Talk To Your Friends About Mohammad
Monday
When you're talking to your friends about orthodox Islam, for the most part, they probably won't want to hear it. The topic is scary, political, and they'll think you're bashing an "ethnic group." But if you can make your conversation interesting and surprising, that can often help them overcome their reluctance to listen. (If you're not talking to your friends about it, please read this: What Possible Good Does It Do?)
The best way I've found to make introductory information interesting and surprising is to talk about Mohammad.
Most people think the founder of any religion must necessarily have been a peaceful, spiritual, loving person who tried to do good in the world, healed the sick, taught peace, etc. Since Mohammad was the founder of Islam, they assume he must be like that too.
Most people may understand that religious organizations can go bad, or individual believers can go rogue, but only by twisting and distorting the original teachings of the founder.
But as you probably know, Islam is different. And Islam's founder is so different from expectations, talking about him makes an introduction to Islam captivating.
Here's the kind of thing I say to people when I'm talking one-on-one:
I have found out some amazing things about Islam — things I would never have thought possible. It's not like other religions. First of all, the founder of Islam, the Prophet Mohammad, led raids on caravans, stealing their goods and often killing or enslaving the people captured in the raid.
He was a political leader and the head of an army, and he ordered assassinations of his political opponents.
He personally ordered and supervised the beheading of over 600 people at one time. That may be the most amazing fact of all. I mean, nobody can imagine Buddha or Jesus doing anything like that!
Mohammad also ordered a rabbi to be tortured to find out where a Jewish tribe had hidden their valuable objects (Mohammad wanted those goods). On Mohammad's order, his men built a fire on the rabbi's chest, burning him badly, and then the rabbi's eyes were put out.
It's amazing and surprising. At first I couldn't believe it.
And I haven't even told you the worst thing. It says 91 times in the Qur'an, in their most holy of books — the book they believe is the direct word of Allah — it says Muslims should follow Mohammad's example. In the Islamic religion, Mohammad is held as the ideal man; the one they should emulate.
Most people find all this very surprising. They find it so surprising, I usually follow it up by saying these historical facts are not slanderous libel by Muslim-haters, but historical facts from the books of Muslim believers. Mohammad was born in 570 and died in 632. He was a famous figure in his own day, and it wasn't that long ago, so historical facts about him are well-known, well-preserved, and not at all shrouded in mystery.
In other words, these are facts about Mohammad that most Muslims know (and accept as true).
After saying all this, you may have frightened your listeners. But you've also opened their minds to something they may not have wanted to hear: Islam is not like other religions in important ways. Your listeners might not be so quick to silence someone speaking ill of Islam in the future.
And then what might happen? What good does it do to speak ill of Islam? That's a great question, and the topic of another article: What Possible Good Does It Do To Say Anything Negative About Islam, Even If It's True?
22 comments:
And Christians,under the name of Jesus- killed my people (Native Americans) and stole their land. Land that you say belongs to the U.S.- A country that you say is a "Christian" country.
Christians steal, murder, and rape the land and the people of MY GOD. And most likely, you have NEVER met an Islamic terrorist. But I see christian terrorists- EVERY DAY. Hypocrites that talk about other people's crimes while pretending that their own sins don't exist. The Christians who stole this country killed more people than any Muslims in the past 100 years. I've never met a muslim terrorist, but I've met plenty of people like you, who want to pretend that Christianity isn't awash with the blood of innocent children and women, over most of the countries on the planet. And lest you think I'm letting muslim fanatics off= I'm not- take it from someone who isn't from EITHER side= You Are ALL DANGEROUS Lunatics...
Wow, Fade. That's quite a rant. I seriously considered not publishing the comment because it is such a nonsequitor, but then I thought there might be others who think as you do and I wanted to clear up a few misconceptions embedded in your comment.
First of all, I've never said (and would never say) this is a Christian country. I'm not a Christian.
I tried to find your email address on your blog, so we could have this discussion in private, but I couldn't find one. I did find, however, that you are not a Native American. You are half Native American. Which brought up an interesting question: Do you blame one half of you for what the other half did to your first half?
This idea of "your people" or "my people" doesn't apply, especially when you call the Christians my people. I don't really have any people. I do what I do and I don't have any responsibility for the doings of someone who kind of looks like me.
My criticisms are of the Islamic doctrine. And religious criticism and political criticism (both apply to Islam) are a completely legitimate activity in a free country, regardless of what religion it is, and what political doctrine it is.
But that's not what you did. You didn't criticize my political or religious doctrine. You criticized people who may not be even related to me, and even if they were, they were people I had no control over or responsibility for.
I said some historical facts about Muhammad. And for this "crime" you punish me with an angry rant?
You did say something valid: Christians (and Jews, and Atheists, and probably a few Animists too) invaded what is now the United States and took it from Native Americans. I didn't do it and neither did my parents. It had already been done when I came on the scene.
This site is about defeating terrorism. I'm concerned with what is happening now. Right now Islamic terrorists are blowing people up. They are invading this country. They are working to overthrow western governments and replace them with Islamic governments. Because I happen to be an American, does that mean I cannot try to defend myself? Because some of my ancestors did something to some of your ancestors, and I'm not even sure they did (I don't know when all my ancestors came to this country) does that mean I can't say anything about Islam? That doesn't make any sense.
Emotionally, your comment seems related to the article about Muhammad, but realistically, your comment is not related at all.
You can see Robert Spencer give a speech to the Heritage Foundation about Mohammad here:
The Truth About Mohammad
Its good that Fade's comment is here because its a really common argument from muslims, so a good chance to deal with it.
First a must make a shocking revelation: all those native peoples were killed by a swarm of golfers and ballroom dancers. Yes, its true, the seeds of those traditions were already present in that civilisation. What's that you say? The golfing community neither mandated nor authorised those actions? Precisely.
Since the reformation, we in the West have separated Church and State, so the actions of the State are no longer authorised by the church. It may be true that some of the men who stole the Indian land were Christian, but some must also have been ballroom dancers. However, that's incidental, they were neither acting on a Papal Bull nor on an edict from the International Ballroom Dancing Federation.
Islam does not separate Church and State. This manifests in the constant calls to Jihad (and isn't "holy war" a contradiction in terms anyway?) and particularly in the very idea of Sharia Law.
Will you please visit a Church wedding :-) You will see the couple married by the Church, then they go into a side room to be married in Civil law. Our national law is not Church law!
So, most of the war actions of Islamic countries can be blamed on their Islamic faith. But none of the war actions of 'Christian' countries can be blamed on their Christian faith, anymore than they can be blamed on their massed golf enthusiasts.
2nd point - your statement "The Christians who stole this country killed more people than any Muslims in the past 100 years". Well, Bill Warner at Political Islam.com has stats showing the total death toll from Islam over the past 1400 years comes out at 250 million, which is way more than everyone else combined, even ignoring the fact that what you call 'christian' wars aren't even that.
3rd point: if you want to meet muslim terrorists, come over to the UK and debate at Speakers Corner. After the 7/7 bombings its amazing how many of the bombers on the telly we'd already chatted with about this and that only a few months earlier. Actually, muslim culture has retained a great tradition of debate which we have sadly lost. So, come over here, have a nice cup of tea, get a leg blown off, have a nice chat, and then maybe things will all clarify out a bit?
Let us be clear, Fade.
Prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus or any European who may have pre-dated Columbus’ arrival in the New World, this Western Hemisphere was not the pristine place so many want to make it. That the Western Hemisphere was free of violence and every group got along with every other group is simply a myth.
Some historians estimate the number of persons sacrificed by non-Europeans in Central Mexico in the 15th century as high as 250,000per year. It is not clear what group, if any specific group, is addressed with this number.
It has been stated/written that when the last Aztec pyramid to be used for human sacrifice was dedicated, more than 25,000 people were sacrificed daily for an entire year. Assuming a year having 365 days, the amount of people killed by sacrifice is astounding. It must be true that most of the sacrificial victims were captives from other tribes which verifies that the non-violent pre-Columbia Western Hemisphere is a myth. The Aztec people did not have sufficient numbers to absorb the deaths of so many people within a year. It is suggested that the Aztecs captured people from surrounding tribes for sacrifice.
While it is true beyond the shadow of a doubt that horrific numbers of Native people suffered and died at the hands of the conquerors, little benefit, if any, is realized by pointing to the past, especially to things done several centuries ago. I was not there, and I am not responsible for what occurred. I am puzzled by the periodic pointing to the events of the past at the hands of the conquerors. What is the benefit of referring to things that happened many generations ago? We cannot change the past.
It is equally true that people of Native descent here in the New World were not present and are not responsible for the horrific numbers of others who suffered and died at the hands of their fellow relatives. They, too, are not responsible for what occurred. They, too, cannot change the past.
However, if I somehow am responsible for what occurred by people of European descent, then Native peoples are equally responsible for what occurred here at the hands of their own people. Dwelling in and on the past is no benefit to us as a new group of people living and working together for the common good of all.
If I am missing something, then someone needs to explain that.
The other day a guy I work with who is fairly young and going to college was telling me what he's learning in a history class. He learned about what "we" did to the Native Americans. I had to point out to him that he wasn't involved, and that his "white guilt" is a form of racism. He is lumping himself with all the other "white people" and blaming himself for something he didn't do.
"It has been stated/written that when the last Aztec pyramid to be used for human sacrifice was dedicated, more than 25,000 people were sacrificed daily for an entire year."
Where did you pull this number from? That would be a kill every three seconds, 24/7. Or over 9 million dead after a year. Did so many people even live in South America at that time? How do you capture so many people, transport and jail them etc ... the logistics must have been awesome.
tl;dr: If you come up with numbers, try to be reasonable. Citing sources also is a plus in these cases.
I am not a Christian, rather I criticize many Christian believes, I did so even when I was Studying in a Christian Institution. Christians argued with me, tried to convince me and even were angry with me, but they never Killed me, threatened me or closed the door for discussions or tried to fix me in football ground for my views expressed on discussion table.
So they may be wrong, but are humane.
Secondly if Christian loots or rapes, like anyone else Christians do it, they are not following Christ.
Don't blame Christ for Europeans Sailing to Americas first and latter Colonizing it, while Arabs were busy with managing Harams.
Colonizing of America was bad, but Colonizing by Arabs would have been worse.
Bharat(India) has seen both. Christians never dismantled Temples.
Do you Know Ram Janam Bhomi?
Learn about it, after that you like me will keep criticizing Christians and West, but will not hate them.
Yes they committed atrocities and crimes but don't blame Christ for it.
Lets not get lost in number game?
It is human tendency, even animal instinct to subjugate others.
This is Natural.
Problem is when a some cults Institutionalize subjugation, backed by glorification, rewards and posing it as holy duty/Godliness act cock tailed with absurdity, rape, child abuse, loot, murder, stoning etc.
Mixing of crime day-dreaming, drugged mind fancies and naming it as Gods will rather order claiming it as Scientific and broadcast by God at the same time, which is heard only by the messenger and none other.
Strangely, God did not choose one who could write his message, but chose some one who could not even read it, speaks to him in secret, messenger cram it and latter asks someone is literate to write it from what he remembers from Gods talk to him.
And this second/Third hand recording is the guiding force.
Native Americans are Lucky they were not colonized or ruled by such people. Bharat was both colonized by West and Ruled by Absurds, I compare both. I share your pain, I am your Colonial Cousin. But Fade believe me you are still Lucky, not for what you had, but for what yiu did not have.
lmao @ citizen warrior comment: do you blame one half for what the other did so funny because... off the topic. i'm half german and half polish i get that a lot does one half of you hate the other ...maybe that's why i'm always at war with myself lol
While Christians certainly did many cruel things, as have Muslims since the time of Mohammed, there is a huge difference.
Jihadists rely on numerous Qur'anic passages which prescribe cruel treatment as being willed by Allah.
There is nothing in Christian theology and certainly nothing in the Gospels quoting Jesus as condoning such violence.
Yes Christian warriors in the Middle Ages waged war under Christian banners, but that is not the same thing as using scripture to justify such actions.
Moreover, however you characterize the historic violence carried out by Christians, it no longer happens.
This is a clear demarcation between the two religions, they are in no way similar despite claims by Muslims that they are part of the Abrahamic tradition and that Jesus is venerable because he was a Muslim.
tell them: mohammed and his son omar slaughtered all the jews of the arabian peninsula.
this is the guy you venerate?
you can also tell them:
islam is based on lies and distortion. mohammed comes along after judaism has been around for over 1500 years and says "the covenant was with ishmael not isaac....moses, david etc were all muslims"
..okaaay, how do you just show up and automatically convert everyone who existed before to your religion?
I think the Native American comment about how Christians destroyed Native culture really puts into perspective how a mass immigration policy with no regard for the local law/ population can destroy a civilization. Islam is not the only civilization to destroy another but this is what Muslims are currently doing to the West and this is what they have done in 57 countries. It's why we have to fight back. Seriously, most Christian immigrants to America were just trying to follow their own ways and in doing that destroyed native culture -- the same with Muslims today immigrating to non-Muslim countries -- it simply them following their way to dawa and overthrow the government to put in an islamic state.
Native Americans are about to get their land stolen twice, only this time they will have to pay to live on Reservations as dhimmi. If you think conditions on the reservations are bad now look at the Nuba in Sudan or any non-Muslim in Pakistan, Bahai in Iran, etc to see what lies ahead under the new world order of one world government of sharia. Muslims are already starting a mass lying campagain to say that they discovered America and Native Americans spoke Arabic and are a lost tribe of Islam (even though native were here thousands of years before Islam so they can' t descendants)
Why are they saying this? Because they want to do what they did with the Palastinians -- create a lie about original ties to the land so they can start a war to try to get it under Saudi ideological control.
Any one with half a brain can figure out Arabs come from the Arab Pennisula and Filistines were invaders from Greece who were vanquished in Gaza milinea ago, as in destroyed and no one today has Filistine claims. Also it was the Grand Mufti that rebuilt Al Aqsa mosque and made claims that it was the third most important site. Before then the place had been abadoned, in decay and growing weeds. Muslim pray with their butts towards Jerusalem there. And more importantly, that mosque did NOT exist when Muhammed supposedly flew, so that couldn't have been the most furthest mosque.
Muslims will destroy a culture. People don't realize that Santa Claus is a Turkish legend, St. Paul fell in Syria, St. Augustine was from Egypt and now they are trying to destroy the fact that Israel is a Jewish/ Christian holy land no different than Mekkah and Medhina being holy to the Muslims. Muslims put triumphal mosques and rewrite history to try to change that fact.(Even though the Quaran states that land belongs to the Jews Sura 5:20] Afghanistan and Pakistan used to be Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu, Iran used to be Persian -- the Middle East was the Byzantine Empire -- yes, Istanbul was Constantinople!! It can happen to us if we allow it.
Why do people get confused about it? Again look at the Native Americans. Pocahantas and John Smith married and the pilgrims had Thanksgiving. There were several instances of co-existance, but again, thru false treaties, lies, terrorism and massive immigration the native population was destroyed. (I left out the massive death of natives by disease which was most of it, because that is not similar) The Muslim version of this is Taqqiya, Hudna, and Kitman So fight back and read the book "Muslim Mafia" to learn what they are doing to try to destroy you -- when they say Death to the West - they mean it.
Fade, I have a question for you. Show me where it says that Jesus went and kill or tortured people for not converting to Christianity? And I would say that anyone that truly follows Jesus, never did such things. True followers love people regardless of what they think. As for all the wrongs people did to the Native Americans. People, no matter what race. Have done some sort of atrocities to other people. That has happened... Since Cain and Able. Not to make light of what you are talking about. You just have to get up and go on from there.. And make better of your situation.
Fade's comments are nothing but typical liberal/Muslim equivocation. I read hundreds every day. We all know what happened to the Indians/Native Americans. We've seen the movies, we've read the books. It was wrong, but I wasn't there. No one alive today was there, probably no one alive today had grandparents who were there. My maternal grandmother who died in 1977 at 84 remembered seeing a Comanche family once in a great while riding horseback through their area of Texas.
And, hey, Fade, I have Native American genetics/blood from both sides of my family. Frankly, your whining and faux victimhood disgraces the very history of Native American people you're referring to.
However, all of this has absolutely nothing to do with the clear, present, immediate and ongoing danger of Islam. The "Noble Savage" and the "Noble Muslim" are simply two false narratives we can do without.
And, oh, CW, you forgot some miracles of "Mohammed" ... he walked on sand, he caused the seeing to go blind, he brought eternal death, he made the walking lame and coined one of the most famous quotes in history "The Truth Shall Make You Flee".
Allah'u fubar!
One thing comes to mind about the comment made by Fade and those who seek to educate him/her.
The facts of history cannot be refuted. Those of a nation founded on Christian teachings did come to the what is now the USA and murdered thousands of Native Americans - some for sport - some through slavery - and many die now on reservations from addiction issues.
Examine the hypothetical of what would have happened had Mohammadians landed on the shores back then?
Fade: your people and culture would be gone. Dead. Erased from history. There would be NO worship of the land and your people would have had to convert or die. Since they would have been seen as common heathens with false idols for a god, slavery and death would have been the history of the hypothetically-extinct tribes of North America.
I'm not saying to be thankful for what happened but it sure pays to THINK a bit harder about it before slagging off at people who acted outside the "rules" of Christianity as opposed to those who enact the "rules" Mohammadism.
You have all forgotten on thing, if Muslims had colonized America on each of the native American tribes holy sites would be built a large triumphal mosque just to show how much better muslims are than the local religion.
If Muslims had conquered America the world would be pretty much empty. It would be full of Muslims. So, Fade, you wouldn't find any Native American's anywhere.
I think you should keep your rants to yourself. Anyone can be childish and Rant. That's easy to do.
Think before you act or speak.
Hi!
Great blog. Do you have any sources for your history of the prophet's evil deeds? Sources that are from Arabic translations? If you have any can you please share them with me? My goal is to find 3 separate sources for the 600 beheadings in particular.
Have you seen this video? Islam What the West Needs to Know
https://youtu.be/b39nOdT-2EU
The best source I've come across is It's All About Muhammad:
http://www.citizenwarrior.com/2015/02/new-book-its-all-about-muhammad.html
Also, Spencer's Muhammad biography is very good.
I totally agree. I speak of Mohamed and his atrocities, one atrocity at a time and point out this is their ideal individual. They all know and venerate Mohamed.
I could go further but best to stick with Mohamed only. If they mention the Qur'an, I inform them that only Muslims are innocent, love applies to Allah only, death for apostasy... little nuggets of this nature.
I finish off with verse 98.6, a verse that is eternal and no context applicable. All Muslims know this verse.
People's reaction is subdued horror.
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