IS claims to behead second US reporter

[ranjeet]

RIP to the reporter

 

[gambit]

ISIS doesn't represent us.

I must also state here that Armies fighting to put down these monsters are also Muslim armies. I wonder why people fail to see this aspect.

The armies fighting IS are agents of states, not of Islam, meaning they are fighting IS in order to preserve the sanctity of their respective countries, not to cleanse Islam of this version of your religion. If what IS is doing offends you as a Muslim who follows in a different version of Islam, a version that you believes to be true, and if there are enough of you in Islam, then all of the Muslim countries should have taken over Afghanistan a long time ago, as in pre 9/11. IS is no worse than what the people of Afghanistan is living under.

 

[Kompromat]

The armies fighting IS are agents of states, not of Islam, meaning they are fighting IS in order to preserve the sanctity of their respective countries, not to cleanse Islam of this version of your religion. If what IS is doing offends you as a Muslim who follows in a different version of Islam, a version that you believes to be true, and if there are enough of you in Islam, then all of the Muslim countries should have taken over Afghanistan a long time ago, as in pre 9/11. IS is no worse than what the people of Afghanistan is living under.

That is not an accurate assessment. Pakistan's own COIN strategy has a war against what's known in Islamic theology as 'Takfeeris' as a very strong pillar.

Well its confusing, they both call each other infidels.

ISIS hail from a Takfiri ideological background. More like ultra orthodox literalists with an element of hatred and violence.

Takfiri - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[gambit]

That is not an accurate assessment. Pakistan's own COIN strategy has a war against what's known in Islamic theology as 'Takfeeris' as a very strong pillar.



ISIS hail from a Takfiri ideological background. More like ultra orthodox literalists with an element of hatred and violence.

Takfiri - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pakistan is using theology as secondary motive. The first is preservation of the state.

 

[Kompromat]

Pakistan is using theology as secondary motive. The first is preservation of the state.

Preservation of an Islamic State!

 

[kobiraaz]

Desperation really,they are helpless vs the us airstrikes.Posting we are coming to washington on twitter and beheading defenseless civilians is one thing..fighting a trained armed force..the most powerful one in the world at that, is another.These actions only stir up usa public opinion for more involvement,which is the only thing that actually keeps usa out of the conflict.In reality if usa used its full force,isis will be pasted powdered history in a week.They are just fodder for f-18s,foolish bravado on twitter and videos.

That is what they want. They want US troops on ground. US wont be able to finish them from Air.

 

[gambit]

Preservation of an Islamic State!

Hardly, simply because there is no way for you to prove your version of Islam is the correct one. If Pakistan is an 'Islamic' state, such a title is so generic that it is comparable to any European/American state calling itself a 'Christian' state, and yet is overwhelming secular as to make that label nearly meaningless in terms of defense from threats.

 

[Kompromat]

Hardly, simply because there is no way for you to prove your version of Islam is the correct one. If Pakistan is an 'Islamic' state, such a title is so generic that it is comparable to any European/American state calling itself a 'Christian' state, and yet is overwhelming secular as to make that label nearly meaningless in terms of defense from threats.

Pakistan is not built on any version of Islam. You can believe whatever you want, however it doesn't change the fact that a Muslim Army along with other friendly armies in the region remain at the fore front of putting down the menace of Takfiri terrorists.

 

[gambit]

Pakistan is not built on any version of Islam. You can believe whatever you want, however it doesn't change the fact that a Muslim Army along with other friendly armies in the region remain at the fore front of putting down the menace of Takfiri terrorists.

Please do not tell me that there are no 'version' of Islam. I may not have the IQ of Einstein, but that is still an insult to my intelligence.

 

[Kompromat]

Please do not tell me that there are no 'version' of Islam. I may not have the IQ of Einstein, but that is still an insult to my intelligence.

There are no versions of Islam. The sects in Islam are different interpretations of a handful of scholars from days of old who coexisted, differed and debated theological matters without calling each other heretical and exchanged their students on a regular basis. The goal of the exercise was to diversify Islamic theology rather than to create versions of it. The only major difference between Sunni and Shias is the style of prayer, even though both methods are correct. The differences which create sectarian violence are political and material rather than religious.

The ideology ISIS has adopted is a deviant ideology which has nothing to do with mainstream Islam, just like Christian cults have nothing to do with the Christianity. In the end, i do not regard ISIS more than just a corporate mercenary force which extends its services for whoever bids the highest amount.

 

[kalu_miah]

RIP, Mr. Sotloff.

 

[gambit]

There are no versions of Islam. The sects in Islam are different interpretations of a handful of scholars from days of old who coexisted, differed and debated theological matters without calling each other heretical and exchanged their students on a regular basis. The goal of the exercise was to diversify Islamic theology rather than to create versions of it. The only major difference between Sunni and Shias is the style of prayer, even though both methods are correct. The differences which create sectarian violence are political and material rather than religious.

The ideology ISIS has adopted is a deviant ideology which has nothing to do with mainstream Islam, just like Christian cults have nothing to do with the Christianity. In the end, i do not regard ISIS more than just a corporate mercenary force which extends its services for whoever bids the highest amount.

Looky here...As long as there are enough followers of an interpretation of a religion, versions of it exists. Your own Sunni-Shiite conflict is proof of this. You can call it 'diversification' all you want but when the followers of one interpretation begins to expound that A is 'preferable' to B, which is more preferable to C, and so on, you have versions and inevitably conflicts.

 

[Hakan]

​

Caliph Mehmed II's Firman on the freedom of the Bosnian Franciscans(Christians)

"I, the Sultan Khan the Conqueror,

hereby declare the whole world that,

The Bosnian Franciscans granted with this sultanate firman are under my protection. And I command that:

No one shall disturb or give harm to these people and their churches! They shall live in peace in my state. These people who have become emigrants, shall have security and liberty. They may return to their monasteries which are located in the borders of my state.No one from my empire notable, viziers, clerks or my maids will break their honour or give any harm to them! No one shall insult, put in danger or attack these lives, properties, and churches of these people! Also, what and those these people have brought from their own countries have the same rights. By declaring this firman, I swear on my sword by the holy name of Allah who has created the ground and sky, Allah's prophet Mohammed, and 124,000 former prophets that; no one from my citizens will react or behave the opposite of this firman!"

Fatih Sultan Mehmet - Fatih Municipality​

Ottoman Caliphates Treatment of Jews​

"Early in the 14th century, when the Ottomans had established their capital at Edirne, Jews from Europe, including Karaites, migrated there. Similarly, Jews expelled from Hungary in 1376, from France by Charles VI in September 1394, and from Sicily early in the 15th century found refuge in the Ottoman Empire. In the 1420s, Jews from Salonika then under Venetian control fled to Edirne.

Ottoman rule was much more tolerant than Byzantine rule had been. In fact, from the early 15th century on, the Ottomans actively encouraged Jewish immigration. A letter sent by Rabbi Yitzhak Sarfati (from Edirne) to Jewish communities in Europe in the first part of the century "invited his coreligionists to lease the torments they were enduring in Christendom and to seek safety and prosperity in Turkey".

When Mehmet II "the Conqueror" took Constantinople in 1453, he encountered an oppressed Romaniot (Byzantine) Jewish community which welcomed him with enthusiasm. Sultan Mehmet II issued a proclamation to all Jews "... to ascend the site of the Imperial Throne, to dwell in the best of the land, each beneath his Dine and his fig tree, with silver and with gold, with wealth and with cattle...".

In 1470, Jews expelled from Bavaria by Ludwig X found refuge in the Ottoman Empire.

In 1492, the Spanish royal couple Isabelle I and Ferdinand II ordered the expulsion of the Jews from the country - a measure that brought immediate affliction to hundreds of thousands of people rooted there for generations and whose ancestors were buried in the Spanish soil.

Faced with the expulsion of Jews from Spain, Sultan Bayazid II ordered the governors of the provinces of the Ottoman Empire "not to refuse the Jews entry or cause them difficulties, but to receive them cordially". According to Bernard Lewis, "the Jews were not just permitted to settle in the Ottoman lands, but were encouraged, assisted and sometimes even compelled".

Immanual Aboab attributes to Bayazid II the famous remark that "the Catholic monarch Ferdinand was wrongly considered as wise, since he impoverished Spain by the expulsion of the Jews, and enriched Turkey".

The arrival of the Sephardis altered the structure of the community and the original group of Romaniote Jews was totally absorbed.

Over the centuries an increasing number of European Jews, escaping persecution in their native countries, settled in the Ottoman Empire. In 1537 the Jews expelled from Apulia (Italy) after the city fell under Papal control, and in 1542 those expelled from Bohemia by King Ferdinand found a safe haven in the Ottoman Empire. In March of 1556, Sultan Suleyman "the Magnificent" wrote a letter to Pope Paul IV asking for the immediate release of the Ancona Marranos (Jews forcibly baptized), whom he declared to be Ottoman citizens. The Pope had no other alternative than to release them, the Ottoman Empire being the "superpower" of those days.

By 1477, Jewish households in Istanbul numbered 1647 or 11% of the total. Half a century later, 8070 Jewish houses were listed in the city.

For 300 years following the expulsion, the prosperity and creativity of the Ottoman Jews rivalled that of the Golden Age of Spain. Four Turkish cities: Istanbul, Izmir, Safed and Salonika became the centres of Sephardic Jewry.

Most of the court physicians were Jews: Hakim Yakoub, Joseph and Moshe Hamon, Daniel Fonseca, Gabriel Buenaventura to name only very few ones.

One of the most significant innovations that Jews brought to the Ottoman Empire was the printing press. In 1493, only one year after their expulsion from Spain, David & Samuel ibn Nahmias established the first Hebrew printing press in Istanbul.

Ottoman diplomacy was often carried out by Jews. Joseph Nasi, appointed the Duke of Naxos, was the former Portuguese Marrano Joao Miques. Another Portuguese Marrano, Aluaro Mandes, was named Duke of Mytylene in return for his diplomatic services to the Sultan. Salamon ben Nathan Eskenazi arranged the first diplomatic ties with the British Empire. Jewish women such as Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi "La Seniora" and Esther Kyra exercised considerable influence in the Court.

In the free air of the Ottoman Empire, Jewish literature flourished. Joseph Caro compiled the Shulhan Arouh. Shlomo haLevi Alkabes composed the Lekhah Dodi, a hymn which welcomes the Sabbath according to both Sephardic and Ashkenazi ritual. Jacob Culi began to write the famous MeAm Loez. Rabbi Abraham ben Isaac Assa became known as the father of Judeo-Spanish literature.

On October 27,1840, Sultan Abdulmecid issued his famous ferman concerning the "Blood Libel Accusation" saying: "... and for the love we bear to our subjects, we cannot permit the Jewish nation, whose innocence for the crime alleged against them is evident, to be worried and tormented as a consequence of accusations which have not the least foundation in truth...".

Under Ottoman tradition, each non-Moslem religious community was responsible for its own institutions, including schools. In the early 19th century, Abraham de Camondo established a modern school, "La Escola", causing a serious conflict between conservative and secular rabbis which was only settled by the intervention of Sultan Abdulaziz in 1864. The same year the Takkanot haKehilla (By-laws of the Jewish Community) was published, defining the structure of the Jewish community."

Holocaust | Jews in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey

A Christian contemporary in the 7th century, John of Nikiû, stated the following regarding the conquest of Alexandria by 'Amr Ibn Al As:

“On the twentieth of Maskaram, Theodore and all his troops and officers set out and proceeded to the island of Cyprus, and abandoned the city of Alexandria. And thereupon 'Amr the chief of the Moslem made his entry without effort into the city of Alexandria. And the inhabitants received him with respect; for they were in great tribulation and affliction. And Abba Benjamin, the patriarch of the Egyptians, returned to the city of Alexandria in the thirteenth year after his flight from the Romans, and he went to the Churches, and inspected all of them. And every one said: 'This expulsion (of the Romans) and victory of the Moslem is due to the wickedness of the emperor Heraclius and his persecution of the Orthodox through the patriarch Cyrus. This was the cause of the ruin of the Romans and the subjugation of Egypt by the Moslem. And 'Amr became stronger every day in every field of his activity. And he exacted the taxes which had been determined upon, but he took none of the property of the Churches, and he committed no act of spoliation or plunder, and he preserved them throughout all his days.[13]

The principles established by the early Caliphs were also honoured during the Crusades, as exemplified by Sultans such as Saladin and Al-Kamil. For example, after Al-Kamil defeated the Franks during the Crusades, Oliverus Scholasticus praised the Islamic laws of war, commenting on how Al-Kamil supplied the defeated Frankish army with food:[14]

“Who could doubt that such goodness, friendship and charity come from God? Men whose parents, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, had died in agony at our hands, whose lands we took, whom we drove naked from their homes, revived us with their own food when we were dying of hunger and showered us with kindness even when we were in their power.[15]

Islamic military jurisprudence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Non-Muslims in Muslim History

By: Dr. Ahmad H. Sakr (Dr. Ahmad H. Sakr is President of Foundation for Islamic Knowledge, P.O. Box 665, Lombard, IL 60148)

This article is devoted to a special group of Non-Muslims, namely those who are called Christians (Catholics, Protestants, others) and Jews. Such groups are considered in Islam to be People of the Book. People of the Book are looked upon by Muslims as God-fearing, God-loving, and God-conscious.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are rooted in the Abrahamic religion where Islam is the most recent religion sent by God to humankind as a complete way of life. Muslims are required to respect and honor people of the book. An Islamic state must protect non-Muslims and ensure their peace and harmony within Muslim territories.

During the Days of the Prophet

As far as the Jews are concerned

1.During the life of Prophet Muhammad, the Jews in Madina had a synagogue and an educational institute by the name of Bait-Al-Madras. He made sure it was preserved as well as all the Jews attending it were protected.

2.The Prophet of Islam made several treaties with the Jews. Following is an extract of a message that he wrote to form a treaty:

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful. This message is from Muhammad, Messenger of God. Verily, whoever follows us from the Jews shall have the help and the aid; and shall neither be victim of injustice, nor taken vengeance upon. The Jews of the children of Awf are safe with the Faithful. They have their religion and the Muslims theirs and themselves, except those who oppress or sin, they will forfeit themselves and their families. The Jews of Bani Al-Najjar, of Bani Al-Harith, of Bani Saaedah, of Bani Aws and of Bani Belanah are Jews like the others.

As far as the Christians are concerned

1.The Prophet honored the Christians of Najran from Yemen who visited him in his own mosque in Madina. The Christians prayed according to Christian fashion inside the mosque, and the Prophet and his followers prayed in Muslim tradition.

2.The Prophet respected the autonomy of the Christian churches. The nomination and the appointment of bishops and priests was left to the Christian community itself.

3.Prophet Muhammad promoted cooperation between Muslims and Christians in the political arena as well. The prophet selected a non-Muslims and delegated him as his ambassador to Negus, the king of Ethiopia. The name of that ambassador was 'Amr-ibn-Umaiyah-ad-Damri.

4.During the days of the Prophet, there were two super powers, the Persians and the Romans. The Romans adopted Christianity while the Persians adopted atheist beliefs. Those two super powers were at war with each other. During that period, Muslims were a small minority in the Arabian Peninsula. They prayed to Almighty God that the Romans would win the war against the Atheistic forces. The feelings and the beliefs of the Muslims were based on the fact that the Romans were part of the People of the Book. (See Qur'an 30: 1-7)

5.The Prophet sent a message to the Monks of Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai. The English translation of that document is as follows:

This is a message written by Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, far and near, we are behind them. Verily, I defend them by myself, the servants, the helpers, and my followers, because Christians are citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be changed from their jobs, nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christians is married to a Muslim, this is not to take place without her own wish. She is not to be prevented from going to her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation is to disobey this covenant till the Day of Judgement and the end of the world.

During the Days of 'Umar

1.The Second Caliph (religious leader of Muslim people) 'Umar, asked his Governor in Syria to recruit a Greek person who could put the accounts of their revenues in order. He also appointed a Christian to head his Administration.

2.'Umar respectfully declined to pray inside the church of Resurrection in Jerusalem, but he did pray outside. He was concerned that his followers would take it over from the Christians, if he prayed inside.

3.Muslims were given the key of the Church of Basilica in Jerusalem during the days of the Caliph 'Umar. The Muslims are still taking care of it today.

4.During the time of Caliph 'Umar certain Muslims had taken a piece of land belonging to a Jew. They constructed a mosque on it. 'Umar ordered the demolition of the mosque and the restoration of the land to the Jew.

5.When Jerusalem was submitted to Caliph 'Umar, an agreement was made between 'Umar-and the local Christians. The agreement goes as follows:

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate! This is the security which grants to the people of Elia. He grants to all, whether sick or sound, security for their lives, their possessions, their churches and their crosses, and for all that concerns their religion. Their churches shall not be changed into dwelling places, nor destroyed, neither shall they nor their appurtenances be in anyway diminished, nor the crosses of the inhabitants nor aught of their possessions, nor shall any constraints be put upon them in the matter of their faith, nor shall any one of them be harmed.

During the Umaiyads and Abbasids

1.Non-Muslims were holding the rank of Political, Ministers, Administrative positions and membership in Executive Councils. Non-Muslims were given judicial autonomy, not only for personal status, but for all affairs of their life: Civil, penal and others. During the Abbasid Caliphs, Christian Patriarchs and Jewish Hakhams (Rabbis) held highest positions in the Islamic state. They held the position of advisors in the cabinet of the Caliph himself.

2.When the Muslim army reached the valley of the Jordan and Abu Ubaydah pitched his camp at Fihl, the Christian inhabitants of the country wrote to the Arabs, saying:

O Muslims, we prefer you to the Byzantine though they are of our faith, because you keep better faith with us and are more merciful to us and refrain from doing us injustice and your rule over us is better than theirs, for they have robbed us of our goods and our homes.The people of Emessa closed the gates of their city against the army of Heraclius and told the Muslims that they preferred Muslim government and justice to the injustice and oppression of the Greeks.

3.Mu'awiyah (661-680) employed Christians very heavily in his service, and the other members of the reigning house followed his example. Christians frequently held high posts at court.

4.During the days of 'Umar Ibn 'Abd-al-'Aziz (an Umaiyad Caliph) some Muslims took a church to enlarge the Grand Mosque of Damascus (Al-Masjid Al-Umawee). Caliph 'Umar Ibn 'Abd-al-Aziz ordered the demolition of that part of the mosque and to restore the church. However, the Christians opted for a monetary settlement.

5.Non-Muslims were given the citizenship of the Muslim country in which they lived including the right to vote for the election of the Muslim state. However, they were exempted from being drafted in the Muslim army.

6.During the days of Haroon Al-Rashid, Dr. Gabriel, the personal physician of the caliph Haroon al-Rashid, was a Nestorian Christian.

Later History

Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims. Non-Muslims flourished among Muslims. None were killed in the name of Islam. The mere presence of a large number of Christians and Jews in the Muslim world is a sign of the tolerance of Muslims to the non-Muslims. Jews fled from Spain during the Inquisition, and Muslims welcomed them in their lands. They protected them and helped them to establish themselves and they indeed flourished.

During the occupation of the Middle East by the crusaders, the local Christians were treated as second class citizens by their European brethren. They could not tolerate the insults and humiliation. Therefore, they helped the Muslims rid themselves of the crusaders from that area, mainly Jerusalem and Palestine. Salah Uddin (Saladdin) was able to liberate Jerusalem from the occupation of the crusaders. He was kind to the knights and their soldiers. He treated them generously, especially those who were knights. He considered them as political leaders who should be treated with honor and dignity. They appreciated his kindness, generosity, and fair treatment. Some of them later accepted Islam.

Michael the Elder, Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch, writing in the latter half of the twelfth century, approved the actions of his co-religionists. He saw the finger of God in the Arab conquest even after the Eastern churches experienced five centuries of Muslim rule.

Contemporary Treatment of Non-Muslims

Non-Muslims flourished in the Muslim world in all aspects of life even after the abolition of colonialism. Anywhere a person goes in both the Arab world and the non-Arab Muslim world, he will see Christians and Jews. They have lived freely in the Muslim community and have thrived in the fields of religion, education, economics, politics, health, industry, farming, housing, banking, festivities, and social services.

In several Muslim countries like Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Algeria or Sudan, etc. there are a large number of Christians in the highest political levels of the government.

Today there are forces that seem to be propelling a clash of civilizations, but let us build a bridge of understanding and mutual respect through the exploration of commonalities among all civilizations.

Source: Adapted with some modification from "Non-Muslims through Muslim History" by Foundation For Islamic Knowledge, P.O. Box 665, Lombard, IL 60148 USA, Phone: (630) 495-4817, Fax: (630) 627-8894 website:www.ahmadsakr.com Email ahmadsakr¨yahoo.com

Courtesy: IslamiCity.com - Islam & The Global Muslim eCommunity

Non-Muslims in Muslim History


My Point: ISIS are a bunch of terrorist thugs and don't match the behavior of past Caliphates. They also dont give religous freedom to those under their rule. This is contrary to what the prophet muhammad (pbuh) did.

The Constitution of Medina
Constitution of Medina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ExtraOdinary]

RIP. Seems to be the same guy "Jihadi John". There needs to be a sustained air campaign supported by Iraqi allies from now on to obliterate these maniacs. The reason ISIS has been successful is because their opponents have lacked coordination.

 

[SrNair]

RIP .

For ISIS now what ?
They are digging their own graves.Till now American public are against any type of war on other nations.
But cruelty like this would turn their opinion.Honestly if they use their full might ,within a week ISIS and their so called caliphate will disintegrate in to dust.