Ask the imam: Why can t the Jews and Muslims live together in peace?

Islam Q&A ^

[rebdov]

SHe doesn't want us to use the Koran because it is open to interpretation. Fine. Listen to the contemporary commentators. Every Friday they are exhorting the masses to KILL non-believers. We don't have to climb into obscurities of the past, let's go to modern speakers.

[Sci Fi Guy]

Finally we have learned to get along . . .sort of . . .look what it took . . . but we still have some maturing to do. The first lesson in maturity is not to arrogantly condemn another religion across the board

Perhaps we should judge them by their teachings and actions.

[cicero's_son]

"What do they do when they get to the part where Jesus says if your right hand offends you to cut it off?"

The difference between Christianity and Islam is that under Islam, you'd never cut your own hand off. Far better to cut off your neighbor's.

[The_Reader_David]

I fear you are correct. Most folk over-looked it, but bin Laden gave President Bush a promotion--to Christian Emperor. In one of his video releases shortly after the 9/11 attacks he declared the world to be divided into two camps, "the camp of Islam", and "the camp of the cross, headed by President Bush".

Oh, and the vaunted Ottoman tolerance toward Jews and Christians was partly custom in that part of the world--there was toleration toward Jews, Manicheans, and Muslims in the (Eastern) Roman Empire before its conquest--and partly necessity--the interpretation of Islamic law they applied meant that banking, printing and some other activities needed to run anything like a functional society had to be done by non-Muslims.

[eleni121]

Still hoping that Turkey lead the Islamic world into a new era of peace,prosperity, and religious liberty

I wish the Turks would too. But history and practice proves otherwise. Hardly any Christians left, Turks won't let the Orthodox Christians open the theological school, and worst of all, they refuse to acknowledge the sins of their past and maintain a police state, not to mention the support they provide the Mohamedans in the Balkans.

[Blake#1]

To the best of my knowledge there is not a Muslim country that has allowed Christians or any non-muslim religion full equality. Can you name a Christian group living in an area surrounded by Muslims that is at war with the Muslims and about to precipitate World War III?

[Aliska]

Those who do those things will eventually be silenced by their own treachery.

[rebdov]

But we are talking about exposing the threat and taking decisive action. Not waiting around to die while they vent their spleens.

[Aliska]

I understand that and we are treading cautiously, trying very hard not to inflame them further.

[janeliberty]

Groliers lists Ethiopia's religions as Islam, Ethiopian Orthodox, Christianity. I take that to mean Islam is the dominant religion since that's the way religions are listed for other countries. They may not be subject to Sharia, which could mean we're both right.

Ethiopia's statistics I listed are all noted as 1999 (est). The hard statistics in Groliers (GNP, hospital beds, etc.) have 1995 or 1996 as their time frame.

[RnMomof7]

You caught exactly the quote I did..so does this mean the the US must also kneel to Islam??

[rebdov]

Obviously you have never read a translation of the Imams in Israel or Saudi or Pakistan. Inflame them more? Are you joking? They are not reacting to anything you think or say. They despise your EXISTENCE for not being Muslim.

I think many Christians are now slowly beginning to realize what it feels like to be a Jew. You remind me of the joke about two Jews waiting to be shot by the Nazis. Yankel says to Dovid, "the Nazis should rot in hell." Dovid says, "shush Yankel, you may make them mad." Like you, at first you say, oh- let's not make them mad. And then you slowly realize that they hate you just for being in the world.

Expose them for what they are. Have the translations of their fiery orations mailed to every TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, US reps, and Senators. Maybe then someone will wake up to the fact that we must be adequately prepared to repel the barbarians at the gates.

[Michael2001]

You are assuming that if Israel did not exist we would not be heading into WWIII. IMHO you are assuming incorrectly. There are hundreds of millions of Muslims who want us to convert or die, we will collide with them eventually whether Israel exists or not.

[Michael2001]

I am Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel but by mixing religion and politics you are coming close to falling into the same trap as the adherents of political Islam.

You cannot seperate religion from what is going on today in Israel.

[Michael2001]

If their religion says that people of my religion must either convert, be killed, or live as subservients to their religion, I feel I have a right to insult their religion.

[Michael2001]

The only muslim I ever knew or knew was a muslim who had the most beautiful coat I ever saw. It was white sheepskin.

Mike Tyson?

[Aliska]

Did he have one of those coats, too? :-).

[Aliska]

I am trying to interpret what SOME of them are saying in terms of what my religion says. My religion does not say, "Kill or be killed."

I don't know what we are supposed to do. What we are trying to do will probably not be enough. We aren't into ethnic cleansing . . .nor should we be.

According to my religion, I (and my country) have a right of self defense. That is all. We are already pushing that to the limit by going after them in other countries where we are not sovereign.

What more can we do and not go overboard?

[rebdov]

This is my last word to you for now. If people are not educated about the enemy, his weltanschaung, his aims, his desires then they are doomed. It is the responsibility of our government and our media to properly inform us. We should not put our heads in the ground like ostriches and pretend that the problem will go away. False love of your neighbor will not protect you. The people of the US still do not know the extent of the hatred and intentions of our enemy. Unlike the President, I will say it is a crusade to defend us from Islam.

And 'Kill or be killed' is the elementary principle of self-defense. If you want to die, fine, don't force your neighbor to die also.

[Aliska]

Since I have had your last word, maybe you would be kind enough to explain to someone else explicitly what you would do to take care of the problem.