BocoDragon said:
While I'm sure you might interpret it in this way... don't you think that some Muslims in the world probably do believe what PM asserts?
Some of what he asserts, yes. But some of his assertions, such as the one where Islam looks at children being enemies of parents, doesn't exist at all in any Muslim denomination.
I still think it is like the Christian Bible. We have some debatably peaceful passages. we have some debatably violent passages. People of different mindsets will cherish different parts and interpret passages differently. Many will not read the holy book at all, but will adopt the assumptions of their immediate culture, a "popular" interpretation of their religion....
I just don't think there is one Islam. Perhaps your interpretation is the correct viewpoint of the Quran, but don't you think other Muslims are just as capable as making the same "mistake" as PM?
You have to realize that there are volumes and volumes written on the many subjects that Islam, as a belief system, covers. I'm not arguing my personal interpretation, but widely regarded interpretations. I'm reading a book on Islamic Penal code, and none of it is my interpretation. I've just reiterated what I've read in this thread.
There are many actions and habits of Muslims in Muslim nations that they claim they are doing "in the name of God", but there is absolutely no evidence in scripture for their actions. To blame Islam for that, is nonsensical. It has nothing to do with interpretations, as there was nothing to interpret. These ideologies and such, spawned on their own. Here's an example, in Bangladesh, there is an issue where some Muslims go to graves, and create shrines there. They often pray at these shrines, and revere these dead people more than what is considered acceptable in Islam. Sometimes, these dead people are prayed to for guidance. It has nothing to do with scripture, or Islamic teachings, but these people feel that this is their religious duty. Now, imagine some non-Muslim looking at Quran and Hadith, and then claiming that these actions are based on scripture. It would be silly since the Mullahs and Imams that promote this ritual don't use scripture at all, but rather they have their own line of logic, that, in their minds is sufficient evidence to perform such rituals.
A very clear example is the religious rulings (fatwas, you are probably familiar with the term) on the part of Hamas regarding suicide bombings. They claim that it is a legitimate tactic, not supported by scripture, but rather their own "logic" and "reasoning". They themselves word it as "a lesser evil" as compared to watching their fellow people be oppressed. Whereas in the Quran it is clear that suicide is forbidden, and in Hadith it's clear that in a war, women and children cannot be killed, and secondly that even nature itself must not be destroyed.
Many actions on the part of Muslims, that they consider to be a "religious" teaching, aren't based on scripture in the first place. Honour killings and female circumcision are other examples. The people doing them think that it's a religious ritual, but there is no evidence for that. So it has nothing to do with interpretations.
There are issues with interpretations, and again, volumes have been written on these subjects with all the various views. An example would be if whether or not Muslims can wear perfume with alcohol in it. Some scholars say no, that there are alternatives so why bother and that scripture suggests alternatives (musk), and other say yes, because scripture says we cannot consume alcohol, but nothing against touching or wearing it.
There are many issues in Muslim nations, some apparent to the West, and some aren't (like racism). To claim that they are based on scripture when 1) one hasn't even read the scripture to begin with, 2) don't understand how lengthy of a process it is to derive interpretations and how much context and background information is brought to each and every verse, and 3) that the fundamental and basic teachings of Islam contradict such accusations, is very frustrating for Muslims because most of it is based on ignorance, and not based on any understanding of the religion.
