Understanding Islam
It is not just like other religions. It is, when correctly practiced, a totalitarian system masquerading as a religion.
Khaled Ahmed writes about a book by Mobarak Haider delving into "the minutiae of collective Muslim narcissism" and "the Muslim mind." Now, granted, this does not describe how all Muslims are, just those who correctly practice Islam.
As I've said before, many Muslims in America are like Christmas Christians. They partake of the surface of Islam and practice it much in the way Jews and Christians practice their faith -- as a religion -- and apparently have no idea what evil the Quran commands. (And Quranic commands are to be taken literally -- this is not allegorical like the Bible...which is why you don't have people, per the Bible, slaughtering their neighbors for committing adultery, their children for talking back, and total strangers at the mall for the Biblical crime of mixing two different fabrics.)
An excerpt from Ahmed's piece on what Islam is that should open a few minds:
1) Islam is a complete code of life and offers solutions to all problems; 2) Every edict of Islam is eternal and applicable to all times; 3) Islam is the only truth and any other competing truth must mould itself according to Islam or be ready to be suppressed; 4) Muslims are under obligation to make Islam the supreme religion of the world as other religions are jahiliyya; 5) Muslims are the foremost nation in the world and the only one that will be allowed into Heaven; 6) Action taken to subjugate other civilisations is jihad and not terrorism.There are other 'collective' illusions contained in the edicts that follow: 7) Violence is interpreted as jihad, but then jihad is supposed to be the personal obligation of Muslims and not the state; 8) Any deviation from the prevailing dogma is non-belief or kufr; in more mitigating conditions, it is at least heresy; 9) The best knowledge is knowledge of religion and the ulema are the best among men, which means that no one can think about religion on his own; 10) No one can become a scholar of Islam except by accepting the dogma and obeying the edicts of tradition.
Lovely, huh?
Meanwhile, back in the world that actually exists, Turkey has been a functioning democracy longer than Germany.
Meanwhile, in reality... at March 28, 2011 9:19 AM
Meanwhile, back in the world that actually exists,
I'm not an expert on Turkey, but if you just turn to thereligionofpeace.com I think you'll find plenty of support for the post above. Like the jihad death toll for the month of March.
Amy Alkon at March 28, 2011 9:26 AM
Calling Islam a religion is like saying that a cruise ship is a shuffleboard court.
vermindust at March 28, 2011 10:02 AM
Not acknowledging the dangers of radical Islam is like not recognizing the 400lb gorilla standing between you and the tv while the superbowl of the century is playing...
Keith in Seattle at March 28, 2011 11:01 AM
And what do you make of a 70 year old man being stoned to death (as the Bible commands, say the suspects) for making gay advances? This happened in Pennsylvania, not Peshawar:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42158884/ns/local_news-philadelphia_pa/
Meanwhile, in reality at March 28, 2011 11:28 AM
The Saudis have ruled: no voting by the wimmenfolk:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110328/wl_afp/saudivotewomenrights;_ylt=Aha2aIgdD2oTulcIZJFLnF0MIsV_;_ylu=X3oDMTM5dTZxOWlzBGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDExMDMyOC9zYXVkaXZvdGV3b21lbnJpZ2h0cwRjY29kZQNtcF9lY184XzEwBGNwb3MDNARwb3MDNARzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA3NhdWRpd29tZW5hbg--
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at March 28, 2011 11:49 AM
"And what do you make of a 70 year old man being stoned to death (as the Bible commands, say the suspects) for making gay advances?"
I don't make it anything, but I call it a weak defense. He will be punished under the law not the bible. What is your point?
Dave B at March 28, 2011 1:04 PM
Hey, Meanwhile,in reality, if you come out of your haze again today to see this, check out http://hotair.com/archives/2011/03/28/video-pakistani-actress-destroys-mullah-who-accused-her-of-immorality/ What do you "make" of this?
Dave B at March 28, 2011 1:31 PM
@Meanwhile:
You hit the nail on the head. Both Turkey and the U.S. are, at least nominally, secular.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_state
A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen from a particular religion/nonreligion over other religions/nonreligion. Secular states do not have a state religion or equivalent, although the absence of a state religion does not guarantee that a state is secular.
Thus, Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union or the P.R. of China were not secular. Do you think there is no difference b/w an islamic based state and a secular?
biff at March 28, 2011 1:50 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/03/28/understanding_i_2.html#comment-1971192">comment from Dave BActually, I have a blog item for that, MarkD - I'll post it!
Link is here: http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/03/28/pakistani_actre.html
"Pakistani Actress Tells Imam Accusing Her Of Immoral Behavior To Go Blow"
Amy Alkon
at March 28, 2011 1:55 PM
Who is determining "correctly practiced"? By that do you mean "as literally written in the Koran"? If that's the standard, then Christianity and Judaism are pretty psycho, too.
Islam, as currently practiced by many psychos, is psycho.
NicoleK at March 29, 2011 3:23 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/03/28/understanding_i_2.html#comment-1974156">comment from NicoleKWho is determining "correctly practiced"? By that do you mean "as literally written in the Koran"? If that's the standard, then Christianity and Judaism are pretty psycho, too. Islam, as currently practiced by many psychos, is psycho.
The Quran is to be taken literally and unquestioningly as the word of god. Unquestioningly. Unquestioningly.
There's the difference. And it plays out in how Jews and Christians aren't slaughtering their neighbors for adultery or for wearing two different fabrics at once.
Amy Alkon
at March 29, 2011 7:36 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/03/28/understanding_i_2.html#comment-1974158">comment from Amy AlkonI guess you missed this post:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/03/28/understanding_i_2.html
Amy Alkon
at March 29, 2011 7:38 AM
The Torah applies only to Jews, who are discouraged from proselytising. It has almost nothing to say to the general population. There is no history, at least in the past 2000+ years, of even Jews being forcibly compelled to adhere to the religion. The Koran, by contrast, is understood by its adherents as addressing the entire world, all of whom are, if at all possible, to be compelled, by force, to follow it. There's really no comparison.
kishke at March 29, 2011 11:55 AM
In theory the bible is to be taken literally, too. When it was practiced that way, it was also a very dark time.
The point is I think there is potential for a saner Islam. Just as there are practicing Christians and Jews who don't follow Leviticus word for word, there is no reason there can't be the same in Islam.
NicoleK at March 30, 2011 9:10 AM
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