It would be nice...

Submitted by Denis MacEoin (United Kingdom), May 8, 2006 at 17:36

It would be nice if Mr Katzav's well-intended remarks were, in fact, true; but they are just another case of an uninformed non-Muslim idealizing Islam. Bloodshed is a core feature of the Qur'an, and the fighting of wars, like the assassination of opponents, is a mainspring of the Prophet's life. It is a simple matter of a published text in one case, and of history as recorded by Muislim historians or set down in the books of Hadith in the other. Bravmann's study of the origins of Islam emphasizes the meaning of Islam as 'submission', from the verb aslama.

There really is little point in addressing Muslim leaders and telling them what they know to be false, that Islam does not counsel the shedding of the blood of non-believers until the earth belongs to God alone. Instead, Mr Katsav needs to identify and work with the small band of Muslim reformers who are trying ways out of this and other dilemmas. Islam is unique in its refusal to co-exist with other religions, and no amount of pretending otherwise will change things. We need to finance, succour, host, and, above all, protect reformers and provide the means of spreading their ideas through books, articles, videos, and whatever other means we can provide them with.

A few million pounds a year towards Ilamic reform might prove a wise investment, not just for Israel, but for the entire Western world. After all, the Saudis have been spending billions over decades to spread Wahhabi/Salafi through the world, while we have been sitting, engaging in 'dialogue' and inter-faith debate with people who couldn't care less what we say or think.

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