Islamism resembles Bodie California

Submitted by Dave (United States), Jun 5, 2022 at 17:50

In the seventh century, the Byzantine Romans were overthrown by an egalitarian coalition of monotheists known as the "Believers". As a result, life improved for many people in this new, vibrant, empire. Eventually, over a century later, the founders passed away and Islam was formalized in the Abbasid Caliphate. In that newly conceived belief system, the Muslim rulers were cast as superior, and harsh regulations, Sharia, were adopted to regulate the empire. The vibrancy of the early days continued, but gradually, the empire became hierarchical, rigid and oppressive, eventually declining and completely falling apart centuries later. Yet ,the beliefs and attitudes that were developed at its peak of power persisted, but that system has become more and more irrelevant to face the challenges of the modern world.
Now, many people still cling to the old imperial belief system and Sharia, the way the ghosts of Bodie California cling to the belief that their town is still a boom town, flush with gold, and not a quaint ghost town that gives people the creeps, especially on Halloween. The world has moved on, but the ghosts still hang around the saloon, listening to the piano and twirling their six guns. The time for a renewal is long past.

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