Responds to 'FITNA'

PART I

Was Islam Spread By The Sword?

1.Islam means peace.

Islam comes from the root word 'salaam',which means peace.It also means submitting one will to Allah swt. Thus Islam is religion of peace,which is acquired by submitting one will to the will of the Supreme Creator,Allah swt.

2.Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.

Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony.There are many,who would discrupt it for their own vested interests.Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country.Islam promotes peace.At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where is oppression.The fight against oppression may,at times,require the use of force.In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.

3.Opinion of historian De Lacy O'Leary.

The best reply to the misconception, that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O'Leary in the book " Islam at the cross road" (Page 8)

"History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing at the pont of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."

4.Please read this facts:

a) Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years.The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert.Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims.There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan,that is call for prayers.

b) Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years.Yet today,there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christian. i.e. Christian since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.

c) Indonesia is a country that has maximum number of Muslims in the world.The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask , "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia? " Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa.One may again ask,if Islam was spread by the sword, " Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?

Will be cont'