The True Voice of Islam

True Islam is not a religion of peace. It is a violent ideology.
Those who have studied the Qur'an, and those who teach from it, know this to be true.

After the recent bombings in London, Tony Blair (talking about terrorism and "this evil ideology") was reported as saying:
"It will not finally be resolved until it is dealt with in every community in which it is incubated because this is what happens with young people getting indoctrinated into what is an extreme and poisonous version and perversion of the religion of Islam."
It was also reported that there would be "talks with other nations on how to mobilise the moderate and true voice of Islam."

So just what is the true voice of Islam?
What is the "perversion" to which Tony Blair was making reference?

I believe the denial that "the true voice of Islam" is violent and extremist, and it's description as a "perversion of Islam", is in fact a very dangerous myth.

The truth about Islam needs to be recognized and dealt with by Muslims themselves in much the same way that an alcoholic cannot start the road to recovery until he recognizes and admits the real facts of his alcoholism. Anything less amounts to a cover-up.

The surah (verses) of the Qur'an were "revealed" to Muhammed over the space of just over 22 years. For the first 12 of those years Muhammed lived a relatively peaceful life in Mecca while attempting to persuade Jews and Christians to convert to his newly founded religion. A few did, but most saw his revelations as false doctrine and were not interested.
As resistance to his efforts mounted, Muhammed moved to Medina and his revelations became less and less friendly towards "the People of the Book" (Jews and Christians).

In Medina Muhammed became an aggressive and power-hungry warrior, amassing an army of followers, ambushing and fighting, raping, murdering and plundering Jewish tribal communities, taking their women and children to sell as slaves, slaughtering all who refused to convert to Islam.

The Qur'anic surahs of the Medina period reflect this violence and hatred and mission to kill all infidels who refused to submit, nonbelievers set destined to experience the sword of Islam.
These later surahs commit all true Muslims to take over the world with Islam, annihilating all nonbelievers who resist this evil ideology.
This is the true voice of Islam.

Correctly interpreting the Qur'an

How are the peaceful surahs of the Mecca period to be reconciled with the violent ones of the Medina period?
How are the contradictions to be interpreted?

Here is an example of two contradicting surahs, the first from the Mecca period, the second from the Medina period:

Surah 2:256 Let there be no compulsion in religions: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever reject Evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things.

Surah 9:5 Kill the Mushrikun (pagans) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush.

Surah 9:5 contradicts Surah 2:256.
However, the contradiction is explained by another revelation.

Quoting again from the Qur'an:

Surah 2:106 Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things.

This verse says that Allah causes some parts of the Qur'an to be abrogated. Abrogate means "to abolish by authoritative action, " "to treat as nonexistent" or "to nullify." These "abrogated" verses are replaced by verses that are "better" or "similar." This is known as the principle of "nasikh".
The practical application of this principle is that where there is a contradiction between two verses in the Qur'an, the newer revelation overrides the previous revelation. The new cancels the old.

So you can still read the words, "There is no compulsion in religion," in the Qur'an, but they no longer have authority. This verse has been mansookh (canceled) by revelations that come later.

The principle of "nasikh" means that Allah led Muhammad in a progressive revelation and nasikh is widely accepted in Islam—Sunni and Shias accept this principle.
The only way you can interpret the Qur'an is to accept nasikh.
You can't just choose the verses you like and discard the ones you don't like.
That is not true Islam.

The Practice of "taqiya" ("al-taqiya" or "taqaiyya")

This is also called kitman. It means "holy hypocrisy" whereby lying is condoned to hide malevolent intent. By exercising kitman a Muslim may conceal his true intentions in the interests of progressing the cause of Islam.

Islamic universities and imans in their mosques teach that the ultimate goal expressed in the Qur'an is world domination with Islam as the sole religion.
Such a goal will be strenuously denied to hide the true nature of Islam, but it is written in the Qur'an and it is taught as true doctrine.
Where Muslims are in the minority they are to practice kitman in order to get on with their neighbours.
Many Muslims actually prefer to live peaceably and lead ordinary lives, uncommitted to jihad (holy war) and the Medina surahs. They choose to follow the Islam of the Mecca period, ignoring the principle of nasikh, and are often labelled apostates by their more devout brothers. These Muslims show the face of Islam to be the peaceful religion that they sincerely but wrongfully claim it to be, and in doing so help to give confusing messages regarding the real voice of Islam.

As the number and strength of devout Muslims build, and their leaders find greater opportunities to influence, there will be increasing pressure applied to all Muslims to practice their faith fully and become organized to take up the call to physical jihad.
The sword of Islam is to be felt by all nonbelievers, and for Muslims, to die in jihad is to be received immediately into Paradise with it's promised eternal carnal rewards.

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My source for this knowledge comes from Dr Mark A. Gabriel.

Mark Gabriel (not his original Arabic name) was born into a Muslim family in Egypt and could quote the entire Qur'an by the age of twelve. His entire childhood education was in Muslim schools and his doctorate degree in Islamic history and culture is from Al-Azhar University, the source of spiritual authority for the Islamic world.
For 34 years Mark Gabriel was immersed in the Islamic faith and life.

Mark Gabriel's authentic and weighty credentials are:
Bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in Islamic History and Culture from the prestigious Islamic Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, graduating second in his class of six thousand students for his bachelor's degree.
He was one of the youngest lecturers ever hired at Al-Azhar University.
He started lecturing after he finished his master's degree and was working to finish his doctorate. The university sent him as a travelling lecturer to countries around the Middle East to lecture in Islamic history.
He also served as the imam at a mosque in the Cairo suburbs.
When Gabriel began questioning the Qur'an he was kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured by the Egyptian Secret Police, denounced by his own family who attempted to kill him, and was forced to flee to South Africa.
Later Gabriel (who abandoned his Arabic name for his personal safety) became a Christian and pursued a Christian education which included: Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission in Cape Town, South Africa; Master's degree in World Religion from Florida Christian University in Orlando, Florida (2001); Doctorate degree in Christian Education from Florida Christian University in Orland, Florida (2002); Induction as a fellow in the Oxford Society of Scholars, September 2003.
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A sensitive perceptive response to the terrorist bombings of September 11th, 2001:
Ravi Zacharias: Steadying the Soul While the Heart Is Breaking