From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Mon Aug 19 2002 - 21:19:31 MDT
Spike opined:
<<Yes. In the U.S. we have encouraged integration of people who would
have otherwise segregated themselves. Seems like the nations of the
middle east could solve problems in the same way. Import Hindus,
Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Agnostics and Atheists to live among
the Muslims, so that no religious or cultural group has a majority
anywhere on this planet. Then perhaps the extremists of all brands
would give up the notion of a holy land somewhere.
THAT would be a sweet closing of circles indeed.
spike>>
Spike, as a thought experiement its a noble idea, but as reality is a
on-winner. According to many Hindus for example, the Muslims have attempted
to force all Kaffirs (non-Muslims) to live under Koranic Law, also known as
sharia. This, in traditional Islamic society has forced the classification of
the Christian, the Jew, the Hindu, and the Buddhist to a lower status; known
as Djimmi. Sometimes, being in this Djimii status was not anything more then
paying a special tax and not having ones "house of faith" taller then the
largest mosque in town.
However, it seems that this kind of enlightend rulership was more the
exception then the rule, and Christians and Jews were required to wear funny
outfits, were subject to raids and persecution, subject to heavy taxes, don't
walk on the same sidewalk etc. Resembling something like the status of
American Blacks in the South pre-Martin Luther King.
I am believing that regime changes and a change of emphasis on OPEC oil will
be the driving force to bring Islam in from the cold. Teaching tolerence and
getting the economics right (politics will follow) will be the labor of
decades, perhaps. But you can't negotiate too successfully with religious
fanatics, of any stripe. In this case its the Muslims.
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