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Islam And The Jews: The unfinished battle

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I am Chinese. But I want to learn more about the continuous conflicts between Arabs and Jews (between Islam and Judaism, now I should say, after reading this book). I bought several books besides "Islam and the Jews," such as one edited by Robert Spencer, one written by Bernard Lewis, and one written by Bat Ye'or.

The book by Mark Gabriel is the easiest to read and understand. One of the reviewers said that this book has a "bad" writing style equivalent to that of a 10-year old. I should say that this book is so easy to read so that even a 10-year old will grasp the ideas very well. The writing style of Gabriel is causal, unlike the scholarly and paintaking style of Ye'or and others. For example, Ye'or wrote an entire book about Dhimmitude; Gabriel described what I need to know tersely in one chapter (Chapter 18). Despite the causal writing style, the materials are serious, the analysis great, and the attitude sincere.

Gabriel, formerly an Imam and a professor in Islamic history, is now a Christian. He dedicated two chapters to preach about Christianity as a means to resolve the Islam-Judaism conflict(like other reviewers, I don't think that will work). If Gabriel has a hidden agenda in his book, I guess it is related more to his current faith in Christianity than his bias against Islam. Everything he said seems very objective to me.

If you want to have a reasonably good and credible understanding about the conflicts in the Middle East and about those Islamic radicals, you need only to spend three hours on Gabriel's book.

I served in the U.S. Army back in 1991 when we liberated Kuwait (sorry, I didn't find Saddam back then). That started my interest in Islam, after noticing that the public buses in Saudi Arabia had signs on the front door directing: "Women enter through rear door." Why so? -- and what gives with all of these veiled women, and why were poor, foreign women with young babies begging for alms on the streets? ISLAM AND THE JEWS cites verses in the Quran explaining the separation of the sexes in public places. (The begging women turned out to be divorced women left on the streets to survive.)
What I really find so valuable about this book in how the author cites specifically numbered Surahs(paragraphs-verses)from the Quran/Koran in revealing the beliefs of Allah as given to the Angel Gabriel as spoken/recorded by Muhammad. One can read the many other current books discussing Islam, but very few cite specific verses from the Quran to explain or justify WHY and/or HOW a Muslim is supposed to follow Islam.
This ex-Muslim Egyptian-born author details why there appear to be "contradictions" within the Quran. Why is it reported in the American press that Islam respects Jews and Christians? This book explains that when the Jews would not follow Muhammad's revelations, that he then received a new revelation that the only "good" Jews or Christians were those who would pay a tax(zakat) to the Muslims -- essentially, a "protection racket."
This ex-Muslim author must be revealing the "truth" about the fundamentals of Islam, after all, just look at the sad, poor, embarrassing bad-mouthings that are written by his critics: they just don't like his documentation.
I have two of the Qurans mentioned in this book, the moderate Ali translation, as well as the English translation published by the religious ministry of Saudi Arabia: The Noble Quran. I have looked at EVERY citation listed by this author, EACH one is a true and correct quotation!
The author explains that the Quran is not written in a straight timeline sequence. It is recorded from the largest chapters to the shortest -- hence, the chronological dates of each chapter are all mixed up. One has to refer to another booklet to see how scholars believe the chapters were revealed to Muhammad by date.
What is really enligtening in this book is that the author explains how Muhammad's (Allah's) views changed about Jews. Originally, Muhammad had tolerance for the Jews while he tried to entice them to convert to Islam and pay taxes to him. However, when they didn't, Muhammad told his followers that it was okay to wage war against the non-Islams and loot their valuables.
This author's companion book: "Islam and Terrorism" makes a wonderful revelation (with specific verse citations) as to how the Quran justifies Usama/Osama bin Landen's suicide-bomber attacks against Christians.

We have all heard how Islam is a religion of peace and that there are just a few extremists that are abusing the religion to kill and torture innocent people. What we have not heard enough about is how Islam has a violent side and history that is not all that "peaceful." To deny the truths that Dr. Gabriel writes about is to bury your head in the sand and hope that it is all better when you pull it out (if you ever do).

As he says, he did not write this book to hurt Muslims but to help them. Islam needs to mature as a world religion and welcome the 21st century. This does not mean trying to take the world back to medieval times where women could not have a formal education and non-Muslims were treated as second-class citizens or, even worse, killed.

In order to solve any problem, you first need to recognize what the real problem is. Dr. Gabriel believes, and is convincing, that he knows what the problem with Islam is and how to help correct it.

For those armchair Americans who think they know all about Islam from their living room TVs, this is a man who has lived it, not just read about it or seen it on TV. I would trust his opinion much more than most of the other negative posts I have seen on this site. Buy the book and hear the real story of Islam from an honest man who had the incredible intellectual courage to change his mind.

I am deeply indebted to Dr. Gabriel for helping me to understand some very important things about Islam, the Holy Koran, and the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Here are some of the most crucial points the author explains:

1. Muhammad lived and preached in Mecca for a number of years, attempting to win Jewish converts with friendly persuasion and preaching in favor of tolerance. When this did not work, he turned against the Jews and declared he had received new revelations instructing all Muslims to either kill non-believers who would not convert, force them to pay a tax, or drive them into exile. The fate of all non-believers was in the hands of the Moslems.
2. After moving his base of operations to Medina, Muhammad personally led 27 massacres against Jews, and preached that jihad was a requirement for all faithful Moslem believers. Conversion and control was by the sword.
3. Anyone who attempts to read the Koran needs to have an edition that makes it clear which chapters were written in Mecca and which were written in Medina. The chapters are not chronological. The Medina scriptures supersede the Mecca scriptures, and make them obsolete if there is any contradiction.
4. Moslems believe that Abraham was the first Moslem, and that the Jews have corrupted the Torah by removing any prophecy regarding the eventual birth of Muhammad and his Islamic teachings.
5. The life story of Abraham and his sons Ishmael and Isaac, as Moslems believe it, is much different from the account in the book of Genesis. According to Islam, it was not Isaac that the Lord commanded Abraham to sacrifice, but Ishmael.
6. The goal of Moslems is to rid Jerusalem of all non-Moslems, because their presence in the city "corrupts" the great mosque that now stands atop the Dome of the Rock.
7. Jesus is regarded as merely a Jewish prophet, and his teachings are far less important than those of Muhammad, who was supposed to be the last and final prophet.
8. The ultimate goal of Islam is to conquer the world, theologically and politically. All other religions and secular governments must be abolished.

If these claims and other aspects of Islamic faith sound strange, shocking, or perhaps absurd, you will enjoy reading Mark Gabriel's book. Many Moslems will object to what Gabriel has written and deny that they believe some of these things. Nevertheless, Gabriel gives an accurate picture of what Islam really teaches, and makes it clear that the so-called "radical" Moslems aren't really radical at all, but rather practicing their faith as the Prophet Muhammed intended and the Koran (Medina scritures) teaches. He quotes extensively from the Koran and explains each of the above points very clearly and without apology. If you want to learn the absolute truth about Islam, this and Gabriel's other books are what you need.

This book provides a much-needed voice in the marketplace of ideas. It answers many questions that well-meaning people have about the conflict in the Middle East and is particularly helpful in that the author (raised as a Muslim in Egypt)has served as a well-respected Quranic scholar at the University of Cairo. It is unfortunate that another reviewer decided to shout in capital letters and call Dr. Gabriel names. I suspect that person was not aware of Dr. Gabriel's curriculum vitae. I encourage all people who are confused by the mixed message of the Quran to learn from Dr. Gabriel's book the concepts of hadith and nasikh. Very helpful book.

This excellent and revealing book is by Mark Gabriel, a former professor of Islamic History at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. The first section of the contents of this book is devoted to his autobiography, where he is described as a former devout Muslim, who was able to recite the entire contents of the Quran by the age of twelve years. The book reveals the depth of his personal knowledge of Islam and his own participation in fanning the flames of racial hatred towards the Jews.
The autobiographical section at the beginning of this book imparts how the subject finally broke free of his anti-Semitic roots, his hatred of the Jews and tells of his conversion to Christianity. The power of the Gospel is clearly evident in this message.

The book reveals quite clearly the depth of the Islamic hatred of the Jewish people and proceeds to examine it's origins. We are treated to an in-depth analysis of this hatred with much reference to the prophet Muhammad, the Islamic holy books the Quran and the Hadith. Quotations from the latter books being frequently used to corroborate each and every issue discussed in this work. It is revealed that prior to Islam, Arabs and Jews actually "got along". Something which is studied in some detail here.

The book pulls no punches in showing that Western politicians and our media have been utterly and completely duped by the Islamic world into thinking that Islam is in any way a "peaceful" religion.

The historic basis and practice of Islam is discussed together with how Jews and Christians have been historically treated by Islam. The book describes that according to Islamic law, Jews and Christians had the following options; "convert to Islam, pay the tax to the Muslim authority and remain in the faith, or be killed." In other words, "accept Islam or be killed". A sizeable section is devoted to this particular issue, some of which readers might fight disturbing.

Examples are cited where Jews are forced to wear "yellow" clothing and Christians "blue" to identify them as non-Muslims etc., disturbing echoes of what was to come in the twentieth century.

Even the whole basis of the Palestinian-Israeli issue is shown to be based on "religion" and having nothing to do with land. This is illustrated with numerous examples that further expose the disturbing premise that the Palestinian/Arab/Islamic world will never agree to any permanent peace treaty with the Jews, or EVER accept the existence of a Jewish state within their midst. When one hears such words from such an eminent and learned source, so conversant and experienced with the Islamic agenda, it would be foolish to ignore such a warning.

The book does not approach the Palestinian-Israeli issue from a historical or Biblical perspective, but from a Muslim point of view in order that the reader and the World can see the seriousness of the battle that Israel faces and the real issues underlying the conflict. The book reveals the only acceptable solution to Islam as being the destruction of Israel. Muslims believing that the land concerned belongs to Islam and not to any people group....period. No peace negotiation with Israel is acceptable...period. Any agreement by the Palestinians or the Arab world to cede any land to Israel, or even accept an Israeli state, is not acceptable. According to Muslims the land belongs to Islam and cannot be given away. A plethora of quotations are provided to substantiate these statements.

The reader is left with a clear understanding as to why/how all the "peace negotiations" have failed at this time, despite all the offers & concessions made by Israel. The title of this work includes the phrase "the unfinished battle". Indeed it is clear that in the eyes of Islam, the battle to eradicate Israel is far from over. I highly recommend this book and wish that it could be widely read by politicians, diplomats and those behind our media entities.

A chapter of this book is devoted to the Middle Eastern Church and approaches the misconceptions of the latter about Israel and the Jews which are often sadly on a par with elements of Islam itself. Many elements of the Middle Eastern Church not recognising that the Jews have a divine right to present day Israel as outlined in the Bible.

There is absolutely no hatred in this book towards Muslims. In fact readers are encouraged to love Muslims in word and deed, yet to be truly aware of the teachings of Islam in relation to the Jews, Christians and the West itself. Something which the book describes as even lacking amongst many professing Muslims who allegedly just base their feelings upon what they are told and a historic hatred, without any personal experience whatsoever. The book describes that many, if not most, have been indoctrinated in such beliefs and opinions since childhood.

Might I respectfully suggest another book that could be led in parallel with this excellent work. "Islam Revealed. A Christian Arab's View Of Islam" by Anis Shorrosh. This is a book written by another author very well qualified and with much experience in this subject who is a Palestinian Christian. Thank you for your time.

1,400 Years of Islamic Aggression: An Analysis

By Richard C. Csaplar, Jr.
Guest Columnist


Mr. Csaplar, a member of the Regent University Board of Trustees, writes in response to a recent article on the Crusades in U.S. News & World Report.

I was very disappointed to see that U.S. News would publish a clearly false article, adopting the world's clearly false, politically correct (PC) view of the place of the Crusades in history. What makes it even worse, the article hides its views under the additional headline falsehood, "The Truth About the Epic Clash Between Christianity and Islam."

Let me explain.

The opening heading states, "During the Crusades, East and West first met." This is just totally in error, as any person with the slightest knowledge of history well knows. East and West had been fighting for at least 1,500 years before the first Crusade.

To give just a few examples -- the Persians invaded Europe in an attempt to conquer the Greeks in the fifth century B.C. The Greek, Alexander the Great, attempted to conquer all of Asia, as far as India, in the fourth century B.C. Both the Persians of the east and the Greeks of the west set up colonial empires founded upon bloody military conquest. The Romans established by bloody military conquest colonies in Mesopotamia, northwestern Arabia, and Assyria in the second century A.D.

A different type of bloody conquest occurred through the movement of whole tribal groups between the east and the west. Again, just to name a few, the Huns, the Goths, and the Avars came from as far away as western Asia, central Asia, and China respectively in the fifth through the seventh centuries A.D. Indeed, the Avars from northern China and Mongolia were besieging Constantinople in 626 A.D., at the very moment Mohammed was a merchant in Arabia. Indeed, the Avars, by this siege, were one of the forces that weakened the Byzantines (there were many other, perhaps more important, forces) to the extent that most of the Byzantine mid-eastern empire fell relatively easily to the Muslims.

But let's give the writer the benefit of the doubt and say that the author meant that "During the Crusades, Islam and Christianity first met." This, of course, is also totally false.

Let us review the Muslim conquest. In 624, Mohammed led a raid for booty and plunder against a Meccan caravan, killing 70 Meccans for mere material gain. Between 630 A.D. and the death of Mohammed in 632 A.D., Muslims -- on at least one occasion led by Mohammed -- had conquered the bulk of western Arabia and southern Palestine through approximately a dozen separate invasions and bloody conquests. These conquests were in large part "Holy wars," putting the lie to another statement in the U.S. News article that proclaimed the Crusades "The First Holy War," as if the Christians had invented the concept of a holy war. After Mohammed's death in 632, the new Muslim caliph, Abu Bakr, launched Islam into almost 1,500 years of continual imperialist, colonialist, bloody conquest and subjugation of others through invasion and war, a role Islam continues to this very day.

You will note the string of adjectives and may have some objection to my using them. They are used because they are the absolute truth. Anyone denying them is a victim of PC thinking, ignorant of history, or lying to protect Islam. Let us take each word separately before we proceed further in our true history of the relationship between the Christian west and the Islamic east.

Imperialistic

The Muslim wars of imperialist conquest have been launched for almost 1,500 years against hundreds of nations, over millions of square miles (significantly larger than the British Empire at its peak). The lust for Muslim imperialist conquest stretched from southern France to the Philippines, from Austria to Nigeria, and from central Asia to New Guinea. This is the classic definition of imperialism -- "the policy and practice of seeking to dominate the economic and political affairs of weaker countries."

Colonialist

The Muslim goal was to have a central government, first at Damascus, and then at Baghdad -- later at Cairo, Istanbul, or other imperial centers. The local governors, judges, and other rulers were appointed by the central imperial authorities for far off colonies. Islamic law was introduced as the senior law, whether or not wanted by the local people. Arabic was introduced as the rulers' language, and the local language frequently disappeared. Two classes of residents were established. The native residents paid a tax that their colonialist rulers did not have to pay.

Although the law differed in different places, the following are examples of colonialist laws to which colonized Christians and Jews were made subject to over the years:

Christians and Jews could not bear arms -- Muslims could;
Christians and Jews could not ride horses -- Muslims could;
Christians and Jews had to get permission to build -- Muslims did not;
Christians and Jews had to pay certain taxes which Muslims did not;
Christians could not proselytize -- Muslims could;
Christians and Jews had to bow to their Muslim masters when they paid their taxes; and
Christians and Jews had to live under the law set forth in the Koran, not under either their own religious or secular law.
In each case, these laws allowed the local conquered people less freedom than was allowed the conquering colonialist rulers. Even non-Arab Muslim inhabitants of the conquered lands became second class citizens behind the ruling Arabs. This is the classic definition of colonialist -- "a group of people who settle in a distant territory from the state having jurisdiction or control over it and who remain under the political jurisdiction of their native land."

We will talk about "bloody" as we proceed. Because the U.S. News article related only to the Christian west against the Muslim east, except in this paragraph I will not describe the almost 1,500 years of Muslim imperialistic, colonialist, bloody conquest and subjugation of others through invasion and war to the east of Arabia in Iraq, Persia, and much further eastward, which continues to this day.

In any event, because it was the closest geographically, Palestine was the first Western non-Arab area invaded in the Muslim imperialist, colonialist, bloody conquest and subjugation of others. At the time, Palestine was under the rule of the so-called Eastern Roman Empire, ruled from Istanbul by Greek speaking people, and was Eastern Orthodox Catholic. The Eastern Orthodox rule was despotic and the Eastern Roman Empire was in serious decline. The Eastern Orthodox rulers were despots, and in Palestine had subjugated the large population of local Jews and Monophysite Christians. Because the Orthodox were imperialist, colonialist, and bloody, and majored in religious persecution to boot, the Muslim imperialist, colonialist, bloody conquest and subjugation of Palestine, and then Egypt, was made easier. Because of Orthodox weakness and the relative speed of the conquest of Palestine and Israel, I have often seen this Muslim, imperialist, colonialist bloody conquest described by Muslim and PC writers as "peaceful" or "bloodless." This statement is simply not true.

The Muslim imperialist, colonialist, bloody conquest and subjugation of Palestine began with a battle, the August 20, 636, battle of Yarmk (it is believed that 75,000 soldiers took part -- hardly bloodless). With the help of the local Jews who welcomed the Muslims as liberators, the Muslims had subjugated the remainder of Palestine but had not been able to capture Jerusalem. Beginning in July 637, the Muslims began a siege of Jerusalem which lasted for five (hardly bloodless) months before Jerusalem fell in February 638. Arabs did not sack the city, and the Arab soldiers were apparently kept in tight control by their leaders. No destruction was permitted. This was indeed a triumph of civilized control, if imperialism, colonization, and bloody conquest can ever be said to be "civilized." It was at this conquest that many significant hallmarks of Muslim colonialism began. The conquered Christian and Jewish people were made to pay a tribute to the colonialist Muslims. In addition, Baghdad used the imperialist, colonialist, bloody wars of conquest throughout the life of its empire to provide the Caliphate with a steady stream of slaves, many of whom were made eunuchs.

The Muslim conquest of (Christian) North Africa went relatively easily until the native peoples of North Africa (most importantly the Berbers) were encountered west of Egypt. The North African people fought so strongly against the Muslims that the Muslim imperialist, colonialist, bloody conquest in the west was brought to an almost complete stop between Tripoli and Carthage for more than a quarter century. The Muslims broke through in a series of bloody battles followed by bloody (revenge) massacres of the Muslim's (largely Christian) opponents. This Muslim imperialist, colonialist, bloody conquest continued through North Africa and through what is now Spain, Portugal, and southern France, until they were stopped at the battle of Poiters (hardly bloodless) in the middle of France.

I believe that if I had the time, I could show that the Muslims, in their western imperialist, colonialist, bloody conquests, killed two to three times as many Christians as the Christians killed Muslims in all of the Crusades combined.

But let us return to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

The U.S. News article states that after Saladin conquered Jerusalem, "the victorious Saladin forbade acts of vengeance. There were no more deaths, no violence." True, as far as it goes. The article goes on to say, ".most Muslims [will] tell you about Saladin and his generosity in the face of Christian aggression and hatred." Thus, the PC people and the Muslims ignore 450 years of prior Muslim aggression and approach the Crusades as being Christian or Western aggression against Islam, beginning out of the blue, without any prior history. Let us go back to the Muslim colonialist occupation of Jerusalem.

When we left our truthful history of Jerusalem, the Muslims, headquartered in Arabia, had just captured Jerusalem. For approximately 100 years, chiefly under the Umayyads, Jerusalem prospered under Muslim rule. Under the succeeding Abbasids, Jerusalem began to decline -- beginning at approximately 725 A.D. The occasion, among other things, was the decline of the central Muslim government, the breaking away from Arabia of far-flung provinces, the growth of warlike revolutionary groups, the growth of extremist Muslim sects, and, perhaps most important, the decision (relatively new) that Muslims had an obligation to convert all Christians and Jews (and "other pagans") to Islam. Thereafter, the true colonial nature of Jerusalem became more apparent. The Abbasids drained wealth from Jerusalem to Baghdad for the benefit of the caliphs, and Jerusalem declined economically. The language of the government became Arabic, and forcible conversion to Islam became the Muslim policy.

In approximately 750, the Caliph destroyed the walls of Jerusalem, leaving it defenseless (they were later rebuilt, in time to defend against the Crusaders). The history of the following three hundred years is too complex and too tangled to describe in a single paragraph. Jerusalem and its Christian and Jewish majority suffered greatly during alternating periods of peace and war. Among the happenings were repeated Muslim destruction of the countryside of Israel (970-983, and 1024-1077) of Jerusalem; the wholesale destruction by the Muslims of Christian churches -- sometimes at the direct order of the Caliph, as in 1003, and sometimes by Muslim mobs; the total destruction of Jerusalem by the Caliph of Cairo in the early 1020s; building small mosques on the top of Christian churches; enforcing the Muslim laws limiting the height of Christian churches; attacking and robbing Christian pilgrims from Europe; attacking Christian processions in the streets of Jerusalem; etc.

Why the change after nearly 100 years of mostly peaceful Muslim rule? From what I read, there is a general view among the historians that the caliphs had begun to add a religious importance to their conquests, setting conversion to Islam as an important priority; their later caliphs had no first-hand remembrance of Mohammed; the vast distances of the empire led to independent rulers being established in Spain, North Africa, Cairo, Asia Minor, etc.; and the instability of the caliphates and resulting civil wars.

The point about conversion to Islam I find particularly interesting. Many historians believe that the first one hundred years of Muslim conquest were imperialist and colonialist only with little significant forced conversion content. With respect to Jerusalem, there was a particular problem in the fact that generally the Christians and their churches (and to a lesser degree, the Jews) were significantly wealthier than the Muslims. This was largely because beginning in the early 800s with Charlemaigne, Europe adopted a sort of prototype "foreign aid" program for the churches located at the holy places in Jerusalem, where, to the embarrassment of the Muslims, Christian churches and monasteries outshone their Muslim rivals. Many of these churches and monasteries were run by western religious orders reporting directly to Rome under western leaders appointed by Rome (more were subject to Constantinople). Literally thousands of European Christian pilgrims made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from such places as Germany, France, and Hungary (particularly in the years 1000, 1033, 1064, and 1099). Finally, Muslim rulers and European rulers frequently sought to enter into treaties of support with each other. As a result, Christian churches became the target of Muslims when enemies of those with whom there were European ties were victorious in a civil war. From time to time, Christian churches were rebuilt with Muslim funds when pro-western rulers came to power.

So much for the PC, U.S. News, Muslim outright lie that begins with the statement, "During the Crusades, East and West first met," and that later in the article called the Crusades, ".the first major clash between Islam and Western Christendom." What about the long, prior conquest by Islam of Spain and Portugal? What about the battle of Portiers?

The following is just an aside, which I cannot prove, but I have noticed that PC and Muslim statements frequently cut off history when it is not in their favor. Thus, the article gives credence to the widespread belief in Islam that east-west history began with the Crusades. See also as an example of this tendency to begin history where it is convenient, today's Muslim description of the current Israeli occupation of the West Bank without mentioning the fact that the current occupation was caused by the widespread cold-blooded murder of Israeli civilians by Muslims.

But let us move on to the Crusades themselves.

The Crusades

First, a word about my personal view of the Crusades. I believe that the murderous and pillaging acts of the Crusaders when they entered Jerusalem were barbaric, unchristian, and evil. This is particularly so as those barbaric, unchristian, and evil acts were carried on in the name of a religion of peace, love, and forgiveness. I believe that the vast bulk of thinking Christians agree with me. I cite as evidence the large numbers of Christians who have recently taken long pilgrimages in the footsteps of the Crusaders, repenting for the Crusader's acts, seeking for forgiveness, and giving penance for the Crusader's barbaric, unchristian, and evil acts.

A question occurs to me here. How many Muslim groups have taken long pilgrimages in the footsteps of the Muslim conquest repenting, seeking for forgiveness, and giving penance for the Muslims imperialist, colonialist, and bloody conquest of Palestine, Egypt, Syria, North Africa, and Spain? This is particularly important as the U.S. News article claims, "For [Muslims] imperialism is a dirty word." Where is Muslim repentance for its imperialism, geographically the largest in all of history, which permits Muslims to call Western imperialism a dirty word?

Let us rewrite the beginning of the U.S. News article as follows: "In 1095, after suffering from the murderous invasions of Muslim conquerors who killed tens of thousands of Christians through four-and-one-half centuries of Muslim imperialist, colonialist conquest, made slaves and eunuchs of Christians for the pleasure of the caliphs, burned down or sacked the holiest churches in Christendom, robbed and killed thousands of Christians on holy pilgrimage, brutally sacked and pillaged Jerusalem, and pillaged the countryside of Israel, western Europe, under the leadership of the Pope, decided to free the people of the Holy Land from their brutal masters and reclaim Christianity's holiest places for free Christian worship."

Now, I fully realize that the previous paragraph is one-sided, that the six centuries of Muslim colonial, imperialist occupation were more complex than are shown in the previous paragraphs, and that the Christians were not always blameless, little babes. However, the previous paragraph has the benefit of not being an outright lie, which is more than I can say for the U.S. News article.

To beat the dog one more time, you may have noted that I stated above that Muslim imperialism has continued until the present. Muslim imperialism has continued without any let-up from ten years before Mohammed's death until today.

Consider the Ottoman invasion of Christian Eastern Europe in which the Ottoman Empire invaded the west and conquered and colonized Greece, all of the Balkans, Romania, Bessarabia, and Hungary, and was stopped only at the outskirts of Vienna in 1529. Consider also the Muhgal conquest of Northern India in the early 1600s. But today? Of course! In the 20th century alone:

1. Muslim Turkey has expelled approximately 1,500,000 Greeks from its empire in the east and replaced them with Turks. They have massacred approximately 2 million Armenians and replaced them with Turks in the west.

2. Muslim Turkey has invaded and occupied northern Cyprus, displacing the Greeks living there.

3. Muslim northern Sudan has conquered much of southern Sudan, literally enslaving its Christian and pagan population.

4. Indonesian imperialism has occupied all of non-Islamic western New Guinea and incorporated into Indonesia.

5. Muslim Indonesia has invaded and conquered Christian East Timor with horrible loss of life.

6. This very day, Muslim Indonesia is attempting to destroy Christianity in what used to be called the Celebes.

7. A half-dozen Arab countries have fought two to four wars (depending how you count) in an attempt to destroy Israel and occupy its territory, and is currently continuing the attempt this very day with the publicly voted consent of 55 of the world's 57 Islamic nations.

8. For no good reason, Muslim Libya has blown up western aircraft, killing many civilians.

9. Muslim Iraq, in an imperialist war of aggression, invaded and occupied Muslim Kuwait.

10. Muslim Iraq, in an imperialist act of aggression, invaded Muslim Iran with a resulting (some estimates say) death of 2 million people.

11. Muslim Albania, this very minute, is attempting to enlarge its borders at Christian Macedonia's expense.

12. Muslim Northern Nigeria has been (and is currently) an aggressor against the Christian south.

13. Muslims expelled approximately 800,000 Jews from their homelands between 1947 and 1955.

14. During Jordan's occupation of the West Bank, the kingdom undertook an unsuccessful attempt to make Jerusalem a Muslim city by forcing out approximately 10,000 Christian inhabitants.

Yes, I know that the reverse has been true. For example, Christian Serbia entered and massacred Bosnian Muslims. The western response was instructive. The west sent troops to protect the Muslims. Serbia gave up its leader to be tried for the crime by an international panel. Will Indonesia do the same with respect to Timor? Or Sudan with respect to southern Sudan?

Question: What is the title of the shortest book in the world? Answer: "The list of Muslim nations who have risked the lives of their soldiers to protect (as with the U.S. protection of Muslims in Kuwait) Christian or Jewish citizens from Muslim imperialism."

Yes, I also know that in the 20th century the west fought two of the bloodiest wars in history. But in the past more than 55 years, the west has developed methods that have led to peace among the west, and all but totally ended western imperialism and colonialism. With former colonies having a large majority in the UN, and the example of the west before it, Islam has continued its imperialist, colonial, bloody wars unabated.

One final point. Muslims base their claim to the city of Jerusalem upon the belief that Jerusalem has been a Muslim city for centuries. It may be that Muslims were never a majority in Jerusalem. We cannot prove this for all time periods, but we know that Muslims were a minority in the first several centuries after the Muslim imperialist conquest and during the century of Christian occupation during the Crusades. And we know that in the Middle Ages, Jerusalem was not considered important to the Muslims, but it was to the Christians and Jews. The Muslims made cities other than Jerusalem the capital of their Palestinian colony. Many Caliphs never even visited Jerusalem. Therefore, there was a steady stream of Jewish and Christian (but not Muslim) immigrants into Jerusalem throughout the Middle Ages, including a major immigration of Karaite Jews in the late eighth and early ninth centuries, and a steady stream of Armenians for hundreds of years, until there were so many Armenians that an Armenian Quarter was established in Jerusalem. Finally, we know that for at least more than the last 160 years, Muslims were a clear minority in Jerusalem. The Muslim Ottomans, and then the British and Israelis, kept careful census record showing the following percentages of Muslim population in Jerusalem:

1844 -- 33%

1896 -- 19%

1910 -- 13%

1922 -- 22%

1931 -- 22%

1948 -- 24%

1967 -- 21%

1972 -- 23%

1992 -- 25%

Why do suicide bombers attack Israel the same day that leaders from Israel and the PLO are meeting to negotiate peace? If you want to know the real answer, then you need to read Islam and the Jews. This book is quick and easy to read, but it explains without apology the role Islam plays in the current problems in the Middle East.

Most significantly, the author himself is a former Muslim from Egypt who once fanned the flames of the rhetoric against Jews. Now a Christian who honors and admires the Jewish people, he seeks to expose the true teachings of Islam. The story of his own personal journey out of anti-Semitism grabs your attention in the beginning of the book-from his hiding under his bed during an Israeli air raid in 1967, to serving in the Egyptian army, to fiery sermons against the Jews preached at mosques in Egypt.

He does not rely on Western interpretations of Islam. Instead, he focuses on the Quran and the historical records about Muhammad's actions and teachings. He holds a doctorate degree in Islamic history from Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

After you read this book, the headlines you read about the Middle East every day will finally make sense. You may also be surprised to find that you feel a new sympathy toward those who are devoutly practicing Islam.

First, let me say this book is a very easy read. Yet, it remains academic. For me, it was so gripping that I could not put it down. Kudos to Dr. Gabriel.

Below is a summary of the book. It is comprised mostly of quotes (there is SOME plain summation on my part, but not much) that I had underlined to give you a quick glimpse of what the book contains.

(p. 33) Islam is a religion based on revelations that are said to have been given to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. These revelations are called the Quran, and the Quran is considered to be the words of G-d (Allah) himself. The Quran is written in first person... The Quran is the most holy and most authoritative book of Islam.

(p. 34) Islam also relies on the hadith, the record of Muhammad's teachings and actions.

(p. 39) Islam teaches that Muslims now have G-d's favor, not the Jews.

(p. 38) Islam teaches that Allah rejected the children of Israel [the Jews] because of their sins, and G-d went back to the seed of Abraham and chose a person from the line of Ishmael to be the final prophet [Muhammad].

(p. 42) Islam teaches that running away from jihad is a surefire way to displease Allah [Surah 8:16].

(p. 45) The Quran was revealed to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel who would come to him from time to time and reveal verses. Muhammad's life can be divided into two parts- the tolerant years in Mecca and the aggressive years in Medina. The revelations Muhammad received in Media sometimes clashed with the ones from Mecca.

(p. 47) When that happened, Muhammad explained that Allah causes some parts of the Quran to be abrogated ("to abolish by authoritative action," "to treat as nonexistent," or "to nullify"). These "abrogated" verses are replaced by verses that are "better" or "similar." The newer revelation overrides the previous revelation.

In the Mecca years, Muhammad said that you can't force anybody to change their religion, and that Jews and Christians were right with G-d. Still Muhammad tried to convert Jews and Christians to Islam.

(p. 47) Jews and Christians were watching Muhammad's teachings carefully. When they saw him change his teachings, they criticized him: "How can you be from G-d? What god changes his mind? How can you say one verse today and then cancel it tomorrow?" These complaints are recorded in the Quran in surah [chapter] 16:101. This practice is called nasikh. It is widely accepted in Islam. In fact, many copies of the Quran have a table that shows whether a surah is from Mecca or Medina in order to help readers know which is a newer revelation.

(p. 53) For all those Westerners who believe Muslims who say that Islam is a religion of peace, Dr. Gabriel says that these Muslims are operating by one of two motives:
1) Wishful thinking. He really believes that Islam should be about peace, so he preaches the peaceful side of Islam. He sincerely believes he is practicing Islam, but peace is not the final revelation of Islam.
2) Deception. Some imams [Islamic spiritual leaders, like ministers and rabbis] will try to make Islam look attractive to Westerners. In other words, they know the truth about Islam, but they disguise it in order to appeal to more people. The interesting thing is that in Islam a Muslim may profess to deny nasikh if doing so is for the purpose of protecting the image of Islam and furthering missionary activity. This is particularly acceptable if the Muslim is living as a minority in a non-Muslim country (such as the United States). But this denial must be in words only. In their hearts, Muslims must continue to accept nasikh and follow the full and final development of the Quranic revelation [wiping out all religions but Islam].

(p. 59) Ordinary Muslims [ones who are Muslim by culture and tradition and who are not orthodox or fanatics] in a 2001 Gallup poll overwhelmingly believe that Jewish people are evil and should be avoided. This poll was conducted via 10,000 personal interviews in Islamic countries.

(p. 60) Fanatic Muslims [the ones who join militant groups like Hamas] justify their actions based on the fact the Jewish state [of Israel] exists. They blame their terrorist activities on the Jews. They make Jews [and their allies, namely the United States] their target.

(p. 88-90) Muhammad's revelations turned from peace to violence when Jews began to mock him for being a false prophet. He then moved to Medina, gathered an army, and obliterated all of the Jews and Christians who would not convert to Islam. He killed every one of them in Arabia. (There was a small group he simply drove out.)

(p. 104) All religions other than Islam must be destroyed, according to surah 8:39.

(p. 149-150) As long as Israel exists, Muslims will accept no peace negotiation. All true followers of Islam must commit to destroying Israel and the United States.

Islam teaches that once a person dies, he waits in the grave until Judgment Day UNLESS he is killed in jihad. In that case, that person does not have to be judged on Judgment Day AT ALL. In fact, that person goes straight to Paradise immediately, where 70 virgins await, plus all the alcohol he can possibly drink. So, according to Muslim belief, jihad gets you either 1) a victory, or 2) instant Paradise. There is no way a Muslim can lose.

So, to sum up:
True Muslims must vow to obliterate Israel and all Jews, plus American citizens and the United States. There is no negotiation.

Anybody still sympathic to Islam now?

This book, Islam and the Jews was an eyeopener! It made clear the motivation for the actions and reactions in the Middle East situation and the reasons of the never ending conflict. I highly recommend this scholarly work. It is well thought out and presented in an orderly fashion. The religious "smoke screen" has been removed in this book!