Does Qur'an 2:256 Show That Islam Is a Religion of Peace?

Qur'an 2:256—"There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing."

(Note: Surah 2 was the first Surah revealed after the Muslims migrated to Medina.)

So many abrogated verses, so little time to convince Westerners that these verses are still relevant to Islam!

Qur'an 2:106—“Whatever communications We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?”

Qur'an 16:101—“And when We change (one) communication for (another) communication, and Allah knows best what He reveals, they say: You are only a forger. Nay, most of them do not know.”

Qur’an 9:29—"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."

(Note: Sura 9 was one of the last two Surahs revealed, and therefore abrogates any Qur'anic teachings that conflict with it.)

Teenage Christian Girl Given 50 Lashes by Muslims for Wearing a Knee-Length Skirt in Sudan

Anyone want Muslims to start making laws for us here in the West? Anyone? Anyone?

KHARTOUM, Sudan - A 16-year-old south Sudanese girl was lashed 50 times after a judge ruled her knee-length skirt was indecent, her lawyer and family said in the latest case to push Sudan's Islamic law into the spotlight.

The mother of teenager Silva Kashif told Reuters on Friday she was planning to sue the police who made the arrest and the judge who imposed the sentence, as her daughter was underage and a Christian.

The case will add fuel to a debate already raging over Sudan's decency laws after this year's high-profile conviction of Sudanese U.N. official Lubna Hussein, who was briefly jailed for wearing trousers in public.

Hussein, a former journalist who used her case to campaign against Sudan's public order and decency regulations, is touring France to publicize her book about the prosecution. She had faced the maximum penalty of 40 lashes but was given a lighter sentence.

Kashif, whose family comes from the south Sudanese town of Yambio, was arrested while walking to the market near her home in the Khartoum suburb of Kalatla last week, her mother Jenty Doro told Reuters.

"She is just a young girl but the policeman pulled her along in the market like she was a criminal. It was wrong," said Doro.

Doro said Khashif was taken to Kalatla court where she was convicted and punished by a female police officer in front of the judge.

"I only heard about it after she was lashed. Later we all sat and cried ... People have different religions and that should be taken into account," she said. SOURCE

More Unilateral, Pro-Muslim, Anti-Logic Rhetoric from CNN

In a recent op article on CNN.com, professor Hamid Dabashi continues America's new favorite pass-time: equating Islam to any other set of beliefs while denying its violent nature. His conclusion is a must-read: it mines the very depths of idiocy. But his entire article bears comment; throughout its course, Dabashi makes many statements that cause me to raise an eyebrow or two (three if I had them).

For example, he manages to make Muslims the victims of the Fort Hood shooting by saying:

This holiday celebration comes soon after the tragic incident at Fort Hood, when the atrocious act of a mass murderer put Islam and Muslims under some pressure to either denounce or defend their faith.

Somehow, whenever a Muslim commits an atrocity under the auspices of Islamic teachings, Muslims are the victims. This is asinine. But he continues:

The psychotic act of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, MD, a Muslim American military psychiatrist at Fort Hood who went on a rampage killing 13 U.S. soldiers and wounding 30 others, has prompted two diametrically opposed reactions.

On one side are people who say that Islam -- and Islam alone -- is inherently violent and by extension Muslims are constitutionally driven to murder, while on the other are apologetic Muslims who argue their faith is peaceful and benevolent -- unrelated to criminal acts such as Hasan's.

What a misrepresentation of the truth! The people who are saying Islam is violent (the authors of this blog, as well as thousands of others) have no need to say "Islam ALONE" is violent, as if we are picking on Islam. Yet that is how he portrays those with whom he disagrees, and he does so emphatically. He also characterizes all the Muslims in an opposite group, as apologetic and arguing that their faith is peaceful and benevolent. I wonder if he would like to talk to Maj. Hasan, or his imam, or the boys in Revolution Islam, or Sadiq Abdul Malik, or anyone from Hamas, or al-Qaeda, or...

As Dabashi doles out the drivel, he manages to ignore all the violent teachings of Islam, instead equating it to Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, etc. Just once, I'd like to see someone defend Islam as a peaceful religion in light of its actual violent teachings. Just once. But, of course, this is CNN: no objective view of Islam will be found here.

Then, the grand finale: Dabashi concludes his article with a panegyric on Malcolm X. According to this CNN article, until Americans ruminate on Malcolm X and incline themselves towards him, racism against Muslims will continue. Really, I kid you not. He said:

Until Americans come to terms with the fact that they are deeply indebted to a Muslim revolutionary for the fruits of the civil rights movement they enjoy today, Islam and Muslims will continue to be seen as archetypically alien and an everlasting danger to American lives and liberties.

So that is the grand conclusion of this CNN masterpiece: Americans consider Islam dangerous not because of Islam's violent teachings, but rather because they forgot to include Malcolm X in their history books. Another wonderful reality check by CNN, courtesy of Hamid Dabashi.

"Tigers for Israel" or "Dhimmis for Muhammad"?

Recently, former Muslim Nonie Darwish was scheduled to speak at Columbia and Princeton Universities. She was sponsored by a Jewish group called "Tigers for Israel." However, Tigers for Israel canceled Darwish at the last minute after finding out that she has a negative view of Islam. Here's a response:

Deliberate Deception? CNN and Arsalan Iftikhar Massacre Qur'an 5:32 in Order to Defend Islam

As everyone knows, the major media organizations were quick to defend Islam after the Fort Hood Massacre. What is now becoming clear is that some were deliberately deceptive in their efforts to portray Islam as peaceful. For instance, CNN wasted no time publishing an article by "the Muslim Guy," Arsalan Iftikhar, who began his article as follows:

Most of the world's 1.57 billion Muslims know that the Holy Quran states quite clearly that, "Anyone who kills a human being ... it shall be as though he has killed all of mankind. ... If anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he has saved the lives of all of mankind."

Accordingly, it should come as little surprise to any reasonable observer that when Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan recently committed his shocking acts of mass murder at Fort Hood, Texas, America's Muslim community of over 7 million felt an added sense of horror and sadness at this senseless attack against the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces.

The problem, of course, is that Iftikhar has to massacre 5:32 in order to pretend that it provides proof that Islam forbids killing. In context, and with the omitted sections of the verse reinserted, the verse proves that the Fort Hood Massacre was entirely consistent with the teachings of the Qur'an. The proof is in this video:

Why Do Muslims Tell Us That the Veil Protects Women?

Wherever Islam goes, massive human rights violations are sure to follow. Muslims can make all the excuses they want, but the pattern is indisputable.

Saira Liaqat--Burned with acid for refusing to live with her husband before finishing school (holding a picture of what she looked like before she was attacked)

Naila Farhat--Burned with acid for refusing to marry someone

Zainab Bibi--Burned with acid for refusing to marry someone

Munira Asef--Burned with acid for refusing to marry someone

Shameem Akhter--Burned with acid by three boys who gang-raped her

Irum Saeed--Burned with acid for refusing to marry someone

Why do Muslims keep telling us that the veil protects women? Why do Muslims keep telling us that the spread of Islam will help the West?

For more on the women in these pictures (and other women burned by acid in Muslim countries), click here.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan's PowerPoint Presentation on Muslims in the Military

Long before he murdered more than a dozen people at Fort Hood, Major Nidal Malik Hasan argued that the Qur'an supports offensive Jihad, and that Muslims in the U.S. military may be conflicted due to the teachings of Islam. In this video, we examine some of the PowerPoint slides Hasan used in a presentation given to Army doctors more than two years before the attack on Fort Hood.



To view all of Hasan's slideshow, click here.

Convert to Islam Supports Fort Hood Massacre

Major Nidal Malik Hasan murdered fourteen people in the name of Islam at Fort Hood. Taqiyya-practicing Muslim groups like CAIR are claiming that Islam condemns such attacks, and Western media organizations believe them. Yet many Muslims are openly admitting that they support violent attacks against military targets. Watch as Sadiq Abdul Malik, a Muslim street preacher in the Bronx, defends the Fort Hood Massacre.

Nonie Darwish at the Rally for Rifqa

Nonie Darwish, a former Muslim, gives her perspective on Rifqa's current state of affairs at the rally in Columbus.

Sam and David on "Jesus or Muhammad" this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

It's that time again.

Sam and I will be back on TV this weekend. To watch the program, visit http://www.abnsat.com/abnlive.htm.

Here's the schedule:

FRIDAY
7:00 P.M.-9:30 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)
10:30 P.M.-1:30 A.M.

SATURDAY
7:00 P.M.-9:30 P.M.
10:30 P.M.-1:30 A.M.

SUNDAY
7:00 P.M.-9:30 P.M.
10:30 P.M.-1:30 A.M.

Interview with Robert Spencer

David and I recently attended the "Rally for Rifqa" in Columbus, Ohio. While there, we met with Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch. Aside from being truly affable, he also had some great insight into the current state of affairs concerning Islam and international politics. Enjoy!

James White Refutes Zakir Naik

Perhaps Zakir Naik will one day agree to debate an experienced Christian debater like James White. Unfortunately, Dr. Naik refuses to face experienced debaters at the podium, which forces men like James to refute his claims in YouTube videos.

PART ONE


PART TWO


PART THREE

Islam and Apostasy

I'll be adding to this post over the next few days.

RIFQA BARY ON "JESUS OR MUHAMMAD" (PART ONE, WITH JAMAL JIVANJEE)


RIFQA BARY ON "JESUS OR MUHAMMAD" (PART TWO, WITH PAMELA GELLAR, NEGEEN, AND ROBERT SPENCER)


APOSTASY IN ISLAM (PART ONE: THE QUR'AN AND THE HADITH)

Parents Remove Student from School Due to Harassment by Muslim Students

A SYDNEY couple has withdrawn their two children from a public primary school, claiming their 11-year-old son was bullied by Muslim students because he ate a salami sandwich during Ramadan.

Andrew Grigoriou said yesterday he complained to the school and to police after his son Antonios was chased and later assaulted by Muslim students after a confrontation over the contents of his lunch.

Antonios, a Year 5 student of Greek-Australian background at Punchbowl Public School in Sydney's southwest, said he and a friend had to be locked inside the library for an hour after being chased by a group of Muslim boys offended by his choice of food while they were fasting. . . .

Other parents also complained to The Daily Telegraph about bullying at the school and claimed victims received too little protection.

One said her 12-year-old son was scared to open his lunch box at school because he was harassed about what is in it. "He has been bullied from day one . . . about being a Christian and about the hot salami in his lunch," she said. Read More.

Federal Agents Seize Four Mosques and a Muslim-Owned Skyscraper

NEW YORK (Nov. 12) — Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government.

In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets.

The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story glass office tower in New York.

Confiscating the properties would be a sharp blow against Iran, which has been accused by the U.S. government of bankrolling terrorism and trying to build a nuclear bomb. . . .

The Alavi Foundation is the successor organization to the Pahlavi Foundation, a nonprofit group used by the shah to advance Iran's charitable interests in America. But authorities said its agenda changed after the fall of the shah.

In 2007, the United States accused Bank Melli of providing services to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and put the bank on its list of companies whose assets must be frozen. Washington has imposed sanctions against various other Iranian businesses. Read More.

Pervez Masih: Pakistani Christian Dies Protecting Hundreds of Muslim Women from Muslim Suicide Bomber

On October 20th, Pervez Masih, a poor Christian janitor in Pakistan, was killed while protecting hundreds of female students from a Muslim suicide bomber.



Story:

ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: The courage shown by two unsung heroes, including one who lost his life during the two suicide bombings in the International Islamic University (IIU), saved lives of hundreds of girl students in the institution’s cafeteria on Tuesday.

Pervez Masih, a 40-year-old Christian worker, saved scores of lives at the double-storey cafeteria, where around 400 female students were present at the time of the attack.

“There would have been dozens of deaths had the suicide bomber not been blocked by Pervez Masih,” said Saifur Rehman, a senior security official of the IIU.

The other hero, Mohammad Shaukat, survived the attack but he is fighting for his life on a bed in the surgical ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, as a shot fired by the suicide bomber hit him in lower abdomen.

Narrating the scene of the suicide attack on the cafeteria for women, Shaukat told Dawn that: “The attacker clad in a black burka was heading towards the cafeteria for female students at a time when they were having their lunch. I felt something wrong as no girl student, even one who observes veil, wears a head-to-toe burka on the women campus. I intercepted the bomber, who shot me, and I fell down but Pervez, who witnessed the scene, understood the designs of suicide bomber and held him at the entrance of the dining hall where the blast took place.”

Organs and flesh of the suicide bomber littered the entrance area and Pervez was thrown at the wall on the other side of the dining hall, said another eye-witness. Source.

While the media are busy trying to avoid the connection between Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan's actions and his religious beliefs, Pervez Masih, by sacrificing himself for others, has show the connection between his actions and his Christian beliefs.

Islamophobiaphobia

That dread epithet: "Islamophobic!" It seems nearly every measure is taken to avoid it. Even discussing the obvious, such as "Perhaps Nidal Hasan did what he did because of his Islamic convictions" can land a label of libel for the good-willed.

But, praise God, people are finally catching onto this disease, this politically correctitis leading to paralysis by fear and ultimately terminal niceness. According to Dorothy Rabinowitz, author of an opinion article on the Wall Street Journal:

What is hard to ignore, now, is the growing derangement on all matters involving terrorism and Muslim sensitivities. Its chief symptoms: a palpitating fear of discomfiting facts and a willingness to discard those facts and embrace the richest possible variety of ludicrous theories as to the motives behind an act of Islamic terrorism. All this we have seen before but never in such naked form. The days following the Fort Hood rampage have told us more than we want to know, perhaps, about the depth and reach of this epidemic.

This article is an excellent read. Highly suggested. And, in order to further battle the incidence ratio of this disease, I would like to fully quote Imam Aulaqi, the man who presided over the burial of Major Hasan's mother and who seemingly influenced his theology:

Nidal Hasan is a hero ... Nidal opened fire on soldiers who were on their way to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. How can there be any dispute about the virtue of what he has done? In fact the only way a Muslim could Islamically justify serving as a soldier in the US army is if his intention is to follow the footsteps of men like Nidal.

The heroic act of brother Nidal also shows the dilemma of the Muslim American community. Increasingly they are being cornered into taking stances that would either make them betray Islam or betray their nation. Many amongst them are choosing the former.

The Muslim organisations in America came out in a pitiful chorus condemning Nidal's operation ... The inconsistency of being a Muslim today and living in America and the west in general reveals the wisdom behind the opinions that call for migration from the west. It is becoming more and more difficult to hold on to Islam in an environment that is becoming more hostile towards Muslims.

In light of Major Hasan's use of Allah's name as a battle cry, his inclinations against the US military's involvement abroad, and his clear association with pro-terrorist imams, I'm calling this what it is: Violence in the name of Islam, based off of Islamic doctrine. Take that, Islamophobiaphobia.

Muhammad on Honor Killings

I blocked a comment from our friend Osama Abdallah, but I decided to answer it here because it was actually a reasonable question. (No, I'm serious.)

Osama wanted a Muslim source on honor killings. How about this one:

Sunan Ibn Majah 2540—It was narrated from Ubadah bin Samit that the Messenger of Allah said: “Carry out the legal punishments on relatives and strangers, and do not let the fear of blame stop you from carrying out the command of Allah.”

Here Muslims are told to carry out Islamic punishments against their own families. So if a daughter is behaving immorally, the family is to carry out the punishment. Any questions?

It's strange that a man who said he would skin his own sister alive if she became "loose and flirty" is challenging honor killings.

Honor Killings According to Ali Siddiqui

In the comments section of this post, Muslim Ali Siddiqui suggests that he can’t find any support for honor killings in Muslim sources but yet has no problem trumping up a verse from the Bible that does.

“But as before, there is no such thing as honor killings. Mathew 15:4 doesn't exist in the Quran.”

I submit that this comment from Ali tells us more about Muslims than it does about Christianity:

1) Anyone who can find honor killings in the Bible, even though the practice is unheard of among Christians, can also find support for honor killings in an issue of Popular Mechanics or on a billboard sign advertising Happy Meals at Mcdonald's.

2) Anyone who can’t find support for honor killings in Muslim sources, even though honor killings are widely practiced among Muslims, is either ignorant of the Qur’an and Sunnah, or he/she believes it is appropriate to willfully deceive others about the same.

The following comments from Ali are surely enlightening in this regard:

“We muslims, because we are the most practicing followers of any faith, we take it very seriously. Which is why whenever someone speaks out against islam theres all those riots and that. Since christians dont practice much you dont really see any type of extreme activty.”

Hence, according to Ali, Muslims engage in honor killings, riots and other types of extreme activity because they are the most practicing followers of any faith. So, the question follows: Are Muslims practicing their faith or not when they engage in such activities? If they are not, then it would appear that Muslims are not the most practicing followers of any faith; if they are, then Islam supports honor killings, riots and other types of extreme activity.

Since Ali insists that Muslims are the most practicing followers of any faith, and since this leads to the conclusion that Islam supports honor killings, then Ali is either ignorant and inconsistent with regard to whether or not Islam supports honor killings, or he is simply being deceitful.