Is Islam a Peaceful Religion?

Let's once and for all settle this idea that Islam is a peaceful religion.  The media calls Jihadists "terrorist extremists", intimating they take their religion too seriously and too far.  The majority of Muslims are peaceful, and are called "moderates"; i.e. they don't take their religion too seriously because they believe in peace and harmony.  Good on them.

But saying Islam is peaceful is a blatant fallacy. Those "extremists" are ONLY following what their Quran tells them to do; the moderates are simply not following all of the teachings of Mohammed. The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule.  Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding.  Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.  Tell me what you think after reading these translations from their holy book:

Quran (5:33) - "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement"

Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"

And finally:

Quran (47:3-4) - "Those who disbelieve follow falsehood, while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord... So, when you meet (in fight Jihad in Allah's Cause), those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives)... If it had been Allah's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight), in order to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost."


I could go on, but I think you get the point.  The Quran is very articulate and specific about how unbelievers and hypocrites are to be treated. These verses are not metaphors, or constrained by historical events. They are literal instructions that are to be obeyed, or else be called a hypocrite.

So, no, Islam is NOT a peaceful religion. To say so is uninformed and naive, and to call anyone "Islamaphobic" (a term recently used by the politically correct) is bullshit for the above stated reasons; I say call a spade a spade.

Last point: if anyone thinks this article is generating bias against Muslims, you haven't fully understood what I have written.

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Just today, 12 people in France were slain by Islamic terrorists.  The world is tiring of the bloodshed in the name of Allah...