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Legal
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Islam In CrisisIslam At The CrossroadsMuslims must decide who speaks for Islam. Who defines Islam? Is Islam defined by Osama bin Laden and his ilk or by some yet to be named Islamic clergy? Bin Laden has defined Islam as a war-like, terrorism sponsoring religion. The world is seeing Islam as it is presented by the violent and the intolerant. Have these people hijacked the religion and are most Islamic leaders in agreement with this version of Islam? Where are the moderate, civilizing voices of Islam? Are these voices silent out of fear or agreement? Muslims must decide the direction of their religion; otherwise, the world will decide it for them. Muslims are at a crossroads much like the Catholic Church was 600 to 800 years ago. The Church was being defined by the action of some and the inaction of others. The inquisition was not unlike Islamic terrorism is today. The inquisition finally destroyed the power of the Catholic Church just as terrorism will destroy the power of Islam. The Church had armies at its disposal and used those armies to murder rival religions and to expand their religious doctrine to the heathens. Islamic terrorists are treading the same path and will end up with less power and authority because most people object to forced religion and to violence-oriented religions. Muslims killing Muslims simply because of religious differences are doing what the Church did 800 years ago. The excesses of Catholic priests caused splinter religious groups to not only form but also to oppose the Church. As the power of the Church declined, country leaders became more independent and the Church less powerful. If the Catholic Church had not changed, would it exist as a viable religion today? I don’t think so. Just as the Church had to learn tolerance to continue to exist so must the Muslims of today. If Muslims refuse to take control of their religion from the terrorists, the world will and in the process may well destroy Islam. Islam is and should remain a viable religion but to do so the terrorist voices must be denounced by most Islamic believers and not by just a few. Top Islamic clergy must define their religion as either peaceful or war-like. Their silence is allowing the terrorist to define Islam, which may well spell its destruction as civilized people demand alternatives to suicide bombers killing non-combatants. While there is nothing wrong with peacefully pursuing converts, force should not and must not be used if we are to remain civil and tolerant toward any religion. Years ago forced conversion were an accepted practice in Christianity; today, this must not be allowed by any religion. Convert me by words and peaceful actions. Approach me with a convert or die demand and while I may die, I will make an effort not to do so alone. Muslims must stand up and decide the direction of their religion before this war becomes an all out religious war, which will harm all religions. War and religion will always exist but any group that kills for the sake of killing cannot be allowed to exist without resistance. Any religion that willfully supports what is widely considered to be terrorism will die a slow, disinterested death in the hearts and minds of the majority. Terrorists who attack the general population cannot survive because they are destroying their base and backers. Any religion that does the same thing cannot long survive in a civilized world. There are fanatics in all religions, if the Islamic terrorist awaken these fanatics as well as secular fanatics, Islam may well become a religion of the past or at least become a very minor religion. The future of Islam is being determined today. Muslims must decide what that future should be. Doing nothing is also a decision. Author: Don Miller
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2005 Articles |
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