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As this is not a "live" chat format, I am not always around to immediately answer the questions. I, like most of you, have a job and a life that often requires me to leave FR for extended periods of time.

First of all, let me just say that I am a Christian (not a moral relativist as is later charged in this thread) and as such am not in the habit of attempting to find a reading of my holy text that would justify the slaughter of innocent people over questions of faith.

However, I also firmly believe that the Bible supports the institution of the Catholic Church as well as free will, the Trinity, the intercession of the saints, the perpetual virginity of Mary, and an anti-millennialist perspective on the end times. I highly doubt that such views would be considered a valid reading of Scripture by numerous people on this forum, perhaps yourself included. Without sidetracking this discussion into whether or not the Bible supports the Catholic position, I simply brought it up to illustrate the point that there are not monolithic and unquestioning interpretations of any given holy text.

I believe that the same is generally true when it comes to Islam. Muslims disagree about the meaning of the Qur'an on numerous topics, including those cited calling for the extermination of infidels. I notice that one of the suras that most Freepers seem particularly adverse to citing are such passages as the following:

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things."

- Sura 2:56

"Say, 'The truth is from your Lord': Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): …"

- Sura 18:29

Just a thought on that one. So are the people who care to regard these verses as being more pertinent to their religion than those oh-so-frequently cited here somehow "lukewarm" or "lazy" as some have suggested. Based on what I've seen from our Turkish posters, I don't think so. They simply don't interpret the Qur'an as calling for them to go kill infidels anymore than a Protestant sees Jesus's injunction to Peter as proof of the papacy. I'm not claiming that all of these different opinions are equal, but to pretend that they don't exist strikes me as exceedingly foolish.

I saw the story from the Netherlands suicide squad the other day. They also fought for the Taliban which leads me to conclude that they're Wahhabi. And Wahhabism is a global scourge that needs to be defeated, as even Muslims like King Abdullah II, Sheikh Kabbani, Stephen Schwartz, Sheikh Palazzi, and Sheikh al-Ansari acknowledge.

"Kill the disbelievers wherever we find them" (Koran 2:191)

"Ye are the best of peoples evolved for mankind." (Koran 3:110)

"The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his messenger and
strive after corruption in the land will be to be killed or crucified, or
have their hands and feet and genitals cut off, or to be expelled out of
the land. Such will be their humiliation in the world, and in the next
world they will face an awful horror." (Koran, 5:33-34)

"Not to make friendship with Jews and Christians" (Koran 5:51)

"Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the
believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you
smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them."
(Koran, 8:12)

"In order that Allah may separate the pure from the impure, put all the
impure ones [all non-Muslims] one on top of another in a heap and cast them
into hell. They will have been the ones to have lost." (Koran, 8:37)

"If there are twenty amongst you, you will vanquish two hundred: if a
hundred, you will vanquish a thousand of them [infidels]" (Koran 8:65).

Allah and his messenger announce that it is acceptable to go back on our
promises (treaties) and obligations with Pagans and make war on them
whenever we find ourselves strong enough to do so (Koran 9:3)

"Fight and slay the Pagans, seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for
them in every stratagem" (Koran 9:5)

Our God tells us to "fight the unbelievers" and "He will punish them by our
hands, cover them with shame and help us (to victory) over them" (Koran
9:14).

"Until they pay the Jizya [a penalty tax for the non-Muslims living under
Islamic rules] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" (Koran
9:29)

"Unless we go forth, (for Jihad) He will punish us with a grievous penalty,
and put others in our place" (9:39).

"O Prophet! Make war against the unbelievers [all non-Muslims] and the
hypocrites and be merciless against them. Their home is hell, an evil
refuge indeed." (Koran, 9:73)

"Murder them and treat them harshly" (Koran 9:123)
"When you meet the unbelievers in jihad [holy war], chop off their heads.
And when you have brought them low, bind your prisoners rigorously. Then
set them free or take ransom from them until the war is ended." (Koran,
47:40)

"When we decide to destroy a population, we send a definite order to them
who have the good things in life and yet sin. So that Allah's word is

proven true against them, then we destroy them utterly." (Koran, 17:16-17)

"How many were the populations we utterly destroyed because of their sins,

setting up in their place other peoples." (Koran, 21:11)

"strike off the heads of the disbelievers" (Koran 47:4)

"Seize ye him, and bind ye him, And burn ye him in the Blazing Fire.

Further, make him march in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits!
This was he that would not believe in Allah Most High. And would not
encourage the feeding of the indigent! So no friend hath he here this Day.
Nor hath he any food except the corruption from the washing of wounds,
Which none do eat but those in sin." (Koran 69:30-37)

"You (i.e. Muslims) will fight wi the Jews till some of them will hide
behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e.
slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' " (Sahih
Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 177)

The Prophet killed the men of the Jewish tribe Bani Quraiza (some 600 to
800 of them) and distributed their women, children and property among the
Muslims All the other Jews of Medina were exiled. (Bukhari 5:59:362)

The Prophet had the date-palms of the Jewish tribe of Bani-Al- Nadir burnt
and cut down.

"It was with Allah's permission" (Koran 59:5)
The Prophet said to Sa'd, :The Bani Quraiza have agreed to accept your
verdict"

Sa'd said, "Kill all their men and take their women and children
as slaves" The Prophet replied, "You have judged according to God's
Judgment" (Bukhari 5:59:447)

"The Christians say: The Christ is the son of Allah; "Fight against such as
those to whom the Scriptures were given [Jews and Christians]...until they
pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued." (Surah 9:29)

These are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who
disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them." (Sura 9:30)

"Unbelievers are those who say: 'God is one of three.' [Catholics included.]

There is but one
God. If they do not desist from so saying, those of them that disbelieve
shall be sternly punished." (Surah 5:73)

Islam, the religion of peace?