Film trailer sparks protests across the Islamic world

[MonsieurHulot]

This is why we shouldn't even have religion in the first place, there would be nothing to hate (eliminating the initial problem) and the issues of aggression would also be more or less curbed.

I think that there will always be something people will fight over. If religion were removed, people would use something else as the spark for their rage.
In Syria, Bashar Al-Assad's remarkably sectarian government looks likely to be violently overthrown, not because of his religious views, but because of his treatment Syria's people. Almost all conflicts are started by unfair treatment on a side, and religion is so often used as a scapegoat.

[brenden]

This is why we shouldn't even have religion in the first place, there would be nothing to hate (eliminating the initial problem) and the issues of aggression would also be more or less curbed.

I think that there will always be something people will fight over. If religion were removed, people would use something else as the spark for their rage.
In Syria, Bashar Al-Assad's remarkably sectarian government looks likely to be violently overthrown, not because of his religious views, but because of his treatment Syria's people. Almost all conflicts are started by unfair treatment on a side, and religion is so often used as a scapegoat.

Or the reason for the mistreatment.

[MonsieurHulot]

This is why we shouldn't even have religion in the first place, there would be nothing to hate (eliminating the initial problem) and the issues of aggression would also be more or less curbed.

I think that there will always be something people will fight over. If religion were removed, people would use something else as the spark for their rage.
In Syria, Bashar Al-Assad's remarkably sectarian government looks likely to be violently overthrown, not because of his religious views, but because of his treatment Syria's people. Almost all conflicts are started by unfair treatment on a side, and religion is so often used as a scapegoat.

Or the reason for the mistreatment.

Perhaps, but not in this case. His government was praised for little- if any- discrimination on the basis of religion.

[paulsterio]

I'm not at all religious, but it's a bit unfair to pin it on religion when it should be pinned on extremists and those can't can't control their emotions instead.

And we both know that removing religion is not going to happen.

I'm not pinning it on ALL religion, but what I'm trying to express is that religion is the root cause of many problems around the world and if religion wasn't present, those issues would lessen in magnitude or would cease to exist.

Even though there is a difference between fundamentalist religions and the majority, the truth is, I doubt those who got angry in Sydney and decided to riot were all fundamentalist Muslims, surely there were many in those protests that we would call "the majority" - so it's not just an issue of the fundamentalist religions.

The reason why religion causes so much trouble is because people link it so closely with their identity, not to mention that the religion itself might advocate things such as "war in the name of religion" and such. For example, let's say one of those Muslim men who were in the riots likes McDonalds. If I told him that McDonalds was shit, that Ronald McDonald and the owners are nothing more than womanisers and made a film like Supersize Me, I doubt he would be starting a protest. He'll just be like "OK, whatever" - that's the issue with religion, those people can't look at insults to their religion and say "OK, whatever".

[FlorianK]

The irony of the situation.

[ninwa]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/girl-8-calls-on-islamic-youth-to-back-jihad/story-e6frg6nf-1226475239074

I have no words

[Thu Thu Train]

Protest Fashion (via Reddit)
http://imgur.com/a/Vxi3p

[paulsterio]

This is the reason why many people view Islam as a violent and aggressive religion.

[thushan]

...and I feel for the peaceful Muslims whose name is being tarnished by these extremists.

[Biceps]

relevant to every topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

[Mao]

Protest Fashion (via Reddit)
http://imgur.com/a/Vxi3p

Oh man. Does anyone else get the urge to make a satirical ad campaign for these brands?

[mark_alec]

Oh man. Does anyone else get the urge to make a satirical ad campaign for these brands?

I'd rather a sartorial ad campaign.

*ducks*

[Soul_Khan]

...and I feel for the peaceful Muslims whose name is being tarnished by these extremists.

A strict reading of the Quran, the traditional scholar's interpretation,and the hadith suggests that they're actions aren't condemned by the good book. Considering that the peaceful verses were abrogated by the later more violent verses in the Quran, I don't see how any moderate and peaceful muslim can convince a strict Imam (who have all the control of the people btw) to choose the way of peace. Just look at the imams in Saudia Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iran, etc. and you will see that those who are hardcore fundamentalists (taking every word of the Quran and the hadith extremely seriously) generally endorse these violent acts (especially towards Jews).

This is why moderate Islam is a joke - because it's simply not a true representation of the religion.

I'm not complaining that there are no peaceful Muslims - but peaceful Muslims are those who don't take the Quran and Hadith seriously.

I can garauntee you for a fact that those who were protesting in Sydney were the ones who took their religion seriously (going to the mosque continually, reading the quran, reading the hadith, etc.) and those at home watching their fellow brothers and sisters in Islam make a fool of themselves didn't.

[thushan]

But the question is, are people meant to take the Quran THAT seriously? It draws parallels to the verses in the Old Testament (which encouraged some abhorrent things) and the New Testament. People tend to pick and choose the latter. Are these people not taking the Judeo-Christian faith seriously?

However, there is the point that the New Testament comes AFTER the Old Testament and, from my understanding, renounced the Old Testament, whereas the violent verses in the Quran came later and renounced the peaceful ones. :/

[enwiabe]

And that's why I conclude that religious moderates are that way because their morality is innate. They are naturally going to disagree with the vile parts of their religion because they are good people.

Unfortunately, their endorsement of their religion paves the way for those who do not have a moral compass to take the whole thing literally and do disgusting things. Like chop people's hands off for stealing bread, and stoning women for being raped.

The quran and the hadiths say you can do all of that. The moderates are too civilised to entertain such ugly behaviour, but the fundamentalists are convinced by their imaginary friend that this is what they must do.