Is this Islam?

[Bordercop]

Graphic Video: Tunisian Muslims Slaughter Convert to Christianity
by Raymond Ibrahim
Originally published by the Gatestone Institute
June 4, 2012

http://www.raymondibrahim.com/11798/graphic-video-tunisian-muslims-slaughter-convert

Liberal talk show host Tawfiq Okasha recently appeared on "Egypt Today" airing a video of Muslims slicing a young man's head off for the crime of apostasy, in this case, the crime of converting to Christianity and refusing to renounce it. The video—be warned, it is immensely graphic—is on the left, the actual execution appearing from minute 1:13-4:00. The video can be accessed directly at www.RaymondIbrahim.com.

For those who prefer not to view it, a summary follows:

A young man appears held down by masked men. His head is pulled back, with a knife to his throat. He does not struggle and appears resigned to his fate. Speaking in Arabic, the background speaker, or "narrator," chants a number of Muslim prayers and supplications, mostly condemning Christianity, which, because of the Trinity, is referred to as a polytheistic faith: "Let Allah be avenged on the polytheist apostate"; "Allah empower your religion, make it victorious against the polytheists"; "Allah, defeat the infidels at the hands of the Muslims"; "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger."

Then, to cries of "Allahu Akbar!"—or, "God is great!"—the man holding the knife to the apostate's throat begins to slice away, even as the victim appears calmly mouthing a prayer. It takes nearly two minutes of graphic knife-carving to sever the Christian's head, which is then held aloft to more Islamic cries and slogans of victory.

Visibly distraught, Tawfiq Okasha, the host, asked: "Is this Islam? Does Islam call for this? How is Islam related to this matter?...These are the images that are disseminated throughout the electronic media in Europe and America…. Can you imagine?" Then, in reference to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis, whose political influence has grown tremendously, he asked, "How are such people supposed to govern?"

In fact, only the other day a top Egyptian Salafi leader openly stated that no Muslim has the right to apostatize, or leave Islam, based on the canonical hadiths, including Muhammad's command, "Whoever leaves his religion, kill him." Islam's most authoritative legal manuals make crystal clear that apostasy is a capital crime, punishable by death.

The first "righteous caliph," a paragon of Muslim piety and virtue, had tens of thousands of people slaughtered—including by burning, beheading, and crucifixion—simply because they tried to break away from Islam. According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, the most authoritative reference work on Islam in the English language, "there is unanimity that the male apostate must be put to death."

Finally, a word on the "prayers" or supplications to Allah made by the Muslim executioners in the video: these are standard and formulaic. It is not just masked, anonymous butchers who supplicate Allah as they engage in acts of evil; rather, top-ranking Muslim leaders openly invoke such hate-filled prayers.

See here for examples of prominent Muslims supplicating Allah to strike infidels with cancer and disease "till they pray for death and do not receive it," and even formalized prayers in Mecca, blasted on megaphones as Muslims pilgrimage and circumambulate the Ka'ba, supplicating Allah to make the lives of Christians and Jews "hostage to misery; drape them with endless despair, unrelenting pain and unremitting ailment; fill their lives with sorrow and pain and end their lives in humiliation and oppression."

"Is this Islam?" You decide.

[Ret10Echo]

"Is this Islam?"

There is no "decision". This is Islam

[scooter]

Yes.

[mark46th]

Why is Okasha, or anyone for that matter, surprised? Do the names Daniel Pearl or Nick Berg ring a bell?

[Scimitar]

Unfortunately, I am currently living in, let's just say, a pretty liberal Swiss like country. I would consider myself a center right kind of guy; here I'm looked upon as far right. lol.

The topic of Islam has come up a couple of times in conversations this past year here, the general belief is that Islam is a peaceful religion, but like any group it has its extremists.

I'm not fully up to play on all things Islam, so in line with the thread and the comments so far I'd appreciate any clarifying thoughts on the matter.

My understanding and reply to questions tends to revolve around, that although a majority of Muslims tend to be "relatively" peace loving people, the "radical" minority has three things to its advantage that strongly risks Islam never really becoming a pluralistic member of the free world.

1) Due to the more peaceful elements of Islam still being relatively young in their proselytizing, the extremists in general have in-effect a religious warrant for terror and aggression. A deep seated belief that Christians and especially Jews are a lower life form and should die is held at least culturally, and in many cases practically.

2) The peaceful majority will likely and often do curtail to the extremists demands when forced to choose. Basically due to generally held beliefs in Islamic Law a "Good international citizen” (i.e. pluralism, human rights, etc) is a “bad Muslim", and a "Good Muslim” will struggle to be what we would consider a good “international citizen"

3) A world view lacking individualism and personal progress, gives the radical conservatives a virtually never ending stream of human resource for their goals of violence.

Always important to have an educated point of view on such things, correction and clarification welcome.

[1stindoor]

Why is Okasha, or anyone for that matter, surprised? Do the names Daniel Pearl or Nick Berg ring a bell?

Sadly...I'm sure they do not.

Or it's something along the lines of "wasn't that the guy that was married to Angelina Jolie?"

[Dusty]

The topic of Islam has come up a couple of times in conversations this past year here, the general belief is that Islam is a peaceful religion...

All anyone has to do is read the Qur'an to make his own determination.

[scooter]

Unfortunately, I am currently living in, let's just say, a pretty liberal Swiss like country. I would consider myself a center right kind of guy; here I'm looked upon as far right. lol.

The topic of Islam has come up a couple of times in conversations this past year here, the general belief is that Islam is a peaceful religion, but like any group it has its extremists.

I'm not fully up to play on all things Islam, so in line with the thread and the comments so far I'd appreciate any clarifying thoughts on the matter.

My understanding and reply to questions tends to revolve around, that although a majority of Muslims tend to be "relatively" peace loving people, the "radical" minority has three things to its advantage that strongly risks Islam never really becoming a pluralistic member of the free world.

1) Due to the more peaceful elements of Islam still being relatively young in their proselytizing, the extremists in general have in-effect a religious warrant for terror and aggression. A deep seated belief that Christians and especially Jews are a lower life form and should die is held at least culturally, and in many cases practically.

2) The peaceful majority will likely and often do curtail to the extremists demands when forced to choose. Basically due to generally held beliefs in Islamic Law a "Good international citizen” (i.e. pluralism, human rights, etc) is a “bad Muslim", and a "Good Muslim” will struggle to be what we would consider a good “international citizen"

3) A world view lacking individualism and personal progress, gives the radical conservatives a virtually never ending stream of human resource for their goals of violence.

Always important to have an educated point of view on such things, correction and clarification welcome.

A large majority of Muslim extremists are from middle class families with good upbringing, this isn't a poverty or need issue.

As far as the majority being peaceful, two things:

Jihad is a collective obligation. If a minority is actively engaged in war on behalf of Islam against the unbelievers, then the rest are relieved of their obligation.

Taqiyah is the doctrine that it is okay to lie to non-muslims about Islam in order to advance the faith.

If you want to understand Islam better, listen to what they say to each other, and not what they say to the West.

[s]

Is this Islam?

My answer is yes, by all means. To the fullest extent of the expression.

[Oku]

Had to look into this "mess" as part of an old job (trainer)...Found that the "extremists" are the ones really following the qur'an.

Taqiyah, is no joke. Watch any interview with a "fine upstanding member" of a muslim commuity... My understanding is that any qur'an you find in say... a library, is very much "watered down" to make it more appealing to "Westerners".

Blood pressure going up just thinking about this crap and what it's doing in our country....gonna stop now....:mad: