"Truth" about Islam from an ex-Muslim

[diem]

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diem wants to close this thread, it simply because he's scared that he might know the real brutal truth of Islam.. naa ta raba cya plano mag muslim..

[color=navy]@necrotic freak, please do not make any statements about me based on your assumptions~ You do not know me and this statement of yours is false. This can be considered as a character attack.

the crusades.. well, christians kill in the name of God at that time its because christians had the right to defend their territory from the invading enemies which is the moslems..

[color=navy]

Where do you get your information? Cite your sources, and let's see if these are reliable.

I suggest that you should study world history before you post such comments out of such ignorance, because it is dangerous. Ignorance leads to indifference, indifference leads to conflict.

And the Internet can help you remove such ignorance if you're too busy or too lazy to read actual books. Here are some excerpts on the article about the Crusades from the Wikipedia~

The Crusades were a series of military conflicts of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe during 1095–1291, most of which were sanctioned by the Pope in the name of Christendom.

The Crusades originally had the goal of recapturing Jerusalem and the sacred "Holy Land" from Muslim rule and were originally launched in response to a call from the Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Empire for help against the expansion of the Muslim Seljuk Turks into Anatolia.

Jerusalem falls to the Sassanids

The Byzantines lost control of Jerusalem and the True Cross in 614 to Khosrau II, ruler of the Zoroastrian Persian Empire. The Byzantine emperor Heraclius imbued the subsequent struggle between the Empires with religious overtones, aiming to recapture both Jerusalem and the True Cross(he was successful on both counts). The Byzantines called themselves "soldiers of the cross".

Middle Eastern situation

The Muslim presence in the Holy Land began with the initial Arab conquest of Palestine in the 7th century. This did not interfere much with pilgrimage to Christian holy sites or the security of monasteries and Christian communities in the Holy Land, and western Europeans were less concerned with the loss of far-away Jerusalem than, in the ensuing decades and centuries, the invasions by Muslims and other hostile non-Christians, such as the Vikings, heathen Slavs and Magyars. However, the Muslim armies' successes put increasing pressure on the Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Empire.

Another factor that contributed to the change in Western attitudes towards the East came in the year 1009, when the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre destroyed. In 1039 his successor permitted the Byzantine Empire to rebuild it. Pilgrimages were allowed to the Holy Lands before and after the Sepulchre was rebuilt, but for a time pilgrims were captured and some of the clergy were killed.

The Muslim conquerors eventually realized that the wealth of Jerusalem came from the pilgrims; with this realization the persecution of pilgrims stopped. However, the damage was already done, and the violence of the Seljuk Turks became part of the concern that spread the passion for the Crusades.

Online Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades

[color=navy] Can everyone understand that? The initial Muslim occupation of Jerusalem wasn't about religion, it was about territory. The Muslims allowed Christian pilgrimages into Jerusalem and even granted them peaceful passage safe from persecution because they realized that Muslims and Christians share the same reverence for the city of Jerusalem.

Alas, some pilgrims were attacked by desert marauders, criminals also in the eyes of Islam and this was used by Heraclius, The Archbishop of Jerusalem, who imbued the Arab conquest of Palestine with religious overtones. He was the one who made it appear to be a HOLY WAR because he wanted to get the support of the armies of the Christian Kingdoms of Europe and reclaim Jerusalem.

Instead for clamoring for peace and fraternity with our Muslim brethren who revere the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary and the special relationship Jesus has with God/Allah, the Archbishop of Jerusalem sparked a war.

All I am trying to say that it is IGNORANCE AND INDIFFERENCE ON BOTH SIDES that sparked this great conflict that has its repercussions still present until now.

If we are to avoid such terrible events to happen again, I implore everyone to please try to know and understand before condemning! Open your hearts and minds to knowledge and understanding, with it comes empathy and with that, there is no need for conflict.

[chipper_buy]

I totally agree with the POSO video in Youtube..it so bloody, violent and inhuman

No offense thou to other Muslim coz i do have muslim friends...

[necrotic freak]

@diem
"You do not know me and this statement of yours is false. This can be considered as a character attack."
sir who made an attack in the first place? as denis_jay said, "unfair sad kaau ul just close this ryt away as if youve proven everyone wrong and walay point ang among gi pang post dri"

[dubioz]

When I read up on Islam, I found out that it is not a bad religion at all. I've also been lucky to make friends with Muslims who are not violent at all, and who have been trying to disassociate their religion from the violent radicals.

There are many common denominators between Islam and Christianity. For example, the most misconstrued thing about Islam is that Allah is a "Muslim God". But if you study Islam, you will find that Allah is actually the same God as the God of the Christians, simply referred to by another name.

Muslims even believe in the "virgin birth" of Jesus Christ, and although they have not elevated him to a god like the Christians have, he is one of their important prophets.

This is not to say that there are no violent radicals among the muslims. Of course there are. But they are the extremists who use religion to justify violence. By no means should we think of them as mainstream muslims. I think it is a great injustice for their religion to be made synonymous with al-qaeda, the taliban, etc.

Would we Christians want to be associated with extremists in our own religion who bomb abortion clinics? I think not.

[diem]

- before anything else im glad that this thread was unlocked, unfair sad kaau ul just close this ryt away as if youve proven everyone wrong and walay point ang among gi pang post dri, i thot this is a free country..the verse that uve qouted from Revelations 13:1 shouldnt be taken word for word,you sound smart and im kinda surprised you see things that way, instead you should have made a comment on what ive posted about jihad pero wala because its true diba? i have a copy of their so-called bible i got it from a muslim friend, after i read that part about 40 virgins i never read it

[color=navy]You said it yourself in your own post without realizing that you have understood my point. The Qu'ran verse about the 40 virgins in heaven should be treated as like with the words of Catholic Bible, these should not be taken literally.

And yes the fact that we're living in a democratic country allows us rights and freedoms but these are not without price. Being a citizen of a democracy holds you subject to laws and if one violate these laws, one's freedoms are removed and sent to jail. The same is reflected in this forum.

@necrotic_freak, you're the one who should be answering your question. Attacking a religion which apparently you have no understanding about. The first rule of battle "Know your enemy as you know yourself". You appear to have failed, even at that.

*****

[color=navy]What is a Jihad really? There are many books and articles about this that better explain the concept in religious terms but I can tell you it is more than what people think it is.

The general understanding is the Jihad means "holy war", a sacred duty for Muslims to attack infidels or those who do not share their faith. That is the general understanding but sadly it is a misconception for the masses of the uninitiated.

For everyone's convenience and knowledge, here is the Jihad simply defined by its Wikipedia article.

Jihad , meaning "to strive" or "to struggle", in Arabic, is an Islamic term and a duty for Muslims. It appears frequently in the Quran and common usage as the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)".

Jihad requires Muslims to "struggle in the way of God" or "to struggle to improve one's self and/or society." Jihad is directed against the devil's inducements, aspects of one's own self, or against a visible enemy.

Middle East Historian Bernard Lewis points out that some modern Muslims sources try to portray jihad in a spiritual and moral sense when addressing non-Muslims. Muslims tell people that they shouldn't try to define jihad by the actions of extremists, but at the balanced Muslims. For most of the fourteen centuries of recorded Muslim history, jihad was most commonly interpreted to mean armed struggle for the defense or advancement of Muslim power.

In Modern Standard Arabic, jihad is one of the correct terms for a struggle for any cause, violent or not, religious or secular.

For instance, Mahatma Gandhi's struggle for Indian independence would be called a "jihad" in Modern Standard Arabic (as well as many other dialects of Arabic) even though it was neither a struggle for Allah (despite religious support for it, the struggle was essentially nationalist and political) nor conducted violently; the same terminology could be applied for the fight for women's liberation.

Jihad has often been misinterpreted as a 'holy war'. The main aim of Jihad is defensive rather than offensive.
When Muslim populations are attacked on the basis of religion, Jihad becomes mandatory on the government of that particular state (and all Muslims) until all hostile forces are either eliminated or negotiated out of the occupied land. If the threat continues to persist, the Islamic State may have to eliminate the threat by any means necessary.

Online Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

[cebugdev]

my two cents..
i think the so called "radical islam" or "fundamentalist islam" ang naay problema, coz they are blinded by thier belief about religion. Try living in a radical islam world kay mabuang jd ka..
modern islam has no problem, pero dali ra ni cla ma impluwensyahan sa mga fundamentalists.

[necrotic freak]

my two cents..
i think the so called "radical islam" or "fundamentalist islam" ang naay problema, coz they are blinded by thier belief about religion. Try living in a radical islam world kay mabuang jd ka..
modern islam has no problem, pero dali ra ni cla ma impluwensyahan sa mga fundamentalists.

Bingo! target jud..

[ronna]

One grisly practice that is common in most Moslem countries is female circumcision, or, as the Western medical authorities have more aptly named the practice, female genital mutilation (FGM). Without going into graphic detail, this process involves the removal of female genitalia.

According to the World Health Organization, "female genital mutilation is normally performed by traditional practitioners with crude instruments, such as knives, razors, blades and broken glass, usually without anaesthetics." 1 This report finds that, though some girls are mutilated at birth, "most girls are mutilated between the ages of 4 and 12." 2

Not only is this practice completely medically unnecessary, barbaric, and unethical, it carries significant health risks. The WHO report continues:

The practice of FGM often leads to complications. Short term complications include severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent tissue. Hemorrhage and infection can cause death. Long-term complications include cysts and abscesses, keloid scar formation, damage to the urethra resulting in urinary incontinence, dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse), sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infection, infertility and childbirth complications. 3
Why do Moslems promote a practice which is clearly so damaging? It is seen as a way of controlling sexual appetites. Since a girl who has undergone mutilation experiences no pleasure in the marital act, she has no reason to seek it; therefore, her virginity is preserved until her wedding night. In other words, Moslem men are willing to risk the lives of young girls for no other reason than to ensure the status of their young brides.

ohh.. as i was just reading this, i can really feel the pain

wanna hear something stupid? in their so-called holy bible for a muslim to die in "jihad" he will be rewarded in heaven with 40 virgins!!! no wonder daghan magpakamatay

really? i also read a couple of articles about moslem books and I just realized, they really give emphasis to libidos.. am not really sure if it's true.. like marrying a lot of women.. marrying a child so young, she can be your grand daughter.. etc.. nad even killing women (honor killing, even if she is with your own blood)why is it like that? What is Mohammed up to?

I just found out all of this when I started reading journals, articles online.. and to think I almost married a Muslim guy... and I dont even know anything about this stuffs..whoah... sooo scary...

but not all moslems are bad.. there are good moslems and they are pretty helpful and nice than some christians.. but there are just a couple of those things that moslem do.. that i cannot udnerstand...

[denis_jay]

but not all moslems are bad.. there are good moslems and they are pretty helpful and nice than some christians.. but there are just a couple of those things that moslem do.. that i cannot udnerstand...

that's true, no matter how open-minded you are there are lots of things that they firmly believe which are too disgusting to accept and understand..

diem, if my statement on the 40 virgins shoudnt be taken verbatim then how should it be understood? metaphor na cya like kadto beast with seven heads? pls enlighten me and the rest of us who dont understand islam as much as u do..the thing about the beast with several heads represent something, what about the 40 virgins what does it represent? pls read ronna's post you cant deny how these things are in accord with inclination to women and abusing or taking advantage of their sexuality.

if jihad is to struggle in the way of God/to struggle to improve one's self or community how could suicide bombers and those who crashed the planes straight at the WTC improve their own selves and the community

[munzter666]

my two cents..
i think the so called "radical islam" or "fundamentalist islam" ang naay problema, coz they are blinded by thier belief about religion. Try living in a radical islam world kay mabuang jd ka..
modern islam has no problem, pero dali ra ni cla ma impluwensyahan sa mga fundamentalists.

not bad. but not just islam.
radical/extremist/fundamentalist/religious absolutism/fanaticism all the same no matter what religion.

*yey! exempted ang walay religion.hahaha wrong! atheism has its share of those sh!theads too.

bottomline, sh!theads exist between both camps. theistic or atheistic in nature.

the crusades.. well, christians kill in the name of God at that time its because christians had the right to defend their territory from the invading enemies which is the moslems..

you never heard of the new age/moder christian terrorism? *does KKK ring any bells? its a christian terrorist network. ever wonder why most black americans in the 60'sand70's convert to islam...ala muhamad ali.hahaha