Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Islam Can't Join the Modern World
FrontPageMagazine.com | ^ | May 16, 2002 | Jamie Glazov

Posted on 05/16/2002 9:14:35 AM PDT by xvb

Why Islam Can’t Join the Modern World

THAT ISLAM poses a vital danger to human freedom is a given. But what often remains unspoken is why it poses this danger.

Is it just a coincidence that wherever Islam rules, democracy, individual liberty, free speech, and women’s rights all go out the window?

No, it isn’t.

The problem is that Islam is intrinsically opposed to the very notion of free will itself. Under Islam’s rigid moral code, human beings do not possess the slightest area in their lives where their behavior is not subject to a rigid rule. Islam takes control of every ingredient of its believer’s life - to the point where the believer becomes little more than an automaton who does not, and must not, nurture any kind of independent or critical thinking of his own.

The key here is that for Muslims, the boundaries between their spiritual and temporal lives do not exist – as they would, for example, in Christian life. A faithful Christian has the Divine on his mind throughout the day, and through this meditation he understands that God allows, and encourages, the exercise of free will, as well as the giving unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.

The Christian is aware that he will be accountable for his thoughts and actions in the Final Judgment, but this awareness exists alongside the understanding that the Lord allows compartments of privacy where humans can cherish God’s creation by nurturing their own spontaneity and innovation.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the fathers of American poetry, illuminates this Christian tradition in his notion that the soul and the Divine are most active in spontaneity and in the freedom that is found in the present undetermined existence. And this is the concept on which Western civilization is based.

For Muslims, meanwhile, every single ingredient of life must represent a total submission to Allah.

Question: what kind of progress, technological advances, economic growth and open dialogue can be possible in a society where every facet of the entire culture is Islamicised?

Is this why not one Arab country is yet to produce anything even close to something resembling prosperity, social functionality or liberal democracy?

The bottom line is that Islam cannot deal with modernity. Having never experienced a "reformation" in centuries, it is intrinsically despotic and totalitarian.

I encourage my readers to sit down and actually take the time to read the Qur’an and Hadiths (the sayings and doings of Muhammad as recorded by his companions). You will find that there is not one area of a Muslim’s life that is left open for individuality, originality and creativity.

From the moment a Muslim wakes up, he has to start going through a process of rigid procedures. First and foremost, he has to wash a certain way. He even has to clean his nose in a specific manner, and he has to do repeat this procedure three times. This is essential because Islam teaches that the devil spends the night in the cavity of the nose.

A Muslim is not to touch any utensil unless he has washed his hands three times. He is also not allowed to urinate in stagnant water.

When Muslims do "number two," they are forbidden to sit and are instructed to adopt a squatting position while leaning heavy on the left foot.

I can’t help but wonder: is there an instructional Islamic video for this? What happens if a Muslim leans on the right foot?

Islam also instructs that, when you go "number one" or "number two," you have to say a certain prayer each time. This is in line with the fact that whenever a Muslim arrives, sits, or sleeps anywhere, he has to say a certain prayer as well.

When taking a bath, Muslims are instructed to wash the lower part of the body and the armpits first. Then they are allowed to wash the rest of their bodies. But it always has to be the right side first and then the left. After this, they have to immediately empty all the water and clean the bath and refill it. Then they can clean off. (I can’t help from observing that this sounds like obsessive compulsive disorder).

Muslims are instructed that they have to use their right side for all things first. For instance, if you are putting on your sneakers, you have to put your right foot into the right sneaker first. The same with taking them off. The same goes with putting on a shirt and which arm goes where etc. When entering a house, you have to enter with the right foot first.

When entering the bathroom, however, a Muslim has to enter with the left foot first, and when coming out, with the right foot first.

The times of Prayer in Islam are rigidly enforced. Islam also mandates that a Muslim has to disengage himself from all worldly occupations and resort to his prayers, even when he is most busy.

Before prayers, the body has to be washed in a precise and orderly way (right hand up to the wrist, then left hand, then right arm up to elbow, then left arm, etc). The Muslim has to wipe his head with wet hands, and it is absolutely necessary that this is done with the three fingers between the little finger and the thumb of both hands being joined together.

When a husband and a wife make love, they have to go wash every time afterwards. (Just imagine the life of a sexually active couple).

Every way in which Muslims interact with each other is also all cut out for them. For instance, Muslims are instructed to greet each other in certain ways. They have to say, "As-salamu alaikum" (peace be upon you). And in return one says, "Wa alaikum us-salam" (upon you be peace).

In one sense, this is, of course, very beautiful. But the question remains: what if someone wants to say something different for a change? Or what if someone doesn’t want to say anything at all?

When replying to a greeting, it is a big-time no-no to say, "God's peace be upon you". This can only be said when saying goodbye. Also, if a couple of people bump into each other, and one guy performs the greeting, no one else is supposed to repeat the greeting. And when another guy replies to a greeting, that is enough and no one else is supposed to reply. (Question: what if two guys reply at the same time by mistake?).

Muslims are also not allowed to say hi to a Jew or a to a Christian first. If they do, they are not supposed to take the greeting back. What’s done is done. They will be held to account for this later. If a Jew or a Christian says "Salamun alaikum" to a Muslim, the Muslim must not respond the way he must to a fellow Muslim ("Wa alaikum us-salam") and only say "alaika" in return. (But what if a Muslim confuses a Jew for a fellow Muslim?)

Muslims are also not allowed to enter other people’s house unless they ask for permission up to three times. Permission has to be given for each time before they enter, and, of course, they have to come in with the right foot first. (Imagine what a Muslim party would be like).

A Muslim is never allowed to sleep in -- even if he is really tired. That’s because he is commanded to get up early to say his morning prayers.

Muslims do not even have the luxury of spontaneity or free will in their sleep. They are even instructed to sleep in certain positions. They are not allowed to sleep on their backs or on their stomachs or on their left sides. They have to sleep on their right sides. It is mandatory, meanwhile, that their heads point to the north. (I don’t want to get into the details of my personal sleeping habits, but let me just admit that, in terms of the way I sleep, I would definitely go to hell in this religion - or at least get publicly flogged every day).

In any case, this phenomenon of how Islam robs the potential for free will in every ingredient of its believers’ lives explains why, as Raphael Patai has demonstrated in The Arab Mind, no motivation exists for Arabs to take action for change or to evaluate critically their own circumstances. The result is that Arabs do not end up feeling a sense of responsibility for their own lives and, therefore, for their own failures. When a problem is confronted in the Arab world, a hidden enemy is always imagined.

Consequently, the inability of Arab countries to create democracies, let alone functional economic societies, is read by Arabs as a personal humiliation that is caused by enemies – and not by the backwardness of Islamic culture itself.

We begin to get an understanding, therefore, why the idea that problems can be solved by individuals themselves, and that citizens must actually participate in solving their own society’s problems, is an idea that is incomprehensible in the Islamic Arab world.

Arabs grow up believing that success in their societies is simply just supposed to materialize, even if no one is actually taking any individual initiative to bring it about. If problems develop (i.e. economic backwardness, dictatorship etc.), they are believed to be caused by infidels (i.e. the evil Americans).

Thus, it becomes obvious why Islam cannot join the modern world. In crushing the potential for any free will in human beings, it must annihilate the very essence of human liberty. In so doing, Islam spawns a backward and self-destructive culture that forces an excruciating humiliation on its people. These people, in turn, end up confusing their impotence and misery with their hatred of the infidels who have succeeded in every aspect in which Islamic civilization has pathetically failed.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: caruba; islam
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last

1 posted on 05/16/2002 9:14:35 AM PDT by xvb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: xvb
Remember when killing a muslim you neen to dip your ammunition in pigs blood before using it on them this will ensure that they are much reviled in the afterlife,also remember if at all possible desecrate all muslim corpses you may encounter with pig or monkey entrails! If their corpses happen to be radioactive then this is not required!
2 posted on 05/16/2002 9:22:08 AM PDT by claptrap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
In crushing the potential for any free will in human beings, it must annihilate the very essence of human liberty. In so doing, Islam spawns a backward and self-destructive culture that forces an excruciating humiliation on its people. These people, in turn, end up confusing their impotence and misery with their hatred of the infidels who have succeeded in every aspect in which Islamic civilization has pathetically failed. Satan said he would make himself like the most high God, hmmm could he be the author of this religion? Let's see God offers choice - Satan does not God wants exercise of free will - Satan wants exercise of self grandizement.
3 posted on 05/16/2002 9:25:13 AM PDT by Jilli
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
bump
4 posted on 05/16/2002 9:26:12 AM PDT by RobRoy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
I now feel tired & dirty......however quite horny. Ah, wadda ya expect, I'm a Christian.
5 posted on 05/16/2002 9:27:41 AM PDT by Puppage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
Islam is peace -- the peace of the Dead!
6 posted on 05/16/2002 9:28:01 AM PDT by CatoRenasci
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
Can you say cult? I knew you could...
7 posted on 05/16/2002 9:28:07 AM PDT by TADSLOS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
This religion seems as though it would be quite useful and have definite appeal… if you were a complete idiot.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

8 posted on 05/16/2002 9:29:48 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jilli
Islame is an abomination in every respect. There is NO good in Islame and no peace as long as it exists. At some point this should become evident to even the most hammerheaded, maybe even the DemocRATS.
9 posted on 05/16/2002 9:31:26 AM PDT by justshutupandtakeit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: xvb
Question: what kind of progress, technological advances

In the past, the Arab Muslims make great strides in mathematics, medicine, architecture, and astronomy. Something went wrong later.

11 posted on 05/16/2002 9:33:19 AM PDT by A Ruckus of Dogs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
Great article. This explains why Christian Arabs, primaroly from Lebanon do well while their islamic brothers will forever mired in the dark ages.
12 posted on 05/16/2002 9:34:59 AM PDT by Pamlico
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
Islam teaches that the devil spends the night in the cavity of the nose.

That ol' devil is one mean bugger.

13 posted on 05/16/2002 9:37:58 AM PDT by PatrickHenry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A Ruckus of Dogs
Actually, most of the strides culture attributed to Islam came from cultures subjected to Islam: Persia, India (mathematics), Egypt, Christian Asia Minor and Greece. Islam's cultural record is really pretty bare when you strip out the products of conquered peoples.
14 posted on 05/16/2002 9:38:49 AM PDT by CatoRenasci
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: xvb
bump
15 posted on 05/16/2002 9:48:52 AM PDT by Octar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
bttt
16 posted on 05/16/2002 9:49:04 AM PDT by lodwick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
Thank you for the atricle. The more I learn, the more I'm thankful I was raised Christian. The more I'm thankful to be an American. In the very least, the more proud I am to be an INFIDEL!
17 posted on 05/16/2002 10:20:28 AM PDT by Made In The USA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
A Muslim is never allowed to sleep in -- even if he is really tired.
That’s because he is commanded to get up early to say his morning prayers.

Now THIS statement downright contradicts what was said about Crown Prince Abdullah.
It was widely reported that he stays up all night, and sleeps in very late in the day.

This is NO religion. It's more like the secret rules of some little kids' "clubhouse."
Pure nonsense. Yes, I realize that all religions have some rules that seem ludicrous to others,
but this one takes the booby prize.

18 posted on 05/16/2002 10:20:34 AM PDT by EggsAckley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
This is a very good article --- also Islam attracts a certain mind-numb people in the first place. If you look at the reasons certain Americans and Europeans convert to this religion, you find a very mindless type of person who has a need to be told how to clean out their nose.
19 posted on 05/16/2002 10:25:53 AM PDT by FITZ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xvb
Islam exists only to let liberals appear "enlightened"
20 posted on 05/16/2002 10:26:01 AM PDT by MarineDad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson