There is much suspicion surrounding Muslims worldwide….mostly because groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS have sucked all the air out of the religion leading people to believe that that is all there is to Islam….not so……
In an apartment in Amman, Jordan, three men sit with a man named Mohammed. Their goal: convince the 20-year-old Syrian not to join an armed jihadist group. Later, after Mohammed agreed to hold off for at least 40 days, one of the men declared victory. “Once they open their hearts and join us,” he says, “they never go back.” The men are adherents to Dawah, an Islamic movement that may have up to 50 million followers worldwide—and a reported 50,000 in the US, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Rooted in a 1921 Islamic revival in northwest India, Dawah calls on followers to convey the virtue of “loving thy fellow Muslims and non-Muslims.” Now proselytizing in more than 200 countries, Dawah members give a short talk, offer a blessing, and ask people to join them at a mosque for a prayer and lecture.
Dawah is an apolitical movement that its leaders call nonviolent; followers don’t debate their beliefs or broadcast them via social media. Critics, however, say Dawah’s adherence to conservative practices (like segregating men and women in public and requiring women to cover themselves) make it a possible gateway to extremism. Indeed, shoe bomber Richard Reid followed Dawah and John Walker Lindh, who joined the Taliban, apparently went to Dawah events in the US. Still, former CIA analyst Graham Fuller says the movement should be welcomed as a nonviolent alternative to extremist groups. “If some people say, ‘Look, we don’t want Dawah here at all,’ then they are not living in the real world,” he says. “[Dawah] is speaking to a very basic need to express one’s faith beyond prayer.”
I know this is not what some people want to hear and will ignore any positive aspects of a religion they do not like…..
All I do is try to help in the understanding…..not convert. I dislike it when religion is used to fuel the dislike of a people…..
Religion was used greatly to promote the dislike of a people when the United States was busy genociding the Indigenous Peoples — nothing new about using religion to promote the dislike of people. I find many positive aspects in some religions other than Christianity but taking child brides and formenting terror, mayhem, destruction and death in the name of honor is not one of those aspects that appeal to me and I am not positively affected by any religion that kills its adherents if they decide to split away. I do like the fact that there are some apostates out there who practice pacifism but the question remains, “How are we to distinguish who is tame and who is vicious?”
“Balance is good.” — gigoid
Especially when presenting ideas for public consumption/education…. You always do a good job on that….
gigoid
Forgot…
As for Daweh…. it’s still based on delusion/illusion, and promotes divisiveness and bigotry…. At least they CLAIM to desire peace…. Better than just immediately “going human” and starting to kill unbelievers….
I repeat; anyone who bases their life on a set of delusions simply cannot ever connect to Reality, or the rest of the circle of life on this planet…. They simply refuse to see Truth…. Belief is much easier, and requires no thinking on their part….
Okay, I’m done for now….
Have a joyous, safe winter, brother, as free of pain as possible….
gigoid, the dubious
Yes, Gigoid — anyway you cut it it is still delusional and bigoted, supremacist, and dangerous. I agree with you a Hundred percent.
Yep, exactly like every delusional religion in the world…. That’s, by my personal count, ALL of them….
😉
THanx my friend….I refuse to let BS go unchallenged….chuq