Muslims and politics

[bill barlow]

Why is it whenever a Muslim speaks on TV or radio in defence of his faith they hardly ever mention Allah or Mohammed?? It is nearly allways politics ie Iraq, Palestine, Israel etc.

[keyvan]

I think politics is quite entangled with religion. Muslims see religion as a way of life to combat against injustice. The Israel and Palestinian issue concerns land ownership and the injustice felt by each one. The moslems feel that israelis have the unanimous support of the Americans and the West always turns a blind eye at them and the Israelis are frustrated at the way they are becoming victim of the suicide bombers and others. In the moslem's psyche, Iraq as a moslem country is also invaded by infidels. And that's very much politics.

you have to agree that the best picture and understanding appears in mind first after one has regarded all possible parties' versions of the stories! Saddam, the Iraqi oppositions, the people and the US! and first then, under such comparative light one can judge fairly and correctly! And often one comes to the conclusion that all sides have a finger involved in most events and no one is to cast the first stone! No saints and demons in other words!

[bill barlow]

Keyvan.I take on board what you say, but with respect do not think you have answered the question.

You say you think politics is entangled with religion. Not in this country. It is taboo for a Bishop for example to comment on any political matter, even though they do very occasionally. My point is Muslim leaders nearly allways revert to politics. I just wonder why?

[noxlumos]

Not in this country eh Bill? Ever been to Belfast?

[bill barlow]

Noxlumos..............no never been to Belfast.............not in this country is it?? Full of Irishmen I believe.

[keyvan]

Bill. My reference to entanglement concerned the muslim world primarily in the Middle East not UK where the church and state separated many centuries ago. That's why I started off my post with the Israeli/ Palestine issue. Ideally I would also like to see the separation of religion and politics in many muslim countries but I guess that would be a dream far fetched for the very reasons I explained in my previous post.

[bill barlow]

Keyvan...........I appreciate your response, but you still do not answer my question..........You would like to see the seperation of religion and politics in Muslim countries but my question is why are they so interlinked?? I agree the idea is a dream, but why??

[keyvan]

Noxlulmos I think there is a parallel one can draw between the situation in Northern Ireland and the Israeli/ arab countries in that there is conflict of interest and yes religion does play a big part. Having had a few Irish friends they have always told me how fanatically religious some people are in Belfast.

[keyvan]

Bill. I don't have an answer to this except what I have already said in my first post. Leaders of some muslim countries are exploiting religion to meddle in the politics for their own interests. Why they do it? I don't know. But there is no saints and demons in this world. And politics does play a bigger role than religion in the Middle East.

[bill barlow]

ok........thanks.........I think you will find though that religion plays a bigger part than politics in the middle east .

[noxlumos]

Bill, yeah it is full of Irishmen your dead right there, which is why most of us wonder why it's still flaming well part of the UK!

Politics and religion are intertwined throughout the world and have been throughout history, certain religious affiliations equal certain political ones. It's quite simply because religion is an easy weapon for war lords to use. Ally themselves with a religious perspective and you've got a huge chunk of the population on your side.It's just a power play and it happens all over the world not just the middle east.If you're Catholic you're a Republican in NI , if you're Protestant you're a Loyalist, very few break that mould because it's socially unacceptable to do so and I'd imagine it's the same with Muslims etc.

[bill barlow]

k

[Whickerman]

In fairness, try have a discussion with a Jewish person, and you can bet they'll be political too, as will a Northern Irish Protestant, a Southern (US) Baptist, a Hindu from northern India, a Buddhist from Nepal...

[sako 243]

bill,i think the reason they always revert to mentioning interests conflicting their own,eg iraq,israel ect is a way of justifying their actions.if you ask them if mohammed preaches to behead people and to kill innocent civvies that is when they revert to ill doing by the western world instead.i have answered a few questions related to muslims on ab and this is the first time i have seen northern ireland mentioned.many times i have been tempted to say the two situations are so alike as they are.to have served in both areas and to feel the hatred served up by both is not a good feeling.

[keyvan]

sako 243.......I came back to this topic because I could not help but to notice by the way you have answered this thread you are indirectly referring to what I said here earlier. I suggest you read it first carefully before generalising and maybe then let's have an open discussion. If it makes you feel better by repeating the same thing about beheadings by moslems and Mohammad is this and Mohammad is that then that again is fine by me. However, I have no time for anyone redicluing a religion based on prejudices and generalisations.