Welcome!
I am happy and excited that you are here.
At this blog I write some things that will likely offend you. If so, too bad!
There are a great many statements coming out of the Islamic World that are offensive to non-Muslims, comments that go so far as to call for the violent extermination of non-Muslims, and I hear little (there is some) criticism of such comments from the Islamic community. And don't think I'm not listening for it!
I do not wish for all offensive statements necessarily to cease.
As an American, I know my country is not perfect. We have a great deal of room for improvement, a great many problems that need solving. But, we can't solve problems if we don't know they exist; we can't improve things if we don't know improvement is possible. Sometimes it takes the voices of those who hate us to point out what is wrong. Indeed, improvement seems nearly impossible in the absence of criticism; homogenized, pasteurized praise paves the road to Hell.
To hear those voices, we have to get past our sensitivities. To make progress, we have to get over our offensiphobia. This is why the United States has a First Amendment: so even people who seek the destruction of our Republic can help us improve it! Perhaps once they unwittingly help improve it by calling attention to its deficiencies, they will find it far more tolerable; instead of hating it, they might even grow to like it!
As a result of that, I am in favor of Freedom of Speech and of the Press, and of Religion. These fundamental liberties should be given a wide berth; they are the treasures of civilized society, and we should suspect anyone who draws near to them.
In this same light, I feel Islam should not be immune to criticism.
There are many, many different traditions and communities in the Islamic World. Some of them are very old and historic.
A trend that I see in the Islamic World, however, is one of increasing radicalization. This is a violent trend, a totalitarian trend, aimed at the elimination of Free Speech, Free Press, Free Religion, and even Free Thought. This trend involves the destruction of peaceful, historic cultures and beautiful places inside the Islamic World -- and, of course, outside it -- to make room for a takeover by radicalized, violent, totalitarian Islamic elites. This trend is nothing less than the establishment of Hell-on-Earth, a gateway to a more eternal place of torment.
If this trend continues, not only will we infidels be in danger, but so will you: whoever you are, whatever you believe, sooner or later someone will label you takfir or apostate, and that label is no less dangerous than the tattoo on the arm of a prisoner in a Nazi death camp from decades ago.
With this in mind, I invite you to join the conversation here.
If you have a comment, make it. If you have a question, pose it.
If you think I'm wrong, say so!
Don't be overly concerned about being polite and civil. Yes, we all appreciate politeness and civility, but if you don't know how to phrase it, just blurt it out! I will try to look past my offensiphobia and take it positively. In the very same light, if you see something that someone has blurted out, look past your offensiphobia and try to take it the way you would want others to take your comments. Remember, no one here is without sin.
All readers here should please keep in mind that English may not be the native language of the blog's guests. If someone is having difficulty communicating a thought, for any reason, try a little harder to understand that person; perhaps you can even help that person communicate the thought.
Having said all that, I, as the blog administrator, do, as a matter of principle, reserve the right to delete comments (or even entire posts) for any reason, or for no reason at all.
Think! That is why your Creator gave you a mind -- and your Creator didn't make junk!
And speak out -- before it is too late!
I will keep you all in my prayers, that our Creator does as He sees best for all of us, because He is merciful, loving and wise.
Thank you for visiting, and God bless you all!
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12 comments:
Exellent initiative. But wisened of earlier expiriences I would have to say. Do'nt hold your breath!
Of the 1.4 billion muslims or so- in the world. I have only seen a handful actually wanting to discuss islam with a genually critical (critical- in a positive sense) mind- something I think is imperial when discussing and problemizing different matters.
Sadly it is so, that this religion does not give room for critically minded persons- at all.
Those branding themselfes as muslims, willing to take up an honest debate are either not "true" muslims at all- but apostates. Or radical and fundamental islamists.
The first category allmost allways havent read or understood the quran and the ahadits, and when they have, they are cherrypicking verses and quotes in their tries to apologize their holy book and religion. The latter category know their quran all to well. They are the ones who are right about their religion. They have got the message right!
That is why, when inviting muslims or selfproclaimed muslims to an open ended discussion; you will allmost allways end up with either:
"You are wrong bcause the quran is right, and therefor I pity you fool"
Or:
"You re wrong because the quran i right, and therefor I will smithe thee!"
Anyhow; that is why- in my opinion- we should concentrate instead on western islamapologists and the multiculturalhugging politicians and ideologists. They are the ones who needs to be overcome if we ever can even begin to dream of a solution to the islamic problem.
Yes! It is an islamic problem! Not a human one.
But anyhow, Ithink I got the underlaying message with your post. And a great post it was- as allways.
Okej, Muslims wants to get rid of the Christianity. But don't the Christianity want's to get rid of Islam and the Jews? Haven't you seen Jesus camp? Haven't you read your history? Don't the Muslims - in some way - have the right to say that they want to get rid of Christianity because they fought wars against them? The crusade, if you remember?
Haven't the Christians done the exact same things? The Christians have their parts that are exact as narrow-minded and against critics as the Islam.
And didn't the Christians wanted to exterminate the Jews? Because the Jews killed Jesus, but they still believe in the same things.
Pela,
At its core, Islam does not allow for critical thinking. That is why it lends itself to radicalization.
But, at their cores, Muslims are how God created us: free. Sooner or later, Muslims, like any other people, will make room for their honest thoughts.
That's why the radicals have to declare them takfir or apostate, to frighten them into not questioning things.
But, the radicals are battling against people's nature, which is to be free; they are fighting against God's wisdom.
Linea,
The Muslims absolutely do have a right to say something. In some places, there are laws against calling for violence -- that is an issue. But, I defend Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion for everyone, even for those who would take my freedoms away.
Yes, there have been and still are radicalized "Christian" ideologies. Christianity does not lend itself to that, though. One must pervert Christianity to make it evil. There are many people who "cherry-pick" verses from the Bible to do that.
There are also some radical Jews who talk about driving the Arabs into the desert. Such radicals must be opposed.
Radical Christian and radical Jewish ideologies are not threatening the world today; radical Islamic ideologies are.
Many bad things happened during the Crusades. But, it is worth remembering that the Crusades were a response to jihad, not the other way around. The violent expansion of Islam began under Mohammed at Medina; the Crusades were a counteroffensive centuries later.
But the crusades were actually a mission to spread the christianity around. Which is a way to exterminate another religion. Wnd they did it through violence.
Linea,
I hope you'll write a post about the crusades at your blog. I'm planning one for here, but it will take some time. We can link them.
Meanwhile, let me address your comment.
Jihad is a way of forcefully spreading Islam. However bad anyone wants to say the Crusades were... however much the Crusades may have been about spreading Christianity... the fact remains: The Islamic World started it.
Yes, that sounds childish, but I'm making a point here: The Crusades were a response; Jihad came first.
Islam came out of the Arabian desert violently; it declared war on the rest of the world. Nearly everything else relating to the Islamic World is a reaction to that initial event.
Mohammed started it.
The real criminal here, by the way, is the evil spirit that was jerking Mohammed around... Islamic Imperialism 101.
Linea:
You have to excuse me. I feel that I haven't got trough to you with what I really ment with my commentaries, and for that I cincerely apologise.
Pherhaps it is my bad English. Altough I credit myself as beeing able to read and understand English fluently- my writing and spelling is'nt up to par with my reading ability.
Islam (or as you say) muslims, do want to get rid of christianity. That is a matter of fact. The whole ideology (because thet is what it is- an ideology) are permeated with the ideales of a lone 6:th century mans morale.
In the core beliefes of islam is the notion of islam itself being a superior way of beliefe- no, the o n l y righteous beliefe. It is universal in theory aswell as in practice and is not considered being able to be interpretaded or overruled by worldly laws and morales.
Christianity as well as Judaism has on the otherhand went through the steelbath of the enlightenment and more importantly; no- or very few christians or Jews belives that the bible or the torah is faxed down directly from god! While the quran is cosidered, by it's believers to be!
The christian crusades (and yes, I believe a lot of atrociteies were made in the name of that religion too), were ample and rightful reactions at a invading, imperialistic and occuping muslim military force! Google al- andalus!
The main difference between christianity and islam (or for that matter- Any other greater world- religion), is islams total lack of "the golden rule". Which makes it the most unmoralic, the most vilest religions of them all!
This also means that while christianity and western morale and basic freedoms allowes islam and muslims to practice their ideology freely; the same can not be said for islamic countrys! Just you try to build a church in Saudi- Arabia- or even posess a bible!
Please. Read some of the links i'm providing at my blog. Or even better; stay tuned to Stop Islamic Conquest...
Thanks for the invitation. I think I'm the only Muslim reader to your blog. Somehow , at the rate at which Islam is spreading I doubt you'd be able to stop the "Islamic Conquest". But, anyway, long live America, for showing Islam once again to the world.
;)
Welcome, Rohana, and thanks for stopping in!
You are not the only Muslim reader. There is one other Muslim who has left a comment, and there are others who do not leave comments.
I would be interested in hearing your views on the spread of Islam, specifically comments about the rate at which Islam is growing.
By "Conquest" I mean the violent spread of Islam. Violence can be defined in different ways, to include mental or emotional violence, for example coercion or compulsion.
That's why I would be interested in hearing your comments about the rate at which Islam is spreading, and the means by which it is doing so.
Well I'm not a Muslim in fact I'm not really religious at all. If I were a Muslim I think I would find the very title of this blog offensive.
But it's not Islam that is trying to dominate the world, it's the USA. If it wasn't for Islam sitting on a large proportion of the world's oil reserves the USA wouldn't have a problem with it.
It's not Islam that has caused the recent genocide in the Middle East, 1.5 million from 1991 caused by the UN Sanctions which the USA refused to release, followed by another 1.2 since the illegal invasion. It wasn't an Islamic that said the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children were "worth it", it was an American Jew called Albright. It wasn't Islam that caused at least 30 million deaths in the Soviet gulags , it was for the most part Jewish communists. It wasn't Islam that caused the holocaust or caused 100 million deaths in Europe by WW2. It's not Islam that has supported the Apartheid State an their wars of aggression in 1948,1956,1967, 1973,1982 and 2006.
The USA has a record of supporting and funding terrorism all over the world in the last 60 years.
As a non-Muslim, I find the suicide bombings targeting the brothers of apes and pigs, the beheadings of infidels, and the honor killings of Muslim women very offensive.
As far as I can tell, the Muslims who stop in here and comment agree with me on those points, although I don't recall them having yet commented on the title of this blog.
Your comments regarding Jews are interesting, too. The communists used to use words similar to yours to describe Jews -- they persecuted Jews for being anti-communist. In a world full of hatred, surrounded by Nazis, communists and Islamofascists, the Jews just get blamed for everything from all sides.
This brings us to all the wars you mentioned. In every one of them, Israel was attacked, and, in every one of them, Israel stopped short of pursuing complete annihilation of foes who have never ceased to call for the annihilation of Israel and the deaths of all Israelis, military and civilian, of whatever age or gender. Maybe the best way to keep that list of wars from growing too much longer might be for Israel to not stop so soon next time?
Regarding America's foreign politics, I have concerns, which I express on this blog, about the honesty and motivations of current and past US administrations, but for me, that does not translate into a rabid hatred of America, any more than legitimate concerns about Islamofascist terrorism translates into rabid hatred of Muslims.
Thank you for stopping in!
The author of this blog is trying really hard to portray himself as a neutral who wants to "show" the world that the only danger facing this planet is a religion with 1.5 billion adherents and the faith with the most conversions.(don't believe me...search "conversion to islam").
The problem with mr.doodle is that this fire of hatred that is burning in his chest is compelling him to spew hatred and spread lies and distortions about Islam. Anyone who reads the Quran without bigotry and prejudice will come to know that it's ONLY Islam which encourages peaceful co-existence.
Guess that will make some of you just go nuts and point out all the "crimes" commited by "muslim terrorits" or "islamofascits" but like I said, if you are a hateful person, no matter what I say will change your views.
Maybe it will take some time before you come to realize that your "intellectual" babbling is indeed nothing but bigotry, like your ancestors did during the civil rights movement.
As a practising muslim, I will not tolerate abuses commited in the name of Islam, but at the same time I will not tolerate people blaspheming MY faith.(and that does not mean that I will punish you by blowing myslef up but rather battle with you verbally in an intellectual way).
All I can hope for is that may ALLAH guide those who are ignorant of the True Islam and protect us form those who seek to do us harm.
I once asked the active MSA at my school why they had a poster by their book table claiming that "Jesus Is A Muslim!" Their response: Anyone who submits his/her will to Allah is called a Muslim. That started me thinking...if, as SOME claim, the God of Christianity is the same as the Allah of Islam (patently false, of course), then Christians could be termed Muslims as well.
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