I knew and understood the reason behind Taqiyyah given how much persecution, violence, attacks, and imprisonments Shias faced during the Umayyad and esp. Abbasid periods of Caliphate. Being a political-religious minority always at odds with the Sunni establishment, and as a result being vulnerable to harm, they had to protect themselves their families their livelihoods and property as much as they could.
Meaning one Shia could say he was not one if faced with a serious situation with Abbasid authorities to save himself and family. Similar to the Jew who managed to lie about being one to escape Nazi persecution. That I understood well.
That was a reason why Taqiyya made Shia inadvertently look deceitful, untrustworthy, liars, fiendish etc (as 14 centuries of Sunni propaganda and lack of trust states time and time again...) in the eyes of other Muslims.
On the other hand, what I also realised that looking at the history of Shia Islam, it certainly has taken a lot more pride in being open, loud, and confrontational about itself in the face of severe adversity and troubles.
From the revolt Yazid ibn Muawiyah faced from the Shia forces of Mukhtar al-Saqafi after the news of Karbala spread across the land, to the Abu Muslim and Khurramite revolts in Iran, to the Hashashin of Hassan-e-Sabah, to the Safavid grasp of power in Iran, to Khomeini, Hezbollah, Iraq, Kurram Agency in FATA, etc. One realises that Shias, despite being a minority, have almost NEVER backed down from a confrontation, and as a result - esp. since the fall of the Abbasids - they tend to ignore Taqiyyah almost completely. To most Shia, Taqiyyah is an outdated doctrine from an era that has gone past them.
But when I found out that Muslim-bashers had taken the Taqiyyah thing seriously without even realising what it was (probably from Ali Sina since he is an ex-Shia), I went from
to
to
to finally
When it comes to criticism of Islam, those that have a fetish for citing Taqiyyah in their arguments look like dishonest ignorant reactionary idiots that have nothing else to say apart from their own phobias and insecurities and lack of understanding. They are as idiotic as the rabid Islamist!
Poll
Topic: A serious poll about Taqiyyah