From: mars1933@hotmail.com   
      
   Islam spread by the sword ? The myth and the reality   
   By Sherif Mohammed   
      
   Among the most widely believed myths about Islam in the West today is   
   the myth of forcible conversion to Islam. Many Westerners do believe   
   that Islam is so widespread in the world today simply because of a   
   "holy campaign of terror" carried out by the early Muslims to convert   
   non-Muslims to Islam. Non-Muslims were offered the freedom to choose   
   either Islam or death.   
      
   In a discussion with a Baptist Minister he said to me that "Muslims   
   tend to kill non-Muslims and anyone who disagrees with them". In a   
   syndicated column appearing in over 30 papers (on July 23rd, 1994)   
   entitled, "Muslim persecution of Christians increasing" the author   
   blames many Muslims countries for persecuting Christians then he   
   quotes the Qur'an, "There is no compulsion in Religion" and ends the   
   quote by rudely writing "Really?".   
      
   How to confront such misconceptions? First, there is no need for us to   
   be apologetic. We Muslims should search for the truth and present it   
   as it is. This is how we have been instructed by Allah (SWT) "Say: the   
   truth from your Lord and let him who will believe and let him who will   
   reject."(18:29) Islam is the religion of the Truth. The Qur'an is the   
   book of the Truth. "We sent down the Qur'an in Truth and in Truth has   
   it descended." (17:105) "Put your trust in Allah for you are on the   
   path of the manifest Truth."(27:79)   
      
   Therefore, we should ask ourselves first, before we are asked by   
   anyone else, what is the truth? Did Muslims really force others to   
   convert to Islam? Is there any evidence for consistent forcible   
   conversion throughout the Islamic history? As a matter of fact, there   
   is no such evidence anywhere in the history of Islam. Many   
   distinguised Western historians have attested this fact-foremost among   
   whom is Sir Thomas W. Arnold in his book, "The Preaching of Islam".   
   Also there is Marshall G. Hodgson in his book, "The Venture of Islam",   
   Albert Hourani in his book, "A History of the Arab People", Ira   
   Lapidus in his book, "History of Islamic Societies", L.S. Starorianos   
   in his book, "A Global History, the Human Heritage" and many others.   
   In fact, there is substantial evidence to the contrary. We have   
   already seen in a previous khutbah that Muslims were often seen as   
   liberators of the oppressed people everywhere..   
      
      
   http://www.ihr.org   http://nationalvanguard.org  http://www.bpp.org.uk   
      
   http://national-socialist-worldview.blogspot.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)