On Feb 18, 2008 8:15 AM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
On 18/02/2008, Prasad J prasad59@gmail.com wrote:
John Lee wrote:
To a Muslim it is offensive to say Jesus is God. It is offensive to view images of inappropriately clothed people. Muslims in Indonesia found the images in Playboy sufficiently offensive to riot over. Muslims in Malaysia frown on the usage of Muslim terminology in a non-Muslim context; the government has actually banned Malay-language Christian publications for using Malay words meaning "Allah", "angel", etc. There are a lot of things people find offensive; there are a lot of things Muslims find offensive.
I think you need to remember that not all Muslims are from the Taliban, just as not all Christians are cross-burning Ku Klux Klansmen. I studied in a Catholic school where several of our teachers
He's not speaking of some theoretical straw man, but of the actual laws in his country.
I think it's ironic that being from a Muslim country and having Muslim friends from many walks of life and of varying opinions, it is assumed I need to be lectured about the diversity of viewpoints in the Muslim community. I am merely pointing out that a significant and vocal minority of Muslims hold certain beliefs very strongly, and that if we are to accommodate one fringe group of Muslims, we don't seem to have a significantly good reason not to accommodate another, and so forth.
I would also doubt that "a majority of Muslims are educated, moderate, cosmopolitan," considering most Muslims (like most of the world) don't have access to a great deal of education, and live in mostly developing countries. I don't doubt that the Fox News stereotype is anything but false. What I do object to is an oversimplification of the situation we are faced with, which I think most of us are doing. I am a bit bemused that you (Prasad) compare the beliefs I have noted to extremist Talibanism, because I personally know many wonderful people far removed from the violence of the Taliban who still firmly and fervently believe these things.
Johnleemk