Everyone Always Misunderstands Islam 4452

Ferdie tends to be a troll, but the questions he raised in this article (not his own writing, obviously) are ones that get asked every day throughout non-Muslim societies affected by Muslim extremism, and are therefore worth debating.

When I make a plea, as I have often done for people, to understand Islam and Muslims, I am not doing this to try to put all the guilt for the increased polarisation in the world on non-Muslims. The ignorance of many Muslims towards the west is as palpable as that of some backwoodsmen from Lindie England territory about Islam.

But someone has got to make the first move in trying to see what the other is really on about. It isn't going to come from the Muslim mbuttes in many parts of the developing world because their ignorance is constantly exploited by Mullahs and self-styled Ayatollahs and extremists. It has to come from educated people on both the Muslim and the non-Muslim side. If we make no distinction between all Muslims and terrorism, then we can never expect to be treated by all of them as anything but the enemy. It's the task of Muslims and non-Muslims of genuine goodwill to come together to fight against extremists - and in this we must acknowledge the right of educated Muslims to support *worthy* causes by peaceful means that persons sometimes also support by unacceptable means.

That's why when people who write to this newsgroup attack all Muslims and attack Islam as a religion, they do more harm than good. There are things in the Qur'an that are as condemnable as things in the Bible, but no-one is suggesting that Christianity should be outlawed because some misguided people believe every word of the Bible is literally true.

It's simply a matter of common sense on all sides - that will give ordinary educated Muslims a chance to deal with their own extremists, instead of being forced to close ranks with them by an outside enemy perceived to be more dangerous than the internal one.

Rifty. -- Academic and Computing Help