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From: heddaya@harvard.ARPA ( Solom)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Islam (long but informative)
Message-ID: <265@harvard.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 20-Jul-85 15:56:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: harvard.265
Posted: Sat Jul 20 15:56:42 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jul-85 03:52:37 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Aiken Computation Laboratory, Harvard
Lines: 147
<>
In the heat of the discussion of the Lebanon hostage crisis, several
accusations were directed to Islam as a whole. Being a muslem, I would like
to respond to one of these accusations. Maybe my response will help those who
want to better understand Muslems and Islam.
Mr. Joaquim Martillo (martillo@mit-athena.UUCP) charges that:
> Muslims as a matter of religious faith and practise consider themselves
> obligated to humiliate and degrade non-Muslims.
Imagine my surprise at reading that after all what I have been taught of my
religion (Islam) at home, at school, and at the mosque. I was taught that
Islam is the religion of tolerance, that violence can only be condoned in
self-defense, and even then, God (=Allah in arabic) loves and rewards those
who forgive.
The rules given by the Koran (our holy book) and Sunna (prophet Mohammad's
sayings and actions) regarding treating non-muslems under muslem jurisdiction
are very clear and unambiguous: they should be allowed to worship freely;
their properties and religious structures are to remain untouched; but they
should pay a tax (called "Jiziah" in arabic) which is almost equivalent to the
tax paid by muslems ("Zakah"). The two standard principles in Islamic Law
("shari'a") that define the relation with non-muslems are:
1) Let them do what they believe in. (literal translation of the arabic
"etrukohom wa ma yadeenoon")
2) For them what is for us, and from them what is from us. ("lahom ma lana,
wa alayhom ma alayna")
Applying these principles, non-muslems are allowed to have their own laws in
marriage, divorce, and the like. What they don't get to choose, though--and
have to follow Muslem law in--is the penal code (for crimes) and the laws
governing financial transactions.
The prophet Muhammad said:
* Protect my [contract with non-muslems]. (Muslem law defines the relation
with non-muslems as a social contract)
* Whoever is unfair to a [non-muslem], or [taxes] him more than he can
afford, then I will [argue against him on the day of judgement].
Moreover, Islam grants a special status to Christians and Jews (people of the
book), because Islam recognizes and acknowledges both religions as valid in
their own times and places. You must see how highly the Koran speaks of
Jesus and Moses to understand that no devout muslem is going to hurt a
christian or jew just because of the latter's belief. And if he does, then
he is simply violating the teachings of Islam as it stands documented.
Please, don't prematurely judge a major religion of the world, which is also
associated with a major civilization. Also, observe that political groups
who are labeled as Muslem do not always operate in the name of Islam, or even
under its teachings.
The Barbaric Islam, as Mr. Martillo prefers to call it, has maintained and
developed the contributions of the ancient egyptian, greek, and persian
civilizations while Europe was in the dark ages!
Abdelsalam Heddaya
Arpa: heddaya@harvard.arpa
Internet: heddaya@harvard.HARVARD.EDU
UUCP: {seismo,ihnp4,...}!harvard!heddaya
Received: by harvard.ARPA; Fri, 19 Jul 85 18:38:54 EDT
From: heddaya (A. Heddaya - Solom)
To: amr%gvax@cornell.arpa, sweillam@washington.arpa, sab@washington.arpa,
aff%duke.CSNET@csnet-relay.ARPA,
zaky-a%osu-20%ohio-state.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa,
hegazy-w%osu-20%ohio-state.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa,
gheith-a%osu-20%ohio-state.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa, khaled@cit-sys.arpa,
alberta!ahmed, shafei@mit-athena, ehrady@mit-athena.arpa,
heddaya@harvard.arpa, alberta!rashad
Subject: Re: Islam (defense)
Salam,
Here's my actual posting. I did modify it based on the
comments I got. You should be able to find it on net.politics within
a couple of days. \Solom
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Islam (long but informative)
Bcc: heddaya
In the heat of the discussion of the Lebanon hostage crisis, several
accusations were directed to Islam as a whole. Being a muslem, I would like
to respond to one of these accusations. Maybe my response will help those who
want to better understand Muslems and Islam.
Mr. Joaquim Martillo (martillo@mit-athena.UUCP) charges that:
> Muslims as a matter of religious faith and practise consider themselves
> obligated to humiliate and degrade non-Muslims.
Imagine my surprise at reading that after all what I have been taught of my
religion (Islam) at home, at school, and at the mosque. I was taught that
Islam is the religion of tolerance, that violence can only be condoned in
self-defense, and even then, God (=Allah in arabic) loves and rewards those
who forgive.
The rules given by the Koran (our holy book) and Sunna (prophet Mohammad's
sayings and actions) regarding treating non-muslems under muslem jurisdiction
are very clear and unambiguous: they should be allowed to worship freely;
their properties and religious structures are to remain untouched; but they
should pay a tax (called "Jiziah" in arabic) which is almost equivalent to the
tax paid by muslems ("Zakah"). The two standard principles in Islamic Law
("shari'a") that define the relation with non-muslems are:
1) Let them do what they believe in. (literal translation of the arabic
"etrukohom wa ma yadeenoon")
2) For them what is for us, and from them what is from us. ("lahom ma lana,
wa alayhom ma alayna")
Applying these principles, non-muslems are allowed to have their own laws in
marriage, divorce, and the like. What they don't get to choose, though--and
have to follow Muslem law in--is the penal code (for crimes) and the laws
governing financial transactions.
The prophet Muhammad said:
* Protect my [contract with non-muslems]. (Muslem law defines the relation
with non-muslems as a social contract)
* Whoever is unfair to a [non-muslem], or [taxes] him more than he can
afford, then I will [argue against him on the day of judgement].
Moreover, Islam grants a special status to Christians and Jews (people of the
book), because Islam recognizes and acknowledges both religions as valid in
their own times and places. You must see how highly the Koran speaks of
Jesus and Moses to understand that no devout muslem is going to hurt a
christian or jew just because of the latter's belief. And if he does, then
he is simply violating the teachings of Islam as it stands documented.
Please, don't prematurely judge a major religion of the world, which is also
associated with a major civilization. Also, observe that political groups
who are labeled as Muslem do not always operate in the name of Islam, or even
under its teachings.
The Barbaric Islam, as Mr. Martillo prefers to call it, has maintained and
developed the contributions of the ancient egyptian, greek, and persian
civilizations while Europe was in the dark ages!
Abdelsalam Heddaya
Arpa: heddaya@harvard.arpa
Internet: heddaya@harvard.HARVARD.EDU
UUCP: {seismo,ihnp4,...}!harvard!heddaya