ETA: What if we think why it happened is wrong?
I think it must be hard to live in the modern world when trying very seriously to practice a religion from the first millenium. And I think modern radical Muslims have lost sight of the fact that many people converted from other religions to Islam purely because they had more freedoms and more opportunities under the new religion. I say this, that they have forgotten, because they appear to want to turn the world into a repeat of the Catholic empire of the first millenium – overarching, all powerful, controlling every. single. detail. of one’s life including WHEN and HOW you may have sex with your spouse. And, not least, to once again relegate women to a position little better than that of animals. After all, you’re not supposed to have sex with animals. I think if it were not for that prohibition there would be absolutely no differentiating women from animals in the radical Muslim’s mind at all. Why on earth women willingly participate in this – abomination – I really do not understand. This contrasts sharply with Islam from the Middle Ages, when it was the most progressive, science oriented, education promoting, opportunity laden, powerful religion on earth. What happened to THAT Islam? I’ve said before, and I mean it quite seriously, that if I were to go back in time I would want to live in an Islamic country like Turkey, and I would want to be Muslim. There simply were too many opportunities for women in that time to be anything other, at least for me. As compared to the Church in that time I think it would be much better.
I mean, I get that they (both men and women) want to be part of a cause. I get that they want their lives to mean something. I get that they feel cheated of the American Dream (TM) and they want to lash out. But really? To participate willingly in a – not sect, they are most definitely NOT that – transmogrification of a once progressive religion and be relegated to less than fully human (3/5ths to be exact) boggles the mind.
I have said for years, since the 9/11 attacks and controversy, that when peaceful Muslims start speaking out frankly, and shouting down and denouncing their radical baggage, that things will begin to change. When peaceful clerics start condemning radicals and their methods, things will change. The Islamic world has not done so until now because they have felt it is important to be seen as a monolith, that all Muslims are united in religion. The reality is something quite different; since humans practice religion, there will always be differences of opinion on interpretation and practice. There are sects and radicals in Christianity as well, but Christianity is not afraid to disown and denounce radicals whenever and wherever they dare to speak openly.
Which is why, when I saw this news story yesterday, it gave me hope:
Mayer of Rotterdam speaking to fellow Muslims
You go dude. Pack your bags and f*ck off indeed. The tide, one can only hope, is turning.
Moderate Muslims have spoken out, there just has not been much of a platform for their voices. I have heard interviews on public radio,but not on more mainstream media outlets.
by “interviews,” I mean interviews with rational, thoughtful Muslims who are as appalled as “the rest of us” by what the extremist radicals ar edoing
They are not campaigning in their own communities against these radicals, they are not shouting out about the excesses and demanding that the police get involved before hand, they are not pointing them out and standing up for integration. THAT is what needs to happen. Period. Or go back to where you came from. Or, if you were born in Europe, go somewhere where your values are more accepted, like Afganistan or Iran. They are not welcome in Europe or in America. You have every right to believe what you like. You do NOT have that right to impose it on me. Or to demand that society at large conform to your views.
As one of the funniest God jokes ever, here’s a video that explains your point EXACTLY.