Wafa' Sultan's Lies Refuted

by

Bassam Zawadi

It seems like one individual by the name of Wafa' Sultan has been gaining some popularity.

 http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/DenisSchulz60323.htm

http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/BarbaraStock60321.htm

http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/MonaCharen60318.htm

http://opinionated.blogsome.com/2006/03/15/wafa-sultan-2/

http://neo-neocon.blogspot.com/2006/03/another-changed-mind-dr-wafa-sultan.html 

because of a debate that she had with some Muslim clerics.

Wafa' Sultan said:

Why does a young Muslim in the prime of his life, with a full life ahead, go and blow himself up? How and why does he blow himself up in a bus full of innocent passengers?

My Response:

Indeed, what could provoke a person to do such a thing? Is it hate? Is it insanity?

What would you do if someone made your life a living hell by destroying the house that you live in and killing your loved ones? See the horrible life that the Palestinians are going through because of the Israelis. (http://palestinevideos.com/) 

Maybe Wafa' Sultan could tell us what provoked Baruch Goldstein to commit that horrible massacre against the Palestinians. Maybe Wafa' Sultan could also tell us why he was honored for doing so. 

Goldstein's tombstone reads:

Here lies the saint, Dr. Baruch Kappel Goldstein, blessed be the memory of the righteous and holy man, may the Lord avenge his blood, who devoted his soul to the Jews, Jewish religion and Jewish land. His hands are innocent and his heart is pure. He was killed as a martyr of God on the 14th of Adar, Purim, in the year 5754 (1994). (Source) 

"One million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail." (Rabbi Yaacov Perrin, Feb. 27, 1994 [N.Y. Times, Feb. 28, 1994, p. 1], Cited here) 

Maybe Wafa' Sultan could understand the anger of Palestinians when she sees how Israelis humiliate them. http://www.revisionisthistory.org/palestine46.html

Maybe Wafa' Sultan should also have asked what provoked these soldiers to make a total disgrace out of the prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison (see here)

Wafa' Sultan said:

It was these teachings (referring to Islamic teachings) that distorted this terrorist and killed his humanity. It was not (the terrorist) who distorted the religious teachings and misunderstood them, as some ignorant people claim. When you recite to a child still in his early years the verse: They will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off," regardless of this verse's interpretation, and regardless of the reasons it was conveyed or its time- you have made the first step towards creating a great terrorist (bold emphasis my own)

My Response:

Wafa' Sultan is saying that the interpretation of the verse and the context for when it is revealed is irrelevant! What kind of scholarship is that? She does not even quote the verse in full. Here it is.

Surah 5:33

The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom; 

So you can only do this to those who wage war against Islam and those who do corruption in the land. Not to any innocent person! 

Surah 2:190

Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loveth not transgressors. 

Surah 60:8

"God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers.    

It is forbidden to kill innocents. Read these two articles for further proof:

http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/did_prophet_muhammad_kill_innocents.htm

http://www.answering-christianity.com/karim/no_killing_of_civilians.htm

 Why doesn't Wafa' Sultan apply this same criterion to the Bible as well? Let's take a verse from the Bible out of context:

Matthew 10:34

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 

So, according to Wafa' Sultan's logic, the interpretation and context of this verse are irrelevant! The Jesus of the Bible is a violent man! 

This just goes to show how ridiculous Wafa' Sultan is. Why doesn't she go around condemning all the violent passages found in the Bible, such as: 

1 Samuel 15:2,3

2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy [a] everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' " 

Numbers 31:17,18

17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. 

Deuteronomy 20:16

16 However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 

Read more about terror in the Bible here. 

Wafa' Sultan said:

The crusaders wars about which the professor is talking about- these wars came after the Islamic religious teachings, and as a response to these teachings. This is the law of action and reaction.

My Response:

How dare Wafa' Sultan even try to defend the Christian Crusades. They were butcherers.

THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM.

Resting at Antioch for the remainder of the summer and early fall, the Crusaders set out on the final leg of their journey in late November 1098. Now they avoided attacks on cities and fortified positions in order to conserve their forces. In May 1099 the Crusaders reached the northern borders of Palestine; on the evening of June 7 they camped within sight of Jerusalem's walls.

The city was at this point under Egyptian control; its defenders were numerous and well prepared for a siege. The Crusaders attacked briskly. With the aid of reinforcements from Genoa and newly constructed siege machines, they took Jerusalem by storm on July 15; they then massacred virtually every inhabitant. In the Crusaders' view, they purified the city by washing it in the blood of the defeated infidels. (The Christian Crusades And Inquisitions, Source)

 Read more about the slaughter that resulted from the crusades here.     

Also, compare the treatment of the Christians to the Muslims when they conquered Jerusalem and the treatment of the Muslims to the Christians when they recaptured Jerusalem. 

The Crusaders' committed horrible atrocities, raping, murdering and plundering Jews, Muslims and other Christians en route to Palestine. When they reached Jerusalem in 1099, blood flowed freely. Jews fled to a synagogue and Muslims to a mosque. Crusaders burned the synagogue, killing about 6,000 Jews, and stormed the mosque, butchering an estimated 30,000 Muslims. They left a legacy of fear and contempt in the Muslim world. (http://www.probe.org/content/view/114/162/) (Rusty Wright, "Christians to Muslims and Jews: "Crusades Were Wrong", Probe Ministries, Source)

Soon Saladin had taken back almost every Crusader city. He recaptured Jerusalem on October 2, 1187, after 88 years of Crusader rule (see Siege of Jerusalem). Only Tyre held out: Saladin had allowed the remnants of the Christian armies and people to escape there, and the city was now commanded by the formidable Conrad of Montferrat. (Source: Wikipedia)   

This is an excellent article about the truth of the Christian Crusades. 

Wafa' Sultan said:

The Islamic religious teachings have incited to the rejection of the other, to the denial of the other, and to the killing of the other. 

My Response:

I strongly advise everyone to see the Islamic teachings that "call for the rejection of the other," according to Wafa' Sultan. 

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap028.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap031.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap033.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap040.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap041.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap042.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap045.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap048.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap071.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap072.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap073.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap075.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/00/chap078.htm

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/riyad/06/book06.htm 

However, Wafa' Sultan does not have a problem with the Jewish portrayal of Gentiles in their scriptures (read here). She is even more than happy to accept an invitation to Tel Aviv. Indeed, she is just a hypocrite whose agenda is to hurt Islam, and she is just looking for fame. 

Wafa' Sultan also claims to be an atheist; what does she think about the Apostle Paul invoking a curse on people like her? 

1 Corinthians 16:22

If anyone does not love the Lord-a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! 

Wafa' Sultan said:

Have they (the Islamic teachings) not incited the killing of Jews and Christians? 

Can you explain to me the killing of a hundred thousand children, women and men in Algeria, using the most abominable killing methods? Can you explain to me the killing of 15,000 Syrian civilians? Can you explain the abominable crime in the military artillery school in Aleppo? Can you explain the crime in Al-Asbaqiya neighborhood of Damascus, Syria? Can you explain the attack of the terrorists on the peaceful village of Al-Kisheh in Upper Egypt, and the massacre of 21 Coptic peasants? Can you explain to me what is going on in Indonesia, Turkey and Egypt, even though these are Islamic countries which opposed the American intervention in Iraq and which don't have armies in Iraq, yet were not spared by these terrorists? Can you explain these phenomena, which took place in Arab countries?

Wafa' Sultan does not even condemn Jewish terrorist organizations...

My Response:

Wafa' Sultan does not even condemn Jewish terrorist organizations:

http://atheism.about.com/library/world/AJ/bl_IsraelTerror.htm

http://www.photius.com/countries/israel/national_security/israel_national_security_jewish_terrorist_org~8771.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kach

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Defense_League 

What about the Jewish massacres of the Muslims?

http://www.pnic.gov.ps/arabic/quds/eng/general%20report/quds_e_infring1.html 

What about the Christian terrorist organizations?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_terrorism#List_of_Christian_Terrorist_Organizations

What about Christian massacres of Arabs?

During the 1982 Lebanon War, while Ariel Sharon was Defense minister, the Sabra and Shatila massacre took place, in which between 460 and 3,500 Palestinian civilians in the refugee camps were killed by Lebanese Christian forces under the command of Lebanese Maronite Phalange militia. (Source: Wikipedia) 

What about the Christian massacre of the Muslims in Bosnia and Chechnya? Did Wafa' Sultan forget about those? 

As for the Quran inciting hate towards Christians and Jews, read the following articles:

http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archives/2005/insights-into-sura-at-tauba/

http://www.call-to-monotheism.com/is_the_jizya_tax_oppressive__ 

Wafa' Sultan has a problem. She is judging Islam by its misguided followers. There are over 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. Why does she only focus on the few thousand who are misguided and not talk about the peaceful 1,499,990,000? Should we also judge Christianity and Judaism by their misguided followers? It's like me judging a car by its driver. It's absolutely illogical.  

Wafa' Sultan said:

Why doesn't he (the Islamic cleric) talk about the Muslim conquests that preceded all the wars he was talking about? Why doesn't he mention Tariq bin Ziyyad entered Andalusia with his armies, he said to his people: "The sea is behind you, and the enemy is in front of you"? How can you storm a peaceful country, and consider all its peaceful inhabitants to be your enemies, merely because you have the right to spread your religion? Should religion be spread by the sword and through fighting? 

My Response:

It seems like Wafa' Sultan does not know history that well. She does not realize the fact that the Muslims invaded Spain to protect the people from their violent leaders who were oppressing them, and the Muslims freed them from the oppression and allowed them to practice their religion freely. The people of Spain even wanted the Muslims to conquer Spain and rule over them! Please read the following: 

In Ceuta, Visigothic rivals of Roderic gathered along with Arians and Jews fleeing forced conversions at the hands of the Catholic bishops who controlled the Visigothic monarchy. (Source: Wikipedia)

·         February 715 - Musa ibn Nusair Governor of North Africa entered Damascus with the Visigoth kings and princes and for the first time hundreds of western royalty and thousands of European captives were seen offering homage to the commander of the believers In Damascus. Musa the Conqueror of North Africa and Iberia ended up as a beggar in a remote village in Al-Hijaz. His son Abd Al-Aziz was announced first Amir of Andalus and married the widow of King Roderick, Egilona Balthes. Seville became the Capital.

 Some claim that he was invited to intervene by the heirs of the Visigothic King, Wittiza, in the Visigothic civil war. (Source: Wikipedia)

 Taken from http://www.hispanicmuslims.com/andalusia/andalusia.html: 

Another theory for the occupation by the Arab Muslims of Spain is that because of their persecution, the Jews called upon their contacts in North Africa, who in turn encouraged the able Arabs to capture Spain. This allowed the Almoravids and the Almohads to establish themselves in Spain. (Vernet, Juan. Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Abrams, 1992) Nevertheless, without a doubt, the Jews supported and welcomed Muslims in Spain because they were great beneficiaries under Muslim rule. (Burckhardt, Titus. Moorish Architecture in Spain. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1972.) 

Muslims entered Spain not as aggressors or oppressors, but as liberators. In this multicultural society, many Jews and Christians held government positions. Moreover, the Golden Age of Jewish history is in fact known as the period of Muslim rule in Spain. Islam allowed the Jews to flourish in Spain, with the example of the renowned philosopher Moses Maimonides, (Musa ibn Maymun) who wrote Guide to the Perplexed. "Judaism probably welcomed the conquest of Spain by the Muslims in 711. With the Muslim conquest began a Golden Age of freedom and tolerance for Jews. They freely entered the fields of government, science, medicine, and literature." (Hopfe, Lewis. Religions of the World. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998) Spain was home to by far the largest and most brilliant Jewish community in Europe; elsewhere, the Jews were hounded and persecuted. Although non-Muslims paid more in taxes than the Muslims, it was by far less than any previous government had imposed upon them, especially Roderic's. In addition, it obviously wasn't much of a burden, however, since non-Muslims freely opted and longed to live under Muslim rule.

"Throughout the period of Islamic rule, Al-Andalus was a remarkable example and outstanding model of tolerance." (Benchrifa, Mohamed. The Routes of Al-Andalus. http://mirror-us.unesco.org/culture/al-andalus/html_eng/andalus2.htm) We fail to remember that the tolerance the Muslims, in accordance to their faith, displayed towards the Jews and Christians enabled them all to live together in relative peace and harmony, an indication of the Greatness of Islam, without question. No where else has there been so long and so close of a relationship between the 3 Great faiths. All Jews and Christians were allowed to maintain their beliefs and live their lives as they desired as long as they respected their Muslim rulers. "Some Mozarabs took issue with the tolerance Muslim authorities displayed toward them and the Jews, a tolerance based on two Qur'anic verses: "No compulsion is there in religion" (2:256) and "If thy Lord had willed, whoever is in the earth would have believed, all of them, all together. Wouldst thou then constrain the people until they are believers?" (10:99)..."  (Vernet, Juan. Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Abrams, 1992) As a result of the compassion Islam displayed towards the non-Muslims inhabitants, many of them embraced Islam. Many accepted Islam simply because Islam provided a superior, healthier way of life at a time when the social system was in rapid decay. (Thomson, Ahmad. Blood on the Cross: Islam in Spain in the Light of Christian Persecution through the Ages England: TaHa Publishers Ltd, 1989) Unfortunately, religious tolerance was never a virtue in Christian Europe, as in the example of Charlemagne. (Shubert, Adrian. The Land and People of Spain. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992) And so, the peace exhibited under Muslim rule did not continue after the last of the Muslim rulers was defeated in 1492.

In a time of tranquility and justice, the Christians have never been compelled to renounce the Gospel and to embrace the Qur'an." (Gibbon, E. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) 

This is contrary to the Christian treatment of the Muslims when they invaded them in Spain:

Isabella, in her fierce quest to eradicate Islam from Spain, issued forth decrees of mass conversions in her 'Holy War' ** against the Muslims. Muslim prayers were forbidden and mosques in their original splendor were destroyed and converted into churches. (Hasan, Khola. The Crumbling Minarets of Spain. Saudi Arabia: Abul Qasim Publications, 1991) Muslims were converted to Christianity, who were usually insincere Christians fearing for their lives, but remained Muslim by heart. They too, called "Moriscos" were soon to be expelled, in 1605, because they weren't accepted as real Christians, and certainly weren't allowed to live as Muslims and embrace Islam openly. (Thomson, Ahmad. Blood on the Cross: Islam in Spain in the Light of Christian Persecution through the Ages England: TaHa Publishers Ltd, 1989) 

Thus, Muslims do not blame Judaism itself for injustices committed by Jews against Palestinians. Nor do they blame Christianity per se for the crimes committed by Church-sanctioned medieval Crusades; for atrocities committed during the conquest of Spain by Christian armies and the subsequent persecution and expulsion of Muslims; nor for the horrors of the Inquisition, the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre or any number of similar tragedies. (Mohammed Al Masry, "Viewpoint: History dispels the lies about Islam", Middle East Times, March 13, 2006, Source)  

Wafa' Sultan said: 

The idealism of American society was enough to allow me to realize my humanity. 

My Response:

What idealism? The idealism to have the freedom of speech to abuse and humiliate people on public TV? (late-night talk shows) The freedom to invade people's private lives? (Paparazzi) The freedom for women to dress up half-naked and walk down the street? What American idealism allowed you to realize your humanity that is not found anywhere else?

Wafa' Sultan said:

Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 America was founded in 1776 approximately 300 years later. You cannot blame America - as a constitution, a regime, and state for killing the Indians.

My Response:

So I decided to be a gentleman and kindly show Wafa' Sultan the massacres after 1776:

        (Source: Wikipedia) 

So yes, America is not perfect and was responsible for these massacres. Does that give us a right to go and condemn all Americans as being savages, just like how you hypocritically judge all Muslims based on the actions of the misguided people? 

In another debate Wafa' Sultan said: 

The Jews have come from the tragedy (of the Holocaust), and forced the world to respect them, with their knowledge, not with their terror, with their work, not their crying and yelling. Humanity owes most of the discoveries and science of the 19th and 20th centuries to Jewish scientists. 15 million people, scattered throughout the world, united and won their rights through work and knowledge. We have not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant. We have not seen a single Jew destroy a church. We have not seen a single Jew protest by killing people. The Muslims have turned three Buddha statues into rubble. We have not seen a single Buddhist burn down a Mosque, kill a Muslim, or burn down an embassy. Only the Muslims defend their beliefs by burning down churches, killing people, and destroying embassies. This path will not yield any results. The Muslims must ask themselves what they can do for humankind, before they demand that humankind respect them. 

My Response:

I have already shown the chaos that the Jews have caused the Arabs since they invaded Palestine. They left their holocaust and now they are starting one against the Arabs. So what if the Jews have contributed to the world, does that mean they have a right to go and kill innocent people? What else have they invented recently? What else has America invented recently? I know, they invented nuclear weapons and more weapons of mass destruction used to kill people. This is what they have invented. 

Let's also not forget the Muslim contributions to the world. 

Taken from http://www.hispanicmuslims.com/andalusia/andalusia.html: 

The Muslims played a principal role in the history of Spain. Their presence illuminated the Iberian Peninsula while the rest of Europe was engulfed in darkness. And so, Andalusia produced a great civilization far ahead and advanced than the rest of Europe. Under their rule, Muslims made Spain a center for learning and knowledge. The Muslims were taught reading, writing, math, Arabic, Qur'an, and Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad PEACE BE UPON HIM), and became leaders in math, science, medicine, astronomy, navigation, etc. Al-Andalus became renowned for its prosperity as people who quested for knowledge journeyed from afar to learn in its universities under the feet of the Muslims. As a result, Andalus gave rise to a great many intellectual giants. Muslim Spain produced philosophers, physicians, scientists, judges, artists, and the like. Ibn Rushd, (Averroes) Ibn Sina, (Avicenna) Ibn Zuhr, (Avenzoar), Al-Kwarizmi, (Algorizm) and Al-Razi, (Razes) to name a few, were all Muslims educated in Andalus. 14 Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, was also educated in Andalusia. It is from the Andalusian philosophers, Ibn Rushd, and Ibn Sina that great renowned Christian men like St. Thomas Aquinas borrowed their philosophies. Both St. Thomas Aquinas and Dante called Ibn Rushd or "Averroes" the "The Commentator" and incorporated the views of Muslims. Through the works of Aristotle, Ibn Rushd reconciled reason with religion. However, Aquinas attempted to refute Ibn Rushd's ideas because they placed a great deal of emphasis on human reason over faith, which were a "threat" to Christian beliefs. 15 Interestingly enough, Thomas Aquinas described Arabs as "brutal men dwelling in the desert." Dante himself was familiar with Muslim figures. It is reported by countless historians, including William Phipps, in his book, Muhammad and Jesus: A Comparison of the Prophets and their Teachings, that the theme of Divine Comedy was inspired by the mi'raj or ascension of the Prophet (PEACE BE UPON HIM) into heaven from upon the rock which today sits below the dome of Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. 16 Roger Bacon, another individual who refrained from describing Arabs and Muslims in kind words, consulted Ibn Sina's (Avicenna) work. Ibn Sina's work, Al-Qanun, (Canon) the widely studied medical work was used in European Universities for over 300 years, and formed half the medical curriculum. 17 In any case, the list of contributions from the Andalusian Muslims is endless.

The Islamic civilization had reached its peak in the 10th century, and by 1100, the number of Muslims rose to 5.6 million. 18 There existed in Cordoba alone, 200,000 houses, 600 mosques, 900 public baths, 10,000 lamps, 50 hospitals, lighted and paved streets. Muslims introduced public baths because of their need to to wash in preparation for prayer 5x a day. Libraries and research institutions grew rapidly in Muslim Spain, while the rest of Europe remained illiterate.

In Muslim Spain, knowledge from Greece and Rome was preserved. Arab scholars produced encyclopedias on medicine and astronomy in 11th century, also including astrology, psychology, zoology, biology, botany, chemistry, physics, mathematics, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, etc., which Christian scholars acquired and translated. Toledo thrived essentially because of its Muslim rule, and became the "cradle of learning," and the chief point of interaction between the Muslims, Christians and Jews. Western scholars traveled to Spain and Sicily to learn Arabic and to make transcripts of texts in Latin. Muslims produced cotton, paper, salt, silk, satin, pepper, stamps, clocks, soaps, rulers, maps, globes, furs, velvets, described over 200 surgical instruments, and named over 200 stars with Arabic names. Hence, it was this Islamic civilization in Spain that was the main threshold behind the European Renaissance. During the time the Muslims set foot in Spain in 711 until 1084 (a year before Toledo was taken) Muslim Spain had become an area unique to the entire world.

The Muslim artisans applied their remarkable skills to architecture in making mosques (masajid) and palaces. The Muslims mastered technique and design. The Alhambra Palace, and The Great Mosque of Cordoba, are just two of the famous magnificent architectural masterpieces of the Muslims which can still be seen today. Of the Alhambra, it is called, "a utopia, the brightest memory of a lost golden age of pleasure, poetry, tolerance, art, and learning." 19 One Muslim poet wrote:

"A sun dwells in this place and even its shadow is blessed.
In this palace a multitude of pleasures capture the eye and suspend the intellect.
Here a crystal world teaches marvels.
Everywhere Beauty is carved, opulence is manifest."

The Islamic architecture in Spain is elaborate and decorative with intricate designs. Stone, and stucco, plaster for coating exterior walls, were widely favored. Later, brick replaced stone. 20 The "Mezquita" or The Great Mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra of Granada are two Islamic monuments that utilize this design. There are, however, not many examples of Islamic architecture remaining today in Spain because many were destroyed or converted from mosques to churches when Muslims were later exterminated (officially) in the year 1492 and beyond. The Alhambra is the only palace left nearly intact and preserved of all the Muslim masterpieces in Spain. 21

Narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA), the Prophet Muhammad (PEACE BE UPON HIM) said: "Whoever creates a living image in this world (i.e, human, animal) will be charged with putting a soul in it which he will never be able to do."

Muslim artists were prohibited from making images of living things so that they could concentrate on the oneness of God. Paintings of inanimate objects, trees and flowers were permitted. Islamic ideology teaches that the making of images can lead to idolatry. It can also lead to praising of one's own work, which does away with humility and humbleness, important virtues stressed in Islam. Inevitably, it leads to one's neglect of the remembrance of Allah, and one's neglect of the fact that it was Allah who gave the artist the talent from birth. It is also rivaling with Allah Himself who is the sole creator of the Universe and its inhabitants. Though many of Muslims therefore abstained from painting figures of people and animals, Islamic art was far from lacking beauty. Muslim scribes in Spain developed calligraphy into art form. Islamic art is known for its repetitious patterns, a constant reminder of the uniqueness of God. 22 Calligraphical, floral, arabesque, and geometric designs flourished in the Muslim world. 

14. For a list of bios of outstanding Andalusian intellectuals visit: Muslim Scientists and Islamic Civilizations. http://users.erols.com/zenithco/index.html. By Dr. A. Zahoor.
15. Shubert, Adrian. The Land and People of Spain. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992.
16. Chejne, Anwar. Muslim Spain: Its history and culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1974.
17. Saud, Muhammad. Islam and Evolution of Science. India: Adam Publishers & Distributers, 1994. and Vernet, Juan. Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Abrams, 1992.
18. Harvey, L.P. Islamic Spain: 1250-500. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
19. Barrucand, Marianne. Moorish Architecture in Andalusia. Italy: Taschen, 1992.
20. King, Geoffrey. Architecture of the Islamic World. London: Thames and Hudson, 1978.
21. Rodriguez, D.C. Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Abrams, 1992.
22. Grabar, Oleg. The Alhambra. Massachusetts: Harvard University, 1978.

 You can also hear Jamal Badawi's lectures. 

·  Dr. Jamal Badawi - Economic System Of Islam - Muslim Contribution To Astronomy & Chemistry (www.aswatalislam.net).mp3

Download

3.44 MB

·  Dr. Jamal Badawi - Economic System Of Islam - Muslim Contribution To Mathematics & Physics (www.aswatalislam.net).mp3

Download

3.39 MB

·  Dr. Jamal Badawi - Economic System Of Islam - Muslim Contribution To Medicine (www.aswatalislam.net).mp3

Download

3.40 MB

·  Dr. Jamal Badawi - Economic System Of Islam - Muslim Contribution To Other Field I (www.aswatalislam.net).mp3

Download

3.50 MB

·  Dr. Jamal Badawi - Economic System Of Islam - Muslim Contribution To Other Field Ii (www.aswatalislam.net).mp3

Download

3.49 MB

 

Which could be accessed here http://is.aswatalislam.net/DisplayFilesP.aspx?TitleID=2029&TitleName=Jamal_Badawi

You can also visit http://www.muslimheritage.com/ 

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Wafa' Sultan holds no water in her arguments against Islam. Every herd has its bad sheep. She cannot go around judging Islam based on its bad sheep. Because then we would have to judge all religions this way. She has an agenda; her agenda is to discredit Islam at all costs. Wafa' Sultan is an ignoramus; if she wants to gain some respect, she could start presenting good and sincere arguments and not commit logical fallacies, misquote passages, and lie about history. She shouldn't speak out of ignorance even if she weren't lying intentionally.

 

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