Why Radical Islam Is a Myth

by Chris Fox

“No religion is responsible for terrorism. People are responsible for violence and terrorism.”

This quote by former President Barack Obama at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism on February 18, 2015, is one of the explanations that he used to justify the fact that he refused to use the words “radical Islamic terrorists.” In that same speech he also stated, “They [terrorists] no more represent Islam than any madman who kills in the name of Christianity.” While our former president may not have agreed with the acts of violence carried out by these terrorists, he should have admitted that they have been indoctrinated with a belief system that causes them to take actions that lead to mayhem and death.

When was the last time the latest breaking news story was about a Baptist preacher decapitating someone while shouting “Jehovah God is Great”?

When have we read headlines in the major newspapers about a Methodist layman donning a suicide vest in the local mall with the intent of blowing up himself and killing innocent people all around him? When has social media blown up over the news that a Presbyterian was driving a truck through a crowded street purposely trying to kill as many people as he could before taking his own life? As this article is being written, the news is still fresh revealing details about a suicide bombing in Manchester, England, carried out by a Muslim terrorist. Twenty-two people were killed, many of whom were children, and scores of others injured. Is it a coincidence that almost every time one of these stories headlines the evening news that the person committing the act of violence claims to be a Muslim and is heard shouting “Allahu Akbar!” as he commits a horrible crime against humanity? Does it make more sense that the violence is ingrained into the minds of these madmen by the very tenets of the religion to which they belong? This religion is known as Islam. Whether we want to call those who adhere to this religion “radical” or “peaceful,” the truth of the matter is that the “holy” book which all of them revere, The Qur’an (also called The Koran), is filled with hate against all those who reject their religion.

Many people, especially in the Western world, are trying to justify Islam by stating that the very name means “peace;” however, this could not be further from the truth. Any Arabic language dictionary will clearly reveal that Islam actually means “submission” or “to submit.” This does not necessarily mean that every person who claims to be a Muslim wants to kill every westerner who denies Islam (as the Qur’an teaches). What it does reveal is that, although they may claim to be Muslim, they really do not know what their “holy” book teaches. Someone commented to me the other day,

“Many who claim to be Muslim don’t read the Qur’an just as many who claim to be Christian don’t read the Bible.”

It is surprising how many “Christians” could not tell the last time they actually read any portion of the Bible and how many so-called “Christians” participate in things that go completely against what the Word of God teaches.

Islam, from its conception, always has had relationships based on terror. Muhammad (the founder of Islam) claimed to have visions from the angel Gabriel. Often he would have seizures and fall into trances. As he would regain consciousness, he would summarize his “experience.” These summaries were recited and recorded, giving birth to the Muslim “holy” book. One such revelation was that the spoils and captives from military conquests would belong to Muslim soldiers who took part in any invasions that advanced Allah. Even in times of his country’s traditional month of peace, Muhammed and his followers plundered traveling caravans in order to take spoils from innocent victims. Finding success in terrorizing others in order to fuel his own selfish desires, Muhammad declared Jihad, or “holy war,” as a basic tenet of the faith he was still developing. As Islam grew, so did Jihad. This belief system is what allowed the followers of Islam to establish a military force so powerful that it began to conquer other nations. For one hundred years after the death of Muhammad, Islam’s military might, fueled by religious zeal, began sweeping across the Middle East. As they conquered nations, they imposed Islamic rule. No other views were tolerated.

Islam has never been tolerant of any other religion. The followers of Islam have always forced their religion on all nations they conquered.

In Psalms 33:12 the Bible states, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD;… America is blessed because her founders recognized the need for God’s guidance in establishing this great nation. After many years, we once again have a president who acknowledges God and is friendly toward Christians. This was not the case during the previous administration. As a matter of fact, the Muslims were treated better than Christians during President Obama’s tenure. There is much debate on whether or not he is a Muslim; however, it cannot be refuted that he was definitely friendlier to Islam and its tenets than to Christianity and Bible truth. It is no coincidence that America’s principles and morals declined sharply in those eight years.

The fifty modern Muslim nations are not full of happy, joyous people.

They are an oppressed people. The nations are war torn. Sharia Law is one of fear. Women are often treated as a piece of property with no rights, instead of respectable human beings. The sanctity of marriage, as God established it, is not honored and revered. Marriages, many times, are either arranged or forced. In cases of divorce, the husband is always favored over the wife. Muhammad himself had eleven wives; the youngest was a mere six years old. Muhammad consummated the marriage to the child when she turned nine—Muhammad was fifty-three. Islam always has been a religion of conquering, perversion, oppression, and fear. When Jehovah God is not recognized as the God of a nation, there is no blessing on the land or the people.

The Qur’an promotes violence toward non-believers or “infidels.”

These “infidels” are defined as those who do not recognize that Allah is supreme and who do not consider Muhammad as Allah’s messenger. There are more than one hundred verses that call Muslims to war for the sake of Islamic rule against those who do not follow Islam. Some of these are quite graphic. The Qur’an states in Surah 2:191, “And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have Turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter…if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.”  Notice also Surah 4:74 “Let those fight in the cause of God Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the cause of God, – whether he is slain or gets victory – Soon shall We give him a reward of great (value).” Clearly this verse is used as the theological base for today’s suicide bombers. In addition to this “reward of great value,” there is also the promise of immediate entrance into paradise, a promise of seventy-two virgins waiting in paradise, and the promise that the martyr could be the intercessor for up to seventy family members to enter into paradise. The Qur’an also instills violence into the hearts of its readers in Surah 8:12-13 which says, “…I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them. This because they contended against God and His Apostle: If any contend against God and His Apostle, God is strict in punishment.” It continues in verse 39, “And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in God altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily God doth see all that they do.” These verses have been used to justify the horrific beheadings that have been carried out, even in recent years, by Muslims.

Time and space do not allow the citation of all 109 verses that teach Muslims how to deal with non-believers. According to Islam’s holy book, basically, a person either converts to Islam or dies. There is no tolerance. Remember, this is the same book that ALL Muslims revere and call “holy.” What people fail to realize is that the Qur’an is not the only book to which Muslims adhere. There is also the Hadith, or Sunna, which are the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad. The Hadith is held in the same exalted position as the Qur’an. Where the Qur’an is supposedly “thus saith Allah,” the Hadith is “thus saith Muhammad.” The Hadith describes in more detail and explains the commands given in the Qur’an. A Muslim who denies the Hadith is comparable to a Christian who denies the New Testament. A Muslim apologist may try to explain away something in the Qur’an; however, the Hadith sheds light on the command which cannot be denied. There is only one goal of Islam. It is to advance only Allah’s glory as the supreme god by Jihad; first by invitation, then by war until all who are left will declare, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.”

There is not a separate set of beliefs for those who claim to be “moderate” or “peaceful” Muslims and those who are called “radical” Muslims.

The fact is that ALL who claim to be Muslim and follow the teachings of Islam get their teachings from the same two books. The Islamic faith is one that denies Jehovah God as the one and only true God. It not only denies that fact but also places Allah above God. It denies the deity of Jesus Christ. It teaches that Jesus was just a good prophet, but one day He will bow down to their coming messiah – The Mahdi. It teaches that a person can work his way into Heaven and even intercede for family members to enter into Heaven based on his works.

Islam is a religion based on terror, fear, and conquering.

If a true Muslim is not actively forcing others to Islam, then he is just waiting for the right time. A term that is misused often by western media reporters is the Arabic word hudna. The short definition for this word is a “truce” or “cease-fire.” Non-Arabic journalists will often employ this word to report a peace treaty; however, the history of this particular word shades its meaning. The most famous hudna was the Treaty of Hudaybiyya between Muhammad and the Quraysh Tribe. Muhammed signed a truce with the rulers of Mecca (who had not yet converted to Islam) allowing him and his men to travel unarmed to Mecca on a pilgrimage. This treaty was to last ten years. After only two years, Muhammad conquered it. Since then, hudna has been known as a temporary truce. An ex-Muslim terrorist said, “In the Muslim mind, hudna is an Arabic term for a truce meant to produce a period of calm with an enemy in order to gain concessions, regroup, rearm, and re-attack at the appropriate time.” Muslims have been following Muhammad’s example of false treaties ever since. A more recent example was The Oslo Peace Accord in 1993, a peace treaty between Palestine and Israel, approved by Yasser Arafat. Less than one year after the peace agreement was signed, Arafat was secretly recorded in a closed-door address at a Johannesburg mosque saying that the accords were merely a way to facilitate his jihad against Israel. Other examples are all of the cease-fires that Hamas had agreed to between 1993 and 2003, none of which were honored. All of these offers were mere tactical maneuvers giving militant groups time to live to fight another day. Understand that there are different stages of jihad. The idea of Islam being a peaceful religion is nothing more than the silent stage of jihad. Where the Muslims are in majority, they will conquer. Where they are the minority, they will dwell peacefully, even make false treaties, until they are strong enough to conquer. When the time is right, then they will strike. Do not be deceived. Islam is not a religion of peace but a religion of submission.

Many Muslims are so indoctrinated by their religion that they cannot see the truth. There is no distinction between “radical” Islam or “moderate” Islam. The belief that only a small percentage of Muslims are “radical” is just a myth.  The truth of the matter is that the term “radical Islam” itself is a myth. There is no “radical Islam,” or “moderate Islam,” or “peaceful Islam.” There is just Islam. Islam by its very nature is radical. Those who carry out heinous acts of violence against “infidels” are merely obeying the laws and commands that are taught to ALL Muslims. Contrary to what our former president said, they do represent Islam. Their deeds line up with their belief system.

May we do all that is in our power to get the message of salvation to those who have been blinded by this false religion. Let us not allow their zeal for a false religion to be stronger than our zeal for Jesus Christ!