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This book is an unflinching account of the real history of Muslim imperialism, which raged across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and turned the conquered lands into slave-like client states. Don't make assumptions, learn for yourself. If you've been taught that the Crusades began for no reason other than bloodlust and vanquished unsuspecting Muslim peaceniks, get ready to have your blinders removed.
Although a rare few caliphs were merciful to their subjects, and others let them scratch out a modest existence if they paid the jizya tax or converted to Islam, many had no compunctions about confiscating or destroying the property and fortunes of others. The turmoil of the present day didn't come out of thin air, and it isn't going away for a while.So the next time you hear the usual babble about jihadists as victims of Western oppression, you'll know to raise your eyebrows-- and tell people about this book. Countless once-thriving cultures of Christians, Jews and other faiths were wiped off the map.Under the Muslim armies, the religions and cultures of the defeated states were suppressed and the people subject to brutal laws that controlled every aspect of life.
Spencer also does an excellent job of connecting the events of the past to the jihadists of today. Followers of non-Muslim faiths were subjected to imprisonment or death. This carried on for centuries-- until the Crusaders rose up and broke the back of Muslim domination.
Oh, and for those who think Spencer is a knee-jerk anti-Muslim demagogue-- Spencer makes repeated pleas to Muslims who want to truly reach out to others and make a better life for themselves, to examine the Koran and rescue it from the people who live in an us-versus-them scenario. You will be thankful that you did.
This book was very interesting but clearly requires temperance by other sources. In any highly polarized situation (I am currently reading about the +/- of the historical Jesus), one must read as much information as possible from both the extremes of opinion to less opinionated works.
The Founding Fathers of the United States found out early in the beginning of the 19th Century how absurd this was, and it's explained in the book. The truth about Islam is really frightening, and it's much more terrible than we have been led to believe.For some, that might sound offensive or overdramatic. After reading this book, I realized that I knew a lot less about this topic than I thought I did. For those who are Muslim, I have to say I feel really sorry for you for being so brainwashed, especially for those who believe Islam is peaceful.Regardless on your stance on the issue, this is a must read, and it will definitely clear up any misunderstandings you may have had on this topic before. In fact, Muhammed is the one who started it all.He conducted 80 military campaigns trying to spread Islam. The truth about Islam is thoroughly documented with facts and evidence.For those who are non Muslim, this book is guaranteed to make your skin crawl it's so creepy.
History didn't happen the way they claim. Since this book is written by a top Islamic expert, Robert Spencer, I don't think I'm overstating anything.The first thing I learned is what Muslims have been screaming about the Crusades for hundreds of years are simply lies. In spite of their claims that Muslims have more claim to places like Jerusalem, these claims simply don't hold water. While Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible over 800 times, it's not mentioned once in the Koran. Before I read this book, I thought I had at least a fundamental understanding of Islam and what it really means within the world context. Reading the Koran is only the beginning. In practice is where you see how Muslims have discriminated againsts all non Muslims.
When he went to Medina, one of the holy cities of Islam, and they refused to convert, he murdered everyone in the city. Just one example of just how violent Islam is.Then there is the myth that non Muslims can negotiate with Muslims. They went because the Christians in the Holy Land had been repeatedly brutalized and treated as second class citizens. To some I might even be overstating the dangers, but after reading this book, I don't think so. Islam has had a violent history from the beginning, and anywhere that non Muslims have refused to convert when the demand was made, there has been violence.There's a whole lot more.
In fact, there's no archeology to back up the Koran at all.The Crusaders didn't go to Jerusalem to wipe out Muslims and murder them. Christians were repeatedly persecuted, and the Crusaders went to stop it.One thing that isn't talked about by mainstream press, or anyone else for that matter, is just how violent Islam is. If you're looking for all of the reasons why Islam is violent, and why it would be a mistake to convert, you will certainly find them in this book. Lots of recommended resources too so you may explore the issue further.
To Christians, Jesus was God's SON. This book is entirely written with disregard for factual Islam. To Muslims, Mohammad is a PROPHET. It's written from a western perspective and is clearly Christian biased. The largest fault is in its comparison of Jesus with Mohammad(PBUH). Clear difference. It's comparing apples to oranges.
If you believe what is in this book (which I did read back in my neo-conservative days), you need to watch this video.http://www.youtube.com/watch.v=3BqTrhrF86o&feature=relatedAnd read this article.http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul262.html"Understanding suicide terrorism is very, very important. Cease the occupation of foreign lands and the suicide missions will cease."-Dr. (The Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka are a Marxist secular group that invented the practice of strapping bombs to your chest to blow yourself up).
If you want the real information on this issue, you have to read Robert Pape's book Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. And he said that the most important element to get somebody willing to commit suicide terrorism is occupation by a foreign force (Muslims view our military bases in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as occupation of their holy peninsula). Suicide terrorism has a root cause, and it is not radical Islam.
And the countries that are most radical in their Muslim philosophy, Iran and Sudan, commit no suicide terrorism.I was convinced that he was wrong when I started reading his book but he convinced me that that is the case. He has done more research than anyone else on this subject by going back and studying every suicide terrorist attack between 1980 and 2004, all 462 of them. He said that the country that commits the most suicide terrorism is not Islamic, it happens to be Sri Lanka.
The best news is that if stopping suicide terrorism is a goal we seek, a solution is available to us. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress from Texas.
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