One says it comes from a failure on the part of clerics: in other words, Islam is peaceful and tolerant, but is, as always, beset by misunderstanders. Another denies that there is any intolerance at all: in other words, Islam is peaceful and tolerant, but is, as always, beset by Islamophobes. Nobody seems to have been willing to face up to the reality of the intolerance and discrimination mandated by the Sharia laws relating to the dhimma. "Muslim, Christian leaders brainstorm about intolerance," from The Nation (Pakistan), with thanks to Twostellas:
LAHORE, JAN 26 (THE NATION) - Muslim and religious leaders came together at a seminar on Thursday to deliberate about the causes and remedies of contemporary religious intolerance in Pakistan. Some of them admitted that it showed the failure of the religious clerics in country while one of the speakers dismissed the whole issue by claiming there was no religious intolerance.The seminar was organised by Commission for Peace and Human Development at Durab Patel Hall, Aiwan-e-Jamhoor and New Garden Town. Archbishop Lawrence J Saldanha of Lahore was the chief guest while Khateeb Badshahi Mosque Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad chaired the seminar. President Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith Pakistan Hafiz Zubair Ahmad Zaheer, General Secretary Majlis-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan Maulana Maqbool ur Rehman Ansari, scholar Safdar Hassan Siddiqui, Principal St Anthony's College Cecil Chaudhry, Rt Rev Samuel Azariah and IA Rehman shared their views. In the end a resolution was passed condemning those engaged in spreading hatred in the society. It urged government to end the discriminatory laws and delete the portions in the syllabus that create hatred against different communities.
Zaheer maintained there was no intolerance in Pakistan. "Miscreants are there in every country and they should be taken to task. This is the age of science and development and we should move forward and create goodwill and love in the society," he said. He was of the view that religious leaders of both communities should play an active role in creating harmony in the society.
Saldanha said Pakistan has become a Fascist state."Religion and state are one and that is creating waves of intolerance. Blasphemy and Hudood laws are example. "In the education sector the syllabus contains many things which spread hatred against Christians and Hindus. How can you expect these kids to be tolerant when they grow up? Christian and Hindu communities are not given time on TV, which is sad as this step could have helped to create better understanding among different communities," he said.
Philosophical onanism.
Be It Resolved That:
The Christians will agree to be tolerant of Muslim intolerance.
End of Conclave.
Now coffee and Turkish Delights can be served.
In the end a resolution was passed condemning those engaged in spreading hatred in the society. It urged government to end the discriminatory laws and delete the portions in the syllabus that create hatred against different communities.
--posted above
This is a clear indication that there are Muslims in the world who reject the central tenets of their their religion or have created their own version of the faith that reinterprets, whether conciously or not, Islam's less than desired impulses. Many Christians do this. For example, I come from an Italian Catholic family, and although many of us are somewhat religious, we often disobey the Church's teaching on sex before marraige and contraception while continuing to identify ourselves as Catholic. This is not a moral equivalency between Catholics and Muslims, but simply an illustration of the very human propensity to change our beliefs when it suits our interests.
At school I have Muslim friends who appear to truly believe that Islam is a religion of peace. They seem to believe this depite the fact that Mohhamed was a warmonger. Are they lying to me? Or have they deluded themselves? I even have one friend who is Sunni and supports the Light onto Muslim Nations Project! Obviously their numbers are to few to be significant, but the point is that there is a chance that enough Muslims can delude themselves about their religion to have some positive change. Perhaps it could take generations. Or perhaps this is wishful thinking, and we are on the verge of conflagration.
I would bet on the latter.
Dhimmiwatch in Canada,
The difference in your analogy is that you know what the Church mandates, and you've made a conscious decision to disobey such. Growing up Catholic, I ate a few hamburgers on Friday, too.
Your Muslim friends seem not to be intentionally ignoring Islam's darker tenets, but rather seem ignorant of such tenets.
If they would admit the existence of such dark Islamic commands, and state that they have chosen to ignore them, that would be a step in the right direction.
"Zaheer maintained there was no intolerance in Pakistan. "Miscreants are there in every country and they should be taken to task.”"
Permit me a slight editorial adjustment:
"Zaheer maintained there was no intolerance in Pakistan. "Miscreants (2:99, 24:55) are there in every country and they should be taken to task (9:123).”"
I was worried there for a second, but now I feel relieved that this man gets his views on tolerance and inter-religious harmony from the Koran.
Saldanha said Pakistan has become a Fascist state."Religion and state are one and that is creating waves of intolerance. Blasphemy and Hudood laws are example.
Become? They always were a Fascist state (and btw, that's insulting to Fascism). Reason Pakistan exists is Islam. If Islam didn't exist there, these would just be the western states of India. Probably better off, both economically and sociologically, but definitely far more livable.