I’m a fairly secular Muslim: Ask me anything

[Byemelania]

I probably won’t know the answer but I’ll try

@Flaxmeadow good my dear, you’re finally learning about stereotyping! One step at a time!

I'm so incredibly sad reading this thread; there was a great jewish one not so long ago and the contrast in responses is stark. Islamophobia is alive and kicking on MN tonight.

Hi OP - we're just going to move this thread over to our AMA topic.

@FionaMumsnet 🙏🏽

@zatarontoast

I'm so incredibly sad reading this thread; there was a great jewish one not so long ago and the contrast in responses is stark. Islamophobia is alive and kicking on MN tonight.

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

@zatarontoast @myneighboursarerude just read that thread, super interesting!

What do you think about homosexuality?

What do you think about atheists?

@user1471519931 I think everyone should live how they want to live. There are plenty of gay Muslims in Muslim countries where it’s a sin, but the state doesn’t punish it, it turns a blind eye. Same with atheism.

@zatarontoast

I'm so incredibly sad reading this thread; there was a great jewish one not so long ago and the contrast in responses is stark. Islamophobia is alive and kicking on MN tonight.

Sadly a reflection of a fairly large part of society

[quote Byemelania]@DidoLamenting I don’t see Christians being asked to condemn widespread child sex abuse in the church[/quote]
I'm not sure why you are asking me. What I said was if someone had committed an atrocity, say, beheading someone in the name of religion and their god if it were my religion and my god I'd certainly want to say " not in my name".

Do Christians who abuse children claim they do so in the name of Christianity and their god ? I'm not actually a Christian but I don't think that is the case. Your question therefore isn't on point.

@Byemelania
What is your favourite biscuit?

Is the Catholic Church barbaric?

Sometimes yes, for sure.

The problem is you’ve started a AMA thread about being a religion you barely follow and don’t seem to know much about.
Pointless really.

Is the Catholic Church barbaric?
Christ yes

The RC church has been and continues to be responsible for utterly disgraceful things across a wide range of areas and actively ruining lives right now.

I was brought up RC so feel am entitled to an opinion.

Leopold of Belgium? I only found out about that a few years ago. It's rarely mentioned. Sickening gross. And not really so long ago on the scheme of things.

British empire plenty of atrocities.

People can be awful. Religion is used as an excuse to exploit, oppress, torture, murder etc.

It's hardly exclusive to any one religion or part of the world.

@AllTeaAllShade this is a really good and important question, thanks for asking. I’ve made a top four

1. shortbread
2. Viennese whirl
3. choc malted milk
4. Digestives

@RunningFromInsanity wow you sound like a great and fun person to be around, I’m jealous of all your friends.

@NiceGerbil exactly. Bush went to Iraq because God told him to :)

Islamophobia is alive and kicking on MN tonight

It's such a confusing term though. It confuses a dislike of an ideology, in this case a religion, with a dislike of the people who follow it, Muslims. This doesn't seem to be the case for other religions and ideologies

If a person has nothing against Mormons in general, at the same time they can discuss openly why they dislike it as a religion and not be admonished for it. But a dislike of Islam is not allowed in the same way

The definition below is from the Oxford dictionary. It seems to be saying that if someone "dislikes" Islam, then they're Islamaphobic. I understand that disliking people or a person based on their religion...etc ... is wrong, but why is disliking an idea, any idea or organised idea, so wrong?

Islamophobia
/ɪzˌlaməˈfəʊbɪə/
noun
dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force

But saying you dislike Islam is well dodgy.

Disliking some strains of it/ countries where it's used as an excuse to do horrible things to people/ etc etc is different.

It's like saying well I dislike Christianity because of Westboro church.

Is there even a word for chritianophobia?

If someone says they dislike all organised religion that's ok too.

It's the singling out of one when they're all as bad as each other. And most adherents of all of them are moderate.

If someone says they dislike all organised religion that's ok too.

Who is giving this directive? The Words We Can And Cannot Use police department ?

It's the singling out of one when they're all as bad as each other.

But what if someone wants to single one out? What if they disagree that religions are "all as bad as each other"? What then? Do the thought crimes dissidents get carted off to the gulag?

And most adherents of all of them are moderate.

Really?
I suppose ALL Methodists might be described as moderates, but who knows what some of their factions get up to at their tea & cakes parties, and tombolas

Well no I was trying to explain why singling out one religion as bad or whatever, when lots of others are just as bad, especially when it comes to the more fundamental interpretations, is dodgy as fuck.

What's this thought police and gulag stuff? This is a conversation. You are able to disagree without consequence.

I find the tea and cakes thing very tasteless in response to the point that the RC church has caused and continues to cause massive harm around the world.

Why not engage with the substance of the points rather than whatever that answer is supposed to be.

Methodists are Christian as are Catholics, c of e, evangelists, brethren etc.

You are aware that there are a load of different strands of Islam, I assume? Sunni Shia etc I'm no expert but this stuff is on the news a lot.

Islamic facts given are wrong and your life style isn't even islamic.. even your beliefa are not islamic like what is even the point 😂

Islam iss not a life bond like baptism or ethnicity like being a jew. Calling yourself a muslim when you really aren't undermines those who actually are, disrespects the religion, instills racist stereotypes about being 'born' a muslim and confuses non muslims about islam and muslims. You are the equivalent of a veggie who eats fish and chicken. Not a bad person. Not a crime. But really confused and confusing.