Beheading and Islam

With daily cases of infidels being beheaded by Muslims, it is worth asking whether this in fact is a Muslim thing, or simply an aberration. Western apologists for Islam like Obama and other dhimmi leaders will insist that this has nothing to do with the Muslim faith.

Indeed, it seems that just as we find gruesome examples of beheadings on a daily basis carried out by devout Muslims, so too we find daily denials by duped and deceived Western leaders that this has anything to do with Islam. Of course, failure to carefully identify the enemy is the first step to surrender and defeat.

Islam 98The truth is, the Koran has plenty of passages which speak to the need to slay the infidel. And some of these offer us more detail as to how this should be carried out. Here then are some of the more clear Koranic verses that dictate beheading kaffirs:

47:4: “Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), strike off their heads; at length; then when you have made wide Slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives”: thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens.”
47:4 “When you meet the unbelievers, strike the necks…”
47:4: “Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks…”

5:33: “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution [by beheading], or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter.”
5:33: Those that make war against God and His apostle and spread disorder in the land shall be slain or crucified or have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides…”

8:12: “I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off.”
8:12: “Terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur’an.”
8:12: “I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips o their fingers.”

As you can see, I have offered different translations here, since the various English translations can differ in varying degrees. And we must also bear in mind that the English translations can often be adjusted for Western consumption, downplaying some of the more damning bits.

But commands for beheadings are certainly found in the Koran. As Douglas Murray comments:

Now a lot of Muslims in my experience do not know such verses are there – they are as ignorant of the actual details of the Qu’ran as many Christians are of the contents of the Bible. Others simply deny it is there because they are taught about God as all-loving and all-merciful and they would rather ignore or deny that the same God seems both quick to anger and somewhat bloodthirsty afterwards. The extremists, on the other hand, know it is there, often cite it and believe they are doing what Allah has instructed them to do when they perform such savageries.

But of course it is not just the Koran which can be cited here. The sira (the authorised biographies of Muhammad) and the hadith can also be mentioned. As to the sira, we find it clearly stated that Muhammad both practiced and approved of such activities. Islamic expert Dr. Andrew Bostom explains:

According to the biography of Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Ishaq, Prophet Muhammad himself sanctioned the massacre of the Qurayza, a vanquished Jewish tribe mercilessly. Thus some 600 to 900 men from the Qurayza were led on Muhammad’s order to the Market of Medina. Trenches were dug and the men were beheaded, and their decapitated corpses buried in the trenches while Muhammad watched in attendance. Women and children were sold into slavery, a number of them being distributed as gifts among Muhammad’s companions, and Muhammad chose one of the Qurayza women (Rayhana) for himself. The Qurayza’s property and other possessions (including weapons) were also divided up as additional “booty” among the Muslims, to support further jihad campaigns.
The classical Muslim jurist al-Mawardi (a Shafi’ite jurist, d. 1058) from Baghdad was a seminal, prolific scholar who lived during the so-called Islamic “Golden Age” of the Abbasid-Baghdadian Caliphate. He wrote the following, based on widely accepted interpretations of the Qur’an and Sunna (i.e., the recorded words and deeds of Muhammad), regarding infidel prisoners of jihad campaigns:
“As for the captives, the amir [ruler] has the choice of taking the most beneficial action of four possibilities: the first to put them to death by cutting their necks; the second, to enslave them and apply the laws of slavery regarding their sale and manumission; the third, to ransom them in exchange for goods or prisoners; and fourth, to show favor to them and pardon them. Indeed such odious “rules” were iterated by all four classical schools of Islamic jurisprudence, across the vast Muslim empire.

And the hadith also concur. One of the most reliable and widely accepted collections is that of Bukhari. Let me cite just one, from “Military Expeditions led by the Prophet” (Bukhari, Book 5, Volume 59, Hadith 632):

Narrated Abu Burda:
Then he (i.e. Muadh) pitched a tent and they started visiting each other. Once Muadh paid a visit to Abu Musa and saw a chained man. Muadh asked, “What is this?” Abu Musa said, “(He was) a Jew who embraced Islam and has now turned apostate.” Muadh said, “I will surely chop off his neck!”

Also, it is not just Muslim leaders from centuries ago justifying this. They are still doing it, even today:

In a recent article, jihadi cleric Hussein bin Mahmoud, a prominent writer on jihadi forums, expressed support for the beheading of American journalist James Foley by a member of the Islamic State (IS). Bin Mahmoud wrote that beheading was an effective way to terrorize the enemies of Islam, and stressed that, under Islamic law, Foley was a harbi, i.e. a non-Muslim whose life was not protected by an agreement of protection. He argued further that Islam allows and encourages such acts, since it is a religion of war and fighting.

And in case you think this is just some extremist, unrepresentative of Islam, see my final piece of evidence. This chilling video shows that so-called moderate and mainstream Muslims seem to fully support radicalism in the name of Islam, including gruesome punishment and the death penalty: http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2014/02/13/what-normal-muslims-think-the-video-that-should-horrify-you/

Beheading then is not the belief and activity of Islamic extremists. It is basic Islamic belief (and practice).

http://islammonitor.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=1188
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/douglas-murray/2014/08/the-reluctance-to-talk-about-the-link-between-beheadings-and-islam/
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/08/muslim-cleric-justifies-islamic-state-beheadings-islam-is-a-religion-of-beheading?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=3b3c8949c2-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-3b3c8949c2-123470905

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20 Replies to “Beheading and Islam”

  1. If we want to be candid about it, beheading is no worse than the mutilations inflicted on human bodies by modern weapons e.g. cluster bombs and napalm. The real issue is the murder, not “execution”, of an American citizen by someone who seems to be a British citizen, someone corrupted by a religion that says it’s okay as long as the victim is an infidel. Of course the perpetrator might have had a criminal disposition to begin with. Militant Islamism does indeed seem to attract criminal types judging by the incidence of extortion, blackmail, sadism, kidnapping and murder.

    Speaking of sadism, when is the post-Christian secular West going to closed down its sado-masochism clubs and fairs? I am not suggesting of course that these playgrounds for the mentally disturbed are connected to the Islamist effort. But we do need to clean up our own backyard.

  2. Sorry John but your first line is just rather silly and unhelpful – a case of foolish moral equivalence. In times of war people will of course be killed and injured. However there is no religious sanction for any of that happening from those in the West. In a war, the object is to kill the enemy before he kills you. So a bomb may well cause various sorts of damage. Again, it has nothing to do with any religious commands. Beheading in Islam however has everything to do with the direct orders of Allah. That is the point of the article, so we should stick to that, and not raise needless red herrings.

  3. I was thinking of those who are horrified by decapitation in war or what is supposed to be an act of war. In war it gets far worse. The purpose of a red herring is to dodge an issue. Nothing is being dodged here. In fact I agree with the spirit of your essay but my comment might have been at a tangent..

    All Moslem regimes formally outlaw murder. The culprit should be brought to justice.

  4. Thanks John. But there of course are many tens of thousands of such culprits, and they are fully supported by their religion, so they will not likely be brought to justice in the Muslim world.

  5. Allah or Jesus?
    by Rick Mathes

    Last month I attended my annual training session that’s required for
    maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training
    session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman
    Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their belief
    systems.

    I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The
    Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a
    video! After the presentations, time was provided for questions and
    answers.

    When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked:
    “Please, correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that most Imams and
    clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the
    infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command
    to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If that’s the case,
    can you give me the definition of an infidel?”

    There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he
    replied, “Non-believers!”

    I responded, “So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of
    Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so
    they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?”

    The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to
    that of a little boy who had just gotten caught with his hand in the
    cookie jar.

    He sheepishly replied, “Yes.”

    I then stated, “Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope
    John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr.
    Stanley ordering Protestants to do the same in order to go to Heaven!”

    The Imam was speechless.

    I continued, “I also have problem with being your friend when you and your
    brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me. Let me ask you a
    question. Would you rather have your Allah who tells you to kill me in
    order to go to Heaven or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am
    going to Heaven and He wants you to be with me?”

    You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. !

    Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the ‘Diversification’
    training seminar were not happy with Rick’s way of dealing with the
    Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslim’s beliefs.

    I think everyone in the US should be required to read this, but with the
    liberal justice! system, liberal media, and the ACLU, there is no way this
    will be wid ely publicized. Please pass this on to all your e-mail
    contacts.

    This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well known leader
    in prison ministry.

  6. And remember what the fanatical, blood thirsty Muslim sect the Mahdi did to the non-conformist, abstemious God fearing General Gordon of Khartoum…in a frenzied few decades of terrorism in the Sudan? The movie starring Charlton Heston as General Gordan screened recently is worth revisiting.

  7. G’day Bill,

    I Googled ‘Rick Mathes’ and there’s considerable Internet discussion about this incident. Snopes urban legends site pretty well verifies the incident, though it presents some evidence that the Muslim was an inmate and not a Muslim. But it is interesting that Snopes (often quite balanced) then tries to justify Islam by attacking Christianity.

    Andrew Campbell

  8. Beheading seems a particularly horrifyingly barbaric act designed to strike fear into people and make a terrifying impression. I did not realise that it was outlined in so many Islamic texts as a command. This should be mandatory reading for everyone.

    Unfortunately most people won’t believe it until it’s too late.

  9. “Magor Misabib [Terror on Every Side]” [Jer 20:3] was Jeremiah’s prophetic nickname for the head of security at the Jerusalem Temple, a head of security who tried to silence God’s warnings of coming Babylonian atrocities in Judah.

    Decapitation was a form of capital punishment practised by the ancient Romans – hence the axe amid the staves central to the 20th-Century Italian Fascist insignia.

  10. John,
    Thanks, but I honestly get sick and tired of the ‘moral equivalence’ reply to the many outrages in our world today, especially in regard to Islam – and Muslims use this ploy time and again to ‘justify’ their religion’s atrocities.

    Three points can be made regarding this moral equivalence line:
    1. It is a logical fallacy, that called in logic ‘tu quoque’ (“And you too”), the attempted defence by the irrelevant counter-charge. Such a ploy, instead of facing the issue at hand, seeks to embarrass the objector by alleging hypocrisy, and ultimately is a form of ad hominem – denying the opponent the right to speak. I.o.w., “if you can’t refute him, at least shut him up!”

    2. It is a moral fallacy, seeking to put a deliberate atrocity on the same level as legitimate warfare. This is both ignorant and silly. On the latter, the aim of war is to DEFEAT the enemy and eliminate him, not merely give the same as you get in some sort of ‘tit for tat’ exchange. In the early 1800s the various coalitions sought to defeat Napoleon, not merely give the French what they had dealt out to the rest of Europe. In World War II the Allies sought to defeat Hitler and eliminate him from the world stage, not merely drop as many bombs on Germany as Germany had on e.g. Britain. In pursuing this goal there will of course be many casualties on both sides, and much collateral damage. But thankfully both Napoleon and Hitler were defeated.

    3. In the final analysis, the moral equivalence is a cop-out for saying and doing nothing. I see this on various blogs, whether in regard to Gaza, Islamic atrocities, persecution of Christians and other groups, etc. Time and again with these people, when challenged as to what they would do, they just hide behind the moral equivalence smokescreen, shrug their shoulders, and walk away. They have NOTHING of substance or sense to offer.

    So let’s have done once and for all with this specious resort, this refuge of funk!

  11. In the interests of accuracy, I don’t agree with Andrew Campbell’s comment that “Snopes urban legends site pretty well verifies the incident”. It agrees that the event took place, but says that the prison’s “volunteer coordinator” rejects that the actual exchange described by Mathes took place.

    I haven’t found Snopes to be balanced when it comes to Christianity, and prefer the Christian site, TruthOrFiction. That site, in line with Snopes, classifies that story as “disputed”, but without the attempt that Snopes makes to defend Islam and say that Christianity is no better.

    Here is my analysis:
    * Mathes says that the exchange happened (it is beyond dispute that he does say this), but won’t say where, because he fears retribution.
    * A reporter for the Lee News Service (which I know nothing about) claims to have found out which prison was involved.
    * That reporter quotes the Public Information Office of the Department of Corrections as saying that the Muslim wasn’t an imam.
    * That reporter also quotes an unnamed “Volunteer Coordinator” at the prison as disputing that the actual exchange described by Mathes took place.
    * Mathes has apparently not disputed that they have the right prison, so that is probably not an issue, although I did initially wonder if the differences in the claims could be because they weren’t talking about the same event/prison.

    So in this case, in the end it comes down to whether or not you are going to believe Mathes, who was there, or the reporter, who wasn’t, and the official he quotes, who wasn’t, and the anonymous coordinator whom the reporter says was there.

    By the way, Mathe’s rebuttal to Snopes can be found here.

  12. @John Snowden
    “Speaking of sadism, when is the post-Christian secular West going to closed down its sado-masochism clubs and fairs?”
    On this particular issue, I’m sad to say that we may only see this type of activity get further endorsed, especially with the ‘Fifty Shades’ movie coming out next year and early signs are that it’s going to be a big hit (meaning the public likes it and what is stands for). Brace yourselves for stormy weather ahead.

  13. Completely off topic but a warning to all parents.
    Publish at your discretion Bill.

    Tomorrow is ‘wear it purple’ day at many schools and students are encouraged to show support for LGBTI community by wearing purple.
    Last year I heard a report from a parent who said that the students who did not wear ‘purple’ on this day were harassed, humiliated and called ‘homophobic’.

    I just wanted to put out a warning to any parents who were unaware of this event in case your childs’ school is one of the 130 schools registered to be involved in this.

    If you want to know more, read about it here:
    http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/local-news/wear-it-purple-achieves-record-amount-of-support/127137

  14. Good article again Bill
    The biggest stumbling block in this huge ongoing atrocity is the teachings of quran itself. The be heading’s, the limb amputation’s, the raping of woman, the actions of the suicide bomber, etc are carried out by those who take & believe & carry out it’s teachings to the letter.
    No matter how many nice & commendable verses there are, these barbaric instructions are present & will continue to be carried out while there are those who take it word for word.
    Forgiveness & love for your fellow man who believes in anything different is simply not an option.

  15. “The biggest stumbling block in this huge ongoing atrocity is the teachings of the quran itself”.

    Ken. You took the words out of my mouth and I was about to post a similar comment. No matter how barbaric or beyond rationality the Koran is for most Moslems the very word, and therefore instruction, from the prophet.
    No doubt also that the murderous acts done in the name of Islam has a “good works” element added, so that the Koran drives its adherents to ever more fanaticism with the empty hope of reward in heaven.
    Thus the norms of civilised discussion, reason, or dialogue are all closed off in such intolerance, and the potential for another random act of violence or death such as Lee Rigby (London murder) or a journalist anywhere in the ME is always a fearful possibility.
    Graham Wood (UK)

  16. I am at present, reading the excellent book by Brigitte Gabriel “Because They Hate”. The first half is about her life in Lebanon as a Lebanese Christian and how from the age of 10 until 17 she and her elderly parents lived in a bomb shelter. Her Mother was injured during a bomb attack, and Brigitte and her Mother were eventually taken to an Israeli Hospital – there she found a loving and caring environment – this part of her story actually reduced me to tears (and I’m pretty hard hearted). The book gives a very insightful view of Islam and life in the Arab world. It is well worth the read.
    Joan

  17. I read the link in its entirety and it’s chilling reading.

    Trying to recruit people to sign the petition against Halal certification, I received a message from a friend saying he couldn’t sign the petition as the Muslims are vindictive enough and computer savvy enough to track us down and he couldn’t take that risk.

    I read in that link above that this happened to ” an Egyptian Coptic family in New Jersey after the father had angered Islamists with Internet chat room criticisms of Islam”

    Every day brings more news of their evil deeds.

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