Hat tip Eagle Rising
Recently, David Wood of Answering Muslims made a video in which he makes the case that ISIS is merely following the dictates of the Koran,
In this piece by David Whitley in Eagle Rising, he also links the Wood video and makes his own case as to why ISIS fighters are not merely "radicals" by our terminology, but are following what is dictated in the Koran.
http://eaglerising.com/8639/top-ten-quran-verses-understanding-isis/
This is a central question with which we are grappling. Are these really "renegades"- or what we used to call "fundamentalists", who are practicing the letter of the (Islamic) law? Our political leaders here in the US and in Europe are determined to stick to the party line that people like ISIS (and Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, Ansar al Sharia etc) are hijacking the peaceful religion of Islam. To be fair, let's face it: If a president of the US were to say publicly what is said on the blogosphere, the entire Islamic world would rise against us (if it hasn't anyway).
But is it fair or right to make public statements to us that are not true if such falsehoods lure us into a false state of security-uninformed as to the true nature of the threat? I don't think so.
As always, I invite my Muslim readers to weigh in on what Whitley and Wood say. Tell us where they are wrong. As long as your comments are civil and not hateful or bigoted, I promise I will post them and respond. (Marcus: You are excluded for the above reasons.)
I don't believe that all or even most Muslims are bad people who want to kill non-Muslims, but this is a conversation we all need to have at least in this country. After all, I do listen to the other side all the time. I have an English-language Koran and I read it. I go to the mosques and talk to the imams. I go to the Islamic presentations and ask questions. I have a pretty good take on the talking points. However, there has to be a forum where we can get beneath the talking points and have a true back and forth. Sadly, most all of the events I go to are structured in such a way as to preclude a real back and forth.
Let's try it here. You won't like much of what I say to you, but I promise you one thing: I will not lie to you.
Apparently Caliph Haround al-Rashid, and Salah-ad-Din, had no idea what the Qu'ran had to say, because they didn't act a bit like ISIS. Come to think of it, the Rashidun caliphs, who conquered half the Byzantine empire and all of the Sassanid empire didn't either, as they made alliances with Jews, left Christians undisturbed, and made no effort to convert the population of conquered provinces.
ReplyDeleteBy the same token, I suppose that Elohim City, Church of Jesus Christ Christian, and the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, are just following what the Bible says.
Siarlys,
ReplyDeleteYou reveal my ignorance. I have no idea who these people were or what relevance they have to the topic at hand.
Google is your friend Gary. I don't say that often, but if you have no idea who the Lord's Resistance Army are, you should look it up. They are fighting to implement the Ten Commandments in south east Africa by impressing child soldiers and cutting off ears, digits, maybe heads too.
ReplyDelete