Imam Ahmed - your post should be shouted from the roof-tops - why isn't it?

Submitted by jennifer solis (United States), Apr 5, 2008 at 18:49

Thank you for your reply.

It is a shame that more "moderate" Muslims, such as yourself, don't comment on forums such as Daniel Pipes'. I've been reading and commenting on this website for six months, and you, Imam Ahmed, are the first to address "radical" Islam as a problem.

Muslims who comment have every excuse and justification for the "radical" Islamic view imaginable, or they dismiss it entirely, without admitting there exists a problem - they simply insist that Islam is a religion "of peace".

I can only imagine what you and your family have gone through with regards to your frustration from being "lumped together" with Islamic "radicalism".

However, try and understand that non-Muslims see your religion from - 1.what they observe - and what they observe is a religion that has permitted this horrific hatred, exclusionism - a totalitarian dictatorial group of fanatics - to thrive within Islam. 2.what they study - there are peaceful passages in Islamic scripture, but horrific ones also exist - and no other religion in history has ever instructed killing based solely on a person not believing in their god - and no other religion grants Paradise as a reward for this.

These two points do not bode well for argument that Islam is a "peaceful" religion.

Again, thank you for your objective response - the first I've ever read on this forum - it's truly a shame more Muslims such as yourself do not comment on the problem of "radical" Islam.

It is free. No Wahabbi funds needed. Anonymity granted. No death by execution, imprisonment, torture - I'm reminded of the Catholic Church in Rome, during the Dark and Middle Ages - their "followers" were not allowed to independantly study the Bible - all Bibles were confiscated, and only the Latin Vulgate translation was permitted, which the masses could not understand, as only the priests were educated to understand the Latin.

Those in possession of non-Latin scriptures were executed.

This gave the church ultimate power - a power to rule without question - a power to deceive. Nobody could question their "Biblical" teachings, because few people other than priests could read Latin. The church capitalized on this forced-ignorance through the 1,000 year period from 400 A.D. to 1,400 A.D. known as the "Dark and Middle Ages".

Questioning the interpretations, meanings of the Qur'an in many Muslim countries is punishable by death, from what I understand - but what about the hundreds of thousands that don't live in such a circumstance? Where is their voice?

This is, in my opinion, the "question mark" hanging in the air for so many non-Muslims.

If groups of Christians were to try and form "radical" groups - and claim killing justified for "disbelief" - you can bet the outcry from fellow Christians would be heard around the world. I realize Muslims around the world are in different situations, circumstances - but once they have the freedom to do so, I would think Muslims, as followers of a "religion of peace", would take more of a vocal stand against "radical" Islam than they do.

It costs nothing to comment on forums, for example, so again, where is their voice, if they indeed have one, against "radical" Islam?

Thankyou, again, Imam Ahmed, for your reply. I hope it is not the last time I read from a Muslim that "radical" Islam is a problem.

Regards, Jennifer

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