American Maryland Imam, Suleiman Anwar Bengharasa gave a lecture in 2010. This lecture was given to a small group of advanced students at the Abu Huraira Center in 2010. Below in an excerpt.
There was a time when this area that we call Turkey there was no Muslims. Then people came, and in Turkey in particular, it was not a result of merchants coming with da’wa, it was a result of jihad. People became Muslims as a result of the fact that Muslims came with the sword established Sharia. As a result of the establishment of sharia many people found that there’s a need to become Muslims in order to avoid strife. But the generations to come? Now you, as a Muslim, are happy that your forefathers, what happened? They accepted Islam even though it may have been under the sword. Right? You are happy with that. No? You are happy with being what ?Allahu Akbar. Are you worried now about your forefathers having been, you know, – told to accept Islam. They were not to accept Islam. There were conditions that existed according to Sharia that forced certain people– to avoid difficulty – For example jiziya is one of them, right? Paying this little taxation out of the people that are not from Islam. Why? Because it’s the price they pay for being protected by the Muslim authority.
