should islam ban forced conversions?

Question

islam has always practiced forced conversions and still does today.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=MUSLIM+FORCED+CONVERT
http://www.yahoodi.com/peace/apostacy.html
ABDUCTING&CONVERTING COPTIC GIRLS
http://fjordman.blogspot.com/2005/10/pakistan-16-muslims-reportedly-rape.html
http://fjordman.blogspot.com/2005/07/norwegian-government-covering-up.html
Persecution of Christians: When Will the World Notice?
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=16274
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=584
16 Muslims reportedly rape Christian girl
http://fjordman.blogspot.com/2005/10/pakistan-16-muslims-reportedly-rape.html
Indonesian Christians Forced to Convert to Islam or Die!
http://www.barnabasfund.org/News/Archive/Indonesia/press_release_20001215.htm
http://www.worthynews.com/news-features/indonesia-ethnic-cleansing-8.html
Forced conversion to Islam fatal for Christian boy
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=763

Answer 1

Last year in the Chicago Tribune, I read the most ridiculous article written by an Islamic scholar who was trying to defend Islam. Regarding the death penalty for not accepting Islam, he came up with the most absurd defense of his religion: he said that even though the Koran proposes death for people who refuse to convert, a person might relent right at the end of his life and accept Allah. Therefore, he should not be killed.

This "tortuous" logic goes so far out on a limb. I don't know how he had the nerve to even try to defend Islamic savagry.

Answer 2

YES

Maluku Is. forced conversions 2 Islam!!
http://www.cirp.org/news/morningherald01-27-01/

SUDAN In late October, there was a case involving the alleged abduction and forced conversion to Islam of a Coptic Christian woman in Omdurman.
http://www.house.gov/pitts/initiatives/humanrights/hr-rp-sudan.htm

Nigeria Christian Students "Forced" To Convert To Islam
http://www.worthynews.com/christian-persecution/nigeria-forced-islam.html
http://guyanafriends.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/330607972/m/10810364821/r/94610247821

Orang Asli cry foul over ‘forced’ conversion
http://www.suaram.net/display_article.asp?ID=189

UK
Young offenders 'are being forced to convert to Islam'
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=116535
http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/755
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article326325.ece

Iranian convert to Christianity escapes death sentence for apostasy - forced to 'reconvert' to Islam - remains jailed
http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/689

A report from Irfan Hussain ('Conversion Losses') in The Dawn http://www.dawn.com/weekly/mazdak/mazdak.htm relates the sad story of a Hindu couple in Karachi, whose three daughters, Reena (21), Usha (19) and Rima (17), vanished without a trace on October 18th.

Answer 3

well if you look at it this way islam is not the only religion which forces or has forced people to convert hell christianity is just a perfect example of forced conversions and when people didn't convert back in the middle ages they were dubbed as heretics and killed and witches were burned at the stakes

Answer 4

Of course.Muslims who do these kinds of things should stop immediately.
We should build a world where all people are free to choose their own religion or even no religion at all.Only meaningful religious beliefs are the ones that come from free choice anyway.

Answer 5

Christianity certainly didn't ban forced conversions before and during the Middle Ages. Why should Islam be required to ban forced conversions?

Answer 6

It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.


1. Islam means peace.


Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).


2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.


Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.


3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.


The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (Page 8):

"History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."


4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.


Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.


5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.


Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.


6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.


The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.


7. Indonesia and Malaysia.


Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"


8. East Coast of Africa.


Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, "Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"


9. Thomas Carlyle.


The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."


10. No compulsion in religion.


With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Qur’an says in the following verse:

"Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error"
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]


11. Sword of the Intellect.


It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qur’an says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125:

"Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord
with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious."
[Al-Qur’an 16:125]


12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.


An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?


13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.


Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?


14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.


Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, "People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born".

Answer 7

But then, the ones who think it should continue would consider more modern thinkers "infidels".

Answer 8

yes!!!!!!!