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The recent attack (in Bangladesh) might cause misunderstanding about Islam among those who don't know about the religion. I'll work on reaching out to people to explain that those extremists have no r

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Anees Ahmad Nadeem, 38, a chief missionary at a mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Japan in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture, condemning the July 1 terrorist attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in which 20 people, including seven Japanese, were killed. (Mainichi Shimbun)

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You'll also have to explain why so much of the Muslim world, from South Asia to the Middle East to Africa and to South Yorkshire is riven with violence, intolerance, poverty and backwardness.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

Not many are choosing to go to vast, underpopulated and wealthy Saudi Arabia -- Islam's spiritual homeland -- are they.

They aren't? Please, show us some numbers, I'm not going to take that assumption as true without something to show it. You'll also have to show what the Saudia Arabia immigration policy is as well - if they don't let anyone in, then you can hardly say people are not choosing to go there, it would be more a case that they aren't allowed in there.

And that all said, what does that have to do with what I wrote, that you quoted?

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

Mere clarification just won't work. Perhaps a massive humanitarian relief work to help the terror victims by "muslims" might be a bit consoling for non-muslims to believe their words.

The victims NEVER saw this happening so far. So its hard to trust these people and their words in first place. In simple words there is too much unrest around.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"The recent attack (in Bangladesh) might cause misunderstanding about Islam among those who don't know about the religion. I'll work on reaching out to people to explain that those extremists have no relation with us Muslims"

These people are part of the problem. This year's Ramadan has seen the usual spike in the vicious slaughter of innocents with over 100 brutally murdered in Iraq yeaterday alone following butchers with machetes hacking to pieces people ignorant of the Koran in Bangladesh. I could go on.

The answer to this? A bit of very honest reflection on why Islam is producing this? Could there be any connection between the faith and the actions of the faithful? Nah. Tell the world how peaceful the faith is and how tolerant the faith is and join in the struggle against Islamophobia.

These people are part of the problem.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Again, this seems totally disingenuous, "these extremist have nothing to do with us muslims".

Im not sure thats accurate, they call themselves the same thing, they read the same book, you may not agree with their interpretations but as there is clearly no absolute arbitrator of what is and isn't islam and who and who is not a muslim.

It may seem unfair but Im not sure what the answer is other than reform, book editing and a new name for your set of beliefs.

I suppose the other thing I find disturbing about all this post event apologetics is, I don't actually care what you believe as its your own business but it seems often the first thing out of peoples mouths are "these aren't real muslims or christians or buddhists or -enter other religion of choice-" as if defending your chosen faith is more important than the victims, being outraged at the senseless loss of life and the instability this nonsense is causing in the world.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Arrest every Muslim in Japan and deport them out of the country. Start being Islamaphobes as trump and company in the states are. And Japan needs also to get out of the Muslim countries as the muslims look at Japanese as easy targets and will do nothing. Maybe they should buy some drones too so they can kill muslims from Japan to get even like Obama does

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

DocCarlos.

Thats not what anyone is suggesting, your straw-man, and I assume sarcastic comments, are just the sort of lack of nuance that is causing one side to refuse any connection, claim racism or prejudice at and thought of discussion about religions place in a society and the other side who like who probably do have some prejudice and other motivations.

Its not that simple of a topic there are many facets to it undoubtedly but to deny that some, though people may argue incorrect, interpretations of any religious book you choose to look at are dangerous is to ignore the facts plainly in front of us.

Anyway, if I were to buy into your comments, how do you arrest every muslim, it isn't a race, there isn't a mark, you don't necessarily look like you are from a particular region, it is simply a set of ideas you hold to and have a strong relationship to, which people in a free society should be able to do, after all there is no thought crime machine..

This particular missionary lives in a country where he has the freedom to believe as he wants in safety, but the country is secular in nature and law.. and that is all anyone else would want if you respect other people, for each person to be able to live their lives in as much personal freedom that extends as far as it can reasonably without crossing the point of interfering with someone else's freedom, but until we share and promote those ideals without constantly having to advertise our personal belief allegiances, and expecting that to somehow be above comment, and criticism, Im not sure we are going to be able to move on.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

According to Reuters the terrorists tortured and then murdered patrons who could not recite passages from the Koran. To say that said religion had nothing to do with their mindset seems a bit disingenuous to say the least

6 ( +8 / -2 )

yes please do explain, explain why not all terrorist are Muslim, but the majority of terrorist acts are committed in the name of Islam!?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The recent attack (in Bangladesh) might cause misunderstanding about Islam among those who don't know about the religion.

No, to me it shows that among the 1.5 billion people who identify as Muslim there are 1.5 billion ways to understand the religion. Perhaps he can explain why even in Medina near the Prophet's Mosque Islamic suicide bombers are killing fellow Muslims during the month of Ramadan. I imagine the bombers believed what they were doing was justified based on their understanding of Islam.

The King of Saudi Arabia is called the Custodian of the Holy Mosques (the two main mosques in Mecca and Medina). There are Islamic factions in Saudi Arabia that see the King and his family as being aligned with the US and western states, and because of their connections (hello Bush family and fellow petroleum industry nabobs worldwide) need to be toppled. One of my many worries is they want it to be toppled and replaced by an even more brutal regime, one that wants to return to a time to ‘make Islam great again’, i.e. the 7th century.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive states in the world. But even with its ever-present and brutal police force they’re not able to deter terroristic acts.  Saudi Arabia has a Shia minority long oppressed by the Sunni majority, an obvious problem. But it also has Wahhabi factions fighting other Wahhabis, different understandings of Islam leading to more internecine violence. And that’s not to mention the age old Arab tribe-on-tribe fighting.

Islam has no recognized central authority, no Pope, no Archbishop of Canterbury to guide its 1.5 billion followers belonging to different sects. There is no central authority to turn to to tell those who think butchering people they see as enemies it’s wrong to butcher - anyone. Lacking a central authority (among numerous other factors) allows for murderous rogue groups to form and follow whichever madman leads them. There is a spectrum of peoples within Islam. Unfortunately the butchering murderers are some of them.

This man can only be able to explain his personal interpretation of how to understand Islam.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

That old chestnut. The murderers asked the victims to recite parts of the Q'aran before they were butchered in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi fundamentalists have been murdering non-Muslim writers for years. Let's face it, Islam has SERIOUS problems that its Imams need to tackle head-on. Alas, they will sit on their hands so as to not step on the toes of the Islamic world. Around we go.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I think the people who group people's and religions together have a lot to learn. The Old Testament is about as intolerant and violent as the Quran is if not more. And yes to those who will claim I don't know what I'm talking about I have read both (unfortunately) and have also lived in Muslim and Christian countries. It's that the place is ass backward that makes them so brutal, not their even more backward religion. If Christians the world over took the bible at face value we'd be stoning, crucifying, murdering....oh wait we did do that for thousands of years.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"If Christians the world over took the bible at face value we'd be stoning, crucifying, murdering....oh wait we did do that for thousands of years."

I think the issue is what many followers of Islam are still doing. That's the issue. I don't remember someone being hacked to pieces for being unable to cite The Sermon on the Mount recently.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Yes Jimizo. And in most cases (same with Christians too btw) you'll see that the vast majority of those who think backward (aka: honor killings, chopping off of limbs) also come from rather backward places with dirt roads leading to schools and houses made of dirt as well. You will also find others who think that way because of ideology obviously but that's the same anywhere isn't it? And btw you find what you look for? I guarantee you I can find you scores of horrible rapes, murders, violence, and all kinds of filth that was done in the name of the Christian God today. The difference is that everyday the western media has to put something out that bashes China and Muslims.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

you'll see that the vast majority of those who think backward (aka: honor killings, chopping off of limbs) also come from rather backward places with dirt roads leading to schools and houses made of dirt as well.

That may be true. But the vast majority of those who commit terrorist attacks with mass casualties tend to be from well-off, even wealthy, families with access to a good education and good jobs. And many of their sympathizers are equally well-off.

And then there are the converts. Budding psychopaths that are attracted to a cult that gives their pointless murderous impulses meaning. There is something clearly wrong, and many muslims will say so themselves if they are brave enough or if not many people are listening.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why can't we have a kind of islamic zionist movement?

By that I mean, just as worldwide many jews move to the promised land of Israel, in a similar way, many muslims could settle in Saudi Arabia or other similar countries with the wonderful sharia law systems that they yearn for.

It would work for me.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"I guarantee you I can find you scores of horrible rapes, murders, violence, and all kinds of filth that was done in the name of the Christian God today."

Please back up your guarantee with links to these atrocities rivaling the scale of what we've witnessed in Ramadan alone this year. Make sure these atrocities have a claim to have been carried out in the name of the bible or the Christian god.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

No your right that there's ISIS and terror attacks and that outnumbers Christian terror attacks. But if you have lived in the Middle East as I have you'd know that whole nations there feel like they have been invaded by the west and are being occupied or have had their rightful leaders overthrown and are under American puppet rulers. So they are displaced and or feel at war. If you have the mouthpiece and the media when they attack you with guerilla warfare you call it terror. When you bomb them it's an "offensive" or "strategic" attack. When Israel attacks it's never terror but when their enemy in war attacks it is. The recent ISIS attacks are basically international guerilla warfare and it's horrible. I'm in no way condoning or taking anyone's side in this but I'm just saying there's 2 sides in every story.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Islam is about 1,500 years old.

When Christianity was 1,500 years old it showed many of the same characteristics. Forcible conversions, the Inquisition, massacres of "pagans, Mohammedans and unbelievers", the Thirty Years War. Very similar to radical Islam today.

Christianity evolved. Let's hope Islam does too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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