Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site harvard.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!heddaya 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