The trouble with Islam

Submitted by Ali mohammed (Canada), Jul 15, 2004 at 15:05

As a young muslim child growing up, I was trained to never ever question anything about Islam, else Allah will be so angry with me.

I learned not to ask question for fear that Allah would strike me and make me rot in hell. In my mind, I wondered, not without guilt, why Allah was so cruel and mean as to fuel the fire of hell with stone and the flesh of men.

I wondered why according to the Quran and hadith
- muslim men were superior to women and were permitted to beat up their wives.
- muslims are taught to hate Christians and Jews and all non-muslims in general
- the Sharia law could inflict such cruel and barbaric punishment (e.g a petty thief loses a hand; no second chance to life ..a woman committing adultery must be stoned to death in public.
- such loving creatures like dogs were considered dirty
- it was perfectly alright to own other human beings (slaves), but to marry them or free them if a muslim saw "any good" in them.

That is what this great religion of Allah preached and stood for.

It bothered me so much that I had to pray in some alien and nonsensical language. To me Arabic is just alien and nonsensical. But again, to say prayer in my own language would annoy Allah. He would not hear nor accept the prayers.

Islam to me was a religion of the sword. To leave Islam was out of question then. The punishment being death and alienation from family and the "righteous" muslim community in my third world homeland.

When I came to the West and its now been 14 years, I should say that I had the priviledge of being in a society that is more compassionate and humanistic. I mean the Christians, Jews, and other non-religious people of the west.

The Western democracy allowed me to become a free thinker and break away from chains and baggage of Islam. Christians, Jews, and atheists here in the West were simply decent human beings. They were raised in a society, though not perfect, was one that is filled with love, compassion, and forgiveness. They were not tainted with the Islamic teachings of hate and terror. Their God was a loving and forgiving God. It was the state that governed the people in the West, not religion.

I now realize that I have the freedom of being anything I want to be. I have no religious affliations of any sort yet (and absolutely never Islam again).

I strive to live a good life, respect to all living things and the human race.
I'm not Buddhist, but my religion is love, kindness, and forgiveness.

This is a great website.

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