The Quran and the Siege of Paris per David Wood

Before and after the Paris attacks I have had people on Twitter telling me that Koran verse 5:32 shows that Islam is a religion of peace as it says:

'If any one killed a person, it would be as if he killed the whole of mankind'

I've heard this argument presented on BBC programmes too. 

The people who post this never respond, with other than abuse, when I ask them what the rest of that verse says and why they have edited it. And the BBC presenters never ask that question at all.

Here's the whole of that verse:

'On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.'

Verse 5:32 is for the Children of Israel, the Jews, to abide by, not for Muslims. 

Now some might argue that although the verse says it applies to the Children of Israel it really applies to anyone. That would be nice, wouldn't it? Well no as that little clause that the quoters omit from the very middle of their quote the part that says:

'unless it be for murder or spreading mischief in the land.' 

If someone is 'spreading mischief' they can still be killed. Islamists would say that attacking Muslims in Muslim lands was spreading mischief.

I've posted some videos by David Wood before, here's his recent one that makes the same point as I do above, albeit rather better than I have. He also goes on to explain verse 5:33, the verse that is aimed at Muslims, spoiler - it's not as peaceful as verse 5:32.