Matt88
Member
no, it is not a religion of tolerance, or a religion of peace. It never has been, and it probabaly never will be. Look how Islam was spread, through conquest. The early muslims conquered Arabia, swept through North Africa into Spain, up into Western Asia (Turkey/Persia), and then audaciously tried to invade Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Islam#The_First_Fitna
Excerpt from Wikipedia article (source is at botom of page): During Umar's rule, Muslim armies invaded Palestine and Mesopotamia. At the Battle of Yarmuk (636), Muslim armies won crushing victory of the Byzantines, thus paving the way for the conquest of Egypt and Syria. After a decisive victory over the Sassanid empire at the Battle of Qadsiya in 637, Muslims overwhelmed the Persians in Mesopotamia. Five years later, after the Battle of Nehevend, Persia was effectively included in the expanding Islamic empire.
After conquering North Africa, the Umayyad armies invaded Spain (which it quickly conquered), and then attempted to press further into Europe proper, but was decisevely defeated at the Battle of Tours
"Visigothic Spain was the last of a series of Christian and pagan lands conquered in a great westward charge from the Middle East and across north Africa by the religiously inspired armies of the Umayyad empire. Indeed this onslaught continued northwards until it was decisively defeated in central France at the Battle of Tours in 732." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain#Muslim_Iberia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Islam#The_First_Fitna
Excerpt from Wikipedia article (source is at botom of page): During Umar's rule, Muslim armies invaded Palestine and Mesopotamia. At the Battle of Yarmuk (636), Muslim armies won crushing victory of the Byzantines, thus paving the way for the conquest of Egypt and Syria. After a decisive victory over the Sassanid empire at the Battle of Qadsiya in 637, Muslims overwhelmed the Persians in Mesopotamia. Five years later, after the Battle of Nehevend, Persia was effectively included in the expanding Islamic empire.
After conquering North Africa, the Umayyad armies invaded Spain (which it quickly conquered), and then attempted to press further into Europe proper, but was decisevely defeated at the Battle of Tours
"Visigothic Spain was the last of a series of Christian and pagan lands conquered in a great westward charge from the Middle East and across north Africa by the religiously inspired armies of the Umayyad empire. Indeed this onslaught continued northwards until it was decisively defeated in central France at the Battle of Tours in 732." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain#Muslim_Iberia)
