Obama won't say it, so I will

[theoldwolf]

Islam is great. If you enjoy being a Muslim.

But what if you're a "Jack-Muslim", as it were... and enjoy a little Courvoisier after dinner? What if you're Muslim, and a woman - and want to wear the latest Yves St. Laurent number instead of hijab? Or what if you're Muslim, and gay at the same time? Or what if you're Muslim, and decide you'd rather be a Baha'i?

In Iran, or Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia, or any number of Islamic countries, the above "crimes" can get you beaten, jailed, raped or executed.

And that's just wrong; religion should encourage people to improve their lives, not ruin their lives if they don't.

A good man I know once said, "Religion is designed to make you a better person. If you're still a jerk, it's not working."

I support the right of the people of Iran to elect an Islamic government if they so choose, but any government that fails to respect the inalienable rights of the governed to determine their own destiny will not last.

If we ever want to build a world that works for everyone, we as humans are going to have to get a whole lot smarter about what's important - having power over others, or having power over ourselves.

Comments

[dhlawrence.livejournal.com]

A National Geographic article I read about a year ago said that a lot of Iranians see the government as outsiders and foreigners--which is true to an extent. Before Islam, the dominant religion in what's now Iran was Zoroastrianism. Outsiders entered Iran and started imposing changes over the years, making it what it is now. Even the deposed Shah of Iran was descended from residents of what's now Azerbaijan.

[alaskawolf.livejournal.com]

its a shame to see whats going on in Iran :(

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

The buggers have arrested British Embassy staff.

Allah only knows what the hell we are capable of doing there... but it sounds better to blame the Brits (since the US is absent) than admit that the opposition and hatred for the ruling classes is home grown.