The fundamental tenets of Islam state that Jews are to be treated as friends.
Really? Are you using the 'Good News' paraphrased interpretation of the Koran or the in the news what you see is what is really taught version, aided by scholarly interpretation of real meanings?
You are wasting our time trying to read meaning into a Jew's rationalization for the ease with which he throws away his core values in defense of Israel.
Tom
Tom, it appears your dislike of Ed Koch overrides your ability to see the point I was making regarding the very real threat of radical Islam. The following comes from a site referenced below and is written by Muslim's no longer practicing or subscribing to its 'tenets', given up in favor of Christianity. They have some interesting things to say regarding your '...Jews are to be treated as friends.' comment. With friends like these who needs enemies? The actual references and actual historical actions taken by Muhammad and his follower’s are quite black and white if you bother to read them. Only a smattering excerpted below from one of innumerable sources and books. Not quite the religion of peace too many practicing PC advocates chant all too often. And no prejudice intended, just reading the smoke signals from the various fires around the globe.
My comment holds and is anything but a waste of time. Koch understands the very real and historically ongoing threat that fundamental flowers of Muhammad ascribe to and simply dares to take his stand. Regardless of whether you view him as moral or not he has a very valid view.
No time to be diffident. That is the only reason I'll support efforts in the ME to oppose radical Islam. To hell with parties, show me folks who understand original intention behind the Declaration of Independence. Those boys put their lives where their mouths were and knew the risks and rewards. I tip my hat to them to this day.
Very few among us understand the depth of the troubles facing us and the historical foundation upon which they rest. Meanwhile we are told not to worry about our port safety with the new management deals with the UAE. These folks recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan and Iran’s zealot leadership as allies but hey, we are in good hands now because secret meeting’s by our trusted official’s say it is so. Want to buy a deed to a bridge from Ed’s old town?
Remember Pogo?
‘I quote truth where ever I find it.’
Can’t please all the people all the time I guess.
muhammadanism.org
What does the future hold for Islam in Western countries? One thing I am certain of; it holds terrorism. I've studied Islamic viewpoints on the Western world, especially America. The majority of Muslims today view America as the last great wall that stops Islam. In their mind, America must be destroyed or brought down, by any means necessary. This is what motivated Sheik Rahman to blow up the New York towers. This is what motivates Muslims throughout America to speak of a day when America will fall to Islam's power. Make no mistake about it, Muslims have murdered Americans in America, and will continue to do so. It is not a question of "if", it is a question of "when."
To your friendship comments...
Muhammad taught his followers to oppress or kill non-Muslims. Generally, Jews and Christians were allowed to live as such, provided they paid a special tax. This tax is Jizya, a tax revenue given to the Muslims to make up for revenues they lost from no longer dealing in pagan activities. If the Jews and Christians refused to pay this extortion tax they would have to convert to Islam or be killed. Non-Jews and non-Christians, such as idolaters or pagans, had to convert to Islam or be killed. Generally they didn't have the option of paying the tax. Here is the verse that teaches Muslims to oppress Jews and Christians:
"Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, (which is Islam that abolishes all other religions ) of the people of the Book, (meaning the Jews and the Christians ) until they pay the Jizya (the tax imposed upon them) with willing submission and feel themselves subdued . (with humiliation and submission to the government of Islam.) 9:29."
(Commentary in parenthesis is from the Tafsir Al-Jalalein. i.e., Al-Jalalein’s Interpretation of the Koran.)
The order to subjugate or kill Christians and Jews is in that verse. It is clear that Muhammad ordered his followers to fight those Christians and Jews to convert them or pay the Jizya, and if they didn't convert or pay, do you think that he told the followers to let them go in peace? It is very clear: convert, pay with submission, or die. The background for this is found in "The Life of Muhammad", op cit, page 620,
The judgment over the Banu Quraiza was given by famous Jew hating soldier of Islam named, Sa`d bin. Mu`adh who was seriously wounded in that war and was dying. This Jew hating fellow gave his judgement: “Then I give the judgment that the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children be taken captives.
Compassionate Prophet Muhammad answers in endorsement of this: “You have given the judgement of Allah above the seven heavens...”.
Readers should not compare these killings (of 900 unarmed men) with any other killings in the war. I mean nobody should consider this as a war casualty.
These Jews of Banu Qurayza were not killed at the war. Thousands of people could be killed in the battle by theirs direct involvement. But in this case, those prisoners were unarmed and surrendered unconditionally.
These surrendered Jews were brought to the market of Medina by tying their hands and were unarmed.
They were then slaughtered in cold blood with a vested purpose and interest. Prophet of “Peace” could have easily let them go away (exiled) from that land. As a holy prophet (?) he could sanction clemency to let them leave Arabia for some other destination. But he did not consider this an alternative. Therefore, how can we judge his character? Would you label this man as “Shanti’r Protik” (Epitome of Peace), which is what we are led to believe by not only half-educated Mullahs in Islamic world but by Islamic Intellectuals who are now living in obscure part of America and those who are busily offering Khutba in the Jumma prayer in various Mosques in urban area of America.
Over a billion people in the world follow the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad. His followers accept the validity of the prophethood of Muhammad and sincerely believe that his teachings are a divine message from Allah (God) by the instrumentality of the angel Gabriel. They believe that the message is embodied in the Holy Qur'an, and this Qur'an is the living word of Allah for all of humanity.
According to traditional Muslim sources, Huwayyisa was converted to Muhammad's religion by the religious fervor with which his brother, Muhayyisa, beheaded a prominent Jew named, Yahudha. It seems that Huwayyisa was impressed that Muhayyisa enjoyed beheading Yahudha who had actually benefited him in times past. Furthermore, Huwayyisa was struck with the fact that that Muhayyisa would have beheaded him, if Muhammad had requested him to do it. Muhammad pacified the Aus by letting them behead some of the Jews too. The following is a quotation of the account as given in "The Life of Muhammad" by Ibn Ishaq on page 752.
Abu 'Ubayda told me on the authority of Abu 'Amr, the Medinan, when the apostle got the better of the B. Qurayza he seized about four hundred men from the Jews who had been allies of Aus against Khazraj, and ordered that they should be beheaded.
Accordingly Khazraj began to cut off their heads with great satisfaction.
The apostle saw that the faces of Khazraj showed their pleasure, but there was no such indication on the part of Aus, and he suspected that that was because of the alliance that had existed between them and the B. Qurayza. When there were only twelve of them left he gave them over to Aus, assigning one Jew to every two of Aus, saying, 'Let so-and-so strike him and so-and-so finish him off.' One of those who was so handed over to them was Ka'b b. Yahudha, who was an important man among them. He gave him to Muhayyisa and Abu Burda b. Niyar (it was Abu Burda to whom the apostle had given permission to sacrifice a young goat on the feast of Adha). He said, 'Let Muhayyisa strike him and Abu Burda finish him off.' So Muhayyisa fetched him a blow, which did not cut in properly, and Abu Burda dispatched him and gave him the finishing stroke. Huwayyisa, who was still an unbeliever, said to his brother, Muhayyisa, 'Did you kill Ka'b b. Yahudha?', and when he said he did, he said, 'By God, much of the flesh on your belly comes from his wealth; you are a miserable fellow, Muhayyisa.' He replied, 'If the one who ordered me to kill him had ordered me to kill you, I would have done so.' He was amazed at this remark and went away astounded. They say that he used to wake up in the night astonished at his brother's words, until in the morning he said, 'By God, this is indeed a religion.' Then he came to the prophet and accepted Islam. Muhayyisa then spoke the lines which we have written above.
Several Muslims have written about the reasons they are allowed to wage war. From "The Qur’anic Concept of War", by Pakistani Brigadier S.K. Malik, it says, [in the preface]
"But in Islam war is waged to establish supremacy of the Lord only when every other argument has failed to convince those who reject His Will and work against the every purpose of the creation of mankind." "Many Western Scholars have pointed their accusing fingers at some of the above verses in the Qur'an to be able to contend that world of Islam is in a state of perpetual struggle against the non-Muslims. As to them it is a sufficient answer to make... that the defiance of God's authority by one who is His slaves exposes that slave to the risk of being held guilty of treason and as such a one, in the perspective of Islamic law, is indeed to be treated as a sort of that cancerous growth on that organism of humanity.... It thus becomes necessary to remove the cancerous malformation even if it be by surgical means, in order to save the rest of humanity."
The Muslim writer states that those who reject Islam are viewed as a cancerous growth to be violently removed, i.e., murdered. And, note that the Muslim writer basically agrees with the "Western Scholars" who say that Islam is indeed "in a state of perpetual war", with non-Muslims. In viewing what has happened in Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria, Sudan, etc. it appears the reverse is true, viz., Islam is actually the cancerous growth that has caused so much death and terror in the world.
Most Muslims are not terrorists. Many of them reject the actions of their Muslim brethren around the world. Unfortunately, since Islam teaches world domination, these moderate Muslims rarely raise their voices in protest. If Israelis bomb a Hezbollah camp in Lebanon, Muslims in Western countries will organize vocal demonstrations. Israel has never killed as many Muslims as Saddam Hussein has, but Muslims generally turn a blind eye to violent acts when it is Muslim on Muslim violence. But getting Muslims to condemn the terrorist actions of their brethren, say of those in Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Afghanistan, or Iraq is like pulling teeth. While the Muslims world wide continually condemn Israel, few Muslims have ever raised their voices in protest over Saddam Hussein's genocidal war upon the Kurds. Why has Bin Laden failed to help the Kurds? Instead, reports on Bin Laden have shown that he has worked together with Saddam Hussein. Furthermore, why did the Muslim nations of Iran and Iraq oppose Western military action to stop the genocide of Muslim Kosovars?
Muslims condemn Western sanctions of Iraq. But, they forget that Western nations were their saviors when Iraq conquered Kuwait and made threats toward Saudi Arabia. These Muslim countries appealed to non-Muslim nations to free Muslim Kuwait from Muslim conquest and to halt Iraq’s military advance upon the land of Mecca and Medina. If Western countries were so evil, why did Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the land of Muhammad, have to appeal to the West to protect them from their own Muslim brethren? Why did non-Muslims have to stop the fighting between Muslim brethren and to protect the land of Mecca from Saddam Hussein, a Muslim despot? Was not Allah able to protect them? Even though all these events are historical facts, Muslims freely criticize Western involvement in the Middle East.
Once again I say, most Muslims in America are not terrorists. Many of them are good people. But the seeds of terrorism are planted deep within the theology and psyche of Islam. This theology, when free to grow and blossom, will show itself in the actions of Muslims who are faithful to the example of Muhammad. And as was demonstrated in "Not Without My Daughter", who knows when a peaceful, liberal or moderate Muslim will turn to fundamentalism and embrace the violence of Islam?
Often there is a strange transformation in the viewpoint of some Muslims who seek to immigrate to a Western nation. At first, these Muslims complain to immigration officials about their native country and its lack of opportunities, human rights, religious liberties, and intellectual freedom. However, once they settle in a Western nation and enjoy its liberties, some turn against their host nation and begin to praise the virtue’s of an Islamic state. They seem to have forgotten their pleadings with immigration officials to accept their application. They would be upright, and certainly more honest, if they would strive for human and religious rights for the non-Muslim minorities who suffer under Islamic rule. And, if they truly believed that Islam is the answer, why didn't they seek asylum in Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, or Pakistan? |
