UNDERSTANDING ISLAM
War in Islam
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CLAIM:
Muslims are bloody people who take war and killing lightly
Muslims do not respect human lives
Islam supports terrorism and attacking others
 
FACTS:
This is perhaps the most widespread myth about Islam
*Islam considers protection of human lives a priority
*War is not preferred but is allowed when there is no other alternative
under two specific circumstances:
1. Someone attacks us, we defend ourselves
2. Someone uses force to interfere with the free decision of people to follow Islam or know about it (i.e. forces people against Islam)
Forcing people into Islam is not a valid reason for war
*Islam imposes strict war regulations and ethics
*Unlawful attacks on human lives or property (currently described as TERRORISM) or even just threatening people is a major crime in Islam
 
WHAT EMPIRE IN HISTORY STARTED BY ONE MAN AND, USING VIOLENCE, REACHED HALF OF THE WORLD IN 30 YEARS?
IN ITS EARLY YEARS, ISLAM WAS PHYSICALLY MUCH WEAKER THAN THE OTHERS. IT SPREAD THROUGH BEING CONVINCING TO PEOPLE WHO HEARD ABOUT IT, THROUGH ITS LOGIC AND THROUGH THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE MUSLIMS WITH OTHERS. ISLAM WAS RESISTED AND FOUGHT AND HAD TO DEFEND ITSELF.
WHEN ISLAM REACHED MOST OF THE WORLD, NOBODY COULD CLAIM IT WAS UNJUST TO ANYONE. AND WHEN ISLAM BECAME PHYSICALLY WEAKER, WHY DIDN'T PEOPLE LEAVE IT IF THEY HAD FOLLOWED IT BY FORCE? 
 
REMARKS:
 
Early years of Islam:
Islam has been attacked and fought and it did not initiate war. Most Middle Eastern countries were occupied by Persian or Roman troops who treated the citizens of these countries badly even when at times they had the same religion (as in Egypt). Muslims did not fight the citizens of these countries but they fought the occupants who maltreated the land owners and were preventing information about Islam from reaching the people.

People of these countries welcomed the Muslims and saw justice and reason in their beliefs and acts. Many of the people in these countries remained christians
while others were convinced to follow Islam.
 
When Islam reached the whole world:
It was an era during which Moslems, Christians and Jews lived together peacefully, freely followed their religions, and Justice prevailed. Muslims needed to be able to dissiminate the message of Islam so everyone knows about it
so he or she can make an informed decision. This is NO WAY forcing people into Islam. Similarly, the Muslims have NOT stolen the resources of any country. Occupation has never been the aim.
 
Rules of war in Islam:
Not to damage the environment (burn plants, destroy houses, etc)
Not to attack children, women or elderly
Not to attack civilians who have not shared in the battle
Not to kill a wounded
Those who would not attack the Muslims should not be killed nor captured
Those who would not follow Islam but would not fight it or allie against it are not attacked

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