I've started reading the Koran recently, I always hear people being negative about Islam, calling it evil and hateful, elitist, exclusive etc etc and thought this was the usual Western crap, shunning what we don't know or understand etc. But having read a fair bit of the Koran, i'm pretty stunned by what i've read. Here are a few quotes from what i've read so far which seem pretty hateful and intolerant to me: "We will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, they serve other deities besides God. Fire shall be in their homes; dismal indeed is the dwelling of the evil doers." "As for those that do not (believe in God), god answered, I shall let them live awhile, and then shall drag them to the scourge of the fire. Evil shall be their fate." - 2:123 "Thus god shall show them (unbelievers) their own works. They shall sigh with remorse, but shall never come out of the fire" "Unbelievers are like beasts, one may call out to them, but deaf, dumb and blind they are, they can understand nothing." "Believers, do not become friends with Jews or Christians. Whoever seeks their friendship shall become one of their number, and God does not guide wrongdoers" "Believers, do not make friends with any but your own people. They will spare no pains to corrupt you, they desire nothing but your ruin. 3:118 These are just a few i've picked out at random (probably should've written down the line numbers for all of them, my bad), there are much more hateful, intolerant and even violent lines i've found, just i'm not bothered flicking though the 100 pages or so i've read to find them. Of course there are some good parts, but they all so far relate only to fellow believers, an example being at 4:36. I've had Islam explained to me by followers of the religion before (someone even told me they think it's the most inclusive and loving of all mankind's religions), and each time I come away from the conversation believing that all the negatives I hear about Islam are only so prevalent because of a few over zealous, extremist idiots (in a similar way to most religions) who have interpreted their holy texts wrongly, and in fact it's a religion of peace and love and all the other good things that religion can bring about, and always i'm advised to read the Koran for a true glimpse of what Islam is all about. However, having read about 1/4 of the Koran, i've had this idea totally shattered, and their most holy book, to me at least, reads like poison, breeding intolerance and exclusivity and teaching believers to hate those who think differently, and I struggle to understand how people can have such drastically differing interpretations of what appears to me to be totally written in stone. The only good that i've gleaned from it so far is that one should help those who believe the same thing as you, but to my mind that isn't necessarily a good thing. I feel like i'm either not understanding something here, I've never read a more intolerant or hateful book in my life, and yet people who I think of as being very intelligent and good individuals totally abide by this book and believe it's one of the most wonderful things written in human history. Could it maybe be the translation I have? I can't read Arabic so i'm using N J Dawood's translation. I dunno what I really want, if anyone has the time and knowledge, i'd quite like someone to explain the Koran to me and make me see it in a different light (maybe point me in the direction of some enlightening passages or something, the only positive things i've found have only been about aiding fellow believers), right now I really don't want to go on reading, maybe it gets better later on or something, but I really just don't see how anyone could interpret Islam as being something other than intolerant and hateful. Thanks in advance for anyone who's bothered helping me out.
This is a religion that is set up to turn people into fearful chattel to the Dicktaters. This is a religion that sells it's daughters in infantcy to old men to use as wives after they have turned their vagina's into something resembling boys assholes. This is a religion that sells it's young boys to old men to be used as sex slaves if they come from common or punished or families on hard times or low on the class structure. It is a religion where those who are civilized and modernized are afraid of the tyrants and the fundamentalists and do not speak out for fear of death. Islam is not a peaceful religion it isn't a religion at all. It is a book that poses as a religion to keep people in chains and from rising up to their natural born rights. The one thing to remember is the Middle East at one time was the heart of higher education. I personally believe this was a dupe to keep the masses ignorant and under the thumb of tribal leaders. Look at the architecture and Universities and major Cities of ancient times that have been destroyed to keep the people poor and ignorant. Egypt not long ago was a Christian nation. They are murdered en-mass even today and it is covered up. In fact a great deal of the Middle East after Christ was Christian and Jewish. The Arabs were mostly tribal people and worshiped gods. Waring and hard to control. In my mind it was a form of brainwashing to get them under one rule of "dicktater" . It is easy to do when the people are starving and uneducated, then indoctrinated and brainwashed. Political Islam // The 5 Principles Thoughts on Islam Contacting Dr. James Arlandson Look up female castration watch some of the vids of the women who were and are abused this way Look up the vids of the boys who are bought sold and shared and how it is condoned because they are not "men". Look at history as late as the 60's and how Afghanistan and Pakistan have changed under this religion how modern they used to be tolerant and open to the west and now the change under this religion. Look at the recent history of Iran and how westernized the fight against fundamentalist Islam and how Carter gave it back to the Fundamentalists and set the region up for what we have now. In fact we are replaying that same second term bid today with another crappy apologist Dumbocrap president pulling the same sort of crap. It makes my head spin. After what was done on 9/11, the govt and media covering up the fact it was another 9/11 attack and assassination of Americans there cause they couldn't get us here. Any way "those who refuse to learn from history are destined to repeat it"
420stonedpanda, how ya doing Bissmillah, In the name of Allah. I will try to help clarify any confusion, albeit there will be some questions or statements I won't be able to entertain. I will do my best to not leave you hanging on any questions, if I can direct you towards a cite that I believe would help I will. If I do not know the answer I will try to find the resource towards all of us in the community gaining perspective. Please be patient with me. Perspective our brothers and sisters want to label themselves because it has become habitual. I am of the personal opinion that the person calling oneselve a unbeliever should atleast understand what they are not believing in. Do any of us reject that we were once fragile and could not even clean ourselves, let alone feed. before that I was in the belly of my mother and I was just lump of cloath. A Muslim is one who submits his or herself to the Creator. -As a Muslim, one must understand and believe in the Oneness of the Creator. The Most Merciful does not take partners in any form, no sons, nothing. -As a Muslim, one must believe in the angels and understand they strive only for the pleasure of Allah, having no free will in this matter. -As a Muslim, one must believe in all of the revelations to the previous people. Now, as is the case that the majority of scriptures, we maintain that the original scripture was divine. -As a Muslim, one must believe in all of the messengers who were sent to the people throughout time. We believe in all of them and we make no distinction between them. They brought the clear message of Oneness. May peace be upon all of them. -As a Muslim, one must believe in the last day. Just as everything has its prescribed time, after which it can stay not a millisecond longer nor can anything strip its time away except that it is already decreed. -As a Muslim, one must believe in predestination. In summary the pens have been lifted and the pages have dried. Whomsoever Allah guides no one can misguide and whomsoever Allah leaves to go astray never will you find anyone to help guide him or her. the asking of guidance is therefore something that seperates a believer and a disbeliever. the term for disbeliever is 'kafir', literally meaning "one who is ungrateful" So just the act of taking a second to be grateful for experiencing some emotion or some occurence in life means being involved in worship. and this does not apply only to Our Creator. How can one be ungrateful to the ones he can see, and be grateful to The One whom he cannot see? Practice Islam at a pace that is right for you. A smile is charity so start smiling any mistakes I have made are mine and any benefit is solely from Allah. and I hope you go about your day in peace. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-MSXy1eVa8"]Powerful Advice[/ame] The surah the brother was pointing towards ^^Quran- Surah Taghabun [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W-mbVT7atU"] Quran- Surah Taghabun[/ame]
Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"
I've read that piece of plagerized shit. All comes down to brainwashing and too severe a punishment for apostasy and disbelief.
i dont support any organized religion really but what i know is that i do know some great and tolerant muslims its kindda like some christians can be the nicest people, yet in the bible there is no lack of violence and ill advice i think people just want to follow something, and yet they have the common sense not to follow it down to every point? ofcourse there will always be extremists