Another thing which we should do is support Muslims who want to leave Islam. An International Women's Day is useless in the Arab world if there is no International Leave Islam Day. I propose the introduction of such a day in which we can honor the courageous men and women who want to leave Islam. Perhaps we can pick a symbolic date for such a day and establish an annual prize for an individual who has turned his back on Islam or an organization which helps people to liberate themselves from Islam. It is very easy to become a Muslim. All one has to do is to pronounce the Shahada, the Islamic creed, which says - I quote "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." It should be equally easy to leave Islam by pronouncing a counter-Shahada, which says "I leave Islam and join humankind."
Well, what do you think? Opinions? I suppose a key question is this: why do (some) Europeans feel like this?
The whole thing is here.
3 comments:
I have heard Muslims on many occasions state that they have heard about Christians paying Muslims to leave Islam. I'm afraid that any "prize" offered would simply concretize that view.
It's also a sad statement that this politician sees leaving Islam as joining humanity. Until people can see Muslims as human we cannot move forward. To do so does not mean that we approve of the system they espouse any more than accepting the humanity of Geert Wilders means that I have to accept his secularism.
This being said, I echo your question about the way that some Europeans feel about Islam. Muslims around the world often feel the same feeling about the presence of growing Christian communities in their midst.
Geert Wilders represents a growing minority of European politicians on the far right of the political spectrum who have Islamophobic views. Marine Le Pen in France is another. Why do they enjoy a certain degree of support? I think it's because of general unease in European countries to a particular group that wishes to behave in a manner which is closer to old Arab culture than contemporary secular European culture. As long as Muslims believe that to be a true Muslim they must be closer to the old Arab culture there will be uneasiness.
Not sure this leave Islam day will ever materialise. It would prove controversial, I'm sure, since Islam is a one-way street. I've heard there are many Muslims (about 10%) who are secret believers of Christ, but don't convert formally because of fears of the backlash they’ll experience from family and friends.
H Kurt and JI, I think that there is a sense fo tension here. That many Muslims want to have special rights like they would in an Islamic state, but also want to have the freedoms and rights that people have from living in the West. You can't have it both ways though. I think that is a key source of tension that leads to this sort of suggestion. And yes, it is growing. Especially as some rather vociferous Muslims are very clear that they plan on making Europe into an Islamic series of states. Even if that is not realistic, it's equally unrealistic to think that ethnic Europeans will simply accept it.
AD
Post a Comment