Thursday, March 31, 2011

Time To Unmask Muhammad

By Geert Wilders


To know why Islam is a mortal danger one must not only consider the Koran but also the character of Muhammad, who conceived the Koran and the entirety of Islam.

The Koran is not just a book. Muslims believe that Allah himself wrote it and that it was dictated to Muhammad in the original version, the Umm al-Kitab, which is kept on a table in heaven. Consequently one cannot argue with the contents. Who would dare to disagree with what Allah himself has written? This explains much of Muhammadan behaviour, from the violence of jihad to the hatred and persecution of Jews, Christians and other non-Muslims and apostates. What we in the West regard as abnormal, is perfectly normal for Islam.

A second insuperable problem with Islam is the figure of Muhammad. He is not just anyone. He is al-insan al-kamil, the perfect man. To become a Muslim one must pronounce the Shahada (the Muslim creed). By pronouncing the Shahada one testifies that there is no god that can be worshipped except Allah, and one testifies that Muhammad is his servant and messenger.

The Koran, and hence Allah, lays down that Muhammad’s life must be imitated. The consequences of this are horrendous and can be witnessed on a daily basis.

There has been much analysis of Muhammad’s mental sanity. In spite of all the available research, it is rarely mentioned or debated. It is a taboo to discuss the true nature of the man whom one and a half billion Muslims around the world regard as a holy prophet and example to be followed. That taboo must be breached in the West, and here in the Netherlands.

Ali Sina is an Iranian ex-Muslim who established the organisation for apostates of Islam Faith Freedom International. In his latest book he posits that Muhammad is a narcissist, a paedophile, a mass murderer, a terrorist, a misogynist, a lecher, a cult leader, a madman, a rapist, a torturer, an assassin and a looter. Sina has offered 50,000 dollars for the one who can prove otherwise. Nobody has claimed the reward as yet. And no wonder, as the description is based on the Islamic texts themselves, such as the hadiths, the descriptions of Muhammad’s life from testimonies of contemporaries.

The historical Muhammad was the savage leader of a gang of robbers from Medina. Without scruples they looted, raped and murdered. The sources describe orgies of savagery where hundreds of people’s throats were cut, hands and feet chopped off, eyes cut out, entire tribes massacred. An example is the extinction of the jewish Kurayza tribe in Medina in 627.

One of those who chopped off their heads was Muhammad. The women and children were sold as slaves. Confronted with the lunacy of Islamic terrorists today, it is not hard to find out where the lunacy comes from.

In Vienna the women’s rights activist Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff was recently sentenced to paying a fine for insulting a religion by calling Muhammad a paedophile. However, that is the truth. Numerous hadiths contain testimonies by Muhammad’s favourite wife, the child wife Aisha. Aisha literally says: “The prophet married me when I was six years old, and had intercourse with me when I was nine.”

According to the historian Theophanes (752-817) Muhammad was an epileptic. Epileptic crises are sometimes accompanied by hallucinations, perspiration form the forehead and foaming at the mouth, the very symptoms which Muhammad displayed during his visions.

In his book “The other Muhammad” (1992) the Flemish psychologist dr. Herman Somers concludes that in his forties the “prophet” began to suffer from acromegaly, a condition caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland, a small organ that is situated just below the brain. When the tumor in the pituitary gland causes too much pressure in the brain, people start to see and hear things that are not there. Somers’s psychopathological diagnosis of Muhammad’s condition is: organic hallucinatory affliction with paranoid characteristics.

The German medical historian Armin Geus speaks of a paranoid hallucinatory schizophrenia. A similar analysis can be found in the book “The Medical Case of Muhammad” by the physician Dede Korkut.

In his book “Psychology of Mohammed: Inside the Brain of a Prophet” Dr. Masud Ansari calls Muhammad “the perfect personification of a psychopath in power.” Muhammad had a unhinged paranoid personality with an inferiority complex and megalomaniac tendencies. In his forties he starts having visions that lead him to believe he has a cosmic mission, and there is no stopping him.

The truth is not always pleasant or politically correct. On the basis of the research referred to above it can be argued that the Islamic creed obliges one and a half billion people around the world, including the one million living in the Netherlands, to take Muhammad as their example. There is no turning back once one has become a Muslim. For even though article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that every person has the right to “change his religion or belief,” in Islam there is a death penalty for leaving the faith.

Anyone who voices criticism of Islam and Muhammad is in grave personal danger – as I have experienced. And whoever attempts to escape from the influence of Islam and Muhammad risks death. We cannot continue to accept this state of affairs. A public debate about the true nature and character of Muhammad can provide insight and support to Muslims all over the world who wish to leave Islam.

Apostates are heroes and more than ever they deserve the support of freedom loving people all over the world. Party politics should not be at play in this matter. It is time for us to help these people by exposing Muhammad.

Geert Wilders is an MP in the Netherlands. He is the Chairman of the Party for Freedom (PVV). This article was published in the Dutch weekly magazine “HP/De Tijd” of March 30, 2011

Monday, March 28, 2011

Facebook Jihad

The Prophet "likes" it



It's not insider information or trade secret that Facebook is the single largest social network on the planet and that it has significantly changed the way many people interact with the world around them. It has intimately connected people from all corners of the earth and really has initiated an new age of global connectedness.

Millions and millions of people make use of personal Facebook profiles everyday. News and media companies have setup shop on Facebook and use it as an additional outlet from which to distribute their content. Some level of Facebook integration is pretty much a "requirement" for any business that has a web presence. Even the loathsome politicians use Facebook to spew their half-baked insanity and propagate their incomprehensible nonsense. 

Facebook is everywhere and you can find just about anything of interest hosted on the platform. People stay "informed" by being members of various pages or groups, and many people spend a great deal of time everyday scanning their news feeds, posting, and doing the "social-networking" thing. Even the US military has taken note of this and expressed a specific interest in Facebook's ability to influence the political narrative and discourse the world over.

History proves that Facebook has the ability to inform the masses, organize large groups of people, influence popular opinion, and change public perception. The fact that Facebok played a key role in the Egyptain revolutionary protests clearly demonstrates the potential Facebook has for being a conduit and mechanism for global change.  

Unreported Facebook War

Battles are being fought everyday against Islamic tyranny. Most people never hear about about them. You won't see any news reports praising the highly dedicated warriors, for the countless, often thankless, hours they have put in doing battle with the Allah crazed Muslims.

Obummer will not drag out his trusty teleprompter and speak eloquently about the many different countries, races, and religions, who stand united against Muhammad's army. He will not hail the sacrifice of those who put their lives at risk to engage in this world-wide campaign. The story might not be being told by anyone of notoriety, but it should be. There is war being fought on Facebook and the terrorists seem to be winning.

Facebook has become increasingly hostile to the "good guys" and have made engaging the enemy extremely difficult. But, that does not change the fact that the outcome is critical to the very survival of the world.  I'm sure, in the minds of some, the idea that a nearly unreported cyber war on  Facebook can be "critical" to the survival of the world might seem like nothing more than the psychotic ramblings of a hysterical and delusional mental patient. It's not hysteria, dramatic effect, detachment from reality, or anything else. It's just the facts of the matter in the year 2011.

Update from the Real World

In 2011, the west has been completely deceived by Islam and purposefully paralyzed by Muslims "striving" in the Prophet's stealth Jihad. Over the course of many decades, western governments have been slowly, methodically, and intentionally subverted by Allah's ninja warriors (Muslim Brotherhood).  It's an undeniable fact that dangerous Muslim subversives sit in places of importance at nearly every level of government, academia, news media, national security, and law enforcement.

This is not fantasy or an overstatement and it was the result of a well thought out plan. Decades ago, Allah's finest manufactured this highly strategic plan for the purpose of eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and sabotaging its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers and they have been tirelessly working on achieving the desired outcome for as long as I've been alive.

America hosts over 30 universities of higher Jihad, spread out over 22 states, all under the command Sheik Gilani. Gilani boasts to have trained 10,000-15,000 Muslims  to kidnap, hi-jack, engage with military grade weapons, and generate deadly explosions. His followers are taught nearly every terrorist tactic in the book and they are also instructed to "act like you are a friend and then kill him just like in the book". 

As if the problem of the Muslim invasion and subversion isn't enough to handle already, the  useful idiots among us are advocating for our destruction and too many non-idiots simply don't understand what has happened or what Islam is all about.

The vast majority people do not know the truth about Islam and have never sat down to evaluate Islamic "religious" texts or do any investigation into Islam. Ignorance reigns supreme and even the government echoes the Jihadists deceptions.  

Every American needs to understand that we have been infiltrated all the way up to the Presidental advisory level.  Muslims are subversives and Islam mandates they convert, enslave, or kill every last infidel. Every infidel on the planet needs to know that Islam does not mean peace (it means submission), and that the Muslims are trying to enslave the whole of the world in Sharia Law.

There is a relatively small number of people who understand Islam, can effectively explain the situation, and who are actively trying to warn everyone.  Many of them use Facebook as their  primary means of trying to sound the alarm.  

Anti-Jihadi

"Anti-Jihadi" is nothing more than the term I like best to describe those individuals who are nothing less than the sworn enemies of everything Islam. An anti-Jihadi is someone who is dedicated to educating the ignorant infidel, directly confronting the infiltrating Muslims, drawing attention to the Jihadist subversion of governments, and advocating the use of all necessary force to bring an abrupt and violent end to the Prophet's Jihad. Anti-Jihadis come from all countries, in all colors, and from what I can tell all religious backgrounds (and even a lack thereof).

Many of the anti-Jihadi's are infidels and former Muslims (like my first apostate friend Pulp Ark), who still live in Muslim countries. These highly valued anti-Jihadi assets wage war from within the heartland of the enemy and some of them, in fact, used to be the enemy. Their participation comes at the cost of great personal risk for potentially terrifying violence and even death.  You simply aren't allowed to be running around talking bad about the Prophet in a Muslim country.

Qur'an (5:33) Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment

Even those anti-Jihadis who don't live in Muslim countries can be exposed to fatwas, death threats, and other forms of Islamic terror or violence. Engaging Muslims on Facebook, even if you live in a western country, can be dangerous. The potential for violence always exists when dealing with the Allah fearing Muslims. I've personally been on the receiving end of death threats and one such threat was serious enough for me to visit my local FBI.

Unfortunately, death threats and the like are not uncommon experience for the anti-Jihadi. If you go after Islam hard enough, directly confront the Muslims, and take on the Islamic deception, you will inevitably start receiving "heart warming" messages of Allah blessings from the Prophet loving Muslims.




FB Jihad

FB Jihad can take many different forms and Muslims employ many different tactics to perpetrate their Allah commanded terrorism. Non-violent FB Jihad may come in the form of Facebook based misinformation campaigns, hacked anti-Jihadi Facebook profiles, trolls on anti-Islam pages, friend list infiltration by deceptive Muslims, and often manifests as highly coordinated and systematic attacks aimed at silencing  those speaking out against Islam.

Non-voilent FB Jihad is always meant to leverage Facebook as a means to distort the reality of Islam, remove the truth about the Muhammadans from the digital landscape, keep the infidels in the dark about the eternal war declared against us, and obfuscate the fact that Islam is attacking every aspect of Western society.  FB Jihad is the Muslim way of doing their Allah best from a cyber perspective to cover up the truth about their intentions and Prophet.

Silencing those telling the truth about Islam on Facebook is an effective strategy for keeping the reality of Islam under wraps and continuing the subversive activities associated with Jihad. The news is not telling the truth, the government is subverted and doesn't know the truth, many in law enforcement are clueless, and if the Muslims can delete the truth from social networks (FB in particular), they will have pretty much squashed or manipulated all the major information sources which could be used to expose their traitorous actions and malicious intents.

On the more violent end of the spectrum, FB Jihad can mean using Facebook to recruit young Muslims for future terror attacks, or to send death threats to the enemies of Islam,  or it can even mean to use Facebook to declare a Palestinian Intifada.

Mass Reporting For Allah 

Mass reporting of the anti-Jihad Faceook profiles is one favorite tactic used to silence those speaking out on Facebook.  A successful attack silences an anti-Jihadi, simultaneously removes critically needed facts about Islam from Facebook, and has the net effect of separating the target from all his/her friends. When your Facebook  is profile is deleted (happened to me twice) you lose everything.  Your notes, pictures, links, comments and everything.  It a horrifying thing in particular if you have spent hundreds of hours researching Islam and then putting together Facebook content as a means to explain to others the danger we are all in.

The practical implementation of this tactic is simple and rudimentary, but it's works very well. The Allah addicts create an FB page, gather up as many other minions as they can, spend time locating the anti-Jihadi pages,  and then they post the profiles to their page and simply "report" them in a continuous and focused effort (as a group) until Facebook deletes the targeted profiles.

By using the reporting feature of Facebook to remove the very people and information which have the capacity to change the average person's perception of Islam, wake them up, and warn them of the invasion, the Muslims have unearthed a tremendous tool for continuing to subvert America (and the West).  I believe it is merely ignorance that is keeping America from standing up to Islam and taking on the Prophet's minions.

The unfortunate truth is that  Facebook is the single most effective way for getting in contact with others in geographically disparate areas.  It's also the most efficient tool for educating the public to the threat we are under and the war has been waged against us for decades.  I personally don't like face book because their nanny policies have cost me so much irritation, time, and lost work, that' I can't stand them.  I only use it because I have to.

The Recent Round of Attacks

This week kicked off with the sudden disappearance of around 50. I was disconnected from Islamic apostates from around the world, and generally fell out of contact with many hard fighting anti-Jihadis.  All week the "find all the friends" scramble has been going.

I personally lost a day of Facebook time pitching in to help people find their lost friends.  Not only did all those people lose everything they've ever put on their facebook profile, all their friends, it has also taken away time from others who are fighting Islam.  It's important that all the anti-Jihadis stay connected, so I don't mind the time I put in to help people find their friends.  I'm just pointing it out to illustrate how highly detrimental the whole FB Jihad thing is to getting the critical information out to those who need it.

Facebook's current policies place Muslims in some kind of protected status.  It's a good thing Facebook was not around when Hilter roamed the earth.  Hitler would have been protected from deletions and given a free pass to spread his murderous ideology.  That precisely what they've done with the nefarious Muslims and their Prophet's genocidal ideology, so why would they have done anything different with the Nazis?

The soft-headed policies of Facebook literally keep people in a state of ignorance, which keeps us fighting in the middle east under misconceptions and deceptions.  These misconceptions and deceptions, which are born of subversive activity, have the effect of restraining the military by producing unfathomable Rules of Engagement for our troops and putting the good guys at risk.

The unquestionable side effects of this mass ignorance are prolonged Middle East wars and an incomprehensible military strategy. Extended war, rooted in a defective and illogical strategy, inherently means additional dead Americans. Our collective ignorance also allows those training for violent Jihad, with the borders of America, to continue to train to murder innocent people.

In fairness to Facebook, other social media networks have been targeted by the Prophet's warriors. YouTube is a prime example. YouTube videos and accounts are constantly being deleted and users suffer from a similar methodology of attack.

At it's ideological core, Islam is an information control cult which leverages violence to enforce it's control. The Islamic doctrine for taking over the world heavily leverages that concept and (as stated) deception is built directly into the very fundamentals of the ideology.  Muslims are attempting to rewrite history and to keep the facts about the war against the west a secret. They are highly adept at this kind of deception as they have been using it for centuries.

The truth is Muslims are having a lot of success at hiding their Jihad and silencing those who are speaking out. The anti-Jihadis do fight back and they keep coming back to continue to fight every time the Prophet's minions are successful. But, the Muslims ability to take out the anti-Jihadis only seems to be getting stronger as the soft-heads continue their self-endangering and belligerent defense of the enemy.

-Fatwa On Islam

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. -George Washington

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Three Jewish Children

By Caroline Glick

Ruth Fogel was in the bathroom when the Palestinian terrorists pounced on her husband Udi and their three-month-old daughter Hadas, slitting their throats as they lay in bed on Friday night in their home in Itamar.

The terrorists stabbed Ruth to death as she came out of the bathroom. With both parents and the newborn dead, they moved on to the other children, going into a bedroom where Ruth and Udi's sons Yoav (11) and Elad (4) were sleeping. They stabbed them through their hearts and slit their throats.

The murderers apparently missed another bedroom where the Fogels' other sons, eight-year-old Ro'i and two-year-old Yishai were asleep because they left them alive. The boys were found by their big sister, 12-year-old Tamar, when she returned home from a friend's house two hours after her family was massacred.

Tamar found Yishai standing over his parents' bodies screaming for them to wake up.

In his eulogy at the family's funeral on Sunday, former chief rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau told Tamar that her job from now on is to be her surviving brothers' mommy.

In a rare move, the Prime Minister's Office released photos of the Fogel family's blood-drenched corpses.

They are shown as they were found by security forces.

There was Hadas, dead on her parents' bed, next to her dead father Udi.

There was Elad, lying on a small throw rug wearing socks. His little hands were clenched into fists. What was a four-year-old to do against two grown men with knives? He clenched his fists. So did his big brother.

Maybe the Prime Minister's Office thought the pictures would shock the world. Maybe Binyamin Netanyahu thought the massacre of three little children would move someone to rethink their hatred of Israel.

That was the theme of his address to the nation Saturday night.

Netanyahu directed most of his words to the hostile world. He spoke to the leaders who rush to condemn Israel at the UN Security Council every time we assert our right to this land by permitting Jews to build homes. He demanded that they condemn the murder of Jewish children with the same enthusiasm and speed.

He shouldn't have bothered.

The government released the photos on Saturday night. Within hours, the social activism website My Israel posted a short video of the photographs on YouTube along with the names and ages of the victims.

Within two hours YouTube removed the video.

What was Netanyahu thinking? Didn't he get the memo that photos of murdered Jewish children are unacceptable? If they're published, someone might start thinking about the nature of Palestinian society.

Someone might consider the fact that in the Palestinian Authority, anti-Jewish propaganda is so ubiquitous and so murderous that killing the Fogel babies was an act of heroism. The baby killers knew that by murdering Udi, Ruth, Hadas, Yoav and Elad they would enter the pantheon of Palestinian heroes. They can expect to have a sports stadium or school in Ramallah or Hebron built for them by the Palestinian Authority and underwritten by American or European taxpayers.

And indeed, the murder of the Fogel children and their parents was greeted with jubilation in Gaza.

Carnivals were held in the streets as Hamas members handed out sweets.

Obviously YouTube managers are not interested in being held responsible for someone noticing that genocidal Jew hatred defines Palestinian society - and the Arab world as a whole. But they really have no reason to be concerned. Even if they had allowed the video to be posted for more than an hour, it wouldn't have made a difference.

The enlightened peoples of Europe, and growing numbers of Americans, have no interest in hearing or seeing anything that depicts Jews as good people, or even just as regular people. It is not that the cultured, intellectual A-listers in Europe and America share the Palestinians' genocidal hatred of the Jewish people.

The powerful newspaper editors, television commentators, playwrights, fashion designers, filmmakers and professors don't spend time thinking about how to prepare the next slaughter. They don't teach their children from the time they are Hadas and Elad Fogel's ages that they should strive to become mass murderers. They would never dream of doing these things. 

They know there is a division of labor in contemporary anti-Semitism.

The job of the intellectual luminaries in Western high society today is to hate Jews the old-fashioned way, the way their greatgrandparents hated Jews back in the days of the early 20th century before that villain Adolf Hitler gave Jew hating a bad name.

Much has been made of the confluence of anti-Semitic bile pouring out of the chattering classes. From Mel Gibson to Julian Assange to Helen Thomas to Charlie Sheen to John Galliano, it seems like a day doesn't go by without some new celebrity exposing himself as a Jew hater.

It isn't that the beautiful people and their followers suddenly decided that Jews are not their cup of tea (or rail of cocaine). It's just that we have reached the point where people no longer feel embarrassed to parade their negative feelings towards Jews in public.

A DECADE ago, the revelation that French ambassador to Britain Daniel Bernard referred to Israel as "that shi**y little country," was shocking. Now it is standard fare. Everyone who is anyone will compare Israel to Nazi Germany without even realizing this is nothing but Holocaust denial.

The post-Holocaust dam reining in anti-Semitism burst in 2002. As Jewish children and parents like the Fogels were being murdered in their beds, on the streets, in discotheques, cafés and supermarkets throughout Israel, fashionable anti-Semites rejoiced at the opportunity to hate Jews in public again.

The collective Jew, Israel was accused of everything from genocide to infanticide to just plain nastiness.

Israel's leaders were caricatured as Fagin, Shylock, Pontius Pilate and Hitler on the front pages of newspapers throughout Europe. IDF soldiers were portrayed as Nazis, and Israeli families were dehumanized.

No longer civilians with an inherent right to live, in universities throughout the US and Europe, Israeli innocents were castigated as "extremist-Zionists" or "settlers" who basically deserved to be killed.

Professors whose "academic" achievements involved publishing sanitized postmodern versions of anti-Jewish Palestinian propaganda were granted tenure and rewarded with lucrative book contracts.

Today, when properly modulated, Jew hatred is a career maker. Take playwright Caryl Churchill's 1,300- word anti-Semitic monologue "Seven Jewish Children."

The script accuses the entire population of Israel of mass murders which were never committed.

For her efforts, Churchill became an international celebrity. The Royal Court Theater produced her anti- Jewish agitprop. The Guardian featured it on its home page. When Jewish groups demanded that The Guardianremove the blood libel from its website, the paper refused. Instead, it left the anti-Semitic propaganda on its homepage, but in a gesture of openmindedness, hosted a debate about whether or not "Seven Jewish Children" is anti-Semitic.

From London, "Seven Jewish Children" went on tour in Europe and the US. In a bid to show how tolerant of dissent they are, Jewish communities in America hosted showings of the play, which portrays Jewish parents as monsters who train their children to become mass murderers.

"Seven Jewish Children's" success was repeated by the Turkish anti-Semitic action film "Valley of the Wolves- Palestine," which premiered on January 28 - International Holocaust Memorial Day. The hero of that film is a Turkish James Bond character who comes to Israel to avenge his brothers, who were killed by IDF forces on the Turkish-Hamas terror shipMavi Marmara last May.

No doubt owing to the success of "Seven Jewish Children" and "Valley of the Wolves-Palestine" and other such initiatives, anti-Semitic art and entertainment is a growth sector in Europe.

Last month Britain struck again. Channel 4 produced a new piece of anti-Semitic bile - a four-part prime-time miniseries called "The Promise." It presents itself as an historical drama about Israel and the Palestinians, but its relationship with actual history begins and ends with the wardrobes. 

In what has become the meme of all European and international left-liberal salons, the only good Jews in the mini-series are the ones who died in the Holocaust. From the show's perspective, every Jew who took up arms to liberate Israel from the British and defend it from the Arabs is a Nazi.

WHAT ALL this shows is that Netanyahu was wasting his time calling on world leaders to condemn the murder of the Fogel family. What does a condemnation mean? France and Britain condemned the massacre, along with the US. Does that exculpate the French and British for their embrace of anti-Semitism? Does it make them friends of the Jewish state? 

And say a British playwright sees the YouTube censored photographs. No self-respecting British playwright will write a play called "Three Jewish Children" telling the story of how Palestinian parents do in fact teach their children to become mass murderers of Jews. 

And if a playwright were to write such a play, The Royal Court Theater wouldn't produce it. The Guardian wouldn't post it on its website. Liberal Jewish community centers in America wouldn't show it, nor would university student organizations in Europe or America.

No, if someone wanted to use the photographs of Yoav's and Elad's mangled corpses and clenched little fists as inspiration to write a play or feature film about the fact that the Palestinians have no national identity outside their quest to annihilate the Jewish state, he would find no mass market.

The headlines describing the attack make all this clear.

From the BBC to CNN the Fogels were not described as Israelis. They were a "settler family." Their murderers were "alleged terrorists."

As far as the opinion makers of Europe and much of America are concerned, the Yoavs and Hadases and Elads of Israel have no right to live if they live in "a settlement."

So too, they believe that Palestinians have a right to murder Israelis who serve in the IDF and who believe that Jews should be able to live freely wherever we want because this land belongs to us.

Until these genteel Jew haters learn to think otherwise, Israel should neither seek nor care if they condemn this or any other act of Palestinian genocide. We shouldn't care about them at all.

Originally published in The Jerusalem Post.


Saturday, March 19, 2011

Understanding Islam, a Brief Study


Looking at the foundations of Islam from a layman’s view
By Elle
This article is an attempt to try to understanding Islam from its very foundations from the view of a layman. To try to understand the motivation the Koran and Hadiths and history that drives Muslims in their faith and their ultimate aims.




Mohammad- paganism to monotheism
Mohammad was born 570 AD of pagan parents. His father Abdullah and his mother Amina were of the Quraysh tribe who were polytheists who worshipped 360 different idols in the Kaa’ba in Mecca. Mohammed was familiar with the polytheism of his tribe. In fact, Mohammed has been recorded as saying, “I have offered a white sheep to al-’Uzza, while I was a follower of the religion of my people.”
Allah is a pre-Islamic name from the compound Arabic word Al-ilah meaning god, a generic name for the highest god. ‘Hubal’ known as the moon god was the god to whom the Arabs prayed at the Kaa’ba and addressed as ‘Allah’. This historic holy site, the Kaa’ba can trace its beginnings to pre-Islamic history. The Crescent moon was the symbol (icon) of the moon god Allah (Hubal) and is still used today although it was an ancient pagan symbol of fertility throughout the Middle East. As the Kaa’ba was where the idol of Allah was located, Muslims paid their respect by facing Mecca when they prayed 5 times a day.
About the time of Mohammed’s birth, some Meccans were seeking monotheism being influenced by the religion of the Jews and the Christians. There were numerous Jewish settlements in Hijaz the area of Mohammed’s birth. Many of these Jews were merchants, farmers, vintners, smiths and who also lived amongst the Bedouin tribes. The most important Jewish dominated city was Medina which featured largely in Mohammed’s life. As Mohammed was later a successful caravan merchant he came into close contact with the Jews and Christians from whom he learned about Judaism and Christianity, i.e. monotheism.  Much of Mohammed’s philosophies were borrowed from these two religions, and while adopting these ideas by Mohammed, many misconceptions and errors were introduced into Islam because his appreciation of Judaism and Christianity was superficial and from hearsay. Mohammed was illiterate and so could not pursue an in depth study of the doctrines of the Torah or the Bible. What he learned was what he could glean from verbal narratives from friendly Jews  and Christians.
Early Islam
Mohammed was intrigued with the Jewish and Christian philosophies, as against the more basic practices of tribalism and polytheism worship of his Quraysh tribe. Mohammed showed no animosity towards other faiths in the early days of his preaching his Islamic beliefs. Mohammed’s early views of Jews and Christians, ( referred to as ‘People of the Book’-Torah/Bible), were friendly and tolerant. As an example, when Muslims were persecuted by pagans in Mecca, Mohammed told them to take refuge with King Negus, the Christian King of Ethiopia where they were received with kindness and respect and King Negus announced that Muslim refugees could live freely in his country. And when the Meccans approached the King and demanded the surrender of these Muslims, the King refused to accede to those demands, giving protection to the Muslims.
Christian attitudes and practices were based upon compassion, mercy, tolerance and justice. A verse in the Koran reflects this,
“….You will find the people most affectionate to those who believe are those who say,
“We are Christians”. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 82, a rare tribute by Mohammed about Christians in the early phases of Islam.
Common Identifiable Values-Judaism, Christianity, & Islam
1.  God is Creator of the Universe and is omnipotent
2.  God created man
3.  God sent many prophets like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad.
4.  Many customs and traditions like rituals, and food abstinence’s, fasting, prayer are very similar to Jewish and Christian customs.
The influence of Judaism and Christianity upon Islam was profound and undeniable. At this early stage, Islam was a minor religion among older well established religions. You can find passages in the Koran regarding treating ‘People of the Book’ with preference and respect. You could even sense the lack of animosity of Mohammed against Jews and Christians in Islam’s early formation. There was a clear distinction made between ‘People of the Book’ (Jews and Christians), and infidels, or pagans, or kafirs.
Mohammed’s passages in the Qur’an even advocated patience with enemies and non-believers. In Surah 73:10 “Have patience with what they say, and avoid them with a becoming avoidance” (Al-Arab 9). At this time Islam advocated respect of Jews and Christians, and to stress that their God is the same god as Allah. However, this attitude changed and Muhammed abrogated many of these earlier kindlier verses as the Jews and Christians resisted the encroachment of Islam into their way of life and Muslims began their animosity against Jews and Christians. The turning point was evident from battle in Medina and henceforth.
Mohammed’s Attitude’s Changed After Medina
Mohammed continued to preach his faith despite some strong and violent opposition from the critical Meccan society, but his safety was guaranteed by his uncle, Abu Talib the powerful clan leader. But when Abu Talib the clan leader died in 619 AD the clan protection of Mohammed ended and he was fair game to his enemies. After Abu Talib’s death, Muslims were no longer welcomed in Mecca.
Mohammed was invited by 6 Medinan traders to establish himself in Medina to resolve some of the problems of the 11 different fighting clans in Medina. Seventy five Medinans met with Mohammed and formed a group known as ‘The Pledge of War’. This group began the tribal activity of ‘razzias’ or caravan raids, basically pirate raids for spoils such as goods, animals, slaves and ransom. But as Mohammed consolidated his power in Medina and eliminating some of his enemies through assassinations. Mohammed began executing his enemies in a most brutal way to eliminate opposition.
Mohammed’s personality changed in Medina.  Mohammed introduced a harder edge to the verses in the Koran especially with regard to warfare. He did this by ‘abrogation’ of his previous pronouncements. In his rage Mohammed turned upon the unbelievers who fought him. The Beni Qoreiga tribe were not the only people that Mohammed was against as he now included ‘The People of The Book. In Surah 9:29 we read his ‘abrogated’ verse, “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgement of Islam’s superiority and they are in a state of subjection.”
In Surah 8:65 Mohammed made another abrogation, “O Prophet! Urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand.” [1]
The Slow Growth of Islam
The ministry of Islam was started when Mohammed was 40 years of age. His initial methods were similar to that adopted by Judaism and Christianity, i.e. kind, gentle and peaceful persuasion. One of his early mottos was, “No compulsion in Religion….” Surah 2:256.
Mohammed’s first convert was his wife, Khadija, and in the next 3 years he managed to convert 7 men to join him one of whom was his slave, Said.  The others were Abu Bakr, Uthman ibn Affan, Zubair ibnel Awam, Abdel Rahman ibn Auf, Saad ibn abi Wakkaas, and Talha. [2]
Mohammed, who was then under the protection of his powerful uncle Abu-Talib, the clan chief, began preaching about Islam in earnest. After 5 years of proselytising Mohammed’s followers grew to 16 members. It took several more years before he managed to gain 40 men and women in Mecca.
In Mohammed’s desperation to make Islam more appealing to pagan Arabs, Mohammed introduced some pagan rituals into Islam such as “making Hajj” i.e. circling the Ka’aba, and kissing the Black Stone, the practices of pagan Arabs that pre-dates Islam. This practice has remained as part of the Islamic rituals today.
Further, in order to gain favour and impress the chief of the Quraish tribe of Mecca during his meeting, Mohammed feigned devotion to their pagan deities by reciting from the Koran that Allah praised the three pagan goddesses, Allat, Al-Ussa, and Manat. Mohammed then led a prayer to these goddesses in the presence to the Chief of the Quraish tribe.
Later, Mohammed claimed that it was Satan who had whispered those verses into his ear, and he hastily nullified those verses and “abrogated” the text of Surah 53: 19-23 to the version that exists today.
[Clearly it is seen that Mohammed was equally influenced with the religious rituals of his pagan parents who must have influenced Mohammed sufficiently that without appreciating the significance of it, Mohammed adopted the pagan idolization of the Ka'aba and the ritual circling of it, as a continuation of pagan worship. The Islamic adoption of the "Moon Crescent and Star" symbol is also a reflection of the roots of Islam reaching back into the worship of the "Moon Goddess," that predates Islam by hundreds or years.
Mohammed's irresponsible act of praying to the pagan Goddesses, Allat, Al-Ussa, and Manat, in order to appease the Chief of the Quraish tribe, is a reflection of his own unstable faith of Islam. His subsequent nullifying and abrogation of those offending verses again throws doubt on the authenticity of the Qur'an, the Word of Allah. His use of abrogation to justify his actions places questions on the wisdom of Allah's words in the Koran. Allah would certainly have uttered  more prophetic unchangeable words of wisdom.]
Hard as Mohammed tried, nothing seemed to work for him. After having been based in Mecca for 13 years he only managed to gain 100 converts. Certainly early Islam did not appeal to many Arabs of the day. [3]
Mohammed Changes his Personality at Medina in 622AD into a more Aggressive Muslim
In 622 AD Mohammed decided to change his headquarters to Medina, Arabia. Here Mohammed changed his strategy. He instructed all Muslims to use swords not just words, to fight for the cause of Islam. Jihad was used to subdue the masses to the will of Allah. This strategy proved to be much more effective. Arabs, some admiring Mohammed but many fearing him his ruthlessness joined him in his raids on caravans. They hoped to share in the booty derived from plundering trading caravans and wealthy villages. Mohammed’s followers conducted 27 raids on Arabian tribes and caravans and killed their opponents, took goods, took slaves and dominated new territories. Mohammed himself led 9 of these raids and supervised 26 of them. Mohammed was so successful and his ruthless reputation grew. Soon tens of thousands of Arabs began submitting themselves to join his band of Islamic warriors since Islam embarked on with Mohammed’s new policy of aggressive coercion, i.e. submit to Allah or perish. After only eight years of this new aggressive practice from Medina allowed Mohammed to raise an army of 10,000 mercenary fighters. This huge army was used  to attack Mecca with these men motivated by promise of spoils of war, and slaves, rather than for Islamic zeal. Mohammed’s momentum of subjugation of his foes by the sword eventually subdued all of Arabia. Mohammed was planning to march on to Syria when his own death overtook such plans.
On Mohammed’s death, various Islamic factions, together with Jews and Christians revolted against Islamic rule. The first caliph Abu Bakr had to recall the army that was on its way to subdue Syria to put down this revolt. It was a fierce war, known as “the Apostasy War” and it was eventually won by Abu Bakr using threats and inducements to the factions. During the reign of the second Caliph Omar, 637-644 AD subsequent raids on neighbouring countries added Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Armenia, Iraq, and Iran to the Islamic empire. Within one century Islam ruled the whole of North Africa with its new policy of Jihad. Devout and orthodox scholars of Islam know this history of Mohammed’s victories well and it is all tied in into the psyche of Jihadism and the determination to change the world from Dar al Harb into Dar al-Islam.
Through the ages, the growth of Islam and it’s discipline has been by using the carrot and the stick. The Koran has been so worded that it is impossible for  Muslims to leave the fold, for fear of retribution and death. The conversion of non-Muslims even at the point of the sword is clearly advocated in the Qur’an, or otherwise non-Muslims have to accept the inferior subjugated status of a dhimmitude. No Muslim, either man or woman, may marry a non-Muslim unless he/she converts to Islam first. All children born of Muslim parents are considered Muslims and can only renounce Islam with the full approval of an Imam. This approval is indeed rarely ever given and so as an apostate most Islamic nations impose the death penalty. Any Muslim who rejects any part of Allah’s commands is technically a blasphemer and so  is an apostate. The penalty for apostasy is death. For those who make sacrifices in the cause of Islam, such as martyrdom, Allah has promised rewards for eternal life in Paradise, but for those who falter or betray Islam, with treachery or blasphemy, the punishment is death.
Islam accepts converts to Islam but it will not accept rejection of Islam by any Muslims, i.e. apostates, as there will be an accounting to Allah on ascendancy to Paradise according to the Qur’an. But many Islamic countries today demand the death penalty for apostasy. Islam is an exclusive religion and will not tolerate unbelievers (non-Muslims).
The ultimate aim for Islam is a World Caliphate. Their method is either by conversion or coercion. To an Islamist there are only two camps in this world, (1) The House of Islam, i.e. dar al-Islam, the house of peaceor (2) The House of War, i.e. dar al-Harb, the house of war. There is no other option. [3]
The Philosophy of Abrogation practised by Prophet Mohammed
Abrogated verses are known as ‘mansukh’ and the abrogating verse as ‘nasikh’ with the latter cancelling the former. The former verse may still remain in the Koran. However, this causes contradiction and confusion not only among non-Muslims but also to devout Muslims themselves. Some former verses may have also been expunged from the Koran in the early translations.
Muslim apologists either from ignorance or having been misinformed or for malicious intent will use this confusion of abrogation to further disarm critics of Islam. This is why it is difficult to perceive Islam clearly to both Muslims and non-Muslims. In some respects such confusion adds to the mystery and mystique of Islam, but on the other hand it disarms the undiscerning and makes them pliable in the hands of unscrupulous and malicious Muslim clerics.
Muslims will, in all sincerity use a ‘mansukh verse to contradict a ‘nasidh’ verse either out of innocent ignorance or in  the art of ‘Taqiyya’. This is why abrogation has been responsible for creating considerable confusion and contradiction in the Islamic scripts that helps to mystify or cause confusion about Islam. This has been the result of bad editing of the Koran by inexperienced scholars and script writers accompanied with the lack of competence in the  Arabic language. The Koran has been further complicated by the fact that the Koran today has not been compiled in a chronological order, but by virtue of the lengths of the Sura, hence there is very little to differentiate original verses from the latter abrogated verses.
The only way to identify abrogation is by the date of the text. Later text abrogates earlier text whenever one detects inconsistencies between them.
Mohammed had observed that the Jews and Christians preached peace, love, and tolerance, without compulsion, and that was the way Mohammed began his mission emulating the Jews and Christians.  Despite being shunned by Jews and Christians, Mohammed  saw Jews and Christians as peaceful and accommodating religions and remembered the protection Muslims received from the Christian King of Ethiopia. However, his gratitude was short lived. Hence we find in the Koran  Sura 2:256:  “Let there be no compulsion in religion; truth stands out clear from error”.
And another less known generous act, the “CHARTER OF PRIVILEGES” that Prophet Mohammed granted in 628 AD to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt Sinai which included protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges, freedom to own and maintain their own property and the right to protection in war. That was the Mohammed before he changed and decided on the more ruthless attitudes to conquer the rest of the infidel world around him.
This Charter clearly showed the young compassionate Mohammed who was grateful for the protection from the Christian King of Ethiopia and in response issued “The Charter of Privileges” for the Christians. [4]
But that was only 2 years before Muhammad conquered Mecca. After the conquest of Mecca, Mohammed changed and his abrogated verses reversed all his previous peaceful concepts and intent with non-believers. It became obvious to Mohammed that his aggressive and non compromising approach to non believers had, in a few months, delivered more converts and strengthened his following by leaps and bounds than all the years of preaching with compassion and love. It dawned on him that that was the only route to achieve total success in his aims to convert kafirs to Islam. This is when Mohammed abrogated his earlier peaceful verses with Jihadist verses. From then on, Islam has never looked backwards. Islam was on a mission to convert all kafirs to their way of life.
These abrogated Jihad verses today represents Islamic  teachings and is accepted as one of the Pillars of Islam, openly declared by the Shia sect and as a command of Allah in the Qur’an by the Sunni sect and others. Below are some examples of the Jihadist verses in the Koran:
Sura 5:51 O believers take not Jews and Christians as friends…..
Sura 8:37 Allah may separate the pure from impure……
Sura 5:33 (Those who fight Allah)….shall be slain or crucified…
Sura 8:12-13 Cast terror into the hearts of infidels. Strike off their heads….
Sura 8:67 …make wide slaughter in the land
Sura 9:73 Make war on unbelievers (of Islam)…
(List of 6 of 17)
Islam suddenly altered to become a religion of “intolerance” after 630 AD. The Prophet Mohammed realized that for his teachings to succeed there was no room for tolerance.
Islam became a very exclusive religious cult from that time on.
[An Observation: The Koran is the indisputable Word of Allah and as such has to be accepted as a whole, without any questioning. But Mohammed was the prophet who could abrogate passages as it suited the occasion and without reference to anyone, as he was Allah's prophet. He has stated on several occasions that he fell into a swoon and the revelation came upon him, as in the case of his marriage to the wife of his step-son. He exonerated his behaviour to his wife with the excuse that he received a vision from Allah to take his step-son's wife as his own wife. His seventh wife was his ex-daughter-in-law.
Interestingly, Sura 4:3 limits the number of wives to four, and in Sura 4:31 marriage to one's daughter-in-law was prohibited. But in Sura 33:36-40, Muhammad was conveniently given a new revelation from God that ordered Zaid, Muhammad's adopted son, to divorce his wife so Muhammad could marry her by God's command. This swoon and revelation appears more a human convenience for his lust rather than a revelation of Allah. The revelation was too selfish a design to have been an ethereal revelation.
Muslim scholars and statesman Ali Dashti gives a list of 22 women in Muhammad's life. 16 were wives, 2 were slaves or concubines, 4 were not wives nor slaves but devout Muslim women who "gave" themselves to Muhammad willingly.]
The Islamic Principle of Taqiyya
In order to understand the Islamic mind we have to understand the Arab Bedouin Tribal culture. This is a culture based upon tribalism and the hard nomadic values of tribal warfare by raiding neighbouring villages and taking over their women and children as slaves and concubines, their possessions, their stock and their grazing lands and killing their men with the exception of those who would accept Islam.
The people are mainly illiterate, but cunning, and resourceful in order to survive. They are also extremely proud and arrogant people, especially the men. The masculine Arab culture placed a very high value on ‘honour and shame’ associated with his place in the social order of his family, his tribal group, or his society. It is important that he does not suffer ‘a loss of face’. The importance of honour and status is so important that it often justifies ‘honour killings’ within the family. Blood feuds and vendettas are maintained for generations to defend the honour of long dead ancestors. Mohammed himself ordered the vengeful murder of all those who mocked or satirised him, as he was an Arab and the potential loss of face was unacceptable.
“Lying and cheating in the Arab world is not really a moral matter but a method of safeguarding honour and status, avoiding shame, and at all times exploiting possibilities, for those with the wit and cunning for it, deftly and expeditiously to convert shame into honour on their own account and vice versa for the opponents. If honour so demands it, lies and cheating may become absolute imperatives.” [5]
Thus by skilful manipulations, by dissimulation, deceiving, lying, confounding, deflection of accusations, it is possible to foil or block or fend off an attack or accusation, and thus turn a humiliation into a positive outcome and the save one’s face or one’s life. This same skill is part of the tribal Bedouin life and it has been adopted into the Islamic way of life in the defence and protection of Islam. This skill is known as ‘Taqiyya’ and greatly enhances the capabilities of Muslims to defend and promote Islam. This skill, Taqiyya, comes so naturally to Muslims that they are not even aware that they are using it to communicate dissimulate Islamic information to the less informed. It is a part of their way of life since childhood. This trait can also be observed in many other cultures especially in the East.
To give a few examples of Taqiyya as an illustration, Muslims will deny that “terrorist suicide bombers killed innocent people” were Muslims who were responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers in New York. And they are right because Muslims do not approve of Suicide (Haram, so they could not have been Muslims) and wanton murder of innocent people (but Muslims do not consider non-Muslims as innocent. They are the enemy and so are legitimate targets.). So Muslims may safely say that they condemn any terrorist acts, because terrorists are not identifiable as Muslims. But Muslims knew that these were acts of Islamic Jihad, and thus were truthful in denying it was “an act of terrorism” by Muslims, because they were actually “acts of martyrdom” or Jihad not “terrorism.”
Muslims do not do “terrorism.” (Taqiyya)(Semantics) Yet this is what the Koran commands her followers:
Qur’an:8:12    “I shall terrorize the infidels. So wound their bodies and incapacitate them because they oppose Allah and His Apostle.”
Qur’an:8:57    “If you gain mastery over them in battle, inflict such a defeat as would terrorize them, so that they would learn a lesson and be warned.”
Misconceptions about Islam
It is commonly said by Muslims  that “Islam means peace, it does not it, translates as ‘submission’ to Allah. This is typical dissimulation.
Lesser educated Muslims sometimes claim that the root word of Islam is “al-Salaam,” which is “peace” in Arabic.
The root word for Islam is “al-Silm,” which means “submission” or “surrender.”  There is no controversy about this among Islamic scholars who understand Arabic.
Submission and peace can be very different concepts, even if a form of peace is often brought about through forcing others into submission.  As the modern-day Islamic scholar, Ibrahim Sulaiman, puts it, “Jihad is not inhumane, despite its necessary violence and bloodshed, its ultimate desire is peace which is protected and enhanced by the rule of law.”
In truth, the Qur’an not only calls Muslims to submit to Allah, it also commands them to subdue people of other religions until they are in a full state of submission to Islamic rule.  This has inspired the aggressive nature of Islam and its success in conquering and subdue other cultures.
The Myth that a small minority of Islamic extremists have hijacked Islam
The skilful, misleading misinformation that a small minority of extremists have hijacked Islam and does not represent Muslims is a myth clichéd in the  western media. Surveys consistently show 10-15% of all Muslims sympathise with Islamic Jihad. This means 120-180 million Muslims out of the 1.2 Billion Muslims in the world, are prepared to fund, facilitate, support morally and financially these Jihadists. Imagine attempting to destroy a subversive army of 120-180 million people. Is this a tiny minority who support Islamic Jihad? (This shows how Muslims attempt to portray that Islam is non-violent. It is meant to disarm non-Muslims.)
The above illustrates how abrogation and Taqiyya makes the clear understanding of Islam almost impossible to those who have not studied Islam in depth. Most westerners therefore are gullible to the falsehoods that are being spread by Muslims to disarm the infidel, a common technique of Islamist infiltration.
Some examples have references in the Koran like Surah 5:89, and Surah 16:106, and Surah 3:28. But disinformation, dissimulation, and Taqiyya, with abrogation make it almost impossible for the less well read about Islam, from being able to perceive through all this fog of deception and disinformation. But is all part and parcel of Islam that really needs a clear understanding. To the uninformed non-Muslim it is little wonder that they are misled and misinformed.
The Education Curriculae in Madrassas and the Level of Literacy in Muslim nations
In order to understand Muslim people and their culture, it is essential to ascertain what influences their thought processes. It is necessary to ascertain the level of education among the normal citizenry and the influences on their values, their cognitive capabilities, and their perceptive visions. I have chosen the Pakistan system to examine as much of the information from Pakistan is available in English. There are two systems in Pakistan, the Government schools and the madrassa. The madrassa is by far the more popular because it offers free (subsidized) education, including boarding facilities. But most madrassas are financed by oil rich Islamic countries like the Wahhabi group in Saudi Arabia.
There are 2 courses of study in a Madrassa, (1) the elementary course, the ‘hifz’ course, for the memorization of the Koran, (This is equivalent to a Primary school education in the West.) and (2) the ‘alim’ course or an accepted scholar course. The alim course takes 12 years, and qualifies that graduate to become an imam, or an Islamic teacher or to work in a Mosque. (On a time scale this is equivalent to an O-level or school leaving certificate level.)
A typical curriculum for an alim course is,
(1) Arabic language, (2) Tafsir (Koranic interpretation), (3) Shari’ah (Islamic Law), (4)
Hadith (recorded sayings and deeds of Prophet Mohammed), (5) Mantiq (Islamic Logic), and (6) Muslim History.
Some madrassas also offer courses in (a) Arabic Literature, (b) English or some other foreign language, (c) science, and (d) World History.
The predominant aim is to produce students who have a solid knowledge of Islam in every aspect, and to be able to teach and preach Islam to more people. Fortified with such an intensity of Islamic knowledge the continuation of the faith is ensured. But the curricula would be deemed rather narrow as far as general education is concerned, as compared to schools in western countries. So we now see the extent and the limitations of a madrassa education. It would appear that the hifz could be equated to the British O-level education, specializing in Islam.
Taking Pakistan as a model of an Islamic country, statistics show that,
1.  92% children enrol in Primary school (age 7 to 12), probably learn to recite the Koran
2.  63% of children remain at middle school level (age 12 to 17) (having completed 5 years of Primary school hence able to recite the Koran.
3.  44% of children continue at secondary or alim level (age 17 to 19). So less than 50% finish the equivalent of secondary school, but specializing in Islam.
4.  There is also a ‘fazil’ course, (2 years) that is known as a degree course, but probably more on the lever of the British A-level course.
5.  There is also another course the ‘kamil’ post graduate course (2 Yrs) which is equivalent to a diploma course in Britain.
It can be seen that there is a concentrated emphasis of Islamic knowledge in the Madrassas. With the heavy financial influence of the Wahhabis and their ideological preferences, the madrassas will lean heavily toward fundamentalist Wahhabi outlook of Islam and a leaning toward Islamic Jihadist political indoctrination  of the students while at a tender age. This influence will be on impressionable aged students and could be the root of the current anger of Muslim youth. The Muslim students know everything about Islam and nothing much of the wider world and their values. Thus they have regimented minds. [6] [7]
The Critical Importance of Knowledge as against Fundamental Education
In the human quest for intellectual or scientific excellence there is no compromise. You either progress or you retrogress; there is no place for standing still in the quest for knowledge (stagnant). This is why the topic of education is so important in the understanding of the culture of Islam and Christianity or all the other cultures of this world. The importance of this topic is essential in understanding the mental perceptions and the causes for the incompatibility cultures. It will also provide an insight into the reasons for the decline of Christianity and the resurgence of Islam. While Christian faith has been diluted and corrupted by liberalism and materialism and selfishness, Islam has remained confined and regimented to orthodox doctrines of a 7th century culture unchanged with time.
The Significance of Early Religious Education
Religions have survived through the centuries because the older generations and their clergy have passed on their beliefs and traditions to their descendants. Some secular countries believe that this dissemination of religion is the sole function of the parents, and the Church, but not through the state financed schools. But non-secular nations will instil religious knowledge and traditions through their educational system, their mosques and temples, and even legislate religious codes of ethics into state laws. The laws of most nations all originally evolved primarily from religious laws and community ethics. However, today liberalism and radicalism has begun to introduce modern evolutionary values to these ethics.
The Philosophy of Islamic Education- its Strengths & Weaknesses
Needless to say the Islamic educational system has been very effective for 1400 years. It is a system that has bonded the Islamic peoples together like no other system has. They are united in their belief structure, their values, their philosophies, their faith, and their purpose. On the other hand, the west, are divided and fragmented in ideology, belief structure, values, philosophies, faith and purpose. Certainly, Muslims have their tribal and sectarian differences but they have no doubt about who Satan is, or who the kafir is and who to trust and who not to trust. This is taught to children as little a 2 years of age.
Their unity of perception stems from their faith in the Word of Allah, in the Qur’an. The Word of Allah has remained the same and constant for all 1.2 billion Muslims for 1,400 years with no change in Allah’s doctrines. (The Bible has been modernized and re-translated several times in its history, with some tweaks here and there.)
As pointed out above, the whole of Primary School (92%), middle school (63%) and Secondary school (44%) is imbued in the study of the Koran and Islamic studies with very little else. The Koran, being the Word of Allah, may not be questioned, as it would be sacrilege for a Muslim to question the Word of Allah and is considered an Islamic crime, so the inquiring mind is stifled from the start. Graduates from the Madrassas have very little to gauge their knowledge against. They are taught to accept the Qur’an and the Hadiths without question.
1.  Added to this is the physical reinforcement of their commitment to their loyalty to Allah, reminded by the call to prayer five times a day, beginning at the light of dawn from the minarets?
2.  The congregation of the faithful at the Mosques bringa all Muslims into a spirit of camaraderie and collective kinship. As one brotherhood regardless of race, colour, or nationality.
3.  The opportunity for the constant influence of the clergy/imam through the mosques to exhort, or instil religious fervour or hatred 5 times a day.
4.  The opportunity to observe individual members as they gather together,  and so are able to offer support or apply pressure if his resolve appeaers to be weakening.
5.  Subjugation, control, and manipulation of  immature young intellectuals is in the hands of the Mullahs and senior Muslim peers.
6.  This direct interaction of a Muslim with his Mullah is intimate and constant and effective.
The constant influence of Islam upon a person is continuous and constant from childhood. First the indoctrination from the system of education and then the follow-up by the Mosque and the Imam is typical of cult control.
The Weaknesses or Disadvantages of the Islamic System
1.  Too specialized and narrow an education based mostly on Islamic studies. This smothers the cognitive capabilities of the mind.
2.  Not many finish secondary school, 44%. The population as a whole has a very limited educational standard, and thus limits their perception of the world about them.
3.  Produces a stifled and stunted mind incapable of creative thought outside of Islam. By the very nature of not questioning the Quran, the Hadiths, will naturally extend to not questioning the Islamic teachers and the Imams.This stifles intellectual inquiry especially regarding Islam and its doctrines.
4.  The educational system consists of an indoctrination of the mind from a young age, so the mind is stunted, and will never have a wide or open perception outside of Islam.
5.  More than 50% remain semi-literat. That is proven by the statistics.
6.  The system will produce followers rather than leaders.
The Palestinian Authority’s Indoctrination of Children - An insight.
A report by Itamer Marcus of the Palestinian Media Watch has reported that the Palestinian Authority has brain-washed their school children that there is no greater achievement than to die for Allah in battle, known as Shahada. This has been accomplished through the educational system, cultural programs, directives from political and religious leaders, through children’s TV broadcasting, and even from encouragement from within the family. 11 year olds are quoted as saying the death for Allah is their goal in life. 80% of Palestinian school children polled said that they wished to seek death as a Shahid.
These are some of the activities introduced by the Palestinian Authority to Indoctrinate
1.  From ages 6-9: Playing Death Games Activities.
2.  Ages 10-13: Expressing and writing the desire to Die or be Shahids.
3.  Ages 14-17; Experiencing and training for Shahada Missions.
One 11 year old girl said, “Shahada is very, very beautiful. Everyone yearns for Shahada. What could be better than going to paradise?
Here is a poem written by a boy heading for Shahada,
“Do not be sad, my dear,
And do not cry over my parting,
Oh my dear father,
For my country, Shahada…
How sweet is Shahada
When I embrace you, Oh my land!
My beloved, my mother,
My most dear,
Be joyous over my blood
And do not cry for me…
A very sad development in the Muslim psyche. [8] [9] [10]
THE PERCEPTIONS OF A MUSLIM
The Educated and Sophisticated Muslim-A dormant Islamist
Most westerners have different concepts of a Muslim. So let us attempt to define and quantify in a broad manner who are we talking about. Many westerners have a perception such as the following:
Many westerners have had contacts with Muslims as close neighbours, as parents of their children’s classmates, as colleagues at work or at the university, in business, or as casual friends having met through mutual friends. Naturally these people are working families, some professional, some business, and of a comparable income level as themselves.
Generally, these Muslims are friendly, educated, sophisticated, polite, well mannered, and there is not a thing that is reprehensible about their person or social etiquette except that they are Muslims. As polite neighbours and friends it is normal to avoid discussing controversial topics like religion or politics. To all appearances, these Muslim people are as normal as any other members of society. These Muslims are hard working, integrated with the neighbourhood, worship as Muslims do, and basically keep to themselves and live harmoniously in their community.
Yes, there are millions of such Muslim families all over the world. Most are very devout Muslims and they make no bones about it. Most of us would classify these Muslims as ‘moderate Muslims’. But is this a misnomer or does it reflect the inner feelings of a devout Muslim?
The above is the face of the ‘dormant’ Muslim, wrongly identified as ‘the moderate Muslim’. These people augment our workforce, as Doctors, University Professors, school teachers, Pharmacists, Accountants, Lawyers, Businessmen, Manufacturers, shop keepers, Imams, Islamic teachers, and contribute to the fabric of our society. They pay taxes, and even become members of Parliament and the House of Lords. So it can be seen as inconceivable that they should be vilified as a culture that is on a crash course with the western culture. With this perspective, it is difficult to find any justification to imagine that they are not useful members of society. No one would doubt that there are many Muslims who are assets to our society.
A Muslim psyche and the Islamic Faith
A Muslim is the person, and Islam is the religious ideology that he has accepted. This Muslim is a person like you and I, red blood flowing in our veins, with emotions, and warmth and generosity, and caring. But Islam is a fundamentalist ideology, rigid, inflexible, and exclusive. (As the facts of Islam-Muslim are fairly standard, anything in this section within quotation marks, “….” will be quotes from the web, much of which will be from wikipedia. I will also make references to the many surveys from the web.)
To Be A Muslim
“One has to accept Islam which is ”one who submits to Allah”. Muslims believe that there is only one god, translated in Arabic as Allah.
Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad, God’s final prophet, and regard the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Judaism and Christianity distorted the messages of these prophets over time either in interpretation, in text, or both.
Islam includes many religious practices. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community. In addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (sharia) has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. This tradition encompasses everything from practical matters like dietary laws and banking to warfare.”
“The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic: : اركان الدين) are five practices essential to Sunni Islam. Shi’a Muslims subscribe to eight ritual practices which substantially overlap with the Five Pillars. They are:
(1) The shahadah, which is the basic creed or tenet of Islam: “‘ašhadu ‘al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa ‘ašhadu ‘anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh“, or “I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam (although technically the Shi’a do not consider the shahadah to be a separate pillar, just a belief). Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required to recite the creed.
(2) Salah, or ritual prayer, which must be performed five times a day. (However, the Shi’a are permitted to run together the noon with the afternoon prayers, and the evening with the night prayers). Each salah is done facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Salah is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personalcommunication with him that expresses gratitude and worship. Salah is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. In many Muslim countries, reminders called Adhan (call to prayer) are broadcast publicly from local mosques at the appropriate times. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of verses from the Qur’an.
(3)Zakat, or alms-giving. This is the practice of giving based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. A fixed portion is spent to help the poor or needy, and also to assist the spread of Islam. The zakat is considered a religious obligation (as opposed to voluntary charity) that the well-off owe to the needy because their wealth is seen as a “trust from God’s bounty”. The Qur’an and the hadith also suggest a Muslim give even more as an act of voluntary alms-giving (sadaqah). Many Shi’ites are expected to pay an additional amount in the form of a khums tax, which they consider to be a separate ritual practice.
(4) Sawm, or fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must not eat or drink (among other things) from dawn to dusk during this month, and must be mindful of other sins. The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during it Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy. Sawm is not obligatory for several groups for whom it would constitute an undue burden. For others, flexibility is allowed depending on circumstances, but missed fasts usually must be made up quickly.
(5) The Hajj, which is the pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. When the pilgrim is about ten kilometers from Mecca, he must dress in Ihram clothing, which consists of two white seamless sheets. Rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba, touching the Black Stone, running seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, and symbolically stoning the Devil in Mina. The pilgrim, or the hajji, is honored in his or her community, although Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God instead of a means to gain social standing.
1.  In addition to the khums tax, Shi’a Muslims consider three additional practices essential to the religion of Islam. The first is jihad, which is also important to the Sunni, but not considered a pillar. The second isAmr-Bil-Ma’rūf, the “Enjoining to Do Good”, which calls for every Muslim to live a virtuous life and to encourage others to do the same. The third is Nahi-Anil-Munkar, the “Exhortation to Desist from Evil”, which tells Muslims to refrain from vice and from evil actions and to also encourage others to do the same.”
2. JIHAD-The 6th Pillar of Islam (It is an Islamic Pillar with Shiites but not with Sunni)
3.  Jihad means “to strive or struggle,” and is considered the “sixth pillar of Islam” by a minority of Muslim authorities. Within Islamic jurisprudence, jihad is usually taken to mean military exertion against non-Muslim combatants in the defense or expansion of the Islamic state, the ultimate purpose of which is to establish the universal domination of Islam. Jihad, the only form of warfare permissible in Islamic law, may be declared against non-Muslims who refuse to convert to Islam or submit to Islamic rule. Jihad is perpetual in nature; in theory, there can be no permanent peace with non-Muslim states, only truces which can be repudiated when circumstances become favorable for the resumption of hostilities. It ceases only when Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians submit to the authority of Islam and agree to pay the jizya (a poll tax) and kharaj (a land tax), and when polytheists convert to Islam.
4.  Under most circumstances and for most Muslims, jihad is a collective duty (fard kifaya): its performance by some individuals exempts the others. Only for those vested with authority, especially the sovereign (imam), does jihad become an individual duty. For the rest of the populace, this happens only in the case of a general mobilization. For most Shias, offensive jihad can only be declared by a divinely appointed leader of the Muslim community, and as such is suspended in his absence. Some Muslim authorities, especially among the Shi’a and Sufis, distinguish between the “greater jihad”, which pertains to spiritual self-perfection, and the “lesser jihad”, defined as warfare. Jihad also refers to one’s striving to attain religious and moral perfection.”
5. After World War I
After World War I losses, the remnants of the empire were parcelled out as European protectorates or spheres of influence. Since then most Muslim societies have become independent nations, and new issues such as oil wealth and relations with the state of Israel have assumed prominence.
The 20th century saw the creation of many new Islamic “revivalist” movements. Groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Jamaat-e-Islami in Pakistan advocate a totalistic and theocratic alternative to secular political ideologies. Sometimes called Islamist, they see Western cultural values as a threat, and promote Islam as a comprehensive solution to every public and private question of importance. In countries like Iran and Afghanistan (under the Taliban), revolutionary movements replaced existing regimes with Islamist states, while transnational groups like al-Qaeda engage in terrorism to further their goals.. Liberal Islam is a movement that attempts to reconcile religious tradition with modern norms of secular governance and human rights. Its supporters say that there are multiple ways to read Islam’s sacred texts, and stress the need to leave room for “independent thought on religious matters”.
COGNIZANCE OF A TRUE MUSLIM
Now that we fully appreciate what is expected of a ‘true’ Muslim, and his/her obligations to Islam in accordance with the tenets of his religion described above, we will look again at a Muslim and his mental psyche. A dormant Muslim has the right to live peacefully, regardless of his inner feeling or urges, as a normal citizen. He will nurture his family, raise his family, attend mosques, pray 5 times a day, and observe all the rituals and traditions of his religion without disrupting anyone else’s life. But his total devotion is to Allah and the Koran. Most westerners will say, “What’s wrong with that, they are just like or better than I am”. But let us see a cross section of surveys of Muslim opinions, a random selection:
CBS news,Natuonal Review Online by Patrick Basham
78% support severe punishment for the publishing of the cartoon of Prophet Mohammad.
68% support that British people who “insult Islam” should be arrested and prosecuted.
62% must not be protected if it offends religious groups
45% believe 9/11 was and American-Israeli government conspiracy.
25% British Muslims believe that 7/7 was justification for British support of US-War on Terror.
30% British Muslims would prefer to live under Sharia Law than British Law.
29 % British Muslims would aggressively defend Islam from internet and external threats, real or imagined. 9% British Muslims are hard core Islamists in their views.
3% British Muslims were pro-freedom of Speech.
In recent years 3,000 British Muslims have returned back in Britain from al Qa’eda training camps in Pakistan. Intelligence experts estimate 1,000 are Muslim radicals (80% of Pakistani origin) pursuing a terrorist agenda.
Taxpayer-subsidized multiculturalism has resulted in ‘Cultural Apartheid’. British Muslims exhibit more loyalty to Muslims worldwide, like Iraq, Palestine and Pakistan than to their fellow British citizens.
How can we say most Muslims are moderate and integrate? The survey shows the underlying distrust and animosity that will be almost impossible to bridge.
Extracts from Daniel Pipes’ Weblog (Survey Mar 3-11, 2004)
If one had to live in the same situation as a Palestinian, I might consider becoming a suicide bomber; 47 %.
Further attacks on the USA justified; 13 %
(Survey Nov 15-21,2004)
Agree that despite free speech, British who insult of criticize Islam should face criminal prosecution, 58%.
Agree that new laws required that incitement to religious hatred a criminal offence, 81%.
Schools and workplaces should accommodate Muslim prayer times, 88%.
Back Sharia courts to settle civil cases among Muslims, 61%.
(Update Sep 22, 2005)
Do not condemn London Bombs, 4%
See a conflict of loyalties to ‘unmah’ and to Britain, 27%
Do not think extremist organizations should be shut down 52%
Would not inform police of a Muslim planning an attack, 18%
(Update Feb7, 2006)
Agree that Muslim community boycott Holocaust Memorial day, 56%
Believe Jews in Britain are legitimate targets, 37%.
Agree Israel has no right to exist, 30%.
Agree suicide bombings in Israel justified, 21% amont 18-24year olds
Agree suicide bombing against civilians in Britain justified, 12% among 18-24 year olds.
(Feb 12,2006 update, YouGov Poll of 1617 Non-MUSLIMS)
Muslim demonstrations in London inciting violence should have been arrested on the spot, 76%
Agree British police and politicians are too toleratnt of Muslims in Britain, 80%.
Agree senior police chiefs are too politically correct with Islamic extremists, 67%
Believe that tensions will get worse in the next few years in Britain, 62%.
Believe the West can never co-exist peacefully with Muslim nations, 45%.
(Update Feb19, 2007 poll 500 British Muslims.)
Compared to a year ago, Muslims in UK are more alienated from British society 60%
Compared to a year ago, Muslims in the UK have become more radical towards British society, 46%
Relations between Muslims and British people are getting worse, 50%
Support pre-dominatly Muslim areas of Britain to practice Sharia Law, 40%
Update July 4, 2006 survey 1131 Muslim Adults )
Agree the 4 men who committed the London Transport Bombings were martyrs. 13%.
Agree that the 7/7 attacks had the right Islamic cause, 16%
Agree that suicide attacks on British civilians can be justified, 7%
Agree that modern British values are a threat to the Islamic way of life, 36%
(July 6, 2006 Pew 13 country study of Muslims and non-Muslims)
Think of myself first as a Muslim than a Briton, 81%
Think of myself first as a Briton than a Muslim, 7%.
Think there is a growing sense of Islamic identity among British Muslims, 77%.
Think the sense of Islamic identity in Britqain is a good thing, 86%
Were sympathetic fo the French youths who rioted in the late 2005, 75%.
Favour Iran acquiring the Nuclear weapons, 40%.
(Update Aug 7, 2006 1000 Muslims polled.)
Wish to see Britain an Islamic state 28%.
Prefer to live under Sharia Law 30%
Punish publishers of the Danish cartoons 78%
Arrest and prosecute British people who insult Islam 68%
Jewish Holocaust did not happen or has been exaggerated 19%
9/11 was an American and Israel conspiracy 45%
Princess Diana was killed to stop her marrying a Muslim, 36%
Agree July 2005 transport bombings were justified, 31 % of young Muslims agreed
Can understand why British Muslims want to be martyrs 13%
(Update Jan29,2007 survey of over 18 year old Muslims)
I feel more in common with Muslims in other countries tha I do with non-Muslims in Britain, 31%.
If I could choose I’d prefer to live under Sharia Law than British Law in Britain, 28%.
I admire organisations like Al Qaeda that are prepared to fight against the West, 7%. [11]
COMMENTS ON THE PRECEDING
It would not have been correct to have tried to understand the Islamic mind without looking at some depth into what are the elements that causes him to think and feel the way he does. The attempt to outline some of the factors that creates an Islamic mentality has to be looked at from the very beginnings. Even so it has been very sketchily done but does provide a framework to see how the various factors appear to create a similar mind throughout the world regardless of their differences in peoples, culture and ethnicity.
The lengthy tabulation of the various surveys of Muslims over a period, clearly shows if there have been changes in attitudes and gives us an indication of the success or failures of ‘multiculturalism’. It is clear that it has been a disaster and may even get much worse.
It would be impossible to attempt to find a solution by looking at various incidents in isolation. That is the current tendency with most governments, and those who attempt to find a fix to the problem. This is because, most of our politicians and quangos, have not taken the trouble to study Islam, and the culture of Muslims in depth. This lack of deep understanding of Islam coupled with the good intentions of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘political correctness’ coupled with the misguided good intentions of liberalism may be the downfall of western civilizations as we know it if we continue to bury our heads in the sand and continue to remain in ‘denial’ of the seriousness of the problem. The surveys show clearly that instead of convergence, there is a definite divergence in the attitudes of the Islamic world and the western world.
From the Islamic side, yes a lot can be done but it has to be a reformation down to Islam’s roots, i.e. the basic tenets of Islam has to be revised, followed by a restructure of the whole Muslim educational system. This may be possible but improbable in the foreseeable future.
From the western point of view? The west has to create more think tanks who are able to understand Islam in depth, and to find the correct solution to counterbalance the forces that the west is and will be facing in the coming years. So are the west prepared to live in peace but under Islamic domination, to accept dhimmitude in one form or another as that is the Islamic goal. Will the Judeo-Christian culture be prepared to be so influenced? I do not think so. So we are back on the drawing board once more. Can there just be a stalemate? Only if one culture is prepared to accept or be forced into a non-dominant role. It is an unavoidable conflict of interestes in two diverging cultures. The solution is in our hands.
References:
[2] Islam in the World by Malise Ruthven: [2]
[3] On the Road to the New World-Abdullah al-Araby: http://www.islamreview.com/articles/theroad.shtml
[4] The Charter of Privileges : www.cyberistan.org/islamic/charter1.html
[8] Palestinian Authority’s Indoctrination of Children: http://www.pmw.org.il/
[9] Educating Children to Violence: http://www.pmw.org.il/
The Art of Taqiyya 

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