From: algebra@leland.Stanford.EDU (Leong Weng Ng)
Subject: Re: Cold war against ISLAM (Part-1)
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 92 08:14:17 GMT

In article <KYTAN.92Jul23145338@mantra.fia.dmg.ml.com> kytan@mantra.fia.dmg.ml.com (Kok-Yong Tan) writes:
>In article <1992Jul22.001423.12401@leland.Stanford.EDU> algebra@leland.Stanford.EDU (Leong Weng Ng) writes:
>
>{stuff deleted}
>
>>>>No such suicide attacks have occured in other parts of the world where
>>>>'fundamentalist' are active such as Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan
>>>>Afghanistan and Pakistan.
>>>
>>>Perhaps not all of the above countries have experienced suicide attacks but
>>>I think you forget the Egyptian suicide attack on Sadat and the recent suicide
>>>attack on the Algerian head of state.  The fact that a few of the Sadat
>>>attackers lived to be tried does not make it any less a suicide attack.  In
>>>both cases, the attackers were Muslim fanatics.  Christianity, if I remember
>>>correctly, takes a dim view of suicide for whatever reason, unlike Islam.
>				   ^^^^^^^
>>	   Is that a play on semantics? I believe the "suicide" in
>>"suicide attack" is different from "suicide" as used in your last
>>line. Your last line sure looks like a jibe at Islam. In any case,
>>I think a religion should not be judged based on the actions of
>>its members. Just because a few fanatics go about killing people
>>in the name of religion does not necessarily mean that the 
>>religion condones violence, or "suicide" as you put it. I
>>believe that most religions preach a message of love toward
>>your fellow man, but man has chosen to misinterpret religion
>>and turn it into a base ornament for his own misuse. But
>>even that and more should not be construed as a fault of
>>the religion. If Islam has its fanatics, then Christianity
>>also had its Crusaders. No religion is free from bad
>>reputation.
>
>Suicide is suicide in my book.  I don't believe you'll find any non-Muslim
>religion that even brings up the concept that if one takes as many enemies of
>the faith with one when one dies, one will achieve a direct line to the deity
>in question.  

	Like I said before, you are judging Islam based on
the actions of the people who supposedly practice it. You
do not know for sure that Islam regards suicide highly. Mr
Othman has explained to my satisfaction that Islam regards
suicide as being unacceptable. If you don't trust me, maybe
you should ask a Muslim for clarification or if you are
really into it, read the Koran. In any case, do some 
substantial fact-finding before you decide whether Islam 
is pro or anti suicide.

>A religion can only be judged on its practioners because, in theory, everything
>is perfect, be it communism, Christianity or whatever.
>
	If religion is perfect, how can you judge it? You
can judge the practioners based on how well they follow
their religion but having the imperfect judge the perfect
is absurd IMO.

>--
>===============================================================================
>Kok-Yong Tan, 			  	| My words are my own: 
>Fixed Income Analytics Group, 	  	| My bosses know naught.
>Merrill Lynch,			  	| Wherever they're sown,
>World Financial Center, North Tower, 	| Just I should be sought.
>New York, NY 10281-1315.	  	|		- K. Y. Tan, 5 Feb 1992
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>InterNet: kytan@fia.dmg.ml.com (Merrill Lynch)
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>
Weng Leong
Stanford U.