Is this about Islam?

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Old articles on a topic that I'm seeing resurface and have been thinking about. I'd like to keep the topic about Islam and not fall into other things though that may be naive of me.

Two articles I read recently, I'd just ask if you specifically criticize one to read it in its entirety first. I'd like to solicit opinions:

From the NY Times and one of my favorite fiction writers (from a cached site):

EDIT - hehe, this site autoedits the term *****cat, as in 'meow cat'

And the second article which summarizes many sources:


"Islam: A Peaceful Religion?"
http://slate.msn.com/id/117525/

 

I wonder if anyone has ever claimed that Islam has nothing to do with the problems in the Middle East. I do not think it is Islam in itself that is the problem though, if Christianity, Judaism or hinduism had been the main religion in the area I think it would have been one of those we had discussed now. Religion and the faith in greater powers is what inspires and justifies the people in the muslim world to fling themselves against the west. Honestly, what else do they have?

It is kinda like a catch 22, they have nothing and thus they turn to religion to find a meaning and reason in their lives. Their religion then holds them down and makes it impossible for them to get anything, again leaving them with nothing but their faith.

Wow, I dont know if I should delete this post, I was alot more confused than I thought I was when I started to write this post. Hopefully someone has a better idea of what I am trying to say than I have.

 

The difference between the religons isn't the problem. Christianity and Islam are more or less the same. And Christianity is a very war-loving religion too. I am pretty sure of that, because our flag is our old battle flag. The sign of war, a white cross on a red background. Red for the blood that's spilled. It's the old battle flag of christianity, red and white and a cross, a motive which can be found in various European flags and on a lot of weapons. In hoc signo vinces, use this sign and you will win your wars. So search in any religious books and you will find that the religion in case is rotten to it's core.

Ironically, the phenomenon "fundamentalism" first appeared in the US, where the term was coined. Fundmamentalism, a western disease which infected the east ?

And then, in Europe, there a many parties, which are called "christian" parties. Modern politics from a christian perspective and fundament. It shouldn't surprise, that in islamic countries, the same princple takes foot, a democratic christian/islamic party. So, an islamist democratic movement isn't something strange, at least for me, who is governed by the christian-people's party. Ironically, North-America is way more religious then Europe, but they call their big parties not "christian". Because it goes without saying ?

I think the actual problem is, that most eastern counries haven't reached modernity yet. With exceptions, particularly turkey, which was shaped by Kemal Atatürk to a typical laiziste European state. And modernity in Europe begins with 1789, a forcefull shaping of the continent, which included the behading of priests. Emancipation from religion which chained the countries to the middle-ages. A similar thing didn't happen in the east. It has to happen yet, if bloody or not, that's a different question.

So the religion itself is not the problem, but the not yet happened emancipation from it.

 

Wow. That was a very interesting, if not too kind, article. I can see why Muslims would not like this guy!

Anyway,

Fundamentalists have been around longer than the religions still practiced on this earth. The term may rather new due to the division that has grown between the Church, State and the everyday lives of people.

Most people are secularized to a degree. They do not consult their religious text for every decision and they do not see everything as religious.

The point is this, in the West, society evolved and the difference between the fundamentalists and everyday person became apparent. In places such as the Middle East, their is not much distinction and religion does play a fundamental place in everyday life, practice and action.

Remember that in Saudi Arabia there is a government department called "Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice" which finds and punishes "sinners". Anyone who does something offensive in Saudi Arabia's form of Islam, is arrested, charged and subsequently punished, tortured, maimed or even executed.

This is the behavior seen in European history during the Dark Ages.

The Middle East has simply not experienced their own "Renaissance" as of yet. Perhaps, someday. Qatar is the only ray of hope.

 

I dunno about Quatar. When I think "Ray of Hope", I think about Cypress. Allah knows they are Super-Mega hated.



What Rushdie says is true.

The only thing I question is the "reformation". I don't think it's gotten bad enough, amongst Muslims, for them to actually start to question their own religion. Christianity had Popes leading from the front lines, with a mace in hand. It's still that way for the Muslims.

On a related side note, I'm drinking a bottle of Czechvar right now. Bottled in Ceske Budejovice. If I wasn't before with that Pope Urban reference, I'm totally an infidel now...