Historian Tim Furnish says liberals shouldn't be astonished that ISIS is stoning women to death -- "in many Muslim countries ... large majorities ... favor stoning"

HNN Editor:  This is from Tim Furnish's blog, Mahdi Watch.  It was posted on July 20, 2014.  Mr. Furnish holds a Ph.D. in Islamic history (Ohio State, 2001).  He currently works as a consultant, researcher and author on the topics of Islam, Mahdism, Jihadism, Shi`ism, other Islamic sects, the Caliphate and Eschatology in general.

Is Insisting Every Adulterer Must Get Stoned REALLY "Extremist" in Islam?

A few days ago the Iraqi-Syrian caliphate meted out the punishment of stoning for a woman accused of adultery.  Predictably, many media outlets decried the "extremists" who carried out such a heinous sentence.

But is stoning in such cases really "extremist" according to Islamic doctrines and public opinion?  No. There are at least five authoritative hadiths--sayings going back to Islam's founder, Muhammad--which mandate such a method of execution for adulterers.  And according to Pew data from 2012, in many Muslim countries of the Mideast, Africa and South Asia large majorities want shari`ah to be implemented, and most of them in turn favor stoning for adulterers/adulteresses:



The "prophet" of Islam sanctioned stoning for adultery; the practice was legal praxis in many Islamic societies across the 14 centuries from his time to today; and clear majorities of Muslims in many countries approve of it.  How, then, is it "extremist?"  Brutal, harsh, vindictive, bloody, barbaric, outmoded--but according to Islamic history and modern sentiments, stoning is not "extremist" at all.  


Public stoning in Qajar Iran (19th century).  

Apologists can sputter all they want, but the fact is that many of the world's Muslims would not feel that what ISIS just did is beyond the pale; on the contrary, like the Taliban or Boko Haram, ISIS at least has the courage of its Qur'anic and Muhammadan convictions--appalling as that may be.
For those (liberals and Muslims) who stupidly maintain that there is no difference between Islam and Christianity, between Muslims and Christians--I leave you withthis clip from "Jesus of Nazareth." 


Gospel of St. John, 8:1-11.  Quite a contrast from Muhammad's example.