He made sexual advances on Safiyah, a Jewish girl on

the

> >> same day he captured her town Kheibar and killed her father, her

husband

> >and

> >> many of her relatives. Reyhana was another Jewish girl of Bani Quriza

whom

> >> he used as a sex slave after killing all her male relatives. In the

last

> >ten

> >> years of his life he accumulated two scores of wives, concubines and

sex

> >> slaves including the 9 year old Ayesha. These are not stories but

records

> >> from authentic Islamic history and the Hadiths. It can be argued that

this

> >> kind of behaviour was not unknown or unusual for the conquerors and

> >leaders

> >> of the mediaeval world but these are not the activities befitting of a

> >> peaceful saint and certainly not someone who claimed to be the Mercy of

> >God

> >> for all creation. There were known assassinations of adversaries during

> >the

> >> Prophet's time, which he had knowledge of and had supported. Among them

> >> there was a 120 year old man, Abu 'Afak whose only crime was to compose

a

> >> lyric satirical of the Prophet. (by Ibn Sa'd Kitab al Tabaqat al Kabir,

> >> Volume 2, page 32) Then when a poetess, a mother of 5 small children

> >'Asma'

> >> Bint Marwan wrote a poetry cursing the Arabs for letting Muhammad

> >> assassinate an old man, our Holy Prophet ordered her to be assassinated

> >too

> >> in the middle of the night while her youngest child was suckling from

her

> >> breast. (Sirat Rasul Allah (A. Guillaume's translation "The Life of

> >> Muhammad") page 675, 676).

> >>

> >> The Prophet did develop a 'Robin Hood' image that justified raiding

> >merchant

> >> caravans attacking cities and towns, killing people and looting their

> >> belongings in the name of social justice. Usama Bin Laden is also

trying

> >to

> >> create the same image. But Robin Hood didn't claim to be a prophet or a

> >> pacifist nor did he care for apologist arguments. He did not massacre

> >> innocent people indiscriminately nor did he profit by reducing free

people

> >> to slaves and then trading them.

> >>

> >> With the known and documented violent legacy of Islam, how can we

suddenly

> >> rediscover it as a religion of peace in the free world in the 21st

> >century?

> >> Isn't this the perpetuation of a lie by a few ambitious leaders in

order

> >to

> >> gain political control of the huge and ignorant Muslim population? They

> >are

> >> creating a polished version of Islam by completely ignoring history.

They

> >> are propagating the same old dogma for simple believing people in a

crisp

> >> new modern package. Their aim: to gain political power in today's

> >> high-tension world. They want to use the confrontational power of the

> >> original Islam to catalyse new conflicts and control new circles of

power.

> >>

> >> Dear conscientious Muslims, please question yourselves. Isn't this

> >> compulsive following of a man who lived 1400 years ago leading us to

doom

> >in

> >> a changing world? Do the followers of any other religion follow one man

in

> >> such an all-encompassing way? Who are we deceiving, them or ourselves?

> >Dear

> >> brothers and sisters, see how our Umma (people) has sunk into poverty

and

> >> how it lags behind the rest of the world. Isn't it because we are

> >following

> >> a religion that is outdated and impractical? In this crucial moment of

> >> history, when a great catastrophe has befallen us and a much bigger one

is

> >> lying ahead, should not we wake up from our 1400 years of slumber and

see

> >> where things have gone wrong?

> >>

> >> Hatred has filled the air and the world is bracing itself for its

> >doomsday.

> >> Should we not ask ourselves whether we have contributed, wittingly or

> >> unwittingly, to this tragedy and whether we can stop the great disaster

> >from

> >> happening?

> >>

> >> Unfortunately the answer to the first question is yes. Yes we have

> >> contributed to the rise of fundamentalism by merely claiming Islam is a

> >> religion of peace, by simply being a Muslim and by saying our shahada

> >> (testimony that Allah is the only God and Muhammad is his messenger).

By

> >our

> >> shahada we have recognized Muhammad as a true messenger of God and his

> >book

> >> as the words of God. But as you saw above those words are anything but

> >from

> >> God. They call for killing, they are prescriptions for hate and they

> >foment

> >> intolerance. And when the ignorant among us read those hate-laden

verses,

> >> they act on them and the result is the infamous September 11, human

bombs

> >in

> >> Israel, massacres in East Timor and Bangladesh, kidnappings and

killings

> >in

> >> the Philippines, slavery in the Sudan, honour killings in Pakistan and

> >> Jordan, torture in Iran, stoning and maiming in Afghanistan and Iran,

> >> violence in Algeria, terrorism in Palestine and misery and death in

every

> >> Islamic country. We are responsible because we endorse Islam and hail

it

> >as

> >> a religion of God. And we are as guilty as those who put into practice

> >what

> >> the Qur'an preaches - and ironically we are the main victims too. If we

> >are

> >> not terrorists, if we love peace, if we cried with the rest of the word

> >for

> >> what happened in New York, then why are we supporting the Qur'an that

> >> preaches killing, that advocates holy war, that calls for the murder of

> >> non-Muslims? It is not the extremists who have misunderstood Islam.

They

> >do

> >> literally what the Qur'an asks them to do. It is we who misunderstand

> >Islam.

> >> We are the ones who are confused. We are the ones who wrongly assume

that

> >> Islam is the religion of peace. Islam is not a religion of peace. In

its

> >> so-called "pure" form it can very well be interpreted as a doctrine of

> >hate.

> >> Terrorists are doing just that and we the intellectual apologists of

Islam

> >> are justifying it. We can stop this madness. Yes, we can avert the

> >disaster

> >> that is hovering over our heads. Yes, we can denounce the doctrines

that

> >> promote hate. Yes, we can embrace the rest of humanity with love. Yes,

we

> >> can become part of a united world, members of one human family, flowers

of

> >> one garden. We can dump the claim of infallibility of our Book, and the

> >> questionable legacy of our Prophet.

> >>

> >> Dear friends, there is no time to waste. Let us put an end to this lie.

> >Let

> >> us not fool ourselves. Islam is not a religion of peace, of tolerance,

of

> >> equality or of unity of humankind. Let us read the Qur'an. Let us face

the

> >> truth even if it is painful. As long as we keep this lie alive, as long

as

> >> we hide our head in the sands of Arabia we are feeding terrorism. As

long

> >as

> >> you and I keep calling Qur'an the unchangeable book of God, we cannot

> >blame

> >> those who follow the teachings therein. As long as we pay our Khums and

> >> Zakat our money goes to promote Islamic expansionism and that means

> >> terrorism, Jihad and war. Islam divides the world in two. Darul Harb

(land

> >> of war) and Darul Islam (land of Islam). Darul Harb is the land of the

> >> infidels, Muslims are required to infiltrate those lands, proselytise

and

> >> procreate until their numbers increase and then start the war and fight

> >and

> >> kill the people and impose the religion of Islam on them and convert

that

> >> land into Darul Islam. In all fairness we denounce this betrayal. This

is

> >> abuse of the trust. How can we make war in the countries that have

> >sheltered

> >> us? How can we kill those who have befriended us? Yet willingly or

> >> unwillingly we have become pawns in this Islamic Imperialism. Let us

see

> >> what great Islamic scholars have had to say in this respect.

> >>

> >> Dr. M. Khan the translator of Sahih Bukhari and the Qur'an into English

> >> wrote: "Allah revealed in Sura Bara'at (Repentance, IX) the order to

> >discard

> >> (all) obligations (covenants, etc), and commanded the Muslims to fight

> >> against all the Pagans as well as against the people of the Scriptures

> >(Jews

> >> and Christians) if they do not embrace Islam, till they pay the Jizia

(a

> >tax

> >> levied on the Jews and Christians) with willing submission and feel

> >> themselves subdued (as it is revealed in 9:29). So the Muslims were not

> >> permitted to abandon "the fighting" against them (Pagans, Jews and

> >> Christians) and to reconcile with them and to suspend hostilities

against

> >> them for an unlimited period while they are strong and have the ability

to

> >> fight against them. So at first "the fighting" was forbidden, then it

was

> >> permitted, and after that it was made obligatory" [introduction to

English

> >> translation of Sahih Bukhari, p.xxiv.]

> >>

> >> Dr. Sobhy as-Saleh, a contemporary Islamic academician quoted Imam

Suyuti

> >> the author of Itqan Fi 'Ulum al- Qur'an who wrote: "The command to

fight

> >the

> >> infidels was delayed until the Muslims become strong, but when they

were

> >> weak they were commanded to endure and be patient". [ Sobhy as_Saleh,

> >> Mabaheth Fi 'Ulum al- Qur'an, Dar al-'Ilm Lel-Malayeen, Beirut, 1983,

p.

> >> 269.]

> >>

> >> Dr. Sobhy, in a footnote, commends the opinion of a scholar named

Zarkashi

> >> who said: "Allah the most high and wise revealed to Mohammad in his

weak

> >> condition what suited the situation, because of his mercy to him and

his

> >> followers. For if He gave them the command to fight while they were

weak

> >it

> >> would have been embarrassing and most difficult, but when the most high

> >made

> >> Islam victorious He commanded him with what suited the situation, that

is

> >> asking the people of the Book to become Muslims or to pay the levied

tax,

> >> and the infidels to become Muslims or face death. These two options, to

> >> fight or to have peace return according to the strength or the weakness

of

> >> the Muslims." [ibid p. 270]

> >>

> >> Other Islamic scholars (Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi, Ga'far ar-Razi, Rabi' Ibn

> >> 'Ons, 'Abil-'Aliyah, Abd ar-Rahman Ibn Zayd Ibn 'Aslam, etc.) agree

that

> >the

> >> verse "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them" (9:5) cancelled those

> >few

> >> earlier verses that called for tolerance in the Qur'an and were

revealed

> >> when Islam was weak. Can you still say that Islam is the religion of

> >peace?

> >>

> >> We propose a solution.

> >>

> >> We know too well that it is not easy to denounce our faith because it

> >means

> >> denouncing a part of ourselves. We are a group of freethinkers and

> >humanists

> >> with Islamic roots. Discovering the truth and leaving the religion of

our

> >> fathers and forefathers was a painful experience. But after learning

what

> >> Islam stands for we had no choice but to leave it. After becoming

familiar

> >> with the Qur'an the choice became clear: It is either Islam or

humanity.

> >If

> >> Islam thrives, then humanity will die. We decided to side with

humanity.

> >> Culturally we are still Muslims but we no longer believe in Islam as

the

> >> true religion of God. We are humanists. We love humanity. We work for

the

> >> unity of humankind. We work for equality between men and women. We

strive

> >> for the secularisation of Islamic countries, for democracy and freedom

of

> >> thought, belief and expression. We decided to live no longer in

> >> self-deception but to embrace humanity, and to enter into the new

> >millennium

> >> hand in hand with people of other cultures and beliefs in amity and in

> >> peace.

> >>

> >> We denounce the violence that is eulogized in the Qur'an as holy war

> >> (Jihad). We condemn killing in the name of God. We believe in the

sanctity

> >> of human life, not in the inviolability of beliefs and religions. We

> >invite

> >> you to join us and the rest of humanity and become part of the family

of

> >> humankind - in love, camaraderie and peace.

> >>

>

>> -------

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