Muslim world is more peaceful than media would have us believe

The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 8/25/2003 | Gwynne Dyer

[joyful1]

"But for the moment Samuel Huntington's nightmare vision of a coming "clash of civilizations" is still a long way off,"

...I disagree

[tictoc]

So what explicit instructions does the Koran command for chopping off the heads of the infidels?

"Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them." (Sura 8:12)

In the interest of fairness, some Muslims do not take this injunction as a command for present-day action because (a) Allah was speaking to angels, not men, or (b) this passage refers to a historical event (battle of Badr).

[JoeSixPack1]

Dyer's MO of late seems to revisit as a new, revelation of old debunked news, repackaged for controversy, void of reality, and spiced with elitism.

I guess if nothing else, it pays his bills and lines a lot of bird cages.

[tictoc]

Also Sura 47:4

So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates.

Again, the ordinary Muslim does not read this and then goes out of the house, scimitar in hand, to smite unbelievers.

What the clerics preach is another matter. As we all know the Quran also contains peaceful passages, yet the orthodox Islamic interpretation is that many of them have been abrogated by more violent ones written when Islam had become more powerful.

[tkathy]

All Muslims are enablers of murder and mayham at the very least. Many Germans before WWII were living peaceful normal lives. This is missing the point.

[JudgemAll]

Oh sure. Apostasy comes with death penalty. Women there cannot vote nor speak for themselves.

Nah, the mid East is so peaceful and unthreatening, especialy for scoundrels.

[Publius6961]

Weakness is strength!

Yeah.
That's the ticket.

Who are you going to believe? Me or your own lying eyes?

[Publius6961]

Sure, 90% of Muslims are good and decent people, but about 10% of them identify with

It's more like 20% minimum.
Now figure out what that comes to out of 1 billion claimed...

[angcat]

I don't even think the media makes then look as bad as they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I find out more info freeping.

[RLK]

"Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them." (Sura 8:12) In the interest of fairness, some Muslims do not take this injunction as a command for present-day action because (a) Allah was speaking to angels, not men, or (b) this passage refers to a historical event (battle of Badr).

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You seem to go out of your way to explan away the seriousness and intent of these proclamations. Why are you an apologist for this crap?

[Utah Girl]

Well said Cherry, well said. I also want to ask all of the people who so unblinkingly support Islam, what about tolerance and diversity??? Most, if not all, Islam nations persecute and put Christians to death for practicing their religion. That seems to be OK with them. Feminists will sue here in the US at the drop of a hat for the slightest reason if they feel they are being discriminated against, yet turn a blind eye to the practice of killing women and girls who have been raped because they have besmirched the honor of their family.

[Utah Girl]

I did catch that. Do you think dear old Gwynne has an agenda against/about religion in general???

[bluefish]

This place functioned for several years without barf alerts until a bunch of newbies came in and thought they were humorous.

Yeah, when I started, it seemed FR was about taking a critical look at a news story, ripping it up if wrought with crap, etc. It was a fun exercise. Now, everybody expects to simply read articles that are preaching to the choir, or to simply read jokes.

[Ima Lurker]

Hey, that sounds dangerously close to profiling! I'm afraid you are not sounding very PC. :)

[freedomson]

Not all muslims are terrorists.

But, all terrorists are muslim.

[Salman]

If the 120,000,000 are "Crazed Blood Thirsty Maniacs" then they're pretty unmotivated Crazed Blood Thirsty Maniacs

10% wasn't my figure, I was just questioning the math.

[ArrogantBustard]

metalboy wrote:

Because white people are just stump ass stupid

thereby revealing far more about about himself than "white" people, or Christians.

"metalboy's" credibility = ZERO.

[tictoc]

You're welcome. It was no trouble at all for me to look up the Koran passages for you.

Why are you an apologist for this crap?

Hahaha.

I said that some Muslims do not take these passages literally as a present-day injunction. That does not make me an "apologist" for Islam anymore than people like Bernard Lewis and Daniel Pipes are "apologists".

[WaterDragon]

LOL! Gwynnie is zapped!

[WaterDragon]

Obviously, Gwynne either thinks Muslims are extremely poor adherents to their religion, neither knowing nor caring what their Koran says, OR Gwynne himself has never read the Koran! Probably both.