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In response to Mr. Machiavalli

Reader comment on item: [London Airline] Plans Destroyed
in response to reader comment: Mr.Hammad , open your eyes and see what Islam has done in Indian subcontinent

Submitted by Hammad (United Kingdom), Aug 18, 2006 at 08:20

Mr. Machiavalli,

... I ask you just one thing, after the domination of Spain by muslims for centuries, the spanish culture, tradition and language still survive. This you cannot say about Latin America where spanish ruled for centuries. The same goes for India or Hindustan and various other countries where muslim dominated for centuries.

I retain that Islam in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran are still heavily enamoured by Buddhist or Parsi customs. In Iran crossing the fire which is elementarily a Parsi custom is incorporated into Islam.

What is required here is objective analysis? I hope you would try to do that. As for militant hinduism, what do you say about Bal Thakeray's views or VHP. As for sikhism, the concept of deadly extermination of others seems to be more instilled. Every one of their Gurus is drawn with skulls and swords in their hands. Islam spread because it wishes to serve people and spread equality of men. Universal brotherhood is what Islam stands for. As for Christians and Jews, muslims are allowed to marry with them. People of the book are revered in Quran. The history, holy men and prophets are all shared in the three great monotheistic religions of the world. The greatest concentration of jews in Medieval Europe was in Spain, where muslims ruled. Over many centuries the central Asian republics including Turkey has had a huge minority of Jews. If Islam had persecuted them, would they have remained.

As for spread of Islam I ask you to do a search on the internet and you will find that a lot of good is said about the religion as well. Here are some famous quotes...

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability for many of our people..." [HILLARY RODMAN CLINTON, Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1996, p.3]

Already more than a billion-people strong, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. [ABCNEWS, Abcnews.com]

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the country." [NEWSDAY, March 7, 1989, p.4]

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United States..." [NEW YORK TIMES, Feb 21, 1989, p.1]

Moslems are the world's fastest-growing group..." [USA TODAY, The Population Reference bureau, Feb. 17,
1989, p.4A ]

"Muhummed is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities. " [Encyclopedia Britannica]

"There are more Muslims in North America then Jews Now." [Dan Rathers, CBSNEWS]

"Islam is the fastest growing religion in North America." [TIMES MAGAZINE]

"Islam continues to grow in America, and no one can doubt that!" [CNN, December 15, 1995]

"The Religion of Islam is growing faster than any other religion in the world." [MIKE WALLACE, 60 MINUTES]

"MUHUMMAD WAS THE SOUL OF KINDNESS, AND HIS INFLUENCE WAS FELT AND NEVER FORGOTTEN BY THOSE AROUND HIM." A Hindu scholar [Diwan Chand Sharma in his "The Prophets of the East," Calcutta 1935, p. 122.]

"FOUR YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF JUSTINIAN, A.D. 569, WAS BORN AT MAKKAH, IN ARABIA THE MAN WHO, OF ALL MEN EXERCISED THE GREATEST INFLUENCE UPON THE HUMAN RACE ... MOHAMMED ..." [John William Draper, M.D., LLD., in his "A History of the lntellectual Development of Europe",- London 1875.]

"I DOUBT WHETHER ANY MAN WHOSE EXTERNAL CONDITIONS CHANGED SO MUCH EVER CHANGED HIMSELF LESS TO MEET THEM." [R. V. C. Bodley in "The Messenger,"- London 1946, p.9.]

"I HAVE STUDIED HIM - THE WONDERFUL MAN - AND IN MY OPINION FAR FROM BEING AN ANTI-CHRIST, HE MUST BE CALLED THE SAVIOUR OF HUMANITY." [George Bernard Shaw, in "The Genuine Islam,- Vol. 1, No. 81936.]

"BY A FORTUNE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE IN HISTORY, MOHAMMED IS A THREEFOLD FOUNDER OF A NATION, OF AN EMPIRE, AND OF A RELIGION." [R. Bosworth-Smith in "Mohammed and Mohammedanism".- 1946.]

"Five to 6 million strong, Muslims in America already outnumber Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Mormons, and they are more numerous than Quakers, Unitarians, Seventh-day Adventists, Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Scientists, combined. Many demographers say Islam has overtaken Judaism as the country's second-most commonly practiced religion; others say it is in the passing lane." [JOHAN BLANK,
US NEWS (7/20/98)]

"In fact, Religion experts say Islam is the second-largest religion in the United States... Islam has 5 million to 6 million members, followed by Judaism, with approximately 4.5 million..... And Islam is believed to be fastest-growing religion in the country, with half its expansion coming from new immigrants and the other half from conversions." [By ELSA C. ARNETT Knight-Ridder News Service]

It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur'ân about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from Allah, or Allah, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered
until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of Allah. [Professor Keith Moore, one of the world’s prominent scientists of anatomy and embryology. University of Toronto, Canada]

"But Islam has a still further service to render to the cause of humanity. It stands after all nearer to the real East than Europe does, and it possesses a magnificent tradition of inter-racial understanding and cooperation. No other society has such a record of success uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity, and of endeavours so many and so various races of mankind . . . Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of East and West is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an indispensable condition. In its hands lies very largely the solution of the problem with which Europe is faced in its relation with East. If they unite, the hope of a peaceful issue is immeasurably enhanced. But if Europe, by rejecting the cooperation of Islam, throws it into the arms of its rivals, the issue can only be disastrous for both." [H.A.R. Gibb, WHITHER ISLAM, London, 1932, P. 379.]

"It (Islam) replaced monkishness by manliness. It gives hope to the slave, brotherhood to mankind, and recognition of the fundamental facts of human nature." [Canon Taylor, Paper read before the Church Congress at Walverhamton, Oct. 7, 1887; Quoted by Arnoud in THE PREACHING OF ISLAM, pp. 71-72.]

The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammed. As regards all standards by which
human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he? " [Lamartine, Historie de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Vol. 11 pp. 276-2727]

"If a man like Muhammed were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems that
would bring it the much needed peace and happiness." [George Bernard Shaw]

"How, for instance, can any other appeal stand against that of the Moslem who, in approaching the pagan, says to him, however obscure or degraded he may be 'Embrace the faith, and you are at once equal and a brother.' Islam knows no color line." [S. S. Leeder, VEILED MYSTERIES OF EGYPT]

Professor William W. Hay is one of the best known marine scientists in the United States. satellite photography and emote-sensing techniques. Professor Hay replied: I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scripture of the Holy Qur'ân, and I have no way of knowing where they would come from, but I think it is extremely interesting that they are there and that this work is going on to discover it, the meaning of some of the passages. Professor Hay: Well, I would think it must be the divine being!

[Professor Yushudi Kusan: Director of the Tokyo Observatory] I can say, I am very mush impressed by finding true astronomical facts in the Qur'ân.

[Professor Alfred Kroner who is one of the world’s most famous geologists] "Thinking about many of these questions and thinking where Muhammad came from, he was after all a bedouin. I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe,
because scientists have only found out within the last few years with very complicated and advanced technological methods that this is the case.

[Dr. T.V.N. Persaud is a Professor of Anatomy and Head of the Department of Anatomy, and a professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is the author or editor of 25 books, and has published over 181 scientific papers. In 1991, he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada.] "It seems to me that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not read or write. In fact, he was illiterate. We are talking about 1400 years ago. You have someone who was illiterate making profound pronouncement
and statements and are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. I personally cannot see how this could be mere chance. There are too many accuracy’s and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind in concerning that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements."

Joe Leigh Simpson, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the North Western University in Chicago in the United States of America. Professor Simpson said: It follows, I think, that not only is there no conflict between genetics and religion, but in fact religion can guide science by adding revelation to some traditional scientific approaches. That there exists statements in the Qur'ân shown by science to be valid, which supports knowledge in the Qur'ân having been derived from Allah.

[Professor Palmer a scientist from the U.S.] We need research into the history of early Middle Eastern oral traditions to know whether in fact such historical events have been reported. If there is no such record, it strengthens the belief that Allah transmitted through Muhammad bits of his knowledge that we have only discovered for ourselves in recent times. We look forward to a continuing dialogue on the topic of science in the Qur'ân in the context of geology. Thank you very much.

[Professor Tagata Tagasone, formerly Head of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology at the University of Shiang Mai in Thailand. He is now the Dean of the College of the Medicine at the University.] From my studies and from what I have learned throughout this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur'ân 1400 years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the One Who is an Eligible Creator. This Creator must
be Allah, or Allah. Therefore, I think this is the time to say ‘Laa ilaaha illallah’, that there is no Allah to worship except Allah, ‘Muhammad Rasool Allah’, Muhammad is messenger of Allah...

[Professor Armstrong, Scientist works at NASA] I am impressed that how remarkably some of the ancient writings seem to correspond to modern and recent Astronomy. There may well have to be something beyond what we understand as ordinary human experience to account for the writings that we have seen.

[Professor Durga Rao] It is difficult to imagine that this type of knowledge was existing at that time, around 1400 years back. May be some of the things they have simple idea about, but do describe those things in great detail is very difficult. So, this is definitely not a simple human knowledge.

"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level." [Michael H. Hart, THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, p. 33.]

"No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity and Endeavour so many and so varied races of mankind. The great Muslim communities of Africa, India and Indonesia, perhaps also the small community in
Japan, show that Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If
ever the opposition of the great societies of the East and west is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is
an indispensable condition." [H.A.R. Gibb, WHITHER ISLAM, p. 379]

The nation's claim to be a Christian country is about to meet its first challenge: the number of practising Muslims is set to overtake Anglican Christians.... There has also been a number of high-profile conversions to Islam from Christianity. These include Mike Tyson, the former world champion boxer; Chris Eubank, the British middleweight boxing champion, who has changed his name to Hamdan; and Cat Stevens, the pop musician, who calls himself Yusuf Islam.... Prince Charles courted controversy earlier this year when he reaffirmed his
claim that when he succeeds the throne, he does not wish to be the defender of only the Christian faith. [Rajeev Syal and Christopher Morgan Sunday Times (London, U.K.)]

All these famous people could not be liars. As for serving humanity, muslims fought to protect India from foriegn invasion and plundering in case of Mongols etc. Muslims defined the brotherhood of the people of the continent which was dangerously divided and apartheid.

I think as an informed person, you would see the light of my argument.


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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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