The West's Conflict With Islam

Submitted by Linda Haslam (United States), Apr 3, 2008 at 10:36

I have heard it said that you can find any viewpoint you want in Islam; however, it is impossible to deny that violence and intolerance are deeply inherent in the most holy of Islam's "Holy Books." It is this "violence and intolerance" which has been a part of the Islamic political system from its inception, that has wrought havoc on the rest of the world.

Not only must we hold Muslims accountable for the hatred found in the Koran and the Hadiths, but we need to educate the West re the true history of our interaction with Islamic countries. For example, how many American history books tell us that the ability to impose taxes in order to build a navy to protect our Merchant ships and thus our economy from the Barbary State's piracy was a driving force to unite the colonies under a national Constitution?

My point is that I believe that the only way to stop the conflict with Islamic countries (especially those in the Middle-East and North Africa) is to reform Islam. Unfortunately, only Muslims can do this, but we can use pressure as an incentative.

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