Islam is not a religion of peace. Dialogue is useless unless the Quran changes.
NOV 30, 2018 4:26 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER
Pope Francis is not going to be happy about this. Here is an English version of an article from the Italian newspaper La Verità: an interview with a Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Mario Alexis Portella, who is apparently the only Roman Catholic priest in Italy who has the clearsightedness and/or courage to speak honestly about the jihad threat.
Those who do not dare speak about that threat are doubtless unaware of the bloody and unrelenting history of jihad, chronicled in detail here. That’s why they are so easily manipulated. Don’t be like them: arm yourself with The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS.
Interview with Mario Alexis Portella printed by the Italian newspaper La Verità on November 22, 2018
“I Have Seen the Massacres in Iraq and I Say: Having a Dialogue with Islam is Impossible”
The American priest speaks after having published a book Islam: Religion of Peace? The Violation of Natural Rights and Western Cover-Up on the “falsity” of the “religion of peace.” He says: “The violence is to be found in the pages of the Quran. There is no single authority who speaks for them, this facilitates the extremists.”
Interviewer Marcello Mancini
What type of dialogue can one have with those who want a woman, such as Asia Bibi dead — her crime offering a cup of water to other Muslim women?
It is not a dialogue with the religion but with those who speak for the religion. Ever since Ataturk eliminated the caliphate in 1924 many Islamists have taking advantage of the political vacuum to represent Islam in their own manner. Here is speak about heads of state, and above all the imams. Since there is no central authority representing islam altogether, it is difficult to individualize an interlocutor.
Islam is not a religion of peace, as sustained by many Muslims. How can it be that they command ferocious “holy wars” of conquest and terrorism that upholds “holy martrydom?” And yet, there is a “Western cover-up,” which you speak of in our book?
The cover-ups are for financial reasons simply because be so-called petrodollars take priority. Here one must see the profits to be gained from natural resources, such as gas. The Western reasoning is according to the realpolitik; the governments limit their rapport to that between states by which human rights are sacrificed. For example, Donald Trump criticizes Islamic religion that has generated terrorism but at the same time he sells arms to Saudi Arabia and Nigeria; these are two countries that systematically violate human rights not only against Christians but against their own peoples.
Fr. Portella, you’re an American and have been to Iraq. You have seen how much Christians are persecuted and churches reduced to nothing. What expectations to Christians have of us in the West?
From their side there’s a great disillusion because after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the American invasion, the West has left them in political state of anarchy. In diverse villages and cities where Christians still live, the Shi‘te and Kurdish militias—many of them sustained by Iran—are officially in charge of security but in reality do not provide it. Hence, Christins live in fear because they are harassed by Muslims who now occupy the posts vacated after ISIS. In fact, many priests are unable to dedicate themselves to their pastoral ministry because they are in a continual struggle with local government officials to defend the Christians.
We have set that Islam is a religion engaged in a holy war against the infidels. We are all infidels and we are in danger. And yet many apologists continue to justify islam and provide false stories.
One only has to look at the original Islamic texts that speak the truth; those texts however are ignored by scholars and activists who maintain that they are being misinterpreted by those who terrorism and the Islamization of the world. It is simply not true.
Father Portella, can you provide an example?
It suffices to read the content of along in the fifth verse of the named sura (the last fundamental chapter of the Quran) which indicates how Muslims are supposed to behave with Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims: And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give alms, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
You have said that it has been the weakness of the West is to have essentially stripped our rights of freedom of speech end of religion, categorizing anyone who questions Islamists’ intentions as an Islamaphobe.
Here it is necessary to distinguish a Muslim from an Islamist.The former is he who submits to the religion of the prophet Muhammed, while the latter is an intellectual, such as an imam who takes upon himself to speak for Islam. In practical terms, Islamists have infiltrated government posts and lobbyists, such as the United Nations, and from that strategic position they have been able to convince the heads of state through the soft law, to criminalize any sort of criticism against Islam. In this manner they can embed themselves in society even more.
Pope Francis has been accused by his critics for having betrayed the Church with Islam? What are your thoughts on that?
The pope has done very well to bring the gospel of Christ to the Islamic world, as his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II. Christianity, however, is based on the peace and love of God, while Islam justifies killing and war in its sacred texts. This makes it difficult individualize a constructive path with Muslims. It is more of a political problem than a religious one.
Francis, nevertheless, has invoked dialogue via a reciprocal understanding between Muslims and Christians. How can we then dialogue with those who do not speak the same language of peace?
The problem is with their representatives. When the Holy Father meets with certain individuals, such as Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Rector-Emeritus of al-Azhar University—the most prestigious university in the Sunni world—he cannot rely on what he says; he speaks of peace with him, but when el-Tayeb goes back to Egypt he says something else. President el-Sisi himself tried to convince el-Tayeb and the religious body of the Islamic world in 2014 to see and interpret the Quran in a historical context because Muslims cannot continue the path where they justify violence from the verses. But he was blocked by el-Tayeb.
Is there any type of credible outlook?
In order to have a reciprocal dialogue, it is necessary for the imams who sustain the words in the Quran in a fundamentalist manner to revise their book. Above all, they must correct the hadiths (the sayings and acts of the Prophet) which justify violence.
From what you have explained, I understand why the discourse of Pope Benedict XVI at Regensburg shook-up certain people. Ratzinger mentioned that Muhammad, early in his preaching of having allowed the freedom of choice. Once, however, he gained power, he used the sword to convert others. He was right.
The reaction to his discourse demonstrates that Islam does not tolerate any critical analysis.
Father Portella, what future do Christians have in Iraq?
The United States can still influence the political issues of the central government in such way that Christians can have the same rights as Muslims and Kurds. Having said this, even if Iraqi Christians do not trust the American government, they maintain great hope in their hearts. The decision of Trump to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal instituted by President Obama can be a way to constrain the Iranian regime. Pressure them even economically to the point that the militias they sustain lose their influence and stop persecuting Christians.
N.B. This interview was posted on Robert Spencer’s Jihad Watch blog on November 30, 2018.
Mario Alexis Portella is author of Islam: Religion of Peace? – The Violation of Natural Rights and Western Cover-Up
Book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
The Qu ‘ran cannot be changed and Islam can’t be reformed . It should be noted that Islam can’t be changed from violent and deadly to non –violent and peaceful because the very core essence of Islam is that of violence and killing. As found in the Quran 9:121, 5:33, 9:5, 111, 47:4. The very best that may be realistically hopped for would be a watered-down type of Islam is mild and non-violent.
This is in contrast to hard core Quran based Islam which is the violent and murderous Islam practice Muslim jihad terror organizations, as ISIS ,Al Qaeda , Hezbollah ,Hamas and so forth .
To put this in another way, the Bible informs its reader “What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered.” Ecclesiastes 1 :15. [N.K.J.N.] Therefore this verse may be understood when applying it to the idea of folly of “reforming Islam” As in, “What is crooked cannot be made straight in. “The violent nature can’t be straighten to be made non-violent” and “what is lacking cannot be numbered” may be understood as “Such a violent and hate-filled religion is lacking in love and compassion and thus can’t be numbered or counted as a truly peaceful religion.”
“Ali Muhammad Amir Abd’Allah Umar Salehi ibn Sina will certainly deny the truth of our recorded history of past 2000 years.”
If you mean with `our recorded history`, the history of the West then Santana Dharma did not play a significant role in it and it will probably not play a significant role in the future of the West. Islam tried but failed sofar and will fail in the future because the West is submitted to freedom.
I use the terms Muslim and Islamic interchangeably, even though they are distinct; here, I defer to Olivier Roy’s nomenclature. “Muslim” designates what is based on fact: a Muslim country is a nation in which the majority of the population professes to be adherents to Islam; a Muslim intellectual is an intellectual of Muslim origin and culture. The term Islamic instead refers to the result of an intention; an Islamic state is a nation that establishes its legitimacy on Islam, whereas Islamic intellectuals consciously organize their thoughts within the conceptual structure of Islam. The term Islamist signifies people who actively or passively support Islamic nationalism and a sharia-based society, whether through political or violent means.
So far as the “no compulsion” on religion, we all know that the Prophet didn’t observe. I ask, what is the problem in changing one’s religion if one is a Muslim, or if a Muslim stops practicing Islam? Does that mean he merits death as the Prophet called for.
There is also hate speech in the Quran: Indeed the faithless from among the People of the Book [Jews and Christians like myself] and the polytheists will be in the fire of hell to remain in it [forever]. It is they who are the worst of creatures. — Sura 98, 6
Ali Muhammad Amir Abd’Allah Umar Salehi ibn Sina will certainly deny the truth of our recorded history of past 2000 years.
But, “Denial” ain’t just a river in Egypt, as Mark Twain most famously said.
Islam and Christianism are inherently and essentially the same thing just like a rusted coin that has two vile sides as the following LINKS proves:
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6402535/Imam-recites-Muslim-call-prayer-Church-England-cathedrals-Armistice-concert.html
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6423517/Mosque-supported-Meghan-Markles-charity-cookbook-links-19-terrorists.html
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https://voiceofeurope.com/2018/11/spain-pakistani-migrant-punches-female-doctor-as-being-treated-by-her-is-against-his-religion/#.XAGlyKFAEYs.twitter
LINK
https://voiceofeurope.com/2018/11/the-swedes-become-second-class-citizens-as-migrants-receive-preferential-treatment-with-housing-and-jobs/#.XAGWQa9FAek.twitter
In this twenty-first century conflict between the Judeo- Christian West and the Islamic East which also has been termed “The war of Ideas” the West needs ideas for its very foundation and defense that is far superior to something as weak and worthless as just “opinion.”
What the West needs is wisdom. As the Bible instructs “Wisdom is better than strength.” Ecclesiastes 9:16. [N.K.J.V.] Likewise, this same book of the Bible also teaches in 9:18 “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.” Therefore, wisdom is in strong contrast to opinion. Also greatly opposed to wisdom is folly and deceit. As the Bible in Proverbs 14:8 informs the reader ‘The folly of fools is deceit.” The deception of deceit may be seen, by all those who are willing to see, in the Islamic doctrine of a virgin filled paradise designed specify for the male Muslim jihadist who dies in the jihad for the cause of Islam, in what they so inappropriately call a “martyrdom operation.” Many a times a jihadist/Muslim is so very deluded the he actually put on his video recording that after he dies in the jihad as a “martyr” he will then in paradise have a “wedding with virgins.” This firm but blind unquestioning folly is the result of such a man believing in deception of a false doctrine. With Light of the Wisdom of Jesus a belief in a “wedding with virgins.” is the outcome of a person accepting as the “truth” an invalid and false. For Jesus taught “you are mistaken, not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angles in heaven.” Matthew 22:29,30. A jihadist will after dies and such a murderous way will have a very hard and harsh “reality check” In that “his expectation will perish…” Proverb 11:7. For he will then discover that he was deceived by false doctrine and lie of “a paradise with virgins” and to his shock and horror he will find himself trapped and suffering ,with no hope of escape, in the fires of hell. As the Bible teaches a murder “will not inherit the kingdom of God,” Galatians 5:21. This is sad and tragic but nevertheless it’s the reality of the truth.
Regarding many of those Muslim migrants who have entered European countries and then show only contempt .dishonor and reproach towards the people of those Western nations who were kind yet foolish enough to allow them, those Muslim migrants to enter, invade, their home countries of Europe in the first place. This type of situation is f reflected in the Bible .Which reads “When the wicked comes, contempt comes also; with dishonor comes reproach.” Proverbs 18:3. [N.K.J.V.]
Furthermore, those jihadist Muslims with their Islamic way of thinking by their well thought Islamic schemes for the action of involvement in their violent and sheath jihad for the advancement of Islam in the many different Western nations. Those sly scheming jihadists are, somewhat, of a reminder of the information reveled in the Bible in Proverbs 15:26. In which the reader is informed that even “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord…”
Some responses to things that came up in Fr Portella’s interview.
1. I have never come across Fr Portella’s definition of an Islamist. In my understanding it refers to someone who wishes, at the very least, to see Islam play an important role in society and political arrangements and, at the most, to force Islam on non-Muslims and impose sharia for all. The opposite of an Islamist would be a “quietist” who is content to keep their religion personal. According to my definition, which I think is the conventional one, there are Islamist Muslims and Imams and quietist Muslims and Imams.
2. Has Pope Francis really brought the gospel of Christ to the Islamic world? If so it hasn’t had much effect. Christians are increasingly persecuted wherever there are Muslims and Christians together, especially in Muslim majority countries. I would say rather that he has helped to bring the hatefulness of Islam to the Christian world by constantly lobbying for mass Muslim immigration to Europe and to the US.
3. The chances of Muslims, especially without a central authority (as explained in the interview), changing any of their canonical texts are zero so shouldn’t we just drop the idea?
4. I think the verse “allowing freedom of choice”, 2:256 (“no compulsion in religion”) should not be taken at face value. It sits there all alone in the Koran surrounded by Allah’s promises to fry anyone who makes the wrong choice (are they compulsion or only “encouragement”?) and followed later by Mohammed’s very compulsory approach to the subject.
The context is supplied in Ibn Ishaq’s biography of Mohammed (part of the Sira, so also canonical):
Mohammed writes to the Jews of Khaybar calling them to Islam.
He says:
‘God says to you, O scripture folk, and you will find it in your scripture “Muhammad is the apostle of God”…’
and:
‘Do you find in what He has sent down to you that you should believe in Muhammed? If you do not find that in your scripture then there is no compulsion on you, “The right path has become plainly distinguished from error” so I call you to God and his prophet’.
Therefore the famous “no compulsion in religion” statement in Koran 2:256 is only conditional here, and since that condition has not been met (according to Mohammed) compulsion is not proscribed.
https://archive.org/stream/TheLifeOfMohammedGuillaume/The_Life_Of_Mohammed_Guillaume#page/n150/mode/1up