Religion is the root of all evil and wars. i believe in one god and one god at all wars and conflicts.
Islam allows for self-defense against any aggressors. For example: The US occupation of Iraq can be legally resisted under Islamic law; The Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands can be legally resisted; etc. As for religion, there is no compulsion in religion, you can't force a human being to believe, God recognizes that, and it's stated clearly in the Quran. As for whether or not Muslims would recognize other sects as Muslims (i.e. the Ismailis), we are required to recognize anyone who states "There is no God but God, and Mohammed is the messenger of God" as a Muslim. The takfir of Muslims is strictly prohibited, we're not supposed to judge someone else's "Muslimness", it's hubris that should be avoided. However, certain 'schools of thought' within Islam do just that (i.e. Wahhabis do it all the time, they don't even consider Shi'ites Muslim). So as you can see, there is a wide array of opinions and interpretations within Islam, much like any other religion. Some would disagree with what I believe, some would agree; that's just how it goes.
I find these threads very informative and interesting. Yes we can look up info on Google and Wikipedia but the give and take exchange here along with range of different Muslim viewpoints is far more interesting.
tigermission, thanks for the thoughtful response. Now accepting the premise that Islam allows for resistance to aggressors, what justifies the targeting of innocent civilians in the legitimate resistance?
Are the people fighting each other in Iraq of the same ethnicity? How can you tell by visual appearance who is a Sunni and who is Shiite? Are the neighborhoods segregated, thus you hear about a "Sunni marketplace" or a "Shiite restaurant" getting blown up?
And so we differ: To me, there's nothing irrelevant about such discussion at all. Searching for truth outside the self has always seemed a far superior alternative to searching for truth within it I agree with the pointless bit, though
Uh no, I avoid bringing up China as much as I inject it into every possible thread. Over-population and global warming are not crises yet, but they are still the pressing issues faced by mankind. Pat Robertson has his share of ignominies over the years, but I don't hesitate to give him credit when credit is due.
i whole-heartedly agree. you can't believe everything you read anyways, always intriguing to get another's point of view.
There is no justification for targeting civilians, in fact, Muslims had 'rules of engagement' centuries before the West did, which included the sparing of every 'woman, elderly, child, or tree' (the tree is symbolic here, meaning that cutting down trees, burning crops or farms, and unnecessary destruction of buildings should be avoided; the so-called 'scorch earth' approach that was quiet popular in wars); in fact, it was widely accepted that an enemy fighter who surrendered his arms was no longer a fair target, and instead his life would be spared, most likely taken as a POW that would be used to exchange for captured Muslim soldiers. Often times, extremist groups attempt to get around this by cleverly attempting to lift the 'civilian' label from those targeted (i.e. some claim that every Israeli is a 'combatant' because Israel has compulsory military service for all its citizens; others say that in democracies, civilians can be held responsible for backing/supporting the actions of their governments -- this is Bin Laden's argument). It's worth noting that while Muslims had rules and regulations of conduct in war, the accepted norm was for the victorious side to imprison, enslave, or wipe out the civilian population altogether; this became painfully clear to Muslims during the Mongol invasion and even during the Crusades.
i find a lot more truth in breathing and loving than i do in talking about it. or arguing about it. bottom line...at the start or at the end there is faith. i believe certain things and those things color the world i live in. i'm thankful for that. i'm not in a pissing contest to see who is smarter or who has a better grasp of truth. i've tried that before...it sucks. if you get to know me, you might find some truth in my life. if you're attracted to it, i'd point you where i think it comes from. love above all...others above self....forgiving is better than holding a grudge...lying will only lead to more problems...pray for your enemies. i think of these as truths. i'm not saying that other people from other faith backgrounds or lack thereof don't arrive at those same truths. but those truths, in my mind, are God's. i'm living amongst them and trying to be them.
well i agree that it informs a lot of peoplel, but what irks me is people starting a thread and becoming the representative for Islam, or all muslims. Now if someone had a question about Islam, started a thread, then by all means let every muslim on here answer in their own respective ways... i dunno, just my 2 cents.
Regardless of denomination, that is one hell of a post and a terrific guide for living a meaningful life.
When a muslim reads the Quran does it have to be in arabic? I only ask because i've read passages (arabic) that have been euphanized in both western translations that i came across (french & english).
What happens to a muslim after death? What are the options? How do muslim's define sin or disobedience to God? How do muslim's view God's justice? From a muslim perspective define perfect justice. If a muslim commits blasphemy what are the consequences? What is the muslim's view of mercy? Do muslims have an eternal soul? edit- please understand I said God- not knowing how to phrase that in terms of Islam. thanks for any thoughts on this
