Civil Liberty - the organisation dedicated to defending free speech against the tyranny of political correctness

"I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them." (1)

What are we to make of a quotation like this? Is it just taken out of context? Is Islam really a ‘religion of peace’ as some claim, or does it contravene our notions of tolerance, personal freedom and justice? The Western world has been on a trajectory of increased human rights and egalitarianism for hundreds of years and the conditions we enjoy today are largely due to sacrifices made by previous generations. The excesses of the Christian church are generally well known, and many battles were fought to establish a secular state.

As a history graduate with a major in Middle Eastern studies I found myself attracted to the region due to its several millennia of civilisation. It was a centre of architecture, the arts, scholarship, law and a dizzying array of polytheistic belief. But some 1400 years ago a radical change occurred with the advent of Islam, and the region altered course in a fundamental way.

Today very few people in the West have read Islam’s primary text the Koran, or its accompanying commentaries. Few could claim to have any real knowledge of the history, or agenda of this faith. But we are all increasingly affected by it, in a variety of ways.

Is Islam attuned to our secular values of tolerance and egalitarianism? Are the acts of violence committed in its name aberrations, or a reflection of something more fundamental about its core teachings?

To answer these and other questions, we have to look at the Koran and related scriptural sources, the history of Islam, the teachings of contemporary Muslim clerics, and present day realities. We also need to understand that Islam does not have a single, titular leader who can speak on behalf of the entire faith, in the way Catholicism has the Pope. So there is disagreement amongst Muslim clerics over points of belief and law. However the Prophet Mohammed was said to be the ‘perfect human’ and therefore a model to emulate, and scriptural sources often strongly coincide on key issues.

Islam is an ideology not a race. There is no Muslim race. In fact Islam is open to anyone, regardless of racial group and in Australia some of the most high profile Islamic terror suspects are Caucasian. Although Islam’s origins are in the Middle East, people of all backgrounds count themselves as Muslims. So discussion of Islam is by definition not racist. It is also a tenet of a secular society that religion can be discussed openly. Any attempt to quash this speaks volumes.

Apart from the quotation above there are a great many passages in the Koran that seemingly promote violence.

“And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out….” (Koran 2:191)

“They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy).” (Koran 33:61)

“Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah Heareth and knoweth all things” – (Koran 2:244) .

“As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help” – (Koran 3:56) .

“Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority: their abode will be the Fire: And evil is the home of the wrong-doers!” (Koran 3:151)

(This passage is said to refer to Christians because they believe in the Holy Trinity, ie ‘joined companions’ to Allah)

“Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward.” (Koran 4:95)

“And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah” (Koran 8:39)

“Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard (ruthless) against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves”. (Koran 48:29)

“…fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war)…” (Koran 9:5)

“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 Book, until they pay the Jizya, with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued”. (Koran 9:29)

(The ‘Jizya’ is a kind of tax for those who submit. ‘People of the Book’ refers to Christians and Jews)

“Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah. then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme”. (Koran 9:111)

This is by no means exhaustive. A full list of passages which condone violence would be much longer. The Koran also makes it clear that metaphorical interpretations are not to be considered. Even if that were not the case, it is clear that a great many people take passages like this literally. What confuses many Westerners is that passages seemingly condoning peace co-exist alongside ones such as these. Which parts of the Koran do Muslims follow? Surely they can not follow what appears to be completely contradictory approaches? The key to understanding the Koran is realising that there is a doctrine that decides which passages should take precedence.

Middle Eastern scholar and commentator Raymond Ibrahim explains thus: “While other scriptures contain contradictions, the Qur'an is the only holy book whose commentators have evolved a doctrine to account for the very visible shifts which occur from one injunction to another. No careful reader will remain unaware of the many contradictory verses in the Qur'an, most specifically the way in which peaceful and tolerant verses lie almost side by side with violent and intolerant ones. The ulema were initially baffled as to which verses to codify into the Shari'a worldview—the one that states there is no coercion in religion (2:256), or the ones that command believers to fight all non-Muslims till they either convert, or at least submit, to Islam (8:39, 9:5, 9:29). To get out of this quandary, the commentators developed the doctrine of abrogation, which essentially maintains that verses revealed later in Muhammad's career take precedence over earlier ones whenever there is a discrepancy. In order to document which verses abrogated which, a religious science devoted to the chronology of the Qur'an's verses evolved (known as an-Nasikh wa'l Mansukh, the abrogater and the abrogated)."

He continues: "But why the contradiction in the first place? The standard view is that in the early years of Islam, since Muhammad and his community were far outnumbered by their infidel competitors while living next to them in Mecca, a message of peace and coexistence was in order. However, after the Muslims migrated to Medina in 622 and grew in military strength, verses inciting them to go on the offensive were slowly "revealed"—in principle, sent down from God—always commensurate with Islam's growing capabilities. In juridical texts, these are categorized in stages: passivity vis-á-vis aggression; permission to fight back against aggressors; commands to fight aggressors; commands to fight all non-Muslims, whether the latter begin aggressions or not. Growing Muslim might is the only variable that explains this progressive change in policy”. (2)

Passages in the Koran such as 9:5 which command Muslims to fight are said to abrogate some 124 earlier peaceful passages, and any implication that a Muslim do anything other than commit to ‘jihad’ against the Unbelievers.

“O Messenger. rouse the Believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers: for these are a people without understanding” (Koran 8:65)

”Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "The person who participates in (Holy battles) in Allah's cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he is killed in the battle as a martyr).” (3)

”Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "Allah guarantees him who strives in His Cause and whose motivation for going out is nothing but Jihad in His Cause and belief in His Word, that He will admit him into Paradise (if martyred) or bring him back to his dwelling place, whence he has come out, with what he gains of reward and booty." (4)

The root word for ‘Islam’ is ‘al-Silm’ which literally means ‘submission’ or ‘surrender’ which has very different connotations to ‘peace’. Muslims have literally submitted themselves to Allah and Islamic law (Sharia). Those who submit to Sharia may indeed enjoy peace in some senses of the word. The act of submitting to Islam is referred to as ‘Dhimmitude’. The Muslim world is divided into two realms. One of ‘submission’ where Islam has been accepted, and one of ‘conflict’ where it is yet to prevail.

"Allah said, 'It is My obligation to make Eve bleed once every month as she made this tree bleed. I must also make Eve stupid, although I created her intelligent.' Because Allah afflicted Eve, all of the women of this world menstruate and are stupid." (5)

“Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and beat them.”

The woman’s role is clearly subservient under Islam. In recent times women have been put to death in Iran for showing their hair in public, and a woman in Saudi Arabia was sentenced to ninety lashes for being raped, because she had gone out in public alone. Women in many Islamic countries face virtual house arrest with little scope for education, personal freedom, or in some cases even medical assistance. Genital mutilation, beheadings, stonings, lashings and hangings all occur with regularity in parts of the Muslim world. The Koran sets out some basic principles for gender roles and status.

-Men are created one step higher than women.
-Good women should be obedient to their husbands or risk physical abuse.
-Women inherit only half of what a man inherits.
-Witness of 2 women equals witness of 1 man.

“Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three monthly periods. Nor is it lawful for them to hide what Allah Hath created in their wombs, if they have faith in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have the better right to take them back in that period, if they wish for reconciliation. And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree (of advantage) over them. And Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise”. (Koran 2:228)

“Allah (thus) directs you as regards your Children's (Inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females”. (Koran 4:11)

“O you who believe! when you deal with each other in contracting a debt for a fixed time, then write it down; and let a scribe write it down between you with fairness; and the scribe should not refuse to write as Allah has taught him, so he should write; and let him who owes the debt dictate, and he should be careful of (his duty to) Allah, his Lord, and not diminish anything from it; but if he who owes the debt is unsound in understanding, or weak, or (if) he is not able to dictate himself, let his guardian dictate with fairness; and call in to witness from among your men two witnesses; but if there are not two men, then one man and two women from among those whom you choose to be witnesses, so that if one of the two errs, the second of the two may remind the other.” (Koran 2:282)

“If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a slave) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable…...” (Koran 4:3)

Mohammed had at least nine wives. There is abundant scriptural evidence that one of them was just six years old when she married him.

”Narrated 'Aisha: that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death).” (6)

Since the Prophet was meant to provide a model of correct Islamic behaviour, it begs the question as to whether these attitudes persist. The Ayatollah Khomeini, at one time possibly the world’s most venerated Islamic cleric has been quoted as saying:

“"A man can have sexual pleasure from a child as young as a baby. However, he should not penetrate. If he penetrates and the child is harmed then he should be responsible for her subsistence all her life. This girl, however would not count as one of his four permanent wives. The man will not be eligible to marry the girl's sister." (7)

Can Muslims ever actually integrate with Western, secular society and do they want to?

“O ye who believe! Take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks: They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin…..”. (Koran 3:118)

An article in the Times newspaper in the UK, discussed the sermons of a cleric Sheikh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul-Haq.
“His target is the ‘kuffar’, the non Muslim, whether Jewish, Christian, Hindu or atheist, and the message is simple: their designs are evil, their ways corrupting. Stay away from them”. Mr ul-Haq “..is fêted internationally as a leading scholar of Islam” and “ when Mr ul -Haq speaks of his contempt for British ways and Western values………, it carries the authority of the ultra-conservative Islamic movement whose views are preached in hundreds of mosques and madrassas in Britain. The Deobandis run more than 600 of the 1,300 mosques in Britain and their seminaries – known as darul uloom – produce the vast majority of British-trained Islamic clerics. Walk into a British mosque, particularly outside London, and the chances are that it is the voice of Deoband that you will hear”.

On Jews “They’re all the same. The Jews don’t have to be in Israel to be like this. It doesn’t matter whether they’re in New York, Houston, St Louis, London, Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester. They’re all the same. They’ve monopolised everything: the Holocaust, God, money, interest, usury, the world economy, the media, political institutions . . . they monopolised tyranny and oppression as well. And injustice”
On New York “Jew York . . . sorry, New York . . . a slip of the tongue.”
On integration “Allah has warned us in the Koran, do not befriend the kuffar [unbelievers], do not align yourselves with the kuffar” On jihad “The moment we say something, we are branded fanatics, terrorists, extremists. And no one dare utter the J-word. The J-word has become taboo. The J-word can never be mentioned and if someone mentions it even Muslims look at one another. So much is happening and yet we are expected to remain silent”
On Islam’s ultimate triumph “Allah has promised. It is he who has sent his Messenger [Muhammad] with the religion of truth so that it may prevail over all other religions, even though the disbelievers may dislike it, even though the mushrikin [the idolaters] may dislike it. Allah has promised that victory will be for the believers. But we will be tested in the meantime”
On Israel “Oh Allah, do not let us die until our eyes are cooled with the sight of banu Israel [the children of Israel] being punished for their crimes”
On sacrifice “Trust in Allah, trust in the Prophet’s promises and his words. But not just rely on him and sit back, carrying on with our nine-to-five lives and our rat race. No, but be willing to sacrifice anything that may be required of us in the way of Allah”
On Christmas “Muslims celebrating Christmas! It’s amazing. We think that it's innocent. It’s not innocent. The Christmas Eve masses held in their churches. What do they do? They take bread and they take wine in a very formal, customary way . . . They believe they are eating the flesh of Issa [Jesus]. When they drink the wine, they believe they are consuming the blood of Issa, ie the flesh and the blood of his sacrifice. Of course, it’s all mumbo-jumbo.” (8)

In Australia the situation is little different. An article on the MSN news webpage states, “Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali branded Australians liars and excused gang rapists in an interview aired on Egyptian television this week.

The sheik's comments come just months after he compared scantily clad women to uncovered meat and said such women should blame themselves if they were raped”. (9)

And Alhilali is hardly the only one. In an article entitled “Sydney cleric ridicules Jews” another high profile Islamic cleric indulges in anti Semiticism and promotes violence: “Sydney's most influential radical Muslim cleric has been reportedly caught on film calling Jews pigs and urging children to die for Allah. Sheikh Feiz Mohammed, head of the Global Islamic Youth Centre in Liverpool, delivers the hateful rants on a collection of DVDs called the Death Series, sold in Australia and overseas”. (10)

The Ayatollah Khomeini said: “Every part of the body of a non-Muslim individual is impure, even the hair on his hand and his body hair, his nails, and all the secretions of the body”. (11)

There are seemingly countless more instances in which Islamic clerics and scriptural sources suggest Islam can not live alongside non-Muslim peoples, and will not tolerate anything other than submission to Islam.

The Ayalottah Khomeini said in his ‘Little Green Book’, “In certain cases deception is necessary for the maintenance of Islam and of religion in general; without it faith could not survive”. (12)

“Allah has already ordained for you, (O men), the dissolution of your oaths (in some cases)…” (Koran 66:2)

“…..deception directed at non-Muslims, generally known in Arabic as ‘taqiyya’, also has Qur'anic support and falls within the legal category of things that are permissible for Muslims”. (13)

“ ‘Taqiyya’ is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it … We can go so far as to say that the practice of ‘taqiyya’ is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream …’ Taqiyya’ is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era”. (14)

The world’s most wanted terrorist Osama Bin Laden uses tactics of deception, especially claiming grievances as a reason for his actions. In his messages to the West he lists things such as the Western military involvement in the Middle East and even failure to sign the Kyoto Protocol as reasons for his actions. But in a letter to other Muslims he states:

“As to the relationship between Muslims and infidels, this is summarized by the Most High's Word: "We [Muslims] renounce you [non-Muslims]. Enmity and hate shall forever reign between us—till you believe in God alone" [Qur'an 60:4]. So there is an enmity, evidenced by fierce hostility from the heart. And this fierce hostility—that is, battle—ceases only if the infidel submits to the authority of Islam, or if his blood is forbidden from being shed [i.e., a dhimmi, or protected minority], or if Muslims are at that point in time weak and incapable. But if the hate at any time extinguishes from the heart, this is great apostasy! ... Such then is the basis and foundation of the relationship between the infidel and the Muslim. Battle, animosity, and hatred—directed from the Muslim to the infidel—is the foundation of our religion. And we consider this a justice and kindness to them.” (15)

Isn’t it just a case that Muslims are fighting back against Western oppression starting with the Crusades and most recently culminating in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

There is truth to the assertion that some current Islamic activity is in retaliation for the wars, but this is not a complete picture. Islam has been in existence for around 1400 years and in that time it is difficult to think of a period when it has not been in a state of conflict. It began with the conquest of the pagan Arabian tribes. The Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and parts of Europe all fell to Islam by conquest. In the last few decades Islamic terrorist attacks have occurred in countries as diverse as the USA, UK, China, Sudan, Pakistan, India , Algeria, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Denmark, Nigeria, Eritria, Syria, Somalia, France, Iran and many more. Clearly a great many of these countries are not aligned with the West at all. Since 9/11 there has been well over 14,000 Islamic terrorist attacks globally.(16)

Below is a sample of just a part of a timeline of early Islamic history. Note the almost constant battles, sometimes several in a year, and the steady conquest of Islam’s neighbours, long before the crusades.

Some of the quotations from Muslim clerics cited above indicate anti Jewish sentiment – is there any basis to this in Islamic scriptures?

“Of the Jews there are those who displace words from their (right) places, and say: "We hear and we disobey"; and "Hear what is not Heard"; and "Ra'ina"; with a twist of their tongues and a slander to Faith. If only they had said: "We hear and we obey"; and "Do hear"; and "Do look at us"; it would have been better for them, and more proper; but Allah hath cursed them for their Unbelief; and but few of them will believe”. (Koran 4:46)

“For the iniquity of the Jews We made unlawful for them certain (foods) good and wholesome which had been lawful for them;- in that they hindered many from Allah's Way”. (4:160)

“That they (Jews) took usury, though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men's substance wrongfully;- we have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment” .

Jews are tolerated, along with Christians, if they submit to Islam. This submission is termed ‘dhimmitude’.

An ex Muslim involved with the Faith Freedom organisation states: "It is a mistake to tolerate Islam. It is a mistake to grant it the status of religion and count it among other religions. Islam is not another color in the rainbow of religions. It is the blackness of the night that aims to obliterate all colours."

Islam remains elusive for most Westerners. This is largely because very few have bothered to read the Koran and the various commentaries. Few have studied Islam’s history, and very few have read what contemporary Islamic clerics have to say. Islam does not have a titular head like the Pope, who can claim to speak on behalf on the entire religion. And there is some big doctrinal chasms in Islam such as the divide between Sunnis and Shi’ites.

But there are also some areas where there is no doubt what Islam expects of its adherents, and there are also clerics who have large personal followings who shape behaviour.

Islam is dedicated towards instilling Islamic law – Sharia – worldwide. Muslims are expected to take an active part in this.

As Ibrahim outlines, ‘jihad’ is an expectation of all Muslims and progresses through different stages depending on what kind of situation Muslims find themselves in. When they are numerically inferior, co existence is emphasised. But as their numbers grow this changes to a more active push for concessions to sharia. Beyond this, when Muslim numbers are greater, any form of coercion will be used from working within the existing system to outright violence. This has been demonstrated time and again in nations across the world.

Shocking though this may sound, it is undeniable that Islam asks its adherents to make the world submit to its ideology. The idea of ‘extremist’ and ‘moderate’ Muslims is largely a construct of the Western media. There are those Muslims who do what is literally asked of them, and those who are more pragmatic.

Islam’s prophet and role model Mohammed was a military conqueror, who killed, pillaged and took booty including slave girls. He was a polygamist with at least nine wives and one was just six years old when she married him.

Islam resorts to shielding itself from scrutiny as much as it can but even casual observation of countries under the rule of sharia reveals massive human rights violations, especially for women. Although it varies from nation to nation, women face virtual house arrest and people who fall foul of sharia’s multitude of rules can face death by beheading, flogging and stoning. Amputations, genital mutilation and immolation are all common. Prohibitions include everything from alcohol to most music and film.

In fact sharia is a system of control that emcompasses everything, including our bodily functions.

“It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path”.

It is also incredibly hard to leave Islam. In many nations any attempt to renounce the faith results in a death sentence. At the very least apostasy entails complete social dislocation. Because Islam is a system that controls every aspect of its adherents lives, leaving is a far bigger step than it is for a Christian. Some suggest that a sizeable portion of the Muslim population are really aspotates, but just going through the motions. By holding the light of reason and criticism to Islam, you are giving them the chance to make informed decisions.

It is my view that Islam is a dark shadow across a large part of the world, but like any shadow, when exposed to light it soon loses any substance. Make no mistake, countering Islam will not be easy, but for anyone who values freedom it must be done.

A more detailed analysis of evidence for Aisha’s age at the time of consummation can be found here: www.homa.org

(8) The Times newspaper, UK ,‘The homegrown cleric who loathes the British” 07/09/07

(11)Ayatollah Khomeini, Little Green Book, 2:11, 1990. A translation by Harold Salemson, whose source was a French translation of the Ayatollah's fatawah compiled by a Persian named Jean-Marie Xaviere. The book is broken up into two volumes.

(13) Raymond Ibrahim ,Middle East Quarterly, ‘How Taqiyya alters Islam’s rules of war’, Volume 17, number 1.

(14) Sami Mukaram, At-Taqiyya fi 'l-Islam (London: Mu'assisat at-Turath ad-Druzi, 2004), p. 7, translated by Raymond Ibrahim.