Islam: The Arabic term Islam literally means "," or "submission."

I think first of all one has to bear in mind that you only hear about these movements when in fact they do something which catches the media eye and therefore perhaps the image we have of the Islamist movements as being solely violent is in itself misleading.

Nonetheless, many of the movements are indeed violent and they're violent first of all because they believe that there's no other way in which their arguments can be heard. Secondly that the movements themselves have an ideology on occasion, although this isn't universal, that requires a violent response to confrontation from a world that they do not accept as being legitimate.

Behind all this is a particular view of the political and social order today that is rooted in a religious vision. That religious vision is exclusive and calls for violent confrontation to correct what are seen to be fundamental errors in the organization of human society because it's not organized along what these groups would consider to be proper Islamic lines.

It should be borne in mind however that not all people who believe in the Islamic ordering of society consider that this kind of (violent approach is correct and many of them in fact would engage in both peaceful confrontation and in practical active restructuring of society rather than in violence of the kind that you describe.

Sunnis and Shiites, the great schism

Islam is divided into two main sub-divisions, the Sunni, who form about a 90 percent majority of the Muslim world, and the Shia, who form about 10 percent.

The origins of the two schools are steeped in the early history of Islam. The Sunnis hold that the first four caliphs, or rulers, after the Prophet Muhammad were 'rightly guided' whereas Shi'ites are 'the partisans of Ali' who believe that the Prophet's son-in-law should have succeeded him directly.

These struggles in the seventh century broadened out into a schism a great as that between the Orthodox, Catholics and the Protestants in Christianity.

Both groups hold to the Quran as the sacred text and Muhammad as the Last prophet. But Shi'ites have their own version of Islamic law and their own theology. They also believe in a chain of leaders, or imams, who came after Muhammad and in a structure of spiritual authority through mullahs and a religious establishment.

There's also a different feel to Shi'ism, which has a much greater emphasis on the injustice of the world and on mysticism than Sunnism, which is more pragmatic.

It's important to realize that Iran is the largest Shi'a country in the world and as far as the mainstream Sunni Muslim world is concerned, the revolution of 1979 and the triumph of Ayatollah Khomeini were very heavily colored by that. That's why Islamic fundamentalists in Algeria and Sudan take great pains to stress that their vision of an Islamic state is different.

Then there is the Hamas:

This group which keeps attacking Israelis with suicide bombers and threatens to wreck the peace process with Israel.

Hizbollah

A Lebonese extremist group which is another branch of Islam.

 Five things every Moslem must do

The Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are the minimum sacred obligations on all Muslims if they are to properly follow their Faith.

They are:

The Quran is why not only Jews are a Targets for Guerrillas, but Christians are, also.

"According to Islamic Law you cannot negotiate with apostates."

The Quran explicitly denies Christ, his relationship with the Father, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. There is a clear spiritual force behind the Quran that reduces Christ to a mere man. While portions of the Quran appear demonically inspired, many of the facts and rationale reflect Muhammad's misunderstandings.

The Quran is overtly anti-Christ. It denies his death and resurrection. The Quran rejects Yeshua (Jesus) as the Son of G-d (Quran 4:171), and states that Yeshua (Jesus) is not the sacrifice of G-d (Quran 4:157). The Bible and the Quran are inherently opposed and you cannot reconcile the two on this issue. Because the Quran strongly and continually denies Christ, there is a side to the Quran that is overtly demonic in inspiration. Many Muslims and Christians affirm that the Quran has a tremendous amount of influence and power, with the help of spiritual forces.

Allah, in the Quran is not another name for G-d.

The Quran is the revelation of Allah's Will for humans. The Quran teaches that we only have access to the Will of Allah. The revelation is not a revelation of Allah, but the revelation of his Will. We cannot know the nature of Allah, and as Muslims we are not to think on or meditate on the nature of G-d. If all we have is his Will, then we must submit to that Will and Do it. The Quran is full of imperatives for us to do his Will (Do This! 330 times). There are 130 commands (faraj) that are to be done everyday otherwise you sin.

They do not believe in a Trinity

"Even if we go, there will be others who will succeed us and continue this Holy Duty which Almighty G-d has bestowed on us."

The Islamic doctrine of G-d, expressed in the Qur'an is rigorously monotheistic: G-d is one and unique; he has no partner or equal. Trinitarianism, the Christian belief that G-d is three persons in one substance, is vigorously repudiated by Muslims. Muslims believe although Allah's presence is everywhere, he does not indwell anything or anyone.

A Muslim's task is to submit. Morality is about submission ­ submitting and doing the will of Allah. The normative relationship in the Quran is Allah is our master (rab) and we are the slave (abd). The emphasis in the Quran is on the qualities of G-d that demand obedience. We don't want Allah to be displeased with us, so we are driven by fear. In Christianity obedience to G-d's will is motivated by love. In Islam you submit so you won't be cast away. Islam means obedience and peace. Peace can ONLY be experienced when you submit to the will of Allah. Peace doesn't necessarily have an emotional component as in Christianity. Faith in Islam is the action of submitting to Allah's will.

Quran 112:1-4 "Proclaim, 'He is the One and only G-D. The Absolute G-D. Never did He beget. Nor was He begotten. None equals Him."

Hadith:

The Hadith are found in separate books from the Quran. The hadith consist of all the actions, sayings, decisions, and deeds of the Prophet. There are over 600,000 hadith.

What do they Believe about Us?

"Democracy has become a catchall word which everyone uses according to his own motives and interests...

But we in Islam have a part of our political system which by contrast does not change"

In Islam there is no such thing as salvation since we are all born in the Best Form. Every child is born a Muslim (the straight path), but our parents and society raise us up in bad things, and then we forget. You aren't converted in Islam, you're reverted. Because we are created in the Best Form, we must "remember." Our sins require a Muslim to constantly purify himself by offsetting their sin with good acts. In terms of fleshly and sinful desires, Muslims do not try to repress them but instead channel and control them.

Who is Muhammad?

Muhammad is the last prophet of Allah who has brought the final revelation. Muhammad is not a Muslim's savior, only a prophet. Muhammad is not mentioned in the Bible.

During his lifetime, Muhammad was a powerful political and military leader. His life was filled with many spiritual experiences (revelations) and political accomplishments, Muhammad did gain power often through unconventional and immoral means. Muhammad had 23 wives (plus concubines). His favorite wife (Aishah) was engaged to him at the age of six and married when she was 9 years old. He died in 632 AD.

Muhammad is said to have loved three things: "Women, Perfume, and Fine Clothes"

The Holy Words of the Quran

Several years after Muhammad died, one of the leaders (Uthman) burned all the deviant manuscripts that did not align with The Quran. Thus there are not parallel copies of the original Quran and Muslims use this to prove the Quran's divine inspired. "The Quran is the Word of Allah. He has preserved it, and it cannot change." But you cannot prove that the original Quran remains existent and unchanged when there is nothing to compare it to. The Bible has stood the test of time.

Teaching of the Quran

Muhammad and the Quran teach that Allah is the god who is to be served. In contrast Yeshua (Jesus) is the G-d who came to serve.

The six main teaching of the Quran are the following:

(1) You must to believe in Allah.

(2) You must believe in the Angels.

(3) You must believe in the Books.

(4) You must believe in the Messengers (prophets). Thousands of messengers have been sent, but the only ones that are known and valid are the ones named in the Quran.

(5) You must believe in the Day of Judgment. There is the torture and judgment in the grave, but the general/final judgment comes at the end of time.

(6) You must believe in Fate. Islamic fate teaches that G-d has ordained everything, including good and evil.

The Crucifixion and Resurrection

Muslims of course believe that Yeshua (Jesus) did not die on the cross. They believe somebody who looked like Yeshua was crucified ­ Simon of Sirene, Judas, or someone else.

When Muslims bring up the issue of G-d killing his own Son (lack of Fatherly love), We must realize this is the same argument that the Jews used when they stumbled over the Messiah having to be sacrificed. Even with Yeshua (esus) as only a prophet, the idea that G-d allowed his prophet to be crucified is blasphemous. We must realize atonement through the New Covenant is not a natural or human event. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing ... The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of G-d, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14)

What is A Jihad?

Perhaps the least understood element of Islam is the doctrine of jihad (holy war). The classical Islamic position holds that the world is divided into three spheres: the zone of Islam (dar al-Islam); the zone of peace (dar as-sulh---those nations with whom Muslim nations have peace pacts); and the zone of war (dar al-harb---the rest of the world). In modern times the jihad has appeared primarily as a defense against colonialism, rather than as a program of offense.

It is clear from the Quran that the word jihad has been used there to mean `striving' or `exerting'.

[1.]"Those who strive (jaahada) for Us, We guide them in Our ways'' (26:69). Here the meaning is to carry on a spiritual struggle to attain nearness to G-d.

[2.] "Whoever strives (jaahada), he only strives for his own self'' (29:6). The meaning here again is struggle for self-purification.

[3.]"We have enjoined on man to do good to his parents. But if they strive (jaahadaa) with you to worship that of which you have no knowledge [i.e. false gods], then obey them not'' (29:8). Here the meaning is that of `arguing' or `disputing', and is applied to an act of unbelievers.

[4.] :Strive for G-d a true striving (jihad).'' (22:78)

[5.]"Obey not the unbelievers and hypocrites, and strive against them a mighty striving (jihad) with it [i.e. the Quran].'' (25:52)

Both these verses give the command to conduct jihad. The first refers to a jihad for attaining nearness to G-d. The second mentions a jihad against the deniers of Islam, not by the sword but by means of the Quran itself. It is called a ``mighty jihad'', and is a constant duty.

The most famous use of the word Jihad is as 'Holy War', and Islamic guerrillas fighting state authority in various Muslim countries use it freely to describe their struggles. The fighter who fights a Jihad - a Mujahid - is believed to go straight to Paradise if he dies and his enemy will go straight to Hell.

Briefly, the Holy Quran and Hadith speak of three kinds of jihad:

[i.] A great jihad;

[ii.] The greatest jihad;

[iii.] A lesser jihad.

The first two are to be undertaken constantly, while the third, which includes jihad by means of the sword, like war with Israel and America is considered a third form of Jihad. All are only undertaken if specific conditions are satisfied.

Islam's claim as far as Israel is concerned is to assume (without any Biblical basis of course) that Ishmael, not Isaac, is the legitimate heir to whom the Abrahamic promises were passed.

Should we be offended?

Above: The statement by Hamas claiming responsibility for their 'hero martyrs' who carried out a bombing in Jerusalem fruit market in July which claimed 16 lives.

Their most famous Words written for all to read on the Dome of the Rock is:

Inner Face: South Wall. "In the name of Allah the Merciful the Compassionate. There is no G-d but Allah alone; he has no co-partner. He is the Kingship and His the praise. He giveth life and He causeth to die, and He hath power over everything."

South-East Wall. "Verily Allah and His angels pronounce blessing upon the Prophet. O ye who have pronounced blessings upon Him and give Him the salutation of peace. O, People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and Christians, always referred to as such by the Moslems) do not go beyond the bounds in your religion and do not say about Allah anything but the truth. The Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), son of Mary, is but a messenger of Allah and His word which he cast upon Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe only in Allah and of his messenger, but do not say 'Three' (Trinity) and it will be better for you. Allah is only one G-d. Far be it from His glory that he should have a son."

North Wall. "The Messiah will not deign to be in the service of Allah nor will the angels who stand in his presence. O Allah; pray upon Thy messenger "the servant Jesus---(N-W Wall) the son of Mary and peace be upon him the day of his birth, the day of his death and the day of his being raised alive. That is Yeshua (Jesus), son of Mary---a statement concerning which YOU are in doubt. It is not for Allah to take for Himself any offspring, glory be to Him."

West Wall. "Allah bears witness that there is no G-d but Him, likewise the angels and the people possessed of knowledge," (S-W Wall)---Upholding justice. There is no G-d but He, the Almighty and All wise. Verily, the religion in Allah's sight is Islam."

Outer Face: West and North-West Walls. "In the name of Allah the Merciful and Compassionate. There is no G-d but Allah alone. Praise be to Allah who hath not taken to himself offspring. To Him there has never been any person in the sovereignty. Mohammed is the messenger of Allah, may G-d pray upon Him and accept his intercession."

"Praise be G-d who has not taken unto himself a son and who has no partner in sovereignty nor has He any protector on account of weakness."

If religious Jews are offended by the presence of this Islamic shrine on their holy mountain, Christians have even more reasons to take offense at these blasphemous statements about their G-d, and the deliberate insults to Biblical revelation that the interior inscriptions clearly intend.

Footnotes: Warraq, Ibn. Why I am Not a Muslim. Prometheus Books, 1995.