Quote:
Originally Posted by hoot72
Ruth,
I have lived in and out of Muslim countries for over 20 years now and wanted to ask your opinion on the following.
The biggest problem with islam is, for the most part, islam itself. There are so many people giving so many different versions of the quran that it not only creates more problems for everyone than it really does solve issues.
On one hand, the Quran, if read word for word in certain sections goes on about the infidel or the unbeliever (i.e. non muslims) but you will always hear religious scholars talk about how islam is a religion of peace and so forth.
The problem is Islam does not have a "vatican" of sorts who decide on religious policy for ALL muslims and sets a standard, for all men and women (and children). Instead, its left to over zealous clerics who interpret the Quran depending on if they are liberal, in the middle or right wingers and this in turn also determines how conservative or ultra society in a particular country is.
Look at Malaysia, Indonesia and then compare it to Saudi and UAE. You will see a totally different interpretation of Islam amongst men, women and the religious clerics in all 4 countries...which is bizzare to say the least.
I think if Islam is going to stop situations like these (passengers being off loaded), it needs to be consistent in what it preach's to the masses (be it muslim or non muslim).
There has to be some consistency and islam as a whole MUST renounce all violence and fundamentalists like AQ and the taliban across the board.
You go to Pakistan again, it's bloody inconsistent.
Look at the way women are treated there and how people are happy to stand by and justify everything OBL has done as being "islamic" and for "jihad" despite the fact he was the man who initiated 911, the London bombings, and encouraged the bombings of the embassy's in Jakarta and the bombings in Bali. In Pakistan, you can speak to 90% of the people there and they will justify it to death with a whole lot of nonsense.
It's like talking to people who just do not understand what it means to be civilized or "normal."
I am not trying to hammer you or to "tell you off" but I hope you can understand what I am trying to say.
There are a small percentage of muslims who will always try to explain that we, the non muslims have got it wrong but the problem lies in the fact the vast majority of muslims themselves don't seem to understand many issues within their own religion and are so easily mis-directed in their understanding and beliefs to the point of madness.
Don't know if that made any sense but...would appreciate your views.
1) Why do different countries have different interpretations of the Quran?
Example:
-in one country, a muslim can marry a non muslim and the non muslim does not need to convert to islam (singapore). But the same is IMPOSSIBLE in Malaysia.
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Thank you for the questions, hoot72. You are totally on target regarding the variations in the practice of Islam. Some of those variations arise from differences in custom and culture and some from differences in interpretation of both the source texts and the guidance of Islamic scholars.
What makes a faith practice Islamic is belief in la ilaha il Allah, Muhammadur rasulullah. The core principle of Islam is the belief in only one God, without partners, sovereign over all that exists. That is what is monolithic in Islam. To practice Islam requires following the five "pillars." That is the same across the board; without praying five times a day there is no Islam. However, the way a woman observes hijab (for instance, face veil vs. baseball cap) does not determine whether or not she is Muslim.
I believe it is the intrinsic beauty of Islam that those fundamental beliefs and practices can adapt according to the needs and customs of different cultures. A globally authoritative board such as, using your example, the vatican, would work against that, perhaps to the peril of us all.
Regarding interpretation of the Qur'an, there are critics of Islam who don't want to allow for historical context in reading of the Qur'an, although it is crucial, and although I would imagine historical context is crucial in reading some parts of the bible as well. Another critical part of studying the Qur'an - for Muslims and non-Muslims - is to acknowledge that knowledge of the original Arabic is also critical to understanding it. I'm not saying that every bit of guidance in the Qur'an is compatible with contemporary western laws or mores, nor am I saying that I'm any kind of expert in Qur'anic interpretation. My point is that you should be fair in your approach to any holy text.
The emphasis on the English word "infidel" arises from this unfair approach to the Qur'an. Its use is meant to support the dichotomy of "Islam against the rest of the world."
As far as how Muslims interpret Qur'anic injunctions: there are things that are explicit in the book - the prohibition on eating pork, for example. Other things are not as clear, however, and are clarified in the hadith and/or scholarly jurisprudence. People talk about "sharia" as though it is set in stone. Sharia is derived from Islamic principles but differs, as you note, according to various interpretations which vary by country, region or culture. Why is interreligious marriage prohibited in Malaysia but not Singapore? Not because of some immutable Islamic principle. The law of either country could change based on religious interpretation and/or based on politics. That doesn't necessarily reflect la ilaha il Allah.
I'll stop here in case I've gone way off track.