Hello Jeff.... I have written on this extensively, and will address some of this below for you. Islam is an ideology, a complete, uncompromising system of beliefs, laws, and commands that demands total submission and seeks ultimate political and social dominance over the entire world. The word “Islam” literally means submission. It is not defined by what modern Muslims wish it to be, nor by cherry-picked interpretations, nor by the behavior of individual believers. It is defined exclusively by its authoritative sources: the Quran (the literal, eternal word of Allah), the Hadith (the authenticated sayings and actions of Muhammad), and the Sira (the authoritative biography of Muhammad). These texts are fixed, immutable, and considered perfect and final for all time. No ideology is entitled to immunity from criticism, especially not one that openly declares its mission to subjugate every person and every society under Islamic rule. Ideologies have no human rights. Only individuals do. Doctrinal Hierarchy of Submission At its doctrinal core, Islam establishes an unbreakable hierarchy of submission: Muslims submit completely to Allah and His final messenger, Muhammad. Women submit to men (Quran 4:34 explicitly grants men authority over women and the right to discipline them). All non-Muslims are ultimately required to submit to Islamic rule, pay the jizya tax in a state of humiliation, convert, or face war until Islam prevails (Quran 9:29, 9:5, 8:39, etc.). Restrictions on Alliances with Non-Muslims Islam explicitly prohibits Muslims from forming genuine friendships, alliances, or protective relationships with non-Muslims. This is repeated command-level doctrine: Quran 5:51 — “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you — then indeed, he is [one] of them.” Quran 3:28 — “Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than believers… except when taking precaution against them in prudence.” Quran 4:144 — “O you who have believed, do not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers.” Quran 9:23 — “O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief.” These verses create a permanent theological barrier: true loyalty, guardianship, and intimate friendship belong only to the Muslim ummah. Non-Muslims are structural outsiders, to be invited to Islam, tolerated under submission, fought until they submit, or (in certain contexts) eliminated as threats to the faith. This is not about “peaceful coexistence.” It is about strategic separation, followed by supremacy. Doctrinal Conflicts with Modern Human Rights The same foundational texts contain commands and permissions that are irreconcilable with modern universal human rights: Men are declared superior to women and given permission to beat disobedient wives (4:34). Women are described as intellectually deficient and their testimony worth half that of a man (Bukhari 2658, 304). Sexual enslavement of captured non-Muslim women is repeatedly permitted and regulated (Quran 4:24, 23:5–6, 33:50, 70:29–30; numerous hadiths). Apostasy, blasphemy, and homosexuality carry capital punishment in the clearest terms of classical Islamic jurisprudence, drawn directly from hadith and Muhammad’s example. Repeated curses are pronounced on Jews, Christians, polytheists, and hypocrites, often paired with calls to fight and kill until religion is “all for Allah” (9:5, 8:39, 2:191–193, etc.). On Hypocrisy and Apostasy Muslims who ignore, rationalize, or reject large parts of this doctrine, including those who live secular lives in the West, are, according to core Islamic teachings, engaging in hypocrisy (nifaq) or outright apostasy. The Quran repeatedly condemns hypocrites (munafiqun) as the most dangerous internal enemies of Islam, labeling them liars, cursed by Allah, and deserving of severe punishment (e.g., Surah Al-Munafiqun 63:1–8 explicitly calls them “the enemies, so beware of them. May Allah curse them!”). Apostates and blasphemers are viewed as traitors to the faith, often classified as enemies of Allah and His Messenger, warranting the harshest response in traditional jurisprudence, up to and including execution, to protect the ummah and the supremacy of the doctrine. These are not “misinterpretations.” These are plain-text doctrines upheld by every major school of Islamic jurisprudence for fourteen centuries. The ideology must be judged on its own texts and historical application, not on the personal character or selective practice of any believer. Bottom Line Critique Islam, relentlessly, honestly, without apology, as the totalitarian political-religious system it declares itself to be. Treat every Muslim you encounter as an individual human being deserving basic respect and kindness. But never confuse the two. Never soften or sanitize what the texts actually say in order to avoid discomfort. The doctrine is what it is. And it demands everything.