Islam is for peace

Submitted by Abhi (United States), Jun 3, 2009 at 20:16

Dear Dr Pipes:

Your respondent Yousuff repeats the good old argument -- Islam is for peace. Perhaps it is true. I do not know of a mother or a father or a son or an uncle or a friend who starts organized violence just for the fun of it. So I can believe that muslim individuals meeting each other in small friendly circles are very peaceful. In fact, with a force as over-powering and encompassing as Islam around them, people in these small cliques might even convince each other that the only reason perfect Islamic world is not has not been created is due to the infringement of foreign non-Islamic elements.

Unfortunately, this exact zeal for Islam makes muslims very unpeaceful when Islam meets other civilizations. I will believe Yousuff's assertion taht Islam is for peace if millions of muslims converge on city streets around the world and protest Daniel Pearls killing (or protest 911, shootings in Madrid, Bombay, Bali or elsewhere).

It is not that difficult, guys. Liberal jews speak for Palestinians, liberal Hindus stand for muslim rights in India, liberal Christians go to Muslim capitals to open dialogs. It can be done.

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