Not extremist! Extremist is killing abortion doctors or flying planes into buildings. They're not extremist because they don't cherry pick their religion like so-called sophisticated religious persons of various faiths. People that follow the religion in it's entirety are compelled to have these attitudes.
Fundamentalist! They are demanding that ḥadīth (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, for example) be enforced as prescribed by their religion. They are only asking for what they believe in. You can say extremist, crazy, political, conservative--this is straight from the text. The punishment for apostates, Murtad Fitri or Murtad Milli, and blasphemers, is death.
Bukhārī (84:57) Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.
Bukhārī (89:271) A man who embraces Islam, then reverts to Judaism is to be killed according to "the verdict of Allah and his apostle."
Extremism is relative, and a politically loaded term. Let's think about what it really means. According to Wikipedia, extremism can be defined as "any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards." According to that definition, fundamental Islam is extremism. So is fundamental Christianity. So is a lot of things.
And indeed, following every
hadith, or even every
surah in the
Qur'an, is extreme. It's rare, relatively speaking.
But why are there so many more violent religious extremists in Islam than in Christianity? you may ask.
First I would say that the media reports on what it wants, and we are all stuck in our own echo chamber to reinforce our world views. I would also say that there are many more poor Muslims who happen to be living on the wrong side of the free-trade spectrum and are angry about the changes to their way of life they are experiencing. I remind you that poor, religious people are the most likely to be highly conservative and resistant, violently so, to change. Religion isn't exempt from the blame for this, but as I see it, there is nothing inherent to Islam that makes its followers any more violent or conservative than any other religion.
I do not paint all of Islam with this brush, but I believe more of the Islamic world can be painted with the brush than you want to admit. I used to say one in a million, then one in a thousand, now one in a hundred, and I think that might be too generous.
I have very good friends who are Muslim (not devout) and I understand that there are beautiful components to the religion. Just as I would not blame my friends for the misdeeds of others, I will not blame peaceful Muslums for the fundamentalists saying and doing terrible things. But I have said to them, and I say to you, perhaps you and other peaceful people's need to speak more swiftly, speak more loudly, and actively demonstrate to the world that you and the majority of Muslims will not stand for these heinous acts. Silence speaks loudly sometimes.
I see you're using the maxiep method of "I haven't read about it in The Economist, therefore it hasn't happened." Plenty of Muslim organizations have, and continue to, condemn extreme Islam. Maybe you haven't heard about it. Maybe it's not even in English! The mind reels.
I wouldn't trust any one source of knowledge to inform my opinion of what the Muslim world is
really like, and I will readily admit that I am still woefully uninformed. Still, in my experience, extremism is resoundingly rejected and the vast, vast majority of Muslims I have met are "peaceful Muslums."
Good observation GOD, it also is important to note that the demonstrators weren't the entirety of the population that wants death to atheists. They represent many more people that weren't willing or able to protest alongside them. Polls show that Muslim countries routinely show that as many as half of the Muslim population or more support the death penalty for apostates. The countries below represent many millions.
I've covered in a previous thread why I distrust public polls, especially in ME/NA. Bridge notes version: people's opinions are far too complex, especially A Muslim's opinion on Islam, to even attempt to accurately represent in a public opinion poll.
87% of the population of Indonesia is Muslim. 20% call for death to apostates. 238-million x .87 x .2 = 41-million.
41-million Muslims in Indonesia thirsting for blood. That's one country.
Wow. Hey, as long as you're looking for a way to demonize as many people as possible, why not do the calculations for the entire Muslim population on Earth? Then you could add up how many we've killed in recent wars and compare the two, make a progress report, draw up some colorful charts and give a presentation to all the warhawks on this board. I'm sure they'd appreciate the effort.
