Islam Creator of the Modern Age
4. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
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Preaching of Islam.
First, there is an excerpt from a
full statement made by one of the Spanish Muslims
who had been driven out of his native country.
Protesting against the persecution of the Inquisition,
he stresses, in contrast, the toleration of his co-
religionists: “Our arms, it is true, are ever open to
receive all who are disposed to embrace our
religion, but we are not allowed by our sacred
Qur’an to tyrannise over consciences...”
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Then, on the subject of the religious tolerance of the
Turks, Professor Arnold has this to say: “ ... at least
for two centuries after their conquest of Greece (the
Ottomon emperors) exhibit a toleration such as was
at that time quite unknown in the rest of Europe. “
84
Macarius, Patriarch of Antioch in the seventeenth
century, prayed for the Turks when he saw the
fearful atrocities that the Catholic Poles inflicted on
the Russians of the Orthodox Eastern Church. These
are his words: “God perpetuate the empire of the
Turks for ever and ever! For they take their impost,
and enter into no account of religion, be their
subjects Christians or Nazarenes, Jews or
Samarians.”
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