This article is full of so much WIN... (verses, convert, human)
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for me at least. As a former, fundamentalist Christian who dribble down to "moderate" before jumping ship on ALL religion, this article resonated with me because in so many places in the article I could replace "Muslim" or "Islam" with "Christian" or "Christianity."
There are so many assumptions in the article that are Wrong (as in factually incorrect)! but this is a very normal Western-centric way of seeing things....often what the person does is make incorrect assumptions about Muslims/Islam then proceeds to blame Muslims for HIS incorrect assumptions and tells them to reform!!!(Which is really code for---get rid of religion and become more like the secular/liberal West!)
If a Muslim---(or in this case an ex-Muslim apparently)is ignorant of Islam---that fault and the responsibility for its correction lies solely with the one who is ignorant and not with the 1.6 billion Muslims. If you (as a Muslim) read the Quran without understanding it---it is your fault---What did God give you brains for?---to let it stagnate?.....
As for the Non-Muslim---Yes they are ignorant...which would be fine. If one is ignorant, the thing to do is to gain knowledge or to admit to ones ignorance----BUT ignorance does not excuse bigotry and prejudice. It does not excuse it for Jews, or People of Color, or any other category!
.......and frankly----I would have assumed that more than a decade after 9/11 Non-Muslims would have had plenty of opportunities to gain some/little correct knowledge of Islam/Muslim---but it perhpas my assumption is incorrect!....
According to research (Robert Pape) the Tamil Tigers suicide bombing has been going on for 3 decades!! with more people killed than any other terrorist group---But the West has been silent about this terrorism!!! Why is that? ----obviously it is Western media bias brought on by a Western political agenda (propaganda) that focuses attention on only one group of extremists and excludes or excuses others. According to the same research---those who commit suicide bombing---do so for political purposes--- does not matter if they say "Allahuakbar" or whatever else. For ex---"Spreading Democracy" was the slogan and justification used by Americans to invade and decimate Iraq, killing innocent men, women, and children, displacing many others and bringing misery for decades---should we therefore assume that since all Americans believe in Democracy---that they are all warmongering terrorist and that all "Moderate Americans" should condemn and denounce democracy?---that---and there is no other word for it---is just stupid.
During these U.S. invasions the U.S. military and its mercenary contractors (such as blackwater) had a "Crusader sub-culture" with Gun sights numbered with biblical verses, paraphernalia (insignias, bullet coating...etc) and, T-shirts, tattoos,...etc designed with logos of anti-Islam/Crusader messages. U.S. soldiers went out and distributed Christian Bibles and medallions/coins at gunpoint.---therefore, should we assume that ALL 2 billion Christians are violence-loving fundamentalists who read their bibles too literally and want to kill or convert the rest of the world---and the "Moderate Christians" should denounce and condemn their religion and become secular liberals?---or do most Westerners "get it" that not all 2 billion Christians can be painted with the same brush---that there is some truth to Christian claims that Christianity is a religion of peace and love for the majority of Christians? So why is it that Westerners can distinguish this about Christianity but not do the same for Islam?----because of prejudice and ignorance......
As for the verses---Muslims do not need to apologize for them or reform them or even condemn them----Because---the "literal" reading itself provides context for the verses if they are read as whole---just try it---read 4:89 in the "open letter" then read 4:90---the very next verse and it is clear that the Quran is talking of a war strategy and exemptions to be made in that context. The same way that Sun Tzu (China) counsels about (intelligent) war strategies in" the art of war"such as--
"When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be dampened. If you lay siege to a town you will exhaust your strength".....and......
"Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence: Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemies resistance without fighting"....and other such counsel.......
That's not all---many of the worlds wisdom teachings counsel of war/fighting such as the Tao te Ching of Daoism, or the "Bushido" (way of the warrior) of Zen and Shinto. (Japanese)...as do the worlds democracies...including the U.S. which has military manuals of various sorts and academies to teach such material.
Many wisdom teachings (including the Quran) that counsel of war/fighting do so in the context of restraint---to restrain excess in human behavior----that is why they should not be reformed---rather they should be understood. There may be some sacred texts or wisdom teachings that do not focus on restraint---if so, they can be reformed or changed or whatever....and if the Bible happens to be such a text---then it is for Jews and Christians to decide what do with it---but don't paint all religions with the same brush.
Many wisdom teachings (including the Quran) that counsel of war/fighting do so in the context of restraint---to restrain excess in human behavior----that is why they should not be reformed---rather they should be understood. There may be some sacred texts or wisdom teachings that do not focus on restraint---if so, they can be reformed or changed or whatever....and if the Bible happens to be such a text---then it is for Jews and Christians to decide what do with it---but don't paint all religions with the same brush.
We don't paint all religions with the same brush. Only Islam. The religion of hate and violence. I have no use for it.
...Islam. The religion of hate and violence. I have no use for it.
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the best in conduct. Indeed, God is Knowing and Acquainted." (Quran 49:13)
I am a Muslim---as in one who follows/lives Islam---would you like to get to know me?
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the best in conduct. Indeed, God is Knowing and Acquainted." (Quran 49:13)
I am a Muslim---as in one who follows/lives Islam---would you like to get to know me?
I also am a Muslim and leave myself open for those who would like to get to know me. I have found Peace in Islam that I did not find in my past Religious practices.
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