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To Aamir Ali: Unravelling the DNA of IslamReader comment on item: Ban Islam? Submitted by Plato (India), Aug 31, 2007 at 07:36 Yes religion is a disease that needs to be cured >>Unfortunately whenever the cause of a disease is misread it aggravates patient's condition and result in death...We all share our dreams in the world and have to listen to each other to find an acceptable solution to our problems. Pointing fingers on each other without analyzing true facts will result in more clashes of civilizations.<< Islam is merely a very virulent form of a mental disease called religion. At present the world, including some Muslims, is engaged in understanding its DNA. It is a slow and painful process. But what the analysis is revealing is that the genes of this bacteria contain instructions to make its victims violent and hateful of those who are free of the disease or have a less virulent variant of itself. Here are just a few of those instructions to be found in Islam's genes: 9.111 Yusuf Ali: Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme. 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, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. 61:9 It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, that he may proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it). Such instructions are scattered around in the genome of Islam. It is for Muslims and others to find the vaccines or mental molecules necessary to counter them. >>There are lots of misunderstanding against Islam which I want to clarify….<< You must first clear the ‘misunderstanding' of the instructions/advice contained in the verses I have quoted. >>Banning Islam is no solution to the problem world is facing. The world is hostage of some foolish minds who want to rule them with the help of media and unacceptable ideas. We being Muslims are also facing difficulties by those who mislead Muslims by wrong interpretation of Quran. << Merely making a statement that Muslims are being mislead by the wrong interpretations of the Koran (by Muslims themselves) is not good enough. Please explain how verses like 9:111 can be misinterpreted. >>The fact is that the actual script in Arabic is so secure that no one dare to alter a single letter of it.'<< You must realize, Amir Ali, that even if you cannot alter a single letter of the Koran, which can be easily shown to be untrue, what is really critical is that the sense or interpretation of the Koran can be easily manipulated and that is what is important. Instead of giving us a Koran with an unalterable alphabets (patently untrue. Just take a pen and write a Koranic verse with some different words or letters in it, lightning will not strike you) He should have ensured that its meaning is unalterable. Since as you yourself have shown its meaning is easily manipulated by unscrupulous followers, the Koran as a guide to human affairs is unreliable. How can anyone, especially in non-Arabic speaking regions, ever be sure that they have understood the meaning of the Koran? >>The safety of the actual Quran is the responsibility of Allah (swt) who himself has assured muslims in Quran that this will never happened. This is the reason why people sort different meanings of the script and there are numerous version of translations and those cannot be considered as actual Quran.<< You claim that it is Allah's responsibility to ensure the safety of the Koran. The safety of the Koran lies in its meaning not changing over time or due to interpretations NOT in preserving every letter of it. In this sense Allah has failed miserably considering the numerous interpretations and translations of His word. Preserving the script or words intact is no big deal. Modern technology easily allows for it. You must also remember that diacritical marks were put in later into the Koran. So even the script of the Koran changed after its first publication by Caliph Othman. >>At present there are numbers of sects claiming to be Muslims are preaching concepts which directly contradict with the teachings of Islam. << Every sect claims its preaching is true. Who decides which one is true. What you preach will be violently opposed by other sects (Shia, sunni, Ahmadiya…. This in itself is clear proof that the Koran is an unclear text which different sects interpret differently and justifiably since the Koranic language lends itself to different meanings. The sects that oppose your preaching will show you with quotations from the Koran that you are contradicting the Koran. >>Since general muslims donot read Quran with meanings they are misguided and fall in the hands of such criminals. The soft targets for such sects are those who are poor and illiterate.<< Do not blame the ‘general Muslims'for misunderstanding the Koran. It is the Koran that is to be blamed since Allah gave them a scripture whose meaning can be so easily changed from time to time and from preacher to preacher. Whose meaning should the poor ‘general Muslim' accept, yours or the opposing sects? >>Quran is actually a way of life which try to convince its readers that all religions in the world are either invented by human beings or altered versions of the actual religion sent by Allah swt. << This statement of yours is by itself a big part of the problem with Islam. It has arrogated to itself the title of the ‘only true religion' on earth. Only the Muslims submit to this arrogant belief. Since all other religions are false by this claim followers of other faiths are by definition defying or in Muslim minds denying the truth of the Koran, a heinous crime. This belief makes it easy for Muslims to misbehave with other faiths as the disbelievers are destined to be fuel for their deity's fire. >>Those who accept the true religion explained in Quran are muslims and those who donot are Kafirs (deniers).<< How can the ‘general Muslim' know whether the Islam he is following is the true one or not as even scholars have given so many different meanings to the verses of the Koran? What is explained in the Koran means different things to different people. The fault lies in the Koran not in its readers for as the Koran itself says it abrogates some of its own verses and replaces them with better ones. And none of the scholars are in agreement as to which have been abrogated. 002.106 YUSUFALI: None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things? (This a silly thing for Allah to claim. He is abrogating his own immutable words!) The Koran also says that some of its verses are allegorical and only Allah knows their meaning without indicating which they are. 003.007 YUSUFALI: He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah……. Again how can the poor Muslim reader know whether he is trying to understand the meaning of something that only Allah knows? Which means that those who think they are Muslims may actually be kafirs in Allah's eyes. >>There is no verse demanding massacre of non believers<< Says who? Read the following verse where the prophet is told it is not fitting to take captives (context the skirmish at Badr) rather he should slaughter his enemies before taking prisoners as the translation by Pickthal makes clear and also respected Muslim commentators. Yusuf Ali has deliberately mistranslated. 008.067 YUSUFALI: It is not fitting for a prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he hath thoroughly subdued the land. Ye look for the temporal goods of this world; but Allah looketh to the Hereafter: And Allah is Exalted in might, Wise. PICKTHAL: It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah desireth (for you) the Hereafter, and Allah is Mighty, Wise. (The lure of this world Allah is talking about is the ransom that will be received if prisoners are taken and ransomed.) 009.029 YUSUFALI: 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, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. >>In fact the Quran says that if you capture a non believer tell him about your religion so that he can embrace islam too or at least tell his community about it.<< The verse you are referring to (9:6) is about any unbeliever who comes over to your side when you are fighting them. The Muslims are expected to give them protection, preach Islam to them and take them to a safe place. This is what will have to be done as he will be killed as a traitor if the opposing side gets hold of him. This is not about being good to non-believers. Muslims would also kill anyone who abandons their co-believers in a fight. In fact Muslims even kill people who abandon Islam in peace time. >>At present the west is afraid of Quran because there are some undeniable facts which they are hiding from their people.<< It is not the West which is hiding undeniable facts from the Koran but Muslims who want to hide the truth of what it says. If you had neighbours whose belief was that one way to guarantee entrance into paradise was to fight and kill Muslims or be killed trying, would you not be afraid, Mr. Amir Ali? So for sure the West is afraid of the teachings of the Koran for it says: 009.111 YUSUFALI: Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme. >>Allah is real God says Quran and all others are invented ones. Quran clearly indicates that all that is around us is created by Allah and no one is his son or daughter or otherwise. All prophets were his messengers and all brought same teachings which were misunderstood due to miracles provided to them.<< Why do you separate the Koran and Allah. The Koran is Allah speaking. What you are really saying is that Allah Himself claims that all other Gods are invented ones. If another God pops up in another person's mind and says He is the real God, then what? You have only Allah's word as claimed by a human who said something called an angel told him that what he was preaching was really the god Allah's words. What proof did Mohammed give for claiming that Gabriel communicated with him? >>Due to absence of true Islamic state there is no one restricted incorrect translation or ban literature that is against its teaching.<< Who can decide what is a true Islamic state? Mullah Omar, Bin Laden, Sheikh Qaradawi, you? You seem to be demanding that what you believe are incorrect translations of the Koran be banned or ban literature that is against the teachings of the Koran. This means you are calling for banning books on the Buddha, the Hindu holy scriptures or even the bible and torah like the Saudis. >> Everyone seems to be writing something about Quran and every one try to become religious leader with no control from any authority.<< Who do you suggest for this authority. Will the Shias and Sunnis be able to agree on this authority. Why should not people write what they want about the Koran like people write what they like about the bible, the Vedas, zend avesta etc. >>In countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and African nations there is a huge population living below poverty line which are attracted by these wrong doers who misuse them for their own reasons. With the proper education and decreased poverty rate these element will no longer be able to hijack Islam.<< Have you thought why people who live below the poverty line are attracted to wrong interpretations of the Koran? It is also a fact that people in most Islamic countries are very poor. It follows, by your logic,that poverty leads to a wrong reading and understanding of the Koran. You have a kind of vicious circle here. To get a correct understanding of Islam you need to be rich and to be rich you must be non-Islamic. >>This is a true fact that West is afraid of true Islam but the false version of Islam is damaging than the true one. I think West should encourage those groups which are educated and decent with larger percentage of decent followers. Banning Quran in west will give another issue to terrorists like Al-Qaida who will propagate bad image of west and prepare more suicide bombers.<< True Islam is found in the Koran and it has verses like 9:111 where Allah gives a contract to Muslims to kill or be killed in His cause and guarantee themselves a place in paradise. Al Qaeda followers are just assuring themselves of a glorious future near Allah. Yes it is a true fact that the West is scared silly of Muslims. Can you blame the West?? You refer to decent educated Muslims. Do you as a decent muslims accept verse 9:111 and all that it implies? >>Please try to make friend not enemies…<< But the Koran tells Muslims that Christians and Jews are only friends of each other. Friendship cannot be a one way street. So when you as a Muslim read the All-Wise tell you who you can have as friends can you take unbelievers to be your friends? 005.051 YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust. 003.028 : Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. 009.028 : O ye who believe! Truly the Pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear poverty, soon will Allah enrich you, if He wills, out of His bounty, for Allah is All-knowing, All-wise. Amir Ali, if you befriend Jews and Christians Allah will not guide you (5:51). If you take any unbeliever for a friend Allah will not help you (3:28). Pagans are unclean so how can you be near one (9:28)? ALLAH HAS CLOSED ALL DOORS OF FRIENDSHIP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD FOR MUSLIMS. NON-MUSLIMS ARE WILLING TO STRETCH OUT THEIR HAND IN FRIENDSHIP. BUT WILL MUSLIMS GRASP IT. AND IF THEY DO HOW CAN THE WEST BE SURE THEY ARE SINCERE CONSIDERING WHAT VERSES 5:51, 3:28 AND 9:28 TELL MUSLIMS?? Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments". << Previous Comment Next Comment >> Reader comments (1111) on this item
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