Religion of Peace (sometimes abbreviated as ROP or RoP) is a political neologism used to describe Islam. After the September 11, 2001 attacks many Muslims along with politicians from the Western world, stated the religion of Islam was a "Religion of Peace" in an effort to differentiate between Islamic terrorists and non-violent Muslims[1][2]. Subsequently, some critics of Islam have adopted the phrase, using it in a sarcastic manner. .[3][4]
History of the term edit
The Arabic term Islam (إسلام) is defined as "submission", rather than "peace", and comes from the term aslama, which means "to surrender" or "resign oneself".[5][6] The word salaam (سلام) ("peace") shares the etymology of the word Islam. [7] [8] This has led to a widespread misinterpretation that "Islam means peace"[9] .
Many critics of Islam, when speculating about the cause of the September 11, 2001 attacks, blamed the attack on the doctrines and beliefs of Islam, saying the religion itself was intrinsically violent, and a major factor motivating the attacks.[10]. However, many Muslim scholars, and many Muslim and Western politicians rejected this, saying that terrorism against civilians was not true to Islam, but by a misunderstanding of its doctrines by a small minority of Muslims[2]. President Bush was vocal in supporting this latter view, despite criticism from some quarters.[10] He described Islam as peaceful several times during his speeches, although he did not use the term "Religion of Peace" as such.
| “ | "The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: "In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule." The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war." [11] | ” |
Other politicians throughout the world supported his views. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad referred to Islam specifically as a religion of peace while discussing terrorism.
| “ | Clearly Islam the religion is not the cause of terrorism. Islam, as I said, is a religion of peace. However through the centuries, deviations from the true teachings of Islam take place. And so Muslims kill despite the injunction of their religion against killing especially of innocent people[2] | ” |
Muslims who are keen to emphasise their rejection of violence have adopted the term “The Religion of Peace”, using it as a synonym for Islam. For example, a web site religionofpeace.com was started that strongly advocated this view. After the 7/7 London bombings many Muslims, especially in the West, increased their efforts to present Islam as a peaceful religion.[12]
Controversy edit
The description of Islam as the "Religion of Peace" has created controversy:
- Some have perceived the comments of Western politicians about Islam being a "religion of peace" as a manifestation of "political correctness."[13]
- The term has been criticised by both Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb[14], and former Islamists such as Hassan Butt[15]
- A poll taken in 2002 amongst Fundamentalist and Evangelical Protestant leaders said that only 10% agreed with President George W Bush that Islam was "a religion of peace". [16]
- The term is used sarcastically:
- By critics of Islam, such as Ann Coulter.[4]
- By those criticising violence against non-Islamic minorities in Islamic countries.[17][18]
- On web sites critical of Islam such as one that monitors Islamist terrorist attacks with the name TheReligionofPeace.com.
- Pope Benedict XVI refused to agree that Islam was a religion of peace. However he stated:
| “ | "It certainly contains elements that can favor peace, it also has other elements: We must always seek the best elements."[19] | ” |
References edit
- ^ . The President's Quotes on Islam : The White House
- ^ a b c Islam, Terrorism, and Malaysia's Response Asia Society
- ^ e.g Craig Winn when writing about a debate with Jalal Abualrub said For, how could a "religion of peace" have such an open-ended and encompassing edict to destroy anyone who chooses not to submit to it?
- ^ a b Ann... continues to ridicule Islam sarcastically as the "religion of peace" whenever a negative story arises within the Muslim world. Counterpunch June 5, 2003
- ^ L. Gardet. "Islam". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Lane's lexicon" (PDF).
- ^ "Islam" at the Online etymology dictionary
- ^ "Islam". Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. (accessed: September 12, 2007).
- ^ "The Contexts of Religion and Violence" Journal of Religion and Society", Supplement Series 2 (2007)
- ^ a b The Real Culprit by Farrell Till: Skeptical review Nov/Dec 2001
- ^ White House press release 17 Sept 2001
- ^ Islam: A religion of peace? by Gordon Nickel, National Post Published: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
- ^ "Jihad and the Modern World", by Dr. Sherman Jackson, Journal of Islamic Law and Culture, Spring / Summer, 2002
- ^ "The defeatists should fear Allaah lest they distort this religion and cause it to become weak on the basis of the claim that it is a religion of peace. Yes, it is the religion of peace but in the sense of saving all of mankind from worshipping anything other than Allaah and submitting all of mankind to the rule of Allaah" Fiqh al-Da’wah by Sayyid Qutb, 217-222 retrived from Islamqa.com
- ^ "Only when Muslims admit that 9/11 and 7/7 were the work of Muslim terrorists can we move forward to the next juncture: which is recognising the hard truth that Islam does permit the use of violence. Muslims who deny this, preferring instead to mouth easy platitudes about how Islam is nothing but a religion of peace, make the job easier for the radicals who can point to passages in the Koran, set down in black and white, that instruct on the killing of unbelievers." Hassan Butt writing in The Times July 14,2007.
- ^ Poll by Ray C Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at University of Akron. Reported at www.religioustoleance.org
- ^ The religion of peace continues to kill at strategypage.com
- ^ The Religion of Peace Strikes again in restive Thailand in the web blog Little Green Footballs
- ^ Pope won't call Islam religion of peace in World Net Daily. Published: July 26, 2005
External links edit
List of sites using the term "Religion of Peace" edit
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List of sites using the term "Religion of Peace" but in a sarcastic manner edit
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List of web pages discussing if Islam is a "Religion of Peace" edit
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Books edit
- Religion of Peace?: Islam's War Against the World by Gregory M. Davis ( ISBN 097789844X )
- Islam: Religion of Peace and Justice by Muhammad Nawaz ( ISBN 1410767868 )
- Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't by Robert Spencer ( ISBN 1596985151 )