Have just added my tuppence worth over at the Guardian. Even managed to give this site a shout out
EDIT:
Hmmm Im getting a 404 when I hit submit. Is it an old article?
Oh well, I will paste my reply here anyway.
The very first paragraph tells us much about the writers thinking:
<b>Let us agree on this: we live in pluralistic societies and pluralism is an unavoidable fact. We are equal citizens, but with different cultural and religious backgrounds.</b>
Erm,well no, I dont agree with that. Some of us don't have any truck with religion at all yet you would see that as our religious position.Neither is lack of belief in a supernatural being 'cultural'.That's arrogance and theo-centricity right there.
If you were truly pluralistic and all embracing you should have given a shout out to the very large percentage of people who profess no religious affiliation. However Ive read what the Quran has to say about the non-believer so understand you not even wanting to refer to those Untermenschen at all.
Saying atheism is a religious position is like saying squatting is a sexual position when all one wants is to empty ones bowls.
The picture you paint of an Islam that is tolerant of others and a 'gift' would not be one shared by Peace Award winner Hector Aleem,the Pakastani Christian currently rotting in an Islamabad jail for,well ,for being a christian, although it is 'blasphemer' the crowd outside the jail baying for his blood shout. .Please google this case should you wish to further inform yourself.
Your proclamations about Islam are on a par with those cuddly C of E chappies who like to explain that Christianity is a loving,caring religion of peace whilst ignoring all the atrocities commited in the name of that very same book of love that also contains a blueprint for genocide and unspeakable morality.
I would have more respect for you if your pluralism and multi-culturism extended to criticising those within your own culture who take your religion's declarations at face value and do seek to impose their way of life on others.
Of course I may have got you wrong and so perhaps I will get to see you at the next demo of Secular Muslims or perhaps we could take part in a discussion over at the Council of Ex-muslims dot comwhere you can develop and share your thoughts on pluralism within Islam?
Or would I be insulting your religious identity by asking you to consort with muslims and apostat es that your own community and your own religion sees as beheading material?
Topic: Spinoza on Islam