Is it feasible for Muslims to begin speaking about the good things in the Islamic religion instead of just reacting to another religion's speech about -ALL that they're seeing from Islam is violence in the name of religion ?

Would it be possible for Iran to do the right thing? Help Iraq economically(without Iraq losing democracy) ? Meanwhile, ridding Iraq of the militants? Or are they on the same side really as the militants? Very coomplex. Why doesn't the Ayatollah start telling us all that Islam is a peaceful religion that doesn't encourage violence?

If Iran could refrain from chemical enrichment, help Iraq with security & economy then we can make a bee line out of Iraq!

Your friend,
dreamer

Skell

For every brainwashed Islamic person out there, there are just as many brainwashed Jews, Budhists, and God forbid, Christians.
I agree that Muslims do pose a threat to our way of life. And i am concerned about a number of the actions they are taking in this world today. But i also refuse to take Magprops train of thought that they are all like this and need to be killed!
It is clearly shown again how intolerance from members of all religions is our greeatest problem today!
The Pope proved it with his speech which was not necesary. Surely he could see that even touching on such a subject in todays climate would cause uproar in the Muslim community.
You see, they are just like the western culture. We get spoon fed our news from media such as CNN, and all we see is negative.
They get the same thing fomr Al Jazeer. They only see negative news in regards to the west.

I agree with RickJ. I watched a great episode of an American TV Movie "Over There" just the other night.. It showed the role the Media are playing in this war in Iraq. Not just the US media. But the Iraqi media as well!

Again, it comes down to Tolerance! Which Muslims are not the only guilt party!

31pumpkin

I have to disagree about the radical Islam. They are called the Taliban for one. I don't care how brainwashed they are from adding a violent version to their Holy Book, these are the ones that won't be tolerated. That's what our military is for.
A few words said by the Pope and a nun was shot and killed and churches were burned? We are not dealing with a civilized bunch here. Random beheadings.....

So to say to Magprob was referring to all Islam was not reading his post correctly. He said the ones who were commiting this violence weren't doing it in the name of Islam as I understood it.

And I don't think any other religion is going to such violent extremes lately. No I'm for nuking them right now, if we could find them.

Skell

You want to set off a nuclear weapon? really?
Wow. Your scary! Im more scared of you then i am any radical islamist.
Unless your joking and i missed it... you must be!


You say this above and then you say you want to use a nuclear weapon.... hmmmn interesting.
Please tell me i am looking like an idiot here because i didnt get your joke. I will happily spend the rest of my time on this board with egg on my face if this is the case.


ok, i will agree with you here. he may not of been talking about Islam as a whole but his views were still in my opinion a little narrow minded.

31pumpkin

Since most of the rhetoric is in, I'm interested to see how relations from the middle east play out, of course.
It does seem political at this time. Peace lies in the hands of the leaders. Any radicalism that is evident is more in the followers that are brainwashed to do so. But you don't see the leaders of these militant groups martyring themselves, so I think there's hope for some of the troublesome groups to reach compromises politically. The religious fanaticism is fading. Is it just my perception b/c the leaders in question here like Iran & Hezbollah aren't spewing the extreme religious stuff?
What's to say if they all settle down & let that go. Could it even help the al-Qaeda resistance in Iraq? What if "death to the infadels" tones down & Bin laden is actually caught/killed? Seems to me in all these decades, there was never so much radical violence in the name of any religion.

javedahmad

For alternative views on Islam and 911, please visit http://www.geocities.com/javedahmad/ and http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/

KAOSKTRL

Islam is the most Warlike religion
A Danish language researcher has spent over three years analyzing the original texts of ten different religions, and concludes that the Islamic texts stand out by encouraging terror and violence to a larger degree than other religions do. Four years after the terror attacks at the World Trade Center, Danish linguist Tina Magaard presents an analysis that questions Islam’s relationship with terror, violence and Holy War.

Islamic texts encourage terror and fighting to a far larger degree than the original texts of other religions, concludes Tina Magaard. She has a PhD in Textual Analysis and Intercultural Communication from the Sorbonne in Paris, and has spent three years on a research project comparing the original texts of ten religions.

“The texts in Islam distinguish themselves from the texts of other religions by encouraging violence and aggression against people with other religious beliefs to a larger degree. There are also straightforward calls for terror. This has long been a taboo in the research into Islam, but it is a fact that we need to deal with," says Tina Magaard. Moreover, there are hundreds of calls in the Koran for fighting against people of other faiths. “If it is correct that many Muslims view the Koran as the literal words of God, which cannot be interpreted or rephrased, then we have a problem.

It is indisputable that the texts encourage terror and violence. Consequently, it must be reasonable to ask Muslims themselves how they relate to the text, if they read it as it is," says Tina Magaard.The Copenhagen imams Ahmed Abu Laban and Abdul Wahid Petersen are greatly upset by the analysis presented by the linguist. Abu Laban: “I don’t want to confine myself to a single stupid, prejudiced and dishonest researcher. Why waste time on somebody who wants to create twisted ideas about Islam?” Abdul Wahid Petersen calls the analysis ”academic nonsense":
”You cannot single out quotes and conclude the way she does. Most verses in the Koran should be viewed within a specific historical context and cannot be generalized. If there are so many calls for violence,
then why haven’t Muslims wiped out people of different faiths in the societies where Muslims make up the majority? Because we do not read the Koran that way.”
http://fjordman.blogspot.com/2005/09...-religion.html

Afghan Jew Becomes Country's One and Only
A Single Death in Kabul Cuts Community in Half
By N.C. AizenmanWashington Post Foreign ServiceThursday, January 27, 2005; Page A10
KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 26 -- When Zablon Simintov found Ishaq Levin sprawled on the cement synagogue floor last week, he immediately realized two things: His housemate and archnemesis of nearly seven years was dead, and he was now in all likelihood the last Afghan Jew still living in the country.
"I'm not sad about that," Simintov said with a frown Wednesday. He acknowledged dryly that he would not miss Levin, an octogenarian who apparently died of natural causes. Simintov, 44, had feuded bitterly with him for as long as the two men occupied separate rooms in the ruins of the only remaining synagogue in Kabul.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2005Jan26.html

RickJ

No. It is not indisputable. If it were, then we would not see Islamic groups like these out there.

Just because you believe something to be so does not mean it's indisputable.

KAOSKTRL

Its not terrorism its jihad.

galveston

The post by Kaosktrl brings us to something that must be dealt with if we are to understand the issue. The basic question is this: Are the violent Muslims a lunatic fringe, or are they actually fundamentalists? Does a deeper understanding of their Holy book lead them to peace, or violent jihad? Which sect within Islam is considered (by them) to be more fundamental? Within Christianity, we know who is fundamentalist and who is not. It should be the same within Isalm. (eg) Evangelicals are also fundamentalists, and Catholic and Episcopal are not. What do you Muslims think?

Morganite

I once met a young Muslim scholar at a conference. He was quite vocal in support of his faith, and at one point I asked him if he was a fundamentalist. His reply illuminates the problem we sometimes have with certain words. After a significant pause, he replied that he was a fundamentalist, but that he was not a militant.

To many Muslims, jihad refers to their internal struggle towards shahada (obedience). It is similar to Christians wrestling against 'principalities and powers' in an internal spiritual struggle.

As a further illustration we need to look and see a certain kind of 'Christian' who not only feels justified in using violence, bombs, and gind to harm and kill those they have identified as the enemies of God, but who actually take up arms (and fists and feet) to make their points. These invariably point to the cleansing of the temple by Jesus as justification, and to the verse in Jude that instructs the saints to contend for the faith.

As disappointing as this might be for some, I do not support terrorism or violence in the pursuit of religion. I make that clear because I often speak in defence of other denominations and faiths who are being given an undeserved bad press. That does not mean that I follow their tenets and practices, but because I am of a different persuasion does not mean that I should stand idly by and watch as they are condemned for something they have not done.

Men and women of goodwill can make the world a better place, even as the bigots fight against peace and fairness. They must not be allowed to win.

MRGANITE