Where are all the reasonable Muslims?

[BananaChips]

So recently there has been the mass kidnapping (and forced conversion) of hundreds of school girls in Nigeria, and now today in the news a woman in Sudan is condemned to death because she refuses to renounce her faith for Islam.

Numerous political figures across the world and some other-religion figures (Archibishop of Canterbury if I recall) have spoken out against the kidnappings, albeit not in terms of religion.

But I'm sincerely curious as to why there seems to have been no one from the Islamic faith who have spoken out against these two recent atrocities. Is it just that the UK news media have not reported it? Is it that no one has spoken against these tragedies? Would we be wrong to say that these actions are putting Islam in a bad light? These actions are being carried out with distinct emphasis on religious grounds.

I am not trying to stir up any anti-religious feelings, I just want to understand why these acts have not been roundly denounced by members of their own faith. (Please point me towards it, if I've missed any in the news...)

You know what Dione - I'm not prejudiced. You're just incapable of debate so you stifle it with cries of racist, fascist, bigot and prejudiced.

I don't like religion, period. Islam seems to be the most insidious and the one most intent on world domination by nefarious means.

ROFL at marcus above saying she is not prejudiced.

As for back, i think peaceful and crescent have shown a lot more tolerance than you have.

How much tolerance do you think you'll see in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria?

Not only are you prejudiced Marcus, you are a fibber. I have never called anyone a facist. But hey, I guess you're not one to let the truth stand in the way of your hate mongering.

Let's be honest here.

Marcus is a grade A knob.

Easily. I know many Muslims that condemn such actions in the strongest of language. I know that many followers of Islam are working to help the victims and to eradicate such practices. So it can't be Islam that's the problem.

I think it must be cultural to some extent. to me some interpretations of how the Koran is applied to laws of the land or entwined in it, is where Europe was in Tudor times.

it was treason to criticise the king or question the establishment. you couldn't live how you wanted or worship God your own way.

"It can't be Islam that's the problem"

That's strange because it's the common denominator.

No it's not. In fact all the practices you mention, with the exception of bombings (and we all know that bombs are used by everyone who wants to kill a people by way of big explosion) predate Islam.

Mohammed himself ordered the stoning of a breastfeeding woman

Hi Existence, are you new here or did you NC just to make that post?

very different to Jesus's radical teaching in the situation of the adulterous women.

"let he who is without sin cast the first stone" or words to that effect. John 8

I think I would rather trust in him.

Jesus said "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

I know which guy I prefer

Where are these no-go areas for non-Muslims in the East End? I've never seen them.

I too have gone around the block with backonlybriefly a few times and he is impervious to argument. The only reason for engaging with him and posters like him is so that his calumnies don't go unopposed by default.

crescentmoon is absolutely right that people bear responsibility for their own sins: those who did evil things did, and do, and will bear responsibility (and, for me, face judgement) for them. It is more than possible for others to bear responsibility for colluding with others' sins (in fact, that would be a sin in itself). But I see no evidence of any of the Muslims on these boards, or any of the Muslims I know in RL, colluding with the things that are supposed to be being done in their name.

Peace and love, eh? Who's stirring up hatred and warfare here, than?

I'm not frothing. Not frothing, not surprised and not NCing or joining a new forum to spout prejudice.

and if I were Muslim I would be so upset and angry that my faith was being used and distorted by these horrors.

As a Muslim I am very upset and angry indeed. Sadly, I am not sure me saying that to confirm it to you will make any difference to these poor girls.

What I struggle with in what I have heard and seen of Islam is its attitude to women. Why can't they pray with men? Why do they have to go about covered up, why the opposition to educating women, why segregate the girls in British Schools.

I hope I'm not, just putting across another point of view. I have tried to be tactful.

surely we can agree to differ. Christianity gets bashed, bankers and capitalism on mumsnet. why is Islam different?

"were all the Imams in this country too busy doing something else than issue a "those geezers in Nigeria are doing a bad thing and should stop it" statement?"

Imams don't issue statements. They don't claim to speak for anybody.

And as others have said, there is no central authority in Islam like the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, or even like the Church of England.

Boko Haram is a terrorist organisation that kidnapped hundreds of school girls for sex trade. The entire world agrees that this is "a bad thing and should stop it". Why exactly do you need a priest-equivalent guy whose only authority is within a mosque to say the same?

"What about the Islamic leaders in Mecca?"

OP - You need to learn about Islam a bit if you are going to go on a rant about it.

Any Islamic leaders in Mecca will just be the leaders in... Mecca. They don't speak for global Islam.

You will not get your condemnation from the leader of Islam, because there is no such person. Islam has no Buddha, no Pope.

"When was the last time that you heard of a terrorist attack on western land by Jewish people in the name if their religion?"

Does it have to be in Western land to be considered terrorism?

Here: Jewish terrorism.