Is Islam a religion of peace?
Let us start with the aforementioned verse, which has been taken out of context! The version presented above has excluded conditions that, once included, alter the meaning drastically. Here is the whole verse, rather than the shortened version usually presented by Muslim apologists:”We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”
How does this expansive reading affect what would, on the surface, appear to be a humane directive from the Quran? The verse is directed at the children of Israel, the Jews. It is evident that the God of Islam was not addressing Mohamed’s people, nor was He talking to the Arabs or mankind in general. However, what matters here are the two conditions put forth in the verse which, in effect, necessitate killing; manslaughter and corruption or spreading mischief in the land (on earth). In other words, Allah has laid down rules that, if disregarded, amount to sin or corruption in the land. One of Allah’s main rules is to believe in Him and His messenger; therefore, disbelieving is regarded as a major form of corruption. All apostates who reject Islam, and all Muslim women who demand equality with men, are considered to be spreading corruption in the land and must be killed as called upon by the God of Islam.
This is another verse telling us of the penalty that awaits those who corrupt in the land by opposing Allah and his messenger: “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter, theirs will be an awful doom.” (5:33). They are to be killed or crucified or, if fortunate, just have their limbs severed and, as we shall learn from the actions of Mohamed himself, have all their property confiscated and enslave their women and their children.
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There are many verses in the Quran that call for the destruction of non-Muslims and their eternal punishment in hellfire. Here are some examples:
“O Prophet! Wage jihad against the faithless and the hypocrites, and be severe with them...” (9:73)
“O believers, fight the unbelievers around you, and let them realise that you are firm….” (9:123)
“And slay them wherever you come upon them, and expel them from where they expelled you…” (2:191-193)
“Those who are infidels will surely receive severe punishment both in this world and the next….”(3:56)
We also see this clearly in one of Mohamed’s authentic hadiths; "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the
people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's messenger,
and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform that, then they save their lives and property
from me…."
2. Apostasy in Islam is punishable by death (02). This is clearly supported by the following verse which defies Muslim
apologists’ desperate attempts to bring some impression of tolerance in Islam:
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, he will be in the ranks
of those who are losers.”(3:85)
3. A non-Muslim is labelled as unclean: “Believers, the idolaters (all non-Muslims) are unclean. Do not let them approach
the Sacred Mosque after this year.” (9:28)
4. Muslims are to subjugate the world under Islam; “Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and
who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the
religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture…. “ (9:29)
5. Mohamed also said: “I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but
Muslim.” (03)
6. Holy war ‘Jihad’ may be waged to spread Islam; “O believers, fight the unbelievers who are adjacent to you; and let
them find in you harshness…” (9:123) and “O Prophet, urge on the believers to fight….and if there be a hundred
of you, they will overcome a thousand unbelievers…” (8:65)
7. Jihad may be waged to collect spoils; “So consume what you have taken of war booty [as being] lawful and
good…”(8:69)
8. Captive women can be raped and treated as sex - objects; “And [also prohibited to you are all] married women
except those your right hands possess. [This is] the decree of Allah upon you.” (4:24).
9. Prisoners of war during jihad may be executed; “It is not for a prophet to have captives [of war] until he inflicts a
massacre [upon Allah’s enemies] in the land.” (8:67)
One can conclude that all of the so-called peaceful Quranic verses, grasped in their correct context, paint Islam as an oppressive religion; a doctrine concocted to annihilate everything in its path not conforming to its ideology. Besides, Mohamed was never one to show respect for other beliefs, let alone tolerance to anyone who did not accept his own brand of religion.