Here is a useful resource: a listing of the Qur'an's verses about jihad. (Thanks to Joel.) Those who say that jihad terrorists are misusing the Qur'an should study these verses carefully. Read through them and judge for yourself whether it is likely that these verses really teach peace, tolerance, and jihad as a spiritual struggle.
Before printing out this very useful list, first save it to documents, then at the top insert the names of several websites. I would recommend: www.jihadwatch.org (current news of Jihad and dhimmitude)
www.dhimmttude.org (scholarly) www.secularislam.org (ex-Muslims and dissidents)
www.faithfreedom.org (ex-Muslims and dissidents).
Make many copies. Keep them handy, possibly in your car.
When engaging others in conversation -- the man at the meat-counter, someone standing behind you, or in front of you, at the checkout counter, the man who sells you the paper, the woman at the drycleaners, the parents with whom you carpool, the people at a party -- use your wiles to bring the talk around to the subject of Iraq. Note how difficult, if not impossible, is the task of "winning hearts and minds" because "we are Infidels and they are not, cannot be grateful for rescuing them -- they hate us despite what we do, for what we are." Then express your unhappiness at the failure of the government to speak the truth about Islam, or even to do so obliguely, by ceasing to call this, idiotically, a "war on terrorism" (terrorism is only one tactic, one instrument, of Jihad), but by calling it, not a "war on Islam," but a "war of self-defense against the Jihad." And if one wishes to use untruths to express a truth, then add (falsely, but quite effectively, for Muslims will then be in an obvious bind as to whether they should object to its falsity) that "Of course not all Muslims believe in Jihad. Most do not. Most do not want to force Islam on the world, either by arms or by other means. Most are pluralists, and just as they want to enjoy equal rights here, they are doing everything they can to ensure that non-Muslims have equal rights in Muslim countries. That is what Islam -- the real Islam, not the Islam of Bin Laden and the extremists -- requires." (Utter nonsense, but how useful).disingenuously, our own supposed innocence about Islam in a most effective way). Bush, given his reputation in Europe and elsewhere for being an ignorant cowboy, is perhaps just the man to carry this off with a straight face.
One becomes a bit tired about lecturing and advising -- withoug being able to bill for consulting services -- the grand panjandrums of Washington on what they should be doing. Can you please get on with it, all you wellpaid consultants and civil servants in Washington? Readers of Jihadwatch should not have to be doing this for you. We did not volunteer to become the Johnny Appleseeds of information about Islam. We would all like to lead our own, potentially interesting and entertaining lives. Some of us need desperately to make a living. Islam is a real menace, but it is also rather a bore. Spare us. Please.
Exactly, Hugh.
A Muslim assents to the truth, for all time, past, present and future, of the Koran and the Hadith. Hence, when they say that Islam is all peace and love, they are either (a)lying, (b)ignorant or (c)self-deluded.
In any case, one cannot trust them.
Off topic (a little):
Can anyone tell me where to get a copy of Ralph Peters' book "When Devils Walk the Earth"?
Hey CGW its in Ralph Peters book BEYOND TERROR " When Devils Walk the Earth" is one of its chapters.Go to AMAZON.COM
Thanks, RED!
Hello, all. I'm rather ignorant about Islam. Are there any liberal ,anti jihad, anti shira , anti dhimmi etc Muslim believers that modify or discard certain violent thing that the Qua ran says? The links to the ex Muslim site are fine but are there any links to practicing Muslims that reject Jihad , Dhimmi, Shira writings while keeping the peaceful stuff? The Torah , and the New Testament contain violence as well but there are many divisions within Christianity and Judaism that moderate the more orthodox interpretations. Does Islam have any divisions like this? I'm open to learning.