16. MUSLIM BEHAVIOUR AS NUMBERS GROW

Islam is not just a religion nor is it a cult. It is a complete system. It is an all-encompassing totalitarian system. Once you are in an Islamic state, you can never ever see the light of freedom. Your children or grandchildren will also not see freedom. Fascism has ended. Communism saw its end. All great dictators ultimately fail to continue rule by iron hand resulting in emancipation of its subjects. You can expect freedom sometime in any autocratic society. There will certainly be an end to all autocracy one day.  Not so in Islam. Islam is a perpetual dictatorship. Nobody can escape from its clutch. Muslims are creator and victim of Islamic system but non-Muslims are the real sufferers who lose even self-esteem.

One need not feel happy that we are not living in an Islamic country. That may be true. But the reprieve is for time being only. Islam is ever expanding system and it is going to take over our land and our people in a century or two. We may remain a freeman today but our children or grandchildren may not be remaining free in time to come.

Islam has religious, legal, political, economic and military components. The religious component is a mask for all the other components. Initially Islam presents itself only as a religious group with a right to preach. Nothing appears wrong. As long as Muslim population is about 1%, Muslims are considered peace loving community. Their only demand will be right to prayer, right to wear religious symbols like Hizab for women or skull cap for men. They will remain politely segregated and would not participate in the affairs of the country or society. General population may not notice them and would not consider them a threat. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colourful uniqueness. Some of the countries are listed here which has about 1-2 % Muslim population.

United States -- Muslim 1.0%

Australia -- Muslim 1.5%

Canada -- Muslim 1.9%

China -- Muslim 1%-2%

Italy -- Muslim 1.5%

Norway -- Muslim 1.8%

At this time, politically correct and culturally diverse societies agree to 'the reasonable' Muslim demands for their religious rights, but Muslims also get the other components under the table. Muslims will start Islamic schools at home (Madrasa) and start showering young generation with Islamic intolerance to other religion and Taqiyya i.e. pretentious behaviour of tolerance when in minority or in distress. These teachings itself motivates young Muslim boys and girls to join militant groups in their country of adoption or in native Muslim country.

As the population grows restlessness grows. At 2% and 3% Muslims begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. It has already began in the following countries. 

Denmark -- Muslim 2%

Germany -- Muslim 3.7%

United Kingdom -- Muslim 2.7%

Spain -- Muslim 4%

Thailand -- Muslim 4.6%

From about 5% on they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. They will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply. At this time Muslims will start living in exclusive ghettos where non- Muslims will fear to tread. Crime in and around these ghettoes will increase. Especially crime against women will shoot up. In fact Muslims figure disproportionately in crimes in general and sexual assault to women in particular. Muslims particularly attack women from other religious groups. One need not give any example for these. Name of the countries where Muslim population is more than 5% will suffice.

France -- Muslim 8%

Philippines -- Muslim 5%

Sweden -- Muslim 5%

Switzerland -- Muslim 4.3%

The Netherlands -- Muslim 5.5%

Trinidad &Tobago -- Muslim 5.8%

When Muslims reach 10% of the population, lawlessness will increase. Muslims as a group try to assert and demand Sharia (Islamic law) for them. Muslim really has no respect for rule of their adopted country. They will press for Sharia. They will continually try to improve their combined status by resorting to violent agitation (Paris --car-burning). Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings and threats (Amsterdam - Mohammed cartoons). Any country will find it tough to handle Muslim minority once they reach 10%. Appeasement of Muslims is not only India’s political compulsion; it is followed by all democratic countries.

Guyana -- Muslim 10%

India -- Muslim 13.4%

Israel -- Muslim 16%

Kenya -- Muslim 10%

Russia -- Muslim 10-15%

It becomes impossible when Muslim population reach 20%. One can expect riots, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and burning of other religious places. Partition of India may be remembered. Innocent Hindus and Sikhs were massacred in Muslim dominated West Pakistan. It could be controlled only by reverse violence in India. British Indian army totally failed as they were not equipped to handle entire Muslim population. Boko Haram, a jihadi group, is carrying out genocide of Christian population in Ethiopia. Boko Haram is also attacking and killing people from neighbouring countries. Please remember first modern day genocide. It was not Hitler. It was carried out by Turkish state with the help of Muslim population. Two million Armenian Christians were killed in matter of days.

India (Pre-partition) -- Muslim 25%

Ethiopia -- Muslim 32.8%

At 40% you will find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and militia warfare:

Bosnia -- Muslim 40%

Chad -- Muslim 53.1%

Lebanon -- Muslim 59.7%

From 50% onward non-Muslim have no chance?  50% will soon become 60% and 60% will become 70% and so on and so forth. Finally it will be 100% Muslim country. The transition from 50% to 100% is very painful. Persecution of non-believers takes many forms. Use of Sharia law, especially blasphemy rule create fear of life in the heart of every non- Muslim. Any Muslim can put any non-Muslim behind bar and put to gallows. Muslims have unlimited right to abduct infidel women. Sexual assaults of women from other religion go unpunished.  Jizya, the tax placed on infidels breaks the non-believers economically. Sharia, blasphemy law, Jiziya will be complimented by ethnic cleansing by state with support from entire Muslim population. Slowly non-believers vanish and Muslim country becomes 100% Muslim.

Albania -- Muslim 70%

Malaysia -- Muslim 60.4%

Qatar -- Muslim 77.5%

Sudan -- Muslim 70%

After 80% expect State run ethnic cleansing and genocide:

Bangladesh -- Muslim 89%

Egypt -- Muslim 90%

Gaza -- Muslim 98.7%

Indonesia -- Muslim 86.1%

Iran -- Muslim 98%

Iraq -- Muslim 97%

Jordan -- Muslim 92%

Morocco -- Muslim 98.7%

Pakistan -- Muslim 97%

Syria -- Muslim 90%

Tajikistan -- Muslim 90%

Turkey -- Muslim 99.8%

United Arab Emirates -- Muslim 96%

100% Muslim population with Sharia rule will usher the peace of “Dar-al-Islam” -- the Islamic House of Peace – as Quran suggests there will be peace because everybody is a Muslim:

Afghanistan -- Muslim 100%

Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100%

Somalia -- Muslim 100%

Yemen -- Muslim 99.9%

Palestine -- Muslim 99%

Of course, it does not happen. There are different variants of Islam and each of them consider only they are correct and therefore, all others are non-believers. So the violence continues. As long as Islam exists, differences will remain and blood will flow. Afghanistan, Middle East, Palestine, Ethiopia and Yemen are good examples.

'Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the other tribe and all of us against the infidel. - Leon Uris.

Islam converts its followers into robots whose every action is determined by 6^th century practices which are codified in Quran. Muslims cannot understand freedom of thought, freedom of expression and democracy. Muslims feel pride in killing. In fact, a Muslim is called Gazi when he kills a non-believer as he is called Hazi when he performs Haz. But still Muslims are the ultimate sufferer of Islamic tenets. When a human being stops thinking and follows a book written in 6^th century to the letter, they are no longer human. All of us should feel pity for Muslims and try to educate them to emancipation.

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15. Conversion to Islam

As per Islamic history, Mohammed received his first message from God in the year 610 AD. He started preaching Islam in Mecca in the year 613 A.D., three years after 1st message. Next nine years he strived to convince Meccans and other Arab tribes to accept Islam by reasoning and his conviction. But very few persons adopted Islam. Even Abu Talib, his uncle and leader of Banu Hashim tribe who gave safety protection to Mohammed did not convert to Islam. Death of Abu Talib  and accession of Abu Lahab to the position of leader of the Banu Hashim tribe in 619 A.D put Mohammed in unenviable condition. Abu Lahab was sworn enemy of Mohammed. He withdrew safety cover of Mohammed. So Mohammed was in physical danger for his life. He decided to shift to a safer place. A small Muslim community invited Mohammed to Medina. Mohammed first asked all Meccan Muslims to go to Medina. Then Mohammed also left Mecca under cover of night with Abu Bakr in the year 622 A.D. In Medina, newly arrived Muslims had no profession. They had no property. They had only support of a small group of Medinan Muslims. Mohammed was forced to start looting of Meccan caravans. He succeeded. Meccan attempts to defeat Mohammed did not bear fruit. Rather success after success brought prestige to the fledgling Muslim community. He also started attacking other tribes and Jewish settlements for reward and propagation of Islam. Some people joined Muslim fraternity for physical benefit and some were forced to convert after defeat. Mohammed realised what reasoning could not do, double application of force and reward in this life and promising heaven for believers who fight for Islam while hellfire for non-believers in afterlife, can achieve. Mohammed had started walking on the path of violence and never looked back.

Islam was propagated by strength of sword.

In the history of mankind, Islam came as a change. The new religion was violent in nature. Never before, force was openly recommended for religious conversion.  Never before, a religious man (Prophet Mohammed) led a band of armed men to loot and plunder. Never before a prophet ordered execution of unarmed opponents after defeating and capturing them. Never before a prophet joined ranks in raping women from a conquered community. Mohammed not only led from front, he took share of the loot, order execution of defeated men and personally rape women who lost their husbands or parents hours before. Buddha to Jesus did not preach or practice violence. They preached peace, non-violence and opposed greed and lust for others property or women. Islam is just the opposite.

Mohammed could manage only handful of followers during first nine years of self-declared prophet hood in Mecca where he used to preach Islam through reasoning and conviction. Meccan people did not like even that. Mohammed and his handful of followers had to leave Mecca in 622 AD for Medina. Mohammed and the early Muslims did not have any source of income in Medina. They took up looting of caravans passing through Medina. Local tribes started joining the band for material benefits. Mohammed’s band became powerful and waged war on other tribes residing in and around. Muslims under Mohammed managed to win most of these encounters and resorted to looting, killing and enslavement. Some were allowed to convert and join.  In next ten years Mohammed became a feared person with several thousand followers. So when Mohammed returned Mecca with ten thousand jihadis, the city surrendered without a fight.  He converted all in Mecca as an option to avoid death except those whom he thought could be his competitors. This was the beginning. Very quickly Arabian Peninsula was conquered and converted. Any resistance was crushed brutally. Men were slaughtered and women and children were enslaved. Only alternative was acceptance of Islam. Of course, it was not difficult for Arabs to convert as Islam is truly a religion meant for Arab. Quran is written in Arabic. Kaba in Mecca is centre of the Islamic faith like it was certre of earlier pagan faiths of Arabia. All social practices in 6^th century Arab were adopted including practice of slavery. Some social practices of Arabs were moderated. Number of wives that a Muslim man can keep was limited to four though Mohammed himself had eleven at one time (with God’s approval of course). But basic concept of violence of the then Arabic society was retained. Violence was however diverted to opponents. A Muslim can attack and kill, loot and enslave a Non- Muslim. In the process if he dies, he is awarded virgin Houries by God in heaven. If he wins earthly women of the defeated community are his property along with everything that they possessed. Arabia got united under the banner of Islam. United Arab used its full force on the neighbouring societies, communities and nations. After death of Mohammed, Muslim army, mainly Arabs spread out under the leadership of caliphs. Within 100 years Muslim forces captured Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, Sicily, Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal) and border regions of India and China. Occupation followed by loot, mass killing, enslavement and conversion. All these regions are Muslim today. Islam also encouraged adoption of Arab language. Together with encouragement of Arabic, victors (Arabs) settling down in conquered land, most of the region also undergone Arabization.  Egypt, Palestein and North African countries are Arab today. Ancient people had simply vanished. Iran and Turkey adopted Islam but maintained their identity. Only Sicily & Iberian Peninsula could avoid conversion by reverse application of force. Christian forces liberated Sicily and Iberian Peninsula from Muslim occupation.

Islam made a unique combination of state and religion. In the beginning, Mohammed and initial Caliphs had absolute authority of both state and religion. Slowly Muslim state became too large to govern resulting in independent kingdoms. However, all Muslim states used to accept the supreme authority of Caliphs. Though influence of Caliph reduced over time, no Muslim ruler could function without influence of some or other Muslim religious men. These religious men followed path shown by Mohammed and considered looting, killing and raping persons of different faith are in order. Conversion by force thereafter became an accepted norm for Islam. They would guide rulers to kill, maim or torture men and rape women to press conversion. These men of religion were demons to non-Muslims. They were revered by Muslims for they bestowed riches earned from loot of others. Many Dargas of Sufi saints are frequented by Hindus who do not know that their ancestors were mercilessly tortured, killed or converted at the instance of the same person.

Sultan of Kashmir forcibly converted Hindus to Islam and massacred on refusal, writes Hasan, a Muslim chronicler. Sultan was praised as Gaji for he had slain thousands of idolaters. Hasan further observes, "And Sikandarpora (a city laid out by Sultan Sikandar) was laid out on the debris of the destroyed temples of the Hindus. In the neighbourhood of the royal palaces in Sikandarpora, the Sultan destroyed the temples of Maha-Shri built by Praversena and another by Tarapada. The material from these was used for constructing a 'Jami' mosque in the middle of the city."

Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti and his forty disciples settled down in Ajmer. This city was completely alien to Islam; no Muslims lived within the city. Raj Prithviraj was the local king. He not only permitted establishment of khanqah by Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti but also allowed preaching. Very soon Khwaja changed the entire civic atmosphere.  The locals were attracted by his magic. They flocked to him for miracles. He started conversion. King opposed and warned him. Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti then invited Sultan Shahabuddin, and instructed him to capture the raja alive and his kingdom taken over. The raja was defeated and captured alive and brought to Khwaja who ordered him executed. 

Shah Jalal journeyed eastward and reached India in 1300. In Ajmer, he met the Sufi mystic Kwaja Moinuddin Chisty. He also met with NizamUddin Awlia (1236-1325), a prominent Sufi, in Delhi. Nizamuddin requested him to go to Sylhet to rescue Sheikh Burhanuddin. The Sheikh had a handful of Muslims living in the kingdom of a Hindu King, Gaur Govindha. He secretly slaughtered a cow to perform his son's christening. It is said that a crow carried a piece of meat and dropped it in the king's yard. The enraged king ordered killing of the Sheikh's son and the Sheikh himself was imprisoned.

Shah Jalal reached Sylhet with 360 followers. Knowing that Shah Jalal was advancing toward Sylhet, the king removed all ferry boats from the river Surma. Muslim forces were defeated by the king twice earlier. But in this third battle king was defeated by the force led by Shah Jalal with local help. Poet Hazrat Amir Khosru wrote that warrior-disciples of Shah Jalal had no means of subsistence, except the booty. They used to attack, kill and loot unsuspecting villagers to sustain themselves.  In fact, reference to his having made “a portion for everybody” suggests that sort of behavior befitting a tribal chieftain. Shah Jalal and his cohorts settled down by marrying local women subsequently. Local women might be those who were captured or looted.

Conversion by fraud

Islam also adopted fraud as a means of conversion. Islam says if the intent is right then deceit in the process to achieve the intent is justified. Conversion in the eyes of Islam is right intent. Therefore all kind of fraud is allowed. In 2014, a group of Christians in an Indonesian island were offered food in lieu of stating something in Arabic. After meal, they were told that they are all converted. These Christians lodged a case of fraud against the perpetrators in a religious court. Verdict is only one. As per Muslim law stating Sahada completes conversion. Once converted, nobody can renounce Islam as that will be apostasy, punishable by death. If it can happen in 21^st century, why it could not happened in preceding centuries.

Pir Ali Khan, governor of Jessore in Bengal, asked Purusottam Thakur his courtesan whether smelling of food is considered half eating in Hindu Shashtra. When Purusottam Thakur replied in affirmative (GranenongArdhabhojonam),  Pir Ali ordered to bring cooked beef and forced him and his brother to smell it. Then Pir Ali told them that now you have taken beef and lost your Brahmin status. Both brothers were then converted by force. Other brothers of Purushottam Thakur fled fearing conversion. Descendants of this Hindu branch of the family were known as Pirali Brahmin and had a low status. Rabindranath Thakur was the most well-known Pirali Brahmin.

A group of Brahmin in the west coast were tricked into believing that Mohammed is Kalki Avatar, the last incarnation of Vishnu, which is predicted in Vishnu-puran and that Islam is actually new Vaishnavism. The entire community converted.

Once Mohammed tried to convert one Arabian tribe who had already embraced Christianity. He reasoned with them in a meeting. No agreement could be reached on first day. The second day Mohammed came back with a story of a dream where God has ordained him to inform the community leaders that they ought to convert. Community leaders converted.

Sufi saint Allauddin visited court of Arakan king. He was offered a glass of poisonous drink. He drank the entire content. Nothing happened. Entire court got converted seeing the miracle. It is so easy to understand that Allauddin could manipulate somebody in court to replace the poison. This single magic is said to be the reason of conversion of nobility of Arakan state. Similar stories are many in history of rural Bengal.

Constant persecution

Third and by far the strongest reason for conversion was constant persecution of non-Muslim in Muslim occupied land. Mohammed advised tolerance to the people of books, meaning Christians and Jews. These people were allowed to practice their religion in Muslim land. But they had to live in subjugation and without any outward show of affluence. In addition they must pay a punishing tax, called Jijiya. After conquering South Asia, Hindus were also treated as people from books and were tolerated in lieu of Jijiya tax for protection. In addition Hindus were to also pay pilgrimage tax in India. These taxes were a constant financial burden to all non-Muslims. Non-Muslims also could not give witness against any Muslim. They could not show any kind of opulence, build any conspicuous structure, gather in large number or show any religious symbol. Further, any Muslim could anytime usurp all property and loot the women of the house of Hindus. This was an unbearable pressure and continued for generations. Some people embraced conversion to escape persecution. Even today, a Muslim can forcibly take away a non-Muslim girl, convert her and marry in Pakistan or Bangladesh or in any Muslim country.

There were some Incentives to become a convert. Only Muslims were appointed to higher posts. Muslims were granted free land to farm. Muslims were also entitled for assistances from state or Muslim Waqf body which is a trust for and by Muslims under ruler’s supervision.

Apart from getting freedom from persecution a new convert is presented with favours from court and society. It has resulted in many conversions.

Lure of sex

Role of sex in propagation of Islam is less appreciated. Islam promotes male domination and considering that it is a religion conceptualised in sixth century it is hardly surprising. But the extent of male domination is such that Islam attracted criminality. Mohammed solemnized his marriage with Ayesha when she was six years old and consummated when she was barely nine years old. He had eleven wives at one time and all other Muslims are allowed four at a time. Furthermore, Muslims are allowed to have sex with slave girls whom they capture in battle or purchase from market.  These sex slaves are not counted as wives. Mohammed had several over and above platoon of wives. He had a son from one such slave woman. No religion will permit such acts. Islam does. Therefore we find, Boko Haram, a fundamentalist organisation of Nigeria captured 250 girls from a residential school in June, 2014 and declared their intention of using them as sex slaves or selling them to sex trade. They claim that they are following Islamic tradition. Today, people get converted for marrying second time when divorce from the first is not coming, since Islam allows four marriages. It is easy to visualize that conversion to Islam could be easy way out in the past also to regularise unlawful possession of married woman. Mohammed set an example by taking lead to rape conquered women, sometime within a few hours of slaying their husbands and children. May be this type of moral turpitude was not uncommon among men of sixth century. But such acts were not given religious sanction anywhere. Certainly holy men did not indulge in such heinous acts.

Moreover Islam talks of Houries in the after world. If a Muslim dies in the act of holy war he becomes a martyr and goes straight to Heaven. There he is served by beautiful virgin women. These women regain virginity every morning to give pleasure to Muslim men everyday in afterlife. So Islam promises you sex all the way. If you win you capture women and if you die God sanctions you virgin houries. Lure of sex makes Islam a different religion.

Concept of equality

Islam is also very attractive because of its concept of equality of all men. From time immemorial all great men tried to bring equality. Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Jainism also preach equality of all men. Hindus were attracted to Buddhism and Jainism due to equality in the early years of the 1^st millennium. But they reconverted back to Hinduism by seventh century to reap the benefits of caste system. Caste system is based on social position and livelihood and helped people to get identity and occupation. All could practice their specific trade without fear.

Equality in Islam is false equality. Muslim and non-Muslim are not considered equal. Man and Woman are not equal in Islamic view. Also there is inequality among Muslim men. There is Ashraf and Ajlaaf. Indian Muslims of foreign descents are considered superior and are known as Ashraf. Among Ashrafs Syeds are at the top. Syeds are supposed to be descendant of Mohammed from Fatima. Then come Sheiks who are of Arab descent. It follows by Turks, Pathans, Mugals and Upper caste Hindu converts.  Ajraaf are converted Muslims from artisan castes of Indian origin. Of course there are Dalit Muslim too. Arzaals do scavenger job among Muslims. Muslims consider that Arabic is the chosen language of God. Therefore an Arab Muslim is definitely more equal than others. Anybody who loves his mother tongue will hate to accept such position. Different sects of Islam also consider other sects as non-Muslim and heretics, killing the spirit of equality.

However, equality of Islam was projected to attract low castes converts in India.  It now cannot be denied that equality of all men in Islam attracted many followers. Bengali farmers were possibly attracted due to the spirit of equality. Similarly low castes of Hindu population converted to Islam everywhere in India. However their social position did not change after conversion. They are now categorised as Ajlaf/Arzal in addition to their Hindu caste.

The concept of equality in Islam, however, was absorbed in Hinduism and propagated through great saints of Bhakti movement. Guru Nanak, Kabir, Haridas, Chaitanya, Rahim, Surdas to name a few preached equality of all beings. During British period also Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj preached equality of all men and women. Great Bengali poet Badu Chandidas declared supremacy of  humanity alone.

Breeding

Islam is also propagated and now getting propagated by simple high rate of breeding. Islam does not believe in family planning. It encourages more children. Actually Islam treats women as object of pleasure and child bearing machine. The idea was required to supply large number of men to fight wars in sixth century. Today, uncontrolled population explosion may be suicidal for a country with limited means. But it can change demographic proportion of a mixed country. High rate of breeding can make Muslim from less than forty per cent to majority in one generation. In a country like India population war is under progress which can be won in a century or two. Muslim cleric promotes breeding. They know that growth of twentieth century Islam is by breeding.

In 1872 Bengal had 52% Hindu but in 1947 Muslims constituted a majority of 53%. Today Bengali speaking population of the world is about 300 million, 70% of Muslim faith. This population gain is not by conversion. It is by breeding. It is also being helped by educated Hindus who have adopted single child family.

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14. CONVERSION FROM ISLAM IS APOSTASY

A Muslim cannot convert. If a Muslim decides to adopt another religion or even denounce Islam, he is committing apostasy. According to Islamic rule an apostate can be given only one punishment, death.

The Ridda wars, also known as the Wars of Apostasy, were a series of military campaigns launched by the Caliph Abu Bakr against rebel Arabian tribes during 632 and 633 AD, just after death of Mohammed. Tulayha, Musaylima and Sajjah claimed prophet-hood after death of Mohammed. A large number of Arab tribes gathered around them. Some other tribes claimed that Mohammed was the prophet of God and they accepted him as so but owed nothing to Abu Bakr. They refused to pay zakat to Abu Bakr.

Abu Bakr dealt with apostasy squarely. He was a genius general. He used intelligence to good effect. He created rift between tribes opposing to him. He even bribed some to support him. Finally he formed 11 corps. Each group was given the following instructions:

1. Seek the tribes.
2. Call the Azaan.
3. If the tribe answers with the Azaan, do not attack. After the Azaan, ask the tribe to confirm its submission, including the payment of zakat.
4. Those who submit will not be attacked.
5. Those who do not answer with the Azaan, or after the Azaan do not confirm full submission, will be dealt with by the sword.
6. All apostates who have killed Muslims will be killed. Rest will be readmitted.

With these instructions Abu Bakr launched the forces of Islam against the apostates. Slowly within ten months apostasy was defeated through a series of campaigns. All those resisted were killed. All those who killed a Muslim or suspected to have killed were not spared. All those who did not submit to Islam were also killed. Whole of Arab was unified under Abu Bakr. To achieve this unity violence with tact was used. The result was also violent. A slave killed Abu Bakr next year.

During lifetime of Mohammed, apostasy was not tolerated. Muslims once accepted that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger and the last prophet, had no option but to follow what Allah’s messenger ordains. Two Arabs took shelter at Medina and accepted Islam. But after going back, they renounced Islam. Mohammed ordered them to be captured and punished them. Their hands and legs were cut off, eyes gauged off and thrown out in sand for dying.

During last fourteen hundred years apostasy was not tolerated. Once a Muslim is always a Muslim. A child born to a Muslim father is a born Muslim. In 2014, a Christian woman in Sudan was sentenced to death as her father was a Muslim and she ought to be a Muslim. The woman was brought up as Christian by her Christian mother after her father died early. When challenged she refused to convert to Islam. The matter has attracted international condemnation and possibly she and her family was allowed to immigrate to some western country. But the fact remains that a Muslim does not enjoy freedom of choice of religion.

Gandhiji’s elder son converted to Islam. Gandhiji wrote to a well-known Imam to find out how to re-convert him back. Imam wrote to him that a Muslim is not permitted to convert to another religion or even renounce Islam. If anybody does then he is an apostate and should be punished by execution. Gandhiji reconverted his son in Arya-Sabha without making any noise. Luckily India was under British rule during that time and matter was handled secretly.

But there were always a few who repudiated Islam all these years. They were not killed either. Mainly these are low key affairs.These conversions did not attract any attention. They are invariably ordinary people and converted to improve social or economic condition. These people may be Muslim by birth or by conversion. They form the largest group among few who converted away from Islam. Invariably these conversions take place in non-Muslim land.

Some Muslims reconverted back to their original faith after realizing their mistake. Harihar and Bukka are the two most important persons in ancient India who established Vijayanagara kingdom after reconversion. All attempts to assassinate the brothers were repulsed. In fact Vijaynagara kingdom flourished for 200 years. But such incidences are very few in history. Few Muslim also converted to religions of their fiancé. But these are very exceptional cases. Generally it is otherwise. Non-Muslim partner converts to Islam before marriage due to unbending laws of Islam.

But now there isthe third group. Educated Muslims, who have been through violent nature of Islam in their personal lives or have realized that Islam is the source of all violence, are considering conversion to other religion, especially Christianity. They are leaders, social reformers and eminent writers. A time will come when this small group will swell and will be able to influence Muslim mass.They will be able to modernize Islam or they should be able to convert Muslims to other faiths and achieve world peace.

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13. DO NOT ASK QUESTION. YOU ARE A MUSLIM.

Sure we see some Muslims say that they are against “terrorism”, which they never really define. But have anybody ever seen any Muslim actually condemning any Jihadi group, Jihadi act, Jihadi concept in Islamic scriptures or Mohammed for his violent verses? Have any Muslim reviewed Quran or Hadish critically. No. The reason is that the Islamic scriptures warn them not to. Muslims are not permitted reasoning with Quran. The Quran warns Muslims not to ask too many questions.

“O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if ye ask about things when the Quran is being revealed, they will be made plain to you, Allah will forgive those: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, most forbearing.”

If Muslims ask too many questions, the Quran states that they have lost their faith.  Now if a Muslim loses his faith then he becomes an apostate from Islam. Under Islamic Law apostasy is punishable by death. The “Reliance of the Traveller, A Classic Manual of Islamic Scared Law”, teaches that even denying a Quran verse is a blasphemy and if a Muslim blasphemes Islam, he is an apostate. Apostates should be killed as per Islamic law. “When a person who has reached puberty and is sane, voluntarily apostatizes from Islam, he deserves to be killed.”

Mohammed said, “Allah has forbidden you, (1) to be undutiful to your mothers, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) not to pay the rights of others (e.g. charity, etc.) and (4) to beg of men (begging). And Allah has hated you for (1) vain, useless talk, or that you talk too much about others, (2) asking too many questions, (in disputed religious matters) and (3) wasting wealth by extravagance. 

 Al-Mughira wrote: I heard the Prophet saying, “Allah has hated believers for three things:

1.         Vain talks or useless talk.

2.         Wasting of wealth by extravagance.

3.         And asking too many questions (in disputed religious matters) or asking others for something (except in great need). (See Hadith No. 591, Vol. Ill)

   Once Prophet was asked about things which he did not like and when the questioners insisted, the Prophet became angry. He then said to the people, “Ask me anything you like.” A man asked, “Who is my father?” The Prophet replied, “Your father is Hudhafa.” Then another man got up and said, “Who is my father, O Allah’s Apostle ?” He replied, “Your father is Salim, Maula (the freed slave) of Shaiba.” When ‘Umar saw that (the anger) on the face of the Prophet he immediately came forward and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! We repent to Allah (Our offending you).”

The Quran states that Mohammad’s actions are to be followed for all time. Mohammed married Ayesha at her tender age of six and consummated his marriage with Ayesha at her age of nine. So Muslims today also continue to marry young girls. Mohammed had eleven wives at one time and permitted other Muslims four wives at any time. Most Muslim countries permit men to have four wives at any particular time. Mohammed never hesitated to capture slave women from defeated non-Muslim groups and rape them. Muslims terrorist groups follow Mohammed and same ghastly act is repeated in modern times. Boko Haram, ISIL, Al Queda… , you name a Islamist terrorist group, all indulge in this malicious crime. Not only terrorist groups, individually Muslims are prone to sex related crime. They follow Mohammed’s actions. Forget about criticism of Mohammed’s perversion, no Muslim ever questions validity of Mohammed’s actions in today’s world. Mohammed practiced slavery. Even today slavery is unofficially practiced in several Muslim countries. Muslims cannot and do not criticize Mohammed. Muslims do not understand that Mohammed belonged to 6th century. He followed social practices of 6th century Arab. He did bring in few social reforms like stoppage of killing of female child but still his was a savage life. No Muslim accepts Mohammed was an illiterate savage Arab of 6th century. As long as Muslims fail to do introspection, they cannot change. They cannot become citizen of modern states. They are likely to commit terrorist act or a ghastly crime at any time.  They are likely to betray their country.

Today, Muslims are burdened with a religion of 6th century. A religion based upon partly Arab traditions of 6th century and partly Abrahamic religion. Mohammed was uneducated. He learned scriptures from Jews and Christians during his travels as a trader but was not exposed to religions of India and China. He was not conversant with Zoroastrianism also. But he intelligently mixed Arab practices with Judaism and Christianity with many self promoting features. Mohammed did not keep any provision for change or modification. Even though Mohammed was an extremely intelligent person of his time, he could not foresee humanity 14 centuries after his death. Therefore Islam cannot change. Muslims continue to be violent. In civilized society they do not fit.

Muslims are discouraged to read anything that contradicts Quran or scriptures, even advised to avoid people from another religion lest they get influenced or pick up new ideas. Mohammed told Muslims, “Go and seek knowledge.”  But he did not mean knowledge beyond Quran. He wanted to keep Muslims away from contact of non-believers and their ways of life which included their knowledge. Muslim army captured Alexandria in 642 AD.  They came across a Library containing 60,000 manuscripts. Commander asked Caliph what to do with the books. Caliph is said to have told, "If those books are in agreement with the Quran, we have no need of them; and if these are opposed to the Quran, destroy them." All books were destroyed by burning.

Centuries later, Muslims started getting acquainted with knowledge of the conquered people. It is no denying that Arab traders took the concept of Zero from India to Europe which was a precursor to explosion of knowledge in Western world. Muslims traded the knowledge of east with the knowledge of west. But Muslims were ready to accept only that knowledge which does not contradict their faith. Muslim education in general, was largely limited to theology and language (Arab). So when renaissance came in western world and Europeans started spreading around the globe, Muslim world started falling back despite having control over money and power of half the world. When Westerners were asking why, Muslims were persecuting enquirers.

Some excerpts from a lecture delivered by Sir Willium Muir at Cambridge in 1881 is aptly visualized:-

“Some, indeed, dream of an Islam in the future, rationalised and regenerate. All this has been tried already, and has miserably failed. The Quran has so encrusted the religion in a hard unyielding casement of ordinances and social laws, that if the shell be broken the life is gone. A rationalistic Islam would be Islam no longer. The contrast between our own faith and Islam is most remarkable. There are in our Scriptures living germs of truth, which accord with civil and religious liberty, and will expand with advancing civilisation. In Islam it is just the reverse. The Quran has no such teaching as with us that enabled west to abolish polygamy, slavery, and arbitrary divorce, and has elevated woman to her proper place. As a Reformer, Mohammed did advance his people to a certain point, but as a Prophet he left them fixed immovably at that point for all time to come. The tree is of artificial planting. Instead of containing within itself the germ of growth and adaptation to the various requirements of time and clime and circumstance, expanding with the genial sunshine and rain from heaven, it remains the same forced and stunted thing as when first planted some twelve centuries ago.”

There lies the problem. If you analyse Islam critically you will find the need to modify the faith. If you can modify Islam then there will be no Islam, as we know. If a social reformer can modify Islam such that Muslims accept it and the new formed Islam is adoptable to transparency, freedom and equality then he not only do a favour to Muslims of the world but also to humanity. Alas Muslims will kill such a reformer as an apostate before he could convince vast numbers. Islam is a dead religion.

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12. ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY

Democracy is incompatible with Islam. Democracy is rule by majority. It is ultimately rule by human being. Islam prescribes rule by God. Therefore, most Muslim will see “Islam is incompatible with democracy” not as a disparagement of Islam, but as a compliment because they sincerely believe that their idea of rule by God is superior to that of rule by men which is democracy.

Muslim in general opposes western democracy. In Western democracy, people are sovereign; in Islam sovereignty is vested in Allah and the people are His caliphs or representatives. The laws given by Allah through His Prophet (Sharia) are to be regarded as constitutional principles that should not be violated.

Ayatollah Khomeini called democracy “a form of prostitution” because he who gets the most votes wins the power that belongs only to Allah.

Maudoodi, an Islamist theoreticians, dreamed of a political system in which human beings would act as robots in accordance with rules set by God. He said that God has arranged man’s biological functions in such a way that their operation is beyond human control. For our non-biological functions, notably our social, political and cultural functions, God has set rules that we have to apply once and for all so that our societies can be on auto-pilot. In any arguments Muslim scholars mixes up both, biological functions like breathing with non-biological functions like punishment of a thief or relation between man and wife. You cannot question why you have one mouth and two eyes. Similarly you are not expected to question sharia, rule of God.

The late Saudi theologian, Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Jubair sincerely believed that the root cause of all of our contemporary ills was the spread of democracy. “Only one ambition is worthy of Islam,” he liked to say, “the ambition to save the world from the curse of democracy: to teach men that they cannot rule themselves on the basis of manmade laws. Mankind has strayed from the path of God; we must return to that path or face certain annihilation.”

Many Muslim theologians believe that the real danger to Islam does not come from American tanks and helicopter gunships but from the idea of democracy and rule by the people.

Islamic rule

Democracy means the rule of people. This is unacceptable in Islam. The Quran is empathic that “to Allah belong all Dominion and power”. The words “No judgment but God’s” (la hukmilla li-llah) is based on several Quranic verses. This power is vested on His regent known as Caliph al-Allah.

The Caliph cannot legislate. He can only interpret the Law given in the Quran and the sunnah and apply it. Naturally, since the Quran is not a clear book, this allows for a wide range of interpretations and this explains why there are so many Islamic schools of thoughts and sects. But the bottom line is no Islamic government can be democratic. Common people cannot elect legislators for enacting legislation. Common people are called awwam, and as the saying goes: al-awwamkalanaam! (Awwam are like animals).

It is up to the “experts” of the Law to interpret the Sharia and let the awwam know how they should live their lives. This endows the “expert” ruler, all the power and allows him to act as the deputy of God on Earth. There can be no opposition to the ruler. You can’t oppose God by opposing his representative.

In democracies people’s beliefs are irrelevant. They can belong to any religion or no religion and still manage to govern themselves in a secular state. This is not the case in Islam where God is the lawgiver. Christians and Jews have managed to separate the Church from the State. Such a separation in Islam is not possible. The concept of Church as understood in Christianity does not exist in Islam. There is no central authority like the Vatican or the Church of England in Islam. Mullahs and Imams are average Muslims who through their knowledge of the Quran and Sharia gain reputation among the ummah and their own peers. Every Mullah can interpret the Sharia in his own way. But he can’t redefine the explicit teachings of Islam. Every mullah is empowered to issue “fatwa” regarding social, political and military matters of adherents of Islam. You can’t separate the Islamic “Church” from politics, because there is no such thing as the Islamic “Church”.

Presently, Muslims don’t have a Caliph acceptable to all. Even if they had, he would not have been able to deviate from the Quran and separate Islam from politics.

Democracies are pluralistic. In democracies people have different faiths and are free to criticize, not only each other’s religions but also their own. Islam does not tolerate such a thing. Anyone who criticizes Islam faces severe punishment including execution or assassination. Islam is regarded as the only Truth. Defying this truth is the same as defying God. Challenging the authority of the representative of God on earth is like challenging God himself.

Islamic rule is rule of sharia as interpreted by experts. No citizen has any right to criticize. Non-Muslims in Islamic state do not have equal right to that of Muslims. Non Muslims are generally treated like sub-human. And among non- Muslims, people of books have preference.

Obligation of Islamic state

Islam’s main goal is to give the dominion of this world to its “rightful” owner, Allah. No authority on Earth can change that. Impeding Islam to achieve this goal is denying its raison d’être and it is tantamount to blasphemy. Islam by definition is imperialistic. It must advance, conquer and reclaim the dominion of all the earth or there is no reason for it to exist.

Tawhid means that only Allah is the Creator, Sustainer and Master of the universe and of all that exists in it, organic or inorganic. The sovereignty of this kingdom is vested only in Him. He alone has the right to command or forbid. Worship and obedience are due to Him alone, no one and nothing else shares it in any way. Life, in all its forms, our physical organs and faculties, the apparent control which we have over nearly everything in our lives and the things themselves, none of them has been created or acquired by us in our own right. They have been bestowed on us entirely by Allah. Hence, it is not for us to decide the aim and purpose of our existence or to set the limits of our authority; nor is anyone else entitled to make these decisions for us. This right rests only with Allah, who has created us, endowed us with mental and physical faculties, and provided material things for our use.

This definition makes clear that the rule of Islamic system of government is not limited to Muslims but to every “organic or inorganic” thing that exists in this universe. This of course includes the non-Muslims. In an Islamic state everyone must live according to the dictates of Islam. The next thing in Islam is the concept of Jihad and the necessity to struggle in order to advance the Islamic dominance.” Islam does not preach peace, it has never been peaceful and it will never be. Islam has advanced through aggressive militarism and regards Jihad and martyrdom as the most meritorious acts. Islam is militant and imperialistic by its very nature.

Islam advises Muslim state to make truce with Non-Muslim states when it is not ready for engaging them in challenge but truce should be rescinded as soon as situation reverses. Muslim state should always try to advance the domain of God or the frontiers of Islamic state. Also it is duty of every Muslim man to join Jihad. He is glorified in victory and achieve heaven if becomes shaheed to receive blessings of God in the form of virgin young girls among other things.

Islam is Fascist

1)     Fascism is elitist.

Islam is also elitist. The Caliph or the velayat-e faqih is the ultimate authority on Earth. He is the one who can understand the scriptures properly. His word is the ultimate undisputable decree. However, theoretically, just as in communism, anyone can aspire to become Caliph. The Caliph in Sunni sect is elected by the learned whereas the velayate-e faqih in Shiism is nominated by a body of the ruling Mullahs called: “The Assembly of Experts”.

Whether this ruler is elected or nominated, just like in other totalitarian regimes, he occupies his seat for life and responds to no human authority.

2)     Fascism is totalitarian

In fascism state is absolute. Every individual lives as per the requirement of the state. The fascist leader rules by deceit. He portrays himself as state. Ultimate leader’s requirement becomes state’s requirement.

Just like in fascism, the Islamic state is defined as an organic whole to which individuals must submit. In Islam “freedom” is in submission to Allah and his messenger. The very word Islam, which Muslims deceptively translate as peace, means submission. What is good for Islam and the Islamic state is good for Muslims and what is bad for Islam and the Islamic state is to be spurned and regarded as bad for the Muslims too. Islam and the establishment of Islam’s dominion are the greater good and the ultimate goal that every Muslim must strive for. The most important feature of Islamic polity is the glorification of Islamic state and the total subordination of the individual to it.

3)     Fascism discourages knowledge

Islam opposes knowledge and technology but it is presented as the religion that encourages learning. Muslims are fond of reminding others that Muhammad said “seek knowledge even if it is in China” But the fact is that any knowledge that is perceived as contradicting the Quran is regarded satanic and is to be destroyed.

The Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt was once the largest in the world. It was founded at the beginning of the 3rd century BC during the reign of Ptolemy II of Egypt. It stored at its peak, 400,000 to 700,000 scrolls. In 640 AD Muslims took the city and upon learning of “a great library containing all the knowledge of the world” the conquering general asked Caliph Omar for instructions. Omar has been quoted as saying of the Library’s holdings, “they will either contradict the Quran, in which case they are heresy, or they will agree with it, so they are superfluous.” And to be on the safe side he ordered the library to be destroyed and the books burnt.

It is important to note that when Muslims talk about knowledge, they are talking about the “revealed” knowledge and not the secular scientific knowledge that has given birth to our civilization. The word science in Arabic is ilm. The people, who possess this ilm, are called ulama(plural of alim).  Alim does not mean scientist. It means religious scholar. Ilm is religious knowledge.

4)     Fascism discourages reason

Another similarity of Islam and fascism is their disdain of reason and intelligence. In Islam, the emphasis is on faith and unquestioning obedience to the mandates of God. Reason is rejected as a fallacy. Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, (1058 – 1111 CE), arguably the greatest Islamic scholar ever, in his book “Incoherence of the Philosophers” bitterly denounced Aristotle, Plato, Socrates and other Greek thinkers as non-believers and labeled those who employed their methods and ideas as corrupters of the Islamic faith. He took aim at Avicenna for being a rationalist who drew intellectually upon the Ancient Greeks. By emphasizing on the incompatibility of faith and reason, and by asserting the futility of making faith subordinate to reason, Ghazali gave validity to unreasoned faith and thus glorified stupidity.

William Montgomery Watt says: “The early period of Islamic thought is dominated by the conception of the exchangeability of true religion and the special Arab and Islamic conception of the nature of knowledge. Knowledge that is important for the conduct of life – and this is knowledge in the fullest sense – is obtained in the revealed words of God and in the sayings of prophets and other specially gifted men. From this conception of knowledge it follows that the work of the scholar is to transmit accurately the revealed text and other wise sayings”.

In Islam, the Caliph does not wear a showy uniform. On the contrary, in accordance to Muhammad’s sunnah, he exerts himself to make a public display of modesty. Modesty is just a show and a hallmark of Islam. The more modest you dress, the more pious you look. But Caliph did live a luxurious life in private, away from public gaze. The Friday prayers and the hajj are the Islamic versions of mass parades that are designed to impress the believer, give him a sense of pride and belonging and make him firm in his belief that Islam is strong.

This way all Muslims become equal and they had to lead a life as directed by Sharia. Sharia rules remained unchanged through fourteen hundred years. Even today no innovation, no change or no modification is allowed in Sharia rules. Naturally, reason is not appreciated. Only faith and total surrender to the interpretation of Imam is acceptable. Islamic education promotes mindless learning by heart of Quran and Hadith and rejects science and knowledge.

Clearly, the Islamic system of government is fascistic.

·        It is marked by centralization of authority under a supreme leader vested with divine clout.

·        It has stringent socioeconomic control over all aspects of all its subjects especially Muslims.

·        It has a policy of belligerence towards non-believers. It also controls non-Muslim subjects through another set of rules which is suppressive.

·        It suppresses its opposition through terror and censorship.

·        It opposes knowledge.

·        It disdains reason.

Islam, like fascism, appeals to people with low self-esteem and low intelligence. Both these ideologies are irrational. They disdain reason, and hail devotion and submission to a higher authority. Like fascism, Islam advises Muslims to bring more area under Muslim rule, more people under Islamic faith and destroy everything that does not conform to its sovereignty. Muslims seek power, domination and control. They pride themselves in their strength of number, in their mindless heroism, in their disdain for life and in their willingness to kill and die for their cause.

Islam is political and political Islam is fascism. Islam is what Democracy is not.

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11. WIFE BEATING

Wife-beating in the Muslim world comes from the teachings of Islamic religious texts such as the Quran and the Hadiths. Therefore, domestic violence is very common in Muslim society and Muslim women accept the violence as ordained by God.

Quran  says in verse no - 4:34

Men have authority over women because God has made one superior to other and because men spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those whom man fear disobedience, he should admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. Then if they obey, no further action is necessary against them. Surely God is great.

To have a better understanding of Surah 4:34 few translations are quoted.

Yusuf Ali: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).

Pickthall: Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient women, guarding secrets that Allah hath guarded.  As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted and Great.

Shakir: Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.

All three translations agree with each other and establish the Quran promotes wife-beating. In fact the Qur'an states Allah created men to be maintainers of women and men are superior to women, therefore Allah did not create men and women as equals.

The Qur'an also states the prophet Job (Ayyub) was permitted to beat his wife in Surah 38:41-44:

Ayyub, a pious man, got angry with his wife for what she had done. But he was ill and could not take his wife to task, so he swore an oath that if Allah healed him, he would strike her with one hundred blows. When Allah healed him, he was in a dilemma. How could her service, mercy, compassion and kindness be repaid with a beating?  At the same time it was a promise to Allah. It must be respected. So Allah showed him a way out, which was to take a bundle of thin grass, with one hundred stems, and hit her with it once. Thus he fulfilled his oath and avoided breaking his vow.

Mohammed gave his wife Aisha physical pain by striking her in the chest.

Ayesha told that once when it was her turn to spend the night with Allah's Messenger, he came, turned his side, put on his mantle and took off his shoes and placed them near his feet, and spread the corner of his shawl on his bed and then lay down till he thought that I had gone to sleep. Then, he took hold of his mantle slowly and put on the shoes slowly, and opened the door and went out and then closed it lightly. I covered my head, put on my veil and tightened my waist wrapper, and then went out following his steps till he reached Baqi. He stood there and he stood for a long time. He then lifted his hands three times, and then returned and I also returned. He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O' Ayesha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you? She said: Whatsoever the people conceal, Allah will know it. He said: Gabriel came to me when you saw me. He called me and he concealed it from you. I responded to his call, but I too concealed it from you (for he did not come to you), as you were not fully dressed. I thought that you had gone to sleep, and I did not like to awaken you, fearing that you may be frightened. He (Gabriel) said: Your Lord has commanded you to go to the inhabitants of Baqi' (to those lying in the graves) and beg pardon for them. I said: Messenger of Allah, how should I pray for them (How should I beg forgiveness for them)? He said: Say, Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you.

In another hadith, Abu Bakr (the first Rightly-Guided Caliph of Islam), strikes (his daughter) Ayesha violently with his fist. Ayesha said, : Abu Bakr came towards me and struck me violently with his fist and said, "You have detained the people because of your necklace." But I remained motionless as if I was dead lest I should awake Allah's Apostle although that hit was very painful.

In the following hadith, Abu Bakr informs Mohammed that he slapped Khadijah’s daughter for asking for more money, and Mohammed responds by laughing and tells Abu Bakr his wives are also asking him for more money. Abu Bakr (the first Rightly-Guided Caliph of Islam) and Umar (the second Rightly-Guided Caliph of Islam) respond by slapping Mohammed's wives, Ayesha (for the third time) and Hafsa. Later on, Mohammed gives a decree instructing men not to beat their wives, but changes his mind once Umar informs him that some of the women have become emboldened towards their husbands. Women complained to Mohammed about domestic violence and he always responded by stating that they are not the best among women and a man will not be asked as to why he beats his wife.

In another hadith, Ali (the fourth Rightly-Guided Caliph of Islam) gives a slave-girl a violent beating in front of Mohammed. As for Ali, he said “Women are plentiful, and you can easily change one for another. Ask the slave girl; she will tell you the truth.” So the Apostle called Burayra to ask her and Ali got up and gave her a violent beating, saying, ‘Tell the Apostle the truth.’”

In the following hadith, a woman complains to Mohammed about her husband and shows him where he had beaten and bruised her. Mohammed listens to the husband’s side of the story and comes to the conclusion the reason why his wife is complaining is because he cannot sexually satisfy her and she wants to go back to her ex-husband, when all she is really saying is that he is abusing her. Instead of scolding her husband for beating her, Mohammed says she cannot re-marry her ex-husband unless she has sexual intercourse with her present husband first.

Fatima bint Qais reported: My husband Abu 'Amr b. Hafs  sent Abu  Rabia to me with a divorce, and he also sent through him five si's of dates and five si's of barley. I said: Is there no maintenance allowance for me but only this and I cannot even spend my 'Idda period in your house? He said: No. She said: I dressed myself and came to Allah's Messenger. He said: How many pronouncements of divorce have been made for you? I said: Three. He said what he ( Abu Rabia) had stated was true. There is no maintenance allowance for you. Spend Idda period in the house of your cousin, Ibn Umm Maktum. He is blind and you can put off your garment in his presence. And when you have spent your Idda period, you inform me. She said: Mu'awiya , Abu-Jahm and Usama b. Zaid were among those who had given me the proposal of marriage. Thereupon Allah's Apostle said: Mu'awiya is destitute and in poor condition and Abu-Jahm is very harsh with women (or he beats women), you should take Usama b. Zaid (as your husband). Therefore Mohammed accepted that three pronouncement of divorce is only requirement for divorce. There is no responsibility of husband for maintaining ex-wife even for Idda period. Even Allah's Apostle cannot prevent a man from beating his wife as in the case of Abu-Jahm. The condition of believing Muslim women was not so good in Islam during the time of Mohammed.

In hadith, Ayesha recorded that she had not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women, meaning Muslim women were suffering more than their pagan and Abrahamic counterparts.

Finally in the "Farewell Sermon", Mohammed compares women to domestic animals and once again orders men to beat their wives. "You have rights over your wives and they have rights over you. You have the right that they should not defile your bed and that they should not behave with open unseemliness. If they do, God allows you to put them in separate rooms and beat them but not with severity. If they refrain from these things they have the right to their food and clothing with kindness. Lay injunctions on women kindly, for they are prisoners with you having no control of their persons. You have taken them as a trust from God, and you have the enjoyment of their persons by the words of God, so understand.

We can now  summarize.

·     Mohammed provided tacit approval of wife beating by not scolding Muslims for beating their wives.   

·       Mohammed himself struck his wife in the chest

·       Mohammed referred to women who spoke-out against abuse as "not the best among you"

·       Mohammed forbid Muslims from questioning men who beat their wives

·       Mohammed allowed others to hit his wives (the very women whom all Muslims adore and refer to as "the Mother of believers")

·        Three of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs beat women.

·        Mohammed reaffirms the command of wife-beating in his parting sermon.

It is clear from all of the above that wife-beating has been an accepted part of Islam since its inception. Mohammed was not against domestic violence and indeed permitted wife-beating in Islam.

Muslim scholars have written a lot of commentary in relation to wife-beating in the Qur'an. Here we will only quote a few scholars:

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

"When a husband notices signs of rebelliousness in his wife (nushuz), whether in words, as when she answers him coldly when she used to do so politely, or he asks her to come to bed and she refuses, contrary to her usual habit; or whether in acts, as when he finds her averse to him when she was previously kind and cheerful, he warns her in words without distancing from her or hitting her, for it may be that she has an excuse. The warning could be to tell her, "fear Allah concerning the rights you owe to me," or it could be to explain that rebelliousness nullifies his obligation to support her and give her a turn amongst other wives, or it could be to inform her, "Your obeying me is religiously obligatory". If she commits rebelliousness, he keeps from sleeping (and having sex) with her without words, and may hit her, but not in a way that injures her, meaning he may not (bruise her), break bones, wound her, or cause blood to flow. (It is unlawful to strike another’s face.) He may hit her whether she is rebellious only once or whether more than once, though a weaker opinion holds that he may not hit her unless there is repeated rebelliousness."

If the wife does not fulfill one of the above-mentioned obligations, she is termed "rebellious" (nashiz), and the husband takes the following steps to correct matters:

(a) Admonition and advice, by explaining the unlawfulness of rebellion, its harmful effect on married life, and by listening to her viewpoint on the matter;

(b) If admonition is ineffectual, he keeps from her by not sleeping in bed with her, by which both learn the degree to which they need each other;

 (c) If keeping away from her is ineffectual, it is permissible for him to hit her if he believes that hitting her will bring her back to the right path, though if he does not think so, it is not permissible. His hitting her may not be in a way that injures her, and is his last recourse to save the family.

(d) If the disagreement does not end after all this, each partner chooses an arbitrator to solve the dispute by settlement, or divorce.

Al-Nawawi

 Man admonishes wife as a first step. Then he attempts a new direction, appealing to her femininity and emotions, by making her feel that he doesn't want her or love her. When this doesn't work, he says to her: With you, I have reached a stage which is only appropriate for inhumane people - the stage of beating.

How should the beatings go? Maybe a light slap on her shoulder, or maybe a not-so-light pinch, or a kind of gentle shove. He should make her feel that he wants to reform her, and let her know that he is displeased with her. It is like saying: None of the measures that work with sensitive people work with you. A word would be enough for any wife with lofty morals, but with you, words do not help.

Beating is one of the punishments of religious law. What kind of people is beaten? Virgin adulterers, both men and women, are beaten as a means of discipline. Who else is beaten? A person, who has committed an offense and was sentenced by the judge, is beaten. Who else is beaten? By beating his wife, the husband is saying: You've committed a grave sin that merits beatings."

Egyptian Cleric Galal Al-Khatib Explains Wife-Beating in Islam

In a nutshell, it appeared as part of a program to reform the wife. [According to the Koran], first 'admonish them,' [then] 'sleep in separate beds, and beat them.'...This method appeared as part of the treatment of a rebellious wife. I am faced with two options – either the family will be destroyed by divorce, or I can use means that may bring my wife, the mother of my children, back to her senses. The first means is admonishment...The second means of treatment is 'sleeping in separate beds.' Why? Because this targets her honour.  A lot could be said about this. The strength of a woman lies in her ability to seduce the man. The man is strong and can do whatever he wants, but the woman has a weapon of her own. This weapon can be targeted. Many women will come back to their senses, when they realize that this is what's involved. Lastly, it is beating. By Allah, even if only one woman out of a million can be reformed by light beatings, that is good for society. It's not really beating, it's more like punching. It's like shoving or poking her. That's what it is.

Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb,

Discipline. The husband has the right to discipline his wife if she disobeys him in something good, not if she disobeys him in something sinful, because Allah has enjoined disciplining women by forsaking them in bed and by hitting them, when they do not obey. The Hanafis mentioned four situations in which a husband is permitted to discipline his wife by hitting her. These are: not adorning herself when he wants her to; not responding when he calls her to bed and she is taahirah (pure, i.e., not menstruating); not praying; and going out of the house without his permission.

Statistics on Domestic Violence in the Muslim World

Muslim Statistics (Domestic Violence)

Afghanistan

Nearly 90 percent of Afghan women suffer from domestic abuse, according to the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Despite that, there are less than a dozen shelters for women in Afghanistan.

Iran

Statistics in Iran show that 66% of Iranian women, at the beginning of the marriage have been at least physically abused once. Some forms of physical abuse that occur include: biting, bondage, imprisonment in their own home, scratching, hair pulling, and even starving.

Iraq

A recent report by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) registered 139 cases of violence against women in the northern region of Kurdistan in the second half of 2008 alone. It said 163 women were killed as a result of domestic violence in Kurdistan in 2009. Experts suggest the number is less than 5 percent of the real estimates.

Jordan

91% of university students polled by the Jordanian Human Right Center approve of wife beating. An earlier study by another organization found out that a majority of WOMEN also supports the right of a husband to beat the wife.

Pakistan

Up to 4,000 women are burnt each year, almost always by husbands or in-laws, often as “punishment” for minor “offences” or for failure to bring in a sufficient dowry.

Arab States

One in three wives in Arab suffers physical or psychological violence from the side of their husband.

Turkey

According to a government study titled “Research on Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey,” 41.9 percent of Turkish women are subjected to physical and sexual violence. Women at a “low-income level” are assaulted at a rate of 49.9 percent, while the number for higher-income women is 28.7 percent.

South Mediterranean Region

Violence against women in the home is the main emergency needed to be tackled by the Mediterranean's southern shores. The phenomenon affects between 40% and 75% of married women, who suffer mainly at the hands of their husbands. This is the glaring figure contained in a study carried out by the Euromed Gender Equality Programme (EGEP), which has been presented at a conference held in Brussels. The 'Programme to Violence against women in the home is the main emergency needed to be tackled by the Mediterranean's southern shores. The phenomenon affects between 40% and 75% of married women, who suffer mainly at the hands of their husbands. This is the glaring figure contained in a study carried out by the Euromed Gender Equality Programme (EGEP), which has been presented at a conference held in Brussels. The 'Programme to enhance quality between men and women in the Euromed Region', which is financed by the European Union as part of neighbourhood policy, focussed on nine partner countries between 2008 and 2011: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria and Tunisia.

Conclusion

Violence against women is present in all under-developed countries. It exists even in Western societies. Muslim world becomes different where even the victim considers it right. Wife beating is ordained by God. Most women in Islamic faith are grown with the concept of men having the right to admonishing and beating their wives. Muslim women believe men and women are not equal. Men are provider and women are dependent. They cannot accept modernity and fall back to Islamic concept and Islam is a religion of 6th century. Wife beating in Islam will continue.

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