London

Rude boy,

I think the jihadis win hands down if we end the freedom to practise religion in this country.

I don’t find islam at all attractive, and I think that freedom to practise this or any other faith has to be subject to sensible law – including laws against hate-crimes such as homophobia and fgm.

Otherwise, Muslims must be free to practise their religion.

That’s not a naive view of the world. Islam can be interpreted in any number of ways, and most Muslims don’t interpret it in terms of terrorism.

We should be encouraging these Muslim women as they stand on Westminster Bridge, hand-in-hand, against terrorism; not attacking them.

sceptical guy wrote:

We should be encouraging these Muslim women as they stand on Westminster Bridge, hand-in-hand, against terrorism; not attacking them.

A passage from the Qur’an:

Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying. – Qur’an 3:28

The most authoritative interpretations of this verse are the following, laid out here by three highly regarded scholars:

Allah said next, “unless you indeed fear a danger from them” meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda’ said, “We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.” Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, “The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection.” – lbn Kathir

Let not the believers take the disbelievers as patrons, rather than, that is, instead of, the believers — for whoever does that, that is, [whoever] takes them as patrons, does not belong to, the religion of, God in anyway — unless you protect yourselves against them, as a safeguard (tuqātan, ‘as a safeguard’, is the verbal noun from taqiyyatan), that is to say, [unless] you fear something, in which case you may show patronage to them through words, but not in your hearts: this was before the hegemony of Islam and [the dispensation] applies to any individual residing in a land with no say in it. God warns you, He instills fear in you, of His Self, [warning] that He may be wrathful with you if you take them as patrons; and to God is the journey’s end, the return, and He will requite you. – al-Jalalayn

(Let not the believers take) the believers ought not to take [the hypocrites:] ‘Abdullah Ibn Ubayy and his companions [and] (disbelievers) the Jews (for their friends) so as to become mighty and honourable (in preference to believers) who are sincere. (Whoso doeth that) seeking might and honour [by taking the hypocrites and disbelievers as friends] (hath no connection with Allah) has no honour, mercy or protection from Allah (unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them) save yourselves from them, (taking (as it were) security) saving yourselves from them by speaking in a friendly way towards them with, while your hearts dislikes this.

Islam forbids Muslims from being friends with non-Muslims. Instead it encourages them to lie and to deceive non-Muslims by feigning solidarity with them in order to defend Islam and their fellow Muslims from reprisals and harm.

Sarah Waseem, 57, from Surrey, said from the Westminster bridge: “When an attack happens in London, it is an attack on me. It is an attack on all of us. Islam totally condemns violence of any sort. This is abhorrent to us.”