Islam - How Awful Is It?

[Jason]

So the Koran is just this passage for you then? Maybe you would be better off asking a Muslim how he does it? Provided you can bring yourself to accept they are in fact a Muslim if they aren't violent.

I'm having difficulty with your contention, implicit as it may be, that a Muslim may pick and choose which passages to follow from their holy book and still remain a Muslim.

Really, this isn't rocket science here.

[Sean Hayden]

I know, so I'm confused by your inability to grasp it. It seems intentional to me. A Muslim may pick and choose which passages and not just this, but also how to interpret the passages he does keep. I would say that this is not just a possibility but a necessity.

I can't believe you don't see the pickle you're putting yourself in by declaring that a Muslim is just one who follows the Koran. Well Siva, which Koran?

[Jason]

I don't know what Quran you're reading from, but perhaps we could go over the passages I refer to in your version and see what they say. How's that sound to you?

[Jason]

Incidentally, your characterization of American Muslims as non-violent followers of a new Islam doesn't bear the ring of truth as often young American (and Canadian) Muslims are radicalized and travel to conflict zones to slay infidels in the name of their religion.

Just saying.

[Sean Hayden]

Or, you could accept that it's possible to read a book in more than one way and that it is possible to have an understanding of a book that is greater than any of its individual parts, and that this is especially true of religious text; and move on.

[Sean Hayden]

--often? --often dude?

What is the percentage of Muslims in America who become radicalized? No wait, it's 100%, because if they aren't radicalized they ain't Muslims! I think I see why this is so important now.

[Jason]

Yes Sean, often.

In case you didn't notice, we're circling back to my contention that so-called 'moderate Muslims' shield and enable their extremist brethren.

[Sean Hayden]

So, give me the percentage. ~3 million Muslims in America btw

[Sean Hayden]

Yes Sean, often.

In case you didn't notice, we're circling back to my contention that so-called 'moderate Muslims' shield and enable their extremist brethren.

Yes, but that's unavoidable given your position on the matter. But, it's also possible to see it as simply shielding Muslims from being unfairly treated as extremists.

[Cunt]

So the Koran is just this passage for you then? Maybe you would be better off asking a Muslim how he does it? Provided you can bring yourself to accept they are in fact a Muslim if they aren't violent.

Just try to learn how they think satire of their faith should be treated.

Ask if Salmon Rushdie should be allowed to continue to satirize their silly notions. Would this difference define what 'extremist' means?

[Jason]

The percentage? Are you serious?

What percentage do you think would be unacceptable?

Let me just look up the stats here in my FBI database for you, just a sec... they've got them all documented I assure you.

*** hacking FBI.gov now ***

The fact is, it is regularly reported that it occurs and is a major problem being confronted by law enforcement in Canada (and the USA too I'm sure).

[Sean Hayden]

To be often I'd expect more than a handful a year out of ~3 million is all. None of them are acceptable, but that's a different point.

Anyway, our egos are starting to get involved now --mine more than ever-- and it's a good time to walk the dog. We can argue over Muslims later.

[Sean Hayden]

So the Koran is just this passage for you then? Maybe you would be better off asking a Muslim how he does it? Provided you can bring yourself to accept they are in fact a Muslim if they aren't violent.

Just try to learn how they think satire of their faith should be treated.

Ask if Salmon Rushdie should be allowed to continue to satirize their silly notions. Would this difference define what 'extremist' means?

Stop saying they and you're all good. Unless they just means radical Islam in which case hell yeah, those fuckers are nuts man! I can't stand them. --walking dog now

[Hermit]

I'm willing to say those things to Christian friends (or insult their god, deny their holy spook etc.) or to explain my dislike of the Torah, or circumcision with Jewish friends. I haven't heard anyone ask those questions of Muslims.

One of my colleagues was an imam at the Lakemba mosque. In summer, while waiting for the Queensland linehaul trucks to come in, I had a few discussions with him. This was before the WTC came down, but Islam as a religion has not really changed much between then and now. Among the topics were circumcision, apostasy and so on. I was clearly presenting my atheist views without feeling I might get into hot water. Through the imam I also finished up meeting other Muslims. Same type of discussions. Same lack of feeling threatened.

I guess up there in metropolitan Yellowknife you don't get much of a chance to actually meet any of the people you talk about.

Where are the Muslims being critical of extremist muslims?

The news outlets have more important issues to report.

[Cunt]

The news outlets are not my indicator of what is 'important'.