Magazinet withdraws Mohammed cartoons
According to the Brussels Journal, the Norwegian newspaper which published the Mohammed cartoons in support of Jylands-Posten has withdrawn them from its website in the face of death threats.
Vebjørn Selbekk, the editor of Magazinet, received threatening anonymous emails, including one containing a picture of a burnt body.
The e-mail with the pictures of the burnt body is the most frightening. But I am not afraid. This is of course unpleasant, especially for a family man. But I cannot go around being afraid
said Selbekk.
Another Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet, has also published the cartoons as a gesture of support.
Meanwhile, Danish Muslim leaders who have been touring the world explaining how offensive the cartoons are have actually added three cartoons to the original twelve: one depicting Mohammed as a paedophile demon, one of him with the snout of a pig, and another of a praying Muslim being sodomised by a dog.
The origin of the extra three cartoons is unknown, but they are sure to stir up a bit of hatred. Which, of course, is the whole point.
Aaahhh, the old “damn, we can’t win our argument with the original “evidence”, so let’s invent some more that’s completely unrelated to the original stuff, but we’ll still bung it in there because the bigger the pile, the better it looks to the casual observer” tactic. Strange how much these guys are copying from Creationists. Or perhaps the old West Midlands Police Serious Crime Squad?
ALLAHOMMA SALLY WA SALLEM ALA HABIBI WA ACHRAF MAN IN THE HISTORY EVER AND SALLEM TASLIMAN KATHEERA, i WILL TELL YOU EVERY DAY BY E-MAIL THAT MOHAMMED IS THE PROPHET OF GOD AND HE IS THE BEST AND CLEANEST AND MOST HUNDSOME IN ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE WORLDS, WE WILL LOVE HIM AS WE SEE HIM EVERY SECOND IN OUR LIFE.
ALLAH SALLY AND SALLEM ALA MOHAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMED.
ALLAH SALLY ALA MOHAMMMMMED AND SALLEM TASLIMAN KATHEERA
dont pissoff muslems
please do not bugging us as a moslem, if you still wanna live in this beautiful world, ’cause we as a moslem have no fear of all, except Allah SWT. Allaaahu Akbar…!!!
As far as I am concerned until the world-wide
Islamic “community” expresses at least half
the public outrage at the kidnapping and
beheading of innocent, un-armed civilians
as they are over a few stupid ass drawings,
they can all eat camel dung and go to hell.
Islam peaceful? Maybe one of their believers
can explain that part in the Koran (or Quran)
where the “prophet” tells them to “…strike at
the necks…” of the infidels?
Looks to me like that is exactly what those masked,
cowardly bastards are doing right now.
I want to hear all you “peaceful” muslims out there
expressing your outrage at these terrorist acts.
Death threats over cartoons? This is the classic
response of people who are not capable of rational
thought and intellectual argument. The man who
threatens violence to a person who ridicules his
religion is only demonstrating to the world how
ridiculous and stupid his religion actually is.
I want to see and hear all you peaceful muslims being
outraged, grieved, and emotional over what the terrorists
are doing (in the name of your religion). Because until
I do, I will regard you as a bunch of “sleepers” waiting
to be activated.
DR
In my Arabic world most of us respect Europe people cause they are careful to devote them selves to build up the world. And the world development cannot grow in this situation so please don’t put barriers across the world growth path
But I want to ask a question, is this your concept of the freedom and democracy?
What has happened to the Danes they used to be one of the most tolerant people in europe now they are like the dutch racists.
How would u like it if the muslims started drawing obscene caricutures of jesus and moses, we dont becuase we also respect them and other religions of the BOOK. You people should learn about Islam and then talk instead of spouting rubbish like ignorant people.
We muslims ARE agrieved about unneccesary killing but as far as the palestinians are concerned they have no choice but to do what they are since america is backing the zioniost pigs and they have weapons and the palestinians do not.
Iraq is the vietnam of the arabic world and thanks to Bush and Blair the two new Hitlers,imperialism is alive and well.why is the west poking its nose into other peoples business. OIL is the answer. WHY DONT YOU QUESTION THE ISRAELIS FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING?
You will all have to answer to Allah on the final day of judgement and the reason you Whites are afraid of Islam is becauase it is the fastest growing religion in the world today..
NJ
Wow, That’s Funny! It’s too bad people get so up tight about everything.
As soon as someone satirizes Mohammad they want to start a Jihad. It’s rather
unfortunate people are so bound by their religion. If anything, I’m going to
walk away from this incident seeing the Muslim community isn’t as peasceful as
they claim to be.
Peace be Upon you (Assalamu Alaykum)
The Prophet Muhammad is Mercy to all mankind.
Please read his story and order Free Islamic books
from the following Society
Conveying Islamic Message Society
P.O. Box 834
Dr. Sharief Muhammad
Alexandria
Egypt
http://www.islamic-message.net
Email: info_en@islamic-message.net
Please try to visit this web site to learn about Islam
http://www.islam-guide.com
Peace be upon you (Assalamu Alaykum)
Dear sisters and brothers all over the world.
Peace be upon you all..
Have any one of you read about Islam from its true source
Quraan and Sunna ?
Or you are just repeating what the anti-Islamic Media allegations
against Islam, If you want to be Just and to know the truth about
Islam then you have to read from the correct sources.
You can Download and order Free Islamic literatures from CIMS
CIMS
P.O. Box 834
Alexandria
Egypt
http://www.islamic-message.net
Peace be upon you
Eng. Rasha Ameen
Peace be upon You
Please read about Islam from its true sources
(Quraan and Sunna)
Stop repeating the allegations made by anti-Islamic Media.
If you want to know the truth then
Order Free Islamic Literatures from
CIMS
P.O box 834
Alexandria
EGYPT
or Download Islamic books from
http://www.islamic-message.net
Peace be upon you
Eng. Rasha Ameen
allahom sally ala sayedna mohammad, salam alaykom,
i think the respond of the muslim world should be tough and united,
we should boycot all the danish and norwegian products, and the muslim countries
should withdraw their embassadors from these two Europian countries.
otherwise; god help us , everybody will make fun of Islam.
onsor al islam yansorok.
Subject: We condemn your attitude which reflect your personalities
it’s really shame on you to do such ridicules thing, insulting our prophet Mohammed
will never downgrade or humiliate him, however it will upgrade him. We all know that people like you usually get jealous when they see that 1.3 billion Muslims respect, admire & obey their prophet this much just like ourselves.
It doesn’t surprise me when I saw those cartoons coz they reflect the actual behaviors and
attitude that you have and the way you get taught by your religion which is opposite to ours which teaches us to respect all religions no matter what they are except when they
start to insult us or violate us.
Last but not least, everyone mirrors his environment, his religion & the way he has
brought up and you have already done so.
Infidels maybe so but even the Christians are forgetting their own faith: they make derogatory films on Jesus and other holy men so how can they hace any religion? Your religion is your business but to have FAITH in ONE GOD is the important thing. We Muslims believe and do NOT question Allah will. He does what is best for his children. It is all a question of faith and unquestioning belief.
ALLAH SALAM ALLA MOHAMAD TASLIAM KATIER AND BANISH ANY ONE NO BELIAVE MOHAMED MASSANGER FROM ALLAH
dear all
I have nothing to say or add, I only know that allah is there and he is able to do what to be done for such people saying all those things about the prophet of islam. a messege to all dear non-muslim, we are not agreeing with all happing now a days by the hands of ignorante muslims, we know how u feel about it, but this is not giving you the smallest right to say this about the greatest person ever (mohammed. this is not the kind of conversation we like to have with you people. the majority of us muslims we live and tolerate all kind of backgrounds, and we happely have non-muslims friends and never insulted theire religons. don’t ever think you are succeding by doing so, no you are motivating some imature minds against you. my last word is that the prophet mohammed (peace upon him)the greatest humanbeing ever and it is natural to have alot against him, the greater you are the more are your enamies, and don’t forget that his lovers are much more and ready to devote theire life soles and all they have to protect his name and the religon of islam.
Peace on you all.
Salam to all
These recent cartoons confirms nothing but the extream hate to our profit Mohammed and to all muslims. More over it confirms that they never even tried to read and researched about the prifit Mohammed, referenced to many of the christians and others, he is the greatest man kind.
YA
Freedom is a wonderful thing. However, I am free to do what I want until I start hurting others. I am free to drive a car, but I will be jailed if I drive it so fast in case I hurt somebody. The cartoonists and newspaper are free to draw and publish whatever they want, but isn’t their freedom questionable when they hurt others with their actions? I am a muslim and I am hurt!
i agree with many of the comments in support of the cartoons. what is so absurd to me is that its ok to depict judaism, hinduism, christianity and any other religion, but when it comes to islam, watch out! you might get blown up for expressing yourself. or beheaded…why is that? why should the world bow down to this “religion”? explain to me why, in the face of the incredible degree of violence, poverty, il-education, corruption that IS the muslem world, muslems keep sayin “its a religion of peace”. how about just living an honest life, and say “my religion causes people to be barbaric, violent, corrupt, oppress, and murderous”. then, we can all know without confusion and contradiction what the world must deal with.
salma alaikom alahoma unsor al islam ya rab
we have to boycot all danish products, and our countries should withdraw the embassadors from denmark.
alahoma sali wa salem ala rasool allah mohamed wa ala a’alehi ajmaeen
No religion had been insulted by other like Islam, prophets are a god messenger, u can insult your Queen (ruler) if you like to use your freedom in the way you like, but it is a hatred that allowed one to touch the massengers of god (all had been taken by the god and peace upon them) we as muslims have no problem with any belives,freedom so on. You publish what ever u want about your self, your ruler, your socity but you have no right to insult any other belives, ruler, socity. It was realy bad thing what have been done, and made it more bad that had been putted as an wright of freedom. The free socity had to criminate these offencives. Allah is the Great and His Messenger are preserved.
Peace be upon you,
As you see this is how we say hello to any one as long as he is coming & leaving in peace.
I have one question to ask you, do you or your editor know anything about Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him)? Sure you do not. So why don’t you try to learn anything about the Prophet Mohamed & I am sure 100 % that you will end up to be a very good Muslim.
Do not look to all Muslims at that time but I think that you also have to read about the Islamic history & see where we reached (I think your country was part of the Islamic empire & if it was left to Jews or Christians at the dark ages, most probably you would have not been even born.
Please read about Islam & it’s prophet & then send me another mail & I will really try to help you ass much as I can to understand whatever seems un understandable.
To add something, I do not think that whatever you or anyone write (draw) on Prophet Mohamed will have any negative influence because Islam is staying & will stay till the end of time even if you do not like it so I think that you should save your efforts for something more useful.
Threat to kill is not a proper thing to do & I prefer that you withdraw all the drawings after being convinced that it was wrong from the begining & that you will help to prevent such things from happening even if you are not a Muslem
Peace be upon you & Danish people
In the coment # 6, I can see that the sender is very furious about terorist acts. I also am very furious specially that we here in Egypt have suffered for some time from there acts. but I want to ask you a question, who made those terorists? I think the answer is known (USA & Europe), from where did they get their weapons? same answer, who teached them to do so? same answer. so if you have anyone to blame, I think it should be your government & the other governments that supported terorists for political greed & then they are screaming now,help us help us,
I think I am right & if the sender can think, he will reach the same conclusion & there is nothing to do with Islam or it’s Prophet (PBUH)
Peace to those who follow the guidance.
Unfortunately, many people are quick to react without correct knowledge. Before drawing your own conclusions of Islam, look into it yourself and find out what it’s all about, really. If you were going to buy a car, you’d check it out not the people who drive it. If they drove it like maniacs you wouldn’t think poorly of the car. The same goes for Islam. Sometimes it’s misrepresented, but you can’t judge it based on that. As far as defending what you believe in, we’re all entitled to that. Any religious group would come to the defense if they felt that their religion was being attacked, for example, the Jews after “Passions of the Christ” was released. The difference is that there, they were defending something about their priests that is a documented fact. Here Muslims are speaking up against slanderous depictions. I am a Muslim and I want to live an honest life. So I will not say that “my religion causes people to be barbaric, violent, corrupt, oppress, and murderousâ€. This has nothing to do with Islam. Some people who behave this way happen to call themselves Muslim (extremely sinful ones!). But most people that behave this way are not Muslim, are they all following Islam? No. These are not the teachings of God. When the IRA took part in terrorist activities, we were clever enough to know that even though they were Catholic, they were not following the teachings of Jesus or God. When we read about paedophile priests, we’re intelligent enough not to tie it down to religion, but to the person’s own sinful, twisted being. When the extremist Jew killed Yitzak Rabin we knew enough to believe that this extremism is not a teaching of God or Moses or any of the Prophets of God. One more thing, go ahead and read the Quran, the last divine book, but please don’t take it’s verses out of context. Too many people are doing this out of ignorance.
You can check out http://www.islam-guide.com
*** O Allah priase and exalt the position of Muhammad and his family and followers.***
Peace.
This is a reply to D.R. Mandor — 27/Jan/2006
Who are you to judge people? You talk about beheadings? May I remind you of the massacres delivered by the Christians during your so called crusades! Or the hate crimes against non Christians all over Europe ( Does Bosnia ring a bell?)
Death threats? Even an ant will retaliate and bite you if you give it a reason to…
“A ridiculous religion”, how dare you say that?!! This comment shows the amount of hate you hold towards other religions and Islam in specific, and I’m sure that if you had the chance you would have done more than beheadings.
The magazine offended Islam for no reason but to cash in the hate trend that is spreading all over Europe. Is money that important to you people so as to offend the very basis of the Muslim religion? Or that you people still have the remains of the Nazi thoughts in your missed up minds and think that you are a special race of humans, who have the right to do anything.
You generalized the individual acts of those terrorists over the whole Islamic community??? ? I ask you, have you been to any Arab or Muslim country? If not ask anyone who did and he’ll tell you that were not a bunch of cut throats waiting for a reason to kill.
And you want The world-wide Islamic Community to confirm that those incidents are wrong?! May I say that your psychiatrist is doing a bad job….
At the end, the magazine knew what it was going into, and was almost asking for it. And thanks to them, the cut throats will have a reason behind their future plans.
And I would like to add that your unnecessary comment shows that you are a low life, cowardly bastard and wanted some one to notice you… so go out and get a life, try to find out who is your real father, and stop sticking your stinking nose in other peoples business, SPECIALLY MUSLIMS, because mommy won’t be able to save you if they came for you.
I register my objection for what happen from your side to our Prophet Mohammed, and i want to say one important thing that all muslims cannot do the same thing to any Prophet of any religion, please don’t upset GOD anymore and i really feel sorry for what happen to humanity…!!!!!
PLEASE STOP THIS CAMPAIGN and let us live together in PEACE….
Live in PEACE??
Why do u Muslim nations get outraged at those Danish cartoons and NOT at Al-Qaeda and Hamas for holding hostages and Beheading them????
why are U so insensitive to those hostages who die for NO REASON by those Islamic Terrorists??
The western media makes fun of Jesus and Moses too, they werent only for Prophet Mohamed (PBUH).
Don’t worry folks, Islam is about 600 years younger than Christianity. 600 years ago, ‘we’ Christians would have hung,
drawn and quartered anyone depicting Jesus in a derogatory manner. I hope it doesn’t take the followers of Islam 600 years
to catch up and get civilised though. The fact remains that killing innocent people is WRONG in any sane, codified religion.
Muslims are primitive: I HAVE been to lots of Islamic countries, for work and limited pleasure, and the way they treat each other
is appalling. How any self-respecting Muslim, with even a modicum of developed humanity, can defend the way they suppress 50%
of the population (i.e. the female half) is beyond me.
Fortunately, their societies are still so backward and handicapped by sexism that they are unlikely to pose any economic threat
for the foreseeable future. That they have to resort to terrorism in an attempt to achieve their stupid aims is simply a result
of not having the muscle to do it properly – i.e. militarily. Even if Iran develops a nuke, any use of it would lead to an
immediate levelling of the country to a radioactive parking lot, which would be a shame. The Aytatollahs know this, and
they know they can only play the game of brinkmanship to a certain level, before the game is simply up.
I hope that Islam LEARNS from the mistakes Christianity made, and develops a secular form of government, based on the sounder
principles distilled from Sharia, where applicable, and Judeo-Christian Humanism. I just hope it doesn’t take too long …
I’m not holding my breath.
Peace,
>I hope it doesn’t take the followers of Islam 600 years
to catch up and get civilised though.
I congratulate you on your advancement in being ‘civilized’ whereby you have learned to live in harmony with derogatory and dehumanizing remarks regarding God’s Messengers.
Your ancestors were no different as they cheered and applauded when Jesus was taken to the cross to be crucified.
Then again, the difference between us and you is that we love God and respect all His messengers/prophets…While you claim to love God yet you murder His prophets and break all His commandments.
What happened from u against The Prophet MOHAMAD “god bless himâ€
is the most clear evidence that Islam is on right & u still live in your darkness,
However be informed that Islam still has his men who able to wake up again,
So wait for us what a group of criminals.
Dear brothers and siters in faith!
Surely, those whom have the knowledge about this man (mohammad peace and blessing on him)will not dear to utter a single bad letter about him let alonw words and picutres. Stunts and satires like these i tell do not diminish one single bit of my beieifs in respect of all the prophets, if anyhing it makes my knwledge about this man more more…! Clearly those who indulge in diffusing and supporting immoral picutres full of disprespect to this do not know him but waste valuable time in their hands for which ‘wallahi’ onw day they wished they did better things with their time. Sisters and brothers of faith, we all know half truth is no truth and lies is no truth at all, so let us not ponder of these evil misdoing of these pple and mature our minds over their immature minds. Muhammad pbuh had he been here today will not pay any attention to these false accusations because he was send as a mercy to the world and a teacher. Let us educate those who lack the knowledge about this man. DO your best, do what you can and how you can! Surley the Danish artile and the two Norwegian are in the wrong beyond reasonable doubt. If they dont want to take to it from the pple of faith, let them take advice from a Westerner like themselves as to who this man realy was!…check out the link
EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW WITH KAREN ARMSTRONG
INTERVIEWER: Why did you write your book, Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet?
KAREN ARMSTRONG: I’d become very disturbed by the amount of hostility towards Islam that is so very evident in the west, even among very liberal people. I felt that this ingrained attitude was a dangerous thing for us, especially in Europe, where we’ve had a horrible history of religious persecution. We simply can’t afford to allow ourselves these easy cultural prejudices. And it seemed that there was no better way of approaching Islam than looking at the life story of it’s great prophet, Muhammad.
After all, Muslims model their entire lives on Muhammad. His biography presents the archetype of the perfect act of self-surrender to God, which by the way is what the word ‘Islam’ means. His recorded words and actions form the basis of Muslim law. When you look at Muhammad ‘s struggles, his sufferings, his triumphs, you begin to get a sense of the underlying passion and spirituality of Islam. Each religion has its own particular genius and each has its own particular flaws. And by looking at the life story, the struggles, the passions, the triumphs of its founder, in this case, Muhammad, you begin to see the particular rhythm and dynamism of the religion.
INTERVIEWER: Muslims find Muhammad an example to live by. What inspiration might a person of another faith, or of no faith, find in his story?
KAREN ARMSTRONG: I think he’s an example of huge courage and commitment, an example of what one person can do with the help of the sacred, with the help of the divine, but with your own human inspiration too. Above all that he remained kind, human, warm, loving. He did not allow himself to become a daunting human being of daunting achievements. He must be one of the greatest geniuses the world has ever known, both spiritually and politically, yet he was also a genius at humanity. I think of his kindness to his wives, his kindness to children, his loving care of animals, his devotion to his companions, and the fact that he was constantly moved to tears when he saw suffering. Never in any moment of his life did he cease to be less than a human being.
INTERVIEWER: How did Muhammad’s experience compare to those of other prophets?
KAREN ARMSTRONG: Muhammad had never heard about the experiences of the great Hebrew prophets of the 8th, 7th, and 6th centuries B.C.E. So it is very remarkable how his experiences almost replicated theirs, though in a particularly Arabian way. When Isaiah had his experience of God in the temple, he, like Muhammad, felt near to death. He cried out I’m lost. It was like a lethal shock, as if he were saying, I’ve looked upon the Lord God and nobody can do that and live.
Ezekiel felt absolutely stunned and was literally knocked out for three days. He lay almost unconscious after he’d had his vision of the divine chariot. Jeremiah felt God as a terrible pain that racked his every limb and that broke his heart and tore him apart and made him stagger like a drunk. That revelation in the monotheistic traditions, especially in Judaism and Islam, is not experienced as something peaceful and quiet rising up from the depths of the self, but rather as a devastating divine blow, as a wrenching apart of the self. The prophets all find it difficult to speak as well. Isaiah has to have his lips burned with a coal before he can speak. Jeremiah says, Ah my Lord God, I’m a child, I can’t speak. I don’t know how to speak. And Muhammad too when asked to recite, says No, no, I’m not a reciter, I can’t, I can’t do this.
It’s very difficult to utter the word of God. It’s not easy to come out with a divine message.
INTERVIEWER: What was the prevailing spirit of Muhammad’s early effort to build the first Muslim community, in Medina?
KAREN ARMSTRONG:Well, he was doing something quite unheard of in Arabia at that time. He was going to create, in Medina, a polity that was not based on blood, and on tribe, but on ideology. It was something completely unheard of. The tribes who were watching this experiment with astonishment would not, I should have thought, have given it in 622 a lifetime of more than a couple of years at most. Very early, he created a sort of confidence treaty with the various groups of Medina, stating that he would be, as it were, the leader of the community, but no one was to be obliged to convert to Islam. There was never to be any compulsion in religion. Muhammad had learned very early, at the hands of his own tormentors in Mecca, what persecution meant in religious terms, and it was never his policy to force people to convert against their will. The treaty, or Constitution of Medina, was a purely political arrangement. He was coming to Medina with his Muslims, and if any people there chose to join in, that was fine. But no one was to feel pressured or coerced to do so. He was to be the leader, but not to impose ideological conformity.
INTERVIEWER: Mecca was clearly opposed to Muhammad and his community. What was the situation in Medina when he arrived?
KAREN ARMSTRONG: For some years before his arrival, the settlement was engulfed in tribal warfare of the worst kind. And the whole situation had got completely out of hand. It was an example of where the whole system in Arabia was beginning to break down. One killing led to another and nobody could seem to find a solution. Then they heard about Muhammad.
For one thing, they were more easily disposed to monotheism, towards belief in just one God, than the people of Mecca, because a number of Jewish tribes lived in the oasis. Now these Jewish tribes are mostly mysterious to us. No one has ever really been able to explain satisfactorily when they came from Palestine, who they were, or what they believed. They seem to have believed in a very rudimentary form of Judaism. They were not familiar with the later prophets, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and they seem to have had no notion of the Talmud. But they knew the Bible stories of Abraham and Noah, Ishmael and Isaac, and they believed in one God. It would be a great mistake, however, to imagine that these Jewish parts of the oasis were like Brooklyn, or Crown Heights, because these people were Arabs. They had their own Arab tribal customs, they fought their own tribal wars in the oasis. They had their own allies.
INTERVIEWER: How was Muhammad received?
KAREN ARMSTRONG: When the Prophet finally arrived and was welcomed joyously by his own followers into Medina, not everybody was overjoyed to see him. There were a number of people who were very decidedly in favor of Muhammad’s message, and his revelations. Some were converting to Islam. Other people simply saw in him a new hope for ending the terrible civil war that had been going on there. But there was also a considerable opposition.
For one thing, there was a group of devout Pagans or polytheists, in the traditional Arabian style of the day, who had no intention of allowing these foreigners to come marching in to their settlement and taking over. For another thing, some of the Jewish tribes, especially those with much to lose, were appalled by this newcomer who seemed to have come to disturb the balance of power. They were determined to oust him.
INTERVIEWER: What kind of expectations did Muhammad have of what his relationship with the Jews of Medina would be?
KAREN ARMSTRONG: Muhammad had been very excited about going to Yathrib and joining forces with the Jewish community there. Until then, he’d been working totally in isolation, struggling forward, almost, one might say, going through the whole monotheistic experience in his own person. Now he was going to have allies, he was going to join up with people who were long tried in the worship of the one God. And he was really excited about it. He was genuinely expecting them to welcome him as a prophet.
The Jews, however, for excellent religious reasons of their own, could not accept Muhammad as a prophet, because after all, in their view the era of prophecy was over. For most of them, theologically speaking, Muhammad’s proposal was outrageous. They poured a lot of scorn on the Prophet. They had political reasons and religious reasons to want to get rid of him. This rejection was one of the greatest disappointments, I think, in the Prophet’s life, because it undermined his whole position. He believed that he was in a line of great prophets, the last person to come along with a message from God. Because the QURAN teaches that God has sent messengers to every single people on the face of the earth, and it repeats again and again and again that Muhammad did not come to cancel out the revelations of the prophets of old, did not come to cancel out Moses or Jesus or David or Solomon. Rather, he had come as a continuer of this message. It was a major, major problem for him, and a deep disappointment, and a deep distress.
But some of the Jews there were friendly. They did not join in the mainstream opposition to Muhammad. They engaged in conversation with him, and filled in gaps in his knowledge of Jewish and religious history. It was here, for example, that Muhammad learned that the Jews and the Christians whom he previously thought belonged to one religious community, all worshipping one God, in fact had very serious theological disagreements. And this seemed absolutely shocking to him, that the community of the one God should split itself into warring sects for the sake of a few theological arguments, about which no one could adjudicate satisfactorily one way or the other.
INTERVIEWER: What made The Qur’an so special?
KAREN ARMSTRONG: The Qur’an is the most extraordinary beautiful discourse. It doesn’t come over in translation, but the Arabic is extraordinary and it does evoke a significant response. When the first Muslims heard the Qur’an, many of them were converted to the Prophet’s message. Not necessarily because of its content but because of its beauty. And I think that tells us something important about the nature of religion and the nature of religious discourse. The Qur’an is imparting a certain amount of information and it is giving out a lot of legislation. But what the Qur’an, like any religious discourse is mostly doing, is working like art, which invades us, which gets below the level of rational, cerebral judging of content to a core of receptivity that we sometimes don’t even know that we have. Music, for example, sweeps into us and gets right to the heart of our feelings, of our being, and evades rationality. The great works of religion have more in common with art than with factual, scientific or even philosophical discourse.
INTERVIEWER: It’s hard to believe that simply because someone hears a passage from the Qur’an they would convert to a whole new religion.
KAREN ARMSTRONG: I think you underestimate the power of great art, if you say it would be impossible for the Qur’an to convert people by virtue of its sheer beauty. Because I think its beauty is so exceptional that many first-time listeners felt it was issuing from a divine source. At the time, it was as though people were witnessing the creation an entirely new literary form, and it still speaks to Muslims in an extraordinary way.
The great story concerning this subject, of course, is the story of Umar, one of Muhammad’s chief opponents, a man who opposed Muhammad ideologically on every front, and a nephew of Muhammad’s close friend, Abu Bakr. There are actually several stories. This is one:
One night Umar, who had been carousing with some cronies, stopped off,on his way home, at the Kabah, and there he saw Muhammad reciting the Qur’an very quietly to himself in front of the shrine. And the Kabah was covered, as it is today, with a cloth curtain. And Umar crept in behind this covering and inched his way round the shrine until he was standing directly in front of the Prophet. It’s a symbolic scene, in a sense, because it means that all his barriers, but one, were down.
There was just this curtain between himself and the Prophet. And as he listened, he said, Islam entered into me and I wept.
And I think we’ve all had an experience like that when, perhaps, say, the beauty of the music by Bach for example, has brought alive to us, the words of the Gospel and given them a new dimension, a new emotional resonance, that touches something deeply buried within us and lifts us momentarily beyond ourselves, giving us an intimation of transcendence. And with the Qur’an, the extraordinary music of the Arabic did that and still does.
Did you ask yourselfe what do you really know about the profet Mohamad (Peace upon Him)?
Muslems are love jesus (Peace Upon Him) and all profets God has sent to us and we niver say or do any bad words to theme.
You have to think and read more about Islam and The profet of Islam Mohamad (Peace Upom Him)
You have to becuse its your chance to believe in God.
Amr Montaser
Muslims in Europe need to face a very, very simple fact. You are a small minority. If you start throwing your weight around by telling Europeans what they can and cannot say about ANY subject (including Muhammed) you will bring great trouble upon your people. This is not a threat – it’s the truth. It’s not just young men who will suffer – it’s Muslim women, children and old people. You are handing ammunition to racists who will hurt vulnerable people in your communities. Stop before its too late.
Just something for you to chew on….
I am danish. I have no faith and will never underderstand why people get upset by these pictures(yes, I know I’m probably a demon in muslem eyes now and should have my head chooped off by the neck in a certain way by these peaceful muslems).
I would like to know why the muslems from Denmark, who travelled the muslem world to show it the pictures from the danish newspaper had to add 3 extra pictures(the 3 worst pictures) that where never published in the papers. Surely that shows that even the muslem community in Denmark are depicting Mohammed by adding him themselfs?! So the muslem world that is boycotting danish goods are doing so with planted evidence from MUSLEMS!
Secondly I think that the boycot of Danish, Norwegian and soon Swedish goods, as well as threatening people from those countries with violence and murder, shows how peaceful Islam is.
The boycot of the danish goods in the muslem world is estimated at a loss of only 1.8% of the danish economy.
However danes have now started boycotting muslem shops, pizzarias, green grocers, taxa drivers, etc. and muslem goods in Denmark.
The people who will get must hurt by a boycot of danish goods by muslems will be…….muslems!
Scandinavians are starting to change their holiday destinations away from places like Egypt who will loose income from tourism from the scandinavians.
The people who will get must hurt by a boycot of danish goods by muslems will be…….muslems!
How much will the aid from Denmark and other scandinavian countries to the muslem world fall if they keep up the boycot?
The people who will get must hurt by a boycot of danish goods by muslems will be…….muslems!
The Danish Red Cross and other danish aid organisations have started withdrawing staff and aid workers from the muslem world because of violence and threats of murder by the peaceful muslems.
The people who will get must hurt by a boycot of danish goods by muslems will be…….muslems!
Before the so called Prophet, before Jesus or other Holy ones, did all people go to hell because they didn’t know what to believe in?
Let me give you a all a tip:
You were born with a brain to be able to think, please use it!
neva make fun of muslims
EVA
we aint scared of u!!!!!!
Dan Rather says they could still be real.
I will make all the fun out of ‘Slammers and their idiotic love of the murderous paedophile moHAMed i like thankyou.
We are breeding a less warlike ‘slammer in Iraq (by obliterating the over-agressive ones before they reproduce) and the same can be done elsewhere.
You have begun to bother the most succesful warfighting nations on the planet.
The giant is stirring. Best pray for those 72 raisins.
1st John 4:7-11 (NKJV)
“Beloved,let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifest toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1st Corinthians 13:1-8, 13 (NKJV)
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
John 14:6-7 (NKJV)
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
Everything in the cartoons is factually true, complete with cites to Islam’s evil book. Mohammed really did sexually assualt a nine-year-old girl, and he really did believe his food was talking to him. He also thought heaven was a high-end brothel.
Islam is the ignorant worship of the moon-god. In early drafts of the Islamic book of evil, Allah had a wife and children…duh!
The sooner you and your backward, whiney religion are eradicated from the face of the earth, the better. We have nukes – it’s time to use them.
Response to KT my Danish fellow!
Just something for you to digest.
As i understand it, your a man of no faith, so how can it be possible that you have no understanding and appreciation of why muslims are acting the way you are. If you love something you’l defend it with your life no matter how minute it is my friend and similarly if you if you are ignorant as to that which you speak of suuch is the case of you than how can you appreciate why the muslims go on like they do. You simply cannot. I ask you to appeal to your mind… afterall you are born with one right!
Regarding the muslims who have travelled the world for the pictures to be shown and further added three picutres of their own. i ask myself where is your evidence for this, what benefit are they gaining from this, media attention? money? celebrity lifestlye? Where is your evidence for this? If true anyway damage has already being caused with the origins of the paicturs before addtiion suppoaedly agreeing with your theory…. i ask you to appeal to you mind… you do have one dont you?!!
Regarding Boycotting , my fellow friend if you have faith in somthing you will do anything to defend your faith regardless of the consequences… lets not goe around circles. Look at the world with both naked eyes and not just one. It was the Scandinavians who initiated this scandal which in your eyes is too little and too small to be raved about…well i tell you if someone was to come to your house and draw pictures on your walls and carpets of somethin lets say degrading to you on a personal level…are you just gona stand there and say for the sake of freedom of expression his painting my house…its absurd right…, well in a similar, the muslims represent you in that situation and they are simply defending their house… A house that has beein protected and respected by all the prophets before him and by god himself. Wudnt you protect your house… I ask you to appeal to your mind… you do have a mind dont you. Muslims in the West are the main ones who will suffer as you rightfully say, but my friend its not somthing new. History has thought all the pple of faith whether your a Jew, Christian or a Muslim that fighting in the name of justice always requires endurance…so this is no suprise… but you see again you lack the emotion of this for you need to have faith to understand that…
My friend, i have belief in all the heavenly faith (moses, jesus and Mohammad) and all the prohet that came before them… i do not and the msulmis do not differentiate betweein any of them… expect that Mohammad is the final messenger… so you see my firend to make mock of the final messenger is to make mockery of all the messengers… such is the reason for why you see what you see! You say we were born with a brain to think… I APPEAL 2u to use it… for the answers are known through reason. I hope you have true faith in somthing soon in the hope that you may fight and defend something you beieve in!!!
Reagrds Muslim
I believe the outrage felt by Muslims over these drawings is not proportional to the harm done. I only pray that no innocent lives are taken in the name of Allah. Only when Muslims learn to love will their society prosper. Until then, their lives will continue to be hell. WAKE UP!
Peace be upon the true believers,
I’ve read all the above comments and I’ve reached a conclusion: although the comments are so various and different we all agree..yes..we all AGREE on one point:
The point of FREEDOM of expression.
We have two opposite sides and yet both agree on defending their belief and point of view so strongly; But remember what is Freedom? Which side has better claim to their right? Which side is right or wrong?
Where do we stop at the point where we can say “that side” is “Right” or “Wrong”?
I truly believe that one’s Freedom stops at the Freedom of others.
This is the true standard for Freedom;otherwise how can we all live on this Earth and co-exist with all the races and different religions in Peace?
Allah: the One God that we all believe in instructed us about this in the Quran when He said:
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)”
Qur’an 49:13
This is the True Message of Allah and His Messenger Prophet Muhammed Peace Be Upon Him;
And this is one the many reasons for why we love him with all our heart and Love moves us before hate..and love is more powerful than hate.
Now, I’ve got some points to clarify from the above comments:
-One: Who says its ok to depict Judaism,hinduism,christianity or any other religion in Islam?
Where is it written in the TRUE sources of Islam (Quran: Our Holy Book) & Traditions (Prophet Muhammed Confirmed teachings)that its “OKAY” to “cut-off” the throats of women, old men, children or harmless people of any kind for no reason at all??
>Do you know what was the FIRST word that was revealed to Prophet Muhammed PBUH?
>>It was “Read”; not “Kill” or “humilate”.
Anyone knows that the best way to know someone is to approach directly that person rather than knowing his/her friends; And I ask you to ponder this; otherwise how can we judge any religion? For every Religion has its followers and sinners.
-Two: Regarding the point of how some of the Muslim/ Arab countries that were visited were uncivilised or un-advanced; I’d like to reply that history teaches us that every nation has its “ups” & “downs”.There was a time when some Christian countries were under the roof of the “Dark ages” while some Islamic ones were living their “Golden ages”…
This is how life is and we all go through that cycle one time or another,so how can this be a best judgement of that Religion?
Another thing:Islam is a Religion that we believe has always existed but it was propogated by Muhammed the Last Prophet (PBUH) for almost more than 1,400 years…
Did you ever ask yourself:Did history record incidents of early Muslims performing “Mass martyrdom
attacks” on neighbouring “Enemies” Women, Children, Elderly, Civilians? This has only come-up during the past years…which means that it was spurred by certain developing reasons worldwide.
As for “suppressing the other half %(Females)”Well…(I’m) one of them and strangely I dont’t know what suppression you’re talking about? Its true that some women are mistreated (Or “suppressed”)in Arabic/Islamic countries but the reason for that is not related to “Islam” but rather due to the “Traditions”;And in every country there is a distinction between “Religion” & “Tradition”that can clash…Incorrect Traditions need to be addressed not the Religion itself.
-Three:
Freedom of expression should not be abused; and therefore Religions and so Islam should not be abused in the name of Freedom of expression, democracy and human rights.
For that we will defend our right of (TRUE) Freedom of expression & Freedom of Religion: By showing our love for our Prophet PBUH & Islam by boycotting products & expressing this regardless of the so-called “losses” be it “financial or others” that were predicted.
Finally, I believe that we have succeeded so far to bring this into light, for Jyllands-Posten has already posted two letters; the last one posted yesterday on the 30/1/2006 stating that the :
“The newspaper respects the right of any human being to practise his or her religion”
Refer to link:
http://www.jp.dk/meninger/ncartikel:aid=3527646
>>> We will continue our defense of our loved Prophet Muhammed PBUH & Religion for,
truly Allah is Sufficient for us all
It is wrong to belittle anyone’s religion. The cartoons were bound to incite; it was thoughtless and stupid. Religion: why does no-one refer back to their text? Christians claim to follow Jesus (Emmanu el = With us God, literally, God in the flesh) yet do not follow his commandments Exodus 20……is he God or isn’t he? Where is Easter, Christmas or Sunday in the New Testament….why does no-one investigate? Isa (Jesus) is he THE messiah as claimed in the Quran or isn’t he……..and if so then why don’t you believe him?
God cannot, does not, will not change, yes he says uncomfortable things – What is in the Bible (TANACH) should not change – the new Testament fits the TANACH but is unrecognisable in its practice – Islam does not follow the TANACH nor the NEW testament, investigate the lives of all your prophets, mainly Isa.
peaceful….
just be carefull with your mouth and your minded
Peace be upon you my Scandinavian friends
Continue to rationally present your arguments as you have,
and fear not those who those who offer threats and abuse in the name of Allah.
They lack wisdom and experience and have not yet understood the Qur’an.
In response to muslim’s comments
Dear muslim,
You wanted to know where I know about the 3 extra added pictures:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/009804.php
If you want to see the 3 added pictures:
http://bibelen.blogspot.com/
Finally you ask me:
“…if someone was to come to your house and draw pictures on your walls and carpets of somethin lets say degrading to you on a personal level…are you just gona stand there and say for the sake of freedom of expression his painting my house…”
You must truly believe the whole world is your house then!
Let me say it this way: If somebody drew pictures that would hurt me in a newspaper in Cairo or any other city, I would first of all not buy the paper, but secondly I wouldn’t start harming the citizens of that country just because someone made sarcastic remarks about whatever I find degrading.
Finally I believe that the muslem community behaving the way they do in the matter, are showing the whole world what they really stand for. And I’ll leave it at that.
Good health to all of you and good luck.
Only the Muslims immigrate to countries and try to change that country’s way of life and are so sensitive to everything. This is not reciprocated by non-Muslims. Non-Muslims don’t go to any Muslim country to immigrate and change that country. Why? It is not proper. Live the dream, be happy that you left your Muslim country in hopefully a chance at a better life for your loved ones and yourself. I haven’t seen the pictures, nor do I care to, but live peacefully and respond in kindness. If people of all nationalities will just remember where they are and respond accordingly, then they can change the world with peace by others seeing their example of it. Not crying all the time. I wish you all good luck in life and spirit. Live as one in peace. Sometimes the truth hurts. Hate has never solved any problems but created new ones. Love is the answer.
To all the Muslims who commented on this blog: if you are so insecure in your beliefs that you have to threaten and intimidate anyone who makes fun of them, what’s the point? Think about who in society is obsessed with “respect”. Is it those who have the respect of others, or those who don’t? If I call Tony Blair an idiot, does he really care? If he threw me in jail, would you think he was certain that he wasn’t an idiot, or would you wonder why he was so sensitive? Wouldn’t you think he was a bit worried that maybe he was an idiot and didn’t want anyone going around saying it in case other people noticed?
And what’s with all the “peace” rubbish; it’s like saying “I don’t want to offend you, but you’re an utter moron.” There’s no point in mouthing the word “peace” while you threaten someone with violence because you don’t agree with them.
OK, all this hubbub about the cartoons….it is a cartoon of all things and I was bracing myself for something horrible. I can see saying it is distasteful and whatnot, but this was not really anything to have a cardiac arrest over. The drawings could have been a lot worse if the artist wanted to. Like a little 9 year old girl tagging along and make your own image there I won’t….Way to overexcited…