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Myth: Islam is a tolerant faith
Jews and Christians - goes the PC line - lived in harmony with Muslims during the era of the great Islamic empires of the past. When jihad terrorists bombed Madrid on March 11, 2004, commentators reminded the world that when Muslims ruled Spain, it was a beacon of tolerance, where Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived side by side in harmony. This unquestionable dogma of Islamic tolerance has important political implications. It discourages anti-terrorism investigators in Europe and America from monitoring activity in mosques. It helps perpetuate the mistaken notion that Islamic terrorism comes from political grievances and socioeconomic imbalances. European government with rapidly growing Muslim populations use it to reassure themselves that in old Al-Andalus, Islamic hegemony wasn't all that bad.
The Qur'an calls Jews and Christians "people of the book"; Islamic law calls them dhimmis, which means "protected" or "guilty" people, the Arabic word means both. They are "protected" because as people of the book they have received genuine revelations (the "book") from Allah and thus differ in status from out-and -out pagans and idolaters like Hundus and Buddhists. Historically the altter two groups have been treated even worse by Islamic conquerors, although as a practical matter their Muslim masters ultimately awarded them dhimmi status. Jews and Christians are "guilty" because they have not only rejected Muhammad as a prophet, but have also distorted the legitimate revelations they received from Allah. Because of that guilt, Islamic law dictates that Jews and Christians may live in Islamic states, but not as equals with Muslims. The caliph must :make jihad against those who resist Islam after having been called to it until they submit or accept to live as a protected dhimmi-communit - so that Allah's rights may be exalted, 'be made uppermost above all other religions (Qur'an, 9:33).
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