Below is a set of comments by squarestpeg http://squarestpeg.blogspot.com/ The comments are in reply to post on my blog entitled : Would you wish Islam… dated Tuesday 6th of December.
Squarestpeg has asked some questions in his comments and I think that it is only fair for him and me to make some attempt at a reply so here goes:
“This presumptuous notion that everyone in the world needs to be like you, think like you, behave like you;” I am sorry to say that I do not have this notion and nowhere in the post does it say that you must be like me, think like me and behave like me. Rather the intent behind the post was to ask questions that the reader may not have necessarily thought about before. For granted the style may be too abrupt for some but is it not that which we call the right to free speech? To say that I have a presumptuous notion is this regard is itself highly presumptuous.
“I suspect this one of the reasons Muslims engender as much negative response as you claim they do. ” If I understand your statement correctly then it is the fault of Muslims that they engender a negative response. No doubt there are many bad Muslims in this world but to blame the whole nation of 1000 million on the acts of a few is absurd to say the least. A Muslim in today’s world does not have the luxury of being able to have a negative or positive response, he/she is labeled irrespective of rational considerations and thrown to the wolves.
It’s one thing to love your own religion, to cherish its tenets and rules; it’s quite another to denigrate everyone else’s choices and ask questions like the one you pose here. As I said in the previous reply maybe the style is too abrupt for some but sometimes awkward questions need to be asked to demonstrate to the reader the gravity of the situation that he/she is dealing with.
Can you see how offensive this is to non-Muslims? I have not sworn or used foul language in any of my posts. For as many people who find the post offensive there will be others who do not. This blog is read by people from all over the world some Muslim and some not and as such I cannot please all of the people all of the time. If you still feel offended by the question just remember it is only a question and not a statement of fact. You may reject it or accept it but the intent behind it is to allow for discussion on issues that the ordinary reader may not have thought about before.
You speak of the hurt and insult you take from criticisms and prejudice directed at you. Are you not subject to the same rules of tolerance and courtesy as those you criticize? Or do you think that you are, by dint of your adherence to a religion you believe is best, above the rules of polite society? For a surety I am not above the rules of polite society. Please remember one thing dear reader you are not the only one reading this post. There will be many others who are not so logical and rational as you but are down right prejudiced and espouse hate for Islam. When writing a post I have to take into account my own feeling on a subject and the ability of the one reading to comprehend what I say. I take for granted that you are a rational individual but not all are as well read or intelligent as you. So in order to develop and discussion on a subject I may need some blunt language to get the conversation started.
I’m not trying to be rude; not trying to start an argument; I’m genuinely interested in how you justify your attitude while condemning similar behavior in others. Rest assured I do not think that you are rude or trying to start an argument. I see nothing wrong in my attitude but I am always open to suggestions to the contary. In ending you are right to say that I believe Islam is the way to God and I make no excuses for that. Just as any Christian would feel about his religion or Hindu about his religion. I am not here to insult non-Muslims but to air my views and read comments from the readers.
Popularity: 1% [?]
