Islamic Tolerance: What does Koran say about Non Muslims?

We often hear and see Muslims and their apologists making statements or writing in news papers wanting us to believe that Koran guides Muslims to respect people of other religions and their belief systems. We have seen even one Bollywood star making a claim that he himself read Koran and it prohibits killing of innocent people. (Please remember and note that Islamic dictionary has its own definitions for words like peace, tolerance and innocence.) They even say that Islam means ‘peace’ trying to put a kinder, gentler and tolerant decorating cloth, that is not existent, over their Islam’s dreaded, inhuman and barbaric ideology. Nothing is further from truth than this kind of statements by Muslims.

First, Islam means ‘submission’ not ‘peace’. The Arabic word for peace is salaam. It just happened that both words ‘Islam’ and ‘Salam’ have same root word ‘silam’ (SLM). The Koran it self says this.

003.019,YUSUF ALI:  The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.

Now if Koran really tells Muslims to respect and tolerate others religions, one thing that really should reflect immediately in our mind is why all Muslim majority states declare themselves as Islamic republic (in some cases Kingdom) or have Islam has official religion. In fact only Muslim majority states formed an organization solely based on religion, which is OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries). Some Muslims academics and apologists might say this kind of declaration or acts is just symbolic and is of no significance or of little significance. But a cursory look at these Islamic countries simply negates their claim. Take Saudi Arabia; it does not even allow kafirs to set their foot in the so called holy cities. In fact laws in Islamic countries prohibit Muslims to convert to other faiths but allow, actually encourage and support even to the point of using violence and coercion as means, non Muslims to convert to Islam. This is the main reason why population of non Muslims is dropping at alarming rates in Islamic states.

To be honest, no religion in their holy scriptures says other religions should be respected but they also do not say anything that could be regarded as violent and disrespect (contempt) towards others. In fact they do not talk about others and do not divide the humanity in to two groups. So if Koran tells Muslims to respect others it must be unique. But its uniqueness lies in the fact that non Muslims will only find Koran filled with verses commanding Muslims to fight non Muslims until they are subjugated.

Sure, Koran has lot of written (reveled must be the accurate word) text related to non Muslims (Kafirs). To be precise 61% of text in Koran is about non Muslims (Kafirs). You see now, Koran has more lines for Kafirs than lines for describing and preaching religion (spiritual aspects) to Muslims. In this vast text related to Kafirs one will only find hatred, hostility, incitements to Muslims to violence against Non Muslims, and dreadful curses. One will find verses devaluing and dehumanizing Kafirs, excoriating non Muslims (Kafirs) and sanctioning different (inferior and in human) treatment to Kafirs. It even sanctions bestial like status on Mon Muslims. One will only find Koran lavishing praise on Muslims and condemning Non Muslims (Kafirs). For all this Allah’s word in Koran I am sure ‘respect’ or ‘tolerance’ is not a word for description. The statements like ‘Islam respects every one’ and ‘Islam prohibits use of violence against non Muslims except in defense’ are just pretensions. And finally, with theology based on this kind of loathsome description of Kafirs I can not see how Muslims can claim this Islam to be tolerant or the religion of peace.

• Koran says Muslims and Non Muslims are not equal; Muslims are better than every one else.
• Koran compares Non Muslims to Animals.
• Koran prohibits friendship between Muslims and Non Muslims.
• Koran says deeds of Non Muslims do not matter and they all burn in Hell for eternity and even gives graphical details of the punishment in Hell.
• Koran says Allah does not love Non Muslims and He curses and hates them..

By any measure or standards this sort of Koranic message, as it is presented in above 6 sections(links) can only be called as invective or vitriol against Non Muslims. In our every day language it is nothing but hate speech from the view point of Non Muslims and those who have conscience; and finally this message as presented above only strengthens the argument that Islam completely dehumanizes and devalues the adherents of other faiths. Why? Because Islam fanatically assumes that it is lone truth and it alone has the right to exist and rule eventually. This kind of assumptions is not inclusiveness but fascistic and imperialistic. 

Given the fact that this kind of dehumanization and devaluation of Non Muslims is coming from Allah, how are Muslims, who read and believe this kind of message as it exists in Koran, supposed to interact with Non Muslims?

Muslims attitude of claiming superiority, arrogance and indifference to others and their sufferings in general reflects this kind of Koranic message and vice versa, it is this kind of Koranic message that explains the acts, attitude and behavior of Muslims with respect to infidels, which in turn are causes for discord and conflict, not the stated discrimination or oppression.