Defenders of Islam should check the Koran
Re: “False reasoning disguises irrational hatred of Islam” and “Extremism infects every religion, so why focus on Muslims?”, Have Your Say, yesterday.
I never thought I’d be writing in defence of JC Wilcox, but if he’s read the same verses of the Koran I have, there’s nothing irrational about his hatred of Islam. Long ago, JC was writing letters praising Islam, based largely on his personal acquaintance with nice Muslims. And I concede that many Muslims are really nice. Then he turned and started writing against Islam. I presume that in the interim he read a few books.
My favourite verse in the Koran is Sura 4:56: “Those that deny Our revelations We will burn in fire. No sooner will their skins be consumed than We shall give them other skins, that they may truly taste the scourge. Surely God is mighty and wise.” Got that? Just because I was born and choose to remain a disbeliever in Islam, God condemns me to have my skin burned off again and again, presumably for all eternity. The punishment seems just a tad disproportionate to the crime. Is that fair? We don’t expect much of God in this interesting age, but if he exists we do expect him to be fair.
To those who defend Islam, I offer a challenge: Try reading the Koran, and see how far you get. I favour the Penguin version, translated by NJ Dawood, which is clear and free of archaisms. Muslims will tell you that translations won’t do, you have to read it in Arabic. This is hogwash. If the translation is accurate, the meaning will be clear. If, as Muslims believe, Allah dictated every word of the Koran to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel, the Koran itself unmasks him as a deity who is rambling, disorganised, strident, tedious, repetitive and boring. These are not character traits one would expect from the omniscient, omnipotent creator and master of the universe.
Eric Bahrt asks why JC picks on Islam and ignores the shortcomings of other religions. The reason is that in our age militant Islam is perceived to be in the ascendant, whereas its rival religions are in retreat. The gunman you have to confront is the one who is advancing toward you and waving a gun at you – not the one who is holstering his weapon and walking away.
Not a Fan of Islam
