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"moderate" Islam vs AlQaeda - who has the bigger delta vs. historical Islam?

Reader comment on item: More on the Term "Islamic Fascists"
in response to reader comment: What is the historical thrust of Islam? Is that a benchmark to determine what is "normative" for Islam?

Submitted by Stephen (United States), Aug 20, 2006 at 14:04

Dear Daniel:

Thanks for the link to the book. In your review, you state:

"During his years in power, the prophet engaged in an average of nine military campaigns a year, or one every five to six weeks; thus did jihad help define Islam from its very dawn. Conquering and humiliating non-Muslims was a main feature of the prophet's jihad."

Do not this and other such statements, even in your review, support the notion of an instrinsic hostile thrust of Islam, at least historically? And while we all hope for a moderate version of Islam to become and remain ascendant, does not this hoped for version constitute a more radical change of Islam vis a vis its historical impact than does AlQaeda?

If yes, the sooner we address it, the better, if only to understand terms and definitions. Take "peace", for example, which it seems is not understood the same way. Peace to a westerner means "the absense of war" or "the cessation of hostilities." If I understand Islamic writers correctly, peace in Islam means "that which exists in the dar al Islam, in the lands under Islamic rule." Hence, to achieve peace, all lands must be in the dar al Islam, and anything which advances this goal, in particular jihad, is an exercise in peace.

Stephen Keeler

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

Islam has historically been an imperialistic religion. My argument is that what Islam has been need not define what it will be. Religions and cultures change.

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Reader comments (35) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Islamo-fascists and the duck! [37 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 16, 2015 16:54221110
Islam is a Misnomer [202 words]Tariq BeyFeb 25, 2015 17:18221110
2Another needy Muslim [1073 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 26, 2015 08:00221110
Islamofascist; what a bunch of tripe [86 words]R.J. ConnorsApr 8, 2008 20:54125121
Islamic Fascism [351 words]E. David LitvakNov 1, 2006 22:3765043
For Dr. Pipes: It seems that there is a madrassa in Queens, NY [234 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
dhimmi no moreAug 21, 2006 06:5853589
The term 'fascist' correctly applied to Bush is co-opted [61 words]LeeAug 19, 2006 18:4153478
Not politically correct. [156 words]Robert LynnAug 18, 2006 05:1553326
When asked why are all the terrorists Muslims [84 words]John PhilipsAug 18, 2006 01:0953307
Islamic Fascism Is An Oxymoron: It's Like A Yellow Blackboard! [586 words]Allan E. MallenbaumAug 17, 2006 20:0053281
It is Fascism in deed if not form [162 words]TiberusAug 18, 2006 22:3453281
You know a great deal, but are still wrong [186 words]AyanAug 19, 2006 16:5553281
"FASCISM" BY MUSLIMS IS DIFFERENT FROM FASCISM BY CHRISTIANS [110 words]Allan E. MallenbaumAug 20, 2006 18:0653281
Thanks for the lesson re: Fascism [66 words]InfidelAug 21, 2006 01:0153281
What matters is what they do, not what they say [496 words]Edward ChristieSep 1, 2006 22:2753281
SAME PAGE [64 words]Allan E. MallenbaumSep 2, 2006 20:2353281
on target... [67 words]donvanMay 28, 2008 11:1053281
Tautology, not oxymoron [19 words]SteveNov 27, 2008 23:2253281
Rebuttal: Tautology, Not Oxymoron [42 words]AllanNov 28, 2008 21:4653281
What to Call Them [114 words]Marc MayersonAug 17, 2006 16:5453259
I like the title "Islamists" too but it is too nice. [227 words]TiberiusAug 17, 2006 16:1353253
Islamic Socialism. [1659 words]RalphAug 16, 2006 20:4853145
Perhaps Islamic Supremacist is a better term? [159 words]K GreenAug 16, 2006 11:5453057
Islamofascists [51 words]YolandaAug 15, 2006 04:0352876
Really? [257 words]PCMadnessAug 15, 2006 23:0452876
Yolanda (rabina yukhaliha) and the kettle and the pot old cliche! [113 words]dhimmi no moreAug 30, 2006 13:1752876
Warped Logic [169 words]YolandaAug 31, 2006 13:3552876
Bush and his lack of respect for other cultures [89 words]YolandaAug 31, 2006 13:4352876
For Yolanda (rabina Yukhaliha) And more about the kettle and the pot [100 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2006 19:1652876
For Yolanda (rabina Yukhaliha) And is islam a culture?part deux [4 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2006 19:1752876
For Yolanda (rabina Yukhaliha) al-faylasoofa al-kabeera and Mr. Occam! [307 words]dhimmi no moreSep 1, 2006 07:1552876
Tyranny [73 words]YolandaSep 2, 2006 02:4052876
What is the historical thrust of Islam? Is that a benchmark to determine what is "normative" for Islam? [55 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
StephenAug 14, 2006 22:2652843
Benchmarks [365 words]Keith R. SnyderAug 18, 2006 20:2952843
"moderate" Islam vs AlQaeda - who has the bigger delta vs. historical Islam? [218 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
StephenAug 20, 2006 14:0452843

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