I found this letter on a blog here. I have edited it slightly and have asked permission to reproduce it. Wouldn't it be fun to send it out to a few chosen people!
Dear
I am atheist. The Qur'an calls me infidel and I am deeply disturbed by what I find in Islam and its rituals. It seems to me to that there are passages which clearly promote hatred of all who are not Muslim.
Surah 9:5 states quite clearly that devotees of the faith should...
"fight and slay the pagans (or infidels or unbelievers) wherever you find them?"
As the Muslims are always stating, for them the Qur'an is the revealed word of 'god', so we must assume that they take this instruction seriously. I, as an Infidel, must therefore also take the instruction seriously.If even a single Muslim chose to follow the instruction to the letter, or simply misconstrue it, my life could be ended. And, when it takes more than 2700 words to explain why the 13 word instruction does not mean what it clearly states, I suggest the passage is permanently in danger of being misconstrued!
As we see devout believers carrying out the extreme instructions of the Qur'an almost on a daily basis, it would be the act of a fool to simply trust that the instruction will not ever be followed by any devout believer. I must therefore assume that when in the proximity of even a moderate Muslim my life is in danger merely because my path of rational freethinking conflicts with Islamic doctrine. I write this letter under an assumed identity because of that assumption.
As a UK [Politician or Policeman], I feel you are doing me and the rest of the UK non-Muslim population (97.2% of general population) a serious disservice if you do not take the violent instructions in the book seriously. I wonder why no one in authority has. It seems quite clear to me that Islam, the Qur'an and Shariat, Imams and every Muslim from moderate to extremist, all, in some way or other, contravene the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006.
How do the Qur'an's numerous hateful passages not contravene paragraph 29g?
How are the Qur'an's publishers and distributors not in contravention of paragraph 29c?
How are the Imams and preachers not in contravention of 29b and 29c?
Every time a Muslim prays, Islam compels each to recite an affirmation of the denunciation of, at best, Jews and Christians, and at worst, ALL that is none Muslim.
Please note here, that even the 'at best' is deeply offensive to all who believe in the Declaration of Human Rights and the 'at worst' is deeply offensive to the rest on the Human race!!
How is that not in contravention of paragraph 29b?
Further, by placing itself as the 'superior way to live' a doctrine simultaneously infers all other paths are inferior. This is derogatory, discriminatory and disparaging of all other paths; paths that the rest of the human race (more than 80% of the world's population) find equally, or more, valid. In my view this instruction for all Muslims to consider themselves superior is, at best, elitist and separatist, just like the Nazism, and, at worst, keeping in mind the well known phrase "If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.", it should be assumed that a doctrine which does not promote integration, is not conducive with unity and peace and thereby is promoting the opposite of those states.
And all that's without even getting started on the instruction to Jihad or Qur'an 4:34, which appears to permit domestic violence! I would like the offending passages of the Qur'an removed. How can I feel safe while they exist?
If Islam is truly a religion of peace, the Muslims must also surely be in favour of the removal of a few passages which directly threaten innocent life simply for being free of thought. As it stands Surah 1:7 is an affirmation and promotion of religious bigotry, a direct statement of hate which is recited multiple times each day by even moderate Muslims. I would like Surah 1:7 modified to remove the hatred and include 'all paths', not just the prejudicial Muslim one. All recitations of this Surah should be modified accordingly.
Now, I'm not unrealistic, I know it's going to take a bit of time for the Muslim brothers and sisters to gather an opinion on the form of the necessary rewrite for the Qur'an. And I realize that proper scrutiny of any 'new' version of the Qur'an by the authorities could take years, so, in the mean time, I'd like all currently circulating Qur'an to be collected and suitably disposed of. After the hate speech has been edited out, the old Qur'ans would be of no use anyway. Also, so that prayers would not have to be suspended, until the rewrite is published and circulated, all prayers should be modified to at least remove the hateful recitations.
If there are any Muslims who are not in favour of the suggested changes, they should be seen as wishing to continue the hate, a clear infraction of 29b and could be encouraged to find accommodation in a country more conducive with their hateful stance.
As a side question here...
If a book were produced in 2010 which clearly stated death to a culture because of its beliefs or non belief, do you think it would be allowed to be published? Would its publication not be restricted under the Public Order Act?
There is a further issue of equality here.
When we are about to have an increase of faith schools, why should Muslims be allowed to preach and teach such blatantly hateful intolerance? As I see it, with an eye to equality, should it not ALSO be lawful to teach kids in other faith schools that it's their duty to...
"Slay Muslims wherever you find them"?
Perhaps a pamphlet could be issued?
In France a lawsuit against publishers of the Bible and Qur'an is currently under way. The lawsuit is privately funded (they are seeking donations) and cites the scriptures as the origin of death threats which various members of the atheists in action group have received from the religious. I hope it will have some success.
I am unfortunately penniless but I hope someone will take up the baton for the UK's freedom.
I would hope that the Police, Members of Parliament, Home Secretary, Prime minister would act to protect myself and my fellow non-Muslims from the very real threat of violence from followers and purveyors of the Qur'an. Failing that, I'd hope the Secular Society or Humanist Society or the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, or a collective of the free thinking organisations could mount some legal challenge.
Yours ....
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