Non-Muslim, no Muslim family, although one of my best friends converted to Sufism 30 years ago because he thought Presbyterians were too war-mongering. (He recognizes now this was pretty much an out of kettle into fire move.)
I am not a member of CAIR. In fact, I despise the group.
Actually, the Koran does not say “kill the infidel.” It says, “kill the infidel unless he submits to the rule of Allah.” A minor detail, perhaps, but let’s be accurate.
You seem to be under the misapprehension that you have some sort of authority by which you have the right to order people to follow your directions. I disagree, but am answering your questions to see where you are headed.
I know moderate Muslims exist, because my friend is one. He is one of the kindest, gentlest, most decent people I have ever met. I would certainly trust him long before I would trust you.
Now it can be reasonably argued that he and others like him are not “moderate Muslims,” they are just bad Muslims. My friend would beg to differ, of course. In his opinion, those who kill in the name of Islam are the bad Muslims.
My whole point is that we should not insist on lumping John in with the Islamists and treating them the same. Divide and conquer is always a good strategy when it can be used.
As I suspected, you indeed are ;to close to the problem’. You have a friend who is/was/whatever a muslim and that colors your thinking.
Indeed I do have authority. That authority is the inherent need for self preservation. Most Americans are born with it, but some have had it propagandized into dormancy.
Do I have authority in the sense of commanding armies and leading crusades? No and yes. I can use whatever platform I can speak from to help deprogram any who will listen. There are thousands like me who refuse to be cowed by PC.
If PC alone can make a person cower, what will happen when scores of your peaceful non-’islamist’ muslims suddenly get religion like all these recorded occurrences of ‘spontaneous jihadi syndrome’ we have already experienced? Ft. Hood ring any bells?
Your life, your choice.
Sufiism is the gentler form of Islam, yes, as it merged with Hindu Bhakti beliefs and practices, but do note that it does not repudiate the injuncts of the Koran to kill those who do not submit. that is the stumbling block. And even the best sufi communities lead to those who kill the infidels as part of their religion. The problem is islam. If we take the Bhakti form of hinduism, it does not have that baggage
Perhaps a change in terminology might help. We have people like Sherman's friend who are ethnically Muslim, but who are at least partially secularized to the point where they associate more with Western civilization than with Islam.
Then we have those who associate totally with Islam. Let's call them "fundamentalist" Muslims, "ultra-orthodox" Muslims, whatever.
As long as Sherman's friend gives his allegiance to the United States as a whole rather than the Muslim Ummah, then everything is fine. Where things become not-so-fine is when he is forced to make a real choice of allegiance, and chooses Islam.
He doesn't need to become a suicide bomber himself. To the degree that he contributes money to Islamic groups that even indirectly fund Jihad, then he is a Jihadi. To the extent that he refuses to report Jihadis to law enforcement, then he is a Jihadi. To the extent that he politically supports Islamic political positions, then he is a Jihadi.