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A Muslim author and critic of Islamic fundamentalism who was baptized a Catholic by Pope Benedict said on Sunday Islam is "physiologically violent" and he is now in great danger because of his conversion. </p>
<p>"I realize what I am going up against but I will confront my fate with my head high, with my back straight and the interior strength of one who is certain about his faith," said Magdi Allam.</p>
<p>In a surprise move on Saturday night, the pope baptized the 55-year-old, Egyptian-born Allam at an Easter eve service in St Peter's Basilica that was broadcast around the world.
<p>Cult like , brainwashing control. against freedom of expression and religeous tolerance.
For that, his life is in jeopardy. Makes a lot of sense, no ?
(( shakes head in disbelief ))</p>
<p>The article says he was a critic of Islamic fundamentalists, which within the Muslim faith, is considered more of a cult. You can't judge the whole faith by what some fundamentalists, claiming affiliation with that faith, are threatening someone who left. Many non-Islamic cults use intimidation and control to 'take' lives in many ways. I doubt very seriously the threats are coming from mainstream Muslims... most likely they are coming from the fundamentalists who are p***ed as all hell at not only what he did, but that the Catholic church so publicly offered this conversion on its most holy of days.</p>
<p>Frankly, given the tension amongst Christians and extremists Muslims, I felt this was very provocative. I have no issue whatsoever regarding conversion to different faiths, but why go out of the way to emphasize this particular conversion? The pope and the upper echelon of the Catholic church had to have known doing this would put this man's life in danger. When I first read the headline this morning on line, before reading these newest remarks of threats, the first thing I thought was, "Wow, this guy's got a black X on his back for the rest of his life."</p>
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I fail to see how any religion could justify killing someone because he left the religion.
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<p>Medieval religion, medieval punishments. To be fair, they do get my respect for following their holy book all the way through instead of picking and choosing (can't be gay, but can eat shrimp, etc.)</p>
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You can't judge the whole faith by what some fundamentalists, claiming affiliation with that faith, are threatening someone who left.
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<p>Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini put a $3 million boundy on the head of Solomon Rushdie just because Rushdie wrote a few books mildly critical of Islam. There are about 75 million people in Iran and I suspect the vast majority of them would agree with Khomeini. That's a pretty big representation of the faith.</p>
<p>While I obviously won't win over any posters with my argument, suffice it to say that I've been in dialogue with Muslims through the seminary I graduated from, and the mainstream Muslim does not advocate violence; let me repeat, does not advocate violence. In fact, the Koran inarguably teaches peace and love above all els</p>
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Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini put a $3 million boundy on the head of Solomon Rushdie just because Rushdie wrote a few books mildly critical of Islam.
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<p>Well... not exactly. He wrote a book about how verses from the Qu'ran were written by the Devil, not Muhammad, and he knew what he was getting into. </p>
<p>Still, it's totally messed up, and Islam will only survive in its current incarnation as long as conditions in the Middle East permit (hint: get some economic enfranchisement going, knock out the theocratic state crucial to Islam's structure), but the deeper problem is that they're incompatible with Western individualist values, free speech, etc. </p>
<p>The Qu'ran demands submission from non-believers, and while it's true that mainstream Islam embraces non-violence, the book (like the Old Testament) is filled to the brim with violent demands. Like, direct commands to crucify opponents (or in some cases, simply non-believers), cut off their hands, etc. The beheadings and stonings that take place throughout the Islamic world today fit within the framework laid out by a book written in a time when it was ok to kill people for property violations, or eating the wrong thing. The vast majority of Muslims have realized (like even the hardest-core Christians) that no sane person takes every word of a thousand-year old book literally.</p>
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Well... not exactly. He wrote a book about how verses from the Qu'ran were written by the Devil, not Muhammad, and he knew what he was getting into.
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<p>I didn't read the book, so I could be wrong, but I think that was an erroneous accusation against Rushdie. Rushdie did not actually say that in his book.</p>
<p>But anyway, my statement that his criticism was "mild" is probably wrong.</p>
<p>Razorsharp, Magdi Alam is an attention seeker. One can convert anywhere, anytime. But this guy had to do it on Easter Sunday and with the Pope no less. I am Catholic and even I find his conversion offensive. Faith is humble and modest. I have known many converts, and seldom have I seen it done so glamorously. </p>
<p>And Muslims are no more or less violent than any other people. I have lived among them all my life. There are over one billion muslims in the World and most of them just want to live in peace.</p>
