Islam Essay against Bigotry

Preface:

This essay was written in response to the insistence some people have Islam is somehow a religion of violence. The truth is they all are. There is plenty of blood on everyone’s hands. Maybe the Ba-Hai’s are clean, but there aren’t very many of them.

This anti-Muslim crowd likes to point to the actions of extremists and equate those actions to Islam. But the truth is extremists exist all over and practice various levels of violence. Extremists can kill and cause mayhem in the name of whatever religion they choose, and no one can stop them. But, in truth, the actions of individuals, or groups, or cells, cannot be so easily ascribed to a religion. If this were the case then why did we not call Eric Robert Rudolph, the bomber of the Atlanta Centennial, a nightclub, and a clinic, a Christian Terrorist, instead of just a terrorist? Why was his Army of God called an extremist group, not a Christian Terrorist group?

On a larger scale notice the tremendously bloody and near genocidal war of Serbs killing Muslims was not a Christian war, even though Serbs are most definitely Christians. This conflict featured mass slaughter, mass rape, and deliberate ethnic cleansing. Had this war been reversed, with Bosnian Muslims slaughtering Serbian Christians, I feel quite sure it would have been labeled a Muslim war here in the West.

So, to those who point to terrorists and castigate an entire religion, or race, I say get a grip. There are bad apples in every bunch and it is plain bigotry to condemn an entire race or religion for the actions of a few.

The anti-Muslim gang also likes to decry history. Cicero said those who refuse to learn history remain children always. Were I to bring up the Christian slaughter of Muslim men, women, children, and babies, known as the Crusades, I would be scorned as bringing up ancient history. This is a common fault we American’s share. Because of our short history as a nation of peoples, we tend to consider events of just 500 years back as “Ancient history” But other peoples do not. It isn’t just so much ancient history to them. Those people can trace their lineages in those lands back 1000 years and their lives today are heavily affected by conditions then. This is hard for us to understand, but look around. Bush used the word “Crusade” in an early speech. The White House scrambled to retract it. That particular Bush misstep was a harbinger of many more to come.

This essay uses history, facts, holy books, people, places, and events to enlighten the reader about Islam. I use some comparisons that are highly unflattering of Christianity, but are true none the less. True, and far more illuminating than pointing at terrorists and screaming Muslim!







Part One

Attacking Islam is as easy as attacking any of the monotheistic religions. They all have blood on their hands. Who would argue Christians have not been some of the worst? The Crusaders slaughtering women and babies? The Inquisitions? Murder, torture of unimaginable depravity, subjugation, mass slaughter, all in the name of their merciful God and his Risen Son. The exploration of the New World brought death, disease, and enslavement everywhere it went, along with plundering and forced conversion to what religion? You guessed it, Christianity. But I don’t write this to attack Christianity, Christianity does that job just fine without my help.

I am here to say Islam is a religion of peace because it is. I have mainly studied Sunni and Ottoman history and feel it is relevant to discussion of modern Islam, of the sort that so threatens Ron’s peace of mind, as it covers about 80% of all Muslims, controlled the Middle East, much of SE Europe from the Atlantic to the Caspian Sea, and North Africa.

Ron says Muslims are dangerous. What a thing to say, like saying white people are dangerous.

My favorite place to start is with the story of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II The Just (1481-1512) who, in 1492, while Christians were setting about exporting death, disease, and subjugation to the New World, Bayezid performed one of the most incredibly generous acts of inter-religious kindness the world has ever seen. Bayezid was a deeply religious Muslim caliph who, at great personal expense and with nothing to gain, sent his entire navy to the coast of Spain to rescue as many Jews from the Catholic Inquisitions as he possibly could carry, and bring them to the Ottoman Empire. Now who here is not reminded of the Christian Republicans in the United States of America who, during WW2, fought tooth and nail to keep “Those Jews” out of America? How many more Jews were slaughtered from their deplorable actions? Who was more humane? The Muslim Sultan of 500 years ago, or the Christian Americans of 50 years ago?

But, of course that won’t be enough for Ron, he will insist muslims (lower case because he likes to insult them) are dangerous anyway. I wonder if he thinks Christians are dangerous?

Ron will break out his miniscule stuff about Dar al Islam and Dar al Harb as if this proves anything. All it proves is a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The fact is for the 80% of Muslim Sunnis, the division has always been “People of the Book’ and People not of the Book”. That is the most important difference there is. People of the Book refers to the bible. Muslims believe they are of the third book, that of the last and greatest of all the prophets. They believe Christians are of the second book, and Jews of the first book. Islam is far closer to Christianity than is Judaism and, in fact, in Islam, Jesus returns on the last day.

In fact, as Moses is probably the second most important figure in Christianity, it is sort of a toss up between Abraham (who through his oldest son Ishmael Muslims claim descent just as Jews claim descent from Abraham’s second son Isaac), Moses, and Jesus who is second most important in Islam.

In fact one of the goals of Mohammed when creating Islam was to bridge the gaps between Judaism and Christianity, which is why Islam is closer to both than either are to each other.

Also, in fact, under Islam practiced by the Ottomans if you were a person of The Book you were okay with them. The big restriction was you could not convert a Muslim to another religion under penalty of death for both persons. For Jews, it was always against the rules to seek converts. Compare that to the Christians who forced you to convert under penalty of death.

On the religious tolerance of Islam much can be said and I will condense it to history and practice.

Bayezid the Just’s father Mehmet II, known as the Conqueror, established the Millet System. What this did was provide a system of autonomy comprised of independent courts and other authority to govern people of differing ethnicities. This system gave the non-Muslims a system of governance and justice to rule themselves while living in Islamic Ottoman land. The result of this was large minorities of Jews and Christians living in Islamic lands peacefully and prosperously for centuries. But compare this example to Jews or Muslims living in Christian rule where they faced prejudice, fear, persecution, and even murder.

Now for modern Christo-Islamic-Judeo relations.
Saddam Hussein was indeed a villain but in his secular Iraq, Christians lived their lives in safety. Secular Iraq, as rotten as Saddam was, practiced the Quran teaching of religious tolerance. Sunnis, Shiites, Jews, Maronites, Christians, all occupied the land and did not kill each other. Yes, Shiite Muslims were the second class citizens. Baathist Sunnis ran everything to their own benefit but notice it was not until after the US invasion and after L. Paul Bremer made the colossal mistake if disbanding the entire Iraqi government, police, and Army, that the Shrine of Al-Askari in Samarra was blown up by Sunni extremists and chaos has ruined life there ever since. Religious tolerance existed in Iraq until the USA thought it knew how best to run a Muslim land.


I hope Ron and the other readers will remember something about Christianity. It is only Christianity that teaches all non-believers will spend eternity in Hell. Muslims not only believe other People of the Book will go to Heaven, but in Islam, no one goes to Hell for eternity. In Islam, Hell is more like a harsh Purgatory and after serving your sentence you are promoted out.

Why is this important? This is important; if you actually believe that people who are different from you are so evil as to deserve eternity in Hell, of course you will treat them as less equal in this life as Christians, more so than any other religion, have historically done. However, if you believe that while others may not be as enlightened as you, but are worthy none the less and are not doomed to Hell anyway, then you will treat them fairly and with tolerance as Muslims have done for centuries.

Someone may point out Mehmet was called the Conqueror for a reason. The truth is that after conquering Constantinople, Mehmet desired just to stop and enjoy ruling his kingdom. Unfortunately, religious bigotry between different sects of Christianity towards each other forced Mehmet, at the begging of many persecuted Christians to expand his kingdom in to S.E. Europe. One of the foes he then faced was Vlad the Impaler.

Part Two
The Quran on peace

25:63
The worshippers of the All-Merciful are they who tread lightly upon the Earth, and when the ignorant address them, they reply; “Peace!”

28:55
And when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say “To us our deeds, and to you yours; peace be to you: we do not seek out the ignorant.
(The meaning being each group, Muslim and non-Muslim, may practice as they please, even when faced by taunting from the non-Muslims.

5:69
Surely they that believe, and those of Jewry, and the Christians, and those Sabeaans, whoso believes in God and the Last Day, and works righteousness-their wages waits them with their Lord, and no fear shall be on them, neither shall they sorrow.
(This basically says all People of the Book-if they have faith and good works-will have no fear in the afterlife. In other words, no one is condemned just for not being Muslim.)

Part Three

Muslim condemnations of Osama Bin Laden from Sunni religious leaders (OBL is Sunni)

Ayatollah Muhammad Husain Fadlallah of Lebanon
The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Shaikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi

Almost all Shiite Grand Ayatollahs have condemned Osama. They represent about
120,000,000 Muslims.








Part Four
Suggested reading:

Inventing Iraq; the failure of nation-building and a history denied
William L. Cleveland

The Modern Middle East: a history
James Gelvin

The Far Enemy; Why Jihad Went Global
Fawaz Gerges

A History of the Arab People
Albert Hourani


I know Ron will fire back with quotes from nutcases calling for killing Jews, burning America, Etc. Just remember these people are the minority who cause so much trouble. They are not true believers, they don’t understand their own history. They are no better and no different from white Skinheads, American NAZIS, the KKK, or any other hate group.

Yes, America has enemies, but it is not the Muslims. Yes, America should protect itself. My case all along has been America, under Bush, has done one heckuva lousy job of it. America has turned Iraq into a live fire training camp for fanatics and has paid a huge price in Iraq with little to show for it. For all the lives and fortune wasted in Iraq, al Qaeda could have been hunted down to the last man. Dignity means everything in the Arab culture. Capturing or killing Osama and his men would have impressed many Arabs. Instead, Bush has enraged millions by bringing slaughter and suffering to an oppressed land. Bush has created for more hatred, and the fanatics that come along with it, then he has created security.

So now I will close with this thought. To those of you who accused me of having no facts, I hope you think different now. To those who consider Islam evil, compare it now to your own, and see how better things could be if you did not fear that which you do not understand. ~Lawrence

A White House The Diehards Can Be Real Proud Of

What do we have today?
Besides explosions and deaths in the fortified supposedly impregnable Green Zone where personnel are now wearing body armor if they want to live.

Besides potentially thousands of White House emails suddenly disappearing that concerned the political heavyweights like Karl Rove calling the shots in our nation’s Department of Injustice. Emails not ran through the actual government email system where they become matters of public record as they are supposed to, but, instead, ran through the RNC servers where they can mysteriously disappear rather than be used as evidence of Bush Gang crimes.

Besides three generals all turning down appointment to become the War Czar for the Bush Gang. One of whom, General John J. “Jack” Sheehan USMC (ret) quoted as saying
“The very fundamental issue is, they don’t know where the hell they’re going”.

Besides figures showing the highest rate of West Point graduates quitting military service once their service requirements are filled since 1977. Remember 1977? A very poor time to serve in the military, still reeling from Vietnam, and disgraced by a CIC forced to resign from Office due to his shredding of the US Constitution. I remember the military then very well, I was in it.

Besides yet another report proving BushWar has spawned terrorism. “Treating Iraq as part of the war on terror…..created a combat training zone for jihadists”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6542567.stm

Besides all the above, and the myriad of other disgraces of the Bush Gang has mired itself in, this is a White House only the most diehard of diehards can be proud of. Lawrence

Makes My Blood Boil

My temper and self restraint are sorely tested again. On the day our smirking pile of crap president spews sound bites denouncing Democratic legislation forcing troop withdrawl from Iraq as "Dangerous" five more US soldiers are killed, four or five more British soldiers are killed, and yet another helicopter is shot down meaning even more US service people dead.

The bodies of our dead soldiers are stacking like cordwood. Dead for the lost cause of a NeoCon dream of avarice and pushed by a president and political party with no regard for their lives and dedicated only to political power and the reaping of war profits.

Democrats are holding back for no good reasons. Take the gloves off, our dead soldiers deserve no less. They must denounce this so-called president and his gang of cutthroats. Denounce them daily as murderers and thieves. As liars and fools. As incompetent and corrupt.

America has suffered for too great a loss of lives and treasure. Stop these dastardly men and women now. Strip them of power and then begin the process of healing the national and international wounds they have caused.

The Media Wants A GOP Presidency and why

I become more convinced every day there exists an unofficial movement and de-facto agreement among the highest power brokers on the MSM and corporate America to do everything possible to ensure the presidency remains in GOP control.

The other day, Rudy Giuliani described how, as a "wartime president" he would have the power to jail any US citizen he wished, with no review of any kind. He hoped to do so
"only infrequently". He also commented how neither Bush not himself as president would be bound to the budget constraints of the US Congress to fund the war. No sir, the Congress voted the authorization, and that is all a president needs.

Giuliani rips the Constitution to shreds in broad daylight and not a murmur in the MSM.

Bodily armored McCain struts through a market place surrounded by more security than
al-Maliki and pronounces peace and progress in Bush's new Baghdad. The Press prints his words verbatim. He is filmed near Shia shopkeepers, some of whom are later kidnapped, have holes drilled into their bodies with acid poured in, and are then executed for having consorted with the good Senator.

Where is the coverage of that?

Mortar shells are falling in the fortified Green Zone and personnel are required to now wear body armor even in that only "Safe zone" of Baghdad, but McCain is reported as pleased and impressed by the progress of the Bush Surge. The obvious incongruities go unconnected by the Press.

The body count of US personnel has grown to 3,257 and yet the Press is surely yielding to Repug pressures to highlight the "Good news and progress on the ground" in Iraq.

The Iraqi Parliament remains sharply divided and is basically powerless. President al-Maliki
has near zero authority in Iraq but does disagree regularly with the Bush Gang on just about anything. One Iraqi political or religious leader after another has denounced the US occupation and demanded removal of US forces. But the White House urges the US to be patient in this "War on terror" and deplores those who dare question his incredibly deadly and inept war management.

Senate Majority Leader Reid announces his intention to introduce legislation to stop war finding immediately should Bush veto the supplemental bill. The next morning on NBC Matt Lauer quotes Reid and then the very next sentence from his lips asks "But will this backfire on the Democrats?".

And despite one public opinion poll after another proving Americans are fed up with this war, the Press insists on feeding the Repug talking point that an anti-war position may "Backfire" on any Democrat if national recognition with the backbone to fight Bush and his war fiasco.

Add it all up, the evidence is as astounding as it is conclusive. There are power brokers in positions to shape public opinion determined to protect the GOP.

There are many reasons why. First it would seem logical many of these unnamed persons are themselves lifetime Republicans and are loyal to their Party over fair treatment and coverage on reporting news and information. Second, the GOP spends money in ways no Democrat would ever dream of and that money primarily lands squarely in to the hands of the very wealthiest and most powerful Americans and American institutions such as the military-industrial complex.

Face it. Republican presidents support their wealthy constituencies while Democratic presidents tell you to turn down the thermostat, put on a sweater, drive a more efficient vehicle, and implement budgets of belt tightening and fiscal soundness. Republicans burn through money like wildfire and vow to never raise taxes.

Being this phenomenon is beginning to early in the Primary Cycle, it fills me with doubt that any Democratic candidate can overcome this tidal wave of Press bias through the 2008 General Election.