What people seem to forget is that when they say Islam is a violent religion, they need to understand that it is also a young religion. Many Muslim clerics are threatened by change and modernisation. They also show how weak their faith really is by killing those who leave Islam. They need to understand that you can't force religion through violent means, and, if anyone leaves the faith, then, they should let bygones be bygones.
My mom is a devout Shi'ite Muslim and when I told her she forces her religion on me, she says, "Mo, I have every right by Islam to force my religion on you." She is my mom, and I have to respect her judgement regardless. I want to tell her that you can't gain a follower by force, even if they are your closest kin, but, she is quite stubborn.
Also, my three paternal female cousins - who are devout Shi'ites that pray five times a day, wear the headscarf, fast every Ramadan, they grieve for the martyrdom of Muhammad's grandson, Husain ibn Ali every Muslim New Year - unfriended me from their Facebook profiles because I was criticising Islam and expressing my scepticism about faith. I told my Dad, who is more tolerant of my decisions than my Mom, about this and I also told him that they have a weak faith for letting my views about Islam irritate them, and, he agreed. I hope they become more tolerant one day.
Anyway, a thousand years ago, Christians were just as violent and intolerant, but, now, the religion has matured to where it accepts more rational approaches. Most Christian parents don't have a problem with children leaving the faith and what not, and, using violence to gain followers of Christ is rare.
Give Islam 300 to 400 more years and honour killings, suicide bombings, and crime in the name of Islam will be rare. Muslims will also adopt more tolerant practises, maybe, even Shi'ites will evolve with the rest of the religion and they may also settle their differences with Sunnis more peacefully. But, coming from me, Shi'a Islam is very rigid in its teachings, but, even that must conform to change.
Humans evolve in their thinking every generation.
My mom is a devout Shi'ite Muslim and when I told her she forces her religion on me, she says, "Mo, I have every right by Islam to force my religion on you." She is my mom, and I have to respect her judgement regardless. I want to tell her that you can't gain a follower by force, even if they are your closest kin, but, she is quite stubborn.
Also, my three paternal female cousins - who are devout Shi'ites that pray five times a day, wear the headscarf, fast every Ramadan, they grieve for the martyrdom of Muhammad's grandson, Husain ibn Ali every Muslim New Year - unfriended me from their Facebook profiles because I was criticising Islam and expressing my scepticism about faith. I told my Dad, who is more tolerant of my decisions than my Mom, about this and I also told him that they have a weak faith for letting my views about Islam irritate them, and, he agreed. I hope they become more tolerant one day.
Anyway, a thousand years ago, Christians were just as violent and intolerant, but, now, the religion has matured to where it accepts more rational approaches. Most Christian parents don't have a problem with children leaving the faith and what not, and, using violence to gain followers of Christ is rare.
Give Islam 300 to 400 more years and honour killings, suicide bombings, and crime in the name of Islam will be rare. Muslims will also adopt more tolerant practises, maybe, even Shi'ites will evolve with the rest of the religion and they may also settle their differences with Sunnis more peacefully. But, coming from me, Shi'a Islam is very rigid in its teachings, but, even that must conform to change.
Humans evolve in their thinking every generation.