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There is too much confusion, too much misdirected anger, too much misinformation, too little balance, and too little grace to remain silent any longer.
There is a better way forward, a way that upholds both truth and compassion.
the Quran never says, “Islam is the religion of peace,” nor do the traditions of Muhammad.
The Arabic word Islam means “surrender,” though it is related to the word for peace, salaam.
“The word Islam is based upon a military metaphor. Derived from aslama, ‘surrender,’ its primary meaning is to make oneself safe (salama) through surrender. In its original meaning, a Muslim was someone who surrendered in warfare.”
the word Islam refers to the peace that comes from surrender.
Apart from the first thirteen years of Islamic history, when there were not enough Muslims to fight, Islam has always had an elaborate practice or doctrine of war.
the implication that Islam is a religion devoid of violence is simply false.
Though the word jihad literally means “struggle,” and the Quran at times uses it in a spiritual context, the primary use of the word has always implied a physical struggle for spiritual purposes.
Yet the legitimacy of their personal, peaceful practice does not mean Islam itself is a religion of peace.
if it had not been for campaigns of the sword, Islam would not have spread as widely as it did.
Radical Muslims believe another Golden Age awaits Muslims who are devoted to following the true teachings of Islam, and they are zealous to bring this about and see the glory of Islam restored.
The Quran explicitly allows Muslim men to use their captive women for sex
Radical Islam is the Islamic reformation.
Progressive Muslim thought leaders, though few in number and limited in influence, are present and are working to recreate Islam’s religious framework from within. Indeed, that is what it would take for Islam to become devoted to peace—not a reformation but a reimagination.
Regardless of how we refer to the entity, ISIS is the realized dream of many radical Muslims to reestablish an Islamic state with a caliphate. It certainly is Islamic. Any avoidance of the group’s theological motivations can only harm us in the long run.
When leaders and media members insist that these groups are not Islamic, they are either speaking out of ignorance or intentionally engaging in propaganda.
Islam is a diverse religion with many expressions, though unfortunately there is a demonstrable tendency among Muslims to assume only one legitimate interpretation of Islam. On account of this, many Muslims accuse one another of apostasy, whether peaceful Muslims disavowing radical Muslims or vice versa. The reality is that Islam can be formulated either peacefully or violently, but violent expressions of Islam adhere more consistently and more literally to the foundational texts of the Islamic faith, the Quran and the hadith.
The common denominator of all radicalized Muslims is their ultimate choice to adhere more strictly and more literally to the foundations of Islam than most other Muslims.
Islamophobia is a poorly circumscribed concept, ostensibly used to describe bigotry toward Muslims but many times simply an umbrella term to refer to any and all criticism of Islam or Muslims, real or imagined.
many who say they support sharia only do so because it is the “right answer” for a Muslim to give. They have romantic notions of what sharia is, and they do not realize exactly what they are supporting.
I suggest friendship rather than fear as a better way forward.
In 5:18, the Quran tells Muslims to rebuke Jews and Christians for calling God their loving Father, because humans are just beings that God has created. So the Christian God is a father, while the Muslim God is not.
Islam did not elaborate on the Trinity but rejected and replaced it.
Language is a fluid tool designed to help people communicate, and we should not be overly critical when others do not use terms the way we do.
“If you want to follow the biblical model of attacking a land, the first thing you have to do is wait 400 years.”
jihad reflects the religion of Islam, whereas the Crusades do not reflect the Christian faith. There is a significant difference between the two.
Denominational affiliation often tells us very little about individuals, and painting everyone with the same brush is dangerous.
