Re: Islam or Political/Extremist Islam?
Reply #60 - January 26, 2011, 05:54 PM
Excellent point. I realized my mistake almost as soon as I hit "post" button. After all there is a reason there are two different words. I will try to use the word radicals from now on when I have in mind terrorists, unless you convince me otherwise. I will reply to some great ideas that have been said here:
Hassan:
The video seems to have generated quite a debate. My main concern, which most here hopefully will appreciate, is that I don't want ordinary and peaceful Muslims lumped in with the extremists.
ALM:
I don't want that either.
Hassan
Like I said in the video, if Catholicism can take a position that "Violence is contrary to God's Nature" despite the violent God of the Old testament then why should anyone complain if Muslims turn "Hit them" into "Leave them alone".
ALM:
1. Isa (or Peter, Paul? - I don't know) did naskh on OT. 2. There will always bedictionaries.
Hassan:
Regardless of what one thinks of modernist or peaceful interpretations, there seems to be nothing to gain by insisting that the terrorists Islam is "true Islam".
Hassan:
So long as they move away from violence why should I care if they want to cling to their comfort blanket despite all reason?
ALM:
How does it prevent the pacifists from picking up the Koran and hadith one day to find out about fundamentals of their comfort blanket?
allat:
I do know that real change is not possible until the texts, the Quran, Hadiths etc are changed/ammended/retranslated in some "official" sense, but no Muslim authority has the awareness, the foresight or the humanist inclination to do that.
ALM:
Amen
Rashna
Can we really reinterpret Hitler's life to make it look like the guy loved Jews?
Islam fundamentalism sure is a problem, but the fundamentals of its founder Muhammad's life are as big, if not a bigger problem.
ALM:
It sounds convincing to me.
Hassan:
My concern is not whether Islam can reform - but that one should differentiate, like Maryam Namazie does, and most intelligent commentators do.
Firstly because - as I say, there are many Muslims out there who believe in peaceful interpretations and they manage - one way or another to get round the violent verses. If any of you sat down with some of the very moderate Sheikhs and Muslims I know you would be astonished how they interpret things and get round any violent or nasty verses.
It doesn't matter if you or I buy it.
The point is they do and they are quite convinced and adamant that the fundamentalists are absolutely wrong.
Secondly - and even more importantly - we need to separate ourselves from the bigots and xenophobes who have other agendas.
Thirdly - and perhaps most importantly of all - we need to show ordinary decent Muslims we don't hate them which will help them accept that people do leave Islam - it's not a problem - and they just need to get over it.
ALM:
This is very important and I agree with your fight against xenophobia and Muslimphobia. Yet I don't believe we should agree that radical Islam (like Christianity or Judaism) have nothing to do with Islam.
Both ideas:
1. There is no true Islam
2. There is true Islam
seem to me equally correct depending on how Islam is defined in the first place. Islam lends itself to either peaceful or radical interpretations thus Islam is a problem.
"That it is indeed the speech of an illustrious messenger" (The Koran 69:40)
Topic: Islam or Political/Extremist Islam?