TO
KILL AND TO DIE
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH
By: Abdullah Al Araby
The following are news items quoted from newspapers
in the last few years:
October 19, 1994
"A powerful bomb, apparently place by Islamic
militants opposed to the Arab-Israeli peace negotiations,
blew up a crowded bus during the morning rush hour
in the heart of Tel Aviv, Israel, killing 22 people
and wounding 48."
July 18, 1994
"A huge bomb exploded destroying a seven-story
downtown building housing two Jewish groups in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. At least 26 people were killed
and 127 were injured."
February 26, 1993
"A tremendous underground explosion believed
to be caused by a bomb, shook the 110-story twin
towers of Manhattan's World Trade Center, in new
York, killing at least five people injuring more
than 1000, and sending tens of thousands of workers
fleeing for their lives down crowded smoke-filled
stairs."
May 4, 1992
" 13 Egyptian Christians were shot dead by
Muslim fundamentalists in Mansheit Nasser, Egypt.
Ten Christian farmers were ambushed and murdered
while working in their fields. A Christian teacher
was shot in the local school while teaching a class
of ten-year olds. A Christian doctor was shot dead
outside his home."
These are just few samples out of thousands of
terrorists attacks, which all have one element in
common: they were all committed by Muslim fundamentalists.
While there are extremists in other groups, who
are capable of committing acts of violence, it seems
that violence committed by Muslim extremists exceeds
the violence of all other groups combined.
Why do Muslim fundamentalists
act this way?
Are Muslim fundamentalists inherently inhumane, savage
and evil? - of course not. Muslims are ordinary people,
just like anybody else. They are fathers, brothers
and sons. They could be doctors, engineers and lawyers.
They are your coworkers, and your next door neighbors.
So, what goes on their minds when they act violently?
To understand this one must understand an important
and dangerous Islamic teaching called "Jihad"
(or Holy war).
It is important to understand that not every Arab
is a Muslim, not every Muslim is an Arab, and not
every Muslim is a fundamentalist. We are not trying
to attack a group of people here, nor are we trying
to attack a religion. We are only exposing a teaching
in a religion that could have a serious effect on
all society.
It is also important to know that in exercising Jihad,
Muslim fundamentalists may not think they are trying
to maliciously hurt others, but rather they are only
obeying God's commandments. And in doing so, they
are assuring themselves a place in paradise.
Jihad (Holy War)
Jihad is one of many sacred duties Muslims perform.
The word "Jihad" is an Arabic
word which means "struggle".
In this sense Jihad is the struggle for the cause
of spreading Islam, using all means available to Muslims,
including violence. This kind of Jihad is often referred
to as "Holy War".
In resorting to violence, Muslims will not have any
problem finding passages in the Quran (believed by
Muslims to be Allah's word), and the Hadith (Mohammed's
sayings as recorded by Al Bukhari), that will not
only condone violence, but will also demand it.
Jihad in the "Quran"
Allah orders Muslims in the Quran to terrorize non-Muslims
on His behalf:
"Strike terror (into the hearts of)
the enemies of God and your enemies"
Surah 8:60
"Fight (kill) them (non-Muslims), and
God will punish (torment) them by your hands, cover
them with shame" Surah 9:14
"I will instill terror into the hearts
of the unbelievers, smite ye above their necks and
smite all their fingertips off them. It is not ye
who slew them; it was God" Surah 8:13-17
Jihad in the "Hadith"
In the Hadith Mohammed also urges Muslims to practice
Jihad. Mohammed one was asked: what is the best deed
for the Muslim next to believing in Allah and His
Apostle? His answer was: "To participate
in Jihad in Allah's cause".
Al Bukhari vol. 1:25
Mohammed was quoted as saying: "I have
been ordered to fight with the people till they say,
none has the right to be worshipped but Allah"
Al Bukhari vol. 4:196
Mohammed also 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 Apostle,
will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward,
or body (if he survives) or will be admitted to paradise
(if he is killed)"
Al Bukhari vol. 1:35
Mohammed: An Example
When the prophet of Islam started preaching his new
religion in Mecca, he was conciliatory to Christians
and Jews. He told them "We believe in what
has been sent down to us and sent down to you, our
God is the same as your God"
Surah 29:4-5. This attitude changed completely
after he gained strength. Allah then tells him to
"fight People of the Book (Christians
and Jews), who do not accept the religion of the truth
(Islam), until they pay tribute (penalty tax) by hand,
being inferior." Surah 9:29
Regarding Christians and Jews, it seems that Mohammed
hated the Jews more. During his life time, Mohammed
devoted much of his efforts to get rid of the Jews:
"You (Jews) should know that the earth
belongs to Allah and his apostle, and I want to expel
you from this land (the Arabian Peninsula), so, if
anyone owns property, he is permitted to sell it"
Mohammed was quoted.
At that time there were in Medina three Jewish tribes.
Two of them, the Qaynqa and the Bani-al-Nudair tribes,
were besieged by Mohammed's men, blocking their access
to food supplies, until they surrendered on Mohammed's
terms, which were that their lives would be spared,
that they must emigrate from Medina, and that they
must deposit all their belongings at a certain place
for distribution among Muslims.
The third tribe, Bani Qurayza, was not as lucky.
After the war of the trench, in which Mohammed was
besieged by the Qurayshites led by Abu Sofyan, it
was alleged that Bani Quarayza agreed to provide help
from within to Abu Sofia's forces. Although the alleged
help did not materialize and the siege eventually
ended, nevertheless, Mohammed never forgave them for
their willingness to help his enemies.
Muslims turned against Bani Qurayza and blocked their
streets for twenty five days. The Jewish tribe expressed
readiness to accept the surrender terms which had
been conceded to the other two Jewish tribes, namely
cessions of their belongings and departure with safe
conduct.
Mohammed, however, would not consent to this, and
instead appointed as an arbiter Saad iben Moaz, a
man who was known to be on bad terms with Bani Qurayza.
Saad ruled that all Bani Qurayza's men should be beheaded,
that the women and children should be sold as slaves,
and that all their property should be divided among
the Muslims.
Trenches were dug in the bazaar of Medina for disposal
of the nine hundred Jewish bodies whom Mohammed had
spent the night slaughtering. (See Ibn Hisham: The
Prophet's Biography vol. 2 pages 40 &
41).
Dear Friends
These are historical facts that happened 14 centuries
ago. They represent a dangerous tendency for violence
in the Islamic mentality. More serious is that Muslim
fundamentalists are trying to repeat these acts of
violence in this 21st century.
Guard our freedom and democracy. Let Jesus' message
of tolerance and nonviolence rule our land - "Put
up again thy sword into his place; for all they that
take the sword shall perish with the sword".
Matthew 26:52
KNOW THE TRUTH
FOLLOW THE TRUTH
SPREAD THE TRUTH
"And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John
8:32)
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