problems and solutions

Submitted by the Grand Infidel of Kaffiristan (Australia), Feb 21, 2009 at 20:15

Dr.N.Ali writes:

" The conclusion I have personally drawn after living in different parts of the world is that the biggest problem faced by the Muslims is lack of education. Easier said than done, it is even more difficult to attempt to educate them, obviously because of the reasons you have mentioned in your comment (e.g., Taliban blowing up schools etc.) No sensible and educated person would support what Taliban are doing but the question is: What is the solution? You have correctly identified the problems, but again what is the solution?"

Education is a great thing but not the sole answer to this problem.You will have to be a lot more specific. Education of the Muslim majority on the necessity of adopting a philosophy of live and let live would be far more useful. And so would be the removal from Islamic belief that Islam is and must be supreme. But therein you have a problem - saying so would go against the raison d'etre of Islam - the Koran - which makes that statement. You also have the problem that lack of religious freedom for Muslims is inbuilt into Islam. Freedom is unconditional - either you have it or you do not. So Muslims will have to find a good workaround for this dilemma.

Education alone is not the solution. As I'm sure you'd know many countries have untold numbers of uneducated people. These folk don't have the same belief set that causes the problems so many Muslims experience in dealing with non-Muslim cultures. These uneducated ones don't have a problem with the existence of Jews and Israel, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism. They don't expect the rest of the world to believe that their religion is supreme amongst all religions - and they certainly don't try to enforce it.

The non-Muslim world cannot and should not be expected to solve this problem. Islam needs pervasive reform from within. It cannot be imposed from without - as this just entrenches the current adversarial mindset. It will take the efforts of brave individuals willing to face the likely deadly resolve by the Islamic status quo to keep things as they have always been.

"......I understand that "many Muslims - even on this forum - would totally disagree with" me and "see it as 'Allah's' will that Israel (and Jews) should be demolished" but there are SEVERAL others (who you don't know about) who would oppose them and who would oppose anything that promotes violence against anyone."

Yes - I am sure there are Muslims who can see the results of current policies and also understand its causes. This is both a good and bad position to be in for those individuals.

"The whole purpose of this discussion is to come to a peaceful solution, which though seems to be very difficult but not impossible. ......"

The problem is caused by beliefs and more accurately a belief in limitation. It will be removed by a change in those beliefs. To crudely paraphrase Einstein - the mindset that caused the problem is not the same mindset that can deliver the solution.

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