Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

[Guest Old Timer]

My years here are limited. So, I want to possibly come to peace with our Islamic neighbors living here in the United States. I wave back and fourth on what is the actual truth. I am hoping we all can have a logical discourse on the subject. So let's begin.

[Luke_Wilbur]

People are People.

[Guest Big Blue]

From what I have read the verses of the Koran are quite violent.

[Guest Tony]

From what I have read the verses of the Koran are quite violent.

 

I concur that there are violent passages in the Koran. But there are far more in the Bible and you are hard pressed to get many eager listeners when you challenge the idea that it is the "good book".

 

I know a great many Christians who are truly kind and gentle people. While I don't know as many Muslims as Christians I do know a number, both here in the US as well as Southeast Asia and the Middle East. These Muslim friends are also among the kindest people I know. My belief, and I think I can back this up rather well, is that they are all kind in spite of, not because of, their religious affiliation. Further, as kind people they were drawn to religion from a desire to manifest the goodness already within them. They did not become good as a result of their exposure to, and belief in, an invisible friend.

 

VR,

Tony

http://www.examiner.com/skepticism-in-washington-dc/tony-davis

[Guest Old Timer]

Did Mohammad lay down rules for humane jihad warfare?

[Guest Oscar]

Muslim spokespersons who have access to the news media are misleading the public about jihad.

 

The Council on American Muslim Relations (CAIR) says the following about jihad at the time this present article was posted:

 

"Jihad" does not mean "holy war." Literally, jihad means to strive, struggle and exert effort. It is a central and broad Islamic concept that includes struggle against evil inclinations within oneself, struggle to improve the quality of life in society, struggle in the battlefield for self-defense (e.g., - having a standing army for national defense), or fighting against tyranny or oppression.

 

In reply, however, while it is true that a Muslim may wage jihad on the excess in his soul or on unbelief by non-violent means like argumentation, jihad must also include a military, violent war.

 

Also, the clauses that say that jihad means the struggle to improve "the quality of life" or the fight against "tyranny and oppression" are ambiguous. Islam expresses the will of Allah, and jihad battles anything that stands in its way.

 

By any clear reading of the Qur'an, the hadith (reports of Muhammad’s words and actions outside of the Qur'an), the histories, the biographies and the law books on early Islam, jihad cannot exclude military warfare in the cause of Allah in order to expand Islam.

 

Here is how jihad was done in early Islam.