WIY: Despite what popular Western conceptions of Islam may suggest, the greatest achievement a Muslim can achieve is not to die a martyr. In Islam, martyrdom is desirable only under specific conditions (i.e., when Muslim communities are under threat of attack by non-Muslims, or when the Umma – the Muslim equivalent to the Promised Land is occupied and governed by non-Muslims). Even under these conditions, there are many rules of Islamic law that govern when martyrdom is appropriate.
I dont know if the mods will let this post through (they don’t seem to have posted my last comment mentioning some similarities between our own practices and those of Muslims), but I hope they do.
I am writing this based on my own knowledge of Islamic law, which I have studied quite a bit (I think its best to fully understand other peoples, especially those that we have difficulties with, and especially those whose beliefs and practices are nuanced, complex, very old, and easily distorted and simplified by propaganda). My point here is not to justify or defend the actions of many Muslims. Rather, I hope to point out that if we want to deal with a problem, its best not to demonize it, simplify it, and then rest our proposed solutions on false understandings of what we face. It is far better to try to understand the nuanced reality of Islamic belief and practice, so that we can honestly evaluate where we stand and how we can deal with these issues.
Ok, here come the attacks (except perhaps from charliehall)