Religious moderates standing up to their faith's extremists - THIS is how it's done.

[iris27]

This is in LBN right now:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4217266">Top Muslim clerics issue Fatwa denouncing terror attacks on Canada and U.S

CALGARY – Top Imams affiliated with the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada have issued a fatwa calling those terrorists who attack the United States and Canada “evil.”

The Fatwa is the most important condemnation of terrorists who try to hurt people living in Canada. Extremists have been told that any attack on the U.S. or on Canada will be construed as an attack on 10 million Muslims who live in these two countries.



A lot of people I've bantered with in this forum have asked me just how moderate people of faith are supposed to avoid being lumped in with the OBLs and Scott Roeders of their faith. To them I say today, ^^Exhibit A^^.

[darkstar3]

1. +1. n/t

[Skelly]

2. There are more of us

than the extremists. We may be not as vocal, but we are the silent majority. But when it counts, we make our voices heard. All of us. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. We are the Dietrich Bonhoeffer of the world.

[ChadwickHenryWard]

3. Beautifully handled. n/t

[Laura902]

4. Good for them! n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Too bad Christians, Jews, and others can't issue fatwas...

or maybe it's not that bad after all...

[trotsky]

6. About fucking time.

Now if they could just work on convincing the fundies how they've misinterpreted their holy texts, all our problems will be solved.

Too bad the track record of the last few thousand years features far more schisms and holy wars than coming together and agreeing.

(On edit: It would be a great start for liberal DU Christians to start slamming down the narrow-minded fundies right here in their midst in the Religion/Theology forum, like in the "This video needs no comment" thread. Is anyone up to the challenge, to join atheists and other freethinkers in condemning someone who is using your faith like a club?)

[rd_kent]

7. This is a good start. Now the christians should do the same.......

But I won't hold my breath.

[Igel]

8. No, it's not.

Read it carefully.

You get two inferences:

1. If freedom weren't extended to Muslims in the US and Canada, if those governments couldn't be construed as neutral, the fatwa's logic fails. Then, since the reasoning challenges not jihad, but the propriety of jihad here, there'd be no challenge at all.

2. Second, since the US and Canada protect Muslims' rights, to attack the US and Canada is to attack the rights of Muslims. By protecting the US and Canada from extremist and terrorist attacks, the Muslims protect themselves. Attacks are evil because they amount to attacks on Muslims.

Yes, this is important. But it still boils down to, "Killing non-Muslim civilians isn't necessarily immoral--believe what you want; but doing things that hurt us, that's evil and immoral. As for killing non-Muslim civilians, the morality depends on whether they're helping us, on whether killing them helps us. They matter to the extent they benefit us."

That's moderate? Well, I guess calling for protecting governments that protect Muslims' freedoms and acknowledges Muslim holy days is moderate if the alternative is to call for overthrowing them because they only protect the freedoms instead of requiring said freedoms. Odd, though: I'd consider Xians with such attitudes to be sell-outs to the cause.

[laconicsax]

9. It's almost a start.

A substantial difference between Islamist groups and these 'moderates' is on killing Muslim civilians. Both groups see it as immoral to kill Muslim civilians, but the Islamists tend to consider all Muslims not actively waging jihad to be not true Scotsmen non-Muslims, and consequently fair game.

It's kinda nice to see an official decree denouncing that mentality.