‘Moderate’ Islam no longer exists as a world force

The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam—Barack Hussein Obama

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

CHULA VISTA, California — When we look at the violence that is taking place throughout the cities of Europe, it is clear that Jihadist Islam (a.k.a. Radical Islam) is no longer an aberration. When someone asked the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan what he thought of Moderate Islam, he sneered, “There is no such thing as Moderate Islam—only Islam.”

He’s correct. All you have to do is look at what is happening in Paris today. Muslim thugs are attempting to burn Paris to the ground. In Paris, Berlin, Rome, New York, Los Angeles, and wherever, we are no longer hearing, “Death to all Zionists!” We are now hearing, “Death to the  Jews!”

Does this sound vaguely familiar?

While many of us would much rather consider global warming as the most pressing issue of our day (I am not necessarily taking umbrage with this issue, I drive a hybrid!), many of us living in the West do not believe that Islam is at war with Western Civilization.

Unfortunately, nothing can be further from the truth. A Chaldean Christian friend of mine complained how the Chaldean Christian community in Iraq is being threatened either with the infamous Muslim poll tax, conversion, or death if they refuse.

When Erdogan boldly said, “There is no such thing as Moderate Islam—only Islam,” his comment unnerved me to my core. For many years and decades, I have been involved in creating Islamic-Jewish-Christian interfaith groups and dialogue around the country. I have met many fine Muslims and Imams who shared a mutual respect for one another’s religion.

But after watching how Jihadist Islam is behaving throughout the world, I must say Erdogan is right—there is no such thing as Moderate Islam. Clearly, the radicals have commandeered Islam and there is nobody on the horizon within the Muslim communities around the world who is going to challenge the religious crazies and cultists that claim to be the “authentic Muslims.”

While I still believe that such dialogue is important as it is necessary, I fear that the progressive voices within the Muslim community are becoming increasingly marginalized by the vast majority of Muslims around the world who are determined to reinstate the caliphate and created a theocratic state based upon Sharia Law.

For the record, I oppose all theocracies; they are a relic of a past and decadent age when rabbinical, ecclesiastical, and Islamic religious leaders exploited the masses and led their followers to endless wars of genocide and destruction.

In Jewish tradition, we are observing the period known as the “Three Weeks” culminating in the Ninth of Ab, the day when the First and Second Temple were destroyed (as well as other sundry historical events). Our ancestors in the Second Temple believed that Rome was the personification of the Evil and Satanic Empire. Apocalyptic imagery contributed to the demise of the Jewish Commonwealth. Judaism might have disappeared altogether had it not been for moderates like Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, who showed a willingness to live in peace with the Romans.

Medieval Christianity had plenty of blood on its hands. Its internecine wars between the Catholics and the Protestants are a grim reminder of how the followers of the same religious founder, Jesus, are capable of creating unlimited mayhem and destruction—all in his name!

Hindu Kush means the “Hindu Slaughter.”  In the year 1398, Timur Khan  moved across the Yamuna River in India and captured it. He put over 100,000 captives to death. Indian historians speak of Muslim genocides resulting the deaths of nearly 100,000,000 Hindus, Buddhists, and Jainists over an 800 year period. I believe these numbers are very conservative.

Just imagine how many people the Jihadists could kill if they had nuclear bombs? Timur Khan would be envious of today’s high-tech Jihadist.

The American historian Will Durant (1885-1981)  would like the West to learn from India, tolerance and gentleness and love for all living things.

He says in the book The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage page 459:

•  …the Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without and multiplying from within.” Almost all the Muslims of South Asia are descendants of weaker elements of the population who had succumbed to forcible Islamic conversion.

• “The Mohammedan conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history”. The Islamic historians and scholars have recorded with great glee and pride of the slaughters of Hindus, forced conversions, abduction of  Hindu women and children to slave markets and the destruction of temples carried out by the warriors of Islam during 800 AD to 1700 AD.  Millions of Hindus were converted to Islam by sword during this period. “

• “The growth of Buddhism and monasticism in the first year of our common era sapped the manhood of India, and conspired with political division to leave India open to easy conquest. When the Arabs came, pledged to spread a simple and stoic monotheism, they looked with scorn upon the lazy, venal, miracle-mongering Buddhist monks, they smashed the monasteries, killed thousands of monks, and made monasticism unpopular with the cautious. The survivors were re-absorbed into the Hinduism that had begotten them; and eased the return of the prodigal by proclaiming Buddha a god.”

Some Islamic apologists among the West, may protest and accuse Durant—or anyone who has a dim view of Islamic military history as an “Islamophobe” may want to listen to the testimonies

As the learned and contemporary Muslim historian and Islamic jurist (Pakistan) Qazi Mughis-ud-din declared, in accordance with the teachings of the books on Canon Law:

• The Hindus are designated in the Law as ‘payers of tribute’ (kharaj-guzar); and when the revenue officer demands silver from them, they should, without question and with all humility and respect, tender gold. If the officer throws dirt into their mouths, they must without reluctance open their mouths wide to receive it. By these acts of degradation are shown the extreme obedience of the zimmi [dhimmi], the glorification of the true faith of Islam, and the abasement of false faiths. God himself orders them to be humiliated , (as He says, ‘till they pay jaziya) with the hand and are humbled…The Prophet has commanded us to slay them, plunder them, and make them captive…No other religious authority except the great Imam (Hanifa) whose faith we follow, has sanctioned the imposition of jaziya on Hindus.

One of the most articulate spokespersons of Radical Islam is Ayatollah Khomeini. Unlike many of the Muslim apologists appearing in three-piece Armani suits, Khomeini was a real primitive and savage. His picture is on display everywhere throughout Iran. He symbolizes their vision—of a Shiite caliphate. Khomeini was an honest man—we owe him a debt of gratitude for being so direct.

• Islam makes it incumbent on all adult males, provided they are not disabled and incapacitated, to prepare themselves for the conquest of [other] countries so that the writ of Islam is obeyed in every country in the world. But those who study Islamic Holy War will understand why Islam wants to conquer the whole w o r l d . . . . Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war. Those [who say this] are witless.

• Islam says: Kill all the unbelievers just as they would kill you all! Does this mean that Muslims should sit back until they are devoured by [the unbelievers]?  Islam says: Kill them [the non-Muslims], put them to the sword and scatter [their armies]. Does this mean sitting back until [non-Muslims] overcome us? Islam says: Kill in the service of Allah those who may want to kill you! Does this mean that we should surrender to the enemy?

•  Islam says: Whatever good there is exists thanks to the sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot be made obedient except with the sword! The sword is the key to Paradise, which can be opened only for Holy Warriors! There are hundreds of other [Koranic] psalms and Hadiths [sayings of the Prophet] urging Muslims to value war and to fight. Does all that mean that Islam is a religion that prevents men from waging war? I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a claim.[1]

Incidentally, Mohamed Elibiary is a senior member of President Obama’s DHS advisory team and he is an admirer of Ayatollah Khomeini and a believer in the Muslim caliphate. This only goes to prove that the inmates are controlling the insane asylum—America, it is time to wake up to the Jihadist threat that is in our midst.[2]

While the Shiite and Sunni ISIS are fighting it out to see who will be King Jihadist Muslim Supreme, make no mistake about it.

Jihadism is the greatest danger the world has ever seen. If we fail to learn from history, then we will, as Santayana prophesied, be condemned to repeat it.

Notes:

[1] Ibn Waraq, Why I am not a Muslim (New York: Prometheus Books, 1995), pp. 12-13.

[2] http://pamelageller.com/2014/06/obamas-dhs-senior-dhs-adviser-mohamed-elibiary-inevitable-caliphate-returns.html/

 

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Rabbi Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom.  He may be contacted via michael.samuel@sdjewishworld.com