A Saudi Writes About His Conversation With a Critic of Islam

The below article was written by a Saudi gentleman  in the US for the Saudi Gazette. It concerns his recent conversation with a  Christian who has real concerns about Islam and terrorism. The conversation took place here in the US. The writer is Tariq Al-Maeena.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130612169484

"Islam’s tolerance toward other faiths has been well documented. The oldest Christian communities in the world are all in Muslim countries. There have always been Christian and Jewish communities in the Muslim world. The disputes the West considers as clashes of ideologies in today’s Middle East are not religious; they are actually about secular matters, with the principle element being the unresolved Israeli occupation of Arab lands."

Yes, it is well documented, indeed. Ask any Coptic Christian in Egypt or any Christian in Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, or several other Muslim majority nations and they will gladly confirm what Mr Al Amaeena says. If Muslims massacre Christians in Nigeria, it must be because of Israeli occupation of Arab lands. Ask any Baha'i in Iran.  If Sunni Muslims kill Shia Muslims or vice-versa, it must be because of Israeli occupation of Arab lands. If Ahmadiya Muslims in Pakistan or other lands are persecuted by mainstream Muslims, well, it must be because of Israeli occupation of Arab lands.

"And to make up one’s mind on the basis of information garnered through translated versions of religious transcripts leaves one often at the mercy of the interpretation which can be deceptive."

As for Mr Al Maeena's explanation of the "misleading" translations of the Koran, how many mistranslations can there be in any sura written during Mohammed's Medina period? Read the suras like 2, 5 and 9 and you make your own determination as to the language. I have an English language Koran, which was given to me at the Islamic Center of Orange County, published by The Book of Signs Foundation. Sura 2 verse 191, which is widely quoted as "Slay them wherever you find them....", has this translation: "Kill them (in a combat situation) wherever you catch them...".

Take your pick. The above suras (chapters) were recorded later in Mohammed's life when, at Medina, he had turned from preaching to spreading Islam by war. Peruse any of the above suras or others written during the Medina period and judge the language for yourself. It is all about war, killing, and unbelievers burning in Hell.

And you know what? Muslims in Muslim countries do not get a sugar-coated version of this as they are growing up. They are taught it as it is. It is the people like Al Maeena here in the West who are giving us this sugar-coated pablum that we are all too prepared to accept.

"Such sentiments were cemented when the President of the United States, at the time, George W. Bush declared a crusade against the perpetrators, invoking a disturbing scenario of an impending clash of civilizations. In creating the "good versus evil" and "you’re with us or against us" doctrine, Mr. Bush further solidified his stance when he used the term "Islamic fascists"

My final comment: At the risk of sounding overly-nationalistic (Oh, what the Hell, I am), keep in mind that this guy is here in the US. He doesn't appear to have a particularly positive view of us, does he?

So my question to Mr Al Maeena is this:

Why are you here?