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Syed Mirza challenge from Aztek

Last post 10-16-2006, 1:16 PM by iq_balz. 60 replies.
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  •  10-06-2006, 2:54 PM 980 in reply to 978

    Re: The Koran is not from God

    All the Biblical passages you used do not advocate the supremacy of men over women. The only emphasize the greater responsabilities of men as head of the family unit. Words like "authority" and "head" are used to describe the hiarchy in the family. That does not mean a man can beat his wife what ever the circumstance. Nor does it mean his a superior being.

     

    "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corinthians 11:3

    Just as God the Father is the head of Christ in the scheme of redemption, man is the head of women. Even though Christ is equal to the Father and possesses the fullness of the Godhead, (not some kind of lesser god) He still humbled himself under the authority of the Father, and is not cheated or less holy for doing so!

    Likewise the woman according to God’s will under the authority of the men.en, though they are equal members and joint heirs of the blessings in Christ, are instructed to humble themselves 

    There are women teachers in the Bible 

    "This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately" Acts 18:25-26

    The Koran on the other hand preach that women are inferior.

    Sura 4:34

    "Men are managers of the affairs of women because Allah has made the one superior to the other."

    The Quran in Sura 2:282 says:

    And let two men from among you bear witness to all such documents [contracts of loans without interest]. But if two men be not available, there should be one man and two women to bear witness so that if one of the women forgets (anything), the other may remind her.

    This hadith removes any ambiguity about women in Sura 2:282:

    Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

    The Prophet said, "Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?" The women said, "Yes." He said, "This is because of the deficiency of a woman’s mind." (Bukhari)

     

    It's obvious Yaweh and Allah are not the same. Yaweh preaches love whihe Allah preaches hate.

     

  •  10-06-2006, 3:13 PM 981 in reply to 980

    Re: The Koran is not from God

    Ricky...read the whole thing now...

    Is the ownership of a women like propert equal? Rape being allowed?

    As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. (Corinthians 14:33-35)

    A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (Timothy 2:11-12)

    "If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as manservants do."EXODUS 21:7

    "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."MATTHEW 5:31-32

    Women were created for men but men were not created for women. 1 CORINTHIANS 11:6

    You can look up these yourself in your own bible.

    enesis 2:22 Woman created from Adam's rib
    3:16 Woman cursed: maternity a sin, marriage a bondage
    19:1-8 Rape virgins instead of male angels

    Exodus 20:17 Insulting Tenth Commandment, considering a wife to be property
    21:7-11 Unfair rules for female servants, may be sex slaves
    22:18 "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"
    38:8 Women may not enter tabernacle they must support

    Leviticus 12:1-14 Women who have sons are unclean 7 days
    12:4-7 Women who have daughters are unclean 14 days
    15:19-23 Menstrual periods are unclean
    19:20-22 If master has sex with engaged woman, she shall be scourged

    Numbers 1:2 Poll of people only includes men
    5:13-31 Barbaric adulteress test
    31:16-35 "Virgins" listed as war booty

    Deuteronomy 21:11-14 Rape manual
    22:5 Abomination for women to wear men's garments, vice-versa
    22:13-21 Barbaric virgin test
    22:23-24 Woman raped in city, she & her rapist both stoned to death
    22:28-29 Woman must marry her rapist
    24:1 Men can divorce woman for "uncleanness," not vice-versa
    25:11-12 If woman touches foe's penis, her hand shall be cut off

    Judges 11:30-40 Jephthah's nameless daughter sacrificed
    19:22-29 Concubine sacrificed to rapist crowd to save man

    I Kings 11:1-4 King Solomon had 700 wives & 300 concubines

    Job 14:1-4 "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one . . ."

    Proverbs 7:9-27 Evil women seduce men, send them to hell
    11:22 One of numerous Proverbial putdowns

    Isaiah 3:16-17 God scourges, rapes haughty women

    Ezekiel 16:45 One of numerous obscene denunciations

    Matthew 24:19 "[woe] to them that are with child"

    Luke 2:22 Mary is unclean after birth of Jesus

    I Corinthians 11:3-15 Man is head of woman; only man in God's image
    14:34-35 Women keep in silence, learn only from husbands

    Ephesians 5:22-33 "Wives, submit . . ."

    Colossians 3:18 More "wives submit"

    I Timothy 2:9 Women adorn selves in shamefacedness
    2:11-14 Women learn in silence in all subjection; Eve was sinful, Adam blameless                 

                                                                 
  •  10-06-2006, 5:33 PM 982 in reply to 938

    Re: Syed Mirza challenge from Aztek

    Arch,

    Briefer rebuttal re-worked coming shortly.
  •  10-06-2006, 8:32 PM 983 in reply to 981

    Re: The Koran is not from God

    Tiermo,

    It's interesting how you did not address Rick's quotes from the Islamic texts. By presenting all those Biblical quotes, you are committing the tu quoque fallacy. If you're going to defend Islam properly you will have to respond to those Islamic text quotes, not simply point to bad verses in the Bible. Also keep in mind that this site focusses on Islam. We are not 'Judeo-Christianity Watch.'

    Women in Islam. Notes, Quotes, Links.

    Islam Permits Muslim Men to Rape Non-Muslim Female Captives

    by Archimedez

    -Arch
  •  10-07-2006, 2:48 AM 987 in reply to 983

    Re: The Koran is not from God

    It is more interesting that you are replying instead of Rick, but anyway here is the original post to which I replied

    The Koran is not from God. The Koran is the creation of man. The koran is nothing but a collection of fables and plagarized Biblical passages. The writers of the Koran could not even plagarize the Bible correctly. They made several mistakes. The Koran is full of historical inacuracies and bogus science.

    Women are equal to men. That's what the holy Bible says. When men and women marry they become one flesh. In other words equal. Only the moon god allah would say otherwise.

    Now as you can see the above just presents an opinion, no references, no proof (You know the same stuff you ride me on) so I presented proof to dis-prove the portion that says Women are equal to men. That's what the holy Bible says. When men and women marry they become one flesh. In other words equal

    Tiermo

  •  10-07-2006, 6:11 PM 1002 in reply to 982

    Re: Syed Mirza challenge from Aztek

    Arch,

    Just for you. Tiermo pls enjoy:

    • Unless one is an expert in that area of science, it is difficult to make such a judgement. In addition, let’s keep in mind that scientists regard the Big Bang as a theory of how the universe came to be as it is now. It is a widely-accepted theory, but in science acceptance of any theory is provisional. They do not accept it as certain on faith.

    The God theory is the only alternative theory. Or any of the adjectives below.

    • Unproven assumption. Also does not specify what is meant by “higher power.”

    Name a better assumption – higher power is anything you wish to call it: the creator, manufacturer, the maker, man upstairs.

    • ”Science and the Qur'an are totally compatible. The Qur'an is rich in scientific detail.”

    “It can be proved that the probability of all the cases of  higher knowledge (scientific statements in Qur'an) being guessed by an illiterate man is zero. Thus the Qur'an is the word of God, not man.”


    Give me one example from the Koran.

    The Qur'an is the truth. See below for brief examples.

    http://www.answering-christianity.com/sci_quran.htm

    http://www.answering-christianity.com/prediction.htm

    http://www.answering-christianity.com/city_of_imad.htm

    http://www.answering-christianity.com/prophecies_muh.htm

    Muhammad (SAW) was illiterate and could not have dreamed these and other theories up; the probability of guessing all the predictions and scientific phenomena mentioned is zero. This was part of the logical proof  I mentioned. You claim to know the Qur’an so well, so you are absurd to even ask for proofs.

    • It encourages man to "seek knowledge"”

    Define knowledge. (It means something different in Islamic terminology).

    We don’t need to play with words. Knowledge means knowledge in any language.

     

    • Zakat is given by Muslims for Muslims. Do not help the disbelievers (28:86).

    Why the hell not? how about charity starting in the home? All muslims are brothers and sisters.

    • ”Looking after family”

    …if they follow Islam (9:23, 58:22); otherwise do not obey them if they are un-Islamic (29:8, 31:14-15).

    Obey and looking after are 2 very different things. Flawed response.

    • ”Equality for all mankind (regardless of colour, gender, nationality)”

                1. In general: Wrong. What the Koran says is this:

    32:18. "Is then he who is a believer like him who is Fasiq (disbeliever and disobedient to Allah)? Not equal are they."

    Another faulty response. Don’t try and change the subject. Read my quote and your response – 2 different things again – a common theme here. God will obviously favour a believer – how can you suggest such a notion is illogical or unfair?

    • 3. Gender. Koran says woman’s testimony is worth half a man’s (2:282). In divorce, the woman has rights similar to a man’s, but the man’s rights are “a degree above” the woman’s rights (2:228). A Muslim male must inherit double what a Muslim female inherits (4:11, 4:176).

    Men have been given extra authority over women. This is not unique only to Islam. Western society still has a long way to go before women are treated equally (pay, high posts, abuse etc.).

    • “Protection of women and their modesty”

                What does that mean? Which women? The slave-girls?

    The veil -  prevents their beauty and body from being seen which may lead to perverts causing them grief. What has slave girls got to do with it and where is the evidence to prove they are mistreated anyway?

    • ”Peace and kindness to all mankind”

    Verse 60:4 says that it is exemplary to hate the disbelievers forever unless they believe in Allah. Verse 8:39 says fight them until all religion is for Allah. Verse 9:29 says fight them and subjugate them and make them pay the jizya.

    I have argued this already – we fight when oppressed and Allah would not imply this as “there is no compulsion in religion”. Allah knows that it impossible to make believers of the whole world. Also, POWs are fed and treated kindly. You have misinterpreted the above verses and taken out of context again.

    • “Humility and compassion”

    Humble with the believers, stern against the disbelievers (5:54, 48:29).

    No, the Qur’an recommends that we are kind to our neighbours, regardless of religion -  a muslim should not eat while his neighbour goes hungry. Can’t say more compassionate than that.

    • ”Striving in Allah's cause (JIHAD)”

     

    Yes. (5:54)

    Fighting in the name of one’s religion  -I am doing this right now.

    • ”Respect to all mankind, in particular one's parents”

    Do not obey them if they are un-Islamic (29:8, 31:14-15).

    My point is correct and completely logical – again you confuse care and obey. 

    • “In the context, Allah was telling muslims to fight for their religion; to kill the enemy when they were being persecuted. You know the history of the holy prophet, he tolerated a huge amount of abuse.”

    The “history” of the prophet which Muslims use was, in its original form, spoken, written, collected, and edited predominantly by Muslims. Anyways, no, he didn’t tolerate the alleged abuse indefinitely. The Koran says that “Allah” told him, “say peace…but they will come to know” (43:88-89). He gave out a lot of abuse (if you read the Meccan verses, you will see all kinds of threats and insults directed at the Meccans by Mohammad, who was claiming to be speaking for Allah), and this caused tension. Eventually Mohammad got his revenge on the Meccans (9:5; 9:12-14) including those who doubted him publicly [see these references: (18), (19), (20)].

    Allah commanded the Prophet to fight for Islam because the Meccans had gone too far in their hostility towards the Prophet and his followers; they were plotting and conniving; they tried to kill Muhamad (SAW) and repeatedly attempted to undermine the religion. The Meccans were provoking and were a genuine threat to the muslims – back to my point about lashing out when oppressed like a caged animal. The proofs you have supplied are little more than mere speculation. Having read the links you attached I conclude that they are full of hot air with little substance. There are no quotes or clear proofs, just opinions. Flawed ones at that.

    Allah had every right to be annoyed at those people who repeatedly made a mockery of his message. In fact you must know the story of the Prophet and the mountains – Allah could have crushed his enemy between the mountains but he declined this offer. This was typical of the compassion he was renowned for. He wouldn’t be one of the universally acknowledged (by Western researchers no less) influential, revered and respected historical figures, without such traits.

    • “Allah is saying that muslims should not be scared to fight for their religion if under attack from the infidel. It says that we should be willing to die if placed in circumstances like a cornered animal.”

    Mainstream Islam says kill critics [(18), (19), (20)] and kill apostates, because such “attacks” threaten the Islamic religion.

    Again, we are encouraged to propagate, not kill unless under threat. There is a chance that with good propagation an apostate could see the truth. Thus an apostate is really no different to other non-believers. Quote from your own source “3. Although the Koran does not give an explicit order to execute simple apostates, the Koran does call for the killing of some apostates (4:89) if certain conditions are met”

    This speaks for itself – those to be killed are those seen as a threat to other muslims. The article pretty much clarifies my point. People cannot be killed with no good reason, otherwise there would be fighting between muslims and non-muslims every day in every country worldwide exhibiting such a religious mix.

    • “The epoch was a violent and brutal one, hence the language.”

    The epoch may have been violent, but Mohammad certainly did not decrease the violence in pursuing his goal to make Islam conquer all religions (9:32-33, 48:28, 61:9). And this did not stop with the death of the prophet. The first four caliphs all waged imperialistic wars to claim land and booty all in the name of Allah. Abu Bakr even waged war against those who would not pay zakat (see Ibn Kathir’s tafsir of 9:123).

    I have already explained the use of justified force. All wars for a worthy cause end with casualties. Except the casualties were fully justified in those cases where the muslim armies were left with no option to fight to defend their religion, their people and the ability to spread word about the new religion. Such casualties were the “troublemakers” and “mischief-makers” the Qur’an refers to; i.e. those who threatened the religion with their immoral values and malicious means. This is another example of Jihad; let us make no mistake, the muslims were not pillaging lands for fun and wealth and murdering innocent people. There was a clear political mission to spread the fine values of the religion; if they were not allowed to peacefully the violent resistance they faced had to be repelled. Again attack under provocation, not un-provoked attack.

    • "The religion is definitely not telling us to go out and murder innocent people. What religion could tell its believers to exterminate the rest of mankind because of what they believe?”

    Islam does call for what non-Muslims consider to be murder, under certain conditons. See this link.

    Does the Qur'an Forbid the Killing of Non-Muslims? - An Assessment of 5:32 makes this patently clear and the same verse you manage to scrutinize and corrupt in such a long-winded analysis actually confirms what I have said all along. To paraphrase in layman’s terms (“even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allah by committing the major sins) in the land!"), if the disbelievers do not extend a hand of friendship (they wish to be an enemy) then under provocation (COMMON THEME NOW!!) a muslim may have to kill. Playing around with irrelevant definitions of Fitnah do not cloud what is essentially an unmistakable explanation provided in the Qur’an itself – no amount of butchering changes this.

    Your argument is analogous to me giving you 2 bananas and you say that I have given you 2 apples. 

    • “ABSOLUTELY NONE!!! The holy book clearly states "There is no compulsion in religion"”

    ..and the very next verse (2:257) says Allah will burn you in hell if you don’t believe this “no compulsion” religion. See this.

    - Why shouldn't a God, or the creator leave man a moral guidance?

    - Why shouldn't he favour those that follow it?

    - Why can he not punish those that neglected the signs when after Muhammad (SAW) death the message of Islam was spread and propagated the world over, especially when these disbelievers kept rejecting the reminders through all the preceding prophets?

    - This life is a test hence Allah has given us free will; he wanted ppl to believe in the unseen through the signs presented (scientific or otherwise - if you have read Qur'an you would know that some of the scientific evidence has been proved only in the last century). If everyone had been shown miracles etc. then everyone would be a believer, but this is the point of our test to reach paradise again (Adam & Eve were cast out) - i.e. we must have faith in the unseen.

    - Islamic is a perfect system tainted by flawed practicers due to poverty/lack of knowledge (greedy power-driven and un-Islamic leaders have lead to uneven distribution of wealth in all these countries).

    • I am not sure why ppl think Islam teaches that women should be degraded and treated as filthy sex slaves.”

    The Koran and Hadith say so, in reference to non-Muslim female captives and slaves (see this and this). The Koran says:

    23:5. "And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts). 23:6. Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame;"  

    70:29. "And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts) .79:30. Except with their wives and the (women slaves and captives) whom their right hands possess, for (then) they are not to be blamed," 

    4:24. "Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those (captives and slaves) whom your right hands possess. Thus has Allah ordained for you-" 

    33:50. "O Prophet (Muhammad SAW)! Verily, We have made lawful to you your wives, to whom you have paid their Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), and those (captives or slaves) whom your right hand possesses - whom Allah has given to you-" 

    OUT OF CONTEXT NONSENSE – “concubines” as you call them, were meant to be protected and if this meant marriage then with the woman’s consent (marriage is not valid without consent in Islam – all the arguing you do will not change this fact – and you would be foolish to suggest otherwise). Not for sex. Islam preaches that POWs must be clothed, fed and treated with care and respect. The meaning of the “right hand possession” means that the captives would be under the command of the men in charge of them. They were their new carers and providers. Most were recommended to marry the women and care for them as they had lost their husbands. But a woman cannot be raped or married against her will – you know very well that Islam prohibits both those things.

    The context is that if it meant that the women would have to find new partners why not the muslims? Islam protects women and if treated kindly the women would show reciprocity. This would not always be the case as many of these women would harbour hate not love, but they had the option. They would be released if they wanted no part in marriage. The rights you refer to are not to engage in sexual pleasure, but the right to make a wife of the captive. And bear in mind that the Prophet was allowed to marry the beautiful Captive, provided she consented. In Islam a man is encouraged to marry a woman (in order of priority) for:

    Her Piety and religion; Her wealth; Her beauty

     

    • “Women can be beaten, but only if they pass certain boundaries” 

    If the husband merely “fears disobedience” from a wife (4:34). 

    “…and as I have previously pointed out this is a very, very last resort. Not all men should even feel the need to go so far. And whether a religion teaches it or not, most men may lose control anyway as humans are weak by design (muslim or not). By no means are we encouraged to be violent unnecessarily. And there shouldn't really be a need for this anyway.”

                Then why does Allah order it [wife-beating] in the Koran?

    The woman is warned by the Qur'an. Allah is fair enough to recognise that a man can beat a woman whether told to or not. He tries to control the man's reaction by suggesting 2 alternatives before so doing. And the woman is informed of her limits. As with all things in life, islamic or not, women are below men in status. This does not mean that they should be mistreated.

    Women should be loved, respected and cherished. The bottom line is that man IS the superior sex, but this does not mean domination, merely man is the breadwinner and has the final say. This is not to say he is always right.
    Islam gives women rights. They are allowed to debate with their husbands. An inadequate man will always act with violence if so challenged, muslim or not.

    You know as well as I do : Abuse of women or any other living thing is independent of religion. This is basic human nature to blame here, not Allah.

    • “My point to you is that Jesus is painted in such a beautiful light (I do not suggest he was in any way a bad man or bad exmaple - far from it). Why? Beacuse the Bible is unreliable - it has been butchered and translated and re-translated on numerous occassions over history. The Christians themselves cannot decide how many books comprise God's message to them.”

    The Koran has been butchered, mixed up, and taken out of context. Mohammad has garbled and distorted parts of Biblical stories, and then added his own revelations to suit his own attitudes, beliefs, and ambitions. The Koran is a cut-and-paste job.   

    No it is a correction and complement to the Bible (and theTorah before it), hence many similar messages (Allah does not contradict his message) and the stories referred to (Moses, Jesus, Solomon, Cain and Abel a few exampes).

    • “This is why God has given us free will, "There is no compulsion in religion" and to paraphrase the Qur'an "If Allah willed all men would go to paradise". Allah has given us a test over which he has no control (we shape our own destiny through our choices).But he has given us an incentive, forms of control, ability to preserve the religion through killing the infidel in times of oppression (all of which are misread by apostates).”

    That is not the meaning of the English word oppression, but is most accurately presented as the Arabic fitnah.

    "Fitnah: Polytheism and to disbelieve after one has believed in Allah, or a trial or a calamity, affliction or to set up rivals in worship with Allah, etc." (21)

    "Trial, testing. A term referring to antagonism toward individual Muslims at Islam's beginning. Now it is used to refer to threats to the health of the state." (22)

    Same thing, if threatned muslims encouraged to fight back – going over old ground again.

    DON’T NEED 2 PLAY AROUND WITH FANCY DEFNS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD MEANS – VIOLENCE BREEDS VIOLENCE- VIOLENCE ONLY WHEN ABS. NECESSARY

    • 9:29. "Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."

    This is why the Qur'an mentions and describes violence in vivid detail. It is to lead us to the right path. Of course if one takes phrases out of context as you ahve repeatedly done, then Islam and M's message seem flawed.”

                See my general rebuttal to the context argument, in preparation, here.

    Article -  Can’t find it – doesn’t matter old ground again. 

    • “We are told in the Qur'an to be modest, to not oggle women etc. hence the viel to protect females from perverts (they were rife in that epoch, hence the advent of Islam to counter the anti-social riff-raff.”

    1. If men are told not to ogle women, then why is the veil needed? In other words, if men are taught to behave appropriately and with self-discipline and respect for women, then no veil should be necessary.

    Men in all societies are weak, a rapist will attack a mini-skirted bimbo before attacking a veiled women. This is human nature again. Allah knows best.

    2. Many Muslim men are known to ogle and harass women in Europe, Australia, and elsewhere if those women are not wearing the veil. They also rape non-Muslim women at a disproportionately high rate in Europe (see my article, which cites Fjordman’s extensive work).

    All men will look, some even cross the boundaries. Islam discourages this. Only un-Islamic perverts will rape and attack. Are muslims the only perverts and rapists? I would challenge you and say the West is more susceptible to this from its own kind.

    Put it this way, does speaking nicely to a criminal stop them being a criminal? If it does, tell me why such a civilised country such as America still have the death penalty?

    • By guarding against wanton sex, out reward in paradise is the most beautiful virgin wife, untouched by any man or Jinn. Fair enough?”

    This is absurd. You are saying limit sex now so that you can have sex all the time in imaginary Paradise. That is pure fantasy.

    No not non-stop sex and one mass orgy – a virgin wife. Reward not wanton kicks. Sex with one’s wife is permissible. How many times is irrelevant.

    • 3)Status comes from money - see 1).”

    We know how Mohammad obtained his wealth—a get-rich-quick plunder scheme. Mohammad said “Booty has been made legal for me” and “the earth belongs to the Apostle.”

    Booty was legal when its owners were dead or it had been stolen in the first place. The Prophet didn’t accumulate for himself, he gave it to the Ummah.

    All things on earth belong to God. Muhammad (SAW) was Allah’s messenger so metaphorically speaking he was given permission to Allah’s possessions.

    FYI he left the world with virtually nothing and next to no money.

    ·         “At one time Islam ruled across the World. Ppl say spread by the sword, but you name me one single muslim Army which went to Indonesia (largest mulsim population) to spread the word?”

    There are bands of jihadists running around in Indonesia today wreaking havoc, slaughtering Christians, beheading school-girls, etc. People in Indonesia who are born into Islam are legally prevented from switching out of Islam. There is no such thing as freedom of religion in Indonesia. It is an Islamic state and it is getting worse.

    See argument re killing when oppressed  - in the worst case scenario these are due to cultural abnormalities not religious. Christians are not entirely innocent are they? As for school-girls you are talking about a handful of morons, not the country in general.

    Look at US army with its vast array of bombs and airplanes? They don’t even fight fair. They kill hundreds of thousands of innocents in the name of fake illegal wars.

    Are they any better, and all in the name of Oil at the moment.

    Why not stop the dictators in Africa? They are terrorists. But there is no Oil in Africa.

    Who is pillaging and killing? Another example is the Israeli army.

    And they are not fighting for their religion or for the good of the world but for the greed of corrupt officials put in power by uneducated, stupid people.

    In fact it is these same idiots who are fighting futile battles and dying for their country. And all immigrants at that, not TRUE AMERICANS.

    ·        “Then compare this to the Crusaders for example. If Islam ruled why weren't all infidels killed - this was an option. It was not necessary. islam does not teach this.”

    Islam demands that Muslims conquer all religions, the whole world, all of humankind,

    Correct, but not demands – this is the eventual goal and it will happen before the apocalypse.

    through force if the call to convert to Islam is refused (see this).

    Allah recognises that muslims will always face brutal and violent resistance – killing is therefore all ok in such a scenario, as I have explained before.

    Many of the Christians and Jews in Europe (e.g., in Spain and the Balkans) were killed. In the Balkans, Islamists are still fighting the Christians today. The Islamic Turks carried out a genocide against the Armenians. Muslim pirates raided the European shores to capture people and put them into slavery.

    All speculation and hype.

    The only thing that stopped Muslim imperialists from taking all of Europe completely is that they were stopped militarily.

    Islam was biggest religion, could have destroyed Europe, but this was not the intention.

    AGAIN I ASK YOU ALL

    Why does America bomb helpless countries and people? Why don't they go in with tanks first?

    Why does the US need nuclear weaons but Korea, Iran, Pakistan and India not allowed?

    If US is such a great saviour, why don't Bush send his airforce to Africa to bomb the warlords?

    ·        5) Muhammad (SAW) was not a paedophile.This is not consistent with the Qur'an's message and teachings. It does not say anywhere that man must sleep with child. Do you not think that when the Hadith were compiled it would have been omitted if the scholars thought it would cause controversy? It needn't have been. The "hadith" in question is flawed and has been disregarded. It is not seen as a threat.”

    Nonsense. The many ahadith concerning Aisha’s age (6-7 years of age at marriage, 9 years of age when Mohammad “consummated” the marriage) are not considered weak. This ruling became enshrined in Islamic law, and has only been challenged recently due to concerns from non-Muslim countries and organizations. In any case, that’s irrelevant, because the Koran assumes in its divorce rulings that Muslim men may marry girls who are too young to menstruate (65:4).

    Cultural not religious phenomena. Islam has no contradictions. All misinterpretations can be countered. It is the word of Allah, unlike the Bible and Science.

    ·        6) Different Prophets had different purposes . Jesus performed miracles, Solomon commanded Jinns. M was the last prophet. People wanted him to perform miracles but he did not need to . His task was to perfect the religion and its message. Allah woshed people to make their own minds up and to believe in the unseen through the signs all around us alluded to in the Qur'an. This is free will man has been given. To mkae our own choices and read these signs. Allah stated in the Qur'an that if he willed everyone would go to paradise. The point is that this life is a test, like an exam to pass or fail. Failure means the hell-fire which allah has kindly described in brutal detail, for us to ensure we avoid it (by recognising the signs).”

    Your idea of “free will” is “believe it or else!”

    I repeat - Why shouldn't a God, or the creator leave man a moral guidance?

    - Why shouldn't he favour those that follow it?

    - Why can he not punish those that neglected the signs when after Muhammad (SAW) death the message of Islam was spread and propagated the world over, especially when these disbelievers kept rejecting the reminders through all the preceding prophets?

    - This life is a test hence Allah has given us free will; he wanted ppl to believe in the unseen through the signs presented (scientific or otherwise - if you have read Qur'an you would know that some of the scientific evidence has been proved only in the last century). If everyone had been shown miracles etc. then everyone would be a believer, but this is the point of our test to reach paradise again (Adam & Eve were cast out) - i.e. we must have faith in the unseen.

    - Islamic is a perfect system tainted by flawed practicers due to poverty/lack of knowledge (greedy power-driven and un-Islamic leaders have lead to uneven distribution of wealth in all these countries). 

    ·        7)Muhammad (SAW) certainly did not bastardise anything!!!!!
    We believe in the Torah and Bible, ofwhich the Qur'an is the 3rd and comprehensive instalment. Like all sequels it builds on its predecessors and clarifies ambiguities. Thus the Qur'an is the final and complete word of God. We need nothing else.”

    You need scholars to tell you what the Koran says. The Koran itself is too ambiguous. You need the Hadith and Sira and experts to tell you what it means.

    Rubbish. People like you misread and then other ppl have to go deeper than necessary when the basic truth speaks for itself as I have demonstrated numerous occasions above.

    ·        Look at how well so many societies prosper in peace and harmony without any Koran.

    Name them.

    ·        Now look at the societies where the Koran is supreme. No societies are more Islamic than Saudi Arabia, which actually enforces much of the Koran and Sunnah.

    And your point is?

    Most of the Islamic countries are in turmoil, with religious intolerance, jihad fighting, and killing in most of them including so-called moderate Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, and Jordan.

    Rubbish – prove MOST. Pure hyperbole.

    Where Muslims are a large minority in non-Muslim countries, significant elements are creating major problems, overloading the work of law-enforcement with many terror cells.

    Nonsense - Not significant elements, a minority in a minority. And name all these so-called terror cells. Mere media hype and Zionist speculation.

    Muslim organizations in the west tend to be pro-Sharia, and they have been pushing hard for sharia in some jurisdictions in U.K., Canada, and elsewhere. Because some Muslims threaten violence against critics, it is not possible to have a safe discussion about Islam in public where one’s identity is revealed. That applies now almost anywhere in the world.

    A critic is a non-believer. The treatment should be the same, i.e don’t kill.  Blasphemers anger all parties concerned. They should watch their mouths if they are scared of the repercussions of the psychos. This is street law, in any language, any country of the world.

    ·        ”All moral messages mate.Contradictions are found where prople butcher the Qur'an and quote blindly out of context.”

    I don’t find it moral. Wife beating, burning people in hell just because they have a different belief or no belief in some imaginary Allah, fighting people over religion…doesn’t sound moral to me.

    My arguments above  are a clear rebuttal of this nonsensical statement.

    • Tiermo, you denied or tried to obscure your approval of the hell-fire penalty for disbelief, but there above you said, in regards to iq balz's post, which approves the hell-fire penalty:

    "That my friend was a great post and response. I do hope the people on this websitoe debate it fairly and not attack you personaly."
    Tiermo

    Don't worry Tiermo. I don't literally expect you to clarify. This is purely for demonstration purposes

    Don’t mock Tiermo. He’s correct - it was a great post. I have, even ever so briefly, massacred your rebuttal. Bear in mind this is an unbelievably brief version of my original response and there are other killer points which have been lost.

    Anyway, he has more valid points than you – I’ve read all the arguments betweeen the 2 of you. He does not try to change the subject and brings forward clear proof without butchering the source data. And he does not have to omit proofs you present due to “lack of space”.

    Look forward to your response.

    Iq_Balz

     

  •  10-07-2006, 8:54 PM 1003 in reply to 1002

    Re: Syed Mirza challenge from Aztek

    Iq balz,

    You are long on claims and accusations, short on facts and research. But I will let readers decide on the credibility and moral acceptability of the content of your response. You have presented no evidence that Allah exists. Have you not ever asked yourself, "Why is there no evidence that Allah exists?" You have claimed falsely that the "God" theory was the only alternative to the Big Bang theory:
    "The God theory is the only alternative theory. Or any of the adjectives below."
    In fact, if you research this issue even a little bit you will see that there are scientific alternatives to the Big Bang theory. In addition, there are more than one "God theory"; there are hundreds of religions. More accurately, belief in God or gods, devils, jinns, etc. is faith, not a theory in the scientific sense.

    It appears that you agree with my reporting on the mainstream Islamic opinion that Islam permits the killing of simple apostates and critics and mockers. If you read my articles on apostasy ([1], [2]), you will see that other verses are also taken by Muslim scholars to support the death penalty; it is not just 4:89. You will also note that there are clear Hadith that call for the killing of mere apostates. This one, cited in my articles, is considered mutawatir:
    Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 808 (also Volume 9, Book 84, Number 64): Narrated 'Ali: I relate the traditions of Allah's Apostle to you for I would rather fall from the sky than attribute something to him falsely. But when I tell you a thing which is between you and me, then no doubt, war is guile. I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "In the last days of this world there will appear some young foolish people who will use (in their claim) the best speech of all people (i.e. the Qur'an) and they will abandon Islam as an arrow going through the game. Their belief will not go beyond their throats (i.e. they will have practically no belief), so wherever you meet them, kill them, for he who kills them shall get a reward on the Day of Resurrection."
    You should also refer to the Qaradawi article for the view supporting the death penalty for apostasy. Those who argue that Islam does not permit the death penalty must argue against Qaradawi and most schools of Islamic jurisprudence, not me. I am merely reporting and documenting what the main Islamic view is and where it was derived from the Islamic texts (according to Muslim scholarly interpretations).

    Next, you believe that there is no problem with Islam's treatment of women as inferior to men.

    Next, you state:
    "Men in all societies are weak, a rapist will attack a mini-skirted bimbo before attacking a veiled women. This is human nature again. Allah knows best."
    It appears to me that you are saying that women who wear mini-skirts are bimbos, and you are saying that by wearing the mini-skirt they are somehow partly responsible for being raped. Is that your view?

    You also state:
    "But a woman cannot be raped or married against her will – you know very well that Islam prohibits both those things."
    It would appear that you did not read my article on rape, which is heavily supported by evidence. Islam permits the rape of non-Muslim female slaves and captives [3].

    And you state:
    "We don’t need to play with words. Knowledge means knowledge in any language."
    You need to make the definition of your terms explicit, because non-Muslims and Muslims differ in their ideas of what constitutes knowledge. In Islam, knowledge refers to that which is of, or consistent with, Islamic beliefs, the Koran, etc. In that view, knowledge in other religions, according to mainstream Islam and the Koran, is ignorance, the disbelievers are "ignorant", "Allah" has blinded them and sent them astray, etc. [4]. On the other hand, non-Muslims believe Islam is false, myths, etc.

    But all of that is merely opinion, not fact. There is no evidence that Islam is any more credible than Hinduism, for example.



    -Arch
  •  10-08-2006, 7:10 AM 1019 in reply to 1003

    Re: Syed Mirza challenge from Aztek

    Arch,
    • You are long on claims and accusations, short on facts and research.
               All my arguments are explanations of verses from the Qur'an. I am paraphrasing to avoid the                nit-picking which leads to endless arguments on definition & terminology which apostates use. I            am presenting my views with respect to the society we live in and showing how Islam is just as              applicable in today's society as it was 1400 years ago.   

    •  But I will let readers decide on the credibility and moral acceptability of the content of your response.
               I am perfectly happy for them to do so. All my arguments are morally sound.I have absolutely             nothing to fear or hide.

    • In fact, if you research this issue even a little bit you will see that there are scientific alternatives to the Big Bang theory. In addition, there are more than one "God theory"; there are hundreds of religions. More accurately, belief in God or gods, devils, jinns, etc. is faith, not a theory in the scientific sense.
               You have presented no evidence that Allah exists. Have you not ever asked yourself,             "Why is there no evidence that Allah exists?" You have claimed falsely that the                     "God" theory was the only alternative to the Big Bang theory:
    Arch, I have done plenty of research and all the scientific arguments are flawed. Ulitmately our very existence needs to have been kick-started by a creator. Whether you call it God, the Creator, whatever, is up to you.

    On the contrary there is sufficient and adequate evidence to suggest God exists.  Mulsims call this force Allah. The big bang theory and other scientific arguments such as evolution are all flawed and can/have been proved such by science itself.

    My argument to you is that there is always going to be some unseen and unexplained element behind our existence that is intangible and unfathomable to mankind; whether we choose a diety view or a secular view this fact does not change.

    It is thus more plausible to have existence of God who spoke to us and informed us of his existence and gave us guidelines in the holy books, purveying the message through mouth-pieces and prophets (
    refer to my argument regarding trust of the unseen and the test of all man). Muhammaad (SAW) was his final Prophet becauuse the Qur'an was Allahs's final and complete message to mankind. Allah knew in his infinite wisdom that man was able to spread the word by travel and propagation.

    In today's society we have the technology to travel easily in hours, to communicate on forums such as these, electronic media to learn religion from. Thus, technology and science are all facilitated by Allah's grace. There is no place for a Prophet in today's age and sophistication. Society was more brutal, irrational and unruly 1400 years ago. There WAS a greater need for a Prophet to educate people one-to-one. This is the context which determined the actions of the Prophet and his followers.

    How can anyone argue that this is less valid than the science view which is the biggest point of contention in society?

    I believe in Allah, why? Because the scientific facts mentioned in the Qur'an (formation of the child in the womb, from blood clot to embryo; the role of water in the creation of life from water and countless other examples - see below for another) were unknown 1400 years ago. A man could not guess these things. Thus with full insight of the Qur'an and it's message, one has to conclude that it is the word of God and not mere mortal. The transcript has been preserved in Arabic, so the message has never been butchered by man.

    Allah created man from clay-like mud - The Qur'an says that… ‘human beings have been created from sperm’ which has been proved by Science. The Holy Qur’an also says in Surah Hajj, Ch. No. 22, V. No. 5, that… ‘We have created the human beings from a quintessence of dust’. Today Science tells us that all the elements that are there in the human body - they are present in lesser or greater quantity, in the soil in the earth. So the statement that human beings have been created from earth is scientifically proven; that whatever components are there in the human body - the constituent, the elements - they are present in the Earth, in the soil, in lesser or greater proportion.


    Thus the signs I mentioned before are there all around us and in science's findings -this further illustrates the compatibility of Islam and Science.

    • It appears that you agree with my reporting on the mainstream Islamic opinion that                 Islam permits the killing of simple apostates and critics and mockers.
                        Yes I do in those special cases where it is allowed and what I discussed.

    •    Next, you believe that there is no problem with Islam's treatment of women as inferior to men.
            I did not say this. Allah has recognised that this will occur independent of religion and has given             some guidelines on what to do before resorting to violence, which at that is a very last                          resort.
    • "Men in all societies are weak, a rapist will attack a mini-skirted bimbo before attacking a veiled women. This is human nature again. Allah knows best."
                        It appears to me that you are saying that women who wear mini-skirts are                                 bimbos, and you are saying that by wearing the mini-skirt they are somehow                              partly responsible for being raped. Is that your view?
                      
                         I gave an example. My point is that a sicko will attack a scantily clad woman over a                             woman covered from head to toe.

    • You also state:
    "But a woman cannot be raped or married against her will – you know very well that Islam prohibits both those things."
               It would appear that you did not read my article on rape, which is heavily supported by            evidence. Islam permits the rape of non-Muslim female slaves and captives [3].
             
              I did read this and I don't think it proves anything. I gave my explanation to you.
               
    •             And you state:
    "We don’t need to play with words. Knowledge means knowledge in any language."
                You need to make the definition of your terms explicit, because non-Muslims and Muslims             differ in their ideas of what constitutes knowledge. In Islam, knowledge refers to that which is of,         or consistent with, Islamic beliefs, the Koran, etc. In that view, knowledge in other religions,                 according to mainstream Islam and the Koran, is ignorance, the disbelievers are "ignorant",                 "Allah" has blinded them and sent them astray, etc. [4]. On the other hand, non-Muslims believe         Islam is false, myths, etc.

            
    I say that disbelief is disbelief - nothing more nothing less.

    • But all of that is merely opinion, not fact. There is no evidence that Islam is any more credible than Hinduism, for example.
              Most religions believe in one God (Christianity doesn't). Hindus worship man-made objects               (idolatry). The facts speak for themselves. If you're going to compare religions then pick the               biggest two, Christinaity and Islam - anything else isn't significant enough on a worldwide level,           to waste time on. Bottom line, there is no need for more than one God. Hence Islam wins the               argument.
              Why?
              Find yourself a list of Allah's names. Think about the implications of these names and then                   explain to me why one God is insufficient.







  •  10-08-2006, 1:29 PM 1020 in reply to 1019

    Re: Syed Mirza challenge from Aztek

    iq balz

    Well, at least you are fairly straightforward about your views. But that doesn't mean you are correct.
    "On the contrary there is sufficient and adequate evidence to suggest God exists.  Mulsims call this force Allah. The big bang theory and other scientific arguments such as evolution are all flawed and can/have been proved such by science itself."
    There is no evidence that Allah or other gods exist, except as ideas. Anyone with adequate intelligence and inventiveness can create myths. We have evidence that people tell fabulous stories, but none of the fabled entities in the stories are anywhere to be found.

    Now when we turn to evolution, we have all kinds of evidence for it.

    We can study how religious beliefs changed and evolved much the same way we can study how species changed and evolved. For example, where did Mohammad, or whoever produced the Koran, get the phrasing for the first part of verse 5:32? In fact, we can trace that element to the Mishnah Sanhedrin:
    "to him who kills a single individual it shall be reckoned that he has slain the whole race, but to him who preserves the life of a single individual it is counted that he hath preserved the whole race."
    Mishnah Sanhedrin, 4:5 (sources here and here).
    That quote was from the personal commentary of a rabbi, which predates Mohammad. [I cited that in Appendix 1 of my 5:32 article]. Which do you think is more likely, that a magical invisible Allah (through magical invisible Gabriel) told Mohammad that, or Mohammad overheard it from the Jews?

    In fact, when we study religions we find that elements of previous myths have been recombined and transformed in successive myths (e.g., tales of Gilgamesh finding their way into Genesis, such as in the story of the flood). Likewise, we can study the evolution of all kinds of human artifacts.
    "My argument to you is that there is always going to be some unseen and unexplained element behind our existence that is intangible and unfathomable to mankind; whether we choose a deity view or a secular view this fact does not change."
    Always unseen and unexplained...you are describing the "god of the gaps" idea. Wherever science has not yet figured out some puzzle, there is the god of the gaps to "explain" the phenomena. But the god of the gaps doesn't explain anything. The god of the gaps idea only insists (without proof) that god must have done it, whereas science seeks to explain how the phenomena came about, how it works, and so on.
    "It is thus more plausible to have existence of God who spoke to us and informed us of his existence and gave us guidelines in the holy books, purveying the message through mouth-pieces and prophets (refer to my argument regarding trust of the unseen and the test of all man). Muhammaad (SAW) was his final Prophet becauuse the Qur'an was Allahs's final and complete message to mankind. Allah knew in his infinite wisdom that man was able to spread the word by travel and propagation."
    It is not plausible that gods exist (except as concepts), and it is not plausible that prophets are truly who they say they are. There is no evidence for it. There are many so-called prophets in modern times. Mohammad was likely just another one of those who for whatever motives claimed prophethood. The Ahmadis do not agree that Mohammad was the last.

    Re spreading the word. There is/was no need for having a prophet or requiring people to spread the word. Allah is supposedly "able to do all things" and could speak to people directly. But he doesn't. Today, anyone claiming that Allah has spoken to them is risking being assassinated.

    iq balz,

    P.S. In response to this:

    "Most of the Islamic countries are in turmoil, with religious intolerance, jihad fighting, and killing in most of them including so-called moderate Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, and Jordan."

    You said this:

    "Rubbish – prove MOST. Pure hyperbole."
    I have not yet compiled a list of all the countries and problems, but have followed this issue of the last several years since 9/11, it is clear that most Islamic countries do have these problems. For example, apostates and critics of Islam are not safe in any of the Islamic countries. That is well-known and no one would seriously dispute that. Non-Muslim religious minorities are persecuted by Muslims in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and so on. Most of Jordanians want sharia law, which is a system that discriminates against non-Muslims. Jordan does not allow free expression regarding Islam. Websites such as ours, jihadwatch (also see the extensive list of links at that site, as well as dhimmiwatch), western resistance, and religion of peace (see especially their "List") keep track of the mayhem in Islamic countries. What they have time and space to report is only the tip of the iceberg.


    -Arch
  •  10-08-2006, 3:41 PM 1022 in reply to 1020

    Re: Syed Mirza challenge from Aztek

    Arch, 

    One point that can be brought up in all of this is that you have no proof that he does not exist. However there are many points of evidence that can be pointed to in order to show indeed Allah (God) does exist.

    One is the prophet Jesus, who performed many miracles in his life time from taming storms to curing the blind. These were all witnessed and documented. Now if you can show me something other than a theory that we dervied from Apes, you might have a point. You might say "well how come he doesnt show us he exists? or why  does he need people to spread his word" Well that is part of faith, and faith and Allah (God) go hand and hand. So it is plausible, very plausible.

    Most atheistic arguments against the existence of God use some form of straw man argument, because they argue against the existence of a god who is significantly less powerful than the God described in the Bible. The Bible says that God is transcendent (exists beyond the three physical dimensions of the universe)3 and exists beyond our dimension of time (the Bible states that God was acting before time was created).4 Atheists argue against the existence of a god who is finite and limited to a single dimension of time. This is the straw god who cannot logically exist. In fact, there are religions that are logically impossible. For example, the god of Mormonism is a former man who became a god. He had a father, who had a father, etc. One runs into the problem of where the first God came from