SUNDAY REWIND: Extremism isn’t limited to Islam
By 
Shan-ul-Hai •
August 3, 2008
I came across an interesting article today; you should check it out before you read this post.
People often tell me that Muslims deserve the treatment they get because we tend to produce more extremists than other religions. Let’s disregard all other factors (for example, the fact that Christian extremists have been common in the past, just not today) and take a look at one of the many incidences where a Jewish rabbi calls for extremist action. I don’t have a problem with every Israeli just because a few of them call for atrocities… so why do people have a problem with all Arabs just because a few of them do the same?
Islam does not promote the murder of innocent
civilians. I think it’s the Middle East environment that leads to the development of violent ideals at times. You hear about Muslims “terrorists” more often than their Jewish counterparts because the world’s Muslim population is 100 times the world’s Jewish population. Just think about the watershed events in the history of the Holy Land:
- -Egyptians killed lots of Hebrews (around the time of Moses)
- -Romans killed lots of Christians (around the time of Jesus)
- -Christians (under Constantine) kick out the Jews, who were banned from Jerusalem until the Muslims allowed them back in (in 638 AD)
- -Christians killed lots of Muslims (during the Crusades)
- -Muslims and Jews killed each other (after the Crusades, until now)
I’m sure I’ll get plenty of unrelated comments… keep in mind that this is not a post about Israel and Palestine; my only purpose is to establish that Islam isn’t the only philosophical system that occasionally (in very rare cases) breeds extremism.
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My objection to Islam is the same as my objection to all other religions . Basically it’s a template for brainwashing and controlling people rooted in fairy tales . Religion is about CONTROL, not God . The extreme forms of Islam seen today , like stonings and amputations, are no different from the Roman Catholic church burning “heretics” 5 centuries ago . In the West, we’ve moved on ( which is why the RC church doesn’t do these things any more - not because it thinks they’re wrong, but because it knows it can’t get away with it ) . In the Middle-East however things are not so advanced .
So a medieval approach to religion may fit in with Middle-Eastern perspectives, customs and practice - but when you transplant that backward ignorance into Western society you encounter immediate problems . Either Islam will have to adapt in the West - or if on the other hand fundamentalists insist on doctrinal backwardness, the West and Islam will not be able to exist cheek-by-jowl and some form of geographical separation will be inevitable .
Very well said and I couldn’t have put it better myself. I went on Muslim Matriminials a few years ago but landed with a hubby from match.com lol.
I agree.
Extremism, is a human trait, not a religious trait.
I’d go as far as saying extremism (and religious/racial intollerance) has an evolutionary component (which has no place in todays society, but will (unfortunately) be with us for a long time).
Being afraid of someone (or a group) which is different from our own local group, once enhanced survival in many ways (eg avoiding disease, competition for limited resources, etc).
I reckon this is the basis for many wars/terrorism.