status of converted muslim to christian

Submitted by Indonesian Moslem (Indonesia), Nov 6, 2008 at 01:10

The Coment from "american muslim" is right: Islam doesn't compel people to be moslem. In fact, it's a must for all moslems to build good relationship, do business, and give mutual-proctection with non-moslems. This is stated in Qor'an.

Indeed, there are extrimists who translate Qor'an in their own ways, who recklessly practice justified killing (killing for certain conditions is indeed justified in islam, we have to admit), My explanation might give you a picture: Islam classifies kafeers into two: kafeer zimmee and kafir harbee. Kafeer zimmee are all ordinary non-moslems in general in the normal situation (not offensive non-moslem combatants and not in the war). The second is kafeer harbee. Kafeer harbees are kafeers who are deliberately offensive to moslems and wage a war against islam.

The ways moslems have to interact with kafeer zimmi is ruled in qor'an as follows: moslems must build good communication/interaction, must give mutual-protection, must not take their belongings, non-moslems have the right to practice their beleifs, and taking their blood is haram (forbidden). It was practiced quite explicitly in islamic lands by khalifahs long ago. That explains why non-moslems survived and their offsprings could flourish in peace despite islamic absolute power and rulings on the lands. No acquisition, no extermination ever took place on islamic lands simply because islam strictly forbid that. So, in short, islam considers kafeer zimnees as "partners in life" on this earth - not enemies - despite one's conversion to non-islam.

As for kafeer harbi or those who deliberately attack islam and exterminate moslems, islam have a totally different attitude. Unlike christianity, Islam obligates its followers to fight equally to an offensive attack. So, moslems are allowed to kill and defend themselves in the war. Hostile combatants are halal (allowed) to be killed and acts of cowardice are disgraced. And sacraficing their own life to defend existence of islam and their belonging in that situation is justified. This is recognized as jihad or in English martyrdom. As for opponent civilians, they must remain protected as long as they don't turn offensive.

The problem in todays' islam is the multi-interpretation of kafeer harbee. Many moslems who live in distressful areas like war zones, overwhelmed with anger, oftentimes consider all non-moslems coming from unfriendly countries, irrespective of their non-combatant status, as endangering the existence of moslems and islams and their belongings. Of course, to many people including the majority of islam, this is very irrational. Besides those warmongers, there are still many people in any country in the world who still love peace, hate war, and respect other people's belongings. I, and the majority of moslems, beleive that.

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