Moderate Islam - A Free Thinker's Perspective

It is hard to see the whole picture from where we sit in a 1st world country. When I search Google for anything related Islam, I find a bunch of terror shots. It was hard to find images of moderate Muslims. But I spent several months in the Middle East in 2002/2003, and I know that the majority of Muslims would not kill for Islam.

Is it all rosy? No. It is probably true that most Muslim's are not moderate by western standards. However, the fact that moderates exist, and that they have a small foothold in Islam is a huge positive sign for the future of human rights.

- Apologies for the hoarse voice. I'm just recovering my voice after a rough week.

- Flying Spaghetti Monster on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

- All images and video footage used under fair use.

Transcript:
Many of us look at Islam as a grave threat to humanity - and I too hold strong to the opinion that the Islamic Theocracies (or any theocracies) are dangerous and that we should fight against any form of blasphemy laws because freedom is more important than avoiding terror. I also agree with Sam Harris - that the stance of religious moderates is completely intellectually bankrupt - and that religious moderates do a disservice to humanity by creating a safe haven for extremists and by perpetuating the popular myth that *faith* is a good thing.

But if you came looking for another video to re-affirm your strong distaste for Islam - this isn't it. There are plenty of other videos out there for that - and I agree with them. But I wouldn't be adding anything if I simply made another one.

So here is a different point of view. This is a touchy subject, so bare with me on this one.




Lately I have been noticing more Muslims in my area.
(Transcript continued on http://thefaithcheck.com)

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• islam
• christianity
• moderates
• middle
• east
• islamiphobia
• faith
• atheism
• god
• religion
• terror
• human
• rights
• freedom

[glottidum]

This is so annoying. I am studying in the Middle East, and sure, many here are very ignorant of many things we take for granted, like the big bang theory, evolution and STDs, but please, if you have never been here, studied post colonialism or know anything about the secularist and feminist movements that are active here, then I beg you not to try to analyze what's going on here and why. You just sound ignorant. Otherwise I really like your vids, cause you talk about stuff you know about.

[TheFaithCheck]

@glottidum I spent 6 months in Egypt in 2002/2003. I had muslims tell me they were happy about 9-11, and others tell me that they are very angry at their wives for only bearing daughters. So i know it's bad and i see how hard it is for progressives there. The point of this video is to look at it as a good thing when you see muslims acting like seculars rather than to be bummed when you find out that someone acting secularly calls his/herself a muslim. Apologies for sounding uneducated to you.

[TheFaithCheck]

Great set of thoughts and viewpoints in the comments below. Definitely worth a read. Thanks everyone for the input.

[GreatBigBore]

Thanks for the hopeful message. I was just reading the news and noticing how everything seems to be going to hell at the moment. Glad that some people can still imagine something better.

[TheFaithCheck]

@GreatBigBore Yeah, I feel the same way quite often. The news amplifies the ugly - but the ugly side of Islam is out there in full force. When I was in the Egypt in 2002, some of the locals told us they were happy about 9-11. One guy told me he hated his family because he had 4 daughters and no sons. But a large percentage (prob less than half) were really good people living by rational values. I think (hope) it's only a matter of time before that goodness spreads.

[Zaunstar]

Well said! Crocoduck Army approved!

[TheFaithCheck]

@Zaunstar glad to hear it. Thanks!

[superhamzah85]

It's not a direct scalable thing to Christianity, I mean in Iran the schools teach evolution as if it's a no brainer, whereas in Saudi Arabia they call it a miscalculated conclusion about the diversity of life.

I'd say within one generation evolution will be the default, in 2 generations aheism is tolerated widely, in 3 generations it's pretty much done.

I was Muslim, now an atheist, but I would celebrate eid, just as you celebrate Christmas, and hopefully, how everyone will celebrate both.

[vmorgun]

Thanks for the video. Organised religion always evolves: splits into sects, changes etc. This is a good thing in general.

[D7bestchord]

Islam is a threat to humanity. Atheism is the true way of peace.

[TheAwesomeMaths]

@TheFaithCheck You are winning what?

[glottidum]

@TheFaithCheck I'm sorry if I'm spamming,but I have to tell you that I did not intend to insult you,and I apologize if I did.I have spent some time studying the history of islamophobia,and its groth in Europe and the US,and I get upset when someone as intelligent as u seems to be so affected by stereotypes.Maybe I'm being oversensitive,but I feel the topic has to be discussed in order to avoid giving arguments to real, rabid isplamophobes, which I'm convinced you don't want to do.

[glottidum]

@TheFaithCheck My apologies for assuming that you have never been here. I'm just so tired of islamophobia. Please don't get upset by my using that word, and infer that I'm calling you a rabid racist. Islamophobia is very old in Europe and the US, and as unconscious as antisemitism once was. Your video paints the picture that the reason there are moderate muslims is only because they live in "the west". That perpetuates stereotypes of the Middle East, no matter your intentions are

[keallenart]

Like the Catholics, all the moslem cultists have to do is apologize to their allah moon god before they die and they don't have to go to hell. BUT... every moslem who goes to mosque, prays to the fake allah or reads the bogus qur'an... is toast. (NOT moderate) The only trustworthy muslim, who is not doing a "taqiyya" number on you, is an apostate... or dead. (And you can't really trust either one of them EITHER!

[Wraaaaah]

Great vid and great message. Finally someone who can see clearly past the hate mongering towards muslims.

Keep up the great work!

[xTemplar1]

dude come to europe !

lets c how the muslims are here !

ur video to be honest is BULLSHIT !

the reason why most muslims in america are modern is because of the immigration its not that easy to immigrate to america !

in europe its to easy !

most muslims in europe are fckd up in the head !

look at the statistics of prisoners more then 60% is muslim !

the more muslim will gain in population% the more crazy they get !

if they are with a few they are nice but when they grow they show there real face