From: mughal@juliet.caltech.edu (ASIM M MUGHAL)
Subject: Re: Islam a fascist ... NOT!
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 01:42:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.220138.13867@tamsun.tamu.edu>, gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal) writes...
>In article <24AUG199216181091@juliet.caltech.edu> mughal@juliet.caltech.edu (ASIM M MUGHAL) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug24.204608.27253@tamsun.tamu.edu>, gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal) writes...


>>>When saying that Islam is "tolerant", it means that there is scope 
>>>for forgiving infractions. All the more especially when the accused 
>>
>>     Yes, it is tolerant but you seem to imply that if a religion is 
>>     tolerant is by default must forgive everything and just say,
>>     "oh its okay, just don't do it again."
>>     I don't think there is a single society which takes this above position
>>     on *any* crime commited. Just there is a death policy in California
>>     doesn't mean California is an intolerant state & no mater what your
>>     crime you will be sent to the gas chamber.      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>You mean if I steal a lollipop from a kid or not pay my parking 
>ticket, I'll go to the gas chambers !! They must have a lot of gas
>chambers in California then.

     Yeah exactly that! ;) 
> 
>>>malice towards any one particular religion. And certainly they had no
>>>idea that their play could be so inflammatory to certain fanatics else 
>>>they would have never staged it publicly in a country like Dubai in the 
>>
>>     From the other reports, they were advised against staging the play 
>>     due to the content and they still went ahead with it. Will that 
>>     classify as being 'naive?'
> 
>Really! What other reports ? Could you mention any sources ? 
> 
>And even if they did go ahead with the play, does blasphemy 
>(which is yet to be properly defined) deserve death ?! You 

     1. Blasphemy is not poorly defined
     2. I don't know if blasphemy deserves death, what do you think?

>seem to be no better than khomeni. 

     Is that a compliment?
> 
>>
>>     Plz note, it not for the people to forgive anyone it is always up to 
>>Allah.
> 
>So I suppose, Allah can only forgive but not condemn. The condemnation 

     I don't know. 

>part must be carried out by his followers eh ?! 

     I don't know it 'must' be carried out by followers or not but they
     can probably point it out, at least.
> 
>>     Q. How tolerant are followers of other religions? (just curious)
> 
>Many times you see similar examples in other religions as well. I 
>don't deny that. Most of the time such ridiculous intolerance is 
>shown at the individual level where the individual concerned is 
>a simplistic minded fanatic. You don't see such intolerance at the 
>state level where one can expect more broad minded people to think 
>out their actions without getting themselves worked up by religious 
>frenzy. What we are seeing here is akin to the burning of Joan of 
>ark for heresy. 
> 
>When such intolerant actions do take place in other religions 
>you don't see educated people of that religion using convoluted 
>sophistry to justify such barbarious actions as we are seeing 
>here on the net. 

    Nice twist... 

    when in reality it appears,

    1. The person bringing up the issue hardly seems to be interested
       in learning about the religion.
    2. The discussion is on tolerance and different levels of tolerance of
       x religion. 
    3. It is bringing out the hidden deep rooted hatred towards x religion 
       from the hearts of educated people who in the cover of academia only
       intend to condemn the religion. 

     The list can go on but I don't think the discussion is going anywhere
     and is more likely to turn ugly soon. I think both viewpoints have
     been presented and there is hardly any reason to continue.

     We can still co-exist and be tolerant of others' viewpoint even if it 
     is different from one's own, methinks :)


Asim Mughal
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