| Mr. Soloman speaks with knowledge, credibility and conviction. He has memorized large sections of the Koran and tells me, “There’s not a single verse in the Koran talking about peace with a non-Muslim, with the Jews and the Christians. Islam means submission. Islam means surrender. It means you surrender and accept Islamic hegemony over yourselves.” |
Is he right?
Sure, he’s just as right as the former Christians, or people who were raised with some Bible school, and who have converted to another religion or to none, who say all the things they say about how violent and bloodthirsty the Old Testament God is, or how antisemitic the New Testament is, how much violence and bloodshed they have inspired Christians all through history.
Anabaptists themselves should know very well what happens when scripture is misused, such as Catholics with the Old Testament. And Jews unfortunately have known also the spectre of murderous Christian hordes fueled by terrible misunderstanding of the New Testament. There have been many snapshots in time when Christianity too, and its scriptures, did not appear to have a whole lot to recommend it, when viewed aside the violent political acts of some of its followers. Was this because the Jewish Bible or the Gospel are corrupt and evil?
“This kind of tactic of taking verses out of context can be used against any religious faith,” says Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic civil rights and advocacy group. “It can and has been used against the Bible and has been used against the Koran. These verses deal with the real experience of the Muslim community at the time when they were under attack. It’s not a general injunction to go out and harm people. The only people who take it that way are those who want to promote hostility toward Islam and Muslims. They would object if the same thing were done to their faith.”
If you’re curious, read the Koran and see for yourself. Be as fair to it, informing yourself of timelines and keeping verses in context, as you are to your own scriptures. Don’t rely on regurgitated soundbites and other people’s poor scholarship for your understanding of the religious conflicts in today’s world.