“The Agenda of Islam”

By Professor Moshe Sharon
Link to original article

A War Between Civilizations

The war has started a long time ago between two civilizations – between
the civilization based on the Bible and between the civilization based
on the Koran. And this must be clear.

There is no fundamental Islam. “Fundamentalism” is a word that came
from the heart of the Christian religion. It means faith that goes by
the word of the Bible. Fundamental Christianity, or going with the
Bible, does not mean going around and killing people. There is no
fundamental Islam. There is only Islam full stop. The question is how
the Koran is interpreted.

All of a sudden we see that the greatest interpreters of Islam are
politicians in the western world. They know better than all the
speakers in the mosques, all those who deliver terrible sermons against
anything that is either Christian or Jewish. These western politicians
know that there is good Islam and bad Islam. They know even how to
differentiate between the two, except that none of them know how to
read a word of Arabic.

The Language of Islam

You see, so much is covered by politically correct language that, in
fact, the truth has been lost. For example, when we speak about Islam
in the west, we try to use our own language and terminology. We speak
about Islam in terms of democracy and fundamentalism, in terms of
parliamentarism and all kinds of terms, which we take from our own
dictionary. One of my professors and one of the greatest orientalists
in the world says that doing is like a cricket reporter describing a
cricket game in baseball terms. We cannot use for one culture or
civilization the language of another. For Islam, you’ve got to use the
language of Islam.

Driving Principles of Islam

Let me explain the principles that are driving the religion of Islam.
Of course, every Moslem has to acknowledge the fact that there is only
one God.

But it’s not enough to say that there is only one God. A Moslem has to
acknowledge the fact that there is one God and Mohamed is his prophet.
These are the fundamentals of the religion that without them, one
cannot be a Moslem.

But beyond that, Islam is a civilization. It is a religion that gave
first and foremost a wide and unique legal system that engulfs the
individual, society and nations with rules of behavior. If you are
Moslem, you have to behave according to the rules of Islam which are
set down in the Koran and which are very different than the teachings
of the Bible.

The Bible

Let me explain the difference.

The Bible is the creation of the spirit of a nation over a very, very
long period, if we talk from the point of view of the scholar, and let
me remain scholarly. But there is one thing that is important in the
Bible. It leads to salvation. It leads to salvation in two ways.

In Judaism, it leads to national salvation – not just a nation that
wants to have a state, but a nation that wants to serve God. That’s the
idea behind the Hebrew text of the Bible.

The New Testament that took the Hebrew Bible moves us toward personal
salvation. So we have got these two kinds of salvation which, from time
to time, meet each other.

But the key word is salvation. Personal salvation means that each
individual is looked after by God, Himself, who leads a person through
His word to salvation. This is the idea in the Bible, whether we are
talking about the Old or the New Testament. All of the laws in the
Bible, even to the minutest ones, are, in fact directed toward this
fact of salvation.

Secondly, there is another point in the Bible, which is highly
important. This is the idea that man was created in the image of God.
Therefore, you don’t just walk around and obliterate the image of God.
Many people, of course, used Biblical rules and turned them upside
down. History has seen a lot of massacres in the name of God and in the
name of Jesus. But as religions, both Judaism and Christianity in their
fundamentals speak about honoring the image of God and the hope of
salvation. These are the two basic fundamentals.

The Essence of Islam

Now let’s move to the essence of Islam. Islam was born with the idea
that it should rule the world.

Let’s look, then, at the difference between these three religions.
Judaism speaks about national salvation – namely that at the end of the
story, when the world becomes a better place, Israel will be in its own
land, ruled by its own king and serving God. Christianity speaks about
the idea that every single person in the world can be saved from his
sings, while Islam speaks about ruling the world. I can quote here in
Arabic, but there is no point in quoting Arabic, so let me quote a
verse in English. “Allah sent Mohammed with the true religion so that
it should rule over all the religions.”

The idea, then, is not that the whole world would become a Moslem world
at this time, but that the whole world would be subdued under the rule
of Islam.

When the Islamic empire was established in 634 AD, within seven years –
640 – the core of the empire was created. The rules that were taken
from the Koran and from the tradition that was ascribed to the prophet
Mohammed, were translated into a real legal system. Jews and Christians
could live under Islam provided they paid poll tax and accepted Islamic
superiority. Of course, they had to be humiliated. And Jews and
Christians living under Islam are humiliated to this very day.

Mohammed Held That All the Biblical Prophets Were Moslems

Mohammed did accept the existence of all the Biblical prophets before
him. However he also said that all these prophets were Moslems. Abraham
was a Moslem. In fact, Adam himself was the first Moslem. Isaac and
Jacob and David and Solomon and Moses and Jesus were all Moslems, and
all of them had writings similar to the Koran. Therefore, world history
is Islamic history because all the heroes of history were Moslems.

Furthermore, Moslems accept the fact that each of these prophets
brought with him some kind of a revelation. Moses, brought the Taurat,
which is the Torah, and Jesus brought the Ingeel, which is the
Evangelion or Gospel – namely the New Testament.

The Bible vs. the Koran

Why then is the Bible not similar to the Koran?

Mohamed explains that the Jews and Christians forged their books. Had
they not been changed and forged, they would have been identical to the
Koran. But because Christians and Jews do have some truth, Islam
concedes that they cannot be completely destroyed by war [for now].

Nevertheless, the laws a very clear – Jews and Christians have no
rights whatsoever to independent existence. They can live under Islamic
rule provided they keep to the rules that Islam promulgates for them.

Islamic Rule and Jihad

What happens if Jews and Christians don’t want to live under the rules
of Islam? Then Islam has to fight them and this fighting is called
Jihad. Jihad means war against those people who don’t want to accept
the Islamic superior rule. That’s jihad. They may be Jews; they may be
Christians; they may be Polytheists. But since we don’t have too many
Polytheists left, at least not in the Middle East – their war is
against the Jews and Christians.

A few days ago, I received a pamphlet that was distributed in the world
by bin Laden. He calls for jihad against America as the leader of the
Christian world, not because America is the supporter of Israel, but
because Americans are desecrating Arabia with their filthy feet. There
are Americans in Arabia were no Christians should be. In this pamphlet
there is not a single word about Israel. Only that Americans are
desecrating the home of the prophet.

Two Houses

The Koran sees the world as divided into two – one part which has come
under Islamic rule and one part which is supposed to come under Islamic
rule in the future. There is a division of the world which is very
clear. Every single person who starts studying Islam knows it.

The world is described as Dar al-Islam (the house of Islam) – that’s
the place where Islam rules – and the other part which is called Dar
al-Harb – the house of war. Not the “house of non-Muslims,” but the
“house of war.” It is this house of war which as to be, at the end of
time, conquered. The world will continue to be in the house of war
until it comes under Islamic rule.

This is the norm. Why? Because Allah says it’s so in the Koran. God has
sent Mohammed with the true religion in order that the truth will
overcome all other religions.

Islamic Law

Within the Islamic vision of this world, there are rules that govern
the lives of the Moslems themselves, and these rules are very strict.
In fundamentals, there are no differences between schools of law.

However, there are four streams of factions within Islam with
differences between them concerning the minutiae of the laws. All over
the Islamic world, countries have favored one or another of these
schools of laws.

The strictest school of law is called Hanbali, mainly coming out of
Saudi Arabia. There are no games there, no playing around with the
meanings of words. If the Koran speaks about war, then it’s war.

There are various perspectives in Islam with different interpretations
over the centuries. There were good people that were very enlightened
in Islam that tried to understand things differently. They even brought
traditions from the mouth of the prophet that women and children should
not be killed in war.

These more liberal streams do exist, but there is one thing that is
very important for us to remember. The Hanbali school of law is
extremely strict, and today this is the school that is behind most of
the terrorist powers. Even if we talk about the existence of other
schools of Islamic law, when we’re talking about fighting against the
Jews, or fighting against the Christian world led by America, it is the
Hanbali school of law that is being followed.

Islam and Territory

This civilization created one very important, fundamental rule about
territory. Any territory that comes under Islamic rule cannot be de-
Islamized. Even if at one time or another, the [non-Moslem] enemy takes
over the territory that was under Islamic rule, it is considered to be
perpetually Islamic.

This is why whenever you here about the Arab/Israeli conflict, you hear
– territory, territory, territory. There are other aspects to the
conflict, but territory is highly important.

The Christian civilization has not only been seen as a religious
opponent, but as a dam stopping Islam from achieving its final goal for
which it was created.

Islam was created to be the army of God, the army of Allah. Every
single Moslem is a soldier in this army. Every single Moslem that dies
in fighting for the spread of Islam is a shaheed (martyr) no matter how
he dies, because – and this is very important – this is an eternal word
between the two civilizations. It’s not a war that stops. This was is
there because it was created by Allah. Islam must be the ruler. This is
a war that will not end.

Islam and Peace

Peace in Islam can exist only within the Islamic world; peace can only
be between Moslem and Moslem.

With the non-Moslem world or non-Moslem opponents, there can be only
one solution – a cease fire until Moslems can gain more power. It is an
eternal war until the end of days. Peace can only come if the Islamic
side wins.

The two civilizations can only have periods of cease-fires. And this
idea of cease-fire is based on a very important historical precedent,
which, incidentally, Yasser Arafat referred to when he spoke in
Johannesburg after he signed the Oslo agreement with Israel.

Let me remind you that the document speaks of peace – you wouldn’t
believe that you are reading! You would think that you were reading
some science-fiction piece. I mean when you read it, you can’t believe
that this was signed by Israelis who are actually acquainted with
Islamic policies and civilization.

A few weeks after the Oslo agreement was signed, Arafat went to
Johannesburg, and in a mosque there he made a speech in which he
apologized, saying, “Do you think I signed something with the Jews
which is contrary to the rules of Islam?” (I have obtained a copy of
Arafat’s recorded speech so I heard it from his own mouth.) Arafat
continued, “That’s not so. I’m doing exactly what the prophet Mohammed
did.”

Whatever the prophet is supposed have done becomes a precedent. What
Arafat was saying was, “Remember the story of Hodaybiya.” The prophet
had made an agreement there with the tribe of Kuraish for 10 years. But
then he trained 10,000 soldiers and within two years marched on their
city of Mecca. He, of course, found some kind of pretext.

Thus, in Islamic jurisdiction, it became a legal precedent which states
that you are only allowed to make peace for a maximum of 10 years.

Secondly, at the first instance that you are able, you must renew the
jihad [thus breaking the “peace” agreement].

In Israel, it has taken over 50 years in this country for our people to
understand that they cannot speak about [permanent] peace with Moslems.
It will take another 50 years for the western world to understand that
they have got a state of war with the Islamic civilization that is
virile and strong. This should be understood: When we talk about war
and peace, we are not talking in Belgium, French, English, or German
terms. We are talking about war and peace in Islamic terms.

Cease-fire as a Tactical Choice

What makes Islam accept cease-fire? Only one thing – when the enemy is
too strong. It is a tactical choice.

Sometimes, he may have to agree to a cease-fire in the most humiliating
conditions. It’s allowed because Mohammed accepted a cease-fire under
humiliating conditions. That’s what Arafat said to them in
Johannesburg.

When western policy makers hear these things, they answer, “What are
you talking about? You are in the Middle Ages. You don’t understand the
mechanisms of politics.”

Which mechanisms of politics? There are no mechanisms of politics where
power is. And I want to tell you one thing – we haven’t seen the end of
it, because the minute a radical Moslem power has atomic, chemical or
biological weapons, they will use it. I have no doubt about that.

Now, since we face war and we know that we cannot get more than an
impermanent cease-fire, one has to ask himself what is the major
component of an Israeli/Arab cease-fire. It is that the Islamic side is
weak and your side is strong. The relations between Israel and the Arab
world in the last 50 years since the establishment of our State has
been based only on this idea, the deterrent power.

Wherever You Have Islam, You Will Have War

The reason that we have what we have in Yugoslavia and other places is
because Islam succeeded into entering these countries. Wherever you
have Islam, you will have war. It grows out of the attitude of Islamic
civilization.

What are the poor people in the Philippines being killed for? What’s
happening between Pakistan and India?

Islamic Infiltration

Furthermore, there is another fact that must be remembered. The Islamic
world has not only the attitude of open war, but there’s also war by
infiltration.

One of the things which the western world is not paying enough
attention to is the tremendous growth of Islamic power in the western
world. What happened in America and the Twin Towers is not something
that came from the outside. And if America doesn’t wake up, one day the
Americans will find themselves in a chemical war and most likely in an
atomic war – inside the U.S.

End of Days

It is highly important to understand how a civilization sees the end of
days. In Christianity and in Judaism, we know exactly what is the
vision of the end of days.

In Judaism, it is going to be as in Isaiah – peace between nations, not
just one nation, but between all nations. People will not have any more
need for weapons and nature will be changed – a beautiful end of days
and the kingdom of God on earth.

Christianity goes as far as Revelation to see a day that Satan himself
is obliterated. There are no more powers of evil. That’s the vision.

I’m speaking now as a historian. I try to understand how Islam sees the
end of days. In the end of days, Islam sees a world that is totally
Moslem, completely Moslem under the rule of Islam. Complete and final
victory.

Christians will not exist, because according to many Islamic
traditions, the Moslems who are in hell will have to be replaced by
somebody and they’ll be replaced by the Christians.

The Jews will no longer exist, because before the coming of the end of
days, there is going to be a war against the Jews where all Jews should
be killed. I’m quoting now from the heart of Islamic tradition, from
the books that are read by every child in school. They Jews will all be
killed. They’ll be running away and they’ll be hiding behind trees and
rocks, and on that day Allah will give mouths to the rocks and trees
and they will say, “Oh Moslem come here, there is a Jew behind me, kill
him.” Without this, the end of days cannot come. This is a fundamental
of Islam.

Is There a Possibility to End This Dance of War?

The question which we in Israel are asking ourselves is what will
happen to our country? Is there a possibility to end this dance of war?

The answer is, “No. Not in the foreseeable future.” What we can do is
reach a situation where for a few years we may have relative quiet.

But for Islam, the establishment of the state of Israel was a reverse
of Islamic history. First, Islamic territory was taken away from Islam
by Jews. You know by now that this can never be accepted, not even one
meter. So everyone who thinks Tel Aviv is safe is making a grave
mistake. Territory, which at one time was dominated by Islamic rule,
now has become non-Moslem. Non-Moslems are independent of Islamic rule;
Jews have created their own independent state. It is anathema.

And (this is the worse) Israel, a non-Moslem state, is ruling over
Moslems. It is unthinkable that non-Moslems should rule over Moslems.

I believe that Western civilization should hold together and support
each other. Whether this will happen or not, I don’t know. Israel finds
itself on the front lines of this war. It needs the help of its sister
civilization. It needs the help of America and Europe. It needs the
help of the Christian world. One thing I am sure about, this help can
be given by individual Christians who see this as the road to
salvation.

This article is adapted from a lecture presented at the Feast of
Tabernacles Celebration 2001* by Professor Moshe Sharon. Sharon
received his Doctorate in Medieval Islamic History from the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem. He has served as an Advisor on Arab Affairs to
former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin as well as the Ministry of
Defense. Prof. Sharon is a former director of the World Zionist
Organisation branch in Johannesburg, South Africa and currently
lectures as professor of Islamic History at the Hebrew University.

Other on-line articles by Prof. Sharon:

· “Palestinian Ideology And Practice: 5 Years After Oslo” · Word
Wizards

Other resources on Islam:

· the Muslim-Christian debate website · Reaching out to Muslims

* Feast of Tabernacles Celebration 2001 was sponsored by ICEJ

This article is provided for information purposes only. It does not
necessarily represent the views of the MJAA

Moshe Sharon has studied Islam for 35 years, and he believes Americans
need to understand the fundamentals of the faith. “They ought to know
that Islam divides the world into two parts: one part that is already
under the rule of Islam, the other part which must come under the rule
of Islam in the future. And this can happen either if the rest of the
world, which is non-Islamic, succumbs to Islam or is conquered by
Islam.”

This division of the world was reflected within bin Laden’s recent
statement. He said, “These events have divided the whole world into two
sides. The side of believers and the side of infidels.”

International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues Young
Messianic Jewish Alliance Messianic Conference