Don't mix culture or politics with religion

Submitted by Amro Gaber (United States), Oct 31, 2002 at 23:59

"THE INK OF A SCHOLAR IS MORE SACRED THAN THE BLOOD OF A MARTYR"
-Prophet Muhammad

Many of you brought up important points of how the Arab world must change and many of you stress the fact of the repressive regimes of Islamic nations. But, many of you still need to realize Islam's value of human rights through out history. I bet many of you didn't know:

• That an Israeli Historian once noted that the only nations that ever treated Jews fairly before the formation of Israel were Islamic Spain and the US.
• That during Muslims 700 year rule of Spain from 700AD to 1490AD (A time which most of Christian Europe persecuted all Jews) Muslims, Jews and Christians all lived in peace with equal rights
• That under the Islamic State, Muslims were the only ones who had the Sharia Law imposed on them, not the non-Muslims.
• That when Catholics took over Spain in 1492, through the inquisition and in the name of God they wiped out the Muslim and Jewish population either through genocide or exile. In addition, it was priest and holy figures that committed this atrocity.
• That the Muslim nations welcomed all Jewish exiles and Jewish scholars in the Muslim countries were respected for their intelligence.
• That if it wasn't for the sanctuary that the Muslim nations afford to Jews during the middle ages, the Jewish population may have gone extinct. Especially, because half of all Jews during the Middle Ages lived in Muslim ruled countries.
• That if the Muslims had not protected the Coptic Christians in Egypt from Catholic invaders sent by the Catholic Church to crush what they considered as heretics, the Coptic population may have gone extinct.
• That Caliph Omar who took control of Jerusalem in 7th century AD, issued the first ever constitution, "that all non-Muslims are to be treated equally, and that none of their worship places be defiled or destroyed or transformed into a Mosques."
• That when the Christian Crusaders took over the city of Jerusalem in 1099 they slaughtered over 30,000 Muslims and Jewish occupants of the city, converted Muslim mosques as well as Jewish Temples and Synagogues into Churches.
• That because first four leaders (Caliphates) of Islam were democratically elected rather than leadership being handed down from Prophet Muhammad to his cousin Ali (like monarchy was back then) the Shi's, who favored Ali, seceded from mainstream Islam of Sunni's. So, early Muslims leaders were willing to sacrifice a schism of their religion in order to preserve the value of democracy.

I can go on and on about Islam standing up for human rights in the past. Although, you are right in your points of how oppressive Islamic regimes are now, they were not like this back then. Back then they were the beacons for human rights and even Democracy. This is why you have to get to know both sides of the story before you start judging Islam. If Islam is so wrong and violates human rights why is it the fastest growing religion in the Western world? This not due to immigration but because of conversion. So please do not mix culture or politics with religion of Islam.

Thank you

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