The new ‘hate-laws’ require us to determine if Islam is a religion of peace
by Gavin Ashenden:
The judiciary is muddled; a comparison with Jesus helps.
I first met Charles Haddon-Cave when I was 15. I had walked into a kettle I had left to boil on the floor, and the boiling water had burnt all the skin off around my ankle, so I was sent to the Sanatorium until it grew back. He had something infectious. We chatted a bit to while away the time, and got to know each other. Neither of us knew much about Islam at the time; or indeed Christianity. Subsequently we both ended up studying law at university, and he went on to become a judge.
He has just finished presided over the trial of Parsons Green Bomber Ahmed Hassan. Finding him guilty of trying to murder a train-load of people in the name of Islam, Judge Haddon-Cave, offered some theological advice to Hassan.
“Finally, Ahmed Hassan, let me say this to you. You will have plenty of time to study the Qur’an in prison in the years to come. You should understand that the Qur’an is a book of peace; Islam is a religion of peace…. You have violated the Qur’an and Islam by your actions, as well as the law of all civilized people. It is to be hoped that you will come to realise this one day.”
Apparently Charles had spent a summer reading the Koran for himself in translation, and had come to this conclusion. I think it reflects kindly on his optimism, and less well on his expertise outside the law.
There is no doubt that Mohammed did start a religion of peace while he was in Mecca. He was friendly towards both the Jews and the Christians, and the early part of the Koran reflect that. It contains many amicable sentiments.
But things went wrong. After thirteen years of preaching, with only a handful of followers, the people of Mecca threw him out.
Once in Medina, Mohammed changed the tone of his ‘messages from God”. They became increasingly violent, and he became a War-Lord, leading small armies who raided and attacked, ravaged and killed their enemies.
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