Islam_in_Focus_text

earth. Orders were issued from Rome to slay Muhammad
and present the Roya! Court with his cut head, something
vvhich the pagan Romans had done to the early Christian pi-
oneers. However, it must be admitted that some wars of later
centuries had no relation to Islam, although they were fought
by Muslims. They were not for the spread of Islam. Rather,
they were motivated by certain local and, perhaps, personal
reasons. Aggression is aggression, whether it be from or
against the Muslims, and the attitude of Islam toward ag-
gression i s known and unchangeable. So, if there was ag-
gression in those later wars, it could not be justified by Islam
or acceptable to God.
2. None of the said eritics tries to understand the nature
and circumstances of those early centuries. The media of
mass communication did not exist. There was no press or ra-
dio or television or even regular mail service. There was no
way of public information or preaching except by personal
contacts. There was no respect for life or property or honor
or treaties of the individuals and of the weak nations. There
was no security or freedom of expression. Whoever stood
for a noble cause or came out with unpopular beliefs was
menaced. This is revealed from the history of Socrates, the
Greek philosopher of the Christian pioneers, and of the early
Muslims. Many emissaries commissioned to deliver special
messages to rulers and governors never came back alive.
They were cold-bloodedly murdered or captured by their
very hosts.