Here is my letter in response to an article by Tarek Fatah in the National Post
titled Re: The Quran And Me, Tarek Fatah, Aug. 21.
…and the nature of Islam August 25th.
I respect Tarek Fatah for his aim to speak the truth against violent behaviour from the Islamic world. However, this column gives rise to some very difficult questions.
I respect Tarek Fatah for his aim to speak the truth against violent behaviour from the Islamic world. However, this column gives rise to some very difficult questions.
Mr. Fatah describes himself as “a hardened secularist,” so why does he write “Prophet Muhammad … received the first verse of the Quran from God”? Why would a self-proclaimed secularist elevate Muhammad to the status of prophet of God? (then add “peace be upon him”)?
Mr. Fatah also quotes many lovely verses from the Quran,
and this gives rise to my second question. How does Mr. Fatah reconcile the peaceful verses he quotes, with the very large number of warlike verses in the Quran?
and this gives rise to my second question. How does Mr. Fatah reconcile the peaceful verses he quotes, with the very large number of warlike verses in the Quran?
Surely he is aware of the Islamic doctrine of abrogation (clearly stated in Surah 2:106). Abrogation means that verses (peaceful) from the early part of Muhammad’s life (Mecca), are nullified by contrary verses (violent and warlike) from later in Muhammad’s life (Medina), when he became a powerful warlord.
According to the revelation of Muhammad (Sura 2:106), Allah repudiated the earlier verses and replaced them with verses of an opposite meaning. If these later verses are truly the words of God (as claimed by Islamic scholars), then the violent Jihadists are clearly following the words of Allah according to the Quran.
Gurth Whitaker, Calgary.
Much as I applaud Mr. Fatah's efforts to preach for Islamic reform to a moderate version Islam, I believe that the concept is highly problematic with respect to the theology and core doctrine of Islam.
Nathan Tyler makes an excellent point that secularists do not have an effective chance to reform a religion for the simple reason that they do not have authority or respect from the orthodox believers. Muslims will not accept Mr. Fatah's urging to reform; why should they, when he professes to be a secular Muslim and not a beleiver.
The rest of his comments on his blog.
Much as I applaud Mr. Fatah's efforts to preach for Islamic reform to a moderate version Islam, I believe that the concept is highly problematic with respect to the theology and core doctrine of Islam.
Nathan Tyler makes an excellent point that secularists do not have an effective chance to reform a religion for the simple reason that they do not have authority or respect from the orthodox believers. Muslims will not accept Mr. Fatah's urging to reform; why should they, when he professes to be a secular Muslim and not a beleiver.
The rest of his comments on his blog.
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What Book are these war like verses from? And by the way, there are many more!
ReplyDeleteHe trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."
David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
Yes Hopsas, there are many warlike verses in the Old Testament; verses of a historical nature. But the verses are of a profoundly different nature to the passages in the Koran concerning Jihad.
ReplyDeleteQuite simply the Koran and the writings of Islam contain the clear order (injunction) to believers (Muslims) that they must wage war (Jihad) against the unbelievers (Kafir). This was stated in my earlier letter to the National Post: "What does the Koran say about tolerance & conversion to Islam."
Here's an extract:
"Surah 8:39 proclaims the injunction to fight unbelievers, and continue to do this until Islam will be the sole religion and the whole world will worship Allah.
Surah 8.39: And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of the world].
The word fight here refers to a physical warfare and not spiritual warfare, which is the subject of this Surah..."
Central to core Islamic theology, is this concept of converting the world to Islam, and if they won’t convert voluntarily, then they must be converted by the sword. That is Jihad
We must accept what Islam says about itself.
Passages in the Bible (Old Testament) are not an injunction to wage war to convert Gentiles to Jews. They record events in the history of Israel.
Judaism does accept converts, but does not proselytize.
Proselytizing is discouraged; if a Gentile wants to convert the duty of a Jew should be to try to persuade them of it.