“Islam promises success to its followers in this life and the next.” ~ Mark Durie
Is this what Muslims see in the Islamic world? See video below.1
In the Islamic world criticism of Islam is forbidden. But with the invention of the internet, many Muslims are quietly reading articles and watching videos which are critical of Islam (see the YouTube videos "The Quran, the Bible, and the Islamic Dilemma (David Wood)" and "Why Muslim Apologists Lie: David Wood Explains Islam's 99 1 Rule"). The following film has caused many Muslims to question what they have been told by their imams. Have Muslims Been Praying In The Wrong Direction For Over 1000 Years? | Sacred City
Many Muslims are becoming Christians. See "I was a Jihadist, Now I'm Fighting Islam in Germany - Irfan Peci & Apostate Prophet" on Apostate Prophet's channel on YouTube and Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus2
Is violence inherent to Islam? Or is it an aberration? If it is an aberration, why do peace loving Muslims seem unable to refute the arguments that the Salafis put forward?
If Muhammad's example and teaching are peaceful, shouldn't it be easy for Muslims to show the Salafis that the violent passages in the Quran and Hadith are no longer relevant?3
There seems to be a growing trend in the Islamic world. When Muslims read the Islamic sources and find out about some of the disturbing things the messenger of Allah (and his companions) did and said, they either turn from Islam, or they are inspired by his example to support the use of terror to implement sharia. See Raymond Ibrahim's video ‘How Muslims Exploit the Bible to Justify Hate for Christians & Jews’.
Saladin was certainly better than other Muslim leaders, but that’s not saying much (see Ibrahim’s video ‘So WHY Saladin?’ See also ‘Islam and the West | Raymond Ibrahim | Disputatio 2024-25').
So why do so few Muslims draw attention to, and denounce, the violent things the messenger of Allah did and said?4
In the first video on this page Mark Durie pointed out that the more violence that is being committed in the name of Islam, the more Muslims are turning from Islam. Can Muslims put a stop to this violence? (For a list of recent terrorist attacks in the name of Islam see thereligionofpeace.com.)
Why is there so much violence in the Islamic world?
There is little hope for the Islamic world. Is there any hope for us?
So, what can peaceful Muslims5 do to oppose radical Islam? See Silencing the Persecuted.
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1. Mark Durie (see first video on this page) has written a very interesting book about the treatment of non-Muslims in Islamic lands. Permission has been granted to share the preface to this book. Preface to The Third Choice.
2. There is a difference between apologetics (defending the faith), polemics (attacking falsehood) and evangelism (sharing the gospel). When it comes to Islam all three have a place. Some Christians focus on just one of the three, others focus on two or more. For evangelism and apologetics, you have to be friendly, respectful, and humble. But for polemics—especially when dealing with Islam—you have to draw attention to things that the proponents of the belief may find offensive.
If you are a Christian and you have Muslim friends you might find the following YouTube videos helpful Witnessing in a Muslim Context with Benjamin Hegeman and Mark Durie by Andy Miller on Andy Miller's channel, You won't believe what he said about David Wood, the Quran & Islam - Greg Armstrong on the RevoReport.
Muslims are attracted to Jesus, but—as the following video by David Wood shows—Jesus just doesn't fit with Islam. When They Tell You Jesus Was a Muslim . . .
3. Muslims do not have to convince non-Muslims that Islam is peaceful—we are not the ones committing terrorist attacks in the name of Islam. It’s the responsibility of the imams to convince Muslims that Islam condemns the violent form of jihad. See ‘Jihad Exposed in America’ by the YouTube channel PatristicNectarFilms. (Imams also need to make it clear where they stand on sharia. And if they do support it, how can it fit in the modern world? See Mark Durie's article "Australian Imams Stand up for Shariah.")
4. The author (translator) of The Al Qaeda Reader: The Essential Texts of Osama Bin Laden's Terrorist Organization, Raymond Ibrahim, has a number of YouTube video's which look closely at the theological underpinnings for violence in the name of Islam. His video "Muhammad's 'Evil Genius' Was to Make Islam TRIBAL" and his article "Ten Ways the Mafia and Islam are Similar" are very informative.
5. The following three things can be, and are, true at the same time.
1. Many Muslims are good people.
Many Muslims are decent people, they don't support terrorists, and they genuinely want peace. They are honest, and they are kind. However, that does not mean Islam is good. Oskar Schindler was a good man. But did that make him a good Nazi? Do good Nazis love Jews? No, they do not. Good Nazis hate Jews. (See Raymond Ibrahim's video above, 'Moderate Islam' Is as STUPID as 'Moderate Nazism' )
2. Many Muslims are oppressed in the Islamic world, and many are oppressed outside Islamic countries. (For an in depth look at how the Uyghurs of China are oppressed see “Ethnic Cleansing of the Uyghur Muslims” in Helen Raleigh’s book, Backlash: How China's Aggression Has Backfired.)
However, not all who claim to be oppressed, are oppressed. Just because a person claims to be oppressed, it does not mean they are oppressed. They may be simply trying to take advantage of good-hearted people. For example, Muslim fundamentalists believe that if a government is not enforcing Sharia, the Muslims in that country are being oppressed (even if Muslims are being treated the same as non-Muslims). Why? Because the radicals believe that the government must enforce Sharia in order for the Muslim community to properly live out their religion. They will claim to be oppressed until such time as Islamic law is fully enforced on the whole of society (on Muslims and non-Muslims. See the YouTube video ‘Stacey Dooley returns to Luton’ on Rockin Atheist’s channel). Therefore, much of what is called oppression by radical Muslims, is simply an attempt to manipulate caring people. See the video ‘Why Progressives Embrace Islam’ on John Anderson’s channel, and Mark Durie’s article “Australian Imam’s Stand Up for Sharia.”
3. Islam is evil.
According to Islam's most trusted sources, Muhammad was a self-serving man who raided, enslaved, and killed those who opposed him. Clearly, he was a man of war, and those who follow his example support the use of violence in order to spread Islam. See The Third Choice by Mark Durie, Raymond Ibrahim’s book Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, and It’s All About Muhammad by F.W. Burleigh. See also Ibrahim’s video above ‘The Islamic Reformation Is Here—and You Won't Like It.’)
Jordan Peterson - The Truth About the Muslim World
Are There Hadiths That Say Aisha Was Older Than Nine?
Understanding Women’s Rights in the Quran: Truth vs. Misconceptions
Australian Imams Stand up for Shariah
Ex-Muslim: This is a Difficult Conversation | Sarah Haider
France, the canary in the coal mine
Why has the Islamic world become more violent in the last half century?
What can we learn from Afghanistan?
Why the Dome of the Rock Is the Perfect Monument to Islam
Which God?: Jesus, Holy Spirit, God in Christianity and Islam
This Week In Jihad with David Wood and Robert Spencer (Salwan Momika Edition) (Jihad Watch)
Why Muslims LAUGH at Claims against Muhammad's Existence
Who Will Lead the Muslims Today?