Religion, and Isolation of believers, has some strange results..

[Peacetrain]

The blaming and hatred being poured on the heads of all people who embrace the Muslim faith by others is isolating them and pushing them deeper into the arms of the radical right wingers of their faith who use it for power and corruption.

Isolating people and mocking them, making them feel less than, isolating them.. is pushing people into places they would never have gone. They are afraid of a world that would destroy them, and blames them for things they never did.

This is exactly what the Bin Ladens of the world wanted to happen.. trying to get them under their influence because "the world" will destroy them otherwise.

Fear and loathing of the "other" .. the core of so much destruction though out history.

[Exultant Democracy]

1. Long term economic exploitation by the west gives the radicals more power then an offensive cartoon.

This blow back is a consequence of a series of policies that have been in play for well over a century.

You are 100% correct of course that our hate in response to their hate solves nothing. However the Islamic Warriors for the next 10-20 years are being recruited by body counts, drone bombs and the illegal Iraq war. We will never move forward until someone stops bombing someone else and the people who make those choices seem to be beholden to no one.

[dissentient]

2. The more that mainstream Muslims speak out against these atrocities committed by misguided fanatics

of their faith, the better. I was heartened that even Hezbollah and Iran released official statements condemning the killings and violence of the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo.

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. exactly - knr

[oberliner]

4. There may be Muslims who question the faith

But are afraid to say anything because they know how harshly they could be dealt with if there are in a situation where they are not free to present such a challenge.

Maybe they will feel supported by the rest of the world if we help to create a situation where it's OK to question the faith. Where one does not need to fear for one's life in doing so.

[Peacetrain]

5. Precisely.. or they can practice their faith

and not feel less than.. To be able to question those who are abusing their faith for power without fearing for the lives of themselves or their family members..fear does horrible things going both ways.. it isolates people from one another.. they fear the other..

Their is something very destructive about hatred and fear of others in an irrational blaming one group for all the sins and abuses that some part of that group committed.

It is hard as a Christian in DU, watching the broad brush blaming of all Christians for every evil in the world.. and there is no fear for personal safety.. you can always just shut the site off.. but what must if be like to live in the middle of that hatred from all directions. No way that you feel you can get away from it.

[oberliner]

6. Agreed

I certainly agree that one should not blame one group for all the sins and abuses that some part of that group committed.

However, I do support mocking religions in much the same way I support mocking political philosophies. Not to create fear and hatred but to challenge ideas and encourage people to think critically.

I especially think it is important to challenge religions that attempt to impose its view on others.

If an Islamic leader says - no follower of our religion may draw a cartoon of the prophet, that would be one thing.

But when Islamic leaders say - no one anywhere may draw a cartoon of the prophet no matter if they are Muslims or not, then there is a problem.

[Peacetrain]

7. You are absolutely right.. and I hope you make an op of this

What tenets a person adheres to religiously or sectarian..whatever.. no one has the right to enforce their beliefs on another person..

[H2O Man]

8. Well said.

[oberliner]

11. Thanks

Appreciate the supportive comment. It's been interesting participating in these debates/discussions here to say the least.

[Fumesucker]

9. It's interesting that someone would say that in a nation that needs billboards like this..

The non-religious on average are less right-wing than those who are religious and yet we've been mocked and blamed for a very long time.

Perhaps there is something else at work here.

[Bluenorthwest]

10. Does religion 'isolate' minorities it punishes and puts in prison? Or is that OK?

And what about the fact that the most extreme religion in governments or in society tend to strongly self isolate. If a religion says 'No other ideas can be mentioned in our country' how exactly do you blame others for their isolation? In some of these nations, it is illegal to have another religion or to be LGBT or an atheist.
'I am locking myself in a room because you offend me then I will blame you for isolating me'

Not sure I follow. But it is hard for me to see the oppressive religious majority, source of all anti gay laws and acts, as being some put upon 'other'.
Do not the Teachers teach that what you do unto others returns to you in time? That if you abuse others that you will be abused?
Have religions not abused others? They have cast no abuse upon the waters which might return to them righteously and justly, as their God told them that it would?