The Pope, Uri Averny, & Halla

The Error of his Ways:

The Pope's words have created a lot of fuss these days, by the Jihadists, with whom it is "off with their heads!" at every available turn. The full text of the Pope's words can be found here

The latest Jihadi supporter to slam the Pope is Uri Averny, and his article Mohammed's Sword can be found here

Halla has found certain errors in the article by Averny, and here is Halla's analysis of Averny's article:

Avnery wrongly corrected the Pope on the sura and verse attributed to 2:256 by the Pope and wrongly 'corrected' by Avnery to 2:257.

The offending Avnery paragraph:

"The Pope himself threw in a word of caution. As a serious and renowned theologian, he could not afford to falsify written texts. Therefore, he admitted that the Qur'an specifically forbade the spreading of the faith by force. He quoted the second Sura, verse 256 (strangely fallible, for a pope, he meant verse 257) which says: "There must be no coercion in matters of faith". "

Pickthall's translation:

[2:256] There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.

Further,Pickthall:

[2:257] Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein.

For those in need of verification go here pick a translator and put 2:256 into the search:
www.quranbrowser.org/search.html

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Proof that Islam did indeed spread by the sword:

Averny:
"How can one ignore such an unequivocal statement? The Pope simply argues that this commandment was laid down by the prophet when he was at the beginning of his career, still weak and powerless, but that later on he ordered the use of the sword in the service of the faith. Such an order does not exist in the Qur'an. True, Muhammad called for the use of the sword in his war against opposing tribes - Christian, Jewish and others - in Arabia, when he was building his state. But that was a political act, not a religious one; basically a fight for territory, not for the spreading of the faith."

Argument:
[2:256] There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.

[9:5] Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

[9:6] And if anyone of the idolaters seeketh thy protection (O Muhammad), then protect him so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and afterward convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a folk who know not.


Conclusion: there can be no doubt that the koran was spread by the sword.

Supporting Evidence:

(the following sura binds the world idolater to christians/jews)
"[3:67] Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters.")

Supporting Argument:

now the koran as revealed text, ie the sequence in which the suras were revealed shows that sura 2 came before sura 9; and under sura [2:106] "Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is Able to do all things ?"

All that means:

whatever is in 9 supersedes that which is in 2. so the "no compulsion" in sura 2:256 is replaced by something better in sura 9:5/9:6

Supporting evidence on the sequence of the revealed koran

(2), 8, 3, 33, 60, 4, 99, 57, 47, 13, 55, 76, 65, 98, 59, 24, 22, 63, 58, 49, 66, 64, 61, 62, 48, 5, (9), 110