New York Times? Pilger? Come again, Pork Pie?

It is heartening to hear that the ummah has taken such a strong and noble
stand on the plight of the (largely Muslim) Palestinians.

Being the principled group that they are , I trust that this will mean they will soon be taking an equally vigorous stand against the ethnic cleansing of Sudanese Africans, the murder of Bahai in Iran and the mistreatment of Christians In Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan & Indonesia.

( though something tells me, I might see pigs fly before I see that).

I am an agnostic when it comes to religious affairs but when I read articles like this I can hear the atheist in me come surging to the front. Pritam Singh says that the nature of the "anti-US-ness" of the Muslim ummah is "rooted in a religious view that places God at the centre of the universe." This means, in effect, that the Muslim ummah rejects the secular society.

Sadly, for the Muslim ummah, it is the development of a secular society in the West that has enabled us to (largely) overthrow religious tyranny. And the development of secular societies in the Muslim world will be the only way forward for the more than 1 billion people in the ummah. For all of its faults, secular Turkey is a much better place for people to live and prosper in than theocratic Iran.

If Allah knows best and is all-powerful, then why isn't the Muslim world a land of tranquillity? Or are we supposed to believe the infantile rubbish that Western civilisation represents the hand of Satan?

The sad truth is that Allah, more than likely, simply does not exist.

I don't think the Ummah is that united at all. IMHO there is a strong sense of solidarity with the Palestinians but that is all there is to Ummah unity.

I don't know what the solution is for Israel and Palestine but until there is a solution acceptable to both sides that conflict will poison the world for generations to come. A shame mr Singh hasn't presented any options

Horus, Perhaps they're waiting for the principled person that you are to speak out against Israeli, US and British war crimes in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan?

Savage... the important point to realize in regard to Islam and the points you observe, at the if you begin at the wrong place, you will also finish in the wrong place.

The problems with Islam come from the fraudulent nature of the faith, its founder and the selfish exploitative nature of its doctrines.

There were a significant number of 'revelations' which were solely to keep mohammeds many wives in line, ...perhaps if he relied more on God than on the establishing of alliances through marrying his Companions daughters, or his adopted sons divorced wife, (who the son divorced when it became known that Mohammed took a fancy to her)
etc, he might have fared better.

But this is the nature of Islam, due to its founder operating on the "human" plane rather than the Spiritual, as Jesus showed.

Jesus fed the 4000 and the 5000 miraculously, Mohammed slaughtered the 6-800 males of the Banu Qurayza mercilessly because they opposed his military conquest. No contrast could be more stark.

With this kind of foundation, it should not be surprising that there are many troubles in the Islamic world. But please don't let their problems alienate you personally from any notion of God.

You will find God, in Christ Jesus. "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" he said.

Perhaps at the moment Savage..you are far from God.. alienated, lost.
Paul says "You who were once far off, have been brought near in the blood of Christ".. this can be your experience also.

Trust Him, put faith in Him, accept His forgiveness, and He will seal you in salvation for eternity.