Sherry Chandler » Are Fundamentalists Always Dangerous?
Are Fundamentalists Always Dangerous?
from Juan Cole at Informed Comment:
The Afghan authorities have released Abdul Rahman, a convert from Islam to Christianity who was facing a death sentence for apostacy. Apparently the grounds for the release were procedural– questions linger about the man’s mental health, and there are gaps in the prosecution’s evidence.
That this travesty is being ended is a great good thing. But it is unfortunate that it is being ended on these narrow grounds. The next convert will face the same charges.
The episode underlines the falsehood of the Bush administration’s empty boast that it is spreading democracy in the Middle East and that “50 million” persons have been liberated. In fact, Bush has been spreading Muslim fundamentalism….
The doctrine that apostacy deserves the death penalty comes out of medieval Islamic canon law rather than from the Quran itself. …
The Quran is forthright that the wages of unbelief and idolatry in this life are damnation in the next. But it does not permit coercion of the conscience in this life.
This excellent post deserves your full attention. It is best never to make sweeping assumptions about a culture or a religion.
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1 Comment
1. Darlene replies at 28th March 2006, 5:22 pm :
I agree with you, Sherry. What a sad, sad thing to do. Thank you for sharing this eye-opening post.
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