MUST READ: JIHAD, THE ARAB CONQUESTS & THE POSITION OF NON-MOSLEM SUBJECTS

Jihad, the Arab Conquests and the Position of Non-Muslim Subjects
by Ibn Warraq

Apologists of Islam still insist on perpetuating the myth of an Islam which accorded equality to her non-Muslim subjects, they talk of a time when all the various religious communities lived in perfect harmony in the Islamic lands. The same apologists minimize, or even excuse, the persecution, the discrimination, the forced conversions, the massacres, the destruction of the churches, synagogues, fire temples and other places of worship. This rosy but totally false picture of Islam is also built up by

(1) ignoring the destruction and the massacres during the actual process of the Arab conquests;

(2) by concentrating almost exclusively on the fate of Jews and Christians, and consequently dismissing the fate of idolaters (are they not human?), Zoroastrians, Hindus and Buddhists

(3) by relying on Muslim sources, as though they are bound to be less biased!

(4) by ignoring, or excusing the appalling behaviour of the Prophet towards the Jews;

(5) by ignoring the intolerant, hostile, anti- Jewish, anti-Christian, and above all, anti-pagan sentiments expressed in the Koran which were the source of much intolerant, fanatical and violent behaviour throughout the history of Islam against all non-Muslims.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Jihad, the Arab Conquests and the Position of Non-Muslim Subjects