Islam deserves all it gets in regard to negative press.

al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, the heart of the most recent resurgence of the global jihad, warned his followers that once Westerners realised the true nature of Islam, they would face immense opposition. Concealment was absolutely necessary. The stealth jihad is growing apace. Fortunately, more and more of us 'najis kuffr' are waking up to the reality of Islam: a violent, expansionary political system, intent on world domination. Islam rejects the equality of all human beings, denies the equality of women, rejects the idea of human rights, calls for barbaric and inhumane 'punishments' for perceived trangressors, threatens death to those who attempt to leave it, forbids free speech and free inquiry and is totally incompatible with democracy and Western values. Opposing Islam is not 'racism' because Islam is not a 'race' but a dangerous ideology, founded by a 7th century Bedouin warlord, whose followers almost took Europe in 1683 on September 11th.

Part 1 of 2

Dear Mustafa... at least you have the terminology correct "Vilification of ISLAM"

No doubt I will again be attacked for "monotonous repetition of a well ground axe" but... in my defense, I offer this.
-This is a new article.
-It claims Islam is vilified, and suggests this is unfair.

Thus... some scrutiny of what "Islam" is.. clearly is justified.

He says:

<<Despite these protections, hate speech remains a powerful source of division and violence throughout the world.>>

But what he (and probably most posters here) then does, is...'nothing' to defend Islam from this very same charge. Why ? simple, because no one has said to him directly here "The Quran contains specific hate speech against Christians, and Jews"

He can get away with this, because he relies on his OLO audience being uninformed and basically compassionate for what he portrays as the underdog.."Muslims"

But while Daniel Pipes, and even my humble self are around, he cannot get away with this scott free.

Mustapha calls for dialog?

<<But where his criticisms could facilitate dialogue between Muslims and the West, Pipes instead seeks to inflame the former and inculcate a supremacist complex among the latter.>>

Well..THIS...is dialog! You (Mustapha) make a posture about Islam, and we, your readers can dialog/criticize/scrutinize your words.
You attack Pipes.. we can thus attack you.

The clearest evidence of hate speech in the Quran, and because of which much so called 'Western hate' is based is this:

<<Surah 9:30 And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!>>

continued in part 2

I cannot see how bringing up Watson is anything but a fallacious attempt to smear Pipes with someone else’s words.

When our own Muslim communities leaders elect a man such as Sheik Hilali, a man so at odds with our way of life, it is hard not to assume that his point of view is widely held in the community.

I wonder does the author not accept the growing influence of pan Islamic and fundamentalist Islamic organizations. If not does he accept the total incompatibility of this type of extremism with our way of life.

It was huge news and presented as racism when Costello suggested that those who wish to live under Sharia law might find Iran or Saudi Arabia far more comfortable places to live.

Pipes says “… it is hard to recall the positive side, at a moment when backwardness, resentment, extremism and violence prevail in so much of the Muslim world”.

I wonder exactly where the Author has a problem with this? The list of least free countries on earth are dominated by Muslim entries. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0930918.html

The author says >>”This despite there being no consensus on what it means to be Western or Muslim. Moreover, many Muslims, including myself, have no qualms about being Muslim and Western.”

Interesting, he denies there is any such thing as being western or Muslim and then decides he is both. He would also be aware of the growing power and influence of Muslim lobby groups in Europe, including many Islamists. Reordering the societal landscape is most definitely on the agenda. We might not be able to define what is western but we can see what is most certainly not. Muslim communities need to have a greater focus on integration than they currently have. Social cohesion demands it for everyone’s sake,

Mustafa Qadri,

Criticism of Islam, (whether justified or not) or the beliefs or practices of Moslems is not racism, Islam is an ideology not an ethnicity. Attempts to re-define "racism" in order to stifle dissent will be counter productive. Get used to criticism, it's the democratic way.

PART 2
Usually at this point, the Muslim apologist will direct our attention to this verse:

<<5:82 Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe are the Jews and polytheists, the nearest in friendship to those who believe -those who say: We_are_Christians;>>

But this verse leave the Jews as serious "enemies"

There is another "Christian-friendly" verse:

5:69
<<Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabians and the Christians whoever believes in Allah and the last day and does good-- they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.>>

DISCUSSION: What needs to be asked here, is this:-

QUESTION: "Why are Jews and Christians being cursed in 9:30 but 'applauded' in 5:69?"

ANSWER: This is where a rather deeper knowledge of 2 things is important.
a)History of Islams development, from Mohammads Meccan beginnings of rejection to his Medina power base and military dominance over the Arabian Peninsula.
b)Some Technical aspects of Islamic theology.

Re-'a') the 9th surah was written later,

<<The first discourse (vv. 1-37), was revealed in Zil-Qa'adah A. H. 9 or thereabout>> (Maududi)

when he was powerful, strong, and had destroyed most Jewish tribes who did not accept his rule or Islam.

The 5th Surah was written earlier:
<<The theme of this Surah indicates, and traditions support it, that it was revealed after the treaty of Hudaibiyah at the end of 6 A. H. or in the beginning of 7 A. H>>(Maududi)

So, we have a time gap of about 3 yrs. Given that the 9th is later, and contradicts the 5th surah, the 5th is thus "Abrogated" or negated and the 9th is the valid one.

Re-'b') The 'Christians' referred to here, were Nestorian who did not believe Christ to be divine.(Thus, they were virtual "Muslims")

CONCLUSION. We are thus left with the later hateful vilification of Jews and Christians ....by name.

Yet you wonder why Islam is then vilified?