Posted on 07/21/2006 7:12:46 AM PDT by Dark Skies
We, the non-Muslims—the infidels, heathens, unbelievers, apostates, enemies of Allah, najis (soiled), as you prefer to call us—would like to know what is it that you don’t understand and what is it that makes you behave so badly toward us? You blame us for your problems and believe if we embrace Islam and help establish the Islamic ummah, the earth would be cleansed of us, transformed to paradise, and all your problems disappear?
Respectfully, we disagree. We believe that you and your system of belief are at the core of your problems; that you need to critically examine the facts, rather than conveniently blame others for your ills. Keep in mind that beliefs and ideas make people human, that beliefs are roadmaps of life. To the extent that the roadmap is rational and enlightened, the path of life is illumined, pitfalls are avoided and obstacles are removed. The terrain of life has greatly changed since the roadmap of Islam was given to the wondering primitives of Arabian Peninsula.
The twenty first century presents great challenges and opportunities that demand new ways of thinking and behaving. The doctrine of Islam may have been appropriate for the dessert dwellers of some 1400 years ago, the people you yourselves stigmatize as “The Ignorant.” It is dysfunctional today to say the least. As a matter of fact, Islam went astray from the very beginning and inflicted a great deal of suffering on both its followers as well as those who resisted its advance.
Early on, Prophet Muhammad explicitly said, “There is no compulsion in religion.” He further confirmed that admonition, “For you, your religion; and for me, my religion.” Why is it that as soon as you gathered enough power, you violated those exhortations and set out to force your belief and way of life on others at the point of the sword? You further conveniently ignored your own teaching by unsheathing your sword at “the people of the book”—Jews and Christians. You spared them death only if they converted or consented to pay you backbreaking religious taxes of jizya.
Your cruel successful subjugation of the people of the Arabian Peninsula whetted your appetite for further conquests. You ventured into the civilized world—to Persia, the Levant, Spain, and eventually to the gates of Vienna. Cruelty and terror were your instruments of policy—weapons you liberally use today whenever and wherever you are able.
Contempt and hostility toward non-Muslims living under your rule as well as those outside of your domain have characterized your attitude and behavior throughout the history. Isn’t it enough? Is it not now the time to stand back and take a good look at what is the root cause of this pathological state of affairs?
Life is precious. It is to be protected, nurtured and celebrated. Mankind is moving, perhaps at a glacier pace, toward reconciliation, ever-expanding inclusiveness without any group or ideology imposing itself on others. Any attempt against this trend of unity in diversity is doomed to failure, as exemplified by the demise of fascism and communism.
Your charter, the Quran, in some parts, preaches discrimination, death and imposition of its dogma on everyone. The political system of Islam, just like fascism and communism, is a dysfunctional ideology that needs to be abandoned. Humanity has matured considerably since the time of Muhammad. In order to continue its forward march, mankind must follow a roadmap appropriate for its age and state of development. It is foolish to insist that a book written over 1400 years ago must serve as the one and only guide for humanity.
Progress thrives in a marketplace of free ideas, where beliefs and viewpoints, not people, clash. It is through the unimpeded clash of ideas that the best decisions and actions are reached. Political Islam is anathema to this invaluable principle. By forcing itself on any and all people it could, Islam violated this vital principle and it aims to continue to do so to this day. Islam’s inflexible and intolerant dogmatism is at the heart of Islamic world’s stagnation and backwardness. It is evident that staying put, so to speak, does not allow going forward. It is not the non-Muslim world, the convenient scapegoat, but Islam itself which is the culprit for your chronic ills.
The non-Muslims of the twenty first century treasure freedom in all its forms and are not going to lend their necks passively to the yoke of blind obedience and imitation.
Is the present argument too difficult to understand? Is it too threatening to the security of your mindset to concede its validity? Please have the courage and take that fateful step. Inhale the life-nurturing fragrance of freedom. Islam is a slaveholder. It feels that it owns you; it condemns you as apostate to be beheaded if you dare to leave its chains. The non-Muslims, by contrast, respect you as a free human and support your inalienable right to believe whatever you want to believe—even if it is a non-belief. If you still wish to wrap yourself in your suffocating security blanket—Islam—please keep it to yourself and refrain from forcing it on others.
Amil Imani is an Iranian-born American citizen and pro-democracy activist who resides in the United States of America, speaking out for the struggling people of his native land, Iran.
ping
Excellent piece. Thanks for the post!
It's more complex than this. There's intrigue on par with the intrigue during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I going on right here. Islam is split like the Church was split back when Bloody Mary was challenging Elizabeth.
Tehran is Bloody Mary. Remember that.
bump
It is refreshing to read an article by someone from Iran who has since has come to the USA and told the truth about Islam. Thank-you for posting this article.
You're giving singing lessons to pigs.
It's expensive, it's not productive, and it annoys the pigs!
Trying to reason with the Daleks is not counter productive, it is suicidal! They are only capable of one word and action due to their programming! That one word is the key to the solution of how to deal with them!
Some might say the same for the Bible. However, while their are examples of a wrathful God in the Bible, the teachings are overwhelmingly ones of compassion even for those who do not share the faith. No where in the Bible is the injunction to convert at the point of the sword. The Bible is also not stuck in prehistory. Universal teachings such as the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes apply today.
Enemy of islm ping
One must keep in mind that the Muslim clerics are essentially, uneducated and illiterate. If they've read anything, it has been the Koran, and only the Koran.
Still, it's always good to cut to the chase and ask people with whom you differ to explain to you...
...WHY they feel the way they do.
For centuries muslims were never allowed freedom of thought. They still aren't. The author is right when he says man has evolved over the centuries, our religious leaders are capable of interpretation and using the bible to guide us even as time has passed. It is really amazing to me how muslims take things so literally, its like they don't have the thought process to think of applying the lessons of the koran to modern life. I read an article the other day from a muslim, in it he said one of the problems was that they believe their religion and goverment are one and the same. That is a huge problem. Our forefathers were enlightened enough to make sure that didn't happen to us. The other thing that amazes me about them is their hatred for eachother within their own religion. The Shiites, Sunnis and Wahhabis and whoever else. It would be like Catholics blowing up Lutherans, or Presbyterians blowing up Baptist. They really have never gotten past the 7th century.
Nicely said.
What type of dessert did Mohammed require his followers to live in??
Chocolate mooselimb?
Or it might have been a "Beirut beer float."
Not do they just apply, they are the very foundation of the modern world.
Also,as stated in an earlier post,the Bible doesn't require its adherents to "convert" others at the point of death or slavery.It's been done,but it wasn't Biblical. In fact,by Biblical standards,that wouldn't even be considered a true conversion-a forced one. It's unbiblical.
The teachings of the Koran are exactly opposite-the Koran itself advocates the spread of islam by forced conversion,even at the point of the sword.It doesn't care about the "heart" change.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.