5 reactions to this article

Tasneem posted: 30-03-2008 | 10:26 PM

In the Name of Allah. Most Gracious, Most Merciful.<br> offfffffff, when will you start using your minds people,,,,,,,,,stop liessssssss. How is the freedom of speech is good when it tells and spread lies...shame on u people..<br /> <br /> http://www.islamhouse.com/p/71709<br /> http://english.islamway.com/bindex.php?section=topics<br /> http://www.eng.sbeelalislam.net/<br /> <br /> www.harunyahia.com

Mdina posted: 01-04-2008 | 1:41 PM

Anyone who 'thinks' who visits any of the websites you suggest will certainly think again before taking you seriously again.

albrecht posted: 03-04-2008 | 4:47 PM

Christianity, particularly prior to the Reformation under the Catholics, was extremely brutal at times. As were most religions at some point in time. The problem is Islam has no "one person" or "strong/smart enough leader" to bring about a likewise 'reformation' or to issue a global authoritative view that violence and misogny is wrong. Also, the Koran itself appears to dwell on what, to use the term loosely, an similiar "Old Testament" viewpoint, whereas the Bible has the "Newer" part which takes away much of the judgementalism, sexism, and violence from the "old law". Islam sticks to laws written centuries ago whereas Christians/Jews, for the most part, have modernised, had reformations, had schisms, and allowed secular states and religious tolerance. Something Muslims still won't allow without a fight or protest in many cases. Even the worst Christians today, however, don't do acts like a large number of Muslims do. You don't hear of "US Bible Thumpers" stoning people, beheading people, throwing acid in the face of their women, killing their own daughters over "honour", not allowing girls in school, forcing drapes on women, etc. You do, on occaision, find individual people, or sometimes cults, that kill but those are few and far between whereas some of these "customs" are common in the Islamic world. They need to join, at minimum, the 18th or 19th century- which was still exploitative in Europe but not as much as before. It is probably hopeless to expect them to join the civilised world anytime soon.

Mdina posted: 04-04-2008 | 9:50 AM

abrecht, you certainly know your stuff and what you say makes sense. I'm not an expert in world religions, however I am aware that Islam builds on its primitive Jewish predecessors - selecting bits and pieces to make the whole. I'm currently reading intellectual (and atheist) Christopher Hitchen's book 'God is not Great'. In his chapter, "The Koran is borrowed" he mentions that many authorities believe that the Koran can only be read (and heard) in Arabic - it is not translatable. Which leaves us with "the absurd and potentially dangerous conclusion that god was a monoglot." He also admits that you cannot challenge or investigate the claims of Islam without swift and extremely harsh repression. "Provisionally then, one is entitled to conclude that the apparent unity and confidence of the faith is a mask for a very deep and probably justifiable insecurity.

Not to mention the bloody feuds BETWEEN different schools of Islam, resulting in strictly inter-Muslim accusations of heresy and profanity and in terrible acts of violence.

Mdina posted: 04-04-2008 | 9:52 AM

...Islam builds on its primitive Jewish and Christian predecessors -....