Quote:
Originally Posted by Itse
Let's try this from another angle.
I think few would deny that there is a popular brand of Islam right now that does encourage violence and martyrdom. However, Islam existed for hundreds of years without being any more (or less) violent other major religions (or atheists for that matter).
So while religion does play a part, it's not Islam in general that is the problem. It's the specific brand that is the problem. (There are actually names for it, but I forget.) So really blaming Islam is not so much wrong as it is simply inaccurate.
That inaccuracy is IMO however really harmful. It encourages fear and violence towards all Muslims, which is unfair and dangerous. Plus it directly benefits extremist groups such as ISIS.
That inaccurate language is also the biggest thing blocking constructive Western discussion of what exactly is the role of religion in that conflict. It's the language people use when they WANT war between Muslims and Christians. It's for example the language ISIS wants to use.
So seriously. If you're not deliberately trying to promote religious wars, don't talk like that.
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Funny how a similar thing is happening to Christians. Apparently every Christian is a violent psychopath now because of the crusades, because one group of people did something somewhere they are all the same...
I think what happens is emotion heavily clouds judgement in these cases where religion and violence are so closely related. Imagine how pissed off all the normal Muslims must be, every terrorist attack must be a blow to their ego and faith. I'd get together all the most prominent religious leaders in the Muslim faith and have a Muslims don't murder people meeting, then when some group of morons goes and does something stupid they can be exiled. Oh ISIS just killed some people, well they're not Muslim, they're radical psychopaths.