“The Prophet said, ‘War is deceit.’” (Bukhari 4.52.269)
“Grand Imam Lectures Francis On ‘True’ Islam,” by Jules Gomes, ChurchMilitant.com, November 4, 2022:
MANAMA, Bahrain (ChurchMilitant.com) – The grand imam of Al-Azhar offered a robust defense of “true” Islam before Pope Francis at the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue on the first day of the pontiff’s apostolic journey to Bahrain.
“What is said and promoted from time to time about the institution of war in Islam against the infidels is not true,” Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb told Francis at the Sakhir Royal Palace during a dialogue session on Friday.
Apologia for Islam
“Indeed, it is a real lie about Islam and the life of its prophet, even if this is affirmed by some followers of the same religion, a religion that is based on evidence and testimony, not on ambiguity and lies,” al-Tayyeb claimed.
“I hope you are not bored with the constant claims that Islam is a religion of peace and equality,” the grand imam quipped.
Muslim scholars should “be diligent in letting Westerners know about true Islam,” and “continue to highlight what Islam encompasses in terms of lofty ideals, human brotherhood and cooperation, and other commonalities that the West and East agree on and welcome,” al-Tayyeb stressed.
“Western culture should not be represented as the only civilized society and as the standard for judging other cultures. Any interference with other cultures is an abuse of power,” he maintained, quoting words from Tzvetan Todorov’s The Fear of the Barbarians.
“The West needs the wisdom of the East, its religious and moral values upon which its people were raised, as well as its balanced view of man, the universe and our Creator,” in order “not to be blinded by putting the ephemeral before the eternal,” the sheikh noted.
While Pope Francis did not make any explicit reference to the Triune God or the Holy Bible, the highest-ranking cleric in the Sunni-Muslim world introduced and ended his address with an Islamic blessing and unapologetically quoted the Quran several times in his text.
“If Allah had willed, he could have made humanity one people” (Quran 2:256), al-Tayyeb preached, noting that God created man “free and capable of choosing belief, religion, ideology and doctrine.”
“If it is natural for people to differ in beliefs, it follows that they must be free to choose any faith,” for “Allah says that ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ (Quran 2:256), the grand imam argued. Allah also tells his prophet, “So, [O Mohammed], would you like to force people to become believers?” (Quran 10:99)
“What is the relationship between people according to the philosophy of the Quran?” al-Tayyeb asked. “The only way to make this relationship work is knowledge, which is how Allah has established the interactions and relationships between people.”
“The Koran says it clearly: ‘O humanity! Indeed, we created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may get to know one another. Surely, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware,” (Quran 49:13) the grand imam stated.
Deceptive Dialogue
In comments to Church Militant, renowned Islamic historian and author of 22 books on Islam and the Middle East Robert Spencer explained how “al-Tayyeb’s exposition of Islam is highly inaccurate and misleading.”
Spencer, author of the recent bestseller The Critical Quran: Explained from Key Islamic Commentaries and Contemporary Historical Research, elaborated:
Among the many salient Quran passages al-Tayyeb does not quote is “Fight them until there is no more persecution and religion is all for Allah” (8:39), which is an open-ended declaration of war against unbelievers, and “Muhammad is the apostle of Allah. Those who follow him are ruthless to unbelievers, merciful to one another” (48:29), which belies his claims about peace and knowledge guiding relationships between people.
Spencer lamented the futility of Catholic–Islamic dialogue, observing how “al-Tayyeb’s statement demonstrates yet again that for all too many Islamic leaders, if not all, interreligious dialogue is a vehicle for dawah, Islamic proselytizing, not genuine give-and-take.”
The scholar of Islam also compared the grand imam’s open apologia for Islam to Pope Francis’ reluctance to mention Jesus or the Bible:
He quotes copiously from the Quran, while Francis fastidiously refrains from quoting the Bible, showing once again how one-sided this “dialogue” really is: The self-abnegation and deference is all on the Christian side, while the Muslim side retains a resolute self-awareness and doesn’t move toward the other side even an inch.
“Even if he knows how deceptive al-Tayyeb is being, which he almost certainly does not, Francis wouldn’t dream of contradicting him publicly or asking him any pointed questions. He willingly and happily plays the useful idiot and dhimmi,” Spencer lamented….
Barbara says
If Islam is so equality oriented why are the women of Iran being tortured to death for not wearing a hijab?
Why is it allowed for the morality police to murder women?
Walter Sieruk says
It might be worth mentioning that only a few years ago on Conservative talk radio some guest scholars had been speculating on a theory that higher up Roman Catholic clerics at the Vatican had started to take into consideration that Pope Benedict XVI was too strong when it came to the subject of Islam. So those Vatican knowing how very violent with bombs and other deadly devises might become offend by some of the statements thta Pope Benedict had had said , So they began to worry that some jihadists might start bombing churches, cathedrals monasteries and shrines of the Roman Catholic Church.
Therefore, they pressured Benedict to resign and then they replaced him with a pope who is very favorable towards Islam. That man is Pope Francis.
somehistory says
When reading this kind of filthy balderdash from one of the mozlum creeps, Simon and Garfunkel always begin going around in my brain (The Boxer) singing the chorus loud and clear.
Of course, his kissy-face cousin won’t call him out, but will let the lies stand. False prophets, both of them. “Misleading and being misled.”
tim gallagher says
This bullshit that we hear about islam being peaceful (what is it, 270 million people that islam has so far murdered in its evil 1400 years of existence) seems to mean that one day,when everyone has caved in and submitted and joined islam, then there will be peace. As if. Muslims still fight one another endlessly over who is the purer type of muslim. As for equality, what a load of bullshit that is. Women are supposed to be worth half what a man is in islam. Not much equality there. And anyone who is not a Muslim is treated as very much second rate, so equality and islam definitely do not go together. Lying, in the way this scumbag is doing, is very much a major aspect of islam. Muslims are pathological liars. If they are addressing non-Muslims, then they are lying any time that their lips are moving. Unfortunately, some people do actually buy their lies.
Dano50 says
The reason people are so STUPID about “Islam is a religion of peace.” is because nobody ever brings up, “DEFINE PEACE.”
Pretty much the entire world’s definition of “peace” is “There will be no hostilities between us.”
ISLAMS definition of “peace” is, “You will only be at peace when you submit to the will of Allah.”
In other words, there will never be peace between two factions, until there is only islam.
Crazy thing is, muslims can’t even agree on what is truly islam.
So you know, even if the whole dang world was muslim, they’d still find something to BITCH about.
tim gallagher says
I agree with what you say. Dano50. Islam is and always has been about as far away from peace as any ideology ever has been. I think that many of the people who do buy the Muslim bullshit about islam being peaceful do just want to take the easy path by refusing to face up to reality and so they tell themselves that islam is peaceful and stick their heads in the sand and go on living a peaceful life for a while longer. What people need to do is face up to the reality that islam is vicious and murderously violent, always has been and always will be, and shut islam out of all non-Muslim countries. Islam brings nothing but trouble wherever it goes. As you say, I’m sure that anytime a Muslim mentions “peace” that Muslim is only thinking that, once everyone has given up the fight and become a Muslim, then there might be peace. I always assume that these Muslim spokesmen are lying. Lying is just about all they ever do
James Lincoln says
Dano50,
Yes, that is how I understand islam’s definition of “peace”.
GreekEmpress says
My ancestors learned all they needed to know about “true Islam” fighting Muslims and fleeing Anatolia.
And there has been a lot of corruption and infiltration in the Roman rite of the Catholic Church from what I’ve read lately. So Pope Francis does not surprise me any more.
spiro2 says
I only hope the Greeks and their church wake up by before it’s to late
I’ve been to the island a few times visiting inlaws
Such a beautiful place
Scotsman48 says
Bahrain is THE most boring country in the entire World, and I have been 50 of them, including Bahrain where they roll up the Sidewalks at 8pm each night, everything closed up.
Bahrain has a Law on its book that makes it ILLEGAL for a non muslim to use the word allah as that word can ONLY be used by muslims and so Im guessing that the wee Popey idiot knew that and so didnt mention that allah and his faith are one.
Lets not forget that this Pope fella lives behind a massive Wall built to keep out the islamic warriors that tried to conquer him and his gang of fools centuries ago.
I never trust a person who speaks for god as this god is a voice created inside the mind of the person and now they are asking this voice for guidance. THATS insanity.
James Lincoln says
Scotsman48,
While on active duty Navy, I did enjoy some “night life” in Manama.
Jayell1 says
1. Islam isn’t a ‘religion’, it’s a pseudo-theocratic proto-Nazi imperialist totalitarian political ideology with quasi-liturgical trappings negligently plagiarised from genuine religions in order to validate a legitimate status for a criminal warlord leader in the eyes of an uneducated superstitious population. In short, incoherent, sanctified antediluvian fraudulent bullsh*t.
2. The only kind of ‘equality’ recognised by Islam is that featured in ‘Animal Farm’; i.e., everyone is equal, but muslims are more equal than the rest; and this would be very fitting, because, if islam is to be regarded as a ‘religion at all, it would be the Religion of the Farmyard since it’s designed to relate only to the baser instincts.
bill carr says
Blatant lies which nobody except the brain dead will believe. It is all there in the Quran the words of ‘allah’ which cannot ever be changed. If the pope was a real father of his flock he would be visiting Nigeria and other countries where his flock are being slaughtered on an almost daily basis, not swapping spit with these despicable liars. The clergy of Islam are the worst of all as they know very well what is happening and do nothing to stop it. I feel nauseated whenevr I see men kissing and the picture above is truly emetic.
NoTaqiyya says
The highest ranking cleric in the Sunni-Muslim world Imam al-Tayyeb in a typical move quotes the Mecca Surah, (Before the Hejira) “there is no compulsion in religion.” Qur’an 2:256.
All the while conveniently failing to mention that Surah was abrogated by the Medina Surah (Post Hejira), “Fight those who don’t believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – Fight until they give the jizyiah (tribute) while they are humbled.” Qur’an 9:29.
Weather Pope Francis was aware of the deception or not, he probably chose to ignore it, in the interest of furthering his “Ecumenical Dialogue” with Imam al-Tayyeb.
Pope Francis is doing more damage to the Catholic Church than this cleric could ever dream of himself.
Dr. Bukk says
Islam guarantees poverty with it’s polygamist family structure. From the get-go, mercenary raiders had to destroy neighboring villages to enslave women. Human birth rates by sexuality are 55% men vs. women. Not 25% vs. women. Islam is based on the sexual arrangements of large mammals. The strongest male defeats others and takes a harem. However, biologically, only human females can copulate with free will and can be impregnated 12 times a year (mensus). Other large mammal females are receptive only at fertility (estrus), perhaps once or twice a year. There is no sexual need for Muslim men to have multiple women.
But, the strong ones do, and leave weaker men to be emigrants, mercenary conquerors, homosexuals, copulate with domesticated animals or boys to satisfy natural urges. The stronger men, having so many children, leave no value to the next generation of boys due to dissipation of inheritance. Wives are sent home to their families at menopause to free husbands to impregnate replacement young wives until their menopause. OBL was the 56th son of his father. At the same time, genetic diversity is continually hemorrhaged each generation and consanguineous marriages (50% in some Islamic countries) magnify the problem of inbreeding.
What we need to do is bar them from immigrating to Western nations and let them stew in their own toxic ungodly familial system. And get rid of this Mulsim bootlicking Pope.