Recent Comments
Re: “Haslam Refuses to Rebuke Womick for Anti-Muslim Talk”
(in its snipped version) reads: "slay them wherever you catch them" (Qur'an 2:191). But who is this referring to? Who are "they" that this verse discusses? The preceding and following verses give the correct context:
"Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loves not transgressors. And slay them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter... But if they cease, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful... If they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression" (2:190-193).
It is clear from the context that these verses are discussing a defensive war, when a Muslim community is attacked without reason, oppressed and prevented from practicing their faith. In these circumstances, permission is given to fight back -- but even then Muslims are instructed not to transgress limits, and to cease fighting as soon as the attacker gives up. Even in these circumstances, Muslim are only to fight directly against those who are attacking them, not innocent bystanders or non-combatants.
The verses regarding the fighting and killing came during a time of war. A war that was persued by the pagans of the area at that time in history. The pagans oppressed the Muslims, forced them out of their homes, etc etc. After years of oppression were endured by the followers of the fledgling new religion of Islam, a verse was revealed that gave permission to the Muslims to finally fight back.
All of you who bash Islam and honestly think you know anything about Islam, you know nothing at all. It is sad really, how little you know and yet purport to be some sort of expert because you read a couple of verses. Sad, the lack of respect towards knowledge.
Re: “Haslam Refuses to Rebuke Womick for Anti-Muslim Talk”
Mark,
Are we moving away then from the teachings of the Qu'ran to the actions of those who are Muslims?
There are current Christian terror groups, use the googles.
Are we on the the one hand to blame the religion, its teachings etc. for the actions of its followers, and then when presented with theological evidence that the your conclusion is false, then on the other hand blame the religion for the actions of those who claim to be Muslims?
If you take only anecdotal evidence, like what you see on the news, what is fed to you by the Islamaphobes etc, you will always come to the same conclustion. However, if you recognize that the evidence is in fact ancedotal, and is creating for you a generalization, then perhaps you will strive to seek the truth thru those who actually study, those who do extensive scientific research, extensive scientific polling etc. And frankly, if you just open your mind to the fact that there are 1.5 Billion Muslims, that is 1 million million Muslims, that this extremely small set of data you get from Fox news, Rush limbaugh etc, is...meaningless.
If you want to get into a fight about which religion has killed more, which religion has done this and that...well...we'll be here all month.
Why don't you look this up: Which Muslim army went to Indonesia? The largest populated Muslim country in the world?
Why don't you look up how Muslims conquests differed from Christian conquests.
I would have to argue, based on my limited knowledge, that if my conclusion is correct that Muslims are commanded to only wage defensive war, that conquests, or offensive based wars are not in line with the Qu'ranic teachings.