Cahaya's Rants

At one of the blogs that I regularly read, I left a comment by posing the question, “Can Islam be Reformed?” I was told that the words “Reformed Islam” are oxymoronic.

According to Ibn Warraq in his Frontpage article, in order to begin reforming Islam, the religion has to be separated from the state and secularism promoted. Islam is then left to the personal.

Also according to Ibn Warraq, the secularisation of Islamic societies can be promoted by:

- Scholarly Criticism of the Koran;
- Secular education encouraging critical thought;
- Encouraging religious pluralism by defending non-Muslims in Islamic societies;
- Encouraging secular democracies not tyrannies; and
- The practice of self-criticism.

Read the rest of Ibn Warraq’s article and maybe more of us can feel some glimmer of optimism that Islam can indeed be reformed.

Which one is correct?

• Quran-2:256: There is no Compulsion in religion….

OR

• Quran-9:29: Fight those who do not profess the true faith (Islam) till they pay the polltax (jiziya) with the hand of humility.

• Quran-9:5: Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them and take them captive, and besiege them and prepare for them each ambush….

• Quran-47:4: When you meet the unbelievers in the Jihad strike off their heads….

• Quran-2:191: And slay (kill) them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out such is the reward of those who suppress faith.

• Quran-8: 65: O Apostle! Rouse the believers to the fight…(against) unbelievers.

Very often apologetics claim that, Islam is a religion of peace and there is no compulsion. Yet, punishment of an apostate in Islam is, of course, death penalty.

(Source:Institute For the Secularisation of Islamic Society)

Poll reveals 40pc of Muslims want sharia law in UK
By Patrick Hennessy and Melissa Kite
(Filed: 19/02/2006)

Four out of 10 British Muslims want sharia law introduced into parts of the country, a survey reveals today.

The ICM opinion poll also indicates that a fifth have sympathy with the “feelings and motives” of the suicide bombers who attacked London last July 7, killing 52 people, although 99 per cent thought the bombers were wrong to carry out the atrocity.

Overall, the findings depict a Muslim community becoming more radical and feeling more alienated from mainstream society, even though 91 per cent still say they feel loyal to Britain.

(sic)

The most startling finding is the high level of support for applying sharia law in “predominantly Muslim” areas of Britain.

It makes one wonder why they ever left their country of origin in the first place. If the sharia law is the best law to live under, I suggest they return to their countries of origin, or if they were born in the UK, then return to the countries of their fore-fathers. Let them taste for themselves how wonderful it is to be living under the leadership of the mullahs.

If the UK ever allows a certain segment of their society to live by another law, it is as good as suicide for their British way of life. For the muslims who want to live under the sharia law in the UK, I don’t think they will ever be satisfied if the law (if ever implemented) is only for muslims. They would want all of UK to be under the sharia law. How can that not be? Do you think they will ever be happy to see the infidels go about their daily lives, living their “haram” lifestyle, and not want to subjugate them and make them live the way they, the muslims, live?

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity, is already convinced that the day is coming when British muslims will form a state within a state.

Dr Sookhdeo adds that he believes that “in a decade, you will see parts of English cities which are controlled by Muslim clerics and which follow, not the common law, but aspects of Muslim sharia law.

“It is already starting to happen – and unless the Government changes the way it treats the so-called leaders of the Islamic community, it will continue.”

(Read the rest of the article here)

Look at what is already happening in Canada. For the sake of multiculturalism, Ontario has allowed the sharia law to be used in certain legal disputes among muslims. Give them an inch and they will take your arm and leg. One of the critics of the sharia law in Ontario is right when she says that, the sharia law has never worked elsewhere, and it most certainly won’t work in Canada.

Will the UK now join Canada in kowtowing to the demands of the radical muslims?

Read this insightful FrontPage article for more on the Canada sharia law story.

How did George W Bush get involved in this cartoon controversy? Just because Bush refused to condemn the press’s right to publish the cartoons? And here the out of control protesters are burning an effigy of George W Bush?! This tells me that the protesters had another agenda; more than just to show their anger at the publication of the Danish cartoons.

Just how many of these protesters had actually seen any of the cartoons? I doubt very many. And like stupid sheep, they are protesting, just because muslims in other countries are protesting!

(Photo: Reuter via Yahoo News)

And in Indonesia:

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Hundreds of Muslims protesting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad tried to storm the U.S. Embassy on Sunday, smashing the windows of a guard post but failing to push through the gates. Several people were injured.