Quote:
Originally Posted by preciousjeni
At the risk of tokenizing folks, I would love to hear from Muslim GCers.
|
I personally dislike labels (Creator of her own definition), but here goes....
Moderate Muslims feel that they, like Jews, should feel some solidarity with their Muslim brethren. In that respect, the plight of Muslims in Palestine or other places is of importance. However, like most Americans we are in love with the idea of self-determinism and that we can carve out a great life for ourselves here in America where we can live and worship as we please. Some other nations like Saudi Arabia may have a more "Islamic" daily life, but few American Muslims would trade their life here for a strict, oppressive life over there even if they believed that living by Shariah Law is best.
There is a common refrain that the suicide bomber is the only weapon that poor Palestinians have against a heavily armed Israel, but the moderate Muslim believes that ONLY in theory. No one they know would ever do such a thing and they would never want to live in a place where people did such things. Most Moderate Muslims believe that the real solution in Palestine is a political and economic one, that will not be won with weapons. The issues in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq are about bad people using religion to gain power and convince younger, poorer, dumber people to kill others in market places and mosques. Meanwhile this does not excuse the United States from being an occupying force in these countries.
The answer to terrorism is a better brand of Islam. You have people who can't read or write being taught that the religion says things that it does not. If they were properly educated in the religion and given economic opportunities, we would probably see a decrease in the amount of people thinking that the only thing they have to do in this life is to please God and that killing others pleases God.
Lastly, I question the religiousity of the 9/11 attackers anyway. What Muslim gets drunk and goes to a strip club before performing a "holy" act? None.