Top Misconceptions about Islam (Part Two)

Hisham

31 Oct 2017

• ISLAM WAS SPREAD BY THE SWORD.

Reply: Nothing is far from the truth. It was the Islamic traders who served as excellent role models in the spread of Islam.
In the book: “Islam at crossroads”, the author, on page 8, says that this belief is a myth.
Look at the number of Coptic Christians in Egypt. They number 14 million.
Couldn’t the Arabs have wiped them out or forcefully converted them to Islam?
Look at India. In the 1,0000 years that the Muslims ruled over this subcontinent,
every one could have been forcefully converted to Islam. How can you explain that
there are 800 million Hindus and others still in India? Which Muslim army went
to Indonesia and Malaysia to convert them? These people converted by seeing
the good behaviors of the Muslim/Arab traders. Readers’ Digest says that between 1944 and 1984,
a period of 50 years, saw more conversion to Islam in Europe and USA than to any faith. I am asking you,
who went with a sword to convert these people to Islam? It is the sword of the intellect that converts people.

• MUSLIMS ARE FUNDAMENTALISTS.

Reply: What is the definition of the word fundamentalist? The dictionary says anyone who
understands the basics of a discipline is a fundamentalist. Can you call yourself a mathematician
if you can’t understand the fundamentals of mathematics? No! Similarly, to be called a scientist,
you must understand the fundamentals of science. There can be a positive fundamentalist and a
negative fundamentalist. A thief/robber who is an expert at the fundamentals of robbing is bad;
but a doctor who knows the fundamentals of healing is good. I submit that no fundamentals of Islam
are against humanity. How can you be a good Muslim if you do not understand the fundamentals of Islam?
How can you practice Islam? According to the Webster’s dictionary, the word fundamentalist was first used on Christians;
however, the new Oxford dictionary lists Muslims as fundamentalists.

Every Muslim should understand the fundamentals of Islam, and should be a fundamentalist.
I am proud to call myself a ‘Muslim Fundamentalist’. I submit that every Muslim should be a terrorist.
Just as the policeman strikes terror in the heart of the thief, so should every Muslim strike terror in the heart of the thief,
the rapist and other anti-social elements!

The word fundamentalist is open to wide interpretation, just like the word freedom fighter. In olden days,
the British would label those Indians fighting for India’s freedom as terrorists; while for the Indians, these were freedom fighters.

• MUSLIMS ARE RUTHLESS NON-VEGETARIAN PEOPLE.

Reply: God has granted Muslims the choice to be vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. He has ordained in the holy book that everything that he has created in this world is for the enjoyment /pleasure of man (with certain restrictions and limits). It is ok for a Muslim to be a vegetarian by choice; it is also ok for him to be a non-vegetarian by choice.

Science tells us that animal flesh is a complete protein food. It is easier to digest than the vegetarian food.
If you look at the teeth of carnivorous animals like a tiger or a lion they are sharp and pointed, designed to tear flesh. The tiger and lion can eat only flesh; they cannot digest leaves and grass. On the other hand, the teeth of herbivorous animals like the cow and camel are flat. Designed to chew grass and leaves. These herbivorous animals can’t digest flesh. But if you examine the teeth of human beings, they are both canine i.e. sharp and pointed, as well as flat. Therefore human beings can chew both vegetarian foods as well as non-vegetarian foods. Humans can digest plant foods as well as flesh. This ability to enjoy and digest both vegetarian, as well as non-vegetarian food, is a gift of God to humans.

If no one eats meat the number of cattle will be uncontrollable. It will be a big problem
about how to dispose of them.

Check what you've missed in Part I