Maybe you hope too much?

Submitted by William Epperly (United States), Jul 31, 2002 at 17:05

Dear Daniel,

I have read many of your writings on the subject of Islamic terrorism, the Isreali/Palestinian conflict, etc. I've always felt that you had a pretty good handle on the situation, and that you are very good at getting your message across. I saw you once on the T.V. news (think it was Fox News, but not sure) and I was rather impressed with the ideas you put forth, as well as the fashion in which you expressed yourself. However, I believe that maybe your hope is overshadowing your understanding of the truth in your article entitled "The Evil Isn't Islam".

You cite the Koranic verse, "There must be no coercion in matters of faith! (2:256)", in such a way that it would lead one to believe that this is in reference to forced conversion from other faiths. This could be no further from the truth. What is being said here is that there can be no coercion on matters of intra-faith doctrine. I.e. one mullah cannot force his interpretation upon another mullah. On the other hand, we have centuries of explicit example recorded in history of forced conversions by Muslims against Christians, Jews and Hindus. So, either I'm reading your intent wrong, here, or I'm reading your intent correctly and you are either purposefully or inadvertently leading your readers down the wrong path. I'd be more inclined to believe that you would not do so of a purpose, but I also know that you are well schooled in this subject.

In your paragraph re: "Mild Muslims", you quote the Mark R. Cohen stating, "The Jews of Islam, especially during the formative and classical centuries (up to the 13th century), experienced much less persecution than did the Jews of Christendom." This may be so, but isn't a little bit of murder just as deadly as to the recipient as a whole lot of murder? Jews in Islamic countries were dhimmi. Second class citizens without the right to own property, hold office in government and forbidden a treasure trove of "rights" that were bestowed on even the lowliest of Muslim beggars. That they weren't treated as badly as in Christian Europe is not to say that they weren't treated badly. And, there are many points on which to debate as to which region actually was more hostile to the Jews.

What one must realize from the history of Islam, from it's founding to the present, is that the religion is based on war, conquest, and forced conversion. The peace of Islam can only come when the entire world is of the Muslim faith. Until that time, there are three partitions to the world, in the Muslim mind. That which is ruled by Islam, that which was ruled by Islam (and must be again), and the rest of the world that must be converted (at the point of the sword, if necessary). I had thought you had the tone of this, and I still think that underneath it all you do understand this, but your hope for a better Islam is getting in the way. I would dearly love to see such myself, but the religion would have to change too radically and the people of Islam are way to conservative in their religious views for this to happen anytime soon.

Thanks for your time,
William Epperly

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