Islam is militant.

A month has passed since the shocking and horrible event of September 11, but American reaction has been cautious. The idea of justice has been promoted and that of revenge rejected; military action is seen as only one of many measures; its application--up to the time of writing, October 10--has been restrained; humanitarian aid on a large scale has been initiated; a distinction between the terrorists and the Taliban on the one hand, and the general population of Afghanistan on the other is recognized; as is the conviction that the terrorists do not represent true Islam. But what about Islamic militancy?

As the British Catholic Times of September 23 points out, 'in Istanbul, the Topkapi Museum displays the 'holy relic' of a hair from Mohammed's beard. Nearby are the swords of the first five Caliphs, who fought to extend the Islamic empire after the Prophet's death.

"The Vatican Museum does not display the swords of the first five Popes. Far from it, since the successors of Peter never took up the sword. The first 30 Popes were martyred for their testimony to Jesus. Early Christianity spread by the power of the Holy Spirit, miracles and martydom."

In contrast, Islam was a military faith from its foundation, propagated by warlike Arab armies and Shari a law. Within ten years of Mohammed's death in 633 AD, holy war (jihad) had conquered for Islam Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Persia. Islamic armies swept along the North African coast, destroying 400 Catholic dioceses, flooded through Spain and over the Pyrenees (712 AD).

In the east they attacked Constantinople, occupied Armenia, Azerbajan and Afghanistan, extended into Pakistan and Central Asia. The Christian Crusades were defensive actions either to stop the Mohammedans or to recover Jerusalem.

Although today most Muslims are peaceable, around the globe they are persecuting Christians in practically every country they dominate. For some details, see the feature "Muslims and Christians" on pages 10-12.

Mohammed knew warfare in his own life. Born in 570 AD, he embarked on a purification of the Bedouins' worship of Allah in Mecca, at the Ka'bah shrine containing the famous Black Stone. Allah was the God of Abraham, the Bedouins believed, but they had added many idols, goddesses of power, fate and fertility.

Mohammed's call was not received warmly in Mecca but in Medina, 220 miles distant; a community of disciples who called themselves Muslim, meaning "submissive" to Allah, welcomed him in AD 622. He was bitterly disappointed when Jews and Christians, "peoples of the book," declined to accept his revelations. He ordered a symbolic change in the direction of prayer: no longer should his disciples face Jerusalem, but Mecca.

The need to provide for himself and his followers (Mohammed had many wives by this time) led to the employment of military tactics. He put down an assault by Meccans and Jews at Medina, with the execution of 700 men. This ruthlesness shook the neighbouring tribes. While the original rules had spoken only of defensive wars, Mohammed now advocated jihad. From then on holy war would guarantee the survival and spread of Islam.

"Surah 9 of the Qu'ran stipulated that the pagan desert tribes could no longer come on pilgrimage to Mecca and would be attacked unless they accepted Islam. War must be waged against Christians and Jews until they become subject people."

G.R. Cragg, an Anglican expert on Islam, suggests that the key difference between Mohammed and Jesus is highlighted by asking the question: "How shall the prophet succeed, when the people refuse to hear him?" By building an empire or by martyrdom? Soldier or victim? By jihad and the sword, or by the cross and Resurrection? In essence, Islam is not a religion of toleration.

Yet could it be that having transformed intolerance into terrorism and thereby embarrassed Islam, the terrorists may be forcing all Muslims to question the theology of their militancy? Democracy, too, is pressuring them to wonder why Islam seems incapable of the give-and-take compromises that this system of government requires. The time has come for Christians to help Muslims. The Pope thinks so too. Recently he concluded the first Muslim-Catholic Conference in Rome.