A liberal Christian friend on Facebook posted this.]
I didn’t thoroughly vet it, but this Dhiyaa Al Musawi seems legit. The interview was done 2006 and has many references, as does Musawi. He directly addresses problems unique to the Arab world, like religion and government working together, illiteracy rates and general “backwardness”. He says a couple things about the Koran being “balanced” and how some clerics interpret it wrong, but that is not his central theme.
It’s only 6 minutes. In the second half he talks more about tolerance. He has pictures of Jesus in his house and he says they give him a peaceful feeling. He also points out that most people end up in the religion or their parents or whatever culture they are born into. What Western religious leader has ever said such things? He relates the problems of violence to the claims of exclusive rights to heaven that Muslim clerics make. I can think of lots of prominent atheists who have said that, but not even the most liberal Christian has said that so specifically.
A liberal Christian friend on Facebook posted this.] I didn't thoroughly vet it, but this Dhiyaa Al Musawi seems legit. The interview was done 2006 and has many references, as does Musawi. He directly addresses problems unique to the Arab world, like religion and government working together, illiteracy rates and general "backwardness". He says a couple things about the Koran being "balanced" and how some clerics interpret it wrong, but that is not his central theme. It's only 6 minutes. In the second half he talks more about tolerance. He has pictures of Jesus in his house and he says they give him a peaceful feeling. He also points out that most people end up in the religion or their parents or whatever culture they are born into. What Western religious leader has ever said such things? He relates the problems of violence to the claims of exclusive rights to heaven that Muslim clerics make. I can think of lots of prominent atheists who have said that, but not even the most liberal Christian has said that so specifically.Much of the problem does lie with "moderate" Muslims like Dhiyaa Al Musawi. There is a book that they claim to be from Allah, which they admit does support violence. "Moderates" decide willy-nilly to reject parts of the book instead of rejecting the whole book and its premise--which is what they would do if they were true to their non violent view. To reject parts of the book they still consider a holy guidebook is irrational and manipulative. The problem is the fact that it is accepted as a holy book even by "moderates" who have no valid reason to reject the parts they don't like except that they don't like those parts. Either they believe the whole book is the word of Allah or they don't. If they are going to reject parts of it they can't rationally claim that the parts they accept is the actual word of Allah. They are trying to have their cake and eat it too. That's why non Muslims are suspicious of "moderate" Muslims. They come across to rational people as expedient and untrustworthy, as do Christians who reject parts of the book they claim to be word of their god. Lois
Or, they are accepting that the words are the words. I have no quotes from Musawi showing that he believes any words in the Koran are the words of Allah. What I do have is him cherry picking the good stuff in this video. You can encourage the good stuff while also calling him on cherry picking. Obviously he and are not in complete agreement because he calls himself a cleric and lives in a palace and I’m sure there are lots of other things about him I don’t like. But, applying your logic, I don’t agree with the social programs that FDR created since he also orchestrated WWII and split up Africa and the Middle East into colonies for us to exploit.
Or, they are accepting that the words are the words. I have no quotes from Musawi showing that he believes any words in the Koran are the words of Allah. What I do have is him cherry picking the good stuff in this video. You can encourage the good stuff while also calling him on cherry picking. Obviously he and are not in complete agreement because he calls himself a cleric and lives in a palace and I'm sure there are lots of other things about him I don't like. But, applying your logic, I don't agree with the social programs that FDR created since he also orchestrated WWII and split up Africa and the Middle East into colonies for us to exploit.Ouch! FDR orchestrated WW2? He played a part sure, but overall a rather small part compared to Churchill, Stalin, and Hitler.
Or, they are accepting that the words are the words. I have no quotes from Musawi showing that he believes any words in the Koran are the words of Allah. What I do have is him cherry picking the good stuff in this video. You can encourage the good stuff while also calling him on cherry picking. Obviously he and are not in complete agreement because he calls himself a cleric and lives in a palace and I'm sure there are lots of other things about him I don't like. But, applying your logic, I don't agree with the social programs that FDR created since he also orchestrated WWII and split up Africa and the Middle East into colonies for us to exploit.Ouch! FDR orchestrated WW2? He played a part sure, but overall a rather small part compared to Churchill, Stalin, and Hitler. Whatever. Change it to "FDR orchestrated US involvement in WW2". Happy?
Or, they are accepting that the words are the words. I have no quotes from Musawi showing that he believes any words in the Koran are the words of Allah. What I do have is him cherry picking the good stuff in this video. You can encourage the good stuff while also calling him on cherry picking. Obviously he and are not in complete agreement because he calls himself a cleric and lives in a palace and I'm sure there are lots of other things about him I don't like. But, applying your logic, I don't agree with the social programs that FDR created since he also orchestrated WWII and split up Africa and the Middle East into colonies for us to exploit.But, presumably, you don't see Roosevelt as a god or a moral leader. That's an enormous difference. You don't accept even some of his writings or utterances as holy writ, do you? Does anyone? Lois
Or, they are accepting that the words are the words. I have no quotes from Musawi showing that he believes any words in the Koran are the words of Allah. What I do have is him cherry picking the good stuff in this video. You can encourage the good stuff while also calling him on cherry picking. Obviously he and are not in complete agreement because he calls himself a cleric and lives in a palace and I'm sure there are lots of other things about him I don't like. But, applying your logic, I don't agree with the social programs that FDR created since he also orchestrated WWII and split up Africa and the Middle East into colonies for us to exploit.Ouch! FDR orchestrated WW2? He played a part sure, but overall a rather small part compared to Churchill, Stalin, and Hitler. And he's not considered by anyone to be a god. Lois
Or, they are accepting that the words are the words. I have no quotes from Musawi showing that he believes any words in the Koran are the words of Allah. What I do have is him cherry picking the good stuff in this video. You can encourage the good stuff while also calling him on cherry picking. Obviously he and are not in complete agreement because he calls himself a cleric and lives in a palace and I'm sure there are lots of other things about him I don't like. But, applying your logic, I don't agree with the social programs that FDR created since he also orchestrated WWII and split up Africa and the Middle East into colonies for us to exploit.Ouch! FDR orchestrated WW2? He played a part sure, but overall a rather small part compared to Churchill, Stalin, and Hitler. Whatever. Change it to "FDR orchestrated US involvement in WW2". Happy? If FDR did that, he is to be commended, as we would, otherwise, be speaking a lot more German and Japanese, and probably not sitting home, comfortably, posting whatever we like on the internet. And our Jewish friends? What Jewish friends?
He recognized the problem as a lack of education.
But he did not make it clear to me who is responsible for the education in those countries.
The government or the church?
If FDR did that, he is to be commended, as we would, otherwise, be speaking a lot more German and Japanese, and probably not sitting home, comfortably, posting whatever we like on the internet. And our Jewish friends? What Jewish friends?That's a more subtle analysis, with some sense of "probably". Lois was making broad generalizations and leaving no room for how one person could do and say both good and bad. That's the point I was making.