For several years, Robert Azzi has been touring towns in New Hampshire, offering “Ask A Muslim-Anything” events to benighted Infidels. Having retired from his professional life as a photographer who specialized in taking photographs in the Middle East, and especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he now dedicates time to explaining Islam to non-Muslims. In a spirit of ostentatious openness, he urges his audiences to ask anything about his, Robert Azzi’s, understanding of Islam, as he attempts to clear up misconceptions and undo stereotypes. He appears in meeting halls, libraries, schools, churches, wherever he can engage a space.
If you live in New Hampshire, and have a chance, go to one of these events, but go prepared. Even better would be to go not just prepared, but with a small group of the like-minded (two or three others), who will ask similar difficult questions. In that way you will not appear to be a lone and hostile crank, easily dismissed, but instead one of an inquiring group of genuinely interested Infidels, seeking enlightenment. If you and the others could meet in advance, you could prepare your questions on notecards, and your responses to Azzi’s likely answers, along with textual support — from the Qur’an and Hadith — for your position.
Here, after a first question about Khashoggi, are some of those not-impossible questions:
1. “Mr. Azzi, I have a question about Jamal Khashoggi. What do you think should be the reaction of the United States to his killing?”
Azzi will look a bit perturbed; it’s not a question he was expecting. But manfully, he’ll cautiously offer criticism of the Saudis, with whom he’s worked for a long time, and will make sure that Islam does not become part of the discussion.
“Well, that is not a question about Islam, of course, but about how governments deal with their opponents. And we all know that Kim Jong-il had his half-brother killed in Kuala Lumpur, and Vladimir Putin tried to poison Russian double agents in England. And I suppose the Israelis are the most active in assassinating people abroad. As for the killing of Khashoggi, of course it should be condemned. No question. Our government has rightly deplored the killing. But I find it hard to believe that the Crown Prince was involved. I’ve known him since he was a boy. I’m sure this was an attempted rendition gone wrong. The Saudis don’t like dissent, and they do jail people, but in all their decades of rule I don’t know of a single assassination abroad ordered by a Saudi ruler. I think it was a rogue operation, and those responsible will pay for it. I think we’ve already delivered a message loud and clear, to the Saudis, of our disapproval. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to the subject of Islam. Yes, in the back.”
2. “What are the duties of non-Muslims in a traditional Muslim society? In other words, what do dhimmis have to do to be allowed to both stay alive and to practice their religion?”
This questioner’s use of the word “dhimmi” is telling. Azzi now realizes he is dealing with someone who understands the dhimmi condition, and if he doesn’t answer more or less truthfully, he will be taken, rightly, to task.
He is likely to reply that dhimmis had mainly to pay the jizyah, which was only fair because they did not have to pay, as Muslims did, the zakat, and besides, they did receive protection from the Muslim government. Paying the jizyah, he may add, was a much better outcome for the Jews, who in medieval Christendom were often killed.
“Protection against whom?” you will ask. Robert Azzi, can only respond: “Against anyone, Christians, Muslims, Jews. The jizyah payment protected dhimmis against anyone.”
Questioner #2: “Isn’t it really meant as protection against attacks by Muslims themselves?”
Azzi: “Some people say that. I think the picture is quite a bit more complicated.”
You will then ask Azzi what, besides payment of the jizyah, were the other onerous conditions placed on non-Muslims. He will be forced — but only because he suspects, rightly, that you already know — to detail them, so he might begrudgingly have to admit to at least some of the following: the requirement that dhimmis not build new, nor repair old, houses of worship, that they ride donkeys, not horses; that they move out of the way of Muslims on roads and pathways; that they not be allowed to testify against Muslims in court, that they wear identifying marks on their clothes and dwellings, and so on. You will thus have gotten him to acknowledge that there was much more to being a dhimmi than the payment of jizyah.
Most of his audience of unwary Infidels will until now not have have heard anything about the dhimmi condition in Muslim societies, or about the payment of the jizyah. This new information will disturb their equanimity.
Peter Buckley says
Islam thrives on ignorance. Once non-muslims gain a (better) understanding (than muslims) of Islam, the game will be up. Even better-send in knowledgeable ex-muslims who could easily embarrass the dawa merchants by asking them questions they know they cannot answer, without making a complete ass of themselves. One way for any Western government to defeat Islam within a single generation would be set up a panel of knowledgeable ex-muslims who would explain calmly why devout muslims (“Islamists”) do the things they do. This could take the form of a daily conference, which would explain things to the National Press. in full public glare. I would even invite individual muslims to these public meetings, and allow them to put their opinion. The ex-muslims, armed with their Qurans and hadith collections, could then humiliate the poor man by quoting from his holy texts. Islam is incredibly frail. Once Western leaders cotton on to how to defeat Islam it will become a religion followed only by the uneducated and poor of the world.
Not long to go now:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/04/french-far-right-overtakes-macron-in-eu-parliament-election-poll.html
JW_Reader says
You are so right! There is a video on Youtube where Sean Hannity is interviewing a Chicago Muslim Law professor and Bridget Gabrielle. They were talking about homophobia. The Muslim guy was saying that nowhere in Quran it says gay should be executed. Ms Gabrielle immediately said, “Do not lie. Remember, there is a native Arabic speaker with you.” Then she quoted the exact Quran verse where it says the gay should be put to death. The Muslim guy had no comeback except he called them Islamophobe. Sean Hannity kicked the Muslim guy out.
gravenimage says
Yes–Brigitte Gabriel is wonderful!
gravenimage says
Fine post, Peter.
Anthony says
Right on Peter, Islam thrives on ignorance, so the enemy of islam is knowledge of koran and hadits, it’s actually self-defeating belief system. Try to read and understand koran and hadits yourself.
balam says
My question to Mr.Azzizi would be: Could he prove any SIN committed by JESUS CHRIST and also any kind of SIN,NOT COMMITTED BY THE PROPHET OF ISLAM while on this earth?
mortimer says
1. What is the meaning of Jihad and what is the end result of that ‘STRUGGLE’?
2. Why are Christians and Jews required to pay the Jizyah to Muslims?
3. Why does it say in the Qur’an that Muslims should not take Christians and Jews as friends, for they are friends only with each other?
4. It says in the Qur’an that “there is no compulsion in religion” (Qur’an 2.256). If there is no compulsion in religion, then why are people who leave Islam threatened with death?
5. Why did the Ayatollah Khomeini lower the marriageable age of girls to 9?
6. What is the surest way for a Muslim to get to Heaven?
7. Why did Muhammad attack the Jewish date farmers at the Khaybar Oasis?
8. How many wives did Muhammad have, and why was he allowed more than anyone else?
9. Did Muhammad own slaves?
10. Did Muhammad approve of slavery?
11. Why is Muhammad called the Perfect Man (“al-insan al-kamil”), and the Model of Conduct (“uswa hasana”)?
12. Exactly how many prisoners of the Banu Qurayza tribe were killed while Muhammad watched?
13. How many military expeditions did Muhammad take part in?
14. When, according to the Qur’an, is killing Infidels prohibited?
15. How did Muhammad react when he heard that Asma bint Marwan had been killed?
16. How did Muhammad react when he heard that a 120-year-old Jewish poet, Abu ‘Afak, had been killed?
17. How are non-Muslims described in the Qur’an? (see 98.6)
18. How are Muslims described in the Qur’an? (see 3.110)
19. Why do so many non-Arab Muslims take Arabic names?
20. When does the doctrine of “abrogation” (naskh) in Qur’anic interpretation apply?
21. Under what conditions can a Muslim man beat his wife?
22. What is the Muslim Heaven like?
23. When can a Muslim father punish his daughter without fear of being punished himself?
24. According to Islamic law, what must a Muslim husband do to be divorced from his wife?
25. Why is the testimony of a Muslim woman worth only half that of a Muslim man?
26. In what ways does Islam tend to favor Arabs over non-Arabs?
27. How did Islam spread all the way from the Hejaz to the Iberian peninsula?
28. Why did Muslims blow up the Bamiyan Buddhas?
29. Why did Muslims threaten to blow up a church in Bologna with a fresco depicting Muhammad?
30. Why have there been more than 30,000 terrorist attacks by Muslims since 9/11/2001?
31. Who was Kinana, and what did Muhammad order should be done with him?
32. Does Islam have a version of the Golden Rule?
33. What is the doctrine of al-wala’ wal-bara’?
34. Why are there so many people in Pakistan named “Sayid”?
35. What kinds of music does Islam allow?
36. What is Dar al-Harb?
37. What is Dar al-Islam?
38. When does Jihad come to an end?
39. Do you want a death sentence for the criticism or mockery of Islam or do you practice Islam-à-la-carte?
Del says
40. Why do you want to kill me?
mortimer says
Question: WHAT is the RIGHT AMOUNT of HATRED that Muslims should direct against the KAFIR ‘for the sake of Allah’? And how do Muslims know that they are hating the KAFIR SUFFICIENTLY to really PLEASE ALLAH?
As we know, the Koran forbids Muslims from being friends with the dirty KAFIRS for fear that Muslims will be POLLUTED by contact with them.
balam says
Mortimer: I think,you could make a great prosecutor lawyer.May God bless you for providing this wealth of knowledge about Islam.
gravenimage says
Fine posts, Mortimer.
IanB says
Superb posts mortimer. I’ve saved these questions for future use to counter duplicitous dawah merchants. Thank you.
Warmac9999 says
He depends on the kindness of Americans to not ask difficult questions. He likely stacks the room with like minded socialists so it appears that an actual majority understand how benign Islam is. There is a lot of convenient lies used to befuddle the ignorant.
Wellington says
I would ask him about death for apostasy in Islam, as exampled in the Koran, Sura 4:89, and the Bukhari Hadith 9.84.57. If I could get in a second question it would be about how does one reconcile the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech with any criticism or mockery of Islam, the Koran or Mohammed resulting in severe bodily harm or death.
I wonder how he’d try to wriggle out of these questions. That he would wriggle (and deceive) is a given, I’m just not certain exactly how he would do it.
gravenimage says
+1
esther says
regarding the AZZIZI—-comment about “protection of dhimmis”—–I would
add—–how do the penalties for ‘wrong doing’ BY A MUSLIM against a DHIMMI,
compare with the penalties of ‘wrong doing’ by a dhimmi against a muslim?
Chatillon says
Heh! “Mr. Aziz: have you stopped beating your wife?” (Q 4:34)
FYI says
Ask a muslim anything?Anything…..
Well,Ok
1.sahih Bukhari 2442
Explain the “prophet” muhammed’s penchant for cross-dressing:What the hell sort of prophet dresses as a woman and claims to receive divine revelations wearing a dress belonging to his “wife” Aisha?
2.The koran is a “perfect” book?
Are you sure..?
“Above it are nineteen”
Koran 74 v 30
Nineteen what?Please DO explain..does allah even know?
3.Jesus and Moses didn’t speak 7th c Arabic{Obviously!}
Yet clearly their prayers to God were valid{Hebrew or Aramaic .}
How come allah is so linguistically-challenged and can only respond to Arabic?
{It’s as if the Polyglot Biblical God woke up in the 7th century,suffered a stroke and could ONLY communicate in ONE language:Arabic}
4.Moses and Jesus are Jews.Yet allah hates the Jews k9:30,k2:65
Explain 1)the Irony and 2)allah’s cognitive dissonance.
5 allah confirms the Gospel as being TRUE{k3:3,k5:47}and even tells muhammed that,if in doubt,
he should consult the “scripture that was before thee” k10:94.{the Bible}.Yet the koran DENIES what is in the Gospel{which allah says he wrote and confirms as TRUE}
If allah confirms the Bible as being TRUE and his koran contradicts and denies what is in the Bible{which he insists is TRUE}..that means the koran is WRONG and FALSE.
Isn’t logic funny sometimes?
revereridesagain says
Azzi occasionally strays out of New Hampshire to other New England states and an appearance he made in a church in Salem, MA (yes, THE Salem) a few years ago went so badly that he has not been back to my knowledge.
I would suggest asking questions that demonstrate you have a basic knowledge of Islam, especially with “scriptural” quotes ready and preferably from something other than the Quran — the Hadiths, Reliance of the Traveller, etc., so he can’t use a “that’s not in the Quran” kind of brush-off. Also, since most Muslim countries today don’t formally employ the jizya (unless you count, say, emigrating on phony “refugee” status then sponging off the aid programs forever) it might be more useful to ask about issues such as penalties for “blasphemy” and “apostasy” so much in the news today, FGM (with quotes to show it is approved in “scripture), marriage laws and customs that oppress women. Questions about/quotes of the violent pro-war verses in the Quran with an additional point about the later Medina “revelations” of Mo overriding the earlier peaceful ones. Sharia is always a good conversation starter — such as would he prefer to see all the governments of the world, including OURS, obedient to it?
Or just bring Mortimer with you. That list he put up says it all.
rubiconcrest says
There is no point engaging this man. As a judge might say he has no standing. What matters is how Muslims interpret Islam not what non-Muslims think. He should spend his precious time on earth trying to change minds in Pakistan for example. Of course we all know foolish this is because he has no intention of really helping solve the problems of Islam. He just likes the attention he gets here in the land of freedom.
gravenimage says
The reason it is important to counter the bs of Taqiyya artists like this is that they are lying to Infidels–making it easier to spread Islam.
Wellington says
Agreed, gravenimage. One does not always have to counter liars and loons, but neither should one never respond to such people.
gravenimage says
True, Wellington.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Liar Gravenimage, as the most lying commenter you lack competence to accuse another person of lying. All your comments are lies as devout mithraist christian being inspired by one-eyed Satan god you call Holy Spirit.
gravenimage says
Ibrahim itace muhammed wrote:
Liar Gravenimage, as the most lying commenter you lack competence to accuse another person of lying. All your comments are lies as devout mithraist christian being inspired by one-eyed Satan god you call Holy Spirit.
………..,……………..
Note that Ibrahim itace muhammed is–as always–unable to cite anything I have supposedly gotten wrong. But then, he’s got nothing.
And it has been pointed out to him many times that nothing in Christianity is “mithraist”. But Ibrahim itace muhammed does not care–he thinks that if he can convince everyone that Christianity is actually pagan that they will applaud Muslims mass-murdering them.
And note that Ibrahim itace muhammed has said before that it is “the Satan god” that leads Infidels to oppose such horrors as child rape,sex slavery, and genocide–all things he has enthusiastically championed here. I think this speaks for itself.
gravenimage says
Hugh Fitzgerald: Robert Azzi, Still With His “Ask-A-Muslim Anything” Shtick (Part One)
……………..
I hope more savvy Infidels call Taqiyya artists like this on their bullsh*t.
abad says
1. Is there any proof that Muhammad existed?
2. Does a Moslem have a relationship with Allah?
3. Why can’t Moslems just do their own thing?
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
The photograph of Robert Azzi here suggests another question to ask him:
“Mr. Azzi, Why are you wearing pants that extend below your ankles? According to Muhammad (peace be upon him), that constitutes the sin of isbaal, for which you will go to hell. Please tell us why you are defying the Prophet.”
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/762/ruling-on-wearing-one146s-clothes-below-one146s-ankles
gravenimage says
+1
alex Reid says
AS Turkish President, Erdogan, put it, ” You criticise Islam it goes in one ear & out the other..” They never listen & if losing an argument resort to simply lying, ( ‘Taqiyya’,), or simply walk away with their pals saying to them, “See how I handled & defeated that kuffar.” Here in UK non-Muslims who really know the Islamic texts are ignored & deemed “Racist.”, or Nazis. Strange that since the Arab Muslims actively supported Hitler & the Nazis, before, during & after WW2. We’re scared of asking questions & putting Islam under the spotlight. It’s long overdue that Islam is thoroughly scrutinised & criticised for the Fascistic, enslaving political ideology it really is.
IanB says
The Qur’an insulting calls me the “worst of creatures” (Q. 98:6). Therefore why should I respect Islam?
Then bring in 2:193, 3:118, 4:74, 47:4, 8:39, 9:5, 9:123 and definitely 9:29.
After each, why should I respect Islam. It wants me dead.
IanB says
+1