Hudaybiyyah

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was executed between Mohammed and the Quraish tribe of Mecca in 628 AD. It was a ten year peace treaty caused when the Quraish prevented Mohammed's pilgrimage to Mecca. In essence, the treaty was a huge defeat for Mohammed and his band of marauders disguised as a religion. There were several parts to the treaty. 1. It prevented Mohammed from entering Mecca for a year; 2. anyone wanting to join Mohammed from Quraish against the family's wishes must be returned, but anyone from Mohammed's gang joining Quraish would not be returned.

Mohammed, now at peace with Quraish, raided others and built his army's strength and waited for the right moment. Mohammed's ranks grew from about 1,400 to over 10,000. He then claimed that a Quraish ally attacked one of his allies, nullifying the treaty. Thereafter, Mohammed marched on Mecca, leading to the Conquest of Mecca and eventually the entire Arabian peninsula.

This cunning and well planned move by Mohammed set the stage for how Islam deals with its enemies. The pattern was evidenced in the Iran hostage situation in the Carter years, the entire time that Yassir Arafat was dealing with Israel through the so-called "Palestinian Peace Process," and it continues with Iran's nuclear ambitions. The Islamists give just enough hope for peace that diplomacy continues, all the while they are working around the clock toward their goals.

Alan