History refutes claim of Islamic intolerance

I do not wish to give the impression of “hounding” JC Wilcox, but some of the comments he makes under the guise of being knowledgeable really do need to be challenged.

His latest howler is to state that “Islam denies the right of other religions to exist”. Well, I suspect that the caliphs in Baghdad and their successors as the acknowledged heads of Islam – the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul – might well have known a bit more about Islam than Mr. Wilcox. How does he explain the fact that Christian communities in the territories under these rulers survived for more than a millennium?

It is true that, in the Ottoman Empire, Christians were to some extent discriminated against. They did not enjoy rights equal to the Muslims and came under periodic pressure to convert to Islam. However, provided they did not rebel, their right to follow their faith was respected.

It is only in very recent times that these same ancient Christian sects have come under attack from extremist groups that represent a warped interpretation of Islam. By seeming to use their atrocities as an excuse to attack Islam as a whole, Mr Wilcox is actually being their “useful idiot”, spreading fear and loathing among non-Muslims. Islam isn’t the problem. The problem is the historical, social and geopolitical circumstances that spawned this perverted interpretation of a great religion. These are complex issues, difficult for most of us to understand.

Robin Grant