Islam is evil

Again, Pro has not presented any proper arguments. He only sums up a bunch of allegations which have no apparent basis. Nonetheless, I shall try to refute the allegations that are made. “The Koran is a nonsense. It is a collection of myths.” What are you basing this on? What parts are nonsense according to you? To prove the opposite, namely that the Quran is the truth, I will provide a few examples of prophecies that were made in the Quran 1400 years ago, and have been fulfilled in the meantime. In chapter 10 (Yunus) verses 91-93 the demise of Pharaoh has been described. It has also been mentioned that his body was saved and preserved for future generations to see. This prophecy has clearly been fulfilled, since we can see the mummies of Egyptian Pharaohs in museums. (1) The next prophecy: “Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass, then We opened them out? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” (2) The Big Bang theory states that “the universe expanded rapidly from a highly compressed primordial state”. (3) See the resemblance between a ‘highly compressed primordial mass’ and ‘a closed-up mass’? It has also been proven that life originated from water. (3) “And when the she-camels, ten month pregnant are abandoned,” (4) Camels were used for centuries are a means for transport in Arabia. When this verse was revealed, it was unthinkable that it would ever be abandoned for other means of transport. It is only since a few hundred years that fast means of travel (like trains, cars, and planes) have been developed, fulfilling this prophecy.(5)(6) “And when the wild beasts are gathered together,” (7) This is quite obvious. Animals have been gathered in zoos all over the world. These prophecies are mere examples, and I have chosen the most simple of prophecies to make it easy to understand. There are many more prophecies in the Quran that have been fulfilled. (5)(6) “If Mohhamad was alive today he would be arrested for war crimes and child sex .” This is a separate topic (the life and character of Muhammad) so I will only briefly discuss this allegation. Several historians have written about Muhammad and Islam. Sir Bosworth Smith says that Islam was barely criticized up to his time (1800s). Only one sect of Jews (Maimonides) had criticized Islam or Muhammad. If Muhammad was a war criminal and had committed many crimes, wouldn’t the enemies of Islam (i.e. Jews and Christians) have taken hold of any straw they could find? Wouldn’t they have criticized Islam based on the crimes that Muhammad is supposed to have committed? It is only in modern times where rumours spread like wildfire (for example via internet and television) that rumours become so common they are accepted as the truth, while they are actually not. I will also respond to the allegation of paedophilia, most likely referring to Muhammad’s marriage with Aisha. When it comes to marriage there are many cultural differences, even now. In the west people generally marry in their late twenties or early thirties, while in other parts of the world marriages take place after physical maturation is (nearly) complete. Also, in the time of Muhammad, there was no birth registration or a system which kept track of people’s ages. People’s ages were guessed based on their appearance. Lastly, when it comes to physical maturation, there is individual variation. Some people mature at a younger age, while others mature at an older age. When it comes to the age of Aisha at marriage, sources point to her being around the age of 7 at betrothal and 12-15 at time of actual marriage. She was also already betrothed to another man, pointing to the fact that Aisha was already coming of age and ready for marriage. Historical accounts also show that emotionally Aisha was very mature, especially considering her age. (8) This leads to the conclusion that Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha was completely culturally acceptable and was not a case of paedophilia. “Islam would , if it could , take away the human rights of every female on the planet. Your holy book , the Koran , should be ridiculed at every opportunity.” It is funny that you say this, since it was Islam that introduced women’s rights. Before Islam, women had no right to own property. Everything they owned belonged to either their father or their husband. Women were even considered property themselves! They were often sold or traded by their husbands. Women also had no share in someone’s inheritance. They had no right to divorce their husbands, while the men could divorce or sell women as they pleased without any requirements. Men could marry as many women as they wanted. Then Islam came. Suddenly women were given the right to own property. They were allowed to inherit property. It became unlawful to sell women. Women had the right to divorce their husbands and when the husbands divorced their wives, they had to pay her an amount which was agreed upon (prior to the marriage). The amount of wives was limited to four, with the condition that each wife was treated equally in every respect. If this was not possible, the limit was one wife. (9, all relevant verses from the Quran are quoted there) Then you look at the Western society as it is now. The rights of women have only developed in the last century. Islam had already stated these rules regarding women 1400 years ago, protecting their rights. If you take a real good look at western society, are women really free? Women are judged on their looks, rather than their intellectual capability. When choosing between women for a certain job, her appearance is a bigger concern than her capabilities to perform the task at hand. Sex sells. Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry. Women have become an object of lust first and human beings second. What Islam does, is protect women against these bad influences. Furthermore, Islam does not prohibit women from being a part of society. It teaches them to dress modestly and cover their heads (not the entire face as is suggested sometimes), so they don’t reveal their feminine features in front of strange men. This leads to men not being tempted by her looks (at least, to a much lesser degree) and actually judging her based on her capabilities (instead of her looks). “The violent rhetoric of Islamic reactions to cartoons of your prophet in a Denmark publication exposed the very real threat that we face here in the west.” The actions of some Muslims cannot be considered representative for the religion itself. It is logical that if you insult someone’s beliefs, they will be angry. But the Islam teaches us to keep one’s anger in check and be forgiving. This is a commandment made in the Quran: “Those, who spend in prosperity and adversity, and those who suppress anger, and pardon men; and Allah loves those who do good;” (10) Conclusion I have again refuted Pro’s (baseless) allegations. I hope that in the final round he actually does provide arguments with evidence that backs it up. References 1. Quran, Yunus 10:91-93 2. Quran, al-Anbiya 21:31 3. Big-bang model, Encyclopaedia Brittanica (http://www.britannica.com...) 4. Quran, al-Takwir, 81:5 5. “Prophecies Made in the Past about the Future Prove that God Exists” by Prof. S.M. Allahdin (http://www.reviewofreligions.org...) 6. Part VI, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth by Mirza Tahir Ahmad. (http://www.alislam.org...) 7. Quran, al-Takwir, 81:6 8. “The Issue of the Age of Hazrat ‘A’ishah” by Mirza Bashir Ahmad , Review of Religions November 2012 (http://www.reviewofreligions.org...) 9. “Islam and Women’s Rights” by Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Review of Religions March 2009 (http://www.reviewofreligions.org...) 10. Quran, al-Imran 3:195