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Oct, 26, 2002
Islam needs to change. It cannot live with
itself, it cannot live with its neighbors and it doesn't belong or
function even passably well in the modern world, one that is much more
than ever built on and must function through rapid change. For these
reasons and more, this is why I would argue that your approach is superior
to any others I've yet seen, including that of governments and the UN, as
you so eloquently argue. You therefore should and really must be
considered a prime candidate for funding and economic support. Your
whole basic approach as well as philosophy is one in which you neither try
to appease evil nor do you advocate strictly a war policy or approach, but
instead focus the overwhelming amount of your efforts and attention on
education and open dialog between all parties, in a really broad-based,
open-minded, and often scholarly manner, one that is literally proving
itself with each new day as the model to follow. Who could argue with
that?
...
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Oct, 25, 2002
Dear Dr. Sina,
I am an Iranian and I 100% agree with you. I used to
think very much similar to you even before reading your site.
I think you are doing a great job. But do you really
believe that we can see our beloved Iran as a non-Islamic country one
day?
Best Regards and hope that you succeed in your great
mission for Iran.
anonymous! Kaveh
Ahangar
Dear Kaveh,
I do not “believe” I know!
Actually I see our country freed from the claws of Islam in my own
lifetime i.e. if I die by natural death and not assassinated. Believe me
my friend; despite its bluster Islam is extremely vulnerable. It survived
only by suppressing the voices of dissent brutally. But that power is
taken away from it. Today we are questioning the tents of Islam and
shaking the foundation of the beliefs of millions of its adherents. The
days of the glory of this hate mongering cult are over. Its demise is fast
and certain.
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Oct,
20, 2002
I can't help thinking how much easier it would have
been had you became a Christian, ...donations would have been through the
roof!
Dear C.
Yes you might be right. But I
am not doing this for money. My only goal it to convince the Muslims that
Islam is not true and hopefully stop them, from unknowingly supporting
terrorism through their zakat. I am sure that as long as Islam is
strong terrorism won't end. It is a religion that thrived only through
terrorism. By our modern standard Muhammad was indeed a terrorist. But
terrorism like any other cause needs funds. If the average Muslim do not
pay to the Mosques there would be no funding to support terrorism. If you
could substitute the oil from Islamic countries with other alternatives,
these countries will soon sink into abject poverty and that would also put
an end to terrorism.
A Christian site will not have
the same effect that FFI has. FFI is impartial. It is not preaching
any religion. We do not have hidden agendas. We leave Muslims free to
choose any religion that they like. Our message is simple: "Islam is
bad for you". And it is bad for the world. I think this is the only
approach that would make Muslims listen without shunning us just as
another competitor. There has been a lot of mudslinging between the
Christians and the Muslims for centuries; so much that it is almost taken
for granted. When a Christian preacher says Muhammad was a terrorist,
everyone condemns him of bigotry and racism. Can they accuse me of that
too?
If the Christians could really
see the impact of FFI on Muslims, they would support it and would
make it grow. Billions of dollars are donated to the churches. What is the
result? But with almost no funding, FFI has been able to make a real
contribution in influencing thousands of Muslims. After
Muslims leave Islam, the Christians or anyone can preach them their
religion. I am not promoting a substitute to Islam. That is why I think
people of other religions should help this site. I am doing 90% of the
work for them. :) I
personally do not need any religion, but many ex-Muslims do.
This
site is making a difference. No wonder it is banned in Saudi Arabia and
some other Islamic countries. A cousin of mine, who himself up until three years ago was a
Muslim, was quite amused the
other day when an Iranian friend of him dragged him to his computer,
gleefully opened this site and said, "Here! This is the site
that you have to read if you want to know the truth about
Islam".
The U.S. is now the most horrible place on earth to
live, especially if you live in the East!
Anyway, it was getting bad for a long time I had noticed, but now, it's
absolutely horrible.
But now, oh, after the attacks, nothing will ever be the same, and now of
all things, I have to worry about a darn sniper, I was coming out of the
store tonight and walking with my son to the car in the parking lot and I
had to wonder about a sniper! Who in the world would have ever worried
about something like that?
Yes it is scary and it is going
to get worse. I said this three years ago and unfortunately I was proven
right. You cannot fight this terrorism unless you fight the ideology
behind it. I am afraid there is no other way. If the Americans think that
by expending billions of dollars their government is capable to stop
terrorism and protect them, I am afraid they are kidding themselves. Read
my lips. Islam must go or the world shall never see peace. How many more
lives should be sacrificed before the world wake up and listen?
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Oct,
19, 2002
Dear Ali Sina,
Thanks for your reply. When you get a chance, tell me
more about yourself, when you left Iran
a 3-line (or more) description of yourself I can use to introduce
you. I think your articles speak for themselves, and believe me, they are
incredibly powerful. I want to be able to introduce you to my readers. I'd
also like to give a sense of why you left other professional pursuits to
spend so much time on Islamic scholarship? I know you've written about
this elsewhere, but what motivated you? Why not just keep silent, stick to
your job and your family?
Thanks and regards,
K.T.
Dear K T
I cannot answer your questions
in three lines :). What I can do is to send you my testimonial that is
going to appear in the upcoming book of Ibn Warraq. It is called “Why I
Left Islam” and I believe this is going to be also the title that Ibn
Warraq has chosen for his book. That book would be a compilation of
several testimonials of different ex-Muslims and mine is one of them. It
(my story) is over 10,000 words. I hope it will answer your
question.
Now as for the three-line
introduction of myself I will jot down a few words and will send it to you
with my next email. But it would help if you tell me what information you
want me to include in it.
Also I thank you for
introducing me to your readers. Of course that is what I need most. This
message must reach a billion Muslims. Most of them are wonderful human
beings who would not hurt anyone and do not want but to have good
relationship with the rest of humanity. However, they do not know that
just by being part of a gigantic terrorist organization called Islam, they
are helping the cause of terrorism. Therefore getting this message to them
is vital and urgent. I cannot do that alone. We need to create a network
of support. Through this site and its forum I have found a good number of
dedicated people with the same sense of mission. What is taking form is
actually a movement; a movement that is destined to usher the Islamic
world into a new phase of its existence; a phase that can only be compared
to the European Renaissance.
This is a unique opportunity.
This change, this renaissance is inevitable. After 1400 years of
oppression, only now, technology is making this change possible. These
thoughts are not new. Freethinkers in Islamic countries have thought of
them since the beginning of Islam. But they did not have the means to get
their message across. Their pens were broken, their books were burned and
they were boycotted and persecuted. But now things are different. Today we
can carry this message to the masses and defy death. With this, that
ideological and social revolution is bound to happen.
I want to be part of that. I am
not heralding anything nor I am pioneering this revolution. The awakening
of the Islamic world is bound to happen. Millions of Iranians have already
wakened up and this number is on the rise.
It is our duty to share our experience with the rest of humanity.
Iran has always been the trendsetter in the ME. This time too, we are not
going to fail our historic responsibility. In the midst of this dark night
of terror and confusion, I see the morning star. And I know the night of
ignorance is over and the dawn of liberation of Muslims from the yoke of
Islam is in the horizons.
Now you know why I quit my
profession to dedicate myself to this cause. It is a chance I could not
afford to miss. Also the consequences of not facing the threat of Islamic
expansionism is so life threatening that we cannot afford to not take
action. Islam has the potential to cause far more danger than Nazism and
communism combined.
Kind regards
Ali
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Oct,
19, 2002
I
think that it is really brave of you to reveal the truth about
Islam. I really admire you for it. Thank you for pointing all
of this out for me. I have found a lot of it fascinating.
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[email protected]
Oct,
17, 2002
Ali,
I
just have a quick question for for you. I myself am very interested in
religious studies. I want to know your background of education? Do you
have a degree, masters or PHD? I am currently studying western religions,
and I have for many years now. As I browsed through your site I caught
many errors, this is what sparked my interest of where you have learn your
knowledge on Islam?
Sincerely,
Ashley
K. H.
Dear
Ashley
I
have a doctorate in a technical field. That is why I never use my title
when I am on line. Some Iranian friends who knew me personally started
calling me with my title and now others are doing it too. I prefer to be
called just by my name because I realize some people; especially Muslims,
think I am trying to establish some sort of authority by calling myself a
doctor. My field of study has nothing to do with theology, or philosophy.
So there is absolutely no use for people to know I hold a doctorate when
that is irrelevant to our discussion of Islam. My interest in Islam picked
after I read the Quran in Arabic with the help of its English translation.
I started to talk about it a couple of years later when I could
emotionally sever myself from It. Then in the process I started reading
the Hadith, and the history of Muhammad that I had very little knowledge
of prior to that.
As
for "many errors" that you caught in my writings, would you
kindly tell me about them so I can correct them?
I
hope to receive a response from you.
Regards,
Ali
Sina
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Oct,
16, 2002
Dear
Ali Sina -
Although
I don;t normally send E mails around the internet I feel morally bound to
write to you and commend you firstly on your moral courage in facing up to
a religion in which you were raised and secondly on your physical courage
(knowing how strict Muslims treat apostates).
Of
course I do not agree with everything on your site. I could argue against
your rather sterile materialist interpretation of existence, but you are
right - right to the nth degree - to point up the horrors at the heart of
Islam.
I
was brought up in a Christian culture. From that context
I woudl make the following comments:
1.
"Christians" - depsite the feelgood message of the New
Testament - have been responsible for some of the worst all time
atrocities e,.g. second world war when about 50 million died. Also
Christans (like Muslims) enslaved millions of Africans and subjected many
millions more to a second calss colonial status.
2.
Not all religions are of equal value and not all trends within each
religion are of equal value. I woudl say that it is just as difficult for
a true belieivng Orthodox Jew to have liberal and democratic ideas as it
is for a true belieivng fundamentalist Muslim. Even a fundamental
Christian woudl have problems with such concepts. However it is clear that
Liberal and Reformist Jews and progressive Chrisitians cope quite well
with the modern world. So do progressive Hinuds and Buddhists. In fact
Buddhists are probably best placed of all followers of religion to cope
with the modern world. The quesiton is then - coudl one have a
progressive, reformist Islam. On that I thin you are bit unduly
pessimistic. Clearly there are "Muslims" who have very
progressive beliefs. It is not impossible. Islam can simply be
retianed as a traiditonal frmaework for the rites of passage in the same
way that people in the West often use Christianity for rites of passage.
All we need are more progressive Muslims.
You
don;t seem to solicit financial donations - but where can we send money to
support your endeavours?
David
Field
Dear
David,
Of
course I do not expect everyone think like me or agree with my points of
view. Firstly because it makes my writings superfluous and secondly
because it would be a boring world when people say, yes I know that, as
soon as you open your mouth and try to show off how intelligent you
are.
But
the answer to your objection is not difficult. You seem to believe that
since the Christians also committed many crimes there is little difference
between Islam and Christianity. Well, I disagree. Obviously Christians did
a lot of wrongs but can you find any verse in New Testament that would
justify those wrongs perpetrated by the Christians? Can you show me one
case where Jesus ordered killing someone? Muhammad waged hundreds of
offensive wars, massacred innocent people and took their property and
enslaved their wives and children. Not a single war fought by Muhammad was
defensive. It is a lie when Muslims tell you the contrary. Each and every
war fought by Muhammad was offensive.
Jesus
is reported to have said, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the
first stone” when an adulterer was brought to him. But in an identical
situation Muhammad ordered the offender of the religious law to be stoned
to death. I think Christ is more a myth than real, but he was a superstar
saintly person. Even if he is a myth, he is a good example. Muhammad on
the other hand was an evil man in the true sense of the word. No my
friend, I am afraid Islam cannot be reformed. This becomes clear to anyone
who reads the Quran and studies the history of Muhammad.
You
asked whether it is possible to have a progressive, reformist Islam. I
answer that with a rhetoric question: “Is it possible to have a pacifist
Nazism?” Violence is part of Islam. Islam cannot survive without
violence just as you don’t have chicken soup if you without the
chicken.
You
wrote, “There are "Muslims" who have very progressive beliefs”.
That is absolutely true. But those Muslims’ progressive beliefs have
nothing to do with Islam. The more a person thinks Islamic, the more
primitive is his thinking. So what you say is not reforming Islam but
diminishing it. Islam cannot be reformed. Your only options are to
diminish it or to eliminate it. I prefer total eradication.
As
for donations, I thank you for the offer. Yes I do have a donation button
in the “How
to Help” page of this site. But of course, it does not seem to be a
favorite page. It is one of the less visited pages of this site.
:)
.
Kind
regards
Ali
Sina
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Oct,
14, 2002
Ali,
I've enjoyed your website. Let me first say I'm a follower of
Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. Although we disagree on
certain viewpoints because of that, I feel at ease to express that on
your site.
Like you, I've been absorbed in critiquing Islam. Before 9/11, I
knew little of Islam nor did I think much about it. After 9/11,
that changed. At first I defended Islam, believing Osama to
be a fringe lunatic that warped the Muslim faith. Later, I
saw TV clips of Middle East folks waving a banner that said something to
the effect of "Think, America! Why does the world hate
you?" As perplexed and incensed as I was about that, I said
to myself, "Okay, fine, I'll do just that." So as
requested, I thought....studied...researched. I read numerous
Internet articles, magazines, newspapers, and books from all
religious and political perspectives, talked with Muslims, checked out
Ahmed Deedat videos and books (btw, my jaw dropped at his
"addresses problem of surplus women" answer explaining
why Muslim men can have more than one wife), attended lectures, visited
mosques, talked with and emailed non-Muslims from Malaysia and Pakistan,
etc. I've been aware and agree that America isn't always right and
often puts its interests first with less regard
for others. But neither can I name any country who
doesn't put their interests before others. Islamic
countries are no different in their self-serving ways. Iraqi
dissident and ex-Muslim Kanan Makiya himself stated on PBS'
Frontline that Islam drove those planes into the WTC. I
believe any attempt to explain it politically is simply a red
herring, self-served. From all this, my conclusions about
Islam changed and are now the same as Maikya's and yours.
I spent some time in an Islamic web forum, where it felt a
little lonely debating with Muslims about 9/11 and the
"conspiracy theory" posts that abounded there.
It bothered me that hardly any Muslims questioned the uneasy aspects of
their faith in light of 9/11. Your site has reassured me that
there are many who have, even before that horrible day.
I know dogmatism. My faith was once powered by it. It does
this no longer. Over the years, critical thinking has happily
reworked, recalibrated, and strengthened my faith. Many
Christians do welcome critical thinking. Even for those who don't,
they typically don't hurt or put a bounty on the heads of those who
do. The Bible even contains questionings and criticisms towards
God and does not always offer neat answers as some would like, which
draws me to study its teachings even more.
I'm surprised how it's been more than a year and I'm still very
consumed with scrutinizing Islam. I think it's ironic to hear
some Muslims (including Osama) rave about all the
"conversions" to Islam that have happened since 9/11
(nauseously implying that such a horrific event was needed to
generate "revival"). Not only do they discount how many
may have left or are secretly doubting Islam since, as you've mentioned,
but they also overlook how many new, strongly-critical opponents of
their faith they have, such as myself, who otherwise wouldn't be
spending the time challenging its tenets publicly....not out
of anger or hate, as some would say, but out of sheer survival
instinct. After all, the Quran is telling Muslims to have the
likes of me dead. Oh, I've been "converted" alright, but
not the way Muslims prefer. And they have 9/11 to thank
for that.
In one of your articles, you wrote...
"How could so many intelligent Germans follow an insane
man such as Hitler? How about Iranians falling under the sway of
Khomeini or Soviets hailing Stalin? Perhaps a sociologist can answer
that question better."
Actually, there was a social psychologist who did just that in the early
1960's. His name was Stanley Milgram. His findings are very
compelling, thought-provoking, and chilling, especially the films
recording his experiments. I think every person, religious or not,
should read about his work. It was very instrumental in
challenging my thought processes about everything, not just my faith.
Below are some links on Milgram's work that would be worthwhile to have
on your site....
I've learned that every philosophy, theory, worldview, and way of
thinking can have holes poked through them....yours, mine, Muslims,
humanists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, atheists,
kafir.....everyone. I say, poke away! :)
-sy
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Oct,
08, 2002
Dear Ali,
I have just discovered your website.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere admiration
for your efforts and the energy you have focused into this cause. I hereby
pledge my support and wish you all the very best in what you are
doing.
You are a beacon of light and a voice to all those (especially the
women and children) who are suffering immensely.
You are the people's hero!!
Kind regards,
Dale P.
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Oct
01, 2002
Dear Mr. Pipes:
Im writing to you over serious concerns that I have where I
believe that you might have inadvertently mislead people to believe
that what you describe as "militant Islam" is in fact some
rare, violent strain of Islam when in fact this is not true.
You have stated:
"...The enemy is militant Islam, and the policy goal should be to
weaken militant Islam and strengthen moderate Islam...[sic]"
This is not true and the truth concerning Islam needs to be told
and not sacrificed on the altar of political correctness, and that is
that the enemy itself is in fact Islam. There is in reality no
difference between what you describe as "moderate" and
"militant" Islam.
What you describe as "militant"
and "moderate" versions of Islam is in fact
misleading. These "militant Muslims" as you describe them
are in the real and true Muslims. You are mistaken if you
believe that there exists a peaceful, tolerant or moderate version of
Islam. No such thing exists in Islam. Of course there are
people who call themselves Muslims who are peaceful, tolerant and
moderate, but this has absolutely nothing to do with Islam. These
people are tolerant and peaceful to the same extent that they are not
Muslims and do not live by the teachings of the Quran. To make
matters worse, these (non practicing Muslims) will be the first ones to
tell you this.
Like John Walker Lindh, I to travelled the world seeking the truth about
Islam, I studied for years before finally converting to
Islam and eventually taught in Madrasahs before coming to
grips with myself that I had made a terrible mistake.
Mr. Pipes, I am an American citizen living overseas (in Southeast
Asia) and a member of a growing movement of ex-Muslims who
have a story to tell, the true story of Islam and what the
West is facing in confronting Islam as it truly is, a
theocratic form of government which presents a greater threat to
democracy and freedom than communism ever did.
I would be happy to hear your comments on this and would
be perfectly willing to openly debate you on this matter because I
truly believe that truth regarding Islam needs to be understood and
unveiled.
I look forward to your reply.
Kind Regards,
F. S.
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