Definitely Brave Muslims

Submitted by Pat (United States), May 8, 2007 at 23:25

This Bangladeshi sounds like a very brave man, one we should be proud to know.

However, I'll ask you the same question I've asked others. What makes him "moderate"? Supporting ties with Israel is a huge step, but what about the rest of it? If he took all the stances that a Westerner would consider moderate, wouldn't he effectively cease to be a Muslim?

Given the power, would he allow non-Muslims to live in Bangladesh without paying the jizya (poll tax) or eventually converting to Islam? Would he accept a non-Muslim leader?

Would he allow non-Muslims to worship freely and would he allow Muslims to renounce their faith without fear of punishment?

We call the Islamists "radical", but doesn't that obscure the issue? Aren't they simply practicing Islam as it has always been practiced? The Arab world was in decline for the better part of two centuries, contributing to a period of relative stability in Muslim relations with the rest of the world. We look at it as the rule, but hasn't it really been the exception?

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