Speaking as an outsider, there can be no "true' or "false" in any religion. Everyone is free to pursue whatever interpretation of whatever religion they choose, and no one has the monopoly on the "true" version of the religion, or on the decisions of who to call a "true" Muslim/Jew/Christian etc. This is of course especially so if you don't belong to the said religion.
I think such statements are not meant to be taken as literal statements about religious doctrines, but rather as saying that the version of Islam practiced by the vast majority of Muslims is not violent. It is a bizarre choice of words when a non-Muslim states that something is or isn't "true Islam", or some people are or aren't "true Muslims", but I doubt they are meant to be interpreted literally. Most likely they choose this as the most straightforward way to convey their (more nuanced) message. |
