The prophet died in the year 632 of our own approximate calendar. The first account of his life was set down a full hundred and twenty years later by Ibn Ishaq, whose original was lost and can only be consulted through its reworked form, authored by Ibn Hisham, who died in 834. ibid. p129
Quarrels over the leadership began almost as soon as he died, and so Islam had its first major schism – between the Sunni and the Shia – before it had even established itself as a system. ibid. p130
The Hungarian scholar Ignaz Goldziher, to quote a recent study by Reza Aslan, was among the first to show that many of the hadith were no more than ‘verses from the Torah and the Gospels, bits of Rabbanic sayings, ancient Persian maxims, passages of Greek philosophy, Indian proverbs and even an almost word-for-word reproduction of the Lord’s prayer.’ Great chunks of more or less straight biblical quotation can be found in the hadith. ibid. pp132-133
One can only regret the seeming fact that direct communication with god is not an experience of calm, beauty, and lucidity. ibid. p135
We may flinch a little at this mammal’s betrothal to a nine-year-old girl, and at the keen interest he took in the pleasures of the dining table and the division of the spoils after his many battles and numerous massacres. ibid. p135
The Caliphate still has fans not just in the Muslim world … There are Caliphate clubs now in London and Berlin. Christopher Hitchens v Tariq Ramadam, debate October 2010, ‘Is Islam a Religion for Peace?’ Youtube 1.31.22
Have committed extraordinary atrocities … The pretexts for it vary … The threat of violence that backs it is believable. ibid.
Where is the authority that defines who is a true son? … It’s highly fissile and highly schismatic. ibid.
Islam makes very large claims … It’s absolute, it’s all inclusive, it’s unanswerable. ibid.
What we saw in downtown New York and Washington last week was fascism with an Islamic face. Christopher Hitchens, Hitch in Washington, interview 2005, Youtube 48.51
It is certainly true that Islam in the world is probably the major evil. Richard Dawkins, lecture ‘I’m an Atheist But …’
I’m pessimistic about the Islamic world. I regard Islam as one of the great evils in the world. Richard Dawkins
It seems that teachers are terribly frightened about being thought racist. It’s almost impossible to say anything against Islam in this country, because if you do you are accused of being racist or Islamophobic. Richard Dawkins
The Muslim penalty for apostasy – that’s to say giving up Islam – is death. Richard Dawkins, interview CNN 22nd September 2009
One of the unhappiest spectacles to be seen on our streets today is the image of a woman swathed in shapeless black from head to toe, peering out at the world through a tiny slit. The burka is not just an instrument of oppression of women and claustral repression of their liberty and their beauty; not just a token of egregious male cruelty and tragically cowed female submission. Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
Islam is among the great evils of the world – the chief victims of it are Muslims themselves. Richard Dawkins, with Matt Dillahunty, Vancouver 6th November 2016
Islam has always been a force that dispels tyrants and tyranny, oppression and exploitation. Islam has always been a force that militates for justice. Louis Farrakhan
As a result of that, America desires a moderate Islam; an Islam that America can control; an Islam that America can give direction to and give orders to its leaders. Louis Farrakhan
The views of a religion should not be allowed to trump those of a liberal secular society. I’m Peter Whittle. I’m a writer and a journalist. I’m very concerned about the threat to secular liberal values that exists from some aspects of Islam. We want to hear more mainstream Muslim voices. Peter Whittle
Ritual self-flagellation is one of the hallmarks of Shi’ite Islam. It also symbolises their separation from mainstream Sunni Islam over an important question: who is the rightful heir of the prophet Muhammad? Shi’ites believe God chose the prophet’s son-in-law Ali to succeed Muhammad as Imam, the spiritual and political leader of Islam. Professor Robert Winston, The Story of God, BBC 2005
Those terrorists that want to do harm to others are applying the true Islam that was practised by Muhammad and his followers. Abdullah Al-Araby
It has always seemed to me possible, and even probable, that there would be a resurrection of Islam and that our sons and our grandsons would see the renewal of that tremendous struggle between the Christian culture and what has been for more than a thousand years its greatest opponent. Hilaire Belloc, The Great Heresies, 1938
This is the problem: in the twenty-first century we still have nations who are beheading people, who are cutting the limbs of people, cutting their hands and feet; there are women today being stoned to death by the governments for sexual violations, not for murder. Nonie Darwish, author Now They Call Me Infidel
The policy of guiding the evolution of Islam and of helping them against our adversaries worked marvellously well in Afghanistan against the Red Army. The same doctrines can still be used to destabilize what remains of Russian power, and especially to counter the Chinese influence in Central Asia. Graham Fuller, former Deputy Director CIA’s National Council on Intelligence
The term Islamophobia has one purpose – to suppress any criticism legitimate or not of Islam. Dennis Prager, Townhall online 31st July 2010
The values of Islam trump anyone else’s ... If people wish to love a 7th century preacher more than their own families, that’s up to them, but nobody else is obliged to take it seriously. Andrew Mueller, journalist
In one Islamic text Muhammad warns sinners about snakes whose venom burns for forty years, and flames sixty-nine times hotter than those on Earth. Gates of Hell
Islam is a very backward ideology and needs to come I believe up to speed with modernity ... Islamic extremism is the most intolerant ideology in the world today. Douglas Murray, tv.thought, Channel 4 2011
The Birkha is 100% offensive to the human race. ibid.
The history of Islamic medicine is the history of our medicine. Dr Peter Pormann, University of Warwick
He becomes and is in many ways the heart of what a prophet is. And prophet yes is one who brings and declares God’s message, but a prophet at heart is a warner, because he is a reformer. Professor John Esposito, Islamic Studies, Georgetown University
According to our belief, the whole world must be under the rule of Islam. Abu Yahya Al-Libi
This is like a hate religion ... It is abhorrent to me. Mufti Abdul Barkatullah
Our war is against evil, not against Islam. George W Bush
It’s teachings are good and peaceful. George W Bush
Only a small percentage of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims are radical. The Third Jihad: Radical Islam’s Vision for America, 2008
Over three hundred hostages were killed including 156 children. The terrorists were Muslims and they carried out the attacks in the name of Islam. ibid.
A strategy to infiltrate and dominate America. We all know about terrorism; this is the war you don’t know about. ibid.
There are also those Muslims who hold more radical views. These groups are not Al Qaeda ... When groups like these talk about wanting to create a global Islamic state, and Islam dominating the world, you realise they hold some of the same goals as Al Qaeda. ibid.
In Iran you’ll find the so-called Modesty Police. ibid.
The US government has stopped over 31 attacks against the US since 9/11. ibid.
Many so-called moderate Muslim leaders have been convicted on terror-related charges. ibid.
Fourteen hundred years ago armies of nomads swept out of the Arabian Desert and conquered half of the world. Today, their descendants tell an extraordinary story. They say God sent them a prophet – Muhammad – and that God then gave them an empire. But is it really true? Not everyone is so sure. Tom Holland, Islam: The Untold Story, Channel 4 2012
The seventh century – but there’s nothing there; I can’t find anything ... With the Muslim conquest – silence. ibid.
What we don’t know is how the Arabs became Muslim. ibid.
Historical research is all about scepticism and doubt. ibid.
The earliest biographies we have were written nearly two hundred years after Muhammad’s lifetime. ibid.
An entire moral universe had been built around the stories told of Muhammad. ibid.