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Was Europe's largest Muslim cultural event an extremist rally in disguise or a genuine cultural festival?
Tags: | religion | democratic society
As everyone seems intent on preaching the word of some god, I'd figure I'd jump on the band wagon to see what kind of reaction I receive. So here goes: As far as I'm concerned (and don't forget, this is a democracy, so my opinion is as valid as anyone else's), the idea of worship is insulting and pointless. Taking the body and blood of Christ, religiously motivated circumcision, praying numerous times a day to Mecca, headscarves, crucifixes, Allah, Jehova, etc. It's pointless. If there really was some powerful being ruling over us, do you really think he'd care about what puny humans did? Or whether they would be so self-centred to create something in their image?? Come on, people. So far all religion has done is cause conflict and ignorance, with only a few shining examples - individual (and sometimes groups of) people who were as intent on doing good things for others as they were on praying. | God | Allah | Jehova | religion | Christianity | Judaism | islam | Atheism | read more | 33 comments | quote
Submitted by Joe.Bloggs on Sun, 2008-06-08 07:16.
Experts and practitioners meet to explore a range of responses to terrorism
Fighting radicalism by regulating mosques is a problematic strategy
Tags: | democratic society | religion
What's in store for Pakistan? Anatol Lieven forecasts. Listen now
Dialogue and understanding are the sharpest weapons in fighting terrorism, according to a Commonwealth study
The debate about Muslims and the west must connect ideas to living realities Tags: | democratic society | religion
By focusing on ideology, we miss the forest for the trees
A letter to Christian leaders reveals Muslim liberals' intellectual vacuity Tags: | religion
An effective strategy towards al-Qaida must grasp the movement's own
transformation
Tags: | insurgency | religion
There is an old saying, “To err is human, but to really mess things up, we need a computer”. To that word of wisdom, we might add “or religion”. Religion adds another dimension to conflict. If we are going to have a fight, we must perceive a distinction between us and our enemy. This distinction may be on that basis of any attribute we can think of - skin colour, dwelling place, or economic status, but religion is the best reason of all for a punch-up because religion defines our existence not just in time, but for all eternity. This sometimes gives us access to superhuman courage, as when martyrs chose death by burning rather than to deny their beliefs, and also, sadly, access to superhuman cruelty at other times.
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As India celebrates its 60th birthday, the bubble of liberal Indian Islam may burst under pressure from without and within
To fight the Taliban effectively, international forces must brush up on their anthropology.
Tags: | insurgency | religion
Policy-makers and the mainstream media dangerously oversimplify the motivations and implications of suicide bombings.
Tags: | insurgency | religion
Though critics demand that Islam "modernise", Reza Aslan argues that the Islamic reformation is already well under way.
Though symbolically resonant, the history of western captivity at Arab and Muslim hands has more to do with strategic choice than cultural difference.
"Religion" is an essentially useless category in understanding what drives groups against each other.
With Iran at once resolute in its foreign policy and fragmented in its internal politics, the US cannot approach Tehran crudely.
The "Arabization" of a previously hybrid faith has given rise to extremism and militancy in Indonesia.
Must a civilised and humanist state value diversity and try to include its minorities in public life?
Tags: | democratic society | religion
Melanie Phillips argues that an overhaul of the UK's feeble multicultural approach is necessary not only to defend British security, but British civilisation. Tags: | democratic society | religion
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