GRAHAM MOORHOUSE

One would have thought that as Pope Francis as spent his life studying religion, his comments about Islam would at least be slightly more accurate than the patronising drivel we receive from the likes of President Obama, David Cameron, the BBC, ITV, CNN, ABC, The New York Times and such like. Wrong! Let's look at the Pope's recent remarks about Islam and violence:

"I don't like to speak of Islamic violence, because every day, when I browse the newspapers, I see violence, here in Italy ... this one who has murdered his girlfriend, another who has murdered the mother-in-law ... and these are baptised Catholics! There are violent Catholics! If I speak of Islamic violence, I must speak of Catholic violence ... and no, not all Muslims are violent, not all Catholics are violent. It is like a fruit salad; there's everything. There are violent persons of this religion ... this is true: I believe that in pretty much every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them. When fundamentalism comes to kill, it can kill with the language - the Apostle James says this, not me -- and even with a knife, no? I do not believe it is right to identify Islam with violence. This is not right or true."

So, all religions have their radicals. You don't condemn Catholicism when a baptised Catholic kills his girlfriend or mother-in-law, why would you condemn Islam when a jihadist kills several hundred unbelievers in the name of Allah? Pretty much the same dumb response we receive from just about every politician and media talking head. However, this one is a lot scarier because while we have come to expect utter drivel from politicians and the media, many people still trust the Pope. So, is the Pope right? Not even vaguely!

Why is the Pope wrong? Well, is a baptised Catholic commanded in Scripture, or by Christ, or by the Church, to kill his girlfriend or mother-in-law? No. So is a man killing his girlfriend or mother-in-law the result of his Catholic faith? Obviously not. Killing his wife or mother-in-law is a clear violation of his Catholic faith. When a Catholic gets angry and kills, he is acting in spite of his Catholic faith, not because of it.

There are of course cultural Muslims in the world who are peaceful, but Islam isn't defined by peaceful Muslims - or by violent Muslims - Islam is defined by the Qur'an and Mohammed. Now, when Muslims wage jihad, are they violating their Islamic faith? No. Is fighting unbelievers in the name of Allah something a jihadist just happens to do that is completely unconnected to his Islamic faith? No. When he saws off a non-Muslim's head, is he violating his Islamic faith? No. On the contrary, it's something that flows inexorably from his Islamic faith.

To confirm this, we merely need to read the Qur'an and other Islamic sources:

Qur'an 5:51 - O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other.

Qur'an 8:12 - [Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, "I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks [i.e. behead or slit their throats] and strike from them every fingertip.".

Qur'an 9:73 - O Prophet! - strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them.

Qur'an 9:111 - Surely Allah has brought of the believers their persons and their property for this, that they shall have the garden. They fight in Allah's way, so they slay and are slain. ["slay and are slain", that sounds peaceful doesn't it?]

Qur'an 9:123 - O you who believe, fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness.

Qur'an 47:35 - Be not weary and fainthearted, crying for peace, when ye should be uppermost.

Qur'an 48:29 - Mohammed is the messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.

Sahih Muslim 30 - Mohammed said: "I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah."

Sahih Muslim 4366 - Mohammed said: "I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslims."

Sunan An-Nasa'i 3099 - The Prophet said: "Whoever dies without having fought or having thought of fighting, he dies on one of the branches of hypocrisy."

Sunan Ibn Majah 2763 - The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever meets Allah with no marks on him [as a result of fighting] in His cause, He will meet Him with a deficiency."

Sahil al Bukhari 6922 - Allah's Messenger said, "If anyone changes his Islamic religion, then kill him."

Sahih Muslim 129 - "I have been commanded to fight the people until they bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah."

Sahil al Bukhari 29/77 - What tactic brought Mohammed victory? "I have been made victorious with terror (cast in the hearts of the enemy)".

Qur'an 9:29 - Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the people of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

The historical context of this last passage is particularly interesting. Within the territory of Mohammed's tribe in Mecca there was a temple to numerous pagan gods. Mohammed's tribe earned a living from trading with and receiving tribute from the various pagan tribes that visited this temple. Mohammed, because of his monotheistic views, decided to ban the pagan tribes from visiting the temple. His fellow tribesmen were naturally concerned about the loss of revenue that would result from this ban. Mohammed basically responded, "Don't worry, we will violently intimidate them until they willingly pay us protection money." Note: the passage doesn't say fight those who attack or threaten you, it says fight those who do not accept Islam. They are even commanded to fight those who do not hold forbidden that, "which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger"; i.e. if you enjoy a bacon sandwich, you will have to pay protection money or have your throat slit! The Kray twins and the Richardsons had nothing on Mohammed.

Putting all of this together, is a baptised Catholic killing his girlfriend or mother-in-law in clear violation of his Catholic faith the same thing as a Muslim waging jihad because he has been commanded by Allah and Mohammed to do so? Obviously not, not even close.

Now there is certainly much the Pope could learn about Islam, but given the level of ignorance among world leaders, it would be good if he simply learned why his response to Islamic terror is utterly ludicrous - not to mention dangerous and rash, because innocent people are being slaughtered in their thousands, while world leaders defend Islam, the depraved ideology that mandates this butchery.