16 November 2014 A.D. Islam and Propaganda
Islam and Propaganda
From WikiIslam, the online resource on Islam
In the course of propagating Islam, many Islamic
da‘wah (preaching) websites, blogs and forums resort to
distorting facts, and even out-right lies. This page contains summaries of
articles discussing and refuting Islamic propaganda.
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Contents
Adherents of Islam
Lying is Not Permitted to Further the Cause of Islam
Main Articles: Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars: Lying and Deception and Taqiyya
Taqiyya does not mean
"lying" in Islam. It only refers to a specific doctrine, a
predominantly Shi'ite one, used by them in order to save their own lives or
avoid some other form of severe persecution. Critics of Islam are often
ridiculed because they tend to conflate this doctrine with that of lying in
general, leading to the mislabelling of all forms of religious lying as an
example of "taqiyya". However, taqiyya forms only a single aspect of
lying within Islam, not the entirety of the subject itself. Lying to
non-Muslims, for reasons other than the fear of persecution, is supported by
Islamic texts. This page simply quotes those relevant passages. All quotations
are taken from authoritative Sunni (i.e. orthodox Islamic) sources, none are
taken from Shi'ite sources.
Imam Abu Hammid Ghazali says: "Speaking is a
means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both
telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish through lying because
there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying
but not by telling the truth, it
is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible (N:i.e. when the purpose of lying is
to circumvent someone who is preventing one from doing something permissible), and obligatory to lie if the goal
is obligatory... it is religiously precautionary in all cases to employ
words that give a misleading impression..."
Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic
Sacred Law
Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, Edited and Translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller (p. 745, r8.2)
Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, Edited and Translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller (p. 745, r8.2)
Muslim Extremists are Only a Tiny Minority
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·
2011 Pew finds all 7 Muslim-majority nations polled have
a negative opinion of Jews (2-9%).
·
Same survey finds all 6 largely Christian nations polled
have a favorable opinion of Jews (59-84%).
·
Muslims have lower opinions of Christians than Westerners
have of Muslims. (read more)
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Main Articles: Muslim Statistics and Majority of Muslims Peaceful Moderates?
Many individuals claim that
extremists within Islam are only a tiny minority, a fringe group among Muslims
who have a loud voice, "they do not represent mainstream Islam".
However, countless studies and polls have been conducted in recent times which
suggest such claims are inaccurate.
Although in some cases the
extremists may be a minority, that minority is rarely tiny (e.g. a 2008 survey
conducted by the Gallup polling agency found that almost 4 out of 10 Muslims
worldwide think 9/11 was totally, partially or somewhat justified). In other
cases, the extremists form a solid majority (e.g. a December 2010 Pew poll
found that 76 percent of Pakistanis agree apostates are to be killed. This
would mean the number of extremists in Pakistan alone form about 8 percent of
the world's entire 1.5 billion Muslim population).
Islam is the Fastest Growing Religion
Main Article: Fastest Growing
Religion
Many have claimed that Islam
is the fastest growing religion in the world. As proof, they usually present us
with unverifiable claims and baseless media quotes. Apparently ABC News had
claimed "Already more than a billion-people strong, Islam is the world's
fastest-growing religion", a quote which cannot be traced to its source.
Also CNN World News stated "Fast-growing Islam winning converts in Western
world", a statement which they fail to back up with any evidence. However,
if we examine the actual data available for Islam, it reveals that Islam is
neither the fastest growing religion by number of adherents or the fastest
growing religion by percentage-increase.
The growing number of Muslims
in the world is due primarily to the higher than average birth-rates, and
consequent population growths of Muslim countries and communities. And their
growing presence in non-Muslim societies such as Europe and the Americas is
overwhelmingly due to immigration. Furthermore, converts to Islam are vastly
outnumbered by those who choose to leave the religion and embrace another faith
or worldview. And the majority of converts that Islam does manage to attract, decide
to leave within the first few years of practicing it.
People Converting to Islam
Main Article: People Who Left
Islam
Apologists often advertise
news of non-Muslims converting to Islam, but they neglect to inform you of the
other side, where Muslims are also leaving Islam. There are more Muslims
leaving Islam today than there are new converts joining it. According to
research carried out by the respected Pakistani-born American Muslim Dr. Ilyas
Ba-Yunus (1932 - 2007),[1] 75% of new Muslim converts in the US leave Islam
within a few years.[2] The sheer volume of recent apostates is
unprecedented in the history of Islam, and unlike other faiths, people who
apostatize from Islam risk their lives in doing so. Here at WikiIslam, we
document this news and host hundreds of written testimonies.
Muslims are the Most Charitable People-Group
Main Article: Zakat (Tax)
Islamic terms are often not
completely analogous to the commonly-accepted/non-Islamic concepts they are
mostly associated with. In Islamic terms, zakat is both a tax and a charity,
and no problem is seen with discussing it as both, along with actual voluntary
Islamic charity (i.e. the sadaqah). But by its commonly-accepted definition, it
is strictly a tax.
When considering compulsory
taxation in most non-Islamic nations, it is charged on certain goods and is
taken by the state from individual yearly earnings and then in part distributed
to those within the state who are unemployed, or other public services, such as
the state's military services. In essence, this tax functions exactly as zakat
does, however those who pay taxes do not consider it charity, nor are they
viewed as charitable. They are simply paying what they have to pay in order to
live in the society they live in.
Thus a proper understanding of
zakat makes it, in all but name, a tax, not a form of charity. And although
there no longer remains a global caliphate to enforce this tax on every Muslim,
it does not change what it is, for what purpose it was created, or how it
should be viewed, inside and outside of Islam.
Celebrities and Notable Figures
Famous Conversions
Main Article: Fake Conversions
Apologists sometimes claim
various famous persons have converted to Islam. These stories are tenacious.
Even after these conversion stories have been shown to be untrue, they continue
to circulate the internet and are retold in newspapers and televisions shows
throughout the Islamic world. They do this in order to gain converts from more
developed nations, and to also boost morale among the ummah (the collective
body of Muslim believers), "proving" that Islam is the
"truth," and that even rich celebrities can see this. A recent case
being the alleged conversion of pop legend Michael Jackson. Something that was
born from a dubious tabloid article, it refuses to die even after all those
(Muslims) who were supposedly present at his conversion have categorically denied
any knowledge of the incident.
Scholars, Priests and Missionaries Becoming Muslims
Main Article: Notable Former
Muslims
When a notable Hindu or a
Christian priest (like Yusuf Estes) decides to convert, Muslims often view this
as something that further validates their beliefs. However, once again, they
fail to inform you of the other side. Whilst apostatizing from the Islamic
faith is a dangerous thing to do, many outspoken Muslim preachers, mullahs,
imams, scholars, missionaries and even terrorists have apostatized and become
atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus etc. In doing so, many have taken it
upon themselves to oppose the Islamic ideology and have become celebrities in
their own right.
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"At
its most extreme, authoritarianism is exemplified by the isms of the 20th
Century — Communism, Fascism and Nazism ... But today a new challenge —
another ism — confronts us, and that is the challenge of Islamic
fundamentalism. Extremist Islam has declared war on the rest of the world, as
evidenced by their ruthless attacks across the globe — overwhelmingly
targeted at innocent civilians. Beside the outrage of 9/11, the bombings in Madrid,
in Bali, in London and, most recently, in Jordan come to mind." - Winston
S. Churchill
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What They Say About Islam
Main Article: Quotations
on Islam from Notable Non-Muslims
Many apologists like to commit
the logical fallacy of appealing to authority by using (very often
out-of-context or false) quotes attributed to various noteworthy non-Muslim
individuals, in an attempt to propagate their faith. For example, one site asks
"Whom do you wish to believe concerning the character of the Prophet
Mohammed?",[3] before listing several quotes and blatantly lying[4] about the nature of Michael H. Hart's 1978 list of
"most influential persons in history".
Another favorite of theirs is
the alleged quote by Thomas Carlyle where he claims, "The lies (Western
slander) which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammad) are
disgraceful to ourselves only". But what they fail to bring to your
attention are quotes, once again by Thomas Carlyle, where he states the Qur'an
is "the confused ferment of a great rude human soul", and that
Muhammad was an "uncultured semi-barbarous Son of Nature," a
"wretched Simulacrum, a hungry Impostor without eyes or heart", and
"much of the Bedouin still clinging to him".[5]
Muhammad Ranked as the Greatest Man that Ever Lived
Main Article: Muhammad and History's 100 Most Influential People
In 1978, Jewish American
astrophysicist Michael H. Hart (born April 28, 1932) released a book titled
"The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History". This
book, which has sold over 500,000 copies to date, has been somewhat
controversial, not least due to its placing of Prophet Muhammad, the founder of
Islam, over Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity.
This has led to the list being
used for the purpose of propaganda. Its choice of Muhammad as the most
influential person in history has been, and still is being, celebrated on
numerous Islamic websites and blogs, used in various videos on user-contributed
media sites, and has been cited during the course of countless forum
discussions.
When faced with criticism of
Muhammad's actions, apologists will often resort to protesting and gloating in
equal measures, "How could the greatest man that ever lived be guilty of
all those evil
things attributed to him? Muhammad (pbuh) is ranked above Jesus (pbuh) and Buddha!
He is surely the Messenger of Allah!"
Hopefully any apologist that
reads this article will ponder the following; what exactly do they (as
followers of Islam) consider so great about a Jewish-American racist
“Islamophobe's” opinion that an individual who he refers to as a “conqueror”
ranked alongside Adolf Hitler is temporarily the most influential (not
'greatest') person in human history?
Miracles and Prophecies
Islamic Miracles
Main Article: Islam and Miracles
Apologists throughout the
world point to alleged miracles that they claim prove Islam is from Allah. This
page lists and analyzes all of their claims. These include Qur'anic miracles;
information found in the Qur'an that could not have been known to people at the
time it was revealed, and numerical patterns. Pareidolia; which is a type of
illusion or mis-perception involving a vague or obscure stimulus being
perceived as something clear and distinct. And finally; out-right hoaxes meant
to mislead people into believing in Islam.
Islamic Prophecies
Main Article: Islamic Prophecies
There are many websites and
resources cropping up claiming that the Qur'an contains many prophecies that
have been fulfilled due to the advancement of knowledge of our universe and
advances in modern life. However all of the claims examined so far show that,
using hindsight, some Muslims are taking one verse, or a partial verse; or even
a loose translation of the Qur'an out of context in order to twist the words to
find prophetic statements within. This is to say that they may take some of our
current knowledge, ie. airplane technology, and then search for a Qur'an verse
or a partial verse, and twist it to make it 'fit'. Many of these claims of
prophecy are incorrect; dis-proven in fact by their own experts on the Qur'an
or the verses themselves, when read in context. This article refutes all these
false claims of fulfilled Qur'anic prophecy.
Muhammad in Other Scriptures
Main Article: Muhammad in
Other Scriptures
Apologists often mention that
Muhammad was predicted in other religious scriptures, but what they fail to
convey accurately is the nature of many of these references.
In the Bhavishya Purana, one
of the eighteen major Hindu Puranas, Muhammad is depicted as a reincarnated
demon, Islam as a demonic religion, and its followers as "the corrupters
of religion".
In the Haran Gawaitha, a
Mandaean text which tells the history of the Mandaeans and their arrival in
Iraq as Nasoreans from Jerusalem, Muhammad is referred to as "the
Son-of-Slaughter, the Arab", "the most degraded of false
prophets", "the Seal of prophets of the Lie", who
"converted people to himself by the sword".
And in the Kālachakra Tantra,
a ninth century Tibetan Buddhist text, Muhammad is referred to as a demonic
incarnation and a "false impostor". Muslims are described as invading
"barbarians", bringing with them the barbarian religion
("mleccha-dharma"), a religion of violence ("himsa-dharma")
that also advocates savage behavior ("raudra-karman").
Science and the Golden Age
Islamic Science in Wikipedia Articles
Main Article: Islam,
Science and the Problems at Wikipedia
At Wikipedia, Islam-related
articles are often compromised by pro-Islamic editors. An example of this is a
2010 incident where an editor with over 67,000 edits was caught intentionally
inserting false information into articles.
Jagged 85 is the main
contributor to the many inaccurate Islam/Science/Golden Age articles which are
still being copied and pasted all over the internet by Muslims, and more than
20% of Wikipedia's "Timeline of historic inventions" was provided by
him.
With contributions to over
8,100 separate articles, it is unlikely that all of Jagged 85's edits will ever
be fixed. And even if they were, these Wikipedia articles have already been
reproduced all over the net by other sites which use Wikipedia as a source.
Muslims 'Saved' the Work of Greek Philosophers from Destruction
Main Article: Arab
Transmission of the Classics
The Arab transmission of the classics is a common and persistent myth that Arabic
commentators such as Avicenna and Averroes 'saved' the work of Aristotle and
other Greek philosophers from destruction. According to the myth, these works
would otherwise have perished in the long European dark age between fifth and
the tenth centuries. Thus the versions of Aristotle used in the West were
translations from the Arabic, which came from the South West of Europe in the
reconquest of Spain from the Muslims during the twelve and thirteenth centuries[6]. This is incorrect. It was
actually the Byzantines in the East who saved the ancient learning of the
Greeks in the original language, and the first Latin texts to be used were
translation from the Greek, in the 12th century, rather than, in most cases,
the Arabic, which were only used in default of these.
It is nevertheless true, and
no myth, that the work of the Arabic commentators, particularly Averroes, had a
profound influence on the scholastic philosophers of the Latin West in the
thirteenth century. Aristotle's Greek is terse and very difficult to
understand. The work of the Arabic commentators helped in explaining and
clarifying Aristotle's dense and apparently obscure thought. Thus Western
intellectual tradition owes a great debt to the Arabic scholars in terms of understanding Aristotle's thought. In terms of the texts, however, these would have survived had the Arabic commentators never
existed.
Dr K. Ajram's "Setting the Record Straight"
This is a refutation of Dr K.
Ajram's “Setting the Record Straight: The Miracle of Islamic Science.” The
purpose of this analysis is to put the achievements of Golden Age Muslim
scientists in the proper perspective; neither denigrating their achievements
nor inflating them.
All scientific and
technological progress is accomplished in progression; Muslim achievements are
but links in the chain. Few of the great Muslim scientific achievements stood
alone, but were derived by Muslim scientists standing on the shoulders of those
who came before them.
This analysis also highlights
the biggest flaw of the Islamic Golden Age. There were few ‘follow-up’
breakthroughs on the backs of the works of the great Muslim scientists. In
effect, the Ummah allowed or encouraged these works to wither on the vine or
die stillborn, even before the rise of mysticism at the expense of rational
thinking, an event often attributed to al-Ghazzali around the turn of the 12th century.
Therefore, Islam is not the
cause of scientific progress during the Golden Age. Many people would say that
the Golden Age scientific progress was made in spite of Islam, not because of
it.
A prime example is the great
philosopher-physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna) who's work is constantly referenced
by Dr K. Ajram. It is true that Avicenna was one of the most influential
medieval philosophers, but he was also one of the most frequently attacked by
Muslims. Today, the majority of Muslims would consider Ibn Sina, and many of
the other great 'Islamic' scientists, as heretical apostates for their beliefs.
Paul Vallely's "How Islamic Inventors Changed the World"
Main Article: How
Islamic Inventors Did Not Change The World
These past few years have seen
many inventions claimed and attributed to Islamic inventors, which in fact
either existed in pre-Islamic eras, were invented by other cultures, or both.
However, this detail has not halted Muslim and non-Muslim apologists from
perpetuating these false claims. Such claims have even been forced upon the
general public in a nationwide tour which opened with an exhibition at the
Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the University of Manchester,
England.
To celebrate this series of
events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written
by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This inaccurate piece of
writing has received much praise from Muslims and is still being widely
circulated on Islamic websites, forums and blogs. This article lists and
examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventions that changed the world”, and
in doing so, it reveals their actual inventors and the true role of
Islam/Muslims, if any, behind the inventions.
In short, we find that Paul
Vallely's article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes
blunders concerning the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a
false impression. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated
him into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism? This exhibition claimed
to have shown 1001 Islamic inventions. If the best twenty are proven false,
what of the other 981?
Genuine Islamic Inventions, Innovations, Records and Firsts
Many articles (for example,
"How Islamic Inventors Changed The World" and "Setting the
Record Straight: The Miracle of Islamic Science") have made provably false
claims, attributing various inventions, innovations and discoveries made by
others to Islam and its followers. This article lists only genuine
Islamic/Muslim inventions, innovations, records and firsts. Examples include:
- The yellow badge that was to be eventually used by the Nazis against the Jews, was invented by a Muslim caliph in Baghdad in the 9th century as a variant of the zunnār belt. This then spread to the western world in medieval times.[7]
- According to Dr. K. Ajram, the author of "Miracle of Islamic Science", Muslim scholars invented racial-typing centuries before the German Johann Friedrich Blumenbach "divided mankind into white, yellow, brown, black and red peoples".[8]
Scientists find Miracles in the Qur'an
Main Articles: Dr.
Keith Moore and the "Islamic Additions" and List of Genuine Islamic Inventions, Innovations,
Records and Firsts
Bucailleism is the belief that
"the Qur'an prophesied the Big Bang theory, space travel and other
contemporary scientific breakthroughs," and that "there are more than
1200 verses (Ayat) which can be interpreted in the light of modern
science." It has been called "a fast-growing branch of Islamic
fundamentalism."
Named after the French surgeon
Maurice Bucaille, its proponents believe that "one of the main convincing
evidences" that lead many to convert to Islam "is the large number of
scientific facts in the Quran."
The doctrine is "widely
taught" in Islamic secondary schools, promoted on at least one popular
weekly television program in the Arab world and is advanced by "a
well-funded campaign" led by the Commission on Scientific Signs in the
Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia and founded by Sheikh Abdul Majeed
Zindani, a leading militant Islamist and "Specially Designated Global
Terrorist".
Lies and Misconceptions
Misinterpreted Verses
Main Article: Misinterpreted
Qur'anic Verses
Many apologists use
mis-interpreted and/or misleading paraphrased Qur'anic verses to propagate
Islam. Below is one example.
“If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he
slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved
the life of the whole people.”[11]
Qur'an
On that account: We
ordained for the Children of Israel that
if anyone slew a person - unless it be in retaliation for murder or for
spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew all mankind: and if
anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all humanity.
These pages discuss a few of
the more popular ones, and provides you with their correct meanings.
Mistranslated Verses
Main Article: Mistranslated
Qur'anic Verses
In Al-Hijr (15:9) Allah
declared that the Qur'an is his revelation and he promised to preserve it and
protect it from corruption. In An-Nahl (16:103), Al-Dokhan (44:58) and Al-Qamar
(54:22, 32, 40), it is emphasized that the Qur'an was revealed in straight
forward, easy to understand, and pure Arabic. It would seem, this promise of
preservation does not extend to translations, as most prominent and officially
recognized interpreters like Yusuf Ali, Dr. Rashad Khalifa and Muhammad Asad
have not honored the integrity of translation and were involved in deception in
interpreting the Qur'an. The reasons were not due to the difficulty of the
verses themselves or the so-called "complexity" of the Arabic
language, but due to the embarrassment to tell the truth to non-Arabic readers,
especially those who already believe in the validity of Islam.
These pages discuss a few of
the more popular ones in detail, and provides you with the correct
translations.
Weak and Fabricated Hadith
Main Article: List of
Fabricated Hadith
A hadith can either be Maudu
(fabricated), Da`if (weak), Hasan (good), or Sahih (authentic). Generally in
Islam, only the authentic (sahih) and good (hasan) hadiths are used in deriving
the rules. The weak (da`if) hadiths have no value for the purpose of
formulating shari'ah, and the fabricated (Maudu) narrations are not even
considered to be hadith at all. However, some apologists have started to reject
sahih (authentic) hadith, in favor of maudu (fabricated) or da`if (weak) ones.
Some of these hadith are obvious fabrications which do not have any scriptural
sources.
A prime example of this is
Muhammad's "Farewell Sermon". The lines, "an Arab has no
superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab;
also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over
white" is often quoted in an attempt to deny racism exists within Islam. However this is a fraudulent
sermon. S.F.H. Faizi, an Indian, later Pakistani, Islamist (the author of the
1991 book which mentions this sermon) gets us as close to a source as he could
when he describes in the introduction how he translated and published a
collection of obscure writings into English. In summation, Faizi “derived” this
version of the sermon from various unnamed books not accepted by the ulema
(scholarly Muslim clerics). He does not know the original sources, but welcomes
readers to help in his search.
References which are often
cited as sources for this fraudulent sermon, once checked, are either
misrepresented (i.e. they have nothing to say on the sermon)[12] or in fact refer to the sermon that most fits
al-Tabari's rendition;[13] a sermon in which Muhammad compares women to domestic
animals and orders husbands to beat heir wives.
Islam means 'Peace' and Allah means 'God'
Main Articles: The Meaning of
Islam, Allahu Akbar, and Arabic Terms
Many people have wrongly
attempted to equate the word Islam with 'peace' by showing that Islam, meaning 'submission', shares a root word with Salaam, meaning 'peace'. But if such relationships between the meanings of Arabic
words can be created then that would imply that there is a relationship between
one of the derivations of the infinitive Salama, meaning the stinging of the snake or tanning the leather, and Salam, meaning peace; a relationship which obviously does not exist.
Similarly, many apologists
claim the word Allah is simply the Arabic translation of the word 'God'. This is not true. 'God'
in Arabic is translated 'ilah,' not 'Allah.' Allah is not the generic word for
'God' in Arabic, but the name of Islam's deity. Language is always evolving, so
the actual definition of a word and its popular usage can, and very often does,
differ. For example, 'gay' still means 'happy' but through its use in western
pop-culture, it can also mean 'homosexual'. This is also the case for the word
"Allah" in predominantly Muslim cultures and societies. It is used
interchangeably with 'God', as most people are Muslims; to them Allah is God,
thus to make a distinction would be redundant.
Islamophobia: Hate Crimes Against Muslims
Main Articles: Fake
Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes and Muslim
Statistics (Crime and Prejudice)
According to FBI hate-crime
statistics, hate crimes directed against Muslims "remain relatively
rare" in the United states,[14]with gays, lesbians and
Caucasians more frequently a target than the followers of Islam. Jewish victims
of hate crimes also outnumber Muslim victims by a ratio of almost 9 to 1, and
anti-Muslim incidents only account for a tiny 1.3% of all hate crimes. Even
anti-Christian (Catholic/Protestant) incidents outnumber those perpetrated
against Muslims in America. Some of the cases listed in this article also put
into doubt the truth behind all 105 reported incidents.
Additionally, a July 2011 Pew
Global Attitudes survey found that a "greater percentage of Western
publics now see relations between themselves and Muslims as generally
good" whilst, "as in the past, Muslims express more unfavorable
opinions about Christians than Americans or Europeans express about
Muslims."[15] Such findings lead many to ask, who are the ones
suffering from a "phobia"? This is a very important question. On an
international scale, it is the Christians who are the world's most persecuted
religious group, and this persecution is mainly from Muslims.[16] Likewise, there are 7 countries in the world where
the state can execute you for being atheist. Every single one is officially
Islamic.[17][18]
Misconceptions and Myths about Jihad
Main Articles: Misconceptions
about Jihad and Lesser vs
Greater Jihad
There has been much confusion
spread in regards to the nature of Jihad in Islam. This article looks at and
corrects the most common misconceptions spread by Muslims. Answering questions
such as; is jihad only defensive? Is the best jihad the inner struggle? Can you
rape and kill non-combatants, women, and children? And, are suicide bombings
allowed?
The 'Inspired by Muhammad' Ad Campaign
Main Article: Inspired by
Muhammad
Inspired by Muhammad, also known as the Inspired by Mohammad campaign, is an advertising campaign to be launched in the
UK to try and disassociate Islam from Terrorism. The official website is found
at inspiredbymuhammad.com.
This campaign was launched
following a recent poll in the UK which revealed that the average person on the
street does not think very highly of Islam. Its goal is to improve this
negative image, by educating the public on the "true Islam of mainstream
Muslims." Some of the results of the YouGov poll[19][20] were as follows:
- 58% associate Islam with extremism and terrorism.
- 69% believe it encouraged the repression of women.
- 4 out of 10 think Muslims have not had a positive impact on British society.
- Only 13% associate Islam with peace and 6% associate it with justice.
The campaign makes many
claims, such as "I believe in Social Justice, so did Mohammad", and
"I believe in protecting the Environment, so did Mohammad". This
article studies whether these claims are really true or not by citing authentic
hadiths and Qur'anic verses.
The Muhammad Cartoon Hoax
Main Article: Muhammad Cartoon
Hoax
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons Controversy, which resulted in
more than 200 deaths and hundreds of injuries since their initial publication
in September 2005,[21] is one of the most well-known examples of Muslim
intolerance. However, this article discusses the lesser-known Muhammad Cartoon Hoax and its role in making the cartoons a world-wide
issue.
Miscellaneous
"Moderate Islam" Exists in Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey
Main Article: Persecution
It is often claimed that
Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey are great examples of "moderate"
Islamic nations. We are told the Muslim tolerance of others in these countries
is proof that the Islamic faith itself is not to blame for the general violence
and intolerance found within the Muslim world. However, this is false.
These countries may be
slightly less violent and intolerant than, for example, Saudi Arabia or Iran, but this
certainly does not make them tolerant or "progressive" by any
acceptable standards. Our persecution articles show that the same intolerance
shown towards homosexuals, former Muslims, non-Muslims, and women who
"dishonor" men in "fundamentalist" Islamic states, exist in
every nation with a sizable Muslim population.
The Pact of Umar
Main Articles: Analysis of
the Pact of Umar and The Pact of Umar
Much has been said of the Pact of Umar,[22] and much of it distinctly positive. Its non-Muslim
admirers gleefully compare its contents to the treatment of religious
minorities in Medieval Europe, while ignoring its influence and conformity with
Islamic scriptural sources which still govern the treatment of minorities in
the Muslim world today. Some non-Muslim scholars of early Islam doubt the
pact's authenticity, highlighting the fact that the Islamic traditions
surrounding the writing of the pact are a few hundred years removed from the
actual events described, and that no contemporary sources refers to it at all. Sophronius'(560 - 638 AD) authentic extant writings also refer
to the Muslim conquerors in a very negative way, putting further doubts on the
Muslim recollections of events.[23] Nevertheless, this article will accept its
authenticity and analyse the rights and limitations placed on the Syrians, to
see just how free non-Muslims really were under the Rightly-guided Caliph.
Sufism is a Peaceful Form of Islam
Main Article: Sufism
Spawned The Muslim Brotherhood
Do not let Sufism's
asceticism, mysticism, and syncretism, cause you to be mesmerized into
believing that this is a benign sect of non-violence. People seem transfixed
with these exotic descriptions and suddenly become warm, nostalgic, and develop
a motherly protective wing over this romantic "aspect" of Islam, and
are easily misled by Sufi dissimulations. In all probability, Sufism evolved
through the fusion of early religions such as Zoroastrianism, Neoplatonism,
Hinduism, even Christianity and other diverse traditions, and on top of these
fusion of ideas, Islam was superimposed. Thus there are a lot of ritualism in
Sufism that belongs to other traditions. But do not let that mislead you. In
actuality, the Muslim Brotherhood evolved out of Sufism in the 20th century.
Essays
Tactics Used by Muslim Spokespersons and Debaters
Main Article: Deception of
Non-Muslims
Muslim spokespersons employ a
peculiar style of deceptive propaganda that so far has caught western media
off-guard. It takes advantage of a common assumption among those who have only
been exposed to other religions – the assumption that the statements of
religious leaders can be taken at face value because religious leaders want
people to understand their religion. It takes advantage of non-Muslim ignorance
of Islam while at the same time seeking to maintain that ignorance. It takes
advantage of people's tendency to see Islam as a religion in the traditional
sense, rather than as a combination of a militant political ideology and a
religion. Thus a Muslim religious leader should not be seen in the same way as
most religious leaders. He should be viewed as a combination of politician and
religious leader. When addressing a non-Muslim audience, he should not be
viewed as a typical missionary, but as an astute politician addressing a
hostile audience who won't like all of his policies - he will tell you what you
want to hear.
Muslims use a number of
strategies to either conceal the more barbaric aspects of their religion or to
deceive people about Islamic doctrine. The initial deception is semantic.
Literally, they say one thing and mean another, the opposite of calling a spade
a spade. This typically involves using a dual meaning that is generally only
understood by Muslims, or using Arabic terms. The initial deception is followed
up with a number of rhetorical techniques that create a barrier to effective
communication. These are essentially a form of diversion. While some of these
tricks are familiar to a western audience, some are largely unfamiliar and play
on Islamic concepts with which the west is unfamiliar.
Factual Persuasion: Changing the Minds of Islam's Supporters
"When you realize the
true nature of Islam, you may want to persuade others. Then you discover that
they have their minds filled with the “establishment” version of Islam and give
you their justifications that support it.
This book is written for those
who want to be effective in persuading others about the true nature of Islam.
You learn the powerful method of fact-based reasoning. Since 9/11 these methods
have been used to change the minds of supporters of Islam from all political
backgrounds. Anyone, whether they are liberals, progressives, leftists or
conservatives, can all be persuaded to see the truth in light of the facts
about Islam.
Since the methods used in this
book are based on the sacred source texts of Islam, those who have read the
Trilogy of Koran, Sira and Hadith will obtain the full benefit. Others can
learn from the examples, but the more facts you have, the better your
results."
Answers to Objections When Discussing Islam
Main Article: Answers
to Objections When Discussing Islam
This series can be viewed as
sales training. When you get a job as a salesperson, the trainer will usually
teach you about the most common objections customers have, and hopefully will
teach you how to handle them. Then when a potential customer gives you one of
those objections, you won't be thrown off; you'll have a competent and
well-thought-out answer — an answer that will satisfy the person making it. But
maybe even more important, you'll give an answer that will satisfy the person
your customer will talk to later. In fact, the objection may only be what your
customer thinks others will ask later about his purchase.
People often make a response
that they think other people might make. This is true in sales, and it's true
when you're talking about Islam's relentless encroachment. If your listener
accepts what you're saying about Islam, and then they go share what they've
learned with a friend of theirs, what objection might that friend come up with?
Your listener will probably wonder about that, and might bring up that
objection to see if you have a good answer for it — a persuasive answer, a
satisfying answer, an answer that would even convince their skeptical friend.
This series aims to give you suggestions about how to effectively respond to
these objections you are likely to get when talking about the terrifying
brilliance of Islam to someone who knows little about it.
See Also
Articles
- Refutations - A hub page that leads to other articles related to specific pro-Islamic publications
- Golden Age - A hub page that leads to other articles related to the Golden Age
- Books on Islamic Propaganda - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Books on Islamic Propaganda
Multimedia
Other Core Articles
Core articles contain an overview of other
articles related to a specific issue, and serve as a starting point for anyone
wishing to learn about Islam:
External Links
- Games Muslims Play - Brief rebuttals to the most common Islamic apologetics
- The Myths of Islam - The truth behind myths generated by Muslims and Western apologists
References
1.
Jump up↑ Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus, Emeritus Professor of Sociology,
State University of New York at Cortland
3.
Jump up↑ Whom do you wish to believe concerning the character of
the Prophet Mohammed? - faithfreedom.COM, not to be confused with faithfreedom.ORG
4.
Jump up↑ The site claims Hart's book is a rating of
"men who contributed towards the benefit and upliftment of mankind".
This is untrue. Hart's list is purely based on his opinion of who has had the
most influence and does not comment on whether it was positive or negative. For
more details clickhere.
6.
Jump up↑ The myth persists even on 'scholarly'
websites. See e.g.here. "It was only through the transfer
of Greek knowledge (including Aristotle's philosophy, Ptolemy's geography,
Hippocrates' medicine) by Islam Spain that this informationever got to Western Europe." [Our emphasis]
7.
Jump up↑ Bernard Lewis, The
Jews of Islam, Princeton University Press, June 1, 1987, ISBN 9780691008073, pp. 25-26.
8.
Jump up↑ K. Ajram - The Miracle of Islamic Science - Knowledge House; 1st edition (September
1992) p. 200. ISBN 0911119434
11.
Jump up↑ Jacob Bender - Jewish-Muslim Dialogue and the Value of Peace - The American Muslim, July 19, 2007
13.
Jump up↑ For example; this site lists al-Tirmidhi as one of the sources.
However in Tirmidhi we find the farewell command to beat women, and that they
are "like prisoners" in the hands of men. For further details, see: The Farewell Sermon/
Related Text
14.
Jump up↑ Michael Doyle - FBI data: Hate crimes against Muslims rare - The Miami Herald, August 27, 2010
16.
Jump up↑ Christianity at risk of wipe-out in the Middle East,
warns new Civitas study - Civitas: The Institute for the Study of
Civil Society, December 23, 2012
17.
Jump up↑ Max Fisher - The seven countries where the state can execute you for
being atheist - The Washington Post, December 10, 2012
18.
Jump up↑ "Freedom of Thought 2012: A Global Report on
Discrimination Against Humanists, Atheists and the Non-religious",
The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), December 10, 2012
21.
Jump up↑ Yale Removes Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad From
Forthcoming Book, Citing Fears of Violence - Fox News, September 8, 2009
22.
Jump up↑ Paul Halsall - The Status of Non-Muslims Under Muslim Rule-
Medieval Sourcebook, January, 1996
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