Islamic Truth
Islam and Terrorism

The common image of Islaam being spread by an Arab on camel back
riding in off the desert with a Quraan in one hand and a scimitar (a
curved sword) in the other offering a choice of either accepting
Islaam or losing one's head.

As mentioned earlier under the issue of apostasy, forcible
conversion is prohibited in Islaam. The religion did not spread by
the sword. There were military confrontations between the Muslim
state and the existing world powers of Rome and Persia. However, the
areas conquered were put under Muslim administration and the
populations were free to maintain their own beliefs. Muslims ruled
Egypt, Palestine and Lebanon from the 8th century and sizeable
Christian communities continued to exist over the past 13 centuries.
Muslims ruled Spain for 700 years and India for 1000 years without
the vast majority of the population converting to Islaam.


The largest Muslim country in the world today is Indonesia, having
over 200 million citizens, never saw a Muslim soldier. Islaam spread
there and in Malaysia and Philippines by trade. That was also the
case of Islaam's spread in West African countries like Nigeria,
Ghana, Senegal, Chad and Niger. Also, Islaam is the fastest growing
religion in America today with anywhere between 300 and 500 converts
daily. This is taking place without any soldiers or even
missionaries.


Terrorism

Terrorism is defined by the American government as the threat or the
use of violence to advance a political cause by individuals or
groups, whether acting for or in opposition to established
governmental authority, when such actions are intended to shock,
stun, or intimidate a target group wider than the immediate victims.
Actually such a general definition will include all wars of
liberation from the American War of Independence to the French
Revolution. The worst aspect and perhaps the most common feature of
terrorism is the unleashing of violence against innocent civilians.

The State of Israel is the most recent example of the establishment
of a state by terrorism. It was established by Jewish terrorist
groups, the most infamous of which was the Stern Gang.


The term "Muslim terrorist" is used to label Islaam as a terrorist
religion. However, it is a misnomer. When IRA bombers struck, they
were not labeled as "Catholic terrorists" even though the struggle
is between Catholic Ireland and Protestant Northern Ireland
supported by Protestant England. Likewise, when Timothy McVeigh blew
up the CIA headquarters in Oklahoma City in 1995 killing 168 people,
he was not labeled as a "Christian terrorist", though he was
Christian and a terrorist. In fact the "Muslim terrorist" label was
attached to the activities of the PLO who were a mixture of Muslims,
Christians and communists. The PLO is not, nor was it ever, a Muslim
organization. It is a nationalist organization working for the
establishment of a secular Palestinian state.