Park Your Unicorn Next To "Moderate Islam"
Are there Muslims who are -- and consider themselves -- moderates? Absolutely.
Unfortunately, they will be considered apostates by many who practice actual Islam -- which means they are to be slaughtered.
Raymond Ibrahim writes at FrontPage:
One of the greatest problems with the much cherished "moderate/radical" Muslim dichotomy is that it's entirely based on Western assumptions that have nothing to do with the realities of Islam.This came out in a study published in Arabic (my recent translation here):
Islamic researchers are agreed that what the West and its followers call "moderate Islam" and "moderate Muslims" is simply a slur against Islam and Muslims, a distortion of Islam, a rift among Muslims, a spark to ignite war among them. They also see that the division of Islam into "moderate Islam" and "radical Islam" has no basis in Islam--neither in its doctrines and rulings, nor in its understandings or reality.In keeping with various disturbing polls , the study found that everything associated with "radical Islam"--adherence to Islamic law (Sharia), subordinate position for women and non-Muslims, draconian punishments, jihad to spread Islam, and opposition to democracy--is a reflection of authentic Islam.
...Faith in moderate Islam is faith in the notion that a human can be both secular and Muslim at the same time.
Exactly. And a person cannot be both of those things.
Ibrahim more eloquently explains what I wrote at the top of this post:
There are of course Muslims who fit into secular societies. But that's because they are not observant of Islam--and not because they are observant of some sort of "moderate Islam." "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam," as Turkish president Recep Erdogan famously pointed out.
And this is essential:
The idea that Muslims can be true to their religion and yet naturally fit into Western society is false--and built on an equally false premise: that Christianity somehow also had to moderate itself to fit into a secular society--when in fact, Christian principles, which are so alien to Islam, were fundamental to the creation of the West.
"Christian principles...were fundamental to the creation of the West."
Reason, via the ancient Greeks, pre-dated Christianity. Constantine spread Christianity. Much of what we consider to be Western, in opposition to the rest of the world, is either ancient Greek or post-Reformation (Protestant and/or secular) individualism. Both facts run contrary to Islam, which is collectivist and authoritarian.
Keith at July 7, 2016 11:30 PM
" Both facts run contrary to Islam...."
Both facets....
Keith at July 7, 2016 11:34 PM
> And this is essential:
>
> The idea that Muslims can be
> true to their religion....
Essence, Amy! Things that are literally "true"!
Because you have done the reading! So you are one of the few women on the scene —one of the few women in world history under the dawn of our Eternal Cosmos, actually— to truly understand how a religion belonging to one-point-seven-BILLION other people is truly practiced by the truly observant. I mean, that's a lot of people, and you haven't met even one of them. And you never will, because you're a solitary rhetor more eager for attention than enlightenment.
It's great that someone on this planet knows what Islam is truly all about. Kinda weird that it's you, though. 'Expertise' of this kind does not gently or perform well interpersonally.
If someone wanted to tell you what it means to be truly black, but they hadn't met any, or they wanted to talk about the truly homosexual, but they hadn't met any, I wonder if you'd trust them?
There are about 1.5 Billion more Muslims than homosexuals on this planet.
Crid at July 8, 2016 8:21 AM
When did you parents last stone someone for being gay, Amy?
What's that? They never have?
Well, then, your parents can't be Jews, can they? Leviticus 20:13 says they're supposed to stone people who commit homosexuals.
Are they "moderate Jews"? No such thing. Park your unicorn next to the "moderate Jews."
Patrick at July 8, 2016 8:27 AM
"It's great that someone on this planet knows what Islam is truly all about. Kinda weird that it's you, though.
How (iffy) does this apply to you, that you gainsay this?
Radwaste at July 8, 2016 8:29 AM
What are you asking, Raddlepants?
Crid at July 8, 2016 10:09 AM
> Are they "moderate Jews"?
> No such thing.
Fuckin' Patrick...
Fuuuuuuuc-kiiiiiiiin' Patrick.
Crid at July 8, 2016 6:59 PM
Well, then, your parents can't be Jews, can they? Leviticus 20:13 says they're supposed to stone people who commit homosexuals.
And Zimmiticus 12:35 was even more harsh, stating "Everybody must get stoned."
JD at July 8, 2016 8:11 PM
That explains why I do not feel so all-alone.
(If he had five more tunes like that in his cataogue, just five more Pink Caddillac-y numbers, he wouldn't be so readily loathable.)
Crid at July 8, 2016 9:54 PM
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