Islam: Not Really a Religion?
Alan Caruba, a conservative columnist who wrote the following for CNS News:
Islam runs counter to all that we in the twenty-first century understand and agree to be civilized behavior. Its treatment of women is uncivilized. Its sanction of suicide-bombers is uncivilized. Its taking hostage and the killing of diplomats and journalists is uncivilized. The justifications Islam puts forth undermine all rules of civilized behavior between nations.
Islam may pass for a religion, but at heart it is a seventh century warrior cult built around the worship of Mohammed. Islam not only justifies killing “infidels” in the name of Allah it preaches that one can and should do this as an act of faith. This is a definition of evil. With 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, a sixth of the world’s population, it can be argued that not all Muslims are evil and surely this is true. The fact remains, however, that the driving force, the raison d’etre of Islam is the complete domination of the world by force.
Caruba’s solution? Well, to destroy Islam — and he evidently means all of Islam, not simply the radical and violent wings of Islamic thought. Caruba doesn’t appear to acknowledge any difference between radical Islamists and the average Muslim walking down the street. He likens them all to the Nazis who once had to be defeated and whose ideology had to be wiped out. That seems to be just what he has in mind for Islam.
Someone at SANE has similar problems comprehending what a "religion" is:
Islam is not a religion. ... Any belief system that licenses murder in the name of Jihad and the conquering and subduing of the world of the infidels by the Ummah, by the Muslim faithful, should be outlawed.
OK, so Islam is violent, and they admit that it’s a belief system, but what about it makes it not a religion?
Mohammed brewed up a religion of violence and imperialism that sought world dominance and domination.
Wait a minute, I thought Islam wasn’t a religion? Now, apparently, it is a religion — a religion of violence created by Muhammad.
Islam is no more a religion deserving our respect or legal recognition than is cannibalism.
OK, so maybe Islam isn’t a religion? This statement is ambiguous — maybe it’s saying that Islam isn’t a religion, or maybe it’s saying that Islam isn’t a religion that deserves respect. Given how confused the rest of the essay there is, the confusion here is understandable. Neither this author nor Caruba gives any explanation for why Islam shouldn’t qualify as a “religion.” No matter how often they claim that Islam is violent or dangerous, their case isn’t furthered because there is nothing about “religion” which excludes characteristics like violence and danger.
More About Islam:
Comments
Do abortionists really think abortion is like any other medical procedure? If they did why do they use the Clinton rhetoric of “safe, but rare”? Should fighting cancer be “safe but rare?”
Abortion is the killing of an innocent human being. First they said abortion wasn’t killing. Then medical science proved the fetus is alive. Then they said it was part of the mother. Medical science revealed unique and separate circulatory and nervous systems from the mother. Then they said it wasn’t human. Medical science reveals human DNA (again unique from the mother). Now they say it’s not innocent because it poses a threat to the mother. These are the arguments of the deranged denying reality.
Abortion is murder.
I think you commented on the wrong article.
Correct post for the above comment: here.
In the name of the Most Merciful and Most Generous:
I would like to share my thoughts on your article. I am an American Muslim who reverted after being raised Catholic. Surely, there are many viewpoints I could address but I would like to simply speak as someone who has studied these topics as well as have had to address these things to my family who is not Muslim and other people I have encountered.
I am not sure where you were going with this article, as I see that you support Atheism, but I was left wondering.
Islam runs counter to all that we in the twenty-first century understand and agree to be civilized behavior.
I would suppose this would be dependant on who we are speaking about. President Bush is about as civilized as Osama.
Its treatment of women is uncivilized.
The Quran specifically states from the revelations told by the Prophet Mohammad that you are prohibited from harming your women. You are not allowed to beat or mistreat women, especially your wives.
Its sanction of suicide-bombers is uncivilized.
Suicide is unlawful in Islam and looked down upon. The fighting for jihad spoken of in those days and now, were in wars where men were killed, feared their lives before battles or protected themselves from those who were trying to harm them.
Its taking hostage and the killing of diplomats and journalists is uncivilized.
You are not allowed to harm even a tree, never mind yourself or innocent people.
Islam may pass for a religion, but at heart it is a seventh century warrior cult built around the worship of Mohammed.
Mohammed himself states that a person is NOT to worship him, but only to God, as he is the Creator.
Islam not only justifies killing “infidels” in the name of Allah it preaches that one can and should do this as an act of faith. This is a definition of evil.
Again, killing is unlawful. Islam may dislike the “infidels”, but they also are told to respect the people of the books, including the Bible and Torah.
MY POINT IS - JUDGE THE PEOPLE NOT THE RELIGION.
BEFORE ONE IS TO SPEAK OF ISLAM- THEY SHOULD READ THE QURAN IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THEN COME TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
BE BLESSED
Making them socially inferior is a form of harm.
Some Muslims disagree; their exegesis of the Quran and the Hadith is no less justified than yours.
There are exceptions.
No it’s not. Islam, like Christianity and Judaism, provide for lawful killing in the right circumstances.
No, religion can be judged just like any other ideology.
Been there, done that.
All of the quotes you were responding to were written by Christians with whom I was disagreeing, not by an atheist.
well whatever you say about islam not being a religeion is a load of bull, and excuse me my friend but islam is the highest religion in the world so lahis tz ya calb