This seems an appropriate thread to point out that tomorrow, 20 May 2010, is the world's first International Draw Muhammad Day

See cute video at bottom of link

http://www.drawmuhammadday.com/

Pericles,
<<You may also notice, as reported in the same article, that:>>
"But the mufti of Australia and New Zealand would not back away from his comments and said he was shocked by the way his sermon was interpreted."
Hilali apologises for offending but does not withdraw what he said.
The fact is that Hilali's comments represent the orthodox Islamic view.
Your hypothetical "mainstream Muslim thinker", unlike Hilaly, is out of synch with Islam.
Mohammed on women:
1"A nation headed by a woman shall never succeed”,
2”The worst sin and distraction from virtue that I have left for man is woman”,
3“When I stood on the door of hell, I saw most of its inhabitants were women”,
4 “Women lack brain and religion”,
5 “If I have commanded kneeling for somebody, I would command a woman to kneel for her husband”,
6 “If a man summoned his wife for intercourse and she refused, the angels will curse her till the dawn”,
7 “If a man summoned his wife for intercourse, she has to respond even if she was above the furnace”.
“The husband has the right to have sex with his wife even if she is above the camel”
8“A woman shall not fast without the permission of her husband”
http://www.myspear.org/quran_stoning_women.html
Multicultural apologists are betting Australia's future that Islam can be reformed.
History shows otherwise.

Hmmm .. re the thread I note there are lots of people here whose namesake is the Prophet, lots of Abduls etc. People here, as elsewhere, take pride in their name and its religious significance. This society Indonesia is greatly influenced by those of the religious persuasion, both Islam in Jawa and Balinese Hinduism in Bali.

Strut, strut, strut " ... Yes my name is ... and my name means this and I do like this ... "

I personally find religious extremists of all persuasions irratating, with their petulant demands that others should do as they wish whether it be clothing or otherwise.

To me, the likes of *Philo* have some things in common with the Pakistanis who have just recently banned "FaceBook" access because of a campaign to caricature the Prophet of Islam.

*Philo* takes offence when people take His Lordy's name in vein:
"JESUS!"

Both ways, I think that their offense is rooted in their own ego and the Glory of Man.

..

I find fundamentalist Islamic teaching in relation to Women beyond offensive. But I could say the same of the Yahudis and also of the Catholics with the Protestants being remedial students.

..

So what's your message *Porky?* How do you break it all down? Do you perhaps assert that the Prophet of Islam is a looney and sufferer of hallucinations who gave birth to a bigoted, crazed, religion?

Equally, institutions are full of those who claim to be Jesus or a disciple of significance, who all burn with the inner fire of needing to preach the word to the heathen that they may be saved.

..

Be that as it may, there are a lot of good people who take something of one of the world religions and apply it in a good, decent, humane way, notwithstanding that some parts of their Holy Books may be bigoted and BloodThirsty.

..

What say you *Porky* Enlighten us lesser beings if you will in a NutShell.

Dreamon says:

"there are a lot of good people who take something of one of the world religions and apply it in a good, decent, humane way, notwithstanding that some parts of their Holy Books may be bigoted and BloodThirsty."

..and WHACKS that fascist nazi racist fundy 'Proxy' over the head with it...

you go Dreamy.. Proxy is clearly a menace to safety and social harmony.

Proxy. shame..shame :)

ALGOREisRICHandHEdoesn'tTURNoffTHElightsINhisMEGAmansionONearthDAYeitherANDheTRAVELSinAlincolnTOWNCARandPRIVATEjet,
Al Gore is your prototypical progressive and so is ALGOREisRICH...
Black is white, up is down and cause is effect.
<<Proxy is clearly a menace to safety and social harmony.>>
Here we have a "religion" that has been preaching rape, paedophilia, death to Jews, apostates, infidels and homosexuals for 1400 years. Where its most orthodox practitioners fly passenger jumbo jets into skyscrapers to the glory of their god or behead unbelievers on the internet screaming praise to their god. Where masses of true believers burn buildings and kill people when someone caricatures their "prophet".
Why is <<Proxy clearly a menace to safety>>?
Is it because he might incite yet more violence from one of the followers of the religion of peace?
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

Dear Proxy,

Take a look at the crimes committed in the
name of Christianity over the ages as well.
Finger-pointing is not a very constructive exercise.
And fundamentalists exist in all religions.

The majority of people don't cause needless suffering.
The majority believe in free speech and protect it
even if they disagree with what is being said: most
people pay their taxes, they don't cheat, don't kill,
don't commit incest, don't do things to others that
they would not wish done to them. Some of these
good principles can be found in holy books, but
buried alongside much else that no decent person would
wish to follow: and the holy books do not supply any
rules for distinguishing the good principles from
the bad.

Here is a list of "New Ten Commandments", which appeared
on an atheist website:

Do not do to others what you would not want them to
do to you.

In all things, strive to cause no harm.

Treat your fellow human beings, as your fellow
living things, and the world in general with love,
honesty, faithfulness, and respect.

Do not overlook evil or shrink from administering
justice, but always be ready to forgive wrongdoing
freely admitted and honestly regretted.

Live life with a sense of joy and wonder.

Always seek to be learning something new.

Test all things: always check your ideas against
facts, and be ready to discard even a cherished
belief if it does not conform to them.

Never seek to censor or cut yourself off from dissent:
always respect the right of others to disagree with
you.

Form independent opinions on the basis of your own
reason and experience; do not allow yourself to be
led blindly by others.

Question everything.