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Summary: Exposes the myth of Islamic tolerance
Review: This book is about the Islamisation of the Middle East (primarily), North Africa, Persia and the Balkans and how Muslim apologists and their Western apologist allies have concealed the countless attrocities, oppression and forced conversions of conquered non-Muslims by "killing history" (i.e supressing the truth and reinventing history).Before the author is accused of tarnishing Islam and the Muslim community, it must be emphasised that this book draws heavily from quotes from the Quran (the Holy Book which Muslims claim was given by God to Prophet Muhammad); the Hadith (i.e. a compilation of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad); and articles written by renowned Muslim historians, theologians and jurists ....all of which advocates war against unbelievers until finally all of the latter are subjugated and the harsh and humiliating treatment which must be meted out on unbelievers until they embrace the "One True Religion". The process of Islamisation can be broadly divided into 2 stages : 1) JIHAD - This concept is not only embodied in the Quran but is an obligation of every able bodied Muslim man as a means to bring Islam to the unbelievers. The Prophet Muhammad fought 66 to 67 wars (all or almost all of which were offensive) during his lifetime against Jews and pagan Arabs. A number of his wives and concubines (i.e. Reihana, Safiya etc)were actually taken from Jewish tribes which he defeated or massacred (i.e. Banu Nadir, Banu Quraiza etc). In the first stage of Islamisation (i.e. the Jihad) Muslim armies conquered the whole of the Arabian peninsula and then onwards to the Middle East, North Africa and Persia by the 7th and early 8th centuries. Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians were given the choice of conversion to Islam, death or becoming a Dhimmi (i.e. tributary). Polytheists or pagans were only given 2 choices: conversion or death. Nevertheless, the Muslim Arab tribesmen in their religious zeal and greed for loot would often pillage unfortified villages and enslaved its inhabitants who were Islamised and absorbed into their tribes. [A fair few of the non-Muslim child captives after being brought up as Muslims actually became prominent military commanders who in turn conquered other non-Muslim countries for Islam!] Thus, the Muslim community would gain a number of new converts after the conquest of lands belonging to the Dar Al-Harb (i.e. which are inhabited by Non-Muslims). 2) Dhimmi - In the second stage of Islamisation (and after the Muslim conquests), the non-Muslims who have refused to convert are subjected to numerous humiliations and heavy taxes. Poll tax (known as the jizya) and land tax (known as the kharaj) are imposed. In certain cases, Christain children (such as in the Balkans) and Jewish children (in Morrocco, Yemen and Persia) were taken to be brought up as Muslims. It has been said that after a century of Muslims conquest, Egypt was still 95% Non-Muslim. Gradually, however they converted : the poor converted because the tax was too oppressive, the upper class and the rich converted to retain their privileges (both of these are supported by a few letters written in the Middle Ages by Muslims themselves)and some from the middle class converted for career advancement since at various times, non-Muslims were not permitted to hold high positions. Massacres were very common even for Dhimmis (i.e. non-Muslims who have submitted to Muslim rule) the last of which was the massacre of the millions of Christians, primarily Armenians (and some Assyrians and Surianis) in 1915. The Islamic nature of the massacre is evidenced by those Armenians embracing Islam were spared and the women and children below 12 were taken captive (i.e. the same fate as the women and chidlren of the Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza after its defeat by Prophet Muhammad). Lastly, the author spends quite a bit of time debunking the myth of Islamic tolerance and discusses the reasons for apologists (both Muslim, Westerners and Arab Christians) to reinvent the history of the Islamic conquests and the treatment of the Dhimmis (i.e. Christians and Jews under Islam).
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Summary: Islamic intolerance
Review: This is a book more than interesting, very impressive, analysing a subject semi-forgotten in the present days western societies, for reasons mainly related with political correctness convinience mixed with antichristian bias - islamic intolerance. Contrarily to the common places currently spread about Islam until exhaustion by the multiculturalist lobby - the greatness of the arab civilization and, especially, the tolerance shown to christians and jews -, Bat Ye'or's work presents a cruder reality far away from such myths, depicting Islam - fairly, in my point of view - as a plunderer religion that sacked not only materially but also spiritually and culturally the peoples that fell under his domination - sirian nestorians, egiptian copts, persian zoroastrians and greek orthodoxs, etc. -, such a cultural sack being the main cause of the pretense islamic civilizational creativity. Another topic of great interest in this book, it is the demonstration done by the author that Islam, historically, showed an intense intolerance to the believers of others religions, commonly, christians and jews. It is true that Islam does not force to conversion, but christians and jews were usually reduced, under islamic rule, to a status of permanent humiliation, to a kind of second class citizenship. For example, they were forbidden to exercise publicly their religions, to identify externally or repair their temples, to build new one or practise any kind of proselitism, being forced to pay, by the simple reason that they were not muslims, a tribute known as "dhimmi", a kind of religious tax, from where the author derives the word "dhimmitude" to define the condition of the conquered peoples under Islam. This is, as I said initially, a very impressive book that analyses some of the main points of the muslim behaviour towards the followers of others religions and essential concepts like "jihad", "dhimmi" or "devshirme", giving a decisive aid to the understanding of the real nature of Islam. The fact that all the assertions done by the author are supported by historical sources from muslim and non muslim origins, it is an additional point of value to the book. I intend to read also Bat Ye'ors other books and V.S. Naipaul's "Beyond Belief".
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Summary: Where are all the Eastern Christians vanished
Review: This is a great Book for Eastern Christians and and the remainders living in Iraq,Syria,Lebanon, Israel,Egypt, and Turkey , if any left there..? How their ancestors were massacred,pillaged, raped,slaved,humilated under the Islamic Shari'a and Dhimmi Law,actually ,In no area should the infidel triumph over the Muslim, as theological dogma has confirmed Muslim superiority to the withdrawal of the dar al-Islam within itself since it despised the entire culture of the dar al-harb, has also perpetuated a cultural intolerance toward the dhimmis, who were branded with contempt, whatever their merits. The irreplaceable skills and higher qualifications of certain dhimmis, being a source of humiliation to those around them, forced them to convert. The Islamization of culture included the Islamization of geography, a phenomenon linked to every conquest. Cities often lost their original names: Amid in Armenia became Diyarbakir; Constantinople, Istanbul; Jerusalem; al-Quads; Hebron was Arabized to al-Khalil. There are endless examples throughout the dar al-Islam, and it is a curious fact that the Jewish and Christian chroniclers continue to refer to the original names, almost as if their national history was continuing sotto voce in its ancestral geographical framework, uninterrupted by the Islamization of their country. The concealment of the dhimmis' history arises from the silence imposed on them and the ban on any criticism. In effect, the refusal of a dhimmi testimony against a Muslim determines behavior patterns and reveals the psychology of both groups. The dhimmi group, stripped of its means of defense, is placed in a hostage situation at the mercy of unfounded accusations. This constant and degrading vulnerability engenders servility, flattery, and corruption. After emancipation, European consuls noted the dhimmis' fear to assert their rights. In fact, blackmail and assassination punished dhimmi "arrogance." In the dominating group, this refusal of testimony by the suppression of speech-the distinctive sign of humanity-reflects a denial of rights. This mutilated speech, this rejected testimony, is transposed from the individual to the group and is perpetuated in time. History being also the testimony of a people and the foundation of its rights, the effacement of its past abolishes its rights. The official version of events then becomes a single voice epic, thereby perpetuating the mechanism of the obliteration and exclusion of the dhimmi nations. This process of obliteration-what Vidiadhar S. Naipaul calls "killing history" continues to function in our days.
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Summary: EXPOSING THE TRUTH
Review: This is a very special book because of the uniqueness of its message. Very few writers would even dare to contemplate writing a book which portrays Islam in a bad light. The author has done a great justice to humanity by acting as a voice for those without a voice (i.e. the Dhimmi both past and present) in today's politically correct world. JIHAD is what the Quran has in store for the Unbelievers: "When you meet the unbelievers, strike off their heads; then when you have made wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives."
"If you do not fight, Allah will punish you severely, and put others in your place."
"Those who die fighting for the only true religion, Islam, will be amply rewarded in the life to come"
"Fight the unbelievers in your surroundings, and let them find harshness in you."
"Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them, capture and besiege them and prepare for them every kind of ambush."
"Kill those who join other gods with God wherever you may find them"
"It is a grave sin for a Muslim to shirk the battle against the unbelievers, those who do will roast in hell" "DHIMMITUDE" as used by the Author is the status of the conquered Jews and Christians in Muslim lands. In this book, the Author has proved that ISLAM IS INDEED A TOLERANT RELIGION!!! Tolerance of course, does not mean equality or a dignified existence. On the contrary, you tolerate someone despite or notwithstanding the feeling of revulsion towards the person. Muhammad hated the Dhimmi because they rejected him as a Prophet. Muslim 71 The Prophet said: ". . . The Jew or Christian who hears about me but does not affirm his belief... shall be one of the denizens of Hell-fire. "The Jews and Christians and the Pagans will burn forever in the fire of hell. They are the vilest of all creatures." (98:6) A Dhimmi was not allowed to defend his wife if she was assaulted. If he was murdered by a Muslim, the perpetrator would only have to pay a fine provided that Muslim witnesses step forward to testify. But the Dhimmi were tolerated in the true sense of the word because unlike the Kaffir they were not compelled to embrace Islam. Muslims from conservative Muslim lands naively boast of their tolerance because Notwithstanding early Jews and Christians distorted the Scriptures and Notwithstanding that the Dhimmi obstinately refuse to believe the truth after it had been revealed by Muhammad they were allowed to retain their beliefs.
African-Americans lived under oppressive conditions under the Jim Crow laws in the South. Using the same analogy, Americans should say they have a history of tolerance in respect of African-Americans because they were not killed or expelled. The Muslims say the Dhimmi are protected peoples. Protection from who? I wonder. I am also grateful to the Author for debunking the deceptions as espoused by Muslim apologists who have gone as far as to negate any historical fact which portray Islam in a negative light. The Armenian Genocide never happened. In fact, Armenian rebels (in league with the Russians) rose up against the peace-loving Ottoman regime. We now even hear that Jews and Christians reached a golden age in Islamic Spain and the Ottoman Empire. This is notwithstanding that hundreds of Jews between 1010 and 1013 near Cordoba and the entire Jewish community of roughly 4000 in Granada during the Muslim riots of 1066 were massacred and that the religion which the great Spanish Jew, Maimonides was forced to convert to was Islam and not Christianity. Christian children were forcibly taken in the Ottoman Empire to become janissaries. Albanians were forced to accept Islam. But if you were to believe John Esposito and Karen Armstrong, these never happened or there was some sort of justification. These views go very well with many politically correct Western readers who blame all the world's problems on Western Imperialism and Christian bigotry. The objectives of this negation of historical facts by Muslim apologists are: 1) To CONVERT WESTERNERS to Islam. The Muslims in the West are often asked by their infidel friends and potential converts whether the atrocities and the harsh treatment of unbelievers associated with Islam are true. If they reply 'yes', then the next question would be whether they are condoned by the Quran. By negating the truth (ie. saying 'no' to the first question) prevents further questions on what the Quran really says. Furthermore, this goes hand in hand with "Islam means Peace" and "Islam is an Abrahamaic Faith like Judaism and Christianity". (Since the 1600s, Muslim proselyters have been successful in winning converts among Christians in the Balkans and Anatolia by using the approach "We believe in the same God" and "We revere Jesus too"). Only once these Liberal Americans like John Walker Lindh (who was described by his mother as kind and gentle) become part of the Ummah, would they be initiated into the sympathies and plight of their brethren. 2) PROPAGANDA AGAINST THE WEST. Since the Middle East has always been Arab and Anatolia always Turkish (or in the alternative, the indigenous peoples enthusiastically embraced Islam) by initiating military action such as the Crusades, the West has greatly wronged the Muslims. It provides justification against the West for 9/11. I watched an Eqyptian movie about Saladin. Upon defeating the Crusaders at the Horns of Hattin, it was portrayed that he liberated the Christians of Jerusalem, when in fact he had most of the Christian soldiers decapitated and the Christians of Jerusalem sold as slaves. In my national news, only Israeli atrocities are aired not Palestinian bombings. It is no wonder that the Muslims always feel wronged. Meanwhile, Esposito and Armstrong are doing their part in cultivating a Muslim bias in the West. The success of Islam's PR men are self-evident. The Christian victims have now become the perpetrators. For the above reasons, I give the Author's work 10 stars.
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Summary: Disturbing study of Islamic prejudice against the infidels.
Review: This very courageous book describes in considerable detail the condition of non-Muslims living under Islamic rule, referring mainly to the plight of Jews and Christians and the painful decline of these communities due to oppression and prejudice. I find this book very appropriate for our time where the politicisation of racial prejudice, segregation, apartheid and indeed genocide have become quite common-place in the Middle East. I of course refer to their erroneous use by Islamic entities against Israel in relation to the Palestinian issue. This book reveals how these claims lack any true substance and fall flat on their face when compared with the realities of 'dhimmitude', (which the writer describes as the status of conquered Jews & Christians under Islam), that reveal the painful, disturbing policy of prejudice, racial hatred and segregation of countless people who were classed as inferior on the basis of their religion alone. No actions here being taken as deterrents against the terrorism and violence of today's Mid-East. Just socially acceptable Islamic conduct against peoples who were classed as inferior. The book, drawing heavily on quotes from the Quran, the Hadith and writings from many renowned Islamic historians, reveals many distinctions drawn and prejudices applied upon Jews and Christians who refused to accept and bow to Islam. The veracity behind any profession of Islam as a tolerant and peaceful religion will soon reveal itself to the reader. One example revealed by the writer is that Islamic legislation does not even recognise any validity in the sworn oath of a 'dhimmi' against that of a Muslim. The principle being based on the Islamic belief in the 'perverse and mendacious' character of the Jewish/Christian 'infidel', which even extends into matters involving the frequent allegations of blasphemy directed against 'dhimmis' which were punishable by death ! Other reviewers have commendably dealt with the wealth of detail and information here. Suffice to say that this book is highly recommended for anyone who wishes a further insight into the Islamic/Muslim mindset and much of the culture of the Middle East. It will send chills down the spines of readers when they consider that Islamic activists today still seek the 'Islamisation' of the West.
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Summary: The myth of the tolerant Islam exposed
Review: Those of us ex-Dhimmis cringe about the cruel Islamic fantasy propagated by Muslims about a tolerant and wise Islam . Islam has destoyed many superior human civilizations and ruined many lives of Dhimmis that did not want to share this Islamic fantasy.I urge Muslims to read this excellent book.May be they can see the truth of the dark side of their faith.
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Summary: EXPOSING THE TRUTH
Review: Was 9/11 the work of religious fanatics, or was it consistent with 13 centuries of Islamic treatment of outsiders? Despite the fact the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon were attacked, there has been an amazing resurgence of pro-Islamic rhetoric in the United States. Despite the fact that Islam has enslaved more people than any other religion in history, the far left insists that we tolerate Islamic ideas. Despite the fact that Islam dehumanizes both its own women and non-Muslims, the far left (the bastion for human rights and women) is fascinatingly pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli. How can these things be? Read this book! Ye'or variously describes the heart-rending atrocities committed under 13 centuries of Islamic rule, the character of cultural and economic subservience required of non-Muslims, the theological requirement of holy war (jihad), and the religious foundations of Islamic hatred of the West. She also helps one understand how Islam helped to drive the wedge between Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox even deeper. But this is not just an historical study. With powerful acumen Ye'or notes the political and economic motivations behind the 18th through 20th century European ideologoues who co-opted the truth about Islam. Ye'or's ability to synthesize the historical, political, cultural, and religious elements of Islamic dhimmitude marks her as a scholar of vast ability. One hopes that moderate Muslims will have the courage both to respond to her critiques and take up the debate as to the true nature of Islam.
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Summary: When ideology will do, who wants the facts?
Review: Was 9/11 the work of religious fanatics, or was it consistent with 13 centuries of Islamic treatment of outsiders? Despite the fact the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon were attacked, there has been an amazing resurgence of pro-Islamic rhetoric in the United States. Despite the fact that Islam has enslaved more people than any other religion in history, the far left insists that we tolerate Islamic ideas. Despite the fact that Islam dehumanizes both its own women and non-Muslims, the far left (the bastion for human rights and women) is fascinatingly pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli. How can these things be? Read this book! Ye'or variously describes the heart-rending atrocities committed under 13 centuries of Islamic rule, the character of cultural and economic subservience required of non-Muslims, the theological requirement of holy war (jihad), and the religious foundations of Islamic hatred of the West. She also helps one understand how Islam helped to drive the wedge between Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox even deeper. But this is not just an historical study. With powerful acumen Ye'or notes the political and economic motivations behind the 18th through 20th century European ideologoues who co-opted the truth about Islam. Ye'or's ability to synthesize the historical, political, cultural, and religious elements of Islamic dhimmitude marks her as a scholar of vast ability. One hopes that moderate Muslims will have the courage both to respond to her critiques and take up the debate as to the true nature of Islam.
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Summary: A Fair View of a Disturbing Part of History
Review: Ye'or's work is a well organized chronicle and examination of Islamic intolerance for the past 1,400 years of Jews, Christians, Animists and other minor religious groups. Ye'or is fair and even reports when Christians or other groups were at times intolerant of Muslims or other groups. The great aid that this work renders is explaining Islamic terrorism in the West today. Rather than seen as senselesss acts of revenge, Ye'or rightly places these acts in their context as a sustained attack on Western civilization in a long term effort to destablize the existing political order. The author supports this thesis with hard evidence and a judicious eye. Rather than seeing violence as a fringe element in Islam, the author shows how it is endemic to Islam with it's categorization of the World into two sphere's of the world under Islam and the world at war with Islam. The author also does a fair job of dispelling the myth of cultural and scientific advancements made by Islamic culture. Contrary to other reviews, the author is fair and deploys the evidence in a disppassionate manner. For understanding Islam in the modern world, this book is a must read.
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