Thinking about that word "Infidel"

Submitted by Ron Thompson (United States), Apr 25, 2013 at 18:41

I'm not as pessimistic as Jerome - I think enough of us will wake up in time, and that the leaders needed will emerge - but I agree with his picture of things as of now. I just read that there are 85 Sharia courts functioning in England. Even if their decisions are not accorded recognition in English Law (yet), in practice, Muslims and others are abiding by their decisions, including Muslim women even though they have the most to lose and whose status in these courts is in fundamental contradiction with English Law and Western values.

The word "Infidel", i.e. how every good Muslim regards all non-Muslims is not, I think, fully understood. Which is that every non-Muslim is showing infidelity, or unfaithfulness to Islam and its God, and its prophet, if they are not affirmatively professing the faith, and simply want nothing to do with it. It also means that even if the non-Muslim wants, eagerly and conscientiously, to show him or herself as a paragon of toleration for Islam....... they are still Infidels in the eyes of all good, pious, devout Muslims.

This definition has nothing to do with the Western understanding of what it means to be unfaithful, to break your word with regard to something – a contract, a marriage, a personal promise – that is, something you knew you were entering into!

I therefore wonder how many people realize that it's nowhere near enough to be live-and-let-live indifferent to Islam, or to actively, generously express tolerance toward the religion, and dutifully attend 'Interfaith' conferences. In the eyes of its most devout true believers, they are still infidels, and therefore by definition hostile to Islam.

No wonder these adherents keep insisting Islam is under attack.

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