Political History of Islam - Revision history

Freediver: /* Hostility towards Jews */

2018-12-15T04:57:41Z

Hostility towards Jews

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	"O Jews, beware lest God bring on you the like of the retribution which he brought on Quraysh. Accept Islam, for you know that I am a prophet sent by God. You will find this in your scriptures and in God's covenant with you."		"O Jews, beware lest God bring on you the like of the retribution which he brought on Quraysh. Accept Islam, for you know that I am a prophet sent by God. You will find this in your scriptures and in God's covenant with you."

			Muslims will try to whitewash this incident by 'interpreting' it as not being a threat. [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1487846626/397#397]

	The Quraysh were Muhammad's tribe from Mecca, and the retribution is a reference to his recent military victory over them. Here, Muhammad clearly abandons his promises under the constitution of Medina, which was the initial basis of his authority. Muhammad besieged them until they surrendered, then expelled them from Medina. A Muslim who convinced Muhammad not to slaughter them, and then argued that they ought be allowed to stay in anticipation of an attack from Mecca has forever been dubbed the leader of the hypocrites. This was also the first time that Muhammad's Islamic state took 20% of the spoils of war. Following this was a second major battle with the Meccans, which the Muslims lost.		The Quraysh were Muhammad's tribe from Mecca, and the retribution is a reference to his recent military victory over them. Here, Muhammad clearly abandons his promises under the constitution of Medina, which was the initial basis of his authority. Muhammad besieged them until they surrendered, then expelled them from Medina. A Muslim who convinced Muhammad not to slaughter them, and then argued that they ought be allowed to stay in anticipation of an attack from Mecca has forever been dubbed the leader of the hypocrites. This was also the first time that Muhammad's Islamic state took 20% of the spoils of war. Following this was a second major battle with the Meccans, which the Muslims lost.

Freediver at 11:30, 2 April 2017

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Freediver at 11:02, 30 March 2017

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			[[Islam]]

	This article outlines the history of the politically significant interactions between Islam and the rest of the world, particularly what is now considered "the west".		This article outlines the history of the politically significant interactions between Islam and the rest of the world, particularly what is now considered "the west".

Freediver: /* Hostility towards Jews */

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Hostility towards Jews

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	== Hostility towards Jews ==		== Hostility towards Jews ==

			[[Muslims_Promote_Genocide]]

	In Mecca, Muhammad's attitude towards Christians and Jews was initially very positive, but their unwillingness to convert to Islam soured the relationship. It went rapidly downhill in Medina. Muhammad initially proclaimed several ordinances to win over the numerous and wealthy Jewish population. These were soon rescinded as the Jews insisted on preserving the entire Mosaic law, and did not recognize him as a prophet because he was not of the race of David. There were three large Jewish tribes in Medina when Muhammad arrived. The first to fall victim to Muhammad were the Banu Qaynuqa, who were wealthy artisans and traders. In addition to being Jewish and rejecting Muhammad's prophethood, they close links to Mecca and were the least likely to support his agenda of revenge against Mecca, posing a political threat to Muhammad's quest for power. Anecdotally, a Banu Qaynuqa goldsmith assaulted a Muslim woman, causing her to be stripped naked. He was killed by a Muslim, which sparked a series of revenge killings. Under the constitution, Muhammad's role was supposedly to resolve this conflict using the tradition of blood money and to protect religious freedom. However, having been strengthened by a recent military victory over Meccan traders, Muhammad sought to consolidate his power. Muhammad gathered the tribe in the market and addressed them as follows:		In Mecca, Muhammad's attitude towards Christians and Jews was initially very positive, but their unwillingness to convert to Islam soured the relationship. It went rapidly downhill in Medina. Muhammad initially proclaimed several ordinances to win over the numerous and wealthy Jewish population. These were soon rescinded as the Jews insisted on preserving the entire Mosaic law, and did not recognize him as a prophet because he was not of the race of David. There were three large Jewish tribes in Medina when Muhammad arrived. The first to fall victim to Muhammad were the Banu Qaynuqa, who were wealthy artisans and traders. In addition to being Jewish and rejecting Muhammad's prophethood, they close links to Mecca and were the least likely to support his agenda of revenge against Mecca, posing a political threat to Muhammad's quest for power. Anecdotally, a Banu Qaynuqa goldsmith assaulted a Muslim woman, causing her to be stripped naked. He was killed by a Muslim, which sparked a series of revenge killings. Under the constitution, Muhammad's role was supposedly to resolve this conflict using the tradition of blood money and to protect religious freedom. However, having been strengthened by a recent military victory over Meccan traders, Muhammad sought to consolidate his power. Muhammad gathered the tribe in the market and addressed them as follows:

Freediver: /* Hostility towards Jews */

2017-03-28T03:06:02Z

Hostility towards Jews

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	In 628 Muhammad went on to attack and defeat the Jewish community of Kaybar, where many of the Banu Nadir had sought refuge. Muhammad ordered the torture of their treasurer, Kenana ibn al-Rabi to get him to reveal the location of the Jew gold he had hidden. He was then decapitated. Muhammad had the dead man's wife "beautified and combed" before consumating his "marriage" to her. Under the terms of their surrender, Muhammad took possession of all of their lands as a collective possession of his Islamic state, and required them to provide 50% of their annual produce as a tax. They were later expelled by Caliph Umar as part f his progrom to ethnically cleanse the Hijaz region.		In 628 Muhammad went on to attack and defeat the Jewish community of Kaybar, where many of the Banu Nadir had sought refuge. Muhammad ordered the torture of their treasurer, Kenana ibn al-Rabi to get him to reveal the location of the Jew gold he had hidden. He was then decapitated. Muhammad had the dead man's wife "beautified and combed" before consumating his "marriage" to her. Under the terms of their surrender, Muhammad took possession of all of their lands as a collective possession of his Islamic state, and required them to provide 50% of their annual produce as a tax. They were later expelled by Caliph Umar as part f his progrom to ethnically cleanse the Hijaz region.

			=== Quran and Hadith ===

	Islams two most canonical Hadith collections, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, both show Muhammad saying: "You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me) ; kill him."		Islams two most canonical Hadith collections, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, both show Muhammad saying: "You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me) ; kill him."

	From the Quran (5.82) "Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly."		From the Quran (5.82) "Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly."

			Sahih Bukhari (53:392) - "While we were in the Mosque, the Prophet came out and said, "Let us go to the Jews" We went out till we reached Bait-ul-Midras. He said to them, "If you embrace Islam, you will be safe. You should know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I want to expel you from this land. So, if anyone amongst you owns some property, he is permitted to sell it, otherwise you should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle."

	== Hostility Towards Pagans ==		== Hostility Towards Pagans ==

Freediver: /* Hostility towards Jews */

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Hostility towards Jews

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	In 628 Muhammad went on to attack and defeat the Jewish community of Kaybar, where many of the Banu Nadir had sought refuge. Muhammad ordered the torture of their treasurer, Kenana ibn al-Rabi to get him to reveal the location of the Jew gold he had hidden. He was then decapitated. Muhammad had the dead man's wife "beautified and combed" before consumating his "marriage" to her. Under the terms of their surrender, Muhammad took possession of all of their lands as a collective possession of his Islamic state, and required them to provide 50% of their annual produce as a tax. They were later expelled by Caliph Umar as part f his progrom to ethnically cleanse the Hijaz region.		In 628 Muhammad went on to attack and defeat the Jewish community of Kaybar, where many of the Banu Nadir had sought refuge. Muhammad ordered the torture of their treasurer, Kenana ibn al-Rabi to get him to reveal the location of the Jew gold he had hidden. He was then decapitated. Muhammad had the dead man's wife "beautified and combed" before consumating his "marriage" to her. Under the terms of their surrender, Muhammad took possession of all of their lands as a collective possession of his Islamic state, and required them to provide 50% of their annual produce as a tax. They were later expelled by Caliph Umar as part f his progrom to ethnically cleanse the Hijaz region.

			Islams two most canonical Hadith collections, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, both show Muhammad saying: "You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me) ; kill him."

			From the Quran (5.82) "Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly."

	== Hostility Towards Pagans ==		== Hostility Towards Pagans ==

Freediver: /* Forced Conversions */

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Forced Conversions

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	Even though Muhammad still did not have complete control over Medina, he was already emboldened enough to confront a large tribe of already-hostile Jews, threaten them and demand they convert to Islam. Shortly after, he expelled the tribe from Medina. A second tribe soon followed, leaving only one of the original three large Jewish tribes. Muhammad wiped this tribe out, killing all the adult (post pubescent) men and taking the women and children as slaves. Muslims have gone to significant effort to rewrite history on this incident, claiming for example that the tribe was party to the treaty of Medina [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/150#164] and thus deserved to die for treacherously violating it, that they were judged according to Talmudic law so it was fair to wipe out the entire tribe, that only warriors were executed (all men were killed, including old men and young boys), that they had all taken up arms against Muslims (they had surrendered unconditionally to Muhammad after he laid siege to their fortress), that they were not even bona fide Jews (not what the point of this one is, perhaps it is a reference to Islam's supposed 'protection' of Jews), that they were literally a mindless collective, that they planned genocide of Muslims (no evidence for this, and other battles against Muslims actually withdrew once they heard Muhammad had died), that they posed a threat to Muhammad's nascent Islamic state (which they did in a way, by not converting to the state religion), and that Muhammad generously offered to let them live if they 'disowned their treachery' (a very small number who converted to Islam were spared). [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/145#145]		Even though Muhammad still did not have complete control over Medina, he was already emboldened enough to confront a large tribe of already-hostile Jews, threaten them and demand they convert to Islam. Shortly after, he expelled the tribe from Medina. A second tribe soon followed, leaving only one of the original three large Jewish tribes. Muhammad wiped this tribe out, killing all the adult (post pubescent) men and taking the women and children as slaves. Muslims have gone to significant effort to rewrite history on this incident, claiming for example that the tribe was party to the treaty of Medina [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/150#164] and thus deserved to die for treacherously violating it, that they were judged according to Talmudic law so it was fair to wipe out the entire tribe, that only warriors were executed (all men were killed, including old men and young boys), that they had all taken up arms against Muslims (they had surrendered unconditionally to Muhammad after he laid siege to their fortress), that they were not even bona fide Jews (not what the point of this one is, perhaps it is a reference to Islam's supposed 'protection' of Jews), that they were literally a mindless collective, that they planned genocide of Muslims (no evidence for this, and other battles against Muslims actually withdrew once they heard Muhammad had died), that they posed a threat to Muhammad's nascent Islamic state (which they did in a way, by not converting to the state religion), and that Muhammad generously offered to let them live if they 'disowned their treachery' (a very small number who converted to Islam were spared). [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/145#145]

	Having become a dictator in Medina, he turned his sights to subduing Mecca. As soon as Muhammad conquered Mecca, things changed for the pagans also. His first act was to destroy all symbols of paganism in and around the Kaaba, which at the time was the centrepiece of Arabian paganism. The Kaaba itself was spared as Muhammad declared it a Muslim artifact. Muhammad sent out missions to slaughter pagans and destroy pagan shrines and artifacts. Many Arabic Bedouin converted when faced with the choice of being slaughtered or participating in the slaughter. Here, Muhammad capitalised on the fear generated by his genocide of a Jewish tribe in Medina and the unpredictable nature of the campaigns to attack pagans. His forces rarely confronted people and gave them a choice of converting. Muslims attempt to spin the outcome of this campaign as the whole Arabian peninsula suddenly converting voluntarily to Islam. Larger groups who could not be eradicated (eg the Jewish community in Kaybar, where many Medina Jews had fled) were subjected to forced mass migrations (or conversion). Any non-Muslim communities and individuals who found themselves subject to the Islamic state but still did not convert were faced with a range of punitive measures, including the Jizya tax and highly discriminatory laws that restricted their religious activities and denied them justice when wronged by Muslims.		Having become a dictator in Medina, he turned his sights to subduing Mecca. As soon as Muhammad conquered Mecca, things changed for the pagans also. His first act was to destroy all symbols of paganism in and around the Kaaba, which at the time was the centrepiece of Arabian paganism. The Kaaba itself was spared as Muhammad declared it a Muslim artifact. Muhammad sent out missions to slaughter pagans and destroy pagan shrines and artifacts. He ordered destruction of any remaining pagan idols in Eastern Arabia. Many Arabic Bedouin converted when faced with the choice of being slaughtered or participating in the slaughter. Here, Muhammad capitalised on the fear generated by his genocide of a Jewish tribe in Medina and the unpredictable nature of the campaigns to attack pagans. His forces rarely confronted people and gave them a choice of converting. Muslims attempt to spin the outcome of this campaign as the whole Arabian peninsula suddenly converting voluntarily to Islam. Larger groups who could not be eradicated (eg the Jewish community in Kaybar, where many Medina Jews had fled) were subjected to forced mass migrations (or conversion). Any non-Muslim communities and individuals who found themselves subject to the Islamic state but still did not convert were faced with a range of punitive measures, including the Jizya tax and highly discriminatory laws that restricted their religious activities and denied them justice when wronged by Muslims. Muhammad also on occasion resorted to direct and explicit conversion by the sword. The last city to hold out against the Muslims in Western Arabia was Taif. Muhammad refused to accept the city's surrender until they agreed to convert to Islam and allowed men to destroy the statue of their goddess Allat.

	Muhammad gave this instruction to his military leaders:		Muhammad gave this general instruction to his military leaders:

	''Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of the Muhajireen and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajireen. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muslims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers).''		''Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of the Muhajireen and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajireen. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muslims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers).''

	~~In Muhammad's final victory, against the city of Taif, Muhammad demanded that they convert to Islam prior to his acceptance of their surrender, and also demanded the destruction of their pagan idols.~~

	Thus, the Arabian peninsula, which until Muhammad's time had housed Pagans, Jews and Christians without the need for a central governing authority to manage their affairs, was ethnically cleansed into a homogenous and oppressive society. Thus Saudi Arabia today is not an aberration, but the inevitable fulfilment of Islam.		Thus, the Arabian peninsula, which until Muhammad's time had housed Pagans, Jews and Christians without the need for a central governing authority to manage their affairs, was ethnically cleansed into a homogenous and oppressive society. Thus Saudi Arabia today is not an aberration, but the inevitable fulfilment of Islam.

Freediver: /* Forced Conversions */

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Forced Conversions

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	6) With these instructions Abu Bakr launched the forces of his Caliphate against the apostates.		6) With these instructions Abu Bakr launched the forces of his Caliphate against the apostates.

	The strategy was successful. Within 120 years, the first Islamic state had spread west across North Africa and Spain, only stopping when it hit the Atlantic. In the same time it spread east to the modern border between Pakistan and India, where it was stopped by more effective local resistance. With the exception of Spain, where the Muslims were gradually pushed back by an entirely disorganised resistance, the territories it captured are the oppressive Islamic regimes we see today. Islam spread east-west rather than north-south because at the time that is where the vast wealth of civilisation lay. Islam followed that wealth. Today the countries within the Caliphate are some of the poorest, most oppressive and most violent places on earth, where slavery still has not been eradicated (and not just thanks to the modern Islamic state). Prior to Islam, these places housed a diverse range of Jews, Christians and various non-Abrahamic religions. Very few survived in North Africa and the Middle East. The process of military conquest and forced conversion had to be followed up with a prolonged effort to make the conversion real. Where Islam has dominated for the longest in a political and military sense, that is exactly what happened.		The strategy was successful. The Hijaz was soon ethnically cleansed of all non-Muslims. Within 120 years, the first Islamic state had spread west across North Africa and Spain, only stopping when it hit the Atlantic. In the same time it spread east to the modern border between Pakistan and India, where it was stopped by more effective local resistance. With the exception of Spain, where the Muslims were gradually pushed back by an entirely disorganised resistance, the territories it captured are the oppressive Islamic regimes we see today. Islam spread east-west rather than north-south because at the time that is where the vast wealth of civilisation lay. Islam followed that wealth. Today the countries within the Caliphate are some of the poorest, most oppressive and most violent places on earth, where slavery still has not been eradicated (and not just thanks to the modern Islamic state). Prior to Islam, these places housed a diverse range of Jews, Christians and various non-Abrahamic religions. Very few survived in North Africa and the Middle East. The process of military conquest and forced conversion had to be followed up with a prolonged effort to make the conversion real. Where Islam has dominated for the longest in a political and military sense, that is exactly what happened.

	Slavery also played in to the strategy of forced conversion. Most directly, it was a threat to all who might collectively resist the advancing Islamic state, as well as a threat to any non-Muslims from within the Islamic state who might be tempted to break the myriad laws intended to restrict their freedom of religion. Women made up the majority of slaves, and although it is technically against Islam, the men were often castrated. Thus most children of slaves had a Muslim father and a non-Muslim mother, with the father having control over how the child was raised. Even where this was not the case, the child would most likely be faced with the choice of converting to Islam or being a slave. Thus slavery also worked to force conversion at the intergenerational scale. Furthermore, by creating such a large Islamic state in which Muslims could not be enslaved, Muhammad created a massive long distance trade in slaves. The result was that while the population grew, nearby areas saw a population reduction, both directly through the taking of slaves, and indirectly by people fleeing the area. This was most pronounced on the southern coastline of Europe. Thus, even when the Caliphate stopped expanding, Islam continued to expand through human trafficking. This human trafficking totaled over 4 million Europeans and even great numbers of Africans.		Slavery also played in to the strategy of forced conversion. Most directly, it was a threat to all who might collectively resist the advancing Islamic state, as well as a threat to any non-Muslims from within the Islamic state who might be tempted to break the myriad laws intended to restrict their freedom of religion. Women made up the majority of slaves, and although it is technically against Islam, the men were often castrated. Thus most children of slaves had a Muslim father and a non-Muslim mother, with the father having control over how the child was raised. Even where this was not the case, the child would most likely be faced with the choice of converting to Islam or being a slave. Thus slavery also worked to force conversion at the intergenerational scale. Furthermore, by creating such a large Islamic state in which Muslims could not be enslaved, Muhammad created a massive long distance trade in slaves. The result was that while the population grew, nearby areas saw a population reduction, both directly through the taking of slaves, and indirectly by people fleeing the area. This was most pronounced on the southern coastline of Europe. Thus, even when the Caliphate stopped expanding, Islam continued to expand through human trafficking. This human trafficking totaled over 4 million Europeans and even great numbers of Africans.

Freediver: /* Forced Conversions */

2017-03-18T04:45:23Z

Forced Conversions

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	"O Jews, beware lest God bring on you the like of the retribution which he brought on Quraysh. Accept Islam, for you know that I am a prophet sent by God. You will find this in your scriptures and in God's covenant with you."		"O Jews, beware lest God bring on you the like of the retribution which he brought on Quraysh. Accept Islam, for you know that I am a prophet sent by God. You will find this in your scriptures and in God's covenant with you."

	Even though Muhammad still did not have complete control over Medina, he was already emboldened enough to confront a large tribe of already-hostile Jews, threaten them and demand they convert to Islam. Shortly after, he expelled the tribe from Medina. A second tribe soon followed, leaving only one of the original three large Jewish tribes. Muhammad wiped this tribe out, killing all the adult (post pubescent) men and taking the women and children as slaves. Muslims have gone to significant effort to rewrite history on this incident, claiming for example that the tribe was party to the treaty of Medina [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/150#164] and thus deserved to die for treacherously violating it, that they were judged according to Talmudic law so it was fair to wipe out the entire tribe, that only warriors were executed (all men were killed, including old men and young boys), that they had all taken up arms against Muslims (they had surrendered unconditionally to Muhammad after he laid siege to their fortress), that they were not even bona fide Jews (not what the point of this one is, perhaps it is a reference to Islam's supposed 'protection' of Jews), that they were literally a mindless collective, that they planned genocide of Muslims (no evidence for this, and other battles against Muslims actually withdrew once they heard Muhammad had died), that they posed a threat to Muhammad's nascent Islamic state (which they did in a way, by not converting to the state religion), and that Muhammad generously offered to let them live if they 'disowned their treachery (a very small number who converted to Islam were spared). [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/145#145]		Even though Muhammad still did not have complete control over Medina, he was already emboldened enough to confront a large tribe of already-hostile Jews, threaten them and demand they convert to Islam. Shortly after, he expelled the tribe from Medina. A second tribe soon followed, leaving only one of the original three large Jewish tribes. Muhammad wiped this tribe out, killing all the adult (post pubescent) men and taking the women and children as slaves. Muslims have gone to significant effort to rewrite history on this incident, claiming for example that the tribe was party to the treaty of Medina [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/150#164] and thus deserved to die for treacherously violating it, that they were judged according to Talmudic law so it was fair to wipe out the entire tribe, that only warriors were executed (all men were killed, including old men and young boys), that they had all taken up arms against Muslims (they had surrendered unconditionally to Muhammad after he laid siege to their fortress), that they were not even bona fide Jews (not what the point of this one is, perhaps it is a reference to Islam's supposed 'protection' of Jews), that they were literally a mindless collective, that they planned genocide of Muslims (no evidence for this, and other battles against Muslims actually withdrew once they heard Muhammad had died), that they posed a threat to Muhammad's nascent Islamic state (which they did in a way, by not converting to the state religion), and that Muhammad generously offered to let them live if they 'disowned their treachery' (a very small number who converted to Islam were spared). [http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1438922302/145#145]

	Having become a dictator in Medina, he turned his sights to subduing Mecca. As soon as Muhammad conquered Mecca, things changed for the pagans also. His first act was to destroy all symbols of paganism in and around the Kaaba, which at the time was the centrepiece of Arabian paganism. The Kaaba itself was spared as Muhammad declared it a Muslim artifact. Muhammad sent out missions to slaughter pagans and destroy pagan shrines and artifacts. Many Arabic Bedouin converted when faced with the choice of being slaughtered or participating in the slaughter. Here, Muhammad capitalised on the fear generated by his genocide of a Jewish tribe in Medina and the unpredictable nature of the campaigns to attack pagans. His forces rarely confronted people and gave them a choice of converting. Muslims attempt to spin the outcome of this campaign as the whole Arabian peninsula suddenly converting voluntarily to Islam. Larger groups who could not be eradicated (eg the Jewish community in Kaybar, where many Medina Jews had fled) were subjected to forced mass migrations (or conversion). Any non-Muslim communities and individuals who found themselves subject to the Islamic state but still did not convert were faced with a range of punitive measures, including the Jizya tax and highly discriminatory laws that restricted their religious activities and denied them justice when wronged by Muslims.		Having become a dictator in Medina, he turned his sights to subduing Mecca. As soon as Muhammad conquered Mecca, things changed for the pagans also. His first act was to destroy all symbols of paganism in and around the Kaaba, which at the time was the centrepiece of Arabian paganism. The Kaaba itself was spared as Muhammad declared it a Muslim artifact. Muhammad sent out missions to slaughter pagans and destroy pagan shrines and artifacts. Many Arabic Bedouin converted when faced with the choice of being slaughtered or participating in the slaughter. Here, Muhammad capitalised on the fear generated by his genocide of a Jewish tribe in Medina and the unpredictable nature of the campaigns to attack pagans. His forces rarely confronted people and gave them a choice of converting. Muslims attempt to spin the outcome of this campaign as the whole Arabian peninsula suddenly converting voluntarily to Islam. Larger groups who could not be eradicated (eg the Jewish community in Kaybar, where many Medina Jews had fled) were subjected to forced mass migrations (or conversion). Any non-Muslim communities and individuals who found themselves subject to the Islamic state but still did not convert were faced with a range of punitive measures, including the Jizya tax and highly discriminatory laws that restricted their religious activities and denied them justice when wronged by Muslims.
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	''Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of the Muhajireen and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajireen. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muslims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers).''		''Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of the Muhajireen and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajireen. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muslims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers).''

			In Muhammad's final victory, against the city of Taif, Muhammad demanded that they convert to Islam prior to his acceptance of their surrender, and also demanded the destruction of their pagan idols.

	Thus, the Arabian peninsula, which until Muhammad's time had housed Pagans, Jews and Christians without the need for a central governing authority to manage their affairs, was ethnically cleansed into a homogenous and oppressive society. Thus Saudi Arabia today is not an aberration, but the inevitable fulfilment of Islam.		Thus, the Arabian peninsula, which until Muhammad's time had housed Pagans, Jews and Christians without the need for a central governing authority to manage their affairs, was ethnically cleansed into a homogenous and oppressive society. Thus Saudi Arabia today is not an aberration, but the inevitable fulfilment of Islam.

Freediver: /* Forced Conversions */

2017-03-18T04:37:57Z

Forced Conversions

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	Having become a dictator in Medina, he turned his sights to subduing Mecca. As soon as Muhammad conquered Mecca, things changed for the pagans also. His first act was to destroy all symbols of paganism in and around the Kaaba, which at the time was the centrepiece of Arabian paganism. The Kaaba itself was spared as Muhammad declared it a Muslim artifact. Muhammad sent out missions to slaughter pagans and destroy pagan shrines and artifacts. Many Arabic Bedouin converted when faced with the choice of being slaughtered or participating in the slaughter. Here, Muhammad capitalised on the fear generated by his genocide of a Jewish tribe in Medina and the unpredictable nature of the campaigns to attack pagans. His forces rarely confronted people and gave them a choice of converting. Muslims attempt to spin the outcome of this campaign as the whole Arabian peninsula suddenly converting voluntarily to Islam. Larger groups who could not be eradicated (eg the Jewish community in Kaybar, where many Medina Jews had fled) were subjected to forced mass migrations (or conversion). Any non-Muslim communities and individuals who found themselves subject to the Islamic state but still did not convert were faced with a range of punitive measures, including the Jizya tax and highly discriminatory laws that restricted their religious activities and denied them justice when wronged by Muslims.		Having become a dictator in Medina, he turned his sights to subduing Mecca. As soon as Muhammad conquered Mecca, things changed for the pagans also. His first act was to destroy all symbols of paganism in and around the Kaaba, which at the time was the centrepiece of Arabian paganism. The Kaaba itself was spared as Muhammad declared it a Muslim artifact. Muhammad sent out missions to slaughter pagans and destroy pagan shrines and artifacts. Many Arabic Bedouin converted when faced with the choice of being slaughtered or participating in the slaughter. Here, Muhammad capitalised on the fear generated by his genocide of a Jewish tribe in Medina and the unpredictable nature of the campaigns to attack pagans. His forces rarely confronted people and gave them a choice of converting. Muslims attempt to spin the outcome of this campaign as the whole Arabian peninsula suddenly converting voluntarily to Islam. Larger groups who could not be eradicated (eg the Jewish community in Kaybar, where many Medina Jews had fled) were subjected to forced mass migrations (or conversion). Any non-Muslim communities and individuals who found themselves subject to the Islamic state but still did not convert were faced with a range of punitive measures, including the Jizya tax and highly discriminatory laws that restricted their religious activities and denied them justice when wronged by Muslims.

			Muhammad gave this instruction to his military leaders:

			''Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of the Muhajireen and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajireen. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muslims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers).''

	Thus, the Arabian peninsula, which until Muhammad's time had housed Pagans, Jews and Christians without the need for a central governing authority to manage their affairs, was ethnically cleansed into a homogenous and oppressive society. Thus Saudi Arabia today is not an aberration, but the inevitable fulfilment of Islam.		Thus, the Arabian peninsula, which until Muhammad's time had housed Pagans, Jews and Christians without the need for a central governing authority to manage their affairs, was ethnically cleansed into a homogenous and oppressive society. Thus Saudi Arabia today is not an aberration, but the inevitable fulfilment of Islam.

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	* 632-633: Abu Bakr (1st 'rightly guided' Caliph) dispatches armies with general commands to slaughter any groups who are not Muslim, or refuse to pay religious tax to the Islamic state, or who do not fully submit to the state as well as the religion.		* 632-633: Abu Bakr (1st 'rightly guided' Caliph) dispatches armies with general commands to slaughter any groups who are not Muslim, or refuse to pay religious tax to the Islamic state, or who do not fully submit to the state as well as the religion.

	* 634-644: Umar ibn Al-Khattāb (2nd 'rightly guided' Caliph) ethnically cleanses Hijaz region (western coast of Arabian peninsula) of all non-Muslims, fulfilling an instruction left by Muhammad in the ~~Koran~~. He also expands the Caliphate.		* 634-644: Umar ibn Al-Khattāb (2nd 'rightly guided' Caliph) ethnically cleanses Hijaz region (western coast of Arabian peninsula) of all non-Muslims, fulfilling an instruction left by Muhammad in the Quran. He also expands the Caliphate.

	* 661: Caliphate reaches halfway across the coast of North Africa and east to the modern border of Pakistan.		* 661: Caliphate reaches halfway across the coast of North Africa and east to the modern border of Pakistan.
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	Muhammad negotiated his way into a position of authority in Medina, which until then had no centralised political authority and was deeply divided. This was based on Muhammad's status as a neutral outsider. They were also jealous of Mecca's religious importance and hoped to gain power over the city with Muhammad's help. Muhammad created a constitution of sorts between 8 Medina clans and the new Muslim arrivals. There is no evidence of the other parties actually agreeing to the constitution, and the text implies acceptance of Muhammad as God's messenger. The constitution does not mention the three large Jewish tribes of Medina (Watt - Islam and the integration of society, p20), leading some scholars to believe that it dates from after Muhammad expelled them. The constitution specifically emphasised blood money and ransom payments, enshrined freedom of religious beliefs, and established women as second class citizens who were entirely at the mercy of the tribal group they belonged to. It declared Medina as a sacred place where the blood of people who were party to the treaty may not be spilled. The constitution also compels non-Muslims to participate in Islamic religious wars. In 624, Muhammad proclaimed that Muslims should face Mecca rather than Medina while praying.		Muhammad negotiated his way into a position of authority in Medina, which until then had no centralised political authority and was deeply divided. This was based on Muhammad's status as a neutral outsider. They were also jealous of Mecca's religious importance and hoped to gain power over the city with Muhammad's help. Muhammad created a constitution of sorts between 8 Medina clans and the new Muslim arrivals. There is no evidence of the other parties actually agreeing to the constitution, and the text implies acceptance of Muhammad as God's messenger. The constitution does not mention the three large Jewish tribes of Medina (Watt - Islam and the integration of society, p20), leading some scholars to believe that it dates from after Muhammad expelled them. The constitution specifically emphasised blood money and ransom payments, enshrined freedom of religious beliefs, and established women as second class citizens who were entirely at the mercy of the tribal group they belonged to. It declared Medina as a sacred place where the blood of people who were party to the treaty may not be spilled. The constitution also compels non-Muslims to participate in Islamic religious wars. In 624, Muhammad proclaimed that Muslims should face Mecca rather than Medina while praying.

	Medina was an agricultural oasis. Although Mecca was barren, it had grown into the wealthiest town in the region through trade. In Medina, Muhammad revealed ~~Koranic~~ verses permitting his followers to rob Meccan caravans. They became very successful at this. They also ransomed prisoners captured in ensuing battles with forces sent by Mecca to protect the caravans. Muhammad also killed many prisoners, but generally released the poor ones for no charge. ~~Koranic~~ verses from this period focus on political issues, such as how to divide spoils of war.		Medina was an agricultural oasis. Although Mecca was barren, it had grown into the wealthiest town in the region through trade. In Medina, Muhammad revealed Quranic verses permitting his followers to rob Meccan caravans. They became very successful at this. They also ransomed prisoners captured in ensuing battles with forces sent by Mecca to protect the caravans. Muhammad also killed many prisoners, but generally released the poor ones for no charge. Quranic verses from this period focus on political issues, such as how to divide spoils of war.

	Muhammad's success lead to rapid conversions by pagans. Embittered by this, two pagans composed poetry that mocked Muhammad. They were killed by Muslims, with Muhammad's blessing.		Muhammad's success lead to rapid conversions by pagans. Embittered by this, two pagans composed poetry that mocked Muhammad. They were killed by Muslims, with Muhammad's blessing.
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	Muhammad died in 632, having brought the entire Arabian peninsula into his Islamic state. On his death, Aisha's father Abu Bakr became leader after being chosen by a small group called the Ansar. Many Muslims thought the role should have gone to a relative of Muhammad. Abu Bakr had to put down several rebellions from groups who had joined the Islamic state claiming only allegiance to Muhammad, as well as from other leaders claiming to be prophets. Abu Bakr was successful in forcing them to resubmit to Islam.		Muhammad died in 632, having brought the entire Arabian peninsula into his Islamic state. On his death, Aisha's father Abu Bakr became leader after being chosen by a small group called the Ansar. Many Muslims thought the role should have gone to a relative of Muhammad. Abu Bakr had to put down several rebellions from groups who had joined the Islamic state claiming only allegiance to Muhammad, as well as from other leaders claiming to be prophets. Abu Bakr was successful in forcing them to resubmit to Islam.

	Curiously, Muhammad had few descendants. His first wife produced four daughters and two sons, who died in childbirth. Three of the daughters died before Muhammad. The other, Fatimah, is considered by some to be Muhammad's only daughter. A son to another wife died at the age of two. Fatimah's descendants are respected by Muslims, especially the Shiah. his favourite wife, Aisha, worked to cement his legacy through the ~~Koran~~.		Curiously, Muhammad had few descendants. His first wife produced four daughters and two sons, who died in childbirth. Three of the daughters died before Muhammad. The other, Fatimah, is considered by some to be Muhammad's only daughter. A son to another wife died at the age of two. Fatimah's descendants are respected by Muslims, especially the Shiah. his favourite wife, Aisha, worked to cement his legacy through the Quran.

	=== Relevant Verses ===		=== Relevant Verses ===
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	Shortly before his death, Muhammad achieved his lifelong dream of seizing control of Mecca. He kept the pagan Kaaba as Islam's holiest site, and made the pagan pilgrimage to the Kaaba one of the five central pillars of Islam. However, he destroyed all pagan artifacts and to rub salt into the wound, banned pagans from the Kaaba:		Shortly before his death, Muhammad achieved his lifelong dream of seizing control of Mecca. He kept the pagan Kaaba as Islam's holiest site, and made the pagan pilgrimage to the Kaaba one of the five central pillars of Islam. However, he destroyed all pagan artifacts and to rub salt into the wound, banned pagans from the Kaaba:

	~~Koran~~ 9:28 O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise.		Quran 9:28 O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise.

	Al-Masjid al-Haram Great Mosque of Mecca, which surrounds the Kaaba, the pre-Islamic centerpiece of pagan worship in Arabia.		Al-Masjid al-Haram Great Mosque of Mecca, which surrounds the Kaaba, the pre-Islamic centerpiece of pagan worship in Arabia.