Islamic Center of Northwest Florida

This was eminently predictable: after every jihad massacre and foiled jihad plot, the establishment media publishes handwringing stories about poor, pious Muslims fearing a “backlash.” Actual stories of that “backlash” are much rarer, since the backlash usually does not materialize. “But sadly enough, people don’t understand that this has nothing to do with our faith. In fact, what he did is totally forbidden and against faith. Somebody that does something so horrific is not blessed. God has said if you kill one human, it’s as though you have killed all humanity.” That’s adapted from. This is what the Qur’an really says:

Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption in the land — it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one — it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, after that, throughout the land, were transgressors. (5:32)

First, note that this is not a general moral principle applying to everyone, as Ashmawi implied, but one only for the Children of Israel. Nor is it a general prohibition of killing: there are big exceptions for those who kill “for a soul or for corruption in the land.” And it concludes that even after this command was given, “many of them, after that … were transgressors” — so all it is really saying is that Allah gave a command to the Children of Israel and they transgressed against it. It isn’t anything more than yet another Qur’anic castigation of the Jews.