Peace, Justice, and the Islamic Way of Life

Sunday night I finished reading the amazing book entitled Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I was able to view and come to a greater understanding of the Islamic culture from a firsthand narrative. The book is an autobiography of a woman who endured some of the most horrific treatment that you might imagine all in the name of Islam. Skeptics have tried to argue that her situation was an isolated incident, but she contends that she watched the same maltreatments take place to every other girl around her as she grew up.

Although this book is non-fiction, it reads like a fictional storybook. Once I dove into the first chapter and began reading about her child-hood, I could not put the book down. The pages are filled with story after compelling story.

I challenge anybody to read this book and then describe to me how Islam can be described as a religion of peace. Islam is not a religion of peace. If anything, it is a religion of oppression of women. It is a religion of brutality, mutilation, honor killings (An honor killing is the title given to a murder committed by a father or brother because a lady did not live up to the honor of the family.), and worse. In fact, in a Muslim country, if a woman is raped, she is either killed or shamed for her 'crime.' The man who committed the rape, on the other hand, is allowed to go without any feeling of guilt or shame.

Societies like that of Saudi Arabia live to the very letter of the Koran and they provide very clear verses in which they are able to justify their treating of woman like dogs. In fact, I can't imagine that they would treat their dogs as poorly as they would treat their woman.

Within just the past few years, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been a powerful spokesperson for women's rights. She has lobbied in Holland for Islamic women within that nation to have the same rights as every other woman within Holland. The result of her cry against Islam was death threats and the murder of her close friend, Theo Van Gogh.

'How dare you claim that we are not a religion of peace, Infidel!' they cry out as they sawed his throat open with a butcher knife.

Theo Van Gogh was ruthlessly murdered in cold blood for his part in the production of a ten minute video entitled 'Submission.' The video displays the sad plight of women who are forced to live in an Islamic society. The video was written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and is the typification of her personal experiences and of the experiences of people she knew.

The response to this situation has been absolutely appalling. Instead of blaming the crazed killer or the ideology that drove him to murder this man, the public sphere blames Theo because, after all, he was the one who provoked them by speaking out against their beliefs. What right did he have to speak out and say those things? Consider, for example, this response that I found posted below the video at Youtube.

"Theo deserved it - first crating *stuff* like that and then wondering why all Muslims are *complaining*. That "video" is a shame for all good Muslims in this world"
*Edited

Van Gogh deserved to have his throat sawed open for speaking his beliefs? I am absolutely appalled that people can believe garbage like this. In fact, I think that the quote above is a grand display of ignorance and naivety. Yet, as rude and as insulting as I think it is, I would not make death threats against this person for expressing himself nor would I expect others to. Yet when statements are made against this 'religion of peace' they are responded to with the force of bullet shots and butcher knives. Ironic?!

If you read the book 'Infidel' by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, you will be glad you did. Your eyes will be opened to a culture of oppression of cruelty. You will see Islam for what it truly is.

P.S. I challenge anyone to debate my claim that Islam is not a religion of peace! The truth demands that they are a religion of oppression, cruelty, and violence!