"Islam is like a drug"

[Skybird]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...717589,00.html

I use to not launch threads on Islam as often anymore as I used to do years ago. I almost do not do it anymore at all, just react to other people's threads. But this interview is about a person that I recently have referred to repeatedly in two threads, and that I hold in a certain ammount of respect, althought I do not agree with anything he thinks and says, and I also do not agree with his views of that you can take Sharia and Quran away from Islam and still call what is left as "Islam" anymore (he thinks Islam can be reformed by deleting major parts of it, while I think in poltiica effect it is monolithic (he even confirms that himself in the interview), cannot be reformed by picking the rosins only, but must be replaced), and finally I think that he is not being fully consistent with his claims and somewhat contradicts himself when he says he has left major essential content of Islam behind him, but still insists on seeing himself as a Muslim. Where he does so, he is mixing up ethnic and cultural origin, with ideologic education.

However.

I have experienced him live some time ago and chatted with him for some minutes or so, I liked him for his calm and polite behavior, and I think that if Muhammedan communities would listen more to people like him and would bring up more thinking minds like him, problems for all of us would be significantly smaller.

Sometimes one must not agree on every single detail - and still can be able to come to terms with each other. This is a good man. We would desperately need many more like him - to educate the ignorrant masses in the Islamic world - and to replace the many idiotic know-it-alls on our side of the river who carelessly trade our freedoms and identities and dignity away, because they do not understand that only the strong are able to practice tolerance if they wish (or not): the weak never are tolerant, but just suffer what they must.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...717589,00.html

[Takeda Shingen]

[antikristuseke]

Religion self contradictory, surely this is a jest.
Like it or not skybird, religions change over time, christianity was a bloodthirsty religion in the past but has mellowed out for the most part, the same will happen to islam. It is not going to happen overnight though.

[Skybird]

Islam is not a religion like Christianity or Judaism, and even more: it is more political than religious an ideology anyway. This comparision that you try, is tried very often - but it is completely ignoring the nature of Islam. Primarily it is a political movement - the religion only has a supporting secondary function.

As long as this is not understood in the West, any approach to and any understanding of Islam must necessarily fail from beginning on. Even more, in our secular culture that differs between religion and politics, we render ourselves as defenceless to Islam's political movement, that it tries to make untouchable to opposition and criticism and questioning, under the protecting umbrella of guaranteed Western freedom of religious practicing. This is not what our constitutional guarantees for freedom of religion have been meant for: it is not meant to make political agendas unavailable for critical review, opposition and political dispute.

[antikristuseke]

Christianity was allso more of a political ideology in the past, at least at the higher levels, then the darndest thing happened, it changed.

[Tchocky]

I think it's time to replace this record player.

[Penguin]

well, old Marx already knew that 150 years ago
However indeed an interesting interview and one of the religious persons who has some views which I as an agnostic can support. Of course he also gets threats from radicals
In this interview (available only in german) http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/32/32217/1.html he states that he considers the spiritual side of islam as timeless as well as he says that the "earthly-juristic" side belongs into the 7th century and has nothing to lose in the 21st century.

[Platapus]

That is one STEEP street.

I wonder where that is?

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Platapus

That is one STEEP street.

I wonder where that is?

I think that it might be San Fransisco.

[JU_88]

Originally Posted by Skybird

"Islam is like a drug (bla bla bla muslims eat babies etc etc.)"

I think you are the one on drugs.
I'm bored with your nonsense. (As is everyone else by the looks of it.)

[Gerald]

Islam is not a drug, one more to what other religions are, but rather a request that generations have built up over a very long time.

Where is Tribesman?

I was down the pub, now I am waiting for the wife to come home from the pub so I can go to a friends gig at 10.
In the meantime.....
muslims muslims muslims , conspiracy , secrets, islam, muslim....muslim muslim muslim "academic studies" my german koran is the only true version ...muslims muslims muslims....black people ruin soccer
Damn, if I keep on stealing Skybirds thunder he will have to take it to the Vanguard News Network.
Oh yeah demomographic culture muslim islam with a Karl Popper for good measure

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

I was down the pub, now I am waiting for the wife to come home from the pub so I can go to a friends gig at 10.
In the meantime.....
muslims muslims muslims , conspiracy , secrets, islam, muslim....muslim muslim muslim "academic studies" my german koran is the only true version ...muslims muslims muslims....black people ruin soccer
Damn, if I keep on stealing Skybirds thunder he will have to take it to the Vanguard News Network.
Oh yeah demomographic culture muslim islam with a Karl Popper for good measure

I knew you would be around the way. Have fun!

So believing in a large religious phisoophy is seen as dangerous, but believing in a lagre government is not seen as dangerous?

Both require a narrative and belief to survive.

[TLAM Strike]

Islam is not a drug. Drugs make you feel good and mellow out, every one on Islam I've seen is yelling nonsense, blowing themselves up, and burning stuff.



Ok maybe Islam is a bad trip...