I am an open-mineded single girl and I love sports. I want to end my single life by meeting a guy who0 likes sports too. Let's mingle at the club ==== Mixed Mingle . c o m====where love is color blind(my username there is crazygirl).

sadly, when this post was timely- it was held countless times by the blog owners-
here is the text in its entirety

FATWA ISSUED AGAINST TERRORISM-

I have translated the document because I believe this the first fatwa ever to be issued by an European Muslim organization against a terrorist group:

These groups, that use names and languages related to Islam, discredit, in fact, with their actions, the image of Islam and serve the interests of their enemies. Their actions incite islamophobia in the countries in which Muslims are a minority and destroy the relations of cooperation and vicinity between Muslims and non-Muslims. Their actions provide a false image of Islam, which is precisely what the enemies of Islam strive to offer to the world.

And the whole point of this fatwa --which means legal judgement-- is NOT TO EXCOMMUNICATE Ben Laden and his Al Quaida. On the contrary, it is to prove these people have EXCOMMUNICATED THEMSELVES and thus should not be referred by anybody --whether Muslim or non-Muslim-- as "Islamic" terrorists. Terrorism goes AGAINST the core of Islam and whoever performs a terrorist act has PUT THEMSELVES OUTSIDE of the guidance of Islam :

Based on this fatwa, we have requested to the government of the nation and the Spanish mass media that they stop using the word Islam or islamic to describe these malefactors, given they ARE NOT MUSLIM nor have any relationship with our Umma or Islamic Community. They need to call them instead Al Qaida terrorists, but without using Islamic as an adjective, since as it has been declared above, they are not legally so.

Likewise, we ask those in charge of mass media to acknowledge what has been stated here and to proceed from now on under the criteria exposed above. In particular, to not tie Islam nor Muslims with any terrorist acts; especially if they come dressed with any Islamic language or pretension.

Which makes this fatwa all the more interesting because, by extension, it also applies to all major publishers, newscasters and producers of mass media.

Said fatwa will serve as the foundation for the next antiterrorist conference to be celebrated in Madrid, God willing, next Fall.

Doctrinal foundation

In the Koran, The Book revealed to Humanity as a guide, God orders Muslims to acquire an excellence in ethical and moral behavior. Islamic morality rests on values such as peace, tolerance, mercy or compassion.

The Koran reminds Muslims they are responsible before God for their behavior and treatment of all peoples; whether they are also Muslim or not.

In this sense, Muslims are forced to seek out good for themselves, their families, their neighbors and society in general.

"Do good unto others as God has done unto you; and do not wish to plant the seeds of corruption upon Earth, for God does not love those who sow corruption ". (28:77).

The term "corruption" includes here all forms of anarchy and terrorism that undermine or destroy peace and Muslim security.

Muslims, therefore, are not only forbidden from committing crimes against innocent people, but are responsible before God to stop those people who have the intention to do so, since these people "are planting the seeds of corruption on Earth".

In reference to the treatment towards non-Muslims, the aleya herself says in 60:8 :

"As long as they do not fight you because of your religion nor expel you from your homes, you are not prohibited to treat them with the greatest deference (birr) or justice, since, God loves the righteous".

The concept of "birr" in this aleya makes reference to the way in which somebody must treat parents and relatives. The Prophet explains further in the two main collections of hadices (Bujari and Muslim) :

"By God, those are not true believers who are feared by their neighbors for their malice".

The Prophet even encouraged believers to be kind to animals and prohibited them from doing damage to or burden animals with work. A hadiz tells us of the time The Prophet said to a man who gave to drink a thirsty dog that he was pardoned of all his sins by this single action.

It was asked to him then:

"Oh Messenger of God, then will we be compensated by our kindness towards all animals?" The Prophet answered: "There is a reward for kindness towards any animal or human being". (Sahih Muslim, 2244, and Sahih Al-Bujari, 2466).

The Koran does not encourage Muslims to return evil deeds with evil deeds; on the contrary, it calls believers to respond to evil deeds with good actions.

"But (as) good and evil cannot be compared, counter evil with something better. Henceforth, he whosoever existed in enmity with you, shall become a true friend."(41:34).

God also indicates in the Koran that the Garden (Paradise) has been prepared for those who work on His Cause, in days of prosperity and in days of deprivation; as well as for those who keep in check their wrath and pardon their neighbors, because God loves those who do good (3:135).

"For those who persevere in doing good, the supreme good awaits them. Their faces will not be overshadowed by darkness or humiliation (in the Day of the Judgment). They are destined to Paradise, where they will reside (eternally)". (10:26).

"Remember that any attempt to make up for evil can become evil. Therefore, those who forgive their enemies and make peace with them, will receive his reward from God, because certainly God does not love malefactors "(42:40).

The hatred of God towards murder is manifested in the aleyas that speak of Abel in the Surah of the Served Table :

"and Cain said: "Be certain that I will kill you" (5:27). To which Abel responded:

"Even if you raised your hand to kill me, I will not raise my hand to kill you : in truth, I fear God, the Provider of all worlds ".

After the murder of Abel, God says:

"We declare to the children of Israel that those who kill a human being - not being to punish murder or the plating of corruption on Earth-- will be treated as if they had killed all of humanity; and whosoever saves a life, will be treated as if they had saved the life of all of humanity ".

Let it be noted that the reference to the children of Israel does not diminish the universal validity of its message.

The Prophet also reminded us that murder was the second of the greatest sins (Sahih Al-Bujari:6871, and Sahih Muslim :88) that can be committed, and noticed that on Judgement Day, the first cases to be judged will be those dealing with bloodshed (Sahih Muslim:1678, and Sahih Al-Bujari: 6533).

The own concept of war established in the Koran has an exclusively defensive tone:

"and you fight for the cause of God against those who fight you, but you do not commit aggressions, since certainly, God does not love the aggressors" (2:190).

As Muhammad Asad in his tafsir (interpretation of the Koran) says: "Most commentators agree that the expression taatadu means, in this context," you do not commit aggression ". The defensive character of combat "for the cause of God" - that is to say, because of the ethical principles ordered by God, is evident by the reference to "those who fight you".... and it is clarified furthermore in the aleya 22:39 : "It is allowed (to fight) those who have injured them unjustly"; that it is, according to all our traditions our first (and therefore fundamental) Koranic reference to the question of yihad".

Within the context of defensive warfare, The Prophet imposed strict limits destined to safeguard lives and properties. Thus, the Prophet Muhammad prohibited to kill, in the case of warlike conflict, women, children and civilians (Sahih Muslim:1744, and Sahih Al-Bujari: 3015).

He also said whosoever killed anyone who had signed a treaty or agreement with Muslims, would not smell the fragrance of Paradise (Sahih Al-Bujari:3166, and Ibn Mayah:2686).

In light of these and other Islamic texts, the terrorist acts of Osama ben Laden and his organization Al Qaida --who look to fill with fear the hearts of defenseless people; who engage in the destruction of buildings or properties thus involving the death of civilians, like women, children, and other beings-- are strictly prohibited and are the object of a full condemnation from Islam.

Therefore, the perpetration of terrorist acts under the pretext "of defending the oppressed nations of the world or the rights of Muslims" does not have any justification in Islam.

There is no doubt Muslims have the legitimate right to react against any aggression or any situation of oppression. Nevertheless, such reaction should not give rise to blind or irrational hatred:

"you do not let your hatred towards those who prevent you access to the House of Inviolable Adoration (that is to say, to the fulfillment of your religious obligations) take you to transgression (the limits); but on the contrary, [it should encourage you to] collaborate in fomenting virtue and acknowledgment of God and not to collaborate in fomenting evil and enmity." (5:2)

Likewise, the Koran indicates, in reference to those who hypocritically claim to follow the Bible, that whenever anyone lights the fire of war, God extinguishes it (5:64). God also condemns those nations that violate international treaties and initiate wars (8:56) and requests that everything is done to defeat them (8:60), but if they are inclined to peace, then Muslims will have to follow suit as well. (8:61).

Given all of this, it is necessary to point out that terrorism and extremism contradict human nature and the lessons of Islam.

Muslims must know that terrorism is a threat against Islam and that it's damaging to our religion and to Muslims. A correct Islamic formation in madrasas and Islamic universities will allow everybody to understand that Islam is a religion of peace and that it repudiates all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate death.

The presence of signs like arrogance, fanaticism, extremism or religious intolerance in an individual or group, let's us know they have broken with Islam and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.

The perpetration of terrorist acts supposes a rupture of such magnitude with Islamic teaching that it allows to affirm that the individuals or groups who have perpetrated them have stopped being Muslim and have put themselves outside the sphere of Islam. Such groups distort and manipulate basic Islamic concepts, like the one of yihad, by imposing upon them their particular interpretation and criteria.

In fact, groups that use names and languages relative to Islam, discredit with their actions the image of Islam and serve the interests of their enemies. Their actions incite islamophobia in countries in which Muslims are a minority, and destroy the relationships of cooperation and neighborliness between Muslims and non-Muslim. Their actions provide a false image of Islam, which is precisely what the enemies of Islam strive to offer to the world.

These extremist groups bring indiscriminate death, even to other Muslims. We must remember here that The Prophet showed that Muslims who kill other Muslims turn kafir (unbelieving).

In this same sense, if a Muslim or a group of them commit a terrorist act, this individual or group would be breaking the laws of Islam and leaving the guide of God and the way of the Din.

"God does not grant his guidance to people who deliberately do evil." (9:109).

Heretofore we declare in good faith the following resolution:

1. That Islam rejects terrorism in all its manifestations, being the death or damage to innocent human beings or to their properties.

2. That Islam is the main victim of terrorist attacks made by some groups that falsely call themselves "Islamic", inasmuch as such attacks not only take the life of numerous Muslims, but because they also damage the image of Islam by fomenting feelings of islamophobia and serving the interests of the enemies of Islam.

3. That these groups try to conceal their deviation through falsehoods and manipulated interpretations of sacred texts, in an attempt to gain support among Muslims or to reclute new followers.

This fraud must be denounced with force by the wise people and leaders of Islam worldwide.

4. That those who commit terrorist acts violate Koranic teachings and thus turn apostates who have left Islam.

5. That the duty of every Muslim is to fight actively against terrorism, in accordance with the Koranic mandate that establishes the obligation to prevent corruption from overtaking the Earth.

Based on what has been exposed, it comes to dictate :

That according to the Sharia, all who declare halal or allowed what God has declared haram or prohibited, like the killing of innocent people in terrorist attacks, have become Kafir Murtadd Mustahlil, that's to say an apostate, by trying to make a crime such as the murder of innocents, halal (istihlal); a crime forbidden by the Sacred Koran and the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and save him.

As long as Osama ben Laden and his organization defend the legality of terrorism and try to base it on the Sacred Koran and the Sunna, they are committing the crime of istihlal and they have become ipso facto apostates (kafir murtadd), who should not be considered Muslim nor be treated as such.

To which we declare that Osama ben Laden and his organization Al Qaida, responsible for the horrible crimes against the innocents who vilely were assassinated in the terrorist attack of 11 March in Madrid, are outside the parameters of Islam; and the same goes to all who wield the Sacred Koran and The Prophet's Sunna to commit terrorist acts.

To which we declare that the alleged political reasonings by Osama ben Laden and his organization regarding the recovery of Al Andalus; having been made public and become well-known by all, completely contradict the divine will that has been expressed clearly through history; being that God is the Lord of History and everything that happens, has happened or will happen; that he is Divine Aim and Favor and must be considered as such in any event by Muslims, for whom God is Giver of Goods; and that not even the best of conspirators are creatures with the capacity to judge or question what the the Divine Will has decreed.

The tragedy of Al Andalus, the genocide of Muslims and their expulsion from Spain, the natural mother country of all of them, is to be judged by God alone; and to the servant, to accept the Divine Decree and be thankful.

In reference to the breach of the Capitulations of Santa Fe signed by the Catholic King and Queen and the King of the Islamic Kingdom of Granada, we declare that with the signing of the Agreements of Cooperation of 1992 --between the Spanish State and the legal representatives of the Spanish Muslims known as The Islamic Commission of Spain-- it is taken as conclusive all vindication of legal or political type, whereas the Agreement recognizes in its introduction that "Islam is part of the identity of Spain". This recognition, along with what is stipulated in the Agreement, settles definitively the issue from a legal or political point of view.

The Agreement of Cooperation of 1992 is the new frame we have given ourselves to bring together the Spanish State and Spanish Muslims. The Agreement represents the explicit will of Spanish Muslims; and nobody outside of this community, whether they are called Ben Laden or Al Qaida or by any other name, has the right to meddle with the matters of our Islamic community.

Based on this fatwa, we have requested the national government and Spanish mass media to stop using the words Islam or Islamic to describe these malefactors, given they are not Muslim nor have any relationship with our Umma or Islamic Community; instead needing to call them Al Qaida terrorists, but without using Islamic as an adjective, since as it has been declared above, they are not legally so.

Likewise, we ask those in charge of mass media to acknowledge what has been stated here and to proceed from now on under the criteria exposed above; particularly, by not tying Islam nor Muslims with any terrorist acts; especially if the acts appear dressed with any Islamic language or pretension.

Mansur Escudero Bedate
Secretary General of The Islamic Commission of Spain

In Cordova,
11 March 2005

Muslims must know that terrorism is a threat against Islam and that it's damaging to our religion and to Muslims. A correct Islamic formation in madrasas and Islamic universities will allow everybody to understand that Islam is a religion of peace and that it repudiates all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate death.

The presence of signs like arrogance, fanaticism, extremism or religious intolerance in an individual or group, let's us know they have broken with Islam and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.

The perpetration of terrorist acts supposes a rupture of such magnitude with Islamic teaching that it allows to affirm that the individuals or groups who have perpetrated them have stopped being Muslim and have put themselves outside the sphere of Islam. Such groups distort and manipulate basic Islamic concepts, like the one of yihad, by imposing upon them their particular interpretation and criteria.

In fact, groups that use names and languages relative to Islam, discredit with their actions the image of Islam and serve the interests of their enemies. Their actions incite islamophobia in countries in which Muslims are a minority, and destroy the relationships of cooperation and neighborliness between Muslims and non-Muslim. Their actions provide a false image of Islam, which is precisely what the enemies of Islam strive to offer to the world.

These extremist groups bring indiscriminate death, even to other Muslims. We must remember here that The Prophet showed that Muslims who kill other Muslims turn kafir (unbelieving).

In this same sense, if a Muslim or a group of them commit a terrorist act, this individual or group would be breaking the laws of Islam and leaving the guide of God and the way of the Din.

"God does not grant his guidance to people who deliberately do evil." (9:109).

Heretofore we declare in good faith the following resolution:

1. That Islam rejects terrorism in all its manifestations, being the death or damage to innocent human beings or to their properties.

2. That Islam is the main victim of terrorist attacks made by some groups that falsely call themselves "Islamic", inasmuch as such attacks not only take the life of numerous Muslims, but because they also damage the image of Islam by fomenting feelings of islamophobia and serving the interests of the enemies of Islam.

3. That these groups try to conceal their deviation through falsehoods and manipulated interpretations of sacred texts, in an attempt to gain support among Muslims or to reclute new followers.

This fraud must be denounced with force by the wise people and leaders of Islam worldwide.

4. That those who commit terrorist acts violate Koranic teachings and thus turn apostates who have left Islam.

5. That the duty of every Muslim is to fight actively against terrorism, in accordance with the Koranic mandate that establishes the obligation to prevent corruption from overtaking the Earth.

Based on what has been exposed, it comes to dictate :

That according to the Sharia, all who declare halal or allowed what God has declared haram or prohibited, like the killing of innocent people in terrorist attacks, have become Kafir Murtadd Mustahlil, that's to say an apostate, by trying to make a crime such as the murder of innocents, halal (istihlal); a crime forbidden by the Sacred Koran and the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and save him.

As long as Osama ben Laden and his organization defend the legality of terrorism and try to base it on the Sacred Koran and the Sunna, they are committing the crime of istihlal and they have become ipso facto apostates (kafir murtadd), who should not be considered Muslim nor be treated as such.

To which we declare that Osama ben Laden and his organization Al Qaida, responsible for the horrible crimes against the innocents who vilely were assassinated in the terrorist attack of 11 March in Madrid, are outside the parameters of Islam; and the same goes to all who wield the Sacred Koran and The Prophet's Sunna to commit terrorist acts.

To which we declare that the alleged political reasonings by Osama ben Laden and his organization regarding the recovery of Al Andalus; having been made public and become well-known by all, completely contradict the divine will that has been expressed clearly through history; being that God is the Lord of History and everything that happens, has happened or will happen; that he is Divine Aim and Favor and must be considered as such in any event by Muslims, for whom God is Giver of Goods; and that not even the best of conspirators are creatures with the capacity to judge or question what the the Divine Will has decreed.

The tragedy of Al Andalus, the genocide of Muslims and their expulsion from Spain, the natural mother country of all of them, is to be judged by God alone; and to the servant, to accept the Divine Decree and be thankful.

In reference to the breach of the Capitulations of Santa Fe signed by the Catholic King and Queen and the King of the Islamic Kingdom of Granada, we declare that with the signing of the Agreements of Cooperation of 1992 --between the Spanish State and the legal representatives of the Spanish Muslims known as The Islamic Commission of Spain-- it is taken as conclusive all vindication of legal or political type, whereas the Agreement recognizes in its introduction that "Islam is part of the identity of Spain". This recognition, along with what is stipulated in the Agreement, settles definitively the issue from a legal or political point of view.

The Agreement of Cooperation of 1992 is the new frame we have given ourselves to bring together the Spanish State and Spanish Muslims. The Agreement represents the explicit will of Spanish Muslims; and nobody outside of this community, whether they are called Ben Laden or Al Qaida or by any other name, has the right to meddle with the matters of our Islamic community.

Based on this fatwa, we have requested the national government and Spanish mass media to stop using the words Islam or Islamic to describe these malefactors, given they are not Muslim nor have any relationship with our Umma or Islamic Community; instead needing to call them Al Qaida terrorists, but without using Islamic as an adjective, since as it has been declared above, they are not legally so.

Likewise, we ask those in charge of mass media to acknowledge what has been stated here and to proceed from now on under the criteria exposed above; particularly, by not tying Islam nor Muslims with any terrorist acts; especially if the acts appear dressed with any Islamic language or pretension.

Mansur Escudero Bedate
Secretary General of The Islamic Commission of Spain

In Cordova,
11 March 2005

The Prophet also reminded us that murder was the second of the greatest sins (Sahih Al-Bujari:6871, and Sahih Muslim :88) that can be committed, and noticed that on Judgement Day, the first cases to be judged will be those dealing with bloodshed (Sahih Muslim:1678, and Sahih Al-Bujari: 6533).

The own concept of war established in the Koran has an exclusively defensive tone:

"and you fight for the cause of God against those who fight you, but you do not commit aggressions, since certainly, God does not love the aggressors" (2:190).

As Muhammad Asad in his tafsir (interpretation of the Koran) says: "Most commentators agree that the expression taatadu means, in this context," you do not commit aggression ". The defensive character of combat "for the cause of God" - that is to say, because of the ethical principles ordered by God, is evident by the reference to "those who fight you".... and it is clarified furthermore in the aleya 22:39 : "It is allowed (to fight) those who have injured them unjustly"; that it is, according to all our traditions our first (and therefore fundamental) Koranic reference to the question of yihad".

Within the context of defensive warfare, The Prophet imposed strict limits destined to safeguard lives and properties. Thus, the Prophet Muhammad prohibited to kill, in the case of warlike conflict, women, children and civilians (Sahih Muslim:1744, and Sahih Al-Bujari: 3015).

He also said whosoever killed anyone who had signed a treaty or agreement with Muslims, would not smell the fragrance of Paradise (Sahih Al-Bujari:3166, and Ibn Mayah:2686).

In light of these and other Islamic texts, the terrorist acts of Osama ben Laden and his organization Al Qaida --who look to fill with fear the hearts of defenseless people; who engage in the destruction of buildings or properties thus involving the death of civilians, like women, children, and other beings-- are strictly prohibited and are the object of a full condemnation from Islam.

Therefore, the perpetration of terrorist acts under the pretext "of defending the oppressed nations of the world or the rights of Muslims" does not have any justification in Islam.

There is no doubt Muslims have the legitimate right to react against any aggression or any situation of oppression. Nevertheless, such reaction should not give rise to blind or irrational hatred:

"you do not let your hatred towards those who prevent you access to the House of Inviolable Adoration (that is to say, to the fulfillment of your religious obligations) take you to transgression (the limits); but on the contrary, [it should encourage you to] collaborate in fomenting virtue and acknowledgment of God and not to collaborate in fomenting evil and enmity." (5:2)

Likewise, the Koran indicates, in reference to those who hypocritically claim to follow the Bible, that whenever anyone lights the fire of war, God extinguishes it (5:64). God also condemns those nations that violate international treaties and initiate wars (8:56) and requests that everything is done to defeat them (8:60), but if they are inclined to peace, then Muslims will have to follow suit as well. (8:61).

Given all of this, it is necessary to point out that terrorism and extremism contradict human nature and the lessons of Islam.

Giorgison says
"Those countries out of which people flee by the tens of thousands and into which no one wants to go.
Tell me about those countries. Don't bother quoting the Koran."
I am one of those who knows first hand about many of the Arab countries. It is true that they are backward and underdeveloped even thaugh many are not ruled completely by the Sharia. Most have secular constitutions, but which exclude laws that contradict the Sharia.
The Quran has many contradictory verses. The early ones were fairly tolerant and are the ones moderates often quote. The later verses which abrogated the earlier ones are the ones that are valid and unfortunately are the ones quoted by the Jihadists. That is why I quote the Quran; to show that the extremists are simply following the teachings of their prophet. Therefore the Salafis would not desist from reaping havoc till they are eliminated or the whole Quran abrogated, which ever comes first.

B-MAN

You wrote, " is like saying that all Christians believe the earth is only 6,000 years old because it says so in the Bible."

It does not say that in the bible.

Take care, be ready.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

1.WHY IS THIS FORUM TURNED OVER TO A SPOKESMAN FOR THE JORDANIAN ROYAL FAMILY?
2. CAN WE HAVE DONE WITH THE NONSENSE OF QUOTING THE KORAN AS A MEANS OF PROVING SOMETHING ABOUT ISLAM?

With no surprise but growing amusement, I note how my comments about the Eboo Patel flim-flam, money-raising scam perpetrated on these pages have gone largely ignored by other posters. Are you people really so addicted to getting your comments on the web that you are willing to ignore the fact that you are being cynically exploited by an individual who gives not one whit about your opinion but is using this forum to bolster his bank account and his ego? This whole thing is simply a front for that cynical operation. Eboo and Queen Nania are engaged in a mutual stroking scam that cares not one iota about your opinions on this page.

You disagree? OK. Quote me the Eboo Patel response to a single one of your posts.

And do those of you who just love to quote the Koran to prove this or that point--do you really take yourselves seriously? As I and others have pointed out to you, the Koran is of little use in determining Islamic practice and doctrine. All you need to know is what the current, living authoritative voices of Islam say that the Koran says, and you have Islam. And I'll be damned if I can see this moderate, middle-of-the road stuff in what they say and do.

More to the point, look to Islamic-dominated countries to find out what Islam is all about. You know. Those actual countries that lack democracy, lack respect for human rights, lack freedom of religion, lack freedom of expression, lack equal rights for females, or--most of all--lack freedom of religion. Those countries where you will be arrested for carrying the Bible in public. Which wouldn't be easy to do to begin with, since your Bible would have been confiscated when you entered the country. Those countries out of which people flee by the tens of thousands and into which no one wants to go.

Tell me about those countries. Don't bother quoting the Koran.

Since, as I predicted, no Muslim has dared to answer my many postings of the five key questions, I will post them again. Once more, I dare any Muslim to answer them.

What would the most authoritative voices of Islam say in answer to the five questions posed below. That is, don't give me your answers. Tell us what the most authoritative voices of orthodox Islam would say.

1.Does Islam allow for the separation of church and state?
2.Does Islam allow for the full legal equality of women?
3.Does Islam allow for religious pluralism? For example, if a Muslim male married a Christian female, would the husband and wife be able to say to their children, “We will attend the mosque on Friday and the church on Sunday and consider ourselves a bi-religious family. When each of you is 18 years old, you will be free to choose. You can continue of bilateral approach; or, you can choose one religion over the other; or, you can choose another religion altogether.”
4.What does Islam say (according to the above authoritative voices) should be the fate of heretics? For example, if a member of the Egyptian soccer team got up tomorrow morning and announced he was converting from Islam to Christianity and changing his name from Mohammad Ali to Cassius Clay, what do the authoritative voices of Islam say should be his fate?
5.Does Islam allow for the publication of a scholarly book alleging that Mohammad was a fraud?

(Alternatively, instead of posing the questions to the authoritative voices of Islam, you might ask your Muslim interlocutor to imagine the question was, “What would Islamic textbooks used in the teaching of Muslim students in America say in answer to the following questions?”)

The answers to these questions will determine whether even orthodox Islam can be accommodated to a Western liberal, pluralistic society.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 100 AYATS THAT SPEAK DIRECTLY TO PEACE- AND EXHORT US TO CHOOSE MERCY AND COMNPASSION OVER AGRESSION EVERY TIME-

YOUR THEORY OF ABROGATION CANCELLING OUT THESE 100 EXHORTATIONS IS WEAK AT BEST-

Victoria lists a number (7) verses from the Quran to expose the "mellow" face of Islam. There are over hundred such verses that were “inspired“ in Mecca during the Prophet‘s early mission. Those somehow tolerant verses were later abrogated (cancelled) by few verses “inspired” in Medina. The principle of abrogation is discussed in detail in the following link
http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Farooq_Ibrahim/abrogation.htm
and is affirmed by Quran 2: 106
“None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?.”

All the verses quoted by Victoria except two; 3;135 and 10:26 which do not deal with the treatment of the other, are Mecca verses which means they were abrogated and are not valid anymore. I cannot believe she is not aware of this.

Mashallah! thank you Eboo for another great post. The segments are a perfect length. short and to the point. thanks for all your great work...

The Koran does not encourage Muslims to return evil deeds with evil deeds; on the contrary, it calls believers to respond to evil deeds with good actions.

"But (as) good and evil cannot be compared, counter evil with something better. Henceforth, he whosoever existed in enmity with you, shall become a true friend."(41:34).

God also indicates in the Koran that the Garden (Paradise) has been prepared for those who work on His Cause, in days of prosperity and in days of deprivation; as well as for those who keep in check their wrath and pardon their neighbors, because God loves those who do good (3:135).

"For those who persevere in doing good, the supreme good awaits them. Their faces will not be overshadowed by darkness or humiliation (in the Day of the Judgment). They are destined to Paradise, where they will reside (eternally)". (10:26).

"Remember that any attempt to make up for evil can become evil. Therefore, those who forgive their enemies and make peace with them, will receive his reward from God, because certainly God does not love malefactors "(42:40).

The hatred of God towards murder is manifested in the aleyas that speak of Abel in the Surah of the Served Table :

"and Cain said: "Be certain that I will kill you" (5:27). To which Abel responded:

"Even if you raised your hand to kill me, I will not raise my hand to kill you : in truth, I fear God, the Provider of all worlds ".

After the murder of Abel, God says:

"We declare to the children of Israel that those who kill a human being - not being to punish murder or the plating of corruption on Earth-- will be treated as if they had killed all of humanity; and whosoever saves a life, will be treated as if they had saved the life of all of humanity ".

Let it be noted that the reference to the children of Israel does not diminish the universal validity of its message.

Doctrinal foundation

In the Koran, The Book revealed to Humanity as a guide, God orders Muslims to acquire an excellence in ethical and moral behavior. Islamic morality rests on values such as peace, tolerance, mercy or compassion.

The Koran reminds Muslims they are responsible before God for their behavior and treatment of all peoples; whether they are also Muslim or not.

In this sense, Muslims are forced to seek out good for themselves, their families, their neighbors and society in general.

"Do good unto others as God has done unto you; and do not wish to plant the seeds of corruption upon Earth, for God does not love those who sow corruption ". (28:77).

The term "corruption" includes here all forms of anarchy and terrorism that undermine or destroy peace and Muslim security.

Muslims, therefore, are not only forbidden from committing crimes against innocent people, but are responsible before God to stop those people who have the intention to do so, since these people "are planting the seeds of corruption on Earth".

In reference to the treatment towards non-Muslims, the aleya herself says in 60:8 :

"As long as they do not fight you because of your religion nor expel you from your homes, you are not prohibited to treat them with the greatest deference (birr) or justice, since, God loves the righteous".

The concept of "birr" in this aleya makes reference to the way in which somebody must treat parents and relatives. The Prophet explains further in the two main collections of hadices (Bujari and Muslim) :

"By God, those are not true believers who are feared by their neighbors for their malice".

The Prophet even encouraged believers to be kind to animals and prohibited them from doing damage to or burden animals with work. A hadiz tells us of the time The Prophet said to a man who gave to drink a thirsty dog that he was pardoned of all his sins by this single action.

It was asked to him then:

"Oh Messenger of God, then will we be compensated by our kindness towards all animals?" The Prophet answered: "There is a reward for kindness towards any animal or human being". (Sahih Muslim, 2244, and Sahih Al-Bujari, 2466).

FATWA ISSUED AGAINST TERRORISM-

I have translated the document because I believe this the first fatwa ever to be issued by an European Muslim organization against a terrorist group:

These groups, that use names and languages related to Islam, discredit, in fact, with their actions, the image of Islam and serve the interests of their enemies. Their actions incite islamophobia in the countries in which Muslims are a minority and destroy the relations of cooperation and vicinity between Muslims and non-Muslims. Their actions provide a false image of Islam, which is precisely what the enemies of Islam strive to offer to the world.

And the whole point of this fatwa --which means legal judgement-- is NOT TO EXCOMMUNICATE Ben Laden and his Al Quaida. On the contrary, it is to prove these people have EXCOMMUNICATED THEMSELVES and thus should not be referred by anybody --whether Muslim or non-Muslim-- as "Islamic" terrorists. Terrorism goes AGAINST the core of Islam and whoever performs a terrorist act has PUT THEMSELVES OUTSIDE of the guidance of Islam :

******(INSERT)***************
(THIS IS ALSO WHAT QUEEN RANIA SAID)
" Muslims are guided by their tradition to be a people in the middle, a people of moderation. The extremists are violating that central principle. Do not give them the honor of the title, ‘Muslim’."
*****************************************

Based on this fatwa, we have requested to the government of the nation and the Spanish mass media that they stop using the word Islam or islamic to describe these malefactors, given they ARE NOT MUSLIM nor have any relationship with our Umma or Islamic Community. They need to call them instead Al Qaida terrorists, but without using Islamic as an adjective, since as it has been declared above, they are not legally so.

Likewise, we ask those in charge of mass media to acknowledge what has been stated here and to proceed from now on under the criteria exposed above. In particular, to not tie Islam nor Muslims with any terrorist acts; especially if they come dressed with any Islamic language or pretension.

Which makes this fatwa all the more interesting because, by extension, it also applies to all major publishers, newscasters and producers of mass media.

Said fatwa will serve as the foundation for the next antiterrorist conference to be celebrated in Madrid, God willing, next Fall.

Candide

The Koran also believes that Jesus was not born by insemination from a man. That is closer to Paul's Jesus, that is.

On the other hand Paul believed that Jesus preached offering the other cheek.

The Koran preaches tooth for tooth etc.

The Koran was written in the 9th century, the NT about 50-80 AD. The authors of the Koran had plenty of time to be more rational than Paul, although they did not do a very good job of being rational.

Eboo, my brother in faith

Thanks you for this excellent article honoring the Queen? Could you write similar blogarticels praising other Muslim rulers such as the Arab shaiks and rulers, King of Morrocco, Musharaf? That will also increase your revenues.

Jesus was a simple, illiterate, uneducated, significantly embellished preacher man. He may have had some thoughts about marriage but said thoughts were not laws. The voting, educated public and their government representatives/lawyers make laws and enforce them.

Re Anonymous:
Anonymous , who is undoubtedly an Islamist, criticizes the West, Turkey, Jordan, Fatah and praises only Hamas.
It is grossly unfair to blame Jordan for the Palestine disaster. The whole Arab world should be blamed for surrendering Palestine to a few Eastern European Jewish gangs. The true culprit is the backwardness and underdevelopment of those Arab countries due to their using of a 7th Century book authored by an Arab nomad as a manual for living in the 20th and 21st Centuries.
Jordan has done more to alleviate the misery of the Palestinians than any other country in the whole world. It is the only country, Arab or otherwise, that granted an automatic citizenship to Palestinians. If it were not for donations from the West, the United Relief And Works Agency(UNRWA) would not have been able to feed,house and educate the Palestinian refugees for the duration of the past 60 years.
If this character wants to find something to criticize Turkey for it should not be for their mediating peace between Syria and Israel, but for the 5oo years it subjugated and pillaged the Arab people and lands.

Anyone who doubt that Jordan is the gatekeeper of Israel is a fool.The attack on Islam by the Western non-moslems, especially with the pope leading the attack, has caused bitter feelings in the Moslem world.it exposed the historical jordanian role in stabbing the arab(palestinian) cause in the back!

the west failed all over the moslem world. the west lost badly in Palestine with hamas taking over gaza and standing in the face of the west(israel).fatah is gone. it was nothing but a corrupt organization which couldn't achieve peace with Israel. i laugh when i read in the news that some Eu countries are contacting hamas.

crypto-jewish turkey took the stupid role of mediating between syria and israel. what a stupid country.the turks show how their country and army are being run by israelis. they are exposing their role as a filthy insult to Islam.

the west have had bad history with the moslem world. they planted israel in it to control it. now, things are changing. west is gradually losing control. even christians in lebanon talk about israel being the reason behind all the problems in the middle east!

so much for the so-called "western civilization"!!!

When comparisons between Christianity and Islam is made it is essential to compare original Scripture, and for Christianity it is the New Testament. Even the NT is seven centuries older than the Quran. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ is to be compared to the life and teaching of Mohammad. How followers may or may not have misused Scripture to rationalize wrong doing is a different set of comparison.

you're an idiot eboo. i can't wait until this war finally kicks into hight gear.

Amen

Thank you for your courage and devotion. The core values of all religions and faiths are aimed at lifting the spirits. Cultural exchange is key to creating a better world. We shall overcome one day.

Great Post to an open mind approach. People and culture can be told the way you see it in reality and not someone else’s writing his own view, interpretation and perception.
Please keep an open mind approach and many of humanity problems will be solved. Thank you.

THE EBOO PATEL FLIM-FLAM FORUM

Am I the only person who notices the voice that is missing from this forum?

That would be Eboo Patel.

Are you good people who continue to participate in this flim-flam blind to what you are doing?

Are you blind to how you are being taken to the cleaners by a bunch of sly flim-flam artists? Flim-flam: A scan operation in which the instigator always wins and the suckers who participate always lose.

Here's the essence: The Washington Post and Newsweek provide a blog in which Eboo Patel is allowed to post just about anything he wants. Mr. Patel runs some foundation or something that allows him to collect money. His presence on On Faith gives him publicity and pizazz that increases his potential to make money. The increased prestige bestowed by being on On Faith's panel also increases his access and worth to people like the Jordanian royal family. That makes members of that particular interest group more willing to cultivate Mr. Patel, make donations to his cause, and provide him other financial favors, like (apparently) free rides on Jordanian Royal Airlines. It's a very cozy relationship, like the one that exists between Washington politicians, lobbyists, and big-buck contributors.

A key part of this international flim-flam operation is for Mr. Patel to maintain his presence on this forum. So he posts an opinion piece. Then ordinary people, believing they are participating in a dialogue, post comment after comment on his commentary. But these people blindly ignore one thing: Mr. Patel never deigns to respond to those comments. He just disappears from view. He gives not one tinkers damn about what all those people have written. He is disdainful of their opinions. The simple posting of his original item accomplishes his objective: Keeping his name up front on a blog so he can continue to rake in the contributions to his cause and establish cozy relationships with important notables and contributors like Queen Nania.

My simple question is: Why do you people continue to be taken in by this flim-flam? Why do you allow yourselves to be played for suckers? Why do you play the role of Eboo Patel's puppets?

Victoria says;
“this contention is correct-
the Prophet(swa) warned specifically against extremism in every aspect of life-”

I wish to know of any Sahih Hadith (accepted tradition) substantiated by an unabrogated later Quran verse that preaches against extremism.
Such an unsubstantiated and false claims designed to “beautify” their religion is allowable in their jurisprudence, along with lying to wives and to enemies during conflict. It is called Taqiyeh.

CCNL:

One more point:

I do understand where you're coming from, and believe me, I don't understand how any sensible person can subscribe to any of these crazy religions. But saying that all Muslims are extremists because of what it says in the Koran is like saying that all Christians believe the earth is only 6,000 years old because it says so in the Bible. I know it doesn't make any logical sense, but it just isn't true.

CCNL:

Then what you are saying is that Queen Rania is a Muslim extremist. I think you are tripping on your own logic here. If you can provide examples of Queen Rania acting in ways that are considered "extremist" I'd be happy to re-think your argument.

I think the queen and her husband are trapped. Islamists in Jordan are all over. Jordan is facing too many economic problems. Add to this the massive Iraqi refugees.

Using the imaginary separation of Muslims into moderates and non-moderates won't work in Jordan today.

The best thing she must do is to concentrate on the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. If she does this, then she will help her husband.

Both of them are VVVVVIPs in the western world and they are like the heart valve to the Israelis.

They must stop thinking about the West and concentrate on the crimes which the Israelis are committing in Gaza and the West bank.

Jesus is either God-Incarnate or not. If Jesus is not God-Incarnate then Christianity does not even exist because that is exactly what it is all about.

Christianity is not a religion, it is not a set of rules and regulations, it is the fact that Almighty God became one of us, the fact that God is a Trinity and to put it in human words, the Second Person of that Trinity became a human being, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

God choosing and forming the Jews was laying the groundwork, so to speak, for God to become one of us and by the obedience of a few, at the time that Jesus was born, He was able to live long enough to do what He came for.

Just because satan tries to twist the truth does not mean that the twisted truth becomes truth, because it does not.

With that said, it may come as a surprize to many that God is not the egomaniac that some who identify themselves as "christian" would have you think that God is.

God is a Being of Pure Love and He is a searcher of hearts and minds, not of religious affiliations or lack thereof and it is important what you do and why you do it and what you know.

Take care, be ready.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Queen Rania is an amazing person in her own right, incredibly intelligent and articulate, as well as beautiful and chic AND has 4 children! I recently returned from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and saw a commercial involving her and her half sister-in-law, (who is Sheikh Maktoum of Dubai's junior wife) which had to do with a young person's sports event, using sport as a vehicle for social change, a concept which I absolutelyu endorse. The name of the game has got to be cross-culturalization in the Middle East, and I know that Queen Rania is doing a lot of work in her country with the poor and disenfranchised, initiating much outreach through a variety of social programs-she is making a real difference in the world.

Ted asks of Victoria et al:
“Could you all petition the Queen of Jordan to petition the Saudi rulers and to petition all Muslims that all Muslims by law be allowed to leave Islam without being prosecuted according to Islamic law?”

Victoria answers:
“now as to your last question-
read and learn-
why dont you read the amman message- o thats right- it was organized by the husband of the quuen rania in question”

And she gives this link.
http://ammanmessage.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97

Below is a summary of the so-called Amman Document:
• The great traditional schools of jurisprudence, theology, and spirituality are valid from the point of view of Islam, and the followers of these schools, which include both Sunni and Shi‘i denominations, are all Muslims. Islam has fundamental tenets but is also diverse.
• It is impermissible to declare any Muslim so defined as an unbeliever/apostate (a practice called takfir).
• Only those with the proper moral and intellectual qualifications, and the proper methodology, may issue fatwas (religious edicts).

Where in this document it prohibits the prosecution (execution) of an apostate? An apostate is by definition no longer a “follower of a Muslim school” and therefore “permissible to declare him or her unbeliever”.

Ted Baines says;
“Eboo, Asim, Victoria
Could you all petition the Queen of Jordan to petition the Saudi rulers and to petition all Muslims that the Islamic apartheid in Mecca and Medina against non-Muslims must end?”

Mr. Baines: This is impossible because if those mentioned above do what you are asking of them they will no longer be Muslims.

The sira; the annotated history of the prophet of Islam, claims that the last words their prophet mouthed on his deathbed was to curse the Christians and Jews. This was interpreted by Omar, the successor of the prophet and the author of many of the policies of the ensuing Muslim Empire, to mean the discrimination against the nonbelievers(in Mohammed). This is a core value in the Muslim belief system. His first official act as “The Commander of the Faithful” was to “cleanse” the Arabian Peninsula of all non-Muslims. When his followers invaded the neighboring countries, Omar laid the rules for the treatment of the indigenous people in an elaborate apartheid manual referred to as The Omar Pact.
http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-kills-pact-of-umar.htm
The natives of those lands were treated as untouchable, poll tax paying lepers, that is until they convert to Islam. So much for the Muslims’ oft quoted verse “no compulsion in religion”. If the above mentioned pact restricts the Syrians and Egyptians today from repairing their crumbling houses of worship, do you expect the King of Saudi Arabia, who considers himself the "successor of the prophet" and "defender of the Muslim's Holy Land", to allow churches and synagogues be built in there? Ask him first to allow non-Muslims to set foot in his "Holy cities".

It is about time for the whole world to make the difference between Arabs and Muslims.
Muslims are those who believe in Islamic teaching but the equation that Muslims=Arabs is not necessarily true. There are millions of Muslims who do not have one single Arab blood in their veins.

In the US and Western world, people refuse to make the distinction between religion and culture. Islam is a very democratic and very flexible religion; it can adapt easily to any society. Unfortunately in the West, people assume that all Muslims are the same in every Islamic country.

Let’s us take the example of Ethiopia where Islam was introduced way before Saudi Arabia, the Muslims society have a very open and equal society to the Christians.

Muslims girls and young women attend school & university; and latter they can have any job they want. The Muslims do not cover their face with all kind of material. In an Ethiopian court the Muslims woman have equal right to the man no matter what religion he practices. Muslim women in Ethiopia can come and go at their wills; they don’t need the permission from their men. Women and men can openly chat even in the street; a Muslim woman can have a stranger in her house to do business or as a visitor and no one look at it as a sin.

The problem with Arabs men is that they have the thought of sex all the time in their perverted mind and because of that they don’t trust their women. They are the one who introduced all these cultural garbage that the West think is because of Islamic religion.

Victoria

You are using the wrong analogy.

Mecca is like Rome and there many mosques in Rome.

The kaaba is the Vatican and I am not asking that a church be allowed inside the kaaba.

But Mecca is a big city and there is plenty of room for a church and for Christians to try to convert Muslims to Christianity.

My guess is that you support the Islamic apartheid in Saudi Arabia.

what do you care about mecca ted?

you want to go there and build a church?

no i wont petition for such a thing-
are you going to petition that muslims can build a mosque in vatican city?
neither am i-
im not trying to shove my religion down anyones throats- and i dont advocate others doing it either-

now as to your last question-
read and learn-

why dont you read the amman message- o thats right- it was organized by the husband of the quuen rania in question-

http://ammanmessage.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97

you are so behind the times-
http://warda.info/fatwa.pdf

dont you know those questions have already been answered?
if someoone wants to leave islam- there is no compulsion for them to stay-

and their protection is already BASED ON ISLAMIC LAW-
why listen to uninformed and uneducated people expounding on a subject they dont know?

listen to the 500 scholars in the amman message-
or the very respected sheikh in the second link-

heres a prediction- youll read them half-heartedly trying to find some ugliness in them-
and when you dont- youll come back with a non-related xenophobic remark in your frustration at how balanced these reasonings are.

good luck with your passe' fear-mongering.

Eboo, Asim, Victoria

Could you all petition the Queen of Jordan to petition the Saudi rulers and to petition all Muslims that the Islamic apartheid in Mecca and Medina against non-Muslims must end?

Eboo, Asim, Victoria

Could you all petition the Queen of Jordan to petition the Saudi rulers and to petition all Muslims that the hajj must be boycotted until non-Muslims can freely worship in Saudi Arabia, all Muslims countries, be able to build churches temples etc in Mecca and Medina?

Eboo, Asim, Victoria

Could you all petition the Queen of Jordan to petition the Saudi rulers and to petition all Muslims that non-Muslims be allowed to preach their faith to non-Muslims in Mecca and Medina?

Eboo, Asim, Victoria

Could you all petition the Queen of Jordan to petition the Saudi rulers and to petition all Muslims that all Muslims by law be allowed to leave Islam without being prosecuted according to Islamic law?

I am still waiting for an answer to my question about how someone who has admitted that he is all but on the payroll of an Arab royal family can be allowed to write commentaries on this blog touting the opinions and products of a member of that ruling family, while posing as an independent voice of Islam who is simply expressing his personal views.

Suppose David Broder revealed that he received free rides on a Fortune 500 company's private jet and then proceeded to write an op-ed piece touting the company, its product, and its You Tube videos. What would the reaction be?

What the hell is going on here, that Eboo Patel admits he is simply shilling for a particular interest group and is allowed to get away with it? Surely, this violates even the minimal requirements for being a contributor on these pages, no matter how lose the rules.

Victoria says:
“the posters hogging the blog are definitely NOT muslims- they are regulars and vehemently ANTI-muslim-"
Does that mean that no Muslim would criticize his or her religion?
How about Wafa Sultan, Noni Darwish , Ayan Hirsi Ali , Ali Sina, Salman Rushdie, Kamran Mirza,etc.

Listed below are two cites where you can hear and read about the legions of Muslims who were turned off by their religion.

Islameyat.com
And
http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina31103.htm

Read CANDIDE'S anti-Christian comments on various blogs, Catholic America, Claire Hoffman's 'Odd Purity Ball' among others.

S-IBN-S i thought that was a perceptive observation on the part of queen rania-

" She cautioned people against using the term ‘Muslim extremist’. There are Muslims, she said, and then there are extremists. Muslims are guided by their tradition to be a people in the middle, a people of moderation. The extremists are violating that central principle. Do not give them the honor of the title, ‘Muslim’."

this contention is correct-
the Prophet(swa) warned specifically against extremism in every aspect of life-

conjoining the words muslim with extremism- degrades what it means to be identified as a muslim-

after the point of death- muslims are still muslims-
in no way was her statement an apologist for extremists-

yes- when muslims become extreme- they betray and violate the basic premises of islam-
which is the middle way-

when things are good- i thank the god-
when things are bad- i thank the god-

they lose the right to honor themselves by being referred to as muslims because they have stepped outside of islam on their own-

Observor,
U are not very observant at all,otherwise u would have shown the absolute minimum standard of honesty and objectivity in your misguided misquotations.

I stand by evry word in my post as accurate and factual.

candide- thanks for your analysis-

the posters hogging the blog are definitely NOT muslims- they are regulars and vehemently ANTI-muslim-

just ask them- or better yet- i'll ask-

ibrahim mahfouz, observer- are either of you muslims?

i just didn't want you to confuse their rants with muslims-

"1) She cautioned people against using the term ‘Muslim extremist’. There are Muslims, she said, and then there are extremists. Muslims are guided by their tradition to be a people in the middle, a people of moderation. The extremists are violating that central principle. Do not give them the honor of the title, ‘Muslim’."

So when Muslims become extremists they are no longer Muslims....

That's probably because many of them explode at that point.

Thus, they not only cease to be Muslims they cease to be.

That is a ridiculous point that the Queen is making.

She appears to be an apologist for Muslim extremism, rather than actually confronting a real problem within Islam.

How truly sad that the leadership will only deny the problem rather than confront it.

THANK YOU for the hard work and common sense!

Chris says;
"I just have to laugh when you see some of these posts where they cut & paste from the Koran to show how violent Islam is. Have any of these idiots read the Old Testament???"

Moi:
First of all, for Christians, the Old Testament was abrogated by the New Testament. Second the violence mentioned in the Old Testament was committed in self defense to threats for the existence of the Hebrew tribes, and not waged in the name of the “merciful and benevolent Allah“ to make his religion the dominant one. Get it?

I just have to laugh when you see some of these posts where they cut & paste from the Koran to show how violent Islam is. Have any of these idiots read the Old Testament??? Jeeeez, please educate yourselves because you are really examples of the pot calling the kettle black!

Asim claims at every chance he gets the following.
“Islam is Peace: Muslims did not commit the Crusaders, the Inquisition, the holocaust, did not nuke hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians, did not force convsert to xtianity the whole of south America, did not enslave millions of Africans...and the list is too long.”

1. Islam is Peace:
The Quran, Hadith (tradition of their prophet) and Sira (history of their prophet) prove conclusively that “ Islam a religion of fear and terror and not a religion of peace by any means. There will be continuous war in the world as long as some fanatics will believe in Muhammad, his example and his teachings. The Islamic concept of peace meaning making the whole world Muslim is undoubtedly a mandate for war. After that peace will prevail in the earth of Allah. That is the ultimate exegesis of the Arabic word “Islam”.

2. Muslims did not commit the Crusades.
The first Crusade began in 1095… 460 years after the first Christian city was overrun by Muslim armies, 457 years after Jerusalem was conquered by Muslim armies, 453 years after Egypt was taken by Muslim armies, 443 after Muslims first plundered Italy, 427 years after Muslim armies first laid siege to the Christian capital of Constantinople, 380 years after Spain was conquered by Muslim armies, 363 years after France was first attacked by Muslim armies, 249 years after Rome itself was sacked by a Muslim army, and only after centuries of church burnings, killings, enslavement and forced conversions had some European Christians fought back.

3.The Inquisition:
The Muslim Berbers invaded and occupied Spain for 800 years. The Spaniards finally united and defeated the colonizers. They gave them a choice to accept the religion of the Spaniards or to go back from where they came. Had they allowed those people to keep their religion, Spain would be today another Sudan or Afghanistan. The whole of North Africa and the Middle East were Christians before the Arab invasion of that area. The Arabs did not evict the indigenous population but gave them three choices, to convert or be treated as third class in their own countries or be slain.

4. Islam did not enslave the Africans.
Slave trade is ongoing till this day in many Muslim countries. Besides it was the Muslim Arab tribes of North Africa that were specialized in the art of human hunting and who were familiar with the interior of the Black continent. Some of those slave traders gave their hunted the choice to convert to Islam or be sold as slaves. That is why many negroes in Africa have Muslim names and yet know nothing about that religion.

5. Muslims did not nuke hundred of thousands of Japanese.
That is because Muslims do not have nukes. Ahmadinajad is threatening to wipe out a whole country even before he built a single bomb. Besides the Americans did not do that in the name of their religion but in self defense.

6. Islam did not “force convert to Christianity’ the whole of South America.
Nobody in the West forced anybody to do what they do not want to do because in this culture there is something called freedom of conscience; something your like would never comprehend

Jeff:

Islam didn't exist until the 7th century, so your statements about slavery in the 5th and 6th centuries has nothing to do with Islam. After that, a different history, but, if you're going to make historical claims, you should get it right.

Wow-- I just watched the Shawn video and was blown away. Relationships have the power to provide an alternative to stereotypes. The Interfaith Youth Corps is doing such good and important work. How can we amplify it and bring more people into the fold?

Wow-- I just watched the Shawn video and was blown away. Relationships have the power to provide an alternative to stereotypes. The Interfaith Youth Corps is doing such good and important work. How can we amplify it and bring more people into the fold?

Good luck Queen Rania and wish you best of in this endeavor.

What Islam need is someone like Martin Luther who will bring the faith from 8th century to 20 first.

"Islam is Peace:Muslims did not commit the Crusaders,the Inquisition,the holocaust,did not nuke hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians,did not force convsert to xtianity the whole of south America,did not enslave millions of Africans...and the list is too long."
--------------------------------------

Actually, Islamic people DID enslave millions of Africans, long before the Europeans did. See any accutate history of Africa. By the 5th and 6th Century, there was a thriving slave trade between west Africa and Arabia.

A classic case of reveals-more-than-he-intended. Or, read between the lines. Think back to all those "scientific studies" that "proved" that there was no proof of a link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. What should have given the game away was the question of who actually funded the studies--usually, the tobacco companies, through a labyrinth of tobacco interest cover groups masquerading as scientific panels.

Here we have an unintended revelation of the emerging Eboo Patel, Inc. He is obviously a member of--maybe even, the center of--a burgeoning international Muslim lobbying group. Vested interests—like the Jordanian royal family—with an interest in improving the Muslim image in the United States are getting better organized and more sophisticated and developing international support networks. A key target of their effort, of course, are journalists and opinion shapers like Eboo Patel. Voila, Eboo meets Queen Rania at some international conference and, quicker than you can say Jiminy cricket, he is whisked into her presence and quickly finds himself on a magic carpet ride—er, on a Royal Jordanian flight for a personal audience. Ain’t it grand—the very things that Queen Rania believes in are the exact things that Eboo believes in and that all Americans need to know to be correctly informed about Islam!

I love the wide-eyed innocence with which Eboo reports all this. Imagine a politician reporting with such wide-eyed innocence that he had met the CEO of Mega Mortgage Sub-Prime Lender, Inc., engaged him in conversation about the mortgage crisis, and then the CEO arranged for his private Gulfstream to pick up the politician and fly him to a resort for further immersion in finding out the objective truth about the mortgage crisis. Then the politician reports that as a result of this fact-gathering enterprise, he wants to tout some videos created by the CEO's company that all Americans should see in order to be reassured about the benevolent character of sub-prime mortgage lenders! Ain’t it grand—the very policies that the CEO believes in are the exact policies that are good for the country and that the politician believes in!

It’s all too beautiful.

Just some friendly questions. Should someone who is given prime space on a major newspaper/newsweekly’s web site be receiving favors and financial compensation by the vested interests he is commenting on? Doesn’t the fact that he does receive such financial favors (including airline accommodations) require a permanent full disclosure statement on his blog? And where, exactly, is the money that pays for all this coming from? Not just those funds that are being used to give Eboo magic carpet—er, red carpet treatment, but the funds that support this whole lobbying effort by Eboo and Queen Rania?

let her create youtubes which talk about the plight of moslem women and children in Gaza!!!

She is Palestinian in origin. She must help her own poeple who are suffering under the killers whom they are protecting!!!

Asim, Asim, Asim,

I see you still suffer from the 3 B Syndrome, Bred, Born and Brainwashed in Islam. Because we care, we send you our very best Five Step Program for Deflawing and "Destenching" Islam:

Are you ready?

Using "The 77 Branches of Islamic "faith" a collection compiled by Imam Bayhaqi as a starting point. In it, he explains the essential virtues that reflect true "faith" (iman) through related Qur’anic verses and Prophetic sayings." i.e. a nice summary of the Koran and Islamic beliefs.

"1. Belief in Allah"

"aka as God, Yahweh, Zeus, Jehovah, Mother Nature, etc." should be added to your cleansing neurons.

"2. To believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah Most High created these things and subsequently they came into existence."

Evolution and the Big Bang or the "Gib Gnab" (when the universe starts to recycle) are more plausible and the "akas" for Allah should be included if you continue to be a "creationist".

"3. To believe in the existence of angels."

A major item for neuron cleansing. Angels/devils are the mythical creations of ancient civilizations, e.g. Hittites, to explain/define natural events, contacts with their gods, big birds, sudden winds, protectors during the dark nights, etc. No "pretty/ugly wingy thingies" ever visited or talked to Mohammed, Jesus, Mary or Joseph or Joe Smith. Today we would classify angels as fairies and "tinker bells". Modern devils are classified as the demons of the demented.

"4. To believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true. However, apart from the Quran, all other books are not valid anymore."

Another major item to delete. There are no books written in the spirit state of Heaven (if there is one) just as there are no angels/"pwtfft"s to write/publish/distribute them. The Koran, OT, NT etc. are simply books written by humans for humans.

Prophets were invented by ancient scribes typically to keep the uneducated masses in line. Today we call them fortune tellers.
Prophecies are also invalidated by the natural/God/Allah gifts of Free Will and Future.

"5. To believe that all the prophets are true. However, we are commanded to follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) alone."

Mohammed spent thirty days fasting in a hot cave before his first contact with Allah aka God etc. via a "pretty wingy thingy". Common sense demands a neuron deletion of #5. #5 is also the major source of Islamic violence i.e. turning Mohammed's "fast, hunger-driven" hallucinations into horrible reality for unbelievers.
Accept these five "cleansers" and we guarantee a complete recovery from your Islamic ways!!!!

Mirza,
We have heared your "scholarly" sounding falsehood and misquotations before and are not worth responding to them:my post is based on research and knowledge of Arabic and real life practice-unless u know my faith better than I do.

Like "ibrahim's," even your name is suspect-and you are likely to be a hindu or some estoric snake and cow worshipng heathen.

concrnd:u should be concerned about your own mental health:u never contribute any thing new-just repeating your ignorant cut/paste rant-instead why don't u do some serious and honest reading or visit a Muslim Community center near u-perhaps u migt be cured from utter ignorance.

REMOVE THE OFFENSIVE COMMENT MADE BELOW ON PROPHET MOHAMMED PEACE BE UPON HIM

B-man, B-man, B-man,

I understood the queen's opening remarks. Her remarks were simply wrong. There is no middle ground for a religion whose operating manual is the koran which calls for the death of all infidels.

The 24/7 blood feud between the Sunnis and Shiites that has been going on for 800 years is a daily reminder of the "moderate" Muslim world.

The following quotes from CNN clearly defines these so called moderate Muslims:

"Al-Sistani was apparently referring to Abdullah bin Jabrain, a key member of Saudi Arabia's clerical establishment, who last month joined a chorus of other senior figures from the hardline Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam that regards Shiites as infidels.

Bin Jabrain described Shiites as "the most vicious enemy of Muslims."

CCNL:

To repeat what she did say:

1) She cautioned people against using the term ‘Muslim extremist’. There are Muslims, she said, and then there are extremists. Muslims are guided by their tradition to be a people in the middle, a people of moderation. The extremists are violating that central principle. Do not give them the honor of the title, ‘Muslim’.

Based on your rant, I guess you didn't quite get that.

Queen Rania is a gift to this world. I am proud of her for taking these bold steps to counter the ignorance and bigotry of many here in the U.S.

I tried to indicate why Muslims can claim that they know Jesus better than Christians. But these Muslim respondents give us all this Islamic crap to read. They don't realize how they turn us off.

I cant stand when someone prints something like this in faVOR OF queen dummy and her dummy husband. In Jordan, the country she is queen of, we are not allowed to demonstrate or even breathe without her and her husbands permission. Half of her country makes a dollar a day. Everybody is persecuted by her countries police. Yet, the American media seems to think she is a God send. $^# her and her husband who doesnt even speak arabic.

Re: Asim claim that Islam means Peace

By Syed Kamran Mirza

The English word “peace” means tranquility or serenity, silence, freedom from war, freedom from anxiety, a state of harmony between people etc. All the people love to enjoy peace in their lives. Many a times Muslims call Islam as peace. Specially, after 9/11, Islamists echo continuously—“Islam means peace”. Therefore—Islam can not condone terrorism or war. Now, does anybody know what the Islamic concept of peace is? Do you know the Islamic peace do not signify the same meaning we learned from the English Dictionary? Here is the real meaning of Islamic concept of peace.

Islamic understanding of peace means submission or surrender. Peace comes (according to Islam) only after one surrenders or submits one’s self. Submission or surrender to whom? Submission to only Allah (Islamic God) and his messenger Muhammad. Therefore peace (Islamic) exists only inside the Dar-ul-Islam—the house of submission, after the conversion to Islam. That is the ultimate meaning of Islamic peace. The false meaning of Islam as peace misguides the gullible western non-Muslims. Conniving Islamists misguided President Bush and his White House staffs by their cheap shot of Islamic peace.

Peace with non-Muslims (Hindus, idolaters), and also those people of the Books (Christians and Jews) is impossible in Islam. According to Quran and its teachings—they should be given a chance/invitation to accept Islam, or be subjugated and killed if necessary. People of the Books (Christians and Jews) are to be fought against until they are subdued. Here is what Holy Quran says:

9:29: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Books (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

To claim that Islam is a religion of peace is utterly untrue. Islam is committed to war, both by the example of Prophet Muhammad, (who fought against pagans and also against other tribes and religions until he subdued Mecca and Medina), and by the Quranic teachings supported by numerous Sahi hadiths. The Quran does teach that Muslims are never to initiate war, but Muslims are supposed to offer non-Muslims an opportunity/invitation to embrace Islam. If the non-Muslims refuse to accept Islam, this is viewed as aggression against Allah and Islam. Therefore Muslims are legitimately allowed to fight those aggressors until they are converted, or killed.

Most valid examples to my claim are the following Quranic verses below:

3:85: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good).

8:39: And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere.

4:89:They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn renegades, sieze them and kill them wherever ye find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them,”

22:19-22: These two antagonists dispute with each other about their Lord: But those who deny (their Lord),- for them will be cut out a garment of Fire: over their heads will be poured out boiling water. With it will be scalded what is within their bodies, as well as (their) skins. In addition there will be maces of iron (to punish) them. Every time they wish to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be forced back therein, and (it will be said), “Taste ye the Penalty of Burning!” (What a sadist God?)

47:4: If you meet those who are infidels or non-believers, you cut their heads off and tie things around their necks, start a war and God will give victory and those who will die in the war fighting God will not forget their acts.

Now some sahi hadiths and quotes from Islamic thinkers:

(1) Alsaylu Jarar (4:518-519) by Al-Shawkani. Shawkani:
"Islam is unanimous about fighting the unbelievers and forcing them to Islam or submitting and paying Jizya tax (protection money for the Jews and the Christians only) or being killed. The verse about forgiving them are abrogated unanimously by the obligation of fighting in any case".

(2) The Baydawi quoted in his book (The lights of Revelation, page-252):

“Fight Jews and Christians because they violated the origin of their faith and they do not believe in the religion of the truth (Islam), which abrogated all other religions. Fight them until they pay the poll-tax (Ziziya tax) with submission and humiliation.”

(3) The well-known Egyptian scholar, Sayyid Qutb, (Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, Revised Edition, chapter. 4, “Jihaad in the Cause of God") notes four stages in the development of jihad:

1. While the earliest Muslims remained in Mecca before fleeing to Medina, God did not allow them to fight;
2. Permission is given to Muslims to fight against their oppressors;
3. God commands Muslims to fight those fighting them;
4. God commands the Muslims to fight against all polytheists.

Sayyid Qutb views each stage to be replaced by the next stage in this order, the fourth stage to remain permanent.

(4) Introduction section of the English translation of Sahih Bukhari by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Medina Islamic University. In the same section Dr M. Muhsin Khan writes:

, "Then Allah revealed in Sura Bara’at (9) the order to discard (all) the obligations (covenants, etc.) and commanded the Muslims to fight against all the pagans as well as against the people of the scriptures (Jews and Christians) if they do not embrace Islam, till they pay the Jizya (a tax levied on the Jews and Christians who do not embrace Islam and are under the protection of an Islamic government) with willing submission and feel themselves subdued (9:29). So they (Muslims) were not permitted to abandon ‘the fighting’ against them (Pagans, Jews and Christians) and to reconcile with them and to suspend hostilities against them for an unlimited period while they are strong and have the possibility of fighting against them."

(5) Opinion by an Islamist General: Hamid Gul - the Islamist and former Pakistani general was interviewed by the BBC News, Monday, 5 August, 2002. This Jihadi General of Pakistan said, “Armed resistance, of the oppressed people, of the persecuted people, of the enslaved people - that jihad has the UN sanction. Who is Pervez Musharraf to say we should stop that, when the Koran says it and when the United Nations Charter backs it up? Musharraf says: “Stop the jihad, do this, that and the other.” No, no, no. He cannot. There is a clear-cut Koranic injunction”.

(6) Sahi Buchari #1246, page-1180: Hazrat Ali (ra) narrated, “Certainly I heard Prophet Muhammad saying, in the days of last era, there will be some people evolved who will talk very nice and gentle, but they will never have faith upon Allah, and their faith will be expelled from their heats like the way an arrow is expelled from a bow. Therefore, you would kill them where ever you find them, because whoever will kill them they will be rewarded by Allah at the Judgement day with heaven.

The above verses, opinions from various Islamic thinkers and Sahi hadith made Islam a religion of fear and terror and not a religion of peace by any means. There will be continuous war in the world as long as some fanatics will believe in Muhammad, his example and his teachings. The Islamic concept of peace meaning making the whole world Muslim is undoubtedly a mandate for war. After that peace will prevail in the earth of Allah. That is the ultimate exegesis of the Arabic word “Islam”.

Queen Rania said that her religion preaches “compassion, forgiveness, charity and humility”.
Below are few of over 300 verses quoted from the Quran as listed in the link below. I could not find any of these lofty sentiments among those verses or anywhere else in that book.
“Fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah.--8:39
If thou couldst see how the angels receive those who disbelieve, smiting faces and their backs and (saying): Taste the punishment of burning!--8:50
The worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the ungrateful who will not believe.--8:55
(The disbelievers) are a folk without intelligence.--8:65
It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land.--8:67
Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to those who disbelieve--9:3
Slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush.--9:5”
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/Quran/cruelty/short.html

The brunt of her message is that Americans should not criticize the behavior of Muslims because the Americans are no better. It is true that some Americans murder their wives just like the Jordanians do. The difference is that the State here puts those criminals away for life and sometimes executes them while Jordan encourages the murder of women by giving the murderers no more than six months of jail time. Women in Jordan cannot travel without being accompanied by a next of kin male chaperon. Women there are to this day considered as wards of male relatives even to their preteen male children. While a man can marry up to four women, women there are not given the right to choose a husband but accept what the father presents to her, and if she refused that calls for what they call ”honor killing”.
While it is true that not all Muslims are terrorists but it is also a fact that all of those who carried out the most of dramatic terrorist acts since 9-11 were Muslim Arabs. The main issue here is that those terrorists justify their actions by quoting the Quran who they believe to be the literal commands of Allah and most of those others called moderates are silent. It is this attitude of defending the indefensible with outrageous and unsubstantiated claims that is mainly responsible for the lack of change in the Arab world.

On place to begin in explaining Islam and Muslims is this: the Jesus found in the Koran is a lot closer to the real Jesus than the Jesus of the Gospels. The real Jesus can be found by examining his earliest followers led by his brother James the Just. For them Jesus was a man, not a divine being, he was the True Prophet sent by God to purge Judaism of corruption. This Jesus was forgotten by Paul and the gentiles who fashioned a Jesus modeled after Hellenistic god-men. Islam inherited the Jewish Christian (Ebionite)view of Jesus more than any other group. The Koran is more right about Jesus than Christians can imagine.