On 8/16/2011 10:56 AM, abd alsamad wrote:
> hi,
>
> Defending Prophet Muhammad's Indictment of being a Terrorist
>
> Many orientalists have praised the tolerance of Islam, as Zigrid Hunka
> did when she mentioned the attitude of Islam towards Christians,
> saying "The Arabic deeply rooted tolerance is the motive that made the
> conqueror of Egypt Amr Ibn Al-A'as avoid acts of plundering, stealing
> and destroying the conquered cities. On the contrary he made sure that
> Egyptians practice their inherited culture as was mentioned in the
> document of surrender literally. This act shows the real dimension of
> such tolerance unknown to Europe".
>
>
>
> Tolerance had started as early as the age of Allah's Messenger (PBUH)
> and such honorable Islamic behavior continued throughout the ages of
> the kings of Islam and their heirs. Gustaf Lobon, in his account on
> the results of the Crusaders War, said "Salah El-Din did not want to
> act against the Crusaders the same as they did, i.e. with cruelty. So
> he did not kill the Christians, instead he just imposed on them a
> minimal tax, without taking anything of their properties." (10).

Islamic tolerance might have been greater than contemporary Christians
100's of years ago but there *were* restrictions on building churches
and even on house heights. Such rules also applied to other Dhimmi
(people of the Book) like Jews. There were also special taxes. I won't
specify those current "Islamic" countries, which still have death
penalties for conversion. It is now the 21st century not the 15th and
what the hell do the actions of medieval soldiers matter!

It is also interesting that the population of Palestine was probably
completely Jewish when the Arabs took over and the present
"Palestinians" are largely descended from Jews who found it expedient to
convert. Saladin was actually a Kurd and even now Kurds can be unpopular.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not*