Law of War and Force: the Perspective of Al-Quran and the Bible
Written by Dr. Khandaker Abdullah Jahangir
Published in the Journal of Islamic Law and Judiciary, Vol II, 2007
Introduction
The Western people blame Islam for its law of War or Jihad. According
to their view, Islam teaches its followers to be non-tolerant towards
other religions. It orders Muslims to wage ‘Jihad’ against non-Muslims
and kill them. This is why Pope Benedict XVI blamed Islam for its
conception of Jihad and said that God does not like violence which is
incompatible with His nature.
According to him, Christianity teaches
love and peace, so it is compatible to reason and to the nature of God.
In fact we find that it is not only the Qur’an, but the holy Bible also
commands for Jihad or war against unbelievers or enemies. In this
article we will make a comparative study between the Qur’an and the
Bible regarding doctrine of war and violence to examine and explore
accuracy or erroneousness of Western view in the light of the Holy
Scriptures of Islam and Christianity.
The Bible
The holy Bible is “the sacred scriptures of Judaism and Christianity.
The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New
Testament, with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox versions of the
Old Testament being slightly larger because of their acceptance of
certain books and parts of books considered apocryphal by Protestants.
The Jewish Bible includes only the books known to Christians as the Old
Testament. The arrangements of the Jewish and Christian canons differ
considerably. The Protestant and Roman Catholic arrangements more nearly
match one another.”[1]
The Jews believe in the divinity of Torah or books of the Old
Testament only. They deny divinity of the New Testament and they do not
recognize the Christhood or Messiahship of Jesus and even they do not
accept his prophethood, but they consider him as a false prophet[2]. According to Christian belief every word of the old and the new testaments are the irrefragable word of God.[3]
According to the Islamic belief, God revealed Torah to Moses, Zabur
(Palms) to David and Engeel (euangelion/Evangel/Gospel) to Jesus. These
holy books were later distorted and altered by the Jews and the
Christians by deletion, omission, addition and alteration. So both the
Old and New Testament of the Bible include some words of God along with a
lot of false statements. The Muslims consider all inhuman, cruel or
brutal instructions, sayings and acts attributed to God or any Prophet
are among distorted, altered or misrepresented statements[4]. So we will discuss biblical instructions and quotations according to the Christian Faith, not according to Muslim Faith.
Instructions for war and force against the heathen in the Bible
According to the Bible God is very much fond of war. So the saints,
priests, devotees and all religious people must have swords in their
hand to kill the heathen and unbelievers. The Bible says: “Let the high
praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his
saints.”[5]
Regarding war the Bible says: “Kill every male among the little ones,
and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the
women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive
for yourselves.”[6]
Here a reader may understand that God orders Genocide and holocaust.
It is agreeable that sometimes war may be inevitable. Where there is a
state, there must be some options for war to protect the sovereignty and
interests of the state and its people. All peace loving people may
agree to this extent, though they always try to avoid war. In case of
war they try to avoid harming non-combat people and consider such
atrocities as war crimes. But here God of the Bible commands to kill all
non-combat male, female and children, except young unmarried woman for
the entertainment of that holy people.
God also says in the Bible: “And when the LORD the God hath delivered
it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge
of the swore; but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and
all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take
unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the
LORD thy God hath given thee. Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities
which are very far from thee, which are not of the cities of these
nations. But of the cities of these which the LORD thy God doth give
thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;
but thou shalt utterly destroy them.”[7]
Here a reader may claim that God encourages His devotees to occupy
land of other people and to free that occupied land from the poison of
infidels and unbelievers He orders for wholesale destruction by killing
every human being and every breathing animal.
In another place God commands His people and devotees: “He that
sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly
destroyed.”[8]
It may be interpreted as an open license for indiscriminate killing of all non-Jewish or non-Christian people.
God also says: “For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee
in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the
Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after
their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down
their images.”[9]
Again He says: “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with
the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare
in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their
images, and cut down their groves”.[10]
A reader may understand that it is a divine instruction to deny
religious freedom and liberty of non-Jewish and non-Christians. He may
fill that God loves violence towards unbelievers and pagans. So He
orders His people to be violate and non-tolerant towards them.
From these quotations one may conclude that God orders to kill every
infidel, destroy their religious institutes and deny their religious
freedom. He may also claim that for this open license Christian churches
and government throughout the history killed millions of Jews, Muslims,
so called witches and so called ‘heretics’. He may also understand that
for these Divine instructions they are killing hundreds of thousands of
innocent people in Iraq and elsewhere.
Brutality and Genocide of the Biblical Prophets
As we stated earlier, war may be inevitable to protect sovereignty
and interests of people and state. In the case of war peace-loving
people try to make war less destructive. But from numerous quotations of
the Bible one may claim that the holy prophets of God were not eager to
make war less destructive. On the contrary, they were eager to fulfill
such divine orders of wholesale killing and destruction. We find stories
of such genocide and massacre in many books of the holy Bible. In 1
Samuel we find an example of such massacre: “And David and his men went
up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites:
for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest
to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. And David smote the land, and
left neither man nor woman alive….”[11]
Another example of massacre and brutal killing: “And David gathered
all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and
took it…. And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put
them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and
made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the
cities of the children of Ammon”.[12]
God says: “My servant David, who kept my commandments, and who
followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine
eyes”.[13] Here a reader may conclude that all such massacre and holocaust of David are considered right and praiseworthy by God.
Praising such massacres and brutal killings by David and other
Prophets of God St. Paul, the founder of the Trinitarian Christianity,
says in his letter to Hebrews: “And what shall I more say? for the time
would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of
Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through
faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,
stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the
edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in
fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”[14]
Cold blooded murder of ‘heretics’ or followers of other religion
There is yet another kind of killing of ‘infidels’ in the holy bible.
According to the Bible the faithful or religious people have the right
to kill the heathens or followers of other religions even through
deception, cheating or lying. We see a lot of instances of such
cold-blooded murder in the holy Bible. In one case we see that depending
on the command of God and divine guidance Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat,
king of Israel, cheated unarmed and unaware worshipers of ‘Baal’ and
killed them under the edge of the sword. Describing the events the Bible
says:
“And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab
served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. Now therefore call
unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests;
let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal;
whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in
subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed
it. And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal
came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into
the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to
another. And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth
vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth
vestments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the
house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look
that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the
worshippers of Baal only. And when they went in to offer sacrifices and
burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any
of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth
him go, his life shall be for the life of him. And it came to pass, as
soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu
said to the guard and to the captains, go in, and slay them; let none
come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the
guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house
of Baal. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and
burned them. And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the
house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.”[15]
In another example Prophet Elijah slew 450 unarmed prophets of Baal,
as the Bible says: “And Elijah said unto them, take the prophets of
Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought
them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”[16]
Here one may conclude that the Bible not only instructs to conquer or
occupy other countries, states and nations, but it also directs to kill
unarmed and unaware followers of other religions, even through
deception. We will see that such biblical narration inspired the
Christian church to brutally kill and burn followers of other religions.
Hatred towards the heathen and unbelievers in the Bible
The holy bible sometimes refers to the non-Jewish of non-Christian
people as ‘dogs’ or ‘swine’. Jesus said: “Give not that which is holy
unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine…”[17]
Matthew says: “And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same
coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son
of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered
her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send
her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not
sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is
not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”[18]
A prejudiced reader may conclude here that this is the philosophy for
such brutality and violence. The non-Jewish or non-Christian people are
sub-human beings like dogs. These dogs may be provided with help or
assistance if that does not harm the ‘children of God’. If the interests
of the children contradict those of the dogs, then the dogs may be
mercilessly killed.
War and Jihad in the Quran
Mr. Pope and other Christian scholars will conform that the above
mentioned verses are correctly quoted from the holy Bible, but they may
not agree with the interpretation and conclusion. They may brand such
explanation and conclusion as biased, prejudiced or intentional
misinterpretation. Out of their ignorance or biased mentality they are
doing the same in interpreting ‘Jihad’ of Islam.
Jihad in Islam is nothing but ‘state war’. Even ‘holy war’ is not the
meaning of ‘Jihad’. Both ‘crusade’ and ‘holy war’ are pure Christian
terms invented by Christian popes to encourage Christians to invade
Muslim countries. Jihad in Islam means endeavor. In political term it
means ‘war against enemies of the Muslim State’. Generally the enemies
of the Muslim states are non-Muslims. This is why state enemies are
termed as non-believers or infidels. But it does never mean that the
Qur’an gives open license to kill infidels or the heathens like the holy
Bible. There are many preconditions for Jihad, such as:
(1) Statehood and order of the head of the state, (2) being attacked
by the enemies, (3) accepting every opportunity of peace, (3) limiting
the war only in combatant enemies, etc.
People of Madina embraced Islam through absolutely peaceful
propagation and they chose Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) as
the head of their state. When Muslims of Madina were attacked by their
enemies, Allah permitted them to fight. Allah says in the Qur’an: “To
those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because
they are wronged; and verily, Allah is Most Powerful for their aid.”[19]
Prophet Muhammad (e) says: “Head of the state is the shield behind whom war to be waged”[20]
The Qur’an says: “But if the enemies incline towards peace, do you
(also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is the One that
Hears and Knows (all things).”[21]
Allah says in the Qur’an: “Fight in the cause of Allah those who
fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not
transgressors.”[22]
So war must be limited with combatant enemies of the state. Even in
the battlefield it is prohibited for a Muslim fighter to kill a woman,
child, sick, old man, monk or any non-combat person. Prophet Muhammad
(e) says: “In the name of Allah and for His cause you fight. Do not
break faith; do not kill any woman, child, monk, sick or old man. Do not
mutilate any human body, do not destroy any well, do not cut any tree
except that prevent you from your enemy, do not kill an animal except
for use and be friendly and merciful, for Allah loves those who are
merciful.”[23]
These Islamic instructions regarding ‘Jihad’ may be compared with
above mentioned Biblical instructions to kill every male, female,
children and even every breathing animal. One may also compare the wars
of Biblical prophets with those of the Prophet Muhammad (e). I think no
reasonable person can deny that Islamic concept and practice of Jihad
are far superior to the modern concept of war.
The Qur’an on Religious Violence and Forceful Conversion
As we stated before, Jihad or war in Islam may be waged against
another country and not against another religion. We do not find a
single instruction in the Quran to kill followers of other religion or
the heathen outside the battlefield or to compel other people to accept
Islam. Islam prohibits violence, hatred and force in religion. There may
be war for this reason or that, but not a single Muslim can ever think
of insulting other people’s religion or to force someone to embrace
Islam. Allah says: “Revile not you those whom they call upon besides
Allah, lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ignorance. Thus have
We made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they
return to their Lord, and we shall then tell them the truth of all that
they did.”[24]
He further says: “And dispute you not with the People of the Book,
except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with
those of them who inflict wrong (and injury); but say, “We believe in
the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to
you; our God and your God is One; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).”[25]
He says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out
clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped
the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah hears and
knows all things”.[26]
Before coming of the Prophet (e) to Madina a number of youth of
Madina embraced Judaism. When their parents embraced Islam, they wanted
to forcibly covert them to Islam. The Prophet did not let them to do so.
He said, No compulsion in Faith. So let them follow the religion of
their own choice.[27]
Old Testament versus New Testament
One may observe that most of the above mentioned verses are quoted
from the Old Testament. Jesus Christ in the Gospels did not call for
revenge or war. On the other hand Islam ordained Jihad that might have
opened the doors of atrocities. This observation contradicts the
historic facts as well as the Christian faith. In the light of actual
facts we see that absence of clear instructions and legislation
regarding war in the Gospels led the Christians and Christianity to a
perpetual dilemma and was the main cause of atrocities committed by the
Church. But before discussing the historic facts we may review the
Christian believe. Here we should consider the following things:
(1) Terming the Jewish Bible as ‘Old Testament’ does not mean that
its laws and commands are abrogated, invalidated or nullified by the New
Testament. Christianity does not believe in abrogation or invalidation
of any Divine command, instruction or law. The later prophet or
scripture can never nullify or change the instructions of previous
prophet or scripture. So every teaching, command, instruction and law of
Old Testament is irrevocable and eternal legislation for the
Christians. In this regard famous Christian scholar and preacher Carl
Gottaleb Pfander, D. D. says: “The Old Testament and the New have never
been abrogated and can never be abrogated in their facts, their
doctrines and their moral principles.”[28]
(2) Jesus did not claim that he came with a new system or law, but he
insisted that he came to fulfil the Law of Moses and previous Prophets.
Moreover he urged his followers the strictly abide by the Jewish Law
and religious system. He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the
law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but
whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in
no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”[29]
(3) Jesus also declared that he left his teachings incomplete, as he
said: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them
now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he
shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”[30]
(4) Jesus also praised sword or war and Jihad saying: “Think not that
I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a
sword.”[31]
(5) Jesus also instructed to slay his enemies. He said: “But those
mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring
hither, and slay them before me.”[32]
(6) The Christians- rulers and laity- and Christianity-represented by
the Church- could never avoid war. Naturally a religious person seeks
instructions of his/her religion in every aspects of life. In absence of
clear instructions about warfare in the Gospels they naturally depended
on the instructions of the Old Testament for indiscriminate killing of
all combatant and non-combat male, female and children and wholesale
destruction of their property. Furthermore, they interpreted these
teachings in their own way assuming that the Holy Ghost is with them
that will guide them into all truth. But actually they were guided to
all evil.
I am giving an example of such interpretation. Isaac Badarkan was a
prominent Arab Protestant Christian. In 1849 he published a book titled
“Al-Thalatha Ashrata Risalah” or “The Thirteen Letters” to discuss the
corruption of the Church. In this book he mentioned that the Bible Index
printed in Rome in Arabic and Latin under the Letter Ha (H) stated: “It
is our Duty towards the heretics to uproot and annihilate them. The
Bible teaches us to do so. Because, Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, king of
Israel deceived the false prophets and killed them under the edge of
the sword.[33] And Prophet Elijah also slew the prophets of Baal.”[34]
Thus they interpret the teachings and acts of Biblical Prophets and
kings to support their brutality. On the other hand, Islam closed the
door of such dilemma by giving clear instructions about war or Jihad. A
historical preview will disclose it to us.
A Historical perspective
Leaving the holy Bible, biblical theories of war and religious
violence, when we look at the actual history of its people we see that
the history of the Jewish and Christian people is full of horrifying
violence and bloodshed. The holy bible itself records dreadful brutality
of the Jews. To see brutality and religious violence of the Christians
we have to look at the history.
History reveals to us that starting from Constantine the Great, who
gave Christianity the statehood, the Christian clergy and church waged a
‘Zero tolerant’ war against every dissident. Not only the followers of
other faiths, like Jews and Muslims, but also the Christians having
different views about some articles of faith were mercilessly
suppressed, killed or burnt alive and their property, books and other
belongings destroyed.
Such brutality and violence took two dimensions. In many cases the
Christian kings, lords, barons or princes engaged in such inhuman
cruelty in the name of Christianity. Such as brutality against the Jews
in Spain, France, England and most of the European countries, against
Muslims in Christian Spain, against Muslims and Jews during the Crusades
and brutality of Catholics and Protestants against each others during
the wars of religion in Europe. Their atrocities included economic
exploitation, indiscriminate killing, burning, forcible conversion under
the edge of sword, confiscation or destruction of property, mass
expulsion etc. Usually the religious leadership represented by the
church and the Pope supported such actions. Even sometimes they
celebrated such brutality. In August 24/25, 1572, Massacre of Saint
Bartholomew’s Day took place. About 70,000 Protestants brutally killed
by the Catholics in France and Pope Gregory XIII had a medal struck to
celebrate the event.[35]
In other cases the church or the Pope initiated and engaged in such
brutality in the name of Christianity. Under the papal order of
‘Inquisition’ to ‘punish heretics and wipe out the spiritual leprosy’
thousands of Muslims, Jews and so-called heretic Christians were
persecuted and burnt alive. The third Latern council (1179) decreed “the
punishment of heretics by the secular arm after prosecution by a
bishop”. A papal edict in this regard says: “we give you a strict
command that by whatever means you can, you destroy all these heresies
and repel from your dioces all who are polluted by them … If necessary
you may cause the princes and the people to suppress them with the
sword.”[36]
Pope Innocent III proclaimed a sacred war against Albigenses, a
Christian sect considered heretic by the church. During the Albigensian
Crusade thousands of people were massacred, which is considered- as
mentioned in Encyclopaedia Britannica- the first modern case of genocide[37].
Arnold Amaury, the papal legate, reported this event to the pope
saying: “Our men sparing neither rank, sex, nor age, slew about 20,000
men with the edge of sword; and when a huge slaughter of men had been
made, the whole city was pillaged and burnt, the Divine Vengeance
wondrously raging against it”. …. At the massacre of Lavaur 400 people
were burnt in one pile and ‘they made a wonderful blaze and went to burn
everlastingly in hell’.[38]
Even the Protestants could not free themselves from such evil. Martin
Luther demanded wholesale slaying of the Jews in the name of
Christianity. He wrote: “We are at fault for not slaying them, rather we
allow them to live freely in our midst despite their murder, cursing,
blaspheming, lying and defaming.”[39]
A number of scientists, philosophers, thinkers and reformers were
also persecuted, killed, burnt or imprisoned by the church. The church
even killed and burnt her own people for reading the Bible in vernacular
translation. In 1525 William Tyndale brought out an English translation
of the Bible. The poor translator was strangled and burned at the stake
in 1536 by the Church.[40]
In 1380 when john Wycliffe had done English translation of the Bible,
the same treatment was meted out to him. Thirty years after his death,
in May 1415, under the decree of the Council of Constance, his eaten up
and decomposed bones were dug out from his grave and condemned to ashes
and cast into a nearby stream. The readers of his translation were burnt
with the copies round their necks, men and women were executed for
teaching their children the Lord’s Prayer and Ten Commandments in
English…[41]
Such brutality in the name of Christianity led a number of people to blame Christianity itself. The renowned philosopher of 20th
century and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) says: “You find
as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in human
feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step towards the
diminution of war, every step towards better treatment of coloured
races, or every mitigation of slavery, every moral progress that there
has been in the world, has been consistently opposed by the organized
Churches of the world. I say quite deliberately that the Christian
religion, as organized in the churches, has been and still is the
principal enemy of moral progress in the world.”[42]
We do not find such brutality and violence in the history of Islam.
In fact Islam closed the door of such atrocities and violence through
clear instructions about war or Jihad. Nobody can imagine a state
without option of war. We may all agree that the doctrine of wholesale
forgiveness, such as “whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek,
turn to him the other also”[43]
is to be followed in personal affairs, not in state affairs. When a
state is attacked by its enemies, we can not ask it to open another
frontier to welcome the enemy. All we can do to keep war- when it is
inevitable- as less destructive as possible and prevent targeting
non-combatant people.
This is what Islam taught and did. It legalized Jihad or war with a
lot of clear restrictions. Scopes of transgression are very limited. If
someone attempts to do so others have the right to protest, as no person
or institution has sanctity or infallibility in explaining or
implementing Islamic teaching.
This is why we see that the atrocities committed by Muslim rulers or
generals were fewer and much less brutal than those of Christian rulers
and the Church. A simple comparison between the Christian and Muslim
societies of medieval age discloses the truth. In a time when the
Christian church persecuted, killed and burnt scientists, philosophers,
thinkers and dissident Christians as heretics and also killed, burnt or
forcibly converted the Jews, Muslims and Pagans, we do not find such
things in Muslim societies.
Above all, if Islam is to be blamed for legislation of war when
inevitable with so many restrictions, then Judaism, the Old Testament
and all biblical prophets must be blamed for legalizing and waging
brutal warfare, indiscriminate killing and wholesale destruction and
Christianity must be blamed for the same, because, though Jesus Christ
did not set any new law for war, he confirmed that he had come to fulfil
the laws of the Old Testament.
Nowadays most of the Western scholars are not willing to blame
Christianity for wrongdoing of its followers. But when the case of Islam
comes, most Christian scholars hold Islam responsible for the crimes of
its followers. It is notable that Muslim ‘secular leadership’, such as
rulers, kings, sultans and generals, business tycoons- not religious
leadership- committed such brutality. We do not find well-known Muslim
religious leaders or Imams initiating or commanding any campaign against
heretics or infidels. But the Muslim rulers waged wars or invaded other
countries, sometimes to protect their own countries and sometimes to
occupy other countries in the pretext of ‘preemptive just war’.
Naturally, in either case they used the name of Islam and Jihad to
justify their warfare and provoke the people to participate and support
it. Sometimes we find unknown small fanatic groups engaged in such
atrocities.
Generally, Christians believe in sanctity and infallibility of the
church and the Pope and consider them the absolute authority to
interpret and represent Christianity. Even though they are not willing
to consider Christianity responsible for the inhumanity of the church or
the Papacy, but they put the blame on the church or the popes
personally. Kings of Europe engaged in brutal warfare in the name of
Christianity, Catholicism or Protestantism. But people are not blaming
the religion, but the rulers only and trying to forgive and forget the
past and live in peace and harmony.
The rulers of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Muslim Spain or Turkey in
using the name of Islam are like the rulers of Spain, France, England,
Austria, Germany or Italy in using the name of Christianity, Catholicism
or Protestantism. But Pope Benedict XVI and his supporters are still
following the mentality of their medieval predecessors in creating
animosity toward Islam and Muslims for past misconduct of Muslim rulers
or atrocities of contemporary Muslim fanatics.
Modern Mentality
Nowadays we hear some western secular pundit are calling to ‘convert
Muslims to Christianity.’ We find some American or European well-learned
secular politicians and scholars are eager to destroy Muslim Holy
Places in Makkah and Madina for crime of unknown Muslim terrorists of
Afghanistan or Iraq. Celebrated conservative columnist and commentator
Ann Coulter wrote “we should invade their countries, kill their leaders
and convert them to Christianity.”[44]
It is very likely that these famous and distinguished politicians and
columnists will become policy makers of USA or other countries.
A few misguided and deviated Muslim youth may be involved in
violence. They may wrongly call their violence and terror activities as
‘Jihad’. They are not waging their so-called ‘Jihad’ to occupy other
people’s land or to convert others to Islam. They are doing so to
protest occupation of their land, express their anger or to revenge
killing of their people. Certainly they are wrong in the way of protest
and we condemn their terror activities. All Muslim states and
organizations are condemning them. Not a single Muslim state or any
known Muslim organization is supporting violence.
On the other hand Mr. Bush and his supporters are involved in crusade
and violence in the name of God. Mr. Bush told us that it is God who
instructed him to invade Iraq. Mr. Blair also put the burden on God, as
he said, `we are in Iraq with the wishes of God.’ We can not, or at
least, should not condemn them, because they have very noble cause for
killing of thousands of human beings, including indiscriminate killing
in Faluja and other places. But we are really horrified, frightened and
shocked with the philosophy of forcible conversion!
We see that the most ignorant and violent Muslim terrorists do not
insult other people’s religion. The people of Mr. Pope desecrated the
holy book of Muslims and they made insulting cartoons of the holy
Prophet of Muslims. Muslims all over the world protested such actions.
In some places they burnt US or Danish flags of effigies of their
political leaders. But we did not hear any illiterate mullah of
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India or any other country burnt or
insulted a copy of the Bible or an effigy of Jesus Christ, or made
insulting cartoon of Jesus.
We do not find any ignorant and violent mullah is asking to convert
any Christian to Islam. Such an ignorant mullah may ask to kill Mr.
Bush, not for being a Christian or an American, or a defender of freedom
and democracy, but for being occupier of their land and killer of their
people. He may ask destruction for America or Israel, also for the same
reason, not for being a democratic state, or for religion of the people
of America or Israel. But he will never ask to kill Christians or Jews
for their religion or to covert them to Islam.
Conclusion
From above discourse we see that both the bible and the Quran have instructions regarding war, with the following differences:
(1) According to the Qur’an, Muslim state may wage Jihad or war
against another state and it must be limited to the combatant people. It
strictly prohibits attacking any non-combatant target. On the other
hand the Bible commands for indiscriminate and brutal killing of all
combatant and non-combatant male, female and children, sparing neither
rank, sex, nor age. The Bible even teaches to kill unarmed and unaware
followers of other religion
(2) According to the Qur’an War may be waged against an army, country
or state for their aggression and not against a faith or religion. But
according to the Bible war may be waged to annihilate and uproot heresy
and to kill heretics, that is, the followers of other faiths.
(3) Qur’an commands to respect other people’s religion. On the
contrary the Bible teaches religious hatred and uses bad and humiliating
language for the followers of other religions.
(4) Throughout the history Christianity remained non-tolerant and
extremely violent to other religions and religious opinions. It named
other religions and religious differences as ‘heresy’ and violently
tried to destroy them completely. Also in the pretext of ‘preaching’
they attacked other people’s religious sentiment and developed religious
hatred and animosity.
(5) It appears that many ‘secular’ Christians could not get out of
this mentality of intolerance toward other religions. Many of them feel
very much excited and proud to humiliate religious sentiment of other
people in the pretext of ‘freedom of thought and expression’, but in the
same time they enforce blasphemy law, anti-Semitism law, homeland
security law and many other laws to forbid people to express their
‘free’ opinion against holocaust, the Jews or Jesus Christ. Some of
these secular Christian pundits advocate for forcible conversion.
(6) We saw the Popes in the past initiated and supported religious
fanaticism and violence. It is extremely unfortunate that we see Pope
Benedict XVI, a pope of 21st century following the footsteps
of his medieval predecessors in promoting and patronizing religious
hatred or initiating and supporting the crusades of secular rulers. We
hope that he would change that course and preach to his own people the
message of love and respect to other people’s religious sentiment.
Instead of giving false, irrational and provocative statements against
Islam, he should have told his own people that making cartoons and
insulting other people’s religion can not please God. He should have
told to Mr. Bush that God could not order you to kill thousands of human
being in Iraq. He should have told his own people that killing and
forcible conversation is not the way of God. But his statement did not
fulfil our expectation. He condemned Islam for violence, but did not ask
Christians to shun violence.
We do not know the reason. Some may suggest that it is because the
non-Jewish or non-Christian people are dogs as described by Jesus
Christ, according to the Christian Bible. Violence against dogs is not
good, but it is not so horrible. On the contrary violence against human
beings or children of God is horrible. This is why Mr. Pope advised
Muslims only. We can not agree with such a suggestion. We hope that Mr.
Pope will clarify the reason.
[2]
Louis Jacobs, Principles of the Jewish Faith (London, Vallentine
Mitchell, 1964), pp 216-301; Dr. A. Cohen, Everyman’s Talmud (London, J.
M. Dent & Sons Ltd. 1949) pp 121-158; Dr. Joseph Barclay, The
Talmud (London, 1878) pp 38-39, quoted from Zafrul Islam Khan, Talmud:
Tarikhuhu Wa Talimuhu (Beirut, Darun Nafayes, 6th edition, 1985), pp 61-63.
[3] Ahmed Deedat, The Choice (Jeddah, Abul Qasim Publications, 1st print, 1994), Vol-2, p73-74.
[4] Rahmatullah Kairanvi, Izharu-Ul-Haq (Truth Revealed), (Jeddah, World of Knowledge, 2nd Edition, 1992) part 2, pp 1-192.
[5]
The Holy Bible (Authorized Version/King James Version, reprinted and
published by Bible Society of South Africa, 1988); Psalms 149/6-9.
[6] The Holy Bible, Numbers 31/17-18.
[7] The Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 20/13-16
[8] The Holy Bible, Exodus 22/20
[9] The Holy Bible, Exodus 23/23-24
[10] The Holy Bible, Exodus 34/12-14
[11] The Holy Bible, 1 Samuel 27/8-9
[12] The Holy Bible, 2 Samuel 12/29-31
[13] The Holy Bible, I King 14/8.
[14] The Holy Bible, Hebrews: 11/32-34
[15] The Holy Bible, 2 Kings 10/18-28
[16] The Holy Bible, 1 Kings 18:40
[17] The Holy Bible, Matthew 7:6.
[18] The Holy Bible, Matthew 15:22-26
[19] Al-Qur’an, Al-Hajj 22: 39
[20] Bukhari, As-Saheeh (Beirut, Daru Ibn Kathir, 1987) 3/1080; Muslim, As-Saheeh (Beirut, Daru Ehyaet Turath Al-Arabi) 3/1471.
[21] Al-Qur’an, Al-Anfal 8: 61
[22] Al-Qur’an, Al- Baqara 2: 190
[23] Baihaqi, As-Sunanul Kubra (Makkah, Maktabatu Daril Baz, 1994) 9/90
[24] Al-Qur’an, Al-An’am 6: 108
[25] Al-Qur’an, Al-Ankabut 29: 46
[26] Al-Qur’an, Al-Bakara 2: 256
[27] Ibn Hibban, As-Saheeh (Beirut, Muassasatur Risalah, 2nd ed. 1993) 1/352; Tabari, Jameul Bayan (Beirut, Darul Fikr, 1405 A H.) 3/13-17.
[28] Carl Gottaleb Pfander, Balance of Truth (The Mizanul Haqq), part-1 (The Good Way, Rikon, Switzerland), p 17.
[29] The Holy Bible, Matthew 5:17-20
[30] The Holy Bible, John 16:12-13
[31] The Holy Bible, Matthew 10: 34.
[32]
The Holy Bible, Luke 19: 27. According to Revised Standard Version of
the Holy Bible the text is as follows: But as for these enemies of mine,
who did not want me to reign over them, bring the here and slay them
before me
[33] The Holy Bible, 2 Kings 10:18-28
[34] The Holy Bible, 1 Kings 18:40
[35] Encyclopedia Britannica, Article: Massacre of Saint Bartholomew’s Day.
[36]
The Story of Civilization, The Age of Faith, part-IV pp 773-774, quoted
from Dr. Abdul Hamid Qadri, Dimensions of Christianity (Islamabad,
Pakistan, Da’wah Academy, International Islamic University, 1st edition, 1989), p 29.
[37] Encyclopedia Britannica, articles: Cathari, Albigenses, Innocent III, Genocide.
[38]
Rev. W. P. Hares, the Teaching and Practice of the Church of Rome in
India Examined, p 122, John William Draper, History of Intellectual
Development of Europe, Vol II, quoted from Dr. Abdul Hamid Qadri,
Dimensions of Christianity, p 30.
[39] Encyclopedia Britannica, article: Anti-Semitism.
[40] Encyclopedia Britannica, article: Tyndale, Biblical Literature, Biblical Translation.
[41] Encyclopedia Britannica, article: john Wycliffe; Dr. Paterson Smyth, How we got our Bible
[42] Bertrand Russell, Why I am not a Christian, pp 20-21, quoted from Dr. Abdul Hamid Qadri, Dimensions of Christianity, pp 40-41.
[43] The Holy Bible, Matthew 5/39
[44] The Wisdom of Ann Coulter, a Newsnetwork feature, The Independent (Dhaka), 8/9/2006, p 12.