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Monday, August 1, 2011

Criticizing Islam and the Persecution of Christians

Has any one noticed that in Muslim lands like Pakistan, that when a Muslim says, "This Christian has insulted Muhammad!", Muslims go into a frenzy and start rioting in the streets and the person accused of allegedly insulting Muhammad is thrown into jail? In fact, when a person criticizes Islam, Muslims have been known for killing the critic of Islam.

Something like this happened when a Danish newspaper company published 12 cartoons mocking Muhammad. Over a hundred are killed as a result. When Theo Van Gogh makes a film criticizing the position of Women in Islam, he is killed. Where did Muslims get the idea that anyone who criticizes Muhammad, the Quran, or Islam should be killed? Oh yeah, here it goes:

Sunan Abu Dawud 4349— Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib: A Jewess used to abuse Prophet Muhammad(peace_be_upon_him) and disparage him. A man strangled her till she died. The Apostle of Allah, Muhammad, (peace_be_upon_him) declared that no recompense was payable for her blood.
Sunan Abu Dawud 4348—Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas: A blind man had a slave-mother who used to abuse the Prophet Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him) and disparage him. He forbade her but she did not stop. He rebuked her but she did not give up her habit. One night she began to slander the Prophet Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him) and abuse him. So he took a dagger, placed it on her belly, pressed it, and killed her. A child who came between her legs was smeared with the blood that was there. When the morning came, the Prophet Muhammad(peace_be_upon_him) was informed about it. He assembled the people and said: I adjure by Allah the man who has done this action and I adjure him by my right to him that he should stand up. Jumping over the necks of the people and trembling the man stood up. He sat before the Prophet Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Apostle of Allah! I am her master; she used to abuse you and disparage you. I forbade her, but she did not stop, and I rebuked her, but she did not abandon her habit. I have two sons like pearls from her, and she was my companion. Last night she began to abuse and disparage you. So I took a dagger, put it on her belly and pressed it till I killed her. Thereupon the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Oh be witness, no retaliation is payable for her blood.

Ibn Ishaq, p. 675—Abu Afak was one of the B. Amr b. Auf of the B. Ubayda clan. He showed his disaffection when the apostle killed al-Harith b. Suwayd b. Samit and said:

“Long have I lived but never have I seen
An assembly or collection of people
More faithful to their undertaking
And their allies when called upon
Than the sons of Qayla when they assembled,
Men who overthrew mountains and never submitted,
A rider who came to them split them in two (saying)
“Permitted”, “Forbidden”, of all sorts of things.
Had you believed in glory or kingship
You would have followed Tubba.”

The apostle said, “Who will deal with this rascal for me?” Whereupon Salim b. Umayr, brother of B. Amr b. Auf, one of the “weepers”, went forth and killed him.

As one can see, killing people who insult Muhammad goes back to the very inception of Islam. Muhammad would kill anyone who would insult, ridicule or mock him through their poetry. This poses two problems. One reason this is bad is because giving the death penalty for anyone who criticizes Islam puts an end to freedom of speech. Without free speech, a society can't advance. Second reason it's bad is because Muslims have been known for imprisoning our brothers and sisters in Christ because they mocked Muhammad. Pakistan is the greatest example of this. The blasphemy laws in that country have been used by Muslims to persecute our brothers and sisters in Christ. If Muslims feel that our brethren in Christ, have insulted their religion in anyway, the Muslim says, "This Christian blasphemed Muhammad!!!"

I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will keep my brothers and sisters in Christ in Muslim lands. I also pray that the blasphemy laws in Muslim lands will be abolished and that they have freedom of speech over there.

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