Listen to Me: Islam Does Not Command War Against Jews
print
tell a friend
Turkish political and religious commentator Sinem Tezyapar.
In an op. ed. piece for the Jewish Press, I cited from the Qur’an to show that war is an exceptional matter for Muslims, an unwanted obligation to be fulfilled in limited circumstances, and for defensive purposes only.
In response, I’ve been denounced and accused of being a Trojan horse, the wolf trying to devour Little Red Riding Hood, of not being a Muslim or being the worst kind of liar, misguided, deceiver, of practicing taqiyya, of disseminating propaganda with the intention of deceiving Israelis & Westerners, of using jihadist tactics in disguise, etc.
The most moderate reaction has been that I am young, naive… and don’t know my religion and the real world.
Despite the criticism, I stand behind my words, and I say further that Hamas or any other Islamic group that uses violence against civilians is doing wrong according to the Qur’an and that Jews, Christians, and Muslims must and can live co-exist together in harmony and peace. The reactions to my statements have been along the following lines: “What about the jihad verses in Qur’an? What about taqiyyah? What about abrogation of the verses which counsel peace?”
Let me clarify these misconceptions about Islam so that there is no excuse for warmongers and those who wish to shed oceans of blood.
War and violence in the Holy Books - Admittedly, there are commandments about war in the Qur’an, and those verses pertain to self-defense. The Tanakh and the Gospel also contain provisions about war and violence, and there are verses full of killing, especially in the Torah. The passages about war in those are, just as with the Qur’an, in regard to self-defense. The Torah and the Gospel command peace and love, and contain commandments about love and affection too. A person of love will interpret that in one way, and a cruel person in another. One can interpret it truly if one looks at it sincerely. For instance the Gospel speaks of blood up to the manes of the horses; it speaks of nobody being saved apart from 144,000 Jews. These are actually metaphorical and must be elucidated within the general tone of the Gospel, which is one of love and affection prevailing. But if someone insists on interpreting it in terms of violence, if he adds additional things to it out of his own mind, then a climate of violence will of course ensue. But a real Jew or a real Christian would never murder innocent people simply because there exists verses regarding killings in their Holy Books. In the same way, people who will look at Islam and the Qur’an through the eyes of love will not come up with violent interpretations.
Dictators against Prophets’ divine message - Let us not forget that the Prophet Mohammed was a prophet who sought to spread the pure faith of the Prophet Abraham, which is faith in God, the One and Only and ascribing no equals to Him, in a pagan society which had been dominated by idol worship. Like many prophets whose names appear in the Tanakh, the Prophet Mohammad has been commissioned for transmitting the message of God. It was impossible for the prophets to make any concessions on this, and they carried the true message, even at the cost of their own lives, to the most extreme leaders of their times and the most perverse communities. Conveying this message sometimes meant to oppose the tyrant Nimrod, as in the case of the Prophet Abraham, and sometimes to oppose dictators such as Pharaoh, as with the Prophet Moses. At all such times, believers found opposition from people who sought to take their lives. Despite circumstances where no one enjoyed freedom of expression, all the prophets communicated God’s message without regard to the cost. And this is no different in Islam as well.
War (qital) and jihad are not the same - The basic claim of the accusations and reactions trying to portray Islam as violent -God forbid- is that there are verses about jihad in the Qur’an and that these speak of killing. First and foremost, jihad and war are entirely different concepts: Jihad is not synonymous with holy war, as some misguided people think. Jihad means rather exertion, which is to strive, to make effort toward some object identified to the will of God as revealed in the Qur’an. Some worthy objects of jihad include strife against one’s egoistic passions, or to make an intellectual challenge against irreligion, radicalism or fanaticism. One convinces people with scientific and intellectual evidence. To expose the signs of God’s existence, to convey His revelation, to explain the malice of atheistic ideologies etc… These are the legitimate objects of the “jihad” for a Muslim, not beating someone about the head, killing someone or forcing a person to embrace Islam as an act of coercion.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Sinem Tezyapar is an executive producer on Turkish Television. She is a political and religious commentator and a peace activist. She can be reached on Facebook, and Twitter.
You might also be interested in:
If you don't see your comment after publishing it, refresh the page.
197 Responses to “Listen to Me: Islam Does Not Command War Against Jews”
1
Loading ...
FYI, Jews do not refer to Abraham or Moses or David as a prophets. So referring to them in that way, especially in a Jewish publication indicates that you have appropriated Judaism without actually absorbing Judaism accurately. That's rude. Furthermore, to expect Jews to accept Islam's repurposing of Jewish figures is disturbing, regardless of your so called peaceful intentions.
I'm not an expert on Islam but what I have learned from reading and listening to lectures is that Muslims consider Islam to be the final revelation of G-d and the goal is that Islam should rule the world, not be equal to other religions. According to the Qur'an Jews corrupted the Torah and Christians are misled by believing in the trinity and Christ's divinity, and both groups are banned to eternal hell fire unless they accept Allah and Mohammed as his prophet. Furthermore, according to Islam, since the Qur'an was a direct transmission to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel it can not be changed or modernized or interpreted according to personal whims. The Qur'an is not considered divinely inspired but the word of G-d. Islam is Islam. Sinem, it's not my place to tell you how to practice your faith, but please don't try to mislead people that what you are saying is authentic or mainstream Islam.
I do hope that Islam can be reformed by well intentioned Muslims who prefer to live in peace and recognize the spiritual paths of other people as equally valid.
FYI, Jews do not refer to Abraham or Moses or David as a prophets. So referring to them in that way, especially in a Jewish publication indicates that you have appropriated Judaism without actually absorbing Judaism accurately. That's rude. Furthermore, to expect Jews to accept Islam's repurposing of Jewish figures is disturbing, regardless of your so called peaceful intentions.
I'm not an expert on Islam but what I have learned from reading and listening to lectures is that Muslims consider Islam to be the final revelation of G-d and the goal is that Islam should rule the world, not be equal to other religions. According to the Qur'an Jews corrupted the Torah and Christians are misled by believing in the trinity and Christ's divinity, and both groups are banned to eternal hell fire unless they accept Allah and Mohammed as his prophet. Furthermore, according to Islam, since the Qur'an was a direct transmission to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel it can not be changed or modernized or interpreted according to personal whims. The Qur'an is not considered divinely inspired but the word of G-d. Islam is Islam. Sinem, it's not my place to tell you how to practice your faith, but please don't try to mislead people that what you are saying is authentic or mainstream Islam.
I do hope that Islam can be reformed by well intentioned Muslims who prefer to live in peace and recognize the spiritual paths of other people as equally valid.
In a few weeks Norway will be "Judenrein". The last 819 Jews still living in Norway are now leaving the country due to the rise of anti-Semitism.
Thus Norway becomes the first European country in which Jews will no longer.
live. A similar development can be observed in all the European countries.
When one hears nowadays reports regarding the terrorist attack against Jews.
in Bulgaria one does not know that Jews in Europe are subject to.
anti-Semitic manifestations daily.
The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported In February 2012 about the.
departure of Jews from the country. Anne Sender, the head of the Jewish.
community in Norway , once said: "Many immigrants brought anti-Semitism from.
their countries. The shame is in that nobody speaks out against them." The.
waves of Muslim immigrants bring anti-Semitism back to Europe. A similar
development is taking place in the neighboring country, Sweden , and in all.
the European countries. The Muslims are the ones who drive away the Jews.
everywhere.
In a few weeks Norway will be "Judenrein". The last 819 Jews still living in Norway are now leaving the country due to the rise of anti-Semitism.
Thus Norway becomes the first European country in which Jews will no longer.
live. A similar development can be observed in all the European countries.
When one hears nowadays reports regarding the terrorist attack against Jews.
in Bulgaria one does not know that Jews in Europe are subject to.
anti-Semitic manifestations daily.
The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported In February 2012 about the.
departure of Jews from the country. Anne Sender, the head of the Jewish.
community in Norway , once said: "Many immigrants brought anti-Semitism from.
their countries. The shame is in that nobody speaks out against them." The.
waves of Muslim immigrants bring anti-Semitism back to Europe. A similar
development is taking place in the neighboring country, Sweden , and in all.
the European countries. The Muslims are the ones who drive away the Jews.
everywhere.
Perfect piece, congratulations. But I think it also needs to emphasize that people need to open their eyes and see that thier hunger for hatred will take them nowhere. It baffles me to see that people hatefully respond to a piece calling for peace. How can they ever justify that? So I think, Sinem you need to focus on that hateful state of mind too, and maybe you can show them how to overcome their prejudices. People wake up! You were not born to hate, God created you to love.
The very first muslim migration took place because the non-believers did not want muslims to preach Islam in Makkah. If the non-believers had let the muslims continue following their newly found reliigion Islam, they were afraid masses would convert to be muslims seeing the way muslims behaved so well. And the very first war Badar took place because non-believers did not want muslims to flourish in Madinah and attract more people towards Islam.
Islam does NOT order killings of any non-muslims, unless they attack muslims. And even then there is no killing of women, oldies and children. Only fighters have to be fought against.
I believe that if muslims demonstrate in Europe and Americas how to live peacefully and in true Islam spirit, people there will quickly convert to Islam. My persona belief is that Islam starts where humanity reaches its height. Provided the muslims live as per Allah's way as shown by the holy prophet. Mere naming themselves as Muslims, but acting against Islam is not going to bring good name to Islam and muslims.
You're wrong Amir. Europe won't convert to Islam. You're going to have to kill them all as you usually do.
she looks just like salome who danced for the king to ask for John the Baptist head on a platter as her reward.
And there is no point in claiming otherwise because they have the right to live as unbelievers as God says there is no compulsion in religion. So if you don't believe in the Koran you are a nonbeliever, that is so stupid. Besides there is no God and if there was where has he been for the last 3000 years while millions have died in the name of religion. Irags killing Irags, same in Afghanistan, sorry it seems Muslims are the root of evil. Again there is no God, you just belong to a cult.
I do believe that God wants us to love ourselves and each other. But this is simply apologetics. It's like the Nazis telling the new arrivals at Auschwitz to go take showers. That was an idea provided by to Hitler personally by the Mufti of Jerusalem. Taqiyah.
It is forbidden in Judaism to proselytize; so why are Islamists proselytizing here on the Jewish Press?
Please stop calling evil good. Your blindness and twisted logic is nausiating.
Says the most loving nation on the planet that hasn't killed our brothers sister and children. My friend, when you guys were the outcasts of Europe the Muslims opened their doors for you… And sultan Abd al Hamid knew that he is opening the door to the wolves to slaughter the sheep, but he thought that the wolves might change. He was mistaken
what book is that then?
what book is that then where war and killing is allow.
I see that two of my talk backs have been deleted; so, I'll post one more time with a condensed version. When a sage, such as the Rambam for instance, stated that a certain man, Muhammed, is a false prophet and insane, it would behoove us to stay far away from him and his followers. Maybe we don’t have what it takes to intellectually fight against this false prophet and his followers but the Rambam does have “the CHUTZPAH to tell this Turkish intellectual that we know HER religion better than herself and her friends”. Quotations from Yori's email friend. The Rambam was closer to HaShem than any one of us; so, to follow the Rambam’s advice is not “an arrogant approach” as Yori’s email friend termed it but rather a very wise and humble approach.
ah jest doesn’t buy it.
I also wonder at the fact that most muslim countries have muslim populations in the high 90, s 99, 98 97%. So does it really matter how the rest of the population was eliminated. The end result is the elimination of non muslims. Turkey is held up as the most tolerant muslim society and has 99% muslim population.
I like the Suffi's, they seem to me to be the most humanistic tolerant and inclusive of the branches of Islam, meanwhile they are being killed for that attitude in Pakistan.
I've read too much about it, I've experienced second hand with a Turkish girl we knew who had to go back to Turkey and was not allowed any outside contact.
There is no mention about the trilogy, Qur'an, Hadith and Sinar, there is no mention about the Qur'an not being set up chronologically but based on chapter length. Thus confusing the reader not knowing that there is the Qur'an of Mecca and later the Qur'an of Medina. It's irrelevant for me to say any more. I could write a whole page of 14 years of reading, dissecting and who knows what. Go to Bill Warner's page http://www.polticalislam.com! He says it all.
The Muslim leaders made the religion a tool to help them against Israel, achieving political power, control women and everything that they need for their power, did you know that by the time of Muhammad, Muslim women were allowed to wear sleeveless dresses?
The hope of the world is that the sacred consensus that is a part of Middle Eastern.
tradition for thousands of years before the Torah was revealed, will eventually.
have consensus similar to Tezyapar's.
In the many centuries of the existence of the Torah, the New Testament, and the Koran there have always been more humanistic and more blood-thirsty interpretations.
In part it is also about an understanding of the Creator.
Although the Creator is above and separate from his creation, everything he has created, and everyone he has created is holy and must be loved and protected.
wonderful article. we need to work together.
wonderful article. we need to work together.
There will people who quote certain suras to prove that Islam is a genocidal cult, and those who will quote others to prove that Islam is a religion of tolerance and compassion. What disturbs me the most is that many of the professionals and intellectuals who should be advocating ecumenical dialogue (doctors, engineers, scientists, and academics), are frequently the ones to be found in the ranks of organizations such as Al-Qaeda.