From: Sean Gabb <cea01sig@gold.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 11:43:01 +0800
To: Ashfaq Rasheed <ashfaq@corp.cirrus.com>
Subject: Re: Online Zakat Payment: Religious tithe.
In-Reply-To: <199602150328.AA08186@sunstorm.corp.cirrus.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960215195329.5122A-100000@scorpio.gold.ac.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Wed, 14 Feb 1996, Ashfaq Rasheed wrote:

> > 
> > On Mon, 12 Feb 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:
> > 
> > > At 10:07 PM 2/12/96, Steven C. Perkins wrote:
> > > Once again, the gutter religion of Islam reveals the derangement of its
> 		^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > > so-called Prophet.
> > > 
> > > The world really needs to get around to nuking these folks.
> > > 
> > Oh, Come now!  Islam may in its present form be a religion deeply hostile 
> > to liberty.  But since "nuking" the whole Islamic world would not be 
> > itself much of a defence of freedom, the only long term answer is to 
> > promote within Islam the same kind of Reformation as eventually made 
> > Christianity half decent.  And Tim's comments do not contribute to that.  
> > I don't know how many internet servers there are in the Middle East.  
> > But, if I were an intelligent fundamentalist, I'd be copying it all over 
> > the place.  "Look", I'd be saying, "these people really do mean another 
> > crusade to destroy us and our faith".
> > 
> > I can understand Tim's disgust with these people.  But I do question his 
> > manner of expressing it.
> > 
> 
> Actions of certain individual or group does not reflect what the actual
> religion is. Examples of this can be found on every religion. 
> 
> Somebody generalizing as above reflects his/her own closed/blocked mentality.
> 
> Look at yourself, if you can fall to such degrading levels and since you 
> happen to be a member of this mailing list, it is not ration to think as
> every cpunks as demented as you are.
> 
> Ashfaq Ahmed
> 
True, there are risks in generalising from the actions of one individual 
to the group as a whole.  Nevertheless, where Islam is concerned, there 
are so many individuals behaving badly that we are justified in thinking 
the whole religion a force for bad.

Doubtless, I shall be told that "true Islam" is "true tolerance", "true 
freedom", and even "true apple pie".  I may be told that the horrors of 
actually existing Islam - remember this phrase, or something like it? - 
are all somehow the fault of the West.  But the fact is that most Moslems 
venerate old men in beards, who think that anyone who disagrees 
with them about God should be put to death, that a woman with a 
clitoris is a kind of devil, and that Western classical music is evil.

By my standards, these people are disgusting.  My only dispute with Tim 
is in our manner of expressing our disgust.

Sean Gabb
Editor
Free Life.