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Originally Posted by Gringo  This is a very serious thing.
The radical muslim of today is a FAR MORE dangerous enemy than the communists of yesteryear EVER were.
I don't know what the answer to this problem is, but I am very concerned about it.
Christian dogma does not tell its followers to KILL the "heathern" if they won't convert.
From what I've read, Islam does. I hope I am incorrect. |
Islam doesn't teach that at all actually. For all intents and purposes it IS a peaceful religion, and Sharia laws set out ways in which muslims and non-muslims can co-exist with each other. The problem is that the loudest (or the most visible) section of muslims, the radical ones, twist and distort any section of Islamic teachings to their own gain. For example, few people know that it is written in the Quran that if a muslim spills the blood of another human (whatever religion), he will never taste heaven.
However, it also says that you can shed the blood of your enemy if he is stopping the spread of Islam or trying to quell it, i.e. a holy war (Jihad). This is the part they twist and gain a following from, and we have all seen the consequences of this (9/11, 7/7, etc). They have also convinced themselves that the population of the countries conspiring against their faith, can also be held accountable.
The real issue I feel, is that politicians have seized on this and are coutering this as you would expect them to, i.e. the war on terror, terror legislations etc. The effect this has is that 'normal' muslims are feeling a little vicitmised if you will and are leaning more and more towards the radical way of thinking, even if it be subconsciously. This is a danger to everyone, this seige mentality that has you thinking the world is against you.
I know that I am perhaps not the best person to be saying this, having denounced my religion, but I would be very wary of believing everything you see or hear about Islam. For the most part, a normal muslim is not very noteworthy to the media, a radical one makes for sensational headlines. I'm not saying the media are biased against muslims 100% of the time, not at all, but they are hardly the most objective of analysts.
Unfortunately, it is my conviction that a storm is brewing between the muslim world and the non-muslim world and that the rest of us will get caught in it.