I think Mr. Pipes is somewhat off about why Islam was adopted by so many.

Submitted by JB (Canada), May 17, 2013 at 01:45

Islam is a very tough discipline, and people do not take such things up because it's winning adherents. That begs the question. It won adherents because it believed in using force to effect compliance. Today it gets new support from prisoners or the disadvantaged, because it has wealth and a vast propaganda system. These gains are not major in extent, but increasing.

Historically it was not moral suasion that caused "submission". It was the sword. All Muslims know this, although they also believe that they have other convincing arguments, but wherever they can they believe in the use of force. If they could not, they were peaceful Muslims. The Islamists believe they can. They believe they have the power. What gives them this belief I leave up to the reader to interpret, but one of those things is that they have been getting away with a lot, because liberal thinkers and universalists have allowed them to do so. Unless those Islamists are persuaded that they cannot win, they would surely feel remiss if they would not try. To persuade them that Islam cannot win today by force is the job of all decent people, including those Muslims that functionally do not believe it. Unless aggressive action is taken, coupled with conciliation for those who reluctantly accept that "Submission" is not to be imposed on the world and that other methods are preferable. The truth is that I do not believe that this can happen, the extremists will continue, and Islam is heading for a fall.

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