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| Non-Muslims: Worse than Animals |
| 2008-07-07 |
| Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Abul Kasem, an ex-Muslim who is the author of hundreds of articles and several books on Islam including, Women in Islam. He was a contributor to the book Leaving Islam – Apostates Speak Out as well as to Beyond Jihad: Critical Views From Inside Islam. He writes from Sydney, Australia and can be reached at nirribilli@gmail.com. FP: Abul Kasem, welcome to Frontpage Interview. Kasem: Thank you. FP: We are here today to discuss how Islam views non-Muslims. What is the best way to start this discussion? Kasem: Those who have not read the Qur’an in detail have very little idea about the unremitting hatred Allah has for the non-Muslims. One striking aspect of Islam’s unbound rage and hatred for the unbelievers is that Allah is obsessed with tagging the unbelievers with animals—various types, such as dogs, camels, cows, pigs, apes, goat and so on. FP: Can you share some verses from the Qur’an, ahadith, and other important sources in Islam on this theme? Kasem: Sure. Allah sees unbelievers as worse than animals. Let us start with verse 8:55 of the Qur’an. In essence this verse says: the unbelievers are the worst beasts (or worst animals) in the eyes of Allah. According to ibn Abbas and Jalalyn, the most eminent exegetes of the Qur’an, Allah revealed this verse regarding the B. Qurayzah Jews. These Jews had unconditionally surrendered to Muhammad’s invading army. Earlier, Muhammad had asked these hapless Jews, comprising of women children and adult males, to convert to Islam if they wanted to be reprieved from the genocide that was pronounced on them by the judge appointed by Muhammad. But these Jews steadfastly refused to embrace Islam, preferring death instead. So, when they turned down Muhammad’s offer of ‘mercy’, around 700 to 900 of the adult males were beheaded right in front of Muhammad. Muhammad’s companions participated in this orgy of beheadings. This was similar to the scene of an abattoir where animals are driven to be slaughtered by Islamic swords and knives. Commenting on this frenzy of slaughter of these Jews, ibn Kathir, another eminent tafsir writer, writes that the unbelievers who do not embrace Islam and break treaties are the worst moving creatures on earth; Muslims should punish them harshly and inflict heavy casualties among them. In Qur’an 25:44, Allah says that unbelievers are worse than cattle and animals. Ibn Kathir provides the reason why non-Muslims are worse than animals and grazing cattle: cattle only do what they were created to do, but these people were created to worship Allah alone without associating partners with Him, but they worship others with Him, even though evidence has been established against them and Messengers have been sent to them. Allah hurls further insults to the Jews and Christians if they do not accept the Qur’an. Allah says in Qur’an 4:47 that the Qur’an confirms the books sent before it; the people of the book are cursed if they do not believe in the Qur’an. Because of this calumny Allah may efface their faces. According to ibn Kathir effacing means turning them blind; turn their faces backward means to put their faces on their backs and make them walk backwards, and curse them means to turn them into animals. Allah says in Qur’an 6:122 that He raises the believers from the dead and provides them with light to enable them to move among the disbelievers; but the unbelievers move in total darkness. Commenting on this verse Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, a modern exegete of the Qur’an writes (Tafheem ul Quran commentary number 6/88): 'Death' signifies here the state of ignorance and lack of consciousness, whereas 'life' denotes the state of knowledge and true cognition, the state of awareness of Reality. He, who cannot distinguish between right and wrong and does not know the Straight Way for human life, may be alive on the biological plane, but his essential humanity is not. He may be a living animal but is certainly not a living human being. A living human being is one who can distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, honesty from dishonesty. Readers should note that ‘Straight Way’ means Islam. The gist of Maududi’s comment is that a human being who does not accept Islam is a living animal. FP: So what should happen to these lowest of animals according to Islam? Kasem: Islam decrees that they be slaughtered Islamically, just in the manner as animals are killed, that is, by beheading. In Sunaan ibn Majah (hadis number 4.3126) we read that the blood of animals is very dear to Allah, and therefore, one must slaughter animals to please Allah (hadis number 4.3167). Since non-Muslims are animals it is evident that Allah has a great penchant for the blood of infidels. FP: What are some of the most disturbing verses in terms of all of this? Kasem: Qur’an 7:176-177 will profoundly disturb many non-Muslims. In verse 7:176 Allah says those who reject faith are like panting dogs; preaching to them is a waste of time. Maulana Maududi writes (commentary number 7/139): …This is followed by a statement in which God likens the person in question to a dog. A dog's protruding tongue and the unceasing flow of saliva from his mouth symbolize unquenchable greed and avarice. The reason for likening the human character described above to a dog is because of his excessive worldliness… This metaphor of the dog highlights the fate of the worldly man who breaks loose from his faith and knowledge, who entrusts his reins to blind lust and who ends up as one wholly devoted to gratifying his own appetite. What Maududi is says is quite clear: those who do not accept Islam are greedy dogs. Further, in verse 7:177 Allah says: Those who reject the Qur’an, wrong themselves; they are evil. According to ibn Abbas, their example is that of a dog. FP: After killing unbelievers, what does one do with their corpses? Kasem: Unbelievers’ corpses are to be fed to dogs. Since Allah likens the non-Muslims to dogs, it is just fair that their corpses be fed to the dogs. Thus in Ash Shifa (Ash –Shifa of Qadi ‘Iyad. Translated by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley. Madinah Press, P.O. Box 5531. Inverness, IV5 7YA, Scotland, U.K. 2004. ISBN: 1 874216262. p.411) we read: If a Jew or a Christian reviles Muhammad he is beheaded. In an An Nawadir (footnote 1: A book by Ibn Abi Zayd, author of the Risala) from the version of Sahnum from Malik, we find that any Jew or Christian who reviles the Prophet in any other than normal way by which the Jews and Christians reject him is beheaded unless he becomes a Muslim. If a Christian reviles Muhammad kill him and let the dog eat his corpse. Abu’l Mus’ab said, “A Christian was brought to me who said, “By the One who chose ‘isa (Jesus) over Muhammad/.’ There was a dispute about him before me. So I beat him until I killed him, or he lived for a day and a night. I commanded someone to drag him by the feet and throw him into a dung heap and the dogs ate him.” Rest at link |
| Posted by:ed |
| #8 I prefer the company of my mutts to bone-headed muslims who hate us. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2008-07-07 18:14 |
| #7 Non-Muslims: Worse than Animals Dumber, for sure. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-07-07 13:50 |
| #6 I'm pretty sure that the interviewee, Abul Kasem, does not advocate genocide (and neither does the editor of Front Page). Notwithstanding this, I think he would acknowledge that we don't have a good strategy to defang Islam, other than to expose its doctrines to sunlight. If only Mr. Kasem would get one tenth the attention that Islam apologists get. |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-07-07 13:23 |
| #5 I always think of that scene in 'To kill a mockingingbird' with the rabid dog. The father did not 'hate' the dog and was relunctant to shoot it - but saw the killing as a necessary act. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2008-07-07 11:03 |
| #4 I'm with spook. Kill them like the cockroach in the kitchen. Nothing like finding a house full of a terrorist and their family where everyone is down with a bullet between the eyes and no one heard anything. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-07-07 10:57 |
| #3 No hate needed. Cold dispassion is much more helpful. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-07-07 10:31 |
| #2 "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park", McZoid? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2008-07-07 06:03 |
| #1 They HATE us! We need to hate back because: we hate tyranny. We hated Hitler and Stalin. Do we dare hate a person of color, who mirrors those butchers? The human faculty for hate cannot be abolished. We should use it to take away the humanity of the enemy. That makes it easier to kill them in large numbers. Ironically, in the current context the above would evoke hate from the anti-haters. Tom Lehrer used to write songs about all these contradictions. WE ALL HATE! |
| Posted by: McZoid 2008-07-07 00:23 |