The only Muslims I personally know anything about are four liquor store owners from Muslim countries, two are arrogant, self superior, short change artist butt holes, the third was honorably moral towards a man I knew (refused to sell him liquor, saying “I'm not going to help you kill yourself”, the man eventually did succeed to drink himself to death but not to that Muslim's profit) and the last was born a Palestinian who grew up in the United States, with whom I've had productive two way conversations concerning the dilemma of Israelis and Palestinians as well as constructively exchanging views about the second Gulf War. One thing that stuck in my head was his mother telling him when he was a child that Israelis and Palestinians are like two brothers who hate each other, which is a part of my ideas of them besides the close genetic relationship. I haven't discussed the particulars of Islam with any of the above.
My closest source of indirect knowledge of Islam has been a series of relatives who've worked, from the early 60's to just a couple of years ago in Muslim countries such as: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, Turkey, Libya, Indonesia, and I believe more.
In the mid to late 70's, I entertained the thought of going to work on a construction project in Saudi Arabia. Hearing this, one, who later experienced his taxi being shot up on the way to the airport to flee the Iranian revolution, cautioned me to not take my blond, blue eyed wife as she would disappear into some sheik's harem as a sex slave. Another time, he related a story about being in a coastal town where everyone on the streets was herded to the beach to witness a public execution, a beheading.
One of the things I gleaned from them is that there is no peace with Islam and other religions, that where hard core Islam is politically dominant it seems to be something like a blood in - blood out sort of thing, that regardless how peaceful one's heart is that if one is called to jihad, one goes or one dies.
It boggles my mind the extent Muslims kill one another in Muslim countries over religious interpretation, not to mention non-believers. I'm not sure, but I think this is due to the rise of sectional fundamentalism since the 1950's and certainly since 1970. I don't think it was so bad in the early 20th century due to what I've read from those times, but I don't have the research to back a conclusion either way. Maybe it was held back by various middle eastern police states from Saddam Hussein to the Ottoman Empire, or maybe the steam built up until the boiler blew.
Another thing that struck me concerns falsehood. I understand it is forbidden for Muslims to lie to one another, however there is a workaround. The deal is set in concrete, then declaration of “inshallah” gets tossed in, and if the deal is breached it's God's fault (divine will), a sort of cultural get out of jail free card.
On the other hand, non-Muslims are fair game for any sort of treachery or vile mistreatment depending on position of political strength, which makes it difficult for us to differentiate the sheep from the goats here in the US or anywhere else. There are those who tell us that Islam is a religion of peace, from what I understand quoting passages from religious texts concerning when Islam is politically weak while sidestepping harsh passages superseding the former when Islam is politically strong.
So, there is a mixture those who preach hate within mosques and madressas while deceiving us about their intent along with those who want no part of it, which then lends itself to blanket reaction on all when there are incidents of terrorism, which then sets off a chain of propaganda and polarization shoving everyone firmly in their respective ideological corners.
A woman I knew was from Iran, she described herself as a Persian Jew. I asked her why her family left Iran. She indignantly declared “If you're not Muslim, they think they can do anything they want with you”. A few years after that, we witness the Muslim refugee crisis in Europe with all the robbery, rape and other crimes – Muslims moving into non-Muslim domains in numbers too large to at least put forth some authoritative semblance of how to behave “around here”, and political correctness turning the notion of “tolerance” inside out does nothing to stop insolent attack by invited foreigners on long standing rights of citizens in their own home countries.
We have a notion of religious freedom which people from theocratic minded cultures succeed in pushing what is essentially taking one bite at a time towards political domination. So, if you want to pray five times a day, do it on your own time. Don't want to pose for ID photos without wearing an hijab? Move to another country more to your liking. If you want to wash your feet, do like everyone else and do it at home, don't force anyone to install special foot washing facilities to cater to you. Want halal? Either buy kosher on your own dime, which is essentially the same thing, or if the thought chokes you do like diaspora Jews have done with kosher for thousands of years – prepare it yourself. As for sharia, it is intended to be the supreme law, which conflicts with the concept of a constitutional republic. So, if you want sharia, buy a one way ticket to anywhere else, leave and don't come back.
And, no refugees from Syria. Protect them there, and when the crap is over they can go back to their home provinces.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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