comments on Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

posted by Vince Lombardo, July 5, 2009:

This is regarding the question whether Islam is a religion of peace when it is apparently much more a religion (and a political ideology) that promotes war.

The simple response is: “Why can it not be both? Why can Islam not be both a religion of peace and a religion of jihad/war?”

Exposition: It occurred to me after writing regarding Islam’s more than three dozen dualisms that demonstrate Islam's extremely negative vision of non-Muslims, that the Warlike/Peacelike appearances of Islam are merely two sides of the same fundamental of Islamic faith (usul ud deen). I referred to this in my previous posting on the absence of the Golden Rule in Islam.

The third (of three) great fundamental belief of Islam is Jihad & Hijrah (struggle against the infidels and strategic retreat). This belief, like all the others, is dualistic, but the two parts are dual phases of the same process of world conquest.

The explanation goes like this:

1) there is always Jihad as long as there is one infidel until the Day of Judgment;

2) Jihad may take an active, intense form or a passive and quiet form;

3) Active Jihad is expansionistic, military jihad of geographic conquest at a time when Muslims are possessed of superior force, numbers and weaponry;

4) Passive jihad takes place when Muslims are weak in military might and weaponry;

5) When Muslims gain the necessary strength to recommence active jihad, they have a duty to do so according to Islamic theology.

At present in 2009, Muslims have not the might necessary to begin a world jihad against the super powers.

Conclusion: Islam only appears to be peaceful during the times of passive jihad when it is preparing for war. It is peaceful by comparison with active jihad in the same way as “The Cold War” between the West and the USSR was not a shooting war, but a war of nerves and a struggle to top the other side in troops and weapons.

Islam is always at war with

1) infidels who disagree with Mohammed;

2) "idolatry" (non-Islamic theology);

3) apostasy and deviations of Muslims who do not believe all the articles of faith required of Muslims (picking and choosing which parts they observe).

Islam only appears to be at peace in times of Islamic weakness. These periods of apparent peace are merely rest periods leading to the times of active jihad/warfare.

Islam is presently at war with everything that is non-Islamic, including the people of unbelief, the party of Satan, the filthy kufaar (those who hide and intentionally “cover” the truth of Islam).

****

Islam is a religion of peace for those who submit to Islamic political supremacy:

Ishaq: 587 "Our onslaught will not be a weak faltering affair. We shall fight as long as we live. We will fight until you turn to Islam, humbly seeking refuge. We will fight not caring whom we meet. We will fight whether we destroy ancient holdings or newly gotten gains. We have mutilated every opponent. We have driven them violently before us at the command of Allah and Islam. We will fight until our religion is established. And we will plunder them, for they must suffer disgrace."

Ishaq:324 "He (Mohammed) said, 'Fight them so that there is no more rebellion, and religion, all of it, is for Allah only. Allah must have no rivals.'"

The above quotes explain the orthodox Islamic point of view on the subject of whether Islam is a religion of peace or not.

****

The following is from one the most popular preachers on the Islamic satellite channels, Dr. Zakir Naik, M.D.

This is from irf.net, the official site of Dr. Zakir Naik. This is what he teaches to his students:

5. Every Muslim should be a terrorist. Every Muslim should be a terrorist. A terrorist is a person who causes terror. The moment a robber sees a policeman he is terrified. A policeman is a terrorist for the robber. Similarly every Muslim should be a terrorist for the antisocial elements of society, such as thieves, dacoits and rapists. Whenever such an anti-social element sees a Muslim, he should be terrified. It is true that the word 'terrorist' is generally used for a person who causes terror among the common people. But a true Muslim should only be a terrorist to selective people i.e. anti-social elements, and not to the common innocent people. In fact a Muslim should be a source of peace for innocent people.

Dr. Naik perfectly illustrates dualistic al-Walaa wal-Baraa and the fact that Islam is dualistically both a religion of war (against those that resist Islam) and a religion of peace (for those who do not contest the political supremacism of Islam).

P.S. Because Islam is dualistic, all answers to Islamic questions are lengthy.

Elsa's reply, July 17, 2009:

Thank you, Vince, for all the detailed information you present. The Islamic peace you present is far from the Western notion - where peace means that all people are safe.

I have a comment and a question:

The comment: I've had links to similar quotes for over a year. If they were inaccurate, I expected them to be refuted.

The question: why is all this not widely known in the West? Why instead do I keep hearing, Islam religion of peace? Why is there often anger, especially from Muslims, when it is suggested that Islam is, for the most part, not showing itself to be a religion of peace? And why do non-Muslim Westerners largely hold that all religions are basically the same - instead of looking at the religions in detail?

The information you present is worth knowing. You can't deal with something until you know about it. And if it should be inaccurate, that's also fine - it could easily be refuted.

My guess though is that it is not.

My guess is that the widespread Muslim insistence on Islam as a religion of peace, serves a major purpose.

My guess is also that the widespread silence about what constitutes Islamic peace is part of a major current weakness in the West.

***SOCIALIZEIT***

MORE ...