Islam = Religion of Peace?

Religion of peace      

The term, "Religion of Peace", is an American political neologism used to describe Islam. Not long after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States of America, there were some politicians that decreed Islam was a religion of peace in an effort to differentiate between Islamic terrorists and the non-violent practicing Islamist. 

In September of 2001, President George W. Bush publicly endorsed the view that Islam was a religion of peace, which prompted criticism from several Evangelical Protestant leaders across the USA. Only 10% agreed with President Bush that Islam was synonymous with peace. The most vocal leaders were Jerry Falwell and Pat Roberson.

"The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: "In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule." The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war." ~ Pres. George W. Bush

Mahathir bin Mohamad, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia said in 2002,

"Clearly Islam the religion is not the cause of terrorism. Islam, as I said, is a religion of peace. However through the centuries, deviations from the true teachings of Islam take place. And so [people who call themselves] "Muslims" kill despite the injunction of their religion against killing especially of innocent people."

Muslims who are keen to emphasize their rejection of violence have used the phrase "a religion of peace" as a description of Islam, like Dalil Boubakeur, Mufti of the Paris Mosque, who said in 2006, 

"The prophet did not found a terrorist religion, but a religion of peace."

Criticism

The description of Islam as a religion of peace has created a great deal of controversy. 

Philosopher and New Atheism writer Sam Harris wrote, 

"The position of the Muslim community in the face of all provocations seems to be: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we will kill you."

Sherman Jackson believes that the comments of Western politicians about Islam being a religion of peace is an attempt at political correctness. However, Jackson asserts that:

"Religion of peace" does not imply that Islam is a pacifist religion, that it rejects the use of violence altogether, as either a moral or a metaphysical evil. "Religion of peace" connotes, rather, that Islam can countenance a state of permanent, peaceful coexistence with other nations and peoples who are not Muslims...This position, I shall argue, is no more than the result of an objective application of principles of Islamic jurisprudence which no jurist or activist, medieval or modern, has claimed to reject.

This use has also been criticized by influential Islamist Sayyid Qutb, who wrote:

"The defeatists should fear Allah lest they distort this religion and cause it to become weak on the basis of the claim that it is a religion of peace. Yes, it is the religion of peace but in the sense of saving all of mankind from worshiping anything other than Allah and submitting all of mankind to the rule of Allah." 

The term "Religion of Peace" is used sarcastically by critics of Islam, such as right-wing commentator Ann Coulter.

When asked by reporters in 2005 if Islam was a religion of peace, Pope Benedict XVI declined to "apply generic labels" but stated:

"I would not like to use big words to apply generic labels. It certainly contains elements that can favor peace, it also has other elements: we must always seek the best elements."

On May 13, 2015, ISIL [ISIS] released an audio message by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who asserted that Islam is not a religion of peace, but rather the religion of violence:

"Islam was never a religion of peace. Islam is the religion of fighting. No one should believe that the war that we are waging is the war of the Islamic State. It is the war of all Muslims, but the Islamic State is spearheading it. It is the war of Muslims against infidels. O Muslims, go to war everywhere. It is the duty of every Muslim."

Billy Graham's son [Franklin Graham] has led the call to arms with blasts like his description of Islam as "a very evil and wicked religion." In addition, Pat Robertson dismissed Muhammad as "an absolute wild-eyed fanatic, a robber and brigand," and Jerry Vines, the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, labeled Muhammad a "demon-possessed pedophile."   

The Creator must be feeling dizzy, listening to American evangelicals pray for help in converting Muslims from their "vile" faith while Muslims appeal for assistance in stomping out bloodthirsty Christian infidel invaders.

So maybe God, along with all of us, will find relief following a milestone in 2015: some leading evangelicals called on their own prophets of pugnacity to zip it. We can, er, pray, that responsible Muslim leaders will follow that wise example and similarly rein in their own extremists.

The "loving rebuke" by conservative Christians of their fire-breathing brethren came at a Washington conference. This helped move us back from the clash of civilizations that hard-liners in both Islam and Christianity are pushing us all toward.

Peace in Islamic Philosophy

Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph after Muhammad, has an incisive definition of justice. [He was appointed caliph by Muhammad's Companions (Sahaba) in 656 A.D., after caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated.] He considers justice to be the placement of everything in their proper order. The issue of proportionality and relativeness is thus an indispensable part of justice. 

House of Peace

The ideal society, according to the Qur’an is Dar as-Salam, literally, "the house of peace" of which it intones: And Allah invites to the 'abode of peace' and guides whom He pleases into the right path.

According to Islam there will be an era in which justice, plenty, abundance, well-being, security, peace, and brotherhood will prevail among humanity, and one in which people will experience love, self-sacrifice, tolerance, compassion, mercy, and loyalty. 

Muhammad says that this blessed period will be experienced through the mediation of the Mahdi, who will come in the end times to save the world from chaos, injustice, and moral collapse. He will eradicate godless ideologies and bring an end to the prevailing injustice. Moreover, he will make religion like it was in the days of Muhammad, cause the Qur'an's moral teachings to prevail among humanity, and establish peace and well-being throughout the world.

Mainstream Islamic law stipulates detailed regulations for the use of violence, including the use of violence within the family or household, the use of corporal or capital punishment, as well as how, when and against whom to wage war.

"Then, evil was the end of those who committed evil. That is because they rejected God’s revelations, and used to ridicule them." ~ Yusuf Ali (Verse 30:10)

The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war.