What Type Of Islam?

[agchristie]

Impossible to achieve?

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/649633/Islamic-State-ISIS-EU-thinkers-call-European-Islam-defeat-Daesh-extremism-terrorists

[agchristie]

“We need an Islam inspired by minds that are open to change and the challenges of the modern era, rejecting a literal reading of the Qur’an and in tune with the new historical context.

Got to be a non-starter hasn't it?

[jourdain2]

Nice try - he has a mountain to climb I wish him well.

[agchristie]

Jourdain > Nice try - he has a mountain to climb I wish him well.

More like a mountain range and then some...

These great minds - horse to water and all that....

[Gromit]

Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia is the mediaeval version of Islam followed by extremists such as ISIS. There are more benign versions already out there.

Saudi is a notoriously unequal society, and when life on this Earth is so unutterably miserable, it is easy to see how they can recruit jihadists on the promise of a better afterlife.

Hopefully when information is more freely available to everyone, then indoctrination of iliterate people becomes more difficult and these backwards beliefs will die out.

[agchristie]

Mention is made of the 'literal translation of the Koran'.

Trouble is, there are how many interpretations of the content?

[naomi24]

//Saudi is a notoriously unequal society//

The whole of Islam is an unequal society, but clearly not as notoriously. These people are whistling in the wind.

[agchristie]

Gromit > then indoctrination of iliterate people becomes more difficult and these backwards beliefs will die out

How long is a piece of string?

[ToraToraTora]

trying to talk sense into religious people?? mmm good luck with that!

[naomi24]

//Stop taking the Koran literally //

... says it all. If people need to be told that, therein lies the problem.

[Gromit]

There has been a sharp decline in christianity in this country over the last century. As we became more educated by the state and less influenced by the church, literal beluef in the bible has plummeted.

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/12/20/christmas-thought-church-england/

Islam will face the same fate. It may not take a whole century because modern technology means information and ideas spread more quickly. But it is not going to happen tomorrow. Perhaps a couple of generations.

[agchristie]

Gromit > Islam will face the same fate. It may not take a whole century because modern technology means information and ideas spread more quickly.

Rather double edged though. The modern technology with skype, Facebook, etc and the manipulative propaganda machine of IS has meant that many educated people have become radicalised. It is not simply the illiterate who are vulnerable.

[naomi24]

//Islam will face the same fate.//

Hopefully, but the time between now and then we and future generations have to live through. Not a happy thought.

[naomi24]

ag, it’s a strange anomaly. Technology exacerbates the proliferation of ignorance.

[Gromit]

AG,
IS propaganda works on people who are in a similar situation as the jihadists. They are people with very little hope and think that dying for their religion will get them something better. They have been indoctrinated from a very early age which makes them susecptible to the propaganda.
They are often 3rd or 4th generation asians. Their grandfathers and fathers appreciated the opportunities this country gave them. Unfortunately, the new generation takes those opportunities for granted, as the young in any free society do.

[agchristie]

Naomi > we and future generations have to live through. Not a happy thought.

Quite. With Europe in complete disarray and conflicting ideals one does wonder what really is going on.

[agchristie]

Naomi > ag, it’s a strange anomaly

Unquestionably!

[Gromit]

// it’s a strange anomaly. Technology exacerbates the proliferation of ignorance. //

I don't think you can say that based on some already indoctrinated individuals turning into jihadists.
Free information available to everyone which influence choice and decisions. Of course you have to have minds that are inquisative in the first place. But I think there will be enough of those in the uk asian community.

[agchristie]

Gromit, as you mention, it will take time. None of us will be around to find out.

[Gromit]

If there is one thing we can be certain of, things will not remain the same. In most ways society has changed for the better over the last hundred years, and we must assume the same will be the same in the future.

[agchristie]

Gromit > In most ways society has changed for the better over the last hundred years, and we must assume the same will be the same in the future

These are ominous times. I wish I was as optimistic. The world appears to be getting crazier....