Let me make it clear to you in case you missed the memo. Within my immediate family I have very, very devout Muslims. I love them. I have no issue with being devout. I am quite conservative myself. However I do believe that religion should remain a
endogenous force that works on your self to make you a better person. In that sense it is great force for good. It provides humans with a anchor, a sense of moral accountability, imbues modesty and a source of succour in difficult times.
However I absolutely oppose the use of religion to impose views that are informed by faith on other humans. When religion is used as exogenous weapon to impose on others politics enters the equation which by it's very nature poisons what should be pure. It also creates dischord because my idea of faith and your idea of faith might very well clash. Yes, our politics also might clash but at least we don't invoke the name of Allah when we clash in the secular domain.
This is exactly what has happened in Pakistan. One man or men on mission of self appointed guardians of Islan fight against another man or men who also are in the belief that they represent the true word of Allah. The result is chaos and blood being spilled. Pakistan has more religious groups, more madaris students, more mullahs then it ever has in history - indeed even the Pakistani state has jumped on this bandwagon by calling itself "Islamic" yet nobody can say to me that society in Pakistan today is more just, more law abiding, better behaved, more accepting of the weak, more caring of the older people, more respecting of females or the quanta of morality is greater then say it was on 20 August 1947.
In summary I am not against Islam. Some of most dear and near are incredibly religious. I am against the use of religion in the public sphere. I am all for religion as force for making a better human being from inside out.
@Joe Shearer
And what are you? A Monkey Angraiz? Look at the Union Jack.
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