The conflicting faces of Islam
Ever since 9/11 I've heard the claims by "mainstream" Muslims that radical Islamo-fascist terrorists are not correctly following Islam/the Koran. These folks say that they, the so-called followers of the correct and Koranic-consistent Islam--aka peaceful and not violently expansionist--do not cause a threat to Christians and/or the West and/or "infidels," do not advocate terror, and are inherently peaceful.
I have a number of thoughts on this.
1. Whatever the final interpretation of the correct Koranic doctrine is, I am still confused about it. There are definitely passages that advocate killing infidels, and expanding military control through invasion and force. Of course, I don't know enough about the Koran to decisively conclude anything, and I can't just take these passages with no other context, because many make that same mistake with my religion. There are more denominations and slight differences in theology and doctrine within the Christian church than there are boxes of doughnuts on any given Sunday morning. On the other hand, I would argue that most (if not all) of those differences concern non-essential concepts, and that all Christians believe the same set of core dogmas. This does not seem to be the case with "mainstream" Muslims and radical Islamo-fascists.
2. If the radical interpretation of Islam is in fact incorrect, and the mainstreamers are right, then why isn't there an internal fight within Islam? Why don't mainstreamers confront the radicals and make it clear to the world that the terrorists crossed religious and political lines? Why isn't the Middle East in an uproar over what to do with radical Islam? Are they really all that concerned with showing the world the "truth" that Islam is peaceful, non-violent, and compatible with the West? I will be the first to condemn certain actions of Christians in history--the crusades and the Inquisition off the top of my head. Their actions don't nullify Christianity's truthfullness precisely because they weren't acting according to true Christianity.
Yet I don't see Muslims condeming Saudi Arabia's sponsorship of terror, or Saddam's in his day, or Syria's, or Iran's. Where is the mainstream outcry about the madrassas that teach radical hatred of America?
3. One issue about Islam that cannot be denied by either side (mainstream or radical) is the oppression of women. Call me intolerant, call me moralistic, but I hold my ground: the treatment of women in Islam is morally wrong and reveals a fundamentally incorrect view of humanity. The correct view--namely, that all men and women are created equal--is affirmed by the founding documents of our nation. This truth conflicts with Islam.
What to do? I hesitate to trust that radical Islam will be prevailed over by the religion's mainstream adherents, especially since they don't seem to support the West's mission to kill the radicals who would kill us. Their only response after an attack is "Hey! The Muslims who did this aren't true followers. They don't represent mainstream Islam." Well, when the actions of your fellow adherents who are supposedly led astray result in death and destruction, shouldn't we expect more than a shuffling of blame? The sin of omission is often as great or greater that the sin of commission.
I have a number of thoughts on this.
1. Whatever the final interpretation of the correct Koranic doctrine is, I am still confused about it. There are definitely passages that advocate killing infidels, and expanding military control through invasion and force. Of course, I don't know enough about the Koran to decisively conclude anything, and I can't just take these passages with no other context, because many make that same mistake with my religion. There are more denominations and slight differences in theology and doctrine within the Christian church than there are boxes of doughnuts on any given Sunday morning. On the other hand, I would argue that most (if not all) of those differences concern non-essential concepts, and that all Christians believe the same set of core dogmas. This does not seem to be the case with "mainstream" Muslims and radical Islamo-fascists.
2. If the radical interpretation of Islam is in fact incorrect, and the mainstreamers are right, then why isn't there an internal fight within Islam? Why don't mainstreamers confront the radicals and make it clear to the world that the terrorists crossed religious and political lines? Why isn't the Middle East in an uproar over what to do with radical Islam? Are they really all that concerned with showing the world the "truth" that Islam is peaceful, non-violent, and compatible with the West? I will be the first to condemn certain actions of Christians in history--the crusades and the Inquisition off the top of my head. Their actions don't nullify Christianity's truthfullness precisely because they weren't acting according to true Christianity.
Yet I don't see Muslims condeming Saudi Arabia's sponsorship of terror, or Saddam's in his day, or Syria's, or Iran's. Where is the mainstream outcry about the madrassas that teach radical hatred of America?
3. One issue about Islam that cannot be denied by either side (mainstream or radical) is the oppression of women. Call me intolerant, call me moralistic, but I hold my ground: the treatment of women in Islam is morally wrong and reveals a fundamentally incorrect view of humanity. The correct view--namely, that all men and women are created equal--is affirmed by the founding documents of our nation. This truth conflicts with Islam.
What to do? I hesitate to trust that radical Islam will be prevailed over by the religion's mainstream adherents, especially since they don't seem to support the West's mission to kill the radicals who would kill us. Their only response after an attack is "Hey! The Muslims who did this aren't true followers. They don't represent mainstream Islam." Well, when the actions of your fellow adherents who are supposedly led astray result in death and destruction, shouldn't we expect more than a shuffling of blame? The sin of omission is often as great or greater that the sin of commission.
posted by Seth at 3:46 PM
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