That's not really what I said. I said that Islam's teachings aren't the root cause or motivation for the violence. That they have become wrapped up in it very closely is obvious and I don't deny it. But there wouldn't have been anything for them to get wrapped up in if non-religious factors hadn't disposed people in Muslim societies towards violence in the first place.Originally Posted by gwahir
This is very true and integral to what I'm talking about! It certainly doesn't mean that Islam causes violence. It means that it's used to provide a framework or guide for the expression of violent 'potential' that exists already. No amount of fiery jihad-preaching is going to stir up terrorism and hatred in people who don't have anything to be deeply angry about to begin with. Extremist Islam is used to harness, direct, and control the anger of people who are already deeply disgruntled. So again, the violence doesn't actually come from Islam. It comes from people's anger over the Israelis kicking them out of their homes and treating them like sub-humans, or the Americans propping up a dictator that throws them in jail and kills them for demanding less corrupt government, or the British robbing their country blind of it's oil wealth for fifty years, or whatever else. The religion just forms provides the mold into which that anger and inclination towards violence are poured, and if the religion wasn't there, a different mold would be used.
Oh yeah, atmosfear: Qur'an (sometimes minus the apostrophe) is the common spelling and the one most often identified as correct. I don't know whether you are suggesting that "Koran" is the proper spelling for anyone who isn't a cunt, but "Koran" is outmoded in the same way as "Moslem".
I'll respond to the rest tomorrow or maybe Sunday.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks