The real reason for Muslim’s violent reaction is that questions raised by Pope are same as the questions raised by Mohammed’s victims. Mohammed was not able to answer then. Muslims have no answer now. Mohammed resorted to violence so does his followers, writes Jerry Thomas. 

In his scholarly lecutre (here) on faith and reason at the University of Regensburg, Pope Benedict made a poignant observation regarding Islam. He cited the conversation between the 13th century Emperor Manuel II Paleologus (who once was  a child prisoner under Muslim rulers in Turkey) and Muslim scholar Ibn Hazn regarding faith and reason. Emperor said: "God is not pleased by blood, and not acting reasonably ("syn logo") is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats…. To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death….”. However, the Muslim scholar objected to this and went on to say that God can act against logic and reason too. In this context, the Emperor remarked: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”

Here the challenges to Islam were: 1) Using violence to make a point is against the very nature of God. 2) Acting against reason is against the nature of God 3) Mohammed had no new revelation except Jihad 4) Jihad is evil and inhumane.  Hearing this, instead of presenting a reasonable answer or rebuttal, in many parts of the world, Muslims have burned the Churches, threatened to kill Pope and target Rome. In a way, Muslims have provided ample of evidence for us to believe the Papal comment.

However, one might remember that questions that the one time Muslim victim turned emperor asked or Pope cited was not a new question either. These were a few of the many questions that contemporaries of Mohammed asked him and many of them paid with their lives of asking such questions.  For example, let us take that charge that Mohammed did not get any new revelation.  Here is the quote from Koran:

No New Revelation:
When it is said to them, "What is it that your Lord has revealed?" they say, "Tales of the ancients!" (Sura 16:24, and see also 68:15, 83:13).  One time Mohammed responded by saying that the nineteen angels that are guarding hell is his new revelation.

Let us read that in Koran;  This is nothing but the word of a mortal! Soon will I cast him into Hell-Fire! And what will explain to thee what Hell-Fire is? Naught doth it permit to endure, and naught doth it leave alone! Darkening and changing the colour of man! Over it are Nineteen. And We have set none but angels as Guardians of the Fire; and We have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers,- in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty, and the Believers may increase in Faith,- and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say, "What symbol doth Allah intend by this?" Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth: and none can know the forces of thy Lord, except He and this is no other than a warning to mankind. Nay, verily: By the Moon ( Sura 74:26-31).

God Contradicts Himself?
If God contradicts himself, then he is acting against the fundamental nature of reason. Anything that contradicts itself in the same sense at the same time cannot be true.  However, in Koran, there are many contradictions.

For example as Pope rightly pointed out that Sura 2:256 where Mohammed says there is no compulsion in religion is contradicted by later ‘revelations’ Sura 8 and Sura 9 where there is clear command to kill all non Muslims.

Another example is the direction of the Islamic prayer. In the initial years, when Mohammed was in Mecca, he got a ‘revelation’ to make Mecca as the direction of prayer. However, when he moved to Medina where there was a considerable number of Jews, he got another revelation to change from Mecca to Jerusalem as the direction of prayer. In another 11/2 years, when Mohammed saw that Jews are not accepting him, he supposedly got another revelation of reverting back the direction of prayer to Mecca.

Some of his followers left him because of these things are unbelievable. When confronted with this Mohammed’s answer was ridiculous. He stated that it is to distinguish believers from unbelievers that God acts without reason (Isn’t obvious that Allah wants blind believers and not those who apply mind?). Here is the reply in Koran:

And thus We have made you a medium (just) nation that you may be the bearers of witness to the people and (that) the Apostle may be a bearer of witness to you; and We did not make that which you would have to be the qiblah but that We might distinguish him who follows the Apostle from him who turns back upon his heels, and this was surely hard except for those whom Allah has guided aright; and Allah was not going to make your faith to be fruitless; most surely Allah is Affectionate, Merciful to the people.  Indeed We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qiblah which you shall like; turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your face towards it, and those who have been given the Book most surely know that it is the truth from their Lord; and Allah is not at all heedless of what they do.  And even if you bring to those who have been given the Book every sign they would not follow your qiblah, nor can you be a follower of their qiblah, neither are they the followers of each other's qiblah, and if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, then you shall most surely be among the unjust”  ( Sura 2:142-145).  A few more questions without answer:

Mohammed Marrying His Daughter-in-Law:
Mohammed’s adopted son Zaid married to a beautiful woman. After a few years, Mohammed saw her after she took bath. He lusted her. When Zaid heard about it, he divorced her and gave her to his father.

As you are shocked by reading this, Mohammed’s followers were also shocked. However the response of Mohammed was that this was an example for father-in-laws from Allah.  Here is the quote:

And when you said to him to whom Allah had shown favor and to whom you had shown a favor: Keep your wife to yourself and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; and you concealed in your soul what Allah would bring to light, and you feared men, and Allah had a greater right that you should fear Him. But when Zaid had accomplished his want of her, We gave her to you as a wife, so that there should be no difficulty for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished their want of them; and Allah's command shall be performed.  There is no harm in the Prophet doing that which Allah has ordained for him; such has been the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before; and the command of Allah is a decree that is made absolute: (Sura 33:37, 38)

Mohammed Receiving Satanic Revelation: (Remember Salman Rushdie)
Though Muslims would try to convinc

e us that Allah is a monotheistic god, historically Allah was the moon god in the temple of Mecca with three daughters. One time, Mohammed complained against this ill treatment of Allah. Salman Rushdie takes off from these verses.

Here is the sura in Koran: Have ye seen Lat. and 'Uzza. And another, the third (goddess), Manat? What! for you the male sex, and for Him, the female? Behold, such would be indeed a division most unfair! (Sura 53:19, 20).

When followers questioned about how a prophet of supposedly monotheistic god worries about daughters of god, Mohammed retracted and told that this is a satanic revelation. Unbelievable that one man receives revelation from both God and Satan!!! These are all tip of the Iceberg of problems with Koran and Islam. But whenever someone points these, the reaction is exactly the same like Mohammed: React violently and irrationally.

When Pope asked a few questions, it was not so much of an insult but lack of answers that prompted Muslims to react violently. Instead of reacting violently, Muslims must answer the questions raised by Pope. Attacking and not answering it clearly shows that Islam is religion that can be propagated and sustained only through violence. What a scourge on this world!!! Forward this to your friends so as to make a small beginning in the fight against Islam the worst fascism. 

Note: The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily reflect that of Sakshitimes.com.

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