Comments:  The above text, circulating via email since September 2003, was written by Rick Mathes, executive director of Mission Gate Prison Ministry in Chesterfield, Missouri. In subsequent statements on the ministry's Website, Mathes affirmed that the incident took place exactly as described.

However, a different version of events was reported in an article by Greg Kearney of the Lee News Service, in which a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Corrections, which sponsored the training session, stated that the "imam" Mathes refers to above was a prison inmate and ordinary Muslim, not a trained cleric, and that although the inmate did answer various questions about his faith to the best of his ability, the issues of jihad and violence against non-believers were neither raised nor discussed during the exchange.

It is therefore a case of Mathes' word against the prison official's. I have not been able to find public statements by anyone else in a position to confirm the facts.

As to the substance of the alleged debate — whether or not it is a core tenet of Islam that believers must wage holy war against non-believers wherever they are found — there is fierce disagreement on that issue even among acknowledged experts in Muslim culture and theology, so I will not attempt to defend one side or the other in this brief commentary. See the resources below for further reading.

Sources and further reading:

From the Gate: Allah or Jesus
Editorials by Rick Mathes, Mission Gate Prison Ministry

Allah or Jesus?
Urban Legends Reference Pages, 13 January 2004

The Qur'an on Terrorism
About's Guide to Islam argues that passages from Islam's holy book that appear to promote wanton violence are routinely taken out of context

Islam: A Religion of Peace?
Columnist Larry Elder interviews Robert Spencer, author of "Onward Muslim Soldiers: How Jihad Still Threatens America and the West" [Part II]

Does the Qur'an Promote Violence?
Fedwa Wazwaz of the Islamic Resource Group, Crystam Minnesota: "It is clear that any allegation that the Qur'an teaches violence and religious hatred is totally unfounded and violate the textual, historical, linguistic and broader context of the Qur'anic teachings..."

The Stupidity of Dialogue with Islam
Excerpt from "The Sword of the Prophet: A Politically-Incorrect Guide to Islam" by Serge Triflovic

Last updated: 03/23/04