Regarding the need for a "Muslim Reformation"

Submitted by Robert (United States), Oct 6, 2015 at 11:18

You make good observations. But I think you omit the enlightening historical observations.

This country - the USA - was not founded simply as a "Christian coontry" or one for "freedom of/from religion."

First of all, those who settled here were the descendants of the "protestants" who rebelled against the all-powerful Catholic Church." And the Protestant Reformation was not a movement away from religion but one for the "reformation" of Christianity free from "Rome" (the Vatican).

And the Puritans who settled here turned out to be even more "fanatical" than the Catholics which they opposed. In fact, the reason we eventually acquired our religious freedom was precisely because there were so many different "churches" around that the only way to accomodate everyone was to allow each believer to build a church of his or her own choosing.

The problem with Islan now is that it wishes to impose itself one the whole world. And it declares limits on everybody else - even non-believers, as well as "People of the Book." No one is to be permitted to paint or display an image of Muhammad - on pain of death. But instead of being burnt at the stake, the preferred form of execution is beheading (in accordance with Sharia law). And a woman who has committed adultery is to be stoned to death by the community - again in accordance with Sharia law.

Muslims, and Arabs have culturally ingrained issues regarding arrogance and humility - unlike Christians, and Jews, who are culturally preoccupied with sin, or Far Easterners, who are more concerned with shame. Perhaps this has to do with Muhammad, his wars of conquest, as well as the cultual practice of the nomadic Arab tribes from which Islam sprang.

Because the United States is still recovering from its history of post-Civil War racism, we Americans are precluded from generalizing about cultures because we do not wish to repeat our prejudicial past. However, in the case of this classical "racism," no individual could escape it - one was born into one's rface, and as a consequence, had to accept an "inferior" standing in society. But that is not so with culture; although it isn't always easy to liberate oneself from one's religious prejudices, it is not impossible. And so, to the extent that a Muslim is inclined to keep his or her "un-American" ways - wearing a Burka - and thereby oppressing women - and brainwashing them into believing that, unlike men, they must be "modest" in public; this should bring to mind that Muslim men musn't be "humiliated," and that their sense of pride must be maintained - except before Allah. So, again, any intrusion on the belief of a Muslim is viewed as an "insult" requiing remedial violent action. This, perhaps, also explains, why it is a crime to insult Erdogan, the current Islamist President of Turkey, who is notorious in the use of this legal remedy against all critics who "insult" him in the press.

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