Islam scares me

[Hayashi]

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

[Fljotsdale]

I know where you are coming from Hayashi. It scares me too. But the (very few) Muslims that I know are very nice people.
It is only a few who are fanatical, in comparison to the great majority who just want to live in peace. But sadly, as in any religious/national/racial group, it is the few that seem to call the tune and eventually stir up hatred in the many because of the foulness of the actions of that fanatical few.

The only way to counter fanaticism is to IDENTIFY AND REMOVE THE CAUSE. And the cause is almost always inequity of one sort or another. 'The West' is notorious for it's indifference to the problems of 'the East'. In fact, we are far more likely to fatten ourselves on their poverty than to give them REAL assistance - I don't consider the meagre food and medical aid we give them to be REAL assistance - such as economic and educational aid, along with advisers, so that they can establish a decent infrastructure and join the modern world. I don't mean the rich Eastern nations, but the rest. And not only the East, either, but ALL the poor nations of the world.
After all, we in the West are swimming in lard, even the poorest of us. We have homes, food, water, and modern conveniences. I saw a picture a few days ago of a family living in a tent made of odds and ends on what appeared to be a rubbish tip. Close by were the high-rise buildings of a modern city. It is a good illustration of the reason why 'the East' fosters fanaticism.

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Dubbed Queen of the Illuminati by Diogenes.

[This message has been edited by Fljotsdale (edited 10-11-2001).]

I'm going to wade in here and ther rest of you slap me down (please be gentle, tho ) if I'm wrong.

People must have something to believe in. This appears to be especially true if their lives are rife with hunger, poverty and general misery. In order to go about with the every day business of survival, they must have *something* to hope for. This is precisely the 'in' that people like bin Laden take advantage of so shamelessly.

If you were faced with grinding poverty and little chance of it ending and you perceived your neighbor as living much better than you, you would naturally envy the neighbor and perhaps come to blame him for your misfortune. After all, aren't you both god-fearing men trying to support your families? This goes on for some time, and then suddenly a charismatic man comes to speak or you hear of him and his message is one of hope and justness. All you need do is follow his tenets--which have been revealed to him by god himself, mind you!--and you will have a seat in paradise with virgins awaiting your every wish and prosperity as you have never before experienced! And since this revelation has come from god himself--and you have no reason to disbelieve that, isn't the messenger himself obviously blessed with prosperity!--you as a righteous man feel obligated to follow. It is your duty to god.

This obviously applies to Islam today. It also applied to the Roman Catholic Church of the Dark and Middle Ages (tho not limited to those times, certainly)with their various Inquisitions and other 'cleansings' of 'non-believers'.

Luckily the vast majority of Muslims and people of all faiths do not readily bow their heads to these charismatic radicals, but rather rely on the words of their own clergy and those revealed by their own readings and revelations. The silent majority do not speak so loudly against these, IMO, because there remains the secret hope that they might be reconciled to the original teachings. Or, more understandable perhaps for us westerners, one simply does not speak of the crazy auntie in the attic for fear society will cast the shadow on the entire family.

My .02

Garnet

[Silver Cheetah]

Originally posted by Hayashi: 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.

I would urge you to remember that the picture painted by the media is not always (or ever, for that matter!) the true picture. The American media is famously and traditionally biased against Islam, always has been. If you want to know more about that, there are literally hundreds of websites on the subject, some most scholarly in tone. Go have a search....

The ‘war’ between Islam and the West has been all over our newspapers too, at least, the more popular mainstream papers. Likewise the television. Radio 4 coverage (the thinking person’s radio station) – is far less dramatic and scaremongery. The word ‘war’ sells papers. Pictures of buildings in flames, the inflation of every event to catastrophic proportions, it's all good for business.

If your papers and TV are not presenting the views of moderate Muslims, that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there in their hundreds of millions. It just means your papers are feeding an appetite for a certain point of view. Let’s not forget, their proprietors have their own political objectives/vested interests to serve.

The silent majority can only speak out when someone holds a television camera in front of their faces. If that doesn’t happen, you aren’t going to hear it or see it. As for the respected Islamic scholars, again, go to the web sites and see what you can find. The left wing Guardian newspaper in the UK has had several interviews with noted Islamic personages, to my certain knowedge. In fact, go to guardian.co.uk and do a search. You’ll find all kinds of different viewpoint pertaining to Sept 11th and post events.

Hope this helps!

PS. You are right about the Taliban brand of Islam not being that in general use. There are two main ‘flavours’ of Islam, I believe. One is the moderate form practiced by 90% of Muslims, the other flavour, practised by 10% is somewhat less moderate, although it is not extreme in the way the Taliban are. (Why are the Taliban the way they are? Interesting question. Go find out. No-one is born ‘evil’. You will find the American government played its part, which was not a small one. Mistakes were made, and now the consequences come home to roost.)

Also, Jihad, these days at least, refers more to the struggle within, the holy war with the ‘self’, rather than taking war to other countries. The terrorists want the West OUT of Islamic territory, - they do not give a flying ■■■■ about bringing Islam to America or the rest of the world, - at least, that is my understanding. There may be exceptions, of course. I don’t know them personally, so I can’t speak for them.)


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Most Ecstatic and Exotic Mistress of the Illuminati



[This message has been edited by Silver Cheetah (edited 10-11-2001).]

[Ronn_Bman]

Islam is the world's 2nd largest religion.

There is nothing to be scared of because those who hide behind any religion to create death and destruction for their own personal reasons aren't truely representative of their beliefs.

There are lots of scary Christians! Guys who wear white hoods and believe killing people different from them is the work of the lord. Thats one of the more obvious examples, but hardly the only one.

We fear what we don't understand. It's human nature, but don't be misled.

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An elevator smells different to a dwarf.



"The object of war is Not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."

-General George Patton (1885-1945)

A loud minority can be more visible than a quiet majority.

[Fljotsdale]

Originally posted by Ronn_Bman: Islam is the world's 2nd largest religion. There is nothing to be scared of because those who hide behind any religion to create death and destruction for their own personal reasons aren't truely representative of their beliefs. There are lots of scary Christians! Guys who wear white hoods and believe killing people different from them is the work of the lord. Thats one of the more obvious examples, but hardly the only one. We fear what we don't understand. It's human nature, but don't be misled.

Good points! Christianity has always had a blood-stained history. Not a history Christ would be proud of, I think.

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Dubbed Queen of the Illuminati by Diogenes.