Have you seen the "3 things about Islam" video?

[antof9]

I just watched this (it's long -- 8 minutes), and am not sure what to think. I don't know anything about the person or organization who posted it, the "related videos" on the side give me pause, and I'll be honest; I'm confused by what could be implied from this video, if it's accurate. I'm very curious to hear your thoughts -- the people who

Comments

[florafloraflora]

You asked us in good faith to watch this video. Here, in equally good faith, are my thoughts.

This is a long text-based argument. I'm not sure why it needs to be a video (let alone an 8-minute video). It looks and sounds cool but it's harder to follow that way.

I'm not convinced by the argument that the Qur'an is a different, more hardline book than the Christian Bible or the Torah. I'm not a committed Christian any more, but when I was I was told by a lot of non-Christians and anti-Christians that my scriptures required me to be an arrogant bigot/jerk/bully and that if I wasn't, then I was doing it wrong. How could they possibly know that? How can this video's interpretation of the Qur'an as a hardline, indisputable set of laws be consistent with the variety of Islamic traditions (Sunni, Shi'a, Wahhabism--sp?, etc.) around the world and the flourishing debate among Islamic scholars?

Islam, to me, is like every other religious tradition: how it is practiced depends who is doing the practicing, in which cultural, political and economic environment. It can be an instrument of bloodthirsty conquest or peaceful tolerance. It can justify oppression or revolution. It can inspire generosity and interpersonal harmony or it can lead someone to want to kill everyone who's different from him. Please consider all the religions you know and ask yourself if the statements above couldn't be applied to all of them in some context, at some time or another. You might argue from the outside that each individual Muslim is or isn't doing it right, but that's not likely to change any minds.

Further thoughts

[florafloraflora]

Here's another reason why the West doesn't have as much to worry about as the video implies: the arguments in this video are based on reading the Qur'an. But it's pretty common for a book advocating a spiritual path or health regimen to tell followers, now that they've found the truth, to go out and be fanatics about it, not to stray even for a single day from its teachings and to tell everyone they know about it. But whether the initiates actually go out and do that is another question. Radical Islamists are scary, but I think the root of their scary radicalism lies in certain political and social forces, not in the text of their holy book. We'll never change Osama bin Laden but we can change a lot of his footsoldiers by addressing those social and political issues, without having to change the text of the Qur'an. 

Re: Further thoughts

[antof9]

But whether the initiates actually go out and do that is another question.

Totally true. I'm still thinking :)

[antof9]

Your first point was one of mine! I could have read all of that in one article in about a minute or so. Thank you for being willing to watch it and discuss.

I was told by a lot of non-Christians and anti-Christians that my scriptures required me to be an arrogant bigot/jerk/bully and that if I wasn't, then I was doing it wrong

I've not been told that, but I know from comments that that is what people assume of Christians. Which makes me sad.

I appreciate your input, as I'd never heard any of these points (from the video, I mean), and am still digesting how to (personally) respond to them.