Ottoman Empire should be included here also

Is this incorrect interoperation of Islamic law?

From AFP:

...In the Sharia, or Islamic law, "mortad" is a reference to someone who has committed apostacy by leaving Islam while "mahdour al-damm" is a term applying to someone whose blood may be shed with impunity....

In Islamic law can the blood of someone leaving Islam be shed with impunity?

I think we're taking this a bit out of context.  In the Christian religious texts - how many offenses are punishable by death?  What is the prescribed method of execution?  How many places actually observe these strictures today?

It is interesting material - but getting quite off topic.  Let's try to stay closer to the original theme and not hijack this thread - if you want to discuss this further - pleae open a new thread on the appropriate board.

There was only one Rome. Byzantium was too Christian, and the Ottomans too Islamic.

But should the Ottoman empire be considered European, taking into account arabic, persian, and not to mention turkic, influences?

Conversion of albanians on islam was like that.

Ottoman rule had taxation system which seperates muslim - nonmuslims. If yeomanry people from nonmuslim areas would become a muslim. They had economical advantages but subjects of him had to be converted too. Thus caused albanian people to get in islamic world fastly.

I can easily say , money rulz. Especially for albanians.

But they liked islam. And their grandmothers werent raped or such silly thing.

well put Alparslan.

The capital city of OE was Istanbul as well.

Truth is, Greeks now object it but their ancestors fought and died for their Caesar' s.

This book can be found very easily:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp? userid=5E6K0RIAXe&isbn=0674013859&itm=3

It mentions that Comneni Emperor recognices Mehmet the Conqueror as the Emperor of Romans.

Well thrones are bought by power, Ottoman dynasty bought it by their power. Greeks were governing the empire in reality, Turks lost their positions to Greeks and other guys.

Counting Ottoman Empire as an Islamic Empire is a big mistake. It will be like counting Roman Empire as a Christian Empire. It is true that governors were muslim but they have never forced others to become muslims. Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians (Turkish origined) are still orthodox.

Army was formed of Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians.

Navy was completely Greek.

Governments were consisted of Greek with some Serbs and some Albanians.

Well I can not say it is a Turkish Empire either. And do not be deceived, in those days, Islam was far more advanced, free, enlightened religion than Christianity. So do not be confused of the conversions.

Albanians became muslim, far before Ottoman conquests. And Muslim Albanians resisted more than Christian Serbs and Greeks to the Ottoman conquests. Albanian stubborness is a common phrase in Turkey.

The Ottoman Empire is a very complicated issue... First of all, we cant identify Ottoman Empire as Turkish, since the emperors even dont identify themselves so...

Ottoman Empire was a multi ethnical and multi religious empire which was built on a synthesis of ancient Roman, Islamic, Turkish and Middle Eastern cultures. The empire's goal was to unite the world under their rule to form the third Rome. They didnt differ any nations, but religious groups of people. Turkmens were only a major ethnic population under Ottoman rule who were always tried to be converted to Sunnites from Alevis or other beliefs, and rebellious against the Ottoman authority because of religion, economy and pressure made by padishahs.

So if to identify Ottoman Empire, I would prefer to say certainly the third Rome...