Excellent analysis of Zogby's disingeniousness

Submitted by Muslihoon (United States), Aug 28, 2006 at 17:02

This is an excellent post, Dr. Pipes. You are quite correct that still in Islam, and for Muslims, the Qur'aan is interpreted quite literally. Furthermore, his challenge to compare the Qur'aan with Torah is disingenious indeed, as you said. For one thing, when in Torah G-d commands His people to conquer in His name, they are to do so regarding a very specific area and against very specific peoples. (And Torah also mentions that His people didn't do even all of that.)

Indeed, G-d says that He does not want David haMelekh to build the Temple because he is a bloody man. On the other hand, Allah's command to conquer all peoples - the impulse to conquer the world that resulted in a sweeping Islamic state so soon after the religion's birth - stands in all times and concerns all lands and all peoples. Furthermore, if one broadens Torah (to include Talmud as well - the Oral and Written Torot), one realizes that this "bloody-ness" is quite peripheral.

Torah concerns itself far more about rituals, taharah, and other matters of jurisprudence. On the other hand, every collection of ahadith consists of a chapter on jihaad, and comparing Islamic shari'ah to Jewish halakhah with regard to warfare, violence, the use of force, and the promotion (let alone permissability) of the use of force yields a very stark comparison that more than demonstrates Judaism as the more peaceful and peaceable religions.

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