sady
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"The only good bug is a dead bug". Many years after hearing these words for the first time in a futuristic flick I am reminded once again of the line going through message boards post Paris attack. Today's western world views Islam as the center point of the problem. There is no point beating around the bush. Western media has finally reached the end point of incessant subliminal collective character assassination of Islam. It took transformation and evolution of few terms. 'Extremist Militants' to'Terrorists' and 'Jihadists' to plain simply 'Islamist Terrorists'. Carefully selected terminology with profound effect spear headed this operation. 'Jihadi Brides' , 'Jihadi John' and many more created a paranoia of terrorist that lives among the masses , a snake in ones backyard who looks pretty similar, a next door John, wears Gucci, goes to a pub and one day on his way home goes all 'Jihadi'. The Terrorist is no more a Bearded barbarian in mountains of Tora Bora or even a bearded man coming out of a local Islamic center but a person with whom you just had drinks with or a Hijab clad woman that is seen crossing the road holding her little ones.
Why or who is behind it is probably stuff for conspiracy theorists. However what I do feel is this call of 'us' and 'them' is providing terrorists with an enormous favour. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. Terrorists account for less than even one percent. They are in dire need of recognition from the vast majority which views them as Anarchists rather than the Holy warriors. They are aware. 1.6 billion Muslims all over the world are carefully monitoring the events and witnessing an average joe in western block responding with 'bomb them to smithereens' cries. They are trying to gauge whether it is indeed the clash of civilizations as the terrorists wants them to believe. We need to understand that a terrorist and a Neocon both want the battle lines drawn. Multiculturalism is abhorred . Homogenised societies is the end point acceptable to both sides. Sane voices are finding it difficult to spread the message in background of war drum beatings and elaborate chest thumping.
'ISIS are equally enemies of moderate Muslims as they are enemies of non-Muslims'
' rocked by political violence, as did Britain during the Troubles'
etc etc ..... Yawn.
Chatter chatter chatter.
Style of thing'
'The number of gutless, whimpering liberals on here, trying to minimise the atrocity in Paris and deflect the focus away from Islam is sickening.The attackers shouted Allahu Akbar whilst they shot disabled people in wheelchairs, who had simply ventured out to watch a band, I think that kind of gives the game away'.
"One group of migrants makes me a xenophobe — Muslims.While I’m much more in favor of further immigration into this country than my GOP allies (especially permanent migration of highly skilled workers and at least a Bracero-type program for “farm” migrants), I must sadly conclude that we need to close our border to further Muslim immigration. Indeed, I’d be super cautious about allowing visas for Muslim tourists, students and workers. At the very least, extraordinary vetting should be the norm.Many tend to think that most Muslims are reasonable people — it’s just a small minority that favors Jihad while wanting to forcibly impose Sharia law on the world.I used to think the same. But my opinion has evolved in recent years.The latest damning evidence against Muslims is this Pew Foundation international poll. MOST Muslims oppose major aspects of our free and diverse society. They want us non-Muslims to “submit” — or else. Especially they want that result in the country where they live.Europe was already doomed by demographics to go Muslim inside 100 years. Now with the refugee surge, much of central Europe is likely going Muslim inside 40 years. Most Muslims don’t assimilate — they prefer to DO the assimilating."Keep Muslims out of America. And closely monitor the mosques here.I guess that makes me a xenophobe of the first order. But one with good reasons for holding this position.
These are few of the real posts on message boards online News websites.
One commentator professed to be proficient in Islam and quoted few verses from Quran that ask muslims to kill every non muslim. His opinion is that vast majority muslims do not follow Islam and those who do are terrorists.
If we analyse the comments and broadly categorise the western myths regarding Islam;
'The Islamic future of Britain'
'Britain is in denial. If population trends continue, by the year 2050, Britain will be a majority Muslim nation' by Vincent Cooper 13 jun 2013 in The Commentator.
Debunked by factcheck Channel 4
The verdict
Birth rates among native-born women are currently low across most of Europe and the developed world in general.
Demographers think a fertility rate of about 2.1 children per woman on average is necessary for the population of a developed country to sustain itself.
Most of the “native” populations of Europe are failing to have enough children, while birth rates are higher among Muslim immigrant populations, so it seems inevitable that the British Muslim population will rise in the coming decades.
But it’s equally clear that the gap in fertility between Muslim and non-Muslim will continue to lessen over time, as it has in recent decades.
Mr Cooper suggests that there are “strong cultural reasons for higher Muslim birth rates”, but this ignores the fact that birth rates have fallen dramatically in many Muslim countries.
FactCheck wouldn’t bet on the British Muslim population ever topping 10 per cent, let alone 50 per cent.
Islam is Evil
Now we move on to second concern of Islam being the problem rather than the disfigured interpretation of it. Quran being the prime source of information it is quite understandable for a naive self styled expert to chose few verses that call for bloodshed and call the matter closed. A well versed muslim however will know Quran is not your average manual with simple algorithms and instructions. Most of the essential practices like praying, alms for poor , laws and other practices are not explained and need careful interpretation through books of Hadith (practises and sayings of Holy Prophet PBUH)
The literal definition of the word jihad is: striving to achieve a goal, while the Quranic definition of the word is “striving with one’s self and one’s money in the cause of God”.
“The true believers are those who believe in God and His messenger, then attain the status of having no doubt whatsoever, and strive (jahadu) with their money and their lives in the cause of God. These are the truthful ones.” 49:15
“Those who believe, and emigrate, and strive (jahadu) in the cause of God with their money and their lives, are far greater in rank in the sight of God. These are the winners.” 9:20
"God never advocates sin. Are you saying about God what you do not know?" 7:28
"...... You shall not kill - God has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. These are His commandments to you, that you may understand." 6:151
"You shall not kill any person - for God has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. ....." 17:33
"......, we decreed for the Children of Israel that anyone who murders any person who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people. "5:32
" .......... If they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no excuse to fight them" 4:90
"If they resort to peace, so shall you, and put your trust in God. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." 8:61
“do not aggress; God dislikes the aggressors.” 5:87
"There shall be no compulsion in religion ..." 2:256
"You have your religion and I have mine" 109:6
"Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Do you want to force the people to become believers?"10:99
"Proclaim: "This is the truth from your Lord," then Whoever wills let him believe, and whoever wills let him disbelieve" 18:29
"You shall remind, for your mission is to deliver this reminder.You have no power over them" 88:21-22
"You shall resort to pardon, advocate tolerance, and disregard the ignorant" 7:199
"Tell those who believe to forgive those who do not long for the days of (meeting) God. He will fully pay everyone for whatever they have earned." 45:14
"God does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. God loves the equitable." 60:8
Few verses regarding Suicide Bombing
“You shall spend in the cause of God; do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction. You shall be charitable; God loves the charitable.” 2:195
“O you who believe, do not consume each others' properties illicitly - only mutually acceptable transactions are permitted. You shall not kill yourselves. God is Merciful towards you.
“Anyone who commits these transgressions, maliciously and deliberately, we will condemn him to Hell. This is easy for God to do.” 4:29-30
This now brings us to question what is this Holy War muslims speak about?
"You shall prepare for them all the power you can muster, and all the equipment you can mobilise, that you may frighten the enemies of God, your enemies, as well as others who are not known to you; God knows them. Whatever you spend in the cause of God will be repaid to you generously, without the least injustice. If they resort to peace, so shall you, and put your trust in God. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." 8:60-61
"Permission (to fight) is granted to those who are being persecuted, since injustice has befallen them, and God is certainly able to support them. They were evicted from their homes unjustly, for no reason other than saying, "Our Lord is God." If it were not for God's supporting of some people against others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and masjids - where the name of God is commemorated frequently - would have been destroyed. Absolutely, God supports those who support Him. God is Powerful, Almighty." 22:39-40
These instructions are from the days when there was no conduct of war. Everything and anything was permissible. This is further strengthened by an account of Hazrat Abu Bakr First Caliph of Islam to one his generals who was leading an expedition to war.
"Look! Be not dishonest. Do not deceive anyone. Do not hide the booty you get. Do not mutilate anyone. Do not kill the aged, the children and the women. Do not set fire to date-palms. Do not cut down fruit trees. Do not slaughter a goat, or a cow, or a camel, except for purposes of food. You will come across people who have give up the world and are sitting in monasteries. Leave them alone."
Muslims are only peaceful till they are in Minority
In world history Project the spread of Islam is explained and also the general path of spread of Islam.
'As was the case in most of the areas to which Islam spread, peaceful and voluntary conversion was far more important than conquest and force in spreading the faith in Southeast Asia. Almost everywhere in the islands of the region, trading contacts paved the way for conversion. Muslim merchants and sailors introduced local peoples to the ideas and rituals of the new faith and impressed on them how much of the known world had already been converted. Muslim ships also carried Sufis to various parts of Southeast Asia, where they were destined to play as vital a role in conversion as they had in India. The first areas to be won to Islam in the last decades of the 13th century were several small port centers on the northern coast of Sumatra. From these ports, the religion spread in the following centuries across the Strait of Malacca to Malaya'
We must however admit there is a level of intolerance in Muslim majority countries but it is more to do with education, ignorance and rule of law rather than Islamic teachings. In muslim countries with better social and education indicators like Turkey or Malaysia the religious tolerance is far more encouraging.
Muslims Anti Semites?
Semitic races include both Jews and Arabs. Arabs form a large group of Muslims so the term is incorrect. The correct question is probably if Muslims are anti jewish?
Without going through discussion of Israel and Palestine quagmire, if we recall the history of Muslim-Jew relationship it is tremulous at best. There were times when they were at war and some times when Jews found protection under Muslim rule at times of Spanish inquisition and Crusades. Muslims are not inherently anti Jewish but there is anti Zionist sentiment and has roots in modern history.
With the victory of Tariq ibn Ziyad in 711, the lives of the Sephardim changed dramatically. For the most part, the invasion of the Moors was welcomed by the Jews of Iberia.
both Muslim and Catholic sources tell us that Jews provided valuable aid to the invaders.[26] Once captured, the defense of Córdoba was left in the hands of Jews, and Granada, Málaga, Seville, and Toledo were left to a mixed army of Jews and Moors. The Chronicle of Lucas de Tuy records that "when the Catholics left Toledo on Sunday before Easter to go to the Church of the Holy Laodicea to listen to the divine sermon, the Jews acted treacherously and informed the Saracens. Then they closed the gates of the city before the Catholics and opened them for the Moors." (Although, in contradiction to de Tuy's account, Rodrigo of Toledo's Historia de rebus Hispaniae maintains that Toledo was "almost of completely empty from its inhabitants", not because of Jewish treachery, but because "many had fled to Amiara, others to Asturias and some to the mountains", following which the city was fortified by a militia of Arabs and Jews (3.24). Although in the cases of some towns the behavior of the Jews may have been conducive to Muslim success, such was of limited impact overall. The claims of the fall of Iberia as being due in large part to Jewish perfidy are no doubt exaggerated (Assis, pp. 44–45).
In spite of the restrictions placed upon the Jews as dhimmis, life under Muslim rule was one of great opportunity in comparison to that under prior Catholic Visigoths, as testified by the influx of Jews from abroad. To Jews throughout the Catholic and Muslim worlds, Iberia was seen as a land of relative tolerance and opportunity. Following initial Arab-Berber victories, and especially with the establishment of Umayyad rule by Abd-ar-Rahman I in 755, the native Jewish community was joined by Jews from the rest of Europe, as well as from Arab territories, from Morocco to Babylon (Assis, p. 12; Sarna, p. 324). Thus the Sephardim found themselves enriched culturally, intellectually, and religiously by the commingling of diverse Jewish traditions. Contacts with Middle Eastern communities were strengthened, and it was during this time that the influence of the Babylonian academies of Sura and Pumbedita was at its greatest. As a result, until the mid-10th century, much of Sephardic scholarship focused on Halakhah. Although not as influential, Eretz Israel traditions were also made manifest, in an increased interest in Hebrew language and biblical studies (Sarna, pp. 325–326).
Muslims and integration with western culture
After the close of World War II and the great depression there was the industrial revolution. Manpower could not cope up with the demands of 'big industry' and many were taken in from regions poles apart culturally from these countries. The way of life starkly different, moral and ethical values unmatched and religious inclinations totally contrasting. Many muslims who migrated felt alienated in societies they could not socialise because socialising will mean invariably departure from values they held very close at heart. 'Racism' was not a word that would raise eye brows or ears in those days. The disenfranchisement felt by a generation of translated into social confusion in the next generation. They were reared in times when integration was shoved down their throats. The question to ask is what will this integration was thought to bring in. Were we looking for a homogeneous society? or a vibrant productive society? To be a part of a vibrant productive society assimilating into cheap carbon copies of native population should not have been a sought after solution. A heterogeneous society each segment living with own set of rules and way of life, tolerant and appreciative of each others values and opinions. Moving forward with mutual respect and boundaries while adding to the national character and economics. If we take these standards at hand then yes muslims have integrated well into western societies adding to the color and economy. They with other communities have worked hard to bring the development to this region. The scourge of terrorism has only met us during 90's. Muslims have been a peaceful part of West way before it.
This is not to say Muslims and their world is perfect. Poverty, intolerance, human rights, law and order, education and social development is far from satisfactory. The state of women in Islamic Countries is disheartening. Regional and ethnic and local customs of patriarchal societies bring in many unIslamic practices such as Female Genital mutilation, domestic violence and opposition to their education. Women have played pivitol role in early days of Islam participating in commerce and even wars. A detailed and thorough study of Islam and for that matter any religion eventually takes us to the conclusion that it is not faith but inherent weaknesses of a man like greed, lies and sadistic attitudes that brings out the monstrosity in group of men. It also demonstrates manipulation of teachings of religion to spread hatred and tyranny is nothing new and will continue to happen in times to come. I leave the reader with this saying from Holy Prophet (PBUH) regarding these evil men.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There will be dissension and division in my nation and a people will come with beautiful words but evil deeds. They recite the Quran but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow leaves its target and they will not return until the arrow returns to its notch. They are the worst of the creation. Blessed are those who fight them and are killed by them. They call to the Book of Allah but they have nothing to do with it. Whoever fights them is better to Allah than them
Why or who is behind it is probably stuff for conspiracy theorists. However what I do feel is this call of 'us' and 'them' is providing terrorists with an enormous favour. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. Terrorists account for less than even one percent. They are in dire need of recognition from the vast majority which views them as Anarchists rather than the Holy warriors. They are aware. 1.6 billion Muslims all over the world are carefully monitoring the events and witnessing an average joe in western block responding with 'bomb them to smithereens' cries. They are trying to gauge whether it is indeed the clash of civilizations as the terrorists wants them to believe. We need to understand that a terrorist and a Neocon both want the battle lines drawn. Multiculturalism is abhorred . Homogenised societies is the end point acceptable to both sides. Sane voices are finding it difficult to spread the message in background of war drum beatings and elaborate chest thumping.
'ISIS are equally enemies of moderate Muslims as they are enemies of non-Muslims'
' rocked by political violence, as did Britain during the Troubles'
etc etc ..... Yawn.
Chatter chatter chatter.
Style of thing'
'The number of gutless, whimpering liberals on here, trying to minimise the atrocity in Paris and deflect the focus away from Islam is sickening.The attackers shouted Allahu Akbar whilst they shot disabled people in wheelchairs, who had simply ventured out to watch a band, I think that kind of gives the game away'.
"One group of migrants makes me a xenophobe — Muslims.While I’m much more in favor of further immigration into this country than my GOP allies (especially permanent migration of highly skilled workers and at least a Bracero-type program for “farm” migrants), I must sadly conclude that we need to close our border to further Muslim immigration. Indeed, I’d be super cautious about allowing visas for Muslim tourists, students and workers. At the very least, extraordinary vetting should be the norm.Many tend to think that most Muslims are reasonable people — it’s just a small minority that favors Jihad while wanting to forcibly impose Sharia law on the world.I used to think the same. But my opinion has evolved in recent years.The latest damning evidence against Muslims is this Pew Foundation international poll. MOST Muslims oppose major aspects of our free and diverse society. They want us non-Muslims to “submit” — or else. Especially they want that result in the country where they live.Europe was already doomed by demographics to go Muslim inside 100 years. Now with the refugee surge, much of central Europe is likely going Muslim inside 40 years. Most Muslims don’t assimilate — they prefer to DO the assimilating."Keep Muslims out of America. And closely monitor the mosques here.I guess that makes me a xenophobe of the first order. But one with good reasons for holding this position.
These are few of the real posts on message boards online News websites.
One commentator professed to be proficient in Islam and quoted few verses from Quran that ask muslims to kill every non muslim. His opinion is that vast majority muslims do not follow Islam and those who do are terrorists.
If we analyse the comments and broadly categorise the western myths regarding Islam;
- High birth rates meaning the muslims will take over by numbers.
- Islam is murderous and a muslim is terrorist if staunch follower and not vice versa.
- Muslim behaviour depends upon their numbers in a given population, more the numbers more intrusive and dictatorial they behave.
- Muslims are inherently anti Semitic.
- Muslims do not integrate.
'The Islamic future of Britain'
'Britain is in denial. If population trends continue, by the year 2050, Britain will be a majority Muslim nation' by Vincent Cooper 13 jun 2013 in The Commentator.
Debunked by factcheck Channel 4
The verdict
Birth rates among native-born women are currently low across most of Europe and the developed world in general.
Demographers think a fertility rate of about 2.1 children per woman on average is necessary for the population of a developed country to sustain itself.
Most of the “native” populations of Europe are failing to have enough children, while birth rates are higher among Muslim immigrant populations, so it seems inevitable that the British Muslim population will rise in the coming decades.
But it’s equally clear that the gap in fertility between Muslim and non-Muslim will continue to lessen over time, as it has in recent decades.
Mr Cooper suggests that there are “strong cultural reasons for higher Muslim birth rates”, but this ignores the fact that birth rates have fallen dramatically in many Muslim countries.
FactCheck wouldn’t bet on the British Muslim population ever topping 10 per cent, let alone 50 per cent.
Islam is Evil
Now we move on to second concern of Islam being the problem rather than the disfigured interpretation of it. Quran being the prime source of information it is quite understandable for a naive self styled expert to chose few verses that call for bloodshed and call the matter closed. A well versed muslim however will know Quran is not your average manual with simple algorithms and instructions. Most of the essential practices like praying, alms for poor , laws and other practices are not explained and need careful interpretation through books of Hadith (practises and sayings of Holy Prophet PBUH)
The literal definition of the word jihad is: striving to achieve a goal, while the Quranic definition of the word is “striving with one’s self and one’s money in the cause of God”.
“The true believers are those who believe in God and His messenger, then attain the status of having no doubt whatsoever, and strive (jahadu) with their money and their lives in the cause of God. These are the truthful ones.” 49:15
“Those who believe, and emigrate, and strive (jahadu) in the cause of God with their money and their lives, are far greater in rank in the sight of God. These are the winners.” 9:20
"God never advocates sin. Are you saying about God what you do not know?" 7:28
"...... You shall not kill - God has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. These are His commandments to you, that you may understand." 6:151
"You shall not kill any person - for God has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. ....." 17:33
"......, we decreed for the Children of Israel that anyone who murders any person who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people. "5:32
" .......... If they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no excuse to fight them" 4:90
"If they resort to peace, so shall you, and put your trust in God. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." 8:61
“do not aggress; God dislikes the aggressors.” 5:87
"There shall be no compulsion in religion ..." 2:256
"You have your religion and I have mine" 109:6
"Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Do you want to force the people to become believers?"10:99
"Proclaim: "This is the truth from your Lord," then Whoever wills let him believe, and whoever wills let him disbelieve" 18:29
"You shall remind, for your mission is to deliver this reminder.You have no power over them" 88:21-22
"You shall resort to pardon, advocate tolerance, and disregard the ignorant" 7:199
"Tell those who believe to forgive those who do not long for the days of (meeting) God. He will fully pay everyone for whatever they have earned." 45:14
"God does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. God loves the equitable." 60:8
Few verses regarding Suicide Bombing
“You shall spend in the cause of God; do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction. You shall be charitable; God loves the charitable.” 2:195
“O you who believe, do not consume each others' properties illicitly - only mutually acceptable transactions are permitted. You shall not kill yourselves. God is Merciful towards you.
“Anyone who commits these transgressions, maliciously and deliberately, we will condemn him to Hell. This is easy for God to do.” 4:29-30
This now brings us to question what is this Holy War muslims speak about?
"You shall prepare for them all the power you can muster, and all the equipment you can mobilise, that you may frighten the enemies of God, your enemies, as well as others who are not known to you; God knows them. Whatever you spend in the cause of God will be repaid to you generously, without the least injustice. If they resort to peace, so shall you, and put your trust in God. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." 8:60-61
"Permission (to fight) is granted to those who are being persecuted, since injustice has befallen them, and God is certainly able to support them. They were evicted from their homes unjustly, for no reason other than saying, "Our Lord is God." If it were not for God's supporting of some people against others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and masjids - where the name of God is commemorated frequently - would have been destroyed. Absolutely, God supports those who support Him. God is Powerful, Almighty." 22:39-40
These instructions are from the days when there was no conduct of war. Everything and anything was permissible. This is further strengthened by an account of Hazrat Abu Bakr First Caliph of Islam to one his generals who was leading an expedition to war.
"Look! Be not dishonest. Do not deceive anyone. Do not hide the booty you get. Do not mutilate anyone. Do not kill the aged, the children and the women. Do not set fire to date-palms. Do not cut down fruit trees. Do not slaughter a goat, or a cow, or a camel, except for purposes of food. You will come across people who have give up the world and are sitting in monasteries. Leave them alone."
Muslims are only peaceful till they are in Minority
In world history Project the spread of Islam is explained and also the general path of spread of Islam.
'As was the case in most of the areas to which Islam spread, peaceful and voluntary conversion was far more important than conquest and force in spreading the faith in Southeast Asia. Almost everywhere in the islands of the region, trading contacts paved the way for conversion. Muslim merchants and sailors introduced local peoples to the ideas and rituals of the new faith and impressed on them how much of the known world had already been converted. Muslim ships also carried Sufis to various parts of Southeast Asia, where they were destined to play as vital a role in conversion as they had in India. The first areas to be won to Islam in the last decades of the 13th century were several small port centers on the northern coast of Sumatra. From these ports, the religion spread in the following centuries across the Strait of Malacca to Malaya'
We must however admit there is a level of intolerance in Muslim majority countries but it is more to do with education, ignorance and rule of law rather than Islamic teachings. In muslim countries with better social and education indicators like Turkey or Malaysia the religious tolerance is far more encouraging.
Muslims Anti Semites?
Semitic races include both Jews and Arabs. Arabs form a large group of Muslims so the term is incorrect. The correct question is probably if Muslims are anti jewish?
Without going through discussion of Israel and Palestine quagmire, if we recall the history of Muslim-Jew relationship it is tremulous at best. There were times when they were at war and some times when Jews found protection under Muslim rule at times of Spanish inquisition and Crusades. Muslims are not inherently anti Jewish but there is anti Zionist sentiment and has roots in modern history.
With the victory of Tariq ibn Ziyad in 711, the lives of the Sephardim changed dramatically. For the most part, the invasion of the Moors was welcomed by the Jews of Iberia.
both Muslim and Catholic sources tell us that Jews provided valuable aid to the invaders.[26] Once captured, the defense of Córdoba was left in the hands of Jews, and Granada, Málaga, Seville, and Toledo were left to a mixed army of Jews and Moors. The Chronicle of Lucas de Tuy records that "when the Catholics left Toledo on Sunday before Easter to go to the Church of the Holy Laodicea to listen to the divine sermon, the Jews acted treacherously and informed the Saracens. Then they closed the gates of the city before the Catholics and opened them for the Moors." (Although, in contradiction to de Tuy's account, Rodrigo of Toledo's Historia de rebus Hispaniae maintains that Toledo was "almost of completely empty from its inhabitants", not because of Jewish treachery, but because "many had fled to Amiara, others to Asturias and some to the mountains", following which the city was fortified by a militia of Arabs and Jews (3.24). Although in the cases of some towns the behavior of the Jews may have been conducive to Muslim success, such was of limited impact overall. The claims of the fall of Iberia as being due in large part to Jewish perfidy are no doubt exaggerated (Assis, pp. 44–45).
In spite of the restrictions placed upon the Jews as dhimmis, life under Muslim rule was one of great opportunity in comparison to that under prior Catholic Visigoths, as testified by the influx of Jews from abroad. To Jews throughout the Catholic and Muslim worlds, Iberia was seen as a land of relative tolerance and opportunity. Following initial Arab-Berber victories, and especially with the establishment of Umayyad rule by Abd-ar-Rahman I in 755, the native Jewish community was joined by Jews from the rest of Europe, as well as from Arab territories, from Morocco to Babylon (Assis, p. 12; Sarna, p. 324). Thus the Sephardim found themselves enriched culturally, intellectually, and religiously by the commingling of diverse Jewish traditions. Contacts with Middle Eastern communities were strengthened, and it was during this time that the influence of the Babylonian academies of Sura and Pumbedita was at its greatest. As a result, until the mid-10th century, much of Sephardic scholarship focused on Halakhah. Although not as influential, Eretz Israel traditions were also made manifest, in an increased interest in Hebrew language and biblical studies (Sarna, pp. 325–326).
Muslims and integration with western culture
After the close of World War II and the great depression there was the industrial revolution. Manpower could not cope up with the demands of 'big industry' and many were taken in from regions poles apart culturally from these countries. The way of life starkly different, moral and ethical values unmatched and religious inclinations totally contrasting. Many muslims who migrated felt alienated in societies they could not socialise because socialising will mean invariably departure from values they held very close at heart. 'Racism' was not a word that would raise eye brows or ears in those days. The disenfranchisement felt by a generation of translated into social confusion in the next generation. They were reared in times when integration was shoved down their throats. The question to ask is what will this integration was thought to bring in. Were we looking for a homogeneous society? or a vibrant productive society? To be a part of a vibrant productive society assimilating into cheap carbon copies of native population should not have been a sought after solution. A heterogeneous society each segment living with own set of rules and way of life, tolerant and appreciative of each others values and opinions. Moving forward with mutual respect and boundaries while adding to the national character and economics. If we take these standards at hand then yes muslims have integrated well into western societies adding to the color and economy. They with other communities have worked hard to bring the development to this region. The scourge of terrorism has only met us during 90's. Muslims have been a peaceful part of West way before it.
This is not to say Muslims and their world is perfect. Poverty, intolerance, human rights, law and order, education and social development is far from satisfactory. The state of women in Islamic Countries is disheartening. Regional and ethnic and local customs of patriarchal societies bring in many unIslamic practices such as Female Genital mutilation, domestic violence and opposition to their education. Women have played pivitol role in early days of Islam participating in commerce and even wars. A detailed and thorough study of Islam and for that matter any religion eventually takes us to the conclusion that it is not faith but inherent weaknesses of a man like greed, lies and sadistic attitudes that brings out the monstrosity in group of men. It also demonstrates manipulation of teachings of religion to spread hatred and tyranny is nothing new and will continue to happen in times to come. I leave the reader with this saying from Holy Prophet (PBUH) regarding these evil men.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There will be dissension and division in my nation and a people will come with beautiful words but evil deeds. They recite the Quran but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow leaves its target and they will not return until the arrow returns to its notch. They are the worst of the creation. Blessed are those who fight them and are killed by them. They call to the Book of Allah but they have nothing to do with it. Whoever fights them is better to Allah than them
Maybe after reading this at least on this forum ppl will understand that Islam has nothing to do with terrorists.
