Islam Is a Religion of Peace: part II

I. What Does Peace Mean? I will go through the two kinds of Islamic wars and progress to the conclusion to this contention The first kind of Islamic war is for self-defense. My opponent seems to think that fighting for your self-defense is not peaceful. The second kind of Islamic war is for the defense of oppressed people. My opponent seems to think that fighting to end oppression is not peaceful. Like my opponent said, my burden is do prove that "[Islam] is an intrinsically peaceful religion that desires the cessation of war or violence against anyone. " So, here is the true argument: "The Quranic verses on this are very clear. God repeats, "do not aggress", multiple times. Only if attacked, is one permitted to fight back. If the other party refrains from aggression and offers one peace, we are told to stop fighting. Rules of War* [2:190] You may fight in the cause of GOD against those who attack you, but do not aggress. GOD does not love the aggressors. [2:191] You may kill those who wage war against you, and you may evict them whence they evicted you. Oppression is worse than murder. Do not fight them at the Sacred Masjid, unless they attack you therein. If they attack you, you may kill them. This is the just retribution for those disbelievers. [2:192] If they refrain, then GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful. [2:193] You may also fight them to eliminate oppression, and to worship GOD freely. If they refrain, you shall not aggress; aggression is permitted only against the aggressors. "[1] So as shown, Islam does not desire war or violence, and is eager to end it whenever possible by accepting peace treaties from the enemy. That is certainly peaceful. Also, protecting other [non-Muslims] rights is peaceful because it is trying to restore peace and freedom for the oppressed. "Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul {any soul, non-Muslim included} unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors. " (Qur'an 5:32) [2] Unjust killing is bad. II. 2nd Round Rebuttals II. i. Islam As a Religion of Peace "Islam clearly prohibits all kinds and forms of aggression and violence against anyone, except in self-defense. Islam is a practical religion, meant to be implemented in every aspect of our life. Therefore, it realizes the fact that a person who commits aggression and violence against others will not cease these actions unless they are deterred by similar actions taken against them. "[3] As a definition of Islamic peace. II. ii. Allah's "Violent" Acts Against Humanity. As to Allah's violence, I will cover each point seperately. The first action was taken as a means to fix broken civilization, as a way of re-affirming peace. The second action was to help the Isrealites - who I might add were being enslaved by the Egyptians (this is oppression) - escape to the promised land. The third action was again taken to promote peace by destorying a non-peaceful civilization. Might I add that you are being very hypocritical here. II. iii. Qur'anic Verses The verses I will cover each seperately. II. iii. a Verse one: 2:178 "To translate qisas, therefore, by retaliation, is incorrect. The Latin legal term Lex Talionis may come near it, but even that is modified here. In any case it is best to avoid technical terms for things that are very different. "Retaliation" in English has a wider meaning equivalent almost to returning evil for evil, and would more fitly apply to the blood-feuds of the Days of Ignorance. Islam says: if you must take a life for a life, at least there should be some measure of equality in it; the killing of the slave of a tribe should not involve a blood feud where many free men would be killed; but the law of mercy, where it can be obtained by consent, with reasonable compensation, would be better. "[4] There are forgiveness laws and it is not necessarily death. II. iii. b Verse two: 10:88 As I stated earlier, the Egyptians were unrightfully enslaving the Isrealites, and they were good to get out. The Pharaoh was warned on numerous occasions by Moses. While they were escaping, the Pharaoh and his army even chased them, so their drowning was of self-defense. They would have gotten killed had that not happened. II. iii. c Verse three: 9:29 "We previously established the fact that the Islamic State is not permitted to attack non-Muslims who are not hostile to Islam, who do not oppress Muslims, or try to convert Muslims by force from their religion, or expel them from their lands, or wage war against them, or prepare for attacks against them. [Only self-defense warrants war] Muslims are not permitted to attack non-Muslims who signed peace pacts with them, or non-Muslims who live under the protection of the Islamic State. "[5] Also, "Soon afterwards, they [Jews] betrayed the peace pact and joined forces with the pagans and the hypocrites against Muslims. "[5] Again, self-defense. II. iii. d Verse four: 22:15 Actually, your interpretation is irrelevant. "You may do whatever you can to change the decrees of Allah, but you will see that no device of yours can succeed, whether these decrees are favorable to your designs or unfavorable to them. Obviously, 'so let him stretch a rope up to the sky, then cut it off' has not been used in the literal but in the figurative sense. "[6] Not suicide, figurative. II. iii. e Verse five: 24:2 "The Western laws of the modern times, which have also been adopted by the Muslims in various countries, are based on such conceptions. According to them, zina may be an evil, and an immoral and sinful thing, but it is not a crime. It becomes a crime only when illicit intercourse is committed without the consent of the other party. "[6] This is long and complicated. I encourage my opponent to read source 6 to learn more. II. iii. f Verse six: 2:193 You forgot the rest of the verse: "Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors. " [2] If the enemy has to cease, then the enemy was the aggressors. II. iii. g Verse seven: 6:70 Again, you left out some of the verse: "And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. "[2] They are to be left alone. Them drinking boiling water is their eternal punishment in hell. Not to be done by Muslims. II. iii. h Verse eight: 6:137 Actually, the Qur'an is just describing Arab practices. They are condoned in the Qur'an. "Described in the previous verses [6:137] were false beliefs of the Mushriks of Arabia while the present verses recount their practical errors and ignorant customs. "[7] II. iii. i Verse nine: 9:111 Again, this was for defending the rights of themselves and others. II. iii. j Verse ten: 2:161 This verse is in no way unpeaceful. Calling someone a disbeliever is not unpeaceful. They are not acting upon it. Islam is a religion of peace that only fights when it has to: in self-defense and when other [non-Muslims] rights are being threatened. This is peaceful because it is restoring peace. Islam seeks peace since it always is ready to sign for peace, even at their opponent's will. Islam also does not aggress because aggression is oppression. Islam obviously wants peace, its just their opponents do not, and thus, war. Islam is a peaceful religion. III. Infidels "Regarding whether to call non-Muslims "kuffar" or not, the answer is that we should call people the names that the Qur'an gave them. In the Qur'an, you will not find a single "O disbelievers" ("Ya Kuffar", "Ya ayuhalathina kafaru", or "Ya ayuhal-kafirun") other than in the following two places: 1. In Hellfire, we seek refuge in Allah from it. The Qur'an says what means: *{[Then it will be said]: "O ye who disbelieve (Ya ayuhalathina kafaru)! Make no excuses for yourselves this day. }* (At-Tahrim 66:7) So, it is something that is said to them by Allah Almighty or by the angels, not by us. 2. In Surat Al-Kafirun (109) that you mentioned in your question. It says what means: *{Say [O Muhammad]: "O ye that reject faith (al-Kafirun)! I worship not that which ye worship, Nor will ye worship that which I worship. "}* But this surah is addressing Prophet Muhammad and therefore must be understood in its historical context. "[8] They are not all nonbelievers. IV. the Qur'an "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, and do not transgress; for Allah loveth not transgressors. " (Surah 2, Verse 190). ï¿½ "But if they cease (fighting you), Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. " (Surah 2, Verse 192). ï¿½ "But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is the One that Heareth and Knoweth (all things). " (Surah 8, Verse 61). ï¿½ "The prohibited month, for the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited, there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress ye likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves. " (Surah 2, Verse 194). ï¿½ " . .. and let not the hatred of some people in (once) shutting you out of the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment. " (Surah 5, Verse 2). ï¿½ "Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate! " (Surah 41, Verse 34). ï¿½ "O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do. " (Surah 4, Verse 135). ï¿½ "God advocates justice, charity, and regarding the relatives. And He forbids evil, vice, and transgression. He enlightens you, that you may take heed. " (Surah 16, Verse 90). ï¿½ "And if ye do punish them, punish them no worse than they punished you: but if ye show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient. " (Surah 16, Verse 126). [3] Thank you con. Over to you for the last full argument. Sources: [1]:. http://www.submission.info... [2]:. http://quran.com... [3]:. http://www.al-islami.com... [4]:. http://www.answering-christianity.com... [5]:. http://islamnewsroom.com... [6]:. http://www.islamicstudies.info... Please search for any verses I wuoted for this source. There are several links to this source. [7]:. http://islamicstudies.info... [8]:. http://www.ilaam.net...