[Skybird]

One can disagree with launching this thread, however in the face of it'S immense inherent threats I see no reason to laugh about Islam - for that it simply is too dangerous.

Islam is naturally opressive and violant an ideology, background of it's creation is a warrior tribe culture. Options 2 and 4 for me.

Used by a gangster to justify his deeds and prevent criticism to him, he installed the understanding that his words, as collected in the Quran, are the words of God, ever were, ever will be. This is what makes it totally different than for example the bible, where churches usually agree that it is a collection of reports made by humans. The literal understanding of the quran as the word of God forbidds to even think about changing it, correcting it, modernize it, delete it in parts. It is not up to mortal, imperfect man to correct the word of God, right - that would be the ultimate sacrileg and heresy. Quran is not open for interpretation (one of the ultimate misunderstandings of Westerners abiut Islam). So, the literal understanding and word-believing in Islam and it'S heavy dependance on the Quran is not by random chance, but is a logical consequence, making the western conception of "fundamentalism" or "extremism" (which we usually perceive as a perversion of Islam) the true and natural identity of the only Islam there is: Muhammad's Islam. And this Muhammad's Islam cannot accept not to be the only ruler there is. Thinking about "modernizing", changing Islam for these reasons already is a severe violation of Islam, necessarily.

Western debate on this is characterised by enormous ignorrance and wishful thinking without knowing the basic behind Islam. Only this explains why we have opened our gates and doors for it voluntarily. We must be insane, and our decision is suicidal in the long-term of the coming 70-150 years.

I must say that darius'post is foolish. Not only is the Islamic ideology in it's self-understanding a threat to all other cultures and religiuons of the world, it also educates a culture where pragmatically maybe the competence of others is made use of, but if you look at the past centuries, you can hardly say it was creative in laying the basis for scientitifc, medical, agricultural and technological progress achieved by itself. Islamic universities practically play no role in contributing to the global knowledge treasure: since it is forbidden to seek answers to existential questions outside the Quran, and Sharia being the tool that should help to make believers believe in the right way, this is no wonder. Belief still has the ultimate primacy over science. Who dares to trust that we could survive the challenges of the future and can adapt our societies to climate changes and running out of oil sooner or later - with such an attitude of mind? It can copy what was imported by the West, but it will have extreme problems to generate answers and methods to new emerging questions. It compares to being pragmatical students, but not being a teacher or inventor. - seen this way, Darius, without needing to point at political issues and cultural invasions I can very well insist on that Islam ranks well amongst the biggest problems the world has today. Word-believing is always rigid and dangerous and limits your perspective. It leads to fundamentalism (Christian fundamentalism as well), and last but not least to the tyrannizing of the capabilities of the human mind. Islam mutilates both mind and intellect, nothing else.