Those ‘Other’ Muslims

I will not question your research, but my question is this: Why is it that we don't hear about all these moderate Muslims? If they are truly at war with the extremists, then why aren't they screaming at the top of their lungs that they don't support the teaching of Mohammed??? There just seems to be lots of questions that need to be answered and the outcome is too important for us to just take their word for it.

Pastor — why don't we hear about the Christians who oppose a theocrasy in the US, who support a woman's right to chose, who don't think that killing gays is a good idea, who believe that evolution and religion can co-exist? There just seems to be lots of questions that need to be answered and the outcome is too important for us to just take their word for it.

"If they are truly at war with the extremists, then why aren't they screaming at the top of their lungs that they don't support the teaching of Mohammed???" To say this lightly: That doesn't even make sense. They DO support the teachings of Mohammed; they're Muslim. They don't support the teachings of extremist Islamists who have hijacked their religion.

To say this lightly: your answer to Cyber's challenge is not an answer to the question he asked you. Let's try again - where are the protests by Muslims against Muslim terror? Christians and Jews can't force change on Islam, only Muslims can do so. Telling a pollster - anonymously over the phone no less - that they disagree with the actions of those who slaughter in their name is not good enough. We have shown our conviction to fight extremist Islam - moderate Muslims by and large have chosen to remain silent. Whether that is out of fear or passive collusion - the outcome is the same - rampant violence in Islam's name. I understand your point - don't paint the entire Islamic population with the broad brush of condemnation. But when we see that Muslims can work up the will to pour into the streets by the thousands in outrage over a defamatory cartoon, we know they can be passionate - but has anyone ever seen such an outpouring of will for peace? Just once? Simmons - you're asking us to give Muslims the benefit of the doubt, and to do so in the interest of peace. Your heart is in the right place, but look behind you - you're standing all alone…

Hi Simmons - great job with the stats. No surprise though. Shransky says EVERYBODY wants to be free. Maybe when the start polling about honor killings and gender apartheid I'll think about moderate muslims. Til then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Well, that's a problem. Mohammedism is blessed with the idea that it is superior. Examples - the Mosques must be the tallest buildings in town, nonmohommedists must pay an inferiority tax and they give new meaning for the Latin terms of dimminish. No music, little fun of any kind and also get to have the religious police. Simmons sounds a lot like Dr Rice or any neocon in proving everybody likes free choice. His points do nothing else in regards to the other muslims.

Christians who oppose theocrasy - I would think that all Christians oppose theocrasy (1. A mixture of the worship of different gods, as of Jehovah and idols. - Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary,). I support a woman's right to chose most things excluding the murder of unborn babies. I think that killing gays is a horrible idea, and I'm not quite sure how your final question on evolution and religion is even answerable. Now I will be waiting to hear from the moderate Muslims who not are opposed to killing you and I because we are not Muslim as Mohammed would have them do!

You really missed my point. I'm saying that if they support Mohammed, whose teachings say that you and I should be killed because we are not Muslim (I will assume you are not Muslim as I don't know much about you), then I think we both know why they aren't shouting out against the extremeists.

This was Sent in from Ben (he was having issues with ID): Pastor, you know your destination, so you ain't worried. Joe Camel does not know his destination. He is worried that, on Judgment day, his sins will out weigh his good deeds and he will be condemned to the fire. The custom of saying PBUH when referring to Moe arose because of his statement of doubt about his destination. Because he feared the fire, his followers pray for his salvation from it. When Joe Camel speaks up against the reconquest of Israel or attacks upon us, he puts his life at risk. At minimum, he stands to be imprisoned, tortured, dispossessed, lose his job and have his marriage dissolved and his children removed from his custody. There is no moderate, radical, fundamentalist or extremist Islam. There is only Islam, as Moe preached and practiced it. What he preached is revealed in the Qur'an. What he practiced is revealed in the Hadith. Both are exposed to public view at USC's Compendium of Islamic Texts and other venues. I have posted links to them and other sources at http://www.geocities.com/crusadersarmory/ . If one is a Muslim, he believes that the Qur'an is Allah's perfect & final revealed will, in his own words, to be believed and acted upon. If one is a Muslim, he believes that Moe was the best and greatest of men, a perfect role model for all Muslims to emulate. Does Joe Camel know what Allah commanded and Moe exemplified? Why don't those vaunted pollsters go to the Islamic street and ask Joe Camel, doctrine by doctrine & act by act? They won't do it, because if not torn apart by a mob, they'd be slammed into prison and tortured before being expelled! If you don't believe and testify, three times, in Arabic, that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his final messenger, then you ain't a Muslim, you are at most a hypocrite or mushrikun. If you don't obey Allah's commands, then you are destined for the fire. Allah commanded war against polytheists until only Allah is worshiped in the entire world according to Hilali & Khan; until religion is only for Allah alltogether and everywhere according to Yusuf Ali [8:39] Allah commanded war against "people of the book" until they are subjugated, subdued and pay extortion [9:29[. Allah commanded terrorism: casting terror into the hearts of Kuffar, decapitating them and amputating their fingers and toes. [8:12] Allah commanded genocide (great slaughter) in 8:67, making it prerequisite to releasing hostages for ransom. 33:26-27 & 59:2 reveal the fact that terror was used on the battlefield. Abu Dawud Book 38, Number 4390 describes the genocide of the Banu Qurayzah. That is Islam, not extremism!!! It is what moe preached and practiced. Allah rules, and a Muslim can not go against his will. Moe's preaching and practice are the foundation of Sharia. If you need to see it for yourself, then go to http://www.nku.edu/~kenneyr/Islam/Reliance.html, hit the Ctrl F combination and enter this into the search window: "@O9.8", without the quote marks. That is Sharia. It compulsory. It can not be evaded. So long as 9:29 & 8:39 are part of the Qur'an it can not be abrogated. Unfortunately, Allah's word does not change. Go to your favorite Qur'an search engine (http://www.quranbrowser.com) and search for no change, can change and does not change. I urge all skeptics to do their research before calling me a fool or a liar; before alleging mistranslation, misinterpretation, perversion or distortion.

"I'm saying that if they support Mohammed, whose teachings say that you and I should be killed because we are not Muslim" And what I was trying to say up there is that Mohammed doesn't teach the killing of non-Muslims. Show me where in the Qu'ran it says this.

They are protesting (and this is basic, 3 minute google research): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4676524.stm http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/articles/2007/...http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/10/psyk.mattson/ind...http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132244,00.htm...http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131580,00.htm... Even threw in a couple of links to foxnews.com to keep it fair and balanced, you know?

Simmons - How can I put this nicely…Have you read any of the rebuttals of your piece? Responding to the challenge that there are no concerted Muslim protests against violence in their religion, you spend three minutes on Google and find five articles that actually prove our point - did you even read the articles you posted? Let me do that for you: 1) Muslim leader condemns protesters: Asghar Bukhari, The chairman of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, said the protesters angry at the Danish cartoons and holding signs with messages such as “Europe, you’ll come crawling when the Mujahideen come running”"did not represent British Muslims.” Did he organize a counter protest to show the world Muslims defied these extremists in their midst? No, he instead wished the British police had “banned” the protest. Extremist:1, Peaceful Muslims:0. 2) Islam – A Moderate Religion: “What do you feel when you hear the word "Islam"? For many people it has become synonymous with terror and terrorism. Overcoming that knee-jerk reaction was the aim at the Islamic Awareness week…” Muslims spent the week complaining that outsiders had misinterpreted Islam, not recognizing how beautiful it is. Huh? Was there a protest against violence unleashed in the name of Islam? No. It’s the infidels fault for not understanding. Extremists:2, Peaceful Muslims: 0. 3) A moderate voice to quell extreme perceptions: The title says it all - lone voice, a white formerly Catholic woman who says that Muslims need to be “… welcomed as equal partners in this struggle for a peaceful and civil world." She’s the victim? That’s an interesting way to protest violence in her religion - blame it on America! Will she organize a protest against extremists who are poisoning her religion? Apparently no - we have to welcome her first. Extremist:3, Peaceful Muslims:0. 4) Mainstream Muslims Denounce Celebration of Sept. 11: Asma Hasan says that the Mullah putting on the 9/11 celebration is a radical, but then he says that while there are a bunch of moderate Muslim websites (that’s brave of you Asthma), they don’t have the funding from Islamic governments to go toe to toe with the radicals! A question - if the majority of a religion believes one thing, and a minority believes another - who are the radicals? Extremists: 4, Peaceful Muslims: 0. 5) Moderate Muslims Speak Out: Ahmed al-Rahim says “"The mainstream, official voice of Islam in America wasn’t forceful enough in condemning the violence and the acts of terror on 9/11. There was some hesitancy, and there was more concern with hate crimes against Muslims, which I think were relatively low, and there was more focus on that than actually looking at the violence and the hate speech that has been committed in the name of Islam.” All of that is true, and the fact that he rails against CAIR - a Wahhabi Muslim outreach organization, is promising. But has he arranged protests against the violent Muslims who rage over cartoons or celebrate the murder of innocents? No - he goes on TV and bemoans the fact that Islam looks bad. Extremists: 5, Peaceful Muslims: 0. Simmons - face it - there is only one place in the world where Muslims are standing up against extremists - Iraq. Iraqis have seen the damage their own Muslims are doing to them in the name of Allah, and are doing something about it. My reaction to that is to support them. Your reaction to that is to abandon them at this long awaited point - just when we are seeing Muslims do what we want them to - you would walk away and leave them standing alone. If you really want to confront extremist Islam - then you have to face it - not face the computer screen or write a book about it - face down those extremists in the streets who speak in Islam’s name. Where are the brave moderates of Islam?

Simmons, I salute your ideals - and I sympathize with you. I tried to defend my cat once after she brazenly engaged in genocide in my neighbors bird sanctuary - I had nothing either.

Quran - Chapter two: Al-Baqara 009.028 YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! Truly the Pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear poverty, soon will Allah enrich you, if He wills, out of His bounty, for Allah is All-knowing, All-wise. PICKTHAL: O ye who believe! The idolaters only are unclean. So let them not come near the Inviolable Place of Worship after this their year. If ye fear poverty (from the loss of their merchandise) Allah shall preserve you of His bounty if He will. Lo! Allah is Knower, Wise. SHAKIR: O you who believe! the idolaters are nothing but unclean, so they shall not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year; and if you fear poverty then Allah will enrich you out of His grace if He please; surely Allah is Knowing Wise. 009.029 YUSUFALI: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. PICKTHAL: Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low. SHAKIR: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. 066.009 YUSUFALI: O Prophet! Strive hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell,- an evil refuge (indeed). PICKTHAL: O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey's end. SHAKIR: O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be hard against them; and their abode is hell; and evil is the resort. 002.193 YUSUFALI: And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression. PICKTHAL: And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers. SHAKIR: And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.