I used to think Islam was a peaceful religion but have come to change my mind. What do you think?

Question

While the majority of Muslims are peaceful, I have come to the conclusion that Islam sanctions violence as evidenced by the jihadists & the failure of Muslims to bring the jihadists to justice. The jihadists cite the Koran as the basis of their violence. The fact that the Koran advocates violence at all seems contrary to the will of God. While other countries allow Muslims to practice their religion, I find it interesting that they do not allow others to practice theirs in Islamic countries. I am sorry to have reached this conclusion because I have always believed in tolerance of others but feel we can no longer afford to trust anyone who is Muslim. After all, you can't judge who is a terrorist or who isn't.

Can anyone give me reason to change my mind?

Answer 1

Madame,
In response to why you should trust any Muslim, given the violence that seems to be sanctioned by Islam, I ask you, do you trust Christians? I feel that I should mention here before I continue that I do trust Christians, because I do not want what I say next to be misinterpreted as anti-Christian, for that is not the spirit in which I ask this question. In the middle ages, many Christian governments and religious movements, such as the orders militant (Teutonic, Templar, Hospitaler) and the Spanish crown (which sanctioned the Inquisition, as well as expulsion of practitioners of non-Christian religions under threat of death) sanctioned violence. Most of these orders cited biblical passages to justify policies that amounted to murder. Should we assume that violence is sanctioned by the Bible? I would argue that we should not. From time to time, ideologies, ideas, and religions, are corrupted and distorted. Often this distortion is used to justify violence. To hold all Muslims accountable for the violent interpretation of their faith by what amounts to a small minority (as you yourself state, the majority is peaceful) would be the same as holding all Christians accountable for the violent interpretation of the Bible that a few of their forebears (and regrettably, a few current adherents) subscribe(d) to. All Germans are not accountable for the Holocaust, all Americans are not accountable for slavery, all Britons are not accountable for the excesses of the empire. We cannot, out of fear of a few, be moved to take action against an entire people. To do so is to sell cheaply the right of an individual to be judged by their actions alone, and not the actions of their family, their peers, or their nation, a right that I would like to think is held dear by free peoples around the world.

Answer 2

Well, I always like to keep a netural view.
There are many examples or people who converted TO Islam after 9/11. And there are many who left it.

But for someone to reach a conclusion based on Jihadists is like reaching the conclusion that Christianity is evil based on the KKK.

Yes, indeed you see images of radical Islamists on tv burning the American flag. But the fact is, the media is BIASED. And I know for a fact that, that where I live, Muslims have held peaceful protests and condemned the fundamentalism.

But did that get on tv? Did that make major headlines? No, not at all. Infact, no one knows about it. Which is why most people assumed that Muslims don't do anything about it.

Also, I think every religion has had their shifty periods. What is important to note is that back in the times of the great Islamic empires, Christians and Jews lived peacefully. More than ever before. Up untill the crusades of course.

But, I can understand how preceptions change. Mine have, but the need for me to stay neutral just keeps bringing me back to see the good in certian things.

**There are many good things about this religion. It was formed to abolish slavery, to bring justice and equality to women. Contrary to the image portrayed. And it is a religion for everyone. Not just for the children of Israel, but for mankind. **

Answer 3

forgive the parody but:

While the majourity of Christians are peaceful, I have come to the conclusion that Christianity sanctions violence as evidenced by the AOG, KKK, etc and the failure of Christians to bring them to justice. These groups cite the bible as the basis of their violence. The fact that the bible advocates violence at all seems contrary to the will of God. While other countries allow Christians to practice their religion, I find it interesting that they do not allow others to practice theirs in christian countries without constant suspicion and mistrust. I am sorry to have reached this conclusion because I have always believed in tolerance of others but feel we can no longer afford to trust anyone who is christian. After all, you can't judge who is a terrorist or who isn't.

Answer 4

You are wrong to relate muslims' deeds with the religion. Have you ever heard before that violence came from Muslims, but why now. In the first place who had started the wars with muslims,
why the choice is always on Islam, the Gulf War had slaughtered how many innocent people, the bombing of Afkanistan, Iran ,Iraq, Bosnia. The tourture and rape on the islamic women, so have you ever commented on this issue , if you were Muslims ,will you just sit around and waiting for the slaughtering. You should hold
the King of All evils responsible for all these. These devil is greedy to find ways and means to upgrade their own country's economy to possess petroleum for their own use from other country.

Answer 5

Well if you go back to the dark ages you would probably feel the same way about Christianity.. The Papacy used the bible to declare war on everyone.. If you didn't believe as they believed then you could convert or face torture and eventual death.. Martin Luther protested this eventually and he was not only stood before council to retract the words he read clearly out of the bible(he was a priest) or face death.. He didn't retract his faith and was killed, cut up into pieces and the ashes were thrown into a stream to(believe it or not) make Resurrection harder.. This began what we now know as the Protestant religion.. Take a look at some of these so called Christians in this forum and you will see some pretty judgmental and overbearing people calling themselves Christians.. Sure there are a lot of religious nuts out there who not only kill the flesh but, more importantly, kill the spirit of curious people seeking the truth.. Don't look at a part and consider the whole is the same way.. God bless you..

Answer 6

I am not a Muslim but I will tell you this: Islam is, above all, practical. The Qur'an is like a handbook for life with tons of example scenarios in it--IF you know how to read it properly. It has guidance for many situations: personal, political, spiritual, financial, AND military.

As far as military scenarios, it tells what to do if your sworn enemies are intent on killing you, as well as what to do if they want to make peace with you. There are plenty of other scenarios.

The problem is non-Muslims/non-Arabs aren't familiar enough with the early history of Islam to know exactly what was going on at the time the Qur'an was written. You absolutely MUST read the entire Qur'an AND know the context of the verses... what was going on at the time each chapter was written? The Qur'an covers many battles and each one was different. You can't take one verse and apply it to every situation.

That is what terrorists are doing. And they are wrong to knowingly do so.

It is unfortunate that moderate/peaceful Muslims are not being heard. They should be screaming and shouting and maybe they aren't. But part of it is that moderate Muslims don't make good news and don't feed the war machine. This is, in a way, a war of ideals... East vs. West, etc. If moderate Muslims get equal time, the war of ideals goes away. The west very badly to keep fighting until it wins this thing. CNN doesn't really want moderate voices heard either. It doesn't pay.

My Faith has taught me that the world is looking in the wrong place for an answer to this conflict. Until we all figure it out, the bloodshed and war will continue.

The Baha'i Faith puts all of today's events in their proper context.

http://www.bahai.org

Answer 7

I think you have come to the correct conclusion, even if it is an unpleasant reality. As for Muslims pulling out the Crusades out of their hat all the time, the fact is the first Crusade was announced in 1095 by Pope Urban II to protect Christians from Muslim violence and expansion, this after the church of the Holy Sepulchre had already been destroyed by Muslims in Jerusalem in 1009. Christians are right to offer apologies for what some of their ancestors did but do you find any Muslim apologizing for anything they did to a non-Muslim ?
Before the Crusades began in 1095, North Africa which was Christian was conquered in 642 AD along with Jerusalem a few years after the death of Mohammad and so was the Byzantine Empire and surprise Spain in 711 AD which stayed in Muslim rule for 7 centuries till the 15th century ! So what about the Crusades ?
Muslims have also shamelessly appropriated as mosques several non-Muslim important houses of worship - the Temple Mount on which the Jewish Temple of Solomon was built, the holy birthplace of the chief Hindu god and the Hagia Sophia once the most important church of the Byzantine empire.
The fact is that Muslims preach peace only if you are a Muslim and if you are a non-Muslim it is only a pretence at peace according to their own scripture. As you can see in the real world, this is exactly the case. They are also allowed to lie by Mohammad as long as it will acheive their aims. Unfortunately for them a license to commit violence against the non-Muslim also is extended to commit violence against heretical Muslims when they feel like it, which leaves them killing each other when there is no non-Muslim around to fight in the cause of allah. Its what one might call divine judgement.
Less than 4 years after Mohammad died, Muslims were already committing newer forms of aggression and violence in areas far further than Mecca. Medina, etc in order to advance his political philosophy.

Answer 8

Can you call Christianity a failed religion because of the Crusades, or Hitler (a devout Christian who even wrote his own version of the New Testament) or the KKK? No, you can't. you can't judge a large (hundreds of millions of people are Muslim) group based on some small extremist sects it might have. Muslim countries are actually a little further behind in toleration, but only because they are so devout and homogenous religiously(Think the U.S. would be as tolerant as it is if almost everyone was Catholic or any other one denomination). If you think Osama or one of his buddies might be coming for you, think first of the Timothy McVeigh's, the Ted Kazcynski's, and the John Wayne Gacy Jr.'s of the world. The only reason they aren't a threat, however, is because they aren't misfortunate enough to be sitting on billions of dollars of oil. Most Muslims are great, and for the one-tenth of one percent who are terrorists - you have a much greater chance of dying in a car crash than ever dying in a terrorist attack at their hands.

Answer 9

Islam doesnot sanction violence...the fight is permitted in Islam..let me give you an example...what if some one breaks into someones house and tries to rape her five year old daughter..what in your opinion should he do...well should he tell him "dear sir when you are done my five year old i have one six year old for your service too"...no he should not do that instead he should do some thing to this person that he will never ever think about trying a thing like that again...this is permitted in Islam...the suicide bombings that kill thousands of innocent people
have nothing to do with Islam..and for you information other religions are freely practiced in Muslim countries.you should go visit Malaysia.Pakistan ,Turkey and any other Muslim countries..you will see for yourself...Islam is peace..and will always be ..peace be upon you(salam).

Answer 10

Christians killed millions in the name of god. They would go into cities in the Mideast during the crusades and kill every living person in that city, Man, women, children, Jews, Christians of other churches. When they took Jerusalem they wipe out most of the people in the city. When the Muslims took it back they let most of the Christians go. To be truthful with you as a Pagan I do not trust Christian, Muslims or Jews they all have killed us.
To the guy who said no other religion use their holy book as a excuse for violence you just have your head in the sand