Does Islam promote violence?

[javajo]

What's the deal in Syria? They killed 2,200 of their own citizens since February and have tortured and mutilated (including chopping off privates) a known 88 men and boys, some as young as 13. What does their religion say about that sort of thing?

 

[Revoltingest]

What's the deal in Syria? They killed 2,200 of their own citizens since February and have tortured and mutilated (including chopping off privates) a known 88 men and boys, some as young as 13. What does their religion say about that sort of thing?

I infer that the religion cannot prevent violence in every adherent.
This sounds like every other religion in that respect.

 

[Father Heathen]

I'm not one to dodge issues and I consider myself to be genuine. I just have to ask, have you considered that perhaps the media covers Islamic terrorism more than other groups?

My guess would because of more frequent and widespread activity, but are you suggesting some sort of conspiracy that all media outlets are in on?

Perhaps there are more Islamic terrorists than other terrorists because there are more folks who follow Islam than other religions in the world.

That's the thing; the amount terrorist organizations isn't proportionate to population. If they were there would be more christian terrorism than islamic. Also, you never hear of buddhist terrorism despite the relgious population, because it would be uncharacteristic - and that's what it comes down to; characteristics.

Perhaps it may have to do with many groups of people who are not interested in becoming so modern so quickly. I believe a thousand years from now it will not matter if women have drove cars for the last 850 years or 950 years.

Again, what characteristics makes some faiths more resistant to progress than others? Personally, I view something that's hesitant to embrace rights, freedom, equality and justice as rather flawed.

Not everyone on the planet is ready to be so progressive and embrace Western standards.

It's called indoctrination. Something is amiss when reason doesn't prevail. Do you think it's a coincidence that such societies tend to be 3rd world cesspits?

People do have a right to be different and resist change.

People don't have the right to oppress, subjugate, torture and murder, however.

That does not mean however that the world is not changing.

The faster and further we move forward, the better off the whole world will be.

I am no different. If the world required me to take a mark to buy and sell, I would instantly become a "terrorist".

What?

 

[javajo]

I infer that the religion cannot prevent violence in every adherent.
This sounds like every other religion in that respect.

Sure, but aren't they a religious state? That Muslim run government is killing and torturing their own people. I hope good Muslims around the world stand up in condemnation of them.

 

[Tarheeler]

Sure, but aren't they a religious state? That Muslim run government is killing and torturing their own people. I hope good Muslims around the world stand up in condemnation of them.

Do you believe that if the leaders of that country were Christian the results would be any different?

Authoritarian regimes that rule through violence and intimidation will do brutal things to stay in power. The religion they claim has nothing to do with it. European history is filled with similar episodes carried out by Christian states, and the Communists of the USSR, China, and the Khmer Rouge also have bloody histories.

 

[Revoltingest]

Sure, but aren't they a religious state? That Muslim run government is killing and torturing their own people. I hope good Muslims around the world stand up in condemnation of them.

I hope so too, & bet they are.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Sure, but aren't they a religious state? That Muslim run government is killing and torturing their own people. I hope good Muslims around the world stand up in condemnation of them.

That is easier said than done when one has to consider what the consequences are for their family. Not everyone around the world has as much freedom as we do to speak their mind.

 

[javajo]

Do you believe that if the leaders of that country were Christian the results would be any different?

Yes, if they were true Christians and followed Jesus' teachings.

Authoritarian regimes that rule through violence and intimidation will do brutal things to stay in power. The religion they claim has nothing to do with it. European history is filled with similar episodes carried out by Christian states, and the Communists of the USSR, China, and the Khmer Rouge also have bloody histories.

I would consider anyone who kills in the name of Christ to be a Christian in name only. But I see your point.

 

[Badran]

Sure, but aren't they a religious state? That Muslim run government is killing and torturing their own people. I hope good Muslims around the world stand up in condemnation of them.

Two things:

1) Syria isn't a religious state.

2) Why do you think people their revolted against their government?

They did because its an oppressive, corrupt, and disgusting rule, which is something completely irrelevant of religion. Meaning that it happened and is happening with all sorts of countries religious or not.

And of course, the people in Syria who stood up to this oppression are containing a majority of Muslims.

Finally, of course Muslims are condemning whats happening in Syria.

 

[TheKnight]

I'm wondering what justifies in Islam a terrorist/revolutionary movement?

To know why terrorists do what they do all one has to do is listen to them. They use religion as a motivator to get people to respond to a non-religious issue, the issue being Western intervention in the middle east.

This is a topic that is only relevant to those paranoid by their ignorance of history and their lack of knowledge about what the terrorists actually say.

When they speak to us and send us videos, we should listen. They don't say "We hate freedom, so we're going to blow them up." They don't say "they are infidels and deserve death so we can spread Islam." They fight us because we intervene in their affairs when they did not ask us to. We are their friends one day and their enemies the next.

Will they use religion as a tool to recruit? Yes. But we do that too. The problem is the West intervening. The religion is only a tool and a framework to amplify latent motivation and provide a sort of "story" if you will to make the whole thing more appealing.

 

[javajo]

That is easier said than done when one has to consider what the consequences are for their family. Not everyone around the world has as much freedom as we do to speak their mind.

True. And that's another thing. Why follow a religion that kills you if you speak out against injustice? Or that is spread by the sword? Or that forces you to believe that way because you live in that country? I don't get it.

 

[Badran]

Yes, if they were true Christians and followed Jesus' teachings.

I would consider anyone who kills in the name of Christ to be a Christian in name only. But I see your point.

The same can be said about Muslims.

 

[Badran]

True. And that's another thing. Why follow a religion that kills you if you speak out against injustice? Or that is spread by the sword? Or that forces you to believe that way because you live in that country? I don't get it.

Perhaps they do because "the religion" does none of those things?

 

[Reverend Rick]

True. And that's another thing. Why follow a religion that kills you if you speak out against injustice? Or that is spread by the sword? Or that forces you to believe that way because you live in that country? I don't get it.

You don't get it because you have never had to live in a country where a group of men may knock at your door with AK47's and ask you if you are Sunni or Shea.

It was not that long ago that Catholic and Protestants had problems with each other.

I believe the thing you are missing is, it is not the Islamic religion that is at fault, but the people who pervert the religion for their own uses.

We are no different if you really think about it, we have just evolved a tiny bit.

 

[javajo]

I understand there are moderate Muslims who would not harm others, but doesn't the Koran say to kill a Jew wherever you find them and to chop off the heads of infidels? How should one understand that?

 

[Tarheeler]

Yes, if they were true Christians and followed Jesus' teachings.

I would consider anyone who kills in the name of Christ to be a Christian in name only.

But many others would claim that it is because Christianity is a dangerous religion that calls for violence. After all, they can pull single verses from the Bible that paints a very gruesome picture and they have many, many instances through out history to back it up.

The same with Islam. A few posts back you called for Muslims to denounce the violence in Syria; but, all too often, when they do and profess those who are doing it are not following Islam and are not true Muslims, the majority of people ignore them and call it the true face of Islam. After all, they can cherry-pick verses and find historical events to back them up.

It goes both ways.

But I see your point.

Cool.

 

[Badran]

I understand there are moderate Muslims who would not harm others, but doesn't the Koran say to kill a Jew wherever you find them and to chop off the heads of infidels? How should one understand that?

By knowing to what purpose, to whom, and when was this said.

 

[Badran]

Also there is an inaccurate generalization here. People in Turkey for example are not killed if they speak against injustice. They are not forced to follow any religion neither. We're talking about things that happen in countries that are in terrible conditions all around, such as Afghanistan, as if thats the norm in every Muslim's life if they happen to live in a country containing a majority of Muslims.

 

[javajo]

I guess there are evil people who use their religion to justify their acts in every religion. Did you read what happened to three Christian missionaries in Turkey some time ago? The group that did this must have really twisted their scriptures to justify such evil: Turkey Christian Missionaries Horrifically Tortured Before Killings | Christian News on Christian Today Here is just a little bit from the article:

The three Christians who were martyred in Turkey last week were horribly tortured for three hours prior to being killed, Christian Today has learned, as details continue to emerge. The men (killers) were known to the believers as "seekers". These young men, one of whom is the son of a mayor in the Province of Malatya, are part of a tarikat, or a group of "faithful believers" in Islam, ICC has learned.
"Tarikat membership is highly respected; it's like a fraternity membership," ICC has stated. "In fact, it is said that no one can get into public office without membership in a tarikat."

What followed in the next three hours is beyond belief," an ICC release has said. ICC then continued to describe the nature of the torture, which included disembowelment, emasculation, and the slicing open of various orifices.
"Tilman was stabbed 156 times, Necati 99 times and Ugur's stabs were too numerous to count. Finally, their throats were sliced from ear to ear, heads practically decapitated," ICC reports.

After Tillman's wife learned of the brutal death of her husband she publicly forgave the killers repeating the words of Jesus Christ, "They know not what they do."
Jeff King, ICC President, stated, "The contrast between the acts of the killers and the forgiveness of Tillman's wife is glaring and in the end seems to be at the centre of this story for us."

 

[Blackdog22]

By knowing to what purpose, to whom, and when was this said.

So your saying at some point it was okay to kill Jews on the spot and was this law ever done away with? Does the Quran now forbid it? Why was it okay then and why does it say Jews instead of say, the ones who are coming against us. Just saying Jews seems a little wicked, as if all Jews should be killed. Perhaps you could put this in a context where it is acceptable. Would you care to do that?