Yea or nea?
Muslim misconceptions?
by John Doe 43 Replies latest jw friends
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Mary
Those sound unerringly like the same sort of defenses that the Watchtower Society or Scientology comes out with when 'misconceptions' about their cults gain noteriety.
The problem with all the rebuttals they have for the Islamic 'misconceptions' is that they always claim something is a 'man-made' or 'local' or 'tribal' tradition, and not found in the Koran. Unfortunately, in Islamic countries, there is usually no division of 'State and Church'. Islam is not a Democracy---they freely acknowledge that it's run by Theocracy (Rule by God)----a term we are all too familiar with.
Therefore, you've got fundamentalist wackos in leadership roles who enforce their man-made laws onto the citizens. You might not find anything in the Koran that says women have to wear a burka (with the idea that Muslim women wear them free of choice), but just try walking downtown Tehran without one on and you'll find out just how much freedom you have in a Muslim country.
I read more recently that a 13 year old Muslim girl in Somolia was stoned to death by a group of 50 men. Her crime? She had been raped by 3 men, which of course, is viewed as 'adultery' under their warped laws, so they killed her. They buried her up to her neck and pelted her with stones until she was dead: http://current.com/items/89480052/three_men_rape_13_year_old_girl_girl_stoned_to_death_for_adultery.htm
Of course, defenders of Islam will do what the JWs do whenever they get bad publicity: 'These people weren't practicing 'true Islam', end of story. Of course, no one bothers to ask "then why do the men in charge (who are all Muslim) allow these midaeval punishments to continue? Are they not responsible for the lives of the people? If these men who run the show aren't practicing "true Islam", then why are they ruling at all?
It's sort of like when the JW apologetics come on here and minimize the crimes committed by the Governing Body member, or other JWs. They toss it off with either "they're not true Christians" or they simply accuse the media of 'lying'.
The rest of the list is nothing but smoke and mirrors. It's a well known fact that woman are most definitely considered second class citizens in Islam. Just because the Koran tells a man he SHOULD love his wife and treat her well doesn't mean he will. And there's rarely---if ever, any punishment for a Muslim husband who beats the hell out of his wife.
I don't think these are 'misconceptions'. It's just another pathetic attempt at Islamic Apologetics to make it appear that their screwed up religion is just peachy keen.
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stillajwexelder
Mary said everything I wanted to say
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mustang
Mary's observations are pretty much the reality and the post in the URL is pretty much the idealistic "pie in the sky" scenario. The post is classic or "textbook" theory and is thrown out the window at every turn.
Ever been in a Muslim country? I have. (This is NOT the same country that I frequently visit.)
So, I'm sitting in the lobby of a major hotel in the capital of this country, waiting for a bus transfer. I'm reading the local newspaper: corruption, bridge opening w/ ribbon cutting, robbery, rape murder, corruption, festival, political rally, robbery, murder, rape; this went on and on.
This was smaller than the LA papers, but he density of bad news was higher. So, I don't see that anybody does anything more about Islam than go through the motions. What I have seen of those motions leads me to believe that it is more mind-numbing than Christianity.
We see the same thing about Christianity: hollow devotion. What does the scripture say: "a form of godly devotion but denying the power thereof" or something to that effect?
In fairness, I think the newspapers there were not as refined as our papers and could have diluted the local situation much more; still, my impression was of a higher density of crime. Also, my view is based on cursory examinations: but I intend to look further.
Mustang
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beksbks
My only experience on this subject, is that I work with a Muslim woman from northern Iraq, and she is wonderful.
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stillajwexelder
most Muslims are extremely hospitable
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John Doe
I recently read an article by a practicing muslim professor at my university. She casts a different light on the faith. She held that muslims are more liberal than the western world in many regards. When Christianity disallowed divorce, evidently Muslim women had the choice to divorce and remarry with no negative stigma. This was one of many things in which she portrayed the Muslim world as more progressive. I don't have a dog in this fight, being atheist, but her article did call to question the negative stereotyping that goes on, and cast a hypocritical light on the Christian world.
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mustang
I decided to read the HG Wells Outline of History section on Islam. Then I started through some of his history of the Catholic Church and I'm still working on this treatment of the Reformation and beyond.
I skipped around and found one of his summaries: he rates Islam higher than Christianity. It turns out he either favored Islam or despised Christianity.
However, he says that they are both losers, in the end.
His works were pre W.W.I: that does give him 1200 years on Islam and 1900 years on Christianity. He is essentially minus the experiences of our lifetime.
Mustang
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avishai
The way they deal w/ women in most of these countries, including turkey, is deplorable. I have a Turkish friend in fear for her life if her father and bros' learn that she lost her virginity at college over here.
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Scully
So basically what that website is saying is that what Muslims actually practice (like murdering women for not wearing a hijab or burqa in public) in Islamic countries that are under Sharia Law, is not what the Q'ran requires?
So Islam is just another major religion that doesn't practice what it preaches, and what atrocities it does practice, ostensibly in the name of its god and religion, it wants to shove down the throats of everyone else. What a surprise.