From the musical South Pacific a little ditty- ’You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught’ to hate and fear. Zealots of every stripe are using religion as an excuse to kill around the world today, yes- the Middle East, but also S Sudan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India. Islam is the religion of many many people- while as usual the moderates are too silent [how many American spoke up against Japanese internment?], it is basically a religion of peace and tolerance. You can pick and chose terrible passages from the Koran but how often they sound like the Old Testament. I think we are particularly appalled by the treatment of women but in most of the world women are still considered chattel, their treatment is mainly an outgrowth of tribal custom not Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or some Christian sects.To demonize Islam betrays our own ignorance and paranoia. Stop and read the Koran or study scholars- dont take the Internet or spin TV as a unbiased source.I say this not as an apologist but a weary world traveler.
From the musical South Pacific a little ditty- ’You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught’ to hate and fear. Zealots of every stripe are using religion as an excuse to kill around the world today, yes- the Middle East, but also S Sudan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India. Islam is the religion of many many people- while as usual the moderates are too silent [how many American spoke up against Japanese internment?], it is basically a religion of peace and tolerance. You can pick and chose terrible passages from the Koran but how often they sound like the Old Testament. I think we are particularly appalled by the treatment of women but in most of the world women are still considered chattel, their treatment is mainly an outgrowth of tribal custom not Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or some Christian sects.To demonize Islam betrays our own ignorance and paranoia. Stop and read the Koran or study scholars- dont take the Internet or spin TV as a unbiased source.I say this not as an apologist but a weary world traveler.