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Friday
September 7, 2001

Slay those who...

After reading your debate [Where's the evidence?] with Mr. Kaveh Ahangar ["Do not denigrate us"], I became encouraged to share some related thoughts with you.

At first, let me assure you that the sources I will use consist mainly of the holy Koran and Imam Ali's Nahaj-ol- balaghah. This way, we will not take the risk of falling in the trap of all those thinkers, philosophers, researchers and scholars who wrote thousands of books in English, Russian, and French etc, about Islam and its history and, as you enlightened us, were murderers, oppressors and rapists of thousands (and why not millions) of Muslims! I learn from the content of your letter that Islam is the religion of peace and brotherhood whose true humanistic nature has been put into practice only during the rule of the prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali. I presume you agree with me that, during their reign, those Hazrats certainly implemented the teachings of the holy Koran, when it says:

Slay those who believe neither in God nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and his apostle have forbidden, and who do not embrace the true Faith, until they pay jaziah out of hand and are utterly subdued Surah Al-Tawbah (Repentence), Ayah 29,

or:

When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render alms levy, allow them to go their way. God is forgiving and merciful. Surah Al-Tawbah, Ayah 5.

We notice in these Ayahs, that financial pressure and sword have both been prescribed against those who do not believe in this divine, ideology. So I for one, would be surprised to learn that the Muslim forces did not carry out their divine duty of killing, taxing and raping, during their invasion of Persia, would you? Furthermore we can read in the holy book: Do not befriend them (i.e. hypocrites or monafegheen,). If they desert you, seize them and put them to death wherever you find them. (Surah Al-Nisa, Ayah 89), or:

We carry our beliefs on the tip of our swords. (Imam Ali's Nahaj ol-balaghah)

A glance at the history of Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali's holy wars (Ghazawats) confirms that they indeed followed their own teachings. One of the examples, among many, is related to Muhammad's holy war against the Jewish tribe of Bani Quraizah, in 5th year Hajir. When that tribe refuses to unite with Muhammad's forces against those of Quraishis, Muhammad declares to his followers that in the previous night, the angel Gabriel has appeared to him and has conveyed the orders of God for the destruction of the Bani Quraizah. For 2-3 weeks then, Muslim forces take the tribe under their siege. Faced with hardship, Bani Quraizah surrenders and asks for peace. When the tribesmen exit from their fortifications, Muslims plunder their wealth and women and distribute among themselves. The Prophet himself acquires 1/5th of the total spoil, including the prettiest woman of the tribe Rayhanah, who becomes one of his several slave girls. He then orders the execution of all the men of the tribe. His order is carried out and the men, in groups of 5-6, are taken in front of him, Imam Ali, the other chiefs and the women and children of Bani Quraizah and their heads chopped off. The spectacle lasts a whole day and 700-800 men are slain (It is worth to mention that shortly after her husband is beheaded, Rayhanah, dies of sorrow).

This holy war, and other similar ones have been described in detail, by several Muslim historians such as At-Tabari (Tarikh-e-Tabari), Ibn-Ishaq (Sirate Rassouloliah), etc., as one of the glorious deeds in the Islam's history. And I agree with you Sir, Madam, that indeed, we do not need to resort to the corrupt writings of English, Russian, French murderers, colonizers and rapists, because we already possess our own resources.

You also point out, in your letter, that Islam is the religion of equality of all the breeds of the human being. So, in the Islamic utopia of Muhammad and Ali, women would enjoy the complete equality in their social status. I suppose the following is how such equality is defined:

Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Surly God is high, supreme. (Surah Al-Nisa, Ayah 34)

Hence, according to this norm of equality, one half of the population of the world is created inferior to the other half; do you disagree? Here is another eulogy of women in the holy book:

Women are your fields: go, then, into your fields whence you please. (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 223)

And indeed, what an exemplary and perfect equality among the human races!

In this Islamic world of equality, the slavery is not only allowed but constitutes a special present bestowed upon any God fearing, good Muslim. Observe how the holy Koran encourages the Prophet to enrich his harem with the presence many women and slave-girls (kaniz):

Prophet, We have made lawful for you the wives to whom you have granted dowries and slave-girls whom God has given you as booty; the daughters of your paternal and maternal uncles and of your paternal and maternal aunts who fled with you; and any believing woman who gives herself to the Prophet and whom the Prophet wishes to take in marriage. This privilege is yours alone, being granted to no other believer. We well know the duties We have imposed on the faithful concerning their wives and slave-girls. (Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayah 50)

As a sign of the above privilege, there were 20 wives and slave-girls (such as afore-mentioned Rayhanah) in Prophet Muhammad's harem, and since such privilege had been uniquely granted to him, the other believers were (and are) restricted to possess merely 5 women! Nevertheless, apart from these trivialities,, the believers are all equal although some are more equal than the others!

We also learn from the holy book that, besides sex, slaves are also very useful tools for variety of transactions:

He that accidentally kills a believer [of course, there is no problem in killing non-believers as discussed above] must free one Muslim slave and pay blood-money to the family of the victim. (Surah Al-Nisa, Ayah 92.)

And that is why after the forces of Islam conquered Persia, slave markets flourished throughout the land. Thousands of slaves were being traded and, as a result, the Persian feudalistic system of Sasanid era evolved into a society of slaves and slave owners!

Now, my question from you is the following: what is really your problem with the Taliban? Are they not the truest and most honest perpetrators of Islam, as are Ayatullahs Mesbah-Yazdi, Khalkhali, etc.? Why do you insult them? And why do you denigrate them?

F. Pour Manuchehr

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