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| Origins of Islam: Ibn warraq gives away chapter 2 of his book for free |
| 2007-03-26 |
| The book, "Why I am not a Muslim" was written after the Rushdie fatwa. Chapter 2 of the book is about the Origins of Islam. Ibn Warraq (not his birth name, it means 'son of bookseller') has become more public lately (he chaired the Secular Islam conference). His books have sold fairly well and while not rich he is well off enough to give away this chapter for free. here is a sample:------------- Muhammad was not an original thinker: he did not formulate any new ethical principles, but merely borrowed from the prevailing cultural milieu. The eclectic nature of Islam has been recognized for a long time. Even Muhammad knew Islam was not a new religion, and the revelations contained in the Koran merely confirmed already existing scriptures. The Prophet always claimed Islam 's affiliation with the great religions of the Jews, Christians, and others. Muslim commentators such as al-Sharestani have acknowledged that the Prophet transferred to Islam the beliefs and practices of the heathen or pagan Arabs, especially into the ceremonies of the pilgrimage to Mecca. And yet Muslims in general continue to hold that their faith came directly from heaven, that the Koran was brought down by the angel Gabriel from God himself to Muhammad... |
| Posted by:mhw |
| #3 Muhammad's approach to theology is very similar to Microsoft's approach to technology: Embrace, Extend, Extinguish. |
| Posted by: BH 2007-03-26 23:12 |
| #2 One of the great probs of Islam as an organized mainstream religion is that, for many Sutras etal., there is no scientific, realistic, or absolutely credible verifiable way of determining which words/lessons were Muhammad's/Mohammed's, versus the subjective desires or interpretations of his successors or other, not necessarily self-less or God-centric, wannabes. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-03-26 22:54 |
| #1 A sick, twisted, false "religion" made up of lies, half-truths, and deceit. A sick, twisted interpretation of all the cultish elements of the religions and pagan supersticions Islam is borrowed from. A sick, twisted cult built upon the founders' sick, twisted dementia against Jews and Christianity. |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2007-03-26 17:30 |