The true message of Islam

THE article headlined ‘Sinister blasphemy law would play into the hands of religious nut cases’ (Irish Examiner, May 6) brought to mind the Goebbels’ dictum – “tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

The lie in this instance was the brazenly outrageous comment that the Quran calls for Jews and Christians to be despised and killed.

Nowhere in the Quran or the hadith literature will one find calls to despise Jews and Christians, much less support for indiscriminate slaughter, the killing of non-combatants or the murder of innocent persons.

The “lie” proffered by many relies on a tactic elucidated by Jack Schwartz – “avoid context and specifics; generalise and keep repeating the generalisation.”

By way of example, consider the oft-repeated segment “kill them wherever you overtake them” (Quran 2:191) regurgitated by Islamophobes of all hues to substantiate the false claim that the Quran calls for Jews and Christians to be killed.

The full verse reads: “And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah (oppression/evil) is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al-Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.”

Who does “them” designate in this verse? Who are those who should be expelled, and from where?

The preceding and subsequent verses provide the context and we discover that “them” refers to those who initiated aggression toward the Muslims, forcing the Muslims to take up arms in defence (2:190). Despite the belligerent nature of the enemy, the Muslims were encouraged not to transgress the limits set by Allah and to cease hostilities when the enemy inclined toward peace (2:192-3).

The enemies of peace and societal cohesion, those stuck in the Bushite era of hate and scaremongering, seek to present a one-dimensional interpretation of Islam that is at odds with the true message bestowed by the Prophet Muhammad and those who followed him in righteousness.

We encourage all fair-minded individuals to read the Quran for themselves. Do not simply believe everything you hear about Islam or Muslims.

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded (16: 90).

Mujaahid Liam Egan

Muslim Public Affairs

Committee

Gorey

Co Wexford