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Originally Posted by Bobcat1
Yes, it is true not all Muslims are violent. However, it is also true that all Muslims want to see the world governed by Sharia. A Muslim does not exist who renounces this core concept of Islam. Some, such as CAIR and other organizations financed by the Muslim Brotherhood, seek to do this by changing the laws and opinions of people peacefully. But they still do not want a free and open society where people can drink beer and women can dress like human beings.
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1. Sharia Law in the interpretation of more modern Muslims tends to be oppressive to Muslims, as only Muslims are held to it. I'd still oppose it as it would give Muslims less-than-human rights and it would really screw over Muslims who wanted to convert (especially those born into the religion).
2. You really think there are NO Muslims who are against Sharia Law? I wouldn't want to be the one making that claim, as it has been proven false in polls... and by the existence of secular liberal Muslims... Perhaps not many. But there are some who oppose it, more in some places than others (not surprisingly, more modern places with more well-off Muslims have more opposition).
3. It is highly unlikely that any country that is not majority Muslim would ever allow Sharia Law. In the US, it would in fact be struck down as unconstitutional the moment any Muslim challenges the death sentence aimed at him for converting.
Also I don't buy for a second that any Westerner is willing to allow that law to affect him/her at all. If anything some Europeans might allow Muslims to have their own little communities with Sharia Law.
4. If Muslim countries have Sharia Law... so what? If they are democratically controlled then they will go through the same kind of civil rights battles every other democracy went through and remove it bit by bit. And if they don't... well I guess they'll just suffer brain drain as those who would break it flee to avoid punishment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobcat1
It is also true that no Muslim exists who views Islam on equal footing with any other faith. To all Muslims, peaceful or violent, Islam must have primacy over all other religions. This also is a core tenet of their faith.
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I've yet to meet a religionist at all, short of a Unitarian, who believes all religions are on the same footing as theirs (even Unitarians think they have a better understanding than others).
This is why no religion should be tied to a state...
But we do not have say over what other nations do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobcat1
Now, while there are peaceful Muslims, there is no question that the average Muslim has no problem with other people using violence on behalf of their religion. Very few Imam's criticized the murderer of Theo Van Gogh, for example. So, while they may not engage in violence themselves, they understand that Mohammed himself used violence to defend his faith, and to condemn such behavior would be contrary to Islam.
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Define average. The polls show that a mode might believe "there are sometimes when suicide bombing might be allowable to defend the religion"... whatever the hell that means.
It's also worth noting that as terrorists kill more and more members of their own faith... people of Islam are supporting violence less and less.
Of course the 800 pound gorilla in the room is Israel... That's the main area where people see violence as justified... That's where the problem is.
Solve the problem between the Israelis and the Palestinians... and you'll see terrorism plummet.
Not suggesting that it is easy (not even sure it's possible at this point in time) but that's the real kicker... and it's not as much about religion as it is power and identity.