The image of Islam is dominated by the views of the militant Jihadists. They are setting the agenda and seemingly thousands of young English Muslims are taking up their extreme version of Islam.
I am an antitheist. I believe all religion is constructed by human beings and there is no god. However I am tolerant and I believe in freedom. I believe that all people should have the right to follow and practice whatever religion they want.
Perhaps it is time for moderate Muslims to stand up and be counted. If Islam is a tolerant religion that means ‘peace’ then there should be an active opposition to the barbarity being practiced by the extremists.
Do Muslims around the world believe:
- Non-Muslims must be converted to Islam?
- That failure to convert is punishable by death?
- That apostasy is punishable by death?
- That blasphemy is punishable by death?
- That anyone should be stoned to death for even the severest crime?
- That people should be forced to adopt strict codes of dress such as Burqas for women and beards for men?
- That women should not be educated?
- That all the world should be forced to convert to Islam?
- That personal freedom is wrong?
- That music and the arts should be banned?
- That other religion’s images should be destroyed?
- That the West has a war against Islam?
- That it is ever right to punish people with violence and mutilation?
- That women are second class citizens who do not have the same rights as men?
- That politics and decision making are the province of men?
- That the culture of 600 AD Islam is preferable to that of modern civilisation?
- That having large families is good?
- That Allah has given them the right to impose their views on everyone else in the harshest manner possible?
If reasonable Muslims do not believe that then perhaps they need to shout about it and take active steps to stop their sons from getting caught up in such intolerant extremism.
The alternative is surely that we all learn to coexist in peace, tolerance and freedom. That those of religious persuasion can accept the views of others, not oppress people and live in harmony.
There is no room for hatred.
We can build a positive zeitgeist and make the world a better place! We can!!
Opher, views like yours expressed here not only show widespread ignorance of Muslims in general but also promote the stereotyping of Muslims by bigoted members of society. From your cosy little blogging room do you never read or watch the news? The coalition airstrikes against Daesh are carried out mainly by Islamic States. The soldiers fighting Daesh on the ground are predominantly Kurds and Shia Militia – all are Muslims. There was a short documentary last Thursday showing the retaking of Kobane by the Kurdish forces comprising frontline men and women. The women were not sporting burqas by the way. I saw many Daesh corpses but I’ve yet to see a Daesh prisoner or hear of one being taken alive. I think any reasonable person would describe all that as “active opposition” to barbarity.
Unfortunately there is a perverted segment of militant Islam that is carrying out atrocities on many fronts – Taliban, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, ISIL, and hundreds more. The world is in uproar – Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc etc
There are people using violence to enforce sharia law. There are people being beheaded, world heritage sites deliberately destroyed, barbarity on a huge scale (beheadings, stonings, pressings, crucifixion, burnings) and populations terrorised.
There is Sunni against Shia and both against minority Christians. The uncivilised religious fervour, fanaticism and cruelty is beyond most of what we have witnessed in recent history.
These groups are medieval, depraved and deluded. They need opposing.
I am seeing Muslims fighting back (mainly for sectarian reasons) but I am not hearing the outcry from moderate Muslims that I should be hearing. There is some but not enough.
I am opposed to violence, fanaticism, intolerance, hatred and indoctrination. I speak out about it wherever I hear of it. At this moment in time the bulk of the insanity is coming from fanatical Muslims seeking to oppress and tyrannise.
I am not secluded, deluded or stupid. Neither am I bigoted, intolerant or violent.
I am not speaking stereotypes. I see, hear and read about indoctrination and insanity daily.
I am speaking out against religious fanaticism. I am for freedom of speech, thought and action.