The Original Muslims

Submitted by Jonathan Silverman (United States), Aug 13, 2002 at 19:29

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/440#comment

Dear Mr. Pipes: Just a note. I was fascinated by the way you publicized the American public's comments and responses to your article "The Evil Isn't Islam", in today's article "Islam's Future". I also salute you for stressing that there ought to be a push to help Muslims "adapt to modern mores" as you say. There is humanity and vision in that outlook, which I don't believe most scholars on this subject share.

However, there's one point about the origins of Islam you didn't mention in "Islam's Future", which leaped out at me after reading the first 100 pages of the Cambridge History Of Islam a few months ago.

From what I read, the events that seem to have carried the greatest significance (and which were most fun) for the prophet Muhammad and his immediate circle, were ambushes and robberies of the camel caravans of rival clans.

In other words, the original Muslims were highwaymen – lusting for spoils and plunder, like pirates....

So how do we uproot that murderous mentality, if not tear it out at the root?

Sincerely,

Jonathan Silverman

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