User:Mike Young/Sandbox3

Religion of Peace (sometimes abbreviated as ROP or RoP) is a political neologism used to describe Islam. After the September 11, 2001 attacks many Muslims along with politicians from the Western world, stated the religion of Islam was a "Religion of Peace" in an effort to differentiate between Islamic terrorists and non-violent Muslims. Subsequently, some critics of Islam have adopted the phrase, using it in a sarcastic manner. .

History of the term
The Arabic term Islam (إسلام) is defined as "submission", rather than "peace", and comes from the term aslama, which means "to surrender" or "resign oneself". The word salaam (سلام) ("peace") shares the etymology of the word Islam. This has led to a widespread misinterpretation that "Islam means peace".

Many critics of Islam, when speculating about the cause of the September 11, 2001 attacks, blamed the attack on the doctrines and beliefs of Islam, saying the religion itself was intrinsically violent, and a major factor motivating the attacks. .   However, many Muslim scholars, and many Muslim and Western politicians rejected this, saying that terrorism against civilians was not true to Islam, but by a misunderstanding of its doctrines by a small minority of Muslims. President Bush was vocal in supporting this latter view, despite criticism from some quarters. He described Islam as peaceful several times during his speeches, although he did not use the term "Religion of Peace" as such.

"The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: "In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule." The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about.  Islam is peace.  These terrorists don't represent peace.  They represent evil and war."

Other politicians throughout the world supported his views. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad referred to Islam specifically as a religion of peace while discussing terrorism.

Clearly Islam the religion is not the cause of terrorism. Islam, as I said, is a religion of peace. However through the centuries, deviations from the true teachings of Islam take place. And so Muslims kill despite the injunction of their religion against killing especially of innocent people

Muslims who are keen to emphasise their rejection of violence have adopted the term “The Religion of Peace”, using it as a synonym for Islam. For example, a web site religionofpeace.com was started that strongly advocated this view. After the 7/7 London bombings many Muslims, especially in the West, increased their efforts to present Islam as a peaceful religion.

Controversy
The description of Islam as the "Religion of Peace" has created controversy:
 * Some have perceived the comments of Western politicians about Islam being a "religion of peace" as a manifestation of "political correctness."
 * The term has been criticised by both Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb, and former Islamists such as Hassan Butt
 * A poll taken in 2002 amongst Fundamentalist and Evangelical Protestant leaders said that only 10% agreed with President George W Bush that Islam was "a religion of peace".
 * The term is used sarcastically:
 * By critics of Islam, such as Ann Coulter.
 * By those criticising violence against non-Islamic minorities in Islamic countries.
 * On web sites critical of Islam such as one that monitors Islamist terrorist attacks with the name TheReligionofPeace.com.
 * Pope Benedict XVI refused to agree that Islam was a religion of peace. However he stated: "It certainly contains elements that can favor peace, it also has other elements: We must always seek the best elements."

List of sites using the term "Religion of Peace"

 * ReligionOfPeace.com the first web site to use the term.
 * al-islami web page on "Islam: The Religion of Peace" argues Islam to be a peaceful religion.

List of sites using the term "Religion of Peace" but in a sarcastic manner

 * TheReligionOfPeace.com A site highly critical of Islam containing a database of Islamic terrorist attacks since 9/11.
 * religion-of-peace.com A site containing articles highly critical of Islam.

List of web pages discussing if Islam is a "Religion of Peace"

 * Islam: A religion of peace? by Gordon Nickel, National Post Published: Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Books

 * Religion of Peace?: Islam's War Against the World by Gregory M. Davis ( ISBN 097789844X )
 * Islam: Religion of Peace and Justice by Muhammad Nawaz ( ISBN 1410767868 )
 * Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't by Robert Spencer ( ISBN 1596985151 )