zxcvbob > wrote in
:

> As I understand it, islam recognizes Christians and Jews as
> "People of the Book", but they consider Christianity and Judaism
> as apostate religions. That's why they hate Christians and Jews
> more than other "infidel" religions.

They hardly consider Christianity and Judaism as apostate religions.
In Islam, Christianity and Judaism are viewed as revealed religions
in the same way as Islam was revealed, by the message being given by
a Prophet. What they consider to be serious flaws in Christianity re
the lack of Shar'iah and the doctrines of Trinity and Incarnation
which they believe compromise divine unity. Those, they hold, are
later human interpolations and THAT is what they consider apostate.

Now, as in all religions, some people hold views divergent from the
fundamental message of love thy neighbour (which is common to
Judaism, Christianity and Islam). Their interpretation is heavily
coloured by their prejudices and their political views, be they
Christian or Muslim. Most of what we see has little to do with Islam
as a revealed religion and more to do with a political reaction to
various stimuli, such as the recent refusal by western nations to
recognize Hamas after they had cornered the Palestinians into the
democratic process with promises of validation.

Hamas was elected January 25 and the current wave of popular protests
against the caricatures began on January 27. Previous protests
(which began in October 2005) had been limited to diplomatic action.
So far, I haven't seen anyone correlate these two events...draw your
own conclusions, but in my view, it's a case of "you **** with us, we
**** with you".

Don't tell me that isn't hypocrisy of the worst sort. If Bush and
Blair didn't want Hamas elected, they should have stipulated that
they would only accept a predetermined outcome (the "do as you're
told" school of democratic thought) and appeared clearly as the lying
scum they now have revealed themselves to be. At least Muslims speak
frankly.

Now, before you reply, consider that, as a Marxist, I do not in any
way favour the spread of organized religion, but I do recognize that
religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, what have you) gives hope to
those who need it most, especially those living in dire
circumstances.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara