This chapter deals with the complicated
history of a people, the brief history of a religion called
Islam,
which is further complicated by different factions (much like
Christianity) within the groups of Moslems that is the second largest
religion in the world. It is a religion founded by a prophet, deemed
the
Messenger
of God, which was carried on by its followers who separated
into factions due to philosophical disagreements, whose partial
doctrine of conversion is violence (depending upon the faction),
misunderstood and misrepresented by Moslem and non-Moslem alike; and
whose doctrine under certain leadership within factions have led to
fascism, religious fanaticism, death and destruction in the name of
Allah, the
Arabic word of
God –
despite the fact that they worship that same God as the Christians
and Jews, to whom they often war with or persecute. It is because of
doctrine differences that they do so, as well as believing that no
person (not even their beloved prophet/founder
Muhammad)
or perceived deity should be worshiped instead of the one and true
God; which pits them against the Christians who have deified their
prophet, teacher, and reformer of the Hebrew faith,
Jesus of
Nazareth (Galilee) – the
Christ.
Other differences or similarities between the other two monotheistic
religions of Christianity and Hebrew are in the rites performed, as
in the
Five
Pillars of Islam prescribed by the founder,
Mohammed.
