Good that you've corroborated that quote. Whatever its origins it gets regurgitated over and over.

I've never been subjected to evil stares from people in flowing robes myself. It's no consolation I suppose to endure what they see every day. I've heard similar stories and can't help wondering how widespread it is, but usually it's teenagers causing the trouble.

I think the great difference between Muslim countries and our own is that we're secular and can tell the government where to go in religious matters. It's none of their business. Then again, think America where abortions are often denied, childish moralising abounds, and patriotic americans carry a bible in one hand and a gun in the other.

It's not racist to discuss religion but this is where the author points out they're often interchanged by people like Daniel Pipes. It gets lots of traction as it's something people everywhere can relate to.

Dear Oliver (and Bennie)

<<going back to the first 10 yrs of each faith?>> :) I kinda like it.

But, if I may, I'll call your 10 yrs and raise you 20 more.. lets make it 30.

That covers the life of the founders, and also the lives of their immediate followers.

In the Lord Jesus' case, they are called the "Apostles"

In MOhammads case, they are called 'The Companions'

Looking at that period (30 yrs) the starkest difference emerges immediately.

1/ Jesus gave his life willingly, for us, and His apostles also did likewise. They did not take up arms.. form armies..attack anyone...
The progress of the faith during that time is summarized in the following quote from Acts.
<<Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went>>

2/ Mohammad, not only carried out violence, armed his men, raided innocent caravans and took booty and spoil, including women and children.... have I said enuf? :) I could mention LOADS more of contrasts.

Given this initial and foundational contrast/comparison, it should be abundantly clear, that if each founder is regarded as the 'Best of all mankind'... it follows that their actions are also seen in that light.

So, when Mohammad systematically has all the surrendered males of the Jewish Qurayza tribe beheaded in groups, (sounds a bit like the Nazi treatment of the Jews when the trains arrived at Aushwitz) one is forced to ask, "If this is the action of the 'best' of all mankind...then it must be morally acceptable for Muslims now?"

Bennie.. r u with me here? Is my reasoning faulty ?

Oliver quite rightly observes that in the history of Christendom (that's the preferred term for this discussion) some pretty grisly things were done. AGREED.. never disputed that. What I DO dispute, is whether those miserable acts can be connected to our Lord's teaching or life, or the life of his Apostles.
They cannot...but in the case of Islam and MOhammad..they absolutely can.

Mustafa destroys his own argument by his own major premise. If Islam IS PEACEFUL, as he insinuates, then the greatest vilifiers of Islam, second to none, are Muslims themselves. The jihadist-terrorists and their mentors like al Banna, who influence millions of Muslims, being universal murderers incontestably hold the scepter of vilification of Islam in their own hands.

Poor Mustafa! With the flood of reasoning of most of the posts above he is drowning in the sweet waters of reason. But I guess it’s better to take leave of this world with a sweet taste than with the bitter taste of being both a muslim and a westerner which is the “bitterest” oxymoron.

http://daringoutlook.blogspot.com

"an educated racist has the capacity to lend credibility and nuance to fear.."May of us don't like the philosophy of Islam,how is this construed as racism?

This piece lacks intellectual honesty.Could this be an intrenched flaw with Islam?All the other religions cop a ribbing,especially the Catholic Church.Why should Islam be the exception?

Islamists and their apologists like to claim that once science, mathematics, learning flourished under an Islamic caliphate. The truth that was overlooked was that many ‘Muslim’ scholars were Byzantines, Persians, etc. and were forcibly converted into Islam by Mohammad’s followers. It was these men (Byzantines..) who produced the works in science and mathematics.

For logic tells us that warring nomads from Arabia were only good at plundering, raping, cutting off heads and bullying their women. There is no way Islam is able to inspire works in the fine arts, science and mathematics. They were able to come up with a long list of dietary prohibitions and ‘dos and don’ts’ plaigarised from the Jewish scriptures.

In 2006 a Malaysian Muslim, Syed Akbar Ali (he calls himself a ‘fundamentalist’ Muslim) wrote a book “Malaysia and the Club of Doom -- The Collapse of the Islamic Countries”. In chapter 5 he wrote.

“ A lot of Muslims people will most likely get upset with this book. This is a certainty. This is because they are in a state of denial. They feel embarrassed to admit that the problem lies in their religion”

http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php/2006/12/03/malaysia_and_the_club_of_doom_the_collap?blog=17

He had to call himself ‘fundamentalist’ because he wanted his book published. The reality is that he is a secular Muslim. Not surprisingly, he was recently arrested by the Malaysian government for speaking against Arabs and Islam and charged under the Sedition Act.

http://aarvidi.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/syed-akbar-ali-an-author-of-two-books/

Bennie,

It’s interesting that a country which refuses to recognise Israels right to exist, which is racing to build nuclear weapons, and which bankrolls terrorism in Israel/Palestine and Lebanon, finds itself being misunderstood. Iran doesn’t need to actually nuke Israel to do untold damage with an Islamic bomb. They could repeatedly threaten to launch, which would bring Israel to a complete standstill. Destroying the economy. But we in the west will be powerless to stop them if that occurs. Israel will then find itself in a situation where it feels it needs to use its own weapons.

You say” I've never been subjected to evil stares from people in flowing robes myself. It's no consolation I suppose to endure what they see every day. I've heard similar stories and can't help wondering how widespread it is, but usually it's teenagers causing the trouble. ‘

WTF does “It's no consolation I suppose to endure what they see every day” mean?
Secondly it is our point that it is largely the young, born in the west generation, who are causing most of the trouble. The problem for us is that the Muslim populations in the west are much younger on average than their host societies.

The author doesn’t ever point out where Pipes get criticism of Islamist movements confused with racism. He never does. Nor do most of us who see the threat that militant islam poses. None of us think all Muslims are bad. I don’t want to end Muslim immigration. What I want is tighter control of the type of people who enter the country, with expulsion for those immigrants who foment violence and unrest. I also want the policy of Multiculturalism thrown out in favour of Assimilation. I am not interested in white Australia. I am interested in a community that want to be known as Australians first and foremost. I don’t think that’s too much to ask of the people who take our hospitality.

I don’t think we should be importing fundamentalists of any stripe. Muslim, Christian or otherwise.