ISLAM REVIEW: Islam, in the West, is fighting its battle of acceptance and legitimacy. Muslim activists are working fervently trying to improve Islam's image. Their goal is to create an environment in which Islam can be easily propagated. Their tool is as old as Islam itself, but they have just rediscovered it. This tool is telling Christians that Islam and Christianity have a lot in common. They cite Islam's belief in the Bible, God, Jesus, Mary, the prophets, the day of judgment and Paradise. Nothing In Common by Abdullah Al ArabyMark Alexander
Thursday, September 07, 2006
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7 comments:
Thank you for this wonderfully revealing and frighteningly accurate analysis. Westerners need to know how dangerous islam really is.
Well, it's certainly diametrically-opposed to Western, liberal, democratic culture!
Most Westerners are surprised to learn that lying and murder in the service of Allah are not only OK, but encouraged in Islam! This 'religion' is certainly not a religion in the usual sense of the word and as the author suggest, has nothing in common with Christianity. So much for 'interfaith dialogue'.
Most Westerners are surprised to learn that lying and murder in the service of Allah are not only OK, but encouraged in Islam!
Yes, it most certainly is. All in the name of furthering the cause of Allah and his "final" messenger!
As you say, it is certainly not a religion in the usual sense of the word. As I have always said, "Islam is a political system clothed in a deity". There's nothing terribly spiritual about it!
Christianity, by contrast, is a spiritual religion. It's all to do with YOUR relationship with God. Further, it has not been spread by fighting; rather, it has been spread by peaceful means. Islam, however, has been spread by intimidation and the sword.
Sammish:
I thought that my comment would get somebody going! :-)
Mark you said: "Christianity, by contrast, is a spiritual religion. It's all to do with YOUR relationship with God. Further, it has not been spread by fighting; rather, it has been spread by peaceful means. Islam, however, has been spread by intimidation and the sword".
I think that what I said is true. Christianity has not been spread by the sword. Yes, Christianity 'has some blood on its hands', it's true. But surely most of that was in the name of self-defence.
If you are referring to the Inquisition, then that, surely, was for particular reasons. For example, to rid Spain of the Moors.
Let's not forget that no religion is immune from evil and genocidal tendencies. In the past, Christianity (or the Church) has had a long history of inquisitions against other religions and ethnic groups. So we have to be careful not to be selective in our depiction of other religions when ours did not pass the test of time.
I don't think I am being selective. There is a case to be made - nay, a strong case - for stating that the Crusdaes were foisted on the Europeans. After all, Christians on pilgrimage were being slaughtered in the Holy Land.
Now that's the past and I understand that and now is now. I am not using this cautionary claim to advance the tenets of Islam. Far from it, islam is by nature military and totalitarian type of religion those rapid spread during the the middle ages was due to the use of genocide, force, violence, and subjugation of non-arab groups. These are facts and are well documented.
I agree.
My point is that Christianity evolved since the enlightement area. Nowadays nobody will try to hijack it for the purpose of doing harm, because the masses and people are educated, well reasoned individuals. Christianity has become more in the realm of the individual to choose. It has been successful because it now uses the rational and ethical percepts of salvation and individual spiritual growth.
I agree with you here, too.
Islam (literaly) is stuck in its 6 century militaristic paradigm. It cannot evolve, but it should. Islam has its reformers in 7th and the 10th century, but it was not reformed at the deepest level, because of the irrational idea that the Koran is the word of Allah verbatim. Since Allah is all knowing and powerfull why didn't he descended the Koran in Danish or Portuguese. Why should anyone learn the Arabic language to become a Muslim (to pray) is beyond me.
Yes, it is stuck in the past. Firmly, too. But it's not going to reform. That's for sure.
Since we are talking about interfaith dialogue, I believe that these dialogues are false pretense to show that there is harmony. It is like we are all together and understand one another but on the surface only. When it comes to what the true beliefs are no one will accept the other party's beliefs and why should they? That's ridiculeous. So why have these so-called dialogues, since they are only prepetuate the basic tenets and beliefs.
You might like to read a recent essay of mine on 'interfaith dialogue'. You might not have read it. Please read it HERE.
What upset me the most is when these dialogues are used as a platform by these so-called non-fundamentalist Islamic groups who always say the same scripted thing: "Islam is a religion of peace and it is only being used as a tool by some bad people and you cannot judge the religion by what some fringe people do."
I think we are singing from the same 'hymn sheet'!
It is all about the whole religion, it is not people.
Oh, I couldn't agree with you more.
The point being, you can show these so called similarities, but your target audience of a few gullible interfaithing churchgoers is very small.
The general population just sees killings and bombings done in the name of their religion.
Yes, Fredistar. But as you know, the differences far outweigh the similarities. In actual fact, Islam and Christianity are as different as chalk and cheese!
The "few gullible interfaithing churchgoers" are indeed few; and fewer they'll become if the Church continues down this road. They are sowing the seeds of their own destruction. If the seeds haven't already been sown!
As you say, the general population just sees the killings, the beheadings, and the bombings perpetrated in the name of Allah and the prophet Muhammad.
JudahQ:
Here! Here! "Stunning" is the appropriate word!
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