Traderfut, use your imagination and pretend there exists a religion on the Planet Earth called "Religion X". Religion X has a supreme being called God X. The Holy Book of Religion X is the direct word of God X. However, there are no followers of Religion X on the Planet Earth.
One day, somebody discovers the Holy Book of Religion X and in it are contained the following phrases (courtesy or Mr Dinky) :
O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that
God X is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).
Let those fight in the way of
God X who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of
God X, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.
When your
God X revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.
As a rational, thinking humans, what are we to make of this Religion X? Would we think that following the dictates of Religion X is a recipe for unity amongst mankind? Would we conclude that it is a religion of peace? Would we think of God X as particularly kind or compassionate?
What if, amidst the other phrases, we come across a few others that say:
....You shall not kill -
God X has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. These are His commandments to you, that you may understand."
You shall not kill any person - for
God X has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. ....."
... and do not aggress;
God X dislikes the aggressors.
Would we think that the message of this God X is congruent or coherent? Would we say to ourselves, as you have, "these are just words. words are words."?
The answer, you would surely agree, is one big resounding NO!
Now, concerning the treatment of women in Islamic countries. Are you trying to say that the leadership fo these nations has mis-interpreted the message of Allah? Are you saying that the Hadith should be ignored (yeah, you said exactly that in a PM u sent me)?
That would be very interesting, because I can produce for you the writings of leading contemporary Islamic scholars who UPHOLD that the Hadith, who UPHOLD that the message of ALlah is indeed that women are inferior to men. That men, under divine authority, enjoy certain rights that women never will. That a man has the right to beat his wife if she refuses him sex, for example.
I have a challenge for you: take your enligthened view of Islam to Saudi Arabia (THE muslim country) and tell them that a woman has the right to vote, that a woman has the right to uncover her skin and hair, that a woman has the right to wear make up, that a woman has the right to sunbathe topless, that a woman has the right to self-gratification, that a woman has the right to multiple sex partners, that a woman has the right to be a lesbian. I could go on, but you the the point. My friend, you would be lucky if you made it out of the country alive (or at least with all your limbs intact!)
I say if a woman is denied these NATURAL RIGHTS based on RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES, based on ISLAMIC LAW, that that RELIGION DESERVES TO BE CALLED THE WORLD'S WORST.
Traderfut, stop referring me to history, and deal with the HERE AND NOW. Islam is PRIMITIVE! It is the only religion in the world which continues to ignore and withhold the most basic of human rights - all in the name of Allah! Human rights abuses, which are sanctioned by Islamic Law, continue to take place
every single day in Muslim countries.
Tell me, please, of another RELIGION - not a government, a religion - that, in TODAY'S WORLD, compares with, or even approaches, Islam's dismal record in human rights abuses.
If you cannot, then, by default, Islam assumes the title of the world's worst religion.
