Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Religious Intolerance and Islamic Extremists

My dear Azare, Thanks for your response but if I am very conversant with the history of Islam. Let me ask you: Did Muhammad respect the religion of his tribe? The traditional religion of his people was not Islam. Don't you know that? He actually used his freedom and introduced a new religion in place of their traditional religious belief. Please don't be emotional about something that cannot be denied historically, religiously and otherwise. You may want to leave out the case of holocaust. Slavery is was than holocaust. Both of them are evil and they should not be repeated. We are wiser today than when those senseless acts were immorally committed. Freedom of expression is not a preserve of any culture, it is a universal right of the the individual but it ought to be exercised in a way that it respects the right of others.But that does not warrant the killings and destruction of property of anyone who tramples on our rights. We have the judiciary that can be used to get justice. That is humane and civil. That is what I stand for not violence and silencing of different opinions. Segun.  --- On Fri, 9/28/12, Abdullahi Azare <barauab@gmail.com> wrote: From: Abdullahi Azare <barauab@gmail.com> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Religious Intolerance and Islamic Extremists To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com Date: Friday, September 28, 2012, 10:57 AM Segundo you're not a good student of history if not that or bias don't you know that is a crime to denied Holocaust or don't you know what is going on on  assange wikkileacks that his freedom of speech was denied by America and also in uk is crime to touch anything about royal families. You better understand that is only if you respect others religion that you would be respected or you think respect is useless in human life and in every religion. Place don't be brainwashed by those western ideas please On Sep 28, 2012 6:39 PM, "Segun" <Seguno2001@yahoo.com> wrote: I have pondered very deeply on religious intolerance in recent time which is not a new phenomenon. What is new is the unnecessary killings that the world has witnessed in the last twenty years particularly the Islamic extremism with violence in several parts of the world. Religious intolerance is a symptom of religious arrogance that has its historical antecedence documented in the historical background of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Jesus the Christ  was crucified by the zealots of Judaism. When Christianity became a dominant religion in Western Europe, their followers became intolerant of any form of criticisms. The Bible was held sacred and anyone who dare to criticize its teachings or doctrines would have himself to blame. Galileo who, from his scientific knowledge, gave a contrary view about the universe was put in inquisition by the Church where he died. I am aware that Pope John Paul apologized for that extremist practice of the Church at that time but the damage cannot be completely assuaged. The history of Islam manifested that sense of intolerance when Prophet Muhammad felt that the traditional religion of his people was idolatrous. His religious arrogance was challenged by his people and he had to run to Medina for safety. If he had not run for safety in Medina his people would probably have killed him and there would not have been any religion called Islam. The intolerance of his people and his intolerance of other faiths subsequently became part of the canon of Islam he founded. His Jihad and the call to eliminate infidels is the height of his religious intolerance. If Prophet Muhammad criticized the religious beliefs of his people why should Islam not be criticized? Christian missionaries came to Africa and in many ways showed their intolerance for the indigenous religious beliefs and practices. As a matter of fact  indigenous religion was given derogatory names and terminologies. Some of them called the indigenous religion of Africans primitive, idolatry, paganism etc. In spite of these insults on the holy order of traditional Africans the Church have not been attached by the people whose religion they have desecrated. Muslims from time to time have poured invectives on traditionalists. They are labeled as infidels and yet no Muslims have been killed or their property destroyed. Now, why is it that the Muslims feel offended when they are criticized or their religion is ridiculed by others? They have no reason to be upset to the point of killing innocent people who have nothing to do with a film or magazine produced in the US or France. Knowledge comes from self evaluation and criticisms from others. They are challenges that should not be ignored. Religious beliefs have to be subjected to criticisms or even ridicule and when  critics are tired of their blasphemous and provocative statements they will give up the "fight". Let us allow freedom of speech and expression to thrive because that is one of the cornerstones of knowledge and development. Muslims must learn to wear the mantle of tolerance and embrace dialogue in any seeming provocations from any part of the global village. Segun Ogungbemi. Sent from my iPhone -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.    For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue    For previous archives, visit  http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html    To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-    unsubscribe@googlegroups.com -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin. 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