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 I don’t understand this whole Muhammad as a cartoon thing. Islam is interpreted to forbid any illustrations of Muhammad for fear they could lead to idolatry. How do they expect non-Muslims to honor this? This is the first time many people have ever heard of it! The idea that you can control other people because of your belief has been shown throughout history to be futile. Muslims should know this more than anyone. Don’t they remember the crusades? Christians haven’t been able to convert and control Muslims for years-why should Muslims be any more successful?
The drawings, including one depicting the prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb, have now encited violence among Muslims. Seven people have died this week in Afghanistan during demonstrations. This is madness-no matter what your beliefs! Where is the outrage from Muslim clerics? Shouldn’t the higher ups in Islam speak out against this violence? Wouldn’t they want to reject any idea that their belief system encouraged violence? Do they want us to hold the image of Muhammad with a bomb on his head as the truth? Hypocrisy, no matter what your belief, will never win over anyone.
Kudos: YahooNews
Hi! The problem with your analysis is that Islam is not united in the way that Christian sects are; there are many different Muslim sects which interpret Islamic teachings and laws differently. In Islam, it is also believed that a person can commune directly with god, without the use of a priest or “higher up”. Islam is a religion without an official spokesperson. There are plenty of Muslim scholars and imams around the world speaking out against the violence; I heard one at my local mosque last Friday. Sadly, the media is not giving equal time to the peacemakers, exacerbating the sad image that the cartoons initially protrayed.
And this really isn’t about religion. It’s about politics and is a classic example of a “last straw”.
Hi Melanie. I am glad to hear that there are Muslims who are speaking out against the violence. I am sure that the media probably doesn’t show that too, because it is not as sensational. I still think that world Muslim leaders should come out against the violence. Personally, I think all man and womankind spend too much time worrying about God and their afterlife. If people keep putting more value on their God, than they do on their fellow human beings, I fear that someday we will all destroy ourselves. The world doesn’t need a savior or a prophet…we need a reality check.
Melanie said:
Hi! The problem with your analysis is that Islam is not united in the way that Christian sects are; there are many different Muslim sects which interpret Islamic teachings and laws differently.
Reply:
Say what? Christian sects are united? Better tell that to the Catholics and the Protestants, or the Fundamentalist Mormons & (insert any other Christian sect here)…
Melanie said:
In Islam, it is also believed that a person can commune directly with god, without the use of a priest or “higher up”. Islam is a religion without an official spokesperson.
Reply:
But that doesn’t explain WHY it’s so troubled. You have just described the original monotheistic religion! Judaism, also no higher up, also a direct line to G*d, also no official spokesperson…Yet the Jews have never supported wholesale killing as a mainstream norm (the polls in the MidEast). The Jews have always been and continue be the world’s scapegoats (even though they are so few that they are not even in the top 10 of world religions!). EVERY SINGLE DAY they are ridiculued and offensive caricatures are published in Arabic & Persian dialies (see Palestinian Media Watch). Jews have the EXACT same laws as Muslims regarding idoltary, the same sensitivies…Yet mysteriously there are no riots.
The Islamists continue killing and razing hell. They are involved in just about every major conflict in the past decade: Darfur, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Algeria, Yemen, Phillipines (Abu Sayaf). The so-called moderates generally sit mum, some make half-hearted attempts at condemnation but most fall pathetically short. The Muslim world will turn out in droves when an Arab child is killed because he was utilized as a human shield by Hezbollah or Hamas but THAT SAME MOBILIZATION IS NOT SEEN to protest Muslim on Muslim violence (Muslims kill more Muslims in ONE MONTH than Israel has in 60 years of defensive combat! See Jordanian Black September). That same mobilization was not seen protesting against 9/11, against the subjecation of women in Iran, against the opressive and racist Saudi regime (non Muslims can’t even enter the city of Mecca, women can’t drive!), against the brutal Taliban.
Disneybear, I am no big fan of religion but do not lump Islam in with all the others.
Reading the Koran is a HUGE eye-opener, especially when it is read alongside the Old & New Testaments. Whereas the Old and New Testaments contain SOME violence, it is generally limited to the violence between men and/or G*d metting out punishment; this violence is often part of a story, NOT the order of G*d. The Koran is different in that it clearly ORDERS followers to subjecate, kill, maim & dismember non-believers (for quotes see my blog)…
In fairness, yes, there are some Muslims & ex-Muslims who have dedicated their lives to reform and/or tell the truth about the religion: Irshad Manji, Waffa Sultan, Ibn Warraq come to mind. HOWEVER, they are a TINY, MINISCULE, INSIGNIFIGANT part of the populace (esp. considering Islam is so large and growing population).
I have a very time with the sheer number and clarity of intolerant calls to violence within the Koran. I also have a hard time reconciling the violent life of Muhammed (he instigated wars, he went back on promises (at Khybar), he persued the wife of his son!), especially as compared to the lives of the “prophets” who came before (i.e. it is so glaring a difference that one could easily argue that Muhammed & Jesus were DIAMETRIC OPPOSITES!).
Wingless
Woops, fragmented thought:
When I said above:
“Yet the Jews have never supported wholesale killing as a mainstream norm (the polls in the MidEast).”
Should read:
“Yet the Jews have never supported wholesale killing as a mainstream norm (the polls & protests in the MidEast do point to violence being supported by the majority, even the overwhelming majority – in Gaza they elected Hamas, a terrorist organization whose stated aim is Pan-Islamism, the Arab world supports suicide bombing against the USA – a nation that has saved more Muslim lives in the past decade than all “Islamic nations” combined; given the chance the Wahabi Saudi populace would be far more radical than the Royal Family that rules them; given the chance the Egyptian population would elect the Muslim Brotherhood… Point is that this is no “fringe” movement – it’s the MAINSTREAM!).”