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From: daniel goldsmith <dg...@ascraeus.bongley.net.invalid>
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Subject: Re: For Gary (mostly)
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2012 12:31:22 +0000 (UTC)
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On 2012-09-15, Nigel Stapley <u...@judgemental.plus.com> wrote:
> Chris Zakes wrote:
>> On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:53:49 -0500,  an orbital mind-control laser
>> caused GaryN <webmas...@oxtoyrun.org.uk> to write:
>> 
>> (snip)
>> 
>>> What I can't work out is why everyone is getting all upset over this film 
>>> degrading Buddah, or Muhammed, or whoever.
 
<some snips>

> I have what I call "the theory of parallel development" on this. 
> Consider that Islam is about 650 years younger than Christianity. Then 
> consider how Christianity was behaving 650 years ago, especially towards 
> non-Christians or non-the-'right'-sort-of-Christians.
>
> Adjusted for the acceleration of technology, that would put the 
> development of Islam today somewhere in the Crusades-to-heretic-burning 
> stage. So they're coming on quite nicely really. Another 50 years or so 
> and they may just have reached the opening innings of The Enlightenment.

Well, that's as may be but - and its a massive BUT - the civilizations
of the muslim world were of the same era, indeed, a very similar
technological, societal and developmental level, as the "Christian"
lands were at the time of the Crusades. In very many ways, they were 
more advanced, but the overall society was remarably similar.

That kinda kills off your theory, as there is no parallell to be drawn
on the basis of two religious entities which were at the same stage
650 years ago, but have now diverged massively.

Even if you go back to the creation of the Islamic faith by Muhammed
and the ulemma in about 610CE, that religion took root in a society
600-odd years more advanced than that in which Christianity arose.
The dominant local powers were the by-then decadent Persian and Roman
(Byzantine) Empires, and when the Rashidun conquered the remants of
their powers, they adopted the laws, customs and technologies that
were extant - they didn't (as was alleged for centuries) tear it all
asunder and start from a tabula rasa.

In my own non-exhaustively researched opinion, the problems which
currently afflict Islam are far more recent in origin - to whit:
the discovery of oil in Araby. There really could not have been a
worse cess-pit of intolerance, religious hatred and sheer nastiness
in which the vast majority of the worlds oil could have been found.
The al-Saud dynasty have, in order to keep their own incomprehensibly
vast privilege, wealth and power, ushered in an era of stark and
poisonous ignorance in the Dar al-Islam, to the ruination of that
world and the rest besides. They use and abuse their position as the
wealthiest dogs in the pack to terrible effect - destroying Islamic
education across the world in favour of their home-based policy of
keeping people ignorant.

When all people have is their religion, that's going to cause a
violent reaction when you attack it.

-- 
Protected by their camouflage, the New International Militant Hedgehogs
__o  __o  __o  __o          (NIMH) Approach their Target
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                       *Daniel Goldsmith. Reply-to/Homepage in Headers*