Tom Gjelten’s report on NPR on March 11th, 2016, “Fighting Extremism With Knowledge: Learning The Lessons Of Muhammad” is yet another example of the non-stop propaganda constantly streaming out of so many media sources. From the very start, the reader knows it: this is going to be another puff piece about how everyone should stop scrutinizing and criticizing Islam because it’s really a religion of peace. But THIS article…in this story it’s obvious Tom Gjelten is in over his head in terms of assuming the burden of Muslim apologist. His very first sentence is an implicit bow to Muslim supremacy:
“The religion of Islam was founded by Muhammad, the 7th century prophet whom Muslims call “the messenger of God.”
Muhammad certainly wasn’t any prophet of mine. But Tom Gjelten refers to him as one, as if it’s a matter of course. It doesn’t get any better after this:
“They don’t consider him divine, but they follow his teachings closely. Good Muslims are taught to emulate the prophet in all matters, personal, spiritual and worldly.
Perhaps no time in recent history has it been more important to do as the Prophet Muhammad did — and not as someone says he did.
With terror groups like ISIS now invoking his name, many Muslim leaders say radicals who cite the prophet to justify violence misrepresent his teachings.
Some Muslim leaders argue that young Muslims need a firmer grounding in their own faith and the prophetic tradition, both to equip them better to counter religious propagandists and also to bind them more closely to Islam. Most of what is known about how Muhammad lived is set down in the Hadith, which consist of recollections of the prophet’s life by his companions, first passed on orally and later put down in writing. Taken together, they constitute what Muslims call the “tradition.””
Apparently, Tom Gjelten is unaware that ISIS and Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, and all the other human-rights violating Islamic countries are following the “tradition” of the hadiths also. They follow the “tradition” in their apostasy and blasphemy laws. They follow the “tradition” in their treatment of gays, minority religions, and women. They follow the “tradition” in their judicial systems with little or no due process available for certain accused persons. They follow the “tradition” in their disdain for Jews and Christians. All these things are backed up amply in the same hadiths that Mr Gjelten is extolling as giving the “true human picture” of the “prophet.” But wait, there’s more…!
The article goes on to discuss something called the “Celebrate Mercy” initiative, headed by a Sheikh Hassan Lachheb, which is supposedly conducting a “series of lectures around the country” entitled “Portrait of a Prophet.” The series of lectures around the country actually consisted of one weekend-long retreat in Lanham, Maryland, February 5-7, 2016. The Celebrate Mercy website has no further events on its calendar.
“Hassan argues that if Muslims had more knowledge of how the Prophet Muhammad actually lived and what he taught, they would be less vulnerable to extremist propaganda. Counterterrorism officials — who’ve focused largely on surveillance, sting operations and community policing — would have more success countering extremism, he says, if they supported efforts to deepen religious literacy among young Muslims.”
The irony oozing from this section made me snicker. Where on earth do these idiots think the “extremist propaganda” is coming from? The justification for everything ISIS has done… with the exception of burning the pilot alive in the cage…can be found easily in the hadiths. As people get more knowledge of how Muhammad actually lived and what he taught, they are likely to get MORE extremist, not less!
Hassan Laccheb goes on to cherrypick a series of incidents from hadith that “humanize” Muhammad.
“The Hadith contain many narrations about the Prophet Muhammad’s personal appearance and habits. Muslims are encouraged to learn about these apparently trivial aspects of his story, because it helps them feel more connected to him.”
Yes, indeed. That’s why hating Jews helps them feel more connected to him. That’s why raging and killing people for blasphemy helps them feel more connected to him. That’s why murdering apostates helps them feel more connected to him. That’s why treating women as a lower class helps them feel more connected to him. That’s why believing in superstitious nonsense helps them feel more connected to him. All of these things are in hadith collections deemed reliable by majorities of Muslims. Hassan Laccheb’s website sugarcoats Islam and Muhammad’s record and beliefs. More propaganda nonsense spent uselessly defending the indefensible, and keeping the oblivious roped in to the “religion of peace” lie.
Yes, Muslims, please DO read the hadiths. For many of you, I sincerely hope that reading the hadiths will being you to your senses regarding Islam. Would ANY true god tell his prophet to do the kinds of terrible things Muhammad did? Please, read the hadiths for yourself, and find out all about the unjust and horrid doings of your “perfect” man. You don’t need me to rant on about it. ISIS gets ALL their backing from the same hadiths that Tom Gjelten is saying contain the “true” picture of Muhammad. Thanks so much, Tom, for pointing that out. You are right…but the “true picture” isn’t the one you were intending to present with your piece. Don’t worry…I’m sure all the SJW’s out there think you did a fine job. Keep that head buried in the sand there, bud. Wouldn’t want the light of day to spoil your fragile desert dreams…..
~Mike S.
“Muchadoo:
Do you support death for apostasy? Mohammed did.
Do you support death for blasphemy? Mohammed did.
Do you support sex with 9 year olds? Mohammed did.
Do you support death for gays? Mohammed did.
Do you support women getting half the inheritance of men? Mohammed did.
My bet is that you won’t be able to answer these questions with a simple yes/no answer. I am able to answer them with a simple one word answer for each question: NO. Can you do the same? I doubt it. If it’s the perfect religion, and Mohammed was the perfect man and prophet, you should be able to shout your agreement with these views of Mohammed from the rooftops! But deep inside, you know your religion is false…and so you won’t be able to do so. Leave the cult NOW, Muchadoo. Allah is false. You have been deceived.”
The next day, I added this:
“Notice, folks, how the poor, deceived little Muslim girl couldn’t refute one single FACT I stated about Islam. Poor Muchadoo couldn’t bring herself to answer a single simple yes/no question! It’s clear she’s well beyond her limited intellect trying to defend something as eminently indefensible as the cult of Islam. I am ABSOLUTELY ready for an educated discussion…while Muslims can’t even answer simple yes/no questions about their supposedly “perfect” faith. Give it up, Muchadoo. If you can’t defend it simply and easily, then it’s NOT a perfect religion. And if it’s not a perfect religion, then Mohammed lied. What else did he lie about? Islam is false, Muchadoo. Your inability to defend it should clearly indicate that to you. Take off that foolish hijab. Pleasing a false god is pleasing NOTHING. You’re in over your head here, Muchadoo.”
To which she finally replied:
“Goodness, the least you could do is tag me so I know you’ve been talking to me, sheesh. What a mess I’ve come back to. As a British Muslim I can safely reply NO to each and every question because of one simple fact: as Muslims WE MUST ABIDE BY THE LAW OF THE LAND. It’s that simple. SO does the UK support killing for blasphemy; no. Does the UK…. etc etc, To which I answer to all your questions, no, no and no again. I lived in Saudi for 2 years and other Muslim countries and not once did I hear anyone being killed for any of the things you mention nor do I know of any Muslim country that supports any of those things you said. To use the word “support” is interesting. The reason women are given half the inheritance of men is simply because women in Islam are taken care of. When I work my money is mine and my husbands money is also mine but as a Muslim man he cannot take my wealth! Bet you didn’t know that. So do I support that, knowing full well I have accumulated all my wealth, heck yeah. As for Aisha (yeah that’s the name of the 9 year old you were referring to) one only need to look back into history of Europe, America and Asia to see that there were such incidences all over the world. Centuries ago, this was the norm ALL OVER THE WORLD. Your hate is blinding you. It’s really sad that you have this mentality where you’re trying to dictate how I should live my life: take off my hijab, really? Doesn’t that take away from my human right and choice as a human being? The contradictions are astonishing, Some people in the West want to act like ambassadors for Human Rights and can’t even give people the freedom to wear what they please. The hijab is my choice. Respect that. Thanks.”
My response:
Muchadoo,
“I don’t believe you know your religion well at all. Let’s talk for a minute about a part of the quran which is very suited for this discussion. Here’s verses 57-62 from Surah 33…have you forgotten, or just never read?
“Those who annoy Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this World and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating Punishment. And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin. O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Truly, if the Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbours for any length of time: They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy). (Such was) the practice (approved) of Allah among those who lived aforetime: No change wilt thou find in the practice (approved) of Allah.”
Let’s summarize. Allah hates people who annoy him or Mohammed, and he is waiting in the after life with a terrible punishment for those who do so. Those who annoy muslims have committed a glaring sin. Women should cover their persons when out and about. If the people who do not stop annoying muslims don’t stop their behavior, Allah will stir the muslims to such a rage that the offenders will be driven out, cursed forever. Since they are cursed, they shall be slain, without mercy, of course, wherever they are found once they are driven out of town. Allah approved of killing such offenders in the past, and Allah’s opinion on this is not going to change.
This is your quran, Muchadoo. People who annoy the Believers undeservedly should be driven out of town and killed? Seriously? This is part of where the apostasy law is derived from. People who rejected Mohammed’s “religion” were seriously annoying to him. Allah declared that “they shall be slain.” Notice also that verse 59 is part of where the “thou shalt cover” part of Islam comes from. I’m sure you know this already. Sorry, but in Islam, your hijab is NOT a choice. And you know it.
And , once again, weasel words, weasel words, weasel words. You don’t believe in apostasy or blasphemy laws because British Law doesn’t believe in them? We are not discussing British law here…we are discussing islam and your adherence to its unsavory tenets. I was proven right…you couldn’t give a simple yes/no answer. There are many tens of millions of muslims worldwide who believe in the apostasy and blasphemy laws, and act as if they are divinely inspired. Pakistan, as you know, is notorious for erupting into “mob justice” when someone has seriously offended the believers. Here’s another link for you… https://islamqa.info/en/20327 the shayk here, unlike you, Muchadoo, has some serious guts. He takes on the task of defending the apostasy, and by extension, the blasphemy laws, using islamic texts in such a way that it couldn’t have been done any better if it was done by a notorious islamophobe like myself. His defense is pretty airtight….to not believe in the apostasy and blasphemy laws is unislamic. So I will rephrase a couple of my questions for you, Muchadoo:
Do you believe it is right to kill people because they stop believing in a religion and start talking badly about it?
Do you believe it is right to kill those who mock the religion of another by word or deed?
Why don’t you take on these questions after you’ve read the Shayk link I left. Perhaps his brave but futile defense will give the widdle Cowardly Lioness some courage….”
And her comment about “The reason women are given half the inheritance of men is simply because women in Islam are taken care of.” shows her complete and total blindness to the true nature of human and women’s rights. I would pose her yet another simple question: what if a woman did not WISH to be “taken care of” by a man? What if she wanted to be independent? Well, that’s too damn bad…she would still get half as much inheritance as her brother got. Doesn’t that take away from her “human right and choice as a human being,” Muchadoo? Doesn’t that “dictate how she should live her life?” The contradictions ARE astounding, indeed, Muchadoo, but they’re not with me. They’re in YOUR head. And they originate directly from the flawed and poisoned seed of islam.
LOVE takin ‘dem Muslims to school!
~Mike S.