Islam is one of the main stream, major religions in the world. I believe a sizeable proportion of the world's population are Muslims. But looking at the images and reading the news reports, the image of Islam that is being presented to the world audience is scary.
We see protestors, not only in Pakistan but also in Indonesia, and to a lesser extent Malaysia, demonstrating (sometimes violently) and calling the US strikes against the Taliban and OBL as a "war between Islam and the West". Now to any objective thinker, heck any one with half a brain, this is patently untrue. Yet many Muslims seem to believe that this is the case. I ask why?
Surely Islam, as most other religions, preach peace rather than war, respect for basic human rights (not human rights as the West defines it, but at a more fundamental level such as right to health care, education, securuty, etc). Yet the world Islamic community tolerated, and in Pakistan's case abetted, a misogynistic regime in the form of the Taliban. Why? Surely their practice of denying education and health care to females is not a pillar of their religion?
What scares me most is that many Muslims leaders are ready to call for jihad at the drop of a hat. And what is even scarier is that there are many who are ready to respond to that call.
OBL says he is fighting for the Palestinians and their cause. What has OBL done for Palestinians? Has he provided money to build schools and hospitals? Has he created jobs? What's up with the Indonesians? What has he done for them? What has he done, with all his wealth, to better the lot of underprivileged Muslims around the world?
For that matter, what has the Taliban done for the people of Afghanistan? Better health care? Education? Reviving the economy and rebuilding infrastructure after fighting against the Soviet invasion and the subsequent civil war? These are what a responsible governemnt would do. Or are they more like feudal lords, reigning over subjects that they don't care two bits about? And exporting opium and heroin to the rest of the world. They are no better than the drug cartels in South America.
I sincerely believe that the brand of Islam preached by the Taliban and other fundamentalists with leanings towards violence as an answer to their perception of what's wrong in the world today is NOT the mainstream Islam practiced all over the world.
If this is true, why then do the silent majority not speak out and repudiate the brand of Islam paraded on the TV screens the last few days? Why doesn't a respected Islamic scholar come out and say that the Koran has been quoted out of context and twisted to suit the nefarious needs of OBL and his gang? Why hasn't
ANYONE come out to show and try to convince Muslims around the world that OBL and the Taliban are not true Muslims, but practicing a perverted version of it?
And if my belief is not true... *shudder*
I just had to get this off my chest. I'm going back to IWD, now. Thanks.
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"Butt-kicking for goodness!" - Minsc
"Cities always teem with evil and decay. Let's give it a good shake and SEE WHAT FALLS OUT!!" - Minsc
