If Islams is the supposed “religion of peace” then why aren’t moderate Muslims speaking out against the actions of their radical counterparts? I realize that there are a number of moderates who are speaking out but not in the numbers necessary to really show that Islam is the so called “religion of peace”.
I do believe that the majority of Muslims do not condone the actions of the more radical elements of their faith and wish to just practice their religion peacefully and without disturbance. I also believe however that many so called moderate Muslims actually sympathize with the radicals but just wont go as far as joining the movement. Isn’t it up to the moderates to show us that they are the true Muslims? Or is Islam really not the "religion of peace?
It’s not the religion of peace. I think in the Koran it says it’s ok to lie to your enemies. That must be where you got the whole “religion of peace” thing from. I dunno…
That’s so right. Muslims aren’t allowed to fight or have wars, or defend themselves, or be offensive, or anything else. They should demilitarize, and get captured more easily by the US invations that keep on coming from Zion.
The moderates are the one’s who tend to fund the radicals, yet while in public , they are the one’s spouting off, “we just want peace”.
They want no such thing. The Q’uran clearly states that any non-believer must be converted, and that any Muslim who converts a non-believer, or kills a non-believer, is empowered to do so through Abbah, the Great Cosmic Pimp.
Islam is not about peace, it’s about convert or die. Anything stated otherwise is contradictory to the Q’uran itself, and as stated in the opening of the Q’uran, this can’t be, because there are no discrepancies as it is the word as given to Muhammad, from the “One True God”.
That leaves a door open kill or convert. Even Islaamics don’t all have the stomach for killing, only some do. So the majority that find killing distasteful, side with the peaceful conversion point. Its like the varieties of christianity.
There are extremist Christians that can quote where god says kill. Except they tend to leave out the converting part just like extremist Islaamics do. Why? My theory is, its much easier to kill then convert and it massages the ego just right.
How many Christians are hunting down or turning in these extreme Christians? Answer: 0 to a couple.
Not when the moderates are claiming that their religion has been hijacked and that it is the religion of peace. And besides there is quite a difference between fighting a war and flying planes into buildings. No, Muslims aren’t allowed to terrorize.
ALL religions can promote extremism through selective words from their holy books.
I often wonder at the moderates who, when confronted with chapter and verse of the violence advocated in the holy books, accuse others of ‘cherry picking’. It seems as if they are incapable of seeing that all the emphasis on love and peace while ignoring the words of violence is also ‘cherry picking’.
It really doesn’t matter where the extremism comes from if based on religious beliefs. There is no ‘reasoning’ with that sort of belief, so moderation has little or no effect. The extremists are shortsighted in that they think they are strengthening their religion when in fact, they negatively affect their own people who choose not to become active extremists.
Much of the support for extremists by moderates has nothing to do with religious belief, but for socio-political concerns.
I listened to a debate that Christopher Hitchens had with an Anglican cleric regarding the idea of religious moderation (can’t remember his name, but the recording’s available on the New York Public Library debate series). The best argument the guy could make was something like the moderates are the only ones who have any hope of reaching out to the extremists; therefore, to attack the moderates is to close off the possibility of both dialogue and resolution to the world’s fundamentalism problem. No doubt the man views himself as a great and wise pragmatist. I, however, wondered what planet he was on and also how much ‘reaching out and touching the extremists’ in any meaningful way he had actually observed or done himself.
Social and political concerns exactly. I would love to reach out and touch some idiot moronic neighbors on the head, for speeding and disregarding the laws of the road, problem is they may begin attacking us. I could very well have my animal kids poisoned by my dialogue with the neighbors. So quandry, at what point does one reach out? I will eventually but, I have to weigh the situation carefully.
This is where moderates land too. The same situation. At what point do they risk their family? Extremists are not known for moderation.
The problem with being a moderate is that there is no viable position to take. Extremists see only either-or, and like the confrontation with the schoolyard bully, there is only one option: fight or flee. This is why there are few ‘moderate’ voices heard in religion unless there is a strong law and order society that allows open voice.
In the latest Bin Laden video, the ‘martyrs’ are extolled as being the only ‘true’ muslims. Waging jihad and dying is the benchmark. Faced with that, what is the ‘moderate’ position? There is none. We are faced with kill and be killed until the extremists themselves choose to become moderates. We only have to look to Ireland to see the historical pattern.
My experience with Muslim is they face a paradox. They can not argue, because arguing is not peaceful. I have noticed in politics, and especially in forums such as this one, this rule against arguing puts them at an extreme disadvantage. They can not stay true to their beliefs by arguing, so they have no strong vioce to defend them. When they are motivated to argue, they are not being peaceful. The social pressure for those with whom I have communicated, has repressed the urge to argue.
Secondly, if they leave in the US, they fear being deported if they call attention to themselves. Unless they are Black citizens.
Because I was on a Muslim forum, I was sent messages from a Black Muslim site, that were racist and hostile. There are Muslims more focused on justice with a sword than peace, who have no problem with arguing, and fully justify their hostility as the fault of White/Anglo/Saxons.
