Curtis Harris
Islam's true nature
By Curtis Harris
The conduct of many Islamic leaders and their zealous followers proves there is a tyrannical and violent side to Islam. Yet many members of the faith demonstrate they are peaceful people of good character. I read Islam at the Crossroads (1) hoping to understand the true nature of Islam. From the book and other research, I found that there are two essential faults in Islam. The religion is extremely rigid and authoritarian, and it is actively hostile to other faiths.
The prophet Muhammad introduced monotheism to the Arab world of the 7th century. Through his teachings, later to become Islamic law, he established the religion. Strict obedience to Allah's will, communicated through the prophet Muhammad, was a cornerstone of the Muslim faith. Ritual prayer, five times a day, served to demonstrate and engrain the Muslim's subordination to Allah and the religion's leaders. Islamic law extended to all aspects of life. Islam was a religion and a government in one package. The lack of individual freedom inherent in Islam may explain the decline of Middle Eastern civilization into its present economic and cultural condition. Strict and unchanging rules, enforced by severe punishment, make progress difficult for people and result in stagnant societies. There would be little wealth or comfort in the Middle East without the modern world's appetite for oil.
Muhammad also taught that the conquest of people of other faiths was Allah's will. As followers of the only true religion, Muslims were duty-bound to conquer and convert the entire world. From the beginning, Muhammad used violence to establish his power and convert people to his new religion. He and his followers supported themselves by raiding trader's caravans. After feeling betrayed by the Jews in Medina, he had all the men killed and the women and children sold into slavery. Mecca surrendered to Muhammad rather than face his ten thousand troops. In the years after Muhammad's death, Muslims conquered the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia, even controlling Spain for a time. As late as the 17th century, they threatened Europe with conquest. Conquest of non-believers, as Allah's will, is the basis for Jihad, the holy war that continues today. For example, Imam Siraj Wahhaj of New York is a prominent American Muslim. In one of his sermons, available for purchase on audiotape, he says, "In time, this so-called democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing. And the only thing that will remain will be Islam." Saudi money funded Imam Wahhaj's training (2).
The "politically correct" view of Islam says it is a peaceful religion troubled by radicals and terrorists. According to this view, the War on Terror is not a war on Islam. It is true that a majority of Muslim people are peaceful and responsible citizens of their communities. They live in secular societies that allow them freedom from the control of strict Islamic law. However, the fundamentals of the religion have not changed and its leaders' words and deeds reflect that fact. Islam is not a religion of peace or freedom. As can be seen in most Islamic states, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, Muslim people have no freedom, and their leaders threaten the modern world by actively supporting terrorism. The goals of today's Islamic fundamentalists are not different from those of the religion's founder. They suppress freedom in countries they control and seek the conquest of the non-Muslim world. There is a good deal of evidence that many Islamic leaders in Europe and the Americas share their philosophy. They have two faces. One they show to the general public, and the other is reserved for their followers.
Like all of life, no religion is perfect. Christianity, for example, has much in its history of which to be ashamed. Christian leaders and their secular counterparts in Europe, seeking power and/or wealth were the perpetrators of most, if not all, of those bad acts. The basic teachings of Christianity, however, do not make believers into virtual slaves and call for war on people of other faiths. Various reformations served to fix many of the problems in the Christian church and its leadership, chiefly through the decentralization of power and the Protestant movement. These reforms also allowed more freedom within the religion by liberalizing Christian teachings and allowing for future evolution in step with the progress of society. It is unlikely that Crusades and Inquisitions will recur.
However, reform has not come to Islam. The fundamentals of the religion do not allow for peaceful life and good character development. We must oppose Islam as long as it retains its punitive and authoritarian character, and advocates war on non-believers.
Remember school achievement tests? Here is a question: Of the following three names, which one is different from the others?
Deng Ming-Dao, in 365 Tao — Daily Meditations (3), wrote, "Metaphysical totalitarianism of any kind stifles the freedom we have as human beings. It is not acceptable to have a religion where the alternative to faith is punishment — that's how you train dogs, not develop people." I can find no better indictment of fundamentalist Islam.
NOTES
The conduct of many Islamic leaders and their zealous followers proves there is a tyrannical and violent side to Islam. Yet many members of the faith demonstrate they are peaceful people of good character. I read Islam at the Crossroads (1) hoping to understand the true nature of Islam. From the book and other research, I found that there are two essential faults in Islam. The religion is extremely rigid and authoritarian, and it is actively hostile to other faiths.
The prophet Muhammad introduced monotheism to the Arab world of the 7th century. Through his teachings, later to become Islamic law, he established the religion. Strict obedience to Allah's will, communicated through the prophet Muhammad, was a cornerstone of the Muslim faith. Ritual prayer, five times a day, served to demonstrate and engrain the Muslim's subordination to Allah and the religion's leaders. Islamic law extended to all aspects of life. Islam was a religion and a government in one package. The lack of individual freedom inherent in Islam may explain the decline of Middle Eastern civilization into its present economic and cultural condition. Strict and unchanging rules, enforced by severe punishment, make progress difficult for people and result in stagnant societies. There would be little wealth or comfort in the Middle East without the modern world's appetite for oil.
Muhammad also taught that the conquest of people of other faiths was Allah's will. As followers of the only true religion, Muslims were duty-bound to conquer and convert the entire world. From the beginning, Muhammad used violence to establish his power and convert people to his new religion. He and his followers supported themselves by raiding trader's caravans. After feeling betrayed by the Jews in Medina, he had all the men killed and the women and children sold into slavery. Mecca surrendered to Muhammad rather than face his ten thousand troops. In the years after Muhammad's death, Muslims conquered the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia, even controlling Spain for a time. As late as the 17th century, they threatened Europe with conquest. Conquest of non-believers, as Allah's will, is the basis for Jihad, the holy war that continues today. For example, Imam Siraj Wahhaj of New York is a prominent American Muslim. In one of his sermons, available for purchase on audiotape, he says, "In time, this so-called democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing. And the only thing that will remain will be Islam." Saudi money funded Imam Wahhaj's training (2).
The "politically correct" view of Islam says it is a peaceful religion troubled by radicals and terrorists. According to this view, the War on Terror is not a war on Islam. It is true that a majority of Muslim people are peaceful and responsible citizens of their communities. They live in secular societies that allow them freedom from the control of strict Islamic law. However, the fundamentals of the religion have not changed and its leaders' words and deeds reflect that fact. Islam is not a religion of peace or freedom. As can be seen in most Islamic states, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, Muslim people have no freedom, and their leaders threaten the modern world by actively supporting terrorism. The goals of today's Islamic fundamentalists are not different from those of the religion's founder. They suppress freedom in countries they control and seek the conquest of the non-Muslim world. There is a good deal of evidence that many Islamic leaders in Europe and the Americas share their philosophy. They have two faces. One they show to the general public, and the other is reserved for their followers.
Like all of life, no religion is perfect. Christianity, for example, has much in its history of which to be ashamed. Christian leaders and their secular counterparts in Europe, seeking power and/or wealth were the perpetrators of most, if not all, of those bad acts. The basic teachings of Christianity, however, do not make believers into virtual slaves and call for war on people of other faiths. Various reformations served to fix many of the problems in the Christian church and its leadership, chiefly through the decentralization of power and the Protestant movement. These reforms also allowed more freedom within the religion by liberalizing Christian teachings and allowing for future evolution in step with the progress of society. It is unlikely that Crusades and Inquisitions will recur.
However, reform has not come to Islam. The fundamentals of the religion do not allow for peaceful life and good character development. We must oppose Islam as long as it retains its punitive and authoritarian character, and advocates war on non-believers.
Remember school achievement tests? Here is a question: Of the following three names, which one is different from the others?
- Muhammad
- Jesus Christ
- Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
Deng Ming-Dao, in 365 Tao — Daily Meditations (3), wrote, "Metaphysical totalitarianism of any kind stifles the freedom we have as human beings. It is not acceptable to have a religion where the alternative to faith is punishment — that's how you train dogs, not develop people." I can find no better indictment of fundamentalist Islam.
NOTES
- Paul Marshall, Roberta Green and Lela Gilbert, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002
- For more details on this, see an article by Paul M. Barrett in the October 24, 2003 issue of the Wall Street Journal.
- HarperSanFrancisco, 1992
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