Forum Post: Radical or just Fanatic?
Posted 12 years ago on March 7, 2012, 12:05 a.m. EST by Normalperson1
(119)
from Indianapolis, IN
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
So in this "PC" climate we like to say that the fighters in the Islamic religion are radicals in their religion. This means that they are somehow out side of their religion and are not true Muslim. I do not believe this at all. To me they are Fanatic, and they will do what ever is needed for their cause. They will kill and die for their religion.
As far as I'm concerned, the use of the term "radical" indicates that their beliefs, prejudices, hatreds, and proclivity for violence fall outside the realm of mainstream, "normal" Islam, and that I'd agree with. They're not valid representatives of all Islam any more than the Westboro Baptists or the Branch Davidians are valid representatives of all Christianity, and treating them as if they are is a slap in the face to a whole lot of honest, hardworking Americans who happen to be Muslim but are also rational, moderate, tolerant human beings.
Just in case this comes up, in no way, shape, or form does the above condone the acts of violence perpetrated by al-Qaeda both in the US and abroad. What they did was despicable, and they deserve death for it. The important thing is to recognize that a man who will murder innocent civilians for his particular religion is a murderer first and a religious man second, and that an ordinary American Muslim is no more of a brother to Osama bin-Laden than you or I were to David Koresh.
I agree that is the term radical but this is not just a small group within Islam or one Mosque teaching this. This teaching is wide spread and in every nation. That is a movement and is not simply a few lost radicals. Also it is a fact that it only take a few driven people to get the majority of rational, moderate, and tolerant human beings to become irrational killing machines of hate and intolerance. History is full of that. Now if Al-Qaeda (The Base) was the only group then they would be radical, but they are one of many. This is a movement within Islam, Also it seems that this movement is growing stronger and the moderates are growing weaker. This left the radical class some time ago.
By they way i work with two very cool Muslims. One is from Egypt and the other is from Pakistan.
"Just in case this comes up,"
It's a shame that you have to add that last paragraph in 2012 to avoid distortion. Nice post.
Thanks, and yeah; I wish I didn't need the disclaimer either, but given the current climate (basically the climate since 9/11 with a few exceptions) I'd rather have it there than go without it and take the chance that someone is going to accuse me of supporting terrorism.
Hatred.
A heart full of anger and hatred spilling its sickness!