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Your "progressiveness"? More like pure lunacy. And don't lump all of the Islamic sects into one big "women stoners, honors killers". Ismailis are a small sect of shiites who make up a tiny sect of "islam" (less than 15%). I put islam in quotation marks because a lot would argue the very legitimacy of the shiites as muslims based on some of the absurd, offensive views they have on the prophet, the khalifahs, and a wide array of things. When you watch TV and you see "Muslims" walking in the streets, whipping themselves until they bleed, and begging their savior (a human, by the way) for forgiveness, you're not really watching "muslims", you're watching a very fringe group that barely make up 15% of all muslims. Basically, they are the equivalents of mormons to the christian religion, and Iran is their Utah. They way the media portrays shiites as a major sect in islam and a true representative of our religion is really troubling. The young conservatives of Texas or whatever the hell they're called had a presentation at A&M about a month ago titled "true Islam". The guy basically went through every fringe shiite belief (taquiyyah, etc..) and described them accurately, but not once did he say that those beliefs are held by a group that makes up less than 15% of all muslims, and if you exclude Iran, less than 2 percent. So basically the average Joe left that presentation with the understanding that "god damn, those muslims are instructed by their religion to lie, cheat, and steal, as long as it serves their religion". Well, that's not true! In fact, the holy quran specifically instructs us against those very horrid acts. Sorry for the mini rant.
^ This is exactly the flack that the Ismaili's get. Very parallel to the Mormon:Christianity analogy. Great people, do fantastic things for the local and world community, etc. However when it comes down to it, the mainstream have an incredibly difficult time including them as part of the mainstream because they do have those fringe beliefs that are frowned upon. IMHO, pointforward, you are no better than the "young conservatives of Texas." Rather than doing what DD suggests in accepting this community for who they are (whether you disagree or agree) you choose to demonize them and point fingers. We are better than that.
There's really nothing more absurd in Shia Islam than there is in Sunni Islam, except for the beating yourself thing IMO. I think you've probably been taught about Shiites by non-Shiites. Also, your last sentence about the "horrid acts" is hilarious. Do Sunnis not defy Quranic instructions under the guise of "Nasekh wa Mansookh"?
Exactly. It's that inability to hold their tongue when the name of a sect other than Sunni Islam comes up.
Muhammad (pbuh) said: "He who deviates from the largest group of Muslims, even as much as a hand span, has himself cut off his connection with Islam". (Abu Dawud) “As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast No part in them in the least their affair is with Allah: He will in the end Tell them the truth Of all that they did.” [Qur'an 6:159]
But that's the point exactly! "...He will in the end Tell them the truth Of all that they did.” If you don't agree with it, great, just don't join them. However don't go along creating methods for you to discriminate and persecute them! Its not for you to do anything except spread your Da'wah.
And there's a reason for that, and that reason very much justifies the "flack" y'all catch. I'd say 90% of the poor rap Islam gets is a direct result of the generalization that Shiites are representative of our faith. They are far away from it. Hell, Jews and Christians are more closely related to true orthodox Islam (as seen in the quran, ya know, the holy book that shiites don't really care for) than Shiites, Ismailis, and the likes are. And if you think that "beating yourself" thing is the only crazy thing shiites do/believe, then you need a major research session my friend. Use the interwebz, hell, I can direct you to a couple of reliable sources to see what goes on in their heads. The whole "taquiyyah" thing is mind boggling. Their "insult Umar and Abu bakr" rallies held annually in Iran rival Borat's "running of the jew" rally in absurdity and ridiculousness. True, main stream Islam (notice I didn't specify "Sunni", because a lot of "sunnis" aren't really on the right track. I define true Islam as following the specific instructions given in the holy book and the True Hadiths 'ie: saheeh bukhari', and not including "weak hadiths or what are known as "mawdoo3"). You don't need to be a fringe, lunatic group to be a "peaceful muslim". You are a peaceful muslim if you read the quran (correctly that is, not taking things out of context like the idiot extremists do, who, by the way, will end up rotting in hell according to what the quran says) and follow what it tells you to do. To never be the aggressor, to respect others, to treat everyone fairly, to attract people to the religion by setting a good example (like our ancestors did when their empire spanned from east China all the way to Spain. They didn't do it with the sword, they did it by being the most trust worthy, peaceful, and friendly traders in the global market). Peace, my friends, is mainstream Islam. You can ridicule all you want and basso, DD and ATW can have fun titling threads "religion of peace: LULZ", but it doesn't change the facts, and it only shows that you are too ignorant and closed minded to open up the quran, read it objectively with a legitimate, trust worthy English interpretation, and then make up your mind about whether it's really a religion of peace or not.
LOL take it easy brah nobody is "persecuting" them. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. last time I checked the "aga khan" is a multi millionaire and is building lavish mosques wherever the hell he pleases. Nobody in mainsream islam is doing anything to them, except maybe ridicule them (and rightfully so) for some of the absolutely absurd and laughable beliefs and practices they have. We're leaving it to god to "Tell them the truth Of all that they did", but it doesn't mean I don't have the right to be pissed that they're giving our religion a bad name. Word needs to get out that the fringe crazies aren't what all of us are, but unfortunately the global media loves lumping everybody together and calling them "muslims". "Look at those crazy ass muslims, they're freaking whipping themselves, they're executing a woman because she farted in public!, those freaking moslems and a-rabs!". You can go ask anyone in the street right now about Iran's main religion. he won't tell you they're shiites and they make up less than 15% of all muslims in the world, he'll simply call them "muslims", and that ain't true, and that needs to change.
LOL since when are peace and anger mutually exclusive? Just because I feel strongly about something and I voice my opinion doesn't make me any less peaceful than you. LOL if anyone is angry, it's you Mr. ATW. You are angry at an entire religion, at 1.5 billion people in the world. You get a big fat cam'ron "you mad":
Ah, so now it is one entire religion? Weren't you just ridiculing and hating on those who don't share your flavor of it?
Isn't that a good thing? How so? I think the media showing Shiites whipping themselves in public should be the least of your worries.
Nah, you're thinking of your idol and his regime in Germany circa 1940's. I quote a hadith and I quote the Qur'an. From those two simple quotes, ATW goes and attacks me and my religion. And about tolerance no less. ATW, just get over the fact your Führer is killed himself. You can deny it all you want, but the ignorance you spew could make Hitler applaud in admiration.
Where have I discriminated or persecuted anyone (besides the resident Nazi apologist ATW)? All I did was post a quote to a Hadith that said he who deviates from the larger group of Muslims has severed his connection with Islam. Is that persecution and/or discrimination?
