Understanding Islam And Its Radicals

ConservativeTruth.org ^ | November 11, 2001 | Ana Barrett

[Luis Gonzalez]

I was completely numb as I watched the videos of the attack on September 11. As the attack was investigated and we learned that the perpetrators were Islamic terrorists, I could not shake the thought that something in their religion made these attacks seem legitimate in their eyes.

So I started, very cautiously, to look into what Islam stands for and what it considers important. I did not want to jump to conclusions. I wanted to know the truth. As a Christian and a serious student of the Bible, I am familiar with the bloody passages of the Old Testament. For this reason I proceeded with caution in my research. My goal was to discover the truth about Islam. My research did include some limited reading of the Qur'an (known in the West as the Koran), but it mainly consisted of reading and listening to people who were very knowledgeable of the religion.

First of all, in order to understand Muslims we need to know what they think of Allah, and we need to look at their worldview. We need to understand moderate Muslims, but we also need an understanding of the radical point of view.

Dr. Samuel Schlorff, an expert on Islam with Arab World Ministries, has written an excellent paper on the religion. He makes a scholarly comparison between Christianity and Islam. Much of the information used in this article regarding the history of Islam was drawn from this paper.

Here are some key points of Islamic theology:

1. Allah is Absolutely Transcendent
Allah is unlike anything that exists. This means that Allah is completely mysterious. Muslims believe that they can know the truth about him, but they can't have any knowledge of him as a person. He is a distant god who lets only his will be known.

2. Divine Guidance
Muslims believe the Qur'an offers guidance for living life and it is usually referred to as "a guidance and mercy for believers." (Sura 27:77) Their law (the Shari'ah) consists of the Qur'an as well as other materials.

3. Islam is from Heaven
The Qur'an describes its revelation as a "sending down" of material from a heavenly being. Because it came in the Arabic language, it is referred to as a heavenly language. From this idea stems the thought that an Islamic community is of heavenly origin. Dr. Nabil Jabur was interviewed recently on Moody radio. He is the author of the book The Rumbling Volcano, which deals with radical Islam. He states that the Qur'an is comprised of recitations given by Muhammad, which Muslims believe came from Allah for specific situations. Thus, when Muhammad was experiencing a tranquil period in his life, the tolerant recitations came forth. When he was having problems with three Jewish tribes, the militant recitations came forth. The Qur'an teaches both peace and war.
Some verses dealing with tolerance are:
Sura 2:5-6 - There is no compulsion in religion.
Sura 5:82 - The nearest in affection to the believer are those who say we are Christian.
Dr. Jabur stated. "When only one side of the Qur'an is presented alone, that is not the truth."

4. A Community in Submission
The Islamic view of the world is that man is inherently good. If man is depraved by society, then any government can create a perfect society by enforcing Islamic law. Muhammad was the head of state of Medina, which Muslims believe was a perfect society. This form of Islamic government is considered by Muslims to be an example of living in true submission to divine law. This degree of submission is greater than any that exists outside of Islam. For Muslims such a community represents the kingdom of Allah on earth. They believe the future of Islam is to dominate the whole House of War (which is how they refer to the entire non-Muslim world) until it is controlled by an Islamic state. The ultimate goal is that the entire world be under Islamic law.

What does the word Islam mean? We have been told, that Islam is related to the Arabic word meaning "peace." This is partially accurate, except that the word means a specific kind of peace. A more accurate translation is "surrender" or "submission." It describes the calm that exists when a vanquished soldier lays down his arms in submission. Dr. Schlorff states, "The truth is that there is another side to Islam, a side that embraces violence 'in the way of Allah.'"

Sura 2:216 - Fighting is prescribed for you.
Sura 2:190-192 - Fight in the cause of god, those who fight you enslave them. Fight them until there is no more persecution and oppression and there prevails justice and faith in god.
Sura 9:5 - Fight and enslave infidels.

During his interview Dr. Jabur was asked what the typical Muslim would think of Osama bin Laden. Would they approve or disapprove of what he is doing? He stated that it would be possible for religious Muslims to have either opinion. Some are embarrassed by what bin Laden is doing. Others think that grievances which have existed for years have come to a head in a justified violent retaliation.

Dr. Jabur tried to illuminate the meaning of a phrase which is used by Muslims and which has not been explained to us. Jihad does not mean holy war. Jihad means "striving for god." It comes in three degrees: 1) Striving against sin in one's own life; 2) The act of motivating others to do good; and 3) Using violent means to stop a wrong act is justifiable if necessary. This third degree is the one with which we are most familiar.

After Muhammad died in Medina he was succeeded by four caliphs who ruled in his place. (A caliph is "one who comes after.") The leadership of Muhammad's Islamic society was divided. Sunnis accept that all four were legitimate. Shi'ites believe that only one, Ali, was the rightful successor. The result has been a division within the Muslim world pertaining to Islamic law and spiritual authority. That is why we do not have a single Muslim leader to whom the world can appeal to stand up and lead the Muslims of the world away from bin Laden.

Shortly after the Attack, Chuck Colson brought up some very interesting points on his radio show, Breakpoint. He stated that due to the lack of widely recognized Islamic leadership, bin Laden is attempting to unify the radical Muslims living in moderate Muslim states. He would like nothing more than to have them overthrow those states so that he can unify them and install himself as the leader of one large radical Islamic nation, and wage war against the West. As evidence of this, he pointed out that bin Laden has not shown much interest in the Palestinians in the past. Now he is speaking out in their behalf in order to gain their support.

Of course most Muslims do not support such violence as terrorism. However watching a Muslim country being bombed day after day might change the minds of even the most moderate and cause them to support bin Laden. Perhaps that is the plan: Goad Muslims into hating the West so much that anything goes. The Qur'an supports both violence and peace. They may think that they can use violence now and then have peace on their own terms later

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Ye are the best of peoples evolved for mankind." (Koran 3:110)

And your point?

Or did you expect the Quor'an to say something derogatory about the very people it addresses?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be to be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet and genitals cut off, or to be expelled out of the land. Such will be their humiliation in the world, and in the next world they will face an awful horror." (Koran, 5:33-34)"

Ever read the Old Testament?

Notice that once again, it talks about what to do if attacked by an outsider.

BTW, unlike the Bible, the Quor'an is a loosely knit set of anecdotes about the life and thoughts of Mohammed. Some of these thoughts came while Muslims were at war.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Not to make friendship with Jews and Christians" (Koran 5:51)

"[5.82] Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly."

Here's a flash for you, Jews and Muslims do not get along, haven't for centuries.

Surprised?

Now, you see the obvious inconsistency in that chapter. I guess one would have to actually read the whole chapter to figure out how these two verses could possibly fit together.

In Ari Fleisher's daily briefing this morning, a reporter asked whether the war was going on longer than anticipated, Ari responded that President Bush had repeatedly stated that this would be a long, and hard campaign. Then the reporter read a quote by Cheney that seemed to indicate that the VP thought that it would have been over quickly.

Ari's answer was to ask the reporter if he knew what Cheney had said immediately before and after the quote in question, the reporter did not. Then Ari read the quote in context, and it was nearly the exact opposite of what the reporter had intended to interpret it as saying.

[Sabertooth]

No I haven’t…but in order to dodge my argument,

Mohammed, and the History of Islam, moot the rest of your argument. That's why they're my focus, and that's why you're not addressing them.

It's quite unfortunate, really, because in turning away, you've wandered into one heresy, ecumenism, to defend another, Islam.

Why should I care about what Mohammed may have done? Does Islam today promote pedophilia? No, they don’t…so, what’s your point then? As a matter of fact, why do you even care?

You're right, Islamic pedophilia is a non-issue. Forget about the boy playthings availble to Islamic martyrs in their afterlife.

The Quor’an is the Quor’an, it can be interpreted differently by every single person who reads it, as can The Bible.

If you don’t believe that, check out the threads where Catholics and Protestants go at it, or get a true Roman Catholic to talk to you about the Rapture, or get an Advent Christian to discuss predestination, or...I could go on.

No doubt.

When Catholics and Protestants go at it, we can measure their behavior against that of Jesus, and His teachings, to see who is the most true to Him.

When Islamic sects go at it, we can measure their bloody behavior to see who is most true to Mohammed.

Unless of course, we refuse to open our eyes.

There is no “Jihad” going on Toothy

Tell it to the flourishing Christian populations of the Middle East, which have been decimated and driven out in the last 50 years. Tell it to the martyrs in the Sudan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and elsewhere.

Tell it to the dead and terrorized Jews in Israel.

Nothing to see here, nothing at all, and certainly no jihad.

Your insistence on degrading Islam as a religion, and Mohammed can only serve to unite those hundreds of millions of fence sitters out there behind bin Laden’s false Jihad, and convince them that the West does indeed hate Muslims, and wishes to destroy Islam.

You do good work Toothy, unfortunately, you do it for Usama bin Laden.

From the Book of Matthew, chapter 7...

7:15

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

7:16

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

7:17

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

7:18

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

7:19

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

7:20

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Islam is a wicked religion, with a wicked founder and wicked results. It doesn't play into the hands of bin Laden to be honest, it's the key to defeating him and the others like him who will follow faithfully in the footsteps of the murderous Mohammed.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"[8.12] When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.
[8.13] This is because they acted adversely to Allah and His Apostle; and whoever acts adversely to Allah and His Apostle-- then surely Allah is severe in requiting (evil).
[8.14] This-- taste it, and (know) that for the unbelievers is the chastisement of fire."

Those who do not believe will be cast into fire...not very original I guess.

I wonder if that would be a whole different Hell than Christians and those who do not believe in Jesus Christ end up in?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"It's quite unfortunate, really, because in turning away, you've wandered into one heresy, ecumenism, to defend another, Islam."

Why? Because YOU say do?

I am being judged by an expert in aquariums?

[Luis Gonzalez]

Here's a clue...Mohammed is a false prophet, but that's THEIR problem, not mine.

[Luis Gonzalez]

BTW, lacking the intellect to continue the debate, I see that you are already launching into personal attacks.

Shows a definite lack of intelligence, and points to the reason why Sabertooth tigers are extinct.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I'm going to go watch a good movie...you boys have a nice Crusade.

Let me know when you are attacking Indonesia.

If Islam is the enemy, then that's your primary target.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Make that "aquarium salesman".

[Sabertooth]

Here's a clue...Mohammed is a false prophet, but that's THEIR problem, not mine.

Now we're getting somewhere. The false prophet begat a false religion.

The means by which that false religion, Islam, is transmitted, and the results in any nation where it becomes dominant, are indeed problems.

BTW, lacking the intellect to continue the debate, I see that you are already launching into personal attacks.

Shows a definite lack of intelligence, and points to the reason why Sabertooth tigers are extinct.

Well, now I've been taken to the woodshed when you opened up that big can of whoop-irony.

[Luis Gonzalez]

A "false religion"?

Convince the 1 billion adherents of that notion.

Let's check the differences between the stances we all seem to hold on this subject, and I think it will clear up the picture once and for all.

1.Me:---Wants to find the person/s who attacked us on 9/11 and completely destroy him, and anyone who helped him.

2.Saber: Wants to escalate this into a clash of civilizations, a Holy Crusade, and is parsing the Quor'an to make the case.

3.AAABEST: Wants to escalate this into a clash of civilizations, a Holy Crusade, and is parsing the Quor'an to make the case.

4.Usama: Wants to escalate this into a clash of civilizations, a Holy Crusade, and is parsing the Quor'an to make the case.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Check out post #232.

It's a new game I invented.

I call it "Spot The Radical Fundamentalist Religious Extremist".

[Sabertooth]

2.Saber: Wants to escalate this into a clash of civilizations, a Holy Crusade, and is parsing the Quor'an to make the case.

Anyway, I keep forgetting you have a three hour head start on me. I'm sipping some Glenmorangie. You?

[nunya bidness]

What have you got against aquariums?

Granted no fish I've ever handled made it past the frying pan.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"I'm sipping some Glenmorangie."

Projecting Toothy?

I don't drink, at least not while sitting by myself in the middle of the night while typing away at a computer like you do. That's indicative of a problem.

Put the bottle down and things will become clearer when not viewed through a single malt haze.

[Luis Gonzalez]

You were hung up on you because you were boring, and had ranted on about something other than the topic of the show for nearly twenty minutes. You should have been hung up on after about five minutes as the audience wanted, but I held the show’s producer back because I felt a certain amount of pity for you, and let you drone on.

As for the rest of the usual dribble on your post, I see that you are another one who resorts to lies and character assassination once you find yourself in a debate that's beyond your intellectual capacity.

[SauronOfMordor]

The two main sides here seem to be the people who think that Osama and the terrorists are abberations having nothing to do with Islam per-se, versus the people who think that Islam is itself the root cause of Osama's acts

I'm in the latter group. To me, Osama is a mosquito and Islam is the swamp that will breed an endless supply of people like him. Swatting mosquitos is fine, but eventually you have to drain the swamp.

[Luis Gonzalez]

That's about as good an analogy as we are going to get out of this, and to acertain degree I agree with you. But I would qualify your statement with the idea that it will be far easier to control the mosquitos, than to drain the swamp.

Hopefully, the sorts of changes that are about to happen in Iran, herald the overdue move of Islam out of its past, and towards the present, and we will not have to involve the world into a massive religious conflict.