THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM”
From a barbaric Bronze Age text known as The Old Testament, three
anti-human religions have evolved— Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
These are sky-God religions. They are, literally, patriarchal—God is
Omnipotent Father—hence the loathing of women for 2000 years in those
countries afflicted by the sky-god and his earthly male delegates. The
sky-God is a jealous God, of course. He requires total obedience from
everyone on earth, as he is not just in place for one tribe, but for
all creation. Those who would reject him must be converted or be killed
for their own good. Ultimately, totalitarianism is the only sort of
politics that can truly serve the sky-God’s purpose. Any movement of a
liberal nature endangers his authority and those of his delegates on
earth. One God, one king, one Pope, one master in the factory, one
father-leader in the family at home. “
These words of Gore Vidal, a well-known American author and critic,
though politically incorrect, contain the quintessence of truth about
the Semitic religions, as all of these religions, though outwardly
different, have the same origin. However, with the passage of time and
under the impact of science, the ferocity of Judaism and Christianity
has mellowed down. Besieged by the Muslim states, the Jews in Israel
are fighting for their very survival, and they no longer dream of
imposing their faith upon others. Similarly, most of the people living
in Europe and USA are Christians only in name, but in their daily life,
they no longer follow the the tenets of Christianity as tenaciously as
their ancestors used to do in the Medieval Age.
However, the case is different with Islam. The development of science
seems to have little impact on an average Muslim and they are as
fanatical today as they were 1400 years ago when the Prophet claimed
to have received the message of Allah. They are ready to kill and be
killed in accordance with the teachings of the Quran 9:111 ” God has
verily bought the souls and possessions of the faithful in exchange for
a promise of Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, and kill and
are killed.” Even though, with the advancement of science, Muslim
society, like other societies, has undergone a sea-change in their
physical environment, yet their thinking is still rooted in the seventh
century tribal culture of Arabia. Of course, there are Muslims who have
revolted against the teachings of Islam, but their number is still
small and they have not made a visible impact on Muslim society at
large. On the whole, Muslim society has failed to adapt itself to the
scientific, liberal and secular thinking of the West, and that is one
of the main causes of their animosity towards the West and its culture.
Instead of doing a sincere self-appraisal and looking into the causes
of their backardness, they hold the non-Muslims responsible for all the
ills afflicting their society and have developed a sense of victimhood.
But the pity is that self-analysis and self-appraisal are taboo in
Islam.
Islam does not allow a critical appreciation of its ideaology, however
sincere it may be. Any unfavourable reference to its ideaology is
anathema to Islam and invites the wrath of the Muslim states and the
bearded mullahs. Most of the Islamic states have enacted blasphemy laws
to gag the voice of dissent. No sale, distribution and free discussion
of the scriptures of other religions is allowed in Islamic states,
because the mullahs are afraid that by allowing that they would expose
the Muslims to new ideas which would ultimately lead them to compare
Islam with other religions and invariably to the criticism of Islam.
However, when the intelligent citizens of these fanatical Muslim states
get a chance to visit the USA and countries of western Europe, they are
simply stunned to find the freedom of expression that the citizens of
those countries enjoy. When they see the liberal atmosphere of the
Western societies with their own eyes, they feel ashamed of the
suffocating atmosphere prevailing back in their own countries. But the
reaction of all such Muslims to this new experience is not of a uniform
nature.
While the reaction of some of them is so violent that they leave Islam
and denounce it in unequivocal terms, blaming all the ills of their
societies on it, there are others who try to present a sanitized
version of Islam to the world, hiding its numerous black spots and
highlighting the few bright aspects. In the face of the mounting
criticism of Islam by the research scholars of the West and the
ex-Muslims and finding themselves unable to rebut that criticism, these
apologists of Islam have one staple argument to offer, and that is that
Islam has been misinterpreted by the Western scholars.But the facts
speak otherwise.The apologists distort the meaning of the text to
present a rosy picture of Islam. They resort to lying and denials. Let
us take the concept of Jihad. To wage jihad against the non-Muslims in
order to bring them to the path of Allah is one of the basic tenets of
Islam. The eminent Muslim scholar and former Head of Al-Azhar Fatwa
Commitee says:- ” In Islamic Shari’ah, Jihad in the cause of Allah
means fighting in order to make the Word of Allah most high, and the
means for doing so is taking up arms in addition to preparation,
financing and planning strategies….” But the apologists would have
you believe that Jihad refers to inner struggle and has nothing to do
with violence. When Osama Bin Laden and his ilk call upon the Muslims
to wage jihad against the USA or when Islamists of Kashmir ask the
Muslims of the valley to wage jihad against India, do they mean to ask
the Muslims to engage in inner struggle against the USA or India ? How
ridiculous ?
Then we are told that Osama Bin Laden and others have hijacked Islam
and given it a bad name. If it is really so, has any Muslim scholar
worth the name denounced Osama for this act of blasphemy and issued a
fatwa against him ? Have the Muslim crowds ever protested against him,
while they take to streets even on frivolous issues ? The answer is a
big NO and that exposes the hypocrisy of these apologists who in the
heart of their hearts know that Osama is a true Muslim and is following
the teachings of Islam. Still, an average person, both Muslim and
non-Muslim, is taken in by their propaganda, as they have perfected the
art of lying. Instead of answering the criticism point to point, they
shout in chorus and try to drown the voice of dissent.
It is a pity that we Indians, even after a first-hand experience of
Islam in action for more than a millenium, are still ignorant of the
real nature of Islam. We have failed to see what a 13th century
Venetian merchant and traveller, Marco Polo, who was not a research
scholar but a keen observer of men and manners, was able to see during
his travels. In his famous travelogue, he writes about the Muslims of
Tauris (modern day Iraq) :- “According to their doctrine, whatever is
stolen or plundered from others of a different faith, is properly
taken, and the theft is no crime; whilst those who suffer death or
injury by the hands of Christians, are considered as martyrs. If,
therefore, they were not prohibited and restrained by the powers who
now govern them, they would commit many outrages. These principles are
common to all Saracens.”(Page 63). No body can accuse him of being
biased against non-Christians, because in the same book, he hails the
Brahmins of India, as being “most honourable”, possessing a “hatred for
cheating or of taking goods of other persons. They are likewise
remarkable for the virtue of being satisfied with the possession of one
wife.”(Page 298). Even most of those Indians who have read the
scriptures of Islam and who understand that Islam is not a religion in
the sense this term is used in India, but a socio-political system which
originated in the semi-nomadic tribal society of the 7th century
deserts of Arabia, do not speak up. Either they are afraid of the
Islamists or they want to be politically correct.
However, a number of ex-Muslim scholars led by Dr. Ali Sina, a Muslim
of Iranian origin, have taken up the task of spreading awareness about
Islam among Muslims. They want to encourage an analytical study of the
philosophy and tenets of Islam. Born as Muslims and brought up in
Muslim families, they have a profound knowledge of Islam and its
practices, which it is quite difficult for non-Muslims to have.
Moreover, they are deeply interested in reforming Islam and changing it
in tune with the modern age of science. But they were inhibited in
their efforts by the Islamic states and fanatical mullahs, because they
could not express their views critical of Islam freely in their
countries, without inviting the wrath of Islamists. As a result, many
of these free thinkers left their countries of origin and settled in
the West where they have lesser degree of threat to their
lives—notable among them being Dr. Ali Sina from Iran, Ibn Warraq
from Pakistan, Abul Kasem from Bangladesh and M.A.Khan from
India.Fortunately for them and for all of us, internet has now come to
their rescue by means of which they can spread their views in every
nook and corner of the planet earth. They have started their own sites,
through which they express their views and opinions and subject Islam
to analytical scrutiny. Their sites also provide a large number of
online books which can be downloaded free of charge. Our purpose also
is to encourage open discussion and unbiased examination of Islam, its
philosophy and its beliefs. We,too, want every human being to be
broad-minded and to have a liberal outlook, so that this world becomes
a better place to live in.
Here are their sites:-
1. faithfreedom international (excellent)
2. Islam-watch.org
3. Jihad-watch.org
4. VoiceofDharma.org
5. Secularising Islam.org
6. Prophet of Doom by Craig Winn (a must)
7. Islamist Watch.org
8. Islam Review: The Pen Vs the Sword.
9. HistoryofJihad.org
10. Satyameva-Jayate.org
From a barbaric Bronze Age text known as The Old Testament, three
anti-human religions have evolved— Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
These are sky-God religions. They are, literally, patriarchal—God is
Omnipotent Father—hence the loathing of women for 2000 years in those
countries afflicted by the sky-god and his earthly male delegates. The
sky-God is a jealous God, of course. He requires total obedience from
everyone on earth, as he is not just in place for one tribe, but for
all creation. Those who would reject him must be converted or be killed
for their own good. Ultimately, totalitarianism is the only sort of
politics that can truly serve the sky-God’s purpose. Any movement of a
liberal nature endangers his authority and those of his delegates on
earth. One God, one king, one Pope, one master in the factory, one
father-leader in the family at home. “
These words of Gore Vidal, a well-known American author and critic,
though politically incorrect, contain the quintessence of truth about
the Semitic religions, as all of these religions, though outwardly
different, have the same origin. However, with the passage of time and
under the impact of science, the ferocity of Judaism and Christianity
has mellowed down. Besieged by the Muslim states, the Jews in Israel
are fighting for their very survival, and they no longer dream of
imposing their faith upon others. Similarly, most of the people living
in Europe and USA are Christians only in name, but in their daily life,
they no longer follow the the tenets of Christianity as tenaciously as
their ancestors used to do in the Medieval Age.
However, the case is different with Islam. The development of science
seems to have little impact on an average Muslim and they are as
fanatical today as they were 1400 years ago when the Prophet claimed
to have received the message of Allah. They are ready to kill and be
killed in accordance with the teachings of the Quran 9:111 ” God has
verily bought the souls and possessions of the faithful in exchange for
a promise of Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, and kill and
are killed.” Even though, with the advancement of science, Muslim
society, like other societies, has undergone a sea-change in their
physical environment, yet their thinking is still rooted in the seventh
century tribal culture of Arabia. Of course, there are Muslims who have
revolted against the teachings of Islam, but their number is still
small and they have not made a visible impact on Muslim society at
large. On the whole, Muslim society has failed to adapt itself to the
scientific, liberal and secular thinking of the West, and that is one
of the main causes of their animosity towards the West and its culture.
Instead of doing a sincere self-appraisal and looking into the causes
of their backardness, they hold the non-Muslims responsible for all the
ills afflicting their society and have developed a sense of victimhood.
But the pity is that self-analysis and self-appraisal are taboo in
Islam.
Islam does not allow a critical appreciation of its ideaology, however
sincere it may be. Any unfavourable reference to its ideaology is
anathema to Islam and invites the wrath of the Muslim states and the
bearded mullahs. Most of the Islamic states have enacted blasphemy laws
to gag the voice of dissent. No sale, distribution and free discussion
of the scriptures of other religions is allowed in Islamic states,
because the mullahs are afraid that by allowing that they would expose
the Muslims to new ideas which would ultimately lead them to compare
Islam with other religions and invariably to the criticism of Islam.
However, when the intelligent citizens of these fanatical Muslim states
get a chance to visit the USA and countries of western Europe, they are
simply stunned to find the freedom of expression that the citizens of
those countries enjoy. When they see the liberal atmosphere of the
Western societies with their own eyes, they feel ashamed of the
suffocating atmosphere prevailing back in their own countries. But the
reaction of all such Muslims to this new experience is not of a uniform
nature.
While the reaction of some of them is so violent that they leave Islam
and denounce it in unequivocal terms, blaming all the ills of their
societies on it, there are others who try to present a sanitized
version of Islam to the world, hiding its numerous black spots and
highlighting the few bright aspects. In the face of the mounting
criticism of Islam by the research scholars of the West and the
ex-Muslims and finding themselves unable to rebut that criticism, these
apologists of Islam have one staple argument to offer, and that is that
Islam has been misinterpreted by the Western scholars.But the facts
speak otherwise.The apologists distort the meaning of the text to
present a rosy picture of Islam. They resort to lying and denials. Let
us take the concept of Jihad. To wage jihad against the non-Muslims in
order to bring them to the path of Allah is one of the basic tenets of
Islam. The eminent Muslim scholar and former Head of Al-Azhar Fatwa
Commitee says:- ” In Islamic Shari’ah, Jihad in the cause of Allah
means fighting in order to make the Word of Allah most high, and the
means for doing so is taking up arms in addition to preparation,
financing and planning strategies….” But the apologists would have
you believe that Jihad refers to inner struggle and has nothing to do
with violence. When Osama Bin Laden and his ilk call upon the Muslims
to wage jihad against the USA or when Islamists of Kashmir ask the
Muslims of the valley to wage jihad against India, do they mean to ask
the Muslims to engage in inner struggle against the USA or India ? How
ridiculous ?
Then we are told that Osama Bin Laden and others have hijacked Islam
and given it a bad name. If it is really so, has any Muslim scholar
worth the name denounced Osama for this act of blasphemy and issued a
fatwa against him ? Have the Muslim crowds ever protested against him,
while they take to streets even on frivolous issues ? The answer is a
big NO and that exposes the hypocrisy of these apologists who in the
heart of their hearts know that Osama is a true Muslim and is following
the teachings of Islam. Still, an average person, both Muslim and
non-Muslim, is taken in by their propaganda, as they have perfected the
art of lying. Instead of answering the criticism point to point, they
shout in chorus and try to drown the voice of dissent.
It is a pity that we Indians, even after a first-hand experience of
Islam in action for more than a millenium, are still ignorant of the
real nature of Islam. We have failed to see what a 13th century
Venetian merchant and traveller, Marco Polo, who was not a research
scholar but a keen observer of men and manners, was able to see during
his travels. In his famous travelogue, he writes about the Muslims of
Tauris (modern day Iraq) :- “According to their doctrine, whatever is
stolen or plundered from others of a different faith, is properly
taken, and the theft is no crime; whilst those who suffer death or
injury by the hands of Christians, are considered as martyrs. If,
therefore, they were not prohibited and restrained by the powers who
now govern them, they would commit many outrages. These principles are
common to all Saracens.”(Page 63). No body can accuse him of being
biased against non-Christians, because in the same book, he hails the
Brahmins of India, as being “most honourable”, possessing a “hatred for
cheating or of taking goods of other persons. They are likewise
remarkable for the virtue of being satisfied with the possession of one
wife.”(Page 298). Even most of those Indians who have read the
scriptures of Islam and who understand that Islam is not a religion in
the sense this term is used in India, but a socio-political system which
originated in the semi-nomadic tribal society of the 7th century
deserts of Arabia, do not speak up. Either they are afraid of the
Islamists or they want to be politically correct.
However, a number of ex-Muslim scholars led by Dr. Ali Sina, a Muslim
of Iranian origin, have taken up the task of spreading awareness about
Islam among Muslims. They want to encourage an analytical study of the
philosophy and tenets of Islam. Born as Muslims and brought up in
Muslim families, they have a profound knowledge of Islam and its
practices, which it is quite difficult for non-Muslims to have.
Moreover, they are deeply interested in reforming Islam and changing it
in tune with the modern age of science. But they were inhibited in
their efforts by the Islamic states and fanatical mullahs, because they
could not express their views critical of Islam freely in their
countries, without inviting the wrath of Islamists. As a result, many
of these free thinkers left their countries of origin and settled in
the West where they have lesser degree of threat to their
lives—notable among them being Dr. Ali Sina from Iran, Ibn Warraq
from Pakistan, Abul Kasem from Bangladesh and M.A.Khan from
India.Fortunately for them and for all of us, internet has now come to
their rescue by means of which they can spread their views in every
nook and corner of the planet earth. They have started their own sites,
through which they express their views and opinions and subject Islam
to analytical scrutiny. Their sites also provide a large number of
online books which can be downloaded free of charge. Our purpose also
is to encourage open discussion and unbiased examination of Islam, its
philosophy and its beliefs. We,too, want every human being to be
broad-minded and to have a liberal outlook, so that this world becomes
a better place to live in.
Here are their sites:-
1. faithfreedom international (excellent)
2. Islam-watch.org
3. Jihad-watch.org
4. VoiceofDharma.org
5. Secularising Islam.org
6. Prophet of Doom by Craig Winn (a must)
7. Islamist Watch.org
8. Islam Review: The Pen Vs the Sword.
9. HistoryofJihad.org
10. Satyameva-Jayate.org
Itna zyaada detail maine kabhi nahi padha hai...quite thought provoking....and eye opening....!
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