Dear John,
There are two billion Muslims in the world. These two billion do not demand child marriage or FGM, nor are they beating their wives, nor are they rampaging on the streets killing infidels. Are you suggesting these two billion are not following the commands of their religion and failing God and His messenger? Or that these two billion do not understand their religion properly and you have perceived the true meaning of Islam that these two billion do not?
John, two billion Muslims follow a book that has told the world since the 7th century that "mountains are like pegs" keeping the earth in place from being pulled apart by tectonic plates, and that the earth and planets "swim in orbit", and that seas "have a barrier between them that prevents them overlapping" due to the difference in density between them. As a result of its emphasis on open thought, this book led Muslims to establish algorithms (al-Khwarizmi), 'The Canon of Medicine' by Ibn Sina which was taught at European universities until the 17th century and whose picture is on the door of the Royal Society of Medicine. It inspired Ibn al-Nafis to prove pulmonary circulation, and Ibn al-Haytham to prove eyes receive light (as opposed to the Greeks who claimed they emit light). Al-Kashi calculated π to 16 decimal points, Al-Biruni calculated the earth's radius, and Al-Battani calculated the solar year and is cited frequently by Copernicus himself. Al-Ghazali's treatise on the moral economy was the basis of St Thomas Aquinas's treatise which Adam Smith relied on to write his "moral economy".
Far from closing thought, Islam opened it and subsequently enlightened the world. This is why King Charles III said "the West has forgotten the debt it owes Islam". I do not say this to suggest any superiority over Europe. Knowledge is, after all, shared and not owned. I merely make the point that in light of this, how do you dislike a system of thought that Europe's greats credit with helping to enlighten European civilisation?
John, these two billion Muslims are not of a single race or culture, and serve instead as a testament to Islam's capacity for multi-culturalism. These two billion include English, Scot, Welsh, French, German, Bosnian, Arab, Persian, Kurd, Turk, Indian, Malaysian, American, Hausa, Yoruba, Zulu, Berber, Latin American, Chinese, Japanese, and many more.
Moreover, these two billion Muslims are the inheritors of a legacy of harmonious co-existence of faiths and a commitment to uphold these values. Andalusia stands as a testament to Christians, Jews, and Muslims living together. When Isabella burnt it and set out to burn the Jews and Muslims alike, it was Sultan Bayezid II who sent boats to collect the Jews and carry them to safety. Sarajevo's nickname is the "Jerusalem of Europe" due to the commitment of Muslims to the protection of the rights and freedoms of other faiths. Jerusalem was ruled by Muslims for centuries, and remained a haven for Jews and Christians alike.
@TuckerCarlson interviewed Mother Agapia on the relationship between the Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land, and I encourage you to listen to her.
Two billion Muslims are proud of this legacy, and uphold it by the command of Allah Himself who refers to the Christians and Jews as "People of the Book". Muslims pass on this legacy generation after generation, teaching stories of the Second Caliph's preservation of churches when he entered Jerusalem, of Saladin's refusal to massacre the inhabitants of the city as the Crusaders had done when they sacked it, of how Allah commands that people be treated with kindness, to give charity (even if it be a smile), to help the poor and lift their fellow brother and sister up when they are down. They are taught the sayings of the Prophet's companions such as that of Ali Ibn Abi Talib who said: "A man is my brother in faith, or my equal in creation [and therefore deserving of dignity]". They are taught the story of a righteous Christian King who was so moved by the similarity of Muhammad's message to Jesus Christ that he declared "the difference between you [Muslims] and us [Christians] is no thicker than this line" and gave them sanctuary from persecution,
John, the vision of the two billion Muslims of this world is not one of violent supremacy. Muslims are not the ones who caused two World Wars for the sake of ethno-supremacist ideas that slaughtered millions of innocents (including many Muslims who fought on the side of the Allies against fascism). Muslims are not the ones who committed the Holocaust, a crime of horrific proportions. Muslims are not the ones who imposed apartheid on South Africa, brutalising an entire population and labelling them "terrorists" for resisting what is now universally condemned. These are uniquely European, Western crimes.
The vision of two billion Muslims is not one of violent supremacy akin to that of the Western brutality of the 20th century, but of peace and freedom that enables genuine conversation on the nature of mankind, the purpose of life, and the relationship with the Creator. Allah expressly forbids forced conversions in the Quran on the basis that He will not accept a prayer that is forced; this is why Muslims emphasise dialogue on the basis that God only accepts a sincere submission. In other words, I cannot force you to become Muslim. No one can. Allah is explicit in His assertion that if anyone forces John Cleese to prostrate, then He will not accept it and therefore it is a fruitless exercise. John must accept it from his heart, and that requires a genuine and sincere engagement rooted in an earnest desire to see John Cleese enter God's Garden of Heaven (and I pray God leans your heart towards it).
John, if I want to know what a Christian believes (or is supposed to believe), I open the Bible or read from a Christian theologian. It would be insincere to read about Christianity from a book written by a Muslim or a Jew who would write on the topic from the perspective of trying to disprove it. Likewise, instead of reading third party sources and then repeating their claims, I would ask that you read from a Muslim source to try to understand why two billion Muslims follow this religion. The esteemed Englishman Martin Lings has an excellent book called "The Life of Prophet Muhammad". Most libraries have a copy, while any Islamic Centre will gladly give you a copy for free.
I do not ask you to change your mind. I simply ask you to at least do the courtesy of reading the message of Islam and Prophet Muhammad, if only to ensure that the claims you make in future are accurate. I ask that you give Prophet Muhammad a chance to convey his message to you. Read of his life through the eyes of an Englishman. I think this is a simple gesture that might at least help ease the dislike and mistrust of an idea of which your understanding has been badly hindered by ill-intentioned headlines.
I dislike and mistrust all closed systems of thought
I particularly dislike Islam because it demands child marriage, female genital mutilation, the beating of
wives, the killing of infidels, the unending promotion of the worst aspects of the male ego, and a complete refusal to contemplate multiculturism
All of which are contrary to the values I hold
Are you telling me, Maliq, that this all is caused by a fear of the truth ?