Islam: The War That Won't Go Away?
[caption id="attachment_1166" align="alignleft" width="183" caption="Dr. Paul L. Williams"]
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Recently, a scholar by the name of Dr. Paul L. Williams wrote an essay describing the myriad number of ways in which the War on Terror should specifically be a war against Islam. (If you haven't read it yet, I advise you do before standing in front of my soapbox, and you can find a copy here). This essay was filled with interesting facts and quotes attributed to the Prophet Muhammad basically outlining how Islam has only waged war with other religions for the past 1500 years. Then, Dr. Williams made one statement, specifically about the Fall of Constantinople, that was so blatantly incorrect that I had to go do my research. How could a doctor who was an FBI consultant for 7 years be so incorrect?
One by one, more and more of his "facts" proved to be false until I could stand it anymore and said something to the person who originally posted it on Facebook. Of course, it degenerated into an argument over political correctness, but one thing stuck with me; nobody was actually concerned that this man was lying to them! They were still willing to accept his position despite the fact that he was purposely misleading them. Normally I would have just walked away from a situation like that and chalked it up to a person right to think what they want. But this time it was different because the people taken in by these lies were individuals who were otherwise rational people. When I did a search for "Islam: The War that Won't go Away" I was appalled to find that many of the same websites that I follow were trumpeting this as fact, and a call to arms to start a final crusade. So, without further ado, I present to you my rebuttal to Islam: The War That Won't Go Away.
Wrong, Wrong, WRONG!
Hopefully you've read the essay, or at least skimmed over it (if not, it's not too late). Some of the following are just a matter of interpretation or perception. Others are blatantly false. Either way, I took issue with them so I will share them equally.
- Dhimmis - A dhimmi was a non-Muslim subject of an Islamic state governed by Sharia law, and as such were afforded less rights than Muslims. In the essay, Dr. Williams lists 18 rights that were taken away from them simply because of their religious preference. However, one thing that he failed to mention, was that dhimmis were still free to practice their religion, as compared to Medieval Europe where non-Christian were frequently exiled, executed, or forced to convert. Of course, it still sucked to be a dhimmi, but you were better off than if you were a Muslim or Jew (or pagan) in Europe.
- Fall of Constantinople - According to the essay, the Muslim invaders "slew everyone they met in the streets, men, women, and children without discrimination. The blood ran in rivers down the steep streets from the heights of Petra toward the Golden Horn." This was actually the statement that made me cock my head to one side because it is blatantly false! According to the Byzantine Greek historian George Sphrantzes, the preeminent historian of his era who was an eyewitness to the capture of Constantinople it went quite differently:
On the third day after the fall of our city, the Sultan celebrated his victory with a great, joyful triumph. He issued a proclamation: the citizens of all ages who had managed to escape detection were to leave their hiding places throughout the city and come out into the open, as they were remain free and no question would be asked. He further declared the restoration of houses and property to those who had abandoned our city before the siege, if they returned home, they would be treated according to their rank and religion, as if nothing had changed.
- Next, is his false September 11th quote. According to Dr. Williams, "The Turks were at the gates of Vienna when they were stopped by the great Polish king John Sobieski and thirty thousand Polish hussars on a day that marked the high point of the Islamic expansion in Europe: September 11, 1684. It was a date that became embedded in the psyche of radical Islam..."
[caption id="attachment_1167" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="The 9/11 Attacks"] First, a congratulations to Dr. Williams for getting one fact right; the Battle of Vienna did mark the end of Turkish expansion into Europe. However, the battle took place in 1683, and actually lasted over the course of a few days, with most historians agreeing that the capitulation probably took place on September 12th. There are a plethora of significant events that have happened in the Muslim world on September 11th, including the Camp David Accords in 1978, the creation of the British Mandate in Palestine in 1922, or the Battle of Zenta in 1697. Furthermore, if you're into numerology, there are countless more *explanations* for the date September 11.[/caption]
- The Prophet Muhammad's Final Sermon - for most Americans their contact with religion is through the Bible. Therefore, if a person makes a claim about Islam and purports to quote from the Qu'ran, we just take it as fact. I have to admit that I've never seen a Qu'ran in person before, and without the Internet what little knowledge I have on the Muslim holy book would be non-existent. Sadly, Dr. Williams preyed on just that innocence at the outset of his essay by *quoting* these words that would get under the skin of any red-blooded American: "Know that every Muslim is a Muslim’s brother, and that the Muslims are brethren; fighting between them should be avoided, and the bloodshed in pagan times should not be avenged; Muslims should fight all other men until they say, ‘There is no god but Allah.’" I was willing to buy that at first, and just chalk it up to a matter of interpretation, such as how the New Testament frequently contradicts the Old Testament in the Bible. However, I found Muhammad's final sermon, in both Shi'a and Sunni interpretations, and nowhere did I find those words. As a matter of fact, the final sermon is quite beautfiul and I would recommend you take the time to read them, if for no other reason but to understand where your *enemy* is coming from.
- Author Credibility - His master's degree is in Divinity, which is a focus on Christian theology, and he was a consultant to the FBI for 7 years. His focus: radical Islamic terrorist groups. Of course any doctor should be able to get past that bias, no? Oh, and I almost forgot, that he's got a propensity for making false statements; he's currently being sued by McMaster University for claiming in his book, Dunces of Doomsday, that terrorists stole 180 lbs. of nuclear material from the university. The publisher of the book issued an apology to the university stating that the claim "had no basis in fact", and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission was able to confirm that McMaster University has never lost or stolen nuclear material.
