D.A.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.I.Z.E.D

Friday, March 28, 2008

Is Islam really a peaceful religion? Think Again.

The title of this essay introduces a topic that may be difficult for Muslims, or for readers who have friends or acquaintances who are Muslims. It is a difficulty I share with all of them. My best friend is a Muslim, and I have two students who are Muslims. They are all very kind individuals, and, I would say, they are peaceful. Indeed, despite the popular portrayal of Muslims on the evening news, the vast majority of Muslims are normal, faithful, peaceful people, going about their daily lives with no intention of blowing up anyone or burning anyone’s flag. (Many in the West deny this, but they typically do so because they have never so much as talked to a Muslim).
Nevertheless, this essay isn’t about Muslims; it’s about Islam. It’s about the religion, not the practitioners of the religion. To understand what I mean here, consider the following scenario. Suppose someone were to come up to me and ask, “David, is Islam a religion of peace?” My answer would not be “Yes” or “No.” Rather, my response would be, “First tell me what you mean when you say ‘Islam,’ for it is a term that is used in different ways.” If by “Islam” we mean the religion that is practiced by more than a billion people around the world, I could reasonably answer with a qualified “Yes,” because it is a religion of peace for many people (though not for all). But if by “Islam” we mean the religion taught by Muhammad, I would have to respond with a resounding “No.”
At this point my Muslim readers will be saying to themselves, “What does this infidel mean? There is only one Islam, perfectly preserved in the Holy Qur’an from the time it was given to Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.” However, much like the idea that the Qur’an has been perfectly preserved, the idea that Islam has only one face is completely false. There has always been a psychological crisis in Islam, and if I were to diagnose it as having a particular mental illness, I would probably argue that it suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder.[1] Islam has never been able to decide whether it wants to live in peace with unbelievers, or to pile their severed, unbelieving heads into a giant pyramid. I’m sure many would disagree here, but they would be disagreeing with one of the most empirically verifiable facts in the universe. Think about it. One Muslim beheads an innocent woman to protest the war in Iraq, while another Muslim curses him for slaying the innocent. One group of Muslims flies an aircraft into a building, while another group condemns the attack. One Muslim steps onto a bus with pounds of explosives strapped under his jacket, while another Muslim teaches philosophy at an American university. Each person or group quotes the Qur’an to support its actions. However, it may be even more important to note that each of them has followed the example of Muhammad.
The reason that Islam suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder is that its founder also suffered from this disorder. I don’t mean this to be taken literally, of course. It is only meant to describe a peculiar phenomenon that went on in Muhammad’s head. When Muhammad first began receiving his “revelations,” many of his neighbors in the city of Mecca took it upon themselves to mock and persecute him. Muhammad was a threat both to their immoral lifestyles and to their source of wealth (the pagan idols of the city brought plenty of revenue), and so he had to be stopped, or at least discredited. During this period, Muhammad was humble, devout in every way, obedient to the message handed down to him, faithful in giving to the poor, and, in general, an outstanding moral example. In essence, he was like the many fine examples of dedicated Muslims we see in the world today. He preached a religion of peace, and the Qur’anic revelations received at this time reflected his peaceful temperament.
Then something happened. Muhammad fled Mecca and moved to Medina, where his political power rapidly increased. Soon he and his followers began raiding caravans to support the fledgling religion,[2] and, while Muhammad’s enemies multiplied, so did his followers. What followed can only be described as a reign of terror for those who refused to submit to Islam. Both men and women were slaughtered for writing satirical poems against Muhammad, and those who left the Islamic faith were to be exterminated. One woman was murdered in the dark for writing a poem against Muhammad; after she was slain, Muhammad declared that “Two goats won’t butt their heads about her.”[3] Hundreds of Jews were beheaded (after surrendering) for standing against Muhammad, and their wives and children were sold into slavery.[4] A blind man who was reportedly more than a hundred years old had his head split open for saying that, if he could only see, he would throw a handful of dust at Muhammad.[5] When a man named Uqba was about to be killed by Muslims and showed concern for his family by asking, “But who will look after my children, O Muhammad?” Muhammad answered by telling the doomed man that Hell would take care of them.[6]
There are, of course, far more examples of violence than the ones listed here, but these should be sufficient to provide a picture of Muhammad’s idea of how Muslims should treat those who refuse to submit to Islam. Was Islam a religion of peace for the 600-900 Jewish men and boys whose heads were piled into trenches after they had surrendered? Was Islam a religion of peace for the woman whose infant son had to be pulled away from her breast so that she could be stabbed to death? Was it a religion of peace for anyone who dared to speak out against Muhammad? When Muhammad finally had a band of dedicated followers who would obey his violent commands without question, Islam was not a religion of peace.
Notice that we have approached this question regarding the nature of Islam using a basic historical analysis. Discussions about Islam typically revolve around certain verses in the Qur’an, but such discussions are often fruitless. The reason for this is that the Qur’an is very inconsistent in its approach towards unbelievers, due in large part to Muhammad’s own inconsistency. In conversations about Islam, a Muslim may argue that, according to the Qur’an, “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256). A critic may reply with a very different passage:
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, 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 (9:29).
To this the Muslim replies, “Yes, it says to fight those who do not believe, but it is referring to unbelievers who attack Islam.” Thus, according to many Muslims, Islam fights, but only in self-defense. So who’s right? The solution to the debate lies in a historical examination of Islam. It is true that Muslims are only permitted to attack when threatened, but history shows what the early Muslims considered a threat. Anything other than complete submission to Islam was regarded as a threat to Islam, and so anything other than complete submission was met with extreme hostility. Even poetry and song lyrics, when used against Muhammad, were enough to warrant a sentence of death.[7]
Hence, the verses in the Qur’an that teach Muslims to live in peace should be examined within the historical context of Muhammad’s life, for it is this life that sheds light on an apparently ambiguous message. This historical context also sheds light on modern aspects of Islam, which ultimately derive from the life of its founder.
For instance, more than thirteen centuries ago, the peaceful Muhammad fled Mecca because of intense persecution. As he fled the city, he left the path of peace farther and farther behind him. He eventually returned at the head of an army, and few were brave enough to oppose him. Islamic law was suddenly supreme, with a host of bloody tales to warn its enemies. A similar phenomenon occurs in the world today. When Muslims are in the minority (as they are in America) the message is always “Let us live in peace with one another, for Islam is a religion of tolerance and understanding.” Then, once Islam has spread throughout the country, the message suddenly changes to “Anyone who stands against the Prophet is worthy of death!”
Oddly enough, this tactic has been remarkably successful for Islam. Despite more than a thousand years of bloodshed, many people are convinced that Muhammad was a gentle, humble man who never harmed anyone, and that Islam teaches its followers to be at peace with everyone who hasn’t declared war on them. Then, when someone like Osama bin Laden organizes a group of Muslims in an attack against thousands of innocent people, everyone says that he must be insane. Yet, in a curious way, Osama bin Laden is really more dedicated to true Islam than most Muslims are. If Muhammad tells Muslims to fight in the name of God and demonstrates what he means by killing men, women, and children for even minor resistance, what should a dedicated Muslim do? Should devout Muslims live in peace with the infidels around them, or should they follow Muhammad’s example by murdering the infidels in their beds?[8]
I’m very happy that most Muslims are willing to live in peace with their neighbors. Yet we have to be honest here. Muslims aren’t peaceful because they are following the example set by Muhammad. They are peaceful because they’ve chosen to do what’s right, and because they are willing to live far better lives than Muhammad himself lived. In fact, many Muslims are such kind, peaceful, and gentle people that they seem to be following the example set by another great religious leader—one who died on the cross for the sins of the world and rose from the dead to prove his message. This man gave his listeners the following warning: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:15). And, may I add, we should also watch out for false religions, which come to us crying “Peace! Peace!” when they were built on a foundation of murder and bloodshed.

posted by David Yuen @ 8:30 AM

4 Comments:

At March 28, 2008 at 7:43 PM, Linus Linnaeus said…

My guess is that you are Catholic as you mention the Saints in your previous post...interesting article on Islam...now i await your say on christianity and protestant-ity ...

Any speak of tolerance of religion and defense of one's own religion is bound to be strife with contradictions and confusion...

As christians, we are told to proclaim our faith...but isn't proclaiming our faith also in it's own little way attacking another religion as a false teaching?

here's to greater understanding of our faiths brother....i too have many muslim,buddhist and yes protestant friends...

Linus
At March 28, 2008 at 9:20 PM, David Yuen said…

Whatever you have commented, i have already replied very well in that blog i posted. Once you really examine Islam, violence is all you will get. God bless you.
At May 24, 2008 at 6:15 AM, Shaun Ng said…

Very thoughtful and interesting, let's meet somewhere and I'll show you what violence is.

Peace,
Shaun
At May 25, 2008 at 8:38 PM, David Yuen said…

Shaun Ng,

Thanks for visiting my blog and for the comment.

I appreciate it very much indeed.

Your comment is funny.