To want a way to label the reasonable fear of the variety of Islam that wishes to impose Sharia law?

[Oodiks]

I understand that there are different sects within Islam and that while some pose no concerns, others do. I am horrified at the type of Sharia law imposed in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan, which denies women human rights, but it's hard to talk about those reasonable fears without being labelled Islamophobic. It's not unreasonable to fear a religion that imposes such harsh lives on women.

Yes, I did ask in good faith despite your negativity towards western culture and Christianity. I assume you are a Muslim Mumsnetter which is why I asked the question, but you can't come up with a proper answer othrr than repeating the same old insults about historical Christian crimes.
You can't come up with any positive things about Islam's treatment of women so you have finally answered my question. Hooray!!!

Well, those I have known that were extreme Christian I have cut out of life as I don't want anything to do with their brand of toxicity.

I don't know any extremist Muslims either. Or any other religion. Doesn't mean they don't exist.

Without a hint of recognition that it stems from the same "Middle East" as Islam and Judaism. Jesus was a Semite.

An awful lot of "Christianity" is based in the historical culture of Palestine. And the bits that aren't were tacked on from Roman pagan traditions.

29 days to Christmas, buy the way.

So you don't actually know any, because those whose views you didn't like you ghosted and no longer know how they feel.

Those who were toxic, I cut out of my life. Yes. They had 'opinions' that were not compatible with my life. Those that wish "eternal damnation" on others for living a different life style to them have no place in my life. It would be the same for anyone who held opinions that I find dangerous and toxic, what ever their religion or belief (or lack there of)

It's not really all that historical though is it? Ireland is still living with the trauma of what Christianity did to the country. There aren't many people here who haven't been affected in a negative way or who dont know someone who has been affected negativity. It's only in the past few decades when Ireland has pretty much ditched any influence from the church that the country has started to thrive and become a great place to live.

I can't think of anything positive Christianity did here for women. It was an absolute scourge on the country.

So OP, I think the phrase is fear of Islamist extremism. It's subjective depending where you live like any issue.
Most people come across one or two who take their faith very seriously, if they separate or are ostracised from any balancing dialogue they can be more easily used as tools by activists.

You ok there hun? That was my first interaction with you and I haven't mentioned Christianity or western culture in a single post let alone in a negative light.
Your hate is showing.

same old insults about historical Christian crimes.

The last extremist terror attack on British soil that resulted in the murder of people by a deeply religious person was the Southport stabbings on 29 July 2024. The perpetrator was a young Christian British teenager from a conservative Christian family with the traditional mother at home set up, and the young man had been a choir boy. The family was described as “deeply involved in the church.”

Most reports/wiki erase his religion and make mention of him having a pdf study on Al Qaeda on his computer to hint that he was a Muslim jihadist when he was a born, baptised and dyed in the wool conservative Christian.

I'm not sure what you're trying to prove here. If it's " evidence "of a Christian extremist committing mass murder and terrorism in the " name of Jesus ", you're very wrong and just desperate to find an appropriate example to back your beliefs. The court case is still ongoing, and as of yet, there is no evidence presented that this were his motivation NOR that he was a jihadist. A deeply inappropriate and offensive post, especially for the families still going through the trauma of losing their loved ones. Perhaps take a step back and think before you post.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/30/reality-check-southport-attack-not-declared-terrorist-incident

extract from the article above
Having initially said the stabbings were “not currently being treated as terror-related”, Merseyside police on Tuesday charged Rudakubana with possessing a study of al-Qaida’s training manual and producing a biological weapon, ricin. The Southport attack has not been declared a terrorist incident, however.......

Another important element is that Rudakubana has not been charged with possessing a terror training manual. Rather, the pdf allegedly found on his computer was more akin to an academic study, titled “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual”.....
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Jihad? Not a particularly christian concept. Perhaps he couldn't find what he needed in christianity and looked elsewhere, I believe the term is revert.

Anyway let's wait for the court case and see how it's reported.

btw you know the Salvation Army don't actually carry guns right?

I don’t mean to offend anyone but a poster has been repeatedly challenging the thread to give examples of Christian extremist violence that are not “old insults and historical events”

I don’t know how to respond to that without using a recent example.

As it is most terror attacks are politically motivated, it is only when a Muslim is doing it that racists blame their religion and not the geopolitics that are at the root of the violence.

Anyway let's wait for the court case and see how it's reported.

Agree with that, although I do find the attempt to paint the perpetrator from Southport as a Christian extremist and terrorist quite wild.

The OP post is very valid.
The Christian equivalent is called fundamentalist evangelical, and is indeed on the rise in the US. I don’t want that either, but I am able to discuss it without bring called a racist cristianphobic bigot. I know that it is Not All Christians.

In the thread title OP is trying to shout Not All Muslims. There’s still a sizeable chunk of the global muslim population who has a very problematic attitude to women and their rights as individuals - indeed even as humans. And this is putting it politely.

That there are nutso Christian sects too (and even the Catholic Church) is a fact, but their power in many parts of the world has waned. The parts where it is on the rise again, women are rather worried! Poland, I’m looking at you.

A - maybe the best - way to counter extremism, is to educate yourself. And others if they are amenable. If you do that, you are able to see through the smokescreen of "religion" and start to see the disconnect with the reality.

A trivial example is the notion that a niqab is somehow required as part of Islam. It isn't never has been. And anyone who tries to claim it is is really pushing a specific custom from a specific culture.

You can do the same with Christian nonsense too. Nowhere in any of the Bibles does it instruct Christians to wear a cross. It may be a lovely piece of jewellery. It may be really special to you. But your religion doesn't say you have to wear it.

If you are ever unsure or curious, ask. Ask as many people as you can.

What does that have to with my post though?
Are you absolutely sure you’re not thinking of someone else? That post of mind you quoted was my first post on this thread.

I'm interested in what you think, given your posts which seem to have a strong opinion on religions

Do you think they are equitable or no?

@MothToAnInferno

Wasn't it more political and Nationalistic though and the English happened to be Protestant because of the reformation. The rich in England wanted to colonise Ireland

@MothToAnInferno

Sorry I see what you mean about the Catholic Church but again isn't it political

As a Muslim my family, friends and acquaintances have never discussed shariah law. There aren't many people who do. It's not coming to the UK. Where has this scaremongering come from again?

Thank you, that's exactly the problem. No-one objects if you discuss concerns about Christian fundamentalist evangelism, but it's very hard to discuss the more extremist elements of Islam without people jumping up and down and screaming 'Islamophobia' and I don't think it's phobic to fear a religion that seems to lend itself to a culture of oppression, particularly oppression of women.

Is that true? Or is it that there has actually been a lot more extremist violence perpetrated by Islamists? Can the political and the religious be separated when the terrorists are claiming their actions in the name of Jihad?

Thanks for all the responses, it's been very interesting.

I guess the answer is that it's extremist or fundamentalist Islam that concerns me, especially calls for Global Jihad. And, honestly, most extreme religious groups concern me, but Islam stands out, possibly because of the number of countries that have gone from liberal democracy to Islamic theocracy (which seems like a backwards step) and the number of Islamist terror attacks I've seen in my lifetime.

I think your view might be somewhat blinkered given how pro the hard right Israeli government you are.

For example, domestic abuse organisations have voiced concern about religious councils in the UK.

You have said that you don't see a problem with Jewish councils yet the predominantly male rabbis at the Beit Din refuse to accept guidelines regarding coercive control. It's well known how patriarchal Orthodoxy is yet you don't seem to have a problem with it.

It's also been pointed out on this thread how far right terrorism is a growing threat and they tend to be Christian, yet you believe the only threat is Islamic. Despite recent riots where Muslims were targeted, you don't consider them a threat.

It's also been pointed out how Western countries have contributed to long term instability in the ME, yet it's solely Islam which is the problem. Fundamentalist regimes have been put in place by Western powers and the West sees Saudi Arabia as an ally but that's not a problem.

VAWAG is a problem in all societies and we currently have a crisis in the UK yet you focus on Islam. Rape is rarely prosecuted in the UK yet we're progressive. Incel ideology has been labelled terrorism because of its overt misogyny but that's not a threat.

Muslims in Palestine are currently being obliterated with Western funding and support, yet Islam is the problem. Countries in the ME are being bombed and millions are displaced but Islam is the problem.

I won't bore you with talk of ethnic cleansing and genocide, sexual abuse, child prisoners, torture, child slaughter and thousands detained indefinitely without charge because I can guess your explanation - Islam is the problem.

Do you see the pattern here?