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| The Religion of Peace? |
Imam Azam Akram of Chicago's Al-Sadiq Mosque wants to educate those who believe that his religion teaches anything but peace, brotherhood and tranquility.
At a recent forum (Dispelling Myths about Islam) that was held at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn Il., he said this: We condemn any act of violence and any act of terrorism. And I as an Imam condemn these recent attacks in Paris and in Beirut and in Nigeria and all over the world that are supposedly done in the name of name of Islam that are absolutely wrong.
Dr. Kaleem Malik of Burr Ridge Il., who's affiliated with Ahmadiyya, an Islamic sect that follows the teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), said this at the forum: It would be wonderful for the West to rise and say, 'We've read a little about Islam, and your teachings don't say that.'
Unfortunately for Dr. Malik, Islam does "say that," meaning that his religion implores its followers to go out and conquer the world by the sword. Certainly, you can find scriptures in the Quran that encourage Muslims to spread Islam peacefully. But those scriptures are usually found in the early Medinan scriptures. When Muhammad later moved to Mecca, he recorded his famous war verses that have been used by jihadists for centuries to foment terror all over the world.
Imam Akram and Dr. Malik are certainly familiar with those 164 war verses that are contained in the Meccan verses of the Quran. And they probably don't teach them to their followers. Like millions of Muslims worldwide, they likely encourage their followers to live peacefully with members of other faiths.
But it's irrelevant whether they believe in peace or not because their holy book encourages Muslims to commit violence against those who resist their founding prophet. And that's something that Imam Akram and Dr. Malik can't deny.
For example: Therefore let those fight in the way of Allah, who sell this world's life for the hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of Allah, then be he slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward. (Sura 4:74)
Here's another war verse: Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Satan. Fight therefore against the friends of the Satan. (Sura 4:76)
And another: Fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah. (Sura 8:39) And still another: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. (Sura 9:29)
Finally, there's this one: Fight and slay the unbelievers wherever you find them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war. But if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them. (Sura 9:5)
We could go on and on. Islam isn't a religion of peace. Nor has it ever been. It's a violent religion that's littered the world with millions of corpses since its inception in the 7th century A.D. To claim otherwise, or to attribute its violent theology to a small group of radicals who follow a perverted form of that religion is the worst kind of dishonesty.
There will never be peace as long as Islam exists. And Islam can't be reformed as Christianity was about 500 years ago. Christianity became corrupt when the church--specifically the Catholic Church--strayed far from the Bible to follow the teachings and traditions of men. The Protestant Reformation, launched by Martin Luther in the 16th century, helped bring the church back to the Bible as God's sole authority for the church.
Though leftists love to find moral equivalence in Islamic terrorism and Christianity concerning the historic atrocities committed by the church (Crusades, Inquisitions etc.), those atrocities were committed in opposition to what Jesus Christ taught. That's what necessitated the Reformation.
When Christ sent His followers in to the world to preach the Gospel, he told them this: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Christ never commanded them to use violence as a means to spread the Gospel. In fact, He warned: "For all who live by the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:52)
In order for Islam to be reformed, several verses would have to be erased from the Quran. Muslims would consider that sacrilege of the worst sort. Muslims--and sadly, even many professing Christians--believe that the Quran was revealed directly to Muhammad by God. Therefore, the Quran cannot be changed and Islam cannot be reformed.
Thus, as long as Islam exists, there will never be peace. The sooner the world wakes up from its politically correct coma and realizes that, the better. It may be true that only hardcore fundamentalists commit jihad in the name of their religion.
However, as long as Islam exists, hardcore fundamentalists will continue to exist and commit violence wherever they exist. That's reality.
For example: Therefore let those fight in the way of Allah, who sell this world's life for the hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of Allah, then be he slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward. (Sura 4:74)
Here's another war verse: Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Satan. Fight therefore against the friends of the Satan. (Sura 4:76)
And another: Fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah. (Sura 8:39) And still another: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. (Sura 9:29)
Finally, there's this one: Fight and slay the unbelievers wherever you find them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war. But if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them. (Sura 9:5)
We could go on and on. Islam isn't a religion of peace. Nor has it ever been. It's a violent religion that's littered the world with millions of corpses since its inception in the 7th century A.D. To claim otherwise, or to attribute its violent theology to a small group of radicals who follow a perverted form of that religion is the worst kind of dishonesty.
There will never be peace as long as Islam exists. And Islam can't be reformed as Christianity was about 500 years ago. Christianity became corrupt when the church--specifically the Catholic Church--strayed far from the Bible to follow the teachings and traditions of men. The Protestant Reformation, launched by Martin Luther in the 16th century, helped bring the church back to the Bible as God's sole authority for the church.
Though leftists love to find moral equivalence in Islamic terrorism and Christianity concerning the historic atrocities committed by the church (Crusades, Inquisitions etc.), those atrocities were committed in opposition to what Jesus Christ taught. That's what necessitated the Reformation.
When Christ sent His followers in to the world to preach the Gospel, he told them this: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Christ never commanded them to use violence as a means to spread the Gospel. In fact, He warned: "For all who live by the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:52)
In order for Islam to be reformed, several verses would have to be erased from the Quran. Muslims would consider that sacrilege of the worst sort. Muslims--and sadly, even many professing Christians--believe that the Quran was revealed directly to Muhammad by God. Therefore, the Quran cannot be changed and Islam cannot be reformed.
Thus, as long as Islam exists, there will never be peace. The sooner the world wakes up from its politically correct coma and realizes that, the better. It may be true that only hardcore fundamentalists commit jihad in the name of their religion.
However, as long as Islam exists, hardcore fundamentalists will continue to exist and commit violence wherever they exist. That's reality.
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