Muhammad was an "Islamist"
Reader comment on item: Guest Column - Radical Islam Exists: Islamism IS the New Totalitarianism

Submitted by Jack Diamond, Feb 12, 2015 14:08

It is necessary for Muslims to stand with the civilized world and affirm its secular values against their own orthodoxy. But not at the expense of truth because protecting the reputation of Islam comes first...

It is good if most Muslims disassociate themselves from militant Islam. It is good if they disassociate themselves from the obligation to wage Jihad(by the sword or stealth) and to impose Allah's laws,Shari'a. But these are two items central to Islam, according to the Qur'an and Sunnah and the consensus of the ulema for 13 centuries. This is the source of the "totalitarianism." Disassociation does not change the fact these are core teachings of Islam. How about confronting them, consigning them to history, declaring them null and void instead of pretending they don't exist or are being misinterpreted? The violence and intolerance embodied by these jihadi groups, whose goal is identical--a pure shari'a state- find their justification in the Qur'an and Sunnah (the example of Muhammad). ISIS founded a State because Muhammad founded a State. Subjugating non-Muslims (dhimmitude), imposing the jizya tax (surah 9:29), enslaving captured women (war booty, "right hand possessions" in the Qur'an), mass beheadings (remember the Banu Qurayza? Khalid ibn al-Walid?), killing apostates and "hypocrites" (bad Muslims, see the first Abu Bakr and every school of shari'a), treating Christians with "hate and enmity" (see the Qur'an doctrine of Loyalty and Enmity or Qur'an 5:51) and pagans with the choice convert or die (surah 9:5) and launching aggressive war to conquer the world for Allah, are all absolutely Islamic and based on the example of Muhammad and his Companions. Muhammad is called the perfect man, the example of conduct for Muslims to emulate. As long as there are Muslims who want to perfectly emulate Muhammad and his Companions you will have jihad and you will have terror, for "striking terror into the hearts of the unbelievers" (Qur'an 8:60) goes back to the source as well.

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