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Warning: Holy Month of Ramadan Trains Muslims to do What?

By Carl Goldberg

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has begun. In addition to fasting from dawn to dusk, Muslims are obligated to read the entire Koran during this month. Non-Muslims should be aware of some of the things their Muslim neighbors will be reading in the Koran:

The unbelievers among the people of the book and the pagans shall burn forever in the fire of Hell. They are the vilest of all creatures. (98.6).

Surely the vilest of animals in Allah's sight are those who disbelieve. (8.55)

The unbelievers are your inveterate enemy. (4:101)

Mohammed is God's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. (48:29).

It is unlawful for a believer to kill another believer, accidents excepted. (4:92)

Believers, take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends. (5:51)

Make war on them [non-Muslims] until idolatry shall cease and God's religion shall reign supreme. (8:40)

Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God's religion reigns supreme. (2:193)

The true believers fight for the cause of God, but the infidels fight for the devil. Fight then against the friends of Satan. (4:76)

We will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. (3:150)

I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers. (8:12)

When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. (9:5)

Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given as believe in neither God nor the Last Day, ... until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued. (9:29)

Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. (9:73 and 66:9)

Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly with them. (9:123)

When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield, strike off their heads. (47:4)

These and other passages in the Koran, which are considered Allah's literal word, will be important to non-Muslims until the imams preach to their congregations that these passages are no longer valid. So far, it has not happened.

Carl Goldberg writes from Tempe, Arizona