Reevaluating Islam, a broader look.
Between 10 and 20 years ago I bought an English version of the Quran. For the time it was written it appeared to me to be an improvement on the religions in that area of the world. It contained several factual errors regarding Christianity. As regards the treatment of prisoners taken in war, if you were a people of the book, a Jew or Christian, you were treated better than those of pagan faiths. Overall the faith of Islam as written in the Quran is an improvement over most faiths. It certainly does not measure up to Christianity as written in the New Testament.
Since 9/11 my understanding of the Quran has been challenged. I wanted to believe that the acts of terrorism perpetrated by those Islamists were done by a fringe element. As time went on I have seen many interviews, from Christian and Muslim sources, that simply told me that the conception I have of Islam is incorrect. I began to read other sources that I hoped would give me a better grasp of the true nature of Islam. I was saddened by what I discovered.
I would hear of a terrorist attack. I would implore the local Muslim community to stand up and disassociate themselves from those who perpetrated those crimes. There was no backlash from the Muslim community, in general, against those criminals. There were apologists and most others remained silent. It appeared that there were only a handful of Muslims that said these Islamic radicals are wrong in their actions and in their interpretation of Islamic Scriptures.
What have I discovered?
I discovered that only the last revelation attributed to Mohammed is of any force. If the later revelation contradicts an earlier revelation, such as would be found in the Quran, then the later revelation cancels the earlier. Therefore if you truly want to understand the religion of Islam you must look to the later writings. These writings would be found in the haddith. You can also look into the writings that describe the life of The Prophet. As Christians look to the life of Jesus to see how the Scriptures are to come to life, Muslims must look to the life Mohammed to see how their Scriptures are to come to life. Christians look upon Jesus as the perfect man. Muslims look upon Mohammed as the perfect man.
The haddith and the life of The Prophet are a whole new set of revelations to me. It takes what is good in the Quran and debases it. It takes what is bad in the Quran and makes it far worse. How so? I always looked upon the Quran, first and foremost, as a personal, individual struggle to be the best man or woman a person can be. Secondly, there was a basis for law and government. The later writings turned this concept on its head. What is foremost is the establishment of world government under sharia law. It is the subjugation of the West and every idea that is contrary to Islam. It appears that the only peace the world can have with Islam is only a cessation of hostilities until the forces of Islam are strong enough to continue the struggle for world domination. It is even proper for a Muslim to lie to protect himself, family and or Islam.
Are these things true?
I don’t know for certain. I trust the sources that I have heard in interviews as well as the quotes and explanations from similar sources in writing. But how can I be certain that these statements, and the quotes taken from Islamic writings, are truly representative of the faith? I could read all of the haddiths and the life of The Prophet and come to my own conclusion. Yet even then Muslim scholars would say that I do not truly understand the writings because I have not read them in the original language. I do not have time, nor the inclination, to learn an entirely new language so that I could read a few books.
What is needed?
We must create new panels, new committees and greater opportunities for those with knowledge to share the truth. We must not be afraid to talk! Only with open dialogue can we hope to understand the true nature of Islam. We must not attack people for wanting to find out the truth. We should not arrest people for wanting to spread their perceived truth. It seems however in the West, in the heart of the politically correct establishments, that to raise objections against another religion or philosophy is tantamount to treason. Okay, a little hyperbole. Yet those who are on the religious right or secular right are always in danger of being ridiculed, marginalized or brought before a human rights commission.
Are we too afraid to talk? Is Islam a real danger? For some the answer is yes and yes. Of course for the rest the answer is no and no or some mix of the two. All I know is, if we can’t start talking openly and freely, we are the losers. It does not matter if the perceived dangers of Islam are true or false. Why? Because we would have already lost the struggle.