(November 18, 2010 at 4:01 pm)Rayaan Wrote: To a true believer it is a peaceful religion.
To others, it is not peaceful simply because they don't know what is Islam. In the Quran, there is a verse which says, "Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance" (Surah 16:125).
It does Islam not a bit of credit if certain self-style "true" believers view it in a way that is less offensive to outsiders than certain others who calls their offensive interpretations also as "true". In that all interpretations of a faith has material consequences to the outsider, all interpretations are true enough where it matters to reflect on Islam. So for a thing which strives to compell people to act on it's behalf, Islam must answer for all acts committed in it's name, whether there is disagreement within about it or not. So don't whine to me about the acceptability of your true belief unless it has empowered you to forestall damage done to outsiders by all the unacceptable interpretations of your faith.
