Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran

I recently finished reading The Complete Infidel’s Guide to the Koran by Robert Spencer. Although the Koran is a jumbled and rambling collection of sayings, Spencer does a remarkable job of explaining some of the main themes, including its views on Jews, Christians, women, war and bringing the world into submission to Allah.

Spencer shows that the Koran’s virulent anti-Semitism, obsession with the tortures of hell, and mandate for global violence is not a matter of isolated passages taken out of context—as Islamic apologists and those on the Left like to assert—but are major themes of the book. Although I am not the expert on the Koran that Robert Spencer is, I’ve read the Koran from cover to cover and I can attest that he is telling the truth. I have to believe that those who argue that the Koran is about peace either have never actually read it or are lying through their teeth.

It is true, that there are some Islamic apologists who genuinely try to explain away all the commands to violence in the Koran. For example, “the twentieth-century Sudanese Muslim theologian Mahmud Muhammad Taha argued that the most of the Koran’s more violent and politically incorrect commands applied specifically to Muhammad’s situation in seventh century Medina and do not apply to the modern world.

Taha’s novel interpretation of the Koran might have been a good solution: “Were Taha’s ideas accepted, most of the Shari’a would disappear, including outdated provisions concerning warfare, theft, and women. Muslims could then more readily modernize.”

Unfortunately, in 1985 Taha was tried for apostasy and executed. His views were simply not acceptable to mainline Islam.

The Complete Infidel’s Guide to the Koran is informative, clear, concise, well documented and hard to put down. Every American needs to read this book. It is not too melodramatic to say that the future of the West is at stake.

Muhammad and the crucifixion of Jesus

Today is “Good Friday,” a rather strange name for the celebration of the crucifixion of Jesus. The crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most well attested historical facts in all of ancient history.

It is found not only in first century AD New Testament sources like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Paul’s letters, Hebrews, and First Peter, but also in other ancient Christian sources not found in the Bible, like Ignatius, Polycarp, Epistle of Barnabas, Justin Martyr, Hegesippus, Mileto of Sardis, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and the Diatessaron. In fact, Jesus’ crucifixion is even attested by early non-Christian (even anti-Christian) sources like Josephus and Lucian, and in a round-about way by Tacitus.

The crucifixion of Jesus is an accepted fact in the scholarly world. In fact, almost the only ones who reject this fact are Muslims. According to the Qur'an, Jesus only appeared to be crucified. The Qur’an refers to Jews boasting about killing Christ:

“That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Apostle of God’’—But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them (Sura 4:157).

The Qur’an contains the words of Muhammad as remembered by his earliest followers. The sources I cited above which affirm the crucifixion of Jesus were written from 400 to almost 600 years before the time of Muhammad.

So why does Muhammad deny something as historically solid as the crucifixion of Jesus?

Muhammad was hoodwinked by a group of people we often call "Gnostics", who believed that Jesus was divine but not truly human. As a result, they didn’t believe Jesus could really die. So about 200 to 300 years after Jesus’ death, they argued that Jesus was not really crucified and that he died only in appearance. For example, one of the Gnostic writings, says,

“I did not succumb to them as they had planned. But I was not afflicted at all. Those who were there punished me. And I did not die in reality but in appearance…They struck me with the reed; it was another, Simon, who bore the cross on his shoulder. It was another upon whom they placed the crown of thorns. But I was rejoicing in the height over all the wealth of the archons…and I was laughing at their ignorance…for I was altering my shapes…” (Second treatise of the Great Seth 55-56).

A similar document says, “The Savior said to me, ‘He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hand and feet they drive the nails in his fleshly part, which is the substitute…” (Apocalypse of Peter 81)

So supposedly, while “the living Jesus” was being crucified—one of the most brutal tortures imaginable—he was laughing because the nails had been driven into the hands of a substitute?! This is the pool of ideas from which Muhammad got his idea that Jesus was never crucified.

While Muhammad accepted the Gnostic idea that Jesus was not crucified, he rejected their idea that Jesus was a divine being. That is interesting because their reason for thinking Jesus was not crucified in the first place was because, in their view, Jesus was divine, but not not really human!

So if you think it is historically plausible that Jesus was not human at all, and that he was some kind of shape-shifter ("I was altering my shapes"), and was laughing on the cross because it was not really him on the cross but a substitute, then maybe Muhammad’s view of Jesus not being crucified might make sense to you.

But if, like virtually all scholars, you dismiss such nonsense as unhistorical, then you should also recognize that Muhammad was not a prophet of God at all, but was merely an ordinary man who was duped into believing this, and the numerous other historical errors he relates in the Qur’an.

Our deep appreciation for Islam

In Turkey President Obama said,

"We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better, including my own country,"

Really? Is President Obama talking about the Islamic faith:

that calls Jews "apes" (Surah II.65)

that says "soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of unbelievers (Surah III. 151)

that says "Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four (Surah IV.3)

that says "As regards your children's inheritance: to the male, a portion equal to that of two females (Surah IV.11; cf also Surah IV.176)

that says "If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, take the evidence of our reliable witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them (Surah IV.15)

that says, "As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them first, next refuse to share their beds, and last beat them (lightly) (Surah IV.34)

that says, "Let those fight in the cause of God" (Surah IV.74)

that says, "Those who believe fight in the case of God" (Surah IV.76)

that says, "Then fight in God's cause" (Surah IV.84)

that says, "But if they turn renegades [i.e. reject Islamic faith] seize them and slay them wherever you find them" (Surah IV.89)

that says, "For the unbelievers are unto you open enemies" (Surah IV.101)

that says, "As to the thief, male of female, cut off his or her hands" (Surah V.38)

that says, "O you who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for your friends and protectors" (Surah V.51)

that says, "I will instil terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: Smite them above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them" (Surah VIII.12)

that says, "Against them make read your strength to the utmost of your power, including seeds of war, to strike terror into the hearts of the eneimes of God and your enemies" (Surah VIII.60)

that says, "O Apostle! [Muhammad] Rouse the believers to fight!" (Surah VIII.65)

that says, "But when the fobidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans whereever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them and lie in wait fo them in every stratagem of war" (Surah IX 5)

that says, "Fight those who believe not in God" (Surah IX.29)

that says, "O you who believe! Fight the unbelievers who gird you about" (Surah IX.123)

that says,, "Those who annoy God and his apostle--God has cursed them in this world and in the hereaftere, and has prepared for them a humiliating punihsment" (Surah XXXIII.57)

that says, "They shall have a curse on them: Wherever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy)" (Surah XXXIII.61).

that says, "But those who strive against our signs, to frustrate thenm--for such will be a penalty,--a punishment most humiliating" (Surah XXXIV.5, 38)

that says, "If two parties among the believers fall into a quarrel, make peace between them: but if one of them transgresses beyond the bounds against the other, then all of you fight against that one that transgresses until it complies with the command of God" (Surah XLIX.9).

that says, "Those who resist God and his apostle will be among those most humiliated" (Surah LVIII.20)

That conquered Arabia, Egypt, Lybia, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan by the edge of the sword all within about 25 years of Muhammad's death! And within about 100 years had forcibly spread Islam--by the edge of the sword--all the way from India to Spain! And, were it not for "Christian" Europe, would have contolled the world! Islam is one of the most imperialistic ideologies ever to exist on earth. Is that the Islam Obama is praising?

Or is Mr. Obama talking about the Islam of which Muhammad ordered the execution of people for no other reason than turning away from his new religion?

Or the Islam of which Muhammad slaughtered 600 innocent Jewish men and sold their wives and children into slavery?

Or is Obama talking about the Islam that kidnapped and enslaved innocent American sailors in early American history?

Or is it the Islam that motivated the slaugher of our marines in Lebanon, the bombing of the Khobar Towers, the destruction of the Twin Towers, or the endless shelling of innocent Israelis and persecution of Christians (and every other religion!) all over the world!

I can just hear the Islamic apologists responding by pointing out all the violence in the Old Testament--and that was truly terrible if you were a Caananite, a Jebusite, or a Hittite, etc. But whereas Christians and Jews believe that God had given the Jews the "Promised Land," Jews never used that as an excuse to try to conquer the world or to slaugher unbelievers just for being unbelievers!

Islamic apologists will then point out all the atrocities committed in the name of Christianity. The key phrase is "in the name of Christianity." Search the New Testament! These atrocities were usually committed in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus! So-called "Muslim radicals" who commit atrocities are simply following the example and teachings of Muhammad himself.

For Obama to express "our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better" may show that he is ignorant of history. It may show that he is strongly sympathetic to Islam. Or it may show that he is just living in fantasy-land.

Anyway you look at it, it is dangerous for America!