Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: These Terrorist Attacks Are Not About Religion - Page 1

http://time.com/3662152/kareem-abdul-jabbar-paris-charlie-hebdo-terrorist-attacks-are-not-about-religion/

 

When the Ku Klux Klan burns a cross in a black family’s yard, Christians aren’t required to explain how these aren’t really Christian acts

Another horrendous act of terrorism has taken place and people like myself who are on media speed-dial under “Celebrity Muslims” are thrust in the spotlight to angrily condemn, disavow, and explain—again—how these barbaric acts are in no way related to Islam.

For me, religion—no matter which one—is ultimately about people wanting to live humble, moral lives that create a harmonious community and promote tolerance and friendship with those outside the religious community. Any religious rules should be in service of this goal. The Islam I learned and practice does just that.

Violence committed in the name of religion is never about religion—it’s ultimately about money. The 1976 movie, All the President’s Men, got it right when it reduced the Daedalus maze of the Watergate scandal to the simple phrase, “Follow the money.” Forget the goons who actually carry out these deadly acts, they are nothing more than automated drones remote-controlled by others. Instead of radio signals, their pilots use selective dogma to manipulate their actions. They pervert the Qur’an through omission and false interpretation.

How is it about money? When one looks at the goal of these terrorist attacks, it’s clearly not about scaring us into changing our behavior. The Twin Tower attacks of 9/11 didn’t frighten America into embracing Islam. The fatwa against Salman Rushdie didn’t prevent the publication of The Satanic Verses. Like all terrorist attacks on the West, they just strengthen our defiant resolve. So the attack in Paris, as with most others, isn’t about changing Western behavior, it’s about swaggering into a room, flexing a muscle, and hoping to elicit some admiring sighs. In this case, the sighs are more recruits and more donations to keep their organization alive. They have to keep proving they are more relevant than their competing terrorist groups. It’s just business.

Nor should we blame America’s foreign policy as the spark that lights the fuse. Poverty, political oppression, systemic corruption, lack of education, lack of critical thinking, and general hopelessness in these countries is the spark. Yes, we’ve made mistakes that will be used to justify recruiting new drones. But we shouldn’t kid ourselves that the recent report detailing our extensive and apparently ineffective use of torture caused any kind of mass terrorist volunteers. The world knew we tortured. The only thing the report revealed was how bad we were at it. More important, if recruits were swayed by logical idealism, they would realize that the fact that we conducted, released, and debated such a report is what makes America admirable. We don’t always do the right thing, but we strive to. We admit our faults and make adjustments. It may be glacial, but it’s movement forward.

Knowing that these terrorist attacks are not about religion, we have to reach a point where we stop bringing Islam into these discussions. I know we aren’t there yet because much of the Western population doesn’t understand the Islamic religion. All they see are brutal beheadings, kidnappings of young girls, bloody massacres of children at schools, and these random shootings. Naturally, they are frightened when they hear the word Muslim or see someone in traditional Muslim clothing. Despite any charitable impulses, they also have to be thinking, “Better safe than sorry”—as they hurry in the opposite direction.

When the Ku Klux Klan burn a cross in a black family’s yard, prominent Christians aren’t required to explain how these aren’t really Christian acts. Most people already realize that the KKK doesn’t represent Christian teachings. That’s what I and other Muslims long for—the day when these terrorists praising Mohammed or Allah’s name as they debase their actual teachings are instantly recognized as thugs disguising themselves as Muslims. It’s like bank robbers wearing masks of presidents; we don’t really think Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush hit the Bank of America during their down time.

We can’t end terrorism any more than we can end crime in general. Ironically, terrorism is actually an act against the very religion they claim to believe in. It’s an acknowledgement that the religion and its teachings aren’t enough to convince people to follow it. Any religion that requires coercion is not about the community, but about the leaders wanting power.

I look forward to the day when an act of terrorism by self-proclaimed Muslims will be universally dismissed as nothing more than a criminal attack of a thuggish political organization wearing an ill-fitting Muslim mask. To get to that point, we will need to teach our communities what the real beliefs of Islam are. In the meantime, keep my name on speed-dial so we can get through this together.

Simple belief in any religion is tacit approval, IMO.  It allows for nonsense claims of not only "knowing a god", but also knowing what that god wants or approves.  When anyone "believes", it gives credence to any outrageous claims anyone cares to make.

The  Koran orders them to do what they do.

    Gouda

Gouda, do you really believe that the extreme Christians are any better than the extreme Moslems, Jews, whatever... ?
No, they are not. "We" killed thousands of thousands of people in the name of "our" god.

The Bible and the Koran say : Don´t kill. No real difference between Christins and Muslims.
Did any of the religions stick to the rules of their god? No.

I´m very worried right now. In Germany there is a new "movement" called PEGIDA ( translates into : Patriotic Europeans against Islamification of Occident ).
The leader is a previously convicted dodgy German, but too many people follow him.
These people simply don´t think but believe in bullshit propaganda playing with the fear of people ( terrorism, loose of religious self determination ).
I really believed that at least our country learned out of history, but this doesn´t seem to be the case for several people.

It´s alarming.

So, gouda, please show me in the Koran where it says they must kill, since you appear to know so much. Extremist from both sides want to kill and have killed. All religions kill others because they have been BRAINWASHED into believing hogwash of their leaders.

So, since you said it prove it, show me in the Koran where it says to kill. Because to be frank with you the bible is full of violence.

Just to set the record straight.

 

http://www.truthandgrace.com/muslimkillcommands.htm

 

Ijust needed this last post to set the record straight.

 

     gouda

Well that site lost all credibility in the first few words. Please show in the Koran where it says to kill. What about all the violence in the bible?

Answer to this. Just to set the record straight(lol).

 

Deuteronomy 17
If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant; 17:3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; 17:4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel; 17:5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.

 

and these

 

Woman with “familiar spirits” must be stoned to death. Leviticus 20:27

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Exodus 22:18

 

Kill those who are not Christian or Jewish:

You must kill those who worship another god. Exodus 22:20

Kill any friends or family that worship a god that is different than your own. Deuteronomy 13:6-10

Kill all the inhabitants of any city where you find people that worship differently than you. Deuteronomy 13:12-16

Kill everyone who has religious views that are different than your own. Deuteronomy 17:2-7

Kill anyone who refuses to listen to a priest. Deuteronomy 17:12-13

Kill any false prophets. Deuteronomy 18:20

Any city that doesn’t receive the followers of Jesus will be destroyed in a manner even more savage than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Mark 6:11

Jude reminds us that God destroys those who don’t believe in him. Jude 5

 

Ignorance is bliss. Christians should not practice free inquiry nor socialize with non Christians:

Don’t associate with non-Christians. Don’t receive them into your house or even exchange greeting with them. 2 John 1:10

Shun those who disagree with your religious views. Romans 16:17

Paul, knowing that their faith would crumble if subjected to free and critical inquiry, tells his followers to avoid philosophy. Colossians 2:8

 

Judge other religions for not following Christ:

Whoever denies “that Jesus is the Christ” is a liar and an anti-Christ. 1 John 2:22

Christians are “of God;” everyone else is wicked. 1 John 5:19

The non-Christian is “a deceiver and an anti-Christ” 2 John 1:7

Anyone who doesn’t share Paul’s beliefs has “an evil heart.” Hebrews 3:12

False Jews are members of “the synagogue of Satan.” Revelations 2:9, 3:9

Your talking about the O.T.  Many of those laws were not Gods laws ,they were made by the priests.

 

Now lets get to the N.T.   What did Jesus say and do when one of the deciples

cut off the ear of a roman soldier that came for Jesus leading to the crucifiction?

Show me the violence and killing in the new testament.

The koran was written over a thousand year after the crucifiction,it is full of violence and direct orders to kill.

Get a copy your self and read it.

You and travels are anti christian bigots at its worst.

You are a dictating coward with an itchy tricker finger to ban Christians.

  Now you have a reason to ban me.

   Gouda

I haven't banned Christians in mass or you would be gone. Every Christian who is banned here, broke the rules or was trying to subvert the management in one way or another. I am far from a bigot, but hey you want to label me as such, have at it. I don't discriminate amongst religions, they are all bunk. They lie and twist to suit their own needs and beliefs of those who preach.  Yes, all religions are bunk, it is nice that you cherry pick certain parts of the bible and say the bad parts are written by piests, lol that only certain parts are written by priests and the rest is the word of God. lol. Can't quit laughing.

So, move on and go to a bible site that caters to your beliefs but if you go to sites that allow all beliefs, expect others to call you out, watchman.